Cold water cascaded over his head, and Shilo felt it was a little difficult to breathe.
However, he did not pull away. He leaned into the sensation, breathing with slight effort.
For some reason, he could not calm his heart down at all right now, perhaps because of that one comment the old bastard had made.
When he had walked through the door and met the Saintess’s eyes, there really was one moment where he had actually fantasized about her being his newlywed wife.
As soon as that thought surfaced, he wished he could find a hole to crawl into.
He let the water run over him for a while. Once his heart had finally calmed down, Shilo activated the magic stone, adjusting the flow to hot water to wash away the grime from his busy day.
During these days of living with the Saintess, he realized there had not been a single day of peace.
Ever since she had barged into his life, his once-calm daily routine had drifted further and further away. This feeling of an uncertain future made him extremely uncomfortable.
The way to return to his former life was quite simple.
The option of returning the ring directly to the Saintess and then kicking her out surfaced in Shilo’s mind, but he fell silent the next second.
On one hand, the Saintess knew he had stolen her ring. She had chosen to stay here despite knowing the truth. If he broke this delicate balance, it was hard to say whether the Saintess would actually do something to him.
On the other hand… Shilo remembered his conversation with the Saintess in the Black Forest not long ago.
The Saintess was powerful. He was not sure exactly how powerful she was, but a person like that had said she would teach him holy arts.
To be honest… he was tempted…
In the future, no matter what he wanted to do, the stronger he was, the better… and now, the opportunity was right in front of him…
Shilo shook his head and dried himself off before changing into a set of clean clothes. In the end, he abandoned the idea of driving the Saintess away.
No matter what the Saintess was planning, there was only one thing he could do, and that was to use her to make himself stronger.
Thinking of this, he pushed open the door and left the bathroom. He intended to pass through the living room to the kitchen to prepare dinner.
However, he discovered that the “culprit” who had been making him feel so restless was currently lying on the sofa, fast asleep.
Shilo: “…”
What was this?
He suddenly felt as if he were fighting a battle of wits against thin air…
Feeling frustrated, Shilo instantly lost his appetite.
As for the Saintess’s dinner?
What did that have to do with him?
With a cold snort, Shilo turned around and went upstairs to his room. After tossing and turning in bed for more than ten minutes, he walked back down with a grim expression.
He stared at the soundly sleeping Saintess with great annoyance for a long while. Shilo felt a tightness in his chest but had nowhere to vent it.
When facing the Saintess, his anger always felt like it was hitting a bale of cotton.
Finally, after a struggle with his own thoughts, Shilo sighed and leaned over, preparing to carry the Saintess back to her own room.
His movements stopped when he was less than an arm’s length away from her. He looked at that defenseless, tender face that looked like an infant’s.
Possessed by some strange impulse, he reached out his hand and gently pressed his fingertip against the Saintess’s cheek.
‘So soft… and a bit springy… It feels surprisingly good…’
That thought was the first to enter his mind. As if to reinforce the impression, Shilo unconsciously poked it two more times…
By the time he snapped out of it, he was already pinching the Saintess’s cheeks with both hands. Although it was a somewhat crude gesture, it did not ruin her overall beauty. Instead, it made her look even more adorable.
…Wait… what am I doing?
Shilo retracted his hands sheepishly. Just then, the Saintess in front of him suddenly let out a soft “Mmm…” Her voice was soft and sweet.
In the next second, those closed eyes slowly opened.
A pair of dazed, misty eyes looked straight at Shilo. She blinked gently, still carrying the lingering traces of sleep. Her gaze was soft, and she looked like an angel who had just awakened from a fairy tale.
Shilo opened his mouth, wanting to explain something, but for a moment, he did not know what to say. However, the scene that followed made his entire body freeze, and his pupils dilated bit by bit.
Before he could pull his hand away, the Saintess suddenly leaned her cheek into it and rubbed against it. She made a cute sound like a kitten acting spoiled, then somewhat willfully pressed his palm under her head and fell back asleep.
For a time, the entire living room was terrifyingly quiet. If one listened carefully, they could hear the sound of Shilo’s heartbeat, which was nearly jumping out of his chest.
After an unknown amount of time, Shilo, knowing he could not maintain this posture forever, swallowed hard. He nudged the Saintess’s shoulder and said softly:
“Saintess, if you are going to sleep, please go back to your room. You will catch a cold sleeping here.”
His tone was unusually gentle, though he did not notice it himself.
Fortunately, the Saintess opened her eyes this time, even if they were only half-open and filled with obvious sleepiness.
The moment her small head lifted slightly, Shilo took the opportunity to pull his hand back. He immediately stood to the side, acting as if nothing had happened.
The Saintess slowly sat up, her head nodding as if she might fall back asleep at any second. It seemed she had not noticed his little actions at all.
As if her brain had issued a command, the half-dreaming Saintess stood up while clutching a pillow. The blanket that had been draped over her slid down, revealing her smooth neck.
Then, hugging the pillow, the Saintess wobbled toward the stairs. Shilo followed close behind. For some reason, he felt like she might fall flat on her face.
Sure enough, after taking only two or three steps up the stairs, the Saintess’s foot missed its mark, and her entire body fell backward.
Shilo, who was already prepared, felt a jolt of alarm. He stepped forward and caught her firmly in his arms.
He instinctively wanted to complain, only to find that the Saintess, who had fallen into his arms, had actually fallen asleep again.
Shilo: “…”
‘Am I some father raising a child?’
He carried the Saintess back to her room, placed her on the bed, and covered her with the quilt before leaving without looking back.
He went to the living room and opened the door, sitting on the steps at the entrance. He hung his head, rubbing his fingers together as he stared at his fingertips, lost in thought.
Shilo let out a deep sigh and stood up. He grabbed a nearby hoe and headed into the farmland to start working.
He knew that he would probably find it very difficult to fall asleep tonight.
***
The next morning.
Shilo, who had worked until the middle of the night, eventually went back to lie down for a few hours.
He woke up early in the morning and began to prepare breakfast.
Today, he had deliberately prepared a more sumptuous meal. Since the Saintess was willing to guide him, he did not mind repaying her in these small ways.
He spent twice as much time as usual. Looking at the abundant breakfast on the table, Shilo searched the living room but found no trace of the Saintess.
This made him feel a bit confused. Normally, the Saintess would have followed the scent down long ago…
On the principle of eating while it was hot, Shilo went upstairs to the Saintess’s room to check on her.
He knocked gently on the door and said, “Saintess, please do not stay in bed. Breakfast is ready. Didn’t you say you were going to guide me in swordsmanship?”
After he spoke, he waited for dozens of seconds, but there was still no movement inside.
Shilo frowned slightly, feeling that something was strange. Although the Saintess was usually lazy, she generally woke up quite early, especially since she had gone to sleep so early yesterday…
With suspicion in his heart, he knocked on the door again. When there was still no response, he simply twisted the doorknob.
“Saintess, I am coming in.”
With that, he pushed the door open and stepped inside.
Scanning the room, Shilo immediately located his target. The Saintess really was sleeping in…
The corner of his mouth twitched as he walked over.
“Saintess, please don’t stay in bed—Saintess!!!”
Halfway there, Shilo’s eyes widened suddenly. He let out a cry of alarm and rushed to the bedside.
The Saintess was lying in bed, tucked under the covers, but her face was terrifyingly weak, without a hint of color.
Her eyes were tightly shut, and her expression was one of extreme pain, as if she were trapped in a horrific nightmare.