Elizabeth woke up in her bed. She was pretty confused as to how she ended up here, the last thing she remembers was being with Sukebe in her garden. Her cheeks suddenly became red after remembering what she told her, she never talked fully about her past before, not even to her friend Maria. She always assumed she would keep her past for herself, but something about this woman in particular made her comfortable enough to share her feelings with her.

Seeing the light of the sun outside, Elizabeth decided to search for her friend. She still felt guilty about leaving Maria that way so she went outside, in the hope of finding her friend.

After searching and asking around, she finally found her friend in the chapel. Maria was standing still in the middle of the room, looking at the glass pane on the wall of the building. Only turning around when she heard Elizabeth enter.

"I'm sorry sister Maria, I hope I wasn't interrupting a prayer."

"No, it's fine." Maria still looked mad at her. Elizabeth wasn't sure how to approach the situation but immediately bowed, surprising Maria.

"I'm really sorry, I didn't mean to be rude toward you. It's just that... A lot has been happening. I never intended any harm."

Maria looked at her coldly, visibly not accepting the apology.

"You're doing like that filthy nun now? Letting your hair out of your wimple? You are spending too much time with her."

Elizabeth forgot that she did it and instantly hid her hair below her clothes again when she realized.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to. But please, don't call her filthy. Not only she is a servant of God, but we also can't allow ourselves to be judgmental."

"Elizabeth, I'm saying that for your own good. God isn't always here for you, and the devil takes many forms."

"I understand, but she isn't the person you think. Her life wasn't easy, and she is genuine, I can feel it."

Maria was clearly disagreeing but before she could say anything else, the door of the chapel opened, letting Sukebe enter. She ignored Maria and immediately went toward Elizabeth to hand her a necklace. Elizabeth quickly saw it was hers, she hadn't even noticed it was gone before.

"Sister Elizabeth, I searched for you everywhere. I believe it's yours, it was in your garden."

Elizabeth put on the necklace. It was something that everyone at the monastery wore, but it was especially important for her.

Maria looked with a disapproving gaze and spoke in an offended voice.

"Shameful, you should be more careful. And as for you, sister Sukebe, I advise you to not do anything stupid, as God sees everything."

Sukebe wanted to argue but retracted at the sight of Elizabeth, not wanting to cause any problems to her.

"Yes, I know. I won't act in a way that would cause God's punishment upon me."

"Good." Maria walked toward the exit of the chapel and looked behind her before leaving "You should both repent yourself before it's too late, especially you Elizabeth. You are taking a dark path."

"The Lord is my biggest priority, sister Maria. I always act by faith."

Without another word, Maria left. Leaving the two women together in the chapel. Sukebe looked saddened and immediately apologized to Elizabeth.

"I'm so sorry, sister Elizabeth. I didn't mean to cause any problems..."

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Elizabeth silently stroked her head in an attempt to make her feel less guilty. She never really took the time to look at her closely before, like her height for example. Sukebe was smaller than she imagined, her head would barely reach higher than Elizabeth's chest. Her eyes were shining like a crystal, with a hue of violet in her iris. That, coupled with the two strands of hair that always were free from her wimple, made Sukebe someone who easily stood out. Maybe was it part of the reason she was so distrusted, wondered Elizabeth. When she realized how long she was staring, she quickly turned around out of embarrassment.

"Sister Sukebe, since we're both here, why not pray together? I really enjoy coming here for that, and... I would enjoy it if you would join me."

"I would love to." Answered Sukebe with a smile.

Elizabeth and Sukebe sat on a bench in the chapel, and together, silently prayed. Elizabeth prayed like she usually does, thanking the Lord for being able to live another day and wishing for the good of everyone in the world. But this time, it was different from usual. She couldn't tell if it was because Sukebe was praying with her, but she couldn't stop thinking about this nun. She wished for her happiness, for her to forget the scars of her past, and heal from her current wound. It never happened before, and no matter how hard she tried not to, Sukebe always came into her thoughts. Letting out a light sigh, she opened her eyes, only to see Sukebe staring at her. When she realized that Elizabeth saw her, Sukebe looked away in embarrassment.

"I'm sorry sister Elizabeth, I didn't mean to."

"Don't apologize so much, it's nothing." Elizabeth gave a big smile, which seemed to make Sukebe happy.

"It's just that when you were praying, you were speaking."

"I-I was?" Said Elizabeth, surprised "Have I always done that?"

"Well you weren't making any sound, but your lips were definitely moving. It was like you were speaking silently, it was... Hypnotizing."

Elizabeth blushed at the thought of Sukebe watching her praying. She wasn't sure if she enjoyed it, but she didn't feel bad about it.

"I hope I wasn't too distracting then."

"Not at all, but... You look peaceful when you pray. It was appealing."

Sukebe gently put her hand on Elizabeth's cheek and caressed the tip of her lips with her thumb. Elizabeth put her own hand on Sukebe's, she didn't really know why, it just felt natural. Looking into the deep purple eyes of the nun, Elizabeth started to suck on Sukebe's thumb without a thought. None of the two found it weird, they only enjoyed this moment together, even if neither of them knew why they acted that way.

The loud noise of the door opening echoed in the chapel. The two nuns were forced to realize what they were doing and looked in front of them as if nothing happened.

"Sister Sukebe, is it you?" Asked the voice of the person that just entered. Judging from the voice, it seemed like it was Father Benedictus, and he seemed mad "Have you seen the time? It's time for you to earn your keep."

The woman looked out of the window and realized that the sun was already set. She was late and was supposed to be in the kitchen for a while now. She quickly stood up and bowed as an apology.

"I'm sorry father, I was lost in my prayer. I'll hurry."

"Your prayer?" Asked the man, surprised "It's the first time I've seen you pray by yourself, maybe you aren't a lost cause."

Sukebe quickly left the chapel, father Benedictus was about to do the same, but was stopped but Elizabeth's voice.

"Father, why is Sukebe so distrusted? It seems like she isn't treated fairly."

"This child has a troubled past. I thought she would only cause problems, but maybe you can have a good influence on her. As for the others, they won't trust a whore so easily."

Elizabeth stood up upon hearing these words and raised her voice, enraged.

"Don't call her that! She doesn't deserve to be called that way!"

"Why? Would you not call a cat, a cat? A dog, a dog? It's just the truth, her body already was soiled by sin, whether it's her fault or not. I accept her as long as she proves her faith, but I won't start lying to make her feel better. Just like I won't lie about what you are, thief.

"It was in the past..." Answered Elizabeth with a small voice.

"It's for the Lord to decide. But you are faithful, there's no doubt that He will be merciful with you. As for sister Sukebe, her fate isn't so certain. Maybe if she gets close to you, she will go on the right path. It's the first time I saw her not only praying, but also so polite. But it's also the first time I see you so defiant and rebellious, so be careful to not take a dark path."

"I won't, father." Elizabeth still felt anger at Benedictus's words. She didn't understand why she felt so much rage suddenly when he insulted her, but she took a deep breath and managed to calm herself.

Father Benedictus left the chapel, leaving Elizabeth to her thoughts. She was thinking about what just happened with Sukebe, about how close they were. She should feel confusion, maybe even disgust, but instead, she felt only bliss and happiness.

Her growling stomach made her go out of her thought, she suddenly remembered that she didn't eat a lot. She was looking forward to the dinner, not only to satiate her hunger but also to taste Sukebe's food.