Saint, You’re So Vulgar!

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Chapter 34: Saintess. Not There… Huh!

Three more days had passed.

By that point, Bershia had completely dried up.

Her lips cracked, and even the slightest movement felt like sandpaper; her eyelids were deeply sunken.

Everything felt like it was on the brink of stopping.

Everything within her sight had turned to grayscale.

Even the days filled with turmoil and chaos felt like distant memories; now, it seemed like if he were to awaken, nothing would be impossible for Bershia.

Stunned, she felt as frozen as a statue… or perhaps like a corpse.

She had been collapsed like this for a long time.

Then, without warning, a miracle arrived.

“…Saintess?”

Asher opened his eyes.

He called out to Bershia in a cracked voice.

Bershia couldn’t tell if that scene was reality or an illusion.

She was simply dazed by the sight of him awakening and looking at her.

Her eyes widened to the point of tearing.

Her breath caught, her heart momentarily stopped.

Shock, electricity, joy, and relief hit her like a tidal wave.

But.

The only reaction her broken body could muster was one thing.

Drop, tears flowed down her cheeks.

The moisture reflected light, etching it into her eyes.

Please let this not be a dream, she hoped, just as Asher slowly reached out his arm.

He wiped the tears from her cheek.

“Why….”

Asher smiled weakly.

Trembling, she approached him and fell into his arms.

“Ah… Huh, ah.”

In a voice that faltered, Bershia wept loudly.

Her world had regained its color.

* * *

Asher felt as if he had just awakened from a long dream.

The moment he opened his eyes, his head was so foggy it felt painful, and his whole body was drained of strength, making it hard to even wiggle a finger.

The process of regaining focus as his vision cleared from a blur was genuinely frustrating.

His eyeballs ached, and his throat was dry, making him want to gulp down water immediately.

Yet, even in that state, Asher reached out his hand toward Bershia first.

The very first thing he had noticed was that she was crying.

Why was she crying?

Why did she look so gaunt?

It seemed pitiable and made his heart ache; he felt compelled to wipe her tears.

The moment Bershia fell into his embrace, he let out a laugh.

Even if it was as faint as the sound of the wind, he felt grateful realizing that she was worried about him.

He was too dazed.

While instinctively stroking Bershia’s back, he didn’t have the clarity to think.

It took him a while, but eventually, he realized one thing.

“Wha?”

Asher’s eyes went wide.

His gaze shifted from Bershia to his own hand.

In that moment, he forgot the state of his body and almost sprang up only to grunt and flop back down, gasping while muttering.

“My, body…! It’s come back…!”

Asher exclaimed, his eyes sparkling.

However, Bershia, having collapsed, lost consciousness, having not slept a wink for nearly ten days. Only now, with the inner turmoil finally erased, could she finally fall asleep.

Soft, rhythmic breaths could be heard.

Asher felt Bershia’s body pressing down on his chest with each breath.

Asher panicked.

“Saintess…?”

He whimpered, but his body, which had been lying down, wouldn’t listen.

The weight of her body on him felt like a mountain.

Asher glanced around, turning his head.

“Is, is anyone there…?”

No one was there.

And no one would come afterward.

For about five hours, Asher lay wide-eyed, feeling Bershia’s weight, her warmth, and that sensation of contact as he felt his face flush like a ripe persimmon.

The fact that a man and a woman were sprawled on the same bed, sleeping together (even if just one was sleeping), felt illicit, making him close his eyes tightly.

* * *

Bershia woke up solely because of Asher’s pestering.

Asher repeatedly whispered in her ear, pleading for her to wake up.

She looked at Asher with dazed eyes, but once her blush settled, she flashed a smile that looked like it would crumble any moment.

Asher realized, seeing how haggard Bershia had become, that he had been unconscious for a long time.

He also came to understand many more things.

The five hours she slept had given Asher time to organize his thoughts.

It had been that way since the moment he had collapsed.

“I see, so that’s how prayer works.”

He figured that the prayer asking for harm to come upon him had manifested at that moment.

Asher felt relieved.

After all, how anxious had he been watching Bershia throw herself in front of danger to protect him?

Better him than her, a hundred times over.

Knowing that the changed body was truly meant to protect Bershia, he felt all the hardships he had faced wash away.

“Oh, great Creator! I failed to recognize your grand intention!”

The resentment that had filled his heart vanished.

His faith surged forth once again.

In any case, he understood the grand scheme now.

Next, he needed to hear about what had happened while he was unconscious, but that would take time.

Bershia had delayed it, insisting on prioritizing her health.

She poured lukewarm water by Asher’s mouth and somehow managed to obtain a stew, feeding him herself.

“I can do it myself….”

“Don’t get me angry.”

…She was forceful.

Did he feel a sense of disconnect?

In truth, Asher found Bershia’s impression to be quite round and soft.

Every time he looked into the mirror wearing that body, he had made shy expressions.

But seeing the actual owner of that body wearing it, he understood the public’s assessment.

She was cold.

The expression that became languid in his own body became a piercing wind on her face.

It felt intimidating, which made him unable to refuse her care.

What struck him most were Bershia’s tears.

The sadness and relief that had draped over her face especially made it difficult for Asher to rebel against her.

How could he reject someone who cared for him so much and had lost sleep worrying?

Of course, some moments were uncomfortable.

“Saintess, that’s not… Huh!”

“It’s just your side. Hold still.”

“No way…!”

Bershia groped all over Asher’s body under the pretense of examining him.

He was lost in thought, wondering why she was doing this.

It was too embarrassing to continue, and despairing for an excuse, he stammered.

“I trust you’re not committing any lewd acts under the guise of examination…!”

“…….”

With that, Bershia abruptly stopped and removed her hand.

Asher’s gaze shifted uneasily.

Why was she retracting her hand now?

Was the objective really an illicit act?

While doubt filled him, Bershia spoke.

“You’re healthy. Thankfully.”

Asher tightened his clothing at the collar.

Even if her intentions were still suspicious, addressing that statement felt like the priority.

“…As long as I eat well, I’ll bounce back in no time. I may be like this, but my body is strong. Besides, the Saintess healed me…”

Indeed, he didn’t feel any pain at all.

As long as his stomach was full, he felt he could slice through around ten aberrations with a smile.

While boasting about his health here and there, Asher suddenly chuckled.

Ultimately, the best news was something else.

“Anyway, I’m glad my body is back! Now, I really can serve the Saintess properly!”

His expression was overflowing with confidence, his eyes sparkling and a faint blush rising on his cheeks.

But it didn’t last long.

“Isn’t it amazing that the Creator prepared for something like this?! I felt my faith invigorate again today! Though I apologize for causing you worry… but anyway, it all turned out well…”

He trailed off.

As soon as he brought up faith, Bershia’s expression turned cold.

Asher caught her gaze.

In retrospect, he might have spoken too thoughtlessly in front of someone who would cry at his awakening.

His lips pressed together, and at that moment, the chill in Bershia’s eyes softened.

“It’s nice to see you full of energy.”

It was a gentle smile.

Was the previous gaze just a misunderstanding?

A prickliness caught in his throat.

In the midst of it, Bershia said, “But I still feel a bit disappointed.”

“Huh?”

“I liked feeling secure when I woke up.”

Bershia’s gaze dropped toward Asher’s lower half.

At that, Asher yanked the blanket and shouted, “Don’t look! It’s mine now!”

“Whether I look or not is up to me.”

“That’s still an invasion of privacy!”

He glared in panic, but Bershia just smiled mischievously.

The expression was like a predator pondering how to catch its prey.

A chill ran down his spine.

He slowly backed up toward the end of the bed, shouting, “Ah, just so you know, this is really the end of any lewd acts! Now that my body is mine again, I won’t let myself play in the hands of the Saintess! I am a noble knight!”

That was a firm declaration of resolve.

Asher swore to be a strict knight and teach her the heart of a faithful saintess.

Just as he pressed his feet to the ground and stood up, he said, “From tomorrow, we’ll resume our education on doctrine right away…!”

With a whoosh—!

A sensation like his soul shaking and leaving his body.

Asher staggered as his vision turned white, and after regaining focus, he found himself staring blankly ahead.

“Eh?”

His voice had risen an octave.

His sight had lowered, and simultaneously, his chest felt heavy.

Familiar, yet unfamiliar… that kind of feeling.

Most decisively, why was he there before himself?

Asher’s lips curled up in a grimace.

His complexion paled, and his heart sank.

He had hoped against hope, but sadly, it was no dream.

“My body….”

It had changed again.

Asher muttered in a high-pitched voice, overwhelmed by despair.

“Why…?”

Why again?

With that meaning, he looked up at Bershia.

At that moment, Asher shuddered, his shoulders trembling.

“Saintess…?”

Bershia was smiling, gazing at her own hand, but the smile seemed twisted, carrying a chill.