Ch.7373. Holiday in Greyfond

“It’s a good novel.”

The man’s calm voice, without exaggeration or fancy packaging, felt like an even greater compliment.

It meant that Rosemary was a good novel, to the point that even someone who appeared so emotionally serene thought so.

“Is that so? Could you perhaps tell me what you liked about it?”

Did that seem too abrupt?

But I was just too curious.

As a Saintess, she couldn’t reveal that she was impurely writing romance novels, so this was the first time she had directly met one of her readers like this.

Although the editorial department had told her the response was good, Lucia wanted to hear a reader’s opinion directly.

“The female protagonist’s emotional range was incredibly diverse and rich. Especially the confrontation with Rachel in Chapter 3 was quite surprising.”

As if he had prepared in advance, he elaborated on the novel’s content while steadily offering his opinions and even pinpointing areas that could be improved.

Lucia took mental notes of the areas for improvement, thinking she could enhance them.

Somehow they had naturally ended up sitting together, but Lucia didn’t think it was such a bad situation.

When coincidences overlap, they become fate.

Could it be that God had prepared this meeting today for her?

This time, the man across from her asked:

“Which part did you find most impressive, miss?”

“Oh, me?”

Asking the author herself which part of the writing was impressive—it felt like a mischievous prank, but Lucia gave it serious thought.

“The ending. The scene where Mary finally finds love and abandons everything to leave—that part really impressed me.”

“……”

The man nodded with an understanding expression.

“It felt like the author’s own wish. The desire to cut ties with the secular world and step toward where one’s heart leads.”

“Ah.”

How could he so accurately grasp her intention?

For Lucia, Mary, the protagonist of Rosemary, was nothing less than a projection of her own ideal.

Feeling as if her heart had been exposed, Lucia turned her head away in embarrassment.

The coffee she had ordered at the counter was placed on the table just in time. The server, seeing the table that had unexpectedly become a meeting place, winked and left.

‘That’s not what this is…’

Thinking she had caused a strange misunderstanding, she grasped the coffee cup with both hands and brought it to her lips.

She glanced at the man’s face while pretending to sip her coffee.

The gauze on his cheek was there to cover a wound, but apart from that, his skin was smooth and fair.

People from the north typically had pure white skin, so she thought he might be from there.

The more she looked at him, the more she thought his appearance could have made many women cry. Even she, as a Saintess, had received courtship from many handsome men, but they were all bright and radiant people.

But he was the opposite.

If she had to describe it, he was like moonlight.

Though abstract, the image that came to mind when she saw him was the pale blue moonlight shining down on a tranquil night sky.

“Ah, hot!”

While her eyes had been following the man’s face, she forgot she was drinking hot coffee.

As the coffee rushed into her mouth, Lucia was startled as her tongue burned.

Normally, she would have immediately used her holy power to heal it, but she was hiding her identity now.

Strangely, she didn’t want to reveal her name to this man.

Not as a Saintess.

Not as an author.

She just wanted to talk as one person to another.

So Lucia endured the pain and wiped away the spilled coffee.

As she slightly stuck out her tongue, saying it stung, the man carefully extended his hand.

“Huh?”

She couldn’t even react to such an unexpected situation. His hand, which stopped in front of her face, was truly beautiful.

A frost-like coolness flowing from his fingertips carefully enveloped her burned tongue.

Naturally, the stinging pain disappeared.

‘So he’s a Mage.’

The man withdrew his hand and calmly drank his coffee. His thoughtful consideration, as if nothing had happened, felt appreciated.

Though it was a bit embarrassing that she had been sticking out her tongue.

After that, the conversation between the two continued for quite a while. A warm and cozy time.

When they got thirsty, they refilled their coffee, and when hungry, they ordered bread and cake.

Watching him pour out his appreciation for the author’s heart projected through Rosemary, she felt like she had met someone who understood her in a way no one else did.

She was amazed by his wisdom as he naturally unfolded and broadly understood her desires and ideals that she had put into the book.

The book talk eventually spread to personal stories or thoughts about the current Greyford.

The topics were endless and the conversation continued, and Lucia was surprised by his unexpectedly broad knowledge.

Despite the long conversation, neither revealed their name to the other.

It felt like an implicit rule between them, and it seemed like evidence that they were in sync without having to say it.

Why do such enjoyable times pass so quickly?

It was already dark outside, and she, as a Saintess, couldn’t waste any more time.

In fact, she had already stayed until the line was quite precarious.

“I think I should go now.”

As Lucia slowly stood up, the man across from her also rose calmly.

He murmured with a slight sigh:

“It was more enjoyable than I expected; I lost track of time.”

Had he also continued the conversation because he found their talk quite pleasant?

Not bad at all.

Hiding a smile that was slowly forming, Lucia slowly offered a handshake.

For a moment, her lips quivered as various impulses flashed through her mind.

She thought about wanting to continue this novel-like encounter.

If she told him her name, couldn’t they set a time and make an appointment again?

She knew that as a Saintess, she absolutely shouldn’t do that.

Not only romance, but spending personal time with a man would become a huge gossip topic, and that would be a big blow to her image as a Saintess.

‘Haah.’

Lucia decided to honestly admit it. That she was, albeit slightly, attracted to the man in front of her as a member of the opposite sex.

It wasn’t to say she had fallen in love, but the possibility was quietly raising its head.

“It was a pleasant time.”

But the man, as if not noticing Lucia’s concerns, shook hands gently.

That was the end.

It might have felt disappointing, but rather, it felt like the man had preemptively cut off Lucia’s worries.

“Someday, if God guides us, I hope we meet again.”

Despite his bluntness, Lucia smiled gently at the consideration she felt within.

“Yes, God will guide us.”

Yes, if the connection with him was fate. If he was truly a person God had destined for her, it wouldn’t end like this.

Somewhere, they would surely meet again.

The man and woman left the shop together and walked in different directions.

There was no lingering attachment.

Lucia realized for the first time that even a brief encounter could be truly beautiful, and that parting could not only be wistful but also something to look forward to.

It felt like experiencing something she needed to experience as a writer. She wanted to pick up her pen right away, but there was no time.

One of the largest churches in Greyford, and the place where the Saintess was officially affiliated.

A church that worshipped the goddess Justitia, who upheld justice, and a place where the statue of the goddess holding scales and a sword left a strong impression in one’s mind.

And in front of it, for some reason, her old friend was standing, wearing a red outer garment with a hood.

“Huh? Gloria?”

“Lucia!”

She wondered if it was okay for the captain of the royal guard to be loitering in front of the church like this, but Gloria immediately hugged Lucia tightly and smiled.

“I’ve been waiting because you said you’d come today. Where have you been!”

“Ahaha.”

Until just now, it had felt like she was literally inside a novel, but seeing her old friend Gloria felt like a splash of cold water.

Not that she disliked it.

She was also happy to see Gloria after a long time.

“I met someone briefly. Did you take a day off?”

“Yes, I took just one day off because you said you were coming.”

She had heard that it was quite difficult for royal guards to use vacation days, so she felt bad for making her friend wait so long.

“But I have something to do now…”

She was a Saintess chosen by the royal family to confront the spiritmaster.

Being with Gloria, the captain of the royal guard, would make the picture strange.

Knowing this, Gloria smiled bitterly and took a step back.

“I know. I just came because I wanted to see you.”

Somehow they had ended up on opposite sides due to their positions, but their friendship remained unshaken.

“…Have you met the person called the Dark Spiritmaster?”

She wondered if it was okay to ask such a thing, but Gloria, for whom it wasn’t a big issue, answered with a curious expression:

“Hmm, I’ve seen him, but… honestly, I’m not sure. He’s very taciturn, but also quite skilled.”

“……”

“Honestly, if it weren’t for the prejudice about him being a Black Mage, he doesn’t seem like a bad person.”

“I… see…”

Lucia fell into thought for a moment. Gloria waved her hand and said goodbye.

“I’ll be going now. Good luck.”

“Yes, thank you.”

After the regretful parting with her close friend.

Lucia took off her glasses and put them in her bosom. She removed her hood, revealing her silver hair, and headed into the church.

“S-Saintess!”

“The Saintess has arrived!”

Cheers from people everywhere.

Lucia the author and friend was now gone.

Here, there was only Lucia Saint, the noble Saintess chosen by God to purify all evil in the Griffin Kingdom.

* * *

[You’re quite skilled, aren’t you?]

“……”

[I didn’t believe the rumors that you were a playboy, but seeing this, maybe they were true.]

“……”

[Can’t you be that kind to me too?]

The Dark Spiritmaster had been grumbling since earlier, apparently displeased that I had spent time with Saintess Lucia.

To avoid any chance of being caught, I had deliberately kept the Dark Spiritmaster at a distance, but somehow she had managed to hear our conversation.

[After all, we’re going to have to fight soon. Don’t you think you should be kinder to your mentor who’s always with you and teaches you, rather than to an enemy?]

Seeing that she would complain all day if left alone, I glanced at the Dark Spiritmaster.

I could see her expectant smile through the black cloth, but…

“Just be quiet for a while.”

When I spoke with annoyance, she immediately got upset and went off somewhere.