Chapter 7
This was really a completely absurd notion.
Even in such a serious situation, I barely managed to stifle a laugh that threatened to escape.
An angel?
Where in the world am I supposed to look like an angel right now?
Even my clothing betrayed the idea. Far from a white dress, I was wearing a dark navy gown, my face pale with fear. I looked more like a maiden ghost than an angel.
Layton, that pure man, seemed to believe I was an angel.
‘I almost laughed at this situation.’
But that feeling didn’t last long.
I quietly looked down at the hand he was still holding.
Large and warm, it trembled slightly.
The shaking carried both fear and relief at the same time, and I paused, my breath caught.
My heart… went out to him.
‘He thinks I’m an angel over something this small?’
I hadn’t fully lifted his curse.
The Titiano Flower had barely done half of what Ailee could ultimately do.
Like my father before me, I had merely offered Layton a small measure of help.
Yet, his hand clinging so desperately—it wasn’t my hand he was holding.
It was a hand holding onto hope.
I carefully withdrew my hand.
He hadn’t fully regained his strength yet, so it slipped away without resistance.
“I feel guilty calling myself an angel—it’s far too petty of me.”
“…….”
“But don’t worry. Eventually, a true angel will come to save you.”
His lashes trembled faintly, as if understanding my words.
I smoothed a stray strand of his brown hair, and slowly the crease between his brows eased.
Seeing him finally relax, I whispered softly:
“Until then, don’t worry. Sleep well.”
Today, the garden was unusually quiet.
Normally, it would be my time for a walk with Ailee, but I had no energy for that.
My heavy eyelids kept drooping.
“Miss, you look truly exhausted. Has something happened recently?”
“No, I’m fine.”
“Then allow me to prepare some tea to relieve your fatigue. This old man is simply concerned.”
“……Alright, please.”
I barely nodded at the butler Hyle’s words.
My body felt like it was melting from exhaustion.
I raised my arms feebly, then let them drop.
It had been exactly a week since I last slept.
The time spent wrestling with the Titiano Flower for Layton had left me utterly drained.
‘Though I did realize something remarkable in the process.’
That remarkable thing was… that I, too, possessed holy power.
Honestly, I had been unsure.
As a character not appearing in the original story, I could not be certain of my abilities, and I had never considered holy power until now.
So I had gone straight to the library.
Strangely, the National Library in the city had no books on holy power at all.
When I asked the librarian, they merely looked flustered and said, “That isn’t my area of expertise.”
Returning empty-handed, I ransacked the books in my father’s study.
And fortunately, among them, I found Holy Power in Bloom.
Everything I needed to know was written there.
From the manifestation of holy power to methods of shaping it.
‘If I close my eyes and gather energy in my palms…’
I leaned back in the garden chair, closed my eyes, and concentrated. Golden holy power soon rippled around my hands.
“Yes, like this. It works quickly.”
I was surprisingly talented.
I was born with enough aptitude to perform things that were previously only written in books.
Now, everyone in the Bennett Grand Duke’s household—except my mother—possessed holy power.
Selena Bennett simply hadn’t been mentioned in the original story, so no one knew.
I withdrew the golden holy power flowing around my hands and closed my eyes again.
Perhaps because my mind felt lighter, my body sagged.
I had helped Layton, confirmed I had holy power, and would be able to assist until Ailee could lift the curse herself.
The gentle breeze brushing my cheeks made it feel as though I could fall into a deep sleep.
Feeling drowsy, I relaxed my body further and dozed off, until the chirping of birds reached me.
Just as I was about to sink into deeper slumber, a small, cute voice called out:
[Hey, wake up.]
……?
If I hadn’t heard that voice, I would probably have slept on.
I shot upright, looking around wildly.
Yet, amazingly, no one was there.
Even Hyle had not returned.
A chill ran down my spine, and I jumped to my feet.
“Wh-who’s there!”
My timid shout went unanswered.
‘Maybe it’s a hallucination.’
A few sleepless nights could easily conjure phantom voices.
I collapsed back into the chair.
But the voice returned immediately.
[Look to your right, to the right.]
I turned my head—and there, perched on my shoulder, was a sparrow about the size of a fist.
A sparrow.
A sparrow with blue feathers.
Could this sparrow… speak?
“No way. A sparrow can’t talk…”
[It can. I just did. I’m talking.]
“Eek—!”
I yelped and lightly pushed the sparrow with my palm.
It fluttered briefly, then returned to my lap.
[You pushed me knowing who I am?]
“W-who are you?!”
[I am a sacred beast. The spiritual being worshipped by the Holy Empire, the empire’s only sacred beast.]
Sacred beast?
I hurriedly recalled the original story, but the word “sacred beast” had never appeared.
Yet this sparrow was clearly looking at me and speaking.
Its voice was human, not chirps.
“Really a sacred beast? Then why are you here?”
The sparrow let out a small, mocking “Chirp!”
[You summoned me. Thanks to you, I get to see the world again after so long.]
“I didn’t summon you! I didn’t!”
[You woke me. Your holy power called me from the dimension of the sacred.]
The dimension of the sacred.
Holy power and sacred beasts—terms befitting someone like Ailee, with immense holy power.
“Me? Not my sister?”
[Yes! You! You are the only one in the empire whose body radiates strong holy power.]
Perhaps because Ailee had not yet manifested her holy power?
I looked at it skeptically but couldn’t help nodding.
[Then you will serve me from now on.]
I clamped my mouth shut at its audacity.
The sparrow, frustrated at my silence, chirped loudly twice:
[Hey! Having me around is good for you! I can infinitely recharge your holy power!]
“……Infinitely? Really?”
[Yes. You can heal quickly, and I can help you control your holy power better than anyone. Since I am holy power itself, I will stay by your side.]
Oh, not a bad deal at all.
Even if in the distant future, Ailee and Layton left to live their lives, I would have a way to survive alone.
‘With a sacred beast by my side, I can earn a living with holy power!’
I could cultivate precious herbs requiring holy power and sell them.
And protect myself in the process—a double benefit!
I quickly stroked the small sparrow’s head with my index finger.
Its soft feathers made me feel pleasantly lighthearted.
[Alright? Now, bring me some sweet cookies.]
“Understood.”
With the cheeky sparrow in tow, I headed toward the room.
“What should I call you? Sacred Beast? Sparrow?”
[Neither. Calling me Sacred Beast draws attention. Sparrow is too trivial.]
I chuckled quietly at that.
A sparrow, yet calling it trivial?
The sparrow—no, the Sacred Beast—chirped loudly in protest.
[Hey! You’re mocking me, right?]
For such a revered being, its appearance was cute, and its tone entirely unthreatening.
“No, not mocking. I was thinking of a good title.”
[And what would that be?]
As we entered the corridor, Hyle walked briskly with a tray toward the garden.
I glanced at the Sacred Beast and shouted toward Hyle:
“Hyle! Not the garden—bring it to my room! And lots of sweet cookies!”
Hyle promptly turned back toward the kitchen.
I then told the sparrow, pecking my shoulder impatiently:
“Your name is ‘Chirp’.”
[……Chirp?]
“Yes, completely dignified.”
I smiled at its skeptical head tilt and quickly adjusted my explanation.
After pondering for a moment, it asked quietly:
[Chirp is dignified?]
“Yes, completely dignified.”
The sparrow chirped joyfully in approval.
It had been a while since it went out, and it chattered the entire way back to the room.
[So you made the Titiano Flower bloom?]
“Yes, but could you be a little quieter? I’m worried someone might hear.”
[Who would hear? Who, hmm? Oh, is that the evil energy here?]
“Evil energy? There’s none of that!”
[Hmm, anyway. Want to hear a heroic tale? From when the empire was just founded.]
It was so loud I could barely respond, frowning.
Finally, I asked in exasperation:
“Can I cancel calling the Sacred Beast?”
[No!!!]
Later that evening, I met Layton.
[Where are you going?]
“To the greenhouse. I need to check something.”
Turning the right corner of the mansion and crossing the garden, a massive glass greenhouse appeared.
It had been where my father grew herbs.
No one had visited it since his death.
There, I had made the Titiano Flower bloom.
Now, carrying a bundle of precious seeds from my father’s study, I was headed to the greenhouse.
[Are you going to plant all these now?]
“Yes. And see if I can grow other herbs with holy power.”
[I know about that. With your ability, your holy power can purify even rotten soil. Shouldn’t be difficult.]
[And since I’m here, the scale will be massive.]
“Can we make them bloom right after planting? Not like last time, taking a whole week?”
[Hmm, then you’ll need to learn how to control your ability. Want me to teach you?]
“Yes!”
[Good. Then to the greenhouse—I’ll concentrate my holy power… Chirp!]
The sparrow suddenly went silent, pretending to be just a bird.
‘…What?’
Before I could think, a familiar voice spoke:
“Where are you going, Miss Selena?”
I opened my eyes.
Leaning slightly, a man met my gaze—my guardian, Layton.
“Marquis Layton? What brings you here?”
I asked calmly, though my mind was racing.
‘He was ill last night—already fully recovered? Was the treatment that effective? Or is he pretending?’
He smiled gently, seemingly unaware of my thoughts.
“I was looking for where you were.”
“Me? Why?”
“I have a question to ask.”
He spoke meaningfully, glancing at the sparrow perched on my shoulder.
A question for me… I wondered what it could be.
Ah—perhaps it’s about the outing we promised at the banquet?
Layton, busy with his curse, would surely want to keep his promise once recovered.
In that case, I could answer freely.
‘Let’s see… where would be good to go with Ailee…’
Yes, she had wanted to visit the hamster tea shop that other young ladies had gone to recently.
Thinking about inviting him there, I smiled faintly.
It would be a pleasant little outing.
But then came his question.
Not the one I expected.
A completely unexpected, even startling question.
“Do you know of the angel residing in this mansion?”
“……Excuse me?”
