I ran towards a deserted building’s back lane in an attempt to shake the priests off, dragging Lidianne-sama with me even while she was trying to stop me.
The sun had already set, and the moon glowed in the sky.
She grabbed my arm, trying to catch her breath.
“You, why are you doing this! Dragging me and running away….!”
“Even if you say why…”
It was the best method, even for me.
No matter how hard Lidianne-sama tried to insist that she was innocent, Amalda and her minions would never listen.
Besides, Lidianne-sama was just fueling the misunderstanding instead of clearing it up.
Instead of wasting our breath trying to explain, it was much better to physically pull them apart.
“You’re an idiot for trying to cover up for me! Even if you didn’t stick your nose uselessly, I would have been okay even if I’m alone!”
“Nah, it’s impossible.”
My true thoughts leaked out unwittingly.
Lidianne-sama wouldn’t be able to turn the tables around, no matter how hard you look at the situation earlier.
Well, she probably wouldn’t be exiled because of her status — I was thinking about that, when she suddenly shook her head vigorously as she faced me.
“It’s not impossible! I’ve been doing this on my own all this time, after all!”
Her beautiful face was all scrunched up as she sighed roughly.
“You, you’re Amalda Ridge’s best friend, are you not? Getting involved with me and smearing your own reputation for my sake, you’re truly the stupid one. You have to apologize right now, before you lose your place in this Shrine!”
“As if! Apologizing to Amalda, huh. What a joke!”
I shook my head in disgust when I heard Lidianne-sama’s words.
Being forced to become a saintess, and paving the way for my engagement to be broken — so why should I bow my head before her, huh? Over my dead body!
I would never, EVER budge, so force me all you want, give me money and all, but be prepared to be disappointed.
And even if that wasn’t the case —
“Lidianne-sama didn’t bully me, so I was just trying to tell that to them, right. Amadla just misunderstood everything on her own, and she didn’t even try to listen. We didn’t do anything wrong, so why should I apologize!”
“Why…! You won’t be able to stay in this Shrine anymore!”
She was probably sympathizing about my situation, judging from how she was scowling.
Was this because she also lost her place when Amalda appeared?
The Supreme God never had a saintess before her, after all.
Naturally, Lidianne-sama stood at the pinnacle by virtue of being the saintess of Adoracion-sama — and she had this character, too.
There were plenty of people who probably didn’t like her.
Like the one who was supposed to be the number one — Lufure-sama’s saintess, for example.
Because of that, Lidianne-sama, who was driven away from her spot, was now being isolated — this story was highly probable.
“…No matter what, that is.”
I folded my arms across my chest, then sighed.
“It doesn’t really matter, my status was already zero right off the bat. After all, I’m at the lowest rung of the society here, plus I’m just a substitute Saintess, after all!”
I already grumbled these desperate words, so the only thing left was to laugh it off, right.
My existence was so low that it didn’t matter whether I got along with Lidianne-sama or not.
My bastard father was so unreliable, and I wouldn’t fall any lower than this.
“Besides, I’m not Amalda’s best friend, in the first place! She’s my enemy, MY ENEMY!”
If Amalda hated me for this, then that would fulfill my long-cherished dream.
I actually admire that she had the gall to claim that we were bosom buddies with me after she wrecked my engagement.
Well, she was probably unaware of what she did.
‘She’s just gonna brush it off by saying that ‘it wasn’t her intention’, coupled with that ‘woe is me’ act of hers!’
Amalda’s crying face floated to mind, and I couldn’t help but scoff with apathy.
Lidianne-sama stared at me wordlessly.
“… So you’re the type of person who won’t accept a loss, huh.”
“I don’t want to be told that by you, Lidianne-sama!”
My elder sister always reprimanded me harshly for my “bad manners”, but I could totally understand her now when I looked at Lydianne-sama.
If only she had been a bit better — see, even I was thinking that way, so that said a lot.
Half of me was about to fall into exasperation, so I looked at her. She then averted her eyes.
“….you don’t have to say ‘sama’.”
She clenched her jaw while her eyes were still turned away from me.
“It’s just as Amalda Ridge said. All the Saintesses in this Shrine are equal. We shouldn’t be influenced by our status outside of this place.”
Her raven-hair gently swayed in the evening breeze.
I gulped as I stared at her figure which was softly illuminated by the moon’s glow as she stood with pride.
Her harsh expression had softened a bit, and her eyes were slightly smiling.
She was breathtakingly stunning — and sublime.
“Superior, inferior, nobody should be classified as such. Everyone possesses the qualifications to be the Deity’s Saintess.”
Lidianne-sama’s voice floated in the night sky.
Her calm tone resounded, and I couldn’t help but think —
“You can call me as you please. You don’t have to be polite, either. As for me, I too will —”
Grrrr.
My stomach was growling.
I did it.
I did IT.
I DID IT.
<ol>DID. IT.</ol>
‘Uwaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!’
Crying that out loud was totally unforgivable, too, given our current mood.
Lidianne-sama stopped talking, and a deathly silence reigned around us.
“…………”
“…………”
We wordlessly stared at each other.
We were immersed in total silence as the seconds ticked by —
“Eleanor!!!!”
Lidianne-sama, er Lidianne, I should say, then raised her voice overbearingly.
“Are you treating me as an idiot, huh!? I won’t forgive you for nterrupting my words with that rumbling stomach!”
Come! — she then grabbed my arm and dragged me willy-nilly with her.
—-
T/N: Sorry been delayed again 🙁 sched is back to normal starting this week, so will post again tomorrow (Tuesday) 🙂 Thank you <3
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