Sweetheart 009

Everywhere around Leticia was soaked in red blood.

Her blood was on the hair scattered on the floor and on the vine patterns on the sleeves.

[She was wearing a gray cloak. A vine pattern was drawn on the sleeves.]

[Enoch said he saw the back of his benefactor. He said she’s a rare blonde in the Empire.]

His gaze slowly moved to her wrist.

A shiny silver bracelet was visible on her slender wrist. A black jewel was embedded in the middle.

It was the bracelet Enoch had drawn.

He couldn’t help but realize it. That delicate woman must have been the benefactor who defied the Saintess’ order and saved Enoch’s life.

And the reason she did that.

[I think my benefactor helped me because of Prince Julios. She told me before she left. She said she will protect us, the Principality and His Highness this time.]

That it was to protect him.

Time seemed to pass twice as slowly. The sound of his heart pounding was clearly audible.

[I heard that Prince Julios sacrificed himself to protect his brother.]

They said he survived because of his older brother. That his older brother died protecting him.

Those words were suffocating.

He wanted to visit his dead brother and resent him. He’d prefer letting himself die.

He was only sixteen at the time.

And now, seven years later, the opponent who stole everything from him was in front of him.

Again, trampling on the person who was trying to protect him.

Dietrian consciously controlled his breathing without taking his eyes off Leticia. Because if he didn’t do that, he would break the Saintess’ neck.

“Nice to meet you.”

Dietrian bowed down with his hand on one side of his chest.

“I am Prince Dietrian. Greetings to the Saintess of the Great Empire.”

***

At the same time.

The temple’s herb storage, which contained the most precious herbs in the temple.

The atmosphere there was tense, as always. Priests came and went without rest through the wide open door, and the knights scanned the surroundings with sharp eyes.

If a suspicious person appeared, they would drew their sword and cut them down.

And not far away, a person was watching the scene nervously.

She was a mild-mannered young woman with short brown hair and black eyes.

With her docile features, her outward appearance seemed weak at first glance, but everyone in this shrine knew.

How strong she is. What great power she possessed. None of the paladins guarding the temple could beat her.

“There are too many people. What to do? I have to steal the medicine to neutralize Abraxa before it’s too late…”

Her name was Noel Armos.

She was one of the Nine Wings of the Saintess.

Long ago, the time has come for the Goddess who founded the Empire to leave the human world. She encased her own soul in a black jewel and gave herself to the nine priests who followed her closest.

[You guys should regard the master chosen by this jewel as me and follow them.]

The priests bowed their heads deeply.

[We obey.]

[Also, I will share my authority with you.]

The Goddess said while distributing her power evenly to the nine priests.

[Now you will become the strongest human beings and live an immortal life. Even if you die, you will be reborn.]

Immortal life. It was a gift from the Goddess to them.

[As in this life, protect my representative. Do everything in your power to ensure that the people of the Empire are at peace forever.]

[We obey the will of the Goddess.]

As time passed, the bodies of the priests died, but their souls didn’t die.

Reincarnation after reincarnation, they protected the representative chosen by the Goddess of that era.

People came to look up to them, calling them the Nine Wings of the Goddess.

Because they were chosen by the Goddess, they used power far beyond that of ordinary humans.

They were on par with the elders of Arkensta, the conqueror of the continent. Both in name and reality, they truly became the strongest pillar supporting the Empire.

It was not a matter of will for them to follow the Saintess.

It was instinct.

The moment they first saw them, their whole heart would naturally follow the Saintess.

To obey their master’s will was the only way to their own happiness. They were naturally loyal to the Saintess without being told to do so.

It was the same with this generation’s Nine Wings.

Except for one, Noel. Noel had never felt the love for the Saintess, whom she should have felt as the Goddess’ Wings.

Rather, Josephina disgusted her.

It was the secret of Noel Armos, the Ninth Wing that supported the Empire.

***

Bondi Noel came from the slums.

She lost her parents early and lived a difficult life with her sick younger brother. Day by day, as she was just aiming to survive, the power of her wing awakened.

Her life had changed one hundred and eighty degrees.

A powerless girl who was caught by creditors and almost sold to a brothel became the owner of the greatest power in the Empire.

Even when she first became a Wing, she couldn’t believe the miracle that came to her.

Until yesterday, there was no water to drink, so she cooked porridge with muddy water.

In one day, she came to rule the water as a Wing of the Goddess. It rained at the touch of her hand, and clear underground water gushed out of the ground.

Residents of the slums, who suffered from lack of water, danced in the rain pouring down from the sky.

Their faces, always weighed down by the weight of life, had brighter smiles than ever before.

Noel’s friends ran up to her, who was still bewildered, and raised her up.

[Noel Armos, long live!]

[Noel who became a great Wing of the Empire, Lady Noel Armos, hurrah!]

When she heard those voices sounding throughout the village, she finally realized it.

She had really awakened as the Ninth Wing of the Saintess.

Faced with the pouring rain, she burst into a bright smile. Happiness filled her heart. The miracle that came to her was so thrilling that she shed tears.

Noel thought. Thank you for choosing me, Goddess, I’ll do my best to support the Saintess. As her instincts led her, no, she’ll obey the Saintess more diligently than that.

Unfortunately, that dream was completely shattered as soon as she met Josephina. Unlike the other Wings, she hated Josephina very much.

Her face, which everyone praised as beautiful, was like a demon, and her scent, which should have been covered by perfume, felt like poison. Far from admiration, Josephina was like an enemy who stole everything from her.

After that, life in the temple became hell.

She forcibly hid her feelings, but the limit was gradually approaching. Because of her hatred, she always had to stay away from the other Wings.

In the meantime, she heard the news of the entry of the Principality delegation.

At first, she wasn’t very interested, but things changed when she heard that a young knight was wandering between life and death.

It was because she also had a younger brother who was about the same age.

Her younger brother is weak and had been sick often since childhood. Before awakening as a Wing, the hardest thing was to find medicine to treat her younger brother.

His health was so bad that he needed powerful medicine, but the price of such medicine was too high. The girl head of the slums couldn’t even think of it.

After becoming a wing, she didn’t worry about the cost of medicine at all. When his brother became sick, she could bring him the best medicine.

However, the wounds of the past didn’t completely disappear. So when her brother got sick, she kept paying attention to his condition.

Then, she heard that Josephina had given Abraxa to the patient.

[To think that she’d give such a precious antidote to the scum from the Principality! As expected, the Saintess is amazing!]

Hearing the priests fuss, the back of her head throbbed. She realized what it meant to give Abraxa to a boy whose growth period wasn’t over.

‘The Saintess is going to kill that boy.’

Without thinking twice, she hurried to the herbal storage.

She wanted to find the medicine that would neutralize Abraxa as soon as possible.

She didn’t care that Josephina hated the delegation from the Principality. She also forgot that if it was the Saintess’ command, she had to obey it unconditionally.

However, there were too many people around the herbal storage.

‘There’s no way to get inside to avoid people’s eyes.’

It was possible using the power of a Wing. Because she could blow it all up with water.

‘This is difficult.’

Indeed, lately Josephina’s gaze had been unusual. To avoid her suspicions, she had better remain calm.

‘But I can’t just keep waiting.’

As time passed, the boy must be dying. Over the face of the boy, whom she didn’t even know the face, was the image of her younger brother, who was suffering from lack of medicine.

‘I can’t. Let’s just blow it up.’

Finally, Noel came to that conclusion and raised her hand.

‘I’ll think about the aftermath later and steal the necessary medicine firsts.’

Just like that, at the very moment when she was about to wipe out everyone there with the Goddess’ power.

Tak. Her wrist was grabbed and the spheres of water that formed on her palm splattered.

Noel’s eyes widened as she reflexively turned her head.

A handsome man with long silver hair and red eyes was looking down at her with a hardened face. Noel bit her lip in dismay.

“…it hurts.”

His name is Ahwin. He was the third Wing of the Saintess and Noel’s lover.

***

The Wings of the Goddess recognized their owner as soon as they met the representative chosen by the Elixir.

Even without knowing the identity of the other party, the answer was the same.

Because the impression that spread throughout their hearts gave them confidence. They’d instinctively realize from their soul that this is the true master they had been searching for for so long.

Unfortunately, Noel was not impressed with Josephina at all.

The more she looked, the more she hated her. When it was severe, her teeth would tremble at each and every one of her actions.

There were times when she cried alone, unable to handle the anger that filled her head.

She just couldn’t understand. Why the hell did she hate Josephina so much? To the point of killing her.

‘Is there something wrong with me?’

She ended up blaming the cause on herself.

Because she’s not a proper Wing, she’s broken somewhere, so she can’t be loyal to Josephina.

Thinking that, she hated herself so much that she couldn’t stand it.

She even thought it’d be better to die and let the next Wing appear.

It was Ahwin who caught Noel. Ahwin was Noel’s lover, and was the only one who knew her secret.

Not only did he help her hide her secret, but he always stood by Noel when things got tough.

She felt that if he hadn’t been by her side, she would have killed herself, or she would have run into Josephina, or one of the two would have happened.

Ahwin tried to make whatever Noel wished for, but there’s something he could never yield to.

Just like now, when Noel acted against the Saintess’ evil deeds.

“Noel, why are you here?”

“…”

“Could it be that you’re trying to treat the patient from the delegation?”

Noel bit her lip, not saying anything. He sighed lightly at that stubborn look.

“Noel, I told you. The Saintess is sensitive these days. So, for the time being, you have to be careful.”

“Then, are you saying we should just watch normal people die?”

Noel said, glancing at Ahwin. Those eyes were already stained red. Ahwin’s lips stiffened at her tears.

“I know. Because I’m the Saintess’ Wing. If it’s her word, I must obey unconditionally.”

If Josephina wanted the boy to die, she had to let it go. To blindly obey the will of her master. Because that was a Wing’s mission.

“But you know. I don’t feel anything when I’m in front of her.”

Noel groaned.

“No, it’s rather painful. I even want to kill her!”

---