The Cowardly Baby Saint Sees Ghosts - Chapter 58

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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# Chapter 58.
It took me a moment to fully grasp what the Pope was saying.
In other words……
“Until now, I’ve admittedly been watching the Imperial Palace’s reaction. Since a Saint has been born, I thought they’d only scrutinize the Temple more closely.”
I understood.
Yet I couldn’t figure out why he was bringing this up so suddenly, and the uncertainty made me uneasy. As I began to chew my lower lip, the Pope reached over and tapped it gently.
“……!”
Wait, what is going on? He used to be so careful about even touching me!
My confusion made my pupils waver.
“But thinking about it now, I’ve come to realize that actually, the Imperial Palace should be the one trying to win our favor.”
“After all, I’m the one treating the Crown Prince, aren’t I?”
Ah.
“Right. In any case, we’ve already seized the upper hand in this relationship.”
The Pope’s deep-green eyes darkened. I’d rarely seen him wear an expression so devoid of warmth, and each time I did, it unsettled me a little.
“There’s no need to worry about the nobles’ opinions anymore.”
He was essentially admitting that he’d been trying to make a good impression on the nobles to assure them the Temple posed no threat.
“You said you wanted to show me only beautiful things.”
“That’s also true.”
The Pope answered without resistance.
“Diane, you’ve seen for yourself how harsh the outside world is. And you, Robin—you know it firsthand.”
Robin nodded.
‘……It really was grave, wasn’t it.’
It hadn’t been long since I became a Saint, yet memories of my time at the Orphanage were already beginning to fade.
The Pope said he wanted me to forget what happened back then. To bury all the memories of abuse and only see beautiful things while living in the Temple, cherished and loved.
But that wasn’t right.
‘Why did God send a Saint?’
He sent me to save people.
So I had to save them.
The truth was, I’d never had any sense of divine calling. I was simply doing my best to survive.
Yet I hated the idea of choosing only nobles to heal and charging exorbitant fees.
“Which is why, from now on, I’ve decided to focus only on what matters most to me.”
What would that be?
“You, Diane.”
“……!”
“I feel I haven’t been paying you enough attention.”
No, you’ve been far too generous to me.
Could it be because of what I said back then—please don’t use me like a tool?
Did my words somehow touch something in him?
I was too flustered to speak when Liam, who’d been watching, dropped to one knee with a dull thud.
“……?”
“I, too, shall follow Your Holiness’s will!”
Following his master, Robin also knelt on one knee.
“Your Holiness, there is no need for apologies. Had I been in your position, I would have prioritized the Temple as well. I simply offer my gratitude to the Holy Maiden who healed me and to Your Holiness for permitting it.”
“……Both of you, please rise.”
The Pope seemed deeply moved and couldn’t speak for a while.
It was during this warm moment that I couldn’t hold back any longer.
I opened my mouth.
“Your Holiness, then I――”
“Come to think of it, Diane. Am I not your guardian?”
“I—yes, that’s right.”
“Then isn’t ‘Your Holiness’ a rather formal way to address me?”
“…….”
My words caught in my throat.
Surely he wasn’t going to——
‘What?’
Anxiety made me pick at the skin beside my fingernail.
If it wasn’t that title, there was only one other way I could address him that came to mind.
And that was……
“F—Father!”
“……!”
“There’s something I wanted to ask you!”
“……Just call me Your Holiness.”
“Yes, Your Holiness. The thing is―”
Phew. That went smoothly enough.
‘But I’m still not emotionally ready for it.’
I wanted to call him Father only when I truly came to love the Pope.
Separate from my gratitude, if I started calling him Father, I worried I’d come to think of him as family of my own choosing—and that terrified me.
‘I don’t want to be abandoned again.’
“―This way, relations with the Imperial Palace will improve, and won’t the hearts of the children from Lumen who were wounded by the Heretical Sect begin to heal?”
“Mm. It’s certainly a good idea.”
The Pope had simply decided not to concern himself with the Imperial Palace anymore, but he had no desire to deliberately worsen their relations.
I, too, had no wish to turn the well-meaning Gaitel and Demian into enemies.
That was why I’d received the Pope’s permission so easily.
Speaking of which, the Pope’s lap is remarkably comfortable. Does he manage his body along with being handsome?
Ah. I nearly lost myself in pointless thoughts again.
I hopped up—right off the Pope’s lap—and hurried toward the office door with a quick patter of steps.
“Then I’ll write the letter myself!”
“……Diane.”
You can’t write, though.
“…….”
“…….”
I glared at the Pope just slightly and stuck out my lip.
“I’ll ask Becky to write it for me.”
Hmph. Someday I’ll master writing, just you see.
* * *
Two people who had met in secret, away from curious eyes, looked carefully around them.
Wary of anyone who might be listening, they soon confirmed no one was present and relaxed their rigid postures.
There was no benefit in showing their relations were good to anyone, after all.
It was for political reasons.
Gaitel smiled brightly and held out a letter.
“Dear brother. Our little Holy Maiden needs help, does she?”
“……Who did you call cute?”
Demian snorted, but despite his words, his eyes never left the letter.
Gaitel had expected as much and extended the letter toward him.
“Read it. You wanted to see her anyway, didn’t you? How convenient.”
“Ah, I didn’t want to see her at all.”
His face flushed crimson, and Demian let out a squeak before snatching the letter eagerly.
“You’re so transparent. Why bother lying?”
Demian breezily ignored her remark and read through the letter slowly and carefully.
To summarize the letter’s contents: there had been a major incident in which children held captive by the Heretical Sect were rescued, and the request was for the Imperial Palace to provide aid supplies for those children.
The reasoning was sound. If the Temple and the Imperial Palace expanded their exchange and offered assistance in managing the aftermath of such a significant incident, the Imperial Palace would gain some standing.
It was beneficial for both sides.
Yet Demian’s eyes were busy searching for other words in the letter.
‘Is there nothing about me?’
As Demian read further, his lips gradually stiffened.
And when he reached the final line, he broke into a wide grin.
Postscript: I would be delighted if Your Highness the Crown Prince would also come. I think it’s about time I replenished my Divine Power.
“Why are you so pleased? There’s nothing special in it.”
“Because she wanted to see me.”
Hm?
Gaitel tilted her head.
Had I misread the letter?
“If she wants to see me, then I should go. Ah, what a bother though.”
“…….”
“I’m really busy these days.”
Gaitel stared at the grumbling Demian with a jaded expression and shook her head.
‘That boy’s already done for.’
Thinking of Diane, how she would run over on her short legs and cling to him happily every time she saw him, drew an involuntary smile to Gaitel’s lips.
‘I can’t even blame him for it.’
It was simply an environment where one couldn’t help but grow fond of Diane.
Gaitel knew that everyone who approached her came with different intentions.
Because of that, she had to keep distance from them all.
But this tiny Holy Maiden—what was it about her that made Gaitel heal her wounds the moment they met?
‘She saved me from the nightmares.’
Since that incident, Gaitel slept deeper than anyone else.
As a result, her condition improved steadily, and her temperament grew kinder—those around her seemed to welcome the change.
“Hmm, hmm.”
Demian pressed his face toward her with a solemn expression.
At his face suddenly drawing close without warning, Gaitel flinched.
She leaned back slightly, thinking to herself.
‘We’ve grown closer lately, but I didn’t expect him to drop all formality like this.’
Gaitel spoke coldly.
“What?”
“Is my hair better worn long, or shorter?”
For such a serious question, the content was remarkably trivial.
A flash of irritation seized Gaitel, and she flicked her finger sharply against Demian’s forehead, pushing him back.
His long nails should have hurt, yet Demian didn’t budge.
“Decide for yourself. In any case, I’ll be the one to inform the nobility, so you just focus on taking care of your health.”
Watching Demian’s sullen expression, Gaitel smiled slyly.
“……You’re worried about the Holy Maiden.”
Demian’s face flushed crimson as he coughed awkwardly again, rubbing his forehead.
The way he kept snickering, unbothered by any pain, made him look exactly like a boy who’d just fallen into his first love.
‘Good times.’
Gaitel let out a sigh.
She’d forgotten that she herself was barely thirteen years old.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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