Chapter 49 : The Lord of Birren

“Are you experiencing any discomfort during your stay?”

The butler asked me as I made my way to the lord’s room.

“Not at all. Thanks to your care, I’ve been very comfortable,”

I replied with a smile. And it was true—my spacious room, soft bed, and delicious meals were all quite satisfactory.

“That’s a relief.”

The butler’s expression brightened into a pleased smile at my response, a look of relief spreading across his face.

Had he been worried about me this whole time?

Well, it made sense when I thought about it. 

After all, even the title of hero carries significant weight.

Mistreating someone with such a prestigious status? 

That would be unthinkable.

If such a hero were to get angry and spread word of being poorly treated in Birren, the consequences would surely be dire.

Extremely dire.

Though, based on what I’d seen so far, the hero didn’t seem like the type to do such a thing.

While I was lost in these idle thoughts, the butler continued speaking to me.

“That child from earlier… Is she your daughter?”

Ah, there it was again—the question about whether Reina is my daughter.

Hmm… how should I respond this time? 

This question always leaves me momentarily unsure.

But now I was beginning to wonder:

Why does everyone I meet always ask if Reina is my daughter? 

Do we really look so much like mother and child?

And why specifically mother? 

They could have said sister, aunt, or something else.

Why mother, of all things? Truly puzzling.

Could it be… I look old enough to be her mother?

If that’s the reason, I might feel a little hurt…

Caught in a whirlwind of questions, I slowly opened my mouth.

“Well… yes, that’s right.”

I nodded.

Though I wasn’t too keen on this answer, I couldn’t think of anything better in the moment.

Normally, I’d be more cautious, especially if this was in front of the hero’s party, whom I’d have to deal with later.

But these people would only see me this one time, so it didn’t really matter what I said.

Probably.

The butler laughed warmly at my reply. 

Judging by the affectionate look he gave me, he seemed to be reminded of a family member in a similar situation.

“As I thought. Taking care of an eight-year-old must be quite the challenge. I have a grandson around the same age, and let me tell you, he’s a little troublemaker. There’s never a dull moment at home.”

“Is that so?”

I replied politely, matching his tone, and continued walking. 

Meanwhile, I began reviewing our conversation to make sure I hadn’t said anything inappropriate.

It had been an ordinary conversation— just a simple exchange of everyday stories.

Anyone would see it as a casual, normal chat.

Yet.

Something feels off…

Ever since our conversation ended, I couldn’t shake the feeling that something wasn’t quite right.

However, my thoughts didn’t last long.

“We’ve arrived. The lord is waiting for you inside.”

The butler’s announcement snapped me out of it.

With his words, my pondering over the strange sense of unease came to an abrupt halt.

Unable to pinpoint what was bothering me, I followed his lead and opened the firmly shut door.

Screeech.

As the door creaked open, I entered to find the lord propped up in bed, welcoming me with a gentle smile.

Despite his kind expression, his appearance was far from well.

His face looked gaunt and exhausted, his thin wrists peeking out from his sleeves betraying how frail he’d become.

I hadn’t noticed these details before, but today, with a closer look, they stood out.

The rumors I’d been hearing about the lord’s poor health since arriving in Birren turned out to be entirely true.

Approaching him, I spoke.

“I heard you called for me.”

“Yes. As a devout follower of the Church, I have a few questions I wish to ask the Saintess. I hope you’ll forgive me for the imposition.”

As I listened to the lord, I scanned the room, looking for somewhere to sit.

It wouldn’t do to carry on this conversation while standing.

Soon, I spotted a chair next to the bed and promptly took a seat.

“Am I interrupting anything important?” he asked cautiously.

“No, not at all. I had some free time, so I was glad to come,”
I replied with a smile.

Strictly speaking, his assumption wasn’t wrong—I had been busy.

But seeing the concern etched on his face, I couldn’t bring myself to admit it.

If I did, I could already imagine him feeling incredibly guilty, and I didn’t want that.

“That’s a relief.”

The lord’s voice was thick with unmistakable relief. 

His expression brightened noticeably, as if a heavy burden had been lifted.

“So, what did you want to ask me?”

At my question, the lord looked at me intently and spoke.

“Is it true that the Saintess receives prophecies from Naias?”

“Yes, though I’m hardly deserving of such grace.”

I answered with a modest smile, trying to appear as credible as possible.

Of course, it was all a lie.

Unable to say it out loud, I screamed internally instead.

“Then… have you perhaps received a prophecy from Naias since arriving here?”

“Unfortunately, no, I haven’t.”

To be honest, I hadn’t received a prophecy here—or at any other time in my entire life.

Prophecy? I’ve never even heard one.

This, too, I shouted silently in my head while keeping my lips tightly sealed.

“Then, have you ever received a prophecy about Birren in the past?”

The lord’s face carried a glimmer of hope as he asked. 

Reflecting on his words and demeanor so far, I began to piece together why he had summoned me.

Looking back at the earlier conversation, it seemed likely he wanted to ask me about Birren’s future.

After all, I was known far and wide as someone who could receive prophecies and foresee the future.

Otherwise, why would he first ask if my supposed ability to receive prophecies was real?

Even though my fabricated prophecies only concerned the demons, from his perspective, I was undoubtedly someone who could see the future.

He must have invited me here with the desperate hope of grasping at straws.

But the truth is, I am neither a saint nor a prophet—

I’m not even human.

So there was only one answer I could give him.

“That, too… I have not.”

“I see…”

The lord exhaled softly, disappointment evident in his expression.

Feeling a strange heaviness in my chest, I glanced away, pretending not to notice his reaction.

“Do you have any other questions for me?”

“No, this was just something I asked on a whim. Truthfully, the reason I invited you here was to speak with you about Birren.”

The lord shook his head, dismissing my question. 

It seemed my earlier assumption about him wanting to ask about the future was wrong.

Lowering his head slightly, he began to speak slowly, a bitter smile forming on his face.

“Recently, misfortune has struck not only this land but also myself. With bad things piling up one after another, I find myself physically and mentally exhausted.

But as the ruler of this land, I cannot afford to let myself appear weak. 

If I do, I fear it would only unsettle my people. 

So, I’ve been bottling everything up inside.”

He rolled up his sleeves, revealing his arm.

The limb, hidden until now by the loose fabric, was so thin it could hardly be called that of a healthy person.

Looking down at his own arm, he gave a wry smile.

“Perhaps it’s because of that… things worsened when I fell ill and became confined to bed. But then one day, my butler told me that you and the hero had come to visit Birren. At that moment, I thought—surely, as the representative of the gods, you would be someone I could confide in.”

Me? Why… me?

“I heard a rumor,” he continued. 

“The Saintess of Slein listens to anyone’s troubles, regardless of their status, as if they were her own. They say that if you confide in her, all your worries will disappear.”

Hearing this, I couldn’t help but feel stunned.

What in the world was he talking about?

The Saintess of Slein—he was definitely referring to me.

But me? 

Listening to people’s troubles and solving them? 

I couldn’t recall ever doing such a thing.

Then, a memory flashed through my mind.

There was… just one instance. Just one.

A time when I had listened to countless people’s concerns.

Although I hadn’t solved their problems.

I’d granted them forgiveness.

The source of the rumor was undoubtedly this: confessionals.

Yes, confessionals were a big part of my time in Slein.

I remembered how overwhelmingly popular they were—so popular, in fact, that even nobles occasionally came to make confessions.

But for the practice to be so well-known that it spread to other regions? 

That even nobles here knew about it?

The realization left me feeling faint.

“And so, despite my shamelessness, I invited you here.”

The lord smiled at me as he spoke.

And I could only sit there silently.

This unexpected turn of events had rendered me speechless.

It took me a moment to gather myself, but eventually, I managed to respond. 

Holding back the tremor in my voice, I asked:

“So, Lord Birren… you wish to confide your troubles to me?”

“Embarrassingly, yes,” he replied with a self-deprecating smile, nodding immediately.

For a moment, I felt the overwhelming urge to clutch my head in frustration.

But with him sitting right there watching me, I couldn’t act on it.

Instead, I forced a smile, though it didn’t come easily.

Smiling wasn’t difficult, though, when I thought back to my time conducting confessionals.

Muscle memory made it almost automatic.

“I see. Well, please feel free to share everything with me. Even the thoughts you’ve never been able to tell anyone else—whatever weighs on your heart.”

The lord’s face lit up as he began pouring out his concerns.

I, on the other hand, found myself once again in this ridiculous position—still dealing with things like this even after leaving Slein.

Yet, knowing the harsh reality of my current situation, I couldn’t reject his request.

Cursing the circumstances that brought me here, I steeled myself and started listening to his troubles.