“What? What did you just say?”
The Emperor, who had been waiting for Melina to arrive in the audience room, looked incredulous at the maid's words.
Although he clearly listened to every single word that came out of her mouth, he couldn't understand it, as if he was hearing a foreign language for the first time in his life.
The Emperor, who had been tapping his cheek as if trying to wake himself up, asked again.
“I’m not quite sure what to say because I couldn’t sleep well due to the disaster that occurred last night. So tell me again. What did Saintess Melina tell you to say?”
“Your Majesty, Your Majesty. That is...”
The maid's shoulders hunched over in the suddenly heavy atmosphere. As the youngest daughter of a Count's family, she was not used to this kind of atmosphere.
But since it was impossible to keep the Emperor waiting, she suppressed the urge to run away and barely opened her mouth.
“So... Saintess Melina is going to give up the constellation..”
“What kind of dog is that eating grass?”
The maid's words, which she had finally managed to muster up the courage to speak, were interrupted by the Emperor's scolding before she could finish.
“Eek!”
The maid hiccuped in anger at the Emperor. However, her antics did not attract the Emperor's attention.
“Why are you suddenly taking off your saintly attire? What on earth is your reason for doing so?”
“That, that’s, huhu, for, huhu, not telling me, huhu...!”
“What a pain! You’re saying that you just reported it without asking why after hearing such important words?”
He suddenly got up, saying, “This won’t do!” and then hurriedly ran out of the audience room.
A moment later, the Emperor arrived at Melina's room and flung the door open.
“Saintess Melina!”
“Welcome, Your Majesty.”
Despite the rude behavior, without any notice or knock, Melina simply gave a polite greeting.
“Yes, I'm here. The luggage was so heavy that I had to bring it here myself...!”
The Emperor, who had been shouting, paused for a moment.
On the table in front of Melina was a large trunk spread out, containing a simple assortment of white clothes.
This was the temple servant's attire that Melina was wearing when she first entered the imperial court.
“...What are you doing now?”
“I was packing my bags.”
“Packing? Why luggage all of a sudden?”
“Haven’t you heard the report from Countess Helena? I have decided to give up the constellation as of today. It was thanks to the constellation that I was able to stay in the palace, and now that I have given up the constellation, it is only right that I leave.”
“Huh, so that ridiculous report was true? You’re suddenly going to take off your Saintess’s clothes? What the heck..."
As the Emperor laughed in amazement, Melina lowered her head as if embarrassed.
“I apologize for not informing you in advance, Your Majesty. I will repay this rudeness by becoming a temple servant and dedicating my life to serving the goddess and the empire.”
“What, a servant of the temple? Are you saying that you will leave here and return to the temple? That you will spend your whole life tied to the temple and doing odd jobs?”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“Oh, what kind of nonsense is this! How can it be possible for the daughter of a noble goddess to do such a thing! I’m so shocked that I don’t even know what to say.”
He tried to speak in a calm voice, rubbing his throbbing forehead and expressing his irritation.
“Come on, tell me why you’re acting like this all of a sudden. Did I do something to upset you? Did someone upset you?”
“How could it be so, Your Majesty? How well you have treated me. Nice rooms, nice clothes, nice food, nice maids. Words cannot express the kindness I have received from Your Majesty.”
“Why, knowing that!”
Finally, the Emperor raised his voice again.
“As you said, I have done you many favors. I trusted your heart for the empire and even exercised my authority on behalf of His Holiness who has fallen. How could you strike me on the back of the head like this! Tell me why!”
“...”
Melina, who had been silent for a moment at the Emperor's words, soon let out a deep sigh. Then, as if she had no other choice, she opened her mouth, but the reason that came out of her mouth was truly puzzling.
“Because I am not worthy of being a Saintess.”
“Not qualified? You are the one who brought peace to the people of the empire and calmed the chaos in the empire. If you are not qualified to be a Saintess, then who can be qualified?”
“I am humbled by your recognition. However, Your Majesty, my intentions remain unchanged. Please allow me to step down from this position that does not suit me.”
She pursed her lips bitterly, closed the open trunk, and buttoned it up.
The Emperor's heart sank at the sight of her leaving with only the servant's clothing provided by the temple, without even taking the luxurious dresses or precious jewels that the imperial family had provided to maintain her dignity as a Saintess.
'Are you really leaving like this?'
The Emperor had been living in relative peace since Melina's appearance.
Thanks to the two Saintesses, disaster recovery became much easier, and most importantly, her power lasted longer than Shayne's, so the satisfaction of the people of the empire was high.
Naturally, the public's hearts turned to her. It was he who had gone to great lengths to turn her into a Saintess.
But now she says she's leaving.
The Emperor, who had no confidence in the aftermath, stamped his feet.
He couldn't figure out why she would give up the fame and fortune of being a Saintess and return to the temple to do menial work.
'Even if I ask, it doesn't seem like you'll answer...'
The Emperor, who had been staring at Melina's stubbornly shut mouth, forcibly snatched the trunk from her hand.
"Your majesty!"
Melina called out in surprise, but instead of returning the trunk, he handed it over to the chamberlain.
“Keep it well.”
Then he held Melina's hand tightly and spoke affectionately.
“Haha, it seems our Saintess is very tired. Well, it would be the case since you have been traveling around the country without resting even for a single day.”
“Your Majesty, I...”
“But you are a Saintess chosen by the goddess. The goddess has loved you and given you a weighty mission that cannot be left to others. If you step down without permission, wouldn’t that be a great sin against the goddess?”
Melina bowed her head deeply at the Emperor's words.
She didn't seem to have any intention of withdrawing her decision yet, but seeing the guilt on her face, the Emperor thought she had been persuaded to some extent.
'Phew.'
He let out a long sigh of relief and patted Melina's shoulder affectionately.
“Thank you for understanding what I mean. For now, I’ll give you a few days off, so don’t worry about anything and just calm down. For the time being, I’ll just use SaintessnVeloce to hold it off. So, get some rest.”
Then, before Melina could say anything, he left in a hurry, as if he was afraid that the words “leaving” would come out of her mouth again.
So he didn't see it.
Melina's lips curled up bitterly as she watched his back as he walked away.
The disaster that occurred again three weeks later was more severe than expected.
All areas, including heavy rains, earthquakes, floods, fires, and epidemics, have been hit at a level that is incomparable to that of the past.
As if it were pouring out all the work from the past three weeks that had been put on hold at once.
Despair once again crept into the faces of the imperial people.
“What on earth is going on? I’m so scared I can’t even take a single step outside the house.”
“That’s right. Even though Saintess Veloce is said to be wandering around day and night, her power alone is not enough. I wonder when Saintess Melina will arrive...”
“You, didn’t you hear that?”
“You can’t hear what?”
“Haha, you must have been cooped up in the house for a few days, so you didn’t hear the rumor. Saintess Melina has expressed her gratitude.”
“What? She's saying she's sorry?”
“Yes, I heard she said she would step down from her position as a Saintess.”
“No, what is that... What is the reason? Why did she suddenly step down?”
“I don’t know. I heard that she said she wasn’t worthy of being a Saintess...”
“Not qualified? What does that mean?”
“Well, I said I didn’t know. I just heard it through rumors. I don’t know the exact reason.”
“I’m really embarrassed, huh. What on earth happened to the Saintess...”
It was a time when neither the person speaking nor the person listening could hide their confusion.
“Huh? What is that?”
Someone muttered in a puzzled tone. His gaze was turned to the sky.
“What the hell is that, a dark cloud? You’re not a newborn baby, are you? This is your first time seeing a dark cloud... Wait, that’s...”
Someone who had been responding casually suddenly hardened his expression.
He thought it was just the usual overcast sky, but it wasn't. Dark gray clouds were writing words among the dark gray clouds that were thickly layered in light gray.
Only when the usurper is condemned and the divided constellations are reunited will the world be at peace.
“That’s...”
Perplexed eyes moved busily here and there.
The Emperor, who had been waiting for Melina to arrive in the audience room, looked incredulous at the maid's words.
Although he clearly listened to every single word that came out of her mouth, he couldn't understand it, as if he was hearing a foreign language for the first time in his life.
The Emperor, who had been tapping his cheek as if trying to wake himself up, asked again.
“I’m not quite sure what to say because I couldn’t sleep well due to the disaster that occurred last night. So tell me again. What did Saintess Melina tell you to say?”
“Your Majesty, Your Majesty. That is...”
The maid's shoulders hunched over in the suddenly heavy atmosphere. As the youngest daughter of a Count's family, she was not used to this kind of atmosphere.
But since it was impossible to keep the Emperor waiting, she suppressed the urge to run away and barely opened her mouth.
“So... Saintess Melina is going to give up the constellation..”
“What kind of dog is that eating grass?”
The maid's words, which she had finally managed to muster up the courage to speak, were interrupted by the Emperor's scolding before she could finish.
“Eek!”
The maid hiccuped in anger at the Emperor. However, her antics did not attract the Emperor's attention.
“Why are you suddenly taking off your saintly attire? What on earth is your reason for doing so?”
“That, that’s, huhu, for, huhu, not telling me, huhu...!”
“What a pain! You’re saying that you just reported it without asking why after hearing such important words?”
He suddenly got up, saying, “This won’t do!” and then hurriedly ran out of the audience room.
A moment later, the Emperor arrived at Melina's room and flung the door open.
“Saintess Melina!”
“Welcome, Your Majesty.”
Despite the rude behavior, without any notice or knock, Melina simply gave a polite greeting.
“Yes, I'm here. The luggage was so heavy that I had to bring it here myself...!”
The Emperor, who had been shouting, paused for a moment.
On the table in front of Melina was a large trunk spread out, containing a simple assortment of white clothes.
This was the temple servant's attire that Melina was wearing when she first entered the imperial court.
“...What are you doing now?”
“I was packing my bags.”
“Packing? Why luggage all of a sudden?”
“Haven’t you heard the report from Countess Helena? I have decided to give up the constellation as of today. It was thanks to the constellation that I was able to stay in the palace, and now that I have given up the constellation, it is only right that I leave.”
“Huh, so that ridiculous report was true? You’re suddenly going to take off your Saintess’s clothes? What the heck..."
As the Emperor laughed in amazement, Melina lowered her head as if embarrassed.
“I apologize for not informing you in advance, Your Majesty. I will repay this rudeness by becoming a temple servant and dedicating my life to serving the goddess and the empire.”
“What, a servant of the temple? Are you saying that you will leave here and return to the temple? That you will spend your whole life tied to the temple and doing odd jobs?”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“Oh, what kind of nonsense is this! How can it be possible for the daughter of a noble goddess to do such a thing! I’m so shocked that I don’t even know what to say.”
He tried to speak in a calm voice, rubbing his throbbing forehead and expressing his irritation.
“Come on, tell me why you’re acting like this all of a sudden. Did I do something to upset you? Did someone upset you?”
“How could it be so, Your Majesty? How well you have treated me. Nice rooms, nice clothes, nice food, nice maids. Words cannot express the kindness I have received from Your Majesty.”
“Why, knowing that!”
Finally, the Emperor raised his voice again.
“As you said, I have done you many favors. I trusted your heart for the empire and even exercised my authority on behalf of His Holiness who has fallen. How could you strike me on the back of the head like this! Tell me why!”
“...”
Melina, who had been silent for a moment at the Emperor's words, soon let out a deep sigh. Then, as if she had no other choice, she opened her mouth, but the reason that came out of her mouth was truly puzzling.
“Because I am not worthy of being a Saintess.”
“Not qualified? You are the one who brought peace to the people of the empire and calmed the chaos in the empire. If you are not qualified to be a Saintess, then who can be qualified?”
“I am humbled by your recognition. However, Your Majesty, my intentions remain unchanged. Please allow me to step down from this position that does not suit me.”
She pursed her lips bitterly, closed the open trunk, and buttoned it up.
The Emperor's heart sank at the sight of her leaving with only the servant's clothing provided by the temple, without even taking the luxurious dresses or precious jewels that the imperial family had provided to maintain her dignity as a Saintess.
'Are you really leaving like this?'
The Emperor had been living in relative peace since Melina's appearance.
Thanks to the two Saintesses, disaster recovery became much easier, and most importantly, her power lasted longer than Shayne's, so the satisfaction of the people of the empire was high.
Naturally, the public's hearts turned to her. It was he who had gone to great lengths to turn her into a Saintess.
But now she says she's leaving.
The Emperor, who had no confidence in the aftermath, stamped his feet.
He couldn't figure out why she would give up the fame and fortune of being a Saintess and return to the temple to do menial work.
'Even if I ask, it doesn't seem like you'll answer...'
The Emperor, who had been staring at Melina's stubbornly shut mouth, forcibly snatched the trunk from her hand.
"Your majesty!"
Melina called out in surprise, but instead of returning the trunk, he handed it over to the chamberlain.
“Keep it well.”
Then he held Melina's hand tightly and spoke affectionately.
“Haha, it seems our Saintess is very tired. Well, it would be the case since you have been traveling around the country without resting even for a single day.”
“Your Majesty, I...”
“But you are a Saintess chosen by the goddess. The goddess has loved you and given you a weighty mission that cannot be left to others. If you step down without permission, wouldn’t that be a great sin against the goddess?”
Melina bowed her head deeply at the Emperor's words.
She didn't seem to have any intention of withdrawing her decision yet, but seeing the guilt on her face, the Emperor thought she had been persuaded to some extent.
'Phew.'
He let out a long sigh of relief and patted Melina's shoulder affectionately.
“Thank you for understanding what I mean. For now, I’ll give you a few days off, so don’t worry about anything and just calm down. For the time being, I’ll just use SaintessnVeloce to hold it off. So, get some rest.”
Then, before Melina could say anything, he left in a hurry, as if he was afraid that the words “leaving” would come out of her mouth again.
So he didn't see it.
Melina's lips curled up bitterly as she watched his back as he walked away.
***
The disaster that occurred again three weeks later was more severe than expected.
All areas, including heavy rains, earthquakes, floods, fires, and epidemics, have been hit at a level that is incomparable to that of the past.
As if it were pouring out all the work from the past three weeks that had been put on hold at once.
Despair once again crept into the faces of the imperial people.
“What on earth is going on? I’m so scared I can’t even take a single step outside the house.”
“That’s right. Even though Saintess Veloce is said to be wandering around day and night, her power alone is not enough. I wonder when Saintess Melina will arrive...”
“You, didn’t you hear that?”
“You can’t hear what?”
“Haha, you must have been cooped up in the house for a few days, so you didn’t hear the rumor. Saintess Melina has expressed her gratitude.”
“What? She's saying she's sorry?”
“Yes, I heard she said she would step down from her position as a Saintess.”
“No, what is that... What is the reason? Why did she suddenly step down?”
“I don’t know. I heard that she said she wasn’t worthy of being a Saintess...”
“Not qualified? What does that mean?”
“Well, I said I didn’t know. I just heard it through rumors. I don’t know the exact reason.”
“I’m really embarrassed, huh. What on earth happened to the Saintess...”
It was a time when neither the person speaking nor the person listening could hide their confusion.
“Huh? What is that?”
Someone muttered in a puzzled tone. His gaze was turned to the sky.
“What the hell is that, a dark cloud? You’re not a newborn baby, are you? This is your first time seeing a dark cloud... Wait, that’s...”
Someone who had been responding casually suddenly hardened his expression.
He thought it was just the usual overcast sky, but it wasn't. Dark gray clouds were writing words among the dark gray clouds that were thickly layered in light gray.
Only when the usurper is condemned and the divided constellations are reunited will the world be at peace.
“That’s...”
Perplexed eyes moved busily here and there.
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