Saint, You’re So Vulgar!

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#023 Chapter. Goddess…?

It was early morning of the following day.

Asher woke up before the sun even rose.

Was it due to a bad night’s sleep? To some extent, that was true.

It was all because of what happened at the tavern the day before.

The gloomy, thick gaze and that smile resurfaced whenever he began to drift into deep sleep, making it impossible for him to rest properly.

He stepped into the bathroom and immersed himself in the tub.

While doing so, he recalled the events of the previous day.

At first, it felt strange.

But then, a cool sensation crept up the back of his neck.

Asher didn’t know what emotions were embedded in that feeling.

He just knew that the emotion crawling over his skin at that moment—

‘…No. Let’s not think about it.’

It was mere speculation.

He brushed his arm to wipe away the goosebumps.

He probably just hated being exposed to someone else’s unpleasant gaze.

Perhaps she spoke that way out of consideration for him.

Asher felt the same.

He despised her lewd behavior with her own body.

In that way, might Bershia also dislike touching others indiscriminately?

Of course, the thoughts that lingered throughout the night wouldn’t just disappear so easily now.

Bershia’s words also confused Asher in another aspect.

– It’s only for me.

Splash! The bridge of Asher’s nose sank into the water.

His eyes narrowed, and bubbles began to boil up to the surface as air escaped beneath him.

His earlobes turned red as thoughts crept in, wondering, ‘So is it okay for me to touch her?’

Hugging his knees and lost in thought for a while, Asher eventually shook his head.

‘What absurd thoughts.’

Wasn’t that something only an excessively self-conscious person would think?

He finished his bath and left the bathroom.

After drying off his body, he put on a gown and sat in front of the mirror, shaking out his hair with a towel.

Now he could prepare himself without much difficulty.

Makeup was still a challenge, but his natural beauty was enough—not that it was strictly necessary.

He combed his hair as Darlin had done.

Afterward, he dressed, putting on undergarments and then his clothes on top.

They were different clothes from the day before.

It was only obvious that if he wore the same clothes every day, he would get scolded.

‘Is this enough?’

Today, he wore a navy blue dress.

Being sleeveless, he threw on a thin black cardigan and wrapped a shawl over it.

It was a desperate attempt to hide the curves of his body.

Shame washed over him.

Knowing only about shirts and pants in men’s clothing, he felt overwhelmed learning how to wear women’s clothes.

He needed to return to his body before getting too accustomed to it.

After endless worries, he finally stepped outside.

The twilight was just fading away, and dawn was breaking.

There were just over two hours left until the time promised to meet his companions, so Asher decided to take a short walk.

Even if he was incognito, he thought it would be fine to enjoy the city’s atmosphere at times like this.

The morning in Pured was bustling.

Workers heading off to the mines filled the streets, and street vendors shouted, selling sandwiches to them.

The lively streets lifted Asher’s spirits.

Walking with a soft smile on his face, he drew even more attention from the men than the day before.

Of course, no one approached him.

There weren’t many foolish enough to seek something unattainable.

On a peaceful morning, with refreshing air.

Everything was perfect, but that feeling, unfortunately, didn’t last long.

“I found her! That bitch!”

A hoarse shout echoed.

Turning his head, Asher narrowed his eyes.

‘Ah, it’s those guys from the day before.’

The group of men with angry expressions were the same ones who had caused trouble at the tavern.

Had they been searching for him all night?

Just how idle could they be?

‘It looks like I need to move.’

All attention was drawn to him.

If he made a scene and got into a fight here, he would be dragged into unnecessary troubles.

Asher stiffened his expression.

He said to the approaching group.

“I caught you. You rotten….”

“Why don’t we change locations?”

“…What?”

“If you block the road, others can’t pass. So, um….”

Asher, glancing around, quickly found a plausible spot.

“That alley over there looks good.”

As he pointed with his finger, the expression of the man turned blank.

But right after confirming the narrow, dark alley, his demeanor changed.

“…Hah, good. That’s perfect.”

The man’s eyes gleamed with lust.

Asher felt his gaze roaming over his entire body.

It was unpleasant and disgusting.

His brow furrowed.

“Just follow me.”

They were the type to bully a woman from outside.

He had no intention of letting them be.

*

Deron was a young miner from Pured.

He wasn’t particularly handsome, nor was he rich; he was just someone with somewhat useful skills.

His days were always ordinary.

He would wake up early, gather his tools, and buy a sandwich on the way.

Then he would go to the mine to work.

Today was supposed to be just like that.

But, what kind of twist of fate was this?

‘Isn’t this dangerous?’

He was distracted by a beautiful woman walking down the street, her eyes shining brightly.

With a foolish grin stretched across his face, he wondered if he was in for a good day.

Then a turn of events occurred.

A gang renowned for their brutality in Pured was dragging her into an alley.

He could have ignored it.

But Deron hesitated, caught up in his thoughts.

‘Um, could this be an opportunity?’

Men in their prime often lived in passionate delusions.

Deron was no different.

What if he rescued the woman from there?

Of course, he wasn’t going to win a fight, but maybe he could carry her away and escape.

His strength developed from working in the mines could help him.

That’s how he envisioned locking eyes, feeling mutual attraction, and later marrying, having children, and living happily together until they smiled and died on the same day.

His retirement plan was flawless.

His heart raced wildly.

That was why Deron decided to step in.

“Hey! You thugs over there!”

He followed them into the alley, taunting the gang.

He even managed to put on a handsome smile.

And then, he faced reality.

“What the hell is that guy?”

“Hey! Go take care of him!”

“Ah! Wait! I’m sorry!!!”

Surrounded, he was kicked.

Deron curled up on the ground, making choking sounds while tearing up and snotting all over.

From afar, he could hear a low sigh.

More than his physical pain, the lady’s sigh pierced deeply into his heart.

‘Deron! You dumbass!’

He should have differentiated between when to step in and when to pull back!

“You rotten bastard!”

“Hey! Keep stepping on him!”

The sound of kicks echoed harshly down the alley.

Deron squeezed his eyes shut, wishing for the moment to end quickly.

And then, just at that moment.

“Gah! Ah!”

“Argh!”

“Uwaaaah!!!”

His scream mixed with someone else’s.

At some point, he could hear thuds, realizing something strange had happened only afterward.

Deron squinted his eyes open.

And then his face turned to shock.

“Wha…?”

The gang was sprawled on the ground, writhing in pain.

Upon closer inspection, their bodies were twisted grotesquely, and their leader was crying and wailing.

He was taken aback.

One thing he was sure of was that the beautiful woman, who looked stupified, had caused this havoc.

She brushed off her hands.

Then she wrapped her shawl around herself again.

She approached Deron.

In that moment, he flinched, feeling his body shudder, but it was just for an instant.

“Are you injured?”

“Uh….”

As he lifted his head, his heart stopped.

Deron gasped.

She looked worried yet somewhat proud, smiling gently while extending her hand to him, like—

“Goddess…?”

She was a goddess out of a dream.

“You’re quite an interesting person. But the gods of this land are solely our parents,” she said.

Though it was a bit odd.

Deron clutched his heart in disbelief.

*

Bershia woke up a bit later than usual.

Lying in bed, she washed her face and let out a breath filled with discomfort.

It was because of the events of the previous day.

‘Why did I do that?’

It wasn’t rational.

It was behavior she would never normally engage in.

Asher’s intentions were rational.

Though he was a drunken fool with his reasoning clouded, he had to charm the workers there to grasp the truth of the rumors.

Moreover, Asher wasn’t someone who would let someone else’s hands touch him.

Nothing bad had happened.

And yet, at that moment, she had punched the miner in the face and walked away.

She just did it out of irritation.

The level of annoyance had risen to a point that she couldn’t endure, and she found the man repulsive to the point of wanting to retch.

At that moment, she had thought.

‘Mine….’

He was trying to touch what was hers.

She had to get rid of it.

She couldn’t deny that she meant Asher by that, not herself.

What a ridiculous thought.

Asher was its true owner.

Yet, she couldn’t help but let those feelings out.

In the past, her thoughts never spiraled in such a manner; could it be that the personality influenced by being in a male body?

Eventually, Bershia cleared all her thoughts.

‘It’s just an excuse.’

There was no justification for that behavior, no matter the reason.

Trying to force it would only amplify her irrationality and illogic.

That momentary possessiveness turned into something even more selfish and horrific.

Why had she felt such emotions toward Asher?

It hadn’t been that long since they had time together.

Bershia could find no reason.

There was no justification for that action.

In conclusion, the emotion should be one to be excluded.

The illogical possessiveness was a trait of someone she despised the most.

To calm her mind, she washed her body with cold water.

Only then did her thoughts clear.

‘Right.’

She could say that she had been tired and acted prickly the day before.

That should be enough to apologize.

Asher would believe those words and worry for her.

His innocence would bring a pleasant warmth to her heart.

She put on a shirt and pants.

Threw on an outer coat and tucked a dagger into her inner pocket.

Then she stepped out of the room.

But Bershia—

“Ah, there you are!”

She couldn’t maintain her resolve.

Asher was at the inn’s entrance.

With a beaten-up man whose origins were unclear.

What audacity!

…No, it didn’t matter.

A tightness clutched her heart.

She felt something dark and sticky rise to the back of her throat.

Her mouth felt parched.

Even then, Asher approached her with a bright smile.

Gleaming eyes glinted as he whispered.

“I brought a miner! Well, it’s a long story, but… through him, we might be able to dig into the local rumors!”

It seemed he hoped for some praise.

The prideful smile made her stomach churn.

‘Ah, what to do with this person.’

Bershia felt a sense of frustration.