Editing Maria-sama ga Miteru:Volume9 Chapter3 4

===<noinclude>Maria and Maitreya. </noinclude>Part 4.===

The chief priest left the room, saying, "I'll leave you young people alone," which was the sort of line you'd expect to hear from an arranged marriage match-maker.

Now, the trouble was with those "young people" that had been left alone.

After the sound of the sliding screen closing came a brief period of uncomfortable silence. Because the next words and actions would have a profound effect on their relationship from here on. Unfortunately, Noriko had never been involved in an arranged marriage interview, but she had seen one in a TV drama. In that instance, the heroine had invited her partner to a splendid Japanese-style garden. Come to think of it, this temple had a nice garden too.

Unfortunately, the chief priest's daughter Shimako-san was not her partner in an arranged marriage interview, so Noriko couldn't use a cliched phrase like, "Shall we take a stroll in the garden?" 

After a deep breath that was almost a sigh, Shimako-san regained her composure and placed the wooden box she was carrying on top of the table.

"Yuukai's statue of Maitreya – "

She unraveled the cord that was binding the box along its length and breadth. 

"is not connected to the Shouguu Temple, but has been passed down in our family for generations."

"I see."

Even as she replied, Noriko's gaze shifted from the fingertips, to the arms, and then up to the face of the girl in front of her.

(There's no doubt about it.)

Wearing a plain kimono, her hair collected in a loose ponytail behind her. She looked a couple of years older than when she was wearing her school uniform. But she was definitely the same girl that Noriko had exchanged words with beneath the cherry tree.

"So its existence isn't widely known, and we don't usually allow viewings without a referral."

She took the statue from the wooden box, turned it to face Noriko and said, "Go ahead."

"– It's."

A sound came from Noriko's throat.

Such a mercenary. Until just now she'd been interested in this person named "Shimako," but the Maitreya statue consumed all her attention the moment it was presented to her.

It was the nature of a Buddhist statue enthusiast.

Because of that, she looked at Yuukai's statue of Maitreya as though she were in a dream.

"–"

It wasn't that large. At an estimate, it was about 25cm tall. The entire thing was rough-hewn, and the characteristic dark color of ancient dried wood combined with the expression on the face made for an incredibly simple half-lotus statue.

"Lovely … It's like my soul's being cleansed … "

She felt like she understood the words of the chief priest in her heart, and not just in her head.

It wasn't a question of whether it was sculpted by Yuukai or not. No matter who made it, she would have been just as moved by this statue.

There was no doubt that Buddha dwelled in there.

"I see. That's definitive proof that your soul is pure."

Shimako-san said quietly, all smiles, her voice like limpid water.

"I'm glad I was allowed to view this."