CHAPTER 050
"Isn't it okay to rest for an hour?"
It was a voice full of complaints. You must be completely fed up, Bella.
In the end, I called out loudly to Charlotte, who had gone far ahead, for Bella's sake.
"Lady Yanils!"
Charlotte and the priest turned around and came back to us.
"Oh dear, you must be tired."
The priest smiled understandingly.
"If we go a bit further, there are some chairs. People often take naps there."
Wow, they must be really sleepy...
"Shall we take a short break then?"
At Charlotte's suggestion, we decided to take a brief rest.
Bella didn't even wait to reach the chairs; she created one with magic and sat down.
I leaned against the wall at an angle.
"Why are you standing? Sit down."
"Oh, I'm fine."
It's a bit awkward to sit in a chair right in the middle of the hallway...
This is something only Bella could do without worrying about what others think.
"Can I sit down too?"
"Of course! You don't need to ask to sit."
Instead of me, Charlotte sat on the chair that was conspicuously placed in the temple hallway.
At least she won't be lonely with someone else there. Just as I was thinking that, I felt my body tilt slightly backward.
Am I imagining things?
Looking at the floor, my feet were exactly where they were. I hadn't moved an inch, of course.
But something strange caught my eye.
The wall I was leaning against had slightly shifted back at an angle.
If I had leaned against a revolving door, this would be what it looked like.
What the... can walls move like this?
I was observing this phenomenon that defied common sense.
"Whoa!"
My upper body suddenly tilted backward.
The wall had moved more significantly than before. The wall that had shifted back was no longer touching my back.
The wall was still moving!
I stumbled backward and fell on my butt.
"Ouch!"
"Lady Elsner!"
"Selina, are you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm okay—"
But were we this far apart?
Looking up, Bella and Charlotte were further away.
I had gone further into the wall than I thought. Meanwhile, the wall that I thought had shifted back was still moving.
It wasn't just moving back; it was rotating.
Is this really a revolving door?
It had rotated over 90 degrees, and now the wall was closing in front of me.
Wait, if this happens...
"Selina!"
Before the wall blocked my view completely, Bella jumped up from her seat.
But after that, I couldn't see Bella anymore. The quickly rotating wall had completely closed in front of me.
"Was 180 degrees the end...?"
No, that's not important!
The place I was trapped in was a completely unfamiliar room. There was no one else, and I couldn't find a door.
"What is happening?"
If it could at least rotate 360 degrees!
From a peaceful temple, I suddenly found myself alone.
* * *
"This is the first time since the hunting contest!"
The emperor welcomed Lewis, who appeared at the royal luncheon.
It was a gathering the emperor had prepared by inviting key nobles on the first day of the Founding Festival.
The emperor liked having opportunities to converse with the nobles.
It wasn't just about discussing state affairs; many nobles envied the chance to chat comfortably with the emperor in a relaxed setting.
'What a hassle.'
But Lewis found it nothing but a hassle.
Lewis had previously declined the emperor's invitations several times, citing being busy.
The Magic Tower wasn't under the royal family, so there was no need to be summoned all the time, was there?
Still, he couldn't avoid it forever, so he had specially attended this luncheon.
"Take a seat. Everyone's been waiting for you, Marquis."
"Yes."
As Lewis sat down, he glanced around at the people gathered at the luncheon.
Apart from the emperor, only two people didn't seem tense around him. His aunt, the Duke of Croft, and Crown Prince Philip.
Are you still angry?
Lewis avoided the duke's heated gaze and met Philip's eyes.
Philip smiled and nodded, and Lewis returned the greeting appropriately.
Soon, the appetizers were served, and the meal began.
"Let's dig in."
At the emperor's words, the nobles picked up their forks and knives.
After a while.
'Why did I dislike these gatherings again?'
Lewis easily recalled the reason.
It was because the gatherings were long.
The small portions of food served in courses only slightly filled the stomach.
Since the food came out in sequence, the meal time inevitably stretched.
Wasn't it supposed to be three hours long? The thought alone was dreadful for Lewis.
'And the conversations aren't even interesting.'
Lewis looked down at the half-eaten dish with boredom.
"My daughter is getting married this time—"
Not interested.
The conversations were all topics he had no interest in, so he couldn't concentrate. Naturally, his mind wandered.
What is she doing on the first day of the Founding Festival?
Lewis thought of Selina.
He could clearly picture her excitedly anticipating the special occasion.
Meanwhile, he was wasting time with people he didn't care about.
"Talk slowly. There are still many courses to come."
Just hearing that made him feel annoyed. The emperor must have strongly reflected his own tastes.
Is there any way I can leave?
As he pondered, his communication device vibrated. It was the tool for contacting Selina.
Lewis discreetly activated it under the table where no one could see.
But something strange happened.
The light on the communication device blinked a few times and then went out. This had never happened before.
It was undoubtedly strange.
Feeling uneasy, Lewis saw no reason to hesitate. He immediately stood up from his seat.
"I'll be leaving first. I'm not feeling well."
"Not feeling well?"
The emperor and all the nobleheads looked at him in disbelief.
Regardless, Lewis had given his reason and saw no further need to stay.
The first place he headed to was the duke's residence. She might be out, but he didn't know where she was.
The duke's butler greeted him.
The butler spoke awkwardly.
"The duke said not to let the Marquis in..."
"Still?"
"I'm sorry."
It seemed his aunt wouldn't let him in until he talked about his father.
No wonder she had been glaring at him.
"It's fine. I don't need to go in. But is Selina in the house?"
"Ah, Miss Selina went to the temple with Miss Bella."
"If she's at the temple, I don't need to go inside."
Lewis grinned.
The butler had a regretful look. He had inadvertently helped Lewis.
Leaving the butler behind, Lewis left the residence without hesitation.
* * *
Selina had disappeared.
Though she was the only one separated from the group, the others were not calm.
Bella called out loudly for Selina.
"Selina! Selina! Why can't I hear her voice at all?"
"Lady Croft, please calm down. You'll lose your voice."
Charlotte tried to soothe Bella.
"Alright. I'll think calmly."
Bella lowered her voice, trying to sound composed. Then she asked the priest calmly.
"Sorry, but can I destroy the temple?"
She wasn't calm at all.
The priest was greatly alarmed by Bella's words, which seemed to be driven by panic.
"D-destroying the temple would be a disaster."
"How can there be a secret space in the temple that even the priest doesn't know about?"
"Well, it's just that the temple is very old, and there are many places that aren't passed down anymore, like spaces that were used as fortresses."
The priest's words made Bella's expression even more menacing.
She was a beautiful woman, but there was a fierce energy emanating from her.
The priest was so scared he shivered.
At that moment, Lewis appeared before them.
"Marquis!"
"Lewis?"
"Where's Selina? You were all supposed to be together."
It was the appearance of someone even more intimidating.
First the Lady Croft, now the Marquis of the Magic Tower. The priest thought at that moment.
The temple might actually get destroyed.
* * *
"Bella! Lady Yanils!"
I called out loudly to the group. I thought I heard faint sounds from a distance.
Is the soundproofing that good that it sounds this far away?
"What on earth is happening..."
Will it open if I push it again? I pushed hard on the wall that had rotated.
But the wall didn't move as I had hoped.
I had no idea how it had opened before.
"No luck..."
After pushing a few times, I was exhausted.
I stopped pushing and scanned the room I was trapped in.
The space, with no windows, was illuminated by wall lamps.
Were those lights lit by someone coming in here? I might think so, but unfortunately, that wasn't the case.
I remembered what the priest had said earlier.
"Although divine power and magic are opposing forces, the temple doesn't completely distance itself from magic. Convenient artifacts have been used in the temple for a long time."
One of them was the magical wall lamps that lit up when the sun rose.
"Those lamps weren't lit by someone manually but by a magic spell."
If it weren't for the priest's explanation, I might have had a glimmer of hope. Sigh...
Anyway, it was strange.
It's one thing for the temple to have such a secret space, but they should have noticed I was trapped and come to get me out by now.
Even if I waited patiently, the firmly closed wall showed no sign of moving.
Only faint, hard-to-understand sounds could be heard from outside.
I'm... I'm going to get out of here, right?
Standing alone and staring at the wall, I started feeling scared.
I wouldn't have been this worried if someone were with me. It seemed I was not just scared but also lonely.
I stood there, lost in thought.
Then, something struck me.
"Oh, right!"
The communication device!
I had a communication device to contact Lewis!
Please work... Please work.
With trembling hands, I tried to contact Lewis.
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