I Got Reincarnated as the Villain and Saved the World, but After the Ending I Was Betrayed and Exiled. I Just Wanted a Peaceful Life in the Frontier, but for Some Reason My Former Companions Started Chasing Me with Yandere Eyes… - 32

Chapter 32: The Girl Named Ceres and the Savior

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“May God’s blessings be upon you all!!”

When I said that with a smile, everyone raised voices of joy. Children and adults alike… Even families who seemed close and happy raised their voices in delight.  At the church, I performed the miracle known as healing, and everyone praised me. And then, I looked at it all with cold eyes… That was my life before I met that person.

And then, I decided to join the party of the hero who slew the Demon Lord to change my fate. Rather than stay in the safe and peaceful but miserable environment of the church, I took a chance on the possibility of being with my first love.

This world could just go and perish for all I care.

That had been my catchphrase since I was a child. My parents, it seemed, sold me to the church for a single gold coin because I possessed powerful magic. I didn’t have many memories of them. There were other children besides me, and for them, selling me to church was a way to have one less mouth to feed and to receive enough money to live for a year if they didn’t live extravagantly. 

They must have had no reason to hesitate. That was why, when my mother—whom I would likely never see again—hugged me while crying, I looked at her with cold eyes.

You abandoned me, and yet you can still shed tears?

And so, I was raised to become a priestess of the church. There were many others in similar circumstances; some of them cried, but I honestly couldn’t care less. Then, it became known that I was among the most gifted of them all, and I began to be looked at with eyes of both respect and fear, but that, too, didn’t matter to me.

“Ceres… Your ability is indeed remarkable. You must work hard to use it for the good of this world. But don’t let it go to your head.”

While I was training, she—who was called the greatest SaintESS—said that in a haughty tone. Her eyes measured me as if appraising my worth, but I didn’t find it unpleasant.

Even at a young age, I understood that I had been taken in because of my abilities. That was why I even felt a strange fondness for her, who, instead of fearing me, looked me in the eye and spoke to me with jealousy and snide remarks. I could feel that she didn’t fear me, but actually looked at me as her equal. 

And so, to break her pride, I worked myself to the bone.

“May God’s blessings be upon you all!!”

During my first healing after being taken in by the church, I displayed my talent to its fullest… Or perhaps, too much. When I used my full strength to prove my power, I ended up healing every injured person in the church.

“What an incredible healing ability! This one is loved by God!!”

“Even though she’s still this young… She must be a genius!! A living miracle sent by God!!”

People praised me endlessly. But I watched them with cold eyes. After all, it was my effort that healed them, yet everyone insisted it was all thanks to God. And then, to me, who was wearing a complicated expression—the woman once called Saintess said.

“What incredible talent… There is no one more loved by God than you. You are the true Saintess.”

She, who had once resented me, now looked at me as if gazing upon her beloved God, even with tears in her eyes. Seeing that… I felt nothing but disgust.

“Oh, the birth of a new Saintess!!”

“Give thanks for God’s blessings!!”

And from that day on, no one called me Ceres anymore. Everyone called me only “Saintess.”

“May God’s blessings be upon you all!!”

Several years later, I was invited by a certain lord to bestow blessings upon his children. I came to bless a boy two years older than me and a girl the same age as me. The siblings chatted happily together, and their closeness stirred an uncomfortable feeling in me.

This world could just go and perish for all I care.

After being invited to dinner by the lord and finishing the obligatory small talk, I intended to sleep in my guest room. But I couldn’t fall asleep, so I felt like taking a walk outside. In my usual town, everyone would call me Saintess, but far from the church, I thought I might move around as just a girl…

“It’s dangerous to be alone at night.”

“I apologize. I only wanted to feel the night breeze for a moment… I’ll be returning now.”

The voice belonged to the boy I had blessed earlier in the day. Smiling at him, I turned on my heel and cursed God in my heart.

This world could just go and perish for all I care.

To give me such a ridiculous role as “Saintess” and yet not grant me even the smallest bit of freedom…

“Wait a second. You’re wearing that kind of robe… You were planning to explore the town, weren’t you? I’ll come with you.”

“Eh…?”

I doubted my ears. Everyone else always forced me to act like a Sainesst, yet he wasn’t stopping me from going out. In fact, he was offering to join me.

“You’ll stand out dressed like that, so I’ll bring you some of my little sister’s clothes. I also know a few hidden routes. We’ll be fine.”

“Uh… well… But is it really alright? Walking through the town at night isn’t very Saint-like, is it?”

“It’s fine. Once you take off that robe, you’re not the Saintess anymore. You’re just a girl and I’m just a boy escorting a cute girl.”

The unspoken words, ”let’s have fun without worrying about status” confused me, but I still changed into the clothes he provided. Though his little sister should have been my age, the chest area was rather tight, which emphasized my chest more. I noticed him sneaking glances but decided not to mention it. Being looked at not as a Saintess but with a hint of lust was refreshing, to say the least.

“Since we’re already here, tell me your name.”

“Me? My name is Ceres. Nice to meet you, Phantom-san.”

“Ceres… But why am I meeting you here, of all places?”

For some reason, he sounded confused, which made me feel uneasy. Would he, too, change his attitude toward me like others had?

“Well, whatever. Just call me Phantom. Let’s go, Ceres. The night streets are fun.”

But my worry was unfounded. Smiling, he took my hand. The cheap taverns with drunkards, the shops selling magical tools of questionable authenticity—each new place made my heart race with excitement for the first time in years.

Most of all, every time he called me “Ceres,” my chest tightened. The unfamiliar feeling unsettled me, but it wasn’t unpleasant.

“This is my secret place. What happened tonight stays between us.”

From the clock tower he led me to, the night view was so beautiful that I even thought… 

Maybe this world isn’t so bad after all.

When we returned, we were, of course, scolded. Well, only Phantom was scolded. It seemed everyone misunderstood, thinking he had forced me to go along with his whim. I tried to explain, but he only put a finger to his lips with a mischievous smile, signaling me to stay quiet.

I think he was worried I’d lose what little freedom I had. And even after returning to the church, I couldn’t forget the time I’d spent with him.

“If a Saintess wants to marry a noble, she has to be nationally recognized as a Saintess by the King…”

He was probably my first love. I immediately began researching what it would take for me to be with him, only to realize again that the difference in our social status stood in the way.

“Hmm… Only a Saintess who has either defeated the Demon Lord or solved a famine will be nationally recognized, huh…”

A Nationally Recognized Saintess was an honorary position equal in authority to a noble. But to earn it, one had to achieve a great feat… Luckily, I had a talent for magic.

From then on, I worked relentlessly. I played the part of the perfect, honest Saintess the people desired, and pushed my magical abilities to the limit—until I literally coughed blood. Finally, I was invited to join the Demon Lord–slaying party, with the promise that I would become a Nationally Recognized Saintess upon success.

While adventuring with Cain, Henrietta, and Elena, I encountered Phantom again in an unexpected place. I was happy to see him, but I still remember the shock of learning he was engaged to Henrietta.

If Henrietta had been an awful girl, things would’ve been easier… But she took care of me when I was unaccustomed to traveling. I even found myself thinking, If I had an older sister, maybe someone like her would be nice. And so, I made a decision.

“Phantom-san, may I call you Onii-sama? I… thought it would make me happy if someone as dependable as you were my older brother…”

“Eh? Well, you can also call me ‘Onii-san’ if you want.”

Shut up, Cain. How about I rub salt in your wound instead of healing you, huh??

Ignoring Cain’s teasing, I waited for Phantom’s response.

“I don’t mind…But, well, being called that feels a little embarrassing.”

Watching him scratch his head shyly made my chest burn. I couldn’t be his lover, but I was glad to at least feel like family with him. But… If his engagement with Henrietta ever ended, I would—no matter what—make him mine. I swore it as I said my next line.

“Please take care of me, Phantom Onii-sama. Also… I made this rosary as a charm for safe travels. Would you accept it?”

Giving someone a rosary was practically a love confession, but if I said that, he probably wouldn’t take it so I lied as I handed it over to him. It was a special rosary I’d prayed over ever since the day we met. It had blessings like damage reduction, auto-healing, and even an automatic return if lost.

Ah… I’m truly blessed to be able to meet him in this terrible world… I’m glad to be alive…

I thought that as I continued my journey with him. So when I learned he’d vanished after the Demon Lord victory parade, I thought I’d lose my mind. And at the same time, I swore again.

I will never let him go the next time I meet him again…

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