Chapter 35
"How was Iomene? How was my daughter?"
As soon as I came out of the separate palace, I was almost kidnapped and ended up standing before the Emperor.
The Emperor and Empress were both looking at me with intense expressions.
What should I do about this?
I couldn't simply say, "Your daughter's body had a lot of self-harm marks. She was emaciated like a zombie," in front of them.
I can't say that, can I?
"It seems it will take quite a long time to extract the fragment of the evil god and completely heal her mind. I think I'll need to visit the Princess often from now on. For now, I've done some basic healing."
"We heard you went in... without wearing protective clothing. Weren't you harmed by the curse?"
"Nothing like that happened. You don't need to worry too much."
The Emperor and Empress looked impressed by my nonchalant attitude.
"Goddess of Grace. Thank you for sending us a saint. Really... thank you."
"I'm not a saint, Your Majesty. I'm just a human, Amael. You can just call me by my name."
I intended to strongly assert this whenever I had the chance, as Grandpa Yodel said.
I'm not a saint!!
I'm not!!
But of course, they don't seem to believe it.
"I beg you. If you can make our daughter better, we'll pay any price. So…"
"I'll do everything I can."
"Ah! Saint...!"
The Empress, unable to hold back, collapsed in front of me, shedding tears.
I hurriedly tried to help her up, but the Emperor, who should have helped me, was just watching the whole scene and shedding tears himself.
Ah.
I don't know.
I'm going to get hit by the curse and return to Korea anyway, so let's leave it for now.
Moreover, they're parents who have suffered for such a long time.
They probably agonized every day for 16 years, wondering if it wouldn't have been a much better decision to just kill their daughter.
Can't I comfort them a little?
"Don't be sad. I'm here."
The person who would receive the curse from your daughter in her place and have his soul destroyed was here.
"Saint...!! Saint!"
I carefully supported the wailing Empress and helped her up.
Right.
I'm going to get hit by the curse and return to Korea soon anyway.
Until then, I'll act as a saint to my heart's content.
After receiving all the tears of the imperial couple, I left the imperial palace.
***
I returned to the Magic Tower temple.
Soon, I'd be hit by the curse and return to Korea.
I probably wouldn't be able to use adult game skills anymore when I returned to Korea.
It was a bleak world without skills or magic.
So before I left, I took care of as many sick people as I could.
Skills that I wouldn't be able to use anyway.
It was good to use them as much as possible before leaving, right?
Maybe because a clinic was established.
The number of critically ill patients I had to treat wasn't that many.
After treating patients until evening.
Just as I was thinking about having a meal because I was hungry.
"Saint!"
Erpha came to see me.
These days, she had been dropping by the temple to meet me whenever she had time.
She seemed completely smitten with me since the kiss incident last time.
"I-I cooked myself today. Would you like to try it?"
She handed me a lunchbox.
Oh.
A lunchbox made by a woman!
Not bad.
We ate together in my room prepared in the temple.
The meal was very delicious as if she had put in a lot of effort.
"How is it? Is it delicious?" while eating, she asked that question more than dozens of times, as if she was anxious.
Each time, I smiled and nodded.
Honestly, what does the taste matter?
It's more important that such a pretty woman made food for me.
After the meal.
We chatted about trivial things.
How we spent our day.
What happened?
I thought I wasn't good at talking with women, but when the woman took the initiative, the conversation flowed very well.
Come to think of it, it's shitty.
To think that I had to leave a place where a woman treated me so warmly and return to Korea where women didn't even want to talk to me.
Thinking about living as a squid again there made my heart feel so heavy.
But what could I do?
It was better than going to hell.
"It's gotten quite late. You must be tired from taking care of patients all day... Please rest, Saint," Erpha said, waving her two right hands like a child.
"Yes. You should hurry and rest too, Miss Erpha. Have a good night."
Even at my answer, she didn't leave.
Her four hands were fidgeting as if she wanted something.
Her face was red.
"Um... maybe… that..."
"Yes."
"Before you leave... could you kiss me?"
Even for a virgin like me, if I didn't understand after all this, there was something wrong with my head.
This woman loved me.
And not just love, she was probably passionately in love.
If I hadn't heard the prophecy that the Goddess would personally deal with me...
I probably would have accepted her love.
If such a beauty said she likes me, one would have to be impotent to reject that.
I didn't dislike rubbing against such a pretty woman either.
Rather, I totally liked it.
But what would happen if I accepted her love?
Soon, I'd be hit by the curse and go to Korea.
Since my soul itself would cross over to another dimension, she'd probably be left alone.
Thinking about that, I absolutely shouldn't accept her love.
But I can't stay here either, can I?
If I chose to give up going to Korea and stay here, it might be good right now, but what would happen later?
When the whole world realized I was a fraud and tried to kill me.
How would Erpha react then?
She would probably fight the world for me.
She would throw away her position and honor and fight for me, and eventually die.
Miserably and horribly.
That was how she would die.
Of course, she might not die.
She was a very powerful witch.
Instead, the world would be destroyed.
Only the form and motive would be different, but she would end up destroying the world like the prophecy of destruction I saw.
In a burned world.
Just the two of us left alone.
Would that really be a happy ending?
My fist clenched.
I had to reject her.
Not for my sake, but for hers.
I had to hurt her feelings.
It was the same situation as the imperial couple who had to abuse their daughter to save her.
The moment that thought occurred to me.
I had to stop pushing her away.
I witnessed how miserable Princess Iomene was.
Although it was ultimately to save the child, if the process was so terribly painful.
What was the point of a good result?
I didn't want to make such a choice.
I approached Erpha.
I put my arms around her waist and kissed her lips.
I could hear Erpha's heart pounding from here.
I separated from her.
And I patted the head of her who was smiling as if she had melted.
"Can you promise me just one thing?"
"Yes. Yes. Saint. Anything..." Erpha answered me in a voice that sounded like she was flying in a dream.
I smiled at her and said, "Love yourself more than me."
"What?"
"I want you to live healthily and beautifully for a long time. I shouldn't be a priority over yourself. Do you understand? No matter what happens to me, you should live your own life."
This was my best.
Erpha was looking at me as if she couldn't understand.
I smiled at her.
You'll understand with time.
"Okay. Whatever you say, Saint..." Erpha said carefully.
"It's late. Please go back safely."
At my words, Erpha gave an ecstatic smile and then rushed to me again, showering me with kisses.
I felt a little sad at her playful yet sticky affectionate kisses.
Damn.
I'll never experience something like this when I go back to Korea.
There's even a woman who likes me this much, why do I have to leave?
Damn Goddess.
It's not like I wanted to impersonate a saint!
I even made the Lilia Order super wealthy!
I treated patients for free, improved living conditions, created jobs—I really did everything!!
Why do I have to fall into hell!!
I want to have an isekai harem too!
I even have skills perfectly suited for a harem, damn it.
Why...
Forget it.
Let's just think about avoiding going to hell.
"I'll come again when I have time! Let's go on a date next time! Saint!"
I nodded at her excited voice.
Love yourself more than me.
This is sincere.
That's how you'll be able to endure even after I'm gone.
Erpha disappeared from the room.
In the empty room.
I was sighing deeply.
I'd be returning to Korea soon, but I wasn't entirely happy about it.
***
Erpha, who returned to her lab, wrapped her flushed face with her four hands and slowly slid down to the floor.
She kissed.
Moreover, she actively kissed a man of her own will.
It was the first time in her life.
She never knew she would fall so deeply for a man.
She really never dreamed of it.
But she was so happy.
She didn't know loving could be such a joyful thing.
She was so happy that the Saint had accepted her love.
With no one to tell, she sat on the floor rejoicing and flailing for a while, then carefully took out a scroll from her bosom.
It was a scroll engraved with a contraceptive spell.
She looked down at it with a pounding heart.
"You're crazy, Erpha. You're crazy!"
Of course, she had no experience with men.
No.
It wasn’t just that she had no experience, she was a woman who hadn't even properly held hands because of her hideous left face.
Because of that, she didn't have the courage to actively suggest having sex like an experienced woman.
Her courage was exhausted with the active kiss she gave today.
But...
Soon. Someday. Definitely.
She carefully folded the precious contraceptive scroll and put it in her bosom.
In one corner of her lab, there was a small statue of the Goddess of Grace and a scripture.
She approached it, placed her hand on the scripture, and carefully prayed to the Goddess.
"Goddess. It's me again. I'm praying today too. Thank you for sending down the Saint. Thank you for making me happy every day like this. Every day feels like a miracle thanks to your grace."
She had already received so much.
It was no exaggeration to say that her life had turned around, her career had improved, and everything she wanted to do had been accomplished.
But humans were greedy.
So she was thinking of asking for one more thing.
"I have just one more request. You must, must listen to it."
She earnestly.
Prays with her four hands clasped together.
"Please make the Saint love me as much as I love him. Someday, I hope he sees me as a woman and embraces me. I hope he loves me for the rest of my life. And above all..."
Erpha grinned.
"I hope he doesn't leave my side and stays with me for a long, long time. Please, Goddess. Please answer my prayer."
After making the sign of the cross and getting up, for some reason, the statue of the Goddess of Grace seemed to be smiling more brightly at her that day.
Erpha smiled back.
For some reason, she felt like the Goddess would answer her prayer.