episode_0005

Mae Luina, a saint with hair as white as snow.

At her touch, severed limbs would regenerate, and her prayers could cure any illness.

After centuries, a healer with the qualifications of a saint appeared. That was none other than Mae Luina.

Thus, when she carried the burden of the papacy and revealed her abilities to the world, the entire world couldn’t help but be ecstatic.

Even among awakened individuals, healers were rare, and the appearance of a saint who excelled among these exceptional healers could significantly reduce casualties.

Therefore, both within and outside the papal court, Mae Luina was adored and revered by all, enjoying everything that came with being a saint—wealth, honor, power.

Starting her heroic activities, she immediately achieved all three universal goals of life—something any person would aspire to. However, despite all this, there was one thing she couldn’t just let go of.

Ugh! It feels like a mouse is about to gnaw on my lips. When will I be able to go home and rest?

As long as she bore the name of a saint, she had to live up to it.

Every accomplishment Mae Luina achieved was due to her status as a saint, and in order to maintain everything she had built, she had to continue living as a saint.

To live as a saint, she always had to maintain a subtle smile, carry herself with grace in every gesture and movement, never show irritation in any situation, and display a merciful demeanor, which was an inherent mental illness that she had to endure.

In that regard, Mae Luina was half-burdened.

Because she was a natural actress.

The image of a saint desired by the papal court and the world was so clear, and for her, an outstanding actress, portraying the saint the world desired was an easy task.

But no matter how talented she was as an actress, ultimately acting consumed mental energy.

Ah, ugh! It’s so frustrating! Why do I have to live like this? Smiling all day long is making my cheeks and the corners of my mouth ache!

In the end, Mei Luina’s patience was gradually reaching its limit.

Sigh, no, it can’t be. Mei Luina, you have to endure. If you let even a little slip, everything you’ve built up until now will come crashing down.

Yet, despite that, Mei Luina was someone who naturally chose the former option of ‘living as a saint and enjoying everything’ over ‘living according to Mei Luina’s true nature and giving up everything she had achieved’.

She possessed not only innate talent but also much more greed, desire for honor, and thirst for power than an ordinary person.

Even as her mental strength neared its limit, her insatiable desire to hold onto what she had made her continue her heroic life without showing any of her accumulated emotions.

So, six months after she revealed herself to the world as a hero, Mei Luina, whose mental strength was at its limit, suffered her first injury during a gate conquest.

It wasn’t severe, but she had been poisoned with a type of toxin that couldn’t be treated at the time, so she was quickly transported to the national public awakening user-exclusive emergency room.

And there, Mei Luina met Stay.

The person Mei Luina had ever seen living in the lowest position in the world, working the hardest, literally the owner of a ruined life.

A person who, even in a life so despairing that choosing suicide wouldn’t be strange at all, never lost sight of their dreams and did their best to survive within the worst choices.

That was Mei Luina’s first impression of Stay.

If that person… if that person is definitely…

Yes, that kind of Stay was the person Mei Luina had been searching for all this time.

If they had such a strong will to survive even when their life was ruined, then surely! Even if I use them as an emotional dumping ground, it won’t be a problem at all!

Their resilience perfectly fit the image of someone who could handle anything, no matter how harsh.

Of course, if necessary, she would have to use her money and power for complete discretion, but that was no big deal at all.

She already had the money and power that everyone would aim for in their lifetime. So, she bluntly ordered Steve, whom she first met, to become her emotional trash can. Before his complaints could even escape his lips, she forced him into the role of an emotional dumpster using money and power.

Days of releasing pent-up emotions for half a year. No amount of money spent could bring the refreshing release she sought. Despite being the best healer herself, it turned May Lina into an emergency room patient due to her own irritations.

Whenever there was even a hint of annoyance, May Lina immediately rushed to the emergency room, called Steve, made him do trivial tasks, never missing even the smallest flaw, and relentlessly stressed him out while venting her frustrations.

And now, about a year and a half since she started using Steve as her emotional dumping ground…

“W-wait, you… are you Mr. S-Steve?”

“Oh, Miss May Lina, you remember my name. It’s truly an honor. Yes, I’m Steve, the only emotional trash can of Miss May Lina in the world. The janitor of the emergency room.”

“Aaah!”

For May Lina, it was the worst possible reunion.

***

W-why? Why is Mr. Steve here? I heard they were going to move me to a different room because all my senses are intact, but why does it have to be Mr. Steve, of all people, taking care of me?

May Lina was utterly bewildered by the current situation. After becoming a plant person, she hadn’t spoken to anyone for a month. Trapped in the pitch-black darkness, she longed for interaction, yet she found Steve’s presence awkward. Because Steve was the victim of her arbitrary emotional dumping. Of course, having Steve around was better than being tended to by some unknown perverted old man who couldn’t even lift a finger, engaging in sinister activities. But that didn’t make it any less of a terrible situation.

Stay… It’s Stay who can finally hear my voice after all this time…! This, this is unbelievable…!

As Mei Lina, who had built up a year and a half worth of debt to Stay, his presence was utterly terrifying. More precisely, she was terrified of the anger and desire for revenge he might direct at her.

Just like Mei Lina had been towards Stay, she was in a state where she couldn’t even rebel against whatever he might do to her.

I, I have to start somewhere. I have to apologize sincerely through tears and snot to somehow survive…! But, I can’t even start, I can’t even shed tears or snot right now. What should I do? Will Stay understand the sincerity in my voice?

Therefore, the only thing Mei Lina could do right now was to quickly offer an apology. Instead of hesitating, she decided to just spit out the apology first. After all, the sooner, the better!

With her sharp mind, Mei Lina expressed her apologetic heart in an attempt to reduce Stay’s desire for revenge and anger.

“Um, um, about everything that has happened, I’m truly sorry…”

However, her apology didn’t come to an end.

“No, it’s fine. There’s no need to apologize.”

“What?!”

Since Stay refused to accept her apology, Mei Lina felt a sense of despair creeping up her spine, even in her vegetative state, upon hearing Stay’s words.

※※※

“H-hi…hitt…”

Wouldn’t someone who was diving feel such a desperate sound inside when their breath reached its limit, with only 30cm of water left before being dragged back under the surface?

Perhaps I would express my anger clearly, thinking that you wouldn’t accept my apology and would unleash your wrath. [I might just end it here… I’m sure I’ll be subjected to a random outburst of rage from the enraged Stacy!] Look. It’s true, isn’t it? However, I never intended to do what Mei Lina is thinking. As I mentioned before, I was just a powerless civilian who couldn’t even think of doing such a thing to the hero who saved the world. Revenge, as Mei Lina thinks, was never something I took so seriously. Working in the emergency room, there are so many things to worry about. If I were to keep everything in mind, I’d have gone crazy and died. Of course, I’m not saying that I don’t keep in mind what she did, but… “Excuse me, Miss Mei Lina. You don’t need to worry about that. I have no intention of doing anything strange to you.” [Yes, yes?] “Of course, being forced to be an emotional trash can is really infuriating, but you saved the world, didn’t you? I’ll let it go with that.” Yes, I owed Mei Lina. Being a hero who saved the world meant she also saved my life. That’s why, although I might be angry at her, I had no intention of seeking revenge. [St-Stacy…] Whether Mei Lina was moved or relieved by my words, I don’t know, but she called my name with a slightly moist voice. It was the first time someone called my name like that, and it sent shivers down my spine. Although I wasn’t planning on seeking revenge, I didn’t feel good about it either. Well, enough of useless thoughts. Now that Mei Lina seems to have calmed down, I should get to the point. [Th-Thank you. Really. If I knew Stacy was such a good person, I wouldn’t have done that…] I told Mei Lina, who was babbling meaningless words, the reason I wanted to hear her inner thoughts. “By the way, can I inject my nutrients into your body?”

Ah, as expected, you’re filled with thoughts of revenge!