Saint, You’re So Vulgar!

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#017: Did I Get Hit with a Female Curse?

Rubena Pradeir is not a pleasant person.

Even considering that likes and dislikes are subjective evaluations, this stands true.

She is clearly not an upright individual, a selfish and vicious woman.

Even Rubena herself recognizes this fact well.

However, her reaction to it is simply, “So what are you going to do? I’m an adult.”

Putting that aside, because of her disposition, there was something Rubena knew.

The world is vast, and there are plenty of bitches out there, but among them, the top contender is herself.
And that there exists a unique bitch she couldn’t even compete with.

What more is there to say?

Bershia de Astalirion, known to the world as the epitome of a Saintess, is that one-of-a-kind bitch.

From their first meeting, it was obvious.

At 13 years old, when Rubena received her first revelation and entered the sect a decade ago, she had already become a Saintess.

Until then, Rubena had no ill will toward Bershia.
Rather, she was brimming with excitement at the thought of living the glamorous life of a Saintess, seeing her as simply a “worthy girl” in the same position.

However, that perception twisted during their first meeting.

– Ah, hello! I’m Rubena…

– Do you know her?

– …Huh?

– Ah, I thought I met someone when you stopped me.

With a beaming smile, she said those words.

After Rubena awkwardly opened her mouth in surprise, Bershia casually brushed past her as if she had lost interest.

It was clear right away what kind of person she was.

What followed solidified Rubena’s suspicions.

In public, she was known as a benevolent person, but within the sect, she was cold and distant.
She never engaged in deep conversations with anyone, and if someone approached her, her typical chilliness would throw up walls.
There were no changes in her expression. Sometimes, it felt like she was staring at a remarkably crafted doll.

Can’t you see?

She viewed everyone else as bugs.
Someone who didn’t even feel worth conversing with, pushing them away as if they were beneath her.

…Yeah, it was understandable, considering she had everything.

During their first meeting, Bershia was just eight years old.
Even so, her beauty was such that it stirred jealousy, and now at 18, she had become an exceptionally dazzling beauty.

What about her divine power?

The highest of all time, unparalleled, unprecedented.

All of these phrases referred to her strength.
If the title attached to her praising her power is “The Daughter Favored by the Divine,” what more explanation could one need?

A woman who had everything from birth.

That’s why she is proud and arrogant.

That was Rubena’s perception, and it was a common perception shared by Saintesses.

After realizing these facts, Rubena cut off her interest in her.
Anyway, wasn’t it pointless to pursue a friendship with someone she couldn’t get close to?

Each could simply take what they wanted from their respective positions.

But that plan ultimately failed.
Continuously rubbing against one another in a confined space inevitably led to negative feelings building up.

Various incidents brought Bershia and Rubena into conflict, and each time, animosity continued to grow.

Thus, a rivalry was born.
Rubena always insulted Bershia as a “two-faced bitch.”
Bershia would smile serenely, projecting an air as if she was above it all, ignoring her entirely.

Rubena thought it would be that way for life.
Bershia would live that way for eternity.

But what the hell is this?

“Um, uh….”

This was the first time Rubena saw “emotion” on Bershia de Astalirion’s face.

She had never witnessed any expressions of bewilderment or embarrassment on that face.

Such expressions were utterly unfit for her, yet it was as innocent as a girl.
Her flushed cheeks resembled late spring fruits that looked ripe enough to burst upon touching.
The sparkling eyes were filled with purity, shyly dampened.

That sent shivers down her spine.
The fact that those light blue locks and those blue eyes could be devoid of coldness, changing to clarity, felt shockingly hard to accept, and nausea welled up inside her.
This feeling wasn’t solely hers.

Rubena glanced at Judith.
She was gaping, mouth open, with a dumbfounded expression.
As far as Rubena could recall, Judith Haraway had never been this flustered before.
Seeing a woman who had always looked down on others’ intellect now wear such a foolish expression made the seriousness of the matter sink in.

Bershia’s transformation was such a strange, shocking, and terrifying sight.
During their previous interactions, Rubena had thought it was a new form of pretense.
She believed she was playing the part for the sleek and dapper man she had brought along.

But seeing her now, it seemed otherwise.

Love is a form of enmity.
Bad relationships are still relationships.
Was it the appearance of a guard knight that caused such a drastic change?
Struggling to deduce the cause-and-effect relationship, Rubena, for the first time, sincerely asked.

“…Are you okay?”

Rubena genuinely worried about Bershia for the first time in her life.
Judith felt the same.

“Did you get caught up in some sorcery? Or did you incur divine retribution? Did you get hit with a female curse or something?”

“Huh? Wha—?”

Bershia jumped back, alternating glances between the two.
Her confusion as she babbled was apparent.
She was the epitome of a virgin who had never held a man’s hand in her life.
She looked like a girl dreaming of a beautiful love with a prince from a fairy tale.

*

Asher’s back became damp.

Was that something he shouldn’t have said?
His heart raced at the thought that he had caused a disaster.

Ah, why can’t anything ever go smoothly?
He hurriedly thought of an excuse, but nothing surfaced.

Of course.
He had already implied that he was holding back on cookies to lose weight, so what excuse could he possibly add to that?

In fact, it was more due to his expression and actions creating a sense of discomfort, but Asher had no way of knowing that.
He was under the delusion that he was imitating Bershia quite well.

His gaze fell lower as he felt the weight of stares upon him.
Perhaps if he remained silent from here on out, he could avoid a greater disaster.
Eventually, he recalled the sage’s saying that silence keeps you safe halfway.

“Please, God!”

Asher prayed silently, squeezing his eyes shut, wishing for salvation.
Was Heaven listening?

Bang!

“Sorry for being late!!!”

A youthful voice rang out loudly.
Startled, Asher looked up, and so did the other two.

Judith let out a disappointed sigh.
Rubena frowned in annoyance.
Asher swallowed hard.

He turned away.
There stood a small figure dragging an ugly and bloodied mass behind her.

It was the last Saintess’ arrival.

“Where the hell have you been playing around?”

“Playing around? I was hunting!!!”

“Can’t you at least leave that heinous thing behind?”

“I brought it with me for a reason!!!”

With her hair tied into two braids, her youthful face still bearing baby fat.
She was a small girl, perhaps ten, yet her aura was remarkably rough.
Her round eyes held a raw bloodthirst.

The corners of her mouth twisted into a grin that radiated violence.

Asher tensed up.
It’s impossible not to know her; in fact, she was probably even more famous than Bershia.

“Hey, how have you kids been!”

“Who are you calling kids?”

“Ehehe!!!”

Halia Claudio.
Despite her youthful appearance, she had held the position of a Saintess for over 40 years and was one of the sect’s ‘Inquisition Judges.’

Asher knew her for one reason.
Because he had been deployed for her operation to eliminate heretics.

Bang! She tossed the ugly, bloodied mass onto the table.
Blood splattered everywhere. The stench of decay enveloped the area.
The once fresh atmosphere of the garden was shattered.
Asher knew exactly what that was.

‘…Aberration.’

The result of human evildoing, a corrupted being that merged a soul and body into a vile creature.
He had faced them countless times, but he still found them utterly repulsive.
Discomfort twisted his expression, and Halia commented.

“Hmm! Bershia, you still look like you think the world sucks!”

He flinched, and while he did tremble, he didn’t say anything.
Soon after, he realized he had somehow managed to present a glimpse of his ‘Bershia-ness,’ concluding that “everything should be fine this way.”

The arrival of Halia, amidst the crisis, drew Judith and Rubena’s attention elsewhere.

“Rubena! Your clothes are even more revealing now! Why not just go completely naked?”

“Whatever. Why should I care how anyone else dresses?”

“Hahaha! Judith! You’re still as skinny! That expression of yours looks like you just bit into poop!”

“Do you expect me to feel good about you bringing that crap here? You’re something else.”

Though she spoke with courtesy, her attitude was completely inappropriate.
Halia laughed heartily as if accustomed to such talk.
But perhaps they should be thankful for getting out of this risky situation.

Asher was casting a sidelong glance at Halia.

“Well, I saw your faces, so I guess I’ll be going now. I’m busy with research.”

“I’m leaving too. I don’t want to linger in a place that reeks of rot.”

Judith and Rubena stood to leave.
Asher hesitated, contemplating, “Should I stand up too?”

In the midst of that, Halia spoke.

“Where do you think you’re going? We need to have a meeting.”

“When did you start doing that?”

“Hm? Wasn’t this a tea party for that purpose?”

Judith’s brows narrowed.

“Sit down. I have some announcements to make.”

“Is it urgent?”

“It’s urgent if it needs to be.”

Her smile began to take on a threatening aura.
The bloodthirst was palpable; Asher could feel it.

“You all need to start working a bit.”

“Huh?”

Rubena reacted irritably.
But immediately after, her irritation vanished completely.

“A Saintess of the heretics has appeared. In other words, it’s a witch.”

“…!”

The atmosphere froze in an instant.