Chapter 151

“Ugh….”

Had the external stimuli awakened him? Evans let out a faint groan and shifted his body. Maria, who had impulsively embraced Evans in her emotions, quickly pulled away, fearing she might be caught in an embarrassing situation.

To Evans, however, this reaction was even more stimulating. The sudden absence of warmth that had been covering his body woke him up fully. He rubbed his eyes and mumbled something half-asleep.

“Maria? Ugh… Did I doze off…?”

“A-ah! Y-yes… You fell asleep!”

“I see… So, Maria, why are you all sweaty? Are you feeling sick somewhere?”

Without even sitting up, Evans extended his hand and gently placed it on Maria’s forehead. Maria, who had been in extreme tension, flinched at the touch. Evans sensed something was off from her reaction.

‘What’s going on? Why is she reacting so strongly all of a sudden? She wasn’t like this before I fell asleep. Something must’ve happened while I was out.’

Evans quickly grasped the situation, his mind racing furiously.

“Goodness, your forehead feels like a flood. Maria, what’s wrong?”

Evans’ palm became soaked with sweat from Maria’s forehead, startling him.

“…Are you hurt anywhere? Do you have any underlying conditions? Or did you get injured? Where?”

SLAM!

“Eep…!”

Evans grabbed Maria by the shoulders. Naturally, his arms were also damp. Evans began to feel increasingly confused.

Normally, he wouldn’t have panicked this much. Even if a comrade died, Evans wouldn’t bat an eyelid—a man unshaken by anything. In fact, he’d even stab comrades in the back without hesitation.

But Maria was his one and only weakness. That’s why he’s so riled up right now.

Just as he was about to press Maria sharply—

“Guaaah, I’m fine!”

Maria shouted in a high-pitched voice, forcefully shaking off his hands.

“Huh?”

“It’s just… It’s too hot in here! Why is it so warm? Did someone mess with the heating? Or is it because the room is sealed?”

“Maria?”

“A-anyway! I’m fine! No need to worry about me!”

She was acting all flustered.

Truthfully, Maria’s reaction was perfectly natural given the circumstances—though Evans didn’t know that.

“…Maria, there’s something you’re not telling me, isn’t there? You’re deliberately changing the subject by talking about how warm the room is.”

Of course, Evans wasn’t someone easily swayed in psychological battles.

“No! There’s nothing!”

‘Uh… What should I do? Should I tell him? That I found the wound on his stomach and healed it already?’

“Then why are you so worked up? It’s warm in here, sure, but not enough to make you sweat like this.”

“It’s really just the heat! People feel warmth differently, don’t they!”

“…That’s true. But…”

‘There’s no reason I shouldn’t tell him… Except that he was clearly trying to hide it from me, and I uncovered it without permission. He’ll probably get mad if I say I peeked at his stomach.’

Evans continued pressing her, but Maria stubbornly denied everything despite her confusion.

The reason was simple.

‘Fear’.

Maria had lifted Evans’ shirt out of sheer curiosity. They were alone, and Evans was sleeping so deeply he wouldn’t wake up even if she waved her hand in front of his face.

The immature girl couldn’t resist the fleeting temptation. With thoughts of “just a quick look then cover it back up,” she exposed Evans’ stomach.

‘Oh no… This can’t get out…!’

To Evans, this would’ve been a trivial matter.

If Maria had asked to see something far more primal, sensual, and instinctual—his abdomen or otherwise—Evans would’ve happily shown it to her. That’s just who Evans is.

Having lived two lives as a demon, though maintaining chastity in this life, his past self was far from pure.

He doesn’t care about concepts like purity or chastity.

But Maria, who has spent her entire life in the Holy Order, is different.

In her mind, ‘chaos’ comes from another world. She must never approach it. As the Saintess, especially since she isn’t just a regular believer but a member of the clergy, she must conduct herself impeccably.

It would be unthinkable for the Saintess to strip a man out of mere affection and curiosity. If the church found out, they’d accuse her of being possessed by Satan and immediately recall her to headquarters.

Of course, when Maria acted, none of these thoughts crossed her mind. It was pure curiosity.

Evans felt comfortable around her. A close friend, the first peer she ever befriended.

And unbeknownst to daytime-Maria, her soul had spent centuries yearning for ‘him.’ This residue, this aftermath, this ripple lingered within her soul.

This is why Maria felt instinctually drawn to Evans from the moment they met. The reason behind her considerable affinity now.

“Really, there’s absolutely nothing!”

“Hmm…”

Even though Maria feels she committed a wrongdoing, there’s no real reason she shouldn’t confess outright. On the contrary, revealing one’s sins and seeking forgiveness is a virtue taught by the Holy Order.

However, unlike Evans or nighttime-Maria, the current Maria is 18 years old. Mentally, not much older.

Maria wanted to cover it up. Like a child who accidentally breaks a cup and hides it out of fear of parental scolding.

‘I-I wonder if this is the right thing to do… Should I just come clean and ask for forgiveness now? But! Evans-sama hid his abdominal pain for my sake! If he finds out I broke his trust like this…!’

Not that such reasoning would work on Evans, a master of psychological warfare.

“Maria, you’re hiding something from me, aren’t you?”

“A-aah…!”

“Hmm…”

While Maria agonized over her tangled thoughts, Evans had long been observing her reactions. Ironically, Maria, having never told a lie, was also inexperienced at concealing her emotions.

His dark crimson eyes stared intently at Maria. Though the same gaze he always gave her, Maria suddenly felt chills.

A penetrating stare that seemed to pierce through her very soul. Cold sweat trickled down her back, and her trembling lips remained sealed. Should she confess now? Surely Evans-sama wouldn’t punish her too harshly, right?

THUD.

“Alright, if Maria doesn’t want to tell me, I won’t push it.”

Evans’ hand softly touched Maria’s soft cheek.

A calming gesture meant to ease her tension.

“Is that really true…?”

“Maria would never hide anything truly bad from me. Even if she did, it must be something minor.”

“Uuuh… T-that…”

“Well, our values differ, so what constitutes a ‘wrongdoing’ varies. But even the first Messiah said, only those who have never sinned should throw stones at the thief. Isn’t it silly for me to pry into Maria’s mistakes?”

“Ugh…”

Maria felt ashamed of herself. Though she wasn’t ready to confess now, compared to Evans’ broad tolerance for covering others’ faults, she realized how petty she was.

‘Truly… Silently sacrificing for his desires and still being such a wonderful person. Evans-sama might even be more deserving of the title of Saintess than I am…’

Maria thought to herself, finding much to learn from him.

***

When I woke up, everything had changed.

First, Maria’s expression towards me has shifted. Now, it’s like she’s looking at something much more precious (?) with a sticky gaze.

Also, the pain in my stomach is gone. Normally, I should still feel the nausea every time I shift my body.

Sure, I heal fast as a demon, but this was a wound inflicted by Heavenly Hero Stella. It shouldn’t recover naturally in just a day or two.

So, the answer is clear: While I was asleep, Maria must’ve healed me with divine power. Though divine power usually counters demons, once again, it reminds me how special Maria has been since childhood.

For some reason, Maria seems determined to keep this fact hidden from me. I can’t quite understand why.

Could it be because of the Messiah’s teaching about keeping good deeds secret—”Let your right hand not know what your left hand does”?

Indeed, she’s a truly virtuous human. There’s so much to emulate.

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