The Defeated Heroine I Married Cannot Forget The Protagonist

✦  Chapter 3  ✦

「Translator - Creator」

᠃ ⚘᠂ ⚘ ⚘ ᠂ ⚘ ᠃

Within the Daylight Church stood a spacious office chamber.

It was the private office of the Church's leader.

And the leader of this place was Mate Daylight — that would be me.

A fraudulent cult leader who deceives innocent followers by claiming to be divine, constantly demanding offerings and exploiting believers down to their last penny.

That's who Mate Daylight was.

"Thirty gold coins in a single day, hahaha! Those fools truly seem to believe Master Mate is a god!"

The laughter came from a man with tanned skin, stylish sunglasses, and a cleanly shaven bald head. A man in his mid-twenties, graduated from Lumeris Academy.

His name was Dishel Lithverse.

While Mate's role was to deceive citizens with eloquent words, his role was to drive the final nail into the hearts of wavering citizens.

Despite his brash appearance, Dishel excelled at administrative tasks, such as bookkeeping and report writing.

Later into the story, his abilities were finally recognized and he worked as an arms dealer under Muse Fairfield. Despite his extra-like appearance, he was a character who gained considerable attention due to his significance.

For example, there were fan creations focusing on BL between Mate Daylight and Dishel Lithverse...

He received attention in quite an unfavorable direction.

……

I snapped out of my thoughts, seated on a luxurious sofa. In my left hand, I held a report summarizing the church’s profits over the past month. My right hand? It was clutching a pastry smeared with chocolate cream.

The ornate white priestly robes I wore had a golden-trimmed hood, the very attire befitting someone who claimed to be a divine figure. As I glanced at my reflection, the reality sank in.

...In the end, I had returned. Back to those nauseating days.

The exact same time when I first possessed Mate Daylight's body. Not a single minute or second different.

Running a hand through my golden hair, I handed the report to Dishel, who was grinning ear-to-ear, visibly pleased with himself.

"Check this for me. You can handle that much, right?"

"...But, I just finished the calculations?"

"I'll give you an extra 10 percent. Something urgent came up, you see."

"Hehehe, if that's the case, I welcome it...!"

White sleeveless top and jeans.

Both his appearance and attire suited Dishel well.

Pulling a pen from his pocket, Dishel immediately started cross-checking the report, his movements swift and practiced.

His sharp eyes scanned for discrepancies, making note of anything that didn’t align with his records.

As for me, I stood by the office door, taking deep breaths repeatedly.

Just repeat what's been done before. Start from the beginning again.

If it were a situation where I didn't need to intervene in the first place, I would do so without a moment's hesitation.

Without my intervention, if the story flows according to the original narrative, only one person — the one chosen by Yuren — would overcome their trauma and find salvation.

Therefore, my role remains unchanged from the previous iteration.

To resolve the heroines' pain and the incidents at the Academy.

However, there’s one key difference this time — I must avoid becoming deeply involved with any of the heroines.

I plan to tackle their traumas while keeping my distance, then credit all the achievements to Yuren.

Simple enough! For someone like me who guided the previous iteration's scenario, this was well within reach.

As long as no unexpected variables arise, everything will be fine.

Of course, the most pressing concern for me was Shirai.

Not only did I reverse the future where she was chosen, but I also left her blind again.

While Judith's family circumstances and Muse's revolution were issues to address, Shirai's eyes took precedence.

…Or perhaps I should prevent Sia’s descent into darkness?

Though Sia's trauma could be resolved later, which definitely buys me some time. But if something unexpected were to happen, it could spiral into a disaster.

For now, I have about a month before Lumeris Academy begins its semester. It was the perfect window to lay the groundwork for what will unfold at the academy.

*Creeak—*

My office, located behind the church stage, had a direct view of the entire congregation.

Naturally, when I opened the door, the vast church came into full view from end to end. Rows of pews stretched across the hall, filled with devotees in the midst of prayer. Naturally, my sudden appearance caught their attention.

"It's, it's the Holy Leader! The Holy Leader has returned from communing with God!"

"The divine messenger watches over us!"

"First believe, for belief shall bring blessings."

Three devotees leaped up from prayer, causing a commotion.

They weren’t ordinary devotees, but pawns hired by Mate Daylight with money.

They say three people can make one person look foolish. I believe the scale extends far beyond just one person.

"Please grant us the heavenly fortune to live without financial worry!"

"I beg you to cure my daughter's illness!"

"Grant us eternal life!"

Just like now.

With just three people, it was possible to incite dozens, hundreds of others. If you target the vulnerabilities that all humans possess.

Among them were those desperate for money, crushed by debt; parents who joined seeking cures for their children's incurable diseases; and mortals yearning for ageless immortality.

"Hah..."

The fervent, almost delusional atmosphere made my head pound. My vision darkened momentarily as I tried to compose myself.

As scheduled, in three days, Saint Shirai of the Espera Order was scheduled to visit the Daylight Church for an inspection.

If she discovers that this place is nothing but a cult, it’s over. Everything will come crashing down.

𓆩♱𓆪

If I fail to enter the Academy, the future will diverge from the previous iteration.

'This requires meticulous preparation.'

All the faithful traced my commanding steps toward the podium with their eyes. Knowing I was deceiving these people left a bitter taste in my mouth.

"I have received the calling of the Heavenly God to fulfill the desires of our devoted followers."

This was the foundational work for purifying the Church before Saintess Shirai's inspection.

"I will now conduct one-on-one consultations."

To gauge the suffering of these piteous believers.

𓆩♱𓆪

A deafening noise pierced her eardrums, threatening to shatter them.

A pillar of pure white light devoured the world whole, stars and the full moon plummeted earthward, and the sky shattered like breaking glass, crumbling into countless fragments.

"Ugh!"

Regaining consciousness, she reflexively bolted upright. It was then that she realized something was draped over her lower body. A quick touch confirmed it—bedsheets and a comforter. Beneath her, she felt the softness of a pillow where she had just been lying.

"Hah..."

Finally, it dawned on her — it was all just a dream. Relieved, she wiped away the cold sweat trickling down her forehead. Stretching was always the best way to start a refreshing morning.

Yet as she moved to stretch, she instinctively sensed something was different from usual.

"Hm?"

Until moments ago, her mind had been consumed with making sense of her situation. The dream had felt more vivid than reality, so much so that she thought she had died.

But now she knew. No, she had no choice but to know.

'I can't see...?'

Her condition felt vastly improved, her body vigorous. It was as if she had returned to her youth.

Somehow her skin felt more supple, vitality overflowing from within. She felt she could easily circle the cabin ten times on a morning walk.

But why, why of all things... had her sight vanished?

Heart pounding, she held her breath and blinked—over and over, dozens, no, hundreds of times. Yet, the darkness remained absolute.

She refused to accept this reality.

The sunlight that greeted her every morning.

The familiar ceiling of her small bedroom.

The thick Bible — all now beyond her sight.

"Is this the Heavenly God's wrath...?"

Now she understood.

The divine punishment was retribution for her foolishness — mistaking someone else for her benefactor, squandering her trust and affection on the wrong person.

Regret and sorrow welled up, leaving her chest hollow.

It wasn't the loss of sight that brought her such grief.

Rather, sorrow crashed over Shirai at the thought that she would never see his face again.

Losing the man she loved to another woman without even the chance to fight for him had been painful enough. But now, through her own failings, she had lost her vision as well.

Everything Mate Daylight had strived for dissolved into nothingness in a single day.

"Nngh..."

Though Shirai tried to still her trembling by clutching her shoulders with crossed arms, her efforts proved futile. Perhaps from forcibly holding back her tears, strange whimpers escaped her lips.

Her slender arms were no match for the overwhelming tide of regret and sorrow shaking her entire body.

Humans often unconsciously recall moments of regret, the memories slipping through cracks in the mind.

— Yuren, thank you so much. For helping me fulfill my long-held wish.

— You said you had plans with Mate? Why not come with me instead? I promise it’ll be way more fun.

— I love you. You're all I have. I'm the most important to you too, right, Yuren?

Everything had gone terribly wrong.

It should have been you there, Mate.

……

Shirai, who had been clinging to her composure, finally gave in.

"Hck..."

Her tears poured forth, cascading like a waterfall as her restrained sobs erupted into a storm of despair.

Unaware she had returned to the past — something she would have instantly noticed had she retained her sight.

𓆩♱𓆪

The Espera Order.

A religious organization wielding significant political influence over the Empire.

The reason was simple — because the Saintess was a member of the Espera Order.

Since ancient times, every Saintess has belonged to the Espera Order. It was the oldest religious order with the longest history, boasting the largest membership among all religious organizations.

Despite its impressive scale, it harbored a fatal weakness.

Their dependence on the Saintess was far too great.

Simply put, when the Saintess proved incompetent, the Espera Order became powerless.

For centuries, this pattern repeated — the Order's political influence rising and falling with each Saintess' capabilities.

Whenever the Order tried to assert itself without the support of a capable Saintess, the Imperial Court would immediately intervene; there was even a time when the Order attempted to provide its Saintess with a manual of instructions, hoping it would make a difference.

But such efforts were always futile.

Too often, even with manuals, the Saintess’ would either quickly surrender under pressure from other factions or lose power after failing in debates.

The Espera Order had long grappled with this predicament.

The previous generation's Saintess was the epitome of incompetence. They say every day was a struggle for Pope Clive, then head of the Espera Order, due to relentless political pressure from all directions.

However, the current Pope Claudio Espera, Clive's son, found himself in the opposite situation of his father — life was so comfortable, he had no worries.

All because Saintess Shirai proved exceptionally capable.

A genius who grasped ten concepts when taught one, and a hundred when taught ten.

Despite her youth, not yet enrolled in the Academy, she possessed an uncanny grasp of every political force and current. Recently, she had even secretly negotiated a favorable contract with the Second Imperial Princess on behalf of the Order.

Her competence was so remarkable that observers sometimes wondered if her blindness was merely an act.

One couldn't help but find her utterly admirable.

*Knock—, Knock—*

"Your Holiness, it's time for breakfast."

The veteran assistant, Ihwa Cloudraine.

She was one of the notable Inquisitors who had graduated second in her class from Lumeris Academy five years ago. Her reputation soared ever higher as she continued to serve as the blind Saintess Shirai's assistant for five years without incident.

Yet what Ihwa truly took pride in wasn't her career or reputation.

It was being the chief assistant to Saintess Shirai, hailed as a genius in every circle.

She not only found satisfaction in assisting Saintess Shirai but derived profound self-worth from it.

The fact that she had spent five years serving as assistant to Shirai, acknowledged as history's greatest Saintess and a true genius, was what drove Ihwa forward in life.

However...

"...Your Holiness?"

In the central corridor of the Espera Order's highest floor, where the Saintess' chamber lay.

Shirai, who always rose early and responded promptly to her call, gave no answer.

Realizing something was wrong, Ihwa called out loudly.

"Your Holiness!! Are you alright?!!"

*THUMP —, THUMP—!!*

This wasn't the sound of Ihwa knocking.

The moment Ihwa pressed her ear to the door, she heard a chilling thud reverberating through the walls.

Ihwa was a veteran assistant. In preparation for such emergencies, she never failed to keep the master key close to her heart.

She hastily retrieved the key from her breast and thrust it into the lock.

*THUMP-! THUMP-!!*

"Y-Your Holiness...?"

Ihwa stood frozen in shock at what her eyes beheld.

The reason she couldn't move despite the urgency.

"Saintess Shirai! You must stop!!"

Shirai sat slumped on her bed, repeatedly slamming her head against the wall.

Blood trickled from her torn forehead, staining everything crimson as it flowed freely down.

END of CHAPTER