I Became a Childhood Friend With the Villainous Saintess

The hands that had hesitated until now suddenly pulled me close.

Her small frame nestled into my arms, her flushed cheeks pressing against my chest.

“I’ve… been longing to hear those words. Why did it take you so long?”

Her grip tightened, almost suffocating, her trembling body desperately clinging to me.

As expected, Sirien voice quivered with the hint of tears.

“I love you too. I loved you first. More than you love me, I love you so much more. I’ve dreamed of having you like this more times than I can count.”

“Why are you crying now? Don’t. Come on, stop, okay?”

“Tch. I’m not crying. I told myself I wouldn’t cry this time. I haven’t even shed a tear yet, so it doesn’t count.”

At this point, having to justify herself was as good as admitting she already was.

The mischievous thought of teasing her for a moment flitted through my mind—a terribly mean idea.

Thankfully, I managed to resist.

A sidelong glance revealed the truth; she had indeed cried.

The faint shimmer on her eyelashes gave her away, unmistakably the result of wiping away stray tears.

I felt compelled to say something, anything, to calm her down.

“Did you know? They say tears shed out of joy taste sweet.”

“…How do you even know something like that?”

“Just something I picked up. They say tears of anger are salty, and tears of sadness are sour.”

“Then, these must be sweet. So sweet they could melt my tongue.”

Sirien looked up at me with a bashful smile, her tear-streaked face now lit up by a radiant grin.

The strange combination of tears and joy made her face profoundly beautiful.

Without thinking, I reached out to touch her cheek.

A brief meeting of our eyes was all the spark needed.

Our faces were already close, close enough.

Without hesitation, our lips met, blending together in a deep, fervent kiss.

It was a kiss full of passion.

As we parted, wiping away the sticky thread of saliva, Sirien lips curved into a bewitching smile.

“I love you, Razen. From now on, you’re mine.”

Sirien arms tightened around me, a possessive embrace that hinted at obsession.

Her possessiveness only made my lips curl into a satisfied smile.

“Since you’ve given yourself to me, I’ll never give you back. Be prepared for that.”

****

The path once walked by a knight and a saint was now tread by two lovers.

Autumn was leaving, and the sun sought its rest early.

The crumpled twilight blanketed the fallen leaves like a quilt, and the dusky orange glow spread like mist.

Hand in hand, we walked down the maple-lined path.

The festival village bustled with life once again.

A crowd had already gathered in the town square, perhaps anticipating the lighting of the bonfire.

Among them, merchants were feverishly vying for attention, desperate to sell off their goods.

Sirien eyes sparkled as she took in the lively scene around her.

It was a bit early to be hungry, so I wondered if she was looking for a snack.

My guess was completely wrong.

“Razen! Let’s drink this together!”

Her choice was alcohol.

Given that it was a festival, the streets were lined with stalls selling drinks.

Some even sold strong liquors, though it didn’t seem like Sirien had chosen anything too fancy.

Beer, in particular, was a popular choice, with nearly everyone passing by holding a glass.

Surprisingly, the beer here was better than what I’d had in the modern world.

Paired with the abundance of festival foods, it was indeed a fine choice for the moment.

The problem was the person sitting in front of me was Sirien.

“No way. That’s alcohol.”

“Why not? I’m an adult too! I have every right to drink as much as I want.”

“You promised last time you wouldn’t drink.”

“That was… an unfair agreement! You took advantage of my embarrassment to force me into an unjust deal, so it’s invalid!”

As expected, she launched a strong protest.

But no matter how much she twisted her logic, I couldn’t back down.

It’s not that Sirien couldn’t handle alcohol.

Unlike the heroine of the original story, she didn’t pass out after just a couple of drinks.

Her tolerance was slightly below average—a drink or two wouldn’t be a problem.

The real issue was her drinking habits.

Sirien drinking behavior was… problematic, to say the least.

“Really, I’ll only drink a little. Think about it—I’ve only ever slipped up once. Besides, I’ve been holding back for so long.”

“Well… that’s true.”

“Don’t you want to celebrate today, Razen? I want to clink glasses with you and laugh as we drink together.”

My resolve began to waver.

Sirien clung to me, her small, soft frame pressing close.

The warmth and tenderness of her touch made my mind go blank.

Then there were her hands, gripping my arm.

The way she kneaded and pleaded with them broke through my defenses. I couldn’t resist any longer.

“Fine, but only a little, okay?”

“Okay! I love you!”

“Hmph.”

*****

You could call this an inevitable outcome.

Naturally, the promise wasn’t kept.

Overjoyed at finally drinking again, Sirien predictably overindulged.

At first, everything was fine.

We began with fried chicken and beer, the unbeatable pairing across all times and cultures.

Now that we were officially “a couple,” we chatted freely, laughing and sharing trivial stories.

The conversation grew more sincere as we opened up about feelings we’d held onto since childhood.

“I loved it when you came to find me whenever I cried. For some reason, you calming me down always worked like magic.”

“That’s why the servants always came to me first whenever you were upset. But I didn’t spoil you too much, right?”

“Not at all! You just didn’t notice. I held back in front of you because I didn’t want to seem spoiled.”

“Ah, so that’s why you always cried when I wasn’t around.”

“Well, I was a kid back then. I don’t even remember what upset me so much. But even when I was sobbing uncontrollably, I’d calm down the moment you patted my back. Isn’t that strange?” ṟ

It was a pleasant time.

Revisiting our shared memories and piecing them together felt like crafting an entirely new story.

At this point, Sirien was still sober, giggling at jokes or occasionally delving into more serious topics.

“The year’s almost over, huh.”

“Yeah. Winter will come, and the year will pass before we know it.”

“That’s why… I think I’ll finally be able to do it next year.”

“Do what?”

“Take back everything that’s ours. The place we used to be, where we belong. Once this is over, let’s go back.”

The long and perilous journey was finally nearing its end.

Sirien spoke of our return home, a place we had both longed for deeply.

It was as significant as the bond we had formed today.

On the day we cremated those two precious people, Sirien and I made a vow. That vow still held firm.

“Let’s do it. Everything will go just as you said.”

Everything had been going so well.

The problem, as always, started with the “sweet-tasting alcohol.”

At the festival, there were merchants selling fruit wine.

The festival would end today, and any unsold wine would inevitably become leftover stock.

Their enthusiastic sales pitch ultimately reached Sirien.

Just as a cat can’t resist a fish market, Sirien couldn’t ignore the sweet aroma.

She begged me to let her try the fruit wine, insisting it smelled divine.

It was stronger than beer, but I figured a few glasses wouldn’t hurt and agreed—a decision I would soon regret.

“Razen! That one looks tasty too. Can we try it?”

“Didn’t you just get one? It’s not even finished yet.”

“…Ca

Sigh. “Well, it’s a special day. Let’s get one bottle, just one.”

“Yay!”

One bottle quickly became two, and before I knew it, Sirien was sipping exclusively on fruit wine, completely ignoring the beer.

As we drank, I started to feel the alcohol creeping in as well.

Fortunately, my unusually resilient body seemed to handle alcohol just fine.

By the time we added another bottle, I couldn’t help but feel concerned.

“Haven’t you had enough?”

“I’m not drunk yet, so I’ll just have a little more.”

“Well, you do still look fine, I’ll admit…”

“Oh, I know! How about I kiss you after this drink? I’ll have fruity breath, and I bet you’ll love it.”

I… couldn’t resist Sirien temptation.

Ever since we officially started dating, she had become unusually cunning.

That’s when I should have noticed.

The fact that she could promise a kiss so easily should have tipped me off.

The Sirien I knew wasn’t the type to say such bold things without a second thought.

If she did, she’d be blushing furiously, trapped in her own embarrassment.

But I let my guard down, and the result was bittersweet.

I ended up buying every wine Sirien asked for, and together, we drank them all.

The aftermath? Sirien was now clinging to me, her cheeks flushed, giggling uncontrollably.

“Hehe… Razen, squish my cheeks.”

“Sirien… are you drunk?”

“Noooope! Not drunk at allll! But squish me, hurry! You’re mine now, so you have to do it!”

Her hands grabbed at me insistently.

When I gave in and kneaded both of her cheeks as she demanded, she let out a funny “Eheheheh—” laugh, like a complete fool.

It was adorable, but when Sirien reached this state, the best course of action was to put her to bed as soon as possible.

“Alright, hop on. We’re going back to the manor.”

“Okayyy! Piggyback! Let’s gooo!”

“Sirien, you have to let go of my hands first if you want me to carry you.”

“Nooo! Carry me like this. Lift me up like last time!”

“This is driving me crazy…”

“Me too! Let’s go crazy together!”

Unsurprisingly, getting her to bed was no smooth journey.

I had to coax and calm her down just to get her on my back, and even then, staying still wasn’t in her nature.

As we walked, something warm touched my ear, followed by a loud smooching sound.

“Chuup, chuup—”

“Gahhh! What the—?”

“Pffft, did you like it?”

This… was definitely not easy.

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