At last, Escalion’s tightly closed lips opened.

“You’re saying I’m not focused on training?”

“It seems that way…?”

“Then what am I focused on?”

“I don’t know…?”

At Graham’s stupid answer, Escalion immediately frowned.

He wanted to hurl insults at the blinking, blank-faced man, but in truth, the target of his irritation seemed to be himself rather than Graham.

The same voice had been echoing in his head for days.

Several times a day, several times even when going about as if nothing was wrong, dozens of times even during an ordinary day…

Her voice would ring chaotically in his head, instantly stealing away his senses.

Even while knowing it could also be an impudent lie…

“…She said she would return.”

“What?”

Graham questioned Escalion, who was muttering.

Escalion bent down to pick up the dagger that had struck the back of his head, pulling up the corners of his mouth.

“Nothing, go get your sword. You’re prepared for the consequences of daring to strike the back of my head, right?”

“Sigh… Holy Maiden, I recently ended up giving birth to that person’s child. My husband would never know in his dreams. Fortunately, the child was born with hair similar in color to my husband’s… It’s a child born with heaven’s luck, in a way.”

The noblewoman sitting in front of Belladonna opened her folded fan and began to create a breeze.

“My dream is for that child to succeed my husband as marquis. If I can carry on that person’s will even in that way…”

Belladonna looked at her with a picturesque smile.

In the dimly lit confessional, Belladonna blinked her eyes while looking at the pattern on the opposite wall.

She couldn’t count how many times this noblewoman sitting in front of her, sighing, had been here.

A few days ago, shortly after Belladonna’s return, the confessional opened, and the papal state was once again filling with believers.

“…I see. So you’re saying to raise the child as is?”

“…”

“Given that you’ve been married to your husband for 7 years with no heir, I suppose you mean there’s no hope from your husband’s side anyway? Yes! I understand, Holy Maiden.”

Though she hadn’t said anything special, the noblewoman folded her open fan with a satisfied smile.

“I, I’ll do my best to raise that child well. If he takes after that person rather than my husband, he could grow up to be a much kinder and warmer man. He’ll be a son I can rely on more too. Thank you so much, Holy Maiden!”

The noblewoman soon stood up and lightly bowed her head.

Belladonna smiled at her once again.

Though she had committed an immoral act, the face of the woman leaving the confessional looked at least very refreshed and happy.

As the noblewoman left the confessional, the priest standing by the door poked his head inside.

He was the priest assigned to stand by the confessional door today, guiding believers in turn.

“Holy Maiden, the next believer is waiting right away. Shall I tell them to come in?”

There really is no rest at all…

Belladonna, already exhausted from being stuck in the confessional all morning, bit her lower lip.

Listening to the believers’ complaints felt like an impossible task after so long.

‘How did I endure this all day long before?’

At that time, she had just awakened as Belladonna the Holy Maiden and was too preoccupied, overwhelmed by everything in the papal state with no time to look away.

Moreover, compared to her previous life as a farmer’s daughter… It wasn’t necessarily a more difficult job.

‘But now…’

After enjoying a free life with Escalion in Gribrata, returning to the confessional made this narrow, dark place feel even more stifling.

It felt like a bird that had been flying freely in the vast sky, suddenly caged in an instant.

‘And if I get lost in my own thoughts while listening to the believers’ stories…’

Before she knew it, she was naturally thinking of Escalion.

Walking around Gribrata Castle with him, occasionally going on outings to see beautiful scenery, going to festivals, the sea, the forest, Silenia.

And colliding bodies with him, lying on the bed…

Getting lost in happy memories and then suddenly coming to her senses, realizing her situation sitting quietly in the confessional, was a more painful and sad thing than expected.

“Holy Maiden…? Are you alright?”

The priest who had poked his head in asked again.

Belladonna turned her head to look at the clock hanging on the wall.

Anyway, until the papal state closed its doors in the evening, Belladonna had to listen to the believers’ stories endlessly.

She nodded with a weak smile.

“Yes, then… Next believer, please come inside.”

Guided by the priest, the next believer entered.

Just as Belladonna thought the robe the believer was wearing looked unfamiliar yet familiar, the person sat down and removed their robe.

Huh…? Belladonna’s eyes widened as she confirmed the believer’s face.

“My lady, please do not be alarmed.”

There was a sound of the magician’s long beard, which had been carefully hidden, tumbling down.

This person is…?

Looking at him, Belladonna was so surprised she almost stood up from her seat.

The old magician Fabion had taken off the robe he was wearing, placed it on the floor, and was taking things out of the bag he had brought.

What? Why is this person here…!

“Since you wouldn’t give me any time, my lady, I had no choice but this method.”

Ah, so he pretended to be a believer and requested confession to get in here?

Belladonna looked anxiously at the closed confessional door. Should I just chase him out saying he’s a nuisance…?

“I know you’re uncomfortable, but please give me just a little time. It won’t be to your disadvantage. Please believe me.”

At his voice tinged with desperation, Belladonna reluctantly sighed.

Fine, since he came all this way, let’s at least hear what this story he wanted to tell is.

If it’s strange talk, I’ll really chase him out…!

As Belladonna turned her body fully to face him, having made up her mind, Fabion’s face brightened slightly.

He excitedly took out a thick book from his worn bag and placed it on his thigh.

“After leaving Gribrata, I sought out sages from all over the world.”

Fabion said as he carefully turned the cover of the thick book.

Why sages all of a sudden? Belladonna looked at him with a still indifferent expression.

“The phenomenon of suddenly waking up in someone else’s body one day. Even the sages I met had never directly witnessed or heard of such a phenomenon.”

“…!”

Listening to his voice, Belladonna straightened her back with wide eyes.

The phenomenon of suddenly waking up in someone else’s body one day.

That was clearly referring to how she had opened her eyes in the Holy Maiden’s body after her death in her previous life.

This magician… He really knows everything, doesn’t he?

Feeling that everything had been seen through, she felt goosebumps on the back of her head and her whole body stiffening.

Fabion, raising his gray eyes to observe her reaction, opened his mouth.

“It seems my guess was correct.”

Ah…

Belladonna bit her lower lip with a belated expression of dismay.

She regretted being too surprised, realizing she should have maintained a nonchalant expression until the end.

“Don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone. I’ve come this far to help you, my lady.”

Belladonna gulped dryly.

She couldn’t understand what he wanted. Why does he want to help me?

“You must be very puzzled, but for now, please understand that the original Holy Maiden Belladonna was a precious connection to me. If it weren’t for her… I wouldn’t be alive until now.”

“…”

“So I simply want to help the Holy Maiden, and you, my lady.”

Thanks to the Holy Maiden, Fabion was able to save his life? She couldn’t know, but it seemed there was a more complicated story hidden between the two than a simple healer-patient relationship.

“So will you listen to my story? This old magician has investigated the unbelievable phenomenon that happened to you in his own way.”

At Fabion’s question, Belladonna, after long deliberation, slowly nodded.

She still couldn’t trust him completely, but it was true that as Belladonna, she had always been curious and frustrated about how she had opened her eyes in the Holy Maiden’s body like this, so it didn’t seem bad to hear whatever facts he had discovered.

“Thank you for giving me the opportunity. Then let me explain what I’ve found out.”

He said, lowering his gaze to the thick book he had brought.

“As I mentioned earlier, the phenomenon of suddenly waking up in someone else’s body hasn’t been much researched.”

Of course, she wondered if there was anyone else in this world besides herself who had been reborn in someone else’s body, let alone the Holy Maiden’s body, after dying.

“Just as I was gradually getting exhausted, unable to grasp anything, I heard a very interesting story from an Eastern sage.”

Fabion’s hand, which had been turning the pages of the thick book one by one, stopped at a certain page.

He flipped the book with both hands to turn it so Belladonna could read.

What is this…?

Belladonna narrowed her eyes and leaned her upper body forward to focus on the page Fabion had opened.

“The Eastern sage had mainly been researching people like the Holy Maiden. In other words… people who were ordinary but gained great holy power in exchange for something, that is, saints.”

Holy Maiden Belladonna had gained holy power in exchange for her voice in her childhood.

Holy power could manifest in anyone regardless of age or gender, and there were no clear trends or characteristics about it.

“All this time, I had been focusing on the phenomenon itself that you experienced, my lady. The fact that you suddenly opened your eyes in someone else’s body one day. Things like the conditions, targets, characteristics of ‘possession’ and how to return. But after meeting the Eastern sage, I realized my approach was slightly wrong.”

And this is what Fabion thinks is the right approach?

Belladonna, who had been listening attentively to his explanation, began to read the letters again.

Records on Saints…

“I believe it’s not simple ‘possession’, but possession of ‘one with holy power’.”

Is that why he searched for records on saints?

Belladonna, who had been looking at him for a moment, reached out to pick up paper and pen. At this point, she had something to say to him.