Chapter 22

〈 Chapter 22 〉 Betrayal

*

”Um, Priest, about that permission slip for going out that I gave you the other day, do you happen to know how many are left?”

After tossing aside the clothes soaked in perfume, I was in the middle of changing into a spare priest’s robe when the Sister’s calm voice slipped through the changing room door.

”…You’re not planning to take them all back, are you?”

”What do you think I am?”

A workplace superior who’s completely uptight.

Recently, they weren’t entirely heartless, but added to that was the fact that their chest was surprisingly large.

But that still meant they were just ‘an uptight boss with a sometimes thoughtful side.’

Not much had changed.

”Let’s see… Looks like I have about five left.”

”That’s more than I expected. I thought you’d used them all up by now.”

”Since the meal situation has improved, I haven’t really had a reason to use them. I felt it would be a bit wasteful to squander them on trivial matters, too.”

You always have at least one person around, right? Just like in shooting games where I save up bombs and then end up dying before using them properly.

They say there’s no one more pathetic than a wishy-washy person, but as someone who has managed to survive in this harsh world due to that indecisiveness, it’s hard not to resonate with the idea that there’s a fine line between caution and indecisiveness.

”Then, you don’t plan on going out today either?”

”Well, unless something special happens, I probably won’t, right?”

”…”

◈◈◈

”Saintess.”

With no knock, just a cautious tone of voice, as if calling a stray cat on the street.

This approach, painstakingly learned after countless trial and error, was the only allowed way to communicate with the Saintess. The sole means of communication I had.

With anxiety, I cleared my throat.

Hiss.

Finally, the majestic door before me creaked open.

Although it was so small that even a mouse wouldn’t be able to pass through, just enough for a sound or a scent to barely traverse, it opened.

That alone was enough; getting a response from the Saintess felt like a reward for my diligent whispering.

”Are you… mad…?”

”I’m not mad.”

The timid voice that leaked through the crack in the door was clearly tinged with anxious uncertainty.

After the day I fiercely scolded her, she likely saw my previously unseen firmness as if I were angry at her, interpreting it in a very one-dimensional way.

Now, I had to preemptively admit I wasn’t mad, or she wouldn’t show her face at all.

”Really…?”

”Really.”

”Really really…?”

”Really really.”’

Finally, I could not allow myself to show a sigh or a flustered expression in this endlessly repetitive exchange.

I simply waited with a blank mind for the Saintess’s wariness to subside, similar to a fisherman patiently watching the tip of a fishing rod, keeping an eye on the waves of her emotions that danced through the crack.

And then it happened.

Creek.

The massive door groaned again, pushing itself open slightly, and the moment I caught sight of those Rubellite-colored eyes peeking through, my instincts screamed it was time to reel in the fishing line.

‘Sister.’

‘I know.’

The silent communication exchanged through our glances couldn’t have been more seamless, flowing perfectly without any unnecessary additions.

With arms wide open, ready to grab something fiercely, I faced the Sister, who mirrored my position precisely.

Slowly, as if two perfectly shaped blocks were coming together, we began to recite the lines we had prepared.

”Ah, the Saintess isn’t meeting me. Well, I guess I have no choice but to look for someone else.”

”Kyaaah!”

While I could pass as a satisfactory act, the Sister’s performance was so dreadfully bad it was hard to watch with my eyes wide open, but thankfully, since she was the Saintess, the quality of the actors wasn’t too crucial on this stage.

”No, you can’t—!!!”

Gah!

The sudden leap reminded me of an agile squirrel and landed squarely on my sternum.

As a guest, its visit to one of the most well-known sensitive spots on a human body, aside from the head, was more prestigious than I could comprehend.

With my upper body bowing toward the ground in greeting to the esteemed guest, the pain I couldn’t suppress leaking out in an ungraceful moan ruined the atmosphere entirely.

”Ugh…”

How could this tiny body burst forth through that massive door like a bullet? It seemed implausible, but ignoring such questions was the wise move I had learned from experience, so I let that notion drift away.

”Mine! Mine!! Mine!!!”

Like a child who had their favorite toy taken away, the Saintess clung tight to my shirt, desperately trying to assert that I was hers, looking quite menacing despite her small frame. However, the physical shock still clouded my mind, making it hard to fully feel the waves of her emotions.

”Are you okay, Priest? Just a heads up, you shouldn’t abuse miracles to ease your pain. Your miracles are solely for the Saintess. Unless you’re seriously injured, don’t use them on yourself or others.”

”Thank you so much for reminding me of that rule I almost forgot…”

”It’s nothing, really.”

Comforting the Saintess, who was stubbornly clinging to me like a cicada stuck to a tree, I slowly got up.

”Mine… I won’t give it up… It’s mine…”

”Of course, it’s yours. It’s the Saintess’s, after all.”

”Really…?”

”Yes, but you have to finish your meal today. If you leave any or get distracted during your meal, I’ll have to confiscate everything. Understood?”

”…”

”Saintess?”

”Mm…”

Receiving that almost whispered agreement, which would have been missed without the gentle breeze, I let out a sigh of relief, slowly easing my burdens.

The Sister then knowingly spoke up.

”Just a few weeks ago, you used to be totally flustered by just the Saintess’s every move, and now you’ve completely become comfortable… Did something change in your mindset?”

”Ah… Well, I can’t stay stagnant forever, can I? And to be honest, I’ve catered to the whims of someone with a bad temper for so long, it was only a matter of time…”

”Ah, I see…”

The real change came from switching a book.

The Manual of Cat Language! 101 Reasons Cats Don’t Follow You!

If I hadn’t accidentally met this book, I might still be endlessly floundering, overwhelmed by the Saintess’s every move.

Honestly, I felt a bit deflated realizing how much of a change just switching one book had brought.

When I realized how astonishingly similar the behavior patterns of cats yearning for their owner’s affection were to those of the Saintess, I ended up collapsing to the floor in shock.

”Truly, it seems no one else could take on the role of the Saintess’s guardian but you, Priest.”

”Haha…”

Embracing the Saintess, it was impossible to retort against that without an awkward smile.

As I held the Saintess with one arm and balanced her meal with the other, I began to walk into the Meeting Room slowly.

”Saintess.”

Suddenly, the Sister approached the Saintess.

”Ah, no…”

”It’s okay. I’m not taking it away.”

The Saintess, grasping me tightly with a fierce grip, looked suspiciously at the Sister, as if encountering a natural enemy.

On the other hand, the Sister, finding the Saintess’s actions just adorable, spoke sweetly with a kind smile visible even beyond her mask.

”Saintess! Today, the Priest is going to spend the night with you here!”

”Huh?”

”What?”

That shocking statement contained such a weight that I felt my mind resist absorbing it, hitting me hard enough to daze me and cause hiccups in the transmission of commands through my body.

”I’m sorry, Priest.”

Someone pushed my back, forcing me further into the Meeting Room.

Thud.

And just like that, the door closed.

The faint sound of a lock rustling outside was heavy enough to brew a sense of foreboding in my thoughts.

*