Chapter 150

Maria had never hit a person before.

Moreover, she had never been hit by a person either.

Not just people—Maria was the daughter chosen by the Supreme God. The Holy Order, which regarded the Supreme God as the root of all creation, cherished Maria almost as much as they did the Supreme God himself.

When she was little, if she stumbled while learning to walk, priests immediately rushed in to help. Even after she grew up, the Holy Nation didn’t allow even a single blade to come near her. That’s how meticulously they cared for her.

And it wasn’t wasted effort. Maria grew up to be exactly what they hoped for—exemplary in every way. Her body remained flawless, without a single scar.

But there’s always an unchanging law of equivalent exchange. In losing the experience of pain and injury, Maria also lost the knowledge that came with it.

“I know pain exists. I’ve read about it in books.”

“Yeah, but that’s all. Maria had never actually experienced pain. And thanks to the Holy Nation’s strict education, which forbade even the presence of blades, she had never seen weapons like spears, swords, or guns in action.

Thus, she didn’t know when people got injured, how hard you had to hit someone to bruise them, or how much a blade could cut through flesh.

Or how much it would hurt.

Book knowledge has its limits. Reading the phrase “muscles throb, bones ache, and the whole body shakes” a million times doesn’t actually transmit the feeling of pain to the reader.

So when Maria struck Evans’ abdomen…

She lacked control over her strength. Though she hadn’t infused her blows with divine power, sometimes she hit too hard, other times too softly.

It was hard to gauge the right amount of force from his reactions alone. No matter how Maria hit him, Evans only wore a bizarrely euphoric, almost perverted expression.

It would have been better if she could at least compare the impact of a punch landing on his stomach. But Evans’ abdomen always felt equally firm yet soft, no matter where or how she struck it.

As if gently cradling her fist, protecting her from hurting herself.

“…”

So she didn’t realize.

She thought he was simply enjoying himself, never suspecting anything else.

Behind that smile lay a hidden truth she could never have imagined.

Really, she couldn’t have guessed.

“…”

They say when someone experiences a great shock, their thoughts momentarily stop.

That’s exactly what happened to Maria now.

“Aaah, uh, ugh…”

The vivid display of bruises—blue, red, mottled patches of injury.

All of it was completely new to Maria, who had been raised so preciously. How could a body end up looking like this? It was clearly not normal.

“Ugh… gah…”

The young girl, Maria, belatedly realized these were the bruises she’d only ever seen in books. Along with the descriptions of such injuries.

“When a bruise forms, the area turns blue and swells. While light contact is fine, further stimulation can cause extreme pain.”

Evans’ bruises covered his entire abdomen. Bruises upon bruises, obvious signs of repeated trauma.

Even though Maria didn’t fully understand the severity of such injuries, she could tell it was serious.

“It’s… impossible…”

She wasn’t sure why the bruises formed, but she had a guess.

Probably because of her.

Because of her continuous punches.

“To endure this much… and take all of it without showing any sign of pain or discomfort?”

Of course, anyone with even basic combat training would know this wasn’t possible. A trained boy’s stomach shouldn’t suffer this much damage from a girl, let alone a young one’s punches. In reality, Evans only felt intense pleasure, never once truly experiencing pain. To him, everything was just playful fun.

But Maria had no idea. She didn’t know how hard you had to hit to cause a bruise.

And besides…

“Uh, uh… wh-what do I do!?”

Seeing this horrifying sight for the first time, Maria panicked.

Even though Maria had witnessed injuries before—she had healed countless people as the Saintess, recently treating the hero Frey and Heavenly Hero Stella—the wounds weren’t as shocking as this. Bones and muscles seemed grotesquely twisted.

This was due to Evans being a Demon—a race crafted by the Demon God. While they possessed incredible vitality, their skeletons and muscles differed greatly from humans, making them more prone to certain types of injuries.

Naturally, Maria knew none of this. Trembling, she slowly lifted the fabric covering Evans’ torso.

“Crazy… how could he not say a word with injuries like this!?”

Maria couldn’t even imagine the pain Evans must have felt. She hesitated, afraid to touch him.

“First, I should heal him…”

Whoosh.

White holy energy gently billowed from Maria’s fingertips, seeping directly into Evans’ abdomen. Thankfully, the holy energy passed through his skin effortlessly. The previously ghastly wounds gradually regained color and vitality, returning to normal. Maria sighed in relief.

“Zzzz…”

Unaware of the situation, Evans slept soundly. The holy energy was non-invasive, even soothing like a warm embrace, perfect for drifting off.

With Evans’ wounds healed and the situation settled, Maria’s mind finally began processing everything.

The long-lashed boy lay sprawled across three chairs, sunlight streaming through the window onto his peaceful face. It was a beautiful, serene scene—but Maria’s heart pounded as if struck by thunder.

“Why… why did you endure such injuries without complaint?”

Her shock hadn’t subsided.

“I’ve never seen anything like this… how could his entire stomach turn so blue? And it’s all because of me.”

Regret crept in. She felt sorry for the boy and resented her own fists.

How could her fists cause such harm? It was unimaginable—and terrifying.

Sometimes, the warriors she read about in books or the Holy Knights of the Order bragged about how many enemies they’d slashed and how they’d done it. Right now, Maria couldn’t comprehend them at all.

The sudden encounter with such grotesque injuries was enough to traumatize the young girl.

And she regretted it again.

“You can hit me! I won’t feel a thing!”

“How can you think you’re committing a sin?! That’s ridiculous!”

“No, I’m struggling. So go ahead and hit me. Until all of Maria’s desires are fulfilled.”

What a foolish idiot.

They barely knew each other for a few days, yet he endured such injuries just for her sake—all to help her release a little frustration.

Maria squeezed her eyes shut then opened them again. The boy slept peacefully.

But before this sleep, how much pain had he suffered? Even breathing might have been painful.

Thinking about it made her head spin.

The noose of guilt tightened around Maria’s neck.

She wasn’t actually suffocating, but her mind went dark.

“Foolish, stupid, dense idiot!”

Such a foolish, stubborn, and dumb fool.

Otherwise, how could anyone endure this much for just a “friend” relationship? Not even Maria would do this. Acting as a punching bag until bruises formed on his stomach?

Looking back, it had been like this from the start. Since the day they met, Evans had been extremely kind to her.

He tailored everything to Maria’s preferences, avoiding anything she disliked. Occasionally interrupting class to talk to her, causing her inconvenience, but that too was because he liked her so much.

When Maria hesitated, he guided her. When she didn’t know something, he immediately explained it—about school clubs, extracurriculars, and many other things. Despite their short acquaintance, there was nothing she hadn’t benefited from.

“To endure this much pain just to accommodate me…! Why sacrifice yourself for something so trivial?! My petty desires aren’t worth it… It’s not important at all…”

Such mature kindness moved Maria deeply.

A tear, born from genuine warmth, streamed down her face. From her pure white eyes, it fell, glistening.

She wasn’t crying out of sadness.

Rather, out of immense gratitude and deep emotion.

She never expected this hidden side of Evans, who occasionally played mischievous pranks.

“Truly… excessively good person…”

Poof.

The gentle nun’s habit beneath her school uniform enveloped the boy in warmth.

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