Chapter 92

“Ah…”

Unable to hold back, a faint moan escaped.

Fresh blood trickled from the tear made by the blade.

I slightly opened the wound and dropped a single, colorless, odorless, transparent liquid using a dropper.

A searing pain, as if my fingers were burning, surged, and the corners of my eyes twitched slightly.

Then I waited… 10 seconds, 20 seconds, 30 seconds…

Before I knew it, 5 minutes had passed, and I checked the wound again.

“Success.”

The wound had not healed at all.

Even after 5 minutes, the Holy Maiden’s infinite healing ability had failed to do its job.

This liquid was the toxic substance separated from Tia’s saliva.

Despite being stored for a full 24 hours, the toxicity had not diminished.

I would need to observe further to see if the toxicity remains after more than a day of storage, but for now, it seemed the experiment was a success.

“Ugh…”

I carefully washed the wound under running water.

To ensure all the poison was washed away.

Then, as if it had never been there, the tear closed up without a trace.

At the moment the poison was washed away, the Holy Maiden’s healing ability functioned perfectly again.

But what if the poison is absorbed into the body?

For example, if one were to swallow this poison…

“Stop. Not yet.”

I shook my head and put down the poison.

I had essentially secured an escape route.

There was no need to rush.

Even now, the temptation to take the poison and find peace tormented me…

But by closing my eyes and thinking of Tia, I managed to resist.

At least until Tia can stand on her own.

At least until she is no longer treated as the seed of calamity or whatever.

If I disappear, the poor child left behind bears no guilt.

“In case of emergency, I’ll use this as a weapon.”

This poison is both my emergency escape route and a lethal weapon.

It could probably kill anyone, be it a hero, a dragon, or a priest under the church’s protection.

Colorless, odorless, transparent, and resistant to heat, it would be impossible to detect if mixed into tea or food.

“It’s almost time.”

Checking the clock, it was nearly time to leave.

I had arranged for a magic tutoring session with Alexander.

Originally, I had secured the tutoring to catch Leopard’s interest, but Leopard had been silent.

Still, since I was already getting tutoring, I might as well make the most of it.

I intended to squeeze every bit of knowledge while being ready to use this poison if a dangerous situation arises.

I must not forget.

Alexander is a hound of the church chasing after me, the Holy Maiden.

A man who once tested me by slashing my hand; I must be extra cautious.

“Mom! Where are you?”

“…”

From the hallway, Tia’s whining voice could be heard.

Time to clean up.

I quickly unbuttoned my maid outfit, hid the poison between my breasts, and stored the other experimental equipment inside a drawer.

Finishing the cleanup, I hastily checked myself in the mirror for anything out of place and abruptly opened the study door.

“Mom! What are you doing there?”

“What am I doing? Cleaning. Bored?”

“Mmmm! So bored!”

Upon seeing me, Tia ran over and threw herself into my arms.

Burying her face in my chest and wriggling, she then looked up at me with an adorable gaze.

I gently stroked Tia’s head and softly touched her large horns.

You didn’t wash your hair this morning, did you?

You messy thing.

“Wash your hair more often. It’s dirty.”

“But the horns get in the way, so it’s annoying to wash it often.”

“Shall I wash it for you? If I do, I’ll do it my way.”

“Ti, Tia will wash it herself…!”

Tia’s face paled instantly.

Tia hates when her horns are grabbed and shaken vigorously.

She knew full well that when I wash her hair, I scrub it vigorously like laundry…

When she was little, I washed it gently, like bathing a baby, but now there’s no such consideration.

“Mom’s leaving now. Be good and don’t fight with the others.”

“Mmmm? Where are you going? When will you be back?”

“To the church for a bit. I’ll be back soon.”

“Tia wants to come too!”

“But, you’ll be bored.”

“That’s okay!”

“Ah? Yulia and Tia, going to the church? Since there’s no cleaning to do today, may I come too?”

“Then me too! I want to come too!”

“…”

From behind the door, the maids peeked out one by one, and in an instant, it became chaotic.

What a commotion.

Unexpectedly, the number of companions had increased…

“Mom! Shall we take Blinkie too?”

“No. Leave him…”

That would be a disaster.

If the high priestess saw the great spirit in a cage, I can’t even imagine what she’d say.

*

“Wow. It’s the first time I’ve been to the church since I was little.”

“Ahhh. The priest is so handsome…”

“Can you all please be quiet?”

As soon as we entered the chapel, a headache started pounding.

It felt like I had brought multiple Tias to church, rather than adults.

Among them, Tia was the quietest and most well-behaved, which was comical.

You’d think they were from noble families, but why do they act like they’ve never been to church before.

“Everyone, shh. Be quiet in church.”

“Ah. Is that how it’s supposed to be? In the chapel at our main house, we can talk freely, so I thought it was okay.”

“…”

I was speechless.

So they have their own private church at home…

I never imagined that.

Even though they’re discarded daughters of a low-ranking noble family, their lives are still far removed from commoners.

“We will now begin the service. Please remain silent.”

“…”

I gently closed my eyes and clasped my hands.

I still don’t believe in God, but I decided to at least pretend.

Glancing to the side, I saw Tia also clasping her hands and praying.

Unlike me, Tia probably grew up devout.

In this world where the church has immense power, it’s better that way.

‘Hmm?’

Then, the surroundings suddenly darkened for a moment.

Startled, I opened my eyes to see everyone else praying as if nothing had happened.

Thinking it was just my imagination, I closed my eyes again.

“God, thank you for allowing this breath to live a life of life today. Grant us peace to breathe and comfort to our bodies…”

– Comfort? Only pain.

“…?!”

I was startled by the voice that seemed to whisper in my ear.

At first, I thought one of the maids was playing a prank.

But everyone was seriously engaged in the service, and I was the only one with my eyes open.

It seemed I was the only one who heard that voice.

What was that?

Did I mishear?

Or was it a ghost…?

Even though I knew it couldn’t be, goosebumps covered my entire body.

“On this precious Sabbath, as the Lord has granted to the church, let us serve the church with faith.”

– All just slaves of the church. Foolish ones.

“…”

This is driving me crazy.

No matter how much I closed my eyes and tried to focus, the voice that seemed intent on disrupting the priest’s worship wouldn’t stop.

There was a deep malice in the way it contradicted each line of the prayer.

The woman’s voice, with its sobbing tone, was terrifying.

Why is this happening only to me?

Terrified, sweat formed in my clenched hands.

Maybe I should hold Tia’s hand.

If I hold Tia’s hand, maybe I won’t feel scared.

I was pondering this when…

‘Uh…?’

Suddenly, the voice echoing in my head vanished completely.

The chapel, once filled with the eerie voice, now only echoed the priest’s clear prayers.

As soon as I opened my eyes, I noticed something was off.

My wrist was being held by someone.

It was a large, warm hand.

“We entrust the service to the Lord and pray in the name of God. Amen.”

“Amen.”

Where did he come from so suddenly?

A man in black clerical robes, wearing glasses, looked at me with a worried expression.

Normally, his gaze would have felt burdensome, but not today.

For that brief moment, silence fell between us.

It felt as if only Alexander and I were left in the church.

.

.

.

Flap.

The dragon’s massive wings stirred, creating a whirlwind.

The black creature, soaring into the sky, paid no mind to the people gaping up at it, calmly floating over the empire.

He was gazing intently at a location hundreds of kilometers away, the capital.

In a single glance, the dragon pinpointed the woman from that great distance, his vision as clear as if she were right before him.

‘Today is the humans’ Sabbath. She doesn’t attend regularly, but why today?’

He had been watching Yulia every day.

From the moment she woke until she slept.

No, even after she slept, he kept watch for any suspicious figures loitering around the mansion.

Of course, it wasn’t for any other reason; he did it solely under the pretext of protecting Yulia and Tia.

It’s by no means lingering attachment or stalking.

The duke firmly believed that.

‘She seems quite joyful.’

Yulia, laughing and chatting with her daughter and companions, looked happy.

She was living happily in my absence.

The thought made me a bit bittersweet, but I still felt it was right to leave.

Thinking of the pain Yulia would have endured because of my selfishness made me feel nothing but regret.

Soon, Yulia entered the church and began to pray.

She wasn’t quite used to it yet, occasionally opening her eyes or looking around, which was quite endearing.

The duke smiled warmly as he watched her.

However, as a man in black clerical robes appeared from the dark hallway, his brow furrowed sharply.

And the moment the man, without hesitation, grabbed Yulia’s wrist…

“That insolent thing dares…!”

The dragon’s roar echoed.

The area experienced thunderstorms and heavy rains for the rest of the day.

---