DYBA 12

DYBA

Chapter 12

“Nnnnghhh.”

I slept soundly again today without waking up in the middle.

As I stretched to shake off the sleepiness, it suddenly didn’t feel real that I was alive.

It felt even more so because yesterday was just a series of bewildering situations.

“Ouch.”

Just in case, I pinched my cheek, and fortunately, a sharp pain came through.

“Hehehe.”

For some reason, rather than hurting, I felt a sweet sensation and a giggle escaped.

‘As expected, you have to be alive to see things through.’

Whether I was terminally ill or destined to be a minor villainess who torments the heroine.

Even with all the misdeeds I’d committed and the misunderstandings swirling around because of them, it was definitely better to be in this world, even if it was a pile of dung.

‘I’ll just carefully settle my karmic debts from now on.’

I can do it! Clenching my fists, I shot up from the bed.

But once I was standing, the room felt oddly empty.

“Huh? Where did the cat go?”

‘Did it run away?’

I urgently looked around at the windows and the door. Fortunately, the door was firmly shut.

But it left the room and came to the living room yesterday too! My heart sank as I looked around, and then I spotted the cat, curled up and asleep on the floor on the other side of the bed.

“Why are you sleeping there…….”

Maybe because it’s a stray, it’s still used to the floor.

Seeing it sleep on the cold floor instead of the warm bed made me inexplicably tear up.

Trying not to wake it, I carefully approached and picked the cat up with both hands. But, perhaps because it’s so sensitive.

“…Meow.”

The moment my hands touched it, it opened its eyes slightly and let out an annoyed cry. Its whining was somehow cute, making me grin.

“Sorry. Let’s sleep on the bed.”

I used a soft pillow as a cushion, placed the cat on it, and covered it with the blanket. The cat stared at me intently for a moment before slowly closing its eyes again.

Watching the cat’s body rise and fall rhythmically, I suddenly remembered what happened yesterday.

—

‘Tete is the best.’

—

“Huh? What was that voice last night?”

Thinking about it now, I think I heard it the day before yesterday too.

“It was a very mysterious male voice.”

A low, dry tone that paradoxically sounded incredibly kind.

‘The doors and windows weren’t open. Hmm, was it an auditory hallucination?’

But can you have auditory hallucinations two days in a row?

“Hmm? Hmmmm.”

Actually, since I was so half-asleep, I was confused about whether the voices I heard yesterday and the day before were even the same.

“Was it a dream….”

Tapping my fingers on the bed, I thought deeply, but no clear answer came.

“It must have been a dream, I guess.”

Otherwise, it didn’t make sense. Besides, it was absurd that the only thing I heard in this hallucination was just the cat’s name.

“Tete. It’s a cute name.”

It was definitely better than the name ‘Taesik’ I had given it……

“Tete. Hey, Tete.”

I tentatively called out to the sleeping cat. Its ears twitched *padadadak*.

What the…… That’s just too cute……!

‘Okay, let’s go with Tete. Tete.’

Starting the day by deciding on a name and seeing such cuteness.

I had a strong feeling that today would go very well.

—

***

My premonition was dead.

What was the point of bravely burning with passion for a new start?

‘It’s been over a week since I’ve been trapped in this house……!’

There was only one reason: I went outside without my family’s knowledge.

After being grounded, I couldn’t do anything except play with Tete.

Of course, that life was incredibly sweet, but I could no longer postpone what I had to do.

And so, right now, I was on my way to the Envy Cathedral with Tete.

Of course, my parents strongly objected when I said I wanted to go out again.

‘Hehe, I anticipated this and thriftily utilized Bishop Shine’s name!’

We reached an agreement that I would remove his and his believers’ names from the list, and I persuaded them that I needed to go to the Envy Cathedral quickly.

Since I had stayed quietly in the mansion for over a week, my parents couldn’t really stop me.

‘It definitely feels like the overprotectiveness has gotten worse.’

It seems my dying and coming back to life was quite a shock.

‘So maybe that’s why they permitted me to go to the Arte sect.’

Like other noble families, but especially ours, we detested other religions to an extreme degree.

I heard one of our ancestors once served a god other than the Four Great Gods and nearly ended up fading into obscurity.

Of course, I *am* a heretic, but since Arte isn’t a false god but the Creator God of this world, it should be fine.

‘It’s not like the family will fall because of me or something, right?’

As if such a novel-like thing would happen.

With a light heart, I climbed the steps of the Envy Cathedral, where I had arrived before I knew it.

Then, I flinched.

‘Huh…?’

For a moment, the color drained from my face.

‘Did I just raise a death flag?’

You’re insane, Ciera Eisens!

After dying and coming back to life in a development more dramatic than any novel, how could I be so careless!

‘Ptui, ptui, ptui. I take back what I just said!’

Even if this is a novel-like world and not reality, I’ll pass on any ominous foreshadowing.

Like a thief with a guilty conscience, I quickly shrugged my shoulders.

‘In transmigration and rebirth stories, ignoring clichés always leads to ruin in the later stages!’

The misery in my life was already sufficient with just the ‘terminally ill’ keyword.

Lamenting the lack of salt, I spent a good while frantically brushing off my entire body.

Tap. Tap.

“Huh? Tete?”

How did it get out of the carriage? Tete was below me, tugging at the hem of my dress.

“Meow.”

As if asking how I could leave it behind, it cried discontentedly. I picked Tete up.

“Nn, sorry. Let’s go together.”

Skillfully soothing Tete, I stepped lightly into the main cathedral.

Perhaps Shine had informed them in advance, a priest who came to greet me guided me not to the prayer room on the second floor, but downstairs.

We must have gone down to the third basement floor. In front of a massive door that inspired awe, the priest spoke politely.

“From this point, only those who wish to sever their ties with the God of Water and Benevolence, Envy, may enter.”

I nodded silently.

Thud.

As I took a step towards the door, strangely, it creaked open without anyone’s help.

“Gasp…!”

I caught my breath at the mysterious sight.

‘It’s… a little scary.’

He’s supposedly the God of Benevolence; surely He won’t do anything just because I’m leaving the faith.

‘Right…?’

Gulp. Swapping my dry saliva, I hesitantly stepped inside. At that moment.

“Meow.”

Suddenly, Tete slipped out of my arms and hopped inside through the door.

“Tete, no!”

That’s not a place for you to enter! Stamping my feet in frustration, I also headed inside.

I was about to tell the priest that I’d get Tete out quickly when—

*Kooong!*

“Huh? What the?”

The door closed by itself?

“W-wait a minute. What about Tete? Shouldn’t you let Tete out?”
Despite my words, the door didn’t budge an inch. The same went for Tete.

“Meow.”

As if it owned the place, Tete walked proudly, then glanced back at me and cried.

Its face looked like it was staring at something pathetic, making me feel a bit embarrassed…

“Ahem.”

I took my hands off the door, which I was trying to open, and followed Tete down the long corridor.

Just as the endless-looking corridor seemed to stretch forever, a large hall finally came into view at the far end.

Quickening my pace, I entered to find a statue in the center of the hall, on a completely different scale from any I’d seen before.

“This is the God of Water and Benevolence…”

I had to crane my neck back fully just to see the top of the statue’s head.

Despite its immense size, it was the most exquisite statue I had ever seen.

Though just a white stone statue, His blue hair and pupils seemed to shimmer like an illusion. His faint smile overflowed with benevolence.

It was as if the god had manifested within the statue.

How long had I been staring blankly at the statue?

“Meow.”

As always, it was Tete who pulled me out of my thoughts. The sensation of it tapping my foot snapped me back to reality, and I naturally picked Tete up.

On the stone slab in front of the statue, delicate letters were engraved:

[My child who wishes to leave my embrace. I first wish to ask if you began your day happily today.]
[I wish to hold you back, but I do not wish to break the resolve that has brought you this far.]

“Ah…”

This is a world where gods truly exist and humans can interact with them through divine messages. So, these words couldn’t be false.

‘Lord Envy wrote this Himself.’

Was that why? Even though I had never properly believed, I felt inexplicably choked up.

[Even if you leave me, I will always watch over you. I cheer for your happiness.]

I felt the illusion of the god’s benevolent voice sweetly shaking my eardrums. Reflexively sniffling, I brought my hands together in prayer.

‘I was never truly devout to Lord Envy.’

But still, when the pain of my incurable illness came, it was reassuring to have a god to rely on.

Clenching my praying hands tighter, I continued my thoughts inwardly.

‘From now on, I’ve decided to believe in Lord Arte. Please watch over me kindly too, Lord Envy.’

Someday, the day will come when Lord Envy will also open His heart to Lord Arte again.

When that time comes, I thought I’d like to have a conversation with Lord Envy.