Chapter 14: Angel

“Don’t worry about me. Even without the subsidy, I’ll find a way to get the money to raise you.”

Treya was, after all, still a child, and her emotions shifted too obviously. Ryan could clearly see her worried expression, as if she were worrying about his source of income.

He ruffled Treya’s little pink hair and said with a smile.

As the saying goes, there are always more methods than difficulties. Ryan still had many skills to make money; at most, he would just have to be busy for a while.

“Um… I understand, Mr. Ryan.”

A strained smile forced its way onto Treya’s small face. She followed Ryan through the corridor, returning to the Church’s grand main hall.

Just then, an afternoon prayer ceremony was underway.

The choir’s ethereal voices echoed beneath the dome. Hundreds of believers knelt before the long benches, hands clasped, their expressions solemn as they prayed softly to the massive statue of the god before them.

Sunlight streamed through the stained-glass windows, casting mottled pillars of light into the air, rendering the entire hall divine and solemn.

Ryan had little interest in such scenes; he only wanted to hurry home and figure out how to make money.

But Treya, by his side, came to a halt.

She “looked” at the devout believers, then “looked” at the statue of the God of Light they were worshiping, her small face filled with confusion.

In her world of perception, the scene before her was absurd and laughable.

The statue, carved without a face, appeared to her as nothing more than a giant spherical glowing body.

A big, bright ball of light.

And the believers kneeling on the ground were continuously shedding specks of faint light from their bodies, which drifted slowly toward the giant ball of light like fireflies on a summer night, merging into it.

With every speck that merged into it, the ball of light seemed to grow a tiny bit brighter.

What is this? A group charging session?

Treya couldn’t understand it.

She tugged at the hem of Ryan’s coat and asked in a small voice, tinged with innocent confusion.

“Mr. Ryan…”

“Why are those people praying in the church?”

Her voice was so soft it was almost drowned out by the choir’s singing.

Ryan looked down at her.

“Because they are praying to the god for protection,” he explained casually.

“But…” Treya’s frown deepened, “The angel is clearly sitting right outside the church.”

Ryan’s steps came to a sudden halt.

Angel?

What angel?

He quickly scanned their surroundings. The believers were all immersed in their own prayers; no one noticed their conversation in the corner.

He grabbed Treya’s wrist and pulled her behind an inconspicuous pillar in the hall. This spot was relatively secluded and unlikely to be disturbed.

“What did you just say?” His voice was kept very low, but the urgency within it couldn’t be concealed. “You saw an angel!!?”

“Yes.” Treya nodded, seemingly not understanding why Ryan’s reaction was so strong.

“Where did you see it?”

“Right… when we came in.”

Ryan’s heart skipped a beat.

He forced himself to calm down and asked in as peaceful a tone as possible, guiding her step by step: “Treya, tell me carefully, what exactly did you see?”

“You tell me first, those praying people.”

“They…” Treya organized her words, “They are kneeling on the ground, speaking to that big ball of light.”

“Big ball of light?”

Ryan followed the direction of Treya’s finger and looked over. Wasn’t that precisely the statue of the God of Light worshipped by the Church?

“And then?” he pressed, “What else did you see?”

“What did that angel look like?”

“Where is it?”

Treya extended her small hand and pointed without hesitation toward the Church’s grand entrance.

“Right there.”

“It’s sitting on the doorframe, watching the people come and go.”

Ryan looked in the direction she pointed.

There was only the massive stone doorframe carved with intricate patterns, completely empty.

It wasn’t surprising.

If ordinary people could see angels, those nuns and priests would have swarmed over long ago, instead of chanting scriptures before the statue.

Treya’s eyes could see the power of faith and mythical creatures!

Thinking of this, Ryan’s breathing grew a bit heavier.

But this ability, unfortunately, could not be revealed to increase Treya’s value.

First, ordinary people couldn’t see the angel in Treya’s eyes, and neither could the clerics in the Church, so they couldn’t prove what Treya was saying.

Second… if it could be proven, Treya’s status would most likely soar to the level of the Church’s Saintess, and he, the disrespectful person who had branded the Saintess with a Slave Contract, would absolutely be sentenced to death by burning; there would be no other outcome.

Hiss…

The Church people couldn’t find out, at least not while he was still a stray dog on the street.

Ryan hurriedly pulled Treya away from the Church as if they were escaping, returning to his House of Gray.

The moment he pushed open the door, a wave of noise rushed out to meet them.

“Mr. Ryan is back!”

“And Sister Treya too!”

Pippin was the first to charge over, followed by Tom. The little ones were like a bunch of small cannonballs, nearly knocking Ryan off balance.

“Every single one of you is so impatient,” Ryan scolded with a smile. “Go wash your hands, it’s almost time to eat!”

“Yay!”

The children cheered and ran toward the well.

Looking at this lively scene, Ryan’s mood improved considerably. This was much more spirited than living alone in that empty mansion.

He turned to look at Treya and found her still standing at the doorway, looking somewhat lost.

“Sister Treya, what’s wrong?” The sharp-eyed Amy ran over and tugged at the hem of her skirt.

Treya shook her head without speaking. What she was thinking was that Ryan’s money was only enough to feed everyone for a few more days. If… if they switched to black bread, maybe they could last a bit longer.

Inside the kitchen…

Ryan tied on his apron, skillfully preparing the ingredients on the cutting board.

Treya had followed him in without him noticing. She tugged at the hem of Ryan’s coat and said softly,

“I… I can eat less, too.”

“What nonsense are you talking?” Ryan threw a piece of sliced meat into the pot, producing a “sizzle.”

“Is my investment meant to let you all starve? I might as well throw the money into the water; at least I’d hear a splash.”

“But… the money…”

“I’ve told you, you don’t have to worry about the money.”

“Instead of thinking about those things, come to my room after you’ve eaten.”

“I need to discuss your future career planning with you.”

Ryan brought the prepared dishes to the tray. It was as hearty as the last two days, with no cuts made at all.