A Saint Who Was Adopted by the Grand Duke

Chapter 166: The End Is Where It Begins (V)

“Yes. It’s just unfair to go.”

Esther raised her tightly clenched fists upwards.

Then, as if she was really going to punch, she slammed it towards Espitos’ shoulder.

Espitos did not dodge, even though she could have avoided it. She stood still and waited to be hit.

If Esther really wanted to hit her, she was willing to take any number of blows until she calmed down.

However, Esther’s fists lost their speed just before they touched, and they landed on Espitos’ arm.

“I will not forgive you. The reason why I helped this time is to protect the people who are important to me.”

Instead of hitting her, she pinched Espitos’ arms.

“I know. I won’t ask for forgiveness.”

Espitos smiled brightly even as she complained and pretended to be in pain.

And with determination, Esther hugged Espitos tightly.

“Still… Thank you for bringing me back. Thanks to that, I was able to meet my current family. If I had just died, I would not have known such happiness.”

Surprised by words of gratitude, Espitos’ lips parted slightly.

She gently closed her eyes and slowly raised her arms and embraced Esther.

“I’m sorry.”

The resonance of her voice also reached Esther’s ears.

“…I will really go back now.”

Esther awkwardly moved away and quickly looked away, embarrassed of her actions.

“You know that in the future, even if you die, you will not come back to life, right? You only live once like everyone else, so be careful.”

“Isn’t that normal? I will live hard every day for an uncertain tomorrow.”

With that, Esther turned around and ran vigorously on the golden path.

After running for a long time, she glanced back. Espitos was already gone.

“How far do I have to go?”

Esther thought she had covered quite a bit of distance, but the road still continued.

And around the single road, a round halo of light was formed.

She stopped and looked around because it was pretty, but suddenly a familiar face came into her eyes.

“Is that… Noah?”

Among the round lights floating around, there was one that depicted a view of a sleeping Noah.

Noah was groaning and breaking out in a cold sweat, as if he was having a painful dream.

“You’ve been having nightmares.”

That sight made her sad, so she strayed slightly from the road.

She wondered if it might be the same Noah she saw right before she passed out in the Saint’s Palace.

As she gently touched the group of lights…

“Huh?”

Instantly, Esther was sucked into the light.

Confused, she looked around and saw a familiar bed and window.

“This is the sanctuary. Why is Noah here again?”

Once inside, I slowly approached Noah, who was lying on the bed.

Noah’s skinny body and extremely lean face made him look gaunt.

“How young. It must have been before you met me.”

The sleeping Noah was in many ways different from the Noah Esther knew today.

His face was still young, but he looked very sick and distressed.

She knew it wasn’t the current Noah, but she couldn’t pass it, so she put her hand on his chest and comforted gently.

“It’s all right. The bad dreams will stop when you wake up.”

Little by little, his expression seemed to ease. Then, Noah’s eyelids lifted.

‘Your eyes…’

Esther stepped back in surprise when she saw Noah’s black eyes.

There was no emotion in his eyes.

The look in those eyes was something she knew very well— waiting to die after giving up on everything.

‘It’s like the old me.’

Noah’s current appearance resembled her own, back when she went up to Deheen to asked to be killed. Her heart ached.

“Are you the assassin who came to kill me? Go ahead and kill me. I will not rebel.”

It was an unimaginable sight. Esther had always seen Noah bright and smiling.

‘That’s how painful it was. You too.’

Noah always seemed so strong, so Esther thought he overcame difficult situations well.

She hadn’t even thought that there was a time when he was struggling this much.

“Do you want to die?”

“Yes. Since I’m sick, I will die anyway. It means nothing to me to live forcibly like this. I’d rather die.”

Noah closed his eyes and repeatedly told her to kill him.

“Please don’t die.”

As if Esther’s words were surprising, Noah opened his eyes again. His expression showed he couldn’t comprehend what was going on.

“Even my family abandoned me. Everyone wants me to die here.”

“At least, not me. Endure it.”

Esther placed her hand on top of Noah’s.

Surprised by the sudden touch, Noah’s eyes narrowed in surprise.

“Endure it? What will change if I endure it?”

“Yes. It can change. As long as you don’t give up, you can change.”

Esther stared at Noah and smiled prettily.

Then Noah’s cheeks turned visibly red.

“Okay, you’re not an assassin. How did you get in here? No, am I still dreaming?”

“That’s right. It must be a dream.”

Still suspicious, Noah gazed blankly at Esther and asked her for her name.

“…What is your name?”

“Pfft.”

Esther’s eyes widened, and somehow she felt a tickle and laughed out loud.

Come to think of it, on the first day they met at the sanctuary, somehow, Noah knew who she was as soon as he saw her, and he called her by name.

But now, Noah was wary of her and asked for her name.

“Was it also destiny?”

Esther suddenly leaned over. Gently, she hugged the lying Noah.

“What, what are you doing… Are you actually here to kill me?”

Esther whispered in Noah’s ear.

“Esther. I am Esther.”

After saying that, Esther disappeared just like how she came in.

Rubbing his eyes several times in search of Esther, who had suddenly disappeared, Noah tousled his hair.

“Is this really a dream? Maybe, I can even feel illusions now.”

Alone, Noah’s eyes closed again. Engulfed in darkness, and he covered his eyes with his arms, not wanting to see the light.

Nevertheless, on this day, Esther’s name was imprinted in Noah’s mind.

It was also the day when Noah’s eyes, which had been empty ever since he was kicked out of the palace, contained a small light.

★★★

“I told you to go straight. You can’t stray. I was going crazy while watching.”

“I’m sorry.”

It was Espitos who brought Esther back to the right path.

While listening to the voice of Espitos who kept nagging to go straight…

Esther found the true exit.

When she touched the light, her vision brightened and a slight headache came over her.

As she wrapped her hands around her throbbing head, her body felt strangely heavy.

There was someone over her body. Hugging her very tightly, like he never wanted to let go.

“Here you are again.”

Amazed, Esther stared at Noah, who she had a deeper connection with than she thought.

This time, she was so close that even his long, voluminous eyelashes could be seen.

Her heart was pounding as she kept examining him. Moments later, embarrassment finally sunk in and she cleared her throat.

“No-Noah. Wake up. It’s heavy.”

Strangely, as soon as Esther called, Noah’s mind, which had been unconscious the entire time, returned.

He was crying profusely right before he fainted, so the remnants of those tears fell as soon as he opened his eyes.

“What. Why are you crying?”

Esther lifted her hand and wiped away Noah’s tears.

“Are you okay? Are you alive? Are you hurt anywhere?”

Noah hugged Esther again and looked around.

“Yes. I am very fine.”

“Somehow, the Saint’s Palace was collapsing, and you were alone in it. You could have been in big trouble.”

“There was a situation. I thought you’d get mad at me. You’ve changed a lot.”

Esther patted Noah on the back because she was proud of him, who became upset when he remembered his worry after confirming that she was all right.

“Me? What changed?”

“You should know better.”

Unable to understand the significance of Esther’s meaningful grin, Noah tilted his head away from Esther’s.

“But why are you here when you should be in the Imperial Palace? What happened?”

“I felt like I needed to save you…”

“How did you know I would be at the temple?”

“I don’t know, but I fell asleep while reading a book, and I dreamed that you were among the rubble. And suddenly, I moved here.”

“You moved? While at the Imperial Palace?”

“Yes. I begged earnestly to let me help you, but you really appeared before me.”

Noah said he had no idea what happened.

Esther guessed that Espitos had done something, but she pretended to not know as well and moved on.

“Even so… why did you jump in like that? Didn’t you think you could die? You’re too reckless.”

“I had no choice but to save you. If you’re dead, there’s no point in me being alive.”

Noah’s serious eyes, without any mischief, sparkled enough to make the viewer’s heart tremble.

Caught by that gaze, Esther was embarrassed. Flinching away, she averted her gaze to the side.

“Why is there no meaning? We’re just friends… Are you hurt anywhere?”

“A stone hit my shoulder and it broke, but it’s fine now. My body feels refreshed. I thought you healed me.”

“Oh, maybe…!”

Esther looked at the inside of the protective film that shimmered as if gold dust had been sprinkled on it.

Noah’s disease, called the curse of god, might have been cured if it was within the protective shield imbued with the power of Espitos.

“Noah, can you give me your hand?”

“Hand? here.”

To Esther’s outstretched hand, Noah raised his hand like a puppy.

Fascinatingly, the turbid energy that she always felt from him had disappeared.

“Ah!”

“What’s the matter?”

“Noah, you’re all better now.”

Esther couldn’t hide her joy and jumped in place with Noah’s hand in hers.

“Really? Even though it’s almost cured, you said it’s a disease that can’t be cured with your power.”

“I thought so, but there is someone much stronger than me. You won’t have to drink holy water anymore.”

Esther, who had been secretly delivering holy water to Noah, was delighted as if it was her own work.

“Okay then, let’s get out of here.”

“But how do we get out? It’s so strong.”

Even when Noah pounded or kicked the barrier, it didn’t budge.

Esther gazed at the golden shield and stretched out her hand.

Then the mark of awareness appeared on the back of her hand.

“She said my power would be almost gone.”

Esther thought she would hardly be able to use her divine power now, but…

Even if it wasn’t as strong as before, she felt enough divine power in her body.

She thought she had used all her strength to create a barrier, but it didn’t seem like that.

When she slowly put her hand on the protective shield, it melted at once, as if it was reacting to her.

Ame: How cute…? The beginning is more than a little weird, but overall… okay, sure ^^;