Norna Faith. Rebecca hadn’t set foot here in ages. And today’s visit wasn’t for anything special—she’d simply been chased here as a hiding spot.

Why? Obvious. Word had spread about Rebecca’s failed love letter confession. Suddenly, everyone pestered her for details. What details? It was all that idiot Grindon’s fault—the one she’d already beaten into a pig’s head!

“Oh~ Sweet Rebecca, you still remember your big sister~~” Saint Monica beamed, pulling Rebecca’s hand and tucking her into a hug. Huh… seemed everyone loved hugging Rebecca…

As for Rebecca? She’d grown used to it. No longer flustered when gorgeous women pulled her close.

“Saint Monica…” Rebecca pulled back slightly from the embrace, voice soft.

Why pull away? Well—even accustomed to pretty arms, lingering too long against warm, soft bodies still made her… uncomfortable.

“Saint Monica? Oh, my heart’s broken! Last time you called me ‘big sister’—now it’s ‘Saint Monica’? You’ve changed…” Monica dramatically covered her face, sobbing. Rebecca knew it was fake. Terrible acting. Zero stars.

Call her “big sister” now? Back then, Rebecca had played naive to win favor. Now? Could she really pretend not to know this woman was Kami’s teacher? You’re over forty, for heaven’s sake??

“…”

“Say ‘big sister’~” Monica chuckled, reaching to pinch Rebecca’s cheek—but Rebecca dodged first.

“Saint Monica, please don’t…” Rebecca sighed. Coming to Norna Faith for refuge suddenly felt like a mistake.

“Don’t what? What *should* I do~~? Hehehe~” Monica’s grin turned shamelessly mischievous.

Rebecca froze. Was this truly Norna Faith’s holy saint? More like a female thug! If *this* was their saint, Norna Faith was doomed!

“Wahahaha~ Rebecca’s shocked~ Oh dear, you won’t even call me ‘big sister’… Guess I really am old…” Monica burst into laughter, then feigned disappointment—but her sidelong glance held a flicker of slyness.

Rebecca was utterly baffled. Kami’s repressed personality must’ve come straight from this “holy” saint’s chaotic influence.

Rebecca turned to leave. She couldn’t take any more…

“Hey! Don’t go! I’ll show you something fun~” Before Rebecca could react, Monica yanked her away.

*Sigh. Might as well see where this leads. Outside Norna Faith’s gates, trouble waited anyway.*

Monica dragged Rebecca to the vast garden behind the temple. Calling it a “garden” felt too small—it held a tiny forest, a modest artificial lake, and white rabbits, deer, and horses roaming freely.

“See? Our Norna Faith pets~” Monica pointed. The animals bolted at the sight of them.

“They’re… cute,” Rebecca murmured flatly.

*Is she treating me like a child?* Rebecca thought. *Bringing me here for fluffy animals?* But Monica’s next words shattered that idea.

“Aren’t they plump? Look at that rabbit—dripping with fat! The bishop raised them carefully. No one dares touch them. But today’s your lucky day~ Hehe, I’ll catch a few fat ones and roast them for you! My cooking’s amazing~ Oh, deer meat’s off-limits though—too noticeable in daylight. We’ll sneak back at night~”

Rebecca’s mind went blank. *This* was the saint famed for kindness and purity? The saint revered by all Rucadan believers as the purest soul? Rabbits were adorable… and yes, we eat them! But seeing *Saint Monica* say it? Utterly bizarre.

“Hey! Earth to Rebecca?” Monica waved a hand before Rebecca’s dazed face.

“I…”

“You want some? Perfect! Let’s catch rabbits!” Monica grabbed Rebecca’s wrist and sprinted toward the thicket.

Rebecca went numb.

As Kasmo Empire’s Norna Saint, Monica’s power was undeniable—and she caught rabbits *fast*. Simple spells pinned the poor creatures while nearby animals fled into the woods.

*Now I get it,* Rebecca realized. *Those animals didn’t scatter because of strangers. Raised here, they shouldn’t fear people… They’re scared of Monica.* Clearly, this wasn’t her first secret barbecue.

Monica skinned the rabbits with practiced ease—gutting, stripping fur, then building a fire. She even pulled seasonings from a tiny pouch.

*That pouch… that skill…* Rebecca stared.

Ordinary people grilling rabbits? Normal. But Saint Monica—in spotless white robes, radiating holiness—happily roasting meat? The scent of sizzling fat filled the air.

“Help me! Turn this skewer so it doesn’t burn. Here—my secret seasoning. Sprinkle lightly.” Monica commanded.

What choice did Rebecca have? Besides… that rabbit *was* plump. Probably delicious.

She took the skewer, rotating it smoothly.

“Hmm? You’re good at this.”

“I cooked often in the Dark Forest,” Rebecca replied evenly.

“Right! You lived alone there for years. Forgot about that.” Monica gutted another rabbit. “You’re tougher than little Kami. First time I brought her here to steal rabbits, she trembled so hard she nearly ran to the bishop to confess! Drove me nuts! But you? Barely blinked.”

“Rabbits are dead. Wasting meat is worse.” She *was* surprised—but fear? No. And without fear, surprise stayed hidden.

“Hehe~ Good answer~ Rest now. Almost ready!” Monica finished the second rabbit and added it to the fire.

Rebecca watched Monica smile over the flames—then noticed the faint magic barrier shimmering above them. *Of course.* A defensive shield repurposed as a smoke extractor. Monica hid the barbecue fumes like a pro.

“Done! Eat up~” Monica handed her a skewer.

Rebecca didn’t flinch at the greasy meat. She blew on it gently and took a bite. Crispy outside, tender within. Juices flooded her mouth, elevated by Monica’s secret spices. *Delicious.*

Monica watched Rebecca devour it, grinning. No need to ask if it was good—the empty skewer spoke volumes.

Two slender women polished off an entire rabbit. *Women’s stomachs hold surprising potential.*

“Quick! Dig a hole. Bury the evidence!” Monica ordered.

*Yep. Total pro.*

It was a rare day off. After days of relentless questioning, Rebecca had fled to Norna Faith that afternoon—and spent it in the strangest way possible with Saint Monica.

“Saint Monica… why are you so different from other Norna followers?” Full and relaxed, Rebecca lay sprawled on the grass. What made this woman—so serene and holy in public—so utterly unlike herself now?

“Different? Hehe~ Rebecca, everyone’s different.”

*That’s obvious.* But Rebecca stayed silent, just watching.

“Truth is… I hate Norna Faith’s ancient rules. And the ‘pure, kind, noble’ image people force on us. I told Kami the same—though she didn’t quite grasp it.

Norna followers shouldn’t chain themselves to pointless dogma. Why crush your true self to obey dusty rules? Be genuine. Hold kindness in your heart—that’s what matters. How you show it? Who cares?

Like these rabbits. Norna rules don’t forbid saints from eating them. But everyone expects me to be spotless—no meat, no harming creatures. So what if I obey? It changes nothing.

True goodness isn’t about shackling your nature. It’s about embracing who you are—*then* choosing to do good!”

Monica stretched luxuriously, humming in contentment.

Rebecca blinked. *That’s… profound.* The unreliable saint she’d judged minutes ago had just stunned her silent.