Chapter 144

***

“Seria.”

Seria blinked slowly at the voice calling her. Warm steam rose in the air. It was a pure white ceramic bathtub in  the temple. The scent of sweet bath salts also tickled her nose.

She was like a ginseng that grew in that sweet and warm water. Perhaps because she had used all her divine power, her body was very tired. It was as if she could pass out at any moment.

She moved her eyes slowly. she immediately saw a hand rubbing her arm. It was a familiar hand. A soft, lathered hand moved up her arm. She looked at that hand blankly and opened her mouth.

“Before I went to the power measurement room, I asked Bibi for help. If something happens, make sure she stops it.”

The foamy hard hand paused. She opened her drooping eyelids as wide as they would go and spoke.

“If this becomes a topic of concern for me at the temple, I won’t be able to go out in public for about 10 years.”

The stopped hand did not move at all. It stood frozen on her shoulder. Seria moved her weak hand and grasped the back of it slightly.

A strong force contrasted with the weakness, and soon it held her hand strongly.

The skin on the foamy hand was slippery.

She lifted her eyes as she relaxed his hand in front of her chest. Red eyes were reflected in her vision.

“But I think it was my fault. I should have told Bibi to assassinate Marquis Haneton…” (Seria)

“…Assassinate?” (Lesche)

Lesche asked back. Seria closed her sleepy eyes and opened them again.

“I heard what Marquis Haneton said.” (Seria)

Linon was a very shrewd Chief Aide. It was because he quickly whispered to Seria what Kalis said and backed away.

“Were you angry? I should’ve come out earlier.” (Seria)

Lesche looked at Seria without saying a word. Seria chuckled.

“Come here.”

Seria reached out her arm and Lesche suddenly took off his gown. He walked straight into the bathtub. Seria was stunned.

No, she just wanted him to come closer with his upper body…

Swish.

The tub full of water overflowed and spilled onto the marble tiles. Lesche sat in the tub and sat Seria on top of his body. His arms were sturdy, as always, as he held Seria from behind and trapped her completely in his arms.

Unable to get back out, Seria stayed still and leaned her head against Lesche’s chest. The water, which was still hot, fluttered.

“Why do you come to me when I’m so sleepy?” (Seria)

“I was going to give you a bath.” (Lesche)

“I don’t need it.” (Seria)

“I’m not very good at this, am I?” (Lesche)

“Well, you’re not bad at it…” (Seria)

Seria coughed, and Lesche put his lips on her ear. Her body jolted a little.

“Lesche.”

Seria changed the subject. There was something she wanted to ask.

“Does Marquis Haneton say that whenever I’m not here?”

Lesche replied, lifting his chin lightly.

“I don’t want to tell you about him.” (Lesche)

“Okay, well…”

Seria quickly lifted Lesche’s hand, which was submerged in the water, holding her waist.

Earlier.

She could single-handedly finish the divine power measurement quickly. Perhaps the divine power that operated the holy object itself was hers. High Priest Jubelusd, who was guarding her side, said that.

It took a long time, so when she walked out of the measuring room and found that Lina had already left her seat. The High Priest was still smiling, and his complexion was dry as he smiled, so Seria had a hunch that something was wrong.

She was right.

The timing of her appearance was good, but in her panic she almost collapsed.

When Seria was carried piggyback to the bathroom, Lesche followed her. There was red blood on the back of his hand. She could easily guess that it was Kalis’s blood.

At that time, Lesche’s eyes and her eyes met.

Seeing Seria’s eyes had reached the back of his hand, Lesche went out for a moment.

When he came back a short time later, the surface of the back of his hand was red and clean.

How hard did he rub his hand….

She remembered what Lesche had said to her once.

He said he likes her and that’s why he treats her so well.

Her heart still fluttered, thinking about that. But on the other hand, she didn’t want Lesche’s feelings to stay there.

Because this man was….

The hand that grabbed Lesche’s hand tightened.

“Seria?”

“Huh?”

“What’s going on?”

“No, I’m fine.”

“No?”

He wanted to check Seria’s expression carefully, Lesche grabbed her chin and made eye contact, but Seria just smiled. To think that he could read her expression which she intended to hide, who was famous in society.

In the end, Lesche gave up, lifted a handful of Seria’s hair and kissed it.

“Seria, are you very tired?” (He wants to do it ????)

“I can’t.”

“I have a good conscience.”

“Liar.”

She heard Lesche chuckled with delight. His lips bit down on the tip of her ear and released it. She shrank because it was slightly stinging.

“Get some sleep, Seria”

“I don’t think that’s going to work.”

“Is there anything you can’t do?”

She had a feeling that if she closed her eyes now she would really fall asleep, but she also had a feeling that Lesche would move her on his own.

She closed her eyes that way and when she opened them, she was on the bed. Right next to her, Lesche was watching her, supporting his chin with the back of his hand. Seria blinked sleepily and asked,

“What time is it? Did I sleep a lot?”

Lesche held Seria to his chest and whispered.

“It hasn’t been long. If you’re sleepy, sleep more.”

“I see.”

Seria fell asleep again, enchanted by his words.

The next day she learned that she had slept two full days.

“He said it hadn’t been long.”

This time there was no Lesche in bed. Seria went to the bedroom, washed and changed into some light clothes. When she opened the door…

“Lesche?”

She ran into Lesche , who was about to enter.

“Are you awake?”

Lesche asked, as he reached out and took Seria’s hand. At about the same time, Linon suddenly jumped out from behind him. The day before yesterday, Linon was very pale, but today, he was all smiles.

”Grand Duchess! It’s not even the Grand Duchess’s divine power!”

“What?”

***

“We were a bit arrogant from the start.”

The urgently convened meeting of the priests came to this conclusion.

“Isn’t the Saintess the one whom God sent down?”

“Of course….”

“There is a strong possibility that she is to be inherently sacred.”

“……!”

The hall buzzed. An inherent divine power, in other words, was the direct divine power of God.

In other words, what Lina had could be a representative of God.

In the Bible, “Child of the Divine Power” was mentioned. However, Lina was not in the same league as the other priests mentioned in the Bible.

Lina was a Saint. God had sent her down to them.

“Maybe…maybe God gave her a child with tremendous divine power that could purify the soil contaminated by demonic energy all at once.”

“……!”

“I see…”

“And Seria Stern also has a divine power comparable to that of a Saint?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

High Priest Jubelud held his breath. Currently, Seria had installed the holy object with her divine power three times, so a precise examination was difficult. The “Crown of Spring” holy object that had been taken out was planned to be used once Seria’s divine power was sufficient.

However, testing was necessary when recording official figures. So far in history, no Stern has ever produced such power other than the Saint. However, Seria’s power, amplified, could not be seen in a regular Stern.

The priests had already recognized Seria as a new Saint.

“We have to announce two miracles on the day of celebration.”

“Yes, God is going to look down on us.”

“Perhaps the final chapter of this long battle is about to begin.”

Instead of having to supplement their sacred power due to the ever-increasing emergency meetings, the schedules of the priests were pushed out and ruined, but considering that, Seria gained strength.

***

“…inherent divine power?”

Lina looked puzzled as she heard this story.

“What will I be then?”

“You are truly the only representative of God.”

“The only one?”

“Yes, Saintess.”

The priest smiled warmly.

Lina’s bedroom was already filled with beautiful flowers. They were the heartfelt flowers that the priests had sent her, dying in a series of emergency meetings, but unable to leave the Saint who might have come to possess the divine power of God.

“The one and only…”

Lina covered her stomach. She was still not sure.

A child who possesses the direct divine power of God?

Isn’t that really God himself?

If so, Lina was not simply referred to as a Saint. It was easy to see from the priest’s attitude that she has become something more unique.

“Strange…”

Meanwhile, Lina was in a surprisingly depressed state. Because it seemed that it was because of this unidentified divine power that High Priest Jubelud came to visit her from time to time with an aged face. Of course, he didn’t say anything, but he was very concerned and considerate of Lina all the time.

Lina was also very considerate. She felt uncomfortable for no reason.

Knock. Knock.

At that moment, she heard a knock at the door. When Lina allowed it, High Priest Jubelud walked in.

The expression on his face was a little different from the other priests.

“Saintess.”

Unlike the other priests who were excited, High Priest Jubelud’s face was serious. In fact, he was also busy in the meeting, continuing to think about some things.

Minister Jouberud sat down in front of Lina and said,

“Saintess, have you heard the news?”

“Yes.”

“Saintess.”

The High Priest spoke with a cautious face.

“Did God say anything special to you?

“No…”

“Then you have no idea about its divine power? Any details would be helpful.”

Lina shook her head.

The High Priest finally relaxed his tense expression. He took Lina’s hand and said with great force.

“I will do my best for your child in the Great Temple. From this day forward, the temple will seek out all records and sacred objects to ensure the perfect protection of your divine power.”

‘…… I have always been like a stone that has rolled in.’

The priests were kind and polite to her. However, as much as they cared for Lina, they also cared for Stern.The nobles were getting worse. The priests cared for Lina, but the nobles, while treating her as a ”Saint”, made it a bit difficult for her to join them.

She had a vague feeling that she now stood in a position to offset even that.

High Priest Jubelud had been very polite and kind to her to begin with, but now…now he was like a man who had a truly living myth in front of him.

If this child was really the divine power of God.

“Saintess.”

That was when it happened.

Several large baskets of flowers arrived with a knock on the door.