Chapter 35

Two weeks later, Vera and Renee were sitting on a bench in the flower garden. A comfortable silence had settled between them, but Vera broke it with a question.

“How have your lessons been?” he asked.

Renee jumped, startled by the sudden question. She took a moment to realize he was talking to her. “Oh, they’re good! Lady Theresa is teaching me really well.”

Badump. Badump. Her heart was pounding. She was excited that Vera, who was usually so quiet, had started the conversation. Renee felt a blush spread across her cheeks. She wanted to keep talking about the topic he brought up.

Her voice was full of energy. “Lady Theresa’s power is so helpful.”

“The power to connect with each other, right?” Vera said.

“Yes! She connects our divinity. When she uses her divine art, I can feel the flow of her energy, so it’s like I’m using it myself.”

“That’s a little strange,” Vera said.

“Really? Oh, can I show you what I’ve been learning?”

“It would be an honor.”

“What an honor you say,” Renee laughed.

She held out her hand and let her divine energy flow. “It’s a healing art. She said it would be good to learn this first.”

“Yes, it’s the best way to use the energy from your divine power,” Vera said, watching her work.

The pure white energy spread like a mist, then condensed into a glowing circle at her fingertips. A small halo floated above her hand.

Vera’s eyes widened. “That’s amazing. The level of detail is very high for just two weeks.”

“It’s all thanks to Lady Theresa,” she said, smiling brightly.

Vera thought to himself that the Apostle of Love's power was an excellent tool for teaching. He now understood why the Holy Emperor Vargo held her in such high regard.

‘It’s a way for teachers to share their experience with a student,’ he realized. By sharing her senses and skills, she could pass on a lifetime of experience in a very short time. It was an incredibly versatile ability, worthy of an Apostle.

However, a drawback came to his mind.

‘…It’s not an ability for war.’

This was why Theresa hadn't been on the front lines in his previous life after the Demon King awakened. Her power was great for training, but it was inefficient on a battlefield. If a trained soldier died, she would have to start all over with someone new. It wasn’t a necessary skill in a fight for survival.

He fell silent, and Renee felt the sudden stillness. The quiet was awkward.

“Um… that’s all I can do so far,” she said.

“It was great,” he replied.

She had heard him praise her before, but it never got old.

Renee fidgeted with her hands, hating the silence that had returned. She desperately tried to think of a new topic. She racked her brain until her head felt hot, and then she blurted out the first thing that came to mind.

“Oh, right! Sir Knight.”

“Yes?”

“What do you do during my lessons?”

Vera looked at her. He clasped his hands together and lowered his head, trying to come up with an answer. He couldn’t exactly tell her he spent his days beating up the other Apostles.

After a moment of thought, he answered. “I do some personal training.”

It wasn’t a complete lie. He had been having duels, which were a form of swordsmanship training.

“Oh, I see!” Renee nodded. “You’re very hardworking.”

“I have to be,” he said, looking at her intently. “To be a person worthy of standing next to the Saint, I have to do at least this much.”

Renee’s shoulders shook.

‘He did it again!’

He had a way of saying things that could be easily misunderstood. She knew he meant it in a respectful, formal way, but what if someone else heard him? Her cheeks turned red as she imagined what people might think of their relationship.

She couldn’t help but blush. Her feelings were so new and intense that she couldn’t think clearly. She just felt the emotions rush over her.

“Lady?”

“Y-Yes!” she stuttered, shaking her head.

“You sound like you have a sore throat,” he said.

---

That night, in her room, Renee sighed and leaned against her bed.

She was so frustrated with herself. Her body and voice didn't seem to listen when she was with Vera. She couldn’t figure out why she acted so strangely around him.

Tuk. Tuk. She pounded her fist on the blanket.

Hela, who was organizing Renee’s bed, looked over. “Lady Saint, what’s wrong?”

“What? Oh, my thigh is cramping.” Renee lied without a second thought. She then felt another wave of frustration. Why was she so calm with Hela but so flustered with Vera?

Hela knelt by the bed. “Would you like a massage?”

“Huh?”

“My father said I would be the best masseuse on the continent if I wanted to be.”

Renee was taken aback by her serious offer. She felt a pang of guilt for her lie, but she nodded and pulled the blanket back. “Please be gentle.”

“Yes. Excuse me.” Hela climbed onto the bed and began to massage her thigh carefully.

“You’re still young, Lady Saint, so you need to take good care of your body to grow properly,” Hela said in a soft, motherly tone.

Renee smiled at Hela’s gentle scolding. But then, Hela’s words about her age and growth made Renee feel nervous.

“Hela?”

“Yes.”

“Um… do I look young?” Renee’s heart pounded as she waited for the answer. She didn’t want Hela to say “yes.”

Hela looked Renee up and down. “You look fresh,” she said.

“Huh?”

“Yes, fresh.”

Renee tilted her head. Did that mean she looked young? Or mature? It was an ambiguous answer. She wanted to ask again but decided against it, not wanting to seem suspicious.

“Ah,” she said. The unanswered question left her feeling even more anxious.

---

The next day, Renee was alone in the garden, waiting for Theresa.

‘…It’s been a while,’ she thought. She hadn't been alone since she arrived at the Holy Kingdom. The quiet felt strange at first, but she smiled, enjoying the warm sun and cool breeze.

She realized how comfortable she had become here. A place that was once so foreign now felt familiar. It had only been two months. She could now walk around the garden on her own and recognize people by the sound of their footsteps.

Renee felt a sense of pride. And she had even gotten used to being called the ‘Saint.’ She still felt unworthy, but she didn’t object to the name anymore.

‘I was able to do it because of Vera.’

Everyone in the Holy Kingdom had been kind, but Vera had helped her the most. He always treated her with respect and was a constant, solid presence by her side. That presence gave her strength.

Her mind drifted back to the memories of him. Their first meeting, the attack on the road, his hand guiding hers, his voice…

And then…

‘I-I…’ His lips.

She remembered touching his lips with her thumb when she was tracing his face.

The memory was so vivid she could still feel the touch. Renee’s head felt like it would explode. She fidgeted with her fingers and struggled to breathe. Her heart hammered against her ribs, and her skin flushed a deep red.

Theresa, who was walking toward Renee, saw her from a distance and smirked.

‘Oh, this one…’

She narrowed her eyes, seeing the bright pink aura swirling around Renee.

‘…This is going to be difficult,’ she thought, shaking her head with a smile.