Chapter 12: Saint (Physics)

In the territory of Ehrenheit, Yuria walked aimlessly, her steps heavy and unfocused.

Soon after stepping outside, Yuria found herself kneeling on the ground without even realizing it.

-Drip, drip, thud.

The cold rain fell relentlessly on her shoulders, her hair, and the ground. 

Her clothes, soaked through, clung heavily to her body.

The square where they had laughed and cried together.

The garden where they had walked hand in hand.

The church steps where they had shared countless stories.

Every corner of the territory was filled with memories of him.

“…”

But now, those memories had turned to ashes, and the thought of it was more painful and overwhelming than ever.

In the endless downpour, she came to a halt.

Raindrops fell from the leaves above, tapping gently on her head.

But she convinced herself it was just the rain.

Her heart, heavy and burdened, felt as though it was being stitched back together, yet still, there was a gaping hole in her chest.

It felt so empty, so painful… as if she might collapse at any moment.

The cold droplets soaked her shoulders.

She couldn’t tell if it was tears or rain.

Perhaps she didn’t want to tell the difference.

“…”

Her vision blurred.

She tried to believe it was the rain, but in truth, it was her own hot tears streaming down her face.

Amidst the cold, damp rain, her tears burned fiercely.

The warmth flowing down her cheeks carried the weight of regret.

“Not even once… have I forgotten…”

She whispered to herself. It was a lie.

She thought she had grown accustomed to lying to herself, but not now.

His cold gaze flashed in her mind.

The image of his back as he closed the door for the last time tore through her crumbling heart.

“…I’m sorry.”

The words she had held back finally spilled out.

It hurt.

To think that the pain in his eyes was something she had caused.

The resentment in his gaze.

Had she always been doing this to him?

…For a moment, she felt a fraction of what Yujin must have felt.

It was a bitter, sharp pain.

Her entire body felt as if it was freezing.

She no longer had the strength to hold onto him.

“…!”

But soon, she pulled a small box from her pocket.

The ring she had planned to give him.

Yuria, unable to hold back her emotions any longer, cried as she looked at the ring.

She had once sat alone in the study, imagining their wedding, smiling to herself as she slipped the ring on her finger.

She had secretly kept the ring in her pocket, vowing to herself that she would show it to him when he returned.

Sinking slowly into the mud beneath her, she sat down.

The rain soaked her clothes, her hair, and the small box in her hand.

Her fingertips tingled. 

She took the ring box from her pocket and placed it on her palm.

Rainwater streamed over the box.

She carefully opened it.

The golden ring looked dull, as if it had lost its shine.

Even as she lifted it with her fingers, there was no warmth—only the cold metal.

It was so different from what she had imagined.

“…It’s too late.”

Her voice was soft, but it cut through the sound of the rain, clear to her own ears.

So many words had been stuck in her throat, unable to come out. 

She hadn’t asked why he left, and she hadn’t told him why she couldn’t hold on.

She stared at the ring, her head bowed.

“I’m sorry…” she whispered.

She closed her eyes. She still believed it was just the rain falling. But it was her own tears, the ones she had tried to deny.

And so, she let him go.

Yuria looked up at the sky for a moment, then sat down in front of the church.

In a place she would have normally passed by without a second thought, she sat… and simply let time pass.

Waiting for Yujin, who would never come, she stayed there all night, waiting for the rain to stop.

-…I think you were right now.

-…A noble and a commoner should never be together.

Those words echoed in her mind.

Her heart tightened.

The words he had spat out in utter resignation tore her heart to shreds.

“No, I can’t.”

She couldn’t let it end like this.

Yuria stood up from where she had been sitting.

She wasn’t going to give up.

She had to find him.

She would go to the Ravenscourt family and bring him back.

She wanted to regain his affection.

She wanted another chance… to make things right.

Even if she knew he might never return.

She couldn’t bear to be left alone like this.

“…I need to be forgiven.”

Yuria muttered to the empty air.

There was still a chance.

He had come to see her one last time.

Even if it was to say goodbye, it proved that he hadn’t forgotten her.

Before she was forgotten.

While the memories were still vivid.

It was too early to give up.

Yuria made up her mind.

“…”

She struggled to her feet from the muddy ground.

There was still work to be done.

She had to find him.

She had to show him… that she remembered him. 

No, that she had come to remember him.

If she kept reaching out to him, chasing after him… maybe Yujin would turn back to her one day.

At the very least… if he didn’t forget her.

…

That was enough for Yuria.

In this world, there is a concept known as the “Mark of the Hero.”

A chosen human descended from the heavens… something like that.

Typically, a hero receives one of three gifts: wisdom, strength, or magic.

But in this world, the Mark isn’t exclusive to heroes.

There is also the Saintess Maidan(聖女).

A being who heals all wounds and inherits divine power.

The Ravenscourt family was on the verge of collapse due to the absence of a hero.

But the reason they hadn’t fallen yet was because the Saintess was here.

Of course, Yuria knew her as well.

She had seen her a few times after Charlotte officially became the hero.

But… could this person really be called a Saintess?

As she pondered this, the door opened.

“…Nice to meet you.”

The Saintess greeted her as she entered.

Yujin, who had just raised his hand in greeting, froze the moment he saw her.

She looked wretched. 

The smell of blood was overwhelming, far beyond what words could describe.

Blood-soaked towels were scattered around the bed, and the Saintess was bandaged all over. 

Even her face was covered in bandages, save for her left eye. 

If it weren’t for her silver hair and golden eye, it would have taken a moment to recognize her.

Anyone who saw her would ask, “Is she really the Saintess?”

In fact, in my past life, I had done just that, and it had earned me her disdain.

She doesn’t heal.

Or rather, she can’t.

What she received was an immense amount of divine power—no, to put it in others’ words…

She possesses divine power that rivals the entire Holy Church itself.

And with that divine power, she walks the battlefield not as an angel bestowing blessings, but as a god.

It’s no wonder even the Pope is considered just an ordinary believer in her presence.

Among the demons, there’s a saying:

“The Saintess? She’s just the beginning. She’s the very source of holy light, on par with the sun.”

That’s how powerful she is.

Yet, her tired eyes betrayed her immense power.

Yujin, who had just set down his teacup, reached out to touch the Saintess’s bandages. 

Her eyes narrowed slightly.

“…You’ve come to see Charlotte, haven’t you?”

“That’s correct.”

With a light wave of her hand, the Saintess stepped aside, and I stood at the door.

The quiet hallway.

The Saintess took one step at a time, glancing at me for a moment.

Then she spent a while flipping through some documents.

They were likely related to the war.

She is the Saintess. 

At the same time, she carries a deep sense of responsibility.

It seemed she had been busy with such matters all day long.

After flipping through the papers, she glanced at me without making eye contact.

“…?”

Before I knew it, she had approached me and was standing close, staring at me intently.

Not at anything else, but at me.

She remained silent.

Just staring at me intently.

Her calm, silent presence made me slightly uncomfortable. 

My face felt awkward.

“You’re quite… young.”

“I still get told I look young often.”

“I see… that much.”

“…Yes, but.”

The Saintess flipped through the papers again, then glanced at me.

“…You said you’re from the Mado family, right? What’s your level?”

When she asked in a low voice, I shrugged and answered.

“Level 20.”

“…You’re an interesting one.”

The Saintess let out a small laugh.

A faint, shallow laugh.

It was easy to understand what it meant.

For a commoner marrying into the Ehrenheit family, level 20 might be considered high.

But in the end, it’s still just a commoner level.

Perhaps it was a laugh at the reckless bravery of a commoner rushing in to save Charlotte.

Yujin thought so for a moment, but upon reflection, he realized the Saintess wasn’t the type to do such a thing.

“There’s no need to lie.”

Before I knew it, the Saintess had closed the distance, her breath close enough to touch my skin as she touched my wrist.

“…Remember, humility can sometimes breed suspicion.”

She had, astonishingly, seen through my true strength—something even the head of the Ehrenheit family had failed to do.

“…”

After a moment of silence, I nodded slowly.

Satisfied, she turned and walked past me.

I stared at the end of the hallway where she had disappeared for a long time before finally turning away.