NOVEL NEXT Chapter 8
“Y-yes…?”
“Do you like the scent of the bath salts?”
“Y-yes…”
“Please let us know if our touch causes you any pain.”
“O-oh…”
I was bewildered as I entrusted my body to the maids’ hands. Three maids attending to me while I bathed—this had never happened, not even when I was Reshia, let alone in my days as Greslin.
After the bath, the maids meticulously dried me from head to toe, leaving not a single drop of water behind. On top of that, they dressed me in a cute outfit made of luxurious fabric, making my reflection in the mirror seem almost unrecognizable.
I blinked, observing the unfamiliar image in the mirror. My silver-white hair was tied up high, swaying like a ponytail, and my pale violet eyes, which seemed faded, sparkled with life. I hadn’t realized it when I was living solely as Reshia, but after regaining Greslin’s memories, I could see that I was actually quite beautiful.
What I liked most was that my face looked kind.
‘In my previous life, I had a somewhat sharp appearance.’
The slight upward tilt of my eyes often made people think I was angry when I had no expression. But Reshia’s face was so gentle that no matter how sly my thoughts were inside, I would still appear kind-hearted. It perfectly suited the image of a saint.
As I admired myself in the mirror, the maids sighed and adjusted my outfit.
“It’s a pity it’s not a custom fit.”
“The shoulder line doesn’t match, so it must be uncomfortable…”
“The skirt is a bit too long as well.”
Shoulder line? Skirt length?
‘I… I hadn’t noticed at all…’
In both my past life and the present, I had never lived paying attention to such things. So, I hadn’t realized what could be uncomfortable about it.
Listening to the maids and taking a closer look, I noticed that the seam of the shoulder line extended far beyond my shoulders. The hem of the skirt also draped below my ankles, tripping me whenever I moved.
It seemed the reason I tumbled when chasing after Axel was because the skirt was too long.
‘That Axel… he’s lived a life where caring about such things was natural, so I’ve always been an annoyance to him.’
“The biggest problem is the shoes.”
“The size is okay, but since they weren’t custom-made, they don’t completely fit the shape of your feet.”
“Are your feet hurting?”
“A-a little…”
Even as I answered, I was stunned.
‘Wait… shoes aren’t supposed to hurt your feet when you wear them…?’
Just the thought that this might not be normal was surprising.
“Just endure a little longer, miss. We’ve just sent your measurements to the tailor, so in a few days, you’ll have clothes that fit perfectly.”
“Yes. What was Hannah doing all this time, anyway?”
“The Duke provided such a generous budget to ensure you’re well taken care of, miss…”
The maids, who had just finished meticulously arranging my attire, swiftly disappeared, just as quickly as they had arrived, mentioning that they would soon bring my meal. I still felt dazed even after they left.
“Hey! What the heck did you do?!”
If it weren’t for my nephew bursting through the door, yelling at the top of his lungs, I would have probably remained in that dazed state, sitting on the sofa for quite some time.
“The storage was a total mess! And didn’t you say lying was bad? I even copied out the etiquette manual ten times! Do you know how much my arm hurts? This is all your fault!”
My unruly nephew, Noah, grabbed me by the collar, fuming with anger.
“Tell me! What did you do?!”
Noah, brimming with fury, shook me roughly.
Forward.
Backward.
‘Ahhh…!’
His shaking was so intense that my vision started to blur from dizziness.
At that moment, a transparent window suddenly appeared before my eyes, displaying clear text over Noah’s head, lightly bobbing up and down as if to make its presence known.
[A Message from Heaven]
(Ad) ★☆★For Saints Only★☆★ ☞Complete Quests☜ ♣Earn♣Coins♣!
A surge of excitement hit me.
‘Quest!’
I remembered reading that the subscription fee for ‘reincarnation’ had to be paid with Heaven Coins, and these coins could be earned by completing quests. I had wondered what these quests would be like.
‘So this is how they appear.’
To be honest, things like murderers and mad dragons were secondary concerns. What mattered most to me right now was my immediate survival. If I didn’t take action, I wouldn’t last four months!
Since regaining my past life’s memories, everything had been so chaotic that I hadn’t had time to think this through carefully.
‘Let’s take a closer look.’
[A Message from Heaven]
(Ad) ★☆★For Saints Only★☆★ ☞Complete Quests☜ ♣Earn♣Coins♣! Special First Quest ★50,000 Coins★ Instantly Awarded! ┏Pay Subscription & Grant Wishes & Assist Missions with Coins┛ @@@Donate 24 Hours Possible@@@ No Church Fees Z.E.R.O【100% Direct from Heaven】
◈Quest◈
Punish the foolish one who doubts the saint and demonstrate the dignity of the chosen by God.
– Objective: Noah Elpinard’s Tears
– Reward: 50,000 Heaven Coins
My jaw dropped at the flashy message. The tone was oddly reminiscent of a scam, which left me feeling uneasy.
‘But they’re offering coins…’
I needed coins if I didn’t want to die from an unpaid subscription. As suspicious as it seemed, I had no choice but to give it a try.
“W-what? What are you looking at?”
Even though Noah continued to question me aggressively, he eventually noticed that I was silently staring at something above his head. Feeling the strange atmosphere, he slowly rolled his eyes upward. Of course, he couldn’t see anything.
“Hey! I said, what are you looking at?”
I just blinked, still gazing at the empty air, which only made Noah’s voice quiver with a hint of fear as he pressured me to answer.
“Answer me already! What kind of trick are you trying to pull now?”
Noah’s grip on my collar tightened, making it difficult for me to breathe. His rough handling snapped me back to reality.
‘Noah Elpinard’s tears, huh?’
I was quite curious to see those myself.
Once I confirmed that the square window had disappeared from my view, I turned my attention to Noah. As soon as our eyes met in the air, Noah, who had been vigorously shaking me, flinched and stopped his actions.
“W-what is it?”
As a black mage, I knew dozens of ways to make someone cry. But since I was in the body of a child, my options were limited.
‘I don’t really want to resort to such a crude method…’
But given the situation, I had no other choice.
I calmly called out to Noah.
“Hey.”
“Hey?”
Noah’s eyes widened, clearly displeased by my informal address. I didn’t waste the opportunity and quickly extended my hand.
‘Since I can’t use magic…’
My only option was a physical attack!
Without hesitation, I jabbed my fingers directly into Noah’s blue eyes, which were wide open in surprise. My arms were short, but Noah’s proximity, due to his grip on my collar, made the distance perfect.
“Aagh!”
Noah screamed, clutching his eyes with both hands. Freed from my obnoxious nephew’s grasp, I could finally breathe easily. My heart was pounding loudly, probably due to Reshia’s timid personality, but inside, I felt incredibly relieved.
‘Hmph. That brat has tormented me enough.’
This small retaliation was nothing compared to what he’d put me through.
But Noah didn’t seem to think it was a small matter at all.
“Hey!”
Noah’s left eye was now red and teary, streaming down his face.
‘What? Do you want me to make the right one the same?’
I raised a single finger, wagging it lightly in the air as a warning. Noah’s face flushed with a mixture of anger and embarrassment. He was clearly fuming.