After cleaning up the laboratory, I prepared the transmutation table for the day. The old Josephine was quite particular about tidiness — to the point of obsession.

  I'm more of a "no-shit" kind of person, so our ideologies conflict on that matter. But I cleaned up anyway, because it had become second nature to me. The process was actually quite simple: put all the ingredients on the transmutation table and wait a few hours for the desired item to come out.

  After carefully placing all the necessary materials, I yawned and realized how late it had gotten. The transmutation table would need a few more hours anyway, so I could just pick up the product later.

  I left the laboratory. The mansion was pitch black when I stepped outside. I used a fire stone to light my surroundings and made my way to my room.

  When I opened the door, there was a light on the table — and Jane seated there. "Good evening, Lady," she greeted, standing and bowing.

  Ayaya…

  Even I could tell that behind her smile, she was more or less angry again. If I were the old Josephine, I wouldn't have minded. But I'd grown fond of Jane, and it was impossible not to feel guilty.

  I placed my right hand on my neck and stooped low. "This… I'm sorry."

  It felt weird, honestly. But Jane really reminded me of my caretaker from my previous life.

  Before I realized it, Jane was already in front of me, holding my hand.

  "Lady, you really have changed," she said, voice kind and gentle.

  What's this feeling? Why does my chest hurt?

  "I have accompanied you throughout your life, and this is the first time you've ever apologized to me."

  "That's why…"

  Something damp — before she could finish, she hugged me tightly.

  "It's okay not to feel fine, my lady."

  Why...? I couldn't stop the tears streaming down my face.

  "All of your pain and struggles — I know of them." I couldn't stop it from flowing. "That's why… let it all out."

  And before I knew it, I was already sobbing uncontrollably into Jane's skirt.

  "You've done well, my Lady."

  The night was deep. But it was the warmest day of my life as Josephine.

  I woke up with my eyes dried out. I must have cried a lot last night.

  "Do you feel better now, my Lady?" Jane said as she prepared breakfast — a simple eggs benedict with coffee.

  "Well… yeah." Our interaction had been pretty dramatic last night, but honestly, we felt closer for it. "Oh, that reminds me — you have a meeting with Marquis Jhake this morning, right, my Lady?"

  "Nephi."

  "Huh?" Jane blinked at me.

  "Call me Nephi, Jane."

  "I-I wouldn't dare to — huh?!?" She looked even more shocked this time.

  "That's right." I rested my chin on my hand.

  "Y-you're that Nephi?!?" She said it like the pieces had just clicked into place.

  "Yes. I'm that Nephi."

  "But I thought Nephi was your friend!"

  "As if I had any friends to begin with." Jane went speechless. I looked away. "Besides — how did you think I got the money to do anything? My family barely gives me an allowance. And this spare mansion's funds are managed by me."

  She still couldn't find words. "I don't want to hide anything from you anymore, Jane. Besides, being called Josephine feels uncomfortable now, doesn't it?" I smiled at her. "So — call me Lady Nephi from now on."

  Jane stared at me blankly for a moment, then let out a small chuckle and broke into a bright smile. "Yes, Lady Nephi!"

  That's more like it. I noticed it was getting late, so I hurriedly finished my meal and let Jane get me ready. I chose a simple black-and-white dress with my hair laid down and no ornaments. Jane was pretty insistent I wear something, so in the end I yielded to a simple teardrop necklace — much to her displeasure.

  Before I could leave, I stopped at the laboratory to pick up my magnum opus. I stepped inside and found a dark red light enveloping the room.

  You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

  I approached the transmutation table. And there it was — the Philosopher's Stone.

  But why were there two?

  I genuinely stood there for a moment. I picked them both up and held them in my palm.

  "So this is the legendary stone said to be the peak of alchemy?" Two nearly identical stones, both radiating a soft red light. They didn't feel particularly special.

  I packed them in my pouch and hurried to the carriage.

  Now that I thought about it, this carriage bore no emblem of my family — which made it nicely inconspicuous. I left the mansion quietly. No one was around. I rode alone toward the cathedral.

  "Can't you make it go faster?" I said to the coachman.

  "We're already going as fast as the horse can manage, Lady," he replied, clicking his tongue.

  I had fallen behind schedule thanks to my own complacency, but it seemed we'd still arrive on time.

  I held the Philosopher's Stone in my hand. It was glowing — though I'd dampened it somewhat. Aside from the glow, I genuinely had no idea what this thing actually did.

  I tried chanting things like "Turn this metal into gold!" and, while infusing mana, "Grant me strength!" Nothing happened.

  My alchemist's instincts told me this was already the final product — no further evolution possible.

  "How do I even use this thing?" I muttered.

  Just as I'd concluded it was basically useless and started putting it back in the pouch — the carriage struck something.

  I startled. The stone launched into the air.

  Dazed, I reached out to catch it — fumbled — juggled it — and it landed in my mouth.

  Before I could spit it out, another thud threw me backward. I crashed against the seat, and swallowed the stone.

  "...!"

  I gripped my throat, convinced I had just made the greatest mistake of my life.

  Then my stomach went hot.

  "Argh!" It felt like my insides were being set on fire. The burning spread through me fast, deep, all-consuming.

  "Why are you—?" The coachman peeked back at me, startled to find me groveling in pain.

  "Help me! Argh!!!" It burns — it feels like I'm being burned alive from the inside. The coachman looked dumbfounded, frozen.

  "Run the damn thing to the cathedral already!"

  "A-ah, yes!" He snapped to and pushed the horses as fast as they'd go.

  The pain kept worsening. The veins along my arms began to show blue, and I cried out as blue blood wept from them. I blacked out from the agony — and when I came back, my mind was a haze, the pain still raging through me.

  I could vaguely see the coachman outside talking to paladins, who had their lances leveled at him.

  I pushed the carriage door open — faintly — and stepped out unsteadily.

  The paladins froze. I couldn't look at them properly. My eyes had gone bluish-red. My ears were dripping blood. My throat felt burned hollow from the inside. I stumbled out and fell to the ground.

  The coachman caught me and helped me to my feet. A priest appeared, studying me with an appraising look. I paid him no attention.

  I threw him a bag of coins. He went silent. He let me through.

  I limped inside the cathedral. People murmured all around me — I couldn't hear them and couldn't care less.

  My destination was the altar of the goddess at the heart of the cathedral. I had no idea how much time was passing. Only one thing was certain:

  I want to live...!

  I dragged myself forward, desperate. With my mind swirling and my vision swimming, I finally found it — the eroded, faceless statue with a bowl in the middle.

  I crawled toward it as blood pooled around me. This was the original statue of the gods, left unchanged and long neglected.

  In the novel, Adele had found this statue in a moment of desperation — had prayed to it, offering her most prized possession, a necklace from Peter, to save him from his mortal wounds. The gods supposedly granted her wish. They bestowed holy power upon her, allowing her to heal him and become the saintess.

  It's a bullshit story. But right now, I wasn't driven by noble reasons, petty revenge, or even desperation.

  I just want to live….!!!

  I placed the second Philosopher's Stone in the bowl.

  I knelt before the statue and prayed — earnestly, for the first time in years. I wished with every fiber of my being, from the absolute bottom of my heart.

  I pray — if anyone is listening — grant my wish. Save me.

  Even through my blurred vision, I saw it: a pillar of light so intense it flooded the entire cathedral. Strong enough to make me flinch. I clung to the floor with whatever strength I had left and crawled toward it.

  When the light faded, the Philosopher's Stone in the bowl was shining brighter than before. Even through bloodied eyes, I could see it had changed. My instincts screamed at me — I grabbed it, and with the last of my strength, swallowed it.

  I collapsed onto the cold floor and waited for death.

  Then I was floating.

  Bathed in light, radiating yellow energy I didn't understand. And contrary to everything I'd expected — the pain receded. Slowly, then all at once, replaced by a clarity I hadn't felt in hours.

  A screen appeared before me, game-like and surreal:

  [The gods have acknowledged you!]

  [The rampaging Philosopher's Stone inside your body was purified by the Holy Power of the Purified Holy Philosopher's Stone!]

  [Your strength increases to its maximum! Your mana reaches its maximum! Due to the effect of the Philosopher's Stone!]

  [Impossible feat achieved! Due to ingesting another Philosopher's Stone imbued with the holy powers of the gods, all stats increase vastly past their limits!]

  [The gods have bestowed you with their power! You can now freely use Holy Power without limit!]

  What the hell was happening?

  As I floated, I could feel the two stones inside me — merging. A massive wave of energy burst outward, sending winds sweeping through the entire cathedral and spilling into the surrounding city. Still completely unfamiliar with any of this, I dropped back to the floor and scrambled into the nearest empty room to hide.

  The incident sent the cathedral into an uproar: a new saint had arrived.

  They traced the pillar of light and the wind to the room it had originated from. The room was soaked in blood. The old, ignored statue had been restored to its former brilliance, a scroll sitting in its bowl with a single message: "The new saintess has arrived. Find her."

  The entire cathedral descended into chaos.

  Fortunately, suspicion never landed on me. I was known across the empire as a villainess — no one would connect me to a saintess. The uproar gave me exactly the cover I needed to slip out unnoticed, and my meeting with Marquis Jhake was canceled in the chaos.

  The coachman looked visibly relieved to see me alive. The priest who had initially refused the coins eventually pocketed a few as a "processing fee," which I didn't mind — I'd already gotten out cleanly.

  After some insisting, they let us go. Their hands were more than full.

  I boarded the carriage and slumped into the seat — still stained with the blood I'd shed earlier.

  I sighed.

  What a tiring, confusing day.