The Saintess's Jealous Morning Service
“You two… seem awfully close, don't you?”
She sounded so kind.
Excessively affectionate, even.
'No, it's affectionate, but...'
My spine chilled instinctively.
I didn't know why, but Lilliana had taken a liking to me.
Yet here I was, having knocked her out and returned to prison.
The first sight that greeted her when she came rushing to see me the moment she woke up?
This was dangerous.
My survival instincts slammed my brain like an alarm bell.
“Mmm… My lady, why the fuss so early in the morning…”
But the oblivious princess in my arms had no clue about the situation.
Leoness rubbed her tousled silver hair against my chest, hugging me even tighter.
“Just a bit longer… Your embrace is so warm, I don't want to get up…”
“…”
Beyond the bars, Lilliana's eyebrows twitched.
A creaking crack came from the handle of the basket she held.
“Ha.”
A short laugh burst from beyond the bars.
“Ah, no! Leoness, get up! Hurry!”
I frantically shook her shoulders.
If we stayed like this, Leoness's neck might end up twisted like that basket.
“Ugh… Don't be annoying…”
“Please!”
I forcibly sat up, and only then did Leoness rub her sleepy eyes and prop herself up.
She yawned widely, then narrowed her eyes at the figure standing outside the bars.
“Who dares? Disturbing this princess's precious sleep so early…”
Her words cut off abruptly.
Leoness's red eyes flashed with murderous intent in an instant.
“You… you!”
Leoness sprang to her feet energetically. All traces of sleepiness were gone.
“You pink-haired wench! How dare you show your face here of all places!”
She rushed to the bars and pounded on them with a bang bang.
“After framing this princess, you dare appear before me again?”
Her shout was laced with grievance and rage.
The culprit who had plunged her into ruin.
From her perspective, Lilliana was an enemy deserving to be torn apart.
But Lilliana didn't even flinch.
She simply smiled coldly and called for the guard.
“Guard, could you open the door?”
“Uh, but…”
“It's fine. Please open it.”
“Y-yes, ma'am!”
-Kiiiiiik
The door opened with a chilling metallic screech.
As Lilliana stepped inside, Leoness actually hesitated and stepped back.
“Y-you…!”
Leoness huffed, trying to block her path.
But Lilliana didn't spare her a glance, brushing past her shoulder as if nothing was there.
“Wha…?”
Leoness staggered in confusion at the utterly natural dismissal.
Lilliana's gaze was fixed solely on me.
“Lady Elise.”
She approached me, gently—but with an irresistible force—taking my wrist and pulling.
“You can't stay in a place like this. You might catch a cold.”
“Uh, huh?”
“Come here.”
“O-okay…”
She laid out a clean blanket she'd prepared in the farthest corner from Leoness.
I followed her lead in a daze and sat down.
“My lady! Where are you going!”
Leoness, left alone, approached with a pouty face.
But Lilliana muttered as she set down her basket, like she was talking to herself.
“Flies are buzzing around.”
“What did you say?”
“Lady Elise, please eat. I brought breakfast.”
Lilliana opened the basket as if no one else existed in the space but me.
A savory aroma filled the prison.
Vegetable soup steaming warmly, freshly baked soft bread, and fruit neatly sliced for easy eating.
A thoughtful meal impossible to find in prison.
“Wow…”
An exclamation slipped out unwittingly.
Yesterday, a few fruits were all I'd had; my stomach was practically glued to my back.
“Here, say ahh.”
Lilliana scooped soup onto a spoon and brought it to my lips.
“Huh? No, I can eat it myself.”
“Your hands are in restraints; it must be uncomfortable. Let me feed you.”
She was insistent.
Refusing felt like the spoon might end up somewhere other than my mouth.
I obediently opened my mouth.
“Ahh…”
Warmth spread through my mouth.
Delicious. So incredibly delicious it brought tears to my eyes.
-Grr rumble.
Then, thunderous noise from the opposite side.
I turned to see Leoness swallowing hard, staring not at us—at the bread.
Her red eyes quivered with longing.
'Of course, she's starved too.'
She'd suffered just like me, so eating alone felt guilty.
Best friends should share this.
“Um, Lilliana.”
“Yes, Lady Elise? More?”
“No, not that… There's a lot, so could we share with that friend over there?”
Her hand paused at my words.
She slowly turned, eyeing Leoness huddled in the corner.
Her gaze was dry, like spotting dust in the room corner.
“Who?”
“Uh… Leoness over there.”
“Ah.”
Lilliana nodded as if only just noticing.
“Oh, that thing was there.”
“'That thing'?! This princess is the princess of Austria…”
“Be quiet.”
Lilliana pulled a hard, stale baguette chunk from the basket's corner.
And tossed it onto the dirt floor.
-Roll roll.
It rolled across the ground and stopped at Leoness's feet.
“Eat it and shut up.”
Leoness's face flushed red.
“You… you vulgar pink-haired wench…!”
She trembled with rage.
“How dare you tell this princess to eat bread that's rolled on the dirt!”
“Then don't.”
Lilliana replied coldly.
“Ughhh…!”
Leoness's eyes welled with humiliated tears.
But survival trumped pride.
-Rustle rustle.
“Just you wait… I'll repay this humiliation someday…”
She chewed the bread, glaring at Lilliana.
Lilliana stared back with icy eyes, unyielding.
Invisible sparks flew between them.
“Now, Lady Elise, have some fruit too.”
“Uh, y-yeah…”
“Urgh…!”
///
As the meal neared its end.
“R-really, I can do this myself…”
“Please don't refuse.”
Lilliana wiped my mouth with a napkin, then looked at my hand.
“Oh my.”
Her gaze fixed on my index finger.
The one Leoness had slobbered on last night.
It had dried, but the dark discoloration remained vivid.
“Why is your finger like this?”
Lilliana seized my hand.
“Ah, this? It's nothing. Just a little…”
“Heavens. It's turned so black.”
She lifted my finger, inspecting it closely, then wrinkled her nose and sniffed.
“And… there's a strange smell?”
“S-smell?”
My heart dropped.
Was the saliva scent still lingering?
“Something… fishy yet sweet…”
Her eyes narrowed.
Was instinct this terrifying?
“No way…”
“N-no! It's just fruit smell!”
I tried desperately to pull away.
But she wouldn't let go.
“It's dirty.”
She murmured lowly.
“Lilliana?”
“Stay still, Lady Elise. I'll clean it thoroughly.”
She pulled a white handkerchief from her bosom.
Wrapped it around my index finger and began rubbing vigorously.
-Scrub, scrub, scrub.
“L-Lilliana? It hurts a bit…”
“Pink-haired wench! What are you doing!”
“Endure it. I'm wiping away the filthy grime.”
Lilliana didn't stop.
She gripped harder, rubbing fiercely.
As if trying to erase a stain—or peel off the skin entirely.
She rubbed and rubbed.
Until the skin peeled and red blood seeped out.
By the time pain whitened my vision, she finally stopped.
“Phew… Now it's clean.”
She tossed the bloodied handkerchief to the floor.
My finger was swollen red, throbbing with stinging pain.
As I winced, her expression changed in an instant.
The chill vanished; she looked like she'd witnessed the world's saddest tragedy, face crumpling pitifully.
“It hurt, didn't it?”
She gently took my hand again, bringing it to her lips.
And blew warm breath on it with a soft hooo.
“Lady Elise.”
She whispered softly.
“I'll heal it for you.”
A faint, warm glow emanated from her palm enveloping my finger.
Raw, instinctual power she hadn't mastered yet.
But unmistakably holy power.
-Shimmer.
A miraculous sight unfolded.
White light seeped into the peeled skin, banishing the red flush as fresh flesh rapidly regenerated.
The stinging pain subsided instantly, replaced by a ticklish sensation.
“Huh…?”
As I stared wide-eyed in shock, the wound vanished without a trace.
Smooth and white, as if nothing had happened.
“Good.”
Lilliana beamed at my pristine finger.
“Now it's perfectly clean.”
She grinned, meeting my eyes.
“Be careful from now on, Lady Elise. If it gets dirty again…”
Her thumb slowly stroked the back of my hand.
“It might not end so easily next time.”