No, How Can an Atheist Become a Saintess!?

No, How Can an Atheist Become a Saintess!? – 70

EP.70 Kindness and Calculation (4)

Normally, I was the one doing the staring.

But Ria had been watching me intently for a while now.

Specifically, ever since learning that in this world, even clerics danced joyfully.

Well, clerics here didn’t wear anything like the nun habits we were familiar with. They wore regular dresses, and their dances weren’t quite the formal ballroom kind we knew either.

Still, Ria seemed oddly fixated on the idea.

"…Ria, do you want to dance?"

We had eaten enough to satisfy our hunger, and since I wasn’t planning on eating until I was stuffed, I was sitting at a table, taking a short break. Naturally, since I was resting, Ria was sitting beside me doing the same.

"Is that a dance invitation?"

"No, it’s not."

I replied in disbelief and turned to look at Ria.

Come to think of it, what was Ria like in the original story?

…

Oh, right. She did ask Lee Si-yoon for a dance at some point. Yeah, there was a scene like that, though it didn’t take place in the Gnome kingdom.

In the original story, the Saintess was always close to Lee Si-yoon, and Ria, as her escort, naturally stayed nearby. During that time, Ria asked Lee Si-yoon to dance, and the Saintess, witnessing the scene, was utterly shocked and caused quite a commotion. It was a rather classic setup.

Among the hunters accompanying us, Lee Si-yoon’s group had joined us naturally. It wasn’t because of their skills, but likely because the church thought I’d feel more at ease with them around.

Although they weren’t sitting with us now.

Gloria was seated a bit away from us as well, but not near Lee Si-yoon. We were in a section reserved for the high-ranking individuals, and while I was on friendly terms with them, the hunters didn’t hold any official titles. So, they were seated a bit farther away, closer to the knights.

I felt a sense of relief at that. Lee Si-yoon and Han Yu-ri being close would surely help their relationship develop further.

Just like in the original story.

For some reason, the thought made me feel a little cheerful. Say what you will, but this was a novel I’d enjoyed reading to the very end. The Ria sitting in front of me now—while I hadn’t supported her as a romantic match—wasn’t a character I disliked either. After all, who could dislike a beautiful, talented character with a great figure?

I chuckled to myself, only to feel a bit awkward and glance back at Ria.

"Ria, do you like dancing?"

"Hm? Well, yeah, I do."

I see.

So, when Ria approached Lee Si-yoon in the original, it wasn’t just a cheesy pickup line.

"Ria, you went to middle and high school, right?"

"Of course."

When I said that, Ria blinked, looking slightly puzzled.

Still watching the people dancing, I asked casually,

"Did you join any clubs back then?"

"Yeah."

"The dance club?"

"Do I look like I did?"

"You said you liked dancing."

She probably learned swordsmanship naturally from her father. Maybe she even learned a bit from her mother when she was very young.

But thinking about it, Korea’s basic education system hadn’t changed much even after the Gate incidents. At most, some related subjects had been added, or existing ones had been expanded.

Being a web novel, maybe her school was an idealized version, the kind perfect for enjoying a youthful, vibrant life.

"By the way, just so you know, my school was an all-girls school. Both middle and high school."

"…Really?"

"Why are you bringing that up, even though I didn't ask?"

"Just thought you might end up asking about my first love or something."

I chuckled at her remark.

In the original story, Ria’s first love was Lee Si-yoon. It was explicitly stated that she had no prior experience with romance. That’s why, while she seemed bold on the surface, she was the type of heroine who got shy at critical moments, causing progress to stall. Meanwhile, the Saintess, despite appearing modest, kept pushing her advances and nearly usurped the position of the main heroine.

In this world, though...

It seemed like neither of them fit that role. If Ria had fallen for Lee Si-yoon here, she would have talked about him non-stop until the Saintess grew sick of hearing his name, just like in the original. Back then, the Saintess had nearly developed a neurosis from it.

The same would’ve been true in reverse—if the Saintess had feelings for him.

…

Asking someone you like to dance. Lee Si-yoon, being kind yet oblivious, had naturally accepted Ria’s dance invitation in the original.

Here, though...

If I didn’t dance with her, Ria wouldn’t be able to dance either. If I stayed seated, so would she.

And for some reason, that bothered me a little.

"Let me ask again: do you want to dance?"

Ria stared at me, her eyes widening slightly as if she hadn’t expected the question.

"Oh, are you really going to?"

"I don’t want to, but..."

I deliberately widened my eyes to make my answer seem playful. I didn’t want to sound completely opposed to the idea.

"Well, if someone insists on inviting me, I might have to. You know, 'When in Rome, do as the Romans do.'"

"Ha."

Ria laughed in disbelief but soon stood up and walked over to me.

Then she extended her hand.

"Will you dance with me?"

"Fair warning—I’m really not good at this," I said as I lightly placed my hand in hers. It was soft, yet there was a subtle firmness to it—a fighter’s hand.

"That’s nothing to worry about," Ria said, gripping my hand lightly and pulling me to my feet.

"I trained you, remember? You’re not without talent."

…

Showering me with sudden compliments like that isn’t going to get you anything.

Feeling flustered, I pouted slightly and stood, following her lead.

*

The faint, pleasant scent—was it from the divine power emanating from Anna’s body?

Chae-eun pondered as she softly guided Anna by the waist.

It was a subtle floral fragrance. At first, she thought it might be shampoo, but Chae-eun used the same shampoo and body wash as Anna. They weren’t anything fancy, so there wasn’t any particular reason for them to stand out.

Anna, cheeks slightly flushed, looked up at Chae-eun with a timid gaze.

Though she still wore her veil, it sat haphazardly on her head as usual.

Her radiant blonde hair and the streaks of highlights that accented it were clearly visible.

Those streaks seemed somewhat out of place. Anna might have wanted to appear as if she were the playful type, but maintaining that façade was a complete failure.

Her body, pressed lightly against Chae-eun, was soft. Though she typically wore a slightly form-fitted nun’s habit, giving a hint of her figure, feeling her slender waist firsthand exceeded all expectations.

Where does all the food she eats go, anyway?

…

Chae-eun narrowed her eyes thoughtfully.

Anna's face glowed faintly. It didn’t seem like the light was simply reflected from the chandelier above.

A dim glow of divine power.

That must be it. But... was this straining her body?

Perhaps belatedly realizing the light falling on her face, Anna instinctively tried to wave her hand to dispel it. But when she realized that her hand was firmly held by Chae-eun, her face turned red.

She seemed so flustered that it didn’t even occur to her to remove her other hand, the one resting on Chae-eun’s waist.

Finding her reaction somewhat amusing, Chae-eun lightly moved her thumb against Anna’s waist. Anna’s body shuddered at the touch.

Zap.

Anna shot a sharp glare at Chae-eun.

Really, she’s sensitive in all the odd places.

Chae-eun smirked and leaned her face slightly closer to Anna’s.

"…!?"

Anna’s eyes widened in surprise.

Judging from her reaction, it seemed like she had let her imagination run wild.

"You’re pretty good at this."

Chae-eun smiled as she said that.

Whatever Anna was thinking, her face flushed from her neck upward, slowly turning a deeper red. She ducked her head for a moment, then raised it again.

If she had kept her head down like that, her chest might have been visible.

Though her nun’s habit, loose-fitting as it was, obscured everything... Was she perhaps conscious of the physical closeness?

It was oddly entertaining to think that one of the most devout women in the world might be filling her mind with all sorts of inappropriate thoughts.

After all, Anna had been teasing her quite a bit lately. It felt like some overdue payback was finally being served.

"……"

Anna, unsure of what expression to settle on, cycled through several before finally settling on glaring daggers at Chae-eun.

Chae-eun chuckled at her reaction.

Sure, Chae-eun had been the one to suggest dancing, but Anna had been the one to accept, hadn’t she?

The mood was ambiguous enough to avoid small talk. Plus, for some reason, Chae-eun wanted to savor this moment a little longer. Holding Anna’s hand, she continued to lead her with slow, steady movements.

As Chae-eun had expected, Anna started off a bit awkwardly but gradually followed her lead with increasing confidence.

With practice, Anna could probably move even more gracefully.

She had plenty of talent, Chae-eun thought as she reflected on Anna’s earlier claim of being hopelessly untalented.

"……"

Anna’s face remained beet red all the way to the end, right up to the tips of her ears.

Chae-eun found that comforting.

At least her own face hadn’t turned nearly as red.

If anyone else had been watching, they’d probably assume that Anna was the only one flustered.