CH 138

I think I had a dream.

A green field was spread out, and two women with green hair were holding each other and rejoicing.

“In your destiny to be reincarnated, there will be no pain like the scorching sun or thorns that make it difficult to walk. My daughter.”

The moment I saw that, for some reason, tears came out and I covered my face with both hands.

“Thanks. Thank you. Ariel.”

Rita’s voice rang in my ears.

As I watched them, I felt seven hands on my back.

Pat, patㅡpat, patㅡpat, pat. I fell into a deep unconscious again with that warm feeling.

When I woke up, my body felt very refreshed.

“Saintess!”

“Ah, Daisy… How long have I slept?”

“Six hours.”

The sun outside the window was floating in the middle of the sky. There was a loud noise from outside. I furrowed my eyebrows and stretched.

“Come out on the balcony! People are calling the Saintess.”

I rubbed my eyes at Daisy’s words and stood up.

“They are the believers of the God of Lies, Bellatrix.”

The moment I heard Daisy’s words, I stopped in my tracks. It was because it reminded me of how I almost got kidnapped by the believers of Raid.

Bellatrix’s divinity was almost annihilated, and her deity’s nature changed. Perhaps the believers  Bellatrix also have ill feelings toward me.

In an instant, my heart was beating fast. However, thinking that I wouldn’t avoid it, I mustered up the courage and went out on the balcony.

“It’s the Saintess!”

“Saintess!”

“Oh! Saintess!”

“Blessings of the God of Fate!”

“Blessings of the Eight Gods!”

As she was the weakest god, the number of believers wasn’t large.

But they were all standing in the courtyard of the temple cheering me wildly.

“I heard that a miracle happened in which all the nameplates of the Temple of Lies were changed to the <Temple of Destiny> overnight.”

I heard Daisy’s voice behind me.

“Moreover, all priests with divine powers heard the message from the Gods. I, too… heard it, a little. It’s really the first time something like this has happened.”

Her voice, which seemed to be thrilled, trembled a little.

“About this miracle, the High Priest announced the Saintess’ credit along with what has happened so far. Everyone is praising the Saintess!”

My heart trembled a little at the voices of people cheering for me.

“The Saintess helped the God of Destiny!”

“The Saintess is great!”

“Saintess! Thank you!”

I raised my hand and waved at them, and they cheered wildly. After a while, I turned around and went out onto the balcony and shut the door.

“The believers of Raid have almost finished registering in the new temple, and the believers of the God of Lies have now become the believers of the God of Destiny… The public sentiment of the people will gradually stabilize. All of this is the Saintess’ ability.”

I let out a sigh of relief at Daisy’s admiration.

“I’m glad everything worked out.”

After a while, I asked a question.

“Ah, what about Marquis Lloyd?”

I asked, thinking of him who was carried on the back of the Paladins and was probably sleeping somewhere by now.

When he opens his eyes, he will be back to his original Cass, right?

“Ah… That…”

Daisy slurred her words.

She opened her mouth with difficulty as I raised my eyebrows.

“They say he left the temple right after waking up.”

At those words, somehow, my strength was relaxed.

“He hasn’t gone here? To my room.”

Daisy looked at me and nodded her head.

“Hmm…”

The conversation I had with him after our kiss last night was vivid in my ears.

[I like you. Saintess.]

The moment my heart was beating like it was about to explode, and before I could answer his feelings, a signal suddenly rang from Reihausd.

However, I believed that even if I didn’t say it, my feelings would have been conveyed. Through the lips we met, and through the breath we passionately shared.

‘But… He just left, she said?’

“He must have been very tired and wanted to go home and rest.”

Daisy looked at me as she tried to defend Cass.

“Yes… That’s possible. He will be very tired. There might be something urgent.”

I answered as calmly as possible.

“Saintess…”

Yet my heart thumped for nothing.

Still, there was such a big deal, but the fact that he left the temple without seeing my face even once…

A number of complex thoughts arose in me.

***

“Hoo…  Did you say that this disaster was caused by that demon named Camilla?”

“Now she’s extinct. The credits of the Saintess and… Marquis Lloyd were great.”

At the Emperor’s reception room in the Imperial Palace, Kyle’s words finally lifted the Emperor’s worries.

“Due to the lightning strike last night, many buildings in the capital were damaged. Go out and lead the way in order to settle public sentiment.”

“I understand. Your Imperial Majesty.”

Kyle stood up from his seat with a stiff face. If they had delayed more time, the damage would have been greater, but everything was quickly sorted out.

That day he couldn’t sleep.

“Your Highness. Rumors of an affair between Marquis Cass Lloyd and the Saintess are spreading. This way, she could really be taken away!”

Did he listen to what Shane said?

Somehow, as if fate had called, his steps were directed towards the temple. His heart was beating anxiously and his fists were tense.

‘Should I just push for national marriage?’

And when she arrived at the temple, the work began.

He said something stupid to a surprised Ariel. In the blink of an eye, they were in front of the temple.

It was only later that he heard from Reihausd why this situation had occurred.

Kyle didn’t like the way Ariel behaved. But he kept getting worried. The sight of her jumping bravely at Camilla made him want to stop her recklessness and stimulated his heart.

Has she ever seen such a woman before?

Only when all those things were done did he precariously let out a sigh of relief, and his teary smile made him even fret himself.

‘If you won’t reach out to me, at least lean on me. Ariel.’

He was clearly aware of why he felt this way.

“Goodness, Kyle.”

Turning around, Kyle was called by the Emperor. Then he took out the garnet necklace and held it out to Kyle.

Seeing this, Kyle’s eyes widened.

“When you were little, your mother said the color of your eyes looked just like this necklace.”

It was his mother’s favorite necklace. Even though her maid carried it and ran away, then its whereabouts were unknown.

“This… Where did you find it?”

The Emperor said to Kyle, who took the necklace.

“The Saintess found it. She said the Gods helped her.”

At those words, his hand holding the necklace grew stronger.

“The Saintess… you said?”

The image of his mother lying on the bed and staring lonely out of the window was vivid.

“When public sentiment settles down, offer an offering to the Temple of Death.”

Something his mother loved. Although it’s an old necklace… She cherished it more than any other treasure because it was given to her by the Empress Dowager who loved her.

“I understand.”

“Kyle.”

The Emperor’s voice was heard.

“I won’t force you to marry her anymore.”

“…”

A long silence fell between the father and son.

“Because you can’t win people’s hearts by forcing them.”

Kyle put the garnet necklace into his inside pocket.

The Emperor’s voice was heard.

“But I will support you. As a father.”

At that, Kyle’s hand trembled.

He stared at the Emperor.

“How long have I been seeing you, do you think I don’t know what’s inside you? After all, there was no way I could have asked a dirty-tempered guy like you to marry a woman you had no intention of.”

A bitter smile crept across Kyle’s lips.

“Is that so. It’s so obvious.”

The Emperor followed suit with a bitter smile and then raised his voice.

“Don’t be anxious about the life you will experience in the Imperial Palace, and go ahead with the determination to make her happier than your mother if you bring her.”

After thinking for a moment, Kyle lowered his head.

“I understand. Father.”

***

Two more days passed. I couldn’t stand it and sent several letters to Cass, yet the reply that came back was this.

[When things are sorted out, I’ll stop by the temple.]

So, I mean, I should know when it will be sorted out.

‘Is he sick of me? Because I can’t kiss him.’

All sorts of thoughts wandered through my mind and disappeared.

‘Or maybe there were aftereffects on his body because the Primordial God came? Or he loses his memory about the time he was with me… Or maybe the Primordial God is still controlling him…’

Thinking of Cass dying, I shook my head.

“Saintess. I brought strawberry mush. And sweet apple tea.”

Daisy did her best to help me because I was in a bad mood these days.

“Ah, Professor Drave has been given the necklace of ‘Miss Rita’ as you said the other day. I heard he was in tears when he saw it.”

Nodding my head at her report, I let out a small sigh and rested.

“Good job. But why is the weather so cloudy today?”

“Pardon? The sun is that bright today, though?”

“Really? Am I the only one who sees it cloudy?”

I let out a small sigh as I gazed outside, looking dull.

Though everything had been resolved, my mind was complicated when I thought of Cass.

“Goodness, Saintess. Did you hear about Lady Rie?”

I shook my head.

“Daisy, know that you’re the only one telling me rumors.”

Daisy, who had been laughing at my words, spoke up with an interesting expression.

“She’s engaged. I guess that’s why they’re sending engagement party invitations all over the place.”

At those words, my heart suddenly jumped. I don’t know why my thoughts keep connecting with Cass, whom I haven’t been in touch with lately.