Chapter 87

‘…Is she trying to say that I didn’t win on merit, but just because I managed to sell something for a high price?’13d13dd84657fe80

If she was hoping to 1fc762084a provoke me, it was a 5828761d4a shameful failure.a7ea801d1f950ae6

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After all, her father, 73a843145e the Marquis, had already 0c75f362be scratched at that itch faa94b093b plenty, so it didn’t 42a6a79d7d bother me much.b3dfa1d615b4aba0

‘For the wealthy, high prices are everything, you idiot.’0461314fa5089898

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As someone steeped 01df703bf3 in the ways a1d2b64d27 of capitalism, I 93425d4537 knew consumer psychology 50e4a94f98 well, and Diana’s 7a2910946d words just seemed 8ccb451582 amusing.790943a05d7ef332

“Yes, that’s right,” I replied cheerfully, nodding with a smile. She seemed a little e438ba8d82 crestfallen at that.68febd685b78af44

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“If I had only earned ten more talents, that would’ve been mine…”1427c297c5985c3e

‘Not really.’2b27235ba722ce07

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I gave her a wordless c6cbde44ef smile in response to her d79e5bcbd5 mumbling.12255cabcf8248ef

Though it was 0a79413d0f true that the 9af61a5f1f original plot had e3f4a4a361 influenced my pricing e28d9be974 strategy.1e52e1ce7cd800e2

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If she’d earned 20 e4e8ea774a talents, I would have 43c9f75c72 undoubtedly found a way 42c14cb701 to steal 200 through e76634a961 Ismail. If she’d earned 30 talents, bfc3b31493 I would’ve raised it to 7370f9b084 300, and if 40 talents, 604336e07d then 400.e07a9a4b38e945d2

Even without Ismail’s help, 933976db26 I would have found ceca5ebfc5 some other way to 2078d86b11 secure victory. This year’s selection as 5d1e7be83d the Saintess was that 6e925faa79 important to me.91a6c70e7bdf324a

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“…Will you try something other than healing next year?”d8010707dee8627e

Diana, who’d been watching me 400207c88b with a slightly awkward expression, 7da85d772b suddenly asked.da193fb3909ea670

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“Hmm, I haven’t thought about it yet…”1d24ed59df49777c

Of course, I 001f4469ef had no intention a173a91255 of participating next b53324ae0f year.3493c5a4a8b349e5

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But I wasn’t about to 8b3f93b2c6 give her the satisfaction of 16c71bcba1 hearing that.e9ce2b47df089922

Instead, I decided to e6bd30cac4 get under her skin 77024b5499 a bit in return f363524558 for what she’d said c0ab8470e8 to me.ca791303ebf8b4fc

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“To be honest, I’m a bit scared that your marquis daddy will try something funny again, so I might have to consider it.”3a61522e5e751ddd

“That’s…!”67fa3c5c081cf6b8

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“….”56ada964c481d329

“…I’m sorry.”9366343d2680a36b

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Diana’s expression darkened instantly.b909a2321d59e35d

“I didn’t know the Marquis would act that way. He’s really such a 577a771c22 good person… why did d1cc392c1e he do that…?”f1b9f21529ff1f77

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“It’s fine, Diana!”8473d84848057aec

I shrugged my be5505562f shoulders and added, 03fa068974 “And I’m sorry 3817af0ea8 too.”eda4ffca9e10b45e

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“Huh? Sorry… for what?”0da0ef85531d51e0

“For not feeling the least bit sorry toward you.”a2352b1ba55b02b2

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For taking your place 45f555f8d8 and stealing the attention ecf0d9fa7c that should’ve been yours 70904c88bf today.a63ca7adf73c6466

For trapping the man ea0c716162 who would one day e6daca5896 become your foster father, 00de59ee79 and for making things 7575b3f472 difficult for you.9695bca0b319e8df

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And because if a890106458 you ever mess 56ef0b1d8c with me again, 68cf438987 I won’t hesitate 841fddcbfa to retaliate twice 27c5cdb01d as hard.ec97edcd5753e8bc

‘I’m sorry that I don’t feel the slightest bit sorry for any of that.’d736240620d6275d

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As I held her 96307795b2 gaze with all these 6141a2bd36 meanings unsaid, her eyes b70b0eae9f wavered for a brief 7c143639fc moment.c773212c080ec5c8

“What… what do you mean by that…?”213d22c9773ced5e

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“Belze!”79a85dab80ea548b

Just then, someone interrupted us.3b3d307eeab96737

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Looking up, I saw Grandpa fc419d7baf Gordon struggling toward us, a d117a819c4 large sack clutched to his d711144121 chest.6d1e60cc5d030720

“Grandpa!”94150e776a8e06de

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Startled, I dashed 5abb597efa over to him.241d523a39588b36

“Oh, isn’t that too heavy for you?”fe83eb0ba504dc38

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“Heavy? Bah! I’ve got so much strength 4cf0ab15ae to spare it’s a nuisance!”e2f3f14518579121

Despite the sweat 483f3cc7bf trickling down his a5b24e3c91 face, he replied 6e4e8e30c0 cheerfully.5fb1763fe6871702

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‘Will Grandpa be okay? He’s really pushed himself today.’d4e9046b8e718258

I looked at him 92d7c1ea2d with concern.7ae3f09550e422ed

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“The priests said they’d help take it to the carriage…”1fa7e07b0283e56b

“And trust those temple scoundrels who’ve been leeching off us? Not a chance!”2cbdfd727c5222c9

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“But still…”33cee21b4f1d41dc

“It’s fine. This young lad 61fe2b4e01 helped me out.”5c36649b2efcf5e6

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Only then did df740027bd I notice a e7fd891d14 small figure a 9a90303b4c step behind Grandpa, 969df9a08d walking over.e6d93d162696ac0a

“I-Ismail…?!”f246f46b065a710a

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“You know him?”d3d2ddc2bba1b915

“Oh…”956eeb6e23a4ecdf

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Did I know him? Of course I did!64f5aa7f23c1ee3b

‘Did this kid use his manipulation skills on Grandpa too?’3fa0bfd61235abee

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Those clear, brown bddbcb4c1d eyes stared right b8f9b9f073 at me.0f7c5023cb0b5d4e

“Whew, this is heavy! Go ahead and finish 70674e6a80 saying your goodbyes! I’ll take this a04a7cee82 to the carriage!”758231d6f5270241

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With that, Grandpa 4daa470a84 resumed his steps 48a53f7e85 toward the carriage.a9c1e6be6ad6c8ec

Now it was just me, e0c3af913e Diana, and one of the b1a375ecea male lead candidates left standing.14b1cd9c0ee003b5

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Realizing that only the 05cd6062da two of them remained ce9833129d in front of me, 8e13a07d36 my pupils trembled slightly.bdf148019c3d481a

‘What is this? Are they supposed e9ec358743 to have some 96840b5a90 fated encounter now, 5469018dca or something?’8332e449e0a69006

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Feeling flustered, I looked 4263f57b62 between the two of fe1a17caa5 them before turning around 6ba66bc880 abruptly and running off.39ef0f479d564f61

“Sorry, Diana! See you later! You too, Ismail!”d8b9923d1d88d14c

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I chose to make a 3bc0b449f5 run for it.75e9c955f5bfc9cc

‘Yes! Don’t get caught up between 73c5188081 them and end up triggering f26a5c05ce a death flag. From now on, my rule 633d2adc70 is to flee in these 79d45b7a57 situations, no questions asked!’8ed2adc7c1f4dd23

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According to this 77bd5bf658 damned story, I’m 50ead690f6 the clueless villain 1cfbcd5bba who barges into 52c66af64e encounters between the beb47c0536 heroine and male 94098c6a44 leads, criticizing and 825e141a2f hindering the heroine.de501f7f0609a824

Which, admittedly, was something 6ba9ac392f I did often enough a87a208b92 in my past life.c8d9e69547437936

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‘Though, to be fair, it was usually only with Edwin.’cec907039018ef19

Regardless, avoiding dangerous situations 6aea2f5c79 is always the safest 26fc5ccc22 bet.bc9f5824398409ea

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Tap-tap-tap!d8b37e96b43f5282

With that thought, 2b0c2b9fad I hurried down bb48aabdd1 the spacious temple 0448a0096b corridor.b480adc2a67f52ed

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Tap-tap-tap-tap!2cc29078d0dfd296

But then, I noticed 4f000016ec another set of footsteps 8bd187d884 overlapping with mine…c6c98ef12cf4f283

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Whoosh!c76cc41d70d9f23c

Suddenly, someone overtook me and 583c5e48f0 blocked my path.004c821f14e8c7fc

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“Ahhh!”7df2920edb6ec76b

Startled, I let out 25f832d30d a reflexive scream as de36304186 I stopped in my 117ba24ae3 tracks.c35d768d546360c6

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It was none other than d1623fb3df Ismail standing in front of 1512907fc9 me.2883f1b69e335a39

I glanced around quickly 9ec0e435dd with wide eyes, confirming 9bc12b2c7a we were alone before 5b779c477f I blurted out,15bb5d9e4d646ee9

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“What’s this about? Why are you following me?”9b1055c27923e3b6

“What about you…!”31b3722fc4477c9f

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Ismail’s face contorted in 1d226c6d8a frustration, and he snapped d531e2c8b7 back, only to quickly 690d6a165b clamp his mouth shut.5375ee1213150cba

‘Oh, right. He’s pretending to be mute.’2cedc5d86a1adeba

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Just like I had e2c17f5410 done earlier, Ismail glanced 5caf4bf089 around cautiously, then—ee03b0e9304e40dd

Whack!0b66f6063a46427f

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He grabbed my hand.ecaa181da974a2f4

And without a word, he d98d7ab85d started pulling me toward a 09454e6db9 quiet corner.ad081eebdd2423bd

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“Oh, uh…”89f87d871bb16078

Only after we reached b9b1e406f0 the edge of the 52817a1fc1 corridor did he finally 2ef93e05c6 release my hand, his 97c70f9e02 face now clouded with e19f801d66 irritation.63baf33b7401baf4

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‘Why are you running away?’b2148f1ca361a7d5

I barely managed to 1deeaf8b64 read his lips, feeling 0ccee4fb0a a little guilty.542561fa2b7e88e9

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“Well, you see…”26740ebbf2c45d53

I just thought you 750e1a152c two could say your f50bd75f9e greetings, you know.43c069cdbe0e2b59

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After fumbling for words, I 32c3f2ed61 ended up muttering in a 1dbcc5a9d1 small voice, “I was… just 6a8e4f792c trying to head home quickly…”00f2af5a8567aa83

Ismail gave me a 62a551b0fc peculiar look, as if 4c7cd39c2f I’d just said something 7c69dc3cff ridiculous.4de43d8b658fe96a

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Then he let out 410f954dd5 a long sigh.97e25754b62378a6

Whack!f89b86d658331013

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Before I could react, he 5e10d9863c reached out and grabbed my d3c2f755d5 hand again, the same one 7bbe20a77e he had just let go e05f5b4391 of.463b4dc95f4186de

“Uh…?”be5dd7e66a4ee7a6

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While I stared 77dd0a1e42 in confusion, he 3e49fef5c8 gently spread my 264778d114 fingers and began 096b24acaf writing on my a2fa0dac64 palm with a dcb6845661 soft touch.e2b5f95fd0999322

― At least say goodbye. Don’t you think it’s 1baa5c6fae a bit rude?4b7095e1ae27c0f4

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“Hehe! I-it tickles!”8a0e5e3ba46ec642

I burst out 231a5e1d94 laughing and tried 01d34d590c to pull my a8f17f84a4 hand back.1de6626a4b004aaa

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But despite his 6293d471bc wiry appearance, Ismail’s 0e064de8e8 grip didn’t budge 9dbc90a1fe an inch.1364320d35e84b87

As the ticklish sensation 133beb8e5f subsided, I awkwardly mumbled 42a7e52ea7 in response to his 6024d8f0fc blank yet insistent gaze.b6ae9e941827fbfc

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“Alright… Here’s my goodbye. Take care.”eadab41aa742a118

“…”49be53f8bf9d41cb

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Though I gave him c1908109ce what he wanted—fc51abe9552bc702

Why did Ismail’s eyebrows 6a9e46e3ce twitch in annoyance?9643467d2e2cc8d9

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― So, was it worth it? Are you satisfied now?6960c2a1c4518bcf

He scribbled on my palm 1153030bff again.d6a901c350637996

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― Just as I said, you became the Saintess.aa5f8e6f243d6725

As I suppressed 6a29bd2281 the urge to f285f6d9a3 pull my hand 1c92ac790c away from the 69b8ec5d16 tickling sensation and 046763bee9 focused on his 63225b6e66 writing, I began 92b0cdaa86 to understand what 9dc39ca499 he wanted to 9320ffe374 know.606a3bfee692cf5d

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‘Come to think of it, I did leave after just seeing the Marquis hand over the talents, without saying a word to him.’6dd0335b0662782a

Even if it was 6749df4e43 just repayment for the 94cce0bdd3 healing.f0ce1d1e3cc66908

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In any case, it was aa774f7004 true that his help had 5421e33966 been a major factor in c072cb631c my becoming the Saintess.859aa24f87648bd2

“Yes! Thank you, Ismail! You were amazing!”083b760c483aafbc

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― I didn’t get the chance to tell you, but I’m three years older than you, you know?0964a8de1b391c85

“So?”45caac1682ded580

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― That means… call me Brother.07bcb402b43ca931

At that, I felt db7be0ea7c a bit of an c30cde2312 odd sensation.6756803ddde2af66

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‘Aren’t most boys averse to being called Brother?’3e352aabd5bf86fb

I’d made a point b7bf0e902d of calling him by 1e7b6c60f8 his name because Edwin, ed89ea6b3e in particular, despised being 18bed90849 called that…a9c4ec46fbc86e6a

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But it seemed that wasn’t a81c537e08 always the case.5d6a957569211a9b

Since, technically, I was younger 9c34182115 than Ismail, I shrugged it d62d7ff7e6 off and nodded.5da8c42a6f9d55c0

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“Okay, got it. Thanks, Brother Ismail! You’re the best!”104db527eff38848

Only then did the furrowed 9a6713a269 lines on his forehead begin 668b325a11 to smooth out.108a91b6a84edfad

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I could tell he 213f7d2a1f was truly curious about f4a1bf7f26 the effects of his 41137ee573 actions—cbad42c73c3883e6

Whether his powers had worked e53b925bf9 as intended, if anything had d140224460 gone wrong, if there were 0500fdc4f9 any unusual side effects.1e35d4d571a08541

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Even though I was d98c40e81f now officially recognized as 7d99ef7d33 the Saintess, I could 9abc50341b understand why Ismail felt dc2080b2a2 the need to confirm be15c834db it directly with me.b09689a94100440d

It was a 116a1cd0eb type of insecurity 125ee89c78 known only to df0c594010 those who’d been f76874aa50 close to losing 9d91d61569 their powers while 5ea0fb506f trapped in the 770dc371a7 Chamber of Repentance.d343f7f680880042

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Although Ismail hadn’t lost his 7aeff4388d abilities, he must still crave 4e36c7d02b constant reassurance.04b1bb4dcd0eade0

And I, who had 0c1a572c2a completely lost my powers 0d2ef8acba once, had spent years 81ab25a9b8 repeating the same need baf6c12d7d for validation.4e569eb1d97ae252

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Unlike Ismail, however, I 16057af1fd had no one to 06f709230e confirm it with.170540a3f58ca2a1

There was no c414e99119 way to explain 1d0f611472 the sudden disappearance 4badd607b4 of my healing 70d1049e9d ability, no one 9ff7438cdb to provide the 93b81c0459 answers I needed.933d2a69712afdc0

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“…Alright, Brother.”5811dc9ad37b7cb4

Maybe it was a 9718f0dae2 misplaced sense of kinship, e4ad7ac6f3 but I couldn’t help d018bbd44b feeling a certain solidarity 2595df329d with him.1c288d32658e05eb

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I felt a slight softening 1a0895c940 of the bitterness I held aa079ecf2a toward him from his previous 8abb293507 life as the Pope.abdad4d66f593f90

And I finally voiced the 4012c6fc29 thought that had been lingering 804e6987c6 in my mind throughout the 01f3c34d43 Saintess selection process.5d01595a5d12dadb

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“Earlier, you asked me to save you.”3a9b8a8878311403

“…”9698a50b6e2479c0

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“I’ll try to find a way.”c4567e33f27261a8

At my words, Ismail’s eyes 0303f140dc widened briefly. His lips parted as if e402ff9f85 he wanted to say something, 7e24141f0c and then he quickly scribbled f1143e303d on my palm.05616920b5575fb7

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― What way?2cc1a5e4fa649817

I knew, of course, 9feda3bab7 that Ismail would eventually 7a4a1d1d2e find a way on ab48f597b3 his own.f4b2b4824127d911

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‘…But if I help him, maybe he’ll find happiness a little faster.’7cf4f19f16cd81fa

And maybe that would also 7e9b3a03df pull me a bit further 60a645d4df away from the looming death 6f03ca0f0e flags.089d9c93c4ed3fc5

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I placed my hand over af9e26a2a4 his, the one holding my 6beeddddba palm, and said softly,993dd1bd0ce8fcc8

“A way for you to escape… even just a little sooner…”b2b0b7f006681ff6

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“Belze.”67aa13493d61a7d8

At that moment—0bf131890e22c316

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A voice sliced e36813f628 through the stillness, f7ae48bb80 startling me into d479f7723a looking up.bb4f9d6199b538fb

“What exactly… are you doing?”39c2b1fd3e50e78b

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There, watching us with a 3da954a2d1 tense expression, was Edwin.fc36f753289c1460