Time-Limited Saintess, You’ve Been Caught by the Tyrant Once Again - Chapter 65

Chapter 33.1

While Ellin looked at Arkan, who looked incredulous, Melissa eventually moved out of her seat quietly, unable to bear it any longer.

“Why? Why me?”

He thought of a bird that chirps to other birds. He saved the life of someone who was about to die, and yet they even questioned his goodwill like this. Was this what was called ‘disappointment’?

Arkan admitted. He felt very resentful right now. Too much so.

“I didn’t expect Your Majesty to give me bread.”

“….”

“Since Your Majesty is here, may I ask, what is the meaning of the bread?”

Even in the midst of this, she was asking so seriously again.

Arkan frowned. He stared intently at Ellin’s face before he parted his lips, “If you don’t like it, then I’ll stop sending it. There’s no reason to give it to someone who suspected that it was poisoned.”

“….”

When she remained silent at his words, he looked at her face. Looking at the serious expression on her face, he couldn’t hold back and continued impatiently.

“It meant to not starve and take good care of my younger sister.”

“Ah…”

Ellin expressed understanding.

‘It was a surprisingly rational way of thinking.’

If Arkan knew she thought like this, he would probably be pounding his chest in anger. Still, she felt a little relieved.

“Her Royal Highness Princess Charlotte is a truly kind and kind person.”

“….”

“I didn’t realize you meant in that way. I’m not starving, so don’t worry.”

As Ellin smiled and spoke calmly, Arkan turned away and disappeared. Though his steps seemed to falter with strength, she thought it was just her imagination.

‘He worries about his sister, who is alive.’

Every time she discovered the remaining humanity in him, she felt a strange feeling. He was a lonely person in her past life. Come to think of it, didn’t he have a younger brother?

The child who had betrayed Arkan… Ellin thought about that boy.

And then…

“Your Majesty!”

She called out to him.

Arkan ignored her words and continued walking. He was originally this kind of person. Not listening to her words, ignoring her… It was always her who always got hurt and gave up in the face of such indifference. She thought they should also give her the right to reject them.

“Your Majesty, please wait a moment!”

But then, since she was going to die anyway, wouldn’t it be okay to live a little longer? Although it was simply calling out to the Emperor again, for Ellin, it was a huge courage and a change in behavior that she had always adhered to.

What if Arkan just pretended not to hear? Before she could worry, he asked.

“What is it?”

Wow, he listened.

Ellin felt a twinge of joy, but she tried to hide her expression for fear of being misunderstood as his unfriendly gaze turned towards her.

“Princess Charlotte is getting better. She occasionally looks for Your Majesty as well.”

“….”

“If you’re worried about Charlotte, you can ask me as much as you want. Oh, would you like me to give a report?”

“….”

“Report? Reporting…”

She trailed off as he seemed dumbfounded. Oh, there was no way he wasn’t getting it. Ellin thought she was being too presumptuous.

“Make sure to do it every evening.”

“Ah… Yes!”

“….”

“I’ll do my best, don’t worry.”

As she spoke earnestly, Arkan looked at her as if she were a strange person.

Was he really Arkan from her past life? His expression, how should she put it, has changed… for the better.

“Miss Ellin. Are you genuinely kind-hearted or just thoughtless?”

“Yes?”

“No… Never mind.”

As Arkan turned his body and walked away again, his steps seemed somehow lacking in strength this time.

̊ · : * ✧* : · ̊

Maynard frowned as he looked at Erich.

Despite being imprisoned in the dungeon, Erich remained relaxed, and even his brilliant appearance hadn’t faded. Instead, the white clothes, non-ceremonial clothes, made him look relaxed and languid.

“Have you come?”

Moreover, he had the leisure to welcome ‘guests’ like this. As Maynard opened the prison door, the door was unlocked.

“It seems the guards have been lenient.”

“I suppose you trust me.”

Seeing Erich still sitting there, Maynard asked with a frown on his face.

“Aren’t you going to come out?”

“Oh, am I getting released?”

“His Holiness told me to bring you.”

“Well, it’s about time.”

‘It was about time.’

Even though Maynard was displeased at those words, he led Erich out, who obediently followed him.

“Why did you do that?”

“What do you mean?”

“You didn’t defend yourself.”

Erich chuckled at Maynard’s question.

“It seems Sir Maynard doesn’t trust the Saintess very much.”

At that moment, Maynard’s steps stopped.

“No.”

“If you already believe in the Saintess, do you need to listen to me?”

“Everything must be fair. Everyone deserves to be heard.”

Maynard responded stiffly. He was indeed a knight who spoke only of righteousness.

He continued.

“One mistake is enough.”

“Yes, that’s right. One mistake is enough. For both you and me.”

It was a soft yet firm statement.

He had a face that seemed even older than the current Pope’s.

Erich, too, looked at the stern and steadfast paladin. It seemed as though the paladin’s unwavering and steel-like faith was cracking.

“By any chance, do you happen to know where that young lady is?”

“Yes?”

While Erich’s eyes widened at the sudden question, Maynard wore a pained expression.

“I’ve been trying to track her down, but she’s hard to find.”

“Have you been looking for her?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“I wanted to explain the situation and apologize.”

The corners of Erich’s mouth curled up coldly at the answer.

“Didn’t Sir Maynard dislike that woman?”

At the question, Maynard looked at him. He answered as if seeing something within Erich.

“I remember that the High Priest cared for that woman quite a lot.”

“You’re quite on the mark.”

Though Erich spoke calmly, Maynard couldn’t believe what he was seeing. It was because he wore a pensive expression. High Priest Erich, who always had a smiling face…

Maynard asked cautiously.

“So, do you know where she is?”

A shadow fell over Erich’s face.

Maynard wanted to deny what he had seen. He didn’t want to know that the woman’s significance to this priest was greater than he had thought. After all, wasn’t Erich the most perfect priest? Despite having a slightly ambiguous side, he was someone who devoted himself to the affairs of the temple.

“Is it okay to approach someone who left on their own again?”

Instead of answering, Erich gave an enigmatic response.

“She didn’t leave on my own. We drove her away.”

“…Yes, we drove her away.”

A sense of guilt washed over Erich’s face.

Maynard found this conversation uncomfortable. Yet somehow, he couldn’t deny that Erich’s words rang true. The woman had been driven away, but she had left on her own accord.

“Well then, I’ll go see His Holiness.”

Stopping in the Pope’s office, Erich spoke to Maynard in a light voice.

̊ · : * ✧* : · ̊

“Ellin, come bathe with us.”

“Yes?”

“The head maid gave us permission to use the main bath.”

Ellin was taken aback when she saw the maids suddenly speaking kindly to her.

“The main bath?”

“Yes. Ellin couldn’t have washed your body properly either.”

“Yes.”

Unlike the imperial family and nobles, who had baths or bathhouses attached to their private quarters, commoners didn’t have separate places to wash. The main bath was the place reserved for the higher-ranking people. There was a place in one corner of the imperial palace where high-ranking employees could soak and bathe.

In truth, Ellin had her own bathroom. However, she couldn’t bring herself to say such a thing in front of the maids, who were excited about using the main bath, and she realized that she was indeed being treated ‘specially.’

Please consider sending some love either through the translator’s Ko-fi or by leaving a rating/review for this series on novel updates~!

For update pings, novel discussions and/or to send mistake reports, join our discord server~