The Woman Who Wasn't a Villainess Became Very Clumsy_4
She wrote in her diary: “I am confessing to Astasia. For the first time, I held hands. Actually, it was the wrist, but I could feel the warmth for about 7 minutes and 21 seconds. The calluses under my hand were ticklish. This day will be remembered for the rest of my life.”
The diary ended there.
She had no more strength to move the pen.
“... Haa... Haa...”
Elysia let out a hot breath and threw her body onto the bed.
Her movements were like those of flour dough that Tina had secretly kneaded and played with all night.
The sun was still high in the sky. From beyond the wall, the singing of the choir came from the prayer hall of the temple.
It was still early to throw herself on the bed.
There were still many tasks that couldn't be handled in the temple.
She thought she should help with the work at least now, but showing this sorry state would be better than dying of shame.
Thud, thud.
Her heart didn't seem to calm down.
What if it bursts? Or maybe it's already broken. Her heart hurts. Is it arrhythmia? Take a deep breath. Even if she thinks about it alone, it won't solve anything.
The incident at Ragnea Temple was just a small happening.
Gray had said she didn't need to worry about such things.
Don't need to worry...
Don't need to worry...
Mmm.
She hid her expression in the blanket.
Mmm.
Memories flowed like popping juice in her head, and she smiled bashfully.
While fidgeting with her fingers, wondering if this was a dream, and rummaging in the blanket, her gaze, from the moment she entered the room, touched her wrist, exactly the sleeve covering it.
Elysia silently pulled the sleeve.
It was probably following her unconscious rather than conscious.
Slowly.
And took a deep breath.
“... Haa...”
She imitated the scent of Gray from 10 years ago and the fragrance she made herself was so thick it tickled her head.
The wrist.
Yes, exactly this wrist.
Today, Gray had held it himself.
With the other hand, she carefully wrapped her wrist, savoring the sensation.
... No. This isn't it.
It was much larger and warmer than her own hand.
The warmth of his hand was still deep in her wrist.
Thinking that she had held hands indirectly like this, her mouth naturally curved up.
His warm warmth. The warmth she had waited for for 10 years. Even on the first day, they had entangled, but it was just a foolish misunderstanding leading to a nightmare.
In the danger of Baron Zeke, just like in a fairy tale where the prince saves her and holds her wrist, it was something that couldn't be compared even if the sun and moon changed thousands of times.
This priest robe shouldn't be washed for a while.
The remaining priest robe was only the one put away in the closet three months ago because it was too tight around the chest, but if preserving Gray's warmth, she could bear even the chest size.
Or... should I cut the sleeves?
No. Doing such a thing to the priest robe would be a sin against Astasia...
Or...
“Hmm. I came because I was worried, but it was unnecessary worry.”
A strange voice came from the window.
Elysia, who had been rubbing her face against one of the treasures in a disheveled state, immediately took out the dagger from her pocket and aimed it.
But the opponent didn't move, sitting on the window sill.
“Astasia's kids all carry dangerous knives, that's why.”
“............”
“Huh? Suddenly the expression changed? It's too different from when I was with Gray?”
“... What business does Priest Nea have here?”
“Haha... scary... I think I'll die from the voice, not the knife.”
Unlike the word scary, Nea had a languid smile with no tension, raising his finger.
He said in a calm tone as if soothing a child.
“... Shh. Priest Ria. Sorry, but can you stay quiet for a moment?”
“... What happened outside?”
The moment she returned to the temple, Lucia asked with a worried face.
From the moment Elysia's expression had hardened, unable to control the mouth that had opened in tension since morning, she must have sensed the ominous atmosphere.
Since there was nothing particularly to hide, she briefly explained the incident at Ragnea Temple.
“I met the person who was doing something at the other temple, like Baron Zeke or something.”
“Baron Zeke?! The supervisor was at Ragnea Temple? You sent him to the capital yesterday. But how did it get here...”
“If you run a horse like crazy without saving money, you can barely make it in time.”
“... Knowing about the joint funeral, you sent someone ahead. Doing that much. Is there some other scheme?”
“Don't think too deeply about it. It's not a person worth worrying about.”
“But... in case you dig too deep or the matter gets out of hand and draws attention, even that person might have limits. I was going to tell Saintess about this separately while going to her.”
“Saintess? What would that guy do? He's probably very busy these days.”
“Th-that guy?”
The look like 'What's with the way of speaking to Saintess?' made me realize belatedly.
Since explaining deeply was troublesome, I smiled bitterly and dodged.
“You don't have to worry too much. If not, I can do it myself......”
I had to stop talking.
Because a unexpected guest squeezed in before I could speak.
The location was Elysia's room.
It wasn't like there was any ward or surveillance, but if I had to pick someone who could hide this deep by deceiving me...
... At this point, there was no one else.
“Just a moment.”
I got up with that word.
Lucia opened her eyes wide, but there was no time to explain now.
Elysia's room was not far from the temple. Near the pool where low maple trees grew, the window of Elysia was visible.
I arrived just as Nea had let out a “shh” sound.
I placed my hand on Nea's shoulder.
He chuckled, a languid laugh.
“Wow, I thought you at least knew how to open the door and come in, but you got caught right behind. As rumored, you're amazing?”
“I thought you'd come to visit tomorrow at least.”
“You should report right after finishing the work. It's a request from you, not anyone else.”
“That's a very grateful remark. So how did you handle those humans earlier? At least the parish priest there won't have any business left, right?”
“Because of Ragnea's words, I said I came.”
“... Yes.”
“So I sent them away with Ragnea's words too.”
“Is that so.”
“Huh? It seems you don't care much.”
Nea tilted his head and continued.
“Well, you've worked hard for the past 10 years, so you probably don't want to worry about this now.”
“If you know that, you should have handled that incident well too.”
I sighed and said, and Elysia asked with a confused voice.
“Gray. I don't understand what you're saying...”
“Ragnea.”
“Rag... huh?”
“The goddess of struggle, Ragnea. I don't know if she's a goddess or a male god, but probably a goddess.”
Elysia looked at me with a dazed expression.
What kind of nonsense is this? A weird expression.
“Huh~ Our Priest Ria doesn't believe? It's inevitable. I can't believe it right away.”
Well, if there's a god hiding his identity in front of you, who could believe?
Nea approached me with a dirty smile.
“Well then, can Gray introduce himself? If the proxy of the goddess who completed the 12 great feats with the love of countless gods introduces himself, it would be grateful.”
“That guy's love from the gods is twice as much as just biting my tongue and dying.”
“That's a problem. If you die like that, our gods' faces won't stand. Let me see... The only good thing is that after you die, seeing Astasia's reaction... Hmm, it would be quite fun.”
Reaction? What reaction.
Astasia would just bite her tongue a few times after I die.
“Ah, are you thinking of settling in this city? You said you were looking for a room.”
“It seems you read Elysia's mind? How can a god casually read human minds and write?”
“I didn't read it because I wanted to read it. I was trying not to read minds like when I was Nea. It's kind of role-playing, but it leaks. But since this friend's mind is too loud, I can't help it.”
Nea pointed to Ria.
Elysia was still glaring at him with eyes full of disbelief.
“Hmm... It seems you still don't believe I'm Ragnea. Let me see... In times like this, it's faster to just show it once. Then, our Priest Ria. Shall I read the loud voice of your heart that is still ringing?”
“............”
“Hmm... Where to start... Yeah, this. 'Today, try not to wash your hands until evening. Then tonight, Gray's hand that touched...'”
“Kyaak! I understand, I believe!”
Immediately, Elysia sat down with a pale face and shouted.
It was probably the embarrassment of having her hidden lewd secret revealed, rather than the fear and awe of having seen the god as a priest.
“If you do that, I'll be grateful.” Nea nodded and laughed “kik”.
“Anyway, I came here to apologize. Well... the parish priest is chosen by themselves, and although I have no face-to-face with him, it's true that my subordinate made a mistake. I apologize for the rudeness.”
“It's fine.”
“Haha. It's the first time I've apologized in my life, and it's being scolded like this. It's not common for gods to apologize to humans.”
“I don't care if it's gods' apologies or anything, give me something material.”
“You’ve only learned bad things from Astasia. Still, it's fortunate that there's something good.”
Nea continued in a languid tone.
He must have known from the beginning that this would happen.
He dropped a key on my hand.
“There's a rundown tavern on the outskirts of the city. If you need a room, live there.”
“You didn't say it was a gift?”
“It's a gift, though.”
... Where is it.
“Even though it's old, the interior can be repaired to be usable. If you don't like the tavern, the cafe is fine too.”
“Are you telling me to run a business?”
“It's a joke. It's a tavern, but it's actually a building used like a family home, so I mean live there. Anyway, you'll be staying here for a while? A peaceful daily life. Isn't that what you wanted?”
A peaceful daily life. It's a word that is also a weakness for me.
Even if Nea had other schemes, from the moment I heard the word 'daily life', I leaned towards believing his words had some validity.
“... I'll think about it after seeing it.”
“Yeah. Anytime.”
Elysia secretly sighed.
Gray had returned to the temple again.
Receiving the address and key from Nea, he seemed to go to see the building using his curiosity as fuel.
Watching his back from afar, Elysia was worried that he might have discovered the treasures in the room, but at the same time, she was trying to calm her fluttering thoughts.
The complicated and unrealistic fact that Priest Nea was the goddess of struggle was in the background.
It wasn't a problem of whether to believe or not as a priest, laying out a logic that fits perfectly.
The fact that a god descended to the human world and enjoyed play with a completely different appearance is recorded in many scriptures.
It wouldn't be strange to seriously consider how to deal with Nea from tomorrow.
But for Elysia right now, those things were good to dismiss as 'private matters'.
It was thanks to the gift Nea had given just now.
“... What if Gray really leaves?”
The expression of leaving might seem a bit theatrical.
It had only been a day since Gray showed his face after 10 years.
It was just that he had stayed the night with an acquaintance he knew.
Moreover, if it's a rundown tavern on the outskirts of the city, Elysia knows the place.
It was a distance where she could visit anytime if she wanted.
Rather, if he settled in this city, it was the thing she had longed for more than anything.
But an indomitable anxiety that couldn't be erased from one corner of her heart was gradually swelling her body.
10 years.
It wasn't a short time at all.
After 10 years of getting close, it turned out she was facing something like a mirage beyond the horizon.
The anxiety that seemed close but not touchable in front of her eyes came rushing in like a wave.
“If you're that anxious, why don't you follow him?”
Nea was still there. His existence was hardly felt. No, really no one was there.
Only his voice was carried by the wind, and it was heard only by Elysia like magic.
“The meaning of apology isn't only applicable to Gray.”
“......... Ah.”
“Actually, I feel a bit sorry for you too. Lady of the red eyes, the witch.”
Despite already knowing that the opponent was not a normal human, she couldn't help but flinch at the word witch.
But soon she found herself confessing her true feelings to the goddess as if familiar.
“... But...”
“But?”
“Isn't it strange...? Suddenly... if we live together...”
“Strange?”
Nea tilted his head.
“Then, will you send me away like this?”
“............”
“10 years is not worth it? Now that we have a chance to be together...”
“............”
“............ Not worth it?”
“............ I-I've never thought it's not worth it! But... still... I want to be together as much as possible from now on...”
“Then act according to your heart. Then that would be the answer. The goddess of struggle Ragnea personally guarantees it.”
A word with the god's name was never light.
It was like a big hand gently pushing her back.
Elysia, who heard that word, closed her eyes tightly.
It wasn't from excitement.
It was sincere enough.
Perhaps she had been looking forward to this day for a long time.
“I... I want to go in and live together.”