God-Tier Enhancement: My Upgrades Never Fail-Chapter 212: Episode _Our Saintess (4)

6.

Squeaker always smiled in front of Simin.

"Hehe. Dad, give me a kiss."

"...Family members don’t do that."

Even when he coolly pushed her away, or when he turned his back to surf the web without even looking at her, she would cling to his back like a cicada, undeterred. She was just like the little bird she used to be. Now that she was human and they could talk, he truly understood just how much she relied on him and what she thought of him. It wasn’t a bad feeling to be loved by someone, so Simin didn’t treat her too harshly.

"Time to eat."

"Hmph. Dad, I want to eat, too."

"I gave you food."

"No, not gold. The food you’re eating."

"You said you get full from eating gold."

"Hmph."

"You shouldn’t overeat like that. Think of all the starving children across the continent right at this moment."

He was firm when he needed to be, but he always made sure she was fed. The fact that he would indulge her whining, even while making the absurd suggestion that a dragon should worry about starving children, was a clear example of his generosity. Whether she knew it or not, Squeaker just kept smiling blissfully.

But that was only for Simin and her "mother," Kardian.

"Gasp! It’s the Saintess!"

"Lady Saintess!"

"L-Lady Saintess, what brings you...?"

At Simin’s words, Hyegi had pouted and opened the carriage door. But in front of others, her expression was utterly cold. It was so frigid and sharp that it was hard to remember she had ever worn the bright, affectionate smile of a Saintess.

"Is there something wrong...?" Saint asked.

Having seen her other side, Saint was even more nervous, swallowing hard. He had already fallen for her at first sight, and her stern expression weighed on his mind. ’What is it? What’s so wrong? Did something happen in the carriage? Why was the Saintess who smiled so happily even when the Lord of Rich pushed her away so cold now?’

He was worried, but he couldn’t bring himself to approach her. Not even as a Grand Priest of God. Not even as one of the Eight Elders. Squeaker’ hardened expression possessed a beauty that was as unapproachable as it was dignified. It wasn’t the kind of dignity that made a man lose confidence simply because she was too beautiful. It was a primal warning from his instincts. ’Do not approach. You could die.’ Dragon Fear. When that dignity, which touched upon a human’s survival instinct, was mixed with a beauty that made his heart flutter, how could his mind not be in turmoil?

All sorts of fantasies unfolded. For Saint, who had never once been in a relationship, this was especially true. ’What would it be like to date a woman like her? How should I treat her? How proud and puffed up would my shoulders be when I receive a smile from that face, a smile meant only for me?’

As if sensing his desire, Squeaker’ gaze met his. On her face, which had been like a frozen lake, a single, warm smile bloomed.

He was dumbstruck.

Compared to her smiles for Simin, the difference in temperature was like Alaska versus the Sahara Desert, but that didn’t matter to Saint. ’She smiled at me!’ In his mind, Simin and Kardian were already her parents. How could a parent and an outsider be the same? And yet, she had singled him out among all the other priests and smiled only at him. There was a clear message in that. His heart pounded. As his face flushed red, Squeaker spoke.

"Please come in."

A single phrase. It was a chilly statement, lacking even a speck of the affection she showed Simin, but it was enough to make Saint’s heart drop to the floor. Interpreted simply, it was a meaningless invitation to come in because she had something to say. But unfortunately, Saint, already lost in his fantasies, took a step forward, apologizing to God. He knew Simin and Kardian were inside, but a man’s instincts were a powerful thing.

Then, Simin said something that made his heart pound even harder.

"I’m sorry, but could you and Dian go on ahead with Hyegi? I have somewhere I need to stop by."

"Pardon?"

"That shouldn’t be a problem, right? To be honest, Hyegi was so insistent on not leaving my side that I had to come, but thankfully her mother is here and they seem to get along. As you know, the situation on the continent is tense, and I have a lot of work to do, so there are a few things I need to take care of urgently."

"...Ah."

He glanced at Squeaker, then swallowed. ’Really? Is this really happening?’ He was getting excited. Kardian was still there, but having one of the parents of the woman he’d claimed as his own leave was a huge opportunity. Both of them seemed annoyed by Squeaker, but he felt a bit burdened to make a move on her. Especially since Kardian would flatly refuse any physical contact, unlike Simin who would push her away but ultimately tolerate it. She often left the carriage out of annoyance anyway...

"If that’s the case..."

"Yes, please take good care of them. If there’s an attack by black magic mages or anything like that..."

"Do not worry! I may not look it, but I am a Grand Priest of the Grand Temple. As long as the leader of the Black Magic Order doesn’t show up, I will protect the Saintess no matter what!"

"Ah. Yes. Then I’ll trust you."

"Yes, yes. Please finish your work, and we shall see you in the Empire."

At his over-the-top reaction, clearly meant to impress his potential father-in-law, Simin bowed humbly and handed Kardian a leather pouch filled with gold. It couldn’t be helped. Squeaker had devoured 5,000 gold to polymorph, and now that she was human, she still needed to eat gold instead of regular food. He sighed and gave Squeaker a look.

’You have to do well. Got it?’

’Yes, Dad!’

With a determined expression, Squeaker nodded vigorously. Inside the carriage with Simin and Kardian, her bright smile had returned. Tears welled in her eyes at the thought of him leaving, but Simin left the carriage without a backward glance.

And then there were three.

"Hehe. Mom," Squeaker said, clinging to Kardian as usual.

"Get off. Gold... no, stay away from me," Kardian replied, pushing her away firmly. A moment later, as was her habit, she left the carriage.

"Hmph."

In the end, only Squeaker and Saint remained. In the spacious carriage, Squeaker’ expression turned blank again as she lounged about silently, while Saint huddled in a corner, watching her nervously. An awkward silence filled the air.

*

After leaving the carriage, Simin was fraught with worry.

"She’d better do a good job."

He could have handled it himself. In fact, doing it himself would have been a much easier and more comfortable way to land the big fish. Entrusting this whole affair to Squeaker was nothing short of a gamble. His opponent was a Grand Priest of the temple, a man who served God. He might run if the bait wasn’t tempting enough. Kardian was there, but how much help could that inflexible black dragon be? He wanted to test it. Could Squeaker pull it off? It would be difficult with the giddy lightheartedness she showed him.

But what could he do?

"You have to learn to secure your own food bowl."

Right. If she weren’t his person—no, his dragon—he wouldn’t have even bothered. Why would he invest time and risk losses to raise her like this? It was all for Squeaker. ’Become a proactive con artist who can think for herself and hook her own marks!’ For a moment, he felt a pang of guilt for what he was doing to that innocent child who knew nothing but her dad, but he quickly shook it off. If he was going to feel guilty, he never would have made it this far. By now, Simin’s personality was practically a brand. At least, that’s what he told himself.

"Everyone wears a mask anyway."

He would never admit that this was his true self. Hoping she would do well on her own, or at least learn something from failure, he walked on. His plan to leave wasn’t just a spur-of-the-moment decision. There was no reason to get out of the carriage when he had nothing to do until they reached the Empire. If he just wanted to give them space, he could have taken another carriage.

"Killing two birds with one stone."

If he was going to make a fake Saintess, he might as well make her a real one. He stretched, preparing to get his own hands dirty for the first time in a while.

7.

"Um, Lady Saintess."

"Yes."

It was Saint who broke the awkward silence. The thirsty man is always the one to dig the well. Even with her orders, Squeaker, who seemed to have zero interest in anyone besides Simin and Kardian, was not about to speak first. Simin hadn’t told her to.

"Are you... uncomfortable in any way?"

"No. I’m fine."

The conversation that followed was even more awkward, but it continued.

"Is there anything you’d like to eat...?"

"I eat anything."

"Ah! I see."

Her expression was cold, but she answered his questions diligently. Saint’s face flushed as he met her crimson eyes in the carriage filled with his own fluttering excitement. Each casual word she uttered was, for him, a step in getting to know her. It was a feeling a Grand Priest should never have for a Saintess, but he was blind to that.

"Um, I heard from the lord that your name is Hyegi..."

"Yes."

"And I heard the lord’s name is Han Simin, so does that make you Ms. Han Hyegi?"

He found himself asking a personal question he had no business asking, his voice trembling. Once she went to the Grand Temple, showed herself to the Pope, and was officially recognized by God, every priest associated with the faith would have to call her Saintess. They shouldn’t know her name, nor would they need to. Everyone on the continent would call her Saintess, making her name effectively meaningless. And yet—no, because of that, he wanted to know. The name that would soon disappear. He wanted to share that secret information known only to her family, Simin and Kardian.

But Squeaker was silent for a moment. ’Does she not want to tell me?’ Worry settled over him, but thankfully, the Saintess soon shook her head.

"No, I’m a stepdaughter, so I don’t have my dad’s last name."

"Ah, I see."

"Yes. But from now on, I think I’ll be Han Hyegi."

"Yes. I will remember that. But your original surname is...?"

Her pout at not sharing a name with Simin was so cute it made him smile. He asked again, politely. His interest in such a trivial matter was a clear sign that the Grand Priest was caught in the net.

And Squeaker, seeing this, gave him a faint smile. She had heard all sorts of stories and received instructions from Simin. She had also learned a great deal about humans from Kardian, as a dragon. That information was now sinking in through practical application. ’So this is what it’s like. This is the situation Dad was talking about. This is how Mom said men would react.’ The joy of learning. For an intelligent creature like a dragon, could there be anything more interesting? The single smile on her cold face grew a little wider. But it wasn’t the bright, refreshing smile she showed Simin. It was an alluring, profound smile.

The sound of Saint swallowing audibly cut through the clatter of hooves. Squeaker pretended not to hear and spoke, her voice clear and direct.

"Bae. Bae Hyegi. That’s my real name."

Though it was a name that screamed of being thought up on the spot by Simin, coming from her lips, it took on a special significance, and Saint found himself repeating it. As the conversation flowed, Squeaker learned firsthand how to use her strengths, surpassing Simin’s expectations with flying colors.

*