After pressuring the Tower Master for a while, Sigismund finally explained as if he had a little sympathy.
“Doesn’t Dinute’s power have a particular characteristic? Do you know when the Goddess’s wings awaken?”
“…Is it when facing a great danger?”
“That’s right.”
The power of the wings awakens when they face a great peril, such as a threat to their life or the death of a loved one. It’s the hidden power of the soul that reveals itself to save its owner in dire situations.
“The awakening of the Saintess is no different.”
“…”
“Josephina’s curse was meant to kill that girl. It was much stronger than before. So, what do you think will happen in the future?”
While the effect of the curse was transferred to Sigismund, it didn’t change the fact that Leticia’s soul perceived the curse as a threat.
This was the catalyst for her dormant power to awaken. Sigismund’s laughter grew louder.
“Just now, Josephina essentially dug her own grave.”
* * *
At the same time, Noel was enduring an agonizing wait outside Josephina’s room.
Josephina’s room had been firmly shut throughout the past two days.
“Lady Noel, perhaps you should ask the Saintess once more.”
“If it’s Lady Noel’s request, she might open the door.”
For two days straight, Josephina had locked herself in her room, refusing to come out. Even the royal prince Callisto and the princess Dana had been ignored when they came to have lunch with her.
Josephina’s stubbornness was beyond belief, and her attendants had struggled for a long time.
Those who had failed to persuade her had come rushing to Noel for help.
“Just once more, could you ask her just once more?”
Noel, who hoped that Josephina would never leave her room again, couldn’t help but feel annoyed.
“Why do you keep doing this to me? I’ve already told you. I don’t want to do anything that goes against the Saintess’s will.”
“But…”
“Perhaps the Saintess also needs some alone time. So let’s wait patiently, alright?”
Saying this, Noel released a burst of her wing energy, causing everyone to recoil in fear and back away. Of course, they would return later, pestering her again.
“Lady Noel, could you please check once more…”
Whether they said it or not, Noel had no time to deal with Josephina right now.
“Lady Leticia, are you safely crossing the Pebble Desert? It must not be easy for a first-timer. What if you injure your feet?”
Worries about Leticia’s journey through the desert were eating away at her.
“Are those diplomats from the Principality taking good care of you? They’re not treating you like Josephina’s daughter, right?”
“That Tenua, that bastard, is he behaving himself? He better not have done anything foolish already.”
“Ugh, I’m so anxious. Should I have just followed them? Should I go after them now? What if I get caught? What should I do?”
Various worries flooded her mind.
“Stay calm. After all, Ahwin is with them. he promised to protect Leticia, so he’ll surely succeed.”
That’s right. She found some peace, even if only briefly.
“But Ahwin is Josephina’s wings. Leticia won’t like it. Can he really protect her well?”
Anxiety surged again.
“Noel Amos. Do you still not know Ahwin? He’s the kind of person who keeps his promises no matter what. There’s no need to worry.”
Thinking about Ahwin’s character, she felt reassured for a moment.
“But I feel like I have no conscience. I dislike Josephina so much while hoping Ahwin will protect Leticia…”
She immediately let out a deep sigh, berating herself. Noel stared at the closed door, feeling a sense of guilt.
“I should be at least half as good as Ahwin…”
Ahwin had promised to protect Leticia, so she had tried to treat Josephina a bit more kindly during this time. But no matter how hard she tried, her heart didn’t budge. Even now, she wanted to break down the door and give Josephina a piece of her mind.
“When Ahwin returns, I should apologize properly.”
Not knowing the heart behind Ahwin’s departure weighed heavily on Noel’s mind. She sighed with fatigue, her eyebrows furrowing.
“I miss Lady Leticia…”
Her head felt dizzy, and she longed to see Leticia. It was like the instinct of a wing, naturally seeking the owner of their soul.
Noel slumped her shoulders and muttered to herself.
“I wish Lady Leticia could stroke my head…”
She remembered the times when she leaned against Leticia’s knees. When she surrendered herself to the warm and gentle touch of Leticia’s hand, it felt as if she had become a puppy.
Despite the unease and restlessness that had plagued her since she awakened as a wing, it all felt like a lie now.
Leticia was gone. Noel was left alone, and she had to deal with the wretched Josephina.
As Noel swallowed her melancholy, she suddenly heard a piercing scream.
“Kyaaaaah!”
Startled, she quickly raised her head. The scream abruptly cut off.
“What’s happening? What is it?”
Noel got up from her seat, bewildered.
“Could it be Lady Josephina’s scream?”
“Lady Noel, Noel! It’s the Saintess, the Saintess!”
The temple attendants were in a frenzy, which seemed to confirm her suspicions.
“I’ll check. Please wait a moment.”
Noel approached Josephina’s room with determination. She knocked on the door and spoke.
“Lady Saintess, it’s Noel. May I come in?”
“…”
“Lady Saintess, Lady Saintess!”
Finally, Noel placed her hand on the doorknob.
“I apologize, Saintess. I will go in…”
Click. However, the door was locked. To break it or not? The answer came quickly. Noel turned her head sharply and reached out her hand to the waist of the nearest knight, taking his sword.
“Just for a moment.”
“Ugh!”
In an instant, she struck the handle with the sword. Clang! Despite being infused with the power of her wings, the handle remained intact.
Noel raised an eyebrow. Once again, she struck it forcefully. With the sound of metal hitting metal, violet flames flickered.
“Purple?”
Noel’s eyes widened.
“Did she lock the door with holy power?”
The violet flames were evidence that Josephina’s power was at play.
“What a nuisance.”
Noel sighed and took a step back. After a day of constant struggle, she was reaching her limit. All she could think about was sorting out the situation and returning to her room.
“The Saintess has locked the door. We’ll have to break through the wall, so everyone please step back.”
“What? What are you doing?”
“We need to break the wall. It might be dangerous, so please move away.”
The temple attendants and holy knights panicked at Noel’s words.
“No! If you do that, Lady J-Josephina will never forgive you!”
Josephina was known as the tyrant of the temple. She hated anything that disturbed her peace of mind. Even if there was a valid reason for an action, if it upset her, she would not hesitate to kill.
“You can see the Saintess locked the door for a reason. We can’t just…”
Noel interrupted them with a determined voice.
“Excuse me, did you just hear a scream?”
“But even if that’s the case, breaking the wall…”
“So what do you suggest we do? We have no way to get inside.”
“Trying to persuade her as much as possible…”
“Persuasion? In this situation? She’s not even responding!”
Noel couldn’t believe it. They were worried about facing punishment even after hearing their mistress scream.
“Why are there such stupid humans?”
She was growing increasingly frustrated, to the point where her patience ran thin.
“If Lord Ahwin were here, he would have resolved this easily…”
Somewhere, Ahwin’s name was mentioned.
“Right. He would have persuaded the Saintess in some way.”
“In the Principality, Lady Noel should have gone instead of Lord Ahwin.”
While they spoke in lowered voices, their words were clearly audible to Noel.
As if their foolishness couldn’t get any worse, they dared to utter her lover’s name, further ruining her mood.
Noel, gritting her teeth, said with a bitter tone, “This is your last warning. Move aside.”
“No!”
“The Saintess will kill all of us! Please, just…”
“Please, use words to persuade her!”
Finally, Noel’s patience snapped.
“Words? Forget that!”
She shouted and swung her hand without hesitation.
In the garden, a stream of blue water shot up into the night sky. The ropes of water, glistening white in the moonlight, surged forward in an instant.
Crash! The glass window shattered into pieces as the water stream rushed inside.
At an incredible speed, it enveloped the legs and waists of the people in sight and quickly pulled them out.
“Ahh!”
“P-People are…”
Noel didn’t show any mercy and swept them all away.
There was no reason to be merciful. The people here were all Josephina’s followers, the ones who had actively participated in tormenting Leticia.
“Phew, it’s finally quiet.”
The rushing water that had swept away the people approached. It writhed outside the shattered window, like a living snake.
Noel anxiously stared at the wall adorned with a blue tapestry.
“Can I break it all at once?”
Although it was a daunting task compared to her abilities as the ninth wing, now was not the time for hesitation.
After taking a deep breath, she declared.
“Break everything.”
Simultaneously, *Kwaaang!*
With an enormous roar, the water streams attacked the wall.
Countless water droplets scattered as the entire building shook. The golden lines spread rapidly around the tapestry.
Noel quickly covered her mouth with her hand and turned away.
A moment later.
The wall collapsed with a loud rumble, and a cloud of dust billowed up.
“Oh, it was easier than I thought?”
Surprised by her own strength, Noel leaped over the debris of the collapsed wall and entered.
Leave a Reply