episode_0047

I returned to the mansion. While I was away, various things happened at the mansion. First of all, there were expenses due to the damage caused by the demon, and there was also a change in the position of the knight commander. It seems he resigned due to feeling responsible for not being able to do anything in the previous incident.

The impact of the saint coming directly to the Brittna family was greater than expected.

– “Saint, you’ve come this way…!”

– “No, you’re probably looking at the mansion behind you.”

– “Will you be staying here for the next few months? Perhaps praying at the church…”

– “Hey, when would we have time for that? With the new knight commander who just came in, we can’t afford to leave it alone. Ugh… I’m being worked to death again today.”

A smile once, and a wave of cheers could be heard.

Due to Yuria’s excessively cold and emotionless demeanor, she has charisma from behind. If she had a kind appearance like the saint, that might have been something.

Comparing their appearances… Well, personally, I’d lean towards Yuria. If I were to lend a hand to the other side, it feels like that hand might break.

Next to them, Dylan, who was diligently training, caught my eye.

The atmosphere is at an intermediate level of tension. I don’t know exactly what happened over the past few weeks, but they seemed stronger than before. Well, still much weaker than Yuria or me. But the speed at which they become stronger as the protagonist was faster than others.

“…Ugh, leaving that aside, my eyes are damn heavy.”

I haven’t had a proper night’s sleep for three days until today.

The reason… Is it because of magical research, Isabella, or the medicine to treat the consequences of breaking the contract with the saint?

…

The saint wakes up late.

Even though I went to bed early the day before due to discomfort, her appearance looked like that of someone who had worked overtime for a week in a row.

Her disheveled hair would be more comfortable if she had it tidied up by the maids Ian had called in advance, but the saint was not accustomed to such a lifestyle.

“…Lawrence.”

Her only support, a friend in the form of a knight, was momentarily absent.

She was combing her hair, which she used to comb, and suddenly had a thought.

“… Ugh.”

For a moment, her vision wavered.

Surrounding objects blurred and then sharpened as if a dizziness rushed in. Her sight darkened, and naturally, her strength gradually loosened. With arms that lost their sense of support, she collapsed back onto the bed from her sitting position.

In her hand, it felt as if someone’s hand, only the dry outline of bones remaining, was approaching her body like a dark pattern.

A kind of curse.

The fire in the Western-style fireplace had been extinguished for some time, so the room was relentlessly cold.

If the maid could come and go into the room as she pleased, this wouldn’t have happened. The lady did not usually allow most maids into her room.

If such a pattern were to appear now, she might not have known what would happen.

So, even though it was cold, she just shivered and decided to call someone later to light the fire when she felt a bit better.

“…”

It’s cold.

Her skin trembled, and in this already difficult situation, she couldn’t even muster the energy to properly cover herself with the blanket.

– Knock, knock.

A knocking sound came from outside.

“Isabella. Are you asleep by any chance?”

The only person allowed to call her name.

It was none other than Ian. That man alone.

However, she didn’t even have the strength to respond to his words. The amount of curse she felt today was worse than yesterday.

Trying to somehow crawl towards the doorknob from the bed, she managed to get up, but,

“!”

Immediately, her strength left her arms.

At the moment when her body was about to collapse to the floor from the head.

A familiar voice and warm hands supported her body.

“… You don’t look okay.”

Ian placed her back on the bed, slipping his hand between her arms.

Her lips, they wouldn’t stop trembling.

Isabella simply couldn’t bring herself to look at his face.

Then, perhaps he was considerate of her feelings. He placed warm water nearby and covered her shoulders with a blanket.

He lit the fireplace and placed a few warming gadgets in her room.

Isabella, who had regained some of her composure after a little time, looked at him, calming her rapid breathing.

“I’m… I’m fine. Ian, please go attend to your business. I’m sorry for causing trouble. I don’t know what I should do from now on…”

“Isabella, you’re important to me. If you don’t mind, just stay comfortable. This is something I want to do, so if you don’t dislike it, just stay at ease.”

With such gentle tone and warm touch.

With an indifferent expression.

His face, trying to soothe himself.

It’s so good.

It’s embarrassing to have such feelings for someone who serves, but it can’t be helped. It’s all because of him that I feel this way.

He comes to me when I’m struggling, treating me like this every day. How can my heart not waver?

Sometimes he comes at night and secretly holds me tight, or gives me something cold on a hot day. Even though we’ve only spent a short time together, what will people around us think?

And Ian didn’t stop there.

Soon, he took something out of his embrace.

“…This is.”

No matter how much she was a half-hearted saint, she couldn’t help but recognize it as a saint’s blessing.

[ ??? Blessed Holy Water ]

[ Manufactured by: Brittna Ian – Grade: A ]

[ An artificially made holy water, created solely to bless her with deep affection. It holds considerable value in protecting her from those who wish to harm her in the future. ]

– When consumed, it dispels all curses on the target.

– Slightly increases durability.

– Restores the luster and health of damaged skin.

The saint, who had been quietly staring at it for a while, seemed to realize its effects and looked at it with a slightly surprised look.

“W-where did you get such a precious thing? It’s really hard to find something like this these days…”

“I put in a lot of effort for three days and nights. I managed to make it somehow thanks to a great magician by my side.”

Three days and nights, thinking about her…

“This is made for you.”

“……”

Slowly, he lit a match to the fuse.

As the temperature rose, the saint’s face turned red.

It seemed as if she was slowly understanding the meaning of the words she had just heard and engraving them in her heart.

Shortly after, the saint bowed deeply in her place. Then, with a slightly trembling voice, she spoke to him.

“This… this is very precious. In the Holy Kingdom, which seeks to monopolize and protect such things, a great deal of money is spent on creating and safeguarding them, and every year there are various large and small incidents of embezzlement. Such precious things…”

I made the potion, I’ll give it to you. This is not an item that can be bartered with.

Even the saint would take a little over a day to create this.

And only a saint with the highest skill could create it.

However, Ian’s attitude felt completely nonchalant, as if he was just giving it away.

“Well, Isabella. I made it for you, and it takes too long to sell it elsewhere. So, even if it’s burdensome, just take it. After all, I didn’t do this to receive anything from you.”

“…Th-this isn’t just about that…”

“Yuria said the same thing, and so did the other priests. If you don’t treat it soon, it will get worse. Because you’re important to me, I made it because I needed to.”

He spoke firmly with a stern voice.

A stern voice should be a bit scary to hear normally.

But it felt like he was getting angrier just for himself, making it harder to breathe.

“…I-I understand.”

Isabella, who covered her reddened face, hid her head in her arms and fell silent for a moment.

“B-but… continuing to owe my life, it’s not just that… it could cause harm…”

“It’s okay.”

In a gentle tone, he said decisively,

“Isabella, you may be a saint, but to me, you’re just an important person in yourself. I can just give you the holy water I worked hard to make overnight. Go ahead, drink it.”

“…”

[ ????? Knowing about the relationship between the maid and her other lover, I shook off the emotions that had kept me watching from a distance.]

However, the heart that has grown larger than that melts a woman’s heart to break it and give up resistance.

“… So, it can’t be helped. To Ian, there is already another woman…”

She said with a trembling voice.

Isabella was hesitating. Her golden eyes were shaking. Her lips, which were constantly budding, were frozen with hesitation, and her hands, which were trembling as she clenched and unclenched them, were there.

Eventually, when Ian’s hand touched her trembling hand, it drove her crazy.

“Here. Drink up.”

He forcibly grabbed the small saint’s hand with his large hand and made her drink from the bottle containing holy water.

Gulp, gulp, gulp.

The medicine he had made went down without a chance to say anything.

Between the dizzying sight.

…!

The uncomfortable feeling vanished in an instant.

At the moment she raised her head to express her gratitude.

“…”

In a tight embrace, she looked at Ian’s face.

Her pupils kept contracting repeatedly.

“…Th-that time too, but… seeing you like this again… I… I… Isabella, this saint… cannot push you away. Are you falling for me, even the ice-cold maid and my mother?…”

“What are you talking about, Saint?”

“You seem to be more than just kind. It feels like you are predicting when I will be restless and saving me in advance, as if you are always looking down on me like a god.”

“…”

“…You may be presumptuous, but you are the god I worship. It’s okay to be deceived by his intentions. Because I love you, I am ready to forgive and endure whatever you do in the future. Having a child… may be a little early, but I still allow it. I have an obligation to repay his mercy, love, and grace a thousand, ten thousand times. So…”

Saint, saint. What on earth…

“If, if Ian does this… wouldn’t it be inappropriate?”

“…”

“Oh, I understand. I will do it. Since I have received so much, I can do this much myself.”

“Isabella-”

“As your eternal companion who has been saved in life, I will dedicate my whole life to you.”

Holding Ian’s hand, she kissed her own cheek.

Ian’s gaze, which had been staring blankly at that, lost focus.

…This is not the picture I was aiming for, damn it.