“We have arrived.”
When Summer arrived at the temple, the sun was slowly preparing for its final blaze.
As the coachman stopped the carriage and opened the door, Russell was the first to step out and reached out his hand to Summer.
Summer carefully took Russell's hand and stepped down from the carriage. A cool breeze pleasantly brushed through her hair.
“Let’s go in.”
Upon entering the temple, unlike before, the worshippers quickly approached and offered to guide the Pope.
“Have you seen His Holiness often?”
“Not often, but aside from here, I have nowhere else to be understood.”
“Summer. Is today really the only day it can be?”
Russell's question was mixed with various emotions. As Summer walked following the worshippers' guidance, she stopped in her tracks.
“...Yes.”
After her brief answer, Summer continued down the corridor. Russell stared at her back for a moment before slowly following behind.
“Welcome, Summer. It feels like it’s been a while.”
The Pope greeted Summer with a smiling face. His sacred violet eyes slid sideways, scanning Russell.
It was as if his gaze was like a serpent probing its prey, and in that moment, Russell instinctively grabbed Summer's hand and hid it behind him.
“I suppose Summer hasn’t told you about me. Don’t worry. I’m someone who can help Summer.”
The Pope chuckled and took a surrendering stance. Playfully.
“That’s right, Russell. It’s okay.”
“...Understood.”
Russell, who had been holding Summer's hand, slowly relaxed his grip.
“Ah, is today a day of return? That’s quite a celebratory matter.”
The Pope chattered as he pulled out a bundle of keys from his robes. He naturally guided them toward the prayer room.
Standing in front of the prayer room as usual, waiting for the Pope to open the door, Summer quietly placed her hand over her heart.
Thump, thump, whether it was excitement or anxiety, the tremors wouldn’t subside. Her heartbeat showed no signs of calming down.
“Ah, Summer. Did you bring poison or something black?”
“...No.”
“Hmm, Summer. Drowning can be quite painful, you know.”
“...”
No matter how much it was an act of return, death in this world was still death.
Death. Was she ready to accept this?
Summer questioned herself. It wasn’t about dying while trying to do something, but rather trying to do something after dying. Was that correct?
“Um, Your Holiness.”
“Speak.”
The Pope perfectly mimicked the virtues of a Pope as always. He seemed gentle enough to listen to anything.
But knowing the Pope's other side, Summer felt her mouth going dry.
“Before I return, may I use the prayer room just once...?”
“I don’t quite understand what you mean, Summer. Is your intention to use the prayer room to see your original self?”
“Yes.”
“Why? You’ll see that body again once you return anyway.”
There was a strange sharpness in the Pope's words. His eyes glistened as if measuring Summer.
“...Well, that is.”
As Summer rolled her eyes, Russell calmly spoke up.
“What reason is there not to do it?”
“...Hmm.”
“Is taking a peek at the original world before leaving a problem for your return?”
“Not at all, Duke.”
The Pope took a step back. More accurately, he pretended to step back. The key turned, and the door opened.
It was a place she would never get used to. Today, the coldness clinging to her skin felt unpleasant.
“Summer. Go on in. What if I change my mind?”
The Pope urged, and Summer reluctantly moved her feet, which seemed stuck, toward the fountain.
If she fell in there, the icy holy water would envelop her body. And then she would get to see.
As Summer pondered, she dipped her fingertips into the water. Ripples spread across the surface, distorting Summer's face.
“...”
And then Summer was sucked into the fountain.
In a moment of panic, Russell tried to approach Summer, but he was stopped by the Pope.
“Don’t be surprised. How much do you think you’ll be shocked when you leave?”
“Is this right?”
“Don’t doubt God just because the method is wrong. God has a purpose in everything.”
“Is that purpose truly the right path for us?”
“Are you doubting God, Duke? How presumptuous.”
The Pope's eyes glinted dangerously. It felt like something was about to happen at any moment.
However, Russell observed the Pope with an indifferent gaze, his emotions unreadable.
“I’m just curious about that purpose you say God has. It seems that someone precious to me has gone through quite a painful time because of that purpose.”
Oddly enough, Russell's emotionless demeanor seemed to provoke the Pope even more.
The Pope exhaled sharply, not hiding his hostility.
“There is a reason for every trial given by God.”
“Is the trial Summer is going through also God's will?”
“If so.”
“Then what about Your Holiness?”
“What?”
“Is it also God's will that you encouraged the Legacy Lady to use poison?”
“...”
The Pope flinched as if caught off guard, his shoulders trembling. He forced a smile, trying to regain control.
As if Russell's words had no impact. But in reality, Russell didn’t care what expression the Pope was making.
Though Russell was facing the Pope, all his attention was directed toward the fountain.
When will she come out? Hasn’t quite a bit of time passed?
He needed to check the fountain quickly, but the Pope blocking his way was a nuisance.
He wanted to deal with him casually and just let him go.
“Oh dear. I must not have grasped the deep intentions of God. Isn’t that right, Your Holiness?”
“You shouldn’t be telling me that. What do you intend to do?”
“Though you are loved by the citizens, I doubt anyone has received as many death threats as I have. I assure you.”
“...Ha.”
Though he had grown accustomed to it to the point of being sick of it now, Russell had also been paralyzed by fear at first.
The role of a minister was originally to take risks in front of the imperial family.
Receiving threatening letters was countless, and there was even someone who was caught trying to break into a building with an axe out of anger over budget cuts.
There was also an incident where a noble who squandered his fortune on gambling was stripped of his title and forced into community service, only to be injured by a fallen noble's ambush.
Compared to those events, the Pope glaring at him fiercely without hiding his emotions seemed ridiculous.
People tend to lose when they act emotionally.
“I’m sorry, but I’m not curious about why Your Holiness gave poison to the Legacy Lady, or how vast and profound the intentions of God interfering in human affairs are.”
“Don’t speak carelessly.”
“Isn’t it Your Holiness who is speaking carelessly? This is quite an impolite and uncultured attitude.”
“Bertrand!”
“How fortunate you are to be close to God. Whatever you do, you can just say it’s God’s will. Doesn’t God get angry?”
“I told you to watch your words.”
The Pope suddenly lunged forward, grabbing Russell by the collar. At the same time, Russell seized the Pope's wrist, twisting it and quickly overpowering him.
“I said I wouldn’t make an issue of it. Because Summer still relies on you. Once Summer returns, we can talk then. As much as you want, thoroughly.”
“Damn it, let go!”
“How can I let go when I haven’t even drawn my teeth? I’m worried you might bite.”
“Let go, since Summer hasn’t come out yet,”
The Pope stopped mid-sentence, staring blankly at the fountain.
He could hear the bubbling sound of the surface, and then Summer suddenly rose, crawling out of the fountain.
Her soaked green dress clung to her thin body.
“Summer!”
Without waiting to see who would go first, they rushed toward Summer. Russell quickly took off his outer garment and draped it over her shoulders, patting her back.
Summer continued to gag painfully, spitting out water. Her chest heaved so violently that it felt like her bones might break.
“Summer. You mustn’t lose consciousness. Summer.”
“Ru, Russell... Russell...”
“Yes. I’m here.”
Summer couldn’t speak of what she had seen inside and tightly shut her eyes.
Ten minutes before Summer entered the fountain, darkness enveloped her. And when the darkness lifted, Summer saw the same scenery.
The familiar goshiwon. A woman lying down. Problem sets scattered chaotically.
Summer reached out her hand. The moment her fingertips touched what seemed like a solid transparent wall, it pulled her in strongly.
“...!”
Losing her balance, Summer stumbled through the transparent wall. And for the first time, she saw a different scene.
“Ah, ahh... huff...!”
Summer let out a strange sound as she fell on her backside. Crawling backward, she resembled someone facing death.
Overwhelming fear and a frozen body. Her pupils dilated, and her mouth opened wide, gasping.
Next, what Summer saw was her room. On the neatly cleaned shelf, there was a white box.
She instinctively knew. That it was her.
She heard the sound of the door lock opening, and the entrance light flickered once. Then the door opened.
“Mom’s home.”
“Uh, Mom...”
It was her mother. Only now did the memories return.
A wrinkled face and hair turned white from hardship. Eyes filled with determination to raise her child and a stubborn mouth tightly pressed.
Summer jumped up and reached out to her mother. But just like being blocked by a TV screen, she couldn’t touch her.
“Daughter. Have you been well? I brought groceries.”
Her mother set the shopping basket down on the floor and lovingly stroked the white box on the shelf.
“Mo, Mom... Mom, I’m here... Mom!”
Summer screamed, pounding against the wall that blocked her. But her voice couldn’t reach her mother.
“I’m making kimchi stew, your favorite.”
“Mom! Mom, please!”
“Daughter. How is it over there? Is it comfortable? You little girl. Leaving your old mother behind and going first... where is your heart at ease?”
Tears streamed down her mother’s cheeks. She couldn’t even wipe them away.
Summer screamed and hit her head. She couldn’t accept it.
She couldn’t accept this situation itself. She clearly remembered lying in bed and falling asleep; how could a person die in their sleep?
“If it’s that hard, just give up. Why did you do that...”
“...”
“Didn’t you know that your mother loves you? Was that the case? Huh? Didn’t I tell you to take care of your body?”
“Uh, Mom...”
“Didn’t I say that as long as you’re healthy, that’s all that matters...?”
Her mother crumbled. Seeing her mother like that for the first time, Summer couldn’t bear to look and closed her eyes.
Please, please. If I open my eyes again, let me be alive. Please. Let me wake up in my bed, as if nothing happened.
But even when she opened her eyes, reality didn’t change.
Her original self in the real world had turned into powder inside the white box, and her mother had crumbled. That was all.