Melina thought that this time, Shayne would finally react.
She would be so angry at the fact that her noble self would die at the hands of an illegitimate child that she would have no choice but to take off the mask she had barely maintained and show her pitiful appearance.
But Shayne's expression still didn't change at all. She just looked at her for a while and then looked away with an expression that said everything was bothersome.
Melina was momentarily taken aback by Shayne's attitude, but then she sneered.
'Saving face until the end.'
It was funny how Shayne pretended to be noble to the end when she was destined to be beaten by people and dragged away like an animal by the knights anyway.
'But, well, this isn't so bad.'
The stronger Shayne's pride, the more miserable her words will be.
It was at that moment that Melina was giggling inwardly, imagining Shayne's impending end.
The crowd, which had been as quiet as a mouse, suddenly began to murmur.
The Saintesses' gazes simultaneously turned downwards to the platform. There, the Emperor and the Crown Prince were walking, escorted by numerous knights.
As they were straightening up from their slightly collapsed postures, the Emperor who had ascended the podium spoke apologetically.
“I was a little late. I apologize to the Saintesses who were waiting.”
But unlike the Emperor, the Crown Prince simply walked to his seat without saying a word.
At that moment, Shayne couldn't take her eyes off his eyes which looked slightly red.
“I tell this to all the people of the empire.”
The Emperor's speech began.
“I thought that the disaster that had been plaguing the empire for 13 years would finally end and that peace would come, but the disaster has begun again in just three weeks, and I am ashamed to see you. Fortunately, however, there are two Saintesses in Catalonia, and I hope that their great abilities will bring some relief to the people of my empire.”
Even a three-year-old child in the capital would know what this place was for, but the Emperor, who had been shamelessly beating around the bush, soon turned his head and looked between Shayne and Melina.
“Now, who will step forward first to reassure the people of the Empire?”
As soon as the Emperor finished speaking, Melina rose gracefully.
“May I take the honor first, Your Majesty?”
“It can’t be helped. It’s up to you to decide which side you want to take.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Melina took a step to the right without a moment's hesitation.
Rather than the common heavy rain and snow, solving an infectious disease that is immediately life-threatening would have a greater impact.
Melina knelt on the right platform and clasped her hands together, silently praying to the goddess.
Everyone's eyes were focused on her lips moving around.
How much time has passed like that?
Melina suddenly raised her head and spread both arms towards the sky.
“...In the name of Melina, I pray that you save your believers who are writhing in pain!”
The crowd reacted immediately to the action that heralded the beginning of a miracle.
“Oh! I see it’s finally starting!”
“What an honor it is to see the Saintess’s miracles with my own eyes!”
“But what kind of disaster will it stop first?”
“Well, wouldn’t it rain first? The scorching sun for three weeks has dried up the rivers around here. Even if you try to get water from across the way, you can’t go out because of the plague. How thirsty you must be.”
“Hey, but treating the epidemic comes first. Water is being delivered regularly as relief supplies, so even if there’s a shortage, people won’t die immediately, but people with the epidemic are just waiting for the day to die.”
“Oh, these guys. Is there a rule that says one has to stop first? They could both stop right away.”
Despite their bickering appearance, their expressions were filled with joy.
Which disaster stopped first was just an added fun factor for them because what mattered to them was witnessing the Saintess's miracle with their own eyes.
But what is this?
Minutes had passed since Melina's screams erupted, but the sun was still beating down on the street to the right.
The crowd began to stir again.
“What, why are you so quiet?”
“There isn’t even a cloud, let alone rain. When do miracles happen?”
“Hmm, did the epidemic stop first?”
The Emperor, who had been quietly watching the scene, gave instructions to the chief chamberlain.
“Send someone to check if there are any changes in the plague patients.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
The sergeant quickly sent one of his guardsmen to the street on the right.
A while later, the knight returned, out of breath, and reported with a slightly embarrassed expression.
“Your Majesty, I asked those in charge of the plague area about the situation, and they said there has been no change.”
“What? There’s no change?”
“Yes, Your Majesty. Indeed, the groans of the sick could still be heard beyond the walls.”
“What the...”
The Emperor looked at Melina with a furious expression. His eyes seemed to be asking why the disaster had not stopped, but Melina could not answer.
Because the most embarrassed person right now was her.
'Why doesn't it stop all of a sudden? It should stop right away, right?'
Melina again spread her arms towards the sky, looking terribly embarrassed.
But no matter how many times she repeated it, no change or miracle happened.
At that moment, when everyone was shocked by the sight, Shayne, who had been sitting quietly and observing the situation, stood up.
Then she walked to the left, which was suffering from heavy rain and snow.
It was from that moment that a miracle occurred that made everyone doubt their eyes.
As she took a step, the maddening downpour stopped.
As she took another step, the unseasonable heavy snowfall suddenly stopped.
As she took another step, the sky that had been filled with dark clouds, began to clear up.
As she took another step, the sunlight that had been shining only on the right side slowly shifted and settled warmly on the street on the left.
“What is this...”
The audience was astounded by the sight that was so unbelievable that they could not believe it even after seeing it with their own eyes.
“What, did Saintess Veloce stop the disaster just now?”
“Oh, can’t you see? Didn’t you clearly see that miracles occurred every time the Saintess took a step?”
“Haha, they say that Saintess Veloce can’t do anything without a lion, so what’s going on here?”
While the Emperor, the crowd, and everyone else were just gaping in amazement, Shayn turned towards Melina this time.
As she took her first steps, another unbelievable thing happened.
After three weeks of nonstop, hot sun, dark clouds began to gather, and then large raindrops began to fall.
“Oh, this can’t be happening!”
Everyone looked at Shayne with astonishment at the rainwater that soaked the dry stone floor.
Among them, Melina's expression was the most impressive.
Three days ago.
I, who had lost consciousness after touching a sacred object without permission, opened my eyelids with difficulty.
The ceiling looks unfamiliar, so it doesn't seem to be a temple. Perhaps the Marquis of Bayen gave us a room.
'Fortunately, I didn't go blind.'
Relieved by my clear vision, I tried to sit up to check other parts of my body.
However.
Dump-
I barely managed to raise my head before falling back down onto the pillow.
“Why is this...”
Panicked, I tried to get up again, but it was no use.
No matter how many times I tried, my head would only rise a finger's width, and even then, it wouldn't last more than a second.
The abnormal symptoms were not limited to these.
'My body isn't moving.'
I couldn't move my arms, legs, or even a single finger. It was as if my entire body was paralyzed.
‘Could this be... a divine punishment?’
I let out a small laugh at the thought that occurred to me without me realizing it.
Yes, this is the punishment that has been bestowed upon me.
This was the price I paid for lusting after the holy relics with my unauthorized body.
'If you want to die, you will live, and if you want to live, you will die.'
That proverb from the Eastern Continent was complete nonsense. It was just something my deceased mother said to me in a dream for the first time, so I just gave it meaning.
I laughed vainly, but I didn't regret my choice or feel pessimistic.
Anyway, my body will be thrown to the beasts as food in three days, so what does it matter if I become paralyzed or split in two?
'The second life is now over.'
I promised myself that I would live my life for myself since I got my life back, but this time too, I ended up dying after only doing good things for others.
Just then, as I was poking out my mouth in frustration at that fact, the door suddenly opened and someone came in.
He was the Crown Prince.
He came in with a complicated expression and a sigh, but he noticed me a step too late and froze.
It was as if he had seen a ghost.
I burst out laughing at that stupid face, and only then did the Crown Prince come to his senses and practically ran towards me.
“Princess, are you okay? Is there anything that hurts? Are you dizzy or uncomfortable anywhere...?”
“It hurts.”
I cut him off briefly.
My voice was hoarse, perhaps because I had screamed in such excruciating pain.
But the Crown Prince didn't seem to be interested in that at all.
“Where does it hurt? Your arms? Your legs? Your chest? Tell me more.”
I smiled a little at the way he was urging me, which was unusual for his usual appearance, and then weakly opened my mouth.
“Everything hurts. My head, my arms, my legs, my chest. No place doesn’t hurt.”
“...”
“I’m telling you this in advance so you don’t misunderstand. I’m not joking. It really looks like every bone in my body is broken. It looks like the punishment wasn’t just applied to one spot, but to my entire body.”
“Divine punishment?”
It was at that moment when he, who had been mumbling softly, was about to continue speaking.
“What is divine punishment?”
A grumbling voice was heard.
It was the Marquis of Bayen.
He entered the room with a stern expression and stood in front of me. Then he looked down at me with a strange look in his eyes for a while and then blurted out.
“Congratulations.”
What, paralyzed from the waist down?
Even if you make fun of people, you still get a lot of points. You're congratulating someone who has been punished and has become disabled all over her body? Congratulations?
If only my limbs were intact, I might have hit the goddess's favorite son, this punk, on the head.
It was at that moment that I looked up at him with a sullen expression.
“The holy relic has permitted you.”
"Yes?"
My eyes widened.
“You gave me permission? The holy relic gave me permission?”
"Yes."
“That can’t be... Then the pain back then...”
When I muttered in disbelief, he shrugged and said,
“It’s not a divine punishment, it’s a kind of growing pain. The power of the holy relic has taken hold of your body, causing shock to your body tissues. The human body is naturally weak.”
"Ha."
As I listened to the Marquis's words, all the strength in my body drained away.
‘What kind of growing pains are those...’
Even if it was to absorb the power of the holy relic, it was a pain that no human could ever endure.
I am also certain that if there had been even one weapon, whether a knife or a dagger, around me, I would have volunteered.
I couldn't help but curse at the extremely harsh test of the holy relic, but this was what I wanted to say the most right now.
“F*ck, I survived.”
I could feel the two men flinching at the blatant profanity, but I chuckled regardless.
'Well, now the tables have turned, right?
She would be so angry at the fact that her noble self would die at the hands of an illegitimate child that she would have no choice but to take off the mask she had barely maintained and show her pitiful appearance.
But Shayne's expression still didn't change at all. She just looked at her for a while and then looked away with an expression that said everything was bothersome.
Melina was momentarily taken aback by Shayne's attitude, but then she sneered.
'Saving face until the end.'
It was funny how Shayne pretended to be noble to the end when she was destined to be beaten by people and dragged away like an animal by the knights anyway.
'But, well, this isn't so bad.'
The stronger Shayne's pride, the more miserable her words will be.
It was at that moment that Melina was giggling inwardly, imagining Shayne's impending end.
The crowd, which had been as quiet as a mouse, suddenly began to murmur.
The Saintesses' gazes simultaneously turned downwards to the platform. There, the Emperor and the Crown Prince were walking, escorted by numerous knights.
As they were straightening up from their slightly collapsed postures, the Emperor who had ascended the podium spoke apologetically.
“I was a little late. I apologize to the Saintesses who were waiting.”
But unlike the Emperor, the Crown Prince simply walked to his seat without saying a word.
At that moment, Shayne couldn't take her eyes off his eyes which looked slightly red.
“I tell this to all the people of the empire.”
The Emperor's speech began.
“I thought that the disaster that had been plaguing the empire for 13 years would finally end and that peace would come, but the disaster has begun again in just three weeks, and I am ashamed to see you. Fortunately, however, there are two Saintesses in Catalonia, and I hope that their great abilities will bring some relief to the people of my empire.”
Even a three-year-old child in the capital would know what this place was for, but the Emperor, who had been shamelessly beating around the bush, soon turned his head and looked between Shayne and Melina.
“Now, who will step forward first to reassure the people of the Empire?”
As soon as the Emperor finished speaking, Melina rose gracefully.
“May I take the honor first, Your Majesty?”
“It can’t be helped. It’s up to you to decide which side you want to take.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Melina took a step to the right without a moment's hesitation.
Rather than the common heavy rain and snow, solving an infectious disease that is immediately life-threatening would have a greater impact.
Melina knelt on the right platform and clasped her hands together, silently praying to the goddess.
Everyone's eyes were focused on her lips moving around.
How much time has passed like that?
Melina suddenly raised her head and spread both arms towards the sky.
“...In the name of Melina, I pray that you save your believers who are writhing in pain!”
The crowd reacted immediately to the action that heralded the beginning of a miracle.
“Oh! I see it’s finally starting!”
“What an honor it is to see the Saintess’s miracles with my own eyes!”
“But what kind of disaster will it stop first?”
“Well, wouldn’t it rain first? The scorching sun for three weeks has dried up the rivers around here. Even if you try to get water from across the way, you can’t go out because of the plague. How thirsty you must be.”
“Hey, but treating the epidemic comes first. Water is being delivered regularly as relief supplies, so even if there’s a shortage, people won’t die immediately, but people with the epidemic are just waiting for the day to die.”
“Oh, these guys. Is there a rule that says one has to stop first? They could both stop right away.”
Despite their bickering appearance, their expressions were filled with joy.
Which disaster stopped first was just an added fun factor for them because what mattered to them was witnessing the Saintess's miracle with their own eyes.
But what is this?
Minutes had passed since Melina's screams erupted, but the sun was still beating down on the street to the right.
The crowd began to stir again.
“What, why are you so quiet?”
“There isn’t even a cloud, let alone rain. When do miracles happen?”
“Hmm, did the epidemic stop first?”
The Emperor, who had been quietly watching the scene, gave instructions to the chief chamberlain.
“Send someone to check if there are any changes in the plague patients.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
The sergeant quickly sent one of his guardsmen to the street on the right.
A while later, the knight returned, out of breath, and reported with a slightly embarrassed expression.
“Your Majesty, I asked those in charge of the plague area about the situation, and they said there has been no change.”
“What? There’s no change?”
“Yes, Your Majesty. Indeed, the groans of the sick could still be heard beyond the walls.”
“What the...”
The Emperor looked at Melina with a furious expression. His eyes seemed to be asking why the disaster had not stopped, but Melina could not answer.
Because the most embarrassed person right now was her.
'Why doesn't it stop all of a sudden? It should stop right away, right?'
Melina again spread her arms towards the sky, looking terribly embarrassed.
But no matter how many times she repeated it, no change or miracle happened.
At that moment, when everyone was shocked by the sight, Shayne, who had been sitting quietly and observing the situation, stood up.
Then she walked to the left, which was suffering from heavy rain and snow.
It was from that moment that a miracle occurred that made everyone doubt their eyes.
As she took a step, the maddening downpour stopped.
As she took another step, the unseasonable heavy snowfall suddenly stopped.
As she took another step, the sky that had been filled with dark clouds, began to clear up.
As she took another step, the sunlight that had been shining only on the right side slowly shifted and settled warmly on the street on the left.
“What is this...”
The audience was astounded by the sight that was so unbelievable that they could not believe it even after seeing it with their own eyes.
“What, did Saintess Veloce stop the disaster just now?”
“Oh, can’t you see? Didn’t you clearly see that miracles occurred every time the Saintess took a step?”
“Haha, they say that Saintess Veloce can’t do anything without a lion, so what’s going on here?”
While the Emperor, the crowd, and everyone else were just gaping in amazement, Shayn turned towards Melina this time.
As she took her first steps, another unbelievable thing happened.
After three weeks of nonstop, hot sun, dark clouds began to gather, and then large raindrops began to fall.
“Oh, this can’t be happening!”
Everyone looked at Shayne with astonishment at the rainwater that soaked the dry stone floor.
Among them, Melina's expression was the most impressive.
***
Three days ago.
I, who had lost consciousness after touching a sacred object without permission, opened my eyelids with difficulty.
The ceiling looks unfamiliar, so it doesn't seem to be a temple. Perhaps the Marquis of Bayen gave us a room.
'Fortunately, I didn't go blind.'
Relieved by my clear vision, I tried to sit up to check other parts of my body.
However.
Dump-
I barely managed to raise my head before falling back down onto the pillow.
“Why is this...”
Panicked, I tried to get up again, but it was no use.
No matter how many times I tried, my head would only rise a finger's width, and even then, it wouldn't last more than a second.
The abnormal symptoms were not limited to these.
'My body isn't moving.'
I couldn't move my arms, legs, or even a single finger. It was as if my entire body was paralyzed.
‘Could this be... a divine punishment?’
I let out a small laugh at the thought that occurred to me without me realizing it.
Yes, this is the punishment that has been bestowed upon me.
This was the price I paid for lusting after the holy relics with my unauthorized body.
'If you want to die, you will live, and if you want to live, you will die.'
That proverb from the Eastern Continent was complete nonsense. It was just something my deceased mother said to me in a dream for the first time, so I just gave it meaning.
I laughed vainly, but I didn't regret my choice or feel pessimistic.
Anyway, my body will be thrown to the beasts as food in three days, so what does it matter if I become paralyzed or split in two?
'The second life is now over.'
I promised myself that I would live my life for myself since I got my life back, but this time too, I ended up dying after only doing good things for others.
Just then, as I was poking out my mouth in frustration at that fact, the door suddenly opened and someone came in.
He was the Crown Prince.
He came in with a complicated expression and a sigh, but he noticed me a step too late and froze.
It was as if he had seen a ghost.
I burst out laughing at that stupid face, and only then did the Crown Prince come to his senses and practically ran towards me.
“Princess, are you okay? Is there anything that hurts? Are you dizzy or uncomfortable anywhere...?”
“It hurts.”
I cut him off briefly.
My voice was hoarse, perhaps because I had screamed in such excruciating pain.
But the Crown Prince didn't seem to be interested in that at all.
“Where does it hurt? Your arms? Your legs? Your chest? Tell me more.”
I smiled a little at the way he was urging me, which was unusual for his usual appearance, and then weakly opened my mouth.
“Everything hurts. My head, my arms, my legs, my chest. No place doesn’t hurt.”
“...”
“I’m telling you this in advance so you don’t misunderstand. I’m not joking. It really looks like every bone in my body is broken. It looks like the punishment wasn’t just applied to one spot, but to my entire body.”
“Divine punishment?”
It was at that moment when he, who had been mumbling softly, was about to continue speaking.
“What is divine punishment?”
A grumbling voice was heard.
It was the Marquis of Bayen.
He entered the room with a stern expression and stood in front of me. Then he looked down at me with a strange look in his eyes for a while and then blurted out.
“Congratulations.”
What, paralyzed from the waist down?
Even if you make fun of people, you still get a lot of points. You're congratulating someone who has been punished and has become disabled all over her body? Congratulations?
If only my limbs were intact, I might have hit the goddess's favorite son, this punk, on the head.
It was at that moment that I looked up at him with a sullen expression.
“The holy relic has permitted you.”
"Yes?"
My eyes widened.
“You gave me permission? The holy relic gave me permission?”
"Yes."
“That can’t be... Then the pain back then...”
When I muttered in disbelief, he shrugged and said,
“It’s not a divine punishment, it’s a kind of growing pain. The power of the holy relic has taken hold of your body, causing shock to your body tissues. The human body is naturally weak.”
"Ha."
As I listened to the Marquis's words, all the strength in my body drained away.
‘What kind of growing pains are those...’
Even if it was to absorb the power of the holy relic, it was a pain that no human could ever endure.
I am also certain that if there had been even one weapon, whether a knife or a dagger, around me, I would have volunteered.
I couldn't help but curse at the extremely harsh test of the holy relic, but this was what I wanted to say the most right now.
“F*ck, I survived.”
I could feel the two men flinching at the blatant profanity, but I chuckled regardless.
'Well, now the tables have turned, right?
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