Chapter 21: True Love Always Belongs to the Winner (Part 3)

“Then, that will be six copper coins, my two beautiful ladies. Please, come right in!”

‘Six coppers… Let me look through my pouch. I think there’s a little bit left…’

‘Oh no, it looks like I don’t have enough.’

Hailey, looking a bit embarrassed, lowered her head and searched the bottom of her pouch with a sliver of hope.

Finally, she looked at Idledra with a troubled expression.

“The money… it’s… not enough.”

As the Saintess, although Hailey received the admiration and love of the citizens and believers, the job didn’t come with any income.

All donations made in the name of blessings and prayers eventually flowed into the greedy hands of the Holy See.

At most, she could afford a bit of bread…

But at some point — perhaps it was when she was casually complaining about how the Saintess couldn’t even afford to buy anything — Idledra would always manage to conjure several shiny coins from her pocket.

Copper coins, silver coins, and sometimes even a few gold ones.

“This is a gift I went to great lengths to obtain for the Saintess, granted by the Goddess.”

Hailey didn’t know if the accountants of the Holy See noticed that the money they embezzled occasionally went missing, or why they would randomly get beaten up.

Hailey was so worried that this girl would one day be caught and taken away…

Wait, why was she worrying about her?

If she was taken away, couldn’t Hailey just replace her?

‘How strange…’

Regardless, Hailey would carefully save the coins in her pouch until it became plump and full.

“By your command, my Saintess.”

Sensing Hailey’s uneasy gaze, Idledra smiled and flicked one silver coin into the red-haired woman’s hand.

Indeed, Hailey couldn’t do anything without her by her side.

Next time, she would have to go take more spoils from those old bastards in the Holy See…

It really wasn’t easy to force them to give the Saintess a subsidy; she even had to go negotiate in person.

‘Little Hailey probably worries every day whether I’ll get caught. What a cute thought.’

But if she knew I had grabbed that old, undying Priest by the collar and forced him to hand over the money, would she be even more terrified?

Forget it.

As long as Hailey is happy, I can take back every mountain of gold those old bones have embezzled.

“Oh my, you are certainly a generous guest! You don’t need to say another word. Let us begin!”

The red-haired fortune-teller, Fran, had settled here from elsewhere.

She called herself a mage-fortune-teller.

Though she only knew a tiny bit of divination magic, she vowed with absolute certainty that she could peer into fate.

“Saintess — I mean, lovely silver-haired young lady, please place your hand on the Magic Crystal Ball.”

The Magic Crystal Ball, shimmering with a purple luster, was carefully placed on a silk cloth.

Hailey looked at the strange light flickering faintly within it, feeling both curious and hesitant.

“Um, I would like to try the Rune Divination you mentioned earlier, Miss Fran.”

Fran’s hand visibly paused.

She then guiltily glanced up at the ceiling of the tent, her face twisting into an awkward, stuttering expression.

“Uh… actually, I only know Crystal Ball Divination. Everything else was just boasting.”

Fran had only read about those Eastern legends in the library’s collection.

Because she liked them so much, she used them to trick people…

Having no other choice, Hailey felt a bit disappointed as she gently placed her hand on the Magic Crystal Ball.

A faint pattern began to emerge on the smooth surface.

Fran’s hands moved mysteriously on both sides of the Magic Crystal Ball as she muttered some incomprehensible, strange incantation.

“Miss, your Mana is incredibly pure. It’s like a blank sheet of paper…”

Something wasn’t right.

This was the Empire’s most holy and sacred Saintess, the spokesperson for the Goddess — why would her Mana look like this?

Although her Mana was incredibly abundant, there wasn’t a single impurity.

In fact, it didn’t even have a magical property of its own.

Even if Fran had just arrived at the Imperial Capital, she had heard more or less about this Saintess Idledra.

The most sacred Holy Magic bestowed by the Goddess represented the light and hope of the Holy See…

She looked at the curious girl before her again.

There wasn’t even a trace of Holy Magic on her.

To put it another way, this person was essentially a walking Mana potion.

“Miss Fran?”

“Ah, I’m fine! Your body is a bit unique, so I dazed off for a moment. Let’s continue…”

She decided not to worry about it for now and focus on providing service.

The customer was king.

“The Goddess of Fate guides me. It seems you have a fated person, and it started… not long ago?”

Hailey was quite composed. After all, she had only been summoned into this body not long ago.

In that case, it seemed the Goddess of Fate couldn’t peer into her past life.

That was a bit of a pity.

“Your fated person… it seems you will have to wait for a very, very long time. And it seems they won’t arrive…”

Fran hesitated.

After all, those in the divination business had to tell the truth, but saying this out loud felt like it would easily offend people.

“It’s fine. I understand.”

After all, it was just divination. Superstition isn’t necessarily reliable.

‘Haha, don’t believe in this too much, haha…’

Despite saying that, disappointment inevitably appeared on Hailey’s face.

Suddenly, a pair of arms wrapped around her again.

“The person Hailey is waiting for? If they won’t arrive, then perhaps it’s because that person has already found Hailey.”

As long as Hailey was willing, the person she waited for could only be me.

Then there would be no need to wait…

With a gentle flick of Idledra’s finger, the Magic Crystal Ball began to grow restless.

Faint magical cracks even began to appear.

“If Hailey can’t wait for that person, maybe if you look back, they might be right behind you…”

‘Look at me. Only I can be the only one in your life. I won’t allow anyone else to come near.’

Hailey was a bit confused, but for some reason, she managed to understand several key points.

She lowered her head in silence.

‘What nonsense… who is fated with you? We are clearly just bound by a twisted fate…’

Seeing the tips of Hailey’s ears flush red, Idledra gave them a gentle pinch, nearly making the girl jump.

“Um, you two, I don’t really want to interrupt your private interests…”

But if she didn’t stop them, this would be the only Magic Crystal Ball she had left.

She had planned to keep it as a family heirloom for generations…

Idledra reached out and mimicked Hailey’s movement, gently touching the Magic Crystal Ball.

The cracks finally returned to normal, and the ball ceased its agitation.

“This lady, your Mana is also very pure Holy Magic… Wait a moment?”

The Saintess had no trace of Holy Magic on her.

Instead, this lady’s body possessed the purest kind…

She was excessively similar to the Saintess, yet she had intentionally chosen a different hair color and accessories.

It was as if she were intentionally saying they were different. Could it be…

“Shh.”

Fran’s Magic Crystal Ball failed instantly, its original purple luster turning dim.

Idledra’s right hand had been placed on it at some point, while her left hand quietly made a shushing gesture to her lips.