Chapter 9: CH 9

Heinz coughed in vain at Reihausd’s words and looked away. He saw his long sword hanging from the wall.

“T-That…”

The overbearing bloodlust that Reihausd intentionally emitted made Haines’ nerves shrink.

He forgot what to say, turned his eyes, and said.

“I just… I’m only here to express my hopes that I would like you to discuss with me.”

Reihausd stared at him without answering, and Heinz muttered a sarcastic remark to himself.

“And… It is absurd that the Saintess who has never played the role of a saintess even tried to abuse her authority like that. Although he deserves to be expelled by the High Priest, no matter how I see it, for the Saintess is… ”

Heinz coughed and turned the dissatisfaction to the Saintess to avoid accusing Reihausd.

“I was busy with the priesthood, so I didn’t know.”

“The High Priest also has the same opinion as mine…”

“That Elium’s discipline has been ruined to this extent.”

As Reihausd’s eyes grew cooler and looked at him, Heinz realized he had made a mistake.

“What a disrespectful story.”

“High Priest!”

“When people are idle, they tend to think nonsense. Even if they’re the priests that serve God.”

Although the Saintess was brought by the High Priest, he had never covered her when the words of dissatisfaction about the Saintess’ negligence came out.

However, today’s Reihausd was looking at Heinz with a suffocatingly cold gaze.

“I heard something was wrong with the Ares mine. Did they mention that monsters come out and dark energy flows out?”

“H-High Priest…!”

Heinz’s face hardened.

The Ares mine is so far away, and once you start touring, you may not know when you will be able to return to Elium. The environment there is famous for being barren.

“I’m too old and weak, so…”

“I order the Chief Priest to directly investigate it.” Reihausd’s resolute voice pierced Heinz’s ears.

Heinz deeply regretted making a mistake with his mouth.

***

The day spent as the Saintess has passed moderately.

Today, with the blessing of Hessed, I read a book and took a walk in the backyard.

The Gods, who had been discussing hard, were silent for a while, even taking a nap. And in the late afternoon, while dressing up with the help of maids for the trip to the Imperial Palace, there was a sudden commotion outside.

“What’s going on?”

“One of the apprentice priestess has something to say to the Saintess and whines.”

“She has something to say to me?”

Because I became curious, I told the maid.

“Bring her. I’ll listen to what she has to say.”

After a while, following the maids, a familiar apprentice priestess entered.

She had dark blue short hair and a dark sky blue clunky dress. She was an apprentice priestess whom I met in the temple library a few days ago.

Seeing me surrounded by the maids, the apprentice priestess knelt down on her knees in front of me.

“You seem to be the apprentice priestess I saw last time. You came because you have something to say to me, right?”

At my question, the child raised her head slightly and looked up at me. She must have been around sixteen, and she looked younger than I was here.

“I want to serve the Saintess closely.” With that said, I looked into her black eyes for a long time.

“At that time, I couldn’t even say thank you. I’m so grateful…!”

“I’ll receive your thanks well.” I cut off her words and said firmly. “But with only the maids are enough for me.”

Originally, the Saintess was followed by several priestesses in addition to the maids who took care of her.

However, it was obvious why Reihausd didn’t assign any priestess to me.

Because I wasn’t a real saint, and there was a risk that the priestesses would find out that I wasn’t. So, unlike the priestesses who worked as believers with divine power, I was assigned a maid who worked for a salary without divine power.

“B-But!”

“And the only reason I helped you back then was that he was covering the front of the bookshelf I needed.” I said in a calm voice.

Saying things like, ‘Thank you for coming.’ wasn’t beneficial to this child.

I spoke to the apprentice priestess in a cold, stern voice.

“Then will you leave now? As you can see, I’m busy.”

But Daisy still looked at me with eyes that didn’t give up. She had a slight watery look in her eyes.

“Nevertheless, I want to serve the Saintess.”

I let out a small sigh and decided to bite the maids for a moment.

“You know.”

After all, it was only the two of us left, and I said to her.

“There was a child near me named Annie who had been taking care of me for a long time.”

Daisy’s eyes were looking at me as she knelt down on her floor.

It could be seen that she was a qualitatively different child from Annie, but being my direct maid of honor was another matter.

“And she died a while ago. It’s because she got hit by a sword.”

Daisy’s eyes widened at those words.

“Why do you think she died?”

I walked over to Daisy and looked down at her with my chin raised. It’s not my taste to scare a child, but sometimes I have to.

“…”

“It’s only by playing the wrong tongue in front of me.”

Daisy’s eyes shooked violently at my words. It was clear enough that fear had been planted in her dark eyes.

“I killed a skilled maid, but how long will your apprentice’s life last?”

Daisy’s eyebrows trembled.

I stood up thinking that she would’ve understood if I had done this much. Then I stared at her, expecting Daisy to run away with her tail.

But she looked at her floor for a moment, clenching her fists, then suddenly raised her head and looked at me.

“Even so, I want to serve the Saintess by your side!”

I was taken aback by the child’s words.

Did you not understand when I said this could kill you?

“Growing up as an orphan, it was very difficult to protect my own body. Luckily, I even became an apprentice priestess, so I thought I had power, but I didn’t.”

“…”

“Even if he harassed me, I felt like I was going to die because my situation was so miserable that I had no choice but to suffer. I don’t like myself because nothing has changed.”

I suddenly remembered my past life.

It wasn’t like a fairy tale.

“I have never, never really, ever received an apology from another noble. Even if they slapped me in the face first, I should have begged. But the day I got an apology from the believer… I realized that it was no longer my fault.”

Her clenched fists trembled.

“For me at that time, the image of the Saintess was a ray of light for me, and I always wanted… It was the utopia I wanted to become.”

Daisy’s determined eyes were looking up at me.

She said, “Even if I become a priestess anyway, I have to live my whole life serving God. If I’m to serve for someone else, I hope that they will be the Saintess.”

“…”

“I’m afraid to die while taking care of the Saintess because it’s not up to the Saintess’ liking, but…”

Daisy’s eyes were shining with will.

“…I will try not to die.”

The child’s face… Maybe it’s because it resembled my miserable life in the past when I was trying to survive somehow.

A strange feeling filled my chest.

“I’m not what you think I am.”

I’m just a fake saintess, not a real saintess. Someone who will leave the temple soon.

Despite my cold rejection, Daisy opened her mouth with an unchanging will.

“It doesn’t matter who the Saintess is.”

She lay down in front of me again.

“So please accept me!”

I let out a small sigh as I watched her lie flat on her face that her forehead almost touched her floor.

‘She’s a priestess.’

They’re more educated than maids, and they’re in a better position to have more power.

“Which family are you from?” I asked Daisy.

She hurriedly raised her head and answered.

“I’m from Viscount Saintcoast family. My parents passed away and I was adopted by my maternal uncle and is listed in the family register.”

After thinking for a moment, I opened my mouth.

“Even if you could endanger your life as well as the existence of your family if you take care of me, will this request change?”

“It doesn’t matter.”

Daisy replied as if she had nothing to think about. She must have been quite educated in the house she was adopted to.

After a while, I parted my lips.

“There is no use in regretting later.”

She said she would take it, and there was no reason to stop her further. It’s better for me to have at least a hand I can trust in moderation.

“Thank you. Saintess!” Daisy bowed her head and shouted.