Chapter 22

“Imagining Lady Julia being played by the wicked Demon King, Heathcliff……. It was so painful that I couldn’t stand it. Somehow I thought saving Lady Julia was the first thing to do.”

“Is that why you came all the way here against the Holy Father?”

“That’s not the only reason! How can I put anything else before Lady Julia!”

Leo vomited in a low voice. His eyes seemed to be captivated by a dark passion. I was reminded of the situation. This kidnapping now is Leo’s dogma, so the temple doesn’t know I escaped.

This is the shore of the lake. In other words, no matter what happens here, no one will know if they cover their mouths, and Leo could do that.

I took a step back. Leo turned his head after me. Leo in front of me felt strange.

“What are you going to do with me?”

I didn’t want to be nervous, but my voice came out stiffly.

It’s a common story. A saintess and a paladin can never be together. If Leo, who had such a heart for me, tried to steal me as a hostage to fulfill his desire…… Gulp. I was thirsty, so I gulped down the soup.

Still, Leo, a straight-minded paladin, wouldn’t do that here right now.

No, isn’t there a saying that the more honest a person is, the more he becomes debauched when he opens his eyes? I swallowed my tension by looking at Leo’s hard thighs wrapped in armor.

“Sir Leo?”

Instead of reaching out to me or doing what I just imagined, Leo knelt in front of me. It was a very polite and holy attitude. And he kissed me on the top of my foot, just as he did in front of the statue.

“I just love Lady Julia.”

I lost my nerve in an instant. Leo can’t look at me like that.

Leo was two years older than me, and I was his childhood before becoming a saint, he was a friend and brother-like partner. Leo was training to become a paladin, but he treated me as a sibling without hesitation even when I was a maid.

When they were scolded for stealing snacks from the kitchen of the temple, they gave out their share of bread, and there were times when they fought by tearing each other’s hair off. I made a bet on who was better at climbing trees, and I was punished by my father. I promised to present Leo with an embroidered cape when he became a paladin officially.

I think I liked him who was both mischievous and kind.

But my relationship with Leo changed as I became a saint.

Leo knelt down to me, smiling and talking to me as usual.

Just like now.

And he started to use honorifics, not friendly words like before. He even got angry at me for being so awkward. What did Leo say?

“I can’t say and do such a rude thing to the saint.”

That’s when I started avoiding Leo. No matter what I did, it was uncomfortable to see him.

There was nothing good about being a saint. I think I just lost a close friend.

But I’m not as noble as Leo admires. Originally, I was in a position to do chores all her life as an orphan without parents, but I was just lucky to become a saint.

My mood sank.

I just wanted to save Grandpa Winder. Grandpa Winder, who was seriously ill, showed no improvement.

That’s all I can do, so I prayed next to Grandpa Winder every night. Then one day, Goddess Gremia appeared and shared her strength with me. Grandfather Winder’s illness was cured, and in return, Goddess Gremia put a condition on the line.

Huh? What was the condition?

I couldn’t remember what the conditions were.

She definitely asked me to do something instead, but what was it? I tried to recall with all my might, but my memory was blurred as if I was engulfed in a fog.

Oh, I can’t. I can’t think of anything.

It was then.

As if the sky was darkening, the campfire that the knights had made was suddenly extinguished. Something similar to the calm just before a storm hung around the bonfire. The air froze cold, and the next moment a black shadow appeared in front of me.

“Where are you going?”

It was Heath.

There was a big Coco flying in the air. Heath jumped straight from Coco’s back and came close to me.

“……Heath!”

The moment I saw Heath’s face, I felt relieved. It was a tearful pleasure. I was worried that I might never see him again.

Heath’s face, covered in the darkness of the night, was cold. But I know how sweet that look on his face is. There was so much I wanted to ask. Leo said something weird, but…… Heath will certainly  reassure her by saying that it is nonsense.

I immediately put the bowl of soup on the floor and tried to run to Heath.

But Leo stood in my way. And spoke in a voice full of hostility.

“How did you find this place? I blocked all the tracking spells.”

Heath pointed to my wrist instead of answering. I had a diamond bracelet from Heath on my wrist. He said I looked good with it, and I liked it, so I always wore it. The moment Heath appeared, the bracelet shone blue, and the light felt condensed magic.

“That kind of nonsense. As long as she has that bracelet, I can see where Julia is. You must be prepared to steal my bride.”

The black magic began to rise from Heath’s hands like smoke. Purple eyes were burning with anger. Immediately Leo also took out his Holy Sword. Other knights also took out their swords, but they could not easily come forward because they were weaker than Leo.

“Give me Julia.”

Leo wrapped his arms around me, pushed me back, and scurried.

“I can’t sit idly by as you call Saint Julia the Demon’s bride!”

“You stole someone else’s bride and you have a long tongue.”

In a flashy atmosphere, there was tension between Heath and Leo. It was a scene where handsome men were fighting over me, which could have been in a love story read by the priestesses, but I didn’t want it in this way.

I would like to decline to go down in history as the person who started the second war between the Demons and humans.

“Haaaaaaaaaah!”

“Go ahead.”