Chapter 438: Proof of Existence (26)

0% Under the clear blue sky, waves of people endlessly surged.

As with any city, the marketplace was no different from a vein through which gold and silver flowed. That was because a myriad of establishments thrived upon this ceaseless stream of people.

Yet, wherever there is light, shadows are bound to follow.

And this teeming forest of people cast a shadow just as vast.

Just as the saying goes, ‘If you want to hide a tree, hide it in the forest,’ those wishing d to conceal themselves often frequented the markets. Here, wearing hoods and obscuring one’s face was hardly out of the ordinary.

Today, the Saintess and I were no different.

Feigning nonchalance, we quietly followed a certain group. Naturally, to avoid suspicion, we occasionally pretended to browse through various stalls.

Then as we moved along, I suddenly spoke up as though I’d just remembered something.

“Did you mention to anyone that we’d be going downtown today?”

“Of course I did. The orphanage would have worried themselves sick otherwise, wouldn’t they? I’m sure rumours must have gotten out by now.”

In other words, our identities could easily be exposed if we weren’t careful.

A quiet hum slipped from my lips. When I further attempted to subtly glance at Ria’s reaction, the Saintess shot me a reproachful look and murmured quietly.

” Stop staring. They’re already starting to notice us.”

At her warning, my body immediately stiffened.I quickly turned towards her, forcing myself to look natural as though we were simply a couple exchanging affectionate whispers.

Though of course, the words we were whispering were nothing like the sweet nothings of lovers.

“So, what should we do? A cloaked duo draws too much attention to begin with.”

“In the Holy Nation, it’s fine. Pilgrims often wear cloaks like these. It’s symbolic–they’re ashamed of their sins and wear them during their journeys to seek forgiveness from the Lord.”

And yet, they were suspicious of us nonetheless.

Likely because our mannerisms differed from those of typical pilgrims. I felt compelled to ask the Saintess again.

“Do pilgrims never travel in pairs? We must somehow look out of place …”

This time, unlike before, the Saintess hesitated, unable to answer right away.

As confusion briefly crossed my face, a merchant who had been observing our discreet conversation suddenly burst into hearty laughter.

“Are you two newlyweds? Setting out on a pilgrimage to celebrate your marriage–now that’s rare these days… May the young couple be blessed. Immanuel!”

He then subtly held out a silver-plated cross necklace towards us–once again proving that merchants were always merchants.

Flustered at the merchant’s wild guess, I nearly blurted out a denial. But the Saintess swiftly reached out and clasped my hand before I could. The unexpected softness of her touch momentarily froze me in place.

Then, flashing a radiant smile, the Saintess quickly affirmed his assumption as truth.

“We wanted to offer our gratitude to the Lord for bringing us together. And it also signifies our desire to begin anew as husband and wife, as though being reborn in His embrace.”

“Oh my, that’s some real passionate love… So, what do you say, mister husband? How about buying your lovely wife a little gift?”

‘Newlyweds,’ huh.

Though I hesitated for an instant, looking back, it was indeed the only believable reason for a pair to travel alone on a pilgrimage. Unlike me, the Saintess couldn’t fully hide her feminine curves, not even beneath that thick hooded cloak. There was simply no way to conceal that we were a man and a woman journeying together.

And besides, I could feel a steady strength coming from her hand, still tightly clasped around mine.

With a wry smile, I finally spoke up.

“This won’t do.”

Just as the Saintess and the merchant’s expressions began to grow uncertain, I quickly added,

“Do you have a silver cross made of pure silver instead of a plated one? It’s a gift for my wife, afterall, so I’d like to get her something of real quality.”

At those words, both the merchant and the Saintess’s faces brightened at once.

It wasn’t until we’d finally picked out a rather elegant-looking rosary that we were able to break away from the merchant. And by then, the suspicious gazes from Ria and Perry’s group had also drifted away.

It was only then that I realized–there was but one way to achieve our goal without arousing suspicion.

The Saintess smiled meaningfully, then rose on tiptoe to whisper in my ear,

“Shall we get going, my dear husband?”

Gladly.

I silently murmured the word to myself and the two of us resumed our pursuit.

From somewhere in the crowd, I could still feel a gaze watching us.

**

Surprisingly, we enjoyed ourselves quite a bit afterward.

Ria and Perry’s group still eyed us with suspicion from time to time. It was inevitable–since we crossed paths too often to avoid drawing attention.

Whenever that happened, we had to put on a conspicuous show at a slight distance.

For instance, something like the ‘pocky game.’

It was a playful challenge where two people bit either end of a pocky stick, competing to see who could eat the most without breaking it. Naturally, it was popular among young couples just starting their relationship.

After all, if one pretended not to notice and went in for a kiss, it was the perfect excuse to take things a step further.

The Saintess, however, was especially reluctant about this game. Or rather–to be precise–to say she was simply ’embarrassed’ by it would be more accurate.

“H-How could we do something so shameful in public…!”

Her trembling voice made it all too clear. Given the level of intimacy we’d already shared, what could she possibly still be so flustered about? Just as that thought crossed my mind–

Her words from before echoed, unbidden, in my head.

‘If not the Saintess… then who am I supposed to be?’

Those were her words, weren’t they?

A strange sentiment welled up inside me as I looked at her. Blushing brightly and averting her gaze, she seemed no different from any ordinary young woman.

Except for her extraordinary beauty.

The Saintess was someone who couldn’t even love freely.

Even if she felt affection, she wasn’t permitted to openly express it. Her status alone made her little more than a religious symbol.

A woman who discarded her own name.

That realization weighed heavily on my heart. After all, wasn’t she someone who had spent her entire life suppressing her feelings, molding her every thought and action to fit the role imposed on her?

Even something as simple as openly whispering sweet nothings on the street must feel awkward and terrifying for her.

And so, I deliberately decided to be stubborn about it.

“I still want to play.”

“Ian–no, I mean, darling!”

Startled, the Saintess almost called my name aloud before quickly correcting herself.

It was clearly a bad move.

The crowd watching us instantly erupted with excitement. Playful cheers and teasing encouragement came from all around.

“She must be a newlywed! Still so shy!”

“What’s there to be embarrassed about between a husband and wife? Go on, do it!”

With the atmosphere heated up like this, backing out was no longer an option.

The Saintess, blushing bright red, hesitantly moved closer to me.

“I swear, I’ll never forget this debt…”

“I’m already neck-deep in debt, so one more won’t hurt.”

Hearing my shameless reply, the Saintess squeezed her eyes shut in resignation. And thus began our pocky game–which, to my surprise, ended with her victory.

It was all because I failed to react properly when the Saintess suddenly closed the gap between us. Before I could even process what was happening, her lips pressed against mine–soft and dewy to the touch–and then–

For the briefest moment, the tips of our tongues brushed… then parted.

Startled, I instinctively tried to pull away–but the Saintess had already stepped back before I could.

“Haa, haa…”

As she panted, a thin silver thread dangled from the tip of her tongue. It was only a fleeting sight–but in that instant, I couldn’t help but think she looked incredibly seductive.

Flushed red, the Saintess turned her gaze away.

“You really are such a pervert…”

Anyone overhearing would definitely think I’d done it.

Naturally, I kept my complaints to myself. If I pushed her any further, her face might’ve actually exploded from embarrassment.

The crowd, clearly thrilled by the Saintess’s unexpectedly bold move, erupted in cheers and applause. The sudden roar of excitement was deafening.

Among them, I spotted Ria and Perry’s group as well.

They watched us with amused grins, evidently entertained. After all, a group of young men and women gathered together would be naturally drawn to anything involving romance.

The attention fixed on me and the Saintess intensified by the second.

My eyes swept quietly over Ria and Perry’s group before quickly lowering again.

Their suspicion was steadily deepening.

**

“……Why exactly did we come here?”

Suddenly snapping back to reality, the Saintess asked me this. As I continued walking in silence, my eyes slowly took in our surroundings.

We’d wandered into a back alley. Though the evening sun had yet to fully set, the dim atmosphere gave the place an underlying sense of unease.

Today was a good day.

We’d laughed a lot, and I’d had more than a few chances to see the Saintess’s adorable side. Apparently, I wasn’t the only one enjoying myself–caught up in the fun, she’d wandered along with me, and we ended up here before we knew it.

In a calm voice, I said,

“It seems I’ve unintentionally led an honored guest to such a shabby place.”

“Oh, you’re joking, right?”

The Saintess haughtily laughed, shaking her head as if my words were ridiculous.

“For someone raised as an orphan, is there really such a thing as a shabby place? Actually, I often ran around these alleys when I was little. The orphanage was just far too cramped.”

She had a point.

Indeed, the Saintess showed no particular discomfort at the sight of the grime-stained walls around us. Nobles would usually instinctively wrinkle their noses at such sights.

Seizing the chance, I decided to further delve into her childhood.

“Wasn’t that dangerous? Even if this is the Holy Nation, I doubt there would be any city that’s kind to orphans.”

“Yes, you’re exactly right.”

Her admission was blunt–almost refreshingly so.

That, in itself, spoke volumes about how much closer we’d grown. After all, she had always tried to hide her origins–even going so far as to abandon the name from her orphan days.

Our bond had somehow grown this deep.

“Back when we went downtown, we’d smear soot on our faces on purpose–me, and even Yuren too. Because any child with even a slightly pretty face was likely to go missing.”

“So even the Holy Nation is still just a place where people live.”

At my remark, the Saintess let out a soft laugh.

She seemed to be recalling memories from long ago–ones that may have been painful, yet came from a time before she bore the burden of being the ‘Saintess.’

What followed was a surprisingly lighthearted confession.

“Isn’t it the same everywhere? To be honest, at that time, I didn’t even have any hope left.”

“It must’ve pained the Heavenly God to see that.”

“Yes, maybe so. Even so, I kept praying–that we children might find someplace better… No, more than that–that all children who were suffering might one day be saved.”

At this point, as if in surrender, I raised my hands.

This conversation was getting deeper than I could handle. My reaction drew a quiet chuckle from the Saintess.

“Of course, I know all those prayers might’ve been nothing more than a feeble struggle. More than that, I…”

That’s when it happened.

My hand naturally moved to my waist. And just as the Saintess flashed a smug little smile–a silver arc burst forth.

Immediately afterward came a sharp thwack, scattering bright red sparks.

Crimson petals of blood pattered down, staining the wall and the ground. Even then, the Saintess stood frozen in shock, unable to even speak.

Thus, I had no choice but to urgently shout out.

“Get down!”

Faceless assailants were already scaling the walls toward us.

Just as I’d expected.