"Yes, I've been well. So, why did you call me? It's not like Mother would be curious about how I'm living."
Satina replied indifferently.
"How could you say something so hurtful? What parent wouldn't be concerned about their child's well-being?"
"Really? I thought you forgot about me since you didn't even say a word on my birthday."
At Satina's words, the Duchess Bersaebet's eyes twitched slightly.
"Satina, that was..."
Satina turned her gaze to Rebeca.
"Did you call me just to chat with Mother after such a long time? If that's all, can I leave now?"
"Actually, there's something I need you to do."
It was then that Satina noticed the massive iron cage beside Rebeca.
When the cloth covering the cage was removed, a giant snake was revealed.
A black snake with a red horn on its forehead and a broken arrow lodged in its body.
"Take care of this beast for me. You're a saintess candidate, so you can handle it, right?"
Satina looked at the snake, which began to stir inside the cage.
"A red-horned snake. Not a common beast. You've gone to great lengths to get one."
'She must really want to torment me this time.'
Bringing in a dangerous beast and forcing Satina to deal with it was one of Rebeca's frequent methods of mocking her.
Beasts that were rooted in the underworld were weak against divine power, the sacred force of the gods.
For a true saint candidate, dealing with a beast like this would be easy. But without the ability to use divine power, Satina was just an ordinary girl.
Rebeca knew Satina's limitations well.
That's why she often called her under various pretenses, forcing her to use divine power.
Sometimes it was to deal with a beast like now or to heal a small cut on Rebeca's hand, or even to sing her to sleep when she couldn't fall asleep.
If Satina could use divine power, all of these would be easy and trivial tasks.
But she couldn't.
For example, to heal a small cut on Rebeca's hand, Satina had to sing for hours.
'If you heal me, I'll let you go, right? You're not refusing to use your divine power because you don't want to help me, right, sister?'
Even when blood tasted in her throat from overuse and she coughed endlessly without being allowed even a sip of water, Rebeca never permitted her to stop singing.
"Sister, you're so useless. You can't even heal such a simple wound."
Rebeca would look down at Satina, who had collapsed in exhaustion, and sneer.
'I bet you're not even a real saint candidate. You just tricked Father into letting you stay here, didn't you?'
Satina would lower her head, trying to avoid the contempt and ridicule in Rebeca's eyes.
Rebeca, lost in thought, approached Satina.
"Why are you just standing there? If you're a saintess candidate, handling a beast like this should be easy, right?"
At Rebeca's command, a maid pushed Satina closer to the cage.
The injured snake was more agitated than usual.
As Satina moved closer, the snake slammed its thick tail—thicker than her waist—against the cage bars with a loud clang.
Each time it hit, the cage shook ominously.
"The beast seems very angry. If you don't use your divine power soon, it could get dangerous."
The maid shoved Satina even closer to the cage.
The distance between her and the snake was now less than a meter.
"Shall we put your hand inside the cage? Would that motivate you?"
Since the injury to her vocal cords, Satina hadn't sung for years.
'Can I even sing anymore?'
Lost in thought, Satina's downcast demeanor made it seem to Rebeca like she was being ignored.
"You were talking just fine earlier. Have you become mute? Sing, now!"
Normally, this would be the moment where Satina would kneel and beg for forgiveness.
But today was different.
Satina raised her eyes and stared straight at Rebeca, calm even as she neared the beast.
"Oh? Is that how you're going to act? Are you really just going to stand there?"
Rebeca grabbed Satina's hand and tried to force it into the snake's cage.
At that moment, Satina glanced at her mother.
Her mother continued to sip her tea elegantly, watching Rebeca's actions without intervening.
Satina hadn't expected her mother to stop this.
After all, to her mother, Rebeca was far more precious than a daughter bound by blood.
If Satina hadn't been a saintess candidate, her mother would have abandoned her without hesitation when she was young.
A memory from childhood suddenly came back to Satina—when she had fought with Rebeca.
Rebeca had tormented Satina from the day they first met.
She pulled her hair, scratched her cheek with her nails, and tore all her clothes.
When Satina, unable to hold it in any longer, spoke up, Rebeca burst into tears.
Hearing Rebeca's sobs, her mother rushed in and immediately slapped Satina across the face.
"Why? Why do you always scold me? Rebecca pulled my hair first!"
"Rebeca is your younger sister. Can't you understand she's just playing around?"
"You're my mom, so why do you always take Rebeca's side?"
"Satina, I..."
At that moment, Satina would never forget what her mother said.
"I wish I could be Rebeca's mother, not yours."
To her mother, who had remarried the duke, a child from another man was nothing but a hindrance.
Even when Satina was on the verge of being bitten by a snake, her mother just sat there, watching the two of them without moving.
At that moment, Satina felt something break inside her.
'I can't die like this.'
As she used her holy power, a cold energy swirled within her.
The notes floating before her eyes seemed to wait for her call.
A monotonous mechanical sound, which she had grown accustomed to over the past few days, filled her ears.
[Sing.]
[Do not worry.]
[You will succeed.]
Satina's pale hand reached into the iron cage.
The snake, its nerves on edge, opened its jaws wide, ready to bite Satina's hand.
But Satina's song began.
['Communication with Other Beings' skill has been activated.]
[You can communicate effectively with non-human entities.]
['Song of Healing' skill has been activated.]
[With holy power, you soothe the physical and mental state of any being within a 1-meter radius.]
[One use of this skill has been deducted.]
[Remaining uses for today: 0]
The song flowing from Satina's lips was a lullaby.
Low and gentle, the melody carried the wishes of a mother.
Late at night, a mother stood before her child and wished:
🎶"May this child have sweet dreams."🎶
🎶"May this child grow up healthy and happy."🎶
Though the child could not yet speak, they could feel the love and affection woven into each word.
The snake, poised to bite Satina's hand, suddenly hesitated at the sound of her song.
{Strange.}
Satina was startled to hear the snake speak.
Though it only hissed, she understood what it said.
'Is it the effect of the skill?'
{Listening to a human's song calms my heart.}
The snake moved slowly.
Without realizing it, Satina opened the cage that had held the snake.
The people around were all so entranced by Satina's song that no one stopped her.
The snake, which had been rampaging and attacking people, nuzzled its face against Satina's hand like a tamed puppy.
{She felt the cool, smooth texture of its scales.}
As Satina continued her song, she gently stroked the snake's body.
Then, she removed the arrow lodged in the snake's body.
Blood flowed as the wound opened, but the song from Satina's lips caused the flesh to heal quickly.
The snake rubbed its head against Satina's feet as if showing affection.
{You are strange. Though you are human, you do not carry the scent of the god who rejects us.}
The snake broke the horn on its forehead with its tail and handed it to Satina.
{I will never forgets a favor. As long as you have this token, my kind will not harm you. Perhaps we will meet again.}
The snake disappeared into the bushes.
However, those who had been there stood frozen, as if turned to stone.
'Was Satina's singing always that beautiful?'
One of the maids standing in the garden stared at Satina.
She had served Rebeca and had heard Satina sing dozens of times before.
Up until now, Satina's songs had been terrible.
Her voice was pretty, but her singing was like a fragile instrument on the verge of breaking—unsettling and overly sensitive noise.
But the song she just heard was different.
Her voice was as clear as glass, ethereal like a dream.
Most of all, listening to Satina's song, the maid couldn't help but think of her mother, long since passed.
Her mother, who sang lullabies to her whenever she was afraid of the monsters under the bed.
Everyone seemed to feel the same, for even after Satina's song ended, no one moved.
When the song ended, Satina looked down at her trembling hands.
'I sang a song.'
How many years had it been since she last sang?
It was a moment she could hardly believe.
[You have received public admiration for your perfect song.]
[Your reputation has increased by 10.]
Then Satina looked coldly at the people who were still frozen and asked,
"Now that the beast is gone, can I leave?"
The moment they heard her cold voice, the warm atmosphere shattered, and everyone was brought back to reality.
Rebeca, not wanting to admit that she had been entranced by Satina's song, suddenly shouted.
"Leave? Where do you think you're going? I'm not done with you yet!"
"Wasn't I called here to subdue the beast?"
"That's...!"
There was no other reason.
'What on earth just happened?'
Even the maids around them seemed dazed, caught up in Satina's song.
'It's all because of that face!'
Rebeca had disliked Satina ever since they first met, jealous of her beauty.
In a fit of anger, Rebeca raised her hand to slap Satina.
"What do you think you're doing?"
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