The day of the Serpent's Fang attack.
I could only shed tears because of my own cowardice.
Not only did I force myself to participate in the Saintess experiment I didn't want to attend, putting Mr. Shimo and Liz, who were accompanying me, in danger, but I was also powerless to do anything in that situation.
All I could do was tremble with fear and weep in the pitch-black, treacherous darkness.
If only I had clearly expressed my lack of interest in the Saintess.
If only I had said I was just going through the motions during the monster-slaying, and had simply given up on the experiment.
If only I could have seen, and could have genuinely assisted Mr. Shimo and Liz.
Those damned bastards…those…evil humans who attempted to disrupt the Goddess Cult…my master wouldn't have been injured.
Unforgivable…you trashy humans…how dare…how dare…If I had power…if I could see…I would make them suffer terribly, repent for their sins…!
I would make them scream in agony, weep and kowtow for their foolishness!
Disgusting humans…!
Scum…!
They must be eliminated…!
They must be killed…!
To prevent my master from experiencing that again, I must protect him…!! ! ! "…Uh!?"…What was that just now…?
"Huff…huff…" Coming back to my senses, I could feel Mr. Shimo's body warmth enveloping me, and I could hear Liz's quiet breathing opposite him.
…Was I having a nightmare…? I vaguely felt some anger rising within me… For some reason, lately, I seem to be experiencing more emotional outbursts.
Could it be… that I even feel this anger while sleeping…?
"Gurgle…hmm…" I could hear Mr. Shimo's breathing above my head, and I could feel his burning body heat and huge, solid muscles enveloping me. "…Huff…ha…" Lately, I've been strangely feeling my emotions fluctuating… But strangely, whenever I sense Mr. Shimo's scent…
body temperature…
breath…
these things seem to calm down. ...No, to be precise...my mind went blank, I felt a kind of daze...a strange feeling, as if all the burdens in my heart had been cast aside.
The feeling I had when I was with Mr. Shimo, this feeling that as long as Mr. Shimo was there, everything would be alright...yes.
This must be what they call a sense of security.
Although it felt a little strange at first, now I would feel uneasy if I didn't feel this.
As long as this...as long as Mr. Shimo is there, probably...feeling this indescribable, subtle sense of security, I hugged Mr. Shimo's body.
...I must protect him. Master, this feeling, this happiness.
Therefore...the method is...
...Afterwards, I made up my mind to become a Saintess to protect Mr. Shimo.
Although the position of Saintess has strong symbolic meaning, it doesn't mean it lacks authority.
Saintess and Pope, though different in weight, are both important pillars of the Goddess Cult.
Although it has recently become a symbolic position, the original origin of the Goddess Cult was the first Saintess who responded to the Goddess's call.
This is why I possess the authority to punish bishops or archbishops for proven crimes.
The authority to issue orders to various branches in emergencies.
The authority to form a personal guard for the saintess, etc… If I could exercise these authority, I could purge the corrupt elements of the Goddess's Church and protect Mr. Shimo.
Thinking this, I devoted the most focused energy of my life to all the exams that followed.
If the Goddess hadn't abandoned me, I would be certain I could become a saintess. "…Oh dear. Sister Claria. You said you weren't interested in the position of saintess… Your appearance and your true self are completely different; quite cunning." Clarice accused me so aggressively, but I easily ignored her.
Clarice… she might fool others, but she can't fool me.
I can clearly sense you're lying from your emotional fluctuations.
When I become a saintess, I will expose everything you and that piece of trash called your man have done… and make you pay the price. Definitely.
......
"As expected… Claire is the reincarnation of the first Saintess, no, even more amazing. Claire is incredible."
When the exam was halfway through, Paul exaggeratedly gesticulated and praised me.
What are you grinning about, Paul? It's all because of you that I was forced to participate in the Saintess election, which I had no interest in, and even caused Mr. Semo's injury. "…Thank you. Paul."
Swallowing the words that rose to my throat, I suppressed my emotions and smiled at Paul.
Yes… this wasn't… Paul's fault. Even if I felt disappointed in Paul and started to distance myself from him, this incident shouldn't be blamed on him.
…That being said, after the Saintess exam… I plan to reconsider my relationship with him.
"Um, Claire… today's exam task had plenty of time… how about… a little…"
"Haa…" What's with that anticipation?
What silly thing are you planning now?
It's not mealtime, I wanted to just refuse… but I really can't.
Helplessly following Paul, he chattered incessantly beside me like a sparrow.
"That's what I did, I suddenly grabbed that guy by the collar..."
Since arriving in the capital, Paul's boastful behavior has become increasingly frequent.
He always tries to put on airs in front of me... but to me, it just seems pathetic.
I know very well that this kind of self-praise is ultimately like a child craving praise.
Even though we've known each other for a long time and I can sense his feelings, he still does this.
Ever since I tacitly condoned his disgusting behavior once, Paul's actions seem to have intensified. "...By the way, Paul. Where are we going now? If it's too far..."
"It's okay. We'll be there soon." Listening to Paul's boastful words mixed with bravado, we walked for a while, and before I knew it, I could feel the dense crowd around us.
Have we arrived at a bustling street? There are quite a lot of people. What is Paul going to do…? "…Here." "…? Paul. Where are you? Where is this?" "…In front of the fountain in the bustling center of the capital. Us." I could sense the excitement in his voice, and Paul's anticipation.
For some reason, I felt uneasy. "It's a nice place. Although it's a bustling street, it's still the capital, and the surroundings are clean, and the people seem happy. This fountain in the center, though invisible, seems to shimmer and bless lovers."
Why did I say all this? It has nothing to do with you or me.
"I heard that the area around this fountain is perfect for lovers to stroll. The scenery is beautiful too. Perhaps because there are so many shops, it's quite crowded."
Paul coughed as he said this, as if preparing himself… No. Paul. Don't do this. There were still many people around.
"My lover and fiancée! Nellis Clya! Our appointed day is almost here!" The crowd stirred at Paul's shout.
"I've taken the time to investigate the house in the capital! Everything else is ready! You just need to come!"
"Oh my god, what…?"
"A public confession?"
"Oh my god…it looks like a clergyman?" Without consciously trying, I could feel the gazes of the crowd focused on us.
"The one who embraces me with warmth! The one who makes me smile! My saintly Clya! Damn, Paul loves you!!!"
"Wow, what's going on?"
"Pfft, he's not much to look at, but he's quite manly."
"Oh my god. What did he pull out?!"
Every time Paul shouted something, my mind became increasingly confused, and my chest sank heavily.
Unconsciously, this man and I had gathered around a diverse group of people, each expressing their own feelings.
At first glance, they sounded like blessings, but I couldn't sense any real emotion in the feelings they conveyed.
Pure curiosity about what they were doing.
A sense of pleasure, like finding an interesting pastime.
And, from the women… a feeling of unease and shame, like, 'I would never want to be in this situation myself.'
What the hell, Paul? Are you crazy?
Without a word… you actually… did this disgusting thing… You call this an event? …So annoying.
"Huff…huff…I…I did prepare a ring…but we are clergy…it might be more appropriate to offer this now…" Paul said, putting something around my neck.
Probably…a necklace engraved with the emblem of the Cult of Goddess.
…This is the first time I've found the symbol of the Cult of Goddess so repulsive.
This man is really…
"My goddess! My saint! Nellis Claire! May you be my… for life! Be my lover and spend the rest of your life with me!?"
......
"Hehehehe! And then? What happened next?"
"Haa… I was about to swear… but I managed to hold it in and mumbled something…" I complained to Liz about Paul while we were bathing together.
Although Liz laughed heartily, for some reason, her laughter wasn't offensive.
In fact, that laughter… inexplicably made me feel comforted… I've been inexplicably on the same wavelength as Liz lately.
"Heh… Ah, what a terrible confession. He even proposed and then confessed like that in front of everyone."
"Yeah. I was so embarrassed I wanted to crawl into a hole. That man is just…"
Yeah. It really was awful.
I was completely fed up with him, but I never expected him to make that kind of confession.
It was like he wanted to confirm that I was his possession, that disgusting masculine emotion. It's incredibly unpleasant.
"Haa... that kind of man who only thinks about himself. I don't even want to see him now."
"Hehe... ♡ Even so, there's nothing I can do until the Saintess Election is over."
"Yes.
Compared to the trial, that man is even more unbearable.
During the trial, even my master wasn't there...
My master, who said she needed the power to protect her female, went to train with Liz while I was taking the trial.
Completely different from those disgusting, self-centered males. Really...
"Haa. I really envy Liz. I really want to skip the Saintess Trial and be with my master directly."
"Heh... even though her feelings aren't even confirmed yet." "Anyone else would think you're already Master's female!" "...Ah. You're right. I'm not... Master's female yet. I... that's right. Right now, I'm just experiencing what it feels like to be Master's female.
My heart already belongs to Master... I've already made up my mind... I should just go out and announce that I want to become Master's female... It's strange. Why can't I say it?
My body and soul are both drawn to Master.
Why... somewhere inside me, something seems to be missing... like a puzzle piece is missing, there's a strange feeling.
Because that piece is missing, strangely, I can't bring myself to say that I want to become Master's possession."
"I should have already made up my mind..." "...Hehe♡ Ah~ Speaking of public confession... Pfft. Not accepting the confession, but publicly swearing obedience, I'd like to try that~" "...Obey, swear...?" "...Ah-ha♡ Didn't she mention it in detail? I think she vaguely mentioned it... Interested?"...Indeed, I seem to have heard about Liz swearing obedience... Why?
Hearing the words "swearing obedience"... I inexplicably feel a throbbing in my chest... Why... does the word "obedience" feel so intoxicating...? "...Ah, how...how did you do it?" "Hehehe...♡ As for how I did it... the day I broke up with Ars..." As we pressed our full breasts together, Liz whispered in my ear about her experience of swearing obedience and breaking up with her lover. The content was utterly obscene and disrespectful, a story that should have angered and reprimanded a clergyman… But strangely, my body felt a daze and excitement because of Liz's story… Forget reprimanding her, I trembled as I listened intently to her narration… After hearing the whole story, I… "…Liz. Um… could… just experience… just once…?" I pleaded, wanting to experience it.