Maria-sama ga Miteru:Volume23 Prologue nr
Prologue[edit]
"Gokigenyou."
"Gokigenyou."
The clear morning greeting travels through the serene, blue sky.
Today, once again, the maidens that gather in the Virgin Mary's garden smile purely to one another as they pass under the tall gateway.
Wrapping their innocent bodies and souls is a deep-colored school uniform.
Walking slowly so as to not disturb the pleats in their skirts, so as to not toss their white sailor scarves into disarray... such is the standard of modesty here. Running here because one is in danger of missing class, for instance, is too undignified a sight for students to wish upon themselves.
Lillian Private Academy for Women.
Founded in Meiji 34, this academy was originally intended for the young women of nobility, and is now a Catholic academy of prestigious tradition. Placed in downtown Tokyo, where you can still see traces of Musashi Field's greenery, it is protected by God, a garden where maidens can receive tutelage from preschool to university.
Time passes, and even now, in Heisei, three era-names past Meiji, it is a valuable academy, where nurtured ladies raised in greenhouses are shipped out in carefully packaged boxes after 18 years of schooling - an arrangement that continues to survive.
It looks like it's cold outside.
The countless droplets of water clinging to the inside of the glass window attest to that.
The difference between the outside and inside temperature has changed the transparent glass into white frosted glass.
If there were someone standing on the other side of the glass, I'd probably be able to see their vague outline. But I wouldn't be able to make out their facial expression.
Even though I'd know there was definitely someone there, they could be laughing or crying. No matter how hard I stare, I wouldn't be able to tell.
Even though I'd want to know. There's no way to do so.
I hear you say that, as a practical matter, it could be solved immediately by wiping the glass, right?
In that case, please tell me.
How do I wipe away the cloudiness fogging up the heart's window?
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