The fake Saintess incident was quickly resolved.
Normally, it would’ve stirred up quite a commotion within the Church, but once evidence linking it to the Heavenly God Church surfaced, the Emperor launched a full-scale investigation, declaring that the Cult must be eradicated without question.
Traditionally, the imperial family and the Church existed in mutually untouchable domains.
However, this time, no one opposed the imperial family’s intervention. This was likely because the incident constituted an undeniable crime on the Church’s part and involved collusion with enemies who posed a threat to humanity.
Some high-ranking Church officials protested, asking if the imperial family had forgotten the non-aggression pact between them. But the Emperor, having meticulously reviewed agreements from centuries past, silenced them by citing a clause that nullified the pact in the event of internal rebellion or continent-level disaster.
What’s more, when it became known that the mastermind behind the incident was a Heavenly God Church official named “Zelos” who had tried to control the Empress, the Emperor earnestly pleaded with me to capture the culprit. He even offered both material and moral support.
Though… I doubt it’ll be that easy.
Even if it was just a projection, he had the skill to deceive even my senses.
He was a different breed compared to the enemies I’d faced until now….and oddly, my heart started to pound at the realization.
Perhaps it was the competitive spirit within me awakening, without me even realizing it.
“…….”
“…….”
“…….”
…Or maybe, I was just scared of what’s to come.
***
“Must be nice, huh? Holding a woman’s hands all day.”
“Excuse me, young lady…this isn’t something I’m doing because I want to.”
“If you didn’t like it, you could’ve refused firmly. But the fact that you held on anyway says a lot.”
“Even you, Princess… why are you saying that too…”
Why am I suddenly getting flanked from both of them?
The Saintess was transferred to an imperial hospital to carefully assess her physical condition and help her recover in a stable environment.
The problem was that she showed a strong aversion to unfamiliar people, yet clung to me for some reason.
So, as her designated guardian, I ended up taking care of her at her bedside.
Just as I was holding her hand and trying to comfort her because she seemed to be having a nightmare after taking a sleeping pill, the noble lady and the Princess walked in for a visit and caught me in the act.
Judging by the look on their faces, I must’ve seemed like some pervert taking advantage of a sleeping patient.
They stared at me with expressions that were… hard to describe.
But I swear I’m innocent.
All I was doing was holding the hand of a sleeping patient as a part of her treatment.
“Like I said earlier, this is purely medical. She gets anxious and scared if I don’t, so how could I just ignore that…?”
“Funny, for something so ‘clinical’ you’re holding her hand like it’s the most precious thing in the world. Is it that soft or something?”
“My hand’s actually going numb from staying like this so long…”
Why is it that… I suddenly thought of my father, who used to get scolded by my mother when I was a kid?
I remember when he was talking kindly with a lady merchant who had come to negotiate a deal with our territory. Once the deal was done, my mother sulked for days…
Just then, perhaps awakened by the noise, the Saintess slowly opened her eyes.
While some people sleep with their mouths open and drool everywhere, she somehow managed to look beautiful even just waking up. I couldn’t help but be a little impressed.
“Oh, you’re awake?”
“…Yes.”
Her eyes that were red and swollen from crying herself to sleep revealed the trauma she had endured.
She had always carried a calm expression and a dignified demeanor. Just how much pain had she suffered to be reduced to this?
Although the Saintess had been moved to a secure hospital room, she still showed signs of deep anxiety. She would flinch and tremble whenever unfamiliar people approached her.
From what I heard during the ongoing investigation, some high-ranking officials who were under the charm spell had ordered her torture, even demanding that it be intensified.
Believing the Saintess had committed the grave crime of impersonation, the inquisitors carried out unspeakable acts against her under that command.
Her divine power had returned and naturally healed all of her physical wounds, but the trauma she suffered was far from gone. Her psychological scars showed no sign of fading.
“Uuuh…”
When she woke and saw the young lady and the Princess staring at her, she must’ve been frightened. Because she edged toward me and clung to my arm.
“Hey, you!”
“Eeek!!”
“Calm down, Lady Eos. Her body and mind are both extremely fragile right now. The only person she can rely on is Mars, who saved her. Her reaction is perfectly understandable.”
“I… I know that, but still…”
The noble lady who had abruptly shouted and risen from her seat sat back down with a conflicted expression after the Princess intervened.
“Still, such excessive dependency isn’t exactly ideal. It’s fine for now, but we’ll need to address it eventually.”
“Agreed.”
The Princess had a point.
Right now, her mental state was unstable, so staying by her side wasn’t an issue.
But I had my own life to live too. And the thought of moving into the Church just to accommodate her wasn’t exactly appealing.
We’d need to deal with her separation anxiety somehow.
“Lady Eos, let’s leave them alone for now. We’ll probably be busy cleaning up the aftermath of this whole mess.”
“Yeah. I’ve got some things to look into myself. Mars, take good care of the Saintess for now. It’s fine to look after her….but if you try anything funny while she’s like this, I’ll kill you myself.”
“I won’t. I promise.”
Even if I were starved for a girlfriend, I’m not heartless enough to try anything with someone who’s hurting.
And so, the two of them left, and only the Saintess and I remained in the hospital room.
“Hmm? Come to think of it, what about Pollo? If you’d like, I could ask him to come visit… or is it still a bit too much?”
“Y-Yes… um, men are still a little… scary for me…”
“Ah… that’s understandable. You did the right thing.”
Apparently, due to the trauma from the torture, she trembled and had trouble breathing whenever she saw unfamiliar men.
It was probably a side effect caused by the fact that her torturers were men. But with no advanced medical treatment or medication available, it was unclear whether she would ever fully recover.
I’m not exactly skilled in psychological counseling either, and trying to force her to overcome it might only worsen the effects. So it’s something I can’t approach lightly.
She seemed to think that my troubled expression meant I was annoyed with her, and with a downcast look, she spoke up.
“…I’m sorry.”
“…Huh?”
An apology, out of the blue.
It was something I’d never have expected from her, and for a moment, I felt completely dazed.
The Saintess didn’t seem to notice my surprise. She just continued to speak her mind.
“You were right… Even when I was accused of being a fake and suffering, praying for salvation… God never responded.”
“……”
“I know it sounds like an empty excuse. If an all-powerful, all-knowing God really existed… then there wouldn’t be anyone suffering in the world.”
The Saintess spoke with sunken eyes. Her voice was calm but fragile. Like it could break at any moment.
“The day I awakened this divine power, I was truly happy. Not because I was no longer an orphan, not because I was suddenly the center of everyone’s attention. Just… the fact that salvation might actually exist made me happy. I firmly believed that any god who would grant someone like me this kind of power had to be a kind and benevolent being.”
“……”
“But… I was completely wrong. Ha…”
Letting out a self-mocking laugh, the Saintess gestured to her chest.
“Did you know? Right now, it feels like there’s a gaping hole here. Like someone just cut this part out with scissors.”
You couldn’t see it on the outside, but I was sure that inside, she was filled with nothing but cold emptiness.
Much like her tangled web of relationships. So broken it was hard to trust anyone.
“I’m scared… Scared of the fact that I was betrayed by the ones I thought were friends, by those who used to follow me and trust me… and by the god I had no doubt in. What… what am I supposed to believe in now?”
“You should believe in yourself.”
“…Huh?”
The Saintess blinked in confusion. Her dazed eyes lifted to meet mine.
“The reason I don’t really like religious people isn’t just because I don’t believe in gods… more than that, it’s because they don’t believe in themselves.”
People who give up on trusting themselves and live clinging to others.
Seeing them always left a lingering discomfort in me, like something stuck in my chest.
“The way it all happened wasn’t ideal, but even you must’ve realized it by now. Blind faith isn’t a good thing.”
“……”
“If it’s too hard to believe in yourself right now… then you can believe in me for a while.”
“!!”
I spoke, but the moment I saw her reaction, I grew embarrassed and quickly turned my head away.
“You… you didn’t hate me?”
“Hmm… to be honest, there were times when you were a bit of a hassle. The doctrines and values you talked about just didn’t make sense to me.”
“I-I see…”
“But still, I never hated you. Not even once.”
“……!!”
That’s the truth.
Sure, I may have thought she was a bit of a nuisance, but I never disliked her.
If I had truly hated her, I never would have even considered trying to save her.
“I… I have nothing to give you… At most, all I can offer is a thank you. After all this, my position as a Saintess within the Church will likely take a hit, and I won’t have the same influence as before. Even so… is that really okay with you…?”
“That’s not a bad deal.”
A thank-you from a beautiful woman just for being someone she can rely on? No matter how you look at it, I’m coming out ahead here.
“Pfft… what kind of answer is that?”
A small laugh escaped her lips.
Looking into her eyes, now free of fear and anxiety—
I realized this vacation hadn’t been such a bad time after all.
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