Chapter 6: A Name to Remember

Act 2: I Became Your Daughter

"A name?" I asked excitedly.

"Yeah," Miltiades responded as he led me into the drawing-room, where a delicious-looking strawberry cake sat on the table. I couldn't resist taking a bite.

Then, out of the blue, Miltiades posed a rather odd question, "Why do you need a name?"

Luciana spoke up on my behalf, explaining, "Before the Saintess can leave the Vatican with you, she needs to be registered in the temple with a promise to return. So, it would be best if you could choose a name for her. It will be documented."

I nodded in agreement, confirming her explanation.

"Don't you already have a name?" Miltiades asked, looking perplexed.

I simply chuckled. Meanwhile, Luciana appeared troubled and hesitated. "Ah, that's..." She trailed off, her uncertainty showing.

I wasn't sure why she was being so evasive, but since she wouldn't clarify, I felt like I had no other option. I finally spoke up, trying to maintain a cheerful tone, "I don't have a name!"

An awkward silence hung in the room, and the atmosphere turned chilly. I had anticipated this reaction.

"What do you mean you don't have a name?" Miltiades inquired, his voice taking on a colder tone. I couldn't help but tremble under his sharp gaze. Luciana, too, shrunk back, clearly uncomfortable.

She began to stammer, "Well, that is... um..."

Why was he acting as if Luciana were to blame?

"It's okay," I reassured her, giving her a hug and nodding. "You can tell him, Lucy."

Luciana took a deep breath. "The Saintess doesn't have an official name," she admitted.

I smiled at Miltiades's confusion, then continued, "That's true. It's because I was born in the slums of Cavera!"

Shock registered on Miltiades's face, and Callian looked astonished. Both of them focused their gazes on me.

Why all the surprised reactions ? Was it because the Vatican held the Saintess in such high regard, and yet she was born in the slums? Or... was it because I had just revealed a secret that the temple had been trying to keep hidden?

"People would usually just call me 'Child,' 'You,' 'Hey,' or something along those lines," I explained. After joining the temple, they began calling me 'Saintess.' "So, I don't have a name!"

It was a bit self-pitying, but I couldn't help it. No, rather... Priscilla was the one to pity. I knew Priscilla's name was Priscilla, but it hadn't been originally. She was born and then abandoned, her guardian trading her for a single potion. She was a frail child who couldn't remember her name, how to read, or how to navigate the world until the day she performed a miracle and emerged as a Saintess at the age of six.

But now, I was the Saintess. I looked down at my hands, aware of the divine power lurking beneath my skin. I had become the protagonist of a story I had only read about. I had initially thought it was a coincidence that I was reincarnated into Priscilla's body, but then I discovered I could wield her powers, which surprised me even more.

Was I genuinely a Saintess now, or was I only granted this divine power because of the body I inhabited? What blessings had God bestowed upon this form? The novel mentioned that each saintess would receive a gift from God upon awakening. As far as I knew, Priscilla had been gifted with the 'Memories of a Past Life.'

There was much I didn't know about my own body.

Luciana added, "The birth and other information about the Saintesses are kept confidential. The Saintess only revealed her current situation to you because she wants you to give her a name."

"I want you to give me a name," I echoed while nodding. Being named by my favorite character was a dream come true!

I already knew the name I wanted, but having my favorite character bestow it upon me was the ultimate satisfaction. Miltiades had been listening with an unhappy expression when something changed in his gaze.

I noticed the shift and grabbed hold of his sleeve. "Don't you want to?" I really wanted a name from Daddy, but I couldn't read his expression while he stared at me. After a long pause, he finally spoke.

"I'll give you one," he said.

***

After the child departed, Miltiades silently sat in the drawing room, contemplating the encounter. "You're the best!" she had exclaimed, and the warmth of her happiness left an indelible mark on his hand. He couldn't help but think of her as an arrogant little thing. However, her teary expression had stirred something within him.

To think she didn't even have a name. It was a revelation that shook him. A saintess without a name? Everyone was given a name at birth, but she had been deprived even of that. Miltiades wondered how she had managed to survive until now, and his expression darkened. Initially, he had assumed her happiness stemmed from ignorance and contentment, believing she lacked for nothing within the Vatican's walls. It had all been a facade, a cruel illusion.

"Callian," Miltiades addressed the figure quietly standing by the wall. Callian promptly bent his knee.

Miltiades inquired, "How long will it take for preparations to be completed?"

"They're nearly finished," Callian replied. "I believe they'll be done by tomorrow. There wasn't much to investigate since most places are open."

"What about the item we were seeking?"

"It's not there."

Miltiades gave a wry smirk. "I suppose they moved it elsewhere, then." He had come to the Vatican in the first place because of the hidden secret within its territory. "I thought their holy relics would be here. Where could they have hidden it?"

His initial assumptions had been careless.

Turning to another matter, Miltiades inquired, "What is Valentino up to?"

"Duke Ravenhook appears to be in contact with most of the members of the Vatican," Callian explained. "I believe—"

"He wanted to be the saintess' father," Miltiades interjected, recognizing the ambition behind Duke Ravenhook's actions. Obtaining the saintess would allow him to wield the temple's power and solidify his influence. "It seems the rumors of the temple and the senate collaborating were not baseless. Instruct Achillios to closely monitor both of them."

They were mutually observing and balancing each other, a worrisome development.

"Yes, Your Excellency," Callian acknowledged. Then, he hesitated as if wrestling with an unspoken question. Finally, he spoke, "What do you intend to do with Duke Ravenhook?"

Miltiades wore a languid smile as he propped his chin on his hand. He suspected that Duke Ravenhook would seek Rahel in exchange for aiding the temple and possibly aspire to claim the entire Northern Empire.

"Who knows? What should I do?" Miltiades pondered.

He had no regrets about relinquishing the throne, as he had never aspired to rule. In fact, he had once considered simply abandoning his power. The idea of handing over his position to the duke briefly crossed his mind, but he quickly dismissed it. Regardless of what happened to his life or his land, he was resolute about not surrendering the saintess.

"Callian," Miltiades addressed him once more.

"Yes, Your Excellency."

"Have you ever given something a name?"

Callian nodded. "I've named my dogs and a horse."

Everyone, except for Miltiades himself, had bestowed a name upon something at least once. He was the exception because he understood the profound significance of a name.

"What name will you give her?"

"I don't know," Miltiades admitted. He couldn't explain what had come over him when he agreed to give her a name. Was it pity? Perhaps an inability to refuse her expectant gaze? Maybe, deep down, he was genuinely intrigued. Or, it could simply have been a spontaneous decision.

With that, he rose from his seat, prompting Callian to inquire, "Your Excellency?"

"There's somewhere I need to go," Miltiades declared, his destination unclear but his resolve firm.

***

Three days had elapsed since Miltiades had agreed to give me a name—three long days. I couldn't contain my impatience any longer.

"It's taking too long!" I complained, my frustration evident.

Luciana, watching me in my state of distress, shook her head. "I hope no one else ever sees you like this," she sighed.

I cried out in exasperation. "Luciana, what's going on?!" I grasped her arm and kicked my legs in agitation. "We can't keep postponing this! We're leaving in a week! I have to tell them my name tomorrow!"

"I told you it would have been better to follow the customs," Luciana remarked.

Getting a name from the old pope? No way!

"I don't want to! A name is precious! Don't you know the poem 'Flower' by Kim Chun Soo?"

"'When I spoke her name, she came to me and became a flower.' Don't you know that line?" I pleaded, feeling on the verge of tears. Instead, I asked, "Do you think Daddy's acting like this because he doesn't want to give me a name?"

"I doubt it," Luciana replied.

"Right? I thought he’d just give me a random name after thinking about it for a day or two ."

Luciana paused. "Saintess, what do you think of Emperor Miltiades?"

"He's my dad," I replied simply. My expectations were low because he was my favorite character, and I knew he knew nothing about being meticulous.

"What's wrong with him?!" I exclaimed once more.

One of Miltiades's merits was that he didn't blindly make promises, but now I had no idea what was happening. I poked Luciana's side for no reason.

"Lucy, have you heard anything from Callian?"

"I tried looking around once because you were being so bothersome, but I didn't find anything."

"Do you think Daddy forgot?!"

"Of course not."

I wanted to stay positive, too, but I couldn't predict what life would throw at me. Unable to take it any longer, I got out of my seat.

"This won't do. Let's go. Let's ask when he'll name me! I'm not the kind of person who can just wait around like this!" I'd rather confront him directly than worry about it. I clenched my fists together. "Come on," I urged once more. "Let's go!"

I proceeded to open the door.

And there stood Pope Raphael in the hallway, smiling at me.

I, uh...

I quickly closed the door.