Episode 16
To take a break, we headed to the village square. There were benches scattered around the plaza, serving as resting spots, so we found a place in the shade and sat down.
“Here you go, Saintesses.”
“Thank you, Sir Pelles.”
Pelles had bought us some light snacks. I ate just enough to feel satisfied and glanced around, watching the villagers passing through the plaza. That’s when I noticed a few individuals who didn’t match the peaceful village atmosphere.
‘Looks like they tried hard to appear normal…’
But despite their efforts, they stood out clearly to my eyes.
There were about half a dozen tall, broad-shouldered men who looked around constantly. At a glance, they seemed like ordinary folks, but upon closer inspection, something felt off.
‘First of all, the stitching and fabric of their shirts… it’s way too different from what commoners wear.’
Their clothes might have had simple designs, but the quality of the fabric and the finish were far above what average villagers could afford.
‘And…’
They kept scanning their surroundings, paying special attention to young boys.
‘They must be from House Piette.’
Even at a glance, I could tell—they were knights.
‘Good thing I didn’t bring Teron along for the promotion…’
Wait—what am I even thinking? I’ve only been around him a few days, and I’m already instinctively defending him.
‘Anyone who knows what the Piette family is really like would never want to send a child back there.’
Yes, it was close to pity.
The male lead of “Silent Flower,” Teron Piette, was like many other romance fantasy protagonists—someone with a painful past.
Teron’s trauma was one of the most overused clichés: a tragic childhood. And the primary cause of that suffering was none other than the Duchy of Piette itself.
To put it bluntly, House Piette was garbage.
‘And not just ordinary garbage. Really nasty garbage.’
That house clung to an ancient tradition: only the firstborn son could inherit the family.
‘It’s obvious why the author wrote it this way…’
Anyway, the Piette family subjected all their other children—those not destined to inherit—to brutal training from childhood.
And this wasn’t just physical training. It included brainwashing disguised as obedience training.
‘What absolute trash…’
No matter how talented a child was—even if they clearly outshined the firstborn—they were always forced to live in that shadow.
Children who weren’t as gifted were still brainwashed to live for the family. From a young age, they were raised as tools, expected to serve the heir one day. Ironically, those were the lucky ones. At least they suffered less than the talented ones.
‘That’s the true face of House Piette—still called a noble family to this day.’
What’s worse, the people raised in that household accepted it all as normal. Both the heir and the siblings underneath him.
They were taught this way from birth, and so they passed it on to their own children. That twisted tradition had survived for hundreds of years.
‘But…’
Teron Piette, the protagonist of this world, was different. From a young age, he realized how wrong his family was.
He fought against them—but a lone child couldn’t possibly stand up to the Piette family on his own.
So he often ran away, again and again, until he finally ended up here.
‘To a child like Teron, the Piette family might as well have been hell.’
Still, even knowing all that, I couldn’t just shelter Teron forever in the temple.
The temple wasn’t fully rebuilt yet. We didn’t even have a solid group of believers. Even though I had some power, I wasn’t strong enough to take on the entire House Piette.
They were a martial family, known for their combat ability. Their private army was substantial. And even though the temple had Lady Lillit’s blessing, I couldn’t hide inside it forever.
‘But that doesn’t mean I want to kick Teron out myself.’
Even if he was a character I’d only known through text—now that he was alive in front of me, sharing meals, talking, smiling—my heart couldn’t help but soften.
‘I couldn’t possibly throw a child into danger with my own hands.’
That’s why I hadn’t told Teron how long he could stay at the temple.
‘If I were a better adult… If I had more power in this world… I might’ve been able to save him.’
But right now, I was limited. There’s only so much a five-year-old in this world can do.
‘So the only thing I can do…’
…is support Teron emotionally, and hope he survives this long, painful struggle.
After finishing the promotion in Eden and returning to the temple, evening had already set in. First thing I did was wash up.
‘Feels like my stamina’s getting better every day…’
Still, I felt mentally drained and my body heavy. But after showering and wrapping myself in a fluffy towel, I felt refreshed.
‘Pelles said to come down for dinner once I’m done washing…’
I left my room for the dining hall. As I came down the stairs, I saw someone waiting for me.
“Saintess.”
It was Teron. He spoke up as soon as he saw me, eyes holding something he wanted to say.
“What is it?”
I was actually very hungry, so I didn’t have the energy to indulge in a long conversation. My tone came out a little sharp. Teron looked slightly downcast and replied,
“Um… I just wanted to say I’m sorry I couldn’t join the promotion today.”
That wasn’t something I needed an apology for, so I shook my head.
“It’s fine. You had your reasons.”
“Ah… thank you.”
Teron gave me a small smile, looking genuinely relieved. In moments like this, I couldn’t help but question if this really was the same Teron I read about in the novel.
‘Is the difference between his childhood and adulthood that extreme?’
The Teron in Silent Flower was already an adult. His childhood was only briefly mentioned—and most of that was just a description of how awful House Piette was.
There wasn’t much detail about what kind of child Teron had been.
Which is why this version of him—cheerful, expressive—felt unfamiliar to me.
‘In the book, he barely showed emotion.’
Even when he smiled, it was only after he got together with the heroine, Seria.
I looked at this strange boy for a moment, then casually brushed it off.
“Don’t worry too much.”
Let’s eat now.
After a hearty dinner, I spent some time alone in my room. Eventually, I left the temple building.
It was already quite late—everyone was asleep—but I just couldn’t fall asleep tonight.
‘And I’m still a little full…’
So I decided to take a walk in the temple’s well-maintained garden.
The sky had gone completely dark. Moonlight and starlight lit up the night garden.
As I walked slowly, I began testing the divine power that Lady Lillit had granted me.
‘Let’s see what I can actually do with this power.’
I tried various things.
After a while—
‘Wow… this is incredible.’
With Lady Lillit’s blessing, I could do almost anything I imagined.
Object manipulation. Short-distance teleportation. It was practically magic.
Of course, the more powerful the ability, the more stamina it consumed. Moving an object just one meter didn’t tire me much—but a single teleport left me exhausted.
‘Only moved about five meters, and I’m already this tired…’
It’d be easier to just walk.
‘Maybe with time, I’ll get used to it.’
It didn’t feel like it was just a stamina issue. Maybe I needed to receive more divine power from Lady Lillit.
‘Like when I healed James before…’
When I cured his incurable disease, I used almost all of my divine power. That’s why I had collapsed afterward.
Yes, I could use my powers to heal—but I had to wring out every last bit to do it.
‘So I need to conserve it as much as possible.’
Luckily, Lady Lillit’s powers fully recovered after a good night’s rest.
‘Still, I never know when I’ll need this power again. I shouldn’t waste it.’
Thinking that, I lay down on the grass in the garden.
‘I’m so tired…’
Having used up so much divine energy, my body and mind were drained. I lay on the grass and looked up at the sky.
Above me, the dark night sky was filled with countless stars, as if they were about to pour down.
I couldn’t help but gasp.
Maybe it was because I was so mesmerized by the stars, but I didn’t notice someone quietly approaching me.
To be continued…
