-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Vine
Chapter: 8
Chapter Title: The First Quest
-----------------------------------------------------------------
“Is the water temperature to your liking, my lady?”
“Yes…?”
“Is the fragrance of the bath salts to your liking?”
“Yes…”
“Please let us know if our touch is too rough.”
“Oh… uh…”
Bewildered, I let the maids tend to me.
Three maids, all attending to my bath.
I'd never received such lavish attention, not as Lesia, and not even when I was Greslin.
After my bath, they meticulously dried me from head to toe, leaving not a single drop of water behind.
Dressed in an adorable outfit made of fine material, I hardly recognized my own reflection in the mirror.
I blinked, studying the girl in the mirror.
My silvery-white hair was tied high, swinging like a ponytail, and my pale lavender eyes, once dull, now sparkled with life.
I never noticed when I was just Lesia, but now, with Greslin's memories, I could see that I was actually quite pretty.
Best of all, I had a kind face.
*In my past life, my features were rather sharp.*
The corners of my eyes were slightly upturned, so people often thought I was angry when I had a neutral expression.
But Lesia’s face was so gentle and innocent that I could be plotting the most sinister things and still look completely benevolent.
It was the perfect look for a saintess, wouldn't you say?
As I stood there admiring myself in the mirror, the maids sighed and adjusted my clothes.
“It's a pity this isn't a custom-made dress.”
“The shoulder seams don't align. It must be terribly uncomfortable…”
“And the hem is a bit too long.”
Shoulder seams? The hem?
*I… had no idea…*
I'd never cared about such things, not in my past life and not in this one.
So I hadn't even realized they were supposed to be uncomfortable.
Listening to the maids, I looked closer and saw that the seams of the dress extended well past my shoulders.
The hem hung below my ankles, getting tangled in my feet whenever I moved.
It seemed the reason I’d tripped and fallen while chasing Axel was because the hem was too long.
*So that's why Axel was always so annoyed with me. He's used to a life where these details matter.*
“The biggest problem is the shoes.”
“The size is right, but they were bought in a hurry, so they aren't custom-made. They don't fit the shape of your feet.”
“Do your feet not hurt?”
“A… a little…”
I was still bewildered as I answered.
*Wait, are shoes not supposed to hurt your feet when you wear them…?*
The very idea that they might not be was astonishing.
“Please bear with it just a little longer, my lady. We've just taken your measurements and sent them to the dressmaker. In a few days, you'll have clothes that fit you perfectly.”
“That's right. I don't know what that Hanna was doing all this time.”
“His Excellency the Duke provided a generous budget for the young lady's care…”
After arranging my clothes to perfection, the maids announced they would prepare a meal and then vanished as quickly as they had appeared.
I was still in a daze.
“Hey! What kind of trick did you pull?”
Had my dear nephew not burst through the door, shouting at the top of his lungs, I would have remained on the sofa in a daze for much longer.
“The storage room was a complete mess! You told me lying was wrong, and I had to copy the etiquette book ten times! Do you have any idea how much my arm hurts? This is all your fault!”
My insolent nephew, Noah, grabbed me by the collar, panting with rage.
“Tell me! What did you do!”
Seething with anger, Noah shook me violently.
I swayed forward.
And back.
*Aaaargh…!*
He was shaking me so hard my head spun, and the world started to blur.
And then it happened.
[Message from Heaven]
(Ad) ★☆★SAINTESS.EXCLUSIVE★☆★ ☞Complete Quests☜ & ♣Get♣COINS♣!
A translucent window materialized before my swimming eyes, displaying crisp, clear text.
The window floated directly above Noah's head, bobbing gently up and down as if to announce its presence.
*A quest!*
My eyes widened.
The subscription fee for my ‘Reincarnation’ was paid in Heaven Coins, which you earned by completing quests.
I'd been wondering what these quests would be like.
*So they just pop up like this.*
Honestly, murderers and mad dragons were secondary concerns.
The most important thing right now was my own survival.
If I did nothing, I'd be dead in less than four months!
Ever since I regained my memories, everything had been so chaotic that I hadn't had time to dwell on it.
*Let's read the details.*
[Message from Heaven]
(Ad) ★☆★SAINTESS.EXCLUSIVE★☆★ ☞Complete Quests☜ & ♣Get♣COINS♣! First Quest Special ★⑤/0/,/0/0/0/C/O/I/N/S★ P.a.i.d.I.n.s.t.a.n.t.l.y! ┏Use;Coins;For◆Subscriptions&Wishes&MissionSupport┛ @@@2/4/H/r/D/o/n/a/t/i/o/n/s/A/v/a/i/l/a/b/l/e@@@ ChurchFees Z.E.R.O【100%DirectLineToHeaven】
◈Quest◈
Punish the foolish boy who doubts the saintess and display the dignity of one chosen by the gods.
- Objective: Noah Elpinade's tears
- Reward: 50,000 Heaven Coins
My jaw dropped at the flashy message.
The tone was suspiciously like a scam artist's, which was unsettling.
*But it gives me coins, right?*
And I needed coins if I didn't want to die for failing to pay my subscription fee.
It was suspicious, but I had no choice but to try.
“Wh-What is it? What are you looking at?”
As I continued to stare silently at the space above his head, ignoring his demands, Noah, still panting as he held my collar, seemed to sense something was off and cautiously glanced up.
Of course, he couldn't see anything.
“Hey! I asked what you're looking at!”
As I just blinked and stared into empty space, Noah's voice took on a tinge of fear.
“Hurry up and say something! What are you scheming now?”
Noah tightened his grip on my collar, making it hard to breathe.
His brutish grip snapped me back to reality.
*Noah Elpinade's tears, huh.*
As it happens, I was dying to see them myself.
After confirming that the rectangular window had vanished, I turned my gaze back to Noah.
Our eyes met, and Noah, who had been shaking me, flinched and froze.
“Wh-What?”
As a black mage, I knew dozens of ways to make someone cry.
But as a child, my options were limited.
*I'd rather not resort to such a crude method, but…*
Beggars can't be choosers.
I calmly called out to Noah.
“Hey.”
“Hey?”
Noah's eyes widened, apparently offended by my informal address.
I seized the opportunity and shot my hand out.
*Since I can't use my specialty, magic…*
A physical attack is all that's left!
Without hesitation, my finger shot forward and poked Noah right in his unsuspecting blue eye.
A child's arms are short, but since Noah was holding me by the collar, he was well within reach.
“Aargh!”
At the swift strike, Noah cried out and clapped both hands over his eye.
Thanks to that, I was free from my insolent nephew's grasp and could finally breathe properly.
My heart was pounding—perhaps a remnant of the timid Lesia—but I felt utterly refreshed.
*Hmph. After all the tormenting he's put me through.*
This was getting off easy.
Noah, however, didn't seem to agree.
“You!”
Noah's left eye was red and bloodshot, tears streaming down his face as he panted in fury.
*What's wrong? Want me to do the right one, too?*
I raised a single finger in warning and wiggled it lightly. Noah's face turned purple with rage.
He was absolutely furious.
