Memories of Notre Dame Cathedral: I Shouldn't Have Treated the Hero Like That
My thirst had been quenched. No, it had overflowed. It was the same sense of abundance I always felt. My mood soared. Was this what happiness felt like? I calmed my swelling emotions somewhat and healed the crying Sirmiia.
Water BeadsRegenerative
Her wounds began to regenerate. Her bloodied face, body, and clothes all returned to pristine condition.
"Come here, Sirmiia."
Still sobbing, she approached me on trembling legs. Even in her panicked state, she obeyed my words without question. It was deeply satisfying. This was the fruit of my training. I pulled Sirmiia into a tight embrace and repeatedly told her I loved her. Though she never stopped crying, her trembling gradually subsided as she stayed in my arms. I whispered my love to her without pause until her tears finally ceased. After about twenty minutes, she stopped crying completely and nestled quietly against me. Even as she regained her senses and sniffled softly, she made no move to pull away unless I told her to. Excellent. She was like an adorable kitten, and I was thoroughly pleased.
Still, an apology was in order.
"Our Sirmiia must have hurt a lot, didn't she? It was all because I love you. I had no choice but to hit you because I cherish you so much. You understand, don't you, Sirmiia?"
"Yes..."
Today, Angelica mentioned she had business in the city and suggested we go out together. Of course, I agreed immediately. Being locked in the room all day was torture. For an entire month, I hadn't even been allowed to wander freely inside the cathedral, let alone go outside. Even now, I was confined to Angelica's room, so the only time I could leave was when she accompanied me.
"Sirmiia, promise me you won't do anything foolish. You know what I mean without me having to explain, don't you? You're a smart girl."
"...Yes."
She kept warning me even while I changed clothes. How long was she going to keep talking? At this rate, my ears would start bleeding. Besides, I wasn't even capable of doing anything foolish. How could I possibly escape when I couldn't even defeat her? I was nothing more than a pet being raised to her tastes. My self-esteem had hit rock bottom long ago. Honestly, I was starting to worry whether I could even travel with the Hero.
Am I going to be locked up here for the rest of my life?
The thought sent a chill down my spine. I took Angelica's hand and left the room. Before crossing the threshold, my trauma resurfaced and my legs shook so badly I nearly begged to stay behind, but for the sake of my pride, I decided to pretend it never happened.
Following her, I walked down the cathedral's long corridor. Quite a few young nuns were moving about. They glanced at me as they passed. They probably thought they were being subtle, but I was one of the Demon King's Four Heavenly Kings. I could sense every gaze directed at me, whether good or bad.
Hmm...
I wondered why they kept stealing looks at me, and the answer came quickly. It was because of how old I looked. An adult woman like me trailing after Angelica while holding her hand was bound to draw attention. Not that I enjoyed it.
Honestly, holding Angelica's hand was embarrassing. But I couldn't be the one to let go. If I did, Angelica would surely slap me again without mercy. Fear of her had been carved into my very bones. A sudden wave of loneliness washed over me. I missed the only person who had ever treated me kindly—the leader.
I wonder what he's doing right now...
The day he lifted the curse placed on me, I hadn't seen him since. When I asked Angelica about him, she claimed she didn't know and played dumb. That bitch. She definitely knew but refused to tell me. She was probably afraid I'd try to run away to him. Her intentions were obvious.
Honestly, wasn't my current situation worse than when I was cursed? If it weren't for Angelica, my personality wouldn't have turned into that of a first-rate loser. I resented her. But if someone asked whether I could rebel against her, the answer was no. Being slapped by her had become a trigger. How many times had she hit me for me to reflexively blurt out "I'm sorry" the moment her hand connected with my cheek? Even when I hadn't done anything wrong, if I failed to do what she ordered, I had to keep getting hit until I could. Just last night, she ordered me to cry, and I was slapped until tears actually fell. Thinking about how mercilessly I'd been beaten made my body tremble. After all that, shouldn't I be used to it by now? But I wasn't. Every slap hurt just as much, and I was still terrified.
Huh?
She stopped in the lobby. Wondering what was going on, I turned my head to follow her gaze.
"Are you Sister Angelica?"
It was the Hero. I was meeting him again after roughly thirteen days, and he looked quite exhausted. Seeing someone familiar after so long filled me with unexpected joy. A demon finding comfort in the Hero's presence just because she'd been locked in a room for a few days would have made the first Demon King, buried beneath the Adelan Empire's imperial palace, roll in his grave.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Hero. I'm Sister Angelica of Notre Dame Cathedral. Is there something you need from me?"
The Hero didn't even respond to her. His eyes shifted to me, standing beside Angelica.
"...Hero?"
Angelica called out to him again while hiding me behind her back. But without answering, he simply stared at me, his brow furrowing as his voice dropped low.
"The day after the interrogation ended, I was supposed to meet Sirmiia with the Saintess. But in the end, I never got to see her."
It was surprising that the Hero knew my name. I had never told him. Had he heard it from the leader?
"I asked the Pope about it. To my surprise, I received an unexpected answer—that Sister Angelica was keeping Sirmiia confined."
"...It seems there's been some misunderstanding. I was only protecting Sirmiia at Leader Julius's request."
The Pope probably hadn't been so direct. If he had, Angelica might have resorted to a show of force, so he would have phrased it more carefully. This was likely the Hero's own conclusion. Or perhaps the Saintess had put him up to it? The Hero might not realize it, but the Saintess seemed quite perceptive. She must have given him some kind of hint.
"We're leaving the city today. And Sirmiia will be coming with us, of course."
Ah, that wasn't good. The Hero had pressed her trigger. When I glanced sideways, Angelica's expression had hardened. My Angelica sensor told me this was great fury.
"I'm afraid Sirmiia isn't well enough to accompany you, Hero. Isn't that right, Sirmiia?"
She smiled with her eyes as she asked, but those eyes weren't smiling at all. They were telling me that if I didn't agree right now, there would be punishment tonight.
"...Th-that's right. I'm s-sorry..."
It was over. The fear of being slapped made my voice tremble. Anyone could see I was being threatened and forced to speak.
"Ha... Sister Angelica. Let's not take the joke too far."
The Hero spoke as if there was no point in listening anymore and walked toward me. Angelica's eyes flashed with warning.
"Don't come any closer."
I might end up killing you—
Even though she didn't finish the sentence, I could hear the unspoken words clearly. Angelica's warning wasn't a bluff. She was radiating enough killing intent that even I, standing beside her, felt like I might wet myself.
"As expected... You're no ordinary nun."
The Hero drew the holy sword at his waist as he spoke. His own aura was no less imposing. Angelica and the Hero measured the distance between them, eyes locked. A tense atmosphere filled the lobby, as if a fight could break out at any moment.
We're inside the cathedral...
The nuns who had been lingering nearby panicked at the sight and rushed off somewhere. Well... I don't care anymore. Whoever wins, wins.