Chapter 5
Rix took a bite of steak while waiting for her answer. How annoying.
Len gently set down the piece of steak she was about to eat and replied.
This was information she had heard from Hatasha yesterday, so it was easier to answer.
“Beyond Lake Tarcana.”
“Tarcana?”
He furrowed his brows.
Just as Len was about to take a bite again, he cut in.
“Have you been there?”
“Hmm.”
Can you please let me eat at least one bite?
Her patience boiled inside, but Len forced a smile.
“I don’t remember.”
“What did you do before you came here?”
“I’m sorry, but I don’t remember that either.”
“Your age?”
“That too…”
Judging by appearance, she looked like she was in her late teens or early twenties.
Rix nodded. Was the interrogation finally over?
Only then did Len take a bite of steak. It tasted heavenly. She almost cried.
How long had it been since she last ate steak?
Was it the banquet with the president after winning the gold medal as a national athlete?
After that came the fire, then recovery, and she only ate gruel and convenience store leftovers…
She didn’t know why eating such delicious steak reminded her of such miserable memories.
She looked at her hand holding the fork.
Each finger performed its role, gripping the fork just right.
How long had she yearned for this hand?
As Len became sentimental, Hatasha spoke nonchalantly.
“When someone becomes a Saintess, they lose their past memories.”
Len instinctively looked up. Was she trying to protect her? But Hatasha didn’t even look at Len.
Rix frowned.
“But—”
“They are reborn under the blessing of the goddess Fiora.”
It was a vague answer. But it seemed to work on Rix, who closed his mouth and nodded.
He stared intently at Len. She didn’t quite understand the emotion in his eyes, but it felt like his gaze might literally pierce her skin.
Because of his intense stare, Len couldn’t even properly cut a tough piece of steak.
Though she had her hand back, it had been a long time since she’d used a knife and fork. Especially after the burns, she had spent so much time adjusting to the new sensations.
She held the knife awkwardly, cutting blindly.
Then Rix took her plate.
With flawless posture and ease, he sliced the steak neatly.
“…Thank you.”
Len said politely. Rix didn’t reply to her but to Hatasha.
“She needs proper etiquette training.”
He stood up without making a single sound with his chair.
His large hand gently touched Len’s left shoulder.
At that moment, a chill ran up from her toes to her spine.
Rix whispered something chilling in a playful voice:
“If you’re proven to be the true Saintess.”
He gave her shoulder a couple of light pats.
The fork in her hand trembled. The delicious steak now looked like nothing more than a lump of meat.
Her appetite vanished.
“See you again tonight.”
Rix wiped the smile off his face and left the dining hall.
When Len finally managed to turn her frozen head, she saw two people in the same uniform as Rix waiting outside, following him.
She swallowed dryly.
Hatasha spoke quietly.
“Forget everything. Erase the life you lived before yesterday.”
She carefully wiped her mouth.
“That’s the only way you’ll survive.”
Her deep blue eyes met Len’s. It felt like sinking into an abyss.
Len couldn’t say a word or make a move.
She stood frozen like a statue.
Hatasha silently stood, grasped her cane, and disappeared with the clicking sound of her footsteps.
Len was left alone.
She was used to being alone—she had always been since birth.
But being discarded like this was something she could never get used to.
She looked at the steak Rix had cut for her.
Perhaps due to her shaken emotions, her hand gripping the fork wouldn’t move as she wanted.
Her hand showed no visible injuries, but inside, it still felt like it bore the scars of her past.
She grabbed her trembling hand with the other and pierced a piece of steak with the fork.
She managed to lift it properly, but couldn’t bring herself to put it in her mouth.
* * *
Even the ever-chatty Fernandez had fallen silent; only the sound of the wind could be heard.
Len walked slowly, letting her bothersome dress drag.
Walking slowly made it bearable, at least.
She couldn’t think of anything—and didn’t want to.
Then, she heard the sound of water.
She turned toward the sound and saw a small fountain.
Near the intricately carved fountain was lush grass, dotted with dandelions.
Len, watching the dandelions sway in the breeze, slowly walked toward the fountain.
Fernandez seemed about to say something but closed his mouth.
Fanny and Tina glanced at each other but quietly followed her.
She sat on the edge of the fountain.
The sunlight was warm. It was the first sunshine she had truly felt since coming here.
She raised her hand to shield her eyes. Her palm tingled.
The itching from her burns used to feel like bugs crawling over her skin, but this sensation was soft—like being stroked by feathers.
At that moment, Fanny and Tina nudged each other and exchanged glances before turning slightly away.
Tina pulled a small, well-worn notebook from her front pocket. A stubby pencil dangled from a thin string.
She scribbled something and showed it to Len.
“Is that for me?”
Tina nodded shyly. Her ears were still red.
But unfortunately, Len couldn’t read it.
Strangely, even though she could understand spoken language, the letters looked like neither Korean nor English.
Len spoke sincerely with a regretful expression.
“Sorry. I can’t read the writing.”
Fanny and Tina looked at each other in confusion.
To the three who couldn’t communicate, the angel Fernandez appeared. Turns out he had been picking five dandelions.
Len quickly called him over.
“Can you read this?”
Fernandez tilted his head, then smiled brightly.
“It says, ‘Would you like some chocolate if you’re tired? Sweet things can make you feel better.’”
He pointed to a part of Tina’s notebook and added:
“Also, it’s not ‘joa,’ but you should write ‘좋아’ like this.”
He grabbed the pencil and corrected it for her. Tina nodded quickly with an “Ah!”
“It’s okay. Thanks for thinking of me.”
With a bit more ease, Len gave a soft smile.
Tina’s ears turned even redder. She nodded furiously.
The sunlight shimmering on the water sparkled. Len gently touched the surface.
The smooth, cool water flowed around her fingers.
These were sensations she had never been able to feel before—things she never knew were so precious.
Still playing with the water, Len looked at the three and said:
“I have a favor to ask.”
All three widened their eyes.
It was such a cute and peaceful sight that Len smiled instinctively. It felt like her earlier heavy meal had finally gone down.
* * *
– Is this okay?
– I don’t know either. She said she needed it.
– She’s not going to hurt herself, right?
– No way…
Tina and Fanny exchanged rapid sign language. Fanny, the one who said “no way,” still took a cautious step closer to the table.
On the table was a large pair of scissors.
Len had asked them to bring it from the fountain.
She hadn’t explained why.
Now, Len was in her room in pajamas, laying out the dress on the floor.
“So damn long…”
She muttered to herself with arms crossed, clearly pondering something.
Tina and Fanny had no idea what she was doing.
Then Len lay down beside the dress.
“Tina!”
Startled, Tina’s eyes widened. Len raised her head slightly and asked:
“If I wear it, it starts from here, right?”
She pointed to her shoulder and the dress.
Fanny and Tina looked at each other and slowly nodded.
Hmm.
Len sat up and compared her knees to the length of the dress.
Then she placed her hand just above her knee and said:
“Fanny, scissors please.”
Startled, Fanny quickly handed her the scissors with the handle facing her.
Without hesitation, Len cut the part of the dress she had measured.
Snip.
Tina and Fanny screamed silently. They rushed to her in a panic.
Tina fumbled for her notebook, only to remember Len couldn’t read.
Fanny grabbed Len’s hand, and Tina pulled the dress away.
Len looked confused.
“What’s wrong?”
They tried explaining with signs, but the communication gap was too large. Tina finally ran out of the room.
She opened the door to find Fernandez blowing on dandelions like a kid his age.
“Huh? Me? I haven’t even finished—Ack!”
Tina, unusually forceful, dragged him inside.
Inside, Fanny stood clutching the dress in the corner, while Len looked bewildered.
“What’s going—Whoa!”
Fernandez quickly turned his back and covered his eyes when he realized Len was in her pajamas.
“I didn’t see anything, Saintess!”
Len laughed at his overreaction.
But Tina didn’t have time for that. She grabbed her notebook from the floor and wrote something fast to show him.
Peeking through his fingers, Fernandez read aloud:
“What on earth are you doing?”
The question was urgent, but coming from angelic Fernandez, it sounded like a bedtime story.
At last, a proper channel of communication opened.
Len replied casually:
“Just trimming the dress a bit.”
