Moonlit ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Confession

What is it? Did I do something wrong?

The Saintess's mood was visibly sinking.

Even while drinking delicious dessert coffee, her eyes were unfocused. During a performance by a musical troupe she'd said she quite liked, she just stared blankly at a distant mountain, and even while playing a board game famous as the top-tier entertainment in this place, she did nothing but sigh.

First, I put my brain into full operation.

Because I might have disappointed the Saintess.

But according to the Saintess Formula, completed around the same time as the Rosarian Formula, Rosaria was incapable of upsetting the Saintess no matter what she did.

Just breathing was okay, just showing her face was okay, and the formula had been proven that even just smiling immediately resulted in a kiss on the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠nape of the neck.

So why was the Saintess's mood so displeased?

Could it be that this Saintess Formula was wrong?

But the kiss mark that hadn't yet faded from my nape was proof of it.

'...That aside, I think I'm going crazy.'

My heart had been pounding incessantly since earlier.

Because the Saintess, whose mood had suddenly sunken, was so very quiet.

She was calm, and her eyes weren't consumed by madness.

She even showed a hint of tearful innocence and was spending her time behaving in a manner completely opposite to her usual Menhera tendencies.

Was this what you'd call gap moe?

I was captivated by this side of the Saintess I was seeing for the first time—this quiet and composed version of her.

'...I'm trash. Not a person, but burning garbage.'

Of course, I had feelings of worry and a desire to comfort her.

But surpassing that, a feeling of affection was blooming.

Even though I wasn't Rosaria.

A pink emotion tinged with guilt filled my body.

And people tend to be especially weak to such feelings.

'...You piece of shit.'

If the Saintess weren't here, I'd probably have slapped myself to snap out of it. While splashing cold water on my face to calm my burning cheeks.

"...Lady Serena."

Alright, enough idle thoughts.

"...Did I, perhaps, do something wrong?"

Let's ask directly for now.

"...No, it's not Rosaria's fault."

The Saintess answered vacantly, with sad eyes.

Her melancholy figure was silhouetted against the sunset.

So the shadow blooming on her face looked even deeper.

...It bothered me so much I felt like I was going crazy.

I wanted to know why she was like that, what was tormenting her so.

I even had the presumptuous thought that I wanted to fix it for her.

When the thought arose that I wished the Saintess wouldn't be in pain and would act like her usual self.

A complicated thrill bloomed in my chest.

And, I finally admitted it.

That I liked that Menhera Saintess.

Uncharacteristically, even though I'm not even the real Rosaria.

So, I wanted the person I liked to be happy, and furthermore, I suppose I wished that I could be the one to create that happiness for her.

'...Am I even allowed to do such a thing?'

I'm not the real Rosaria.

The one the Saintess loves is Rosaria.

I'm merely wearing Rosaria's body.

The being she loves is not 'me'.

Perhaps I had been living with that thought all along.

But, as expected, humans are greedy creatures.

It seems that, at some point, I began harboring the vulgar thought,

wishing that love would be directed at 'me' as well.

The desire to intrude filled my head.

'...No, don't entertain such thoughts.'

I kept drawing a line.

I am not Rosaria.

The person the Saintess likes is not 'me'.

After finishing that self-brainwashing, I pulled myself together.

Rosaria opened her mouth.

"...Then, could you tell me what's causing you such distress?"

It was a strange sensation.

A feeling I get very occasionally—the sensation of not being myself.

An unidentifiable sense of elation fills my head.

"Serena, no, just as you illuminate my life, I wish to illuminate yours as well."

A faint smile graced Rosaria's lips.

Seeing that, the Saintess bit her lip.

An expression of pondering how to respond.

Even that was alien, and adorable.

"You can say anything. I am prepared to accept it all. So tell me of this worry that has settled upon your heart. Confess it to me, with the heart of a believer confessing a sin. Grant me your confession."

Perhaps these were blasphemous words.

Since a mere provincial noble was prattling on to the Saintess, telling her to repent.

But to the Saintess, Rosaria was everything.

Thus, it wasn't blasphemy, but an embrace.

It was the maternal compassion of the Holy Mother licking a festering wound,

and the touch most needed by the Saintess, who had a thorn lodged in her heart.

"...Rosaria."

The Saintess began to cry, expressionless.

But gradually, the flowing tears began to draw out her emotions.

The heavy lump of guilt she'd been piling up melted away.

That hot, leaden lump began to stream from her eyes.

The Saintess embraced Rosaria.

Like a child clinging to their mother.

She merely shed silent tears and stayed still in her arms.

*

The sunset hid that scene, and the moonlight gradually began to fill the sky.

The time when adults drink and reflect on days past and present,

and children gaze at the stars, anticipating the coming morrow.

The curtain of night, signaling the end of a long day, had draped itself over this place.

"...What was it that tormented you so, Lady Saintess?"

The night river reflecting the moon and stars.

I was in that space, filled only with quietude, together with the Saintess.

I sat on a small bench, lending my shoulder to the anguished Saintess.

"...Rosaria, I told you a lie. I deceived and cheated Rosaria. After saying I love you, after prattling that I would never lie, I broke that promise myself."

The Saintess finally told me the cause.

And the moment I heard it, I secretly felt relieved.

Because a lie is a common thing.

Aren't lies something told even to friends you've shared your whole life with, to lovers sworn to eternity, and even to the parents who gave birth to you?

"...It doesn't matter to me."

What's the big deal about lying while living life? That's how I felt.

But the troubled person before my eyes was the Saintess, even if she did carry a label of mental fragility.

Noble as she was, she was likely tormented by a tiny stain.

But the sense of incongruity didn't disappear.

Because I couldn't figure out when she had told this lie.

Just when could that Saintess, who couldn't even hide her expressions during a card game, have possibly lied? If she had, I felt like I would have noticed immediately.

Of course, now wasn't the time to worry about that.

In the first place, my memory of today wasn't fully intact.

Hadn't my head been heating up since the carriage ride?

So, I simply hypothesized that there was just some moment I didn't remember, and casually moved on.

"Aren't lies a frequent occurrence even between people?"

For now, to reassure her, I generalized it.

This wasn't even a lie itself. Aren't they actually frequent?

"...But Rosaria always tells me only the truth. After telling Rosaria, whom I love, that I loved you, I lied. After saying that even the thought of lying to Rosaria tormented me as if my heart were being torn apart, I, to Rosaria..."

The Saintess, tormented by the fact that she had done something her counterpart hadn't.

If you know the cause, treatment is easy.

"...Then, I shall tell a lie to you now, Lady Saintess. That will make things even, won't it?"

Wouldn't it be fine if we were the same?

If I also told a lie,

wouldn't that lighten her burden?

It might have been a somewhat one-dimensional approach.

But the person for whom that was the right answer was right in front of me.

"An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, as they say. I shall repay your sin with fitting vengeance."

The Saintess didn't reply to those words.

She said nothing, merely remaining in silence.

And into that Saintess's ear, I kindly whispered a lie.

"...I despise you, Lady Saintess. I hate you more than anyone in the world. So, I'm going to marry someone other than you."

A lie intended to cause the least hurt possible.

"...What a malicious lie. If Rosaria hadn't told me beforehand that it was a lie, it was malicious enough to make me shed tears on the spot."

I could feel the pitch of her voice rise slightly.

A sensation that the heavy, sinking feeling had lifted just a little.

Soon, I could see a smile beginning to form on her lips.

"...With this, we've both become liars. Once again, thanks to the kind Rosaria sacrificing herself for me."

Emotions are complex yet simple.

They may seem like an unending downpour, but emotions are such that the moment someone shields you with an umbrella, the rain stops and the sun rises.

"...I won't ask what the lie was about. But I know it couldn't have been a lie meant to make me hated, or to cause me harm. Because you, who are always looking out for me, would have no reason to hurt me."

I could see her gradually unwinding.

Because color had begun to return to her formerly cynical face.

"...As expected, Rosaria is so kind. No matter what sins I commit, I love that side of you that embraces me so."

As she said this, the Saintess leaned her body against me and took my hand.

It was cold, like a thin sheet of ice.

Perhaps because she had been walking around tense with guilt.

But I could feel the warmth gradually returning now.

It was just then, as I was warming the Saintess who had grown cold with her eyes closed.

"I love you, Rosaria."

As she said that, the Saintess lifted the hand she had been holding.

"...Marriage might be difficult right away, but I want to be with you forever. So, could you accept my selfishness this time as well?"

The moment her words ended, the Saintess brought her lips to my ring finger.

"First, let's start as lovers. Sharing sweet love as lovers. Leaving a mark on each other's bodies to remember each other anytime, anywhere. This is that mark. It's the mark that Rosaria belongs to me, Canaria."

Soon, she parted her lips and bit down on it ever so gently so it wouldn't hurt.

Light teeth marks appeared on my ring finger.

I had liked the dark and quiet Saintess too, but this expression of pure, madness-tinged love was the Saintess I knew. And I was happy about the fact that she had returned to her usual self.

"...This time, it's Rosaria's turn to engrave it."

Saying that, the Saintess raised her hand.

It was a small, fair hand, all over again.

To the point that leaving teeth marks on it felt like a sin.

"...Pardon me."

But the Saintess desired this.

Moreover, I had no right to refuse her,

and in the first place, I didn't even have the thought of wanting to refuse it.

I similarly brought my lips to her ring finger.

Similarly, I bit it and left a mark.

I engraved the same mark there, matching the one left on my own finger.

The immoral feeling of having become a beast made my heart race.

"I ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠look forward to our future together, Rosaria."

The Saintess took my hand again.

At the same time, a radiant light began to swirl around it.

Soon, when the Saintess pulled her hand away, there was a ring left behind.

"It's not bad for marking the start of our relationship, is it?"

It was a silver ring bearing a strong resemblance to the color of the Saintess's hair.

"This is a ring unique in the entire world. Because I, as the Saintess, personally created this Holy Relic just now. Just like my love, it will never change, nor break."

As she said that, the Saintess smiled.

As expected, just like always, it was an expression warped by love.

But now, even that face was ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠adorable.

Her silver hair reflecting the moonlight,

her beautiful face depicting love,

even those black pupils that looked at no one but me.

Everything looked adorable.

*

After the date ended, I returned home.

We had held hands in silence until I got out of the carriage.

Neither of us knew what to say to the other, and we were both blushing.

I arrived home in that state.

With the sensation as if waking from a dream, I was supported by the maids back to my bedroom, and as soon as I returned, I lay down just like that and began to get lost in thought.

'Things... things progressed way too fast.'

It was a dizzying day.

And for a single day, a lot had happened.

Plus, it felt as if I had been, not myself.

But time had already flowed away beyond the horizon.

Those left in the present cannot grasp the past.

There was nothing to do but accept the results already decided in the past.

"...The first day as lovers, huh."

I kept reminding myself that my memories weren't a dream but reality, as I stared at the teeth marks that hadn't yet healed.

And as I did, I felt incredibly embarrassed.

"...From now on, how am I supposed to face her?"

Do I need to act differently than usual?

Or should I act the same as I always have.

...I don't know.

Nothing comes to mind.

A tepid heat wouldn't leave my cheeks.

I was embarrassed.

Though it would be a day I'd remember forever,

for some reason, I didn't want to recall it right now.

Because the more I recalled it, the more it felt like my heart would burst.

*

-The first day as lovers, huh.

Rosaria's voice echoed in the Saintess's ear.

She had been listening on the carriage ride back to the Holy Nation.

"I'm sorry, Rosaria. You see, I'm a greedy person."

Because even though we can't live together, she wanted to hear that voice anytime, anywhere.

She had simply touched the Holy Relic slightly and implanted a wiretapping function into it.

"But aside from that, she called me her lover."

She confirmed it wasn't just her own delusion.

At the same time, the Saintess's body began to heat up.

Her breathing grew rough, and a ticklish sensation coiled around her.

"As expected, Rosaria is the best. I love you, I like you so much."

Thinking this, the Saintess looked at the teeth marks engraved on her hand.

Rosaria's mark, engraved on her own body.

She brought her lips to it again and gently licked it.

It was an incredibly sweet taste of love.