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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 86
Chapter Title: An Unexpected Request
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I thought for a moment before answering.
“Alright.”
I heard my sister mutter softly from the other side of the communication stone, “Saved.”
[I'll head over right now!]
Pardon?
“I'm not in the duchy… But more importantly, you're coming right now?”
Strange. The sister I knew would drag things out for days, claiming to be busy even if she was being paid properly for the healing.
It was the same in .
She would insist on purifying her body and mind before using her divine power, only setting off after a lavish tea time.
I wondered what kind of unreasonable favor she was planning to ask, but then my sister announced.
[Send me the coordinates. I'll be there within the hour, wherever you are.]
Unable to hide my bewilderment, I turned back to my parents-in-law.
“……That's what she said.”
* * *
We headed to the Romero family's mansion.
My sister truly arrived instantly.
Elbert, his eyes puffy and swollen, waited with us. When my sister actually appeared, he couldn't hide his astonishment.
“Th-The Saintess?”
My sister, who loved showing off more than anything, had come alone. This made things several times more suspicious.
My sister flinched under my gaze but tried her best to ask calmly.
“Who's the patient?”
Elbert, nearly collapsing to the floor, guided my sister to Eugenie's room.
I followed, worried my sister might cause trouble, and Winter and Mera came along as well.
The first thing I noticed was the smell of medicine.
When the white veil was drawn back, I saw a woman who, while not a striking beauty, had an unforgettable aura about her.
Eugenie Romero was in a state where she could barely support her own body.
“Move.”
My sister pushed Elbert aside and approached Eugenie.
What happened next was instantaneous.
A bright light burst forth, and color returned to Eugenie's face.
“Eugenie!”
Elbert hugged Eugenie, his face like someone who had found salvation at the edge of a cliff.
Her breathing began to even out.
Ignoring them, my sister turned and tilted her head.
“Next?”
Elbert asked back, bewildered.
“Next… what do you mean?”
“You've got some bruises too.”
My sister healed Elbert's wounds without asking, then scanned the area around me.
Soon, her gaze landed on Mera, who was standing protectively behind me.
“You, the maid, what's your name?”
Mera, who knew my past well, answered without letting her guard down.
“It's Mera, Saintess. I serve the young mistress.”
“Good, you're getting healed too.”
“What?!”
It was a suspiciously virtuous act.
Having received the divine power, Mera blinked her eyes.
She soon let out a small "Ah," and lifted her sleeve.
“I hurt my arm a little yesterday, and it's healed. B-But it was just a tiny scratch… It wasn't even bleeding…”
Mera gave my sister a look that screamed "overtreatment."
Winter, who had been watching with a dumbfounded expression, finally spoke up.
“If you're going to do that, why not heal Cheria as well? After Eugenie, she's the one most in need of healing here.”
Despite her resentment towards the Temple likely being at its peak, Winter treated my sister without any particular animosity.
My sister must have sensed this, as she answered obediently.
“I tried several times when we lived together at the county, but it didn't work.”
Huh.
My sister tried to heal me?
“It's a blow to my pride, but my divine power has no effect on my little sister.”
Her blonde hair swayed every time she looked around for another person to heal.
I retorted.
“But I could feel His Holiness the Pope's divine power just fine.”
“You're not trying to say I'm inferior to that old man, are you? I'd be really hurt if you were, little sister. Anyway, what doesn't work, doesn't work.”
“…”
My sister gestured to Elbert with her eyes.
“You'll keep this a secret, right?”
Elbert swore an oath without even knowing what she meant.
“Of course. You are both my and Eugenie's saviors. I would sooner lay down my life than speak of this carelessly.”
Just then, Eugenie's eyelashes fluttered.
Her lips parted, and a voice, unbelievably clear for someone who had been bedridden for so long, flowed out.
“……Elbert?”
My impatient sister didn't even give them time to enjoy their reunion.
“So, can I tell you my favor now? Like I said before, you can refuse after you hear it!”
“……Didn't you deliberately heal everyone so I couldn't refuse?”
I muttered, dumbfounded, and my sister boasted.
“I could do something like this one more time.”
“Just what kind of unreasonable favor are you planning to ask?”
Surely she wasn't planning to force me to stay by her side like last time.
First, we returned to the drawing-room where Kivrin and Menelik were waiting.
Then, my sister said something completely unexpected.
“Protect me.”
“Huh?”
Me?
All of a sudden?
My sister scratched her head.
“Well, the Temple holds a big event every spring, you see? The Emperor always makes an appearance, and a lot of nobles attend, so it's the perfect opportunity to make money. I'm always at the forefront.”
Unable to listen any longer, Mera interjected.
“Are you perhaps referring to the Consecration Festival? It's less of an event and more of a time-honored, sacred ritual…”
My sister made a "whatever" face.
“That's why business is good. Anyway, during this year's event, *it's* going to appear. That 'moon,' I mean. On top of that, I've received intelligence that a certain group plans to kidnap me, so I'm in a real bind.”
“…”
I understood what my sister was saying.
It was an open secret in the Mayol County, and it was also mentioned in the novel.
In , even the all-powerful female lead had one weakness.
During the period when the second moon, normally invisible, rises, her powers are completely sealed.
This time, that cycle happened to overlap with the Consecration Festival.
My sister spread her arms and sat on the sofa.
“I suggested postponing the event, but the old man vehemently opposed it. He seems to have a lot of complaints about me lately.”
“His Holiness knows your secret, doesn't he?”
“He said there's no need to worry because of the Holy Knights. It's not his problem, you see.”
My sister clicked her tongue.
In the novel, the Pope was always on my sister's side.
But their relationship had changed. Because of me.
In that case, in , did the Pope obediently change the date?
Because their relationship hadn't soured like it had now?
I decided to hear her out a little more and sat down next to Kivrin.
“But why are you asking me to protect you?”
Menelik also spoke up.
“If you need a guard, why not ask me instead?”
“My little sister is much more reliable.”
Winter found that interesting.
“Oh? I agree for various reasons, but what is the Saintess's reason?”
…Mother, Father, you look betrayed.
My sister hesitated for a moment.
I asked her directly.
“You said you saw a future about me back then. What was it?”
My sister crossed her legs.
“Ah, well, it was a vision of you becoming incredibly strong and killing all of humanity.”
“……Huh?”
My mouth twisted into a pout of its own accord.
Winter refuted her.
“That can't be true. I don't know about Rick, but Cheria adores me.”
My sister's expression became complicated.
“So that's your rebuttal. Duke, do you have anything to say?”
Menelik laughed.
“I didn't hear a thing. Especially the part about 'I don't know about Rick'.”
“……This one's in denial. And the Young Lord?”
My sister seemed to be hoping for an extreme reaction from someone, but Kivrin was even worse.
“If we're all going to die anyway, why go through the trouble of having Lady Cheria protect you?”
It was a venomous remark telling her to just die instead of bothering me, and my sister furrowed her brow.
I was the only one who was flustered, speechless, and breaking out in a cold sweat.
Winter stared intently at my sister.
“Whatever vision the Saintess may have seen, I cannot grant that request. I am Cheria's guardian, and I have a duty to protect her from danger. Instead, I will pay the Saintess double the fee for the healing.”
It was an offer that would normally make my sister's eyes spin, but she was indifferent.
“You don't believe my story.”
Winter let out a dry laugh.
“Rick never believes anything the Temple says. As for me, being the last royal of a fallen kingdom, I've heard at least twenty false prophecies about how I'm cursed by karma to die young. I hope the Saintess can understand that.”
