Episode 13.

Closing my eyes tightly, I focused on the holy power surging within me.

As I slowly guided the energy, retracing the path the status window had charted, Damian let out a small gasp.

"It's really… pretty."

"Focus."

Sweat beaded on my forehead. Having drained more than half of my holy power, I felt as hollow as a parched waterskin.

I groaned inwardly.

If we saw each other more often, we might actually grow close like he suggested. Perhaps this was for the best.

Once I grasped the flow, the holy power poured out smoothly without me having to force it.

The sensation was so refreshing and fascinating that I just let it flow. And then…

Gradually, my consciousness began to fade.

I forced my eyes open, struggling to grasp the fading strings of my awareness.

"Meow."

A fluffy furball scrambled up my back, settling onto my shoulder and crying directly into my ear.

A rough, wet texture brushed my cheek.

"Gasp…!"

I stumbled back, forcefully tearing my hand away from Damian's. A dangerous amount of holy power—far more than I had intended to give—surged wildly within him.

Fortunately, the transfer stopped right before his body reached the point of a rampage.

Panting heavily, I let out a sigh of relief and stroked Cheese, the ghost cat who had just saved me.

Then, a trembling voice broke the silence.

"…Wait."

Damian pointed a shaking finger at my shoulder.

"Was that cat always there?"

"…Uh."

Seeing ghosts was a known side effect of overflowing holy power. This was a massive problem.

"You can see Cheese?"

"…!"

Damian's eyes rolled back in his head.

He slumped back into his chair. The sight was so absurd that I debated whether to laugh or panic.

Then again, how often did someone encounter a ghost for the first time?

Damian had suffered continuous possessions, but he likely assumed those episodes were just bouts of poor health.

I sighed, gently tapping the unconscious boy's shoulder.

More importantly, this confirmed that an overdose of holy power granted the temporary ability to see ghosts.

I pressed a hand to my chest, my heart still racing from the dizzying near-rampage.

"Mya."

Cheese cried softly, placing a translucent front paw on my lap. His feline expression looked oddly concerned.

"Did you wake me up?"

I scratched the bridge of the ghost cat's nose. He had started following me around like I was his owner.

"Thank you."

A moment later, movement caught my eye.

"…Diane Irene."

Damian called my name in a low, gravelly voice, struggling to his feet. He staggered, his posture a clumsy mess.

"…What on earth…"

His cracked voice trembled violently.

"What is that entity?"

I sighed and picked Cheese up. When I extended my arms to hold the cat out to him, Damian flinched and quickly stepped back.

"As you can see, it's a cat. The one that possessed Your Highness the Crown Prince last time."

"…"

"You remember, right?"

His face turned a brilliant shade of crimson; he definitely remembered.

"Why—why is it still here? If it tries any funny business with me again, I'll immediately—"

"Cheese is fine now. I'm taking good care of him."

"…Are you not scared at all?"

I wanted to say no, but the truth was, I had been terrified.

But…

"I've gotten a little better."

The memory of Camila thanking me before she ascended was still vividly etched in my mind.

Even now, recalling that moment made my heart ache with a bittersweet warmth.

"Your Highness is only seeing ghosts temporarily because you absorbed an excessive amount of holy power. I'm still inexperienced with my abilities, making them hard to control, but I promise this won't happen again."

"…If it's just a cat like that, seeing it isn't so bad."

Perhaps trying to comfort me in my guilt, his tone softened.

"Then do you… always live with these kinds of entities?"

"Yes, that's right."

"Isn't it hard? Like, there must be many who died in extremely terrifying ways?"

"Honestly, it is scary."

The corners of Damian's mouth twitched upward. He sheepishly covered his mouth with the back of his hand and muttered.

"Being the daughter of god isn't always easy, huh."

"Pardon?"

He had spoken so quietly that the words barely reached me. When I asked him to repeat it, he quickly shook his head.

"It's nothing. So, is it over now?"

"You might be able to see ghosts all day! You won't run out of holy power, so you don't have to worry about that."

Damian nodded just as Cheese let out a small chirp and leaped directly onto his shoulder.

"…!"

Seeing the young Crown Prince go completely rigid was hilarious.

"Ahaha…!"

"…"

"It's okay. Don't be too surprised."

After all, he was just a cat.

Despite my reassurance, Damian continued to stare intently at me. I tilted my head, meeting his gaze.

"Why?"

Self-conscious, I hastily rubbed my cheeks, wondering if I had dirt on my face.

"I should be going now."

"Yes, have a safe trip."

Damian glanced at me one last time, then abruptly spun on his heel and marched away with quick, frantic steps.

He furiously brushed off the shoulder where Cheese had been sitting.

"…What the…"

Damian clamped his hands over his ears to block out the sound of his pounding heart, but the frantic rhythm echoed deep within his skull.

Gasping for air, he roughly yanked at his fully buttoned collar, loosening the stifling fabric.

He was utterly confused.

It had to be a side effect of the excessive holy power.

"Hah."

He had been startled by the sudden appearance of the ghost cat, but he was even more rattled by the Saintess herself.

It was one thing to be helplessly possessed, his body moving on its own. But actually seeing and feeling the ghostly entity was an entirely different, terrifying matter.

"A soul, she says."

Damian took a deep, shuddering breath, barely managing to calm down and straighten his disheveled clothes.

Even though the Temple was treating his condition, the religious order and the Imperial Palace were locked in a constant political cold war, always keeping each other in check.

He could not afford to show them any signs of weakness.

"…Your Highness the Crown Prince?"

At the sudden voice, Damian's expression instantly hardened into a mask of composure as he turned around.

He struggled to maintain eye contact with the Pope, who was staring at him in mild surprise.

Not too long ago, Damian had cursed the gods, thrown a volatile tantrum right in front of this man, and stormed out of the sanctuary.

Unsure of how to act, Damian simply offered a stiff nod.

Honestly, he had no idea how to face the Holy Father right now.

Because with her mere existence, Diane Irene had effortlessly cured him—rendering the six grueling years the Pope had spent agonizing over his condition completely meaningless.

"Have you been well?"

The Pope hesitated for a fraction of a second before offering a warm greeting, a gentle smile gracing his features.

"Yes, I have been well thanks to the Saintess."

"I'm glad to hear there has been progress in your treatment."

"…Um,"

Treading carefully, Damian slowly opened his mouth to apologize.

"I… I'm truly sorry for my behavior back then—"

"Do you happen to like candy?"

Damian stared at the small, brightly wrapped lemon candy suddenly pressed into his palm, then looked up at the Pope.

The older man's deep green eyes brimmed with nothing but pure, unadulterated goodwill.

"I heard that children like candy."

"…Ah."

Suddenly flustered, Damian stuttered out a reply.

"I like it."

"I see."

Watching the young Crown Prince carefully tuck the candy into his pocket, the Pope unwittingly muttered aloud.

"Have you gotten much closer to Diane?"

"I think we've gotten closer than when we first met."

The Pope nodded silently, a wistful look in his eyes.

Damian's gaze drifted to the Pope's own pockets, which were visibly bulging with sweets.

"The Saintess probably likes candy, too."

"…Yes, that is true."

The Pope offered a bitter, self-deprecating smile.

"I still don't know how to approach children, so it's a bit difficult."

"I think you can just tell her exactly how it is."

Damian answered bluntly, his earlier awkwardness fading.

"That you're thinking of her."

"…!"

"You've never expressed it directly, have you?"