The Saintess’s Qualification (1)

The first thing I did upon returning to the dormitory was confess to Ethan that I was the Saintess.

Since only Ethan was awake while Isabelle remained asleep, it seemed like the most appropriate time to tell him. Moreover, explaining why I had returned to the dormitory at this hour necessitated this revelation.

To clarify why staying at the church was no longer an option, I had to disclose that I had become the Saintess-there was no way around it.

“Saintess…?”

“Yes.”

“Lilith…?”

“Yes.”

“……”

His dazed expression didn’t seem to be just because he had just woken up.

Well, of course, it would be hard to believe immediately. From his perspective, it must have been as shocking as if I had told him that Gyeotmwa Josyegigot was a fake hero and that Ethan was the real one.

But whether he believed me or not didn’t matter much. I had confessed simply because I didn’t want to lie to him.

“If it’s hard to believe, you don’t have to. I only told you the truth-I have no intention of forcing you to believe me, Young Master Ethan.”

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to look at you like that, Lilith.”

“Huh?”

“…Lilith.”

“Y-yes…?”

Ethan suddenly called my name in a low voice and stepped closer.

For some reason, I sensed a hint of anger in his demeanor, which made me tense up, and my response came out a bit flustered.

“How long have you known?”

“K-known what?”

“That you might be the Saintess.”

“W-well… um…”

“Look me in the eye and answer.”

“…It’s been quite a while.”

For some reason, Ethan’s piercing gaze made me a little afraid, and I briefly considered downplaying the timeframe. But lying about it now wouldn’t help.

I had no choice but to be as honest as possible-that I had known since the moment I realized I had been reincarnated into this world.

“It’s been about six and a half years.”

“…What?”

“Do you remember when I collapsed in front of you shortly after you woke up, not long after I started working as a debt maid at the Blackwood residence?”

“…It was so long ago that I barely remember. But now that you mention it, I think there was a maid who collapsed like that. Though I didn’t realize it was you until now.”

“To be honest, I knew from that moment.”

“……”

Ethan’s expression darkened further as he glared at me. The fact that I had kept this secret for so long clearly didn’t sit well with him.

Still, since I had decided to come clean, I might as well get it all out at once. So I stubbornly continued.

“The reason I collapsed back then was because of something like divine revelation… When I woke up, I somehow knew all sorts of things about this world-including the fact that I was the Saintess.”

“…I see.”

“Yes. That’s probably why I became the ‘Saintess of Prophecy’ after receiving the divine blessing. On the day I collapsed, I was given knowledge of future events in this world.”

“So you thought that was the power of a Saintess.”

“…Yes. At the time, Saintess Celista hadn’t been officially announced yet. It was only natural for an ordinary commoner girl to imagine that she might have become a Saintess after receiving such mysterious power.”

He seemed to somewhat accept how I had realized I was the Saintess so long ago.

As much as I wanted to tell Ethan everything, there were two things I absolutely couldn’t reveal-that this world was from a game called *Luminor Academy*, and that I had been a man in my past life. Those two truths would undoubtedly shock him too much.

So, while hiding those two things, I explained as honestly as possible that I had known I was the Saintess and why I had kept it a secret.

“Then, why did you hide it all this time?”

“Because shortly after I received the revelation-no, after I realized I might be the Saintess-Saintess Celista was officially announced.”

“…Saintess Celista? Ah, no-if what you’re saying is true, should I call her Miss Celista now?”

“I don’t mind either way… But the reason I couldn’t reveal that I might be the Saintess was because Saintess Celista’s name had already been publicly recognized. In a situation where an orthodox Saintess raised by the church had already emerged, how many people would believe a debt maid from a noble family claiming she might be the Saintess?”

“…Right. Even in the distant past, when the Aurelia Church announced they were searching for a Saintess, many women claimed to be her. In that kind of atmosphere, I can see why Lilith might have hesitated.”

“…Even if it were revealed that I was the real Saintess, it would cause many problems. Saintess Celista and the priests of the Aurelia Church who had endorsed her would likely suffer for it.”

“Seeing you think even about such small details makes me almost believe you really are the Saintess. And why you kept it hidden until now.”

…It was a little embarrassing to be praised like this when I had just been acting out of self-preservation. It was true that I hadn’t revealed my potential Saintess status to spare Celista the backlash, but that was only because she was the one who could take on the role *instead* of me.

His assumption that I had been uncertain about being the Saintess wasn’t accurate either. I had heard about Lilith being the Saintess so many times during my 25 playthroughs that there was no doubt. Of course, I couldn’t explain that part, so I let it slide.

“Anyway, I had planned to keep my status as the Saintess hidden for as long as possible.”

“…You were planning to hide being the Saintess? Why?”

“Because the moment it was revealed, I would have no choice but to join the hero’s party and spend nearly all my time with him. I wouldn’t be able to continue as your personal maid, and even after graduating from the academy, my life would be dictated by following the hero’s journey.”

“…Well, of course. If it were revealed that Lilith is the Saintess, you’d have no choice but to stay by that perverted hero’s side… Huh?”

For some reason, Ethan’s expression shifted mid-sentence, as if he had realized something strange about what I had said.

“Did I say something wrong…?”

“Wait, the thing you just said-can I take that as your true feelings?”

“Huh? What part do you mean…?”

“Are you serious about choosing to remain as my personal maid instead of joining that bastard Gyeotmwa Josyegigot’s hero party? That’s what I’m asking, Lilith.”

“…Yes, Young Master Ethan.”

To be precise, the hero’s party was completely incompatible with my ideal lifestyle, so I had wanted to refuse it. But it was undeniable that, in contrast, I *had* chosen to be Ethan’s personal maid.

Lately, I had even been thinking about continuing as his maid for a while after graduating before eventually becoming independent. So, in a way, saying I had chosen Ethan over Gyeotmwa Josyegigot wasn’t entirely wrong. I nodded.

“So, that’s how it is… You thought staying by my side was better than being with that guy…”

“…Young Master Ethan?”

“Ah, yeah.”

His muttering with a somewhat sinister expression was a little unsettling, but I still had to finish what I needed to say.

“Anyway, as I mentioned earlier, the reason I decided to become the Saintess wasn’t because I wanted to stand by Gyeotmwa Josyegigot and make the world a better place. It was solely to expose Prince Machart’s collusion with the demons. If I can use the divine power granted to the Saintess, I should be able to extract traces of demonic energy from Prince Machart’s body.”

“Right, in that case, you had no choice. I also think Machart is a dangerous man who needs to be dealt with.”

“Also, once I’ve fulfilled my role in condemning Prince Machart, I plan to relinquish this excessive power. For someone like me, who just wants to live a simple life as a magic-using commoner, the power of a Saintess is nothing but a cumbersome obstacle.”

“…Wait, you’re going to give up being the Saintess? Is that even possible?”

“Normally, no. But in the future I’ve seen, there is one way.”

“One way?”

“To pass on my power to someone truly worthy of being the Saintess-that is the way to relinquish the Saintess’s qualification.”

“……”

At the mention of “someone truly worthy of being the Saintess,” Ethan silently looked at me. He must have guessed who I was referring to.

“I intend to make Saintess Celista the true Saintess.”