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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 51
Chapter Title: Waking Up
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Monica could be sharp-tongued, but she was never like that with me.
“……”
When I turned my head slightly, the first thing I saw was her pouting lips.
Ah, right. I collapsed. While making a scene trying to pry the Great Sea God from Jeremy.
And the voice I’d heard as I collapsed, coughing up blood, was definitely Victoria’s.
“…Did you hear everything?”
“……”
Seeing her lips still stubbornly pouted, I figured she had.
“But I don’t regret it.”
I had coughed up as much blood as when I died in my past life, and it had hurt a lot, but I didn’t regret it.
“Ah, I’m sorry for scaring you guys. To be honest, I didn’t know it would turn out like this either.”
I thought if I coughed up some blood, it would just come from my mouth. Who would have thought it would pour from my eyes and nose, too?
…Of course, I would have done it even if I had known, but Monica didn't know my inner thoughts, so I decided to keep my mouth shut.
“Were you very surprised?”
“Of course I was surprised!”
Monica shouted. I was taken aback by the tears clinging to the corners of her eyes.
She was going to cry?
“I was gone for just one night, and not only was there an assassination attempt, but you coughed up blood to save that bastard! I’m not leaving the Grand Temple, even when my parents come. I’m going to stay by your side, Saintess!”
Having blurted that out, Monica buried her face in the bed and began to sob.
I did my best to soothe her by patting her back.
“There, there. By the way, did you also hear that I caught the assassin by cracking his skull?”
“None of that matters!”
Alright, alright.
I continued to comfort Monica until she stopped crying.
“*Sniffle*. And besides, I figured you wouldn’t regret it at all, Saintess.”
Monica said after she stopped crying and blew her nose loudly. I was inwardly surprised.
“You did?”
“I’m sure it’s not just me; everyone else probably thinks the same. You’re not the type to do something in the first place if you’re going to regret it, Saintess.”
They haven’t known me for very long, but they all seem to know me so well.
Of course, I’m only human, so there are rare moments when I wonder if I made a mistake.
Like negotiating with the Sun God, or making a deal with the Sun God, or accepting a quest from the Sun God.
“Why does everyone know me so well?”
“It just means we like you that much, Saintess. When you like someone, you get to know them well.”
Her blunt but sincere words made my chest feel a little tight.
“I’m touched.”
So my efforts since transmigrating hadn't been in vain. I had lived a good life.
…If it weren't for this assassination incident, I could have pulled off a proper image change.
I inwardly swallowed my tears as I recalled the people of the Grand Temple avoiding my gaze even more than usual.
Those Great Sea God bastards, I won’t let them get away with this.
“I’ll try not to do anything too dangerous. For all of you who like me.”
“You promised.”
Monica quickly held out her pinky finger. I readily linked mine with hers.
“Of course, I don’t actually expect you to keep your promise, Saintess.”
But her next words shattered my touched feelings.
“…Monica, if you have a complaint about me, can’t you just say it nicely?”
“You wouldn’t listen even if I did say it nicely.”
“……”
How did I manage to earn such deep distrust from this child?
Though, she wasn’t wrong about a single thing…
‘You just figured that out? You have a real talent for frustrating the people around you!’
I could even hear Ju Hyeon-jin’s voice chiding me from somewhere.
Alright, alright. I’ll really try not to overdo it from now on.
This body wasn’t as diligently trained as my one from my past life, but I had a tendency to unconsciously live as I had back then.
Now that I’d properly learned that doing so in this body would send me to an early grave, I had to live more carefully.
It may have been a forced second chance at life, but I didn’t want to die young again.
“What happened to that assassin?”
The main culprit behind my waking up in bed.
Was I actually of any help to Jeremy?
Fortunately, though Monica still looked quite displeased, she answered readily.
“They say he’s able to converse now.”
“Really?”
Come to think of it, I seemed to recall meeting a pair of clear, focused eyes just before I collapsed.
Does that mean the Great Sea God’s curse has been completely lifted?
I’d have to see Jeremy in person to be sure.
“Yes. But he seems to be refusing to talk for now. He just keeps repeating that he’ll only talk when you come, Saintess.”
“So he’s willing to talk. That’s a relief. But I can’t right now.”
I looked down at my body, which wouldn’t budge, and smiled sheepishly.
“I’ll have to just rest in bed for today.”
“Good thinking. The High Priest healed you completely, so don’t worry and just get plenty of rest.”
Airic did? No wonder I felt surprisingly okay for someone who had collapsed so dramatically. I’d thought it was strange that, aside from a feeling of heaviness, I wasn’t in any particular pain.
He was probably already strained from being a healing-power-shuttle for potions lately; I felt a little sorry for making him worry about me, too.
“Then I’ll go make you my special soup. It’s something my father used to make for me whenever I was sick, and it’s delicious.”
Monica said as she neatly straightened my disheveled blankets. I’d thought he sounded like a doting father, and it seemed he truly loved his daughter.
“Your father sounds like a family man.”
“He is, I suppose.”
At my words, Monica finally managed a small smile. I was relieved to see her gloomy mood lift.
Of course, that didn't mean everything ended well.
When Victoria came in with Monica, who was carrying the soup, I had to go through another round of repenting.
Only after promising several times not to do anything dangerous was I finally allowed to have a spoonful of soup.
Even chicken soup for the soul probably didn’t taste this much like tears.
* * *
After lazing around in bed for two full days, I was finally able to go outside.
One day would have been enough, but since I hadn’t gotten much rest lately, I just took another day off.
Monica and Victoria had wanted me to rest for a whole week, but I couldn’t stand it. Doing nothing makes me bored and uncomfortable.
“…But knowing this, maybe I should have rested for a few more days.”
I stopped in my tracks, my eyes filled with sorrow.
I hadn’t been out of my room for long, but I’d already lost count of how many times I’d regretted it.
Usually, the moment I appeared, everyone would scatter as if they’d seen a plague victim, taking care not to even meet my eyes.
This time, a good number of people made eye contact.
But I wasn’t happy about it in the slightest.
“…They just dodged me again, didn’t they?”
Victoria and Monica chose to remain silent in response to my hollow question. It was an affirmation.
That was the problem.
When I’d look at them, surprised that they weren’t running away for once, they would jump back and flee as if on cue!
It was even more hurtful than them just running away from the start.
That damn raid must have completely reset my image back to what it was.
Those bastards from the Grand Temple of the Great Sea God, I’ll scrape you down to the bone and convert you all into my divine power.
“Um, Saintess.”
Monica called out cautiously, as if to console me. But I refused.
“No, it’s fine. I’m used to it. It’s understandable.”
Right, the followers of the Great Sea God were the bad guys. These people had done nothing wrong.
So, to extort as much as possible from them, there was one barrier I absolutely had to overcome.
I steeled my resolve and headed for the underground prison.
And in front of the cell where Jeremy was being held, I met Seth.
“Last time it was the High Priest, and this time it’s the Captain of the Holy Knights?”
“Are you feeling alright?”
He had already asked about my well-being two days ago when I woke up, and here he was asking again.
“I’m perfectly fine now. You don’t have to worry.”
“I don’t think a day will come when I don’t worry.”
Have I really caused that much trouble? It wasn’t *that* bad, was it…?
But saying that out loud would likely earn me glares from everyone, so I quickly changed the subject.
“I’ve come to speak with the man inside.”
As I shifted my gaze into the cell, a clear set of eyes met mine, as if they had been waiting.
The pink eyes, gleaming ominously even in the dark prison, were completely different from the last time I had faced them.
It was a look I liked very much.
