A Fading Promise
Clack-clack, clack-clack.
Along with the rhythmic sound of hooves, the green scenery outside the window kept passing by.
It wasn't my first time riding in a carriage.
However, the difference in comfort between the trade carriages we used in the village and the Church's finest carriage, built specifically to transport the Saintess, was like night and day.
When I boarded, I noticed even the horses pulling us were pure white...
So many things were unfamiliar, but every single detail made me realize just how much my surroundings had changed.
I had been dressed in the pure white robes of the Saintess.
The haughty, elderly priests I used to see in the city and the tall holy knights now looked at me and called me "Saintess."
With young priestesses attending to my every need, I could feel the weight of my new status skin-deep.
When I first left the village, I felt so anxious. The thought of how long it would take to see my parents and Abel again almost brought me to tears.
But now, the reality of transforming from an ordinary girl into the Church's precious Saintess quickly lifted my spirits.
"Saintess, they say we will arrive in the capital today."
The speaker was Ophelia, a priestess who had spent the journey teaching me about life and the rules within the Church.
Outside the window, the scenery of endless grass and trees began to give way to people walking with packs on their backs and others riding in carriages.
Neigh!
After the carriage stopped and started a few more times to the sound of horses whinnying, the view outside changed completely.
"Wow..."
I gasped in genuine awe, completely forgetting that someone was sitting right next to me.
Unlike the small cities near my village, the buildings in the royal capital were several times larger and infinitely grander.
The clothes of the people walking along the brick-paved streets looked luxurious. Some wore elegant dresses and coats, suggesting they might be nobles.
When those people saw our carriage, they stopped in their tracks and bowed their heads slightly.
"It seems the rumors of your arrival have already spread throughout the capital, Saintess," Ophelia remarked.
Her words made me realize that the person they were bowing to was none other than me, sending a fresh wave of surprise through my chest.
"You must get used to it. After all, you will be one of the heroes who, alongside the Hero, will save humanity from the Demon King."
"Me...?"
Could I really do it?
No. Since I had agreed to become the Saintess, I had to.
I decided to push away the doubts and focus only on the positives.
Now that I was the Saintess, I would receive nothing but adoration and gratitude from everyone. I would be protected and cherished by all within the massive Church of the Goddess.
And since the capital was so huge, exploring it would be so much fun, right?
Choosing to become the Saintess was definitely the right decision. Without a doubt!
That naive expectation...
"*Yawn*... I'm so tired... I want to sleep more..."
...was completely shattered in just a few days.
Life for the practitioners within the Church was strictly regulated, and it was even worse for the Saintess.
I had to wake up at the crack of dawn every single day. Dawn prayers, morning prayers, afternoon prayers, evening prayers, and prayers before bed—it was an endless cycle of devotion.
I couldn't slack off even for a second. Because I was the Saintess, I had to lead the prayers from the very front of the altar, making it impossible to doze off or even fidget.
The suffocating routine alone was hard enough, but going outside was strictly forbidden without the explicit permission of the Church's Council of Elders.
Naturally, enjoying any of the exciting things the capital had to offer was out of the question.
"Argh... Saintess, it hurts so much..."
"I-I will heal you right away!"
Once a week, I was forced to visit the slums or the infirmaries to perform healing service for the sick.
"*Cough, cough*..."
"*Gurgle*..."
More than once, I gagged at the foul stench they emitted and the sight of their festering, pus-filled wounds.
The journey to defeat the Demon King hadn't even begun, yet simply fulfilling the role of the Saintess was already so agonizing and overwhelming.
"*Sob*... Abel... I miss you... I want to go home..."
Every night, I hugged my pillow and wept in secret.
I missed the peaceful, carefree days in Magia Bell, and I desperately longed for Abel, who had always kept me smiling by my side.
"*Sniff*... Abel..."
My only escape in this suffocating temple life was the letters Abel sent me.
True to his promise, Abel wrote to me every single day.
To my beloved Selphy,
The letters, which always began with those words, were filled with stories of the daily goings-on in Magia Bell, woven together beautifully by Abel's writing.
Just reading those lines made me feel as if I were back in Magia Bell, and I could almost see Abel smiling right in front of me.
"Abel, it's so hard here... I want my duties as the Saintess to end quickly so I can go back to your side..."
Muttering to myself, I wrote back, filling the pages with my struggles and how much I missed him.
In return, Abel would always send back letters filled with sincere words of comfort.
"Abel... I'll do my best."
Drawing strength from his comforting words, I managed to endure each day at the Church.
"Saintess!"
Just as I was beginning to grow accustomed to the suffocating routine, Ophelia, who had become my personal attendant priestess, came running in in a panic.
"Ophelia? What is it?"
"The... the Hero is arriving right now!"
"What...?"
The Hero.
It was a familiar word, but a person I had never met.
"Why is he coming?" I asked, curious about his sudden, unannounced visit.
"He said that since the journey to defeat the Demon King will begin soon, he wanted to meet his companions one by one... and the Saintess is his first stop!"
I pondered for a moment at Ophelia's words, noting how she seemed somehow thrilled herself.
"I see. Should I go meet him now?"
"I will guide you!"
I followed Ophelia to an outdoor courtyard on the Church grounds.
There was a row of white pillars, and in the center stood a round table.
"..."
Sitting at the table, tipping a teacup, was a man.
From a distance, the only thing I could make out was his golden hair.
Step, step.
As I walked closer, he seemed to notice my approach. He set down his teacup, stood up, and walked toward me.
With every step that brought us closer, the appearance of the man presumed to be the Hero came into clear view.
Rich, golden hair.
Red eyes shining with confidence.
He wore a white uniform that accentuated his tall stature and broad shoulders, adorned with brilliant gold insignias.
From the belt at his waist to the scabbard of his sword, he looked exactly like a prince straight out of a fairy tale. I stopped in my tracks without even realizing it.
Gently, the Hero took my hand.
He dropped to one knee and pressed a soft kiss to the back of my hand.
"H-Hero! By Church law, the Saintess must avoid impure contact with the opposite sex!"
Ophelia's startled voice from beside me finally snapped me back to reality.
"Ah, my apologies."
Even the way he stood up exuded the grace and dignity of a high-born noble.
"The Saintess was simply too beautiful for me to help myself. I am Leon Donaud, the Hero of this generation."
"Ah... yes!"
Feeling my face flush, I nodded as he placed a hand over his chest and bowed politely.
That was my first meeting with the Hero.
His first impression, the brief conversation we shared, the lingering gaze, and even his scent stayed with me, leaving me in a daze for the rest of the day.
That night, when writing my letter to Abel, I found myself writing about the Hero without even realizing it.
Only later did I worry that sending such details might be inappropriate, but...
"I've come again because I wished to converse and get to know the Saintess better."
When the Hero visited again shortly after, all my worries vanished.
"I have secured permission for us to go out, so shall we? I hear a traveling theater troupe has arrived in the capital."
"Really?! Whenever I asked to go out, they always said no..."
"Because I am the Hero. Who would dare object to the Hero taking the Saintess out?"
With the Hero, escaping the suffocating Church was actually possible.
He came to find me almost every day, as if rescuing me from that dreadful place.
From then on, my days were filled with endless joy.
The plays by famous actors and the acrobatic feats of the circus troupes we watched together were so grand and thrilling that they completely erased the memories of the simple games I used to play with Abel.
The meals we shared at renowned restaurants and the desserts from the capital's most famous patisseries were so delicious that I forgot all about the rustic dishes Abel used to cook for me.
"I bought this because I thought it would match the color of your eyes, Sera."
"Wow—it's beautiful!"
The ring and necklace set with raw blue sapphires that the Hero gifted me were so expensive and dazzling that the wildflowers and hand-carved wooden dolls Abel used to give me felt like cheap toys.
Everything I had shared with Abel began to feel like nothing more than childish, immature house-play.
"Thank you so much, Leon!"
In those moments, Abel didn't cross my mind at all.
On the night I received the ring...
Boom! Boom!
Beneath the fireworks bursting in the night sky...
"Leon..."
"Sera..."
Lightheaded from the wine, I held him close and kissed him.
It wasn't the light, innocent peck I had shared with Abel, but a deeper, passionate kiss where our tongues met.
Though I regretted it the next day, blaming it on the alcohol...
I actually kissed him...
Strangely, the memory lingered, and I found myself tracing my lips throughout the day.
"Saintess, someone was looking for you."
"Pardon?"
A holy knight had approached me with the news.
"The guard at the gate reported that a man named Abel visited, asking if something had happened to you."
Abel...!
A sharp prick of guilt pierced my chest like a thorn.
I had been so swept up in spending time with the Hero that I had completely forgotten to reply to his letters.
"Ophelia! Were there any letters for me?"
"Pardon? Yes, they've been arriving continuously..."
"Why didn't you tell me?!"
At my sharp tone, Ophelia looked hurt and defensive.
"I did tell you every time they arrived, but... you always said you had to go out with the Hero, or that you were too tired..."
Did I really...?
Stunned by the realization, I told Ophelia to bring me the letters.
"Here they are, Saintess."
Ophelia placed a massive stack—practically a mountain—of letters in front of me.
It wasn't just one or two. There were dozens of unread letters.
It felt like only a brief moment had passed since I started spending time with the Hero, but the dates on the letters proved otherwise, arriving faithfully day after day.
A crushing wave of guilt washed over me.
Without telling Abel, I had been spending every day with another man, and I had even shared a deep kiss with him—something I had never done with Abel.
"L-Letter paper! Bring me some paper, quickly!"
"Yes, ma'am!"
I grabbed the paper and pen Ophelia rushed to bring me.
I have to write to Abel.
Holding the pen over the blank white sheet, I tried to think of something to write.
But what had I even done? I prayed... and prayed... and then...
The only things that filled my mind were the moments I had spent with the Hero.
I couldn't exactly write about my dates with the Hero in a letter to Abel.
"Ah..."
I had nothing to say.
After dipping the quill in ink several times, I managed to write only a single sentence.
I've been too busy with my duties as the Saintess to write. I'm doing well, so don't worry.
That was all.
What if Abel found it strange?
No, the Saintess is naturally a busy position. He would understand.
Abel would definitely understand. He always did. Abel always understood me.
"Send it... just like this."
"Yes, Saintess."
I watched Ophelia walk away with the letter, then turned my gaze back to the stack of letters beside me.
I reached out my hand, but...
My hand froze right before touching the pile.
Abel's letters, which had once been my sole comfort during my grueling life as the Saintess, now terrified me.
I felt that if I read them, a suffocating guilt would rise from deep within my chest and choke me to death.
"I'm sorry... Please understand, Abel."
From that day on, I stopped reading Abel's letters.
The Saintess is a busy position dedicated to saving everyone.
Whenever guilt reared its head, a voice deep inside me whispered that Abel would understand even if I didn't write back.
"Leon~ Why are you so late?"
"I'm sorry. I was busy organizing the party. To make it up to you, I'll take you wherever you want to go today, Sera."
"Really? I'm so happy!"
Instead, the more guilty I felt, the more I threw myself into the time I spent with Leon.
Because when I was with him, I didn't have to think about Abel.
Come to think of it, all those promises of love and marriage from our childhood... weren't they just fleeting, immature feelings from when we didn't know any better?
Once you become an adult, isn't it only natural to meet someone who actually suits your status?
"Saintess! Hero! You look so wonderful together!"
"Haha! With the Saintess and the Hero getting along so well, we have nothing to fear from the Demon King! How reassuring!"
Every time we went out into the capital, people showered us with such praise.
When I glanced to my side, a golden-haired man, handsome as a sculpture, would smile back at me.
A noble by birth, the Hero chosen by the Holy Sword.
Even in fairy tales, the Hero and the Saintess always stood together, overcoming all adversity.
"Leon..."
"Hmm? What is it, Sera?"
"I think... I like you."
"I like you too, Sera."
It's him.
He is the one.
I'm sorry, Abel... It's just for a little while. Just for a moment.
Please understand...