“Are you ready?”

A priest opened the door to a small, solemn room with flickering candles and fragrant incense in front of a statue of what seemed to be a god. A girl with pure white and simple dress was kneeling in front of the statue, her hands were cupped in front her chest. The girl didn’t seem to be in deep prayer, however, as she immediately turned around to look at the priest with widened eyes.

The corner of her lips felt a bit stiff.

Inside her mind, rang a voice from the depths of her heart.

………How many people have asked me that? My first answer to Laura never changes!

 

How did things suddenly escalate to this?

Let’s rewind time a bit…

 

This was the day of the purification ritual.

From early in the morning, Ann was already riding on the carriage going to the temple. Unexpectedly, she got to sleep comfortably last night despite being in the same bed as Allen.

She recalled the fact that she read in the internet back in her modern era: People tend to be sleepy or fall asleep quickly in the presence of their beloved, perhaps due to the oxytocin hormone.

On her shoulder was Birdie who leaned towards Ann’s neck.

Next to her was Faye who was fidgety. She was worried and nervous because this would be a very important day.

Meanwhile, sitting across them was Allen, who evidently didn’t get enough sleep contrary to Ann.

It was true that you could sleep easier in the presence of your beloved, but for a healthy man like Allen, it was actually hard because of the temptation!!!

Moreover, he was too worried to sleep and wanted to cherish even one second holding Ann.

 

The carriage ride to the temple of purification was led in silence, with each of the living beings inside had different thoughts.

The temple of purification was located deep inside the kingdom’s largest temple, located strategically in the middle of the capital city.

It didn’t take long for them to arrive in front of the temple.

Several priests were already anticipating their arrival in front of the temple.

 

“Welcome, Duke and Duchess Schwartzen. I am Debienne. We’ve been expecting you,” said one of the priests as she came up to Allen and Ann, who were descending from the carriage. Debienne wore white uniform with golden accent that was the priests’ uniform. She was a middle-aged woman with her ashen gray hair tied in a low ponytail, her pearl colored eyes seemed crystal clear.

“Ah, please treat me well,” Ann wasn’t used to be greeted like that, so she felt a bit awkward.

“Alright, my lady. Please follow me,” the priest, Debienne, said as she nodded towards Ann.

She then stopped at the sight of Faye, who was descending the carriage after Allen and Ann.

“Is this the girl who’s going to participate in the ritual as well?” Priest Debienne asked.

“That’s right,” Ann said.

“Y-yes!” Faye bowed.

“Then, you two can follow me,” Debienne smiled warmly.

She stopped at Allen then said, “Apologies, Duke Schwartzen, but—”

“I know,” Allen immediately stopped Debienne from explaining.

 

Prior to this, they were already briefed about the temple’s arrangement.

Early in the morning, those participating in the ritual should come to the temple to prepare themselves. The preparation itself involved taking a bath in the blessed water spring in the temple, wearing the temple’s prepared outfit, eating some special food and drink provided by the temple, then offering a prayer inside the designated prayer room.

Meanwhile, those who had no direct participation in the ritual could only wait outside during the purification ritual.

Faye was to participate as the child who would accompany the target of purification ritual, Ann.

It should have been another child priest, but Faye’s presence was specifically requested because they thought it’d be nice to have Faye inside as Ann was quite attached to Faye. Ann was like Faye’s guardian and Faye was the first person to get along well with Ann. If things were to go south, perhaps seeing or hearing Faye would help in the purification ritual.

…It helped since Faye was also a child. A child symbolized purity, so that was the reason why child priests were to be involved in the ritual.

As such, Allen became the only one who couldn’t enter.

…Or actually, there should be one more who couldn’t enter as well.

 

“Birdie, please go back with Allen,” Ann said as she tried to place Birdie on Allen’s shoulder.

However, Birdie who had been docile a while ago, suddenly chirped in a tone that expressed her dissatisfaction as she jumped to avoid Ann’s hands.

“Birdie, c’mon!” Ann tried again and again, but Birdie kept dodging.

Allen then tried to help Ann catch Birdie as well, but Birdie quickly flew and tried to attack Allen as she chirped in anger, “Chirp chiiirppp!!”

…Birdie tried to intimidate Allen, but of course Allen was irritated instead of intimidated.

Birdie then quickly flew back to Ann’s side when she noticed Ann was about to leave her.

“Birdie, please! You can’t come with me,” Ann said as she stole glances towards the priests who were waiting for them to come along.

“Chirp!” Birdie protested as she landed on Ann’s head.

“Birdieeeee!!” Ann was helpless.

 

“Duchess Schwartzen, it’s alright,” Debienne said as she inched closer to Ann and whispered in her ears, “We can handle the little bird later.”

“Ah… Okay, I guess Birdie can come, then,” Ann quickly said, and Birdie quickly puffed her chest and lifted her head slightly upwards, showing her satisfaction that her action was a success!

This left Allen a bit irritated because he would be the only one to not be able to come with Ann…

Ann noticed Allen’s irritation, so she quickly turned around, grabbed Allen’s hands, and said, “Don’t worry. We’ll see each other soon. Please rest a bit more, your eyes showed that you didn’t get enough sleep last night!”

Allen’s cold heart was warmed by Ann’s caring words.

In any case, he couldn’t enter and if they were to fight with Birdie, they might not make it in time.

Allen stayed until he couldn’t see Ann’s figure anymore before he alighted the carriage and returned to the duke’s residence first. There were several hours before the purification ritual would be held, so he really should return rather than bothering the priests while waiting there. He also didn’t like remaining in the temple too long.

 

As Ann followed Debienne and the other priests, she asked Debienne, “Is Laura already here?”

“The saintess has been staying in this temple since yesterday. She should be completing her morning prayer soon. You two will meet soon.”

Ann’s worry was lifted a bit hearing that. Seeing her bestie’s familiar figure would comfort her.

She doesn’t have it easy as well as the saintess and the person who will be performing the purification to me, huh?

At that moment, Ann was very much relieved she didn’t become the heroine who was also the saintess! It was such a huge responsibility!

…And she completely forgot about her body’s special identity as the villainess…

 

The temple itself was huge. The public temple was located in the forefront of the whole buildings. But the temple that Ann would be going was located much deeper, as not many would be able to enter the premise.

Ann looked left and right during the journey. She passed through the main temple, the temple garden, and other small buildings during the way and she also passed through many other priests.

Finally, she arrived at a small building located more secluded from the other public temples.

As she entered the temple, she saw Laura.

 

“You’re finally here!” Laura was wearing a uniform similar to the priests’.

“Laura! I’m so nervous,” Ann said as she held Laura’s hands.

“Me too. I’ve suddenly become very religious since yesterday, you know?” Laura said.

Debienne coughed twice hearing Laura’s words.

“I-I mean, more than usual, Debienne!” Laura corrected her words.

A younger priest next to Debienne chuckled as she said, “The saintess is right. I’ve never seen her as diligent as she was yesterday.”

Debienne glared at the young priest who was talking and said to Laura, “I thought you’ve finally grown up so much after a short while we haven’t seen each other. So it was just because you’re nervous of performing today.”

“Well, it involves the life of death for my best friend, after all!!” Laura didn’t bother trying to deceive Debienne as she knew it wouldn’t work, so she just spilled the truth out.

“Alright, you have 15 minutes to talk before going to separate rooms to begin your preparations,” Debienne said.

“High priestess Debienne, thank you so much!” Laura lightly hugged Debienne before she darted to Ann’s side once more.

Debienne only sighed looking at the saintess she had nurtured, who didn’t seem to have grown up…

 

“Remember, Ann! No matter what happens, no matter who you see, don’t be tempted to leave this world,” Laura seriously said to Ann.

“Y-yes…”

“I mean it. You’re already dead in our original world. No, we are already dead. If you were to see your family or friends from our original world, remember that it’s only an illusion. It’s not real. We can’t really go back to when we were still alive in the original world. So, don’t be swayed,” Laura said.

“You’ve been repeating that for too many times…,” Ann was a bit annoyed.

“I am just worried you’d get swayed and go there. It might mean your soul leaving this body. I can’t let that happen! The one who should leave this body is the villainess, right?” Laura glared at Ann, not letting her be annoyed.

“R-right…,” Ann felt a bit guilty for saying that, since she would really be a body snatcher if their plan were to succeed…

But anyway, the villainess should die. If the villainess’ soul were to remain in her body, that meant she couldn’t remain in this world as well.

Then, it would be better for Ann to inhabit her body and continue to survive.

That was the justification that Ann had to create in her mind to ease her of the guilt.

 

The two spoke a bit more before the priests were calling them to go to their separate rooms.

A younger priest was to accompany and assist each of them—Faye, Ann, and Laura—to do their preparations.

Debienne was a higher priestess, so she was only overseeing the whole situation.

 

Since Ann was the target of the purification, she had to take a special preparation, different from Laura and Faye, who would be like the ‘officers’ in the ritual.

Once Ann was alone with the priest who’d be assisting her in taking the bath, the priest tried to take Birdie from her.

“Chirp!”

Birdie angrily tried to attack the poor younger priest, and she was quickly scolded by Ann.

“Little bird, your owner needs to take a bath. You wouldn’t happen to want to join her to soak in the cold water, won’t you?” The priest asked Birdie politely, making Ann impressed with her.

And then, she quickly realized something from her words.

I am going to take a cold-water bath?! I thought it’d be warm at the very least…

Ann shivered thinking about the ordeal she would be experiencing soon…

 

“Chirp…,” Birdie seemed to be lost in her thought before she decided to hop with the younger priest.

“Good bird!” The young priest with freckles and amber hair that was put in braided twin tails looked genuinely happy and was so innocent as she brought Birdie out with her…

Yes… Who would have thought that such a priest was able to deceive Birdie?

When Birdie realized that it was just a trick, it was already too late for she was already inside the bird cage that was vacant in the temple…

 

From then on, Ann followed the preparations required of her. From taking a cold water bath in the sacred small water spring inside the temple, wearing a simple white dress that was different from the priests’ uniform, eating a plain bread with a clear water and a bit of wine, to spending some time in the prayer room alone.

 

Inside the prayer room, Ann first prayed with all her might.

The god who has brought me here, I think you definitely exist, so please, help me overcome this ordeal. You wouldn’t have brought me here in the first place if you didn’t expect me to change the storyline, no, the fate of this world, right? And you even brought my best friend here as the heroine. I believe that this must be fate, so you must help me, at all cost!!

And then…

Mother, Father, May… Please give me the strength of your prayers… Sorry for leaving you this early and that I can’t go back… But please wish me happiness from over there, and please live a long and happy life for my part too, and I will also try to be the happiest I can be here, so that you guys don’t need to worry about me anymore… I love you guys so much.

 

Right after she was done with her whole-hearted prayer, the sound of the door opening could be heard, along with a familiar voice.

“Are you ready?”

 

Ready or not, here I come!!