Chapter 19

After somehow managing to get through the birthday party as his fiancée, I am now swaying in the carriage on the way back with Ralph. The moment we left the venue, the tension that had been building up snapped, and I was suddenly overwhelmed by fatigue. I feel like diving straight into bed.

By the way, the reason we are alone is that Nadia told Ralph, "It's your birthday, so I'll step back for today," and we ended up in the carriage together.

Ralph, sitting across from me, is wearing his usual beaming smile and continues to look at me.

"Miss Lysette, thank you so much for today."

"No, I'm sorry I wasn't much help."

Still, I didn't make any major mistakes, and it seems that the news of him having a real fiancée has spread, which is good.

Thinking this is a good moment, I took a small package from my bag and handed it to Ralph.

"…What is this?"

"It's a birthday gift. It's not much, and I'm a bit embarrassed, but please take it if you like."

The contents are just a handkerchief with embroidery. It's quite ordinary, but financially, this was my limit. Still, I'm good at embroidery, so I think it looks as good as a store-bought one.

Ralph stared at the gift in silence for a while, then looked up at me with a face that seemed about to cry.

"I'm really, really happy. I'll treasure it forever."

"Hehe, I'm glad."

Seeing Ralph so happy, my heart warms up.

– Why does he like me so much?

Could it be that just helping him once was enough for him to become so attached and fond of me? I was thinking about this when—

"Can I hug you?"

"Huh?"

Caught off guard by his unexpected request, I let out a surprised sound. Looking at Ralph's face, his eyes seemed to be burning with a heat that could melt anything.

"I just can't help wanting to."

Despite always saying how much he likes me, he usually only holds my hand and never tries to touch me like this. That's why I was taken aback.

Ralph looked troubled and pained, and before I knew it, I had nodded slightly.

Soon, he moved to sit next to me and gently enclosed me in his arms as if I were a fragile object.

"Miss Lysette, I like you. I really, really like you."

He smells warm and kind. His heartbeat is so loud and fast that it makes my heart race too.

"…I've always only liked you."

Since he's hugging me, I can't see his face, but his voice sounds like he's about to cry.

I gently stroked his soft silver hair.

◇◇◇

One week later, in the afternoon, I was heading to the temple with Ralph to meet the Holy Maiden, Beverly.

Upon arriving at the temple and being led to a room, I saw a woman surrounded by what seemed to be a group of guards. She had strikingly pale skin and was very beautiful.

"It's been a while, Ralph. You seem to be doing well."

"Yeah."

"You're still as boring as ever."

"Today, I want you to see this Miss Lysette."

While Ralph was being indifferent even to the Holy Maiden, I bowed slightly behind him.

"Please take care of me."

Suddenly, she frowned and covered her mouth, her face turning pale, making my heart thump uncomfortably.

"…How did this happen?"

"Huh?"

"Just sit down."

Ralph and I were encouraged to sit in chairs, facing the Holy Maiden across the table. The pure aura emanating from her made me feel a strange sense of nostalgia.

"I am Beverly. The current Holy Maiden."

"My name is Lysette Ashburton."

She smiled slightly, saying, "So you're Lysette."

"But it doesn't seem like there's anything to worry about as Ralph feared. You're not a monster yourself, nor do you have anything inside you. You're just heavily marked."

"Marked…?"

"Yes."

The Holy Maiden stared intently at my chest and continued.

"From what Ralph told me, it seems that Lysette has been marked as his prey."

"…What?"

"It's not just any ordinary monster. From the ominous aura and the magic power, it's definitely a demon king level."

The terrifying story was beyond my imagination, and I forgot to breathe.

But deep down, I felt a sense of acceptance. I knew that it wasn't an ordinary monster.

In the midst of my shock, Ralph's warm, large hand enveloped mine.

"Miss Lysette, it's okay."

"…Thank you."

After hearing such a story, his words made me feel that everything would be alright.

"Anyway, tell me everything you can remember."

"Alright."

I then recounted everything from the first time I was eaten by the monster and died until now. The Holy Maiden, like Ralph, listened silently until the end, then sighed deeply.

"You, you weakened the sanctuary."

"Huh?"

"Someone in your condition couldn't possibly live a normal life in the sanctuary. I'm amazed you managed to endure it."

"…Oh."

I realized that the continuous health issues I had since arriving at the sanctuary might have been due to this.

But strangely, symptoms like coughing up blood and insomnia had subsided after about a year.

"Probably, instinctively, you took away the sanctuary's power. Whether to make a more livable environment or to protect your body, I'm not sure, but it could be both."

"Such a thing…"

"Proof of this is that Lysette's body contains the same magic power as that place."

This is becoming an unbelievable story. The idea that I took away the sanctuary's power is hard to believe. Who am I? I'm starting to feel scared of myself.

The reason she said, "How did this happen?" when she first saw me is that my body contained a mix of the sanctuary's magic power and the monster's magic power, making it a mess.

"But I think I'm starting to understand."

The Holy Maiden said this and looked at me with her golden eyes.

"When exactly was the first time Lysette was eaten?"

"…I'm sorry, I don't know."

At the time, I was living in a rural village and didn't know the years. Also, there was a considerable gap between my death and my next reincarnation.

That's why I had no idea how long ago it was.

"547 years ago."

"Huh?"

For some reason, Ralph, who was sitting next to me, said this clearly.