The campfire crackled in the center of the wooden cabin, its firelight casting a reddish glow over Lovene's face. In the clay bowl on the table, stewed venison sent up curls of white steam.
“This is the best venison our village has stored. Please enjoy it, Lady Saintess.”
The village chief, an old crone, sat opposite her. The wrinkles on her face wriggled like maggots as she smiled and pushed a clay bowl closer to Lovene.
Lovene looked down at the dark brown chunks of meat in the bowl, her fingers resting on her wooden spoon, motionless.
“Is something wrong, Lady Saintess? Is it not to your liking?” The old crone's voice held a trace of anxiety, her withered hands rubbing against her apron.
“No, I was just... thinking about something else.”
Only then did Lovene snap back to reality.
She glanced around her, her heart suddenly pounding wildly.
...How did she end up back here?
If she remembered correctly, she had already lived through this exact scene once before.
The Church of the Morning Light had detected that a certain village had been corrupted by an outer god, so they dispatched her and Mia to investigate and contain the source of contamination. Upon learning this, the village chief before her had warmly welcomed them.
However, this warmth was merely an illusion; she had drugged the venison.
Once she and Mia ate the venison, the old crone would lead them to the village cellar, where the source of contamination was hidden.
And it was in that cellar where the drug would take effect. Powerless to move, Mia had watched as the old crone brutally pierced Lovene's heart.
Before dying, she had struck a deal with the old crone to spare Mia's life. Yet in the end, Mia had still chosen to end her own life while cradling Lovene's corpse.
But now, why was she, Lovene, back to the moment before she had even eaten the venison?
Could it be that her death, and Mia's death, had all been a mere illusion?
Filled with doubt, she turned her head to look beside her.
Mia sat right beside her, her armor gleaming silver in the firelight.
Her face was devoid of expression, but her crimson eyes were slightly dilated, and her knuckles turned white from how tightly she gripped the hilt of her sword. She was clearly in a daze.
...Was everything just now truly an illusion?
Or had something gone wrong with her memory?
Lovene took a deep breath, sensing her own body.
...No, that wasn't right!
It wasn't an illusion!
Her body, which should have been barren of magic, was now filled with a magic power that felt both familiar and foreign. Though the amount wasn't massive, it had still broken through her original rank.
Magic power in this world was divided into seven ranks, with each rank split into three stages: early, mid, and late.
She remembered clearly that before arriving at this village, her magic hadn't even touched the threshold of Rank One. The church's seal had suppressed her completely, leaving her no different from an ordinary person.
But now, that magic power had firmly established itself in the late stage of Rank One.
Though it was far from the immense magic power she had obtained upon her death, it was enough. After all, this proved one thing—
What had happened before was truly not an illusion.
Time had rewound the moment Mia died.
Unbelievable as it was, as a youth from the twenty-first century in her past life, Lovene quickly accepted this reality, feeling only a brief moment of astonishment.
After Lovene snapped out of it, Mia also woke from her daze. Her eyes refocused, and her breathing grew rapid, like someone who had just broken through the surface of deep water.
“Lady Saintess, what is wrong? Why aren't you eating?” The old crone was still smiling, the wrinkles clustering at the corners of her eyes, her tone carrying a kindly confusion.
Unfortunately, she would never get to hear the answer.
Clang—!
A sword unsheathed. Mia's arm traced a silver arc in the air, and in a flash of cold steel, the village chief's head rolled off her shoulders, hot blood spraying across the wooden wall.
The headless body remained seated, her fingers still suspended in mid-air, frozen in the motion of rubbing her apron. The head that had rolled onto the floor still wore that same smile.
Even in death, she had never expected Mia to strike so suddenly.
“Mia, you...”
Before Lovene could finish her sentence, Mia threw her sword aside and lunged forward.
Her armor collided with Lovene, the cold, hard metal digging painfully into Lovene's chest.
The two of them crashed to the ground together, knocking over the wooden chair. The draft from their fall caused the campfire to flicker. Mia wrapped her arms tightly around Lovene's waist, burying her face into the crook of Lovene's neck, her entire body trembling.
Was she... afraid of something?
Mia's actions made it clear to Lovene that she, too, had retained her memories from before the time reversal.
With her back pressed against the cold floor and Mia's messy black hair filling her vision, Lovene was about to say something when her lips brushed against a salty tear falling from above.
Mia lowered her head, and their eyes met.
As if suddenly deprived of air, Lovene found it hard to breathe. Only after a long moment did she let out a sharp breath, her cheeks flushing a delicate pink.
...
Mia squeezed out a raspy, hoarse sound from the depths of her throat:
“It's so good... that you're still alive.”
Lovene's fingers rose instinctively, her fingertips gently brushing against her own lips.
The campfire crackled, throwing out a spark that fell to the floor and quickly died out.
Only then did Mia suddenly realize what she had just done to Lovene. She hurriedly released her grip, sat up, and knelt by Lovene's side with her head bowed low.
Her ears were so red they looked as if they were on fire.
“I-I'm sorry, Your Highness... I was just... too overwhelmed...”
She reached out, wanting to help Lovene up. Lovene took her hand, pulling herself to her feet, and patted the dust off her holy robes.
Just as Mia braced herself for a scolding, Lovene let out a soft chuckle, brushing the incident aside with a wave of her hand.
“It's fine. In all these years, this is the first time you've ever initiated anything. But why did you suddenly get so emotional? Did something happen just now?”
Her tone held no blame, only a perfect measure of concern. This was precisely the persona she maintained as the Saintess—a girl of ultimate gentleness and kindness.
No matter how great the offense, she would never show anger.
Not to mention, Mia initiating a kiss meant she felt deeply close to her. And the closer someone was to her, the more magic power they would provide when they suffered.
Mia shifted her gaze away from Lovene's face, letting it fall upon the headless corpse of the village chief.
“Just now, just now...”
She stammered for a moment, then lowered her eyes, swallowing her words along with her memories.
“It's nothing. I merely sensed the village chief's malice. After all, she poisoned this bowl of venison. Perhaps the corruption of this village was entirely caused by her.”
“...Is that so?”
“...Your Highness, you believe me, right?”
She paused and looked at Lovene. Her voice was laced with a rare tension and a hint of guilt. After all, this was the first time she had ever hidden the truth from Lovene.
Lovene looked at her, blinking in silence. Just when Mia thought the tension had reached a suffocating peak, Lovene suddenly let out a soft giggle, covering her mouth as she laughed.
“Of course,” she said, taking Mia's hand with a warm smile. “I will always believe you. After all, you are my Holy Knight.”
Mia froze.
After all, you are my Holy Knight...
The words were spoken softly, yet they carried Lovene's absolute, unreserved trust in her.
Her Highness truly is the most perfect Saintess in the world.
It's just a pity... she doesn't have her memories from before the time reversal.
Gazing at the beautiful, flower-like smile of the girl before her, Mia lowered her eyes, her eyelashes trembling slightly.
But that's fine.
Those painful memories... it's enough for me to carry them alone.
For the rest of my life, I will never let Her Highness die again.
Even if she never knows everything I have done for her.
Rate on N.U.
