Healing Touch and the Goddess's Desperate Plea
Every time the blood-soaked bandages peeled away, a sharp sting of pain surged through me, furrowing my brow before I could stop it.
"Ugh..."
"It hurts, doesn't it? Just bear with it a little longer. I'll heal you right up."
Lilliana's voice was endlessly tender.
She unwrapped the last strip covering my shoulder.
There, exposed in brutal clarity, was the horrific wound from the wolf's bite. Esilla had stopped the bleeding, but around the deeply gouged tooth marks, red and black scabs had dried into an ugly crust.
A scar that hurt just to look at.
Lilliana's brows drooped in pity as she gazed at it.
"It must have hurt so much..."
Her slender fingers gently brushed the healthy skin around the wound.
Shaa...
It was a pure white light.
Blindingly bright, yet softly holy mana that didn't hurt the eyes.
The light settled softly over my shoulder.
The moment it touched the wound, the pain I'd felt even through the bandages melted away like snow in sunlight.
In its place came a gentle warmth, accompanied by a ticklish sensation.
"Hngh..."
I let out a shallow moan without thinking, the itchiness catching me off guard.
The torn flesh knit back together rapidly, the dark red scabs purifying and scattering into the air.
Fresh white skin sprouted in their place, restoring my smooth complexion.
"It might feel a bit ticklish. I'm regenerating new flesh from the depths to avoid any scarring."
Lilliana met my eyes with a soft smile. It felt like sinking into a warm bath, full of comfort.
A few more minutes passed, and the light from her hand slowly faded.
"All done."
Lilliana withdrew her hand.
I turned my head to check my shoulder.
"Whoa..."
An exclamation slipped out on its own.
The shoulder that had been a mess of wounds moments ago was now pristine, as if I'd never been hurt.
"Perfect. Doesn't hurt at all."
I rotated it fully, testing. No restrictions whatsoever.
"Thanks, Lilliana. You saved my life."
I grinned brightly in gratitude, and she blushed shyly, her fingertips lightly tracing where the wound had been.
Smooth...
"Of course. It's for you, my lady."
Her fingers glided from my healed shoulder, over my collarbone and up my neckline.
Her face drew closer again.
Close enough that her breath brushed my collarbone.
Smack.
"Huh?"
Something soft and moist touched near my collarbone, then pulled away.
Lilliana had planted a light kiss on my skin.
"Li-Lilliana?"
I stammered her name in surprise, and she gazed into my eyes with a smiling crinkle.
"It's a blessing so you won't get hurt anymore."
It didn't sound like a blessing at all, but her brazen confidence left no room for argument.
Lilliana neatly adjusted my collar, looking satisfied.
Then her gaze drifted to my left wrist.
The pink lace ribbon peeking from my patient gown sleeve—the one she'd tied herself.
Somehow, it had survived the fierce battle intact.
A bit dirty with dirt and bloodstains, but still there.
"Ah."
Her smile deepened, sweeter and thicker.
She cradled my wrist gently in both hands.
"You didn't untie my gift..."
"Of course not. You told me not to."
I felt relieved seeing her so happy.
I hadn't paid it much mind during the fight—no time to think of it.
But if it'd torn or come loose, this warm moment would've been impossible.
"Yes. You did so well."
She whispered low, resting her cheek on the back of my hand.
"My lady."
"Yeah."
"From now on... if anything happens, you have to tell me first, okay?"
Her pink eyes ensnared me. Affectionate, yet subtly coercive.
"Whether you're going somewhere dangerous or facing something too much to handle alone. Come to me, not anyone else."
Lilliana intertwined our fingers one by one, locking them tight.
"I'm right here. I can heal you like this if you get hurt."
Her body heat seeped stickily between our clasped fingers.
"So, call for me if anything comes up. Don't go calling others and end up hurt like this."
Her grip tightened.
A silent pressure: no refusals allowed.
"U-uh, yeah. Got it. I'll call you first next time."
I nodded, and only then did she beam radiantly.
"Ehehe... promise?"
She lunged into my arms, burrowing against my waist.
Warm, soft heat and sweet rose scent.
I hugged her back, patting her back.
The immediate crisis was over, my body fully healed.
A happy ending, sort of.
'My stomach's killing me.'
Relief at surviving the tightrope walk brought deep exhaustion crashing in.
Lilliana stayed glued to me for a long while.
I felt her cheek nuzzling my chest.
"My lady, you're so soft..."
"Hey, Lilliana. Mind letting go now...?"
"Just a bit longer. One more minute."
Her voice was wheedling, childlike.
One minute became three, three became five, and finally she pulled away with a reluctant pout.
She stood, brushing off her dress hem.
"My lady."
She took my hand, tucking it under the covers.
"I used healing magic, but you lost a lot of blood. You need rest. Sleep now."
"Yeah, probably."
"I'll watch till you fall asleep, so hurry."
Lilliana sat by the bed, pulling the blanket up to my chin meticulously.
Under her caring touch, I slowly closed my eyes.
'Oh yeah, I should check my status window...'
Leveling to 3 had cost me dearly in forced payments.
Erosion must've spiked too.
With that thought, I plunged into deep darkness.
///
Snore... snore.
The lady's steady breathing filled the hospital room.
Lilliana propped her chin, gazing quietly at her sleeping face.
Obsidian-black hair splayed on the pillow, long lashes veiling her eyes, red lips parted in soft breaths. The unguarded, peaceful expression was so lovable it was unbearable.
"Heehee."
Lilliana reached out carefully, stroking her cheek. Soft, warm skin.
'She did it for me... to protect me.'
She'd almost misunderstood and gotten angry.
Thought the lady had abandoned her for someone else.
'And yet she cherishes me this much.'
Lilliana's pink eyes darkened deeply.
The lady was kind.
She readily shared her warmth with anyone, shouldered dangers for others.
That was the problem.
"It's okay, my lady."
Lilliana stroked her hair soothingly.
"All you need to do is bloom beautifully by my side."
With a satisfied smile, she rose.
Just as she turned for the door—
Flaaash!
A blinding white flash pulsed before her eyes.
A dazzling blaze that eclipsed her earlier healing light.
The room warped instantly, unfolding into an empty white void.
No floor, ceiling, or walls—an infinite expanse of white.
A space all too familiar to Lilliana.
She'd been summoned here multiple times since awakening as a saintess.
"My child."
A voice like echoing thunder shook the entire space.
Light coalesced into the form of a woman in a veil of pure white.
A being so sacred and sublime, no mortal eyes could gaze upon her directly.
But Lilliana didn't flinch.
"What is it?"
"Child, you've ignored my calls for far too long."
The goddess spoke to her in a gentle, scolding tone, like a mother to a child.
"Now it's time to truly fulfill your duties as a saintess..."
"No thanks."
Lilliana cut her off before she could finish, rejecting her outright.
The goddess's form flickered at the utter lack of hesitation.
"Ch-child... what did you just say...?"
"Not worth hearing."
Lilliana saw no point in continuing.
She closed her eyes, focusing her mind.
She'd learned after a few summons: concentrate like this, and she'd escape the goddess's space.
The goddess couldn't hide her panic at the firm refusal.
Her chosen proxy slipping control like this was unprecedented.
"W-wait! Lilliana!"
The goddess cried out desperately.
Cracks spiderwebbed through the white space.
She'd escape soon at this rate.
Realizing she might lose her forever, the goddess played her final card.
"Then how about this!"
Her frantic shout barely halted the collapse.
"I'll give you what you've always wanted!"