Chapter 06
“Um, Sir Lucian.”
“Yes, please speak.”
“What will happen if I reject Ian’s offer?”
Lucian gave an awkward smile and scrunched up his nose a little.
“Captain Ian will probably try his best to work things out peacefully with you.”
“That sounds like him.”
“…And personally, I also hope you’ll accept his proposal. I’m sorry for saying that.”
“No, it’s fine.”
I shook my head.
Of course Lucian would think that way. He had served Ian loyally for nearly twenty years. He was Ian’s most trusted aide—his right hand.
If Ian couldn’t become the next Cardinal, it wasn’t just Ian’s efforts going to waste—it meant Lucian’s decades of hard work would be for nothing too.
‘Becoming a Cardinal means holding the highest position in the Church of Elune.’
And that meant gaining control of the Holy Knights—the church’s military force.
In the novel “The Saintess Doesn’t Know Love,” Ian took command of the Holy Knights as soon as he became a Cardinal and led them to attack the Imperial Palace.
His revenge was successful not just because of his skill, but because of the sheer military power behind him.
“I know this is a tough and unfair situation for you. No matter where you go, people will talk about you. It won’t be easy.”
“……”
“But for our Captain, this is incredibly important. He offered ten million Mars without hesitation, after all.”
“Um… Sir Lucian.”
“You don’t need to speak so formally to me. Please, feel free to be more casual.”
“Oh, um… In that case, Lucian.”
“Yes, Saintess. Go ahead.”
There was something I had been wondering about for a while, so I finally asked.
“Has Ian been completely disqualified from becoming the next Cardinal?”
“Yes. Most likely.”
Lucian nodded, his face stiff.
“According to Church law, someone who is no longer pure can’t become the highest servant of Elune.”
“I see…”
My voice trailed off.
Lucian noticed my reaction and said,
“Does it bother you, Saintess?”
“Yes… I guess it does.”
I sighed and admitted it.
“Honestly, Ian had a bright future until just yesterday. The youngest Holy Knight Commander, the youngest Swordmaster… Everyone agreed he would be the next Cardinal.”
And in the novel, he did become one.
It made sense. The Empire’s main god, Elune, was a god of strength and power. Naturally, the people valued physical strength.
The strongest knight became the Commander of the Holy Knights, and if he stayed the strongest until the current Cardinal retired, he would take the position without question.
Lucian gave me a warm smile.
“Thank you for worrying about our Captain. You must have a lot going on yourself right now, yet you’re still thinking of him. You’re truly a kind person.”
Not really. I just feel guilty because this is technically my fault…
Feeling awkward, I avoided Lucian’s eyes.
He chuckled softly and continued.
“But don’t worry too much. Even though the Captain can’t become Cardinal now, it’s not like someone else will take the position either.”
“Huh?”
I blinked.
What did he just say?
Suddenly, a line from the novel flashed through my mind like lightning.
“The first requirement to become a Cardinal: be the strongest.
The second: be a Swordmaster.”
Usually, to meet the first condition of being the strongest, one had to already be a Swordmaster.
And during the time Ian was a Cardinal candidate in the novel, there was something very unique going on:
It was an era where almost no new Swordmasters had appeared.
“Currently, Ian is the only Swordmaster on the continent. So if he doesn’t become Cardinal, the position will simply remain empty.”
“Oh! Wait, then what happens…?”
The reason Ian wanted the Cardinal’s position was simple:
To gain control over the military arm of the Church.
But if there was no Cardinal…
‘Then that authority would naturally fall to the next highest rank—Commander of the Holy Knights!’
Oh. My. God.
That’s it!
I stared wide-eyed.
Now I finally understood why Ian wasn’t as angry as I expected.
‘He has a backup plan.’
Sure, my actions still threw a wrench in his original plan.
His perfect public image was now stained with scandal.
And he would lose out on some of the other powers that came with being Cardinal.
But even so, he could still control the military as the Commander of the Holy Knights.
‘No wonder! That’s why he didn’t try to kill me on the spot!’
I let out a deep sigh of relief.
As Lucian and I talked, we eventually reached the end of the hallway.
Just before the hallway ended, there was a large door.
“This will be your temporary room for now, Saintess.”
Lucian opened the door.
I peeked inside—and my eyes widened.
‘Wow… it’s beautiful.’
The room was decorated in calming white tones. It wasn’t just pretty—it was huge.
As I stood there taking it all in, Lucian explained,
“You’ll be given your official quarters after the Saintess verification process is complete.”
‘Wait, this is just a temporary room?’
How nice was the official room supposed to be then?
“Do you have any other questions, Saintess?”
“No, I think I’m good for now.”
“If you think of anything, please call for me. A young attendant and a guard will arrive soon to serve you. Don’t be startled if you hear a knock.”
Lucian gave me a gentle smile and stepped out of the room.
Now, silence filled the air.
‘I’m alone now.’
As soon as I realized that, all the energy drained from my body.
So much had happened in just a few hours—I must’ve been more exhausted than I realized.
I stumbled over to the bed and flopped down.
‘Oh wow… it’s so soft.’
It was the most luxurious bed I’d ever felt.
This was just a temporary room?
I could honestly live here forever.
‘I need to think about Ian’s proposal…’
But I was so tired, my eyelids quickly grew heavy.
It wasn’t the time to sleep, but just as I tried to fight it off by pinching my thigh—
****
—Hello, 76.
A cold voice whispered in my ear.
“Huh?”
I covered my ears and spun around.
No one was there.
But a dark shadow flickered in the room.
‘A demon? A monster?!’
My heart pounded wildly.
“W-Who’s there?”
I forced myself to stay calm as I asked.
A creepy laugh echoed from the direction of the shadow.
****
—Don’t be scared. I just came to tell you you’re doing well.
“……”
—But you haven’t made your report.
The shadow slid toward me, smooth and silent.
Black smoke drifted right up to my face and hissed:
****
—The higher-ups have high expectations for you. Don’t waste time.
“……”
—You’re not thinking of betraying us, are you? Of course not. Who else took you in? You had no family, no one, except us.
As the shadow crept closer, a deep chill wrapped around my body. I clenched my trembling jaw.
****
—So, 76. We’re counting on you. Don’t let us down. One scandal won’t be enough to ruin him. Make sure it’s done right.
“……”
—And remember. Your life is in our hands. You can’t escape us, no matter where you go. Just in case you forgot, I’ll remind you.
At that moment, burning pain shot through my thigh.
“Aaaah!”
****
—The curse we placed on you is still active. You know the deadline—by the end of this year. By then, Ian must be destroyed. Politically… or maybe even literally.
—Good luck.
With that, the shadow vanished like smoke.
****
“Haa… haaa…”
I gasped for air.
Cold sweat poured down my face.
‘What… what the hell was that?’
The voice had called me “76”—the same voice I’d remembered earlier.
‘That deep, hoarse whisper…’
My hands were shaking as I forced them into fists.
I had to focus, no matter how scared I felt.
‘That voice definitely has no plans to let me go.’
And worse—it had said “we.”
‘Which means there’s more than one enemy.’
‘This is insane.’
I tried to steady my breathing.
But honestly, I was terrified.
That shadowy figure standing in the room…
Just thinking about it sent shivers down my spine.
If it could break into a place like this, it had to be an extremely powerful mage.
‘What do I do?’
Should I tell Ian?
No, that wouldn’t work.
No one—not even Ian—would believe I suddenly fell into a stranger’s body from another world.
Actually, telling anyone would only make me look more suspicious.
‘If I ask for help, they’ll just think I am the spy.’
There was no one I could ask for help.
A wave of helplessness and fear crushed down on me.
And just then… someone else’s memories began flooding into my mind.
****
‘Please… Let me go. If it’s the money my parents got for selling me, I’ll pay it back. I promise.’
That voice… was mine.
The real 76’s voice.
I was begging someone. I felt the pain and desperation welling up from my chest.
****
‘Pay it back? Don’t make me laugh. Your parents sold you for pocket change. You belong to us forever. Try to run, go ahead. But you know what happens to traitors, right? Only death. Even your corpse will still be ours.’
I felt sorrow. Misery.
I had been sold to this criminal group—Nine—as a child.
Once I entered their hands, I no longer existed in the eyes of the world.
Not even a slave—just a tool.
They forced me to carry out mission after mission, treating me like livestock.
I couldn’t make friends. I wore different faces for each job, so no one knew what I really looked like.
I was truly unhappy.
I just wanted to escape.
To run away from this world… from the Guild… from even the gods who let this happen.
And the night before one of my missions, I…
****
“…Hah.”
I snapped out of the memory like waking from a bad dream.
‘What… happened next?’
What did the real “me” do?
It ended on such a frustrating note.
