Time-Limited Saintess, You’ve Been Caught by the Tyrant Once Again - Chapter 41

Chapter 21.1

Ellin and Lilliana looked at Maynard’s face.

The paladin with deep blond hair had his lips tightly sealed, his expression seeming to be that of anger, or perhaps it was his usual stern expression.

“I came in after receiving a report that there was a loud noise in the room. We didn’t want any harm to come to the Saint.”

“….”

Lilliana rolled her head at the calm voice.

Since when did he hear them?

With a trembling gaze, she glanced at Maynard, though she couldn’t easily decipher what thoughts were going through the stoic paladin’s mind. Thinking back to the conversation, she realized that she hadn’t uttered a single word that could be considered a vulnerability.

However, it seemed like he had heard something else.

“Forgive me for intruding, Saint, but were you acquainted with this woman?”

‘That’s what he heard!’

“Yes…”

Quickly shaking her head, Lilliana deliberately put on a sad expression.

“To be honest, we were acquainted. I’m sorry for keeping it hidden, Sir Maynard.”

Whether Ellin was looking at her or not, she continued to portray the role of a kind-hearted maiden.

“….”

“She was one of my vassals. I thought she came to see me at the temple probably because of money, so I tried to take care of her in my own way…”

Her appearance was pitiable beyond words.

Ellin looked at her with an expression of disdain. She had to undo the statement that Liliana was the same as she was. The woman in front of her had become even worse. She had mastered how to hide her emotions and tell lies to people.

“As you might know if you ask my vassals, Ellin has never been particularly polite to me. And this time is no different. Demanding leniency from me as if it’s only natural has made me so angry that I’ve decided to stop…”

“How dare you criticize the Saint who is still learning. Apologize to her.”

Maynard even blamed her without listening to her words.

It wasn’t all that surprising.

At the same time, the corners of Liliana’s mouth twitched in an effort to hide her smile, feeling reassured by the sight of her faithful paladin.

Ellin looked at Maynard and let out a bitter laugh.

Anyone could see that she was the one who had been hurt, yet he was demanding an apology from the Saint out of the blue. Was the Saint really that virtuous?

It seemed that her paladin, who had been so reassuring and warm, had disappeared… no, he probably never existed in the first place. She had just projected too much affection onto him. Even the affection he had for her was perhaps this kind of affection. He would’ve followed anyone if they were a saint.

As she thought so, she directed a cold, mocking smile at Maynard’s handsome face.

“What a loyal paladin you are, Sir Maynard.”

“…What nonsense are you spouting after I told you to apologize?”

“You’re truly remarkable. I genuinely admire that dedication of yours.”

“You… what’s with that expression on your face? What kind of rudeness is this?!”

“Sir Maynard, stop it. Please.”

Hearing Maynard’s angry voice and Lilliana’s pleading tone, there was truly no comedy as amusing as this. Ellin gazed at him quietly. She had been taught to hold affection for everyone, striving to have a broad understanding of anyone.

…But come to think of it, was that really the case?

Did she, who wasn’t a saint, need to understand that? She decided to accept Lilliana’s malice and Maynard’s indiscriminate loyalty as they were.

“I’ll take my leave now.”

Taking a step forward, even though she tried to organize her thoughts, they tangled and twisted in her mind.

She looked towards her own room. While the location was different, she felt comfort and familiarity here. Hadn’t she been here until she died?

She wiped away the tears that were threatening to stream down, gathered her belongings, and left. Despite the fact that her face wasn’t stained with tears, Ellin didn’t even notice Maynard and the paladins, who had been closest to her, looking at her as they clicked their tongues* with regret.
[ T/N: Just adding to this a little, but the idiom ‘혀를 차다’ also meant ‘To express one’s displeasure or regret’. ]

Before leaving, she glanced back at the Saint’s palace once more.

A familiar shadow was visible in the corridor that connected the Saint’s palace and the pontifical hall.

‘….’

The blue-haired priest was looking at her.

It was Erich.

She had forgotten, but after Maynard, Erich also didn’t trust her in the end. It was because in the overwhelming feeling of betrayal, she didn’t even want to think about it.

As his gaze lingered on the stain on Ellin’s forehead and her white clothes, Erich glanced at her with a chillingly indifferent stare for a moment before he pivoted his body away as if he had no interest and sauntered off.

‘It seems he has no words left for me in the end.’

Seeing that, she could feel a tearing pain in her heart.

‘…Don’t hold onto regrets.’

Ellin took another step forward.

“Wait!”

As Maynard’s voice suddenly echoed at that moment, she turned around to look at him and opened her mouth.

“I have no intention of apologizing. If you want to punish me, go ahead.”

Even swallowing the unshed tears now was quite an accomplishment.

She glared at Maynard.

“An apology is unnecessary.”

“Yes?”

“It’s true that you confronted the Saint, so I had the responsibility to demand an apology.”

After he finished his words, he extended what he had in his arms towards her.

“This is…”

“It’s the funds for your journey home. I’m not sure where you’re going, but I’ve put in quite a generous amount.”

“Why…”

“I told you not to mention that I gave you clothes. It seems that’s why you kept silent and were in a difficult situation.”

Could it be that Maynard knew that she didn’t steal them? Although Ellin wanted to ask that, she shook her head. The fact that he was sending her off like this was already evidence that he didn’t believe her.

“I won’t accept it.”

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