The Suspiciously Suspicious Saintess - 3

The trembling was anything but ordinary, so I spoke up at once.

I was worried she might be unwell.

"Are you all right? You're not feeling poorly, are you?"

"Ah—no. I'm fine. It's not that. I was just surprised by how romantic it was. Usually people talk a lot about love, or tell me to go traveling."

So that was it.

She had simply been so thoroughly flustered by the sappiness that she had lost her words.

The chance she genuinely found it romantic?

Not zero—but vanishingly small, I had to assume.

"I see. Shall we head back to the lodging, then? Once the sun goes down, things get inconvenient in all sorts of ways."

I pointed at the sky, which was steadily deepening into a rich indigo.

In a neighborhood park or a city it might have been different. In a place like this, going in before nightfall seemed the wiser choice.

"You're right. I'm sorry for the trouble. And it was truly lovely."

"The honor was mine—to take a walk with someone like the Saintess."

After that light exchange of courtesies, we climbed the path back up to the coastal base side by side.

Going down had been a descent. Coming up, the steep climb made my legs heavy.

She's got stamina, I'll give her that.

The Saintess and the man in the suit didn't so much as pant. They climbed as calmly as if they were out for a stroll around the block.

Awakened, after all—their baseline physical ability was bound to be exceptional.

"Well then, take care getting inside."

"You as well, Saintess."

We passed through the base gate and parted in front of the main building entrance, each heading for our own rooms.

Click. The moment I shut my door behind me, a sigh slipped out of its own accord.

Whether it was the pressure I hadn't felt until I was alone pressing on my chest, or the satisfaction of having pulled something off without disaster, I couldn't say.

I could really go for some potato chips right now.

Moments like this called for a little reward to myself. Being stuck in isolation with no snacks was a genuine pity.

Supply helicopters came, sure—but there was no PX the way there would be in a real military post.

It was him.

Anyone else would have denied it, but she could feel the traces of that person.

Alone in her lodging, Elodie knelt on the bed, eyes closed. Her clasped hands rested before her; her head was bowed just slightly. Anyone watching would have seen a figure in devout prayer.

God was not the ideal people wished for.

He existed—yet was treated as though He did not.

Those who received miracles, and those who did not. Sunlight and shadow stood in stark, unapologetic division more often than not.

Even so, Elodie was certain God existed.

Because His words had descended upon her—in the past that had already gone by, and in the present still unfolding.

Three days after her birth, she had realized she was reincarnated. Years later, the oracle had descended like moonlight. The joy she had felt then was still vivid.

To her, "companion" meant only one person.

Leo—the second son of some merchant who had come seeking her.

To exaggerate a little, he had been more godlike than God Himself. He had been the salvation that arrived when she had believed even God had abandoned her.

Why had she reincarnated?

Why had he reincarnated?

Elodie took little interest in such questions.

Only that he and she both existed—and that God had whispered the news to her in moonlight—mattered.

The odds are high, but……

Ever since she had learned to write, she had placed a letter filled with her heart into a box each year, and opened the lid every five. She did it to make the memories sharper as sentences, to savor the secondhand embarrassment of recalling what she had felt then.

Leo, of course, had done the same.

I need to… confirm it a little more carefully.

Whether the words had merely been chance, or conviction born of shared memory—

As if determined to cut through to the truth, Elodie's eyes flashed sharp.

"Do a little sightseeing guiding for us."

First thing in the morning, Na Hyun-soo barged in and dropped that absurd request.

"…Pardon? Me?"

Was I still half-asleep and mishearing?

I rubbed my eyes. Across from me, Na Hyun-soo nodded.

"Yeah. The Saintess asked for you specifically, and pretty firmly. She must've taken a real liking to you, Mr. Seo Ji-hyuk. What the hell did you do?"

"Beats… me?"

How should I know?

Some ancient meme from years back flickered through my mind.

"Anyway, she requested it, so I can't exactly turn her down lightly. You know how it is."

"If her mood sours, it gets awkward for everyone in a dozen different ways."

"Good that you get it. I'm under her too, at the end of the day, so I'm walking on eggshells myself. When the atmosphere goes sour, it's just… yeah."

I knew. I'd lived through it to the point of exhaustion under Marie. It had shaved years off my lifespan.

Thinking about those days still pisses me off a little.

They were relatively recent memories, so they were that much clearer—and the clearer they were, the angrier I got.

Sometimes I wondered if the whole world had been thrashing around trying to drag Marie Antoinette through the mud. Her character had been excellent, her looks even more so. The revolutionary frenzy that had tried to kill a woman like that still left a bad taste ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠in my mouth.

That bastard Maximilien.

"Haa……"

Just picturing that piece-of-shit face dragged a sigh out of me. I was so stifled I almost forgot there was someone sitting right in front of me.

"Hm? Mr. Seo Ji-hyuk, you okay?"

"Huh? Ah—yes. I'm fine. More importantly, when do we leave?"

"You'll go?"

"If I don't, the base commander gets put in a tough spot, and so do the higher-ups. Besides, getting to walk around with the Saintess isn't exactly an everyday opportunity."

"That's true. If it were up to me, I'd want to escort her myself. She's different from the other big shots."

Na Hyun-soo snorted a soft laugh and nodded.

She really was different from the usual superiors, so wanting to look after her made sense. The feeling of being recognized by someone—or wanting to lay down your life for that kind of person—I understood it far too well.

"Understood. I'll just pack a bag and head out. You don't know the exact itinerary?"

"Her schedule's classified, so I don't know either."

"Fair enough. What about expenses? This is basically a business trip—if it comes out of my pocket, I'm going to—"

"Don't worry about money. Their side is covering everything."

Covering everything?

They'd hired a guide, so of course they should. The weight of the title "Saintess" just made the whole thing feel different.

"That's a relief, then. I'll get ready right away."

"Good. Appreciate it."

Thump. Na Hyun-soo gave my shoulder a light pat and left, saying to meet them at the main gate.

This is all so sudden it's throwing me off.

Hearing something like this first thing in the morning was strange enough, and with sleep still clinging to me, everything felt a little fuzzy.

Still, it was a request I couldn't refuse. I went quietly to my room, packed, and stepped outside.

"I'm sorry. It must have been quite a shock first thing in the morning."

When I reached the main gate, the Saintess bowed her head with a bitter little smile—as if she were apologizing for the trouble her greed had caused.

"Yes. Honestly, I was a bit startled. Being told out of nowhere to serve as a tourist guide, after all."

I nodded and accepted her greeting. I also exchanged a brief bow with the man in the suit standing behind her. He was still wearing sunglasses, making his expression impossible to read.

"It's my selfishness. Even so—you're someone I can trust, and someone who treats me comfortably. I really wanted to ask you."

"Did I?"

I had simply dealt with her in a plain, low-pressure way. Apparently that had been what she liked.

"Most people either refuse, or go so far overboard with consideration that it becomes its own kind of strain."

Ah. That made sense. It clicked so cleanly I almost nodded on the spot.

"I suppose that's what comes of being famous."

"Yes. I'm grateful for it, of course, but it often feels stifling. Even saying 'please treat me more casually' only becomes more pressure for them."

"That's a fair point."

A superior tells you to relax, so you relax? Without a real personal bond, declining was the natural response—excessive loyalty, the weight of the request, any number of reasons depending on the person.

"Understood. Then what exactly should I do?"

"Mm… first, one thing we should clear up. Walking with me in official settings would feel burdensome, wouldn't it? Of course, if you want to keep sitting in, you're welcome to."

Accompanying her to various functions would naturally build connections. Standing at the side of a famous Saintess would draw attention whether you wanted it or not. She knew that, and she was giving me the choice—network while tagging along, or avoid the cluttered occasions that felt like a hassle.

An ambitious person would pick the former. Someone who had checked out of the rat race—or simply had a quiet, ordinary-person mindset—would pick the latter.

I was the latter.

"I'm on the 'burdensome' side, I'm afraid."

"Then we'll move together, but while I'm taking meetings, feel free to go where you like."

She rummaged in her pocket and held out a credit card—both hands, politely.

"Why the card…?"

"You'll get bored while I'm away. Travel expenses, meals, whatever you want to spend on fun—use it freely."

Handing me money and telling me to spend as I pleased?

I'd expected, at most, travel and meal support. The sheer generosity made my eyes go wide on their own.

"Are you serious?"

"I forced you into this position, so this much is only natural. I'm only sorry I can't tell you it's fine to buy a house or a car if you feel like it."

"That would absolutely not be fine."

Buying a house or ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠a car on a card handed to you by a stranger—today, no less, and by the Saintess herself? Even a genuine lunatic would draw the line there and shake his head.

"Thank you for understanding. Please take it."

I hesitated a moment, then accepted the card she held out with a smiling face—half thinking it was only fair, half feeling the weight of the favor.

"Oh, and your phone number. Let's exchange numbers and messenger contacts. Do you have a Blue Book ID?"

"I made one, but I've barely used it."

"Perfect."

The Saintess pulled her phone from her pants pocket and gave it a cheerful little two-handed shake. That spark of energy helped wake me up a little more.

Numbers, messenger IDs, friend requests. Once that was done, we set off at once toward the pier where a boat was waiting.

Originally the government side had planned to send a helicopter. The Saintess had declined, saying it would be too much of a burden first thing in the morning.

"A helicopter would have been more comfortable, wouldn't it?"

"Yes. But for a helicopter to arrive at this hour, people would have had to start working far too early. The ones launching the boat have to work too, of course… but the quieter option seemed better."

That made sense.

A helicopter this early would be loud, and it would wake staff who were still asleep.

"Understood."

"Good. Then shall we go?"

We headed straight down from the base toward the pier. When we arrived, a small white boat was waiting for us.

It had clearly been cleared in advance. If it ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠hadn't, alarms would have been screaming the moment it came anywhere near.

"My, my—what an honor to meet someone so famous. And you're very pretty."

"Thank you. You're making me shy."

As we approached the boat, a middle-aged man who had been waiting greeted us with open delight. He clearly knew who the Saintess was. Even for a celebrity, if you didn't care, you wouldn't recognize her.

"Whoa…!"

As the floating boat gave a slight roll, the Saintess's eyes went round. It was probably her first time on a vessel like this.

She looked at me and asked,

"This is amazing. Do you ride boats like this often, Ji-hyuk?"

"I'm pretty used to them. We take this boat when we go on leave. But how did you know ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠my name…?"

"I asked the base commander."

Ah. Right.

I nodded, and the Saintess smiled softly as she took hold of the fishing boat's railing.

"Casting off!"

The captain in the wheelhouse called out vigorously and took the wheel. A heavy engine note rose, and the boat began to move.