Chapter 8
Chapter 8
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 8
Chapter Title: Saintess Rainy (7)
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Rainy's room.
Even though it was still broad daylight with the sun high in the sky, Rainy was just rolling around in bed.
As a child, she had never known comfort, scraping by day by day in the rough back alleys of the capital, gathering orphaned children into a pickpocketing gang.
After being chosen as a saintess, her days were filled with meeting power brokers, leading worship services, and endlessly healing the sick, leaving no time for rest.
In contrast, what about this Daven territory?
It faithfully upheld a 52-hour workweek and was diligently working to cure her alcoholism.
The residents were all so pure and simple.
And the lord, Raden Daven...
Well...
He wasn't exactly pure and simple, but he didn't seem like a bad person either.
That was why she was extremely satisfied with life in Daven territory.
To the point where she secretly wondered if this was paradise on earth.
Except for the forced morning exercises.
'Hmm, what should I do today?'
Her life had always been a nonstop cycle of work, work, work—from the moment she woke up until she fell asleep. Now that rest had finally come, Rainy was enjoying hobbies for the first time.
At first, she went to the kitchen to learn baking.
She even read a book that wasn't the scriptures, sticking with it for the first time.
'Still, it's not fun.'
She tried all sorts of things, but nothing sparked joy.
The one thing that did feel fun...
'Raden.'
Only when playing with him—the first person she could confidently call a friend—did she truly feel that spark.
He was sly, and he had zero basic manners toward a saintess.
But he was fun to be around anyway.
And he seemed decent enough.
"Hmm..."
Rainy rolled around in bed a bit longer before sitting up.
To find some fun by teasing Raden.
She flung open the door.
Back at the Church, opening her door would mean facing holy knights who had traded their manhood for divine power and ended up with short fuses, glaring at her with furrowed brows.
But here, no one was standing guard outside her room.
Not even the common servants of noble houses.
It was past quitting time, so everyone except those on duty had probably gone home.
Walking alone down the dimly lit corridor sent a strange chill of fear through her, but she was a wielder of holy power, holding absolute advantage over ghosts.
Suppressing her fear, she stepped out of her room.
Her destination: Raden's quarters.
She planned to drag him into a card game or something.
"Ahem..."
A grown woman—and a former saintess at that—knocking on a man's door in the middle of the night.
It felt a little awkward, but she and he were just bickering friends, nothing more.
Nothing to worry about, she brainwashed herself, then cautiously knocked.
*Knock knock.*
"Hey, Raden."
"..."
No sound came from inside, even after the knock.
Tilting her head, Rainy knocked again.
"Alcohol! Alcohol! Hand it over!"
"..."
No matter how sulky he got with her, Raden always rushed over like the wind whenever her fits struck.
If he wasn't reacting even to her faking one, it meant he was either asleep or not in the room.
'Asleep?'
There was no reason for him to be out at this hour, so Rainy figured he was sleeping. Grinning mischievously, she carefully opened the door to prank him.
Luckily, it wasn't locked and swung open smoothly.
She glanced around the room, but Raden was nowhere in sight—probably just stepped out briefly.
'Oh.'
Raden's room without Raden.
Her playful side kicked in, and Rainy immediately decided to snoop around.
With her warped knowledge from the streets—that every healthy young man had some naughty stash—she never imagined Raden wouldn't have any.
Especially after seeing his vigorous, blood-pumping physique during workouts, which only reinforced the idea.
First spot to check: under the bed.
When she had gathered the alley orphans, that's where the boys hid their embarrassing stuff the most.
She'd hidden her booze under her bed at the Church too.
So, the odds were highest there for anything shameful.
Peering under the bed...
No dice.
"Hmm..."
She'd expected it might not be that easy with Raden.
Undeterred, Rainy moved on without disappointment.
Next likely suspect: the bookshelf packed with volumes.
She started pulling out books one by one to inspect them.
[Imperial Administrative Law]
[History of the Empire]
[Administrative Studies]
[Economics]
[Lordship Theory]
With each book she pulled, Rainy's disappointment grew.
If there had been something risqué or even a trashy novel she could tease him about, she could've had a field day.
But every book on Raden's shelf looked annoyingly useful.
'Ha... what am I even doing.'
No naughty finds no matter how hard she looked. Suddenly struck by a wave of pointlessness, Rainy decided to quit.
As she struggled to shove a thick tome back into place...
"What are you doing?"
A man's voice rang in her ear.
"Eek!"
Rainy fainted on the spot.
***
I'd stepped out briefly to retrieve another letter delivered by messenger bird, only to return and find Rainy snooping around.
She was giggling to herself, oblivious to my presence, which was a bit pathetic, so I watched quietly. But when she reached for my bookshelf—where my precious secrets slept—I had to intervene.
"..."
And just like that, Rainy fainted.
I nudged her foot with mine, but no reaction.
Out cold.
"Haa..."
She'd snuck into my room on her own, only to pass out by herself. I couldn't help sighing.
She'd been behaving lately, so I'd let my guard down a bit, and boom—major headache.
With a heavy sigh, I picked her up and tossed her onto the bed.
Given her still shaky health, I'd usually be more careful.
But seeing the sender of that letter left me too troubled to fuss over her.
I sat at the desk, pulled a letter knife from the drawer, and carefully slit open the envelope's seal.
The paper felt luxurious to the touch—high-end stationery.
The letter's opening line:
[Baron Raden, heed this.]
Hmm...
It felt familiar, like something I'd seen before...
No way.
[I assume you've heard about our second daughter's expulsion from the academy.]
Heard about your daughter getting kicked out? How the hell would I know?
[Word is you've taken charge of the Church's troublemaking saintess. While you're at it, take our second daughter under your wing as well.]
No room for refusal in that tone.
"Haa..."
My gloomy premonition had been spot on. Sighing, I read on.
[There are a few conditions for taking our daughter.]
Forcing her on me and then adding terms?
The status gap was huge, but rage boiled up anyway.
People need some damn conscience.
[No matter if the world crumbles, you must protect our daughter's virginity and her beauty.]
Protect her virginity and looks...
Even after whatever vicious deed got her expelled, the plan seemed to be: let her lay low in our territory for a few years until things quieted, then marry her off like chattel to some other house.
Well, I wasn't crazy enough to force myself on her, so this clause wasn't an issue.
[The second condition: fix our daughter's wild, spoiled personality if possible. As mentioned in the first, protect her virginity and looks, and use whatever means necessary—I won't interfere.]
Demanding a lot.
I vowed right then not to play along.
If this noble's brat showed up, I'd let her run wild to her heart's content.
No idea how spoiled she was, but if she left our territory even more unhinged, they'd regret it.
[I don't expect our daughter to become good-hearted deep down. Just teach her to keep the darkness inside from showing on the surface.]
Yeah, not happening.
[Change our daughter, and I'll send 5,000 gold immediately. Here's 200 gold upfront.]
"..."
[I've already sent her ahead, so by the time this letter arrives, she should be nearing your territory. Take good care of our daughter, Baron.]
[-Family Head Allegre Mastain of the Mastain Ducal House-]
5,000 gold... 5,000 gold?
My hands trembled at the unimaginable fortune.
Enough to run a baron's house for ten years.
I bowed my head deeply, knowing full well Allegre couldn't see.
"Father, I'll do my best!"
"Shh... damn it... keep it down..."
Rainy grumbled awake at my voice, but I brushed it off.
Jealous? Bring your own money then.