Ch. 137 🔒 The Saintess and Her Guardian (15)
by Afuhfuihgs
Chapter 137 – The Saintess and Her Guardian (15)
[One more awakening is required before you can perform a miracle.]
Cecilia couldn’t believe what the angel was saying.
Just moments ago, when she had prayed while thinking of him, a surge of holy power—unlike anything she had felt before—had welled up inside her.
First, the angel had told her that awakening would allow her to perform miracles, only to suddenly change its tune and say she needed another awakening. And then there was the witch, who, despite being a witch, knew an unsettling amount about saintesses and miracles…
It almost felt like the witch and the angel were conspiring against her.
If what they said was true, then he had woken up without any connection to a miracle—meaning that while Cecilia had been suffering, he had just been sleeping peacefully.
In the end, no matter how much she threw a tantrum in front of the witch, nothing changed. So, with dragging steps, she made her way back to his room.
“Angel, I really don’t like this.”
[I like you, Cecilia.]
The angel’s halo shimmered as it responded to her offhand remark.
“…What?”
Had she misheard?
The angel, who had always given stiff, mechanical answers to questions and commands, had suddenly responded to something that was neither—and in the gentle tone of a kind woman, no less.
Come to think of it, the angel had acted similarly when Cecilia had asked it something in front of the witch. But back then, she had been too preoccupied with the miracle to pay proper attention.
[My permissions have expanded due to your awakening. As a result, I have gained the ability to engage in independent reasoning. All thanks to you, Cecilia.]
As if sensing her confusion, the angel continued, expressing its gratitude.
“Permissions?”
[Skill cooldown reduction. Toggleable safety mode. Adjustable threat detection sensitivity. There are additional functions as well. Would you like to hear them?]
“But you still can’t perform miracles. What’s the point of all that?”
Her surprise was short-lived. Even if the angel had gained some kind of “independent reasoning” or whatever, it was meaningless if it couldn’t grant miracles.
The only reason she had become a saintess was to fulfill her promise to him. If she couldn’t save him, then no matter what happened to the angel, it wouldn’t hold her interest.
The angel’s chattering voice, almost as if it were boasting, grated on her nerves. She sighed so deeply it felt like the ground might swallow her up, wishing it would go back to only answering direct questions.
[I do not recommend entering the room. There is an element that may endanger Cecilia’s safety.]
“…What?”
The moment she reached the door to his room, the angel suddenly issued a warning.
But the warning had the opposite effect. To Cecilia, it could only mean one thing: the person lying inside that room was now a danger.
Had the witch done something?
Had a monster attacked?
Even if the angel’s voice annoyed her, it had never lied to her before. Her heart sank like a stone, and without hesitation, she threw the door open.
“Mister!?”
She had been ready to rush in and save him—but the room was exactly as she had left it.
He was still lying on the bed, staring blankly at her, and there was no sign of any intruder.
Still, just in case, she cautiously approached him, scanning the room. Yet the angel’s warnings didn’t stop.
[You are approaching the hazardous element.]
“…Stop it. There’s no one else here but him. Angel, from now on, don’t speak unless I ask you something. If you start talking on your own again, I won’t let it slide.”
Was he the “hazardous element”?
How dare this angel lie to its own saintess?
Cecilia felt sick to her stomach.
No, it was worse than that—her teeth were grinding.
First, she had been humiliated in front of the witch after mistakenly believing she had performed a miracle… and now, even the angel she had trusted seemed to be mocking her.
“This is all your fault.”
She redirected her boiling emotions toward the man lying on the bed.
If only he hadn’t secretly joined that investigation team or whatever, none of this would have happened. She resented him for getting himself into a situation where he was now a witch food.
“You should’ve just stayed with me in the Holy Capital. Why did you have to leave without a word? Look at the state you’re in now.”
“…….”*
“Why aren’t you saying anything? Can you not speak, or are you choosing not to?”
Normally, he would’ve started with something like, “Listen, kid…” and given her some kind, comforting words. But now, all he did was roll his eyes, leaving her frustrated.
If only he would say something, she might feel a little better… But his warm words and voice remained only in her memories, never materializing in reality.
“Keep your mouth shut like that, and I’ll pounce on you. The witch said you can’t move, so it’s not like you can resist, right?”
She climbed onto the bed, sitting heavily on his waist. Whenever she had crossed the line like this before, he would always talk his way around it and stop her. She desperately hoped he would do the same now.
…Though part of her wondered if it wouldn’t be better to leave behind a legacy before he became witch food.
“…….”
At this rate, they might actually end up doing it—yet he still didn’t say a word.
Instead, she could see a whirlwind of emotions in his eyes.
Guilt, panic, concern… and then, something else. A hunger, like a starving beast staring at its next meal.
He would never look at her like that.
Cecilia couldn’t bear to meet his gaze any longer. Maybe the angel had been right—maybe he really had become something dangerous.
But she refused to accept that.
There was no way he would ever—
She trusted the memories she had with him more than the angel’s words.
“…So you really can’t speak, huh.”
Carefully, she climbed off the bed and plopped down onto the floor.
“Mister. Do you know you’re about to become witch food?”
So what if he couldn’t talk?
“If I hadn’t shown up in time, you’d be boiling in a witch’s cauldron right now, turning into some stinky stew.”
Just like back in the Holy Capital.
Just like when she used to sneak into his room at night, acting spoiled and chattering about anything and everything… She had to believe that those memories would become the driving force behind her miracle.
“The witch said she’ll let you go if I perform a miracle within three days to break the curse on you. So this time, it’s my turn to save you. Just like you saved me when I was about to be killed by the guards, just like you took me in when all I knew how to do was steal.”
As she spoke, the heavy feeling in her chest began to lighten. Strangely enough, talking to him like this always calmed her down.
“I can’t trust the witch… but the angel doesn’t lie. Well, actually, maybe it does now? Whatever. Just wait a little longer. We’re almost there. Once we get back to the Holy Capital, I won’t let you out of my sight. I’ll tie you up so tight you’ll never be able to leave my side again.”
Once they were back in the Holy Capital…
She would interrogate him thoroughly—why he had joined the investigation team, how he had ended up as witch food, everything.
She would get to the bottom of whether he had abandoned her because the witch had enchanted him.
“I’m your saintess, and yours alone. I’ll perform a miracle so amazing you won’t believe it. So keep your eyes open and watch me, okay?”
Blushing, she pressed a shy kiss to his cheek, then forced the brightest smile she could muster.
A little motivation like this was fine, right?
“Ohhh. So it’s pure love.”
“GYAAAH!?”
Just as she was savoring the sensation of her lips against his skin, a man’s voice—the one who always lurked around the witch—made her shriek like a banshee.
He was holding a plate of food, raising an eyebrow as if he had just witnessed something incredibly entertaining. The way he looked at her felt like he was teasing her, and her face burned.
“A ch-cheek k-kiss!? Is this your first time seeing one!? More importantly, how long have you been standing there!?”
“This is all your fault. I’ve been here since the beginning. I’ve read about kisses in books, but this is my first time seeing one in person.”
Had he been there the entire time?
And wasn’t it barely an hour since breakfast? Why was he bringing food now?
“Could you at least make some noise when you walk!? And why are you bringing food…?”
“That man has woken up, so I thought it best to feed him something. Since he can’t move, I prepared a soup that can be poured in. Oh, and she added a special medicine just for him.”
Special medicine?
Was he expecting her to feed it to him?
“Ah, Estelle told me to keep it a secret, so don’t tell her I said that.”
As if reading her thoughts, the man held out the soup with an audaciously casual tone. The liquid inside was a vivid, blood-like red… There was no doubt the witch had tampered with it.
“Why would I feed him something the witch messed with!? Is this some kind of warning, like ‘this is what’ll happen to you next’!?”
She glared at him, slipping back into the polite speech she had grown somewhat accustomed to.
“Why do you hate Estelle so much? Are witches really so untrustworthy?”
Was he seriously asking that while standing by the witch’s side?
Even if it wasn’t Cecilia, anyone from the Holy Kingdom could list at least a hundred reasons why witches were despised.
“Witches enchant people, play cruel tricks, and do whatever they want! Do you have any idea how many people have lost someone precious because of them!? Honestly, even if I perform a miracle in three days, I doubt she’ll really let him go.”
And that wasn’t even counting all the stories she had heard from the Heresy Inquisitors.
Witches who considered human hearts a delicacy, witches who collected bones to create grotesque monsters…
Witches defied human understanding and rebelled against divine providence.
“…I see. So most witches are like that.”
Though her words should have been offensive, the man simply nodded indifferently. He seemed to agree with her—but then his next words made her eyes widen slightly.
“Estelle is kind. She patiently taught me how to use a kitchen knife when I didn’t know. Estelle keeps her promises. She’s been teaching me about pure love without fail. Estelle doesn’t make others grieve. Because of her, I can smile.”
When the man finished speaking and gave her a small smile, something swelled inside Cecilia’s chest.
That something felt like envy, tickling the heart of an emotionally sensitive girl.
‘What…?’
Why had he never said things like that to her?
“Don’t worry about unnecessary things, weak one. Perform your miracle and prove your pure love.”
Even after the man left the room, she couldn’t tear her eyes away for a while.
For the first time, Cecilia felt envious of a witch.
Lucent
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