Chapter 157
After Eliza changed into her gown, with a white veil covering her face and draped over her head, she followed the maids as they guided her out.
Jenson stood there, frozen, until Ross bumped into him. “Mr. Pearson, the Holy Lady has already left. What are you still doing standing here? Catch up to her,” Ross urged.
Jenson quickly snapped out of it and rushed after her. “Ah, Holy Lady, wait for me. I’ll guide you.”
“Come on, hurry up. If you don’t hurry, you’ll miss your chance to get a seat.”
“I’m on my way.”
“What’s going on? What is all this?”
“Where are you all going?”
The people of Plutonville, from all directions, were heading toward the same location.
After suffering from a severe drought for three months, the townspeople had nearly given up hope. But then, they heard that their governor had invited the Holy Lady, who was personally sent by the king, to come and offer a prayer for rain for the people of Plutonville.
In just one night, the news had spread outside the city walls of Plutonville.
Many people came not only to witness the rain prayer ceremony but also to catch a glimpse of the Holy Lady who had come all the way from Hasen City.
As more and more people gathered inside the city, the guards were stretched thin.
Nolan had no choice but to dispatch two–thirds of the Black Flag to assist the city guards.
Soon, the prayer altar was surrounded by a massive crowd. Looking around, it was a sea of people, tightly packed together.
A single misstep could cause chaos, even to the point of collapsing the entire prayer platform.
As the crowd continued to swell, the guards around the governor’s estate were caught between keeping the peace and not being able to stop the people outside the city from entering.
The officials inside the governor’s estate could only pray silently, ‘Please, let it go well. Please let nothing go wrong. Even if the rain doesn’t come, as long as the ceremony ends safely, as long as the Holy Lady is unharmed, we will be grateful.
As time passed, the noise from the crowd grew louder.
Just as the guards and the Black Flag were becoming overwhelmed, a voice suddenly rang out from the distance.
“The Holy Lady has arrived.” Jenson shouted excitedly.
Upon hearing this, Eliza, who was in the carriage, froze for a moment. ‘Hey, Mr. Pearson, you’re the governor. Why are you acting as a messenger and clearing the way?”
Hearing that the Holy Lady had arrived, the crowd around the prayer platform quieted down and turned their attention to the entrance of the platform.
A carriage struggled through the crowd and stopped at the foot of the first step.
Eliza raised her hand to lift the carriage curtain and stepped out. The white veil on her head made it difficult for her to see clearly, so she focused on her feet, taking one step at a time toward the first step.
In the calm and silent atmosphere, with Nolan and the others watching in awe, she slowly raised her foot and began to ascend the prayer platform.
1/2
Chapter 157
Eliza walked at a deliberate pace, but no one dared to urge her to move faster. Instead, they all looked up in silence as she ascended, reaching the spot they had all been waiting for.
Once she stopped, Eliza surveyed the offerings on the altar. Thankfully, there were no inhumane offerings.
She had been worried that someone might be sacrificed at first, but considering this was an official rain prayer ceremony organized by the kingdom, she trusted that there wouldn’t be anything too disturbing.
Seeing that there was nothing wrong, Eliza began the rain prayer ritual. She first held the light candles, offering three bows, three kneels, and three prostrations before placing the candles on the ground.
Next, Eliza raised her hand to remove the veil from her face, revealing her serene, holy appearance. A collective gasp spread through the crowd.
Someone could not help but whisper, “The Holy Lady is so beautiful.”
Slap! Immediately, the person was slapped, and another hurriedly covered his mouth.
A woman in front of them turned around and glared at the offender, then held a finger to her lips. “Shh. Can’t you see the Holy Lady is praying? If you dare to speak again, I’ll hit you with my cane.”
