She almost had a heart attack; the girl walked without making a sound.
"Do you know what God did when he walked on water?"
Mira asked seriously.
Phibinu shook her head frantically, stamring,
"I, I don’t know, I’m not a True Believer."
"It’s simple, a fish was caught up, He scooped up a fish from the water."
Mira clapped her hands, jokingly said.
Phibinu was at a loss; she felt the story was made up by Mira, even though she was a heathen, she had heard plenty of myths of the True Religion.
With a click, the door finally opened.
Phibinu hurriedly escaped.
"Hey, examine yourself, learn to repent."
Before she fled, she heard a voice.
............
Phibinu was carrying a tray with the untouched herb-stead fish on it; her legs trembled as she walked back.
She felt like she had t a madwoman.
But oddly enough, that madwoman seed... to have seen through her misdeeds.
Phibinu rembered the cutlery she had taken last night.
"How could she know, it’s impossible!"
The maid muttered quivering,
"...It’s impossible, it was just a blind cat catching a dead rat."
Then, with a firm tone, she announced to herself:
"It was a blind cat catching a dead rat..."
After saying this, Phibinu looked at the tray in her hand.
All she needed to do was throw away the fish on top, and then she could... take this tray.
Unlike the silver-plated knife and fork from yesterday, this was pure silver!
"I’m still short two silver coins... one pair of cutlery is definitely not enough."
Phibinu murmured to herself.
Suddenly, she was startled by her own thoughts.
The reflection from the silver tray mirrored her face; she stared at her own image and said:
"You’re insane! You... you’re really shaless."
She didn’t continue... her whole mind was in a daze.
Phibinu returned the tray and fish intact to the kitchen.
The cook glanced at it and asked:
"Didn’t eat the fish?"
Phibinu nodded.
The cook thought for a mont, this was the Imperial Palace after all, they couldn’t serve it to soone else, so he took an iron plate, transferred the stead fish onto it, and handed it to Phibinu.
"Dispose of it."
Phibinu took the fish with both hands; it was quite common to eat leftovers in the Imperial Palace.
Her ntal state wasn’t great today, so when her break ti ca in the afternoon after her shift, she took the stead fish back to her room.
Sitting on the straw bed, Phibinu touched the straw and unwittingly pulled out the silver-plated knife and fork that were hidden there.
She took a deep breath.
Examine yourself, learn to repent...
The words of the madwoman echoed in her mind, generating a whirlpool in which she couldn’t break free.
After a long ti, Phibinu made up her mind.
As night fell, she sneaked into the kitchen and put the knife and fork back.
The maid let out a heavy sigh and whispered to herself,
"I really... did sothing wrong."
But... she was still short two silver coins.
Phibinu had to face this cruel reality, behind that confession heard only by herself was the weight of two silver coins.
It was enough to break a person’s spine.
Phibinu returned to her room, distressed and struggling, and saw the stead fish.
She sighed deeply and reached out to tear into the stead fish with her hands, for people like her, they don’t use utensils much.
In front of Phibinu, the fish in the iron basin seed to co to life, erging from the iron sea.
Her gaze was vacant, slowly tearing at the flesh of the fish; the bones gradually revealed themselves, and she didn’t notice, her mind burdened with heavy thoughts.
Suddenly, Phibinu appeared to bite into a large piece of bone, terrifyingly hard. She for several bites but failed to crush the bone.
Annually, the maid looked down.
Under the pristine moonlight,
Inside the belly of the fish was a shining silver coin.
She stood frozen.
What she held was not any large fishbone, but also a silver coin.
From the stomach of the fish and the one in her hand, exactly two in total, glead with a silvery luster.
Phibinu started trembling all over, goosebumps appearing on her skin.
Could this be... a miracle from God?
............
............
Mira was being transferred.
Contrary to Anos’s expectations, the girl who claid to be God’s ssenger had no resistance, letting herself be carried away by the people of the Imperial Palace to the Bone Church.
Phibinu stood by Anos’s side, respectfully vigilant.
There were many personal maids to the Emperor, and soone inconsequential like her wasn’t privy to the Royal Family’s secrets, of course, even if she saw sothing, she would remain completely silent.
Anos set down the docunts in her hand and took a deep breath.
Just a few days ago, the Six Gods had t with her father, the Emperor.
The day was inevitably coming.
"Let’s tidy up."
Anos spoke out loud.
Several maids responded, but Phibinu hesitated for a mont before finally acknowledging.
This did not escape the always perceptive Anos.
The co-emperor eyed her questioningly.
Phibinu shuddered, quickly bowed, and apologized profusely.
After the maids had finished tidying up the room where Anos processed the docunts, Anos kept Phibinu back alone.
The maid stood there, trembling, her head lowered, not daring to look up at the co-emperor.
"Phibinu, I rember... you’ve been to ’that place’ to deliver food before?"
Under the Empress’s scrutinizing gaze, the maid shivered and then nodded honestly.
Anos’s gaze sharpened as she asked,
"What did she tell you?"
Phibinu was frightened, then confessed everything she rembered honestly.
Anos narrowed her eyes,
"Catching a fish, how intriguing... but, Phibinu, you aren’t a heathen, are you? Did you really believe what she said?"
Phibinu dared not answer at first and after a long pause finally whispered,
"I... I have confessed... and then I saw the divine sign, it was two silver coins."
"Where?"
"I’ve already sent them ho..."
After finishing her sentence, Phibinu felt a piercing murderous intent.
She trembled severely.
After a while, Anos scoffed coldly,
"Since you are so closely fated, then prepare yourself to serve her."
Phibinu was startled.
"Co-Emperor, your majesty, you an..."
.............
.............
Mira, while being transported to the Bone Church in a carriage, saw soone who looked sowhat familiar.
It was Phibinu, the maid who had once brought her food.
Her hands and feet were shackled, almost the sa as her own.
Mira leaned closer and whispered,
"Hey, you confessed, didn’t you?"
Phibinu nodded, difficulty in her movents. She seed fearful of her own future and said slowly,
"I, I am your maid... Lady Mira."
"Just call Mira."
Mira said with a smile.
Admiration filled Phibinu’s eyes, and she couldn’t help asking,
"Then, those two silver coins... what exactly..."
Mira smiled and explained,
"They were prepared for you, and for Anos."
"You an... the Co-Emperor?"
Mira nodded seriously,
"It’s to show her, hoping it might provide so enlightennt."
Phibinu couldn’t comprehend the words.
The demonstration, the enlightennt... she didn’t really understand.
But she was clear about what had happened to her.
Phibinu’s lips parted, wanting to ask sothing more.
"Go ahead and ask." Mira said directly.
Phibinu nodded and spoke up,
"Is it too late... to convert now?"
Mira smiled and replied,
"You don’t even need to convert, Phibinu."
Phibinu was taken aback, murmuring,
"How is what you’re saying different from what the priests say?"
Mira spread her hands,
"Up to you how you think about it, you can convert if you want."
Phibinu nodded cautiously, and before she could speak, the girl suddenly spoke again,
"Kid, you have already embarked on a Heavenly Road."
Phibinu was stunned; she knew the so-called Heavenly Road was the path to Heaven as spoken of by the True Believers.
The maid looked at the girl; her air suggested that these words weren’t ant to co from her,
but rather as if... God was making her say them.
It seed as if... the girl was advising soone else through her.
"Though the path is fraught with hardship and danger, one must still tread the Heavenly Road.
Even if one must humbly confess, it’s better than a life filled with nothing but sorrow."
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