Chapter 04
“By the way, you look terrible. Can you even stay here like this? Want me to help?”
“No need. If the Almighty hears about it, it’ll just cause more trouble. That old man’s instincts are pretty sharp.”
“I can make sure it doesn’t get noticed. After all, I’m one of the Almighty’s five lions.”
“I said I’m fine.”
“But you can’t use your powers right now. What are you going to do?”
Raphaella smiled knowingly, as if she had already thought of a plan.
“My powers may be bound, but my mouth and hands are still alive.”
Gillypus furrowed his brows and shook his head.
“…You’re thinking of something bad again.”
“No, no. I’m coming up with a very efficient plan.”
“No. You always had that expression right before causing trouble.”
“Anyway, don’t worry about me.”
Raphaella shrugged and laughed heartily, then leisurely walked over to the bed and perched on it.
Gillypus became serious again.
“Raphaella. What are you going to do about the ‘mirror’?”
Raphaella answered casually, showing no concern.
“I’ll just leave it be. Whether someone finds it or not, it’s still a thousand-year sentence. Why bother?”
“But if you work hard to gather it, the Almighty might change his mind and reduce your sentence.”
“That old man? He wouldn’t do that. And how many pieces are there? Tens, hundreds? I’d spend a thousand years just searching for them.”
Gillypus sighed, expecting this response from her, and handed her a rolled-up piece of paper from his cloak.
“Thirteen pieces. Luckily, it’s not completely shattered.”
Raphaella’s eyes widened as she took the paper and unrolled it.
It was a map of the entire continent, with thirteen white dots glowing at different locations.
“Where did you get this?”
“I… slipped it out of the Almighty’s treasure vault.”
Raphaella frowned and tossed the map back at Gillypus.
“Take it back. I said I’m not going to look for it.”
“Raphaella, hear me out.”
“No need. I already have enough unfair punishment. Why should I go hunting for something I didn’t even break? I won’t do it.”
Gillypus let out a small sigh and sat beside her, speaking calmly.
“Aren’t you afraid of a thousand years as a human? To repeat life and death with no powers?”
“Pfft, a thousand years? With booze and gambling, what’s there to worry about? I’ll just quietly live, think of it as a vacation.”
“You’ve never lived a year as a human since becoming a god.”
“…So what.”
Raphaella crossed her arms and turned her back, her face sulking. Gillypus bit his lip in irritation but soon tried to persuade her again in a gentle tone.
“Living as a human isn’t easy. You’ve forgotten your memories from when you were human, but I remember.”
“……”
“Experiencing death repeatedly… it’s truly painful. Enough to drive even a god insane.”
“……”
“So hurry and gather the pieces. If you restore the mirror, I’ll use my exemption privilege for you.”
Raphaella, who had been sulking with her back turned, suddenly spun around in surprise.
“What are you talking about? There’s only one! Forget it. You have to keep one as a lifeline for yourself!”
“I’ll earn another later by doing something big.”
“Still…”
“It’s because it’s too boring without you in the divine realm. Just take it without fuss.”
“No, it’s not that…”
“Just accept it comfortably.”
“No, it’s not that… You’ll just show off that one privilege and milk it for ten thousand years. I’d rather live a thousand years as a human.”
“Ha… You really make people petty. Now of all times?”
“You’re the one who still brings up borrowing my power for a drink hundreds of years ago.”
“Anyway, you’re really…”
Raphaella and Gillypus eventually laughed at each other. After a long time, they quietly gazed out the window.
A brief silence passed.
Raphaella let out a small sigh. She was indeed tempted by the method Gillypus suggested to return to the divine realm, but she didn’t want to owe her friend a debt. The exemption privilege was truly valuable.
After a moment of thought, she spoke.
“I’ll think about it for now.”
“Alright.”
“Besides, returning to the divine realm isn’t only possible through that method.”
“……”
Gillypus noticed the method she was hinting at and stayed silent.
‘Raphaella… I hope you never use that method. You don’t understand how painful it is to let someone die in your place…’
He had offered his one and only privilege to persuade her but kept his deeper feelings hidden, smiling gently.
Raphaella tapped his shoulder.
“Go back quickly. The old man might notice.”
“Yeah, you take care too. Don’t kill anyone, or your sentence will increase.”
“Got it. Stop nagging and go.”
Gillypus chuckled and stood up. His gaze fell on the map beside the bed. One side of his mouth twisted ominously, but he quickly covered it, pretending to wipe his face.
He transformed into flames again and rose into the sky.
Left alone, Raphaella flopped onto the bed with a troubled expression. Perhaps because her body had just recovered from addiction, she felt drained despite doing nothing.
Staring at the ceiling, she murmured quietly.
“A being who would die for me.”
She scratched her head and sighed.
“In this world… there’s no way that could exist.”
Raphaella reached for the map Gillypus had left. She quietly stared at the glowing dots for a long time.
Then her gaze shifted to a book nearby—the one Perri had given her. She picked it up without much interest.
“Reading is the perfect way to fall asleep.”
Although she said that, she read seriously to understand the situation. However, after reading the first chapter with genealogies of noble families, she immediately dozed off.
The next day.
Raphaella’s shabby room became noisy.
“I’m not going.”
“You must go.”
Two maids were forcefully grooming her.
Unlike the emperor’s personal attendants, these maids were trained for chores and strong. Raphaella was held still while her hair was styled, makeup applied, and dress changed.
“I drank poison and nearly died, yet I have to attend the family banquet?”
“The Empress has already announced your full recovery. We have no choice but to follow her orders. Please understand.”
“No! I won’t go. If you don’t let me go, you two will really get hurt.”
Raphaella’s threatening words made the younger maid flinch, her hands trembling as she continued to put earrings on Raphaella. She whispered to the older maid outside earshot of the guards.
“We don’t want to do this either. If we don’t take the princess, we’ll lose our jobs.”
“…The Empress said that?”
“I have three younger siblings waiting at home. I can’t starve them. Please, Princess, go to the banquet.”
The young maid’s eyes were red. Even though her hands shook, she didn’t stop putting on the jewelry. The older maid frowned but her eyes were moist as well.
“Damn it.”
Raphaella bit her lip and muttered a curse, then asked the older maid,
“Your siblings are hostages too?”
“…I have a sick husband.”
“Pfft, husband. Just leave him and remarry someone healthy.”
“W-what…? That’s absurd.”
“Humans are really annoying. Why do they carry so many unnecessary burdens and then complain about life?”
Despite her genuine irritation, Raphaella calmly accepted the maids’ hands, though she continued to grumble.
“Family, husband—just leave them behind and live freely. Enjoy life.”
“We can’t.”
“Why not?”
The maids couldn’t answer. They hesitated because, even from their perspective as servants, the princess seemed completely unaware of familial love or bonds with others.
Raphaella sighed deeply at their silence.
“Oh, you fools.”
The awkward silence continued as the preparations finished.
