I refuse.
I refuse.
"Today's schedule ends here."
As soon as she finished the blessing ceremony and exited the Grand Temple, Elisia declared.
The priest who had been holding the carriage door open froze on the spot.
He must have been strictly ordered to bring her back, no matter what.
I also looked down at the schedule in my hands.
Having just finished the blessing ceremony at the Grand Temple, there were two schedules left for today.
And yet, she's calling it a day right now?
If you do that, I'm the one who dies.
"What do you mean by that?"
"Didn't you hear me?"
Elisia nonchalantly climbed into the carriage and turned her head.
Beneath the black veil, her silvery-white hair cascaded down like a waterfall.
It was a bewitching, graceful figure that could steal a person's soul away, but the words coming out of her mouth were anything but graceful.
In fact, they were terrifying.
"I said cancel everything."
"And the reason?"
"Because it's a hassle."
"You cannot."
Kwang!
The door slammed shut before I could even climb into the carriage.
Thank goodness I wasn't even thinking of boarding just yet; if I had been just a little closer, my nose would have been flattened.
"Depart."
Elisia's voice came from inside.
The coachman holding the reins broke into a cold sweat, glancing back and forth between me and the carriage.
I could see he was terrified of Elisia, yet wondering if it was really okay to leave me behind.
"A-Adjutant-nim. What should I do?"
"Please wait a moment."
For now, I grabbed the doorknob to get in as well.
It was locked.
There was never an instance where you couldn't ride the carriage together in the game.
Ah, seriously, this little brat Elisia.
"Saint-nim. Open the door."
"I don't want to."
"If you don't open it, I'll break it down."
"Go ahead and try."
She told me to try.
Without hesitation, I grabbed the door and ripped it off.
Kwang!!
With a sound louder than when the thick carriage door slammed shut, it was torn away along with its hinges.
The door, ripped off as if shredded by my hands, tumbled several times across the grass on the opposite side before embedding itself into the ground.
The mouths of the nearby holy knights and priests dropped open simultaneously.
At the same time, I was a bit surprised myself.
Honestly, I thought I'd have decent strength, but it was far stronger than I expected.
In the game, scenes of Rhea fighting rarely appeared, so I didn't know.
'This body is way stronger than I thought?'
I thought it only had the Tenacity Trait, but it seems its basic strength is quite something as well.
Sitting with her legs crossed inside the carriage, Elisia was staring at me beyond the torn-off doorway.
"Are you crazy?"
"Did you only just realize?"
I never expected to hear those words from you.
I stepped into the carriage nonchalantly.
I tried to sit opposite Elisia, but she stretched out her long leg to block me.
Her white, smooth leg revealed beneath the hem of her black Saint's habit pressed onto my thigh, preventing me from climbing in any further.
"Get out of my carriage."
"It's not Saint-nim's carriage; it's the Order's carriage."
"The Order is mine."
"By that logic, the world must belong to Saint-nim as well."
"That's right."
Not even a moment's hesitation.
Since she's the most beloved being by the God of this world, it's not technically wrong, but still.
Obnoxious as hell.
Elisia applied force to the leg resting on my thigh.
Her intention was probably to push me away, but I instead moved forward and grabbed her ankle.
Beneath my fingers, I felt the thin fabric and the warm body heat beneath it.
"Let go."
"Move your foot first."
"I don't want to."
"I don't want to either."
We glared at each other.
The coachman stared straight ahead as if he hadn't seen a thing, and the priests around the carriage quietly backed away.
Since they knew Elisia, they figured they would get caught up in it if things continued like this.
When I showed no sign of backing down, Elisia raised the tip of her captured foot against my chest and pushed.
"Take this hand off."
"Take back your statement about canceling all the schedules first."
"Why should I?"
"Because it's work."
"I don't want to do it."
"Are you a child?"
Elisia's eyes narrowed sharply.
Divine power wriggled from the ankle caught in my hand.
"Did you just call me a child?"
"What else do you call someone who tosses aside work just because it's a hassle?"
"I'm going to kill you."
A pure white light spread from her blue eyes.
Only then did I let go of Elisia's ankle.
Now that I knew Elisia hated being called a child to the extreme, I had to make some concessions.
The moment I let go, she swung her leg violently.
Kwang!
As I ducked my head, the heel of her shoe pierced the wall right behind my head.
The entire carriage shook violently.
"You'll break the carriage."
"It'll be fine if your head breaks first instead of the carriage."
Elisia pulled her leg from the wall and stood up.
Inside the narrow carriage, her height felt even more imposing.
I nonchalantly sat down where Elisia had been sitting, put down the schedule, and spoke.
"I will cancel all of today's schedules."
Elisia's eyebrow twitched upward slightly.
It gave the feeling of, 'What's wrong with this bitch all of a sudden?'
It's not like I just push forward endlessly.
If I keep going like this and cross the line, I'll die, so I need to pace myself.
"...Suddenly you're making sense."
"Instead, the Cardinal Council is postponed to tomorrow."
"I'm not going."
"You must go."
"I don't want to."
"I'll take that as a yes and return to the Saint's Palace. Coachman, head to the Saint's Palace, please."
Elisia looked suspiciously at me as I moved to return to the Saint's Palace for now.
She probably thought I would never back down.
"You're letting me off so obediently?"
"Do you dislike that?"
"I'm glad you're being a little reasonable."
"There is a condition, instead."
"I knew it."
"Have a meal."
Elisia crossed her legs and let out a cold snort.
It feels like landmines are planted all around.
Being called a child is a landmine, eating meals is a landmine.
None of this information ever appeared in the game, which is why it was impossible to clear.
Of course, her hating meals did appear in the game.
That's why I set eating a meal as the condition.
"I refuse."
"Then we carry out your entire schedule."
"Do as you please. I'm not going anyway."
"Very well. I shall escort you to your bedchamber."
I looked toward the coachman through the torn-away doorway.
"Depart for the Saint's Palace."
"Y-Yes!"
.
.
.
Upon arriving at the Saint's Palace, I chased away all the nuns who offered to attend to us.
Facing her alone gave a higher survival rate than having more people around.
"Get out."
As soon as she entered the bedchamber, Elisia told me.
I didn't answer, acting as if I hadn't heard, and walked over to the desk by the window.
The Saint's bedchamber was even more extravagant than the office.
Holy relics made of silver hung from the ceiling, and pure white fur and black silk were lavishly used on the walls and floor.
In the center of such a room sat a bed large enough for five or six people to lie on comfortably.
Having finished giving me her notice, Elisia took off the Saint's Crown, threw it onto the table, and roughly untied her veil right after.
Freed from restraint, silvery hair cascaded over her shoulders and back.
The curve of her waist revealed between the long locks reaching down to her ankles tempted me bewitchingly.
However, I knew that was a rotten fruit that must never be grasped.
"Didn't you hear me?"
Elisia took off her gloves and hurled them at me.
Catching the gloves flying toward my face with one hand, I answered.
"I heard you."
"Then why aren't you getting out?"
"Saint-nim must eat."
"I'm not eating."
"Then I won't leave until you eat."
Elisia's expression froze cold.
This time, she seems genuinely angry.
Still, I must not back down.
Meals, at the very least, must be enforced unconditionally.
Because if Elisia starves for too long, things will spiral completely out of control.
"This is my bedchamber."
"I am aware."
"Is barging into the Saint's bedchamber and holding out part of an adjutant's duties?"
"Taking responsibility for the Saint's health is also an adjutant's duty."
"Having you watch me ruins my appetite even more."
"You speak as if you ever had an appetite to begin with."
Elisia stepped closer.
The long skirt hem of her Saint's habit softly swept the floor.
Standing before me, she leaned her head in menacingly and placed both hands on the desk.
Her long, trailing silver hair fell on both sides, trapping me.
The cold scent of roses deepened.
"I will say this for the last time."
A low, sunken voice delivered the ultimatum.
To listen to this or not.
There is no choice.
I shouldn't.
"Get out."
I nonchalantly sat on the edge of the desk and looked up at her.
"I refuse."
Kwajik.
The corner of the desk Elisia was leaning on shattered within her grasp.
Wood splinters clattered down to the floor.
"Don't you know what happens if you keep angering me?"
"I know very well."
"You know, yet you're doing this?"
"Has there ever been a moment when Saint-nim wasn't angry?"
"...."
Elisia's eyelids trembled faintly.
Honestly, I felt like trembling too, but I was holding back with extreme mental discipline.
She reached out and grabbed me by the collar.
As the stiff collar of the adjutant uniform tightened, my body was lifted into the air.
"Just because you're entertaining, don't think I'll keep putting up with you."
Force surged into Elisia's fingers.
Gasping for breath, I used Authority to seize her wrist.
Just like that, I loosened her grip on my collar, twisted her wrist, and pulled.
"Ugh!"
Due to the unexpected intervention of Authority, Elisia's upper body was pulled forward.
I caught her with my whole body.
Elisia's voluptuous body collapsed into my embrace.
Her soft breasts pressed against my shoulder, and silvery hair wrapped around my face and neck.
Beneath the arm wrapping around her slender waist, I felt her hot body heat and her tense body, rigid from surprise.
Elisia tried to pull away immediately, but I held her waist and didn't let go.
"This again...?"
"Because Saint-nim keeps attacking people."
"You do realize who I am while doing this, right?"
"The Saint-nim whom I serve."
Supporting her waist, I slowly straightened my body.
Our touching bodies brushed softly against each other with the movement.
We reached a position where Elisia's blue eyes glared at me from right in front of my face.
"And also a child who skips meals just to throw a tantrum, despite being older than me."
"Do you want to die...?"
"Eat your meal first."
"Let go of me!"
Elisia twisted her body violently, trying to break free from me.
Without letting go, I lifted her straight up.
Startled by this, Elisia clung tightly to me.
"...What are you doing?"
For the first time, bewilderment seeped into Elisia's voice.
"Put me down right this instant!"
Without answering, I carried her in my arms toward the dining table where a warm meal had been prepared.
Elisia caught onto my intention and slammed her fist down on my shoulder.
It hurts.
It fucking hurts so bad.
Still, thanks to using my last Authority stack, I was able to endure it.
Because while using Authority, the body strengthens to a near-invincible degree for a moment.
Holding the Saint who was flailing in vain since her powerful blow hadn't worked, I walked toward the small dining table prepared on one side of the bedchamber.
Then, I set her down on the chair.
Elisia's long legs touched the floor, and her silvery hair flowed like waves over the back of the chair.
"Saint-nim."
I pressed down on both her shoulders to keep her seated.
"You cannot get up until you finish it all."
"I told you I'm not eating."
"Then I won't leave here either. At least finish the soup."
Elisia glared at the soup on the table.
Then she looked at me.
Looked at the soup again.
And looked at me again.
"If you just finish the soup, I won't say another word. Really."
Elisia glared at me for a while in disbelief.
Stare all you want, I meant every word.
As long as she finishes the soup, I won't tell her to eat any more.
Starting tomorrow I'll make something myself, but for now, I have to get her to eat even just the safe soup.
In the end, Elisia picked up the spoon with an utterly displeased look.
'She's truly a work of art. If only what's inside were a little gentler, how great would that be.'
Even the way she scooped up a spoonful of soup and put it into her mouth was overly elegant.
Of course, the expression behind that elegant posture looked like the most displeased in the world, but she was eating nonetheless.
"Satisfied?"
"Finish all of it."
Jjaenggeurang!
The spoon grazed past my face and embedded into the wall.
I clearly told her to just finish the soup, so why is she doing this?
Without a word, I took out a new spoon and placed it down before Elisia.
"Do finish the soup."
"...."
Elisia glared as if she would tear me to shreds and kill me this very instant.
Yet, she eventually picked up the new spoon.
I sat in the opposite chair and unfolded the report.
For a while, only the sound of turning paper and the spoon clinking against the bowl echoed in the bedchamber.
"I finished it."
After quite some time had passed, Elisia pushed the empty bowl toward me with an uncomfortable expression.
And then proudly declared.
"Now get out."
"I refuse."
"Didn't you say you'd leave if I finished all the soup?"
"I said I wouldn't tell you to eat more if you finished the soup. I never once said I would leave."
Having said that, I picked up the teapot placed on the desk.
"Would you care for some tea?"
That day, a wall collapsed in the Saint's Palace.