I Tamed the Black Duke as a Terminally-Ill Saint (3 Chapters Left to Complete) - Chapter 7
“…I wanted to help Your Highness.”
“Help me?”
Hades wore an expression as if he’d heard the most absurd thing imaginable.
“It’s because of me that they’ve gathered here.”
“At least you have that much discernment.”
“…I’m sorry.”
Hades stared straight at me.
“But why didn’t you have the discernment to realize you’d only get in my way?”
This man…!
Yet it wasn’t the right moment to get angry, so I merely muttered quietly.
“That’s true. Why didn’t I think of that?”
“Since you defeated me, you must think I’m beneath you.”
“I’ve never looked down on you!”
I answered hastily.
The last thing I wanted was to lower Hades’ favor toward me.
“Then why did you try to help me instead of trusting me?”
I swallowed hard.
Making excuses in this situation wouldn’t do much good.
That meant the only thing I could offer was the truth.
“My victory over Your Highness was by the slimmest margin. Had circumstances been even slightly different, I would have lost my life by your hand.”
“Go on.”
“So I thought… Your Highness might also lose by such a narrow margin.”
“You tried to create that small difference yourself?”
“Yes.”
Now that I’d said it out loud, it sounded utterly foolish.
Hades Crohittner had just demonstrated overwhelming power, slaughtering the demon army with ease.
To suggest he could lose by a tiny margin—surely that wounded his pride.
Surprisingly, a gentle expression appeared on Hades’ face.
“That makes sense.”
“Makes… sense?”
Instead of answering, Hades posed another question.
“Do you still intend to go to the capital?”
“…Well.”
I swallowed again.
“I don’t think I can.”
I’d seen it with my own eyes.
Simply because I now held the Holy Sword, the demon army had grown tenfold compared to usual.
There was no way I could face them alone.
“Exactly.”
Was it my imagination?
For just a moment, it seemed as though a faint smile crossed Hades’ lips.
“Well, there’s no helping it.”
Hades spoke slowly.
“I’ll permit you to stay in the castle.”
“Excuse me?”
I couldn’t close my mouth.
“What…?”
“I said you may stay in the castle.”
Hades repeated slowly.
“Why?”
I couldn’t possibly hold back the question.
With demons swarming like that, wouldn’t it be a liability for the duchy if I stayed too long?
Hades’ eyes narrowed slightly.
“You don’t seem to be in a position to ask for reasons, Saintess.”
“Well, that’s true, but…”
“For me, it wouldn’t be bad if you left. You’d probably lose your life within a day, and I could simply reclaim the Holy Sword.”
Hades’ statement was clear.
If I refused his offer, I wouldn’t survive even a single day.
The infuriating part was that he was absolutely right.
I myself had no confidence I could survive if I left this castle!
The real question was—why was Hades showing me such kindness?
‘But I can’t just ask him outright…’
Surely there was more to his words than met the eye.
He must have some hidden motive.
‘Still, I have no choice.’
If I rejected Hades’ offer and stepped outside…
I’d likely spend every moment anxiously hiding, never knowing when those demons might catch up to me.
Staying under Hades’ protection was far better.
Having reached my decision, I opened my mouth to Hades.
“Thank you for Your Highness’ kindness. I’ll do my best not to be a burden while I stay.”
“…”
Hades looked at me for a moment, then turned and began walking.
“Follow me.”
The place Hades took me turned out to be the room of a stern-looking butler.
The butler, who had been dozing off with glasses perched on his nose, sprang up in surprise.
“Your Highness, who is this person?”
Hades looked down at me with a blank expression.
Ah, I guess he expected me to introduce myself.
“I’m Angelica. I’ll be in your care from now on.”
I greeted him with a bright smile, but the butler remained flustered.
“Miss Angelica…?”
“She’s the Saintess.”
“Oh! So you’re the Saintess!”
The butler beamed and grabbed my hand, shaking it vigorously.
Oh no.
I groaned inwardly.
Not all Saintesses were created equal.
In this world, people worshipped various gods, and the influence of a priest or Saintess depended on how powerful their god was.
How powerful was Angelica’s god?
Just powerful enough for a Saintess treated like a human canary in a rural mine, of course.
“Which temple do you come from?”
I suppressed the urge to grimace.
Hades Crohittner—why did he have to say anything at all…!
“I come from Kacey.”
“My apologies—I’ve never heard of it; my knowledge is rather limited…”
“It’s not an official temple, so how would you know?”
“It is an official temple.”
I immediately corrected him.
“It’s just that it hasn’t been properly maintained for a long time.”
“And weren’t you the very person who should have been maintaining it?”
Before I could reply, Hades spoke to the butler.
“She’s not staying here for her divine power, so there’s no need to treat her extravagantly. Just provide a decent room, clothes, and make sure she doesn’t go hungry.”
“Your Highness…?”
“Whatever she wears will be better than her current mouse-like appearance.”
A mouse?!
It stung even more because it wasn’t entirely wrong.
My originally white clothes had long ago turned a grimy gray, and with my silver hair, I probably did resemble a mouse.
Fortunately, the butler quickly regained his composure.
“Understood. Then please follow me this way…”
“Oh, the room must be on the same floor as mine.”
I nodded.
Since people might try to steal the Holy Sword, it was best to have my room near Hades’ quarters.
But the butler, unaware of this reasoning, looked utterly shocked.
“Excuse me?”
Hades furrowed his brow.
“What, is there a problem?”
“None at all! I’ll carry out your orders at once, Your Highness.”
The butler’s words tumbled out in a rush, and his pace quickened.
As I followed him, I couldn’t help but wonder.
‘What’s going on…?’
“This is your room.”
“Wow…”
I didn’t bother hiding my amazement.
The room the butler showed me was a lavishly decorated bedroom straight out of a fantasy novel.
In the center stood a massive bed draped with curtains, and against one wall loomed an enormous wardrobe alongside a beautiful mahogany desk—clearly fit for a high-ranking noble with no discernible flaw.
“I’ll now bring the maids to attend to you, Saintess.”
“I don’t need any maids.”
I replied quickly.
I didn’t plan to simply sit idle under the Grand Duke’s protection.
I needed to master Denesor as soon as possible, and the more eyes watching, the greater the chance someone might discover the sword’s true nature.
The butler tilted his head in confusion.
“But surely you’ll need at least one maid to assist with your daily needs?”
“I’ve managed on my own until now. Just bring me my meals.”
“I see.”
Fortunately, the butler didn’t press further.
“Then please rest. I’ll bring your clothes shortly.”
As soon as the butler left, I sank into the plush sofa.
‘I might actually survive.’
I hadn’t realized how tense I’d been—my whole body felt stiff as a board.
But my rest was brief; someone knocked on the door.
“Come in.”
To my surprise, it wasn’t the butler but a young, serious-looking maid.
“Saintess.”
Her voice trembled as she held a bundle taller than herself.
“I’ve brought clothes for you to change into.”
“Oh, thank you.”
Even after arranging all the clothes, the maid didn’t leave.
“Shall I prepare a bath for you, Saintess?”
“That would be wonderful!”
I beamed.
Since becoming ‘Angelica,’ I hadn’t had a proper bath once.
Naturally, the offer thrilled me.
But perhaps I’d been too enthusiastic.
The maid’s eyes hardened.
Ah, I must have seemed terribly unrefined.
When I sank into the bath she’d silently prepared, the sweet scent of roses filled the air.
‘This feels so nice…’
Was it because this was my first proper bath since becoming Angelica? My body felt pleasantly heavy, and my eyelids slowly drooped shut.
Had the maid not shaken me awake, I might have drowned absurdly in the tub.
“Please wake up, Saintess. The water’s gone cold.”
I blinked.
Indeed, the water had already turned icy.
Yawning, I climbed out of the tub and carefully dried myself with a soft towel.
Now it was time to get dressed…
“Um…”
I cautiously spoke up.
“Don’t you have any other clothes?”
Normally, I’d have just worn whatever was given.
After all, I knew how generous the Grand Duke’s household was being toward me.
But these clothes…
‘They’re way too revealing!’
The skirt itself wasn’t the issue.
True to northern fashion, it was a long, trailing velvet dress.
The problem was the top.
With its deep neckline and sheer fabric for both the sleeves and lower chest, it would’ve been considered scandalous even in the modern era.
I tried to recall the outfits of female characters in Leodel.
Saintesses, of course, were always fully covered, and mages wore long robes with minimal exposure. The only exceptions were barbarian warrior women in revealing armor.
Ordinary women, as far as I remembered, wore unremarkable medieval-style dresses…
“Shall I bring other clothes? But since we don’t have your size ready, it might take a few days. Is that alright?”
Now that I thought about it, Angelica was so thin that finding fitting clothes must be quite a task.
“A few days is fine.”
I answered cheerfully, then froze as I browsed the garments.
I’d just discovered sleepwear so revealing that my current dress seemed modest by comparison.
In other words…
Sheer, skin-toned fabric barely covering the essential areas.
I hope that explains it well enough.
“I think I can manage with sleepwear that’s slightly the wrong size. Please just bring something normal.”
The maid stared at me with an expression full of unspoken words, then nodded.
“Understood, Saintess.”
While she went to fetch clothes and dinner, I fell into confusion.
Was this the current fashion in the north?
Had Leodel unknowingly adopted modern-level trends?
My spiraling thoughts yielded no answers before the maid returned.
“I’ll prepare your meal.”
Given the Grand Duke’s status, the food should have been magnificent!
…If only that were true.
At least the cheese was edible.
The soup was far too salty, the bread painfully hard, and the dried fruit smelled musty.
Still, it was better than what I’d eaten over the past ten days, so I ate as enthusiastically as I could.
Though I only managed a few spoonfuls of that salt-block soup.
“Is something wrong with the soup?”
The maid tilted her head as she cleared the dishes.
I briefly considered saying it was too salty but quickly changed my mind.
‘Ah, I guess this is just how people here like their food.’
Besides, soup was typically cooked in large batches.
It’d be troublesome to adjust it just for me.
“Not at all.”
I gave a light smile.
“I’m just so full from eating other things.”
“I noticed you left some bread too…”
“Oh, that’s also because I’m full.”
Fortunately, the maid seemed satisfied with my explanation, and I noticed nothing odd—
That is, until the next morning, lunch, and dinner, when my table held nothing but cheese and dried fruit.
My Arch-enemy Sealed My Memory and Said That He is My Husband
This is an incredibly captivating story that you absolutely shouldn’t miss! I’ll give a brief introduction here, and below you’ll find a detailed synopsis of the plot.
The female lead is a fierce and powerful demon king. The male lead is a once-in-a-millennium celestial lord, admired by the entire cultivation world.
They are equally matched, legendary rivals who have battled for centuries.
In the final duel, the female lead is gravely injured. The male lead saves her, seals her memories, and hides her true identity. He tells her that he is her fiancé. His entire life has been flawless—except for the one thing he never expected, never controlled, and never wanted to control: falling for his greatest enemy. She is his inner demon, his obsession.
When the female lead regains her memories, she is furious at his deception.
She makes his life a living hell.
And somehow, the male lead—possibly a total masochist—doesn’t mind at all. In fact, he’s happy she’s paying attention to him.
Yep, we’re back to my favorite trope: male lead suffering. If you love this kind of story, jump into the pit with me now!!!
Intro
Dong Xia lost her memory.
Her handsome and extremely powerful fiancé Li Qing comforted her: “It’s okay if you can’t remember. I’ll always be with you.”
Everyone thought Dong Xia’s ancestors must have burned incense to get such a perfect fiancé. He was the number one person in the immortal realm, yet he remained chaste and only loved her.
…
The day before marrying her fiancé, Dong Xia finally remembered everything.
She wasn’t suffering from memory loss at all.
Her arch-enemy had made her fake her death, destroyed her cultivation, replaced her memories, and pretended to be her deeply in love fiancé.
No wonder he said, “It’s okay if you can’t remember”!
Dong Xia laughed coldly as she pulled out her long knife: Li Qing, prepare to die 🙂
*
Li Qing, as the supreme being of the immortal realm, was the people’s shining beacon.
The only unknown stain in his life was his affection for Dong Xia, the ruler of the demon realm.
In the final battle of the war between immortals and demons, the sky collapsed and the earth shattered. The ruler of the demon realm was finally slain under the sword of the supreme being of the immortal realm, and everyone in the immortal realm applauded.
The cultivation world lost a ruler of the demon realm.
And in the back mountain of Li Qing’s cave dwelling, he secretly hid away a fiancée.
Notes:
1. The female lead is white on the outside, black on the inside, and the queen of flattery; the male lead repeatedly tests the edge of darkness, a VIP guest at the crematorium.
2. Fantasy cultivation world setting.
[Touch the gear icon in the bottom right corner of the screen to move to the next chapter if you want.]
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