Chapter 1 My enemy, your fate is to fall in love with me!
"Demon King Serena, I will stop your ambition here!"
"Are you crazy? What good will this do you? You'll die too, won't you? I've told you many times, I just want to find a small space for these guys to survive..."
"Embrace your destiny! Saint Gillian, please show me the direction of fate!"
The Saintess opposite had a solemn face and resolute eyes, shining like a true deity.
As the strongest Chief Saintess in hundreds of years, she almost unhesitatingly burned her life force to use Divine Descent when facing the Demon King.
Behind her, wings seemed to flutter, and golden divine power surged from her petite body—a truly brilliant sight.
If Serena herself wasn't being killed, it would truly be a beautiful memory to cherish for a lifetime... "Givine Village! Get out, you lazy bones. If you delay the journey, you're fired!"
Following the Steward of Miscellaneous Affairs' shouts, girls dressed in coarse gray robes jumped out of the covered wagon one by one.
Serena, who was a little behind due to being lost in thought, had just touched the ground when she heard the sound of carriage bells from another road.
Soon after, four girls in similar attire jumped out of that carriage.
The leading girl was a heroic beauty with bright eyes, long golden hair, and a body that hadn't fully developed yet.
'Ah, as expected, it's this kind of meeting... but this time, I won't run away.'
Serena sighed inwardly, recalling the scene from her half-dream, half-waking state.
'Aurora, fate truly destined us to meet here. So, this time, let me see if you can still shine with such brilliance.'
"...Move aside, move aside! You rotten girls, instead of helping, you're blocking the way. Are you asking for a beating!"
The Steward of Miscellaneous Affairs' roar startled Serena from her thoughts.
She immediately noticed that a luxuriously decorated carriage had approached the temporary camp.
Although everyone in the Church was nominally equal, and all were coming to participate in the Saintess Selection of the Church of Saint Gillian, everyone knew that some people were always more equal than others.
Girls like Serena, who came from rural parishes, were treated dismissively even by the Steward of Miscellaneous Affairs, and could only travel crammed into a large wagon with a dozen others;
While city girls like Aurora could enjoy private carriages provided by the Church and at least a modicum of respect;
And those with connections and wealth received completely different treatment.
For example, having someone like the Steward of Miscellaneous Affairs actively greet them with warm solicitude.
"Damn it, why are they like that to us, but like this to them..."
As Serena helped feed the horses and let her thoughts wander, a spirited girl next to her began to complain.
Hah, anyone could see such a vast difference.
'If everything is still the same as last time, then...'
She looked at Aurora with an amused gaze.
And Aurora, as expected, did not disappoint her.
Within a few minutes, she started arguing with the Counts Daughter in the carriage.
Afterward, she even talked back to the Steward of Miscellaneous Affairs himself.
As expected of the straightforward sister who dared to confront the Demon King head-on. Even though she knew that even a small fry like the Steward of Miscellaneous Affairs could cause trouble on the path to becoming a Saintess, she still couldn't stand it and charged forward.
"Is she stupid? Doesn't she want to be a Saintess anymore?"
The other girls nearby had never seen such a scene and immediately gasped in low voices.
Indeed, logically speaking, Aurora wouldn't have even a tiny chance of becoming a Saintess; she would just be relegated to the sidelines.
However, who knew that this selection, according to the original trajectory, would encounter such an event?
When the other candidates were automatically disqualified due to death or other reasons, Aurora, the only one who arrived at the capital alive, became the destined Saintess.
"...Okay, I accept the punishment!"
Just as Serena ended her recollection once more, Aurora, like in her previous life, was punished by the leading priest for disrespecting her elders.
Her small face was flushed red with anger, clearly unconvinced.
But out of respect and love for Saint Gillian, Aurora obediently walked over to Serena and the others and started doing chores with them.
Just like in her previous life, she was decided upon as an outcast by the other girls with just a few glances. First, she was assigned to clean horse manure, and then ordered to repair the wagon tarp under the scorching summer sun.
While the others had finished their work and gathered in the shade to rest, Aurora was still busy on the wagon under the blazing sun.
Large beads of sweat dripped from her cheeks—clearly, Aurora had never suffered such hardship.
Just as she finally completed the last bit of work and intended to jump down from the wagon roof, the dizziness caused by heatstroke made her miss a step and tumble down.
"Ah!"
Aurora screamed and closed her eyes in fear.
The next second, she was surprised to find that she hadn't fallen into the dirt, but rather into a soft embrace.
The surroundings didn't smell of choking dust; instead, there was a faint, ethereal fragrance, like a midnight orchid.
Aurora slowly opened her eyes.
Before her stood a tall, red-haired beauty. Her gaze was bright and friendly, her arms appeared slender yet possessed astonishing strength, and a faint smile played on her crimson lips.
"Tha... thank you."
Aurora's face flushed slightly as she whispered.
"No need to thank me, we are all fellow believers, we should help each other."
These words made Aurora inexplicably feel a greater liking for the beauty before her.
"Um, what's your name?"
Aurora asked with a mix of shyness and anticipation.
"My name is Serena."
In her heart, Serena was actually telling herself:
'Plan accomplished! A good start is half the battle!'
That's right, Serena had painstakingly come to build good will.
She had long known that Aurora would encounter such an incident, and of course, she wouldn't let the girl be sidelined like in her previous life.
It would be a waste not to take advantage of such a free opportunity.
Only by quickly maxing out the favorability of the fated one could she lie flat and enjoy life.
As for revenge... isn't turning your enemy into your loyal dog, molding them into the shape you desire, a more thorough and beautiful revenge?
"Come, rest here for a bit. After lunch break, we'll be on our way again."
Under the strange gazes of the other girls, Serena carried Aurora into the shade, fed her a few sips of water from her waterskin, and then let Aurora sit on the grass beside them.
Only then did Aurora shake off the effects of mild heatstroke and realize that something about what had just happened seemed off.
She looked at Serena's waterskin and stammered.
"Um..."
"Oh? Don't worry, I wiped it before I gave you water."
Serena tilted her head, first displaying a standard smile, then shifting to a slightly dejected expression.