A young man with a frail impression flinched and looked toward the passage at the sound of a bell.
‘Who could it be?’
His heart felt like it was going to explode. Sweat soaked into his clenched fist from the tension.
Even as he tried to calm down, the nightmare from a few days ago kept coming back.
‘It can’t be those thugs, can it?’
He was the very man who had barely escaped with his life thanks to Kailas a few days ago.
His name was Hart.
But the title ‘Doctor’ was more familiar to him.
He was a somewhat well-known doctor in the area.
In the Empire, being a doctor wasn’t a highly respected profession.
When people got hurt, they ran to the temple instead of looking for a doctor.
The richer and higher in social status they were, the more they did so.
They thought it was better to be healed instantly with divine power than to spend a long time getting treated by a doctor.
Of course, not everyone could benefit from divine power. Since Josephina became a saint, the greed of the priests had grown worse.
They wouldn’t move without money.
Even if someone was dying right in front of them, they wouldn’t blink an eye.
The Doctor treated those who couldn’t go to the temple.
So, even though he wasn’t treated with respect, he had lived with a sense of pride in his work.
But a few days ago, something happened that shattered his pride.
[What? Josephina is a fake? Say that again, you filthy bastard!]
[You’re a traitor ruining this Empire! Scum like you should all die!]
It was painful enough to be cursed at for speaking the truth, but to suffer such humiliation in front of his young daughter was even worse.
Though he barely escaped with his life, the incident left a deep wound in the Doctor’s heart. After waking up, his mind was filled with all sorts of anxious thoughts.
‘What if it happens again? Should I quit being a doctor?’
‘What if the thugs come after me? Should I move away?’
He wanted to close the clinic and leave, but too many things held him back. Forcing himself to stay, the work that used to bring him joy became increasingly unbearable.
“Doctor, are you there?”
“Oh, yes.”
The Doctor, stiff with tension, quickly got up from his seat. A heavily pregnant woman was waddling in, holding her back.
“Please, have a seat here.”
“Oh dear, I thought you were out of the clinic. I rang the bell several times, but you didn’t come out.”
“Ha ha, I must not have heard the bell. I guess I was lost in thought for a moment.”
Unable to say that he had been thinking of selling the clinic and running away, he laughed awkwardly. The woman, unaware of his inner turmoil, looked at the Doctor with eyes full of trust.
“Oh my, is something worrying you?”
“Worrying? Not at all. Nothing like that.”
“That’s a relief then.”
A gentle smile appeared on the woman’s lips.
“How fortunate it is that you are here. You saved my child’s life.”
She rubbed her swollen belly and smiled happily.
“If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t have survived the premature labor. The baby would have died. You are the savior of our lives.”
“There are so many skilled doctors around besides me.”
“Oh, don’t say that. If you asked ten random people, they would all give the same answer. There’s no doctor like you.”
“Ha ha…”
The doctor laughed awkwardly, avoiding the woman’s gaze. Then he began the examination.
“Everything seems fine. The baby is healthy too. You remember the precautions, right?”
“Yes. I also met the midwife you introduced. She was very kind.”
“She’s more of an expert on childbirth than I am. All you need to do now is wait.”
“Ten months feels both long and short.”
The woman’s eyes were filled with the excitement of meeting her baby. After helping her out, the doctor contemplated.
‘Should I close the clinic just for today?’
He thought he would be able to get over the shock with time, but he hadn’t. Just the sound of a patient’s footsteps made his heart sink.
‘I should never speak about temple matters again.’
The doctor believed it was more likely that Leticia was the true saint than Josephina.
He also hated seeing the thugs who supported Josephina running wild.
But he resolved never to mention those names again.
‘What does it matter who the saint is? I’m struggling to survive. Whoever the saint is, no one will help me anyway.’
As he swallowed all sorts of complaints inwardly, the bell rang again.
Ring.
The doctor, who was preparing to close the clinic, spoke without turning around.
“We’re closed for today. Please go back.”
“I’m not here for an examination.”
At that moment, an unfamiliar woman’s voice came from behind. The doctor turned around, swallowing his irritation.
“This is a clinic. If you’re not here for an examination, please leave…”
The doctor couldn’t finish his sentence. An overwhelming sense of pressure, something he had never felt before, weighed down on him.
“Huh, huh.”
“Ahwin, stop. He’s a civilian.”
“Oh dear, I did it unconsciously. I’m sorry. Seeing him treat Lady Leticia disrespectfully made my anger surge.”
“So what if he did? Besides, he doesn’t even know who I am.”
“I’m sorry, but it’s the instinct of a wing.”
“Why do you keep saying the same thing as other wings? Ahwin is supposed to be different.”
The doctor stared blankly at the woman who spoke. She was a young woman with long blonde hair and intelligent green eyes.
‘Leticia? He said Leticia?’
Unable to blink, he looked at Leticia, then hesitantly raised his gaze. There stood a tall man with red eyes and black hair tied in a single braid.
‘Ahwin? That’s the name of Josephina’s wing, who was said to be dead, isn’t it?’
At the same time, he began to interpret the conversation he had just overheard.
‘That person is the queen consort who was said to have become the new saint?’
Crash.
The mug the doctor was holding shattered into pieces.
The moment he realized who Leticia was.
The doctor’s mind, already on the edge from days of anxiety, finally overloaded.
At last, the doctor fainted with his eyes wide open.
—
Leticia and Ahwin had come to see the doctor because of Kailas.
They needed to confirm whether it was indeed Kailas’s power that had saved the doctor.
The result greatly pleased Leticia.
“The goddess’s presence still lingers in this man’s body. Given its high purity, it’s definitely the power of healing. It’s clear that Kailas intervened.”
“Oh.”
A deeply relieved Leticia clasped her hands together and prayed to the goddess.
“Thank you so much, Goddess.”
“Congratulations. It seems more likely that Kailas is Leticia’s wing.”
“I need to summon her to me as soon as possible. Ahwin, can you carry out the task I entrusted to you?”
“Don’t worry.”
Ahwin carefully supported Leticia as he spoke.
“You need to rest. You don’t look well.”
“I’m fine…”
“If you keep saying you’re fine, I’ll live like the other wings.”
“…Alright.”
Leticia flinched for a moment, then got up immediately. She left with Ahwin’s support.
After a while, Ahwin returned alone and sat on a chair by the bed.
He then spoke to the doctor.
“I know you woke up a while ago. Why not open your eyes now?”
The doctor, who flinched at the words, slowly opened his eyes.
Seeing the doctor stiff with fear, Ahwin chuckled.
The doctor, unable to look at Ahwin, asked in a trembling voice.
“Where am I?”
“This is the safest place in this city, so don’t worry. We brought you here to confirm something.”
“Confirm something?”
“It’s difficult to explain in detail. In any case, the confirmation is complete. I owe you quite a bit. I’ll repay this debt someday.”
Perhaps because he had gotten what he wanted, Ahwin was exceedingly kind.
Nonetheless, the doctor couldn’t feel at ease.
The memory of facing Ahwin’s aura in the clinic haunted him.
‘Are all wings like that?’
The overwhelming presence of the wing was just as the rumors described. He felt as if he were standing in front of a predator, unable to move.
‘Is he truly the wing of the goddess?’
If so, then indeed, Leticia must be the true representative of the goddess.
‘Stop thinking about it.’
Even though his guess was correct, the doctor quickly suppressed his curiosity.
‘I decided never to get involved with temple matters again.’
The recent events were far too overwhelming for someone as timid as him. Given that Leticia and Ahwin had appeared before him, it was clear that a greater storm was on the horizon.
‘Regardless of who the saint is, I need to prepare to leave. I must take Irene and leave this city tomorrow.’
As he resolved this and wondered when he should mention his departure, he kept an eye on Ahwin.
“You hit your head when you collapsed earlier. Although I treated it with divine power, there may still be some impact. Rest well until you fully recover.”
“W-wait a moment!”
The doctor sprang up and spoke to Ahwin, who was about to leave.
“I need to go home. My daughter is waiting for me!”
“Oh, your daughter isn’t there.”
“…What?”
“She’s here in this mansion. My fiancée is looking after her.”
The doctor stared blankly at Ahwin, then jumped up in surprise.
“My daughter is here? Why? Why did you bring her here? How did you know where she was?”
“You and your daughter were in danger.”
“What?”
“The day you lost consciousness, the thug who did that to you had his tongue cut out. Not only his tongue, but he also lost his mind from the shock.”
“…!”
“It turns out he was one of Lansen’s subordinates, one of Josephina’s wings. Lansen is extremely violent and cruel. He’s looking for the person who did that to his subordinate to exact revenge.”
“You’re saying I’m suspected by a wing?”
“Naturally. His subordinate was following you when that happened. It’s only logical that you’re the prime suspect.”
The doctor looked at Ahwin, pale with fear. Being targeted by Josephina’s wing was a nightmare beyond what an ordinary citizen like him could handle. Ahwin smiled gently.
“Don’t worry. As I said earlier, this is the safest place in the Empire. The true representative of the goddess and her chosen wings are protecting this place. I promised to repay your kindness, didn’t I? I will protect you and your daughter.”
Patting the still-shocked doctor on the shoulder, Ahwin stood up.
“Oh, there is a condition, though.”
“A condition?”
“You might get bored while staying here, so I’d like you to take care of the health of the people here.”
“Health?”
“Yes.”
Ahwin nodded and then smiled slyly.
“I don’t think I need to tell you who you should pay the most attention to, do I?”
* * *
“Kailas!”
The door burst open. Kailas, who had been sitting by the window with an expressionless face, turned her head.
“Lansen, what’s the matter?”
“Damn it! Leticia! That girl must be out of her mind!”
Lansen yelled angrily, throwing the newspaper he was holding. The snow that fell on the floor smudged the portrait on the paper.
“That crazy woman! She used to do nothing but whimper, and now she dares to call herself a saint? A saint?”
Kailas, who had been glaring coldly at Lansen, slowly bent down. Her eyes widened as she picked up the newspaper.
Saint Leticia, Requests an Audience with the Emperor
The newspaper was filled with articles. Leticia was planning to meet the Emperor.
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