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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Wjin
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In the temple hallway, Saint Psyche sat on a bench beside the fountain.
Her platinum blonde hair was braided like a crown, and a silk robe, adorned with the imperial emblem and a cross-stitched symbol of the Saint, made her look like a goddess. It wasn’t her usual modest attire, but her ceremonial robes, worn only for important sacred rites.
What she was about to do was sacred and noble.
‘He should be here by now…’
She was waiting for two individuals, but right now, she was more concerned about the little fox.
The Saint’s blessing on him would soon expire, so she needed to renew it for his safety. They had agreed to meet here when the moon was bright.
Since he was human, not an actual animal, she had told him to slip out through the window when Yeriel Artina was asleep.
But he hadn’t appeared. She had a meeting with Aria soon and couldn’t wait any longer.
‘It’s not proper to visit a guest’s room at this hour…’
She wondered if she should go to Yeriel’s room. Looking at the empty hallway, she murmured,
‘Hopefully, nothing bad happened…’
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On a pleasant autumn night, a cool breeze blew.
“Hello, Yeriel.”
At those words, time stopped for Yeriel.
“Ah…”
It was the voice she’d longed to hear.
It was Lev. His flowing gray hair, his sharp eyes, his dark pupils, his chiseled jawline, his pointed nose—everything was exactly as she remembered.
And his lips, which had stolen her heart many times, parted again.
“If you keep touching me like that, I’ll get ticklish…”
“…”
Lev was naked. Realizing that her hands were on his back, Yeriel tried to calm her racing heart.
“It’s… a dream.”
It was a dream, so she couldn’t get too emotional or she would wake up. She had to calm down. She had so much to say. What should she say first…?
-……
But words failed her.
“Huu…!”
A wave of emotion washed over her, and tears flowed down her cheeks.
Slide.
Lev held her close.
“I-I missed you, Lev… so much.”
“I know.”
“You idiot, why… why did you only appear now…”
“I’m sorry.”
It felt warm, even though it was a dream. She couldn’t help but act spoiled.
“Why… didn’t you tell me this would happen…? You promised…”
“I’m sorry.”
“You knew all along… from the entrance exam… that this would happen… that you would have to sacrifice yourself…”
“…”
“You’re mean, Lev. Why do you always try to carry everything alone…? Huu…”
“I’m sorry.”
“Do you know how hard it was for me…? How painful it was without you…?”
“I’m sorry.”
He only apologized, and she suddenly felt uneasy. Her mind raced with a jumble of thoughts. She couldn’t just keep blaming him, even in a dream.
“Hic…! No…! What I meant was…”
“…”
“Lev… it must have been so hard for you… Thank you… for appearing in my dream… I really, really missed you…”
“…Yeah.”
Yeriel gently intertwined her fingers with his and whispered, “Do you… remember the first day of the entrance exam…? You told me you liked me.”
“…I do.”
“I was so happy… because it felt like you cared about me, just as much as Aria…”
She hugged him tighter with her trembling hand.
“It’s… nice. Your embrace is warm… I want to stay like this forever…”
“Yeriel.”
“Yes…?”
He said her name sadly, and her unease intensified.
“…Yeriel.”
“L-Lev… are you… already leaving…?”
She shook her head in his embrace.
“I-I don’t want that…! Can you… stay a little longer…? I’m still… not ready… not ready yet…!”
“…”
“I like you… I liked you too, Lev… Waaah…”
“…”
“I don’t want to wake up… I want to keep sleeping… Lev. Without you, I’m… Huu… it’s too hard…”
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“……”
He couldn’t speak. What could he say to her, sobbing like a child? He knew he was a terrible person. He’d treated this world like a game, not caring about their feelings. His mistake was too great.
As he was wallowing in self-reproach…
“!”
Yeriel looked up at him with anxious eyes, as if checking if he had disappeared.
“…”
She buried her face in his chest again. Her tousled white hair, her tear-stained eyelashes, her beautiful face framed by her ivory nightgown… …and the lace of her undergarments peeking through… …she was incredibly cute.
“Don’t go…”
“…”
“I’m not ready…”
It wasn’t just her scent, the pheromones, that was tempting him. Her soft voice, everything about her—all his senses were overwhelmed.
Snap.
His reason snapped.
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As Psyche was debating whether to visit Yeriel, Aria, dressed in priestly robes, arrived at the meeting place first.
“Thank you for coming. I appreciate you listening to my request.”
“It’s nothing, Psyche.”
Ignoring Psyche’s concerns, they entered the second sanctuary in the Imperial City, the now-closed Divine Grand Park, in a driverless carriage.
Whirr…!
“Stop!”
A dark-haired guard stopped the carriage and asked, “Saint…! What brings you here at this hour? I understand the purification was scheduled for after sunrise.”
“It’s alright. I have some preparations to make.”
“Please wait a moment, and I’ll call for a knight escort!”
“That’s alright. I’ll go ahead. It’s still early, so take your time and guide me there when you’re ready.”
“Oh, understood.”
Perhaps because it was the Saint, the guard saluted with a slightly excited expression.
Whirr…!
The carriage headed towards the center of the dimly lit park, where only the magical lights were on. A faint, blue, sacred energy permeated the area.
Aria cautiously asked, “What is this place, Saint…?”
“Well… the reason I asked you to come here so early, alone, is because I have a special request.”
Psyche often snuck out alone to soothe people’s pain, but today was different. Seeing Aria’s curiosity, she continued quietly,
“First, I believe you’ve heard about the current state of the sanctuary in the Imperial City.”
“Yes. I learned that one of its hearts has weakened.”
“That’s right. For the sake of the empire’s stability, I’ve been tasked with restoring the sanctuary. But my power isn’t what it used to be.”
Aria understood immediately.
“Because I received some of your power…”
Psyche smiled faintly.
“I don’t want to burden you, but the citizens are hoping for the Divine Sanctuary’s heart to beat strongly again, now that I’ve returned.”
In other words, it was due to the unspoken expectations and pressure of the empire. While Edwin, Yeriel, and Aria had the awards ceremony in the afternoon, Saint Psyche had the task of restoring the sanctuary all day, starting in the morning.
“But I can’t restore the sanctuary in my weakened state. If the citizens see this… the empire will be plunged into unrest again.”
Psyche held Aria’s hands and pleaded, “So, I’m asking you this, even though it’s impolite. Would you help me with the preliminary work?”
“Saint…! There’s no need to bow your head…!”
“I’m sorry.”
As Aria stopped her, Psyche continued to apologize, her eyes filled with sadness.
“If it becomes known that you possess similar power to mine, Aria… you won’t be able to maintain your current life.”
“Psyche…”
That’s why they had to come here so early.
“I’ve seen your past, Aria. From the moment you lost your parents to demons to your vow of revenge… It must have been very difficult. Despite all that, do you… still want to become the Saint…?”
“…I don’t know.”
Psyche gently hugged Aria and said, “I’m on your side, Aria. If you want my power, I’ll gladly give you everything and leave.”
“Psyche…!”
“But I won’t force you. You are also precious, Aria.”
Aria couldn’t understand why she had received Psyche’s power.
‘I’m not worthy…’
In that moment, all she had been thinking about was Lev Denec.
“I… killed the man I loved…”
“…?”
“I killed him…”
“Aria…”
Psyche suddenly recalled a scene from Aria’s past. The moment she defeated something engulfed in demonic energy.
‘Could it be him…?’
That was her last memory of Aria before she became the Saint.
“But I still don’t understand why I received your power at that moment, Psyche… I really don’t know.”
“…Don’t say that.”
“I’m not worthy of becoming the Saint like you…!”
It was at that moment.
Shaaaaaaaaaaa!!!
“This is…?” The entire park suddenly brightened, as if a holy spell had been cast, and a pale blue light enveloped everything. Psyche smiled and held Aria’s hand.
“Look, Aria. It’s beautiful, isn’t it?”
“…Yes…”
It was the light of the sanctuary, announcing the Saint’s complete return.
Shaaaaaaaaa!!!
At the same time, the pain that lingered in Aria’s body… slowly faded away. It was the price she paid for enduring Marchosias’s influence and purifying Yeriel, but she hadn’t shown it, considering it atonement for Lev.
Her clouded healing magic, holy magic, and surveillance magic… everything returned to normal with Psyche’s words.
“Don’t blame yourself. You were chosen, Aria.”
“…”
Whether she loved a demon or not… Psyche firmly believed in Aria.
“Now, with the bright moon, it’s the perfect time…”
The sanctuary’s glow was proof of that.
-……
If she transferred all her power to this pure maiden, Psyche would enter eternal slumber within a week. But it didn’t matter. This radiant child, as her successor, would surely do a better job than she did.
“Aria. May I… pass the mantle of the Saint to you?”
As Psyche gently asked Aria… –
Thwip.
“!”
A near-silent spell… struck Psyche from behind.
– ■■■■■■■■■■■■■■!
“Psyche…?”
And it struck with brutal force.
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Dude can the author stop with the cliffhangers + short chapters, this is getting out of hand 😔