The Emperor Is My Brother's Best Friend
Ch. 88

The Gloria Temple stood as the grandest temple on the entire continent of Tristan, both in its scale and the number of priests it housed.

Surprisingly, even in its remote location, numerous people sought out the Gloria Temple, but an unexpected twist came about.

A temporary closure order was enacted.

Why, you ask? Well, to welcome the Gloria candidates from all across Tristan. 

These candidates were about to embody the goddess herself. They'd announce the opening and closing of the illustrious founding festival.

Among the intrigued crowd, Rose found herself. This was her first visit to the temple, and as she gazed around, everything was white. The buildings and people's attire all gleamed in pristine white.

Someone asked aloud.

"Feeling queasy still?"

Keeping up with the ladies leading the way into the temple, Rose tore her gaze away from the scene and gently patted her stomach.

Truth be told, she hadn't spent much time in carriages before.

Back in the capital, she'd only hopped in one during her city travels. But now, on this extended carriage ride, she couldn't shake off the nagging feeling in her stomach.

It seemed like motion sickness hadn't loosened its grip on her just yet.

Before Rose and the other candidates stood the high priestess, who introduced herself with a welcoming air.

"Welcome to the Temple of Gloria. I'm Heilman, in charge of this temple section. Let's get you settled into your rooms."

Besides the high priestess guiding them, the priestesses who accompanied them took the lead. Following their guidance, Rose found herself on the way to her week-long abode.

In a twist of luck, Rose's room had a single bed, a welcome surprise.

Although it paled in comparison to the rooms at Honeywell Manor, its simplicity and coziness didn't go amiss.

The priestess placed Rose's overnight bag in a corner and then presented her with another bag she had been carrying on her body all along.

"From now on, these are the clothes you'll wear in the temple."

The priestess went over the basic guidelines for temple living, then departed with the promise of returning later.

In this quiet moment, Rose glanced around the room, eventually delving into the bag handed to her earlier.

Its contents, garments as white as the temple's walls, spilled out.

"Changing alone is a real hassle." 

She mumbled to herself before throwing her thoughts to the back of her head as she changed her clothes leisurely, a task she had usually relied on Anne or another maid for.

As she slipped out of her dress and into the new one, she couldn't help but mumble.

"Guess I can count my blessings. It's not winter, and I'm not dealing with layers."

Imagine if it were the heart of winter!

Not just Rose, but all the young ladies in their separate rooms might've struggled with the attire removal.

The outfit designated for temple wear matched Rose's blonde hair and fair complexion strikingly. 

Its design deviated vastly from her usual attire, yet she found herself quite fond of it.

Before the mirror, in her new and unfamiliar clothes, Rose turned her gaze towards the window. 

Despite her early departure from the capital, the sun was now high in the sky, signaling midday.

"Can I really make it here...?" 

She pondered aloud.

Back when she had bravely committed to participating in Tristan's Gloria, her confidence had been resolute. 

But now, at the temple, uncertainty has started to creep in.

And truth be told, no one knows what lies ahead in this sacred place.

"I've come this far by making a choice. There's no turning back now."

Rose's expression was etched with determination, a reflection of her unwavering resolve.

---

Despite Rose's initial worries, the journey toward becoming Tristan's Gloria---the living embodiment of the goddess---proved to be less demanding than she expected.

Each day allowed them three meditation sessions, spanning two hours each.

These moments of mental clarity were prescribed to them, but for Rose, they didn't transform into tedious stretches.

The regulations stated that killing was off-limits, and meat seldom graced their meal tables. Yet this didn't faze Rose; her affection for vegetables more than made up for it.

Nestled behind the Gloria Temple stood a mountain, where the goddess of victory was rumored to have descended.

"Excuse me, Lady Honeywell, are you struggling with your leg?"

Five days had passed in the embrace of the Gloria Temple. Lady Dawson, Rose's companion on this journey, posed the question.

They had both ascended the mountain for a ceremonial act, and Lady Dawson's fatigue was evident as they descended.

"I think I'm alright. Walking a bit more shouldn't overstrain me."

"Young Lady Honeywell surprises me. Her stamina's better than her appearance suggests."

Rose swiveled her head, casting a glance at the others trailing behind.

Though everyone sported the façade of normalcy, strain and fatigue were etched on their faces.

"Is that really the case...?"

Rose tilted her head and inquired once more, receiving a confirming nod from Lady Dawson.

"You know, with Young Lady Honeywell, I had this idea that you keep your distance from people and avoid social gatherings. Turns out I misjudged."

Pausing for a moment, Lady Dawson let out a bashful chuckle.

"But you've got impressive endurance. Even when I initiated conversations, you responded warmly. My take on the Honeywell family was way off."

Rose remained speechless, absorbing the newfound insight.

Lady Dawson's perception of Rose had not been far from the truth.

The life she led at the temple was a far cry from her previous routines.

After ascending and descending the mountain, she'd normally be bedridden for the day. Back then, she had been frail---no, she had been weak.

Now, however, her health had taken a complete turn.

Rose had a vague notion as to why.

It was likely the influence of Abaddon's spirit within her that sparked this transformation.

She contemplated how, despite facing injury during the hunting festival and her abduction by Stanley Gardner, she had miraculously emerged unscathed.

A shadow of concern crossed Rose's countenance. She pondered how, had she not confronted the holy sword during the hunting festival, her physical fragility might still persist.

Lost in her thoughts, Rose scanned her surroundings, hoping for a mental refresh.

That's when she caught sight of Nina, walking a few paces behind.

The way Nina moved struck Rose as odd.

There was a certain lifelessness about her, like a puppet manipulated by invisible threads.

"...Weird." 

Rose whispered to herself.

Rose's soft murmurs were a message meant for Nina.

The latter's behavior had caught Rose's attention, and she found it puzzling.

Before their arrival at the temple, Nina had expressed her eagerness to know Rose better. However, upon settling into temple life, Nina underwent a complete transformation in attitude.

It appeared, at a glance, that Nina was actively avoiding Rose.

"I can't quite figure out what's going on with you." 

Rose mused aloud.

Nina, seemingly unaware that Rose was speaking to her own thoughts, shot Rose a quizzical look.

Rose, taken aback by Lady Dawson walking beside her, chuckled.

"I was just talking to myself."

"Ah, I see. Oh, by the way, Young Lady Honeywell, have you had a chat with Young Lady West?"

Rose's reaction was a bit hesitant. 

"Well, what do you mean?"

Lady Dawson, steering the conversation towards Nina, continued cautiously, as if hoping Rose wouldn't give a definitive response.

"I've heard that Young Lady West hailed from the countryside and moved to the capital after losing her parents, and that the Countess West is her aunt."

Lady Dawson spoke about Nina with an air of familiarity, prompting a surprised expression from Rose.

"You seem to know her quite well."

With the pretense of not knowing already established, Lady Dawson readily delved into conversation.

"Not long ago, I became friends with Young Lady West. We've got some private time before sleep, you know? During that time, Young Lady West would drop by my room and we'd chat."

"...She came to see you in your room?"

Lady Dawson nodded affirmatively. She mentioned that Nina had some fascinating stories to share, which made their conversations far from dull.

Lady Dawson proposed that if Rose wasn't acquainted with Nina, it might be worth striking up a conversation.

However, Rose's attention seemed to drift elsewhere, unable to fully engage with the suggestion.

...When you said you wanted to be friends with me, were you just thinking about attending social events alongside the Honeywells?

As Nina continued to move like a puppet, Rose cast a fleeting glance in her direction.

...If that's the case, it feels like someone else's situation.

Shifting her focus from Nina, Rose centered her attention on Lady Dawson, who was still conversing.

---

The days at the Gloria Temple followed a rhythm.

After dinner, the candidates participated in meditation and prayers in the prayer room. Then, a brief period of personal time was granted before bedtime.

Upon returning to her room, Lady Dawson found herself seated in front of the dressing table, leisurely combing her hair during this private moment.

"I actually had a chat with Lady Honeywell today! Ahh! She's quite different from what people say. They gossip that she rarely engages with others."

Rumors, you know, can be quite unbelievable.

As Lady Dawson finished her hair brushing, she glanced towards the door in response to a knock.

"Who is it?"

"It's me, Lady Dawson."

"Ah! Are you Lady Nina West?"

Ever since they had arrived at the Gloria Temple, Lady Dawson had made a new friend who occasionally visited her room.

Putting her comb on the dressing table, Lady Dawson briskly moved to open the door.

Nina was standing there as Lady Dawson greeted her warmly.

"Welcome."

"Thank you for having me. Lately, chatting with you before bed has been really enjoyable."

Watching Nina offer a shy smile, Lady Dawson's own smile widened.

"Same here. Come on in."

Guiding Nina to the table, Lady Dawson noticed something interesting.

Nina's manner as she entered the room and took a seat was remarkably relaxed, almost as if it wasn't their first encounter.

As Lady Dawson settled into her seat, Nina took the initiative to speak.

"Earlier, I saw you having a conversation with Lady Rose..."

"Ah, yes, I was. I initiated the conversation with Lady Rose Honeywell. Even though we've been here together for five days, we hadn't really talked properly."

"Did you share some interesting stories?"

"Not really. But, surprisingly, Lady Honeywell was attentive and seemed interested in what I had to say."

"Hmm, I see."

Nina's response carried a thoughtful note.

However, sitting across from Lady Dawson, Nina's peculiar expression went unnoticed.

It was as if the fact that she was conversing with Rose Honeywell held less significance.

Lady Dawson, engrossed in her conversation about Rose, suddenly clapped her hands in excitement.

"You know what? After the founding festival, how about we organize a tea party for the chosen candidates?"

"You mean for Lady Rose?"

"Yeah, her too. Oh, by the way, would you be up for the invitation?"

Originally, Nina thought she was the one who would decide.

But Lady Dawson's concerned expression caught her attention, causing Nina to give a slight shrug.

"Will you be up for it? After all, we've been here for a week."

"Really? I hope so. A tea party sounds like a lot of fun!"

Observing Lady Dawson's enthusiasm for the upcoming tea party, Nina murmured

"Yes, of course. I'm hoping for the same."

As Nina rhythmically tapped her finger on the table, she abruptly interrupted the topic to divert Lady Dawson's attention.

"Oh my! Do you happen to know, Lady Dawson, how the Gloria of Tristan is selected?"

Lady Dawson nodded without hesitation.

Given her rapport with the temple's priests, it was likely she had acquired this knowledge.

"Yeah, I got that from the priest. The ultimate decision to embody Goddess Gloria lies with the priest, who possesses significant divine power."

"A decision?"

"Yes. They say only those completely devoid of evil within can become the goddess's vessel. Those with strong spiritual energy can discern that."

"Aha... So that's why we've been following these routines of no killing and nurturing our minds?"

"Exactly. But can my body really be purified in just a week?"

"It might have some effect, but it won't be a complete transformation. The schedule's more of a public showcase."

To Lady Dawson's hesitations, Nina offered a straightforward answer.

After a brief contemplative pause, she turned her gaze toward Lady Dawson. 

Gradually, her hand inched closer to Lady Dawson's.

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