Chapter 51
The fake saintess incident wrapped up quickly.
Normally, it would have become an internal church matter, stirring up all sorts of noise, but once evidence linked it to the Heaven God Cult, the emperor dove into the investigation with zeal, declaring the cult must be eradicated no matter the reason.
The imperial family and the church typically occupied mutually inviolable domains, but this was an undeniable grave sin by the church—one where they'd joined hands with enemies threatening humanity—so no one raised objections to the imperial intervention.
Some high-ranking church officials rebelled, demanding if they'd forgotten the non-aggression pact between the palace and the church, but the emperor, having pored over clauses from centuries ago, unearthed a provision stating it didn't apply in cases of national rebellion or continental catastrophe, silencing even them.
Moreover, learning the mastermind was Jelros, the executive who'd tried to manipulate the empress, they even earnestly pleaded for full support to capture the culprit.
‘Doesn't seem that easy, though...’
The opponent was a formidable expert who'd fooled even my senses, albeit a clone. My heart pounded at the realization this foe was cut from a different cloth than the ones before. Maybe some dormant competitive spirit inside me had awakened.
……Or maybe it was just fear of the situation making it race.
"Must be nice? Holding girls' hands all day."
"Excuse me, Lady Euse. It's not like I want to do this."
"If you hated it, you could've shoved her off firmly. But no, you clung on tight. Hmph."
"Even Your Highness... why are you piling on too...?"
Wondering why I'm suddenly catching flak from these two?
The saintess was transferred to an imperial hospital for detailed health checks and stabilization. Problem is, she recoils from strangers but clings to me in particular, so as her guardian, I've been stuck bedside nursing her.
She'd been sedated and drifted off, but started murmuring in nightmares, so I held her hand—right when Lady Euse and Her Highness popped in for a visit. Busted.
They stared with expressions too awkward to describe, like I'd caught her sleeping and was groping away like some lunatic.
I'm innocent. It's just treatment—holding the sleeping saintess's hand, that's all.
"As I said before, this is medical care. If I don't, she stays anxious and terrified. How do I ignore that...?"
"Sure, but you're gripping it like it's precious, fiddling away. That soft, huh, the saintess's hand?"
"Even I'd get numb holding this pose forever..."
Why does this evoke my dad getting chewed out by Mom back in the day? Yeah—the time he chatted amiably with a female merchant head for a territory deal, only for Mom to get jealous the second it wrapped.
Maybe the commotion woke her; the saintess cracked her eyes open softly. Some folks sleep drooling with mouths agape, but she pulls off cute even fresh from slumber. Kinda impressive.
"Ah, you're up?"
"...Yes."
Her eyelids were puffy and red from crying herself out over horrific memories. How much agony to break someone always so impassive and poised?
Safe in the hospital now, she still flinched at strangers approaching, trembling in fear.
Investigation revealed enchanted high officials ordered her torture—and to ramp it up—while heresy inquisitors, convinced of her "impersonating the saintess" crime, inflicted unspeakable horrors.
Divine power's return healed her physical wounds naturally, but the mental scars lingered unhealed.
"Ugh..."
Awake now, spooked by Lady Euse and Her Highness staring, she inched closer, clinging past my hand to my arm.
"Hey, you!"
"Eek!!"
"Easy, Lady Euse. She's extremely fragile mentally and physically right now. Mars, her savior, is her only anchor— this reaction's natural."
"I... know that, but..."
Lady Euse, half-rising with a shout, settled back with a conflicted look at Her Highness's intervention.
"Still, that level of dependence isn't ideal. Fine short-term, but we'll need to fix it soon."
"Agreed."
Her Highness had a point. Her unstable mind made bedside vigils okay now, but I've got my own life—shacking up in the church for her isn't my vibe. Gotta sort her separation anxiety somehow.
"Lady Euse, let's give them space. Incident cleanup means I'll be swamped."
"Yeah. Got my own digging to do. Mars, mind the saintess well here awhile. Nursing's fine, but pull anything weird in her state and you're dead by my hand?"
"Won't do anything like that."
Girlfriend-starved or not, I lack the steel heart for sickbed shenanigans.
With them gone, just the saintess and me in the room.
"Hm? Speaking of, Polo? Was gonna call him for a visit if you wanted, but still...?"
"Y-Yeah... Men are kinda... scary..."
"Ah... Makes sense. Smart choice."
Torture trauma: unfamiliar men make her limbs shake, breathing hard. Side effect from male torturers, probably. No psych meds or specialists here—recovery's iffy.
No counseling talent on my end either; forcing it risks backlash. Tricky to tackle rashly.
Me brooding must've irked her; she wilted and spoke up.
"...Sorry."
"Huh?"
Out-of-nowhere apology. From her? Brain shorted.
Missing my daze, she pressed on.
"You were right... Labeled fake, suffering, begging salvation... God stayed silent."
"..."
"I know it's folly. An omnipotent god? No unhappy souls in the world."
Her sunken gaze, voice so calm it felt brittle.
"Awakening this power? Pure joy. Not ditching orphanage or spotlight. Just... salvation exists. God granting it to a kid like me? Had to be kind. Believed it firm."
"..."
"But... nope. Haha..."
Self-mocking chuckle; she clutched her chest.
"Know this? Feels scooped out here. Like scissors carved it clean."
Invisible outside, but inside? Icy void. Like her tangled trust issues.
"Scary... Betrayed by 'friends,' believers who followed, and... my unshakeable god. What do I... believe to live now...?"
"Believe in yourself."
"Huh?"
Blank stare up, blinking owlishly into my eyes.
"Religious folk rub me wrong—not just god disbelief... they ditch self-trust."
Abandoning self-belief, leeching off others. Leaves me choked, queasy.
"Rough road, but you felt it: blind faith sucks."
"..."
"Self-trust too tough? Lean on me awhile."
"!!"
Said it, but her reaction embarrassed me—I whipped my head away.
"Am I... unwelcome?"
"Hm... Honest? You've been a hassle. Doctrines, values? Don't click for me."
"I... see."
"But—never disliked you. Not once."
"...!!"
Straight truth. Annoying? Sure. Hate? Nah. If real hate, no rescue thoughts.
"I... got nothing to give... Thanks at best. Church status tanked, influence down. Still... okay...?"
"Sounds like a win to me."
Reliable anchor for a beauty's gratitude? I'm scoring big.
"Pfft... What even."
Her soft laugh, fear-anxiety fading from those eyes.
I figured this vacation wasn't half bad.