2-45 - How Could the Villainous Young Master Be a Saintess?

Chapter 45: A Close Call "Hey, little Vannesa, do you think it would have been better if, when I made my entrance, I struck a pose and accompanied it with a catchphrase like: 'Ta-da, the Holy Idol, Saintly Beauty Vanessa-chan, makes a gorgeous entrance~'?" Selina pondered aloud with a look of distress. "Also, I left in such a rush, I didn't get the chance to bid farewell to everyone." 'Understood, thank you for sparing me earlier,' Vannesa's voice, full of polite yet exasperated gratitude, echoed in Selina’s mind. If Selina carried out her idea and anyone heard it, Vannesa thought she might as well relocate to another planet. Although people mostly believed it was the goddess manifesting, and not really her doing. 'I personally don't think it's necessary. You've given it your best, and that's enough.' “Really? Hehe, by the way, little Vannesa, are you planning to find a partner?” Selina suddenly asked with a playful grin. 'Not at all,' Vannesa replied, wondering if her elder was out of touch with her current state. She was barely managing to survive, let alone venture into romance. To be fair, she did have a slight inclination in that regard, but it involved finding a girl, quite different from what Selina imagined. “Such a waste, little Vannesa is so pretty, why not use that to her advantage?” Selina teased, making a playful gesture as she lifted and appraised the ample "assets" of Vannesa’s figure. 'Please, senior, refrain from doing these bizarre things to my body!' “What’s there to be shy about? I am your ancestor, after all. Your bloodline and body come from me, so what's wrong with having a look and touching it a bit?~” Selina quipped mischievously. Although Vannesa's expression wasn't visible, her tone suggested the embarrassed redness that must have spread across her youthful face. 'In any case, please don’t use my voice to say such outrageous things, nor engage in such peculiar actions,' Vannesa sighed deeply, difficult to do even now. “Anyway, I observed someone quite fitting for you. They like you enough, have shared experiences, and are a suitable match in terms of status. Ah, what a pity! If I were alive, I'd definitely play matchmaker and help connect you two,” Selina said regretfully. 'Pardon, whom are you referring to?' Vannesa was confused. Selina had been deceased for ages, so logically, everyone she knew should have also passed. How could she propose a match for her? “Ah-hah, who else but that Aesphyra girl. You know, she's a descendant of the ancient empire’s royal line.” 'May I remind you that intruding into another’s memories is quite improper, Sel, i, na, Senior!' Vannesa’s graceful tone faltered for the first time. “Sorry, but it was just too interesting. Little Vannesa’s experiences are quite diverse, even having stayed in another plane for some time,” Selina remarked, amused. "But seriously, you two are really well-matched." 'Please stop making such irresponsible remarks; I could never fancy such a promiscuous woman!' Vannesa was on edge, akin to enduring a family elder's nagging over marriage, with the prospective partner being someone she absolutely opposed. “Phoo-phew, don’t be so tense, little Vannesa. I was merely joking.” “But truthfully, I didn’t even have the time to say a proper goodbye earlier because my time is almost up.” '...Selina, senior?' “As I don't have much time left and have to return to my eternal resting place, the situation here will be left for you to handle, little Vannesa.” 'Wait, a mess? What do you mean by that??' Vannesa was struck dumb. However, Selina offered no further explanation, or perhaps she had no time for one. In the next instant, Vannesa snapped back from her soul form to her physical body, her eyes suddenly opening. As they fluttered open, she noticed a change in her status. 'Virtue +2000.' 'Current Virtue: 4024.' This is...? Why such a massive amount? There were no heroines around to witness this, were there?? Amid brief surprise and contemplation, Vannesa arrived at a conclusion. Perhaps this was the full virtue reward for resolving an archfiend pillar incident; it must have considered all her actions and behaviors in the event, such as how many fanatics she exterminated, how many lives she saved, and then allocated virtue accordingly. An astonishing 2000 virtue points appeared—it was her first time witnessing such a dramatic boost all at once. However, in retrospect, it made sense. This was indeed a life-and-death struggle, where she repelled an archfiend pillar's threat—albeit with just its tentacle—and even utilized her ancestor's power. Repelling the archfiend pillar certainly warranted considerable virtue. This time, she truly owed her thanks to her exalted ancestor. But as Vannesa attempted to move her body, she realized she lay limp like a doll before the chapel of divine radiance. "What...?" Her beautiful eyes widened in disbelief as she tried to stir, but discovered she was utterly spent. “Eh, eh??” Vannesa was momentarily stunned, chaos flickering in her peachy orbs as she came to grips with reality. She was... she was unable to move?? Could it be that by allowing her ancestor to possess her, her body's magic and strength were entirely drained?! Now, she resembled a ragged doll discarded at the roadside, her fingers unresponsive, with only her eyelids and expressions functioning—a mere goblin passing by would have her defenseless! Fortunately, there were no goblins at Carileman Academy. Yet everyone had seen her return to the chapel under Selina’s control! Surely, someone would come to inspect the chapel! Should they discover her helplessly collapsed before the dormitory, wouldn't everything be exposed?! How would she explain herself?? Once the church learned of this, what would become of her?? Presently, the church was entirely in the Pope and higher-ups’ hands! Though they might restrain from acting openly, there were countless covert means to deal with a defenseless descendant of the Fasyris line! Even if they didn't claim her life, they'd make her a puppet Saintess under the Pope's control! Furthermore, she had no desire for the Saintess position whatsoever and detested the thought of cohabiting under the same roof with deceitful hypocrites! "My goddess, my goddess! Are you still here??" came the cries from the steadfast believers below—students and numerous instructors converging to scrutinize the unfolding situation. The Carileman Academy officials were bound to investigate the phenomenon, to see if it was divine manifestation or manufactured. Regardless of the outcome, they would definitely scour through Saint Selina’s chapel. So this is what Selina meant by 'a mess'?! Was there really no energy left at all? Couldn't she at least be transported to safety?! Selina had returned home safely, but it seemed she had left Vannesa stranded. Who will come to her rescue now?? Don’t leave her here all alone?? Vannesa felt desolate, even more so than when facing the demon pillar. The prospect of being exposed in this ungainly spread-out pose, introduced to the academy in such a perplexing situation, left her utterly despairing. It seemed she was more concerned about being seen without a trace of ladylike decorum than the issue of her identity being revealed. But none of this mattered right now! Anyone, someone—come to her aid! Goddess of Radiance, Selina, Mirexia—anyone, come save her! The sound of footsteps grew louder; Vannesa could hear them approaching the spiral staircase to the dormitory. In other words, they just needed to ascend the last step and turn the corner to find her lying there. Come to think of it, was her skirt lifted when she fell?? If that were the case, then—no, no, please! Vannesa tightly shut her eyes, as if that could deny reality and the ordeal she was about to face. She didn’t want to be treated like a rare creature, ogled by so many people, no, no, no?! It was utterly mortifying to be discovered in such a state! So, had they arrived yet?? Why did this moment feel unbearably long—was it because she was too reluctant for it to happen, a mere illusion of her mind?? Wait a minute. Vannesa, her eyes firmly closed, sensed something unusual. Her posture felt like it had changed from lying flat to being held?? Was this a hallucination too? But it was too extravagant—how does lying down turn into feeling like being carried?? No, something wasn’t right. Why was there no sound at all after all this time?? Where had the footsteps gone? Surely, everyone hadn’t stumbled upon her sprawled there and become speechless with shock?? As Vannesa slowly opened her eyes, they met a pair of enchanting, amused violet eyes. “?!” Recognizing to whom these alluring amethyst eyes belonged, Vannesa's eyes widened. 'Virtue +400.' 'Current Virtue: 4424.' “Eh? Realized so quickly? I thought I could admire Vannesa’s adorable ostrich impression a bit longer~” The silver-haired girl chuckled with a mischievous smile, as charming as a porcelain doll cat. She held Vannesa in a princess carry, one arm around her waist and the other under her knees. Even though there was a height difference between the two, it was Aesphyra, the shorter one, who lifted the taller Vannesa, creating quite a visual contrast. This audacious woman! Vannesa paused to absorb the scenario and what had just occurred, her cheeks flushing with either embarrassment or shame—or a mix of both. Aesphyra must have used her [Divine Favor] to pause time just now, stealthily whisking Vannesa away from the dormitory’s entrance without anyone noticing. “Put me down.” Vannesa bit her lip, trying to sound assertive, but her feeble voice sounded soft and coaxing, more like a plea. She had worried needlessly about Aesphyra getting hurt fighting the fanatics; now it seemed that her earlier concerns were misplaced. With Aesphyra's thick skin, how could mere fanatics possibly harm her?? “What gives, I just helped Vannesa out of a tough spot and I don’t get a word of thanks? So heartless, it breaks my heart,” Aesphyra feigned hurt, her voice like a gentle, imploring princess cat. Hah. Vannesa remained unmoved, knowing this white-haired girl was an acting virtuoso. Buying into her performance would mean falling into her trap. After casting a few sidelong glances to confirm Aesphyra was unhurt, Vannesa turned her gaze away. Of course, as the fated heroine of the story, no mere fanatic could even scratch her. What was she worrying for?? The fanatics should count their blessings they’re still under starter protection; the protagonist couldn’t obliterate them due to their lower ranks. Otherwise, they’d learn the true meaning of fear. She nearly forgot, Aesphyra had been in the chapel earlier too. Also, when did she finish dealing with the fanatics, notice her in the sky, then come to save her?? “Anyway, put me down,” Vannesa repeated, avoiding meeting Aesphyra’s gaze. “Are you sure? If Vannesa insists, I will let go then.” Aesphyra tilted her head, preparing to release her grip as Vannesa insisted. Vannesa’s expression shifted, realizing she could not move at the moment—being released would mean collapsing helplessly to the ground like a doll. “W-wait, don’t let go.” “Eh?” Aesphyra’s eyes sparkled with mischief. “What’s this? Does Vannesa now find herself unable to part with me?~” “I’m not unwilling to part with you! Aesphyra, please don’t flatter yourself—I can’t wait to get away from you,” Vannesa flushed, her face red with either anger or embarrassment, possibly both. “In that case, since Vannesa seems so against me, I should put her down, lest I provoke her fastidiousness,” Aesphyra feigned contemplation. “No, d-don’t let go…” Vannesa quickly corrected. If Aesphyra released her, she’d be left on the ground without a shred of dignity. “Now, Vannesa says let go, now she can’t part with me—which is it, do you not want me to let go, or are you unwilling to part with me~?” “Of course I’m unwilling to part with you…” Vannesa started to say before realizing the pitfall in Aesphyra’s question.