Chapter 74. A Saint who was Adopted by the Grand Duke
“After that, I met the third Prince.”
“Damon? He’s really annoying, right?”
Esther smiled and sympathized with Noah's words.
“Just a little… He did ask rude questions.”
“That's his personality. I'm not close to my brother either. I can count the number of conversations I’ve had with him on one hand.”
While Noah was born to the Empress, Damon was the child of a princess who came as a hostage from another country; they were far too distant to grow close.
Even as Noah tried to get along with him, Damon constantly pushed him coldly.
“I see.”
Esther nodded before stepping away. The distance between the two was too close.
“Ack, I forgot to tell you to sit down because I was so excited to see you. Would you like to stay for a while?”
Noah, aghast that Esther had been standing by the door the whole time, hurriedly led her to the sofa. At least the couch was four steps from the door.
In the living room of a small house with only one room, there existed one sofa for the two.
Esther sat near the very edge of the couch and looked around.
“Isn't it too small?”
As if conscious of Esther’s gaze, Noah smiled awkwardly and took a seat beside her.
“No. This is enough.”
Compared to the room where Esther resided in the temple, this was also very luxurious. She felt strange as she recalled her old self.
“I want to give you something to drink, but there's nothing good enough.”
“I’ll be back soon.”
Esther waved her hands hurriedly and wriggled her feet.
Although they had met quite a few times already, Noah was bizarrely more conscious than usual. Although she could feel him staring from the side, Esther couldn't bring herself to turn her head.
Silence fell between the two. They were quiet to the point the swallowing of saliva could be heard.
“Esther, I have something to say.”
Noah shattered the silence by calmly bringing up his topic of discussion.
Esther's cheeks flushed at his serious tone.
‘What, is he trying to say I’m pretty again?’
Esther's heart pounded due to the heavy atmosphere Noah had created. She clenched her feet.
“…What’s wrong?”
“I was going to visit and talk to you.”
The more Noah hesitated, the greater Esther's tension grew. She naturally held her breath and awaited his next words.
“I... I'm going to see my father.”
However, what followed was not what Esther expected in the least.
It was embarrassing to think that she misunderstood him. Noah bit his lips solemnly.
“In the Imperial Palace?”
"Yes, I am now healthier, thanks to you. I’ll head back and let him know. I must lift my ban.”
“You’re not fully healed though.”
Rather than congratulating him, a weak voice fell from Esther’s mouth.
“I think I’ll be fine now. Since the day you held my hand at the sanctuary, I’ve been feeling better and better. I’m almost perfectly healthy.”
“…Right. That's great.”
Esther hid her disappointment and forced a smile.
To begin with, the reason she became acquainted with Noah was because of the disease. She felt sad to hear that he no longer needed her.
Perhaps he had read her mind. Noah tilted his head and peeked at her.
“Are you sad that I’m leaving?”
“What do you mean? I have no regrets at all.”
Esther strongly denied his words and shook her head. Noah smiled brightly.
“You didn't even come to see me.”
“I'm not sad.”
“Really?”
Noah leaned towards Esther, his chin propped on his hand.
She squirmed to the side in an attempt to avoid him, but there was little space for her to move.
“I won't go if you tell me not to.”
Noah's sweet voice tickled Esther's ear. He appeared beautiful as he gently folded his eyes, a smile on his face.
At that moment, Esther experienced a strange phenomenon where Noah’s face was the only thing she could see. She clasped her eyes shut before opening them again.
‘What was that?’
Fortunately, Noah returned to his seat. She put her hand over her chest.
“Why would I tell you not to go? It's good for you.”
Esther herself didn't understand why she kept feeling disappointed when she wished to congratulate him.
'What kind of emotion is this?’
It was still too difficult for Esther to admit that she liked him. She had been deeply hurt by others to accept the fact just yet.
“If things go well in the Imperial Palace, will you become a Prince again?”
“Probably?”
“Then it would be difficult to go back as we are now..”
Noah was the first person to befriend Esther since her return. She felt a strange sense of isolation.
“Nothing will change when I become a Prince. Even if I have a different status.”
Noah spoke his words meaningfully. He reached towards the pile of firewood beside the sofa.
A wildflower seemed to have been caught between the firewood. He pulled the flower and began shaping it.
“I'm just Noah and you're just Esther. It doesn't matter how other people address us.”
Esther's eyes focused on Noah’s hands. She was curious as to why he was adjusting the flower like that.
The dried flower was made into a circle small enough to fit one's finger. It was a flower ring.
“You think the same way, right?”
Noah handed Esther the flower ring that he made.
“Huh? That's true, but…”
“Then there’s no need to worry about anything later.”
The ring swiftly slipped into Esther's finger. Esther's cheeks flushed in embarrassment.
“It's pretty.”
Noah smiled satisfactorily and held the hand where the ring rested.
“I won't be able to see you for a month, so I'll gather as much energy as I can now.”
As soon as he held Esther’s hand, mana flowed from her fingers to his. Although, unlike before, the energy was very subtle.Despite Esther’s inability to control her powers, seeing this meant Noah’s disease was practically cured.
Esther was taken aback by Noah's slyness. Nonetheless, her lips soon formed a smile as she observed the flower ring on her hand.
“This flower will wither soon.”
“Next time, I'll make you something that will never die.”
“Are you going to dig another diamond in the mine?”
“That’s a good idea too.”
It was a conversation they could easily have together due to the many memories they shared. In the end, their eyes finally met. There was always Esther in Noah's eyes as if they were the only two in the world.
Her heart throbbed. Esther, jumped, startled. If this continued, she would ultimately ask him not to leave.
“I should get going. Have a safe trip.”
However, Noah quickly grabbed Esther's hand before she could run away.
Esther looked back at Noah with startled rabbit eyes.
“It's been a while since I've asked… How are you these days? Are you happy?”
Noah asked with a gentle smile.
Whenever he would ask this question, she’d recall the affectionate gaze Noah presented her the first day they met.
“Yeah. I'm happy. I'm very very happy.”
It was the loudest voice Esther has ever produced when speaking. Her bright smile pierced Noah's heart.
Noah’s pupils dilated as he blankly gazed at Esther. This was the moment he fell in love with her all over again.
“What's wrong?”
Esther stretched out her other hand and waved it before Noah's eyes.
“No, I just thought it was good.”
Noah came to his senses and shook his head. He let go of Esther's hand.
“See you soon.”
“Yeah, have a safe trip.”
After they exchanged their farewells, Esther opened the front door. She fiddled with the hand Noah previously held.
As the door opened, Victor and Palen approached simultaneously. They had been standing in wait for a while.
“Did you have a good conversation?”
“Yes. Let's go. I'll see you again.”
“Please take care.”
Esther nodded lightly and walked to the carriage with Victor.
She paused and looked back one last time before entering the wagon. Noah stood still as he observed her.
“Bye, Noah.”
She waved a few times in the air.
“Be careful!”
Noah waved his hand and responded in a loud voice.
***
A few days had passed since she visited Noah.
Nothing happened and there was no news of him. This made Esther worried.
Esther stared at the calendar, her chin propped over her hand. She sighed exasperatedly.
“Is Saint Cespia doing well? I'm dying to know.”
It was already mid-November, meaning there were less than five months left until the death of Saint Cespia.
Considering the condition Esther had seen until the last time she visited the temple, there was no guarantee the Saint would hold out until then,
So, as time went by, Esther's worries only grew.
She ought to act before Cespia’s death, but there was little Esther could do without revealing herself as a saint.
The only reason she was able to visit the Imperial family was due to her status as the daughter of the Grand Duke.
Moreover, her desire for revenge was slowly fading. This left her in a confused state.
“Haah.”
Esther caught BamBam slithering before her.
‘You haven't moved much these days.’
Recently, BamBam hardly moved from her cushion. She didn’t respond when Esther called for her either.
She worried as BamBam constantly slept like a dead animal. Moreover, the snake never laid her eggs. Esther quietly observed BamBam’s gradual movements.
BamBam looked around and slithered under the bed. She expected her to leave soon after, but there was no sign of the snake even as she waited for her to reappear.
‘What happened?’
Esther went to the floor in search of BamBam. She leaned down to peek under the bed.
At that moment, BamBam emerged while holding onto something.
“Huh? My dagger…”
Esther was momentarily stunned at the sight of the object she left unattended.
It was a dagger brought from the temple.
She didn’t require the thing as she stopped hurting herself, so Esther buried it deep under her bed. How did BamBam know of its whereabouts?
Esther, puzzled, reached out for the dagger. However, BamBam suddenly opened her mouth and swallowed the object.
The whole thing, including the scabbard!
She was so quick that Esther didn’t have time to stop her.
“…???”
Esther’s lips parted in shock. Then, as she regained her senses, she held BamBam and opened her mouth.
“Are you crazy?! What did you just eat?! That's a dagger!!”
No matter how much snakes could eat, it wasn’t to this extent. If she cut herself with the blade…
Esther gasped and looked into the snake’s forcibly open mouth. However, there were no traces of the already swallowed dagger.
“What do I do!? BamBam, are you okay?”
Esther restlessly searched for anything she could do and touched BamBam’s body.
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