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Eleanor knew the ladies who had sent her letters wanted to come so they could curry favor with the queen dowager. While she felt a surge of irritation over this, she couldn’t refuse them.
After all, she had connections with these noble ladies, it wouldn’t be wise to offend them, especially since Yuvan had just returned to the capital.
Moreover, she needed them to contend with Sophie’s plan on the fifteenth of October. She only deliberated for a short time before inviting them all over
The royal chancellor’s wife, Mildred, was the first to arrive. She was accompanied by her granddaughter, Rosalind. Eleanor explained the situation and mentioned that Victoria had sent food offerings, which prompted the concubines in the palace to do the same. At the same time, many noble ladies also expressed their desire to join in the event.
“That’s fine. They can come as long as they have good intentions,” Mildred replied with a warm smile.
Having been a devout religious believer for many years, Mildred had a compassionate heart. While she occasionally attended banquets like the prime minister’s wife, Natalie, Mildred’s true passion lay in the annual Emberfest Festival.
She only came to pray for the departed souls and learn more about the religion’s sacred teachings from the high priests. In the past years, she had never brought Rosalind along. However, her granddaughter had insisted on accompanying her this year.
Mildred knew Rosalind wasn’t particularly devout, but she appreciated her granddaughter’s understanding nature and respect for others’ beliefs. It warmed Mildred’s heart that Rosalind was willing to spend the night by her side.
Candles had been set up on the altar outside the main hall, and a raised platform for people to pray on was ready.
“Has Reverend Zane arrived?” Mildred asked.
“He’s already here,” Eleanor replied. “We’re preparing the food offerings now. The priests had a long journey and must be tired, so we arranged for them to rest for a while before the ceremony begins tonight.
“In that case, let’s continue copying scriptures. I’ve already done many copies, but the more, the better,” Mildred suggested.
Eleanor considered sending someone to inquire about the situation outside, but then received word that Natalie had also arrived. Since Mildred had already instructed her staff to prepare the writing supplies, Eleanor decided against it.
Not long after Natalie arrived, the matriarchs of the Lloyd and Lewis families also arrived. Each brought their younger relatives along.
The matriarch of the Lloyd family, Irene, was over seventy but still had a rosy complexion and moved with grace. She turned to Eleanor and said, “This is my granddaughter??n??aw, Nadine Langley. She suffered a miscarriage a few months ago, so she came with me this year to pray for some peace of mind.”
Eleanor recognized Nadine as the wife of the top scholar in the national examination after Salvador ascended the throne, Justin Lloyd.
With a sympathetic gaze, Eleanor said, “If there’s a bond between mother and child, he will surely return to you in time. Don’t grieve. Taking care of your health is what truly matters.”
Nadine lowered her gaze and softly said, “Thank you for your kind words, Your Highness.
“Come, let’s copy scriptures together. Later, we’ll have some vegetarian food. We’ll be starting the praying session in the evening.”
“Alright.”
The main hall was set up as it had been in previous years, with low cherry wood tables and a row of cushions in front of them. They would sit cross??egged on the cushions to copy the scriptures and later recite them while seated the same way.
One by one t noble ladies arrived, including Gemma, Molly, and Fiona.
Those attending for the first time thought it would be a more casual affair, and they greeted each other with pleasantries as they arrived.
Molly was especially enthusiastic. She was eager to meet more of the capital’s elite women and tried to ingratiate herself with everyone.
Natalie furrowed her brows. “We’ve gathered for an important task today, so let’s skip the small talk. We’re here to copy scriptures. If anyone is hungry, feel free to have some vegetarian food first. If you’re not writing, please don’t disturb others.”
Her words left Molly embarrassed and a bit irritated. “It’s just a simple greeting. There’s no need to make a big deal out of it, Mrs. Murray.”
“What are you talking about? Why are we here today? Have you brought scriptures that you’ve copied? If you did a lot of copies, I wouldn’t say anything about it.
Molly’s expression darkened. She hadn’t prepared any copied scriptures.
Eleanor watched from the side, furious as she realized Molly hadn’t bothered to copy any scriptures. She had notified Molly beforehand and urged her to prepare. Instead of focusing on this fundamental task, the woman seemed more interested in exchanging pleasantries.
What was the point of that?
What a useless woman!
Eleanor stepped in to defuse the tension. She cast Fiona a sharp glance to remind her to keep an eye on Molly.
Fiona was irritated. Due to her status as a concubine, she hesitated to intervene when Molly made her rounds of greetings. They had talked about this beforehand??onight was meant to be a solemn event. It wasn’t about making connections. They should focus on being quiet, copying scriptures, and praying for the departed souls. Those were the best ways to socialize.
But from the moment Molly arrived, she started trying to make small talk and acting overly familiar, as if they were at a banquet. Hadn’t she noticed how the expressions of the older ladies had shifted?
Fiona stepped forward and said softly, “Lady Molly, let’s copy scriptures together.”
sickly in
She had brought a few holy texts, and had even copied some scriptures while attending to o the s the palace.
Molly reluctantly took a seat at a low table and began copying the scriptures. The holy texts were in a different language, so the words were complex and challenging to write. Soon enough, her wrist began to ache. She considered putting down her quill, but Eleanor’s cold glare stopped her.
With Molly present, Eleanor felt compelled to keep a watchful eye. More ladies continued to arrive. While elaborate greetings weren’t necessary, everyone still greeted each other respectfully.
Outside, the offering table had been set up. It was adorned with the best food and candles. Eleanor wouldn’t be solely responsible for the expenses. Everyone attending was expected to contribute; the total cost would be shared later.
The priests finished their vegetarian meal and emerged, with Zane leading the group. Seven other renowned priests accompanied him.
As the ladies rose to greet the priests, Mildred smiled gently. “It’s a blessing to see you and the other high priests again this year, Reverend Zane.”
Zane was dressed in his priest robes. He nodded slightly and said, “Peace be with you, madam. It’s good to see you in good health.”
Although he was over eighty, he appeared to be in his sixties. His hair was white, and his expression. radiated kindness and compassion.
The older noblewomen stepped forward one by one to greet the priests and exchange a few pleasantries.
Molly attempted to step forward, but Fiona held her back with surprising strength. Molly fumed, annoyed at Fiona’s grip. She could easily break free, but the sudden movement would attract too much attention and become a source of embarrassment.
Zane noticed that this year, there were more people than ever, and many wore expressions that revealed their ulterior motives. He was no stranger to the faces of both the wicked and the virtuous??e had seen it all over the years.
People’s thoughts often showed on their faces. While Zane couldn’t change the world’s nature, he would go where he was needed to fulfill a purpose. He came each year not for Eleanor or the other noble ladies, but for the restless souls who had suffered untimely deaths.
Yet he also understood that what was truly needed here wasn’t him, but someone who could guide the living away from their hellish lives. If such a person appeared, he would not need to return next year,
With a solemn nod, he and the other high priests took their seats on the platform and began their prayers.
Seeing this, the ladies settled down to pray as well. Rosalind and Nadine lit the candles to burn the copied scriptures, a symbolic gesture to send blessings to the afterlife. Molly didn’t know the proper steps to pray for the departed souls, so she joined in to help with the burning.
Eleanor sat silently as the rhythmic sound of the prayers washed over her. However, she felt a sense of inexplicable unease gnaw at her. As she silently recited the prayer to dispel evil, she felt great danger lurking in every shadow.