The Fake Saintess Awaits Her Exit

The offspring of a beast…?”

I doubted my ears at the unexpected words. What is this sudden utterance? Moreover, how does it relate to Evelina’s earlier remarks and the letter?

“What does that mean?”

“Get out.”

Evelina coldly pushed me away and stared at me menacingly.

“I look forward to seeing if you’ll be able to smile next time.”

With those words, Evelina turned around. In that instant, as if the ground had vanished beneath me, my body swiftly plummeted downward. I closed my eyes, feeling the unsettling sensation of freefall. The mention of “next time” made it clear that Evelina would summon me again from this darkness someday.

How far will I fall? Pondering this, I cautiously opened my eyes and caught sight of my trembling hand, struggling towards Evelina.

At that moment, I opened my eyes once more.

Where am I? It’s not the familiar ceiling. The air feels unfamiliar too. This is not the room of the saint, always filled with the fragrance of flowers. Instead, a faint scent of soap mixes with the low, lingering smell of aged wood. Slowly, I moved my hand and felt my surroundings. Indeed, this is not the bed where I usually fall asleep.

Instead of soft sheets, my hand touched rough and rigid fabric. The chilly sensation told me that I was in an unfamiliar space that reminded me of someone.

“Latvan?”

As I mumbled those words, the memories from right before I fell asleep quickly flooded back. Yes, I slept with Prince Leon, met Latvan, and came to his mansion to bathe…

“I fell asleep just like that.”

Goodness gracious. It seems I fell into a deep sleep while momentarily closing my eyes while he went to fetch the carriage. Remembering this, I hastily sat up.

“Ugh…”

A dull pain surged between my legs, along with the soreness in my chest that I had forgotten about. I glanced at my clothes, lifting them slightly. There were more pronounced traces of redness than when I washed myself.

Perhaps I cried. Blinking with swollen eyes, I looked around. The place where I lay was a large, spacious bed. Observing the headboard, I could tell it had been made a long time ago. Scratches and peeled-off paint here and there revealed the typical aging of furniture that had been used for many years.

“This is definitely…”

Unintentionally, I pulled the thin blanket over my face. Then I gently sniffed. As expected. I could detect the well-washed fabric’s scent mixed with the fragrance of soap from the bathroom and a slightly heavier scent of cologne.

[Sigh]

A sigh escaped my lips. Though no one had told me, I somehow knew. This is Latvan’s bed.

“I’ve gone mad.”

I truly crossed the line. Crying, clinging, and barging into his home wasn’t enough; now I’ve unabashedly used someone else’s bed. Embarrassment flushed my face. I approached the window, dampening the curtains. The sky still held the dawn’s pale blue hue.

“I should go back.”

I can’t stay here any longer.

Carefully, I opened the door and stepped out, making sure to avoid making any noise in the living room.

“Are you awake?”

Latvan’s voice resonated as if he had been waiting.

“It seems sneaking out was a mistake.”

Feeling embarrassed and apologetic, I tried to leave this house without him noticing, but upon reflection, the mere act of sneaking out from the commander’s house itself was utterly absurd.

After uttering those words, Latvan rose from his seat. Although he had taken off his outer garments, he remained dressed exactly as he had been the previous night. Could it be that he had stayed awake all night?

“Surely, Latvan, it’s not because of me.”

Looking at the items inside this house gave me a clue. It was a sparsely furnished dwelling, containing only the bare essentials. There would likely be no other bedroom in this mansion apart from the one where I had fallen asleep. Then, where could he have been?

As I observed him standing up, I couldn’t help but notice that his face appeared slightly gaunter than a few hours ago.

“No, it’s not that. Rather…”

He glanced at me momentarily, then wiped his face with his palm before speaking.

“It would be best for you to leave as quickly as possible if you wish to return.”

His voice, now lowered, was becoming strained.

Fortunately, before the day fully dawned, I was able to return unharmed to the Saint’s chamber. Only the guards who had been guarding the door knew that I had ventured out at night. Latvan had assured me that he would take care of their surveillance and then urged me to rest inside the room.

Thanks to that, I managed to get a little more sleep before the scheduled events began.

“What should I do with this…”

Before the officials entered, I changed my clothes and neatly folded the plain court dress I had received from him, placing it inside a drawer.

“I should have it cleaned and returned.”

It was the ceremonial attire he had received when he was very young. The fact that he had kept it so carefully preserved, to the point where someone could still wear it, undoubtedly meant it held great value to him.

“But I can’t entrust it to the officials.”

As I looked inside the garment, Latvan’s name was prominently embroidered. If his clothes were to be seen coming out of my room, it was obvious what kind of rumors would spread.

“At this point, my reputation can’t possibly decline any further….”

But Latvan’s could. I remembered the image of the officials who, not long after I arrived, had suggested they would appoint a new commander and urged me to consider a name they were familiar with. If any rumors associated with me were to surface, they would undoubtedly be the most embarrassing kind for him.

[Sigh]

Sometime in the future, I would have to find a way to launder it myself, even if I had to do it alone.