Hush Now, Saintess! - Chapter 118

Chapter 118

Translator: Yonnee

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“Are you having trouble concentrating?”

I flinched at the voice coming from in front of me as I stared blankly at my book.

When I looked up, the teacher was gazing at me.

It seemed I had been caught not paying attention.

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s fine. It’s certainly very hot today.”

He must have thought the heat was the reason for my lack of focus.

‘If only it were that simple.’

The real reason I couldn’t focus was something else entirely.

A few days ago, during my meeting with Hildeon, he finally brought up the curse.

After briefly explaining his curse, he looked at me with the most desperate eyes and pleaded.

—Please, help me break the curse.

—…It would be difficult to give you an answer right now.

—That’s alright. I’ll wait.

—Does that mean the finalization of the contract will also be postponed?

—No, it won’t. This matter is separate from that. Even if you refuse my request, I’ll make sure you aren’t affected. All I ask is that you keep this a secret.

What a kind person!

How could I coldly reject him after that?

But there really wasn’t another choice.

Since I wasn’t a real saintess, the best I could do for him was help alleviate his suffering.

‘It’s really troubling.’

I smiled awkwardly and turned my gaze outside the window.

The clear summer sky was without a single cloud.

The blazing sunlight was blinding.

As my teacher said, it really had become unbearably hot.

At least we were indoors. Outside, the heat was overwhelming.

“It seems particularly hot this year. There’s much to worry about.”

My teacher followed my gaze out the window.

“What do you mean?”

“I’m mostly concerned about the citizens of the empire. The privileged can maintain indoor temperatures with magic stones, but ordinary citizens…”

“They’ll have to endure the heat just as it is.”

The thought brought back memories of my previous life, making me feel bitter.

The room I lived in didn’t have air conditioning.

In the relentlessly rising heat, my studio apartment felt like a boiling pot.

I actually preferred working back then. At least workplaces had air conditioning.

I spent many sleepless nights because it was too hot.

One day, I spent the entire night sitting on a playground bench and went straight to work the next morning.

For the poor, both heat and cold were lethal.

‘I used to think my life was completely ruined because of this mission…’

But now I felt like any life would be better than my previous one.

Those days were filled with hunger, poverty, and loneliness.

“If the weather stays like this, the fountain inauguration will be concerning. It has to be held outdoors, after all.”

“Yes. With it being so hot…”

We can only hope that people don’t collapse from the heat.

“I’ll come up with a plan once the date is set.”

“The temple will also consider it. Please let me know once the date is decided.”

With that, the idle conversation ended.

The lesson resumed.

These days, I was studying Basic Theology.

I had finally graduated from beginner-level textbooks that were taught through picture books.

‘I need to focus. Focus.’

I couldn’t stay at the beginner level forever.

But the moment the word ‘Arhopev’ entered my sight, my concentration quickly shattered.

‘Wasn’t Hildeon’s curse the Curse of Arhopev?’

My head was filled with nothing but that thought. Unable to hold back, I finally spoke up again.

“Teacher.”

“Yes.”

“I have a separate question. May I ask?”

“Of course. Go ahead.”

“Do you happen to know much about Arhopev?”

At the mention of Arhopev, his brows twitched slightly.

As expected of a future candidate for High Priest.

“Why are you suddenly asking about Arhopev…”

“Well, I’ve received prophecies from Luqera twice now. I want to study more about Luqera, and to do that, I think I need to understand Arhopev as well. He’s the evil god that Luqera sealed at the cost of her own life.”

“Hmm. It makes sense that you’d be curious. Arhopev is inseparable from any discussion about Luqera.”

“Exactly,” I quickly chimed in.

After a moment of silence, as if gathering his thoughts, he slowly began to explain.

“Arhopev is…”