CH 43.1

Grace wanted to free her hand from Benjamin’s grip. As he continued speaking, more people looked at them.

﹤They will all be disappointed.﹥

﹤You should have just stayed hidden. Doing nothing.﹥

﹤Because of you, Benjamin will be embarrassed, right?﹥

The nagging thoughts that had been quiet until now resurfaced.

They tormented Grace’s mind once again. She couldn’t understand why, in moments like these, they would surge up and assert their presence so forcefully.

‘I don’t want to run away.’

Unknowingly, Grace exerted strength in the hand that held Benjamin.

“Keep struggling, getting stuck, running away, hiding.”

She was tired of all that. But the nagging thoughts echoing in her mind continued to mock her.

“You’re naturally like this, incapable and worthless. Give up everything,” they whispered.

“My Lady…?”

‘Why do they keep interrupting me when I try to do something?’

Is this really how I’m meant to be? 

Am I, Grace, an irreparable being?

Amidst all the noise, a piercing tinnitus rang out. Every sound was drowned out by the voice that cruelly laughed at her.

At that moment, golden particles floated down from somewhere, shimmering in the sky.

“S-Saintess.”

“Your Holiness Aria!”

The gazes directed at Grace shifted elsewhere.

“I heard. The Rondel Canal has been contaminated again. So, I urgently used my divine power… will the magic tool workshop be okay?”

The golden particles that filled the sky dispersed.

‘Aria.’

Grace turned her head to look at her. She was just as vibrant and beautiful as when they first met.

But what concerned Grace now wasn’t her appearance.

‘…The sound has become faint.’

As the golden particles, and Aria along with them, appeared, the tormenting sound that had been plaguing Grace grew faint. She took a deep breath, feeling relief wash over her.

With a firm grip, Benjamin held Grace’s hand tightly.

‘Was it just my imagination?’

When Grace looked at Aria, their gazes met. It was no coincidence—Aria had been watching Grace since the moment she became aware of her presence.

Benjamin, who had been gripping Grace’s hand tightly, quickly released his grip.

“I apologize for suddenly holding your hand tightly. Did it hurt?”

It seemed like Benjamin had also unconsciously held onto Grace. Worried that she might have been hurt, he anxiously looked for any signs of discomfort.

“It didn’t hurt at all, so don’t worry.”

Grace nodded and looked back at Benjamin.

‘It doesn’t seem like it was just my imagination.’

But why did Aria look at me? There was no reason for Aria to stare at Grace so intently.

When Grace and Aria first met, Grace was using a disguise with magical artifacts. So it was strange for Aria to recognize her now.

From behind, the voices of the priests could be heard, sounding restless.

“Your Holiness, you shouldn’t release your divine power like this.”

“That’s correct. Your divine power is immense. It can halt the magic tool workshop.”

“I apologize. It seems much messier than expected, and I got flustered.”

Taking advantage of the majority of attention being directed towards Aria, Benjamin led Grace toward the vicinity of the canal.

“If there’s no commotion, then the magic tool workshop should be fine.”

While Benjamin spoke to Grace, his gaze flickered toward Aria from time to time.

‘The relationship between the magic artifacts and divine power is notoriously strained, so it’s natural to be concerned.’

The relationship between magic artifacts and divine power was not just strained; it was even worse than that. While some speculated that the situation was due to the use of specific magical gemstones, the truth remained unknown to most.

When divine power clashed with the magical artifacts, the artifacts would break down, and repairing them required a substantial amount of money.

Due to this, the temple personnel took great care to ensure safety when using the gates. If the gate malfunctions during operation, it could trap them in another dimension.

“Your Highness, do you have any words to convey to the Saintess?”

When Grace asked, Benjamin was taken aback.

“Oh, no. No, that’s not it. I just wanted to introduce My Lady.”

He quickly shook his head, denying it. It was a stark contrast to his usual gentle demeanor, displaying a strong reaction.

‘Usually, strong denial is seen as affirmation.’

Grace thought to herself. But for some reason, she didn’t feel any suspicion or concern at this moment.

It was in stark contrast to the voices she had been hearing in her head until recently, which had made it difficult for her to focus on her surroundings.