Chapter 6
She must have had a name when she was born in the beginning, but not only had she forgotten the name, she couldn’t even recall fragments of what had happened back then.
An incomprehensibly long eternity. Ages so monotonously vast that the passage of time itself had erased any memory of a name.
Shaken, the Saint quietly retraced her past in search of any clue about her name.
What surfaced in her mind were memories of pushing herself to the limit to maintain her power, and living in constant fear and planning every step to cut Ferdinando’s life short.
Aside from those two things… nothing else remained.
After living over a hundred thousand times longer than a human, she had nothing else to cling to but that, and had never once looked back at her past except through the lens of revenge. And…
‘For what exactly… have I lived?’
The reason behind her burning hatred for Ferdinando. The decisive reason that had driven her to vow revenge—she could not recall it. That realization alone was enough to shock her profoundly.
‘You never reflected on your life because of your hatred for me. I shall give you another chance.’
Before she was banished to the human realm, his words flashed through her mind.
‘What are you thinking, Ferdinando? What do you know, and what do you intend? And what of me…?’
“Seiri.”
At that moment—
“A name isn’t necessary. That will suffice.”
Lightning seemed to strike inside the Saint’s mind, and a shiver ran down her spine as if electrified. A lump of emotion surged, and she even felt like crying.
‘What… is this?’
Tears? Me? Preposterous. Not even a single drop had fallen when she was on the brink of annihilation.
She could hardly believe her own body’s absurd reaction to Raiden’s single remark.
“Did you like it enough to cry?”
Moments ago, she had looked ready to devour him, but now, like a lost fawn, her eyes trembled. The Emperor laughed at the sight.
But unlike the clearly amused Emperor, Seiri felt an indescribable humiliation as soon as she noticed how he was smirking at her weakened state.
Shame at having involuntarily shown tears. Heat rose to her face; blood surged.
‘Laughing at me even here? Wipe that face off, you bastard!!’
Her hunger finally sated, Seiri sprang onto the table and launched her body forward. No one could stop her as her fist shot toward Raiden’s face.
Like a hero hunting a dragon, her movements were fierce and dynamic! Leno stood frozen, mouth agape…
Poof.
Seiri’s punch seemed to strike an invisible barrier and missed neatly. Her body, landing atop Raiden like a feather, had arms and hands moving freely, embracing his broad chest as if it were precious.
“So this is how you express ‘pleasure’ in the Divine Realm?”
The Emperor’s lips curved slightly toward Seiri.
‘This rotten… damn it!’
No matter how hard she struggled, it was useless. Just like when she had first opened her eyes, her arms and legs could not leave Raiden’s body.
Damn it. Now she understood. Her body was designed to cling to the Emperor whenever she struck him.
The same face, yet such a trick? This rubber-doll-like bastard!
One thing was clear. Ferdinando was a complete pervert. He had acted as if indifferent or noble, maintaining a blank expression, all while itching to pull off these bizarre antics behind the scenes.
Since when had he been scheming this ridiculous setup using a face identical to his own? It was a plan so twisted it could only come from a pervert to the very bone, to the very cells.
…Sigh.
Seiri decided to close her eyes. Experience told her it would take time for this to pass—at least three minutes, during which she would have to endure being clung to. She could not strike, even if she wanted.
Three minutes. Just three minutes. Seiri gritted her teeth, determined to endure the humiliation of being stuck to the body of someone identical to Ferdinando.
“I don’t understand, Seiri.”
Unaware of her inner turmoil, his voice made her tremble.
Understand? Me?
“Did you like the name so much, or do you just want to cling to me?”
Ha?! Ridiculous! This was all part of a crazy scheme devised by the pervert you worship!
“Do you think I’m doing this because I like it? Ferdinando set it up this way!”
Seiri bared her teeth, growling, but Raiden couldn’t help but laugh again.
Her eyes had reverted from the lost fawn to a fierce beast, yet her body clung to him, soft and warm like a cat.
A woman clinging without reason would normally disgust him—but this wasn’t unpleasant.
“Nothing about the gods pleases me, but I see now there’s at least one good thing.”
Raiden wrapped his arms around her waist, supporting her body, and gently swept her hair back with one hand. As they practically embraced, Seiri shrieked in alarm.
“What are you doing!? Let go of me!”
What kind of perverted thing is this, you crazy bastard!?
“Shouldn’t you be the one to let go first?”
“Ugh…!”
The victorious smile on Raiden’s face didn’t fade as he continued to play with Seiri’s soft, catlike hair. He found himself wanting to prolong this moment, unable to fully understand why.
Even before, when she first embraced him, a certain scent emanated from her body.
It was unfamiliar, yet oddly familiar… a pleasant, indefinable feeling.
“Y-Your Majesty… if anyone comes in…”
Red-faced Leno, witnessing what looked like an intimate act, floundered helplessly.
Having lived devotedly in the temple for fifteen years, he had never seen such passionate contact between a man and a woman.
By any measure, the Emperor and Saint appeared as fervently in love, embracing each other so shamelessly that it bordered on obscene.
Even setting aside embarrassment, if someone walked in… a huge misunderstanding could occur.
Eventually, that moment came.
“Your Majesty, Lady Mortica urgently requests an audience with you!”
Damn! Leno’s heart sank at the servant’s announcement.
“Verdi?”
“I thought the Saint had departed on a retreat. Completing it would take at least two more months—yet she’s come here?”
“Very urgent, so she halted her retreat and came immediately.”
Leno’s expression stiffened. The retreat, a mandatory rite before becoming a Great Saint, was a critical part of one’s life. Stopping it meant the matter was truly important.
“Wait! Tell her to wait outside for now—”
Leno tried to buy time for Seiri to break free, but reality intruded mercilessly.
“Kyaaa-!”
The door opened to reveal a girl with silver hair cascading to her waist, wearing a pristine white Saint’s robe, hands covering her mouth.
“Your Majesty? What… what is this…?”
Her large aqua eyes blinked like an innocent doll’s. A delicate body, seemingly ready to collapse if touched. Pure, untainted gaze beneath silver lashes.
This was Mortica Verdi, symbol of Lucerne, originally destined to become the Empire’s second-ranking Great Saint.
“What happened here?”
Verdi pursed her cherry-like lips, as though tears might fall at any moment.
“This… um… when the Saint was giving her blessing… then…”
Leno’s explanation sounded like an excuse, but as Seiri’s actions were framed as the will of God, calling it a blessing wasn’t false.
“Blessing? Leno, how can that be called a blessing?”
A Saint’s blessing usually involved placing a hand on one’s head or kissing the back of a hand—a dignified, sacred act. Clinging to someone like lovers was never part of it. Moreover…
At that moment, the time limit ended, and Seiri detached from Raiden.
Having endured the ordeal, she glared at Raiden, stepping back, and Leno quickly added an explanation.
“A minor accident seems to have occurred.”
“Ah…?”
Verdi’s eyes, sparkling like glass beads, widened.
“I see. It was an accident!”
Seeming not to have been teary-eyed moments ago, she clasped her hands and smiled like an angel.
“So, that person is the Saint? But why is an ordinary Saint giving a blessing to His Majesty?”
Blessing royalty was the prerogative of a Great Saint. Verdi, as the Empire’s only candidate, had reason to be puzzled.
“W-well…”
For Leno, this situation was extremely awkward.
Verdi had graduated top of her Saint Academy class and was chosen as a Great Saint candidate. After a six-month retreat, she would reside in the palace to fulfill her role.
But while she was away, a divine oracle appeared to Leno, and a Great Saint manifested from the Garden of God. Verdi, secluded on the rocky mountain, had no idea this had happened.
As Leno hesitated, Raiden adjusted Seiri’s robes, and the story continued.
