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Chapter 220: Rinella’s Destiny is Her Own (13)

She had never even imagined that she, as a Saintess, would engage in romance. After all, to her, most humans were merely tools.

She may have felt compassion for someone, but she had never been in love.

Should the Saintess discuss \'love\', it would undoubtedly be in the realm of spiritual reverence. Such was the strength of her devotion as a Saintess of the Church of the Heavenly God.

However, just one man, who met her that day, flipped her whole world upside down.

For the first time in her life, she developed romantic feelings.

Her daily life took on a different turn.

Because of someone, she found herself laughing and crying, eagerly anticipating each day with a fluttering heart, as if she were a girl experiencing the thrill of her first love.

It was a sign that she, like any other human, was capable of experiencing emotions.

It wouldn\'t be strange to say that, in matters of love, she was as pure as a blank canvas.

She had no understanding of how individuals closed the gap to become lovers, nor did she know how their relationship progressed after they had established that connection.

Therefore, the word she heard yesterday was all the more shocking to her.

\'Hit-and-run\'-- Was she one of those pitiful women who got \'Hit and run\'?

Though, of course, it had only been three days since Ian hadn\'t come to see her.

Based on Ian\'s behavior up to this point, it seemed doubtful that he approached her with any malicious intent. There might have been circumstances impeding his arrival, and it wouldn\'t have been surprising if he turned up today.

That would be the most logical judgment.

But the human heart does not always follow logic.

Thus the Saintess, who fell in love for the first time, felt her tears well up at the mere possibility of it to be true.

Before she knew it, she had comforted herself several times over the growing anxiety in her heart.

She was so afraid of parting that she decided to let go of her feelings instead.

That\'s right. Let\'s not expect anything.

Among the countless men in the world, Ian was just a drop in the bucket.

Yes. Only one.

The only first love in the Saintess\'s life.

The thought process of a woman in love was always like this.

The Saintess couldn\'t help but burst into tears again. This was the backstory of why her pillow was drenched with tears the previous night.

Yet, as she faced the sunlight and returned to her duties the next day, the Saintess felt a semblance of calm.

Despite wearing a long face and appearing listless all day, that was indeed the case.

Upon reflection, the Saintess was a woman who had nothing to regret.

Numerous men had shown romantic interest in her. It was just that she had never reciprocated such feelings herself.

And objectively speaking, her conditions were exceptional.

From her status as the Saintess of the Church of Heavenly God to her beauty, praised as a work of art crafted by the gods.

A moderately handsome second son from a low ranking noble family hardly seemed her match.

No, Ian was not just moderately handsome; he was righteous, brave, and dependable.

No, not just that. He was steadfast, possessed a strong spirit, and was a young man who loved the weak.

Yet, tears began to form in the Saintess\'s pink eyes once again.

You bastard, scum, how could you do this to me?

The urge to bury her head in her desk and let out her pent-up emotions was almost unbearable.

It was at that moment that the Saintess received unexpected news.

"I-Ian interfered with Sister Elsie\'s engagement?"

"Yes, precisely! The knights of the Rinella family were completely outmatched by him. He was incredibly powerful…"

Initially, in the presence of others, the Saintess always referred to Ian with respect as "Brother Ian," but she was so taken aback that she even forgot to do so.

The person telling the Saintess this was one of the servants working in the dormitory.

Having worked at the academy for 20 years, she was always itching to share students\' gossip.

So much so that even while seeking treatment for a burn she sustained while cooking, she was busy spreading rumors.

It just so happened that this rumor was about the biggest incident that occurred that morning.

The Saintess froze completely.

"But the funny part is, do you know what Miss Rinella said afterward? Pfft, she said \'woof\' and claimed she was his pet! That proud Miss Rinella!"

While the middle-aged woman burst into hearty laughter, the Saintess paid her no heed.

The situation remained the same even after the woman had left.

The Saintess just sat there, dazed.

A faint sob escaped her lips.

"I-I don’t even care but..."

For three days, Ian hadn\'t come to see her. Yet during that time, he had been preoccupied with another woman.

How could he do such a thing?

After he even touched my breasts!

The Saintess was not just sad; she was devastated.

She quickly wiped the corners of her eyes and inwardly hurled all sorts of insults at Ian.

Playboy, enemy of all women, scoundrel, human scum.

But no matter how she cursed Ian, she couldn\'t soothe her aching heart. All Saintess wanted was to leave work early and cry alone in her room.

It was shortly after this that Yuren\'s voice reached the Saintess\'s ears.

"Sister, Ian has come to see you."

"I\'m not in the mood to meet anyone... No, no! W-Who did you say has come?"

Initially, the Saintess was about to reflexively issue a gloomy dismissal.

Thankfully, she came to her senses just before she could spread them. She questioned whether she had misheard, but the message Yuren delivered was crystal clear and unchanged.

"Ian\'s here! The one Sister has been waiting for, and crying over every night…!"

"AH-AHHHHH! I-I understand. So just give me a moment!"

The Saintess quickly covered Yuren\'s mouth, who was on the verge of revealing her embarrassing secret, and then she hurried to check her appearance.

First, she wiped away her tears.

Then only after tidying up her hair and clothes did she manage to regain some composure.

Right, how could he possibly think of abandoning me?

After all, I\'m the Saintess.

Caught up in the dramatic turn of events, the Saintess couldn\'t help but feel a bit smug. Sporting a haughty smile, she finally managed to speak in her normal voice.

"Let him in."

And then, the door opened.

There stood a man with jet-black hair and golden eyes.

Though she had grown used to seeing him in the past few months, today\'s sight of him filled the Saintess with such relief that she came close to shedding tears once again.

Ian Percus, the very reason for the Saintess\'s anxiety over the past few days.

He appeared to be without a care, unlike the Saintess.

He just sighed a few times, looking somewhat absent-minded. Although she was curious about the reason, the Saintess deliberately didn\'t ask.

However, after her initial joy faded, Ian seemed all the more detestable to her.

Now he shows up, after toying with the breasts of a virgin maiden.

It was a grave sin worthy of holding an Inquisition.

At least, that was what the Saintess thought. She put on a deliberately sullen expression and coughed lightly.

"...It\'s been a while, hasn\'t it?"

It was a slightly sharp statement.

Though the Saintess made it clear she was disappointed, Ian, sitting there absent-mindedly, failed to pick up on her feelings.

He simply sighed deeply and uttered a single response.

"So it seems."

It was a brief reply.

But that voice, faintly muffled, combined with the man\'s tormented golden eyes, created a deeply melancholic atmosphere.

The Saintess\'s heart skipped a beat.

He\'s so cool. Should I just let it slide?

With the spell of love cast over her eyes, Ian looked amazing no matter what he did. She almost wavered in her resolve, but managed to pull herself together just in time.

Even if she was inexperienced in love, she had heard enough stories.

Starting to overlook things just because you like someone only leads to ruin. From the moment they began to close the distance, it was necessary to maintain a balance in the relationship.

It was a common pitfall for couples.

If there was wrongdoing, it needed to be acknowledged as such. However, the Saintess felt too embarrassed to admit she was upset about not seeing Ian for so long, hoping he would realize it on his own.

The Saintess\'s gaze, which had momentarily softened, hardened again. She once again cleared her throat with a couple of deliberate coughs.

"You\'ve been busy, I guess?"

"Well, various matters... I\'m not entirely sure, but it seems there were some issues."

It was a cliched excuse.

It made no sense for one to not know about their own affairs.

There could only be one reason for such an oblivious excuse.

It meant he did not want to reveal the details.

And so, the Saintess felt even more disappointed.

The Saintess wanted to close the distance between them, but it seemed like Ian did not.

So, the Saintess ended up scoffing in annoyance.

"Really, is that all you came for? Just to exchange greetings after such a long time?"

Ian had been only with her for a brief moment.

It was far from enough to satisfy the Saintess\'s feelings of neglect. Even spending the entire day together might not have been enough to appease her.

In all honesty, she wondered if being together forever might be the only way to soothe her heart.

However, the Saintess lacked the courage to express her true feelings.

Secretly, she hoped Ian would deny her accusation and become flustered. It was a natural expectation for her to harbor.

Because she had never once been in a disadvantageous position in a man and woman relationship.

She had always been the superior one. The idea of being clingy or dependent on someone was difficult for her to even imagine.

Had the object of the Saintess\'s affection been an ordinary person, her wish might have been granted.

But there was a problem.

The other party was Ian Percus, and right now, he wasn\'t in his right mind.

As he had suffered a severe mental blow from the morning\'s "Elsie Rinella\'s Barking Incident."

And now he had no capacity left to read someone else\'s emotions.

"…Yes, that\'s all."

"Hmph, as if that\'s all it could be... Wh-What?"

The Saintess was taken aback by Ian\'s indifferent response and asked again.

Her round, pink eyes were full of disbelief.

But Ian\'s response remained the same.

"I came to say goodbye. It will be difficult to see each other for a while now."

The Saintess was so shocked she couldn\'t say anything.

Is he really going to leave just like that?

Without doing anything?

Not knowing what else to do, the Saintess swallowed hard.

"So, you\'re going back to your hometown now…?"

"Yes, that\'s why I came to say goodbye. I owe you a lot for everything."

Saying so, Ian bowed his head and stood up.

The Saintess\'s expression became distraught.

This was not the reunion she had been hoping for.

She had anticipated something more intimate and bittersweet.

She thought that, as usual, their hearts would naturally open, and through laughing and chatting, something might be resolved.

But now, Ian was saying that he was leaving without any regrets.

The Saintess was so taken aback that she nearly burst into tears.

"Well, Is… Is that all?"

The only thing she could muster as a last resort was just that.

The man\'s response to her was straightforward.

He simply nodded a couple of times and then bowed deeply.

"Yes, I had to say goodbye one last time. I sincerely thank you."

With those words, the man left the treatment room.

Faced with a situation she had never encountered before, the Saintess was left speechless. Although there had been many instances where men were desperate to speak to her, she had never imagined she would find herself in the exact opposite position.

It seemed as if they were nothing to each other.

As soon as she realized this, tears welled up in the Saintess\'s eyes again. A possibility she had been denying all this time reared its head once again.

"Did I just get… \'Hit-and-run\'?"

In the end, the Saintess had to swallow her tears.

Being inexperienced in romantic relationships, she couldn\'t understand.

That sometimes, being clingy and persistent is necessary to achieve one\'s true goal.

In the end, the Saintess had to admit it.

It was ridiculous and laughable, but now the Saintess was at a disadvantage.

And that too, in a relationship between a man and a woman.

She eventually had to make a choice.

"Wa-Was I abandoned...?"

Yet this too, was a story for after the tears of her first heartbreak had dried.

**

The road was both long and short.

In fact, my mind felt frozen, unable to process anything. The events of just a few hours ago filled my head completely.

There was no need to even ask what to do next.

Because it was all over.

Senior Elsie\'s path to marriage was utterly blocked.

Even without considering the aspect of romantic involvement, it was highly unlikely for any family to embrace a woman who proclaimed herself as a pet. If there happened to be a family willing to do so, there was only one plausible scenario.

The Percus family.

Whether it turned out to be a disaster or a blessing, I had to go along with Senior Elsie.

Thus, even when meeting the Saintess, I could do nothing but recite answers absentmindedly.

I wasn\'t in my right mind, and I couldn\'t think of anything to say.

But the moment I met the girl with dark blue hair.

"...Woof, woof!"

I couldn\'t help but sigh.

"Your Highness, don’t you often get told that you\'re tactless?"

The girl immediately looked dejected.

This was the day before Senior Elsie and the Saintess became rather /genesisforsaken