I am right here.
I am right here.
Bertion died with his neck snapped by my hand.
He was a dangerous element who could make Elisia explode at any moment, so there was no reason to keep him alive.
Sure, the story might get heavily tangled up like this, but I couldn't leave a dangerous element alive who was guaranteed to trigger a bad ending.
Fortunately, Elisia knew about it and was pretending not to notice.
It would have been awkward if she asked me why I killed him.
Rather, she even seemed somewhat relieved.
It was a pity that, in the heat of the moment, I hadn't found out what on earth he did to Elisia, but I decided to take comfort in having eliminated a seed of crisis.
Anyway, having killed the dangerous element, I committed the sheer outrage of canceling literally all schedules to care for Elisia, who had become mentally vulnerable after meeting Bertion.
"I have canceled all schedules for the time being."
Elisia's hand, which had just been stirring her spoon around because she still didn't want to eat, stopped.
"What?"
"All schedules for the foreseeable future."
"Why?"
"Because an issue might have arisen with Saint-nim's stigmata. You require absolute stability and rest."
Standing behind Elisia, I tidied up her loosely tied silver-white hair.
I neatly built a wall with her silver hair so that the stigmata wrapping around the nape of her neck and her back wouldn't be exposed.
Her cool, smooth hair flowed between my fingers like silk.
Even though her hair had become a mess from the rampage, it had already regained most of its original luster.
A body beloved by the gods seems unfair right down to a single strand of hair.
Though I similarly possess a superhuman body, I have to manage everything manually.
I totally understand why women obsess so much over personal maintenance.
"Is that even allowed?"
"Yes. Of course. Because the authority to decide on all of Saint-nim's schedules lies with me."
"I never said I didn't want to go, though."
What a strange reaction.
You hate working anyway.
Normally, she would have thrown a massive fit begging me to cancel her schedule.
Yet right now, she was staring straight up at me.
Annoyance and questioning were mixed half-and-half in her blue eyes.
Naturally, a certain question couldn't help but cross my mind.
"Did you perhaps want to go?"
Could it be that our Elisia actually liked working?
Just being dishonest like an outdated tsundere.
That possibility was promptly proven false.
"No."
"Then that worked out well."
"It did not work out well."
"Why?"
"Me not going and you eliminating it are two different things."
Ah, that was it?
Not spending money is different from being unable to spend money, not eating food is different from having it taken away, and slacking off from a schedule is different from having no schedule at all, apparently.
Honestly, from my perspective, I don't see the difference.
Resting is resting either way.
"What on earth is the difference?"
"If I don't go, it's my decision."
Taking this as her chance, Elisia put down her spoon.
I handed the spoon back into her grasp while listening to her finish her sentence.
"If you cancel it, you took away what I was going to do. Cheekily, at that."
Hearing logic that was pure bullshit, I was left speechless for a moment.
Was she really angry because there was no schedule?
Of course, it wasn't like she was angry about not being able to work.
She was angry because she couldn't choose to slack off when there was an actual schedule.
I wondered what kind of person could possibly be like this, but I quietly refrained from arguing back.
Honestly, it wasn't even worth arguing back.
"So what do I do if I don't do anything?"
"You can just rest."
"How?"
"Are you asking me that?"
"You eliminated the schedule. Take responsibility."
I almost failed to comprehend what this nonsense was about, but I understood once I recalled Elisia's past.
Elisia had suffered under schedules her entire life.
Even after I arrived, she unconditionally had at least one schedule every single day.
Therefore, she had never experienced a time when she was completely free of work.
She knew how to run away because she didn't want to work, and how to cancel everything out of annoyance.
Yet, she probably had never had a truly free day where she did nothing at all.
I let out a small sigh.
"Please finish your breakfast first."
"I don't want to."
"You were eating just a moment ago."
"I'm in a bad mood now."
"There are only five spoonfuls left."
"I'm not eating."
Elisia pushed the spoon away.
I pulled up a chair from the opposite side and sat down in front of her.
I picked up the spoon, scooped up some soup, and brought it to her mouth.
"Say ah."
"No."
"Didn't you just say you have nothing to do?"
"That and this are different. Besides, you can just play with me."
"I have duties to attend to."
Elisia's eyes sank coldly.
It was as if her eyes were cursing at me: You make me like this and then run away?
"You wipe out all of my schedule and you go to work? Are you insane?"
Come to think of it, our Saint-nim isn't the kind of person who politely curses only with her eyes, is she?
At her asking me right to my face whether I was crazy, I calmly answered.
I had been through far too much so far to be shaken by something like this.
"I need to handle the backlog of work while Saint-nim is resting."
"That's unfair."
"Saint-nim is the last person in the world who should be saying that."
When Elisia herself was the most unfair person of all.
Regardless, Elisia grabbed my wrist.
Her slender fingers wrapped around my skin and applied force.
It was by no means a strength I could shake off.
"You rest too and teach me what resting is."
"I refuse."
"Try leaving if you can."
"...."
I had nothing to say.
How on earth was I supposed to escape from this superhuman most beloved by the gods?
In the end, having decided to give up on my work today as well and play, I held out the spoon.
Elisia glared with satisfaction at me giving up, then reluctantly parted her lips.
When I slid the spoon between her red lips, she swallowed the soup and immediately scowled.
"It tastes bad."
"If this tastes bad, then what on earth tastes good?"
"I don't know either."
"It's the last one, so just eat it."
"Mmph?!"
In the end, I finished the meal by instantly shoving it in during the split second she opened her mouth.
Even so, Elisia, who obediently didn't spit it out, wiped her mouth with a handkerchief while wearing the expression of someone who had suffered utter humiliation.
"Let's go."
"Where to?"
"I don't know."
"Where are we going without even a destination?"
"You decide."
She truly intended to dump all the responsibility onto me.
In the end, I had to give up all of my morning duties.
Because Elisia didn't seem to have any intention of letting me go.
Consequently, the place chosen under pressure by me was the Saint's Palace garden.
Amidst the flowers blooming in defiance of the seasons, there was a small open clearing, making it great for relaxing comfortably.
Sometimes when I didn't want to work, I used to jump out the window, lie down there for a bit, and then go back to work.
I had the maids prepare a white cloth to sit on, along with simple refreshments and tea.
Elisia and I began sitting blankly atop the cloth the maids had spread out.
"Is this resting?"
"Yes."
"We're just sitting here."
"Originally, rest means doing nothing."
"It's not fun."
Even though not even a minute had passed since sitting down, Elisia was already causing trouble.
Her fingers incessantly tapped against her teacup, and her long, smooth legs shifted posture several times as if restless.
Thanks to that, every time she moved, the soft fabric loosely draped from her voluptuous chest down to her slender waist, and I could rest while watching the sight of her long, white legs crossed beneath the hem of her dress, glistening smoothly under the sunlight.
Of course, if I were caught looking at her like this, I'd undoubtedly have to surrender one of my Authorities.
"Would you like to read a book, perhaps?"
"No."
"How about some tea?"
"Can't you see I'm already drinking it?"
I set down the teacup and poured my own portion of tea.
In the meantime, Elisia looked at the flowers, looked at the clouds, and watched a passing butterfly.
That sight made her look somewhat like a cat that had stepped outside the house for the very first time.
Then, she shifted her gaze back toward me.
"Rhea."
"Yes."
"If I do nothing, what am I supposed to do?"
"You just have to do nothing."
"How is that even possible?"
"Close your eyes and stay still."
"I don't want to."
"Why is that?"
"You might run away."
The words came out so naturally.
Wouldn't she go completely crazy from boredom now if I wasn't nearby?
Knowing that, I didn't stay away from her vicinity for long either.
When I can practically hear her affection rating ticking up just by being near her, how could I leave?
It was a mindset similar to a child hugging their toy to sleep out of fear that someone might steal it if they put it down.
"I won't go."
"Liar."
"I will stay right here until Saint-nim opens her eyes."
"You can't go like this, right?"
"Indeed, I cannot."
"Good."
Elisia pulled my hand.
We grew close enough that our knees touched.
Before I knew it, atop the hem of the casual dress I wore instead of my uniform inside the Saint's Palace, Elisia's warm legs came up and draped over my legs.
"Then what do I do?"
"You stay still."
"I want to call someone and torment them."
"You cannot."
"Then I'll torment you."
"You cannot do that either."
"I'm bored."
"I know."
"I'm annoyed."
"I know that too."
"Why is resting so hard?"
"Because slacking off and resting legitimately are two different things."
Elisia's blue eyes looked at me.
"Who says so?"
"It is my opinion."
"You're wrong."
"Then please rest comfortably as if you are slacking off."
"...."
"Try thinking for a moment about what resting actually is."
There was no answer.
It seemed that even in her own mind, she realized they were indeed different.
Elisia must have known it too—how she could loaf around so comfortably when slacking off, yet when told to genuinely rest, she was completely incapable of doing anything.
With her legs still resting atop my legs, Elisia lay back and thought for a long while.
Yet no matter how long I waited, she couldn't open her mouth.
It seemed she couldn't think of anything.
Because ever since she was little, she had woken up at set times to pray, receive education, and work as a Saint.
And after officially becoming the Saint, she must have been forced into even more work.
That was why she didn't know what to do on a day when she could truly rest.
"You do not have to do anything today."
"Then I'm just useless."
Elisia said, casually spitting out the words.
Who on earth planted such useless notions in our Elisia?
When her sheer existence alone is overflowing with usefulness.
"Even if you do nothing, Saint-nim is still Saint-nim."
"Of course. Who do you think I am?"
She had returned to the usual Elisia again.
She let go of my hand and sat up.
Wondering where she was trying to go, I attempted to stand up along with her.
However, Elisia pressed down on my shoulder, stopping me.
"Where are you going?"
"I don't know."
Elisia approached right in front of me.
And then, she suddenly laid her body down.
"Saint-nim?"
Her fair, beautiful face came to rest upon my lap.
Her soft cheek touched my thigh through the fabric of my skirt.
Her long, voluminous silver hair draped over my legs and flowed down brilliantly near the ground.
Elisia stretched her long legs out to the side and settled into a comfortable posture.
"What is this?"
"Staying still."
"You do not necessarily have to do it on my lap."
"Because I'm not bored when I'm with you."
"My legs are going to go numb."
"Endure it."
Elisia didn't stop there; she placed my hand onto her head.
"And what is this now?"
"Comb it."
"There is no comb."
"Then use your hands."
"I thought you said you were going to stay still."
"I'm the one staying still, and you can just move."
So only she gets to rest, huh.
Well, it wouldn't be our Elisia otherwise.
Swallowing a sigh, I ran my fingers through her silver hair.
As I slowly brushed down from the roots to the tips, the silk-like hair flowed smoothly between my fingers.
The furrow between Elisia's brows gradually relaxed and melted away.
"How is it?"
"It's not great."
"Then I shall stop."
Of course, the way she speaks is still typical Elisia.
When I tried to pull my hand away, Elisia snatched my wrist.
"Who told you to stop?"
"You said it wasn't great."
"Keep going even if it's not great."
I began brushing her hair again.
As I slowly ran my fingers through her hair, her silver eyelashes soon lowered gently.
At first, even with her eyes closed, she moved her fingers and fiddled with the hem of my skirt, but now she had grown completely still and gentle.
"You may sleep. I am not going anywhere."
"I'm not sleeping."
"Yes."
"I'm just staying still."
I didn't bother pointing it out further.
A moment later, the breathing of Elisia—who had claimed she wasn't sleeping—turned even.
It seemed she had completely fallen asleep.
I tried pausing the motion of combing her hair.
At once, Elisia's brow furrowed.
Her slumbering hand fumbled about, searching for my wrist.
At this sight, which was remarkably cute compared to when she was awake, I moved my hand again and stroked down her hair.
"I am right here."
Only then did the tension ease from Elisia's face.
I lifted the teacup and drank the remaining tea.
All the while, one hand continued to stroke Elisia's hair.
Just then, Elisia turned her body in her sleep and buried her face into my stomach.
Her slender arms wrapped around my waist.
"...Elisia."
There was no reply.
It seemed that even a lap pillow was not enough for her now.
Instead of pushing her away, I tidied her silver hair once more.
For just one day, it should be fine for even these mad dogs to spend it together being completely useless.