Did she already know what I would ask her for?

Ch 260: Don’t even consider me your friend?

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After getting rid of the annoying presence of those two men, we went on our way and bought some more furniture that could be useful for the clinic.

Beds, cabinets, chairs, and the like.

Delia has been quiet most of the time again.

And her attitude is starting to get on my nerves.

At the last place we went, all she did was nod or deny what I said!

She should have been more involved in this.

At the end of the day, the damn clinic is something for her.

If there's any comfort in all this for me, it's that once the place is ready and furnished, Delia will be a little less present in our lives, and Master will return to giving me the majority of his attention.

Not that I have anything against Delia, but I am Master's first wife, and, as such, I deserve more attention from him.

Moreover, Delia has already told me that she has no problem in that regard.

Master is the only one who seems to have things unclear.

However, I'm not going to say anything to him about it.

My pride as a woman won't allow it.

Sooner or later, he will have to realize how things have to be.

'Or is it that Delia has been cheating on me all this time, and she is intentionally trying to take Master away from me? No. I can't be that paranoid. Delia is too good to plan something like that. Although-'

"Delia, why are you like this with me?..." I ask, trying to control my irritation at her silence as we stare into the window of a specialty fabric store.

".... Did I do something to upset you?"

"No, why do you think so?" she asks in response to my question, tilting her head to the side adorably in a gesture of confusion.

"I don't know. You hardly ever talk to me when Master isn't around," I say, surprised that I have to explain the reason.

"Mn. That's because we Saints aren't supposed to interact with people much. There are some exceptions, like family and friends, but-" she starts to say, but I interrupt her.

"Don't even consider me your friend?" I inquire, feeling suddenly hurt by her recent words.

"Y-yes, of course I do. You're so much more than my friend. In fact, even with family and friends, I'm not supposed to talk much. But that doesn't apply to you, since it was Solus God himself who made you part of my life…" says Delia, suddenly speaking at full speed.

"… But I still find it challenging to get used to the fact that I have to relax around you. I sincerely apologize if that has bothered you. I'll try to get used to you as soon as possible, so that we can talk naturally. It's something I can't avoid...."

'Hmm? Delia seems to get quite chatty when she's nervous'

"... At Solus Temple, I was taught that we Saints have to remain in seclusion, apart from the rest of the people. Most of my life, I have only interacted with my fellow Saints. That's why my social skills are not very good. I think that-"

"Yet, you don't have that problem with Master. Were you this quiet with him at first, too?" I ask, raising an eyebrow with a skeptical expression.

'If what Delia tells me is true, I don't understand how she could be attractive to Master when they first met. If she is doing her best to avoid talking to people, Master must have been very insistent.'

"Emir is different. Our meeting was fated, and he is very.... charismatic? I don't know how to describe it. Still, I also spoke little with him at first, but.... for some reason, I always felt very comfortable with him," she says, moving a hand towards her chin with a dreamy air.

'I understand what Delia means…

Master is amazing...

He's a person who connects with everyone in such a natural way....

Still...

I wish Delia could trust me as much as she does in Master, but for that, I'll have to earn her trust.'

"Yes, I understand what you mean..." I say as I reminisce about how I've seen Master treat even some nobles of his age naturally, when more usual would be for those nobles to treat commoners with disdain.

And then there is the strange trust he has built with Erick, which is far greater than a salesman would have for any customer.

Even Irina, Miria, and Zia treat him in a friendly way lately, to the point of giving him affectionate nicknames, despite the fact that they tend to look down on most men.

I'm still not sure how to feel about the way they treat Master.

'I think I'm beginning to understand better how Delia's mind works now....

She has lived for a long time limiting herself by following the teachings of the Solus Temple, and so she doesn't understand how to relate normally to people....

And I guess that also explains why she sometimes seems to have two different personalities....

Poor child...

Now I really want to help her let go and be herself....

Besides, I promised Master that I would help him with this.'

"... But, going back to the earlier thing you said about the Saints. I think those things you were told are nonsense. Why would the Solus God want the Saints to stay away from the world? Won't it be more logical to think that he wants just the opposite?"

At my words, the fox girl opens her mouth to respond, but it takes her a few seconds to come up with an answer.

"Many times God acts in mysterious ways, and that makes it difficult for his servants to understand his interests, but we must still trust him and accept his guidance," Delia says with conviction, her expression very serious.

' - It had already seemed to me in the past that Alessia does not have a particularly strong faith in the Solus God. This is understandable given her past experiences. I suppose it's normal for a person to doubt God's wisdom. But that's not a negative thing. I just have to guide her to the right path.'

'Aha, so you don't think it's logical either, and yet.... Haa... sometimes religious people are just too closed-minded.'

"I very much doubt whether that is really in the interests of Solus God. Rather, it would seem like something that is very convenient to keep the Saints of every kingdom under control~" I say with derision, and I have to hold back my laughter because I am amused by Delia's blind faith in the people of the Solus Temple.

There are many corrupt people in the Solus Temple.

I am a living witness to that, which is not always a bad thing.

If it weren't for my friends, who bribed certain people in the Solus Temple to intercede on my behalf, I probably would have become a religious slave.

When that thought crosses my mind, a shiver runs down my spine.

People don't often talk about religious slaves, but when they do, the things that are said about them are terrifying.

They are used as human sacrifices to the Solus god and that sort of thing.

"What are you implying?" asks Delia, stopping dead in her tracks with a deadly seriousness on her face, her gaze giving off a hardness I've never seen her give off before.

' - I hope she's not saying what I think she's saying, because then we're going to have a real discussion about religion. Doubting a little about God's intentions is fine; it's part of the process by which our faith is strengthened. But questioning the faith and integrity of the direct servants of Solus God is something I will not allow her to do. It is disrespectful to the Solus Temple as a whole.'

'I suppose this is a delicate subject.....

I'd better not delve into this, lest she get mad at me.'

"Nothing, nothing at all. It was just a thought that crossed my mind..." I say, stopping and turning to look at her.

Seeing how serious she is all of a sudden, I motion for us to sit on one of the benches in the street to talk more calmly.

Delia silently accepts and sits on the bench with her legs and arms crossed.

She is clearly upset, but the gesture she makes as she puffs out her cheeks due to her anger makes her look more adorable than stern.

'Haa...

It looks like helping Master with this is going to be harder than I thought....

Anyway, if that approach doesn't work....

Let's move on to the B plan....

It looks like I'll have to use the newly discovered magic words. Let's prove how magical they really are.'

"... Sorry if you were offended by my comment. It wasn't my intention," I say in an apologetic tone.

"Hmt. It's okay..." Delia says, while avoiding looking at my face.

' - I think I was the one who overreacted this time. Alessia and I are a couple. I shouldn't get mad at her like this, even if.... Haa.... I need to be more understanding and tolerant. She is not to blame for her ignorance'

"... Just be careful not to utter those kinds of comments in front of other people at Solus Temple. Not everyone will be as understanding as I am."

"Hmm, ok...." I say meekly to placate her anger and then utter the words that will surely serve to convince her to loosen up a bit with the temple teachings.

"... anyway, even if it is the wish of the Solus God that the Saints remain secluded, it is clear that for you it is not the same. If you truly think that Master, you, and I are predestined, it makes no sense that the Solus God would want you to stay away from us. Also, remember that Master wishes you not to be so devoted to the teachings of the temple. And if Solus God put Master in your path..."

I let the sentence hang in the air, unfinished, appreciating its obvious effect on Delia.

"I... I don't know," says Delia with fear and hesitation at the temptation my words present to her.

' - What she says is true, but she is also wrong. Just because she, Emir, and I are predestined in no way means that I should stop following the temple's teachings.'

'Hmm, it seems that the magic words won't be enough for this.... But I can continue to use my Master's name in many other ways to convince her.'

Taking advantage of her moment of doubt, I continue with my arguments.

"You are a special case, Delia. The teachings of the Solus Temple may be true for the other Saints, but not for you. You are allowed to have things of your own. Your stup... talking Spear is proof of that. If you can't have items of your own, why did God bless you with a spear worthy of legends? It's true that Master created it, but the spear miraculously changed when you touched it, didn't it?..."

'I cannot waste this moment of weakness in Delia's convictions. I have to keep striking the iron while it's still hot.'

"… You can also relate as much as you want to the people around you. If you shouldn't relate much to people, why did God put Master in your path? Someone who put you and who will put you in contact with a lot of people. If God really wants you to follow the teachings of Solus Temple, why didn't He send you some kind of warning sign those times you didn't follow them because of Master's influence?"

Watching the reactions of the young fox girl next to me, I am convinced that each of my questions is one more nail in the coffin of the old version of Delia and a fanfare before the birth of a new Delia, free from the stupid teachings of Solus Temple.

"I-I think... I think you may be right..." says Delia with a shy smile.

"... I... Is it really okay for me to have friends and things of my own?..."

Then I see her turn her gaze skyward and inquire cautiously.

"....God, is it true what Alessia says? If she is wrong and this goes against your wishes, please give me a sign, and I will not think of such things again. If I receive no sign, I will assume that what Alessia says is true..."

Several minutes pass, but nothing happens.

In the absence of a response, she closes her eyes tightly and says, "...If I am wrong in interpreting your wishes, I ask your forgiveness, and I will accept whatever punishment you want to impose on me."

"I don't know much about religion, but it seems to me that God is giving you his approval," I say, smiling at the image of Delia, who seems incredulous at what is happening.

Even though nothing is really happening at all.

However, given the circumstances, it's obvious that Delia perceives this as unbelievable.

After all, Saints are said to be the closest living beings to God.

If God is not giving any divine sign to his Saint when she is asking for His guidance, it is because God must judge that such a sign is not necessary.

However, Delia does not answer me.

So I wait for her to react.

Several more minutes pass without anything happening, and then suddenly Delia bursts into tears, trembling and excited, and hugs me with a strength I didn't think she had in her small body.

At first, I worry as I watch her body shake from crying so much, but I realize her tears are tears of joy, and I relax, after which I start stroking her head.

'Haa... Master better get something good for me as a reward for this. I didn't think I'd make it this fast'