I Can Hear the Saint’s Inner Thoughts

Episode 5 – The Saint’s Thoughts are Audible (5)

Right now, Victoria and I were forced to sit on the edge of the same bed. The inn was cheap and in a remote place, so the room was cramped.

So close we could feel each other’s breath and body heat. The only difference from yesterday was a contract relationship, yet our relationship felt drastically changed.

“I’ll sleep on the floor, you can sleep comfortably in bed.”

I was the first to speak, having remained silent since entering the room. I grabbed a blanket and spread it out on the floor.

Victoria seemed terrified, not knowing what might happen. Her inner voice kept lamenting not wearing more enticing underwear.

“Huh? But won’t your back hurt…? Are you sure?”

– Oh no…? Does he really dislike me?

Victoria tilted her head, like something was wrong, watching my actions. Her plan to charm me and make me see her as a woman had gone awry, a natural reaction.

“It’s fine. You wouldn’t want to sleep in the same bed as a guy you dislike either. I’m not going to cross any lines just because we’re pretending to be lovers.”

I acted coldly towards her on purpose. I’d never once seen her as anything other than a friend.

“…If that’s really the case, then why did you say you confessed when Anima asked? It would have been a perfect chance to expose the contract relationship.”

Victoria spoke with a disgruntled expression. She seemed to think that our hearts connected when we intertwined our fingers and I said I confessed as a quick fix.

“If the contract relationship falls apart, we won’t be able to stand against the Succubus Queen. How can a fake love that’s been exposed to our comrades fight against the Dream?”

I made sure to explain my reasons clearly to avoid any misunderstanding from Victoria. The contract relationship should only be known to us right now. This will be a good means to deal with the fake if it appears in the dream.

“Astal, so you accepted my proposal? There really aren’t any personal feelings involved?”

– I thought Astal would look at me if I did this… Is my charm really gone…?

Victoria’s dejected voice pierced my chest. She looked fine on the outside, but inside, she was practically on the verge of tears.

“…Because I have to kill the Demon King.”

I revealed my purpose to Victoria.

As the sole survivor of a village burned by the Demon King’s forces, I’ve lived believing that I had no right to love or be loved.

“That’s everyone’s wish, isn’t it? You don’t have to carry it all alone…”

“I’m sorry to mislead you, but I’m the kind of guy who feels he’s not worth living if I’m not doing this.”

The truth is, I wanted Victoria to give up on me. Unrequited love only wears down one side until they collapse.

If there was no heart, it was better to push away like this, forcefully.

“And from the start, you said you hated me. But why did you look so happy earlier? You even made up a confession.”

“T-that was… because I was drunk and couldn’t help it. I’d rather die than like a man like you. I plan to leave you without any regrets once this contract relationship is over.”

– I was so happy, it felt like we were really dating…

Victoria crossed her arms, clearly expressing her discomfort. Even if I conveyed my true feelings, I couldn’t accept them, so it was better that she acted differently on the inside and outside.

‘I absolutely can’t let her know I can hear her thoughts.’

It wasn’t even clear if Victoria had feelings for me, so I couldn’t just tell her that I could hear her thoughts.

Since I didn’t hear anyone else’s thoughts a moment ago, it was highly likely that there was something wrong with the contract relationship we had.

“You are truly the worst kind of man. Now that I’m actually dating you, I think I’m starting to see it a bit.”

– Do you really not know how passionately I tried to seduce you…? I even told my colleagues about it to make sure I couldn’t back out later…

Victoria was biting her lower lip, as if she was stressed. It seemed like she didn’t like my attitude of not seeing her as a woman.

“…I’ll shower first. And please don’t even think about peeking.”

Victoria spoke to me with slightly protruding lips. I heard her squeaky footsteps and the slam of the bathroom door, realizing she was angry.

– Actually, you can peek… We’re lovers now…

I started working out, trying my best not to fall for the neatly placed clothes she deliberately left out for me to see.

I needed to clear my mind. With this kind of seduction, a nonexistent love could bloom.

* * *

Shwaaa—.

As the water poured down over her head, Victoria was thoroughly washing her body.

Originally, the flowers that bloomed on Victoria’s entire body were places that caused burning pain upon contact.

So she couldn’t even dream of taking a bath or shower. Wiping her body with a wet cloth was all she could do.

‘The fact that I can take a shower like this now is also thanks to you… so why can’t I be honest?’

Thanks to Astal, who was skilled in water-related magic, she was able to wash her body using waterproof magic.

“Astal, do you really hate me…?”

Victoria murmured quietly to herself, so that no one outside could hear. The thought of being hated by the man she liked almost brought tears to her eyes.

A big reason why Victoria couldn’t confess her feelings was that Astal was building such a strong wall.

She tried her best to express her feelings in her own way, but Astal, whether he was clueless or heartless, was always trying to push her away like this.

“It’s not like he’s completely unresponsive…”

Victoria had noticed that his gaze was ambiguous when she deliberately placed her chest on the table. It was obvious that his eyes involuntarily moved in that direction.

And he just said he would sleep on the floor, so it didn’t seem like he didn’t see her as a woman at all. If it was a male colleague, he would have been clamoring to take the bed himself.

‘Damn, I should’ve brought s*xier underwear. Could’ve really tested the waters then.’

Victoria had deliberately left her change of underwear where Astal could see it. She could’ve just come out with only a towel on, then blamed it on being drunk.

‘If Astal-nim really were to pounce on me like an animal…’

Just imagining it made her face flush, feeling like steam was rising from her. According to the tenets of the Celestial Gods, intercourse not intended for procreation was forbidden.

Had Victoria’s lascivious thoughts been discovered?

“Hey, Victoria!”

“Yes?! Yes!”

Astal’s urgent voice came from outside, and she, mortified, quickly tried to cover herself with her hands.

Even though no one was watching, the thought that Astal might see her still made her feel exposed.

“There’s massage oil on top of the cabinet, use that! Don’t use whatever the inn has!”

But that’s all Astal said before he knocked and moved away from the door. Sadly, he hadn’t mentioned the underwear she’d placed by the door, seeming not to even notice them.

“This…”

Victoria checked the cabinet, and she couldn’t help but smile.

“… Just a bit ago he was talking so harshly, and now he’s got my favorite massage oil prepared. How cute.”

The simple massage oil she used, she who had smelled flower scents to the point of disgust since childhood.

When she’d gone shopping with Astal, she’d offhandedly mentioned that she only used the one without much of a scent.

“So, saying he didn’t remember what he said when we first met must have been a lie too, then.”

Victoria, having quickly seen through Astal’s lie, was even humming as she applied the massage oil to her hair, finishing up her shower.

‘Besides, where’d you ever find a man who would do this much for a woman he isn’t interested in?’

Astal even carefully cast a water-proofing spell so she could bathe comfortably and was thoughtful enough to prepare the kind of massage oil that didn’t use flowers as a main ingredient.

‘If it seems like Astal-nim is trying to keep his distance from me, then I’ll just force him down today and make it a done deal…’

Thinking of him, Victoria, completely drunk at the moment, wasn’t in any state for rational judgment.

They’d even gone so far as to book a room together, yet Astal wanted to sleep on the floor like a husband after a fight, and it infuriated her.

‘It’s his fault for not seeing me as a woman.’

His attitude, as if she weren’t even a woman in his eyes, made her angry. So why all the considerate actions?

Victoria dried her hair and, intentionally leaving her underwear outside, wrapped herself in a towel and prepared to go outside to retrieve them.

* * *

Having read Victoria’s inner thoughts, I was now facing the greatest crisis of my life. Because I’d discovered her plan to overpower me if she felt like I wasn’t interested.

“… Why are you out here with just a towel on?”

Victoria’s soft curves, barely covered by the large towel, made her look not like a saintess, but like a succubus.

“Ah, I left my undergarments outside. I guess I’m no match for the booze either.”

Victoria, a woman of sensual build, nonchalantly pointed with her finger towards my side, where her undergarments lay.

They were black, by the way.

“Surely, you weren’t lusting after them, were you? If so, you’re truly a beast, lower than a monkey.”

– I need to check today if you’re not a complete eunuch.

“…Of course not.”

I shook my head vehemently in denial. Her movements, fueled by alcohol and growing closer, felt more menacing than any demon.

“Victoria, should I use a spell to clear your head? You seem to be struggling…”

“No, thank you. There are days when I want to be drunk too.”

– Because only when I’m drunk can I lie and say it was the alcohol that made me attack Astal…!

Closer, closer.

The golden dragon’s characteristic irises shone in the darkness.

‘Even if I use a spell to sober her up now, she’ll just lie and attack me anyway… If I ask for help or try to run, my companions might see me as trash tomorrow.’

If Victoria, the saintess, were to lie about me trying to assault her, who would believe me? My reputation, always soaked in booze and smoke, is the lowest in the party.

With Victoria’s steps drawing nearer, I desperately racked my brain for a way out of this situation.

Think, think…

“Victoria.”

“Yes, what is it?”

– If you’ve even taken off your top and robe…, then perhaps Astal-nim is preparing himself mentally as well?

After picking up her undergarments, Victoria paused there, staring intently at me. Seeing my bare chest from my workout a moment ago, she was clearly under a great misunderstanding.

“I’ve been reconsidering, and since it’s a contract relationship…”

Her excited breathing and the saliva at her lips made it seem like she would pounce at any moment. I had no choice but to blurt out what a man would say in a situation like this.

“Let’s just hold hands tonight.”

“…Huh?”

“To prepare for the succubus queen’s illusion, we need to act like real lovers, right? Well, don’t do it if you’re uncomfortable…”

Abruptly, Victoria’s steps stopped at my words. She tilted her head up, like a malfunctioning doll, and faced me.

– Like real lovers, like real lovers… I can hold Astal-nim’s hand and sleep…?

Victoria’s face was slightly flushed, but it was hard to tell if it was from the alcohol or embarrassment.

“…So you aren’t completely devoid of lecherous intentions towards me. I was almost convinced Astal-nim was a s*xless creature, who would run away even in this situation.”

– Astal-nim proposed it first…! That clueless Astal-nim…! It seems this contract relationship might actually be working!

Victoria chuckled softly, tossing a line my way. Her mind was savoring the aftertaste, replaying the same sentence over and over.

– *Looks like I won’t have to go around proving I’m a woman after all! From now on, it’s all about naturally making Astal-nim into a love-struck puppy who can’t live without me. Go, Victoria!*

Her inner monologue was a total racket. The moment I gave her an inch, Victoria’s mind was teeming with plans to reel me in and make me her boyfriend.

*‘Oh Lord Odin… Why do you burden me with this trial…’*

That day, I prayed for the first time to a god I didn’t even believe in, begging in my heart to turn back time before this fake dating arrangement with her.