Chapter 19 : Stephanie
As Stephanie's hurried footsteps echoed against the floor, her expression remained as cold as ever, despite her restless eyes and tightly clenched fists.
It seemed she was trying to conceal her emotions behind that mask of coldness, even though faint cracks were beginning to show.
As she left the room, she headed toward the restroom on the same floor. After turning right at the end of the hallway, she reached it and entered the women's section.
She walked to the sink, turned on the water, and splashed her face after removing her glasses. As she looked at herself in the mirror reflecting her figure, the steady flow of water gave the scene a strange sense of calm.
She took a deep breath, her chest rising and falling as she tried to regain control, but her hand gripped the edge of the sink tightly.
'I acted too harshly. I shouldn't have behaved like that in front of her… after all, she's the Saint's daughter, Stephanie thought, feeling a trace of guilt.'
But that guilt did not come from Elara as a person, it came from the fact that she was the Saint's daughter. Despite her complaints about Elara's behavior, that fact remained unchanged.
'But as the Saint's daughter, how could she say something so blasphemous about our great Lord? It is unacceptable for anyone to blaspheme our Lord and Savior.'
Her fanatic thoughts resurfaced as she remembered Elara comparing ''Him'' to those beings.
Her eyes darkened for a moment, and silence lingered for several minutes before she put her glasses back on and turned off the faucet. Her expression returned to its usual cold state as she stepped out of the restroom.
As she exited, she noticed a figure dressed in white priestly robes. His pure golden eyes calmly met hers, and he smiled warmly, his smile seemed even brighter than the sunlight streaming through the windows.
Stephanie stopped abruptly. Her expression shifted from cold detachment to unease as she recalled what she had done. She avoided his radiant gaze, which felt as though it could see through everything.
Expecting anger, she instead saw him approach slowly, his silent steps accompanied by the gentle movement of his robe. Standing before her, she had to lift her head slightly, she was around 1.70 meters tall, while he stood at about 1.80.
Adam had come to see Elara and check on her first real lesson, and by coincidence, he encountered Stephanie, who seemed to be in a troubled state. Before he could speak, she interrupted him and bowed her head in greeting.
"Good morning, Your Holiness!"
Her voice trembled, yet she managed to speak clearly.
Adam, still wearing the same gentle expression, returned her greeting.
"Good morning to you as well, Stephanie. I was just passing by to see how my daughter's lesson was going, it's her first real class, after all. I hope she didn't cause you any trouble; she can be a bit energetic and curious. Our meeting here is merely a coincidence."
His soft voice eased some of Stephanie's turmoil. She straightened up and took a deep breath. She found nothing strange about the Saint passing through here to reach the library, despite the existence of other routes, or the timing of his appearance.
Adjusting her glasses, she spoke again. This time, there was no trace of coldness in her voice.
"I ended the lesson early today. I apologize, Your Holiness. We had agreed that I would teach her for the entire day."
Her voice was gentle as she apologized for not fulfilling her duty. However, Adam did not reproach her. Instead, he simply suggested:
"If you don't mind, would you like to take a short walk with me?"
Stephanie hesitated. Under normal circumstances, she would have accepted without a second thought. Seeing her conflicted expression, as though she wanted to agree but could not, Adam said nothing and began walking ahead.
Watching him leave, Stephanie followed without much choice and soon caught up with him as he walked at a slow pace.
He then asked, "Tell me what is troubling you. If I can help you, I will."
Stephanie remained silent for a moment, as if organizing her thoughts. Then she spoke honestly, without omitting anything or attempting to lie.
"The truth is… earlier, during the lesson, I was talking about the two empires and the war that devastated the planet."
She paused briefly.
"During the part about the Aeons…"
She glanced at Adam, as if reluctant to finish.
Adam, bathed in sunlight that made his white robes seem almost radiant, looked like an angel of light. He gave a simple nod and calmly finished her sentence for her:
"She compared the Lord to the Aeons, didn't she?"
There was not a trace of anger in his voice. Stephanie, standing beside him, felt confused.
Seeing her confusion, Adam did not leave her in the dark.
"Elara is a five year old child who arrived on this planet only a week ago. She doesn't yet understand how things work here."
"So don't blame her for making that comparison. It's nothing more than childish curiosity, nothing serious."
"Instead, we must guide her and help her understand the greatness of our benevolent and compassionate Lord."
"After all, while the Aeons leave the people to suffer, He alone decided that such suffering was unfair."
"Do you understand? We, as believers of the Sun, must be exemplary, kind and compassionate."
Stephanie listened carefully, her eyes lighting up. She stopped walking, and Adam stopped as well.
"You mean… I reacted too violently. You're right. While those beings abandoned us to suffer and die, only the Lord brought us His light and saved us from darkness."
She realized that Adam was not reproaching her, he was guiding her.
His words calmed her. She closed her eyes briefly, then opened them again.
"In that case," Adam continued, "could you make sure that Elara comes to understand and open her heart to our Lord? I would like to do it myself, but I am occupied and lack the time."
"I know your past still haunts you. But we cannot keep living in the past, or we will never move forward."
"Do not let your hatred of the Aeons cloud your judgment or make you think that everyone is the same."
"You could spend more time with Elara. She has a pure heart, and she might even help you remove that mask of coldness. Don't you think?"
They stood face to face, Adam's white-gloved hand resting gently on her shoulder, his gaze almost hypnotic.
Stephanie nodded, a bright smile forming, completely different from before. She watched as Adam walked away, his figure gradually disappearing down the corridor, leaving her lost in thought.
"So the reason His Holiness chose me as his daughter's teacher… was to help me change and become better."
"The Saint truly is the Lord's chosen messenger. No one else could show such kindness and benevolence to someone like me."
Her smile remained as she clenched her fist in determination.
"I must not disappoint the Saint after the trust he has placed in me."
But then, in the midst of her resolve, she realized something she had overlooked.
"How did the Saint appear at the exact moment I left the restroom… when this isn't even the shortest route?"
"Was it really just a coincidence?"
"Of course… if His Holiness says so, then it must be true."
Despite her lingering doubts, she chose to trust his words.
After all, why would the Saint ever lie?
And more importantly… he simply could not.