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Is there no safe place anywhere in the world? (7) – unedited

I cut onions diligently while crying a river of tears. The uncle saw my workmanship and praised me lavishly. He introduced himself as Grick, and even urged me to contact him when there was no job. He added that I have a great talent for peeling onions and wants to accept me as a disciple.

Ha, seriously. Is this my cup of tea?

Without realizing the passage of time, I was diligently chopping onions while having a trivial conversation with Uncle Grick. It was so hot under my eyes that tears flowed down my cheeks, but my hands could not rest from the continuous compliments.

When the work was finished, the peeled onions that had been reborn as white through my hands were shining. Well. I’m proud, I’m proud.

But this was only the first row on one side of the onions that filled three sides of the room.

* * *

“Have you been to the imperial palace again?”

As the old priest scolded the child, asking with a vivid worried tone, the Saint Serdebella only smiled softly, showing her white teeth.

The religious robe that covered her body ran down her shoulders. The figure of the supreme Saint disappeared, and a seductive woman showing off her voluminous body appeared.

The faithful old priest handed her a thin chemise, not blushing even with Bella’s appearance. The shape of the door symbolizing the Saint was embroidered below her neckline in black against the white fabric. Even though she was wearing her clothes, the outline of her body was barely revealed in a silhouette.

“While the Saint was absent, one of your devotees was waiting to meet you in front of the temple.”

“That… Did you send them away?”

Bella asked with her sad eyes. The old priest reassured the Saint by nodding his head.

No matter how many devotees wanted to meet the Saint, Bella did not turn away from them. Even though it was exhausting, she listened to all their stories and prayed for the believers.

After several nights, the number of believers did not stop, fearing that the Saint would collapse, the temple eventually restricted the meeting. However, the faithful who desperately wanted to meet the Saint were often waiting for her in front of the temple even late at night after Mass or at dawn when everyone was asleep.

When Bella asked her to meet her, her temple had no choice but to respect her.

“I hope I can recognize them at the next Mass.”

“It was a woman about the same age or a little bit younger than the Saint.

“What worries would she have to try to ask me for advice?”

“If you are so concerned, you can refrain from emptying the temple.”

The Saint smiled and sat softly on her bed.

“I open the door. So, no matter how hard you try to confine me in this temple, it is of no use.”

“I don’t mean that…….”

“Come on, stop talking nonsense. God helps us to live a comfortable death without getting sick, but he does not prolong our lives. Let’s talk about something a little bit more fun, shall we.”

Before the old priest’s nagging could begin, Bella quickly cut off the conversation. The priest opened his eyes narrowly and looked at Bella with a dissatisfied expression, but that was all.

“How did the believer who came to see me look?”

“Her height seemed to be shorter than that of the Saint, and looking at her poor appearance, it seemed that she had come from poverty, but looking at her face, it was not. She had a fair complexion and every expression on her face was lively.”

“The believer who came to me because of poverty would be those with sunken cheeks and under their eyes were black and dry lips. So, is it because of love?”

Bella patted her smooth cheeks with her index finger as if solving an interesting quiz and thought about it. The priest shook her head at Bella’s conjecture.

“It was all I saw while passing by. Seen from the eyes of an old man who did not waste time, she rather looked like a loved person.”

“Really? Is there anything else? About the believer.”

It wasn’t because she was interested in the believer, or she was enthusiastic. It was just to suppress the old priest’s nagging and enjoy the only entertainment in the boring temple.

Listening to the weaknesses of those who need her. There was nothing that made Bella’s identity more clear than that.

“Hmm… Except that her hair was pink…….”

“Wait.”

Bella, who was smiling while raising the corners of her elongated lips, hardened her expression. The priest, who was talking about that day comfortably and leisurely, also hardened his body and focused on the Saint, at the sudden change.

“Are you uncomfortable?”

“You said pink hair around my age?”

“Yes. Is it a believer you knew?”

Bella pulled out the face of one person she was particularly concerned about from her memory. It was the pink-haired woman who was in the arms of the Demon King Kaylehartz on a day when it was raining.

Bella’s eyes twisted fiercely. However, this emotion was not anger. Just annoyance. After all, in the end, it should be Bella herself in Kayle’s arms.

She has no doubts about it. The Demon King Kaylehartz did not pay any attention to any human regardless of gender, and the only human who escaped that category was Serdebella Renee herself.

“I remember seeing her once. So you said that she should come to see me for this Mass?”

“I was on the way out in a hurry to find the Saint, so I didn’t get a definite answer, but I remember her look and I’m sure she’ll come.”

Bella nodded her head and then she let out a small laugh. The soft laughter tickling the ears was melodious to hear.

“Really? I look forward to the next Mass. Make room for her after Mass. Because I have to meet the believer in person.”