I’m Not A Saint Though?

chapter 8



chapter 8

“Hmm…”

 

The Emperor made a troubled expression.

 

It was understandable. The Veloce family was the one and only ducal house in the Empire, and its reputation, built over generations, was sky-high.

 

Even the Emperor couldn’t punish the head of such a family without solid evidence.

 

But he couldn’t ignore my words, claiming to be the Saintess.

 

“Alright. I’ll investigate this matter separately.”

 

The Emperor, groaning, finally assessed the situation while glancing at me.

 

“But first, shouldn’t we go to the Grand Temple? The Saintess has appeared after 13 long years, His Holiness must be eagerly awaiting you.”

 

Although he spoke indirectly, his underlying intention was to verify my claims.

 

‘Our Emperor is unexpectedly astute.’

 

Impressed by the Emperor’s seemingly high intelligence, contrary to my expectations, I readily nodded.

 

“Of course, Your Majesty. Even though the Goddess herself gave me a revelation, we can’t skip His Holiness’s verification.”

 

“Ahem, I hope you understand that this isn’t because I doubt you, but because it’s procedural.”

 

“Of course, Your Majesty.”

 

I smiled confidently, despite having no divine power whatsoever.

 

“Then let’s go down.”

 

As I followed the Emperor down the cliff, countless citizens were waiting for me.

 

“Saintess, please save the Empire.”

 

“Please stop this terrible disaster!”

 

“Look after us, Saintess.”

 

Lined up on both sides under the control of the knights, they repeatedly pleaded for salvation.

 

‘Wow, how can people change so quickly?’

 

Their polite attitude was unbelievable, considering they were the same people who had mocked my impending death just moments ago, talking about the abolition of social status.

 

Speechless, I ignored them and strode forward.

 

At the end of the road, a carriage awaited me.

 

A carriage with the Goddess’s emblem embossed on a pure white background.

 

It was sent from the temple.

 

‘I never thought I’d ride in this.’

 

Feeling a sense of guilt for getting into such a carriage without a shred of divine power, I made the sign of the cross and was about to board when,

 

“Saintess, please wait!”

 

A middle-aged woman pushed through the crowd and ran towards me.

 

“Hey, I told you to follow the instructions!”

 

One of the knights controlling the crowd that had gathered to see me hurriedly ran over and grabbed her.

 

“I have something to give to the Saintess. Please let me see her for a moment!”

 

“I said no!”

 

The knight, glancing at me and the Emperor, tried to pull the woman away, but her resistance was quite strong, and it seemed difficult.

 

Watching their struggle, I spoke, “It’s alright, Sir. Let her go.”

 

She was just an ordinary citizen.

 

She didn’t seem to be a threat, and she just said she had something to give me, so there was no reason not to meet her.

 

“But Lady…!”

 

The knight, with a troubled expression, finally released his grip on the woman.

 

The woman rushed to me and carefully held out something in her hand.

 

“You must be tired today, so please have this for your journey…”

 

It was a bundle wrapped in old cloth.

 

Judging by the wrapping, the contents didn’t seem to be anything special.

 

But I gladly accepted the bundle.

 

“Thank you. I’ll enjoy it.”

 

As I took her hand and smiled, the woman’s eyes filled with emotion.

 

I was the one who received the gift, but she was the one moved, probably because of the pride of being the first to offer a tribute to the Saintess who had appeared after 13 years.

 

‘I’m sorry, I don’t have a single ounce of divine power.’

 

Clicking my tongue inwardly, I patted the back of her hand a couple of times and quickly excused myself.

 

“Roar!”

 

Along with the lion, pretending to be dignified.

 

Getting into the carriage and unwrapping the bundle, I found about ten coin-sized cookies inside.

 

They were cheap cookies that looked dry and crumbly, the kind that wouldn’t have caught my eye normally, but I found an old memory within them.

 

“Wow, it’s been a while.”

 

I smiled, remembering sneaking out to the market in commoner clothes with my mother when I was young and buying these kinds of snacks.  As I was about to put a cookie in my mouth,

 

“…”

 

I felt an intense gaze from somewhere.

 

Turning my head, I saw the lion staring intently at me.

 

Or rather, at the cookie in my hand.

 

“…Why are you looking at me like that?”

 

“No, well… Just curious.  Wondering what that is.”

 

The lion, coming to its senses, scratched its temple with its paw awkwardly.

 

“I’ve never seen it before. Is it food?”

 

“Yes, it’s a cookie.  It’s made from baked dough.  Usually, they’re baked with lots of sugar and butter, but these are cheap, so they probably don’t have much. Sugar and butter are expensive.”

 

Despite my explanation, the lion’s gaze remained fixed on the cookie.

 

Its gaze was so persistent that I asked casually, “Would you like to try one?”

 

“Oh, may I?”

 

“It’s not a big deal.”

 

I readily handed it a cookie.

 

The lion, as if in a hurry, gobbled down the cookie without chewing much and then widened its eyes.

 

“Wh-What is this called?”

 

“A cookie.”

 

“Cookie, cookie!”

 

The lion repeated the word “cookie” with an expression that said, ‘How can there be such delicious food in the world?’

 

‘But aren’t lions carnivores?’

 

It seemed that its unfortunate living environment, having to eat only moss for a thousand years, had changed even its instincts.

 

“If you like it, have some more. It’s not fancy, but it’s better than moss.”

 

Feeling sorry for it, I offered the whole bundle, and the lion opened its mouth wide as if waiting for it.

 

The lion’s expression brightened noticeably with each cookie that disappeared into its mouth.

 

After devouring all ten cookies in a flash, the lion suddenly clenched its fists.

 

“Ha, to taste this delicious thing only now. Hedel, if that damn Goddess had kept her promise, I could have tasted this five years ago! If I had eaten just ten a day, that’s eighteen thousand two hundred and fifty cookies in five years!”

 

Wow, it could do mental calculations.

 

I clapped inwardly, discovering for the first time an intelligent side to the lion.

 

Ignoring me, the lion, still fuming about being scammed, suddenly asked with a worried expression, “But why did you readily agree to be tested by the temple? You don’t have a shred of divine power. You’ll be exposed immediately.”

 

“That’s something you’ll have to take care of.”

 

“What? Me?”

 

As I spoke indifferently, looking out the window, the lion asked back with a bewildered look.

 

“Why are you so surprised? It’s only natural. Have you forgotten why I’m being mistaken for the Saintess?”

 

The lion flinched as if stung by my words, but it only opened and closed its mouth, unable to find an excuse.

 

It was only natural if it had any conscience.

 

Although I had brought this upon myself because of the trash who tried to push me into a deeper hell after I had returned from the brink of death, the lion was the one who started it all.

 

“If you hadn’t deliberately treated me like a Saintess, things wouldn’t have come to this.”

 

“But I never thought you would actually go to the Grand Temple.  How are we supposed to fool the Pope…”

 

The lion drooped its eyes in distress.

 

“Would they be as easily fooled as those humans earlier?”

 

“Of course not.”

 

He was the Pope, after all; how could he be so easily fooled?

 

Even the Emperor, whose intelligence I usually questioned, didn’t fully believe I was the Saintess.

 

Even this carriage I was riding in wasn’t the Saintess’s carriage, but the carriage used to transport a woman designated as a Saintess to the temple for verification.

 

Only after the Pope’s verification and official appointment would the Saintess’s carriage be sent.

 

So, just because I claimed, “The Goddess has chosen me as the Saintess,” didn’t mean I would receive the position.

 

“They say a mark appears on the forehead of the Saintess chosen by the Goddess.”

 

As I muttered to myself, the lion, picking cookie crumbs from its teeth with its claws, tilted its head.

 

“Really? A mark appears?”

 

“…You didn’t know?”

 

“How would I know? I’ve been stuck in a cave for a thousand years. And I’ve never seen a Saintess before that either.”

 

Clicking my tongue at the lion’s innocent expression, I pointed to the emblem engraved on the carriage ceiling.

 

“It’s that emblem.”

 

“Ah, that.  Yes, that’s Hedel’s emblem.”

 

“Yes, take a good look. You’ll have to make that emblem appear on my forehead later.”

 

“What? How can I do that?”

 

The lion questioned me in bewilderment.

 

It looked as if I was talking nonsense, but I just smiled leisurely.

 

“Come on, why are you like this? You’re someone who can even stop hail, how can you not do something like that?”

 

At my words, the lion gasped.

 


Tip: You can use left, right, A and D keyboard keys to browse between chapters.