Chapter 19
Kanna continued explaining the situation to Gabriel as he had been instructed by the Lady.
While focusing on the conversation, Hena also eagerly looked around the Grand Temple. It was the psychology of wondering when she might come to a place like this again.
The building's exterior was ornate, but the interior was twice as luxurious. Stained glass in vibrant colors depicted verses from scriptures, and statues of the Sun God Rahel were placed everywhere.
The visitors who had come to pray were mostly nobles, and the temple acolytes guiding them were dressed just as flashily. The priests who occasionally served the slums wore plain, unadorned robes, but were the acolytes here flashy because they dealt with nobles?
Or did they deliberately wear modest clothes to avoid envy in the slums as a show? No, that seemed like too cynical a view.
"Madam, thank you for always gracing us with your presence. May the sun's light always shine upon you."
Still, their greeting was different. May the sun's light shine upon you. Hena repeated their words inwardly.
Walking along the carpeted path led to the main hall, where a small but exceedingly ornate fountain stood.
'Aren't fountains usually outdoors?'
The indoor fountain felt awkward, so she kept glancing at it when she saw a noble lady with an acolyte approach it closely. The lady then cupped water from the fountain and moistened her lips.
It was the first time Hena had seen a noble do such a thing. Nobles who complained that even washing water was dirty.
More than hygiene, was it okay to drink from the temple's fountain? Not knowing, Hena sought Gabriel's help.
"Is that fountain water safe to drink?"
"Yes. It's Holy Water."
"Pardon?"
"It's Holy Water. That fountain."
Holy Water? Hena was suddenly reminded that this was the Grand Temple. Right, Holy Water is made in temples, so of course it would be here. But why a fountain?
Watching the endlessly flowing Holy Water stirred a shadowy feeling in her heart, and Hena unconsciously gripped Kanna's hand tightly. Seeing people quench their thirst right before her eyes made her thirsty too. Kanna's hand was squeezed, but guessing Hena's feelings, she quietly endured it.
"It's not open to all visitors. As you can see, there are knights guarding it. It's a benefit for generous donors."
Gabriel added that most who entered the Grand Temple were nobles anyway.
"It's a performance showing the temple's prosperity."
Gabriel seemed utterly cold as he explained. Hena mulled over his words. Treating nobles as customers while wanting the temple to hold the upper hand, making them do things nobles would never do?
But was that something a temple knight should say? Calling the faithful customers.... Hena realized she'd never heard Gabriel give a prayer greeting. Of course, as Sir Gabriel, he might omit it out of consideration for others.
Unable to find an answer, Hena silently followed Gabriel.
Passing the central fountain revealed a crowd gathered in one spot. That must be where the painting hung.
"To start, reactions to that painting are completely polarized. Some find it very beautiful, others unpleasant."
No need for elaboration—Hena could tell Gabriel was the latter.
And finally, Hena arrived before the painting.
***
'Burned by fire?'
The canvas was filled with such a sooty, dull color that one might briefly misunderstand. It didn't suit the entirely white and vibrant Grand Temple at all. It was like a drop of ink falling into clear water.
The moment she looked closely at the painting, disgust welled up in Hena, nearly making her vomit. God's blessing? Sacred? This? This painting? She doubted the aesthetic sense of those praising such filth. Their eyes might not be working properly.
Even the most wretched person's final moments would look more beautiful. No—even Donau's suicide scene from before would be better.
Against the backdrop of a wooden floor from a collapsed building that seemed just extinguished, a limbless, cracked charcoal torso screamed in agony. Above the head, a single blood-smeared eye blinked, and behind the back, countless tiny hands emerging from hellfire reached to devour the deceased. They appeared wing-like because the small fingers intertwined, vaguely resembling feathers.
Did the faithful know Donau's end was suicide? According to the Sun God's doctrine they so blindly believed, suicides could never enter Rahel's embrace. Thus, this was a scene from hell come to claim Donau.
"Rahel."
"Grant us salvation too."
Hena wanted to plug her ears. Were they truly devotees of the Sun God? Even Hena, who held a grudge against Donau, pitied the figure in the painting—how could they praise this?
"Indeed. It's beautiful."
"Kanna?"
And unfortunately, Kanna seemed to find the painting beautiful too.
"It must look different to Miss Kanna. To me, that painting is utterly repulsive. The same for you, Miss Hena."
Hena nodded. Repulsive enough to induce nausea.
So Kanna finds this painting beautiful. Looking around, those viewing it stared entranced at the canvas like they'd taken drugs.
What magic did the painter use to create such a polarizing work?
Hena realized why the painting still hung in the temple. Polarized reactions would only make it seem more mystical. Telling those who found it beautiful the truth would just seem like an attempt to demean it.
"I wonder what the difference is."
"Who knows. They say it's a matter of faith."
No way. Kanna, who disliked the temple, called the painting beautiful.
"Commander!"
"Raphaella?"
"Where have you been? I've been looking everywhere!"
"One moment. Would you two mind waiting here briefly? It seems urgent, so I must attend to my subordinate."
"Yes. We'll wait here."
A knight in a white uniform urgently sought Gabriel from afar. As Gabriel excused himself, Hena nodded. She wanted to leave quickly, but with Kanna entranced by the painting, she couldn't go alone anyway.
Even after Gabriel left, Kanna admired the painting with a smile for a long while before suddenly breaking the silence.
"Does it look different to you, Sis? To me, that pattern looks just like eyes."
Kanna turned to Hena, back to the painting. The angle aligned perfectly, making wings seem spread behind her.
Hena stopped breathing. Goosebumps rose along her spine to her arms. Her stomach tightened, her legs went weak. Tinnitus rang, the world spun.
No, impossible.
Eyes? What Kanna said matched exactly what Hena saw. Then Kanna...
'Kanna called what I saw beautiful?'
"Kanna, you..."
Hena wanted to scold her sister. But what could she say? That she wasn't normal? She couldn't wound a child who'd been ill her whole life and only now could smile.
As she carefully chose her words, seeing Gabriel return, Hena held her breath and urgently whispered.
"Don't tell Sir Gabriel you see eyes. Just say the painting feels sacred to you. Got it?"
The temple folk saw it as sacred too, so no issue. But Kanna was different. Unlike others, she recognized the icon as 'eyes' yet called it beautiful.
A normal person doesn't call detached human eyeballs beautiful.
As Hena earnestly implored, Kanna meekly nodded. Hena, having long suspected yet unable to believe, finally accepted the truth.
Kanna was broken somewhere.
Whether after the kidnapping by Donau or meeting the Lady, she wasn't sure. Perhaps it had always been there, hidden by her frailty.
"Thank you for waiting."
"No problem. I lost track of time looking at the painting."
"That's fortunate then."
The fortunate part was that, at a glance, no one could sense anything wrong with Kanna. Moreover, she had the Lady's favor. Staying by the Lady's side might be better as is.
Hena concluded thus, yet pondered if it was just rationalizing to face her sister. Of course, the worry was brief. Like grasping the monstrous cat's hand in the past, Hena's choices always prioritized her sister.
"By the way, why did you call earlier? Related to that painting?"
As Hena composed herself, the two conversed. Gabriel nodded at Kanna's question.
"My subordinate just said they've secured a witness."
"A witness?"
"Yes. Someone from the Convent..."
"If it's about the painting, can't I hear too?"
As Gabriel hesitated, Kanna asked. He seemed to decide to include the two involved in Donau's case.
"I told them to bring her to the reception room first, so we'll hear the details together."
Having seen the painting, there was no reason to stay longer. Hena hurried her steps, eager to escape the ominous artwork.
