The saintess shot a look of indignation at Irene and Kane, before turning her attention back to the transforming Estian. He hadnât lost total control yet, but the problem was the two fools who continued to obliviously argue near him instead of escaping.
âIâm telling you to lay off my maid!â
âThose are my words! Desist with your meddling!â
The saintess had always wished to be the object of affection in a fight between two suitors one day, but she had never expected that one side would end up being a woman. âIâm such a sinful woman,â she thought, shaking her head. Still, how could she be blamed for possessing charm so potent that it could ensnare people regardless of gender?
Though her heart yearned to grab a bucket of popcorn and snack on it while enjoying the show, this wasnât the time for it! Estian needed to be quickly restored to his original form! And yet, the saintess found herself hesitating. She was still struggling with what good it did for her to step in and help stop his rampaging right now. After all, wasnât her original goal to become Cecile and live happily ever after with Estian? âIf I help out now, it will only end with Estian returning to the current Cecileâs side anyway.â
She had finally regained her holy powers, albeit in a limited capacity. There was no telling whether sheâd be able to get her hands on more should she exhaust her reserves here. Wouldnât it be more prudent to save it until she had the chance to take over Cecileâs body? The saintess was conflicted. âWhat should I do?â By helping the emperor now, she would lose her power and have to continue her life as a maid, but if she didnât help nowâŚ
âAhhhhhh!â Irene screamed.
âDodge!â Kane yelled.
The saintess snapped to her senses when she heard Irene scream. While sheâd been lost in her thoughts, it seemed like Estianâs control had slipped and heâd grown larger in size. The sight of his monstrous appearance caused the saintess to involuntarily step backwards. As the author, she could tellâthe Eugendiphâs blood within Estian was about to make him go berserk.
In order to emphasize his pain and tragic backstory, she had described the scene in which he lost control in the most terrifying and revolting way possible, so that all who witnessed it would experience fear and disgust. It would emphasize the uniqueness of how only Cecile remained unafraid of his grotesque form, making her all the more dear to Estian. Thatâs whyâŚ
âIâm⌠scared.â The saintess instantly realized she could never become Cecile. She was experiencing the very fear and disgust sheâd intended to express through the bystanders, and couldnât help but shrink away from Estian.
âLady Irene!â Kane cried.
A part of Estianâs body had rapidly expanded and was moving towards Irene at an alarming speed. Clang! Kang hurriedly blocked its path with his sword, but that was the extent of what he could do. Recognizing it had encountered an obstacle, Estianâs body proceeded to attack both of them. In a blink of an eye, the figures of Irene and Kane disappeared before the saintessâs eyes.
In silent horror, she stumbled backwards at the sight. They were⌠gone. Both of them had been arguing mere moments ago, but no more. When realization dawned on her, the saintess shot into action. As she ran forward, her hand shone white.
âThisâthe spell to quell Estianâs rampageâI remember well.â It was originally a spell passed down for generations through the Eugendiph clan, but it had been lost to the world. âAlthough I donât know how Estian managed to return to his human form during his first rampage, butâŚâ
The saintess stretched out her hand towards Estian as he approached. The moment Kane and Irene were engulfed in the emperorâs body, she had realized something important. âThey may be supporting characters, but theyâre still my babies!â She couldnât stand by and watch them disappear. As light gathered around her hand, she wondered if sheâd ever regain her holy power if she used it all here. Would she ever get the chance to become Cecile again? âProbably not.â Nonetheless, the saintessâs resolve didnât falter. She knew what she needed to do at this moment.
âGive back Irene and Kane!â she yelled. To her, those two were far more than getting the chance to become Cecile.