Reborn as a Leader: King's Debauchery, SSS-Yandere Harem and Evolution-Chapter 34- Saintess Grace (2)

The wind howled mercilessly through the narrow, snow-laden streets, sharp and biting.

The sky was a dull gray, heavy with clouds that promised more snow.

On the rough, frozen path, a small figure struggled forward—a little girl, no older than seven or eight.

Her tiny hands, raw and red from the cold, gripped the ends of two torn pieces of cloth.

The fabric dragged over the icy ground, leaving faint trails in the snow.

On one piece of cloth lay a pale, lifeless child, no older than five, her skin unnaturally white and lips tinged blue.

On the other, a thin woman with hollow cheeks and shallow, uneven breaths.

The girl sobbed quietly as she dragged them forward, her breath visible in the frigid air.

"Please... someone... help us...!" she cried, her voice fragile and breaking. "Please save my mother and sister! The Goddess Agastasa will bless you!"

Her words echoed through the empty street, lost in the wind. People passed by—bundled in warm coats and thick scarves—but none spared her a glance. Priests in heavy robes strolled past, their heads bowed in quiet prayer or caught in hushed conversation.

Not even the servants of the Goddess paused to help.

She wore the plain, thin dress of a monastery child, now ragged and too light for the biting cold. It marked her as one of the children who served the church, doing small chores in hopes of someday becoming a priestess. Once, it had been a symbol of hope. Now, it felt like a shackle.

Maybe this is a test, she thought desperately, clutching the cloth tighter. Maybe the Goddess is testing me...

But doubt gnawed at her heart.

Her mother’s breathing was barely there. Her little sister was cold—so cold.

The small coins she earned washing dishes and scrubbing floors at the monastery meant nothing now. Not enough for medicine. Not enough to pay a priest for healing.

Her knees buckled, but she forced herself up.

Then, through the swirling snow, she saw him.

A priest in fine black robes stood beneath a stone archway, deep in conversation with a nobleman. His robes were clean, trimmed with silver thread, and a polished pendant of the Goddess Agastasa gleamed at his chest.

Her eyes widened.

Dropping the cloth, she stumbled forward, her feet slipping on the ice.

"Sir! Please, please help my mother!" she screamed, falling to her knees.

The priest slowly turned. His cold eyes swept over her—her dirty face, her torn dress—and narrowed in disgust. He clutched his black robes tighter, as if afraid her filth might stain him.

"Move away," he said flatly.

"Please... I’m from the monastery! Help them! Heal them!"

The priest raised a thin brow. "You need healing?"

"N-No! My mother and sister! They need help!"

He glanced lazily at the motionless bodies behind her, his lip curling in distaste.

"We don’t hand out free healings to beggars. Now, go away."

"But... they’re my family—"

Before she could finish, his boot slammed into her chest.

The girl cried out, tumbling back into the snow. Her thin body hit the ground hard, knocking the air from her lungs.

"Don’t dirty my clothes, you pest," he snarled. Leaning closer, his voice dropped to a venomous whisper. "Be grateful people are watching, or I would’ve skinned you alive."

And then, like a switch, his face softened into a false smile.

"Child, this is a test from the Goddess. Trust in Her. She always wants the best for us."

He turned away, his smile already fading as he spoke to the nobleman.

"Now, where were we? Ah yes, your son burned his finger, how tragic. Have you brought the offering?"

"Oh, of course!" the nobleman chuckled, shaking a heavy pouch that jingled with coins.

The girl could only watch them disappear into the crowd.

Her chest ached, but not from the kick.

From something worse.

Dragging herself back to her mother and sister, she bit her lip to stop it from trembling.

"I... I’m sorry... Mama... I’m sorry..." she whispered, tears sliding down her dirt-streaked cheeks.

Desperation drove her forward.

卄ㄖ山 卩丨ㄒ丨千ㄩㄥ (: How pitiful)

A voice seems to notice her presence, but her belief in a goddess seems to protect her from that devil’s voice.

She gripped the cloth once more, pulling with every bit of strength toward the towering monastery doors. Snow clung to her skin, but she didn’t stop. 𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞

Please... please let them live...

Her tiny fists pounded on the heavy wooden doors.

"Please! Someone! Help!"

The doors creaked open—then slammed forward, throwing her back into the snow.

Blood trickled down her forehead.

A different priest stood there, frowning down at her.

"It’s time for prayer. Don’t disgust me with this sight. I need peace."

The door slammed shut.

She stared at the frozen wood, unmoving.

"Please... somebody... help..."

But no one came.

The snow continued to fall, piling around her.

Her fingers, once red, turned pale. The cold crept into her bones.

Minutes passed.

An hour.

The same priest who had gone to prayer returned, stepping over the snow.

"You’re still here?" he muttered.

"Please..." she begged, barely a whisper.

The priest sighed heavily. "Fine. I’ll heal them. Bring them inside."

Hope ignited in her chest.

"T-Thank you!"

Her tears froze on her cheeks as she ran, faster than she ever had, to her mother. Her hands, stiff and red from the cold, gripped the cloth. She dragged her mother toward the priest standing just a few steps away.

The priest watched in silence, making no move to help.

At last, she dropped to her knees, breathless, before him.

He clicked his tongue, extending a hand.

Soft, golden light bloomed at his fingertips.

Then it vanished.

He sneered.

"Why did you bring a corpse to me?"

The girl froze.

"...What?"

The priest rolled his eyes. "Are you deaf? I can’t bring the dead back to life. You should’ve come sooner."

The cold wind cut through her as the priest turned away.

The door slammed behind him.

The world around her was distant, muted.

Voices whispered on the edge of hearing.

"She should’ve come earlier."

"Poor thing. But it’s too late now."

"Why didn’t she hurry?"

Their words stabbed deeper than knives.

Her lips parted, but no sound came.

In her mind, only one question echoed.

’Why?’

’WHY?!’

Ꮆㄖᗪᗪ乇丂丂 ㄥ卂ㄩᎶ卄丂 ㄖ几 ㄚㄖㄩ尺 爪丨丂乇尺ㄚ 乃ㄩㄒ 丨 卩丨ㄒㄚ ㄚㄖㄩ 爪ㄚ 匚卄丨ㄥᗪ (:Goddess laughs on your misery, but I pity you, my child.)

And at that moment, the little girl realized that there was no goddess in this world.

There was no humanity or any light left here.

The only thing remaining was evil.

And with no one left who could be considered a light to her, it seemed as if the darkness was shrouding her mind, her eyes visibly turning black.

丨, 千ㄖㄩ尺ㄒ卄 ᗪ乇爪ㄖ几 Ꮆㄖᗪ, 乃乇丂ㄒㄖ山 ㄚㄖㄩ ㄩ卩ㄖ几 ㄒ卄乇 ᗪ乇爪ㄖ几 Ҝ丨几Ꮆ’丂 尺卂几Ҝ, 千丨几ᗪ ㄚㄖㄩ尺 ㄒ尺ㄩ乇 卄卂卩卩丨几乇丂丂 爪ㄚ 匚卄丨ㄥᗪ (:I, fourth demon god, bestow you upon the demon king’s rank, find your true happiness my child)

The white portion of her eyes was slowly beginning to show hints of black fluid.