FLBE Chapter 5 Part 3
by SYLPHRoan seemed lost in thought, remembering her. His expression seemed unfitting for someone who had apparently neglected her until her death.
What color had her mark been…?
Suddenly curious, she remembered that in the novel, the Saintess was devoted only to Rhetrik and fulfilled her duties well. Could it have been a clear sky blue? She couldn’t recall any mention of the mark’s color in the novel… Maybe the details were too vague in her memory.
As if reading her mind, Roan pinpointed her curiosity.
“Are you wondering what color the former Saintess’s mark was?”
“….Yes.”
With her guard somewhat lowered, Roan replied with a gentle smile.
“It was a clear sky blue.”
Ah… as expected…
“But later, it also showed red.”
“What…?”
“And black as well.”
“What?!”
Liena’s mouth dropped open at this unexpected revelation.
But later on?
“Do you check the mark’s color multiple times?”
“Yes. Since Saintesses are human, their nature can change over time.”
“Ah…”
“It was the first time a Saintess’s mark showed all colors. She had the qualities of both a Saintess and an omega, along with greed. But then…”
Roan paused, suddenly looking out the window. What is he looking at? Liena followed his gaze to the clear blue sky, where the former Saintess might be, and Roan remained silent for a moment.
He then refocused on her, smiling softly. Liena was eager to hear what he would say next.
“During her lifetime, she never showed any greed. She remained faithful to her duties as a Saintess and an omega.”
“Is that possible?”
“Well, it was God’s will and her unique qualities. Whether she suppressed her greed through patience and self-control, or there was another reason, only Lord Vertia and she would know.”
Was it her love for Rhetrik that suppressed even her greed? To avoid being abandoned?
Liena found herself admiring the late Saintess even more.
“So, I’m very curious now.”
“About what?”
“About what color your mark will be.”
Liena’s expression darkened. The color of the light on her mark would soon determine her nature. Black would mean rejection, red a lascivious Saintess, and blue a smooth passage. But could such an ordinary life really be granted to her?
Already caught in an extraordinary whirlwind, Liena felt a deep fear for her future. From being an extra to becoming an omega protagonist, and encountering two high-tier alphas – it all pointed towards a turbulent life ahead.
She couldn’t help but wonder if the fate of the previous Saintess was now hers, her mark potentially revealing all colors.
This unsettling hypothesis left her face pale with dread.
* * *
Upon arriving at the temple, Liena’s expression remained somber. The uncertainty of her future weighed heavily on her. With a troubled heart, she gently touched the divine mark on her chest.
Why had her life become so entangled because of this mark? Where did it all go wrong, and who was to blame? Resenting Rhetrik felt pointless; he was merely a character created by an author, and the previous Saintess had met her destined end…
Who should she blame then? The deity who brought her here?
As she walked alongside Roan, Liena abruptly stopped. She had been staring at the ground but now looked up to see a statue of a serene woman holding a child.
It was just a statue, yet it seemed to embody the kindness and gentleness of the deity it represented: Vertia, the god Roan worshiped. What kind of deity was she, really?
With the statue as the only representation of the deity before her, Liena’s frustration turned towards Vertia.
Why did you bring me here? Why me? What right did you have to pull me into this world?
If Vertia had even half the compassion that her statue’s expression showed towards the child, such a ludicrous situation would never have been created. Did Vertia know how her saintly servants lived and died?
“Vertia was a god overflowing with love, unable to bear the sight of suffering people.”
“You talk as if you’ve seen her.”
“Isn’t she always with us?”
“That’s something only believers would say. Right now, she’s just a non-existent statue. You’re not about to say she lives and breathes in our hearts, are you?”
Confronted with Liena’s piercing words, Roan turned his gaze from the statue to her.
“Why…. are you so upset? Are you still angry with me?”
Roan asked, a hint of hurt in his voice. Yet, Liena kept her eyes fixed on the statue of Vertia, pouring out her questions to Roan, the Pope.
“Why did it have to be me?”
Despite the coldness in her voice, Roan responded gently,
“Do you dislike being a Saintess?”
“There’s nothing good about it. I have no life of my own; I’m only expected to live for others. How could that be a good thing?”
“You’ve been at the palace for too long.”
“It was barely a week.”
Liena, who first appeared as a timid and naive girl, seemed different today. Although she had newly manifested as a Saintess, she spoke as if she knew too well the life of a Saintess, as though she had lived it herself.
Roan observed her closely.
“If…”
Liena suddenly fell silent, her gaze still locked on the statue.
“Saintess.”
“What will happen to me if the mark on me takes on an unexpected color?”
“Is that what worries you?”
“What if it turns darker than darkness or redder than flames? Or what if it shows all three colors like that Saintess!”
Liena’s voice trembled with emotion, her head spinning at the thought. She longed to return to the palace, away from the temple she had once yearned for.
“Saintess.”
“Are….are you going to kill me?”
Her eyes slowly turned towards Roan.
Her face was expressionless, her eyes numb, yet her pink irises brimmed with a sorrowful resentment. Her moist eyes made her fragile appearance even more pitiable.
Roan exhaled shortly, feeling an unusual stir in his heart at the sight of her impending tears.