Upon returning to the dormitory, the first thing I did was confess to Ethan that I was the Saintess.

With Isabelle still asleep and only Ethan awake, it seemed like the most opportune time to reveal the truth. Moreover, it was necessary to explain why I had returned to the dormitory at such an odd hour, as that explanation required me to disclose that I had become the Saintess.

“Saintess…?”

“Yes.”

“Lillis…?”

“Yes.”

“…”

Ethan stared at me with a bewildered expression. It wasn’t the kind of dazed look one gets from being woken up suddenly; it was more like he was trying to process something unbelievable.

Of course, it wasn’t easy to believe right away. It must have been as shocking for him as if someone had told me that Gyeonmwa Joshekigwat was a fake Hero and that Ethan was the real Hero all along.

Whether he believed me immediately or not didn’t matter much. I had confessed simply because I didn’t want to lie to him.

“If it’s hard to believe, you don’t have to. I’m only telling you the truth, but I have no intention of forcing you to believe it, Master Ethan.”

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to look at you like that, Lillis.”

“Pardon?”

“…Lillis.”

“Yes…?”

Ethan suddenly stepped closer, calling my name in a low voice, which made me feel a little uneasy. There was something intense in his tone, almost as if he was angry, and it made me tense up.

“When did you know?”

“What do you mean?”

“That you might be the Saintess, Lillis.”

“Well… um…”

“Look me in the eyes and tell me.”

“…For quite some time.”

For a moment, I considered downplaying the time frame, given the way Ethan was staring at me so intensely, but I realized that reducing the timeline wouldn’t help much.

I had no choice but to be as honest as possible, to admit that I had known since the moment I realized I had been transported to this world.

“I’ve known for about six and a half years.”

“What?”

“Not long after I started working as a debt maid at the Blackwood estate, I collapsed in front of you shortly after you woke up, Master Ethan. Do you remember that?”

“…It’s a bit hazy since I was so young at the time, but I think I do remember a maid collapsing. I didn’t realize that was you, though.”

“To be honest, I’ve known since then.”

“…”

Ethan’s expression grew even more serious as he looked at me, clearly displeased that I had kept this secret for so long. But I figured it was better to just get everything out in the open now that I had started telling the truth.

“The reason I collapsed then was because of a divine revelation or some similar power. As soon as I woke up, I suddenly gained knowledge about various things in this world, including the fact that I am the Saintess.”

“I see.”

“Yes. That’s why I believe I became the ‘Prophetic Saintess’ after receiving the consecration. On the day I collapsed, I received visions of the future of this world.”

“So, you thought that power was the power of a Saintess.”

“…Yes. Back then, Saintess Celesta hadn’t been officially announced yet. It was natural for an ordinary girl like me to think I might have become the Saintess after suddenly gaining mysterious knowledge.”

Ethan seemed to accept my explanation of how I had realized so long ago that I was the Saintess.

Part of me wanted to tell Ethan everything, to be completely honest, but there were two things I couldn’t bring myself to reveal. I couldn’t tell him that this world was actually the setting of the game 『Luminor Academy』, nor could I tell him that I had been a man in my previous life. Those two facts would be too shocking for Ethan to handle.

So, while I was honest about most things, I had to slightly alter the story regarding how I had known I was the Saintess and why I had kept it a secret.

“Why did you keep it hidden all this time?”

“The reason I kept it a secret is that shortly after I received that divine revelation, Saintess Celesta’s existence was officially announced.”

“…Saintess Celesta? Or should I call her just Celesta now, if what you’re saying is true?”

“You can call her whatever you like. The point is, I couldn’t reveal that I might be the Saintess because Saintess Celesta was already known as the true Saintess. If I, a mere debt maid from a noble family, claimed to be the Saintess when a recognized Saintess had already been established, who would have believed me?”

“…Yeah, I suppose that makes sense. Even in ancient times, when the Aurelia Church announced they were looking for a Saintess, there were many women who claimed to be the Saintess. I can see why you might have hesitated.”

“…Even if it were revealed that I was the true Saintess, it would have caused numerous problems. The priests of the Aurelia Church who supported Celesta as the Saintess would likely have been punished.”

“The fact that you considered those details makes me think I can believe you really are the Saintess, and why you kept it hidden until now.”

…Ethan’s praise for what I had done out of self-preservation made me feel a bit embarrassed. It was true that I hadn’t revealed my identity as the Saintess to protect Celesta and the church, but it was also because Celesta was playing the role of the Saintess in my place.

I couldn’t reveal my true identity, but not because I was unsure. I knew very well that Lilith was the Saintess; after all, I’d played the game 25 times. But explaining all of that would be impossible, so I just let it slide.

“In any case, I intended to keep the fact that I’m the Saintess hidden until the very end.”

“…You intended to live your life hiding the fact that you’re the Saintess? Why?”

“If it were revealed that I’m the Saintess, I’d have no choice but to join the Hero’s group and spend almost all my time with him. I wouldn’t be able to continue serving as your personal maid, and even after graduating from the academy, my actions would be dictated by the Hero’s journey.”

“…I see. If it were revealed that you’re the Saintess, you’d be stuck by that womanizer Hero’s side just like Celesta is… Wait, what?”

Ethan suddenly seemed to realize something as he processed what I had said about not wanting to join the Hero’s party.

“Is there something wrong with what I said…?”

“Hold on, Lillis. When you said that just now, can I take that as your true feelings?”

“Which part are you referring to…?”

“When you said you didn’t want to join Gyeonmwa Joshekigwat’s Hero party and preferred to remain as my personal maid—was that how you really felt?”

“…Yes, Master Ethan.”

Strictly speaking, it was more about how incompatible the Hero’s party was with my ideal lifestyle, but it was true that I had chosen to stay as Ethan’s personal maid instead.

And lately, I had been considering continuing to serve as Ethan’s maid for a while even after graduating from the academy before eventually becoming independent. So, saying that I chose Ethan over Gyeonmwa Joshekigwat wasn’t entirely wrong, and I nodded in agreement.

“I see… So you thought it would be better to stay by my side than with someone like him…”

“…Master Ethan?”

“Oh, nothing.”

Ethan muttered to himself with a somewhat mischievous expression, which made me feel a little uneasy, but I needed to finish what I had to say.

“In any case, the reason I decided to embrace my role as the Saintess wasn’t because I wanted to stand by the Hero’s side and save the world. It was simply to expose the truth about Prince McHart’s connection with demons. If I can use the divine power that comes with being the Saintess, I’ll be able to extract the demonic energy from Prince McHart.”

“I understand. If that’s the reason, then you really had no choice. McHart is definitely a dangerous person who needs to be dealt with.”

“Additionally, once I’ve finished this task of bringing Prince McHart to justice, I plan to relinquish this overwhelming power I’ve been given. For someone like me who just wants to live a simple life, being the Saintess is nothing but a burden.”

“…Wait, you’re planning to give up your status as the Saintess? Is that even possible?”

“Normally, it wouldn’t be, but I’ve seen a way in the future. There’s one method that would allow me to relinquish the power.”

“One method? What is it?”

“By passing on my power to someone who truly deserves to be the Saintess. That’s the only way to give up the title.”

“…”

Ethan stared at me quietly, clearly considering the same person I was thinking of.

“I intend to make Celesta the true Saintess.”