The Cowardly Baby Saint Can See Ghosts [Novel] Chapter 2

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Episode 2.

The carriage interior settled into a thick silence.

I averted my gaze. The Holy Knight sitting across from me—misinterpreting my silence—began to sweat profusely and frantically offered me a piece of candy.

Not wanting to decline, I popped the candy into my mouth. My pale cheeks puffed out as I rolled the sweet around.

Unexpectedly, it tasted of refreshing lemon.

The knight watched with a pleased expression as I savored the treat.

Honestly, the intense scrutiny was a bit embarrassing.

Small talk seemed the best way to lighten the mood.

"Mister, what's your name?"

I thought he might ignore me, but he answered quickly, almost as if he'd been waiting for the question.

"I'm Liam."

"I'm Diane. I'm five years old."

I held up my short, chubby fingers to demonstrate. Liam broke into a wide smile.

Meanwhile, I racked my brain, trying to remember where I had heard that subtly familiar name.

I stared at the man fated to die protecting me, then shifted my gaze to the woman sitting beside him.

It was slightly odd that she hadn't introduced herself, but lacking any real curiosity, I brushed it off.

"I apologize for finding you so late," Liam said. "The oracle only came down early this morning, so…"

I wanted to tell him it was perfectly fine.

After all, I had only found out today myself.

In truth, retaining the memories of my past life was the only reason I had survived this long.

I hadn't exactly been a beloved figure before my reincarnation, either. Brushing off the orphanage Director's petty bullying had been easy enough.

The hunger, however, was unbearable. The orphanage was destitute; there were countless days I survived on a single ear of corn.

In the Empire, gods were revered above all. Surely they wouldn't let a "daughter of a god" starve.

Honestly? Even if they planned to exploit me, I was fully prepared to play along—as long as they fed me well.

Life in that orphanage had been overwhelming, even for someone with an adult's mind.

The lemon candy, my first real treat in ages, was so intensely sweet it made my tongue tingle.

"Everyone is waiting for the Saintess," Liam continued.

"Why? They'll be disappointed, won't they? I'm just an unremarkable little kid."

"That is not true!"

The Holy Knight's face fell, looking deeply troubled. He vehemently denied the cynical words that had slipped out before I could stop them.

"The Saintess is a blessing just by existing."

"Me?"

"Yes."

Liam answered firmly, as if desperate to reassure my half-doubting self.

"Everything in this world is made of mana. It is distributed unevenly, but the Saintess can stabilize it simply by being here."

Uneven. Distributed. It wasn't an explanation tailored for a five-year-old at all, but understanding perfectly, I nodded.

"Even if the Saintess merely shows her face, the people will be comforted. Everyone has been struggling so much lately."

Liam's expression darkened, haunted by the memory of those difficult times.

Watching his emotions display so clearly across his face, it finally clicked just how furious he had been upon discovering my living conditions earlier.

"Originally, an oracle descends once every hundred years, but the gap was far too long this time. The Empire was on the brink of destruction—ah, my apologies."

Perhaps realizing the topic was too heavy for a child, he abruptly cut himself off.

I shook my head to show I didn't mind and swung my dangling feet, turning my attention to the carriage window.

The ride was flawlessly smooth, utterly devoid of jolts. It was incredibly peaceful.

Warm sunlight pooled on the top of my head, feeling almost like a welcoming embrace.

Leaves rustled in the wind, a nearby stream babbled, and a magnificent castle stood in the distance, surrounded by clusters of quaint houses.

Suddenly, the reality of it hit me: I was truly living in a fantasy world.

Abandoned at birth and confined to the orphanage my entire life, my only knowledge of the outside world had been pieced together from the Director's harsh words and the outdated clothing we wore.

In a way, this was the very first time I was truly seeing the world.

My breath hitched in my throat.

A sharp ache bloomed in my chest, and a sudden heat prickled behind my eyes.

Was the reality of escaping that hellish orphanage finally setting in?

If I hadn't stepped up to comfort the other terrified children at the orphanage, someone surely would have died of despair.

That was why I had endured it all.

I considered it my duty, as the only one with an adult's mind.

But the truth was, being constantly hated was something I could never get used to.

Hot tears spilled over my lashes, blurring the luxurious carriage into a watery smear.

How was Liam looking at me right now?

No one likes a crying child. Sniveling while covered in years of orphanage grime, I was practically guaranteeing the worst possible first impression.

An icy dread seized my chest.

Then, a shadow fell over me.

"I apologize for the intrusion."

Large, calloused hands gripped my waist. Liam lifted me as effortlessly as a feather and settled me gently onto his lap.

I stared up at him, my eyes wide with shock. His ears flushed a deep, brilliant red as he awkwardly patted my hair.

"I am not used to children," he confessed softly. "I do not know the proper way to comfort you."

I sniffled, too stunned to speak.

"However, it seems you have endured a great deal. I simply… wanted to give you a hug."

The cold, hard steel of his armor wasn't unpleasant; it felt grounding. Before I knew it, my tears had dried up, and a small, tentative smile mirrored his own.

Catching my tear-stained smile, Liam blinked in surprise before his expression melted into a broad, genuine grin. He gently patted my back.

Orphans possess an uncanny survival instinct: the ability to instantly distinguish genuine goodwill from fake kindness.

This man, repeatedly murmuring that everything would be alright, was the first person in this world to offer me true warmth.

For the very first time, a fierce desire sparked within me. I wanted to live well here.

Both as his Saintess, and as his hope.

"Were you frightened earlier?" Liam asked, breaking the silence. "I brought a large detachment of knights just in case, but…"

"I was a little surprised," I admitted.

I held up my thumb and index finger, leaving only a tiny gap. Seeing the gesture, Liam burst into rich laughter.

"They are men of strong chivalry, so they are following close behind the carriage. I rode inside alone so as not to overwhelm you, and it seems that was the right choice."

My lingering sniffles stopped completely. I tilted my head, thoroughly confused.

"You rode in here alone, Mister?"

"Yes. Why do you ask?"

A bone-deep chill washed over me. I slowly turned my head, staring back at the woman sitting right beside him. She had been glaring intently at Liam this entire time.

Her neck snapped toward me. Meeting her hollow, dead eyes, the horrifying truth finally clicked.

That woman… wasn't human.

I stopped breathing.

The woman's pale lips curled upward.

They kept curling. The corners of her mouth tore with a wet, sickening sound, the wound stretching impossibly wide until it reached her ears.

Wait a minute.

This wasn't in the original story!

I remained frozen in place, my vocal cords paralyzed with sheer terror.

At first glance, she had looked completely ordinary.

She possessed a healthy complexion and wore a beautiful, high-quality dress typical of a noble lady.

I had assumed she was Liam's silent companion. But thinking back on it, he hadn't spared her a single glance.

The woman laughed.

Initially, the slight lift of her lips and the shy crinkle of her eyes had seemed lovely.

But as her grin bypassed the limits of human anatomy, the grotesque reality set in.

Accompanied by the horrifying sound of tearing flesh, her smile ripped past her cheekbones, splitting her face in half.

Honestly, if it were a monstrous bug, I could just crush it and be done with it.

A murderer? A bloodbath? As long as it didn't involve me directly, I could remain indifferent.

But a ghost?

"Heeheeheeheehee!"

All the blood drained from my face. I watched in horror as her neck stretched and swayed like a serpent, before I finally squeezed my eyes shut in pure denial.

The carriage interior was dead silent, save for the ghost's maniacal, echoing laughter.

Noticing my tightly shut eyes, Liam must have assumed I was resting. He remained quiet, politely fiddling with his sword scabbard.

Wait, no. How could he cut down something he couldn't even see?

I ground my teeth together, trembling.

The glowing system window hovering in my vision flashed rhythmically, seemingly mocking my terror.

What kind of rigged options were those?!

I screamed 'Yes!' tens of thousands of times in my mind, sniffling pathetically as a final system message appeared.

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