The Cowardly Baby Saint Can See Ghosts [Novel] Chapter 3

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Episode 3.

It was then.

The woman, whose eyes had been rolling wildly in their sockets, slowly thrust her head forward. Her elongated neck stretched across the carriage until our faces were mere inches apart—so close I could practically feel the chill of her non-existent breath.

As she worked her jaw, opening and closing her mouth in a silent struggle to speak, chunks of rotting flesh peeled away from her lips.

Watching that decaying meat fall alongside oozing black blood, my heart pounded so fiercely against my ribs I thought it might burst. What if my small, fragile heart just gave out right here?

She kept mouthing words, but I couldn't understand a single thing she was trying to say.

"Urrghhh."

"Huh?"

As I stared blankly in disbelief at the floating text, Liam tilted his head.

"Saintess?"

"Mister…" I mumbled, glancing up at him cautiously. "By any chance, do they have dolls at the Temple, too?"

Liam's lips twitched, pressing firmly together to hold back a sudden laugh. I had no idea what he found so amusing.

"I will get one for you," he promised.

"…Okay."

"What kind of doll do you like?"

"Something soft and cute."

I cast my gaze downward, desperately trying to avoid making eye contact with the woman.

However, I couldn't block out the sound.

Her neck snapped at a grotesque angle as she spoke softly.

"Urrggh."

Then, she started aggressively nodding her head up and down. A moment later, her head began to spin in full, unnatural circles!

The crunching of her neck bones accompanying the violent motion was deafening.

"Uhhhhhhrrrrrggghhhhhhh."

"Ah, seriously!" Unable to handle the horrific display any longer, I slapped my hands over my ears. "You're too noisy!" I yelled, on the verge of tears.

Liam, who had happened to cough at that exact moment, turned deathly pale.

"I wasn't talking to you, Mister!"

It was too late. Liam had already bowed his head deeply, looking utterly dejected.

Before I could correct the misunderstanding, the carriage began to slow down. The dense forest of trees and bushes outside the window had seamlessly transitioned into a bustling cityscape. People milled about the downtown area, haggling over goods and chatting noisily.

Unable to take my eyes off the vibrant sights—my very first glimpse of a real city—I didn't notice Liam thinking to himself until he abruptly stopped the carriage.

"Please wait here for just a moment!"

Watching him hurriedly dismount, I opened my mouth to beg him not to leave me alone, but the words died in my throat.

The woman, who had been staring blankly at me, sharply turned her head and phased right through the carriage door, following Liam outside. She no longer looked bizarre and bloodied; she had returned to the elegant noble lady I had first seen.

I let out a shaky breath I hadn't realized I was holding, my tense shoulders slumping against the cushioned seat. To think just her presence could make the air so suffocatingly heavy.

But to fill the Good Deed Gauge, I supposed I had no choice but to listen to that ghost's story eventually.

"But she's too scary…!" I sobbed to myself, tearing at my hair. "Why was she shaking her neck like that?!"

Mid-panic, a sudden worry for Liam pierced through my fear.

"She's definitely attached herself to him, right?"

Judging by her almost coy reaction to him earlier, the chances of her haunting him out of a malicious grudge seemed low. Still, walking around with a ghost for a keychain was unsettling.

Not long after, Liam climbed back into the carriage, catching his breath.

As the wheels started rolling again, I looked up at him.

"I apologize for the delay," he said, smiling shyly as he offered me a doll. "It took some time to find one that matched the color of the Saintess's eyes."

"Wow…"

The doll, fashioned with purple button eyes, was shaped like a bunny. Its white fur was so fluffy that petting it immediately sent a warm, fuzzy feeling through my chest.

"I've… never received anything like this before."

"Is that true?"

"Yes! This is really my first time getting a gift like this. Thank you!"

Liam nodded, the tips of his ears turning a bright red.

"I thought you would like it."

At his brilliant smile, everyone—including myself and the ghost, who had suddenly returned—froze for a split second.

I cast a sidelong glance at the woman. She stared wordlessly at Liam's face before dissolving away like smoke.

"Wow, she finally disappeared."

"Excuse me?"

"Ah, it's nothing! I was just so happy."

"Haha…"

The Status window flashed, practically cheering at my new acquisition. A spike of irritation shot through me. I scowled, glaring daggers into the empty air.

Just then, Liam hesitated before speaking up.

"Um, Saintess. I am actually still unmarried, so could you perhaps just call me by my name?"

"…Ah!"

Come to think of it, why was I unconsciously calling him 'Mister'? Feeling embarrassed, I hurriedly corrected myself.

"I'm sorry. Liam."

"It is alright, hahaha!"

I had probably defaulted to 'Mister' because I was so moved by experiencing the kindness of a 'real' adult for the first time. Watching him laugh so brightly, a fierce determination settled in my chest: I needed to detach that ghost from him as quickly as possible.

Before long, we arrived at the Temple.

"Wow…"

A sight I had only ever seen in storybooks unfolded before my eyes.

A magnificent white building stood proudly, fronted by a sprawling, manicured garden. In the center, a grand fountain sprayed crystal-clear water in beautiful, arcing parabolas.

It felt as though, in this sacred place, any trace of dark energy would be instantly purified.

My heart pounded with excitement.

"How is it?" Liam chuckled, effortlessly lifting me from the carriage and setting me on the ground. "You will be staying here from now on. No one will ever be able to persecute the Saintess again."

"……!"

"I, too, will lay down my life for you."

He knelt gracefully, took my small, dirt-caked hand in his, and pressed a reverent kiss to my knuckles.

The spot where his warmth lingered burned fiercely. Suddenly hyper-aware of my grime, I hugged the bunny doll tightly to my chest.

From behind me, several loud gasps rang out.

Startled, I turned around to see the detachment of knights who had dismounted. They were coughing awkwardly and averting their gazes.

Feeling inexplicably depressed, my fragile self-esteem took a massive hit, and I poked my lower lip out in a pout.

Still, even if I felt miserable, manners were manners. I turned to the knights and bowed a full ninety degrees.

"Thank you for bringing me here safely!"

"……!"

The knights' eyes widened comically. One of them slapped a hand over his mouth, letting out a muffled sob, while the knight standing at the very front actually stumbled backward.

I spun on my heel, my short legs going pit-a-pat against the stone path as I rushed to catch up with Liam.

"So cute…"

Did I mishear that? I tilted my head and peeked over my shoulder.

The female ghost, having phased directly through the knights' bodies, was trailing right behind us, twisting her neck and laughing silently.

"Liam, hold me! Hurry!"

I hopped up, clinging to his leg and squeezing my eyes shut.

Fortunately, she seemed unable to cross the Temple's main threshold. The visual of the ghost’s face perfectly overlapping with one of the staring knights—her mouth tearing open in a grotesque, mocking grin—was pure nightmare fuel.

Thankfully, ghosts really couldn't trespass deep inside the holy grounds. Sniffling into Liam's armor, I let him carry me all the way inside.

Several priestesses were waiting in the grand foyer, clearly gathered to welcome me.

"We greet the Saintess."

"Sir Liam, you may hand her over to us now."

The priestess who received me smiled affectionately, gently patting my back. "You must have had a hard time coming such a long way. Shall we go together?"

"Yesss…"

I peered over the priestess's shoulder, my anxiety only settling when I caught Liam giving me a small, secret wave.

"Let's get you bathed right away."

Moving with military precision, it was clear these women had executed this routine countless times. They whisked me straight into the bathhouse, bustling about in a flurry of organized activity.

Meanwhile, I was so mesmerized by the room—adorned with towering marble goddess statues and gold accents—that I didn't even realize they had stripped me of my filthy rags.

They carefully lowered me into a massive tub filled with warm, scented water, and immediately began lathering my hair.

Sitting there in a daze, a sudden wave of modesty finally hit me. I tried to curl my knees to my chest, but the warm water was too soothing. My eyelids began to droop.

Nod, nod.

My head bobbed as I dozed off, only to be jolted awake by the sound of suppressed giggles behind me.

My pride flared. I forced my eyes wide open and smacked the surface of the water, sending an indignant splash over the rim.

The water smelled wonderfully of crushed flowers. Before I even had time to feel embarrassed about the muddy water washing off my skin, one of the priestesses rinsing my hair let out a loud gasp.

"Oh my goodness, I've never seen such beautiful silver hair!"

"Truly~"

Hearing them coo as they massaged my scalp, I blinked slowly.

"…S-silver hair?"

"It's an incredibly pure, mystical white, isn't it?"

I had lived my entire five years of life assuming my hair was a dull, ashy gray. I simply hadn't known its true color because it had never been washed properly.

Honestly, I didn't care much about my appearance, but this was a surprisingly huge shock.

Silver hair was exceptionally rare in the Empire.

By the time the lavish bath concluded and they draped me in soft, silken clothes, the grubby orphan 'Diane' was completely gone.

"Wow… is this really me?"

I never thought I would utter such a cliché line out loud.

The priestesses smiled warmly, dabbing a soothing balm onto my chapped lips.

"You are truly adorable, Saintess."

"…I am?"

"Of course! Once you eat lots of delicious food and grow up big and tall, you'll become the most beautiful woman in the Empire. Right, sisters?"

"Absolutely!"

What in the world is that ambiguous number supposed to mean?

With a deadpan look, I stubbornly ignored the glowing window.

Read this series only at: violetscans.org