SWGL 06

Chapter 06

In the end, even after we arrived at the temple, I had no choice but to let Cassandro lift me by the waist and carry me down from the carriage without a word of complaint.

“I’ll call a physician right away—”

“Sir Cassandro.”

At that moment, a familiar voice came from behind us. My heart began to beat rapidly.

The owner of the voice was still hidden behind Cassandro’s massive body.

But there was no way I could mistake it.

“Archbishop.”

Cassandro bowed his head slightly and stepped aside. A familiar face then came into view.

Long, dark-red hair reminiscent of blackened blood, vampire-like pale skin, and silver eyes that gleamed like sharpened blades.

Formoso. The Archbishop of Scalia, Justitia’s religious mentor. And also…

The man who had forced the innocent Justitia to make a dishonorable apology, telling her that at least she could preserve her life if she confessed.

From his snake-like appearance alone, he looked more like a sinister demon than a clergyman. Even the faint smile tugging at the corners of his lips looked like nothing but hypocrisy to someone who knew his true nature.

“Saint, your knee…”

Seeing Formoso’s expression quickly harden, I couldn’t help letting out a hollow laugh.

“It’s only a small scrape. If you call a physician…”

“Even if it is a physician, we cannot expose the Saint’s bare legs to him.”

Formoso spoke firmly.

“Come inside. I will treat you myself.”

So it was all right to show them to him?

For a moment, I was dumbfounded, but I obediently smiled and nodded.

As soon as we reached my room, Formoso had me sit in a chair. He personally removed my shoe and carefully took hold of my pale ankle.

His jawline looked rather sharp when he slightly raised his head. Soon, his neat brow furrowed.

“How did this happen?”

“I fell…”

“Ouch.”

I answered, feeling a little tired. That was when Formoso slowly ran his large thumb over my knee before pressing down firmly.

The moment his finger made complete contact with the wound, I felt the pain clearly. At the same time, a pure white light flashed from his thumb and disappeared.

“Wow.”

I exclaimed in admiration at my knee, which had become perfectly clear in an instant.

Seeing me like that, Formoso smiled as though it were amusing.

“You look like a child seeing divine power for the first time.”

“Well… it’s an amazing power no matter how many times I see it.”

“Are you injured anywhere else?”

“My wrist aches a little. I think I sprained it.”

Formoso slightly narrowed his eyes and took hold of my wrist.

“You seem to be getting injured quite often these days.”

He murmured as he slowly stroked the inside of my wrist.

Why was he taking so long instead of just treating it?

Feeling slightly ticklish, I frowned and answered.

“I know. You think it’s strange too, don’t you, Archbishop?”

“It is hardly strange. Such things happen sometimes.”

Unlike someone else, it was a rather oblivious answer, but this was probably the normal reaction.

Cassandro was the unusual one for having noticed the connection with Lumiela. He was probably the only one.

“Ah!”

I was lost in thought for a moment when a lightning-like pain shot through my wrist.

I looked over in surprise, and Formoso was staring at me with an expressionless face.

Does he have some grudge against me? Why did he press so hard?

Soon, pure white light rose from my wrist, and the pain disappeared instantly.

I let out a faint breath and pulled my hand from Formoso’s grasp.

“Thank you.”

“Not at all.”

Formoso replied in his composed voice.

“Come to me whenever you are injured in the future as well. Would it make sense for you to visit a physician when you have divine power available?”

“I can’t use your precious power whenever I please.”

“It is a power given to be used for someone as precious as you, Saint, so please do not worry.”

I stared at Formoso as he said that. He probably meant those words sincerely.

Unlike the others, he had never once considered Justitia a ‘fake.’

He simply did not believe in Justitia’s innocence.

And that meant he did not believe in the morality of Justitia, who had spent her entire life serving as a saint.

The distrust of the religious mentor who had guided and looked after her all this time was what frustrated Justitia the most.

“Every life is precious.”

I smiled faintly, indirectly expressing my disagreement.

Regardless of being kind to this man, I had no intention of getting involved with him as deeply as I did with Lumiela.

“What were you thinking about so deeply?”

“Me?”

“Yes, earlier.”

“…Nothing much.”

Just sometimes.

“I was thinking that thanks to you, I’ll be able to carry out tomorrow’s volunteer work without any trouble.”

All I had to do was tell another lie like this and raise my gauge.

“Indeed…”

“Indeed?”

“You are as consistent as ever.”

As Formoso smiled, I smiled along with him.

If he wanted to misunderstand me that way, I was more than grateful.

Most of Justitia’s daily routine consisted of charitable work or prayer.

During the day, she went to the slums to volunteer, while she spent her mornings and evenings in the prayer room.

Many nobles had also expressed their desire to participate in the Saint’s noble activities. Today was one of those days when she was volunteering together with those young ladies.

However, there was an unexpected person among the familiar faces.

“…Lady Cassini is here too?”

Wasn’t she not part of this social circle?

“While speaking with Lady Cassini at the bazaar yesterday, she heard about our volunteer work and expressed an interest in participating. I thought it would be nice to have more people, so I invited her.”

“If my sudden arrival makes anyone uncomfortable…”

“Oh, no. Of course not.”

When Lumiela looked at us with a timid expression, I quickly shook my head.

“The hospital is always short-handed. We’re very grateful that you came.”

I smiled brightly and assigned the young ladies their tasks. As usual, they were jobs such as kitchen work or cleaning, things that did not require direct contact with the patients while allowing the young ladies to chat together.

Other than fellow nobles, they had virtually no contact with anyone else. Justitia had thought it would be better than putting them together with sick children and risking trouble, and I wholeheartedly agreed.

“Then, everyone, as I explained…”

“Ah, wait a moment. Since Lady Cassini has divine power as well, wouldn’t it be better for her to help treat the children?”

One of the ladies raised her hand and made a suggestion. It was the same young lady who had said she invited Lumiela.

Everyone’s eyes turned toward Lumiela, who smiled awkwardly.

“Would you do that, Lady Cassini?”

“I think I would be more useful if I treated the children.”

Since Lumiela agreed, I had no choice but to make rounds through the ward with her.

We focused on children who had been in the hospital for a long time without improving, or those whose pain could be relieved through divine power.

“Wow, it doesn’t hurt at all anymore!”

“Really? That’s a relief.”

I watched Lumiela heal a child suffering from severe stomach pains with divine power. Just as I was thinking that her ability was better than expected—

“Are you a Saint too, big sister?”

The child asked innocently.

Lumiela looked momentarily flustered before shaking her head.

“No, I’m not a Saint.”

“Then how can you use divine power?”

Lumiela looked at me with an awkward expression.

Her eyes seemed to ask me to help her figure out what to say.

I scoffed inwardly.

She could just tell the truth. Why was she hesitating?

“Originally, this person was the real Saint.”

I bet she wanted to see me say those words myself.

And in front of the young ladies who were cleaning the ward.