As Caelus's question hung in the drawing room, everyone froze and held their breath. Alfredo quietly dismissed the servants.
Ariel met Caelus's dark red eyes head-on.
The murderous intent radiating from him felt strong enough to snap her neck at any moment, which ironically made it impossible to turn away.
"Your Grace! I verified it myself this time. This saintess is…!"
Ian urgently stepped in, placing himself between Caelus and Ariel.
"Ian. Since when do you talk back to me?"
"Your Grace, it's not that…!"
"A disgusting stench is filling the castle."
Caelus slowly turned his head. The moment Gion met those dark red eyes, he foamed at the mouth and collapsed backward.
Thud.
He passed out cold.
"That fishy smell unique to the rotten temple."
A voice that sounded like it was scraped from the depths of hell echoed through the drawing room.
Why do handsome guys always have terrible personalities, both in my past life and this one?
Ariel couldn't help but lament the situation.
"Your Grace, this saintess is different from the previous ones. Please, just hear me out…"
Ian tried desperately to explain. Realizing all three of them might die at this rate, Ariel stepped forward.
Shrugging off her heavy coat, she exposed her worn saintess robes.
"Yes, that's right. I am Saintess Ariel."
Caelus tilted his head toward Ariel.
"Stepping up on your own at last."
With those words, Ariel was certain. Caelus had been pressuring her, not Ian, from the very beginning.
"Leave innocent Commander Ian out of this and talk to me instead."
"Saintess!"
Ian yelled, turning to look at Ariel.
"…Ha."
A dry, incredulous laugh escaped Caelus's lips.
"Are you brave, or are you just eager to die?"
"Neither. I came to negotiate with you, grand duke."
"Negotiate?"
Caelus walked over slowly, stopping right in front of Ariel.
An overwhelming height difference. Just his gaze looking down at her pressed an invisible weight onto her shoulders.
An ability user. Definitely.
Ariel wanted to pull up her status window to check what ability he had, but she didn't dare try. It felt like her head would be chopped off if she so much as glanced the wrong way.
"Speak. What is the excuse this time?"
"Don't misunderstand. I'm just excess baggage with nowhere to return to."
"Baggage?"
"Yes. I am a saintess in name only, kicked out of the central temple with nowhere to go. I came here just to leech off the northern temple."
"Kicked out, you say?"
Caelus's eyes narrowed slightly. The pressure crushing Ariel eased a bit—just a tiny bit. It hadn't fully lifted, feeling more like a temporary pause.
Not missing the moment, Ariel held up three fingers.
"Grand duke, please hear me out. I only have three things to say."
Caelus didn't answer. But his gaze remained fixed on her. That was enough.
Ariel took a deep breath to calm her nerves before speaking carefully.
"First. I won't step forward to purify you like other saintesses. I'll act like I don't exist, never going anywhere near the grand duke's castle, and never appearing before you."
Caelus said nothing. The lack of response was even scarier. Ariel straightened her back further, trying not to show her anxiety.
"Second. I will cut off all contact with the central temple."
Only then did Caelus's narrowed eyes relax slightly.
"Cutting off contact would cause problems instead."
Caelus replied for the first time. A short, sharp remark.
Ariel tried hard not to blink as she answered.
"…Then if you tell me what you want reported, I will send that exact message to the central temple. Without adding a single personal opinion."
Caelus didn't ask anything further.
Ariel swallowed hard from the tension. It was finally time to state her main point.
"Third. In return, please guarantee my personal safety and a monthly living allowance. I won't even make a sound."
Caelus quietly stared into Ariel's eyes for a moment.
"…So the conclusion is that you want money."
"Yes, money."
Ariel answered without hesitation.
Caelus scoffed softly.
He had expected her to harbor poison, but she was merely a greedy snob.
This type was actually easier to handle. Besides, he had already decided to observe her for now, so he was just checking what cards she held.
Since he had already instructed Alfredo to dig into the saintess's background, her true intentions—if she had any—would be revealed soon anyway.
However, Caelus remained silent instead of answering.
…Is it a no after all?
Ariel grew increasingly anxious. In the end, she blurted out in desperation.
"A-And Commander Ian will vouch for me!"
"…Pardon?"
Hearing his name out of nowhere, Ian looked at Ariel with a bewildered expression.
"If I do anything foolish, Commander Ian will handle me himself. Right?"
Ariel blinked furiously at Ian. Her eyes practically screamed, please.
"…"
After hesitating for a moment, Ian slowly nodded.
"…That is correct."
The corners of Caelus's mouth tugged upward slightly.
"Very well. If you claim you will stay dead quiet, I shall watch."
Caelus turned around.
"However, if you cross my sight even once more, I will chop off your head myself. Alfredo, show them out."
"Yes, Your Grace."
Alfredo quietly approached and gestured toward the door.
Ariel cheered internally. She had passed the first hurdle.
She survived. Now all she had to do was return to the Order and figure out how to make money.
Ariel turned quickly to leave, then paused for a split second.
Just in case, I should check his status.
[Name: Caelus Hart]
[Ability: Space Control (SS-Rank)]
[Status: Mana Poisoning 80% (Dangerous)]
[Effects: Extreme Sensitivity, Insomnia, Destructive Impulse]
80%.
It was dangerous, but not yet at the overload stage. It was far beyond what a D-rank like her could handle anyway, nor was it any of her business.
And yet.
He's endured in this condition without purification?
Thirteen years ago, as soon as the monster war broke out, the Order abandoned the north. After surviving the seven-year war, the north coldly rejected the Order when they tried to reach out again later, and naturally, they refused the saintess's purification as well.
In her past life, with stats like that, there were tons of people crying and begging for a guide. Even with one by their side, losing control was still a common occurrence…
And this man, for over ten years…
Ariel involuntarily looked at Caelus's back.
Dark blue veins stretched from his neckline down to his shoulders.
He looked fine on the outside, but the number revealed everything happening on the inside.
"How is he totally fine without purification?"
It was a very quiet mutter to herself.
"What did you just say?"
Ariel flinched at the chilly voice. Caelus was still facing away. He had heard her without even turning around.
Does this guy have SS-rank hearing too?
"O-Oh, it's nothing! I was just talking to myself. You just looked so healthy, grand duke…"
"Stop talking nonsense and get out."
"Yes. I'll take my leave then."
Ariel bowed her head. Her heart fluttered at the thought of leaving this room, never returning, and focusing entirely on making money. Was that why?
"Though I doubt the need will ever arise, feel free to call on me anytime if you need my assistance, dear customer."
The line she had spoken hundreds of times in her past life slipped out of her mouth entirely on autopilot.
In an instant, the atmosphere in the drawing room shifted.
"…Customer."
Caelus repeated softly under his breath.
Only then did Ariel realize what she had just said.
Am I crazy? Why did my customer service script come out right now! Why!
"Ah, that was just…"
"The help of a saintess…"
Caelus slowly turned his head. A chilly gleam settled into the dark red eyes staring at Ariel.
"You say some interesting things."
A metallic scent of blood seemed to cling to his voice.
"Saintess."
"Y-Yes?"
Is he going to kill me? Am I really going to die here over one wrong slip of the tongue?
Just as Ariel's face turned deathly pale—
"I will show you something interesting."
The corner of his mouth curved up crookedly. It was by no means a good smile.
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