Chapter 25

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Chapter 25

There was once this middle-aged man who shouted at me while saying that I was being stingy with my divine power.

I should be thankful for the people’s support, he said. That I was being arrogant.

Someone else said, ‘Can a saint be this lazy and not come forward? Isn’t the saint someone who lives for the people?’ As if he was really perplexed because he thought that the saint’s dedication to them was as natural as breathing. When the high priests dissuaded him from speaking further, he backed down, though it looked like he wanted to say more.

Anyway, there weren’t just one or two people who grated on my nerves. Though in a way, it was also the expected response.

All the saints before had lived only for the sake of the people.

And so the people had taken that consideration and divine power for granted.

Before I regressed, I was also really blind to the people.

Rather, the aristocrats seemed to be careful around me because I was the Rogelio Duchy’s Princess, but then it wasn’t the same case with the commoners.

Until now, the saints were known to be benevolent, merciful and generous, so the preconception that the saint was a total pushover seemed to have been stamped in their minds.

Even if the saint would say no, there was a clear and implicit disregard to that because of familiarity.

After writing a reply to the temple, I rolled it up and put it into the small canister on the pigeon’s neck, then I closed the lid. The pigeon flew vigorously in the empire’s skies.

Should I really just emigrate?

Anyway, my priority was still my own freedom. I want to do it my way.

I want to be free from those deadweights, and I want to help only those who were good and were in need of dire help.

“Princess, are you doing okay?”

Uta asked anxiously, but I just shrugged in return

“Am I someone who’d get hurt by just this kind of thing?”

Compared to all the hurtful and abusive words that I heard in school before, if I’d be hurt by only this, I’d be drowning in depression already while trying to do everything I’m asked to do.

It would take me a long, long time to tell the story of how difficult it was there and how demeaning it all was. But to summarize: people were selfish creatures.

Of course, there were also many people with warm hearts.

But either way, these rumors weren’t a good thing. Indeed, people took the existence and the sacrifice of a saint for granted.

That notion is perpetuated even until now.

It really would be best to change the temple. No matter how well I’d do as a saint, I’ll get cursed at in the end. So it’s better to do whatever I want if I’ll still get cursed at anyway.

“Noonim!”

As I lifted my book again to read, the door suddenly opened and Lisandro barged in.

“Do you really not know how to knock?”

“S-Sorry…”

He obediently closed the door again and knocked. When he heard no answer, he knocked once more.

“Princess… Won’t you tell him to come in?”

“I wanna tease him a bit more.”

“I apologize for speaking up, but these days, I feel sorry for the Young Master…”

As Uta glanced at me, I just smiled back. Outside the door, I heard Lisandro’s mournful whining.

“Noonim…!”

“Come in.”

Only then did he open the door carefully. The way he anxiously looked at me seemed to say that he was waiting for me to get angry.

Uta went outside and avoided the scuffle.

“Why? I’m not angry.”

With a smirk, I gestured to the seat over there with my chin.

Taking that as a que, Lisandro plopped down on the seat with a bright smile on his face. Then, he shook his head as he saw the book in my hands.

“You’re really faithful to your instincts.”

I grinned, showing off the red cover of the book.

During my childhood, I focused on horror or adventure novels, but now that I’m an adult, of course I’ll mainly be reading adult books.

As though he suddenly thought of something to say, Lisandro suddenly got up.

“Oh, but Noonim!”

“What?”

“Did you hear that rumor?”

It wasn’t even a hushed secret, so I nodded.

”What are you going to do? Are you going to leave it be? Should I catch the one who spread it?”

How many questions do you have…

He didn’t even take a breath in between. Looking at Lisandro, I closed my book again.

“Leave them alone. They’re the ones who are bothered, not me.”

I answered nonchalantly just as I did with Uta.

“You’re really going to leave them alone? Even when they’re just mouthing off as they like?”

“What kind of rumors?”

“…To say it with my own mouth? I don’t wanna.”

Lisandro’s expression was distorted. He seemed annoyed just recalling the rumor.

I took a sip of tea as though nothing happened, then I spoke again.

“Negligence of duty. Not equipped to be a saint. Dirty temper. I know about those.”

“Neglecting your work? The temple does everything for them. They should just be thankful that you even do volunteer work.”

I don’t know why he’s more angry than me, but he was on the verge of yelling by now.

So I just covered my ears and waited for him to close his mouth.

It’s strange though. He really wouldn’t get angry at me even with my personality being like this, and even when I tried to pick a fight with him. He just lets me do what I want.

“Are you done?”

“No.”

“At the end of the day, everything they’re saying is right. It’s true that I just spent my time messing around and eating a lot of food. Compared to the other saints, I’m not equipped for it.”

In the first place, I didn’t prepare for the position.

“You did your best though.”

“But I really didn’t.”

“……”

Lisandro failed to butter me up while staying stubbornly on my side. But really, I didn’t do my best.

All I tried my best in was to stay out of trouble and to not use my divine power.

One more thing I did my best in was self control. I had to stop myself from smacking people who did nothing but spew sh*t with their mouths.

Sometimes when I couldn’t stand it anymore, I’d explode.

“Don’t worry about it either. But if you’re really concerned, then go catch the culprit and beat them to a pulp.”

“Really?”

“Nope.”

As soon as I opened the book again in response, Lisandro sat back down and lounged on his seat, beginning to doze off as though he was bored.

I glanced at him and asked.

“Do you keep in touch with Frey?”

He quickly sat up and, with a hand to his chin, he denied it.

“I don’t.”

“Was your life ever in danger during your swordsmanship training at school?”

“Me? No way.”

He was utterly confident. And I thought it was natural since he showed a lot of talent for it ever since he was a kid.

But who I was curious about more was Frey rather than Lisandro. The letter I read earlier was bothering me a little.

“What about Frey?”

“He didn’t have trouble either. He’s a lunatic.”

“…Lunatic?”

No one else but Lisandro fit that word though.

When I made a perplexed expression, Lisandro shut his mouth.

“…I won’t tell you.”

“Sure.”

I wasn’t curious about it. I heard the answer I wanted, so that other part didn’t matter as much.

“Why are you so relaxed about this? Aren’t you curious?”

“I just don’t want to pry when the other person doesn’t want to say more.”

Of course, it depends from one situation to another. I usually respected the other person.

I don’t know whether Lisandro was moved by what I said or not, but he clasped his hands tightly as his eyes twinkled.

It was a little burdensome to see him like this, him being this huge guy.

This reaction was natural enough for me to take in stride since he’s my twin, but if someone else saw this, they’d think that he’s a big dog asking to be called cute.

Ah, no. A puppy.

Lisandro went to his swordsmanship training and I just read books in my room until night came.

I couldn’t sleep, so I got out of bed and opened the desk drawer.

Among its contents was a shining jewel that could act like a candle.

The gem, which shined in different colors depending on where light would strike it, was one of the many gifts that Frey had sent me.

I was amazed just looking at it. The reason why I kept this gem close among the other gifts was because it was the most beautiful thing he ever sent.

Along with the lit candle, light flowed out and illuminated the room.

At first glance, it looked transparent. But the light that it exuded was so colorful and brilliant that it was dazzling.

“He said he’d come soon, so he must be close. He never broke his promises.”

I smiled gently as I thought that the shining gem was just like Frey, but then my lips hardened.

In fact, as soon as I received the letter today, there was only one thing that bothered me. It was a phrase in the letter that arrived today.

「 A friend who sacrificed her life on behalf of me 」

“Sacrificed life…”

As far as I know, nothing dangerous happened in his childhood.

If something did happen, I would have made a huge fuss and immediately treated him, but I really don’t think something like that happened.

Then, while he’s travelling?

That’s one possibility, but then near the end of the letter was, ‘I decided to end our connection there because I realized that she might be up to something.’

If he received help from someone he met for the first time, he wouldn’t have said something like this.

Then, someone who had a longer relationship with Frey and saved him…

If he was going to keep it a secret at all, he wouldn’t have told me about it in a letter.

He could have just let it go. There’s one reason why he mentioned it to me.

Frey wants me to know about it.

Otherwise, he couldn’t have written a letter and hinted at it.

But sorry. I don’t get it.

This foolish Noona apologizes, Frey.

“Ah, how difficult.”

It was incredibly hard to try and grasp Frey’s intentions. Maybe because our interactions now were limited to just letters.

The last time I saw Frey was when he had his early graduation. After that, he left while saying that he had to find someone. He had to repay them, he said.

But he didn’t seem to have found that person.

I’m worried about Frey.

After that dream…

The adult Frey I could recall had a fairly slender body.

He looked slim at first glance, but in reality, he was skinny because he couldn’t eat well.

Of course, that’s how it was before I regressed.

Not all my memories came back, but some scenes remained in my mind, those with me and Frey running away.

Since I hadn’t seen him for a while now, I could only imagine how much Frey’s appearance from before I regressed.

Lisandro was getting burlier by the day, and I was worried that Frey might return with that skinny frame.

And I’m scared that he might get scammed because of that gentle nature of his.

I didn’t worry too much though because he had a contract with the spirit king of fire, but on the other hand, I was concerned that he might have been caught by someone similar to Lisandro.

That beauty was far from the ordinary.

While worrying about this and that, I decided to sleep for now.

But then as I returned the gem to the drawer and blew out the candle, I heard a small sound coming from the terrace window.

Tap, ta-tap.

I prickled my ears and waited for the sound to repeat if it would.

Tap, tap.

Hearing this sound from the terrace again, I rose to my feet and pulled back the curtain without hesitation.

“Aack!”

“Haha.”

Outside on the terrace, I freaked out the moment I saw Frey laughing quietly. I burst into tears and immediately opened the terrace door.

“Is this funny to you? What are you doing out so late at night?”

How long has it been?

Despite my nagging, Frey smiled affectionately.

“I came because I missed you, Noona. I was afraid that you might already be asleep because I arrived late, but I’m glad you’re up.”

It was a low voice that sounded smooth to the ear.

I glanced at him after a long while, looking up.

Not just his tall height, but he had changed beyond recognition. He was quite different from the Frey I saw in my dreams.

I knew he was pretty, but I didn’t know he’d grow up so beautifully.

As he became healthier, his thin frame filled out and became stronger, and his gold eyes that seemed to smolder gently shone with a bright luster.

Looking at this grown-up Frey, he was so mysterious and mesmerizing that it’s understandable why Lisandro back then couldn’t take his eyes off.

With his features more pronounced, he looked like a demon who seduced and devoured people.

At the magnetizing attraction, my fingertips flinched for no reason.

Perhaps because I lacked immunity from his appearance now, but I couldn’t seem to come to my senses.

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