༺ A Day Off In Graypond༻
“It is a good novel.”
The man’s calm and straightforward words, devoid of unnecessary details or flowery language, felt like an even greater compliment.
Since even someone as composed as him entertained such thoughts. Did it mean Rose Mary was truly a good novel?
“Is that so? Could you tell me what you liked about it?”
Did she mean to ask this so out of the blue?
But she was curious, very curious.
As a Saintess, she couldn’t reveal to the public that she wrote impure romance novels. Therefore, this was the first time for her to have directly met her reader.
Despite positive feedback from the editorial department, Lucia still wanted to hear from the readers personally.
“The emotional range of the female protagonist was incredibly diverse and rich. Also, the conflict with Rachel in Chapter 3 was especially surprising.”
He unfolded the novel’s contents as if prepared, providing his opinions and pointing out slightly disappointing parts.
Lucia took this constructive feedback in her mind and thought she could somehow improve the disappointing parts.
Although they naturally ended up sitting together, Lucia didn’t find the situation too bad.
When coincidences overlapped each other, the inevitable would happen.
Could it be that God prepared the meeting today for her sake?
This time, the man asked in return.
“Which part impressed you the most, Lady?”
“Oh, me?”
Lucia couldn’t believe it, the man had asked her, the book’s author, which part impressed her the most. Somehow, it felt like the man was playing her, but Lucia still considered the question carefully.
“The last part; the scene where Mary finally found love and left everything behind. I found that truly impressive.”
“….”
The man nodded with an understanding expression.
“Yes, it felt like something the author was personally yearning for—as if the author wanted to be freed from everything in this mundane world and move towards where their heart desired.”
“Ah.”
How could he understand her intentions so accurately?
For Lucia, the protagonist of Rose Mary, Mary was a reflection of her own ideal.
Feeling as if her heart had been needlessly exposed, Lucia turned her head in embarrassment.
The coffee they ordered at the counter was placed on the table just in time. And the server, who noticed she had company, winked at her, seeing that the table had become an unexpected meeting place.
‘It’s not like that….’
Trying to play it off as a strange misunderstanding, Lucia took the coffee cup with both hands and brought it to her lips.
While pretending to sip the coffee, she glanced at the man’s face.
Aside from the gauze stuck to his cheek to cover the wound, his skin was smooth and fair.
People from the northern region usually had fair skin, so she assumed he might be from that region.
The more she looked, the more he seemed like someone who could have made many women cry. As the Saintess, she had received advances from many handsome men, all bright and radiant individuals.
However, he was the complete opposite.
If she had to compare them, he resembled moonlight.
Abstract as it may be, the image that came to her mind when she looked at him was the tranquil moonlight, gently shining on a calm night sky.
“Ah, it’s hot!”
Her eyes had been following the man’s face, causing her to forget that she was sipping on a hot cup of coffee.
Lucia was surprised, her tongue stinging from the unexpected burn.
Normally, she would have used Holy Power to cure it immediately, but she was currently hiding her true identity.
And strangely, she didn’t want to introduce herself to this man.
Not as the Saintess.
Not as an author.
She simply wanted to share a normal person-to-person talk with him.
So, Lucia wiped away the spilled coffee, enduring the pain.
As she slightly stuck out her throbbing tongue, the man cautiously reached out.
“Uh?”
It was such an unexpected situation that she couldn’t even react. His hand, which stopped in front of her face, actually looked quite pretty.
A frost-like cold air flowed from the fingertip, gently embracing her stinging tongue.
The stinging pain naturally disappeared.
‘So, he’s a mage.’
The man, after calmly withdrawing his hand as if nothing happened, sipped his coffee. Seeing his thoughtful consideration, Lucia felt grateful for it.
Although it was a bit embarrassing to interact with him when her tongue was exposed like that, their conversation still continued for quite a while after.
It was a warm and cozy time.
When their throats were dry, they would refill their coffee; when hungry, they would order bread and cake.
She felt like she met someone who understood her in a way no one else did. She watched him deliver an appreciation review, one that poured out her feelings as an author through Rose Mary.
She was impressed by his wisdom and ability to effortlessly unravel her desires and ideals within the book’s pages, demonstrating a comprehensive understanding of her.
As they further discussed the book, the conversation had naturally expanded to include not only personal matters, but also thoughts about the present state of Graypond and beyond.
They kept talking, never running out of topics. Lucia was amazed by how much knowledge he possessed; it was beyond her expectations.
And despite their long conversation, the two had never revealed their names to each other.
It felt like it had become an unspoken agreement between them, proving that their hearts were on the same wavelength.
Why did such an enjoyable time pass so quickly?
Before they noticed, it was already dark outside, and as the Saintess, she could no longer afford to waste time.
In fact, it was almost too late; she was toeing the line that was the extent of her stay.
“I think I should be going now.”
As Lucia slowly stood up, the man on the opposite side had also calmly stood up.
He muttered with a sigh.
“It was more enjoyable than I thought. I did not realize how much time passed.”
Perhaps he, too, had forcibly prolonged the conversation because he found it pleasantly engaging.
This wasn’t a bad experience.
With a subtle smile, Lucia extended her arm for a handshake.
At that moment, her lips slightly moved, and various impulses flashed through her mind.
She wanted to continue this novel-like encounter.
If she revealed her name, would they set a time to meet again?
However, considering her position as Saintess, she knew it was absolutely not allowed.
Let alone about dating, even spending her personal time with a man would cause significant gossip, and cast a shadow over her image as Saintess.
‘Sigh.’
Nonetheless, Lucia had to honestly admit that, as a woman, she was somewhat attracted to the man in front of her.
She didn’t want to say she had fallen in love, but she knew there was a subtle possibility lurking.
“It was a pleasant time.”
However, the man, seemingly unaware of Lucia’s dilemma, gently shook her hand.
That was the end of their encounter.
It might have felt disappointing, but Lucia thought that the man had preemptively ended her inner struggle.
“Someday, if God wills it to be, then we will meet again.”
It was rather brusque, but she could feel his thoughtful consideration within those words, causing her to respond with a soft smile.
“Yes, if God wills it.”
Yes, if their connection was fate. If he were truly the person God had pointed out, it wouldn’t end just like this.
They would surely meet again someday, somewhere.
The two walked out of the cafe together and went their separate ways.
There was no lingering attachment.
For the first time in her life, Lucia realized that brief encounters could be truly beautiful, and farewells were not just filled with sadness or regrets, but also of anticipation.
It felt like she was experiencing what an author should truly experience. This made her want to pick up a pen right away, but sadly, she had no time to do so.
At one of the largest churches in Graypond, the official location where the Saintess was affiliated, there stood a statue of the goddess holding scales and a sword, thus carving a strong impression in everyone’s mind.
This place served as a church dedicated to the Goddess of Justice, Justia.
In front of it, her long-time friend stood clad in a red cloak with a hood, having come to visit for unknown reasons.
“Oh? Gloria?”
“Lucia!”
Lucia wondered why the Royal Knight Commander was lingering in front of the church, but Gloria immediately hugged her tightly and laughed.
“Since they said you’d be coming today, I’ve been waiting for you. Where were you?”
“Ahaha.”
Until just now, it felt like she had entered the world of a novel, but the appearance of her long-time friend, Gloria, made it feel like cold water had splashed on her.
Not that she minded it, though.
She was happy to see Gloria after a long time, too.
“I just went to meet someone outside. Did you take a day off?”
“Yeah, I took a day off after hearing you were coming.”
Lucia had heard that Royal Knights would have quite a difficulty taking a vacation, so she felt a bit bad that she made her friend wait a long time.
“But I have something to do now…”
She, the Saintess, came to confront the Soul Whisperer the Royal Family appointed.
It would be odd for her to be seen with someone affiliated with the Royal Family, Gloria, the Royal Knight Commander.
Knowing this, Gloria smiled wryly and took a step back.
“I know. I just wanted to see you.”
Somehow, they ended up on opposite sides, but their friendship never wavered.
“….Have you met the Soul Whisperer?”
Lucia wondered if it was okay to ask such a question, but Gloria, not minding much, answered with a strange expression.
“Um, I have… but honestly, I don’t know much about him. He’s incredibly silent but has exceptional abilities.”
“….”
“Honestly, if it weren’t for the kingdom’s prejudice against dark mages. He wouldn’t seem like a bad person. ”
“Re…ally?”
When Lucia hesitated for a moment, Gloria waved her hand as if saying goodbye.
“I’m going now. Hang in there!”
“Yeah, thanks.”
After parting with her best friend regretfully, Lucia took off her glasses and put them in her pocket. She then uncovered her silver hair from the hood and headed into the church.
“S-Saintess!”
“The Saintess is here!”
Cheers from people could be heard from everywhere.
She was no longer Lucia, the author.
Here, she was the noble Saintess who was chosen by God to purify all the evil within Griffin Kingdom.
And so, there was only Lucia Saint.
* * *
[You’re quite skilled, huh?]
“….”
[I didn’t believe the rumor that you were a playboy, but witnessing that, it seems to be true.]
“….”
[Can’t you be kind to me too?]
For a while now, the Dark Spiritualist had been obnoxiously complaining about me spending time with Saintess Lucia.
Although I deliberately kept her away to avoid any trouble, her hearing ability seemed exceptional, and she somehow picked up on our conversation.
[Since we’re about to enter a battle now, wouldn’t it be better to be kind to your mentor, one who is always with you and provides guidance, instead of your enemy?]
Since she seemed like she would continue to complain all day long if I let her, I slightly glanced at the Dark Spiritualist.
A smile filled with expectations could be seen beyond her black veil.
“Keep it down for a bit.”
When I expressed my annoyance, she vanished somewhere with a pout.
