“Right. This gives me one more reason to visit the temple.”

Fei spoke with a slightly deflated voice. Fei also instinctively noticed Summer’s distrust.

“The temple?”

“According to you, the only ability recognized in the work is holy power, right?”

“…”

“I think you might be able to sense something. I’m curious too. Isn’t everyone? About the existence of God, I mean.”

Fei jumped down from the desk and transformed into a cat. Her pitch-black tail swayed gently.

“I’ll go take a look. I’m curious too. About how this world really works.”

“How long until the banquet?”

“A week.”

“Then let’s head to the temple the day before the banquet. You’re free to go anywhere until then. If anything happens, hold that jewel and think of me. I’ll be able to respond.”

“I will.”

Fei, apparently really intending to rest freely, spent three days sleeping lazily in cat form without moving an inch.

Meanwhile, Summer pondered ways to return to the original world.

If Summer’s soul returned on the day of the banquet, it would be best to go back to the original world on that day.

She wanted to leave this world as soon as possible.

Though she was worried about Julian, it wasn’t as precious as her family and her own safety.

Summer even skipped meals, trying to choose the right place and time to return to the original world.

“Miss, you could really die if you skip meals.”

Mary brought soup and placed it in front of Summer as she spoke. Only then did Summer turn to look at Mary.

“Mary. Can you see me too?”

“Of course.”

“What do I look like?”

“…Beautiful blonde hair.”

“I see.”

I was needlessly surprised. Sometimes Mary would stare at Summer as if seeing something beyond her appearance.

I asked just in case, but it seems it was just Summer’s delusion.

Summer took a spoonful of soup and put it in her mouth. The food in this world was incredibly delicious.

After finishing a bowl of soup, Summer called Mary in again. She was no longer uncomfortable with Mary as before.

“Mary. Could you find me a map?”

What Summer was looking for was a map of the imperial palace. Of course, many places were not described for security reasons.

Summer quietly examined the palace map, recalling the text she had read many times.

And she pointed to an unmarked spot.

“Here it is.”

The spire.

It was said to be the highest spire in the empire. This spire was no ordinary one.

Even the noble playboys who frequented all sorts of shady places wouldn’t go there.

It was because of rumors that it was haunted.

It was a bit amusing that people who had temples and claimed to believe in gods would completely avoid a place because of ghost stories, but it was fortunate for Summer.

Moreover, during the banquet, the palace gates would be wide open, making it easy to approach.

The time would be when everyone was busy dancing.

In the original work, there was an event where Julian Dudley and Ian Lancaster watched the night view together at this place.

Summer intended to use that location differently.

“What are you doing?”

“I was thinking about how to return to the original world.”

As Fei approached with a languid yawn, Summer handed over the map and answered in a cheerful voice.

“…You’ve already decided.”

Fei’s face hardened for a moment as she looked at the map.

As Fei was about to say something more, the door opened and a maid entered to announce lunch.

“Don’t worry, Fei! I’ll be back soon!”

“Alright.”

Summer spoke in a bright voice and left. Fei stared at the closed door with a strange expression and then shook her body once.

“Humans are crazy. It’s annoying.”

Leaving Fei behind, Summer arrived at the dining room, ignored the Count and Countess Lindsey, and sat down to focus on her meal.

When Summer returns to the original world, the real Summer will take this place.

And she will perform the same role with the same emotions and expressions over and over again.

“Summer. We’ll have your dress for the banquet fitted generously, so don’t worry and eat comfortably.”

Just like now. Summer glanced at the Countess Lindsey sitting across from her with expressionless eyes, then went back to cutting her steak.

Summer Lindsey’s parents were beautiful and warm people.

But they didn’t feel alive.

Artificial speech patterns, repetitive dialogue. They were like robots injected only with gentleness and peacefulness.

In short, even if Summer Lindsey died, the Count and Countess Lindsey wouldn’t have time to be sad. They would forget everything completely when the original work starts again.

‘It’s not my concern.’

Summer shrugged her shoulders once. Rather, she was humming at the thought of returning to the original world.

It wouldn’t be bad to go up to the high spire and take one last look at this world. If you just look, it would be quite beautiful.

The day before the imperial banquet. As promised, Summer arrived at the Grand Temple and gaped at the magnificent building.

The white marble reflected in the sunlight, gleaming. The statues placed here and there were so delicate they seemed about to move.

It was truly a living cultural heritage.

“It’s amazing.”

“Some live in such a jade-like temple, while others live in garbage dumps.”

Fei sneered sarcastically. As Fei said, the temple was huge and splendid, and even the stones laid on the floor looked expensive.

“You think just like people from our world.”

“The creator who made this world might be from your world. If so, your way of thinking might be reflected in us.”

Fei’s voice was light, but the content was not.

Summer tried to calm her suddenly sinking heart and responded playfully.

“Do you want to come to that world with me?”

“It’s impossible for me. I’m completely bound here.”

“Can’t you go to another world?”

“We play a mediating role, we’re not beings who can do as we please.”

That meant that characters in the novel couldn’t appear in another world even if they died and came back to life.

However, since it was possible to enter from the original world into the novel, the two worlds were vertically unequal to an unfair degree.

Summer took in the sight of the Grand Temple imagined by a Korean author once more and spoke.

“It’s strange. Fei, you seem to know everything.”

“Of course. I’m not the top witch for nothing.”

Fei made a sullen expression and strode into the temple first.

“Have you come to pray?”

A priest approached and asked. Summer nodded with the most harmless face she could muster. Soon, the priest’s eyes changed after checking Summer’s identity documents.

To Summer, the Lindsey Count family was an extra family she didn’t even remember, but within the empire, they were one of the twelve noble families, the wealthiest and most powerful among the aristocrats.

“This way, please.”

The prayer room the priest led them to was also huge and splendid.

The sculptures everywhere were so delicate and magnificent that it was hard to believe they were made by human hands.

Summer glanced to the side before entering the prayer room. The room Summer was going to seemed to be a prayer room only nobles could enter.

In contrast, the prayer room where people were lined up next to it had a simple design from the door.

“Is that a prayer room too?”

“Of course. God looks down on those in low places as well.”

Is it right for a temple that claims to believe in God to give different prayer rooms based on status and money? Summer’s face hardened at the unpleasant feeling creeping up.

The priest, unaware of Summer’s thoughts, left saying to call if she needed anything.

“Fei. Would God come to a place like this?”

“If it’s not a merciful god, it might be possible. Just because something is omnipotent doesn’t mean it’s necessarily moral, right? It’s rather strange to judge a god by human moral standards.”

Vaguely, Summer thought that the god worshipped in this world would be human, like herself.

Perhaps the author who created this world would play the role of god.

If so, as Fei said, the god of this world was likely to be neither moral, nor omnipotent, nor perfect, nor gentle and considerate.

“That’s a very interesting thing to say. If it’s not even moral, why worship a god? Because it’s powerful?”

“…You think just like a witch.”

Fei threw back Summer’s words from in front of the temple.

Summer just smiled once instead of answering and closed her eyes. Clasping her hands earnestly.

‘If God exists, please answer me.’

But she felt nothing.

Summer opened her eyes drowsily and stared at the beautiful and enormous sculpture in front of her. It exuded a beauty that would put Michelangelo’s David to shame.

Although this was the only romance fantasy novel she had read, she knew well that generally, the protagonist and the happy ending protagonist were taken by the good characters.

If so, there was no way the author’s voice would be heard in such a dazzling place.

Summer stopped praying and dusted off her skirt.

“Fei, let’s go somewhere else.”

“This is the only Grand Temple said to be closest to God.”

“Didn’t they say God looks down on those in low places too?”

Summer pushed open the half-open prayer room door and went outside. Then she boldly stood at the end of the line for the prayer room next door.

It was that prayer room, used only by commoners.