The Lady Nun Vows Revenge - Chapter 37: Chapter 37

Eliza stepped closer, her brows slightly furrowed. "What is it?"
"What prayers were you reciting yesterday?" Nolan gestured for her to sit beside him.
Not wanting to sit too close, Eliza chose a smaller rock nearby—just big enough for her. "The prayers from yesterday? Do you mean The Magnificat I recited while fetching water?"
"Yes." Nolan felt a flicker of dissatisfaction at the distance she kept, but seeing the wariness still lingering in her eyes, he let it go and got straight to the point.
"Didn't you say that within reason, you'd grant me a request?" He smiled faintly.
Eliza hesitated but didn't reply.
Nolan frowned slightly, as if sensing her reluctance. "You're not planning to go back on your word, are you? After all I've done for you, you won't even grant a simple request, huh?"
"It's not that..." Eliza quickly shook her head. Sophie's sudden appearance had made her wary, but Nolan was right—he had helped her more than once. She owed him, and it was time to repay that debt.
Taking a deep breath, she said, "What do you need me to do, Prince Nolan?"
The sooner she repaid him, the sooner she could focus on dealing with the Stonor family.
"That's more like it." Nolan nodded, satisfied. "It's nothing major. I just liked hearing you recite the prayers yesterday. As repayment, could you recite The Magnificat for me again? Just like before."
Eliza blinked in surprise. "That's all?"
"That's all." Nolan's eyes gleamed with amusement. "Unless you think that's too little. In that case, you can recite it a few more times—I wouldn't mind."
"Alright," she agreed easily. If this was all he wanted, then it was a fair deal. It was good practice anyway.
"Should I start now?" Eliza asked.
"Yeah." Nolan leaned back on the rock, closing his eyes. "Whenever you're ready."
Eliza took a steady breath and began. "My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant..."
Her clear, steady voice carried through the quiet streamside, blending with the soft murmur of water and distant birdsong.
Nolan's breathing grew slower and more relaxed.
For the first time in years, his mind—usually filled with battle cries and the echoes of war—felt quiet. The relentless chaos inside him faded, replaced by something strangely peaceful.
His body loosened, his consciousness sinking deeper and deeper into that rare stillness.
Soon, Eliza noticed his posture slacken, his head tilting slightly as if he had dozed off. She hesitated, then stopped reciting, not wanting to wake him.
But barely three seconds passed before Nolan's eyes snapped open. He murmured, his voice husky with sleep, "Don't stop."
Eliza sighed but continued.
Once she started again, she realized there was no stopping.
She recited it over and over, her voice steady as the stream beside them.
By the seventh or eighth repetition, her throat had grown dry. She finally paused, swallowing hard.
But Nolan, who seemed half-asleep, cracked an eye open immediately. His tone was almost irritated. "Why did you stop again?"
Eliza couldn't help but roll her eyes. "If I keep going, I'll lose my voice."
Only then did Nolan notice the slight hoarseness in her tone. He hesitated before asking, "How long has it been?"
"An hour," Eliza replied.
Nolan blinked. "That long?" He had thought maybe fifteen minutes—half an hour at most.
Stretching, Nolan stood up, feeling oddly refreshed. Even the constant ache in his head, the one that never truly left him, felt lighter today.
'So The Magnificat actually helps?' he thought. 'Maybe I should have someone recite it back home. That way, I won't have to trouble her at Saint Grace Nunnery.'
"You've worked hard enough for today. Let's call it a day," he said. Then, without another word, he grabbed her two buckets and filled them to the brim with water from the stream.
Eliza's eyes widened. "That's too much!" She couldn't carry two full buckets up the hill.
Nolan just shrugged. "No problem. I'll carry them for you." With ease, he picked up the heavy buckets and started walking toward Saint Grace Nunnery.
Eliza barely had time to protest before he was already ahead of her. Left with no choice, she hurried after him.
Meanwhile, at the base of Mount Westin, Nolan's men dumped Sophie before leaving.
Soaked and humiliated, Sophie clenched her fists, gritted her teeth, and dragged herself back up the mountain.
When she finally reached the Stonor family carriage, she flung open the door and asked the driver to take her back to the Duke's estate.
The moment the carriage arrived at the Stonor family home, Sophie didn't even bother changing her wet clothes. She stormed straight to the study, looking for Gabriel and Benedict. "Father! Benedict!"
But the rooms were empty. She searched everywhere, only to come up short.
Frustrated, she grabbed the passing butler and learned that Gabriel and Benedict had gone out on business.
Sophie's nails dug into her palms. With no one to vent her anger on, she took a deep breath—and then an idea struck. Her eyes lit up, and she immediately turned and ran toward Dylan's courtyard.
Sure enough, she found Dylan mid-exercise, practicing in the open air.
"Dylan!" she cried, her voice trembling as she burst into tears.
Dylan turned at the sound of his name. His brows furrowed when he saw Sophie standing there, drenched from head to toe. "Sophie? What happened? Why are you soaking wet?"
On the way back, Sophie had taken a detour to dump another bucket of water over herself, ensuring she looked as pitiful as possible.
Now, with water dripping from her sleeves and hair, she looked as though she had just crawled out of a pond. To Dylan, she appeared utterly devastated.
Sniffling, Sophie wiped at her face, smearing a mix of water and tears. Her voice shook as she whispered, "Dylan... I tried. I really tried, but it's useless. Please... help me."
Dylan immediately called for a servant to bring her dry clothes, then asked, "Didn't you go to Saint Grace Nunnery to see Eliza? What happened? Couldn't you find her?"
He had been away on business and had only just returned. He had no idea what had happened over the past two days.
Sophie shook her head, looking utterly helpless. "I saw her, but she was just like yesterday. The moment she realized I was there to persuade her to come home, she drenched me. She wouldn't even listen."
Her voice broke as she clutched her wet sleeves. "Dylan, I don't know what to do anymore."