The Cowardly Baby Saint Can See Ghosts [Novel] Chapter 19

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Episode 19.

By the time the peach candy had completely dissolved on my tongue, we finally reached the Pope.

Liam gently set me down before the Holy Father and took a respectful step back.

"Three hundred years."

The Pope's solemn voice echoed across the massive plaza.

He hadn't shouted, yet through some form of divine magic, his voice reached the ears of every single person gathered there with crystal clarity.

"For the first time in three hundred agonizing years, a Saintess has finally graced us with her presence."

A silent, rippling wave of awe washed over the crowd.

"Diane."

The Pope smiled down at me.

"Let us greet them."

As I awkwardly pinched the edges of my pristine white dress and offered a clumsy curtsy, a deafening roar of applause erupted.

It was then.

"Saintess! P-please, Saintess, I beg you!"

My head whipped toward the source of the desperate, screeching wail.

A gaunt, emaciated woman was sobbing uncontrollably, throwing herself against the barricade of Holy Knights as she desperately reached her hand out toward me.

"My child…!"

Only then did my eyes drop to the bundle she was clutching to her chest.

It was so completely shrouded in a pitch-black aura that I hadn't even realized it was a child. Upon closer inspection, a grotesque ghost was entirely draped over the small body, suffocating it.

My heart sank to my stomach.

Even the Pope seemed momentarily taken aback by the sudden disruption, clearing his throat to regain control of the ceremony.

"Please, save my child!"

"…How dare you interrupt this sacred blessing—"

"Let me see."

Stepping around Liam, who had moved to shield me, I spoke with absolute firmness.

"I want to see. Let her through."

The Holy Knights nervously exchanged glances before looking toward the Pope for direction.

With a heavy sigh, the Pope gave a slow nod. The barricade parted fluidly, creating a clear path for the woman.

The entire plaza fell deathly silent, thousands of people holding their breath as they watched my every move.

I slowly approached the unconscious child.

Honestly, I was terrified.

Even so, I had to do this.

"Go."

As I whispered the command, the shadowy mass that vaguely resembled a face flickered and wavered.

"Stop clinging to a child and disappear."

In the next second, I gathered holy power at my fingertips and firmly pressed them against the child's forehead.

A brilliant, blinding light erupted from my hand.

The ghost let out an ear-piercing, agonizing shriek as it was violently violently repelled into the air.

Knowing that I was the only one who could hear that horrific scream, I thankfully managed to keep my facial expression perfectly serene.

The child's body gave a sudden jerk, and slowly, his small eyes fluttered open.

"Mom…"

At that single word, the woman collapsed to her knees and began to weep hysterically.

"Thank you! Thank you, Saintess…!"

"Good heavens, the boy opened his eyes!"

"It's a miracle!"

"All hail the Saintess!"

Breaking out in a cold sweat, I took a step back from the overwhelming fervor.

But in that exact moment…

My vision violently tilted.

A sudden, terrifying sensation of profound emptiness hollowed out my insides.

"Uh?"

My legs buckled beneath me.

Before I could hit the stone floor, the Pope swiftly caught me in his arms.

"You pushed yourself too hard."

"No, I didn't…"

I mumbled, weakly shaking my head, but I knew the truth.

Without realizing it, I had channeled far too much power at once.

The reality was that the shockwave of my holy power hadn't just exorcised the ghost on the child—it had obliterated all the other lesser ghosts hiding around the edges of the plaza, too.

"Your face is as white as a sheet, Diane."

"My complexion is originally a bit—"

"This is not a joke."

Ah. I was feeling seriously dizzy now.

I leaned heavily against the Pope's arm and struggled to catch my breath.

Through my blurring vision, my eyes drifted toward the exclusive balcony reserved for the Imperial Family. A familiar head of black hair caught my eye.

It was a face I knew all too well.

The man destined to kill me.

He was dressed impeccably, his appearance as neat and refined as ever.

His crimson eyes were deeply clouded and murky.

I recognized that chilling expression instantly.

I had replenished his holy power right before the blessing ceremony.

I had a terrible feeling about this.

Damian very slowly lifted his head.

Our eyes met across the vast distance of the plaza.

In that split second, the murky fog in Damian's eyes trembled, showing a brief flash of frantic lucidity.

Then, as if absolutely nothing was wrong, he lowered his gaze.

But it was too late.

I was absolutely certain.

Something terrible was about to happen.

Right on cue, that obnoxious pop-up window appeared with a burst of digital confetti.

---

After the blessing ceremony concluded, I practically collapsed face-first into my bed.

"Ughhh."

My body felt like lead.

I couldn't muster an ounce of strength in my arms or legs.

Becky pressed the back of her hand against my forehead, her face twisting into a worried frown.

"I knew it! You overexerted yourself!"

"I really didn't…"

"You couldn't even walk up the stairs just now!"

"That's just because my legs are short."

"That's even sadder—wait, no! I'm going to have a serious word with Sir Liam about this!"

"Liam didn't do anything wrong…"

Unable to finish my sentence, I buried my face deep into the soft pillows.

Honestly, the physical exhaustion was grueling, but what truly weighed on my mind was what I had seen.

Damian at the plaza.

I weakly wiggled my fingers against the mattress.

"Becky."

"Yes, Saintess?"

"Um, about His Highness the Crown Prince. Did he happen to look sick to you?"

Becky's expression grew uncertain.

"I didn't see him directly, but I heard he returned to the Imperial Palace the moment the ceremony ended. The rumors say he looked terribly pale…"

I knew it.

Damian's body naturally possessed almost zero holy power.

Because his vessel was so painfully empty, ghosts constantly coveted that vacant space.

Whenever I forcefully poured my holy power into him, he was fine for a while, as my energy acted as a temporary shield.

The problem was what happened today.

During the blessing ceremony, I had unleashed a massive, indiscriminate wave of holy power across the plaza.

Some of that residual energy must have drifted over and seeped into Damian's body.

But it hadn't been nearly enough to fill him. It wasn't enough to grant him the ability to see the ghosts, nor was it strong enough to completely repel them.

To put it simply, it was like smearing the tantalizing scent of something incredibly sweet on the inside of a hollow bowl.

He might already be fully possessed by now.

And in his current state, he wouldn't be able to defend himself at all.

I prayed silently.

But tragically, my ominous premonitions were never wrong.

The heavy oak door was violently thrown open.

Startled, Becky spun around with a gasp.

"Wh-who—Your Holiness?!"

The Pope stood in the doorway, his face completely drained of color. His usually immaculate platinum blonde hair was disheveled.

The high-ranking priest standing behind him looked equally pale and terrified.

The Pope immediately strode toward my bed.

"Diane."

Just hearing the grim tone of his voice confirmed my worst fears.

I clutched my blanket tightly.

"We just received an urgent message from the Imperial Palace."

"From the Palace?"

I tried to shoot up out of bed.

No, I attempted to shoot up. My exhausted body completely refused to cooperate.

"…Uh?"

The room spun violently. Becky let out a sharp cry and rushed to support my swaying body.

"Saintess!"

"Do not get up," the Pope commanded.

"I have to go."

"Your condition is the priority right now."

"His Highness's condition is far more urgent!"

It was only after I shouted that I realized my voice was trembling.

The Pope stared down at me for a long moment before letting out a heavy sigh, speaking in a low, strained voice.

"Ever since His Highness the Crown Prince returned to the Palace, he has been exhibiting highly abnormal symptoms."

Damian had previously told me that he couldn't afford to show a complete, miraculous recovery at the Palace.

Recovering too quickly would draw suspicion, and more importantly, he needed to deceive the political factions constantly watching him.

"This does not appear to be an act."

"…!"

"They say they are barely managing to restrain him from constantly trying to wander behind the detached palace."

"The detached palace?"

In that exact moment, a glaring status window popped up right in front of my eyes.

The Pope looked slightly puzzled as he watched me freeze and stare into empty space, but that didn't matter right now.

"Diane?"

"I have to go."

"…I will attach Sir Liam to you."

The Pope didn't press the issue any further. While I was deeply grateful for his compliance, it also made me feel a crushing sense of responsibility.

The Pope reached out a hand to stroke my head.

I subconsciously flinched, my body trembling slightly. Realizing what I had done, I offered an awkward, apologetic smile, and the Pope quietly withdrew his hand.

"I am sorry that I cannot accompany you. If I move personally, this incident will escalate into a major political issue—"

"It's okay."

"I will explicitly order Liam to bring you back immediately if you are in any danger."

I nodded firmly.

The Pope didn't know anything.

He couldn't see the ghosts, nor could he see the ominous status window hovering right in front of my eyes.

He didn't know a single thing about what was actually happening, yet he was still so deeply worried about me.

I never thought the weight of someone's genuine concern could make my chest feel so strangely ticklish.

"Diane."

"Yes."

"If you judge that this is something you cannot handle, you must step back."

"…"

"Answer me."

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