Chapter 02
I was too flustered to answer right away, so Ian snapped at me again.
“If you really are a Saintess, prove it.”
“P-Proof?”
“Yes. If you’re a true Saintess, you should have a divine power too, right?”
Divine power.
My eyes widened at the word.
In the world of The Saintess Doesn’t Know Love, Saintesses were always granted some kind of power—like healing, foresight, or some other kind of mysterious ability.
The fact that he mentioned divine power meant I had guessed right. I didn’t know how I ended up here, but this world really did match the one in the novel.
Still, my relief didn’t last long. Ian asked again in a cold voice:
“Not answering? Don’t tell me you don’t have one.”
“F-Foresight! My divine power is foresight!”
I blurted it out in a panic.
Healing was the first thing that came to mind, but if I said that, he might immediately demand I prove it by healing someone. That would be a disaster.
But foresight? If I played it smart with my words, maybe I could stall for time.
“Foresight, huh.”
Ian gave me a cold once-over with his eyes.
“Then tell me this: where is my sword right now?”
For a moment, my mind went completely clear.
Ian Esteban’s sword. I actually knew all about it.
Most people in the novel assumed the flashy sword he always carried was the royal sword gifted by the emperor—but that was wrong.
The real one was—
“It’s in subspace. That’s where you always keep it, isn’t it?”
It was stored in a magical inventory—an invisible storage space created with magic.
“…Correct.”
Ian curled his lips into a sharp smile.
“Was that just a lucky guess?”
“No! I swear, I really am the Saintess!”
Ugh. Saying I was the Saintess out loud made my skin crawl, but I forced myself to say it firmly.
“Captain, I don’t think that was something she could have just guessed.”
Nice, Lucian! With that backup, I looked at Ian more confidently.
“…Is that so? Are you really a Saintess?”
Ian mumbled as he looked me up and down, clearly still suspicious.
I tried my best to look pure and divine like a Saintess should. Judging by Ian’s increasingly annoyed expression, I must’ve failed.
“You look like you’re mocking me. It’s annoying…”
“Captain, I’m sure that’s not it.”
“Hmm… A new Saintess after fifteen years. If it’s true, it’s quite something. Fine. I’ll believe you for now.”
“Great decision!”
I answered loudly and cheerfully. Inside, I was thinking about how to escape before they started verifying anything for real.
“Alright, Saintess. Then there’s something I need you to do first.”
Ian gave me a faint smile—one that sent a chill down my spine.
“…What is it?”
“Since the long-awaited Saintess appeared right in my bedroom… I’ve ended up in a very awkward situation.”
Even though he was using polite speech, the way he said it made me freeze. I glanced away nervously.
“…On behalf of the gods who sent me, I sincerely apologize.”
“Forget the apology. What I need is for you to help me explain things.”
Ian stared at me with piercing blue eyes.
“I need you to explain that nothing happened between us.”
“Al—hic—Alright.”
“Captain, maybe don’t scare her so much. I’m sure the Saintess is just as shocked as we are…”
“Tch.”
Ian clicked his tongue.
“Alright then. Before we go explain to everyone, let’s do something about that… inappropriate outfit of yours.”
Saying that, Ian picked up his cloak from a chair and gently draped it over my shoulders.
Then he lightly tapped his own neck.
“You should get those bite marks treated too.”
“B-Bite marks? Oh… oh.”
Lucian and I both looked down at my collarbone.
The reddish marks on my pale skin were so embarrassing that my face turned bright red just looking at them.
…Did he mean those?
No way. There’s no way he doesn’t know what those marks really mean.
But Ian just clicked his tongue again like he felt sorry for me.
“You got bitten a lot. That must’ve really hurt… Anyway, Lucian, take good care of her.”
“Y-Yes, sir! Um, this way, Saintess. I’ll prepare a change of clothes for you.”
Lucian quickly waved me over.
As I followed him out of the room, I let out a breath of relief.
Okay. At least I’m not dead.
Now, I just had to get out of here before they realized I was lying—and figure out how I ended up in this weird world.
…Could I really do that?
****
To sum it up… I hadn’t escaped yet.
I awkwardly looked down at the clothes I’d just changed into.
The cream-colored dress was cuter than anything I’d usually wear, but compared to that embarrassing slip from earlier, it was a hundred times better.
After changing, I looked in the mirror.
A young woman who looked about my real age stared back.
Light brown hair like hazelnuts, dark green eyes like a deep forest.
She looked friendly—someone others might like at first glance.
“This… is really me, huh.”
I sighed.
It was hard to believe, but this was reality now. If I wanted to survive, I had no choice but to accept it.
Usually, when people get thrown into a novel, they become the main character… or at least a major villain or side character, right?
But somehow, I had ended up as a total extra—even someone with no name in the original story.
And this scene? I don’t even remember anything like this in the novel!
In the story, Ian was always a devoted, perfect holy knight from start to finish. He was the picture of purity.
A woman sneaking into his bed? No way.
I was sure I’d never read anything like that in the original.
Wait a second. Could it be… this scene wasn’t in the book because…
Ian got rid of the woman before anyone found out?
Maybe the character I was now had originally died—just disappeared from the world. And I had survived… by a one-in-a-billion chance?
That thought made my blood run cold.
Ian would totally do that. To protect his image, he’d have no problem getting rid of one person.
Just as that realization struck me and I was frozen in shock—
“Saintess, are you done changing?”
Lucian’s cautious voice came from outside the door. He sounded nervous, like he was afraid I’d jumped out the window or something.
“Yes, I’m coming out now.”
Unfortunately, I wasn’t that reckless.
Escaping was my top priority—but getting caught five seconds later wouldn’t help. I had to wait for a real chance to get away from Ian and Lucian.
After quietly changing and stepping outside, I found Ian already back.
“Well, now that looks more appropriate.”
He gave a short comment, glancing at my new clothes.
He was sitting on the sofa and gestured to the chair across from him.
“Come. Have a seat, Saintess.”
Even though he called me “Saintess,” his eyes were filled with doubt.
“Before we make any public explanations, let’s have a truthful conversation between us.”
“Haha… Yes. I suppose we should.”
I gave a weak laugh and cried a little on the inside.
I had racked my brain while changing clothes, but I hadn’t had enough time to come up with anything good.
Now, I could only rely on quick thinking to get through this.
Please, let my brain work.
As soon as I sat down, the questions began.
“Let’s start with this: who are you, and where are you from?”
Of course. That question was coming.
Name and background check—basics 101.
‘I’m Lee Seoyeon, from Korea. I drank at a friend’s house and woke up next to you.’
If I told the truth like that, I’d probably be dragged off to the torture chamber in the holy knight order’s basement.
‘Ugh, my head is killing me.’
If this is a dream, I want to wake up already.
I swallowed my tears and opened my mouth.
“My name is… Irene. Irene Grace.”
In this world, “Irene” was a super common name. It was the name of the heroine’s friend, her aunt—practically everyone.
Grace was also one of the most common surnames.
Basically, “Irene Grace” was like saying “Jane Smith.”
“Irene Grace, huh.”
“Yes. That’s my name.”
“That’s… a bit too common, don’t you think?”
“Well, common names are good luck, aren’t they?”
Ian made a thoughtful sound and rested his chin on his hand.
“Where are you from?”
“…”
Okay, here comes round two.
But I was ready for it.
I secretly pinched my thigh under the table—hard.
“Ow…”
Tears welled up in my eyes instantly. I stared out the window, pretending to be lost in a tragic memory.
“I’m… not originally from this empire.”
“…”
Ian raised an eyebrow, clearly waiting for more.
“And, actually… I was a slave. A runaway slave.”
“A runaway?”
His brows twitched.
I quickly launched into my made-up story.
“Yes. I was abandoned as a child and never knew my parents. I lived as a slave until one day, I was lucky enough to escape.”
“…”
“You’re the first person I’ve ever told this to.”
I bowed my head and spoke in a quiet, emotional voice.
This was the best I could do.
A slave wouldn’t have any documents to prove their identity. That meant Ian couldn’t investigate my past.
And if I said I ran away, there wouldn’t be any records of me, like a slave registration to track.
It was the best story I could come up with in the short time I had while changing.
“I see… a former slave.”
Ian mumbled slowly, staring straight at me.
The deep blue of his eyes made my spine tingle.
“Why does that sound like such a convenient excuse?”
“…”
Because you’re not an idiot, that’s why. Haha…
No wonder you ended up becoming emperor someday.
“Well. Fine, for now. Then tell me this: which slave trader owned you? What was your owner’s name?”
The sharp questions started flying.
And now, things were about to get tricky.
I slowly raised a hand to cover my mouth.
