Marigold

"Ah... Senior Calla." Lazan smiled back. "I never realized, I'm just a 1st year after all."

"Aw, poor darling then." She pooh-poohed at him.

"Let big sister teach you then, hmm?" She said, moving over to sit beside him at the pews of the main praying room.

"You see, the Scholars and the Warriors had always been at each other's necks because of their differences. The Warriors think with their bodies, and the Scholars move with their minds."

"They despise each other just like cats and dogs. It is the same with us Artisans and Monks."

"Most Artisans have Illuso Mage Focuses. Have you noticed?"

Lazan shifted a little farther from her. "Yes. And?"

"Well, many monks believe that there are people born for good and kindness. Like Hero Mages."

She twirled her hair with her delicate finger. "And there are people born with evil intentions. That can only survive by tricking others. Like us Illuso Mages."

"But I'm a Morpho Mage that turns the notes I write into music, Senior Calla." Lazan said.

She narrowed her eyes.

(Does this kid really think he could fool me? I know it's him.)

'Lazan' sneered internally. This cunning witch.

Ronin really dislikes this witch, but could not underestimate her great observation skills.

She must have realized it was him after seeing 'Lazan' leave the Banquet Palace every day at lunch break, and followed after him.

(But fine. I will play along. I want to find out why he's so obsessed with this prince of Scirocco, even more than me.)

"Ah, my mistake then." She waved her hand frivolously. "Then for us Illuso mages, we are unlucky. Not to mention us performers."

"They judge our value in presenting the beauty of all human life in our plays and performances."

"And by all human life..... I mean that we show both the good and the bad."

"Understand the bad, try to see what creates it... What gives birth to it. Try to place the viewers inside the mind of the evil person. "

"The Monks think that we must be trying to change people into evil. That is why we are so impure."

Lazan scoffed. "Do they not know the separation of Art and Reality?"

"Oh, they do not. For you see, they believe that all art, all things beautiful... must be beautiful in a certain way."

"Divine statues are beautiful. Nude and sensual ones are not. Good, kind and humble characters are beautiful. Bad, mean and ambitious characters are not."

"I am not beautiful to them." Calla grinned, taking the mirror from him. "Not beautiful enough for their perfect golden boy."

"I have been called by this Zeriav a witch and seductress several times. Any girl who gets close to Cermin, actually."

She sighed dramatically. "Even my poor, sweet Edelweiss! My princess did nothing wrong, in fact, it was her that was wronged!"

Her tone then changed into something madder. "And then he claimed that she must have tempted him. That she had brought the daemon inside him, and so it was her fault."

She then turned to the side when something caught her eye.

"Ah, but she seems beautiful enough even for Zeriav. So pure and delicate."

Ronin turned as well.

Walking in a light pace at the stony floors of the very cave-like temple, her footsteps echoing as she passed by...

Was a girl with pink hair the color of sunset skies.

Her eyes sparkled like the bright blue waters, and her skin....

Her skin was the sun slowly descending on those waters.

Her veil must have been the silver white clouds, similar to a nun's veil. Only that it was pure white and instead of black and much longer and thinner.

They were also laced with designs of different flowers and butterflies. It reached all the way to the floor like a bride's veil too.

Ronin felt that her outfit seemed familiar as well.

Yes..... It looked a lot like Mother Mary's clothes from Michelangelo's statue, Pieta.

Except the hood did not cover her hair, and she was much younger than the Virgin Mary statue.

Her face too had the same aura as those Virgin Mary statues. They always seemed so docile, quiet, and graceful.

Zeriav and Cermin had just gotten out of the door to Demetri's temple, and they were greeted by this mysterious woman.

"Heavens bless you, Brother Mondstein." She bowed to Zeriav. "And to your guest."

Cermin was immediately awestruck by this woman, completely frozen like he became a statue.

"Sister Rozenaur." He bowed back. "This is Prince Cermin Drychspiel fo Scirocco."

He went to introduce the two. "Cermin, this is the reason why I refrain calling you 'Goldie'."

"The one that we call 'Goldie' in the Temple was Sister Marigold Rozenaur. A priestess-in-waiting for the Goddess Seele. "

Marigold chuckled lightly, in a very polite noble lady way. "I have been called 'Mari' too, so I do not mind if someone else takes the position of Goldie."

"I-I see....." Cermin stammered like an idiot.

"It is a blessing to make your acquaintance." She said, offering her hand.

Cermin just dumbly look at it, disbelieving how well-shapen her fingers were like fine candlesticks offered at the gods' altar.

Zeriav nudged him, and he broke out of it and shook her hand nervously.

"You are a blessing.... I mean, meeting you is a blessing for me too, Sister..."

Marigold just smiled lightly. "We are all blessings from the gods of this world."

"Some people would beg to differ."

The three of them did not expect someone to suddenly segue into the scene.

Calla Lily's red-heeled shoes lacked at the stone floor, her arms crossed.

"Isn't that right, Brother Mondstein?" Her red lips stretched.

Zeriav quickly blocked Cermin protectively. "Your kind are not allowed here, daemoness."

"Ah, see what I mean, Sister?" She placed an arm around Marigold. "Not all of us are a blessing to talk with to others."

She was being too close and her hand was also dangerously placed near the priestess' breast.

Yet contrary to what everyone else thought, Sister Marigold did not push her back or got mad.

She just gently took Calla's hand away from her, and held it like a fragile bird.

"I would not mind talking with you if you ever need it, dear friend."

Even Calla could not help but blink in confusion at this unexpected response.

"You must have always felt alone and unheard, and so you seek the greatest amount of attention. If you need me to, I will be there to listen and ease the loneliness."

She then turned to the boys.

"And it's unkind to call someone that, Zeriav. I know that many of us in the Temple dislike the Artisans for their willful ways..."

"But can't we spare them a little kindness? How can they change if we don't do so?"

Ronin rolled his eyes.

He now knows what kind of character Marigold would be.

She must be the perfect benevolent Mary Sue that Cermin would end up liking more than everyone else in the harem.

His 'one true pair'.