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“…… Saintess?”
Selina appeared taken aback by my silent stare.
I had a wide smile on my face Very wide.
“It’s nothing, Miss Selina. That’s a beautiful name.”
“Oh, thank you…!”
Selina’s cheeks turned a little red from embarrassment. I said it with a coy smile.
“What do you plan to do from now on, Miss Selina?”
“Ah… I don’t know…”
Selina had blank eyes.
“Originally, I was going to use the money from selling the brooch to pay for lodging and food. After that, I looked for work… I’m sorry about that. I’m even saying unnecessary things.”
“It’s all right. Keep talking.”
Selina’s cheeks were redder, perhaps because she was aware that she had stretched her private life too much. There was confusion in the pretty, light green eyes.
“But I decided not to sell the brooch… My plan went awry. To be honest, I still don’t know what to do.”
“Life doesn’t always go the way you plan. Miss Selina, I know because I’ve been through a lot of things like that.”
I said, flashing a coy smile.
“In times like that, it’s best to clear your head and play. It’s almost time to go to the salon I made a reservation for. Miss Selina, would you like to come with us?”
“Yes? Me too?”
“What do you think, Cordelia?”
“There’s no place like a salon to refresh.”
“Bu-But.”
Selina glanced down at her dishevelled appearance.
“Thank you so much for your kind words. But as you can see, my appearance is a little…! I couldn’t even wash as soon as I arrived in the capital.”
“Oh my. Don’t worry about that.”
I smiled widely.
“The salon we’re going to even has bathing services. It’s really perfect, right?”
“Well, but to go to such a nice place, as you know, I just couldn’t sell the brooch, so I don’t have enough money…”
“Miss Selina! Just by looking at you, you look younger than me and Lady Cordelia. How can we expect to receive money from our youngest? Don’t worry, just follow me.”
Has there ever been a moment in my life when I was this bulldozed?
My body and mind were in sync with one singular thought: I couldn’t afford to miss the opportunity to see the heroine I had encountered by chance.
Selina seemed to have lost her spirit as we kept pushing her without stopping, so she headed to the salon with us as if she were being dragged along.
And then, a few hours later,
“Oh my goodness!”
I let out an exclamation and clapped my hands.
Selina gently pulled at the hem of her dress, her face blushing with a newfound warmth.
“Uh, uh… I don’t think it suits me either…”
“What do you mean? Do you still say that even when you see yourself in the mirror? Look!”
I positioned Selina in front of a spacious mirror.
Selina looked cute and adorable, like an angel, in her pure white cocktail dress.
‘Huh, wait a minute. This outfit is similar to the one in the illustration in Chapter 3, “A Butterfly Landing in the Social Circle!”
I opened my eyes wide at the sudden realization. I don’t know how many times I watched that scene where Selina dresses up for the first time.
“You have a very fair complexion.”
“What about your shiny hair?”
The salon employees who assisted Selina with her makeover expressed admiration for her. It’s probably not just a service comment. After washing off the dirt in her bath and getting dressed up, Selina truly resembled a fairy.
‘As expected, our Selina.’
With her debut, she quickly became a prominent figure who earned the somewhat tickling title of ‘social butterfly’.
Although she is very embarrassed now, she will soon receive a divine call from God and be chosen as a saint. Additionally, she possesses the extraordinary ability to manipulate the weather, making her a truly unique saintess.
As I thought about that, a sense of pride began to well up in my heart.
“Pearl.”
Cordelia suddenly spoke in a serious voice.
“You’ll need some pearl earrings and a necklace.”
“What a brilliant idea.”
I was greatly impressed by Cordelia’s idea and nodded at her. Cordelia, who was wearing a red necklace and blue earrings, seemed to have disappeared somewhere after falling for Arden and Lorena’s candy spread.
We continued playing our dress-up game for quite a while after that.
“Wow, you are so beautiful. ”
Selina was extremely shy when she played the role of a mannequin, but when Cordelia took on the role, her eyes sparkled with joy.
After we changed our clothes, we enjoyed a delightful tea time. I relished my first moment of leisure in quite a while, savouring the aroma of tea permeating the refined atmosphere of the elegant tea room.
“What? Did you really walk all the way here for half a day?”
I was taken aback by the story that Selina shared.
“What kind of fraudster coachman are there?! Tell me their description right now. I’m going to report it to the security forces!”
It turned out that Selina had to walk all the way to the capital because she was abandoned by the coachman in the middle of the road.
The dust on her body was the reason for that.
As we were talking like that, time passed quickly.
‘Now that I think about it, it’s been a while since I’ve been able to just drink tea and relax for a few hours like this.’
Lately, I’ve been having a headache because I’ve been acting like a tactician who was not even in my fortune.
A college student, concerned about receiving an A+ and potentially losing out on a scholarship, unexpectedly found herself entangled with the emperor and a dark guild. The pressure was indescribable.
If it weren’t for my strangely vivid memory of the original novel, I wouldn’t have even thought about making a plan.
‘… It’s a plan.’
I stared at Selina with a blank expression.
I was truly happy to have met Selina. I felt a strong inclination to express my gratitude to the God of this world for this miraculous coincidence.
But there is also a dark feeling in my heart.
Selina possesses a unique and formidable power. The possession of that power was absolutely essential in order to confront the Emperor and the Nine.
‘In the end, I reached out to this child to take advantage.’
The tea had a bitter taste.
But I didn’t blame myself. Because the future was too urgent to hesitate while blaming myself.
“Miss Selina.”
I called out to Selina, as I tried to organise my thoughts that were branching out in different matters.
Selina, with a curious expression on her face, sniffed the aroma of her tea and gazed at me with her eyes resembling those of a rabbit.
“Yes, Saintess Irene?”
She had a face with which I had become very familiar.
I said, smiling softly.
“Did you mention that you haven’t made a decision on where to go yet?”
“Ah, yes.”
Selina’s face subtly darkened as she recollected the harshness of reality.
“Would it be alright if you could assist me until you are able to find a place to go?”
“What? Me? Saintess Irene?”
Selina’s eyes grew bigger as if it were an unexpected word.
I responded by nodding and smiling.
“Recently, one of my trusted maids decided to resign from her position. We are in the process of choosing a new maid, and I have a tendency to be cautious about sharing my personal matters with someone unless they make a positive initial impression. By the way, if it is Miss Selina, I believe you can be trusted.”
‘Please accept it. Please.’
Was I too impatient to pull the trigger after just the first meeting?
I felt a twinge of anxiety in the pit of my stomach, fearing the possibility of being rejected. I felt my anxiety intensify as I observed Selina’s face, which was clearly marked with confusion.
“Thank you so much for being so kind to me… !”
Selina exclaimed, her expression filled with bewilderment.
“But, unlike my grandmother, I don’t know anything about the maid’s work. At least I don’t have enough dexterity.”
It really didn’t matter.
After all, Selina will only be carrying out the maid duties for a few months at most.
After that, she would need to adapt to her newfound role as a saintess.
“Even if you are not doing well. It is not important. I am also not good at everything.”
“But anyway, how can someone like me be a saintess’…”
“Oh. Yes. You didn’t tell me your salary.”
I nodded as if I had realized something important.
After a while, I whispered a number into Selina’s ear, causing her eyes to widen in surprise, much like a rabbit stumbling upon a patch of shamrocks.
“Wow, is that really how much money?”
“Of course, the more years you have, the bigger your salary will be.”
“Oh my God, is there more?”
“You can continue to accumulate more years of experience, or you can choose to stay until Miss Selina decides on your career path. I would greatly appreciate it if you could assist me by filling the open position of my maid. What are your thoughts on this matter?”
Selina’s eyes shook mercilessly.
She wondered how many minutes had passed.
Finally, she parted her lips.
“I’m going to get a job. I’d be happy to apply for it!”
“Really well thought out!”
I almost cheered.
I resisted the urge to hug Selina.
“Madam Irene has a unique way of recruiting.”
Cordelia, who was observing the situation, took a sip of her tea and left a comment.
“Best of luck to both of you.”
***
Having succeeded in capturing Selina, I took her straight to the cathedral.
Her training as a full-fledged maid was scheduled to begin tomorrow. So don’t ask me to do anything today, just ask me to assign her only a good room
‘She must be resting well by now.’
I peered into the darkness ahead, filled with hope that Selina was adapting smoothly to the cathedral.
It is currently midnight.
In the darkness of the night, a shadow in the shape of a human began to sway on the terrace, resembling a ghostly figure.
“Welcome.”
I spoke to the shadow.
“I’ve been waiting.”
“……You have delivered tremendous news to your masters.”
said the shadow. It was the voice that delivered the crystal earrings to me.
“The situation quickly escalated into a whirlwind. Perhaps it would have been more prudent to feign ignorance, whether you witnessed it or heard about it.”
“You don’t know my ambition.”
I smiled obliquely.
“I have no intention of remaining as a chess piece that can be used forever and discarded once it has served its purpose. I will prove myself worthy.”
“… Do you seriously think that’s possible? If you do that, they will at least give you a promotion someday?”
“You have to bet on anything you can. You can’t just stay like this forever, right?”
“You were dumber than I thought.”
“It doesn’t matter what you call it. It’s better than being a slave who can be discarded at any time.”
“…Okay. Great.”
After a moment of silence, the shadow spoke.
“Please guide me through the secret passage as promised. The masters are waiting.”
“Of course.”
A faint smile appeared on my face.
“Follow me. Be careful. If you happen to catch that person, everything will end.”
The shadow silently nodded.