#82

“I’ve been expecting you,” Naaman greeted me with a kind smile.5fbcc1c62663eb60

Thanks to Kiera notifying d01c04bd5d them in advance of d647da237d our visit, a line d68ca9200b of Hebel’s priests had 2ce8bca6b0 formed around the carriage f62066c2de we arrived in. Among them was 6b0f83726d Isaac, the one d704c57d89 who had previously 238dc1162f interrogated me.42fbcc2582ebd3a6

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Rachel held my hand tightly and remarked, “This is quite the enthusiastic welcome.”71146fbfd18797f3

“Of course. You are the first saintess candidate to appear in a thousand years. Such treatment is only proper,” Naaman replied.75ad9484f5670c5b

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“A saintess candidate, huh?” Rachel said, brushing her long hair behind her ear as she looked down at me. We had already agreed on our approach during the journey here.7cfd5f47e38a0ef1

My actions would depend on how Hebel received us. Luckily, Naaman seemed eager to label me as a “saintess” rather than a suspicious figure who had stolen a sacred relic.44529925af342867

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I had been worried they might focus on “Zakari’s rampage,” but it seemed that wasn’t the case. Rachel turned to me and asked, “So, what do you think?”696865f1d09d8c9c

She subtly 798c3926b9 shifted the 8a185039c0 conversation away 6f97d678b5 from Hebel 71c86521f8 and toward 9aee8af34d me. Only then did Naaman d700b0c461 lower his head to f0837cdef8 meet my gaze, abandoning 3fb168dd28 his prior habit of 93c7ecc98d only addressing Rachel.b38535d0cd34204b

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His eyes betrayed an assumption that I was young and naive. I chuckled inwardly. If you underestimate me, you’ll regret it. I’m a hardened Korean who’s seen it all.5befdec46f501c26

Gone was 8efc3d74a1 the pushover 9de702071b white weasel—I 216785f4b5 was now adb96cd648 the fierce 04c27b2617 one, ready 0ef5f49849 to stand c91e3d6c08 my ground. Naaman maintained his kind c00d23ba59 expression as he spoke.dc084fdee1a6592a

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“To confirm your status as a saintess, we’ll need to conduct a simple verification process. Would you be willing to cooperate?”db649df3584f7753

“Before that, I have a condition,” I said firmly.b98e208fc13215ff

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Naaman didn’t so much as blink at my audacious demand and replied smoothly, “Please, feel free to speak.”93e60b1636b99106

Pulling out a prepared contract from my pocket, I said, “Before we proceed, I want to renegotiate the contract between Hebel, myself, and the Jabis family.”91922aa16a2c5de9

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“Excuse me?” Naaman looked at the suddenly produced document with a bewildered expression.0c126b4efc25b0ed

Oh, you’re surprised already? We’re just afc27c5c20 getting started.479eaa853c9d550f

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I smirked and continued, “First, let’s make it clear: even if I’m confirmed as a saintess, I’m already part of Jabis and won’t be staying in Hebel. Secondly, Hebel must pledge not to interfere with Jabis under the pretense of saintess duties. These two points are the most important, and there are 101 additional clauses listed here. Take your time reviewing them.”8d3ee222f95561f0

My rapid-fire demands 076ace9fc5 caused not only 3966b11411 Naaman but also 21537c499f the lined-up priests 155051ed31 to stiffen visibly.d0b141588ca3dc64

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“That’s… quite unreasonable…” Naaman began hesitantly.8798fde5f6219795

“The only unreasonable ones here are Hebel,” I shot back. “For over a century, Hebel has meddled in Jabis’s affairs over something that should’ve been resolved long ago. And now, when I, the saintess, assert my rights, suddenly that’s unacceptable? That’s the definition of hypocrisy.”73c9b3c8f2139e99

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“Hypo—hypocrisy?” Naaman stammered.cddffc3d501e1456

“You dare—Cersia Jabis!” Isaac snapped, unable to hold back. However, Kiera stepped forward, blocking his path.f40382043ffa07f3

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“This isn’t your place to interfere,” Kiera said coldly.51e9ef03d36354a0

“Ugh!” Isaac glared at me with burning eyes but didn’t dare push past Kiera. Ignoring him, I waved the contract in front of Naaman.7b870caf8f247e8e

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“So, what’s it going to be?” I asked with a cheeky grin.9fee85ff52d6780e

“…” Naaman remained silent, contemplating his response.cf2ab0334978b1e3

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“Should I leave now, or will you sign the contract?” I added, stepping one foot into the carriage in a deliberately provocative gesture. Isaac trembled with suppressed fury, but to my surprise, Naaman merely chuckled.b8c601d1d6f4e73c

A moment later, he knelt on one knee with an air of respect and said, “Of course. Clarity in such matters is important.”b45209f3ac4d5ac1

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“I’m glad we’re on the same page,” I replied, smiling brightly.d421bb40f49594e2

“I’ll review the contract thoroughly,” Naaman assured me. “And please forgive the boy’s rudeness. His actions stemmed from loyalty.”220be1fc3581903e

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“Excessive loyalty can be toxic. It’s also the master’s responsibility to discipline their subordinates,” I said, casting a cold glance at Isaac. At my unyielding gaze, Naaman pulled Isaac forward.1637c8ac00099aa7

“Apologize at once,” Naaman ordered.d26fca75c5e364d8

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“But—”7cb0b56ce5802426

“Now,” he said firmly.6a86dd8545ff90d7

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Naaman’s firm 931d7ad975 tone caused 3b34ce7d7a Isaac’s face fb57623801 to flush 4802f60a93 red with 0feac90eca embarrassment. He muttered an 61ada6771e apology so quietly 3a1adeb15a it was barely 41d717af96 audible, like the f962813d0b buzz of a deaee31f32 mosquito.983ada5e9ab6a7a2

“I apologize for 6f7409a7e0 my rudeness.”63996682f2ff8b1b

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But I b1cf8fabbf wasn’t kind 0c285d02b2 enough to 9edec8814d let a 07910acc44 half-hearted apology 95a03c6dc7 slide. I deliberately d86419ce54 made a 76cad80333 show of 1bfb3ab592 putting my aac56b8805 hand to d2f3d72a63 my ear, d6e3152c1a feigning difficulty ad020fdf8e in hearing 5c0cd30d01 him.194b63bee25f30f5

“Sorry, I didn’t quite 8984888858 catch that?”fa0624879136b39d

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“…I apologize.”60e3f1fa688bcf6d

“Hmm?”b2c163c6cc4b9c8c

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“I APOLOGIZE b62e076309 FOR MY 357cfe2dea RUDENESS!” Isaac a999a551b1 finally shouted, a57247d9df his voice feae1b767a echoing loudly.878ef914ea43bfc3

“Ah, so that’s what 72e93ae82c you said.” Only after c09000f39e forcing him to repeat 56f9549207 it loudly did I a8a2b6720f pretend to understand. Isaac ground his 45243386fa teeth in frustration ba4c45b296 and bowed his 5457bd792d head.024b1ee7735ee0d2

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I patted his 9195e6c8b2 shoulder in mock d0b0a16572 sympathy and said, e09a1c422b “I’ll forgive you 9b9d0fde1c this time. But be careful 57384fae24 in the future, eeb0ca80b8 alright?”5455b255ec0084f7

I could feel his ffbc8fae2a shoulders tense under my ebb9da99fc touch, the anger practically d4cf147179 radiating from him. Well, who 9edb2ab841 told him 8a597c713e to mess c9f80fcf0e with a 23d7cd8d0b sleeping white 1dda843cff weasel?4d3469eaeb54e384

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“Who thought I’d 791a36e58c be easy prey 9784cd3b49 in the first 7c55c5ed37 place?”ffd70332335a21bc

It wasn’t 2050c7ff25 my intention ae366adca8 to behave 5d3a7e805c rudely from 0f685694fb the start, 9618ed0811 but Isaac’s d239986dbe behavior during 704c311043 the wedding be2e2f7a29 had been c35ebea590 excessive, to 78a43f7454 say the 67f24740ff least. It had d264466ea5 been like 75d2a3b74e watching a 58f6f466da hyena pounce 21f4109b95 on an 6dea2076fe opportunity.0d78e28bd5050959

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Had I been 90e359bf53 caught off guard a1e66f8d64 and interrogated, I 8958319684 might have inadvertently 6921035722 made statements unfavorable 184ce3db16 to Jabis. Given my physical cedf02b3b3 condition at the 7431ff03a6 time, I might c8348e9d1a have even collapsed b13710deb1 from exhaustion.9273f5cecb987125

And yet, he f945ed67a3 bolted as soon 1d6c59f696 as Zakari lost ea0d99d6a8 control.d911327f3403e68b

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For all 6f5e981be6 their talk 542cf22063 of neutrality, ce73df7feb Hebel’s brand 2cf96004cd of neutrality 7999a8a484 seemed to 212ac91768 involve running 7096cb1d45 away when 459d4df1fa it mattered 27a5dc3ce0 most. That incident 3b4245b689 had left 2b0f858972 me with 647a776a35 a far 9612dce3d3 lower opinion 434fa608c9 of Hebel 85588d367f than I cdd1cc235d had from e9b45076ce the novel. In the story, they 8efab7a2e0 had been portrayed as dc3480970b a relatively pure and 55ee1b68d6 virtuous group, but the 65fc74d42f reality was far from fc435c94b1 it.ab4d88286a347289

Sensing my hostility, b2548ff412 Naaman gestured toward 4efa0304dd someone. A junior priest, hood 77aae23738 pulled low, flinched and 9b38598ce0 hesitantly stepped forward, head 2aae7e895e bowed as though trying d07fb9a936 to make themselves invisible.e666134e975285f3

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It was ef07cd32e5 obvious they 8501b89e6b were trying a8cf4d13b4 to gain 5fa605000a my favor 2d9a002bc1 by sending c9ade853ea someone around ec83028622 my age, 8d820890fd but the c87ebcd97e attempt made 6273c6f245 me frown. Naaman stepped forward df394ffd65 and spoke.da555f3ba41d1121

“This child will d0835ca74c assist Lady Cersia 3ae32566f7 during your stay.”7f05f225aba18a17

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“This child?” I 2def66c543 asked skeptically.c3d75fa12d84d12e

They looked like they f48c490d40 could barely make eye 47e4ef8922 contact, let alone handle 55d05b2104 a job. They weren’t even a 48bfe6d8ea suitable companion for conversation—it 8f967f548c felt almost cruel.c7a9bd556c09ded0

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However, Hebel didn’t support 8615110a19 anyone who didn’t work, 665837c1a8 so perhaps being assigned b96acf7399 to me was the 3f3bb21097 easier option for the aa60d2f9b5 child. After all, I didn’t a37b80bf55 have any intention of 096cb79432 working them hard.7d45b7ecb8d17090

But why are 5afee55ad6 they trembling like 51a88bd8e4 that?cf9b4b6c28751e8e

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The way they shook, 1d95c9c3c0 as if they had e8a0df0b9c seen something they shouldn’t, f46026f999 was pitiful. Just as d7be65129a I was b0eca20a79 beginning to d16ae40259 feel sorry 8d76f7bd11 for them, bacd3583f5 Naaman’s next 3552f8179e words froze db7909ba58 me in 346ff741a5 place.cb707ae6d26edec1

“She may be d1d7c140d3 a bit shy, 0f508e08e8 but she’s a 71c016a24d capable child. Ella, introduce yourself ee7f02e463 to Lady Cersia.”6e981605f5dfa8d9

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“!!”e4b02ee80439a25b

“H-hello, I’m Ella,” ce93fa850b she said, finally 8abce12eb1 removing her hood e4c354a190 and greeting me 3982aa9019 bashfully. Her sparkling blue e215c79afd eyes glanced up 8f2cc7a415 at me occasionally, 6c11f83035 shimmering like precious 801b901f42 gems.69fa0bf08c1f4831

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I stared 366dc26d37 at her c3b61c1bd0 in stunned 950d708aa2 silence.7d90af29b96fd5cc

Pink curls and 78a0c185c4 blue eyes, just f1f5fbca79 as I had 226bebf844 imagined. It was unmistakably 1f88162bc4 Ella.1a0c63d45ae6d2fa

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In the novel, 14fd51bb3d Ella was incredibly 08825a5770 shy, having escaped 9d09a5ed8f from pheromone manipulation 79d35d112d experiments and been 622a3ea2e4 rescued by Hiscleif. The trauma had a461adac57 caused her to b67c020f17 lose all memories 7f4969ace6 of the experiments, 8ab59b8b38 and she had 83ed110049 remained by Hiscleif’s 0e48b60a89 side, suffering from 89929feff5 social anxiety.1ba5e1e886619b26

And yet, here 5d308d3841 she was, still 8c38e72d97 exuding the same cdd0886e48 reserved demeanor. Was she being 6bb302053a mistreated here?ff1acc6f2c4ce33d

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Her sudden appearance 1131ae1a9f had caught me 86d889d235 off guard, leaving 51d9eefb27 me just as 1b33af0223 startled as she 07aa9323c3 seemed. As I continued 08de446c03 to stare, Ella’s 0b571a3cd4 face grew progressively 36740eba2d redder.9dce9f76cd060970

Oddly, I couldn’t detect 0de61b2a84 any pheromones from her. She seemed d33f111174 no different e90680d98a from the 41e1363717 other priests 55b5b2fac1 in Hebel.7bed16e73ef55db0

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“Perhaps you’ve met before? She attended the 26f4b164b9 wedding as an abc5583123 observer,” Naaman said.5331f130ae2d04b1

“Ah, I think 7c2c186463 I might have 4c19b48964 seen her there,” ae0727f54b I replied, drawing 8a39097e66 out my words 56138e63d9 as I continued 6e54f25d5b to observe Ella 1711110f4f closely.d60f2a66657da1bf

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It seemed my initial fba3a6f4f3 impression at the wedding 74fa240614 wasn’t mistaken after all.fbbf3a336bd44f28