I still remember that day, the day she sneaked out of the church at night………….

  I caught her sneaking out the back door. “Where are you going, milady?”

  Upon hearing my question, she turned around in panic. Then, as she made up her mind, she looked into my eyes, “I know you have no loyalty to my father. You only offer your loyalty to the gold coin.”

  “Here is all my personal wealth. I want to offer you everything. So, could you overlook it only this time and not report to my father?” She said resolutely as she handed an envelope.

  “Milady, gold can be enjoyed only when we can live to spend it.” I could not help but let out a sigh. Her naivety was still here.

  “Please.” She lowered her head in pleading.

  At first, I thought, was she afraid of Duke Ellon’s scolding this much? It was possible. Duke Ellon was the most terrific man. The way she quickly pleaded for my silence looked strange to me. Where was the girl who, without hesitation, told us to leave her to die so we could go to help that small settlement? I was not mistaken in my judgment. I could only admit that no matter what, she was just a nine-year-old girl. It was normal for her to sneak out to enjoy her little adventure, as a typical girl her age always did. If it were only for a brief night walk, I would indulge with her this much. Please consider it a reward for all your hard work so far.

  “If it were only for a brief night walk, I could keep quiet for you,” I reassured her. “However, please let me accompany you. We cannot leave a nine-year-old girl wandering around in the middle of the night.”

  “Still-”

  “There is no room for negotiation. Please consider my position, too.” I could not allow her to refuse. I still had my pride as a Sellsword.

  “…….. Then, please accept this. I want an absolute secret between us.” Although reluctant, she accepted my proposal. Yet, she continued to offer me a bribe. I wondered if bribing was the only solution she knew about? All clergy were the same.

  “Well, if it can put you at ease, I will accept it.” I lazily accepted her offering. However, when I opened the envelope, I found the amount was too absurd. It was not an amount that a nine-year-old girl could possess. Pocket money? Nah. It was an amount comparable to the wealth of an average Count family. Then, I realized. It was not a sample thing like a brief night walk.

  “You have received your reward. I would appreciate it if you could keep your word. Absolutely, not a single word to my father about what happened tonight,” she peered straight into my eyes. I could not help but be interested in what she wanted to do that night.

  She and I reached our destination, the mansion of the Marquise Larose that we visited this morning. We were guided through the back door into a study room as if they were expecting us. The atmosphere was tense throughout the entire journey.

  Before we entered the room, Lady Aria looked back at me and reconfirmed our deal. “I hope you will keep your word. Beyond this point, absolutely not a single word.”

  I could only nod in response.

  Inside the room sat the Marquise Larose and his head butler standing behind him.

  After they offered their greeting, Lady Aria asked me to leave them alone. “Could you leave us alone?”

  I could not accept her request. How could I leave her alone in a room with those men? They made no attempt to hide their hostility from the moment they saw us. This whole mansion was nothing but an enemy’s territory.

  “You have my word, Milady.”

  “Thank you.” She readily accepted my offer.

  Then what happened next was beyond my imagination. I realized I was wrong again about Lady Aria. From the content of their conversation, I began to wonder if Lady Aria was really a nine-year-old child?

  Their real conversation began with Marquise Larose asking Lady Aria. “Is the content in that writing true?”

  “I mean every single word.” She replied with confidence.

  “You should have known. No, doctors, no alchemists, no clergy could cure my daughter. Even you said this morning that it was impossible for you.” Marquise Larose openly expressed his anger. “And what is this writing? You can do it? Are you playing with me?”

  “About this morning, there was some circumstance involved. However, I can indeed cure your daughter.”

  “Assumed that your word is true? Why did you only contact me in secret? Is it the ploy of Duke Ellon? What is his demand?” Marquise Larose said as he looked at me.

  It was a surprise to me. We visited his mansion first thing in the morning, and the clergy and Lady Aria went to examine his daughter. After a while, they all said it was incurable. Then we left his mansion and stayed at the church in this city.

  “Before I answer, please read this.” Lady Aria calmly handed him a piece of paper.

  “……….. this….” Marquise Larose expressed his surprise after reading it.

  Lady Aria began to explain after she stole a glance at me standing behind her. “Firstly, about this morning, I would like to apologize. It was inevitable. I believe you are familiar with my father. Most of the people who accompanied me are his people. If they knew that I could cure your daughter, they would stop me immediately and report to my father. From the way he conducted himself, he would make unreasonable demands on you. You would have no choice but to choose between your daughter and the empire.”

  “What are you saying? Aren’t you his daughter? Why are you doing this?” Marquise Larose said in disbelief.

  I, too, could not understand what she was saying. Was she showing her rebellious side against her father?

  “I know it is hard to believe, as it is the word that came out of his daughter. But I mean every word I said.” Without wavering, she said.

  “You, what would you get out of it? And what is this demand?” he said as he stared at the paper that Lady Aria had handed him previously.

  “I am going on a pilgrimage. I only fulfilled my duty.”

  “Are you serious?” Marquise Larose stood up in anger. His head butler also silently expressed his anger.

  I could sympathize with his feelings. The pilgrimage of the saintess candidate was nothing but a show. Healing the sick and poor free of charge? Helping those in need without reward? It was only on paper. All this time, they would visit a few settlements, providing a meager food supply and other necessities. Healing the sick? They would just perform a public stunt by healing a few people with minor injuries chosen by the local church in public, and be done with it. Even the current saintess also did that.

  “….. if you still could not believe it, at least, please just think that this is my way to atone for my sin.” From the reflection on the window, I saw Lady Aria wear a depressed smile as if she had given up on explaining herself.

  “Haha, what sin have you committed?” With a soft laugh, Marquise Larose threw himself back and lazily asked her a question.

  I could not ignore the next word that came out of her mouth. It was too much, even if it was just for the sake of appearance.

  “For the sin of being born into this world.” She flatly said that as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

  “It is not funny, even if it was a joke.” Marquise Larose frowned.

  However, Lady Aria just silently looked back at Marquise Larose.

  As if he had given up, he asked her. “What about the thing in this paper? You want to buy all the leftover rice at the market price in secret? and what is this last request-”

  “It is as I wrote. Especially, the first, second, and last demands must be complied with. The rest could be left at your discretion. Moreover, you must not say a single word about this deal. This is the secret of the four of us.” Lady Aria hurriedly cut him off. Perhaps she did not want me to know the full details of the deal.

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  “…. Most of the demands are too favorable for us, especially the second and the third demand. I could not help but wonder what you would gain from this?” After briefly re-reading the paper, he asked her.

  “It is my way to atone for my sin. Also, as you may already guess, I am preparing for the future.” Lady Aria calmly answered.

  It piqued my interest. What kind of future was she preparing for, to the extent that she extended her hand for Marquise Larose’s cooperation? was she trying to stage a coup against her father? Yet her first sentence still bugged me.

  “Is it true? Did the church receive the oracle? No, did you receive divine revelation? Why didn’t you make it public?” I did not know why he asked her that question. At that point, I did not know what they were saying.

  “You can say that. However, I could not make it public.” Lady Aria shook her head as she responded.

  This was another surprise for me that day. Lady Aria received divine revelation? Why would she hide it? if it were made public, she would immediately be made the next saintess. I began to realize the weight of that envelope. My thought was abruptly cut short by Marquise Larose's voice. “Why?”.

  “I won`t explain it in full detail as we do not have much time. You already realize my father’s ambition. Credibility aside, it was absolutely unacceptable for him to learn about it. I will never become the saintess, for I am not the true saintess. The reason I ask you for these demands is to prepare for the future.”

  “……. You,…… are you really a nine-year-old girl?” as if resigning, Marquise Larose asked. I, too, wanted to know the truth.

  “I am just a single girl.” Lady Aria replied as if she were used to this question.

  “Forget it. Before I give you my answer, let me ask you a final question. Without considering the future, ignoring all circumstances, what would you demand from me to cure my daughter?” Marquise Larose stared sharply at her.

  “I would demand your dedication to the goddess.” Without hesitation, Lady Aria gave her answer.

  “Hahahahahahahaha” for the first time that day, I heard Marquise Larose laugh. “I will accept all your demands.”

  His voice was clear and powerful.

  “I am thankful for your cooperation.” Lady Aria expressed her feelings as she lowered her head.

  Then she took out another piece of paper that looked identical to the one she presented previously.

  “For that, I would like to request you to enter a contract with me before I proceed to cure your daughter.”

  “Contract?”

  “Yes. My apologies; however, I cannot trust the verbal promise as it is a matter of the gravest importance. For that, I propose we enter the soul vow.”

  “Hmm. You really are meticulous, huh? So, your previous clumsy conduct during our talk was just an act, huh?”

  “Pardon?” Lady Aria tilted her head in confusion.

  “Ehhhhhh, it is nothing.” After Marquise Larose showed his meaningful smile, he asked, “So, how can we enter the Soul Vow? Does Archbishop Henry also accompany you?”

  It just came to me. There were only five people in the world who could administer the Soul Vow, as it was considered to be the forbidden art. On top of its potential danger if the user abused it, it was said to be the most difficult of all the divine arts. Right now, the only person in the empire who could administer it was Archbishop Henry of the main church.

  “No, I will be the one to administer it.” Lady Aria just dropped another bombshell that night.

  “You can? Hahahahahaha, you never cease to amaze me, little girl. No, Lady Aria.” Marquise Larose literally raised his hands in resignation.

  Came to think of it, three months after Lady Aria entered the main church, she began to frequent the library. Before we realized it, she became pretty close to the keeper of the library and Archbishop Henry. Was it their permission that she could learn this art?

  After that, the two of them enter a soul vow. The head butler and I also entered as witnesses. We, too, were bound to this vow of keeping silent about everything that happened tonight.

  “Are we done?” Marquise Larose asked for confirmation.

  “Yes, everything is complete. Shall we go to your daughter's room?” After confirming the establishment of the contract, Lady Aria offered to visit the patient's room.

  “I would be grateful if we could go now. However, there is another important thing I want to discuss.”

  “…. What would it be?” Lady Aria tensed up at the unexpected topic.

  “It is about your naivety. Is it your first time negotiating?” Marquise Larose posed a question. I was also concerned about her naivety.

  “To my embarrassment, yes, it is my first time.” Lady Aria sheepishly answered as she lowered her face.

  “It is fortunate that I am your first target.” He gave us a big sigh. I could understand his frustration. I, too, during this whole ordeal, wanted to stop her multiple times.

  “Consider it as advice from a senior to a junior, never drop all your cards in one go. Who would readily share that much information during a business negotiation? Moreover, most of them are highly sensitive and classified information. Listen, Lady Aria, some information you share could be used against you. I could have used it to blackmail you to do my bidding. I was tempted to do so several times, if not for your bodyguard. You should be grateful to him.” He said so as he looked at her and then at me.

  Lady Aria looked back at me. Well, I silently threatened him several times during the whole process whenever he was about to try something funny. I was ready to massacre them in just one breath. Although both of them were senior knights, they were not there yet. They had not yet reached my level.

  “I have to admit you are well prepared in some aspect, for instance, with the Soul Vow. However, you are also showing your naivety in some aspect. If you could work on it more, you would become better. Well, because of this naivety, I can believe that you are a nine-year-old girl.” He kept pointing out her mistake while also consoling her.

  I could not agree more. Please keep going, Marquise. Please, scold her more. I silently cheered him on.

  “Haaaaaaaaa, are you planning to meet more people?”

  “……No, for now.”

  “Good. Put all your negotiations on hold until you get better.” Marquise Larose spoke as he looked at me.

  “….Yes.” Lady Aria readily accepted his advice.

  “Then, how long do you plan to stay here?”

  “Adding to today, it would take three nights to cure your daughter completely. However, I planned to stay here for several more days after that, depending on the situation.”

  “Hmmm. For those two nights, please make some time, I will train you in the art of negotiation. After that, if possible, try to come here as much as possible during your stay. I will provide you with more guidance.” Marquise Larose generously offered her his time.

  “… I would be grateful, thank you very much.” Lady Aria gratifiedly gave her thanks as she lowered her head again.

  After that, we went to cure his daughter. I could see that her method was so effective, it showed visible results in real time. It was genuine. Combining the medicine with the divine art was a novel idea. She would amplify the effect of the medicine with the divine art. Then, during the medicine administration, she would use her divine art to stabilize the body and guide the healing property to its designated area. The heartbeat and muscles became much better. From what Lady Aria said, weak heart disease was caused by the weakness of the muscles.

  High-potency medicine may rejuvenate the heart; however, it could put more burden on the heart muscles, which could cause heart failure. So, Lady Aria would strengthen the body equally, then guide the medicine to do its job. It sounds simple, but its execution is extremely difficult. It was just that the patient would wake up from a coma tomorrow. Lady Aria said that the patient was completely cured. However, because of her weak condition and the prolonged suffering, she was exposed to other illnesses. So, to ensure her survival, Lady Aria needed to be administered her two more days, although she could leave it to the doctors of this mansion, citing the secrecy of the matter. However, I could see in her tone that she cared greatly about the patient. It was another clumsy conduct of hers to hide her thoughts. As per Lady Aria's request, the recovery of the Marquise Larose’s daughter would be kept as a secret for at least three years. Then we left his mansion.

  It was eerily quiet on the way back to the main church. As I escorted her to her room, she invited me in. I thought, ‘Milady, it was not right to invite a man into your room at night.’ Nevertheless, I entered her room as she urgently urged me. As I was about to point out the problem. She took off her necklace.

  I asked, “What are you doing?”

  She handed the necklace to me as she spoke, “Thank you very much for your help earlier. And……. As you know, I will need to go out at least two more nights. So, could you overlook those two nights?” Her hands were slightly trembling.

  Losing for words, I could not respond to her.

  “As for your reward, I can only offer this necklace. Although its monetary values may be pale in comparison to what you had received, it would still be a considerable sum.” Her voice, too, was getting shaken.

  “Are you kidding me, milady?” It was too unbelievable that I needed to confirm it.

  “This is the last valuable thing I have. If it were not enough, I would write an IOU for you. So, could you, at least, overlook it?” Her whole body was trembling, yet she tried her best to remain composed.

  It was clear to me. It was her nature. After all, she is Lady Aria. Looking at her offering me her mother's only keepsake, the ruby necklace, with trembling hands, I said, “Forget it, it is very important to you, right? I already received the reward. Moreover, you are doing what you thought was right, right? Although I do not know the whole picture, I can at least know this much. I won’t demand more. And I will try to cover for you as much as possible.” How could I take advantage of this young girl? How could I take something that precious from her? I may not know honor. But I, at least, knew what I should do and what I should not do.

  As Lady Aria held that necklace close to her chest, she bowed down to me. “Thank you. Thank you very much.”

  A water droplet fell on the floor.

  This was the second time I saw her shed tears. It was unsettling for me.

  The sight of her lowering her head so readily has become a familiar sight for me. Yet, I still could not get used to it. However, one thing was clear. I came to realize her plead at that time was not for her but for others. She would always sincerely care for others. She would give her all for other people even if it would bring her great harm. Even now, she would lower her head to this Sellsword just for the sake of other people. She even went as far as to offer the last thing her mother left for her so that she could continue to save others. She could use that forbidden art to bind me, but she chose not to do so. Instead, she chose the hardest path.

  Instinctively, I knew that she was not a saintess. Yet, I could not help but admit that she had more than enough quality to be the saintess, at least to me, at least to those who were touched by her kindness. No amount of words can convince me to change my mind. She is my one and only saintess.

  “Paul, did something good happen? You keep on smiling for a while now,” Lady Aria said to me.

  “No, not really, I was just remembering the old days.” I cleanly denied. Then I tried to change the topic. “Milady, are you excited about visiting the city that never sleeps again?”

  “Yes.” Lady Aria smiled.

  What happened that day would be our little secret.

  “If you want to sneak out to play again, please tell me at least. Last time it gave me a heart attack……..” the high priest began to give his sermon again.

  Thus, we began to ignore his usual sermon. I thought about her question. If you asked me if something good happened, I would answer, “Yes, being able to accompany you is a good thing.” However, I could not tell her that. Even more so, about the fact that I found joy in watching her grow. Is this how a father feels? Or is this how a brother feels?