I'm Not a Saintess!
Saintess...?
The Old Priest knelt even deeper, bowing his head further.
His aged shoulders trembled faintly.
Awe, or emotion, or maybe both—he couldn't tell.
"No."
The denial burst out immediately.
"I'm not a saintess."
The Old Priest lifted his head.
His eyes were strangely clear.
Not the eyes of someone listening to reason, but eyes that had already reached their own conclusion.
"The seal is proof."
I instinctively hid the back of my hand behind me.
"No, no. This is just... they said take it just in case, so I did."
'They didn't say anything about making me a saintess.'
I cursed the gods inwardly for a moment.
The Old Priest slowly rose to his feet.
"We'll make preparations."
"Preparations? For what? Give me an answer before you go."
"Preparations to receive the miracle."
"No, I told you, it's not that kind of miracle."
The Old Priest ignored me to the end.
He backed toward the door, bowing deeply once more.
"Please wait just a moment, Saintess."
"Don't use that title."
The door closed.
I was left alone in the prayer room.
I looked down at the back of my hand.
A faint golden glow. The more I stared, the more of a headache it seemed to promise.
It wouldn't fade.
At best, a divine blessing. At worst, a stamp that invited misunderstandings.
"...They really didn't say anything like this."
That was when it happened.
The door opened again.
This time, the Old Priest wasn't alone.
Three Nuns entered in a line, draped in white habits topped with deep navy veils.
Even their breathing was soft. But their eyes? Not soft at all. They had that look—like they were gazing at a sacred relic.
The lead Nun placed a hand over her heart and spoke.
"Saintess, this way."
"I told you, I'm not."
"You must first don proper attire."
"I don't need to. I don't do this kind of thing anyway."
"From today onward, you must."
"Why does 'from today' even exist?"
Two of them flanked me.
The third had already circled behind.
This felt familiar.
Three maids last night.
Three Nuns today.
Why did the Empire always handle one person in threes? Was there a manual?
"Wait, hold on. Call the Emperor. I can talk to that guy."
"We'll inform His Majesty shortly."
"Not shortly—now."
"Preparations come first."
The church folk were even better at ignoring people than the maids.
In the end, I was half-dragged into the preparation room next to the prayer hall.
A large mirror, clothing racks, and a table stacked with layers of white fabric filled the room.
In the center hung a single outfit, already laid out.
A nun's habit.
Well, fancier than the ones I knew. Pure white base, with delicate silver embroidery at the cuffs and hem, a golden sash at the waist. Even the veil had subtle patterns along the edges—not just plain cloth.
"...No."
A sigh escaped first.
"This is really no."
"It will suit you perfectly."
"Why are you so sure already?"
"Because you've received the mark of the gods."
"What kind of logic is that?"
The youngest Nun cautiously held up the garment.
Her earnest expression only irritated me more.
"Saintess."
"I'm not."
"You must at least try it on."
"No thanks."
"You still must."
"Why."
"Because we want to see..."
The older Nun beside her cleared her throat.
"No, it's protocol."
Both seemed utterly sincere, which made it even more absurd.
In the end, I got pushed again.
Outer clothes stripped off, a cloth wrapped around my hand to hide the seal, then unwrapped because "the holy mark must be visible," hair brushed, veil placed.
I sat in the chair before the mirror, staring into space.
The body was mine, but I had zero say.
Fabric draped over my shoulders, sash tied at the waist, sleeves adjusted.
Someone stood in the mirror.
Silver hair cascading beneath the white veil, a thin shadow of fabric framing red eyes.
The golden seal on my hand stood out even more sharply. Paired with this nun-like outfit, it looked too convincing—obnoxiously so.
"..."
I glared at the mirror for a long while.
The three Nuns behind me swallowed in unison.
"Heavens."
"Truly..."
"Oh, God..."
"I just came from seeing God."
The words slipped out unbidden.
All three shut their mouths at once. After a brief silence, the lead Nun murmured with a face on the verge of tears.
"As expected of the Saintess..."
"No."
That was when the door burst open.
A familiar laugh came first.
"Ha."
The red-haired Emperor leaned against the doorframe, scanning me up and down.
The Old Priest stood behind him.
Both their expressions had changed.
The Old Priest was moved. The Emperor looked like he was dying of amusement.
"What a sight."
I shot up from the chair.
"Save me."
The Emperor burst into laughter.
"A foreign saintess. Even I've never seen one."
"Tell them I'm not."
"We'll see."
The Emperor strolled into the room.
His golden eyes swept from my veil to the seal on my hand. His lips curved up ever so slowly.
"It's a shame, though."
"What is."
"It suits you."
I briefly considered killing him.
He read my face and laughed louder, then turned to the Old Priest.
"So, the church plans to treat this child as a true saintess?"
"Yes. The seal and holy power prove it."
"Hmm."
The Emperor stroked his chin.
I glanced back and forth between them.
Good. Now he can sort this out.
Otherwise, I'd be stuck here all day listening to hymns.
The Emperor spoke leisurely.
"Then we need to talk."
He pointed at a chair with his finger—sit.
I didn't.
"Sort this out first before I sit."
I held up my hand with the seal.
"And this outfit too."
The Emperor eyed my attire again. White habit-like robe, thin veil, golden seal. His lips curved up once more.
"This one's a real shame."
"What."
"It suits you."
"Should I kill you?"
The Old Priest coughed beside us.
"Your Majesty. This is no joking matter. The seal and holy power are clear evidence."
"And?"
"The church must enshrine her as saintess."
"No thanks."
"We must."
"I'm not going."
"You must."
"I'm from Earth."
"Not necessarily from today."
"What do you mean 'not necessarily'?"
"Once the gods' will intervenes, one's personal life can change."
"I told you, I didn't hear that will."
The Emperor finally laughed out loud.
"Enough, both of you. My ears hurt."
He crossed his arms and looked at the Old Priest.
"Old Priest. One question. Did you personally hear an oracle declaring her a true saintess?"
The Old Priest fell silent for a moment.
"...Not in direct terms."
"Then."
"But the seal, the holy power, and the changes after contact with the divine—"
"I get it."
The Emperor turned to me.
"You? What did the gods say?"
The room's tension eased slightly for the first time. The three Nuns held their breath. I dropped my gaze briefly, then met his eyes.
"They don't know why the dimensions tore either."
The Emperor's eyes sharpened, playfulness gone.
"But they're holding it back for now. Blocking whatever's pushing from outside their world, holding the torn boundaries, keeping it from spreading further here."
The Old Priest swallowed.
I continued.
"And they said our world is likely connected not just to yours, but to others too."
"Other worlds?"
"What we call the wuxia side."
This time, even the Emperor didn't laugh.
The room went quiet. The Nuns' gazes shifted from my hand to my mouth.
"The gods reacted immediately. If it's not just the side they're holding, our world might have been breaking down far longer, far deeper than we thought."
The Emperor stroked his chin.
"Hm."
The Old Priest asked cautiously.
"Then... the mention of saintess."
"They didn't say that."
"But the seal—"
"'Take this just in case'—that's it."
"Just in case..."
The Old Priest repeated it, his face growing even graver.
"Isn't that precisely the mark given to the chosen one?"
"Why does it always end up there?"
"The gods prepared us in advance."
"No, it's more like an emergency contact badge—"
"Saintess."
"Drop the title."
The Emperor burst out laughing again, face full of delight.
"Perfect. The church has its conclusion, and she denies it to her dying breath."
"Sort it out."
"I will."
He turned slowly to stand before the Old Priest.
"The church recognizes this child as a saintess."
The Old Priest and three Nuns brightened at once.
I cut in immediately.
"Hey."
The Emperor raised a palm to silence me.
"Hear me out."
His voice lowered.
"However, the formal rite and public proclamation are postponed."
The Old Priest's face hardened.
"Your Majesty."
"This child isn't from the Empire. Not affiliated with our church, and certainly not something to bind to your altar."
"But—"
"The fact she bears the divine mark, and the fact she must travel between worlds, are separate."
The Emperor jerked his chin at me.
"She's Earth's representative. Keep her here, and it's not just the church—the whole Empire has to explain."
The Old Priest fell silent. The Nuns bowed their heads.
The Emperor added by way of conclusion.
"Treat her as a saintess internally. But delay the rite. If the gods truly intended it, they'll provide cause again someday."
For the first time, I could breathe.
Good.
Formal saintess: no.
Formal rite: postponed.
Public: none.
Perfect resolution.
The Old Priest bowed very slowly.
"...Understood, Your Majesty."
He said he understood, but his face gave nothing away. He'd be calling me Saintess every chance he got from now on.
The Emperor dusted his hands.
"Done. Now, take off the clothes."
"Yes."
The three Nuns moved at once.
This time far more deferentially—and regretfully. Veil removed, sash untied, white robe folded away. I changed back into my original clothes and caught my breath. The mirror showed my familiar self again.
Except for the seal on my hand, unchanged.
The Emperor headed for the door.
"Come to the office in an hour. I'll call the Earth reps again too. Everyone needs to hear what you did."
"Got it."
"And."
He turned with a grin.
"That outfit? You could wear it again sometime."
"Get out."
The Emperor laughed heartily as he left.
The Old Priest and Nuns withdrew too. But to the last, they didn't hide their gazes—awe, curiosity, emotion. The exhausting kind.
The door closed, leaving the room quiet.
I looked at the back of my hand.
Golden seal.
Holy power.
Saintess.
Dimension collapse.
Headache-inducing, but somehow sorted.
The biggest problem was the world. The nearest was the outfit I'd just worn.
I let out a low sigh.
"Dealing with the church is more tiring than talking to gods."
The back of my hand felt faintly warm.