Saint's Prison - Chapter 70

Palms Together

After finishing the fieldwork, I head silently towards the well.

What was that voice earlier? It sounded familiar and yet, not. The contradictory sound lingered in my ears.

Judging from the clear soprano voice, the owner of the voice must be a girl.

“…Normally, I would think it’s just a hallucination.”

There was no female who fit the description around when I was talking with Simeon-san.

(Come to think of it, something like this happened before…)

That was when I was dozing off while sitting in my room.

“―――Who am I?”

I thought it was a hallucination then too. That it was just my half-awake brain making a mistake. But what if it wasn’t a hallucination? What was the girl trying to tell me?

…No, that’s not it. I didn’t feel any intention of her trying to convey something to me. Rather, it was as if she was asking something from me.

(…Did she want me to notice her?)

She deliberately didn’t reveal her identity, as if testing me. She wanted me to recognize her existence. Or perhaps, she wanted to be recognized. Looking back now, I felt that it contained such nuances.

Assuming the girl really exists. Then it means she spoke directly into my mind in some way.

Such a thing is impossible. Such a supernatural thing is…

But, I too wandered into this world due to a supernatural phenomenon. I can’t outright deny the possibility.

A chill ran down my spine. As if to suppress it, I rubbed the back of my neck with my palm. I replayed her words from today in my mind.

“You are mine alone.”

Obsession towards me. Possessiveness. Those feelings were conveyed through her words. Why would the girl harbor such feelings towards me?

A girl who whispered to me in such a sweet voice as if speaking to a lover…

…Who on earth is she?

My thoughts wouldn’t come together.

I ruffled my hair roughly and let out a deep sigh.

For now, let’s wash off the sweat.

I take off my jacket and strip down to my undershirt. Then I throw the bucket into the well and draw up water. I lift the bucket and wash my face. It’s cold. It feels good.

I dump the remaining water over my head. I wring out my wet hair and throw the bucket into the well again. After repeating this a few times, I finally take a breather.

“…Kuro-dono.”

I turn around when called.

A dignified atmosphere. A woman of stunning beauty, Johanna, was standing there. Her thick golden hair was unusually let down, fluttering in the wind. Her beautiful hair reached down to her back. I didn’t realize it was so long. Usually, she has it up.

“Hey, Johanna.”

“…You’re bathing again, aren’t you?”

“I got sweaty from the fieldwork.”

“Hehe, even if it wasn’t for that, you’d be bathing every day, wouldn’t you?”

“Well yeah. Japanese people like cleanliness. Besides… I feel like I get approached by Johanna at a high probability when I’m bathing. Don’t tell me you’re always peeping? Wow, that’s naughty.”

“Wha!? Idiot! There’s no way I would do such a thing!”

At my teasing, Johanna’s face turns bright red as she protests. She waves her hands frantically, her entire body rebutting.

I see, she’s not resistant to this kind of topic. Well, of course, Johanna is a nun after all. I can’t help but smile at the sight.

“Haha, calm down Johanna, it was just a joke.”

“Yo-you say such strange things!”

“Alright, alright.”

“Really! You’re such a bad person!”

“But you always forgive me, right?”

At my words, Johanna’s eyes widen for a moment. Then, she purses her lips in irritation and mutters ‘idiot’.

I feel warm inside and can’t help but smile.

Seeing my face, Johanna, for some reason, trembles her lips.

“No, it’s… it’s nothing.”

She starts to say something, then shakes her head feebly. She crosses her arms before her chest as if to chastise herself.

Although Johanna usually acts cool, she has a gentle and feminine softness at heart. I feel like she consciously acts this way to hide that. There must be a reason why she has no choice but to do so.

“So, Johanna, did you need something from me?”

“…No, I just came to check on you.”

Johanna answers listlessly. Ah, she’s sulking.

“…I see.”

“Yes, that’s right.”

She’s probably worried about me. She chooses the time when I’m bathing to talk to me, probably because there are no people around.

That’s because the well is by the brewery, and the brewery acts as a wall, hiding the well from the field and the monastery.

There are people in the monastery who are kind to me, a foreigner, but there are also those who don’t think well of me, like Sals. They do not approve of anyone from the monastery interacting with me.

Knowing this, Johanna deliberately chooses this time to come and check on me.

“Johanna, thank you.”

My heart warms, and a smile escapes my lips.

Seeing my face, Johanna opens her eyes wide for some reason.

“Ah, no, it’s nothing.”

Seeing Johanna’s unusual behavior, I feel a sense of discomfort, but all I can do is gently close the lid on it.