Any task requires a system.
This is not just true for groups, but also applies to the relationship between individuals.
In other words, it’s about ‘the promise between two parties.’
Usher and Bersia needed something like that.
“The first daughter is once every four days.”
“Suppression of the curse!”
“Yes, the cursed first daughter…”
“Curse!”
Usher’s eyes widened.
Only then did Bersia nod with a look that seemed to say, “Isn’t that it?”
What they were discussing was an agreement about satisfying desires through physical contact.
Wasn’t that the case?
Not clinging to each other at all times, nor distancing themselves without reason, was not the solution to their situation. Both of them had come to recognize this.
Every four days, a clean release when both the body and mind are prepared. Then, returning to daily life.
A series of agreements had been made.
Bersia said it like this.
“It’s like a couple trying to time their intimacy with the fertile period.”
“It’s not the fertile period!”
“You’re not denying the couple part. Could it be…?”
“W-w-what are you talking about!!!”
Usher blushed, flustered.
Her quick movements were reminiscent of a wild rabbit jumping up.
A soft chuckle escaped Bersia’ lips.
In any case, the two were growing more and more accustomed to this strange exchange of bodies.
Such days continued.
They went out for volunteer work in the suburbs, earned allowances, and ate something.
Sometimes they would spend time bickering in the flower beds, or other times they engaged in training.
And then, they reached a certain point.
“Ah, the Saint’s Festival is soon.”
The Saint’s Festival. It’s an event held by the order at the end of every year.
It’s comparable to the national founding ceremonies, and during this time, kings and ministers from all countries visit the order.
It’s the only festival where the running saint must officially attend.
Though the world is in chaos due to the witches’ rebellion, the festival was not canceled.
On the contrary, because of such times, the festival had to be more splendidly held than ever.
Wasn’t that the case?
It had to show that the order’s strength had not weakened and solidify the alliance centered around the order. Bersia commented on the festival like this.
“It’s such a bothersome event.”
“Eh.”
“Oh, this year it’s not because I’m bothered? Then it might be fine.”
Smiling, she explained.
“The saint is the face of the event. It gets annoying starting a month before. Do you know? During this time, you have to manage everything, even your eating and sleeping times. You have to get two hours of skin care from the priests every day, manage your weight, and even train your walking posture separately.”
“…Do they really work you that much?”
“Well, if not for that, the saint wouldn’t be doing anything compared to the money spent on her!”
There was no denying it.
It’s true that being a saint was a position where you did nothing but enjoy the benefits and didn’t care about others!
It sounded exhausting just to hear, but since Bersia was in his body, this was something Usher had to do reluctantly.
“Now, eat the cookie. If you don’t do it now, you won’t get to eat it.”
“…….”
“You’re probably going to get scolded a lot. You know, right? The knight’s body and I’ve gained some weight.”
“Ugh…!”
Isn’t it better to say I’m getting healthier?
In fact, she had awakened the muscles that were once thin and increased her physical beauty.
There’s some fat, but it’s a little.
Just a little.
…Really, just a little.
“Can you please cheer up for me instead?”
“…I’ll do that without you saying it. The Saint’s Festival is a festival to thank the Father for His grace, so it’s impossible to do it casually.”
Saying this, Usher quickly popped a cookie into his mouth.
The amount of cookies disappearing into his mouth soon added up to a whole plateful.
Bersia’ body loved sweet food a lot.
It wasn’t that Usher liked it and ate it beforehand.
“Hmm… Weight loss… Nom… If I put my mind to it, I can quickly… Munch…”
“Why not eat first and talk after?”
Usher ignored that remark.
From the moment she realized this was their last meal, Usher only thought about finishing this delicious, sweet cookie before having to throw it up.
The meal ended, and the day drew to a close.
The preparations for the Saint’s Festival began.
In other words,
“Saint! Please wake up!”
“Huh?!”
Hell Week had begun.
On the fourth day of the Saint’s Festival preparation, Usher could clearly understand why Bersia hated this time.
“Your skin is oily. Saint, did you sneak some snacks?”
“Oh, no…!”
“Hm, let’s check your weight… No, why did you gain weight?”
“I-I don’t really know…”
During this time, personal attendants are assigned.
At least, priests who have been serving for over 30 years follow you all day, nagging about your actions, meals, and even your skin.
At this time, even the saint was absent.
Many times, personal attendants secretly gave food to the saint, so the attendants had been removed from the job.
So, from the moment they woke up to the moment they fell asleep, they had to live under constant nagging.
The least nagging was during etiquette lessons.
“Hmm, as expected, Bersia is the best when it comes to this part.”
“I felt like my movements were off, but I quickly got back on track. My body must remember.”
“Well, you are of royal blood.”
That wasn’t the case.
It was simply that Usher was exceptionally skilled at handling his body and had memorized the required etiquette movements as if they were martial arts techniques.
The reason the priests in charge of his education weren’t surprised was that Bersia’s etiquette had always been remarkably refined.
Whatever the case, at least his ears weren’t burning from constant nagging.
But that moment didn’t last long.
“Is this all there is for dinner…?”
“Yes, it provides satiety but isn’t very nutritious, so it will help with weight loss. After eating, you should pray and then sleep.”
Usher was deeply upset.
On his plate sat only a single fist-sized vegetable.
How was he supposed to survive for a month eating nothing but greens?
A knight’s life was better than a saintess’s.
Knights were given meat three times a day under the pretext of building muscle until they were stuffed.
If Darin were here, she would have secretly brought him some snacks at times like these.
As he thought about it, Usher quickly gave up on the idea.
Complaining wouldn’t change anything.
In a desperate attempt to find an alternative, he glanced at Bersia, who was sitting in the corner.
But she simply sat with her legs crossed, smirking at him.
She must have eaten well at the dining hall.
‘This isn’t even my job in the first place.’
Thinking about it only made him more resentful.
His gloom deepened, and his complexion darkened.
His shoulders slumped.
He stabbed the vegetable leaf with his fork and chewed on it grudgingly.
The more he ate, the more he craved cookies.
‘Should’ve eaten more back then…’
But no matter how much he thought about it, time couldn’t be turned back.
For the rest of the night, Usher had to endure his hunger until he fell asleep.
And so, the fifth day arrived.
During the training period, the first official duty of the saintesses began.
It was a shared schedule where all saintesses gathered in one place.
“Who the hell came up with the stupid tradition of dawn prayers?”
“J-Judis…!”
“What? Did I say something wrong?”
In the grand cathedral’s prayer room, Judis knelt with bloodshot eyes, looking absolutely exhausted.
Her sleep schedule was already erratic, and today, thanks to dawn prayers, she had gotten less than four hours of sleep.
“Even the Lord is probably asleep right now. I guarantee the person who came up with this was some old geezer who couldn’t sleep anyway.”
“Hahaha! Judith! You sure have a sharp tongue!”
“Both of you, be quiet during prayer!”
The supervising priest snapped at them.
Even Halia, the strict elderly priestess, couldn’t argue with Judith’s words.
Of course, that made sense.
That stern-looking old woman had been devoted to the church since Halia was still an apprentice.
Usher could only chuckle in disbelief.
Dawn prayers weren’t particularly hard for him—he had done them frequently as a knight cadet.
He was a little drowsy, but that was something that would pass with time.
Might as well just pray and get it over with.
It was a way to prove his devotion, so it didn’t feel too burdensome.
‘Oh great and mighty Lord…’
As he recited his prayer, he couldn’t help but get distracted.
Humans were creatures easily influenced by their surroundings.
Listening to Judith muttering curses and Halia whining about boredom, his thoughts wandered.
‘Come to think of it, Saintess Rubena is awfully quiet.’
Wasn’t she the one who should be complaining the most?
Curious, Usher half-opened one eye and glanced at Rubena.
And then he let out a short laugh.
‘…She’s sleeping sitting up?’
Rubena had fallen asleep while kneeling in a prayer position.
The veil draped over her head covered half of her face, concealing her expression.
It was an impressive skill.
Judis also noticed and let out a chuckle.
“This crazy woman… No one can beat her when it comes to slacking off.”
Shamefully, Usher found himself agreeing.