Chapter 21
Light novel: Episode 21
Manhwa: Chapter 11
“You already received 3,000 gold and now you’re saying the recharge fee is separate… And I have to get the blessing recharged once a month, too?”
Lute’s silver-gray eyes looked at me as if he were witnessing the most grotesque thing in the world.
Getting that kind of look from a villain who tormented the protagonists and blocked their path until the very end… kind of feels rewarding.
“You’ll come to understand the effects of my blessing in a month, so we can talk about the recharge fee again then.”
Once the blessing wears off and the pain returns, you’ll come running to me on your own.
As I added the words that sounded like a curse, but were more of a prophecy, Lute ran a hand through his hair.
I could feel his subtle irritation at his simple action.
“…You do know, don’t you? I run a merchant group.”
I do. It was mentioned in the original work.
Though it was also said he eventually lost everything, as the effects of the Relic of Light worsened his condition and he became nothing more than the villain’s slave.
Restricted in all his actions and deprived of the freedom to even take his own life, Lute Sieri gave in to despair and turned into a full-blown villain.
“And because of that, I don’t normally let myself get ripped off anywhere.”
Lute, still in control of a merchant group that has yet to fall into ruin, let out a hollow laugh.
“Never imagined the Saintess would bleed me dry like this.”
“But it’s not a loss, is it? If money can relieve your condition, isn’t that a gain? And for the Sieri Dukedom that owns a mine, this is basically pocket change.”
In my past life, despite working hard, I never got to touch even 300 million before dying yet here I was shamelessly calling it pocket change.
Lute also let out a laugh, impressed by my shamelessness.
“Calling it pocket change when it’s not even your money.”
“So you admit it’s not a loss?”
“…Fair enough. If it means escaping the pain, I’m willing to pay whatever it takes. A body without pain… do you realize how sweet that feels?”
Lute looked down at his hands.
Joy, awe, happiness, and a hint of worry swirled in his eyes like a storm.
“If I have to feel that pain again, I might just sell not only my gold but my soul, too.”
“Well, I don’t really need your soul. Honestly, what use would that even be?”
Ugh, why would I want something like a soul? What would I even do with a dead one?
What I need is a living body with access to an SSS+ grade fortune. A soul without wealth to spend is useless.
“All I need is money.”
I brought my thumb and index finger together into a circle and gave it a little shake. Lute’s eyebrows drooped like he was deeply wounded.
“It hurts my feelings to hear you reject me so firmly. Are you saying a duke like me, with no money right now, is worthless?”
“Of course. What good is a duke with no money?”
“For eye candy.”
Lute spread both hands and held them under his chin like a flower pose.
“……”
This is ridiculous. Absolutely absurd. And yet… I can’t deny it.
He does have the kind of face that’s a feast for the eyes.
There’s a sort of decadent beauty in him that you’d never find in the gentle Airek or the tidy Seth.
I just never thought he’d actually say it out loud himself.
“You’re not denying it. I guess I’m lucky my looks are to the Saintess’s liking.”
Lute smiled with his eyes crinkling at the corners. He was absolutely trying to seduce me.
Is this what Lute’s real personality is like? The gap between this and the original work is so vast, I can’t keep up.
“I don’t want to hear I’m not living up to my looks, so I’ll be sure to pay the recharge fee diligently. I’ll never show up empty-handed.”
“Alright. Just so you know, the donation to the grand temple and the recharge fee are separate. You’re allowed to give less for the recharge fee than the donation.”
The recharge fee would be offered to the Sun God, while the donation was intended for maintaining the grand temple.
Restoring the Sun God’s power was important, yes, but fixing up the decrepit grand temple came first.
The temple needs to look grand and magnificent, so people will come gather to admire it.
Once the number of followers increases, the Sun God’s power will naturally recover even if I don’t spend money on it, so I’m prioritizing the funds for the grand temple’s maintenance.
“A money-loving Saintess making such a concession? I’m touched.”
To twist the truth like that and still sound genuine—what a talent.
“I’ll be careful with the relic. I never want to feel that pain again, so I won’t misuse it.”
“You’d better not lose or damage it. If something happens to the relic, you’ll really die.”
It was both a warning and a prophecy.
Because ‘Aurora’—not just a sacred relic but a divine relic—would block the approach of the ‘Absolute Evil’ that had turned him into a slave in the original story.
But what if Aurora were to break?
That monster would definitely swoop in as if it had been waiting all along. Lute would then fall and become a villain, and I’d have no choice but to kill him to survive.
“…I’ll keep that in mind.”
As if sensing my sincerity, Lute dropped his usual playful tone and nodded with a serious expression.
“One last thing. Any discussion about your condition or the blessing must be with me alone. Don’t speak of it to the High Priest or the Captain of the Holy Order.”
“But it’s the Saintess’s blessing. Why hide it from those two in particular?”
Because I don’t want Airek to find out that I, a fake Saintess, is capable of placing a blessing on a divine relic.
“The Saintess’s blessing holds the power to heal. If someone like you possesses a relic infused with that blessing, they’ll notice something’s off with your condition almost immediately.”
Of course, I couldn’t say that outright, so I came up with a plausible excuse.
Seth had already started to suspect something, but he wasn’t the type to go blabbing about it, so it was fine.
“If you don’t mind them knowing, go ahead and tell them.”
“No, it’s better if they don’t. Let’s keep this our little secret.”
I figured he’d say that. I smiled, satisfied.
Once everything is over, I plan to disappear from the grand temple. If people find out I was a real Saintess all along, it’ll be a problem.
So this secret must stay buried… no matter what.
Having reached a dramatic agreement, we sealed it with a handshake and affirmed our trust.
“Excuse me. I apologize for having kept you waiting.”
Just then, as if on cue, Airek returned.
I glanced at the divine relic now completely hidden beneath Lute’s robes, then turned to him and asked:
“Did you finish checking the amount?”
“Yes. All has been paid. Priest Dietrich and several holy knights went down to the nearby village to buy supplies.”
Dietrich sure does do a lot of things. He might as well be the heart and soul of the grand temple.
“Then, since all the procedures are complete, I’ll bring the sacred relic right away.”
“Oh, no need. The High Priest seemed busy, so the Captain and I already brought the relic. The Duke has confirmed its effect, so there’s nothing more the High Priest needs to do!”
“…Pardon? I’m sorry, what do you mean by that…?”
Airek blinked in confusion.
His face was filled with the question of how I, who shouldn’t even know where the Relic of Light was or what it looked like, managed to bring it.
While he fumbled, unable to ask directly because Lute was still present, I quickly took control of the situation.
“Duke, do you have any other business left?”
If you’ve gotten everything you wanted, then hurry up and leave.
Looking back and forth between me and Airek, Lute seemed to catch my meaning and rose from his seat immediately.
“No, I was just about to get going. I suddenly feel this strong pressure that I need to earn a lot more money so I should hurry back and work hard.”
“Oh dear, but do take care of your health while you do.”
As his pointed words earned an equally pointed response, Lute let out a laugh.
“Thank you for agreeing to such a good deal, Saintess.”
“It has been my pleasure to be of service to you, Duke. I look forward to the grand temple and the duke continuing a smooth and close relationship.”
You better bring money every month without fail.
“Now that I am a follower of the Sun God, I should rather say that I am in your debt. As a believer, I’ll always pray for the well-being of the grand temple.”
That’s his way of saying he’ll faithfully bring his hard-earned money.
Giving a small nod to Airek, who still hadn’t grasped the situation, Lute left with light steps.
Seeing how different his steps were now compared to when he first arrived gave me a strange feeling.
Because the likelihood of him meeting a tragic end had dropped significantly.
And I was the one who made that happen.
Some of the original story’s information would become useless because of this, but who cares?
If anything, I’ve gained a powerful hidden card in the form of Lute Sieri.
Of course, the money coming in is the best part.
“Saintess. What exactly is going on? How did you know about the sacred relic—”
The moment Lute and his aide were out of sight, Airek immediately pounced with questions.
I then answered casually, as if it were nothing important.
“Oh, the thing I gave the Duke wasn’t actually the Relic of Light.”
“…Eh? But the Duke clearly said he was satisfied with the deal—”
“Yes! It wasn’t the Relic of Light. What he really needed was something else, so I gave him that.”
“What exactly did you give him—”
“Aurora.”
“…Pardon? What did you say you gave him?”
“Aurora, the Sun God’s divine relic. I gave that to the Duke instead of the Relic of Light.”
I smiled brightly at Airek.
And three seconds later…
“Saintess!”
Airek’s thunderous shout shook the entire grand temple.
Ow. My ears.
* * *
“My lord, does the sacred relic really work?”
The moment the carriage began to move, Lute’s aide, Yuri Poulton, asked.
He was one of the very few who knew about Lute’s condition and had scoured every source he could find in search of a way to ease even a bit of Lute’s suffering.
It was during that search that he happened upon an old tome containing a passage about the ‘Relic of Light.’
There were no detailed descriptions, only a single brief description of ‘a rare relic said to possess the power of healing.’
But at the time, when both Lute and Yuri had half given up, they could do nothing but cling to that one line.
They had wandered for years in search of it, not even knowing where it was, so it was only natural to be deeply curious whether the relic truly worked.
SoundlessWind21’s Notes:
If there are any errors, whether it be grammatical, spelling, translation, or website-related issues, feel free to let me know. (´◡`) Anyway, thank you for reading!