Mag-log in聖女リディアは王太子レオンハルトに『愛さない』と白い結婚を宣言され、別の令嬢を本命に据えた政略婚の飾りにされる。国と女神のためと言いながら利用宣言までされ、心も立場も詰みかけた――が、前世は契約書で戦った法務OL。女神と組んで祝福婚姻契約を改竄し、望めば即離縁・暴言は神前公開・次の伴侶は女神指名の最強条項を仕込む。公開処刑される王太子を尻目に、選ばれたのは彼女を密かに守ってきた腹黒宰相補佐セルジュ。溺愛と自由を手に入れる爽快ざまぁ恋愛譚。
view moreThe rain was falling heavily outside her cabin, and she was sitting near the window listening to the music the rain on the roof created.
She had always loved her alone time in the cabin, it allowed her to think, vent and processed things. She closed her eyes and hummed with the rain, and then she smiled.
Something disrupted the sound from the rain, something that wasn’t there a few seconds ago. She opened her eyes and that was when she noticed a creature coming towards it. It was more like staggering towards it.
She frowned.
Sidney Morgan had always came to Bradford ever since her father had died.
The cabin was on the west side of Bradford among the woods, so it was far from any road, people knew it was private property and she had never been bothered before, until now.
She heard a knock, well, more like a pound on the cabin front door. "Open the door." the voice said behind the door.
Her hands began to shake, and her heart jumped to her throat in fear.
Who could that be, and what were they looking for on her property? She considered dialing 911 but there was no reception, not in this weather.
Her father was a hunter when he was alive, and he had always kept the hunting weapons in the cabin. If the man had came to harm her, then she sure wasn’t going to go down without a fight.
Quickly Sidney ran into the weapon room and picked the wolverine among the other guns. Breathing heavily, she ran back to the front living room, approached the door slowly, and opened the door a crack, and pointed the gun through it.
A man pushed himself through the half opened door, and he leaned across the cabin wall, water all over his body.
He raised his hand as if in surrender, then he pointed behind him so she looked towards the direction he had pointed to across the woods to see a bear running down towards the cabin.Without wasting any more time, she ran back into the weapon room, her hands fumbling in search for a bear spray. It was always there, but the fear that gripped her heart made her brain scrambled, shut down, and all rational thoughts of where it could be disappeared. She finally saw a Mace bear spray in one side of the cabinet and grabbed it, and ran back to the front room.
When she got back from the room, the bear was already in front of the front porch. The bear muzzle is lighter than its body, she could tell by the look of it. It was a black bear, and it stood about two to two point three feet, sixty to ten centimeter tall to the shoulder, four point seven feet, one point two to two point one meter tall, when it stood on its back leg.
She sprayed the Mace bear spray in it eyes to blind it for some minutes, but it wasn’t really effective because bear spray don’t work well in windy or wet weather like this one.She grabbed the wolverine she carried earlier, and fired. It gave a loud sound, and it slowed a bit but the animal bared it’s teeth at her, as if ready to attack.
Her eyes widened in horror and fear, but she had to be brave or they both wouldn't survive the attack.She rushed back into the weapon room. She took her father's best crossbow and the arrows she could grab, ran back into the front room with shaky legs.
She was right, the bear wasn't even dead yet, it’s teeth were not only bared but it stood with all its remaining strength, and was aiming at the man across the cabin wall.
Aimed against the bear, Sidney shot the arrows into the animal's flesh and it went down, with an agonizing sound as it dropped, and this time she was sure it was dead.
She turned back to the man across the wall and assisted him in sitting down on the couch closest to the fireplace.
After she had gotten him on his back, she went in search of a rope, and tied it to the animal's neck, and dragged it unto the front porch with all the strength she had left so that she could close the door to preserve the heated room that was now turning cold.
She went into the kitchen to bring out the first aid box from the cabinet. Tending to his injuries weren’t easy as she wasn’t a nurse or anything.Settled on the chair with bandage around his bleeding head, which was sustained when he was knocked down by the bear when he was running toward the cabin, he muttered something and closed his eyes.Sidney began to clean up the mess the water, blood and dirt had created all over the floor.
She wondered who this man was and how he got into Bradford woods, let alone her property in the first place.
The rain had stopped into a drizzle before she was done with cleaning.
She went into the kitchen to prepare whatever she could find available for a hot soup. That was exactly what the man needed at the moment.
With the coffee maker set, she glanced at him through a space in the kitchen wall to be sure he was still sleeping.
After making a reasonable amount of coffee, she went to the fireplace, it was already burning down so she placed in more firewood into the grate to rekindle the fire. She switched on one of the smaller lamps, but most of the lights came from the flame from the fireplace. He needed to be in a warm cozy place to enhance his nursing.
She turned from the grate and she froze.
The man had woken from his sleep, and he was staring at her. Even in the semi dark room, she could see the discomfort plastered on his face.
"I'll bring you coffee as soon as it's ready." she said when she found her voice."My name's Bradley Humphrey." he said as a sat up on the couch. Brad had not only been grateful to the woman standing before her, he was also glad that he was alive, with the help of this beautiful young lady.She nodded. "Okay, Brad. I’ll bring you coffee when its ready." She repeated and left the room.
She wasn't comfortable under his watchful eyes. It was as if he was screening her, or doing some kind of x-ray, and she couldn’t stand his scrutinized gaze. She only returned when the coffee was ready. She came back with two cups of coffee in hand.
Bradley took a sip from the coffee as she sat down in front of him. The coffee was very good unlike the one he had had in a long time. He guessed she ground her own beans, because she made coffee tastes great in his opinion.
Sidney looked at him as he sipped from the cup, and swallowed.
He knew he had to offer an explanation even though she hadn’t asked, he could see it in her eyes. “I had came to Bradford for a meeting and I was going back to the city when the rain began. The rain became so heavy that I couldn’t see clearly. I saw a tree blocking the road too late and I had to swerve the car which landed me in a ditch.”
He sipped his coffee, staring at the fireplace as if he had to keep watch. “I knew I had to walk if I was to survive the night, but I knew it was a long way. I started to walk west when suddenly I saw it, I started to run as fast as I could, and I thought I had lost it for a moment there, but it jumped out of nowhere and attacked me. I managed to free my self, and ran without stopping again, until I came across your cabin. The rain didn’t help at all, though.” He finished.
“I’m sorry about that.” She said.
“It’s fine. All I sustained were mere bruises here, a scratch there and body pain.” He chuckled.
Sidney nodded. She stood up to bring him the soup she had prepared. He can use painkiller after that, she thought.
“Thanks.” He muttered, and dug in. The soup tasted great, and it helped with his dry throat.
They didn’t say much, as she gave him space to eat. He even asked for more soup, which she gladly gave before she ate in the kitchen.
Much later, they both sat down, with another cup of coffee in hands, staring into the fire, enjoying the silence and each other’s company.
“So, who are you?” Brad asked, breaking the silence around them. It was nice to ask about her after being fed, right?
Sidney slanted her eyes over his long frame, as he sat back against the couch staring right back at her. She now had the time to look at him, really look at him.
He was a very attractive man. No, scratch that. He was gorgeous. His eyes were blue, and his jaw seemed to be cut out of rock.
“My father loved to hunt when he was alive, and he was killed during a hunt years back. His name was Allen Morgan.”
She loved talking about her father so much. He was her hero in every way possible. But since what he asked was who she was, she told him her name.
They talked about so many things but themselves, without saying much, they both understood the fact that they didn’t want to talk about themselves. For a man of that caliber, he was down to earth.
He was a good company to have; maybe not to everyone as he had said, but he was good company right now.
It was midnight when the rain stopped finally. Sidney had given Brad one of her father’s cloth to change into, he had earned that courtesy.
He insisted that he would sleep in the living room, so he just requested for a blanket, which she provided with a pillow.
She went towards the window and pulled the blind shut, she then went into the room she used as bedroom and took a shower. It was a good thing that their was a bathroom attached to the room.
After her bath, she wore her pajamas, that consisted of her father's old t-shirt and a short, prayed, and went to bed.
その朝、私は久しぶりに「計画通り」という言葉を信じていた。 公正契約大神殿の相談受付ホール。掲示板には、女神の羽ペンで書き換えられた新しい勤務表が貼られている。夜間対応は原則なし、臨時は申請制、休養日は確保。たった数行なのに、呼吸が軽い。「聖女様、本日の予約は……え、ええと、ちゃんと昼に収まってます!」 ティオが書類束を抱えたまま笑う。「うん。奇跡だね」「奇跡って言わないでくださいよ! 僕が昨夜、全部組み替えたんですから!」 そこへ、外がざわりとした。 駆け込んできた伝令の神官が、息を切らして言う。「隣国ウェルナの辺境で、原因不明の熱病が流行している、との噂が……! 旅の商人が……」 噂。たったそれだけの言葉で、前世の記憶が喉の奥に蘇る。増える数字、鳴りやまない連絡。 背筋が冷えた私の隣で、ティオは青ざめて未来を先に見てしまう。「患者の流入や難民が来たら……神殿の祝福、追いつきません……!」「まずは落ち着こう。正規の報告が来てから」 そう言ってくれたのは、いつの間にかホールに現れていたセルジュさんだった。黒い外套の裾が揺れて、空気がきゅっと締まる。 そして、締まった空気はそのまま、面倒の形に固まって運ばれてきた。「聖女殿! 緊急だ! 緊急事態だぞ!」 王都の有力貴族の集団。顔見知りの「祝福常連」たちが、これでもかと香水を漂わせて押し寄せる。 代表の男は、隣の者の肩を叩きながら大仰に宣言した。「疫病がこちらへ広がる前に、我が家の者たちの健康と屋敷を、夜通しかけて徹底的に祝福していただきたい!」 家の者と屋敷、事業所、夜通し。噂の段階で、まず自分たちを先に守れ、と。 ティオが胸に抱えた新フォーマットの紙が、心細そうに震えている。「え、ええと……夜間の祝福は、事前申請と緊急度の確認が必要に…
会議室の真ん中に浮かぶ光の板は、昨日のまま真っ赤だった。 祝福件数、相談件数、予定外対応、書類、移動。全部が「限界です」と叫んでいる。「……やっぱり、何度見ても、えげつないですね」 ティオが喉を鳴らす。「えげつない、で済ませるのは優しいですね」 セルジュは淡々と線を引き続けていた。いつもの丁寧な声。でも、ペン先がほんの少しだけ揺れている。 大神官長アグナスは、椅子に座ったまま沈黙していた。やがて彼は目を閉じ、ぽつりと呟く。「……似たような数字を、昔、1度見たことがある」 空気が少しだけ冷える。「10数年前、私がまだ若輩だったころ……仕えていた聖女がいた」 アグナスは自嘲気味に笑った。 「優しい方でな。誰も断らず、誰よりも早起きで、誰よりも遅くまで祈った。……そして、ある日倒れ、そのまま戻らなかった」 ティオが「そんな……」と声を漏らす。私は唇を噛んだ。数字が急に「人」になる。「当時の我々は言ったのだ。『聖女の奉仕は神意であり、止めるのは畏れ多い』と」 アグナスの指が、赤い棒グラフの頂点をなぞる。 「……神意を盾にして守っていたのは、聖女ではなく、私たちの責任の方だったのだろう」 胸の奥に、前世の空気がふっと刺さった。 『トップの号令だから』『会社のためだから』。便利な免罪符。誰かが倒れても、誰も自分の名前で止めないやつ。 アグナスが立ち上がり、私の前で膝をつきかけた。 「や、やめてください!」 私は慌てて立ち上がる。 それでもアグナスは深く頭を垂れた。 「リディア殿。私は、君の前任者を守れなかった。そして、君の契約書に手を入れることを、神意と前例のせいにして避けてきた」 言葉が重い。慰めるべきか迷って、でも私は、契約で守る側だと思い直す。「……過去は変えられません」 私はゆっくり息を吐いた。 「でも、『今からの前例』なら、私たちで作れます。頭を上げてください。責任者には、責任者の仕事をしてもらわないと困ります」
夜明け前の大神殿は、石の床まで眠そうな顔をしている。私が祈祷室へ向かう回廊の窓には、まだ朝の色が薄い。 そこへ、足音がきっちりと等間隔で重なった。「おはようございます、聖女殿。本日一日、業務量を記録します。……差し支えない範囲で」 セルジュさんは書類バインダーを抱え、もう片方の手には、妙に立派な砂時計を持っていた。 砂時計。神殿で? と口の中でつぶやく前に、ティオがわなわな震えながら叫ぶ。「さ、砂時計まで用意してるんですか!? 宰相補佐さま、そこまで本気なんですか!」「記録は武器ですから」 淡々と言い切るのが、また怖い。私は苦笑して肩をすくめた。「差し支えない範囲がどこまでかは、業務の後で一緒に考えましょう。たぶん、今日一日で境界線が消えます」「承知しました。消えた境界線は、条文で引き直します」 頼もしさと同時に、背筋が寒いほどの宣言だった。 ◇ 聖女執務室に入った瞬間、ティオが今日の予定表を広げる。 赤。赤。赤。余白のはずの紙が、血のような赤で埋まっている。「午前は貴族家の家族祈願、午後は神殿幹部用の祝福、その合間に定例相談が……」「その合間がもう合間じゃないね」「はい……え?」 ティオが顔を上げたところで、扉が叩かれる。叩かれる、というより、叩き続けられる。「聖女様! 妻が今朝から咳が止まらず」「聖女様! 旅の一行が通りがかったついでに祝福を!」「聖女様! うちの息子の試験が今日で、念のため!」 雪崩だ。予定表が紙一枚で受け止められる量じゃない。 ティオは半泣きで私を見た。「聖女さま、今日も予定外が山ほど……」「予定外が常態化しているなら、それはもう予定ですね」「言い方が冷たい!」 ツッコミながらも、セルジュさんが小さく笑った。笑うと、余計に怖い。
翌朝、王宮の小会議室は寝不足の匂いがした。 窓の外には、まだ薄く、空に残像みたいな神託文字が漂っている。昨日、大聖堂の天井いっぱいに現れたあの一文。 【聖女労働契約:重大違反を検出】 あれを見た瞬間のざわめきが、今も壁に染みついている気がした。「聖女殿。こちらへ」 呼ばれた席は、なぜか末席寄り。形式上、私は当事者で、原因でもあるらしい。 テーブルの上には巻物が山。重い。前例という名の重石が、こうして物理で置かれる世界だ。 グスタフ王は額を押さえ、クロード宰相は咳払いで時間を稼ぎ、大神官長アグナスは硬い笑みを貼りつけている。 セルジュだけが、いつも通りの無表情で私の隣に立っていた。目が合うと、ほんの少しだけ、安心したようにまぶたが緩む。「まずは状況整理を――」 宰相が口を開いた、その瞬間。天井が白く瞬いた。 ドン。 落ちてきたのは光ではなく、分厚い本だった。机が震え、インクの匂いが立つ。 表紙に、黒々と刻まれている。 『聖女奉仕契約(現行版)』 室内が凍った。 そして、頭の中にだけ、あのゆるい声が響く。『原本、持ってきました。前世のシステムで言うと仕様書ですね』「……女神、さま」 アグナスが反射でひれ伏した。慣れた動きが、むしろ痛々しい。 王が椅子から半歩だけ立ち上がり、すぐに座り直した。王様でも神相手だと挙動が忙しい。『昨日の稼働停止、あれは嫌がらせじゃなくて安全装置です。今日は原因究明。はい、会議、続けてどうぞ』 女神はさらっと丸投げしてくる。私は喉の奥で、笑いかけた息を飲み込んだ。笑えない仕様書が来たからだ。「セルジュ、読み上げを」 王の命令に、セルジュが一歩前へ出る。 彼がページをめくった瞬間、黒インクの文字がじわり、と滲んだ。 まるで紙が汗をかくみたいに。「第12条。聖女は疲労を理由に祝福を拒否できない」 言葉が落ちるたび、文字の周りから黒い煙のようなものが立ち上る。
宰相府の夜は静かだ。 セルジュ・ラグランジュは、机に広げた書類から顔を上げ、窓の外を見た。西の丘から望む王都アルシエルは、商業区も王宮も、ほとんどの灯りが落ちている。 けれど、川の向こう、東の高台にそびえる公正契約大神殿だけは違った。上層の窓が、今夜も白く光っている。(3日連続だな) 机の端には、神前確認式の進行表と、大神殿から送られてきた聖女出務ログの控えがある。セルジュは数字の列を指で追った。 祈祷、相談窓口、契約審査、打ち合わせ。刻まれた時刻を足し合わせれば、一日16時間前後の稼働になる。
女神様が羽ペンをくるりと回すと、泉の上に浮かぶ光の書類が、また静かに並び替えられた。 左に聖女奉仕契約。真ん中に聖職者労働規程。そして、右端には、見慣れてしまったはずの婚約契約書。《では、ここからは王太子殿下との婚約契約について、条文ごとに確認していきましょうか》「……逃げるための契約、でしたよね」《ええ。逃げるか、書き換えるか。その判断材料をそろえるのが、今夜の残業です》 残業という単語に、思わず口元が引きつる。 透明な板のような羊皮紙が、泉の水面からすっと立ち上が
終電もタイムカードもない世界で、私の次の夜は、静かな足音から始まった。《深夜の泉行き、単独残業コースですね》(残業というなら、手当の条文も用意してください)《それを考えるための会議ですよ。ここから逃げる契約の、0回目打ち合わせ》《ようこそ、深夜の条文会議会場へ》「ずいぶん本格的な会議仕様ですね」《本日は残業面談拡大版ですから。議題は1件、ここからどう逃げるか》 逃げる、という単語に、胸の奥がきゅっと痛んだ。 見習い聖女が倒れた夜。白い手が床に落ちた音。医師の「
見習い聖女が倒れてから、まだ数日しか経っていない。 貧民救済の片付けも、祈祷室での追加の祈りも終わったのに、胸のざわつきは収まらなかった。 だから私は、夜の大神殿を、書類の束を抱えて歩いている。(眠れないなら、せめて──次に誰かが倒れる前に、止められる条文を見つけないと) 地下の契約書庫は、夜になると小さな灯りだけが揺れている。扉を開けると、羊皮紙とインクの匂いが冷たい空気に混じった。 世界中の奉仕契約が積み上がる棚の片隅で、私は『健康条項メモ』の小さな束を抱え、こっそり増築工事を続けていた。「&h