Thump, thump.

“…..”

Thump, thump. Thump.

The sound of someone rhythmically pounding on something could be heard.

Belladonna awoke to the sound that gradually became clearer in her ears.

What’s this sound…?

“Lady Saint, are you in there?”

Ack, my back!

Belladonna grimaced as she felt her entire back aching as she got up from the hard floor covered with a thin carpet.

Did I fall asleep like this last night?

Belladonna blinked her eyes as she saw her own state after coming to her senses.

I didn’t even wash properly or change clothes?

As she was looking down with still sleepy, dazed eyes, a voice was heard again from outside the closed door.

“Are you still sleeping? Lady Saint, you must wake up now!”

Gasp!

Only then did Belladonna suddenly come to her senses and quickly got up from where she had been sitting.

W-wait a moment… Did I oversleep for breakfast with the Pope? Belladonna quickly turned to look at the clock placed on the side table.

‘That’s not it…?’

There was still plenty of time left before the scheduled meal with the Pope.

It was just early morning, around the time when dawn prayers would begin.

Listening carefully, the voice calling her from outside the door was that of Rosie, the priestess who always woke her up and helped her get ready.

With so much time left, why is Rosie looking for me so early in the morning?

Belladonna quickly ran to the dressing table and looked in the mirror.

After roughly combing her messy hair with her fingers, she noticed the scene of the room reflected in the mirror and was startled again.

Gasp, wait a moment!

The disastrous sight of books pulled out from the bookshelf and scattered all over the floor from late last night came into view.

‘I was so tired yesterday that I just fell asleep, I didn’t expect Rosie to come looking for me this early!’

Belladonna could only blink her eyes, not knowing what to do.

“Lady Saint?”

Meanwhile, Rosie outside the door continued to anxiously call for Belladonna.

Ah, this is driving me crazy! Belladonna stomped her feet in place.

If she carelessly opened the door and let Rosie see the state of the room, she might think the Saint was having a hysterical fit with the bookshelf in her room. And if Rosie’s mouth was even a little loose, that story could reach the Pope’s ears.

Then the sharp Pope would quickly realize that I’m looking for something…!

Thump, thump.

Rosie was clearly determined to wake Belladonna and take her somewhere.

Otherwise, she wouldn’t be this persistent.

Argh, really…!

Belladonna moved her stiff body and first opened the wardrobe door, quickly changing into something that looked as much like pajamas as possible.

She couldn’t be caught wearing the same clothes she had on all day yesterday.

After changing into whatever pajamas she could grab, she busily moved her legs to push the books on the floor to one side as much as possible.

For now, I need to tidy up like this at least…!

“Rosie, what are you doing? Has the Lady Saint not woken up yet?”

At that moment, another person’s deep voice was heard from outside.

Don’t tell me someone else has come too? To think I might be caught by someone other than Rosie, I’m really going to lose my mind!

Belladonna frowned and clutched her head.

“Yes, she must have been very tired yesterday, she still hasn’t woken up. I was thinking of just opening the door a little to peek in.”

Rosie, who had been continuously knocking on the door and calling out, replied.

Open the door to peek? Belladonna raised her head, startled by Rosie’s words.

That absolutely cannot happen…!

“No, seeing that she hasn’t woken up yet, she must be very tired. Why don’t we just go back and explain it well to the Pope?”

Fortunately, the person who appeared later stopped Rosie’s idea.

Rosie could be heard replying in a tone of agreement.

“Is that so? Well, even if we suddenly call her like this, it would take the Lady Saint quite some time to get ready, so she’d probably barely arrive by the end of dawn prayers anyway…”

Dawn prayers? It seemed the Pope had changed his mind midway and called for her to attend dawn prayers.

That Pope who’s no help at all…

Belladonna cursed the Pope in her mind and nodded her head towards Rosie.

Yes, Rosie! Just go back for now…! I haven’t woken up from sleep yet!

“It can’t be helped! I’ll have to tell him that today. She wouldn’t have forgotten about breakfast with the Pope anyway, so she’ll wake up soon.”

The sound of Rosie’s footsteps could be heard as she finished speaking.

“Timothy, are you going to dawn prayers too? Let’s go to the chapel together.”

“Ah, sure.”

The voice of the person standing with her sounded familiar, it must have been Priest Timothy.

‘It seems I’ve been meeting with Priest Timothy often since returning to Astanya.’

But thinking back, it may have been like that before too.

At that time, I didn’t have the leisure to look around my surroundings…

Anyway, the two priests gave up on waking Belladonna and began to move away.

Their footsteps grew fainter and eventually disappeared completely.

‘Phew, I guess they’re gone…’

Belladonna let out a sigh of relief and quickly turned around.

She had to organize these books quickly before someone else visited this room again.

‘Ack! The muscle pain…!’

But before she could properly lift the first book, her arms that had been stiff all night began to cry out in pain.

The books the Lady Saint possessed were so heavy that when she lifted them up to her head to put them on the shelf, her arms ached and hurt.

Belladonna barely managed to place the first book she picked up on the highest part of the bookshelf, then raised her other hand to massage her arm.

At this rate, can I finish by the morning…? No, I have to try my best!

She made up her mind and bent down to pick up a few books to place them high on the shelf, then bent down again to pick up a few more to place them high. As she did this, she felt like muscle pain was spreading not just in her arms but throughout her whole body.

‘Okay, wait, I need to drink some water…!’

Belladonna, who was breathing more and more heavily, turned and approached the door.

She opened the door just a little and peeked her head out, looking at both sides of the corridor. If there’s anyone walking around…

She was planning to just stick her head out and ask someone to bring her a glass of water.

“…?”

Then, she made eye contact with someone very close by.

Aack!

Belladonna, who encountered someone right in front of the door, was startled and her whole body trembled.

Timothy, who was more surprised by Belladonna’s shock than she was, quickly approached and grabbed her arm.

“Lady Saint!”

What! Why is he here! Didn’t he just go to the chapel with Rosie!!

Belladonna looked up at him with wide eyes.

She had clearly heard the sound of footsteps moving away, but she didn’t know when he had come back here to wait.

Timothy, for his part, seemed flustered by Belladonna in her thin nightwear, his face turning red as he blinked his eyes, and he held onto the door.

“Are you alright? I’m sorry for startling you…”

Timothy, who was about to push Belladonna back into the room without thinking, stopped speaking when he saw the messy interior.

The confusion filling his eyes could be seen in real time.

Finally, after grasping the situation, he spoke with a hardened expression.

“What is all this… Could it be that someone broke in?”

What? Break in?

“Lady Saint! Please wait a moment! I’ll bring the guards right away! The intruders probably haven’t gone far.”

Belladonna barely managed to stop Timothy, whose face was turning pale and who was about to run to the guards. N-no!

She shook her head and smiled awkwardly.

This is all… I did this, I did…

“What? Why would you… Did something happen to upset you?”

Since she had been caught like this, there was no helping it. Belladonna grabbed his wrist and pulled him inside.

You’re stronger than me, right…? Since I’ve been caught anyway, I might as well use Timothy’s strength and stamina.

“Ah, are you asking me to help organize this?”

Nod nod!

At Belladonna’s gesture, Timothy’s eyes immediately blazed with fighting spirit.

“I understand! Please wait a moment, Lady Saint. I’ll clean this up right away. I have a lot of experience cleaning up my little sister’s messy room, so I’m confident in organizing!”

Belladonna took a step back from him.

Timothy, with a determined face, quickly moved to pick up the books lying on the floor one by one.

Watching him, she thought that perhaps it was fortunate that Timothy, rather than someone else, had caught her in this scene.

“Lady Saint, is there any special order or rule for shelving the books?”

Shake shake. Belladonna shook her head.

There might have been an order set by the original owner of this room, the Lady Saint, but she didn’t know.

“I see, then I’ll aim to organize everything for now.”

Belladonna nodded and picked up a book or two near her to help him.

Huh? At that moment, three small keys lying near Timothy’s feet caught her eye.

Ah, that’s right! I fell asleep last night leaving the keys on the floor…!

If things stayed like this, Timothy might step back and step on the keys, noticing their existence.

Belladonna swallowed dry saliva and slowly moved her steps to approach him closer.

It would be complicated to explain if I get caught unnecessarily…!

“Oh, Lady Saint?”

Timothy, who happened to raise his head, made eye contact directly with Belladonna who was approaching him.

His face instantly turned bright red as he saw Belladonna’s blue eyes that had suddenly come close.

But that wasn’t important to Belladonna.

Her gaze was focused only on the keys.

“Ah, I-I’m sorry.”

Timothy said, belatedly startled and turning his head away quickly.

It’s okay! More importantly, could you move your foot?

Belladonna smiled and gently pushed him.

But Timothy, who was more solidly built than she thought, stood firmly without budging at all.

“I-I didn’t know we’d get this close…”

Timothy stuttered, still with his head turned away.

But Belladonna frowned as she looked this way and that at his legs.

It’s fine, I said! More importantly, move this heavy foot! You’re about to step on my keys!