“This is not the time, n-no, I will h-help you clean up quickly…!”

Timothy, who suddenly started to panic, moved his body.

Timothy hurriedly picked up the books and began pulling them towards himself.

Belladonna took advantage of the moment to quickly pick up one of the keys that had fallen nearby.

One was safely secured! As for the other two, let’s see…..

Of the remaining two, another key had fallen on the opposite side with Timothy in between.

Alright, stay calm, don’t rush and aim for when Timothy turns his body towards the bookshelf! Belladonna picked up a few books and placed them on the bookshelf with the most nonchalant face possible.

“Holy Saint, please leave it. I will do it for you.”

Ah, no way!

Belladonna smiled to indicate it was fine and diligently helped him pick up books.

Then, when Timothy turned his body towards the bookshelf, she quickly moved her legs and successfully picked up another key.

Alright, now I’ve found two! Where is the last one?

Just as she was discreetly turning her head to survey the surroundings, Timothy stopped in his tracks and bent down deeply.

Belladonna stopped what she was doing, startled.

Wait a moment. Could it be…?

“Hm? What’s this?”

Ah, you found it…..

Belladonna smiled awkwardly. Timothy had picked up the last fallen key.

“Holy Saint, is this yours?”

Nod….. Belladonna had no choice but to nod and extend her hand.

She hoped he would just return the key without asking anything.

But instead of returning the key to her, Timothy brought it close to his eyes and began examining it from all angles.

Ah, what’s this. Give it to me quickly!

Belladonna slightly wiggled her outstretched palm up and down. At her urging, Timothy belatedly came to his senses.

“Ah, I apologize. It’s a key that looks familiar from somewhere…..”

Looks familiar from somewhere? Belladonna looked up at him.

Timothy gently placed the square-shaped key on Belladonna’s palm and said,

“It’s yours, but I showed too much unnecessary interest. Here you go.”

Belladonna closed her hand, firmly grasping the key.

For now, it seemed this key did open something inside the Papal Palace.

If Timothy said the shape of this key looked familiar, then at least it’s not hidden away somewhere completely out of sight.

‘And from now on, I have to find them.’

Belladonna swallowed dryly once again, steeling her resolve.

There wasn’t much time left until the Emperor’s birthday celebration.

“Holy Saint, it’s time for your visit to the confessional.”

Belladonna rose from her seat at the sound of Rosie’s voice.

Belladonna, having changed into the clothes Rosie had prepared, opened the door and nodded towards her.

Rosie smiled and moved across the corridor.

Belladonna, who had been standing still watching the corridor until she completely disappeared, quickly turned around.

‘Let’s try a different route today!’

For several days now, Belladonna had been taking a different path every time she went to the confessional.

On the day she discovered the keys, she had obtained a map of the Papal Palace and planned the most efficient route to explore every corner.

She took out a note with small writing and retraced the path she needed to take today.

Going along this building like this, and then examining here…..

Belladonna, who had exited the Papal Palace entrance, turned right instead of left where the confessional was located.

If you keep walking past the newly built chapel on the right from a few years ago and continue inward, there was a small chapel with relatively little foot traffic.

‘I heard that in the past, all the believers who visited the Papal Palace came here to pray, but it’s been almost forgotten since the new chapel was built.’

Belladonna recalled what Rosie had once chattered to her as she stopped in her tracks.

Before her eyes, the small chapel building revealed itself.

This place was also famous for being frequently visited by the Holy Saint when she wanted to pray quietly, even in the past.

Belladonna carefully walked to the entrance of the chapel.

After looking around once more, she pushed open the tightly closed door, taking care not to make any footstep sounds.

As the door opened, the cold air that had collected inside brushed against her face.

‘Let’s see…..’

Belladonna looked up to observe the interior of the chapel.

It seemed the priests took turns cleaning, as it wasn’t dirty despite the old interior.

The wide-spread floor was cleanly wiped, and sunlight was streaming in through large windows on the walls.

The sunlight, beautifully reflected through the shining glass windows, created indistinct patterns on the opposite wall.

Swallowing dryly and taking one more step inside, she could feel the silence and stillness.

Belladonna walked deep into the chapel, feeling an inexplicable sense of holiness.

‘There’s a Bible placed here.’

At the very back, above the altar, a Bible was placed.

Belladonna examined it closely and then looked up at the statue visible behind it.

The marble statue of the goddess had her eyes closed, but somehow gave the impression of looking at her.

In front of the statue, Belladonna knelt down and clasped her hands together.

‘Oh God.’

Belladonna closed her eyes and began to pray.

First for the late Saint Belladonna, then for Escalion in Gribblata, and for many people in the Ellineros Empire, she prayed and carefully opened her eyes.

‘Please forgive me for searching the chapel.’

She whispered in her heart and began rummaging from under the altar.

Opening the unlocked doors on both sides, old candlesticks, candles, and matches were scattered about.

Belladonna unnecessarily fiddled with them before closing the doors.

It doesn’t seem to be here…..

A place where there might be a box to open with the key…..

Belladonna went around thoroughly checking under the windows, under the chairs, beside the pillars, but nowhere could she see anything like a box or door.

‘I’m running out of time. I need to go to the confessional now…!’

As time passed without much progress, an anxious Belladonna looked around the statue.

Oh God! Is there really nothing hidden here?

She had been coming up empty-handed for days now, and if she couldn’t find anything here either, it seemed hopeless.

The Holy Saint hid it too well…..!

Belladonna looked up at the marble statue, trying to communicate with her. Please tell me…..

Sparkle.

At that moment, something protruding from the bottom of the statue caught Belladonna’s attention.

‘Huh?’

Belladonna hurriedly ran over there, placing her last hope before going to the confessional.

As she touched the protruding part behind the wall with both hands, her face soon lit up brightly.

I found it…..!

With her fingertips, she felt a small gap where a key could be inserted.

Belladonna quickly took out three keys from the pocket hidden in the folds of her dress.

I hope it’s one of these…..

Belladonna picked up the round key that felt most right and extended her arm to try fitting it into the keyhole.

Click.

Finally, with the sound she had been wanting to hear, the key turned sharply to the right.

Hurray! Belladonna inwardly cheered as she pushed the protruding part in the opposite direction from an uncomfortable position.

The part sticking out behind the statue opened quietly, like a sliding door.

‘I wonder what’s inside…..’

Belladonna, who was fearlessly feeling around inside, found a bundle of paper at her fingertips.

She grasped it tightly and pulled it out.

Although it was terribly crumpled due to the very narrow passage, the paper she pulled out was in her hand without major issues.

‘What’s this?’

Belladonna looked down at the old notebook in her hand.

It was a kind of record, densely written in someone’s handwriting.

“I’ve always been jealous of that child. This time, I put poison in her soup. Though it wasn’t enough to be life-threatening, it only went as far as blinding her eyes…..”

Although someone in front of her was earnestly spitting out words, Belladonna couldn’t properly focus on it.

Her attention was solely on the notebook she had brought from the chapel.

I managed to bring it, but…..

There were only unreadable letters!

Belladonna bit her lower lip nervously and fiddled with her fingers.

It didn’t seem to be the language of this place, perhaps a foreign language? Would Fabion be able to interpret it?

“Then that child suddenly started yelling at me? …… Holy Saint, are you listening to me?”

At that moment, the nobleman who had been ranting in front of her addressed her.

Belladonna, who had been absent-mindedly staring elsewhere, startled and turned her gaze towards him.

Uh, uh…? What did he say?

“Holy Saint, did I make my story too difficult for you?”

The nobleman in front asked with a twisted smile.

Though he was trying to phrase it as politely as possible, his face showed doubt towards Belladonna, who seemed not to be focusing on his words.

Belladonna tried not to show her bewilderment as she gently lifted the corners of her mouth.

I-I’m listening!

The nobleman finally let out a sigh of relief upon seeing her holy smile.

“Ah, I see you were contemplating. Where had I gotten to in my story?”

“…..”

“Ah, right. I had just told you about my younger sibling yelling at me. So I denied it. After all, the brat can’t even see…..”

As the nobleman became engrossed in his story again, Belladonna inwardly sighed and once more turned her gaze to where the notebook was.

The old notebook found in the chapel was placed on the floor not too far from where she was sitting.

While she had found something that could be a clue and needed to ask Fabion for help, she had no way of knowing where he was.

Should I just wait for him to find me on his own like last time? But there’s not enough time for that…..

“Holy Saint…?”

“…..”

“Holy Saint?”

At the voice calling her, Belladonna startled once again and turned her gaze.

She tried to compose her expression belatedly, but displeasure was already evident on the nobleman’s face.