Chapter 154 – The Saintess and Her Guardian (32)

Яεａⅾ​ ​ｏո ＫɑțＲε​ａ​ｄіո​ģĊаｆｅ

‘What if the miracle fails?’

My worries, about forcibly awakening the Saintess by modifying her with Ulti, were rendered meaningless as I watched the pillar of light stretch into the sky. A satisfied smile crept onto my lips.

So that’s a miracle.

Beside me, Edel let out a quiet gasp at the sight before us.

Through the beams of light tearing through the darkness, the silhouette of a woman. reminiscent of an angel. embraced the Saintess, weaving a miracle.

“How is it?”

I nudged Edel with my elbow, and true to his nature, he gave the most Edel-like response possible.

“Magnificent. So miracles can even revive the dead. I’d like to test that power in battle.”

That wasn’t what I meant.

You know, the kind of reaction where your heart clenches at the sight of pure love? That sort of thing.

I shot him a half-lidded stare before shifting my attention to the problem at hand.

“By the way, what do we do with this?”

Edel glanced meaningfully at what I held in my hand.

“Hmm. What should we do?”

Thanks to the Saintess’s miracle, Vempir no longer had a vessel to possess. Now, all that remained was a translucent, crimson serpentine form, something between a soul and the kind of grotesquerie you’d find in an edgy fantasy novel.

Countless mischievous ideas flitted through my mind, but if I acted on them, she wouldn’t be able to fulfill her role as one of the Four Heavenly Kings later.

With a reluctant sigh, I poked at her with my fingertip. She writhed in irritation.

[You wretch…! If you hadn’t interfered at the last moment—!]

“Interfered? I planned this from the start.”

I wanted Edel. who would soon experience pure love himself. to witness it in others first. A happy ending was the only acceptable outcome.

Well… I did intervene at the last second when the Guardian was about to be bisected, just in case things went wrong…

But Vempir seemed to blame her defeat on the moment she lost focus on the Guardian, when I teleported behind her and activated Ulti, transferring the angel’s authority to the Saintess.

[Why?]

“Hm?”

[Did you truly wish to see their love so badly? I have love too! My eternal happiness with the Black Knight—! If not for you…! There is no place for you between us!]

Still delusional, huh?

I’d explained it to her until my lips went numb before the fight. At this point, I was too tired to repeat myself, but since Edel was watching, I had no choice.

“That’s not love.”

One last time.

“Love is pure affection between two people. Got it? If you really wanted to claim it was love, you shouldn’t have hurt Edel. ‘Violent love’? ‘Amputee love’? You think I’d accept that? A one-armed Black Knight? Never heard of it.”

Not that being one-armed would prevent love, as Edel had said… but for some reason, I couldn’t tolerate the idea.

“Besides, what do you mean ‘no place for me’? I promised to teach him about love. Did you think I’d just stand by while a leech like you clung to him? What kind of love is just a baby factory? Are your eggs infinite or something? For a vampire, you’re pretty lacking.”

[Wha—!?]

There was still so much I needed to teach Edel.

And I was supposed to let Vempir steal him away and waste an entire month?

No.

No.

Absolutely. Not.

“Now, be a good girl and get sealed away. Thanks to you, I got to see the Saintess and her Guardian’s love… but since you hurt Edel, I won’t say thank you.”

As magic circles began manifesting, the squirming Vempir in my palm thrashed wildly.

A soul? A sentient slime? Whatever she was, struggling wouldn’t help her escape, but the way she flailed was almost comically undignified for a Heavenly King.

[The Black Knight…! With someone like you—!?!?]

She resisted violently.

Fine.

I hadn’t planned to say this, but…

“Still don’t get it? Edel hates you. You stink, you’re weak, and he doesn’t want to make babies with someone who’d starve them. What now?”

[!?]

I sprinkled a few lies among the truths, then grabbed Edel’s arm and linked ours, pressing my chest against him.

My chest ended up squished against his bicep, but if it meant dealing a blow to Vempir, it was worth it.

Totally.

This was all for Vempir.

As she was sucked into the sealing circle, her sentence extended to a full two hundred years, I quickly untangled myself and put some distance between Edel and me.

Even though I’d done it to spite Vempir, I’d instinctively linked arms with him again, something I’d sworn not to do.

My face burned, and there was nothing I could do about it.

I pretended not to notice Edel glancing between his right arm and me.

“That slime-like thing was one of the Four Heavenly Kings? What were you talking about?”

Thankfully, Edel, aware of my sensitivity about my chest, carefully changed the subject.

“Huh? Oh, uh… She was just being clingy.”

“I see. The stench is gone now. That’s good.”

So Edel hadn’t heard Vempir’s words.

Not that they were important. I didn’t want to explain them anyway.

Right now, I just wanted to bask in the glow of the miracle the Saintess and her Guardian had created.

Seeing a miracle that wasn’t supposed to appear until Aria Chronicle’s third arc this early? That itself was practically a miracle.

“Estelle, don’t you want to get closer? You wanted to see their love, didn’t you?”

“Hmm? Nah. This distance is perfect.”

A kiss, or whatever you’d call it, was happening at the center of that radiant light.

I didn’t want to disturb them. Besides, with three pairs of wings shielding them, getting closer would be pointless anyway.

Someday, when Edel experiences love… he’ll kiss someone like that too.

How wonderful would it be to witness that moment up close?

I couldn’t help the selfish desire bubbling inside me.

“More importantly, how was it? Your first time witnessing pure love. Did your heart race? Did it make you fluttery?”

This time, I made sure even an idiot like Edel could understand, backing it up with concrete details.

If he didn’t feel anything, all my effort in sealing Vempir would’ve been for nothing.

I waited with bated breath as Edel silently observed the Saintess and Guardian before turning to me with an uncomfortable expression.

“Hmm. It wasn’t bad. However—”

“However…?”

However? Did he dislike something about it?

That couldn’t be.

After all the work I put in…

Or did I do something wrong?

Edel’s indifferent gaze had turned unusually serious, putting me on edge.

“Was it too contrived? Or hard to understand? The Guardian stepping forward at the end was meant to shock the Saintess into triggering the miracle, so—”

I flailed my arms, rambling additional explanations, when Edel gently placed a hand on my hair.

“You’re badly hurt.”

My hair was a tangled, blood-crusted mess from the battle.

His gaze didn’t stop there, he slowly scanned my entire body.

My blood-soaked clothes. The wounds on my face, neck, and skin. The gaping hole in my abdomen.

“Edel?”

Only then did I realize the emotion in his usually indifferent eyes wasn’t discomfort or displeasure, but concern.

“I-I’m a witch, you know? Witches are immortal. We don’t die. So…”

Witches can’t die from physical attacks, only from the destruction of our curses. Wounds like these would heal quickly with a potion, and even without one, they’d recover naturally over time.

So there was no need to worry—that’s what I wanted to say. But for some reason… maybe because it had been so long since someone worried about me like this…

I didn’t dislike Edel’s concern.

It tickled my heart in a way I couldn’t scratch, leaving me restless.

I could barely even meet his eyes.

“So this is how it felt. When you saw my arm severed… It’s not a pleasant feeling.”

“…You were worried?”

Idiot! Why are you even asking?!

It’s obvious, isn’t it?!

Ignoring the rational voice in my head, my mouth moved on instinct.

This had happened before the fight with Vempir too… Why was I seeking confirmation for something so obvious? This wasn’t like me.

“Worry. Yes, worry. I know Estelle is stronger than me. I know you wouldn’t lose to a Heavenly King. Yet every time I saw you bleeding, I worried. Why? Worrying over someone stronger… This is a first.”

“W-Well, you know… Why indeed…?”

Since when did the word worry sound so sweet?

…This might be addictive.

Though it was the same word I’d used with Josie, the feeling was entirely different.

My words melted into a sluggish drawl.

“Even Estelle doesn’t know?”

Edel’s eyes drooped slightly, as if disappointed. Panicked, I snapped back to reality.

I-I need to answer properly…!

If I brushed it off or gave a weird answer now, I might never receive Edel’s concern again.

Gathering my wits, I cleared my throat and racked my brain.

“A-Ahem! Worry is an emotion anyone can feel, regardless of strength! I-It’s natural!”

Of course it is.

Maybe I should let myself get bisected in front of him next time?

Just how much would he worry then…?

“It’s like love. But even if it’s natural, I’d prefer not to feel this kind of worry again.”

As if sensing the dark thoughts in my mind, Edel spoke firmly.

“Others’ love is fine, but you don’t need to get hurt to show it to me.”

Large, rough, yet warm hands cupped my cheeks, tilting my face up to meet his gaze.

“Don’t make me worry.”

His eyes drew closer, and his commanding request sent a shiver through me.

Edel’s scent overwhelmed my senses.

His low, melodic voice. The concern in his eyes.

An unfamiliar emotion pierced straight into my brain, rendering me powerless to resist. My legs twisted together, and I futilely gripped my skirt, squirming.

Trapped—no, even if I could break free, my body refused to listen.

“Mmm… Okay. I won’t… make you worry…”

All I could do was nod meekly and blink up at him.

But…

Just hypothetically…

What would happen if I did make him worry?

Would I be punished—NO, Estelle, have you lost your mind?!?!?

This is all because he’s too close!

I smacked his hands away and put five—no, ten steps between us, gasping for air.

“What’s wrong? Are you unwell?”

“N-N-No! Don’t mind me!”

“I see. Understood.”

Flustered, I waved my hands to keep him at bay. Edel shrugged and turned his attention back to the Saintess and Guardian.

While Edel remained perfectly composed, I was left stewing in strange emotions, frustrated enough to slowly close the distance I’d just created.

Eventually, I stood awkwardly beside him, stealing glances while pretending to admire the Saintess and Guardian’s love.

Could this even be called admiration?

The light they created was undoubtedly beautiful, but right now, it felt irrelevant.

“Estelle.”

“Hmm?”

“That thing you said you’d tell me after giving me my arm. Can I hear it now?”

Ah. That.

I’d told him I’d explain after the battle.

Normally, I’d have urged him to speak immediately, but after sending me into emotional turmoil while remaining perfectly calm, Edel had some nerve.

“Ehehe. No.”

“…….”

I refused with a witch-like grin.

Edel, back to his usual indifferent self, shot me a glare full of displeasure.

“What will it take for you to tell me?”

“Hmm… Maybe if you say you’ll worry about me again?”

“That’s not…”

Witnessing pure love should have been the greatest joy in the world.

Right now, my eyes should have been fixed solely on the Saintess and Guardian.

Yet somehow, standing here, talking to Edel, felt more enjoyable than watching their love.

Enough to make me forget the stinging pain in my hollow abdomen and the the ominous throbbing in the back of my mind

The sun rose over the eastern lands.

Its light seeped into our eyes as we gazed at each other.