I woke up to the sound of faint chanting.

The room smelled clean, like herbs and incense, with a hint of something sweet. My body felt heavy like I had been buried under a pile of stones.

When I tried to move, a sharp pain shot through my chest, forcing me to stop.

“Ah…” I groaned softly, my throat dry and my voice raspy.

The ceiling above me was high and arched, made of polished stone, and intricately carved with angels and flowers.

A faint golden glow came from the stained glass windows, casting soft patterns on the walls.

It didn’t take long to realize where I was.

“The cathedral…”

It took a moment for my vision to adjust, and when it did, the sight of familiar golden hair greeted me.

Christina was sitting by the bedside, her hands clasped tightly together as she stared at me with teary eyes.

“Aestrea!” she exclaimed, her voice trembling with relief.

Before I could even think, she leaned forward and wrapped her arms around me, pulling me into a gentle hug.

Her embrace was warm, comforting… but also painful.

“Ugh…” I groaned softly, the sound escaping before I could stop it.

The Saintess froze.

Her grip loosened immediately, and she pulled back, her face pale with worry.

“Oh no! Did I hurt you?”

“A bit…”

Despite the throbbing pain in my body, I couldn’t stop myself from sighing.

Her expression softened, but her cheeks remained flushed, probably because of the tears welling up in her eyes.

“You scared me, you know. When you collapsed like that, I thought…” She shook her head, biting her lip as if trying to hold back tears.

I glanced down at myself.

My torso was wrapped tightly in white bandages, and I could feel the faint hum of healing magic lingering in my body.

The pain was dull now, more of a nagging ache than the sharp agony I remembered.

Gosh…

I really went over the limit…

“…So I guess… you healed me once again?” I offered her a small smile.

Christina nodded quickly.

“Of course. You were… you were in a terrible state, Aestrea.” Her hands hovered uncertainly in the air before she clenched them into fists.

“I did everything I could.”

“Thank you, Saintess…” I muttered softly.

For a moment, silence hung between us. Then, she took a shaky breath and reached out again, this time more cautiously.

“Does it hurt too much if I…” Her voice trailed off as her hand gently brushed against mine.

I shook my head. “It’s fine.”

She smiled, though the worry didn’t quite leave her eyes. “Good. You should rest more. You’re not fully healed yet, and—”

“Christina,” I interrupted softly, cutting through her fussing.

She looked at me, startled.

“I’m fine. Really.”

Her lips pressed into a thin line, clearly unconvinced. But instead of arguing, she simply nodded, leaning back in her chair.

“…What about the elf?” I asked curiously.

Christina tilted her head slightly, a soft smile playing on her lips.

“Alaine? Oh, she’s fine. Actually…” She hesitated, her eyes darting toward the door before returning to me.

“She slept here for three days, looking after you.”

“THREE DAYS?!” I exclaimed, the shock making me abruptly sit up.

Terrible idea.

Pain shot through my body like lightning, and I immediately regretted the movement.

“Agh…!” I groaned, clutching my side as the ache flared up again.

Christina gasped, her hands hovering over me in a panic. “Aestrea! Stop moving! You’re not healed yet!”

I gritted my teeth, lying back against the pillows as carefully as I could.

“I’m fine,” I muttered, though the sweat on my brow probably said otherwise.

Christina wasn’t having it.

She pressed her hands gently against my chest, the warm glow of healing magic radiating from her fingertips.

“You’re stubborn, you know that?” she said softly, her voice tinged with frustration.

I mumbled, too tired to argue.

“Also, I contacted the academy for you, so don’t worry about it,” she added, her tone dipping into guilt. “I was the one who asked you for a favor, after all.”

“Ah… Just repay what you owe me, and I’m fine.” I closed my eyes, letting the heaviness of the moment settle over me.

The room was silent for a moment, but then…

The faint rustle of her robes made me crack one eye open. Saintess Christina was fidgeting in her seat, her face flushed.

“…What is it?” I asked, raising an eyebrow.

“C-Can’t we do it now…?” she stammered, a rush of heat creeping up to her cheeks.

“What can we do now?” I tilted my head, puzzled.

“You know…” Her voice grew softer, her face reddening further. “That favor.”

“Ah!” My eyes lit up.

“You already prepared the money for me?”

“Y-yea—wait, money?” she spluttered, her expression switching to confusion.

“Yeah… Although I didn’t say it outright, I think it was pretty obvious it was money I wanted, no?” I tilted my head innocently.

Christina froze, her lips slightly parted as her mind seemed to rewind to the conversation we had before our meetup at the black market.

…

“Don’t worry, Saintess. I’ll handle it. But after this, you’ll owe me a proper reward. Something stacked… soft… warm… and nice to hold,” Aestrea spoke through the phone.

The memory of his words made her cheeks burn as her mind filled with all sorts of embarrassing thoughts.

In the present, Christina’s eyes widened as her hand flew to cover her mouth.

…

“I…” She blinked rapidly, her hands fidgeting in her lap.

“You meant… a check of money?”

“Of course,” I replied matter-of-factly.

“What else would I have meant?”

Christina let out a small squeak, her hands flying to her face to cover her deepening blush.

“Y-You’re impossible!” she muttered, half embarrassed and half exasperated.

What was she thinking about?

But then, as soon as I recalled my words, my lips curled into a faint smile.

“Did you perhaps think that I wanted to touch your breas—!”

“—Stop! Don’t say it!”

Grabbing one of my pillows, she covered her reddened face, if this was an anime, there was probably smoke coming out of her head.

I couldn’t help but chuckle softly, though the slight pain in my chest reminded me to keep it low.

Her flustered state, though, was almost worth the trouble.

The mature Saintess now seemed like a cute cat.

Knock, knock…!

Taking the chance, the Saintess abruptly stood up and went to get the door. She opened it, and immediately left the room, leaving me dumbfounded.

Was she that embarrassed?

As soon as Christina left, I let out a tired sigh and closed my eyes, hoping for some peace and quiet.

But just as I was starting to relax, I heard the faint sound of the door closing.

I opened my eyes.

Swip.

A figure stepped into the room, her golden hair swaying gently with each step as her emerald green eyes met mine.

It was the high elf I had saved three days ago.

She was no longer the disheveled, malnourished woman I had saved. She now wore a simple white one-piece dress that fit her form gracefully.

Her once gaunt frame was now fuller, her curves subtle but noticeable, though not as prominent as Christina’s.

Her skin was flawless, practically glowing with a healthy radiance, and her sharp features seemed to have been sculpted by the hands of a master artist.

Her long, delicate ears twitched slightly, peeking out from beneath her hair.

But despite her beauty, I wasn’t surprised at all.

“Ah… it’s you,” I muttered softly.

She hesitated for a moment, standing there awkwardly. Her hands fidgeted with the hem of her dress as if she didn’t know what to do.

Then, to my surprise, she walked closer, stopping just a few steps from the bed.

Before I could say anything, she dropped to her knees.

“T-Thank you for saving me…!” she said, her voice trembling.

Her head lowered until her forehead touched the ground, her golden hair spilling over her shoulders and pooling on the floor.

Her long ears stuck out, quivering slightly.

“Ah…”

I blinked, completely caught off guard.

Then she spoke again, her words coming in a rushed manner.

“T-The least I can do is become your servant! S-So please, p-please accept me!”

I stared at her, dumbfounded.

Was she serious?

This was a high elf, a race known for their arrogance and pride. They were always looking down on humans, seeing themselves as superior beings.

And yet here she was, bowing so low her forehead might as well be glued to the floor.

“Are you… being serious?” I asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Yes! I swear to serve you with my life!” Her reply came quickly, and she didn’t even move as well keeping the same kneeling posture.

I sighed, leaning back against the pillows.

My body was still aching, and dealing with this kind of drama was the last thing I wanted right now.

“Look,” I started, rubbing the bridge of my nose, “I don’t need a servant. I just did what anyone would do.”

‘Besides, Christina was the one that wanted to save you, and even invited me to the auction where you were held, why don’t you be her servant instead?’

I wanted to say, but seeing her desperate expression made me swallow those words.

“That’s not true!” she said, lifting her head slightly to look at me. Her emerald eyes shimmered with emotion.

“No one else would’ve done what you did! You saved me when no one else would… you risked your life for me!”

“Yeah, and now I’m lying here with half my body wrapped in bandages,” I muttered, gesturing vaguely at myself.

Her face dropped lightly as guilt flashed in her eyes: “That’s why… that’s why I have to repay you! I owe you my life!”

I groaned softly, turning my head away: “Look, just take care of yourself and move on. You don’t owe me anything.”

“But I do!” she insisted, sitting up straight.

Her voice seemed to only grow more desperate. “You saved me from a fate worse than death. I can’t just walk away and pretend that didn’t happen!”

I glanced back at her, my eyebrows furrowing.

“You don’t need to stick around and call yourself a servant or anything like that. Just… live your life. That’s good enough for me.”

She immediately shook her head upon hearing my words, her golden hair swaying as she turned her head.

“No! I won’t feel right unless I stay by your side! Please, let me serve you!”

I let out another sigh, running a hand through my hair.

This was going nowhere.

“Do you even know what you’re asking for?” I said, my voice sharper this time. “Being a servant isn’t just some casual thing you can throw yourself into. It’s hard work, and honestly, it’s more of a pain than anything else.”

“I don’t care,” she said firmly.

“I’ll do anything! I’ll clean, cook, fight—whatever you need, I’ll do it!”

Hearing her last remarks, I once again tried to make a line between us.

“Even I asked you for sexual needs…?”

Her face turned beef red in an instant, her emerald eyes widening in shock. Her lips parted slightly, but no sound came out for a moment.

“I-I…” she stammered, her voice was barely above a whisper.

She glanced away, her long ears twitching nervously.

For a moment, I thought that would be enough to end her insistence, that she’d finally reconsider her bold declaration to be my servant.

But to my surprise, she straightened her back, clenched her fists tightly, and looked me directly in the eyes.

“I… I would do that too,” she said softly but firmly, her face still flushed. “If that’s what it takes to repay my debt to you, then… then I’ll accept it.”

I stared at her, completely caught off guard.

This woman was either incredibly stubborn, completely insane, or both.

“Are you serious?”

I couldn’t help but ask in complete disbelief.

Was she really a high elf?

She nodded, her gaze unwavering despite her obvious embarrassment. “Yes. I owe you my life, and I’ll do whatever it takes to repay you.”

I let out a long sigh, rubbing my temples.

This wasn’t going at all how I’d expected.

I stared at her, looking at her flushed face with a neutral expression.

For a long moment, neither of us spoke.

Then, with a heavy sigh, I closed my eyes.

“Fine…”

Her ears twitched, and she leaned forward slightly.

“What…?”

“I said fine,” I repeated, opening my eyes to glare at her.

“If you’re so determined to throw your pride away and follow me around, I won’t stop you. But don’t expect me to go easy on you.”

Her face lit up in immediate joy:

“Thank you! Thank you so much!”

I frowned, my eyebrows knitting together: “Don’t thank me yet. You’ll probably regret this decision sooner rather than later.”

She shook her head vigorously.

“I won’t! I promise I won’t!”

I sighed again, leaning back against the pillows.

First, a gluttonous slime… and now…

A high elf?

What had I just gotten myself into?

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep