“Let go! Let go! You stupid woman!”
Sery’s already gloomy face darkened further upon hearing those words, and the strength in her grip increased.
The sound of a scream, much like a pig being slaughtered at the end of the year, echoed throughout the medium-sized clothing store.
This novel experience was quite amusing to Lintis. Her naturally lively eyes blinked repeatedly with a sparkling light, and the smile on her lips never once faded.
Finally, Sery released her hand. Shilo, having been saved, glared at her fiercely before retreating 5 meters away.
Watching his pathetic display, Sery let out a deep sigh, a massive sense of powerlessness washing over her.
‘Damn it, this little brat… I’m working my tail off to help you find a wife, and you pull this stunt?’
She placed her hands on her hips with a look of displeasure and pointed at Shilo. “You little brat, get over here right now!”
Shilo, who was cowering in the corner rubbing his ear, hesitated for a moment before walking over with a face full of reluctance.
As soon as he approached, he saw Sery raise her hand and instinctively took a step back. This earned him a look of utter disdain from her.
“You little brat. Every single day, you’re either cooped up in that crumbling farm of yours or being ordered around by the Church. I told you to get on good terms with people, but all you know how to do is say things that choke people up. I really don’t know how you’ve survived until now.”
“Hmph, none of your business.”
Shilo let out a defiant snort. Sery’s brow twitched wildly, and she began to scratch her hair like she was going crazy, leaving her wavy brown hair quite messy.
A few strands of hair stuck to her cheeks, clinging to the sweat caused by her rising anger. Her originally elegant and mature temperament had vanished completely; one could almost see steam rising from her head.
“I can’t take it anymore! Get out! Get out of here, you brat!”
As she spoke, she raised her foot and delivered a kick. Shilo, who was already on guard, stepped back and caused the strike to miss its mark.
However, the fact that the attack missed did not mean that no one suffered.
Because she had used too much force in her anger, Sery lost her balance the moment she missed her target.
And so, the world gained one more person capable of doing the splits.
“Aaaaaah!!!”
A miserable cry, in no way inferior to the “slaughtered pig” scream from earlier, rang out inside the shop once again.
Shilo arched an eyebrow. Seeing that Lintis had already stepped forward to check on Sery, he silently left the clothing store and returned to the steps by the entrance.
On the other side, after Lintis helped Sery up and sat her on the sofa, she immediately began channeling Holy Arts for treatment.
Holy Arts mastered by priests and knights varied greatly in their results due to their different paths of development.
Priests were generally known for purification, healing, protection, and barriers; they were the ultimate logistical support.
As for knights, most of their Holy Arts were offensive or defensive, extending based on the user’s specialty.
However, they also shared a common characteristic. Whether they were priests or knights, the Holy Arts they mastered were extremely effective against filth. Calling it a “specialized attack” would not be an exaggeration.
Then there was the Saintess, who existed independently of the priest and knight classifications.
In other words, Lintis. She was not limited by those categories. She knew a bit of every kind of Holy Art, which made it convenient for a Saintess to deal with all sorts of situations.
Feeling the pain from the muscle strain gradually subside, Sery stood up and hopped around a couple of times. Finding that it no longer hurt, she was inwardly surprised.
‘This is way too fast! Priests really are incredible!’
Because the cost of seeking a priest for healing was too expensive, a shop owner like her—an ordinary person who rarely suffered injuries throughout the year—naturally didn’t have the same understanding of a priest’s abilities as an adventurer would.
Watching the shocked expression on Sister Sery’s face, Lintis covered her mouth and giggled. In truth, she had been holding it in for a long time.
The girl’s soft, sweet laughter reached Sery’s ears. Only then did she realize that the little sister she had just taken in was laughing at her.
This confused her at first, but a suspicion gradually formed. ‘This girl isn’t gloating, is she?’
Seeing Sery’s gaze turn toward her, Lintis immediately stopped laughing and returned to her previous well-behaved appearance.
But she didn’t realize that this only confirmed Sery’s suspicion.
It seemed that this obedient little sister was likely not as simple as she thought. Sery began to view Lintis in a new light.
‘Hmm… though that’s actually a good thing. I was a bit worried she’d be bullied by that little brat if she was really that fragile. Although, as much of a jerk as he is, he probably wouldn’t outright bully her, but with that personality of his, she might end up being a punching bag.’
It was Sery who had forced the facts and tied the two of them together. If the girl actually ended up being mistreated, Sery would feel guilty.
Thinking of this, Sery looked at the Lintis in front of her, who was pretending to be well-behaved, and became increasingly satisfied.
“Um… Sisi. That little brat, Shilo… he’s usually not like this. Believe me, he’s not usually such an eccentric character…”
“Ah! That…” Lintis reached out to interrupt, blinking her eyes as she continued. “Sister Sery, I already know that. After living with Mr. Shilo for these past 2 days, I actually have a bit of an understanding of him. And…”
At this point, Lintis paused, recalling the image of Shilo barking like a dog earlier.
“Pfft… Ah… sorry. It’s just that I find this kind of thing quite fun. To be honest, I kind of wanted to let out a couple of howls myself.” After saying this, Lintis smiled with a slightly flushed face.
‘What do you mean you wanted to let out a couple of howls too?’
Sery was a bit dazed. ‘Do young people nowadays actually like this sort of thing?’
‘Huh? Wait?’
Something suddenly clicked in her mind.
“Wait! Little Sisi! You’re living together!?” Sery suddenly grabbed Lintis by the shoulders, forcing the latter to meet her eyes. Her gaze was filled with shock and disbelief.
“Yes…” Startled by the other’s reaction, Lintis spoke subconsciously and immediately regretted it.
‘Oh no…’
Sure enough, Sery’s eyes lit up. She pulled Lintis into a hug, her affection for her becoming overwhelmingly clear.
But Lintis knew all too well—that was the damn affection one has for a younger brother’s wife!!!
—
Ten minutes later.
Lintis stood at the entrance of the clothing store, carrying several large and small bags. After listening to Sister Sery nag about her and Mr. Shilo for over ten minutes, she felt exhausted.
No matter how she tried to explain during that time, Sister Sery was already convinced that she and Shilo were a pair.
‘I’m out of options, brother…’
Shifting the bags in her full hands, Lintis missed her spatial ring a little…
Before leaving, she bid farewell to Sery. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of something white.
‘That is…’
Noticing Lintis’s curious gaze falling behind her, Sery looked back, the corners of her mouth curling up once again.
It was a wedding dress, custom-made for a couple planning to marry soon.
Seeing that Lintis was looking at it in a daze, Sery suddenly leaned close to her face and whispered, “Do you like it? When the time comes for your and Little Shilo’s wedding, I’ll make one for you too. Just leave it to me!”
“No, no, no, that’s not it!”
‘How did we jump straight to marriage!’
Lintis felt a cold sweat break out and repeatedly denied it.
In response, Sery only gave a faint smile, assuming she was just being shy.
Lintis knew she couldn’t explain it clearly again, so she simply gave up and continued to look at the wedding dress for a moment.
‘It’s so beautiful…’
For some reason, she actually fantasized about what she would look like wearing it.
The next second, she found her childish thoughts amusing.
She bid Sery goodbye, turned around, and prepared to push the door open.
As she reached out to grab the door handle, she whispered something under her breath.
“Marriage… is someone like me even allowed that?” Lintis gave a self-deprecating smile.
Even she couldn’t say for sure whether she was a man or a woman. Was she really going to go out and ruin someone else’s life?
Even if she didn’t think about that, would she marry a man or a woman?
A woman would fit her sexual orientation, but the many events of her past life still echoed in her mind like a nightmare.
As for… a man?
That was even more impossible…
‘So, to avoid hurting others and for my own sake, I should probably just grow old alone~’
‘Sigh… well, I suppose that’s why I’m the Saintess~’