Episode 67
Luisa could barely swallow her bitter smile. After all the times she’d wanted to hide her abilities, now here she was, practically desperate to reveal them.
“Captain! We’re wasting time like this—”
“Silence.”
“Captain?”
“If anyone else speaks recklessly, they will be dealt with severely.”
“……”
An uncomfortable silence fell. Rafael swept his gaze behind him in warning before meeting Luisa’s eyes with a conflicted expression.
“Are you really sure about this?”
“Yes.”
“…Follow me.”
She had kept asking, but she knew it was a big request. She had been prepared to use the Duke’s authority to force her way in if necessary, so Rafael’s unexpected compliance made her scratch her cheek awkwardly as she followed him.
‘Huh? That smell…’
The deeper they went, the more the sulfuric scent, just like the one from the Duke, filled the air. If the symptoms were the same, there was no time to waste. Luisa quickened her pace, practically running now.
Past the knights standing guard around the injured, she entered further and saw three knights lying side by side. Just like the Duke, half of their bodies were blackened as though scorched.
“Brown!”
“Over here, miss.”
Rafael tried to stop Luisa as she moved close to one of the injured, but Brown was quicker, placing a box nearby before stepping back.
The bag lay wide open, and Rafael stopped in his tracks, staring.
“What is this…?”
Inside the box was an abundance of holy flowers, filling it to the brim. Rafael’s eyes widened in disbelief—this was a quantity rare even in the temple.
The paladins surrounding them, who had been watching Luisa with wary eyes, now looked on in shock.
“Spread the holy flowers around them!”
Luisa shouted at the knights encircling the injured. But all of them simply stood there, stunned, continuing to stare at the box. So Damian and Brown stepped forward.
“Like last time, just place them down, right?”
“Yeah. Why are they all acting like this? They were the ones rushing me before.”
“They’re probably just shocked.”
“That’s right. I’m surprised myself. When would we ever see this many holy flowers?”
“They’re this shocked over some flowers? They’re going to faint when they see what’s next.”
“Haha, maybe.”
Brown chuckled softly as he quickly laid out the flowers. Damian filled in the remaining spaces and stood guard by Luisa’s side.
Without hesitation, Luisa took the hand of one of the corrupted knights. As his trembling lashes lowered, the shimmer in his eyes disappeared beneath closed lids.
A warm power, not burdensome but full, flowed through her body.
Luisa briefly wondered if, in the future, she might be able to purify this thick miasma even without holy flowers.
She quickly brushed the thought away and began driving out the miasma, pouring her divine energy into him.
It was a miracle.
The pure white light blooming from Luisa’s hand left everyone around her spellbound.
Their stunned faces slowly shifted to awe and reverence.
Even the priests who had been observing from a distance forgot their pride, running toward her—and some even stumbled. Paladins dropped their most treasured swords in disbelief.
“Ha…”
Rafael covered his mouth, speechless. The white light washed over the blackened parts of the knights as if cleaning smeared ink from their bodies.
The tormented expressions of the wounded eased, and as each miracle unfolded—one after another—the only sound left was the trembling breath of the astonished witnesses.
They could believe an angel had descended. With the overwhelming light radiating from Luisa, it was easy to imagine a halo shining behind her.
“…You’re glad you trusted me, right?”
When the light faded, Luisa stood under the sunlight with a faint smile. Her violet eyes, catching the light, seemed transparent, and what once looked like simply brown hair now gleamed gold.
Wiping the sweat from her forehead, she looked proudly at the now-resting knights. She was breathtakingly beautiful.
Rafael’s blue eyes darkened, and the tips of his ears flushed red.
“…Amazing.”
A low whisper slipped through his hands before he realized he had spoken aloud. Perhaps she was the true knight. Calling her a saint didn’t feel like enough.
Rafael couldn’t look away from her. Even blinking felt like a waste.
How could he have dismissed this as mere interest? His heart, which had raced from worry just moments before, now beat fiercely with excitement.
His heartbeat thundered in his ears—so loud he feared she might hear it too.
Maybe it was because he hadn’t seen her in a while, but Rafael realized he had missed her dearly. Pressing a hand to his aching chest, he smiled bitterly.
‘As if I could just “decide.”’
Trying to sort out his feelings about Luisa had been nothing but arrogance. From the start, the choice was never his to make.
Rafael slowly knelt beside her.
“…Thank you.”
Then he gently kissed the back of her hand. As his lips touched her soft skin, his breath caught with emotion.
One by one, those around them began to kneel, following Rafael’s lead. They looked as though offering thanks to a divine figure, their expressions a mix of repentance and joy.
Luisa looked around awkwardly, unsure what to make of the situation. Rafael gazed at her quietly.
Perhaps from the exertion, her cheeks were flushed like ripened peaches. She looked both lovely and fragile.
Part of him wanted to keep today’s events a secret.
Her powers were awe-inspiring, but he feared they might force her into more dangerous situations, robbing her of her freedom.
Rafael silently vowed to protect her no matter what—and didn’t let go of her hand.
It was all complicated, but now that he accepted his feelings, there was relief in the clarity.
He didn’t need to waste time on useless thoughts. He just needed to look at Luisa—and, if possible, win her heart.
“Maybe you only feel like I’ve changed because your feelings have changed. I don’t like you anymore, Your Highness.”
Her blunt words echoed in his mind, stabbing sharply despite their calm tone. The bitter truth left him reeling.
Rafael could only laugh—painfully.
“But…”
That smile vanished as Luisa’s faint voice trembled at the end.
He looked up, puzzled, unable to meet her gaze. She stared only at their joined hands.
“I think I need to rest…”
Her voice was laced with fatigue. The color had drained from her once-flushed face, and sweat clung to her pale skin. Her eyes were heavy with exhaustion.
Alarmed, Rafael reached to steady her.
“…Luisa? Luisa!”
Or rather, he tried to. Had she not collapsed from sheer exhaustion—
Just before he could catch her, she crumpled into his arms. Her delicate neck and weightless body seized his attention.
His heart dropped with a loud thud. Though she was light, the impact of the moment struck him deeply.
“Luisa!”
The surrounding area, briefly stunned, quickly erupted into chaos.
Her body felt as if it were floating. Without form, wrapped in air, Luisa drifted weightlessly.
Suddenly, the wind shifted—blowing strongly in the opposite direction—and she followed its pull.
Then, an unbelievable scene appeared before her eyes.
“What, this is all the insurance money we got?”
“…That’s what they said.”
Her brother from her past life scowled at the envelope of cash. Beside him, their mother looked blank, her eyes blinking slowly.
Before Luisa could make sense of it, they continued.
“Want me to grow this into more?”
“What?”
“You can’t do anything with this. I’ll turn it into ten times as much!”
“What are you planning—don’t tell me, gambling again?! Your father’s hospital bills are more urgent! That’s what this money is for!”
“Hospital bills? Please. He was drunk, but he got hit. That’s an easy settlement!”
“We’ll only get that if they catch the guy! Where are you going?! Bring that money back!!”
“Ugh, shut up already. Pathetic. Shit. You said yourself surgery probably wouldn’t work! Better for someone alive to use the money than waste it on someone about to die. Move!”
“What?! You little—ack!”
He kicked their mother aside and stormed out. Luisa wasn’t even surprised. She had half-expected this and wondered if this was just a dream dredged up from her subconscious.
“Oh, raising a son is useless after all! Sob… Iruya… if only you were here…”
Iru. A name she had forgotten surfaced.
Luisa looked at her mother, who clutched her chest and sobbed in regret.
Her mother’s face was gaunt and aged drastically. Her once-black hair had turned completely white.
Hearing her moaning in pain and weeping, Luisa looked away, unable to bear the sight any longer.
