Chapter 189

The door opened. The girl instinctively stepped back.

With the Heart of the Dragon and a half-dragon body, she should have nothing to fear in this world. Yet, she was afraid. She didn’t even know what she was afraid of.

Through the gap of the open door, their eyes met. The already shattered pupils had turned into fragments, scattering into the whites of her eyes. But they sparkled. They emitted a light incomparable to any gem.

-What are you doing?

Oberta spoke as if something was off. And it made sense. She had followed all the way here, but now that the distance was so close, she was trying to create space.

She couldn’t understand. The girl seriously considered running away. Should she break through the roof and escape? She pondered it seriously.

In the end, she couldn’t leave or approach, just trembling against the wall. It wasn’t fear that made her tremble. Rather, her heart was pounding from tension. Even breathing felt unnecessarily conscious.

-You’re really putting on a show.

The Evil God, holding her head, shook it. She wasn’t exactly thrilled about this meeting either.

If it weren’t for that damn priest, this tempting body would have been hers, not this fool’s, and it would have been performing at its peak.

But that’s all in the past. There’s no point in making an enemy out of that thing, and it only drains energy. The Evil God calmly prepared for the meeting. Soon, the door opened wide.

“Oberta?”

Beyond the door, the priest looked at her. Oberta replied with a dignified and haughty expression. She had nothing to lose now, to put it bluntly.

-Yeah, it’s me. So what? Are you going to try to exorcise me again?

There was no helping the thorns in her words. She still held a grudge. It was a painful time, so painful that even recalling it now was agonizing.

-Go ahead and try. This time, I’ve followed the proper procedures and obtained proper consent to be with Yanid. Your precious Divine Power won’t work this time.

This time, there’s no need to worry about that pain. To be precise, that’s what she thinks. Anyway, back then, what the god behind that priest intended wasn’t her destruction but simply exorcism.

It’s not that he disliked her or couldn’t accept her. That’s the only basis. In truth, there’s no certainty that Divine Power won’t work this time.

That’s not for her to decide but for the one above. But the more this happens, the more one must act strong and brazen.

That’s how Oberta has lived. Like a pufferfish inflating itself with air, she deliberately put on an arrogant display.

“You followed proper procedures… Are you saying you’ve taken this child as your follower?”

-Yeah. I even gave up my position as a Saint. Now, no matter what anyone says, this child is my Saint. Not exactly life and death control… but something like my limbs.

Still, lying too much makes it hard to clean up later. After a round of bluffing, Oberta stepped back. She no longer wanted to continue the conversation.

-I’ll leave for today, but from now on, you’d better behave. If you have something to discuss with my Saint, go ahead.

“Are you leaving?”

-Yeah. I have nothing to talk about with you.

There really was nothing to talk about, and it wasn’t a comfortable face to see. Continuing the conversation would only reveal lies.

She had even less to talk about with Kisea, Roka, or Ardein. The two wolves were one thing, but she had nothing to say to the Empire’s Princess either. The Evil God seeks the shadows, not the light.

That’s what suits her. She hoped to maintain a politely indifferent relationship with the Empire’s royal family, the center of the continent.

She didn’t exactly have nothing to say to the dragon within the Dragon’s Sword. That sinister and cunning existence even gave Oberta the creeps.

Even though it had been inside Yanid for so long, she had no idea such a parasite-like thing was squirming within.

Even if her plan had succeeded, she would have had to engage in a fierce power struggle with the dragon waiting for that day.

The odds were unknown, but there’s no doubt that Azahadaka had enough ability to be her rival.

Opening her mouth would only lead to unpleasant words, so she decided not to open it at all. It’s all in the past. Neither of them won anyway.

Yanid belongs to Yanid now, so there’s no reason to bicker over the past. She was already tired and didn’t want to be involved in any more conflicts. Arguing with Yanid was exhausting enough.

-I’m leaving. Do well on your own.

The startled girl looked back at Oberta, but she had already disappeared. The girl, dazed, reached out to where the Evil God had been and stood still for a moment.

Despite everything, they had lived together for a while. Suddenly being abandoned left her feeling empty. It wasn’t betrayal since they never trusted each other. If anything, it felt like the feeling she had toward her birth mother.

She knew her mother didn’t like her. But she never thought she’d sell her off so casually. The girl hated her mother but also missed her.

Unknowingly, she projected similar feelings onto Oberta. When she left, she felt regret.

She knew this was just a temporary separation, but her heart still felt hollow.

“Child, are you okay? Did the Evil God hurt you?”

The girl flinched as the priest, kneeling slightly to meet her gaze, looked at her. She didn’t know why, but the words wouldn’t come out.

Even the most perfect and complete dragon body trembles when the heart trembles. She wanted to tell him not to come closer, but if she did, he might really not come. And she didn’t want that.

But she also didn’t want him to come closer. What exactly did she want? She couldn’t even tell herself.

“I’m… okay.”

It was too much to handle. She wasn’t used to it.

Deep down, she wanted the warmth he offered. But that warmth was too hot. Even if she wanted to get closer, she had to keep her distance to avoid getting burned.

She wasn’t used to love. She had never received it before, so she didn’t know how to accept it. But she longed for it. She wanted to fill the void.

But filling a heart that had been empty for so long was scary. The girl had never been loved, but she had loved. Like all children, she had some love for the woman who gave birth to her.

So when her mother, not under coercion but willingly, sold her off for mere money, she cried bitterly. Her first love was betrayed, leaving an unhealed wound.

“I’m really okay…”

Meanwhile, she observed the person before her from a distance. The one who gave her freedom. At least she wanted to know who this person was.

Then, not long ago in a village of the Westerners, she finally confirmed it. Seeing him perform good deeds for people he had just met, who were poor and had nothing to offer, she made her judgment.

Maybe this person wouldn’t betray her. Maybe he could fulfill her desires without causing more pain.

“So…”

She thought that, so why was her body stepping back on its own?

Because she was afraid. If she didn’t expect anything, even if betrayed, her heart wouldn’t ache. But if she opened her heart and was betrayed, it wouldn’t just end in bitterness.

She didn’t want to repeat the past. No, she couldn’t. If she had to endure that pain again, she’d rather just die.

“You’re scared of me coming closer.”

The priest stopped moving and simply smiled. He didn’t know where Yanid’s fear came from, but he realized it wasn’t because she felt threatened by him.

In fact, if anyone should feel threatened, it’s him. If Yanid’s tail accidentally hit him, he could quickly end up by the Lord’s side.

There was that much of a gap in their physical abilities, but Kyle wasn’t afraid at all. A priest’s life is centered on their Lord. Death isn’t something to fear.

Rather, fearing death and not doing what must be done is more frightening. As Kyle didn’t come closer, the girl didn’t step back either.

She just spread her wings, ready to leave at any moment. But she didn’t leave. She wasn’t sure what she wanted to do.

“Then, come closer when you’re ready.”

While this was happening, the tea water she had left probably boiled. The priest turned his back and asked the people behind him, who were looking at the situation with somewhat absurd expressions, to bring him a cup of tea. And sugar and milk.

“If you need anything, feel free to come to me anytime.”

Kisea went down with a somewhat awkward expression. She had worried a lot before coming up here, but it turned out to be all unnecessary thoughts.

Looking again, and properly this time, Yanid didn’t seem that dangerous. In fact, she looked somewhat pitiful. As she went to get the tea, the wolf suddenly stopped.

“What’s this?”

Outside the kitchen window, a branch was visible. A plump apple, boasting a red hue, dangled from the branch.

Was this here before? She didn’t know. She hadn’t paid much attention to the kitchen window.

But if something this noticeable was here, she should have seen it. No, is it even the season for apples? And do wild apples even grow like this?

Well, it’s not like apple trees don’t exist outside orchards, but wild apples are more like crabapples. Without human fertilizer, such large and firm apples wouldn’t grow.

“An apple…? It’s not a model, is it?”

With her flexible body and excellent skills, the wolf naturally climbed through the window and found the tree full of apples.

She didn’t remember seeing this when she came in, but she thought it was possible. Honestly, she had been mentally exhausted from the recent forced marches.

Swish!

With incredible hand movements, Kisea picked all the fruits from the tree and climbed back through the window with a full load of apples. There was a perfectly good door, but why use it when there’s a window?

‘Should I take one? There are so many.’

It was cold outside, so the apples were cool. But not frozen. Just the right state to eat.

She placed an apple on the tray with the teacup and went back up the stairs.