ã€ŠI Became the Villainess in an Anticlimactic Novelã€‹


 CH 1

    I possessed the body of the villainess of the novel I was reading.

    I¡¯m doomed.

    It wasn¡¯t because I had transmigrated into a novel, nor was it because I had possessed the body of a villainess.

    Rather, it was because in this novel, demons had suddenly invaded and destroyed the empire, right before the happy ending, which caused it to descend into an anticlimax1.

    ¡­Damn it. What should I do?

    ***

    I was also working overtime on that day too. After revising the powerpoint that had already been revised five times at the request of the manager, it wasn¡¯t until 11 o¡¯clock that I finally managed to leave the company with a heavy body.

    I was waiting for the traffic light at the crosswalk in front of my house after taking the taxi back, since I had just barely missed the last train, thinking to myself that the transportation cost would be extremely high for this month as well.

    ¡°Is that really the end? It¡¯s not a joke?¡±

    Although there were no cars around since it was rather late, I was double checking the pages of a novel that had been completed a few days ago while waiting for the light to turn green.

    This rofan2 novel, titled <A Divine Retribution3>, was a popular work that had maintained it¡¯s top rankings on the Series4 app for the past year.

    The male lead, a crown prince who had both power and good looks, and the female lead, who was a good-natured but strong saintess.

    As the title of the book suggests, they were a righteous couple who embodied the saying ¡®good will always triumph evil¡¯, always punishing evil and rewarding the good. They were even nicknamed by the comment section as the ¡®Hong Gil-Dong5 couple¡¯.

    But was its huge popularity its problem? Right before the wedding of the male and female lead, the author suddenly introduced demons to her story! And it was even a horned demon that lived in the Demon Realm!

    ¡°I thought the story would be extended due to its popularity.¡±

    Naturally, I had thought that the male lead would neatly save the empire with the support of the female lead.

    ¡°But this is actually the ending?¡±

    However, contrary to the expectations of the readers, the author completely destroyed the empire!

    They had killed of the male lead, female lead, second male lead, and even the extras!

    What sort of anticlimactic ending was this? No, rather it was a complete death penalty6 ending!

    The readers, who were felt greatly betrayed by the author, went crazy in the comment section, and I had also hoped that the author was playing some sort of joke on us. However, the author instead, left a ¡®completed¡¯ tag on it without even posting an epilogue.

    ¡°Did you fight with the publishing company or something? Did something happen in your personal life? No, then you should¡¯ve just taken a break instead of writing this sort of crazy ass ending!¡±

    The traffic light finally turned green while I was complaining about how much time and cookies I had wasted.

    ¡°You should at least write an epilogue though.¡±

    It was then when I was walking across the crosswalk while muttering to myself.

    A white light suddenly struck me along with a screeching sound.

    The pedestrian light had clearly already turned green.

    Of course, although it was also because I hadn¡¯t checked my surroundings properly since I had been on my phone, the cause of the accident was clearly at the fault of the driver.

    WIth a loud bang, my body rolled over the bonnet before being slammed to the floor. The pain that followed was too painful to be put into words.

    Maybe all the bones in my body had been broken. There wasn¡¯t anything else I could do but moan in pain.

    It was then the door of the nice-looking car finally opened as a man alighted and staggered towards me.

    ¡°It¡¯s really a person. Fuck. Why would you suddenly pop out of nowhere?¡±

    The man, who muttered at me, annoyed, brought his face closer to mine to check my face. The smell of alcohol was so strong that it covered the reek of the blood that was splattered everywhere.

    ¡°Haa, they said that they¡¯d cut off my credit card if I cause another accident though.¡±

    The man who muttered like so, looked around.

    ¡°There¡¯s no CCTV, and no witnesses either. I can just burn the black box.¡±

    I could hear some sort of vague murmuring faintly through my ringing ears.

    ¡°You¡¯re the one at fault for jumping in front of my car.¡±

    He went back to his car, as if fleeing, and drove over my body. With a cracking sound, my world turned to darkness as my remaining bones shattered.

    ***

    After that, when I opened my eyes, I found everything to be too confusing. From the antique furniture and my appearance, to even those who constantly called me ¡®Young Miss¡¯.

    There were also a lot of typical lines that I never thought I would ever utter, such as, ¡®who are you¡¯, and, ¡®where is this place¡¯.

    However, after a few days, I soon had to acknowledge the fact that I was about to start a new life now. Since there was no other way I could explain this absurd situation.

    However, after I had accepted that fact, another problem cropped up.

    ¡®Of all things, to think it¡¯d be the last novel I read! And a villainess at that as well!¡¯

    Meliara Darchez.

    The original owner of the body I had possessed was the second daughter of the Duke of Darchez, one of the three major dukes in this Empire, and the villainess of <A Divine Retribution>!

    She was like a speck of dirt, a foreign substance that kept on interfering with the love between the female and male lead, so although the readers all naturally hated her, I, however, just could not bring myself to curse at the villainess.

    Was it because the name ¡®Meliara¡¯ was similar to my name, ¡®Lee Ara¡¯?

    ¡®She was also a rather pitiful character.¡¯

    When the Duchess died in the process of giving birth to her, she became the object of resentment for both the Duke and her older brother, the Duke¡¯s heir, as soon as she was born.

    Even if she made sure to be the very model of an exemplary noble young miss through her bearing and sophistication, and always took care to maintain high scores in all her classes, she was always treated as nothing but a nuisance.

    When the Duke treated her harshly, the servants of the Duke also followed suit in ignoring her rather naturally.

    ¡®Haa, just what sort of offense could a small child even commit?¡¯

    Even worse, was that when she was fifteen, a prophecy proclaimed that a saintess of the sun god, who would rewrite history, would soon appear.

    The Duke of Darchez claimed that she was the saintess. Upon receiving attention from her father, which she was receiving for the first time, Meliara clung on to the hope that ¡®perhaps this time, I¡¯d be able to receive his love too¡¯, but that excitement didn¡¯t last for very long.

    The Duke began to force her to show her powers.

    His coercion then turned to forcefully pressuring her by locking her in a windowless room and even starving her, going as far to say that she had no right to see the light until she could exert her powers.

    ¡®Honestly, when I listen to that sort of narrative, I don¡¯t feel like a villainess, but rather some sort of unfortunate female lead¡­ but that¡¯s not what¡¯s important right now!¡¯

    What¡¯s important right now isn¡¯t how unfortunate her life has been so far.

    Rather, it¡¯s that I¡¯ve now become her!

    ¡°Ha¡­¡±

    To think that of all the many novels I had read, it had to be <A Divine Retribution>.

    Had I known this would happen, I would¡¯ve just read a calm healing water7!

    Although I regretted it, there was no helping what had happened already. I would just have to try and deal with it somehow.

    ¡°You can even sigh right now?! To not only tarnish our Ducal family, but to even make us into a joke, just what sort of face are you showing right now?!¡±

    I looked at the man who had been yelling at me since earlier.

    The man who was standing on the other side of the desk and yelling unjust insults at me was none other than the Duke of Darchez, this body¡¯s father.

    ¡°If you don¡¯t have anything to do, then mess with the saintess! Do you understand or not?! If your head is empty, then you should at least be quiet and not cause an accident!¡±

    It was hard to believe that the words he had spoken without any hesitation were words of a father to his daughter.

    ¡®He really doesn¡¯t care about the loss or disappointment his daughter, who had just gotten her engagement broken off, was suffering from, would feel.¡¯

    The reason he was so angry was because of the notice informing him of the broken engagement that had been delivered this morning.

    Meliara had been engaged to the Crown Prince through a political engagement. She was destined to be the Empress.

    However, Meliara, who becomes anxious when the true saintess of the sun god from the prophecy appears, and the crown prince falls in love with her, turns the arrows of her resentment towards her instead, and commits all kinds of evil, even eventually attempting to poison the saintess.

    Although she wasn¡¯t given the death penalty since it ended as an ¡®attempted murder¡¯, the breaking off of the engagement was unavoidable.

    ¡®Although it was a wise decision from the Emperor¡¯s perspective in order to quell the temple¡¯s dissatisfaction¡­¡¯

    The Duke, who was one-sidedly notified of the break up, had his pride severely scratched, leading him to expel Meliara.

    ¡°Never mind. You¡¯re no longer my daughter. Just know that your name will forever be erased from the Duchy¡¯s family genealogy!¡±

    Just like that.

    This incident was the so-called ¡®cider8¡¯ section in <A Divine Retribution>, in which the villainess had her engagement broken off, and was even expelled from her family.

    However¡­

    ¡®Don¡¯t even mention the refreshing situation! The ending of this novel was its downfall!¡¯

    It was a whopping destruction!!!

    ¡®That definitely can¡¯t happen!¡¯

    My previous life had already ended unfairly with a hit-and-run, so I definitely couldn¡¯t die in vain this time too.

    I would definitely live! And very well at that!

    ¡®I have to leave the empire before the demons invade.¡¯

    If doom is the ending, then getting exiled was the answer.

    ¡°Get out of the Duchy, right this instance!!!¡±

    While I was in the middle of thinking about the dark future, I nodded my head refreshingly at that welcome suggestion.

    ¡°Yes, I understand.¡±

    Anyway, if I wanted to escape to someplace faraway, my status of being the princess of a Duchy could prove to be an obstacle.

    Meliara didn¡¯t even have a good relationship with her family, so I didn¡¯t have to feel sorry for leaving, and I, who was an orphan in my previous life, couldn¡¯t even begin to understand the what a family bond was.

    I was happy to be exiled.

    ¡°You¡­!¡±

    However, the Duke¡¯s face turned red, as if he didn¡¯t like my answer.

    Perhaps due to Meliara¡¯s original nature, which longed for her father¡¯s love due to lack of affection, he probably thought that she would grab onto his pants and cling to him.

    Although I considered acting like that for a while, I was someone who wasn¡¯t able to cry and cling to someone, even if I had lived through a very tough life. Even if I got beaten, I wasn¡¯t someone who would get on my knees that easily.

    If I didn¡¯t protect my own worth, then who would?

    We weren¡¯t going to see each other after today anyway.

    ¡°I¡¯m saying, don¡¯t even think about setting foot in this house ever again! You will never be able to pretend as if you know me, and you will never be able to use the name Darchez ever again!¡±

    ¡°Alright.¡±

    Even if you didn¡¯t explain in such detail, I still knew what a banishment order was.

    ¡°It¡¯s not necessary for me to be there when you remove my name from the genealogy, right? Then I¡¯ll leave right away.¡±

    I had to formulate a defection plan as soon as possible. I couldn¡¯t possible waste my time constantly getting entangled with the Duke.

    ¡°Then goodbye¡­¡±

    ¡°You ungrateful bitch!¡±

    Clang!

    The Duke threw a teacup at me just as I was saying goodbye and was about to leave. Although I wasn¡¯t it since it had flown to the wall, it was still enough to shock me.

    I looked at the wrecked remnants of the shattered teacup and asked.

    ¡°Did¡­ you just throw that at me?¡±

    ¡°What? You¡¯re leaving? It wouldn¡¯t be enough, even if you begged on your hands and knees!¡±

    ¡°Huh¡­?¡±

    ¡°Your clothes and your food, to enjoy such a life, who do you think it¡¯s thanks to?!¡±

    Even in the novel, the Duke had also cursed and used abusive language and violence on Meliara, on the pretext of educating her.

    However, when I saw such violent tendencies in person, my anger doubled, and I truly felt that Meliara¡¯s life was pitiful.

    ¡°Why did you long for love from such a madman like your father?¡±

    The Duke wrinkled his forehead at the astonishingly harsh words and sharp voice that came out of my mouth.

    ¡°You seem to be mistaken about something. Just because you provide food, clothing, and shelter, that doesn¡¯t make me your puppet.¡±

    ¡°W-What?!¡±

    ¡°To throw things just as you will is clearly a show of violence. How could someone like a Duke of the Empire be unable to keep his anger under control properly?¡±

    As if anger had loosened the filter on my mouth, all the words I had wanted to say suddenly all flowed out.

    ¡°J-Just what sort of senseless words and actions right now¡­!¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s senseless is the fact that you lost your wife, yet used your sense of loss as a shield to abuse a motherless child!¡±

    Among the children who entered my orphanage in my previous life, there were many children who had become victims of child abuse. Therefore, this was a rather sensitive topic for me.

    In the end, my voice naturally grew louder. Meliara¡¯s original body also helped me to conjure a loud voice, as if venting out her own anger and frustration.

    So much so that the Duke flinched.

    ¡°Haa.¡±

    I let out a sigh and calmed my pounding heart.

    Although he wasn¡¯t worthy of my respect, he was still a duke anyway, so I tried to be as polite as I could.

    ¡°I¡¯m begging you so please, make sure that my name is removed from the genealogy.¡±

    If this was what a family was, then it¡¯s this side that refuses.

    ¡°I won¡¯t accept any apology, so don¡¯t even think of looking for me with that as an excuse.¡±

    Although my heart wanted to snap back even more, I stopped.

    It was a waste of my time since he wouldn¡¯t understand, even if I talked about it to him anyway, and I was also starting to feel uncomfortable breathing the same air as that human being, as if it were polluting me.

    ¡°May we never cross paths in the future ever again.¡±

    I sincerely prayed like that before leaving his office.

    I heard the Duke¡¯s shout from behind after a while, but I ignored it.

    Because this body was too precious to care about such trash, and there was too much to do in the future to waste time in a place like that.

    Besides, when the demons invaded in the future, the Duchy would be the first to fall, and the Duke especially, would suffer a particularly terrible death.

    The moral of the story is that the good will be rewarded and the evil will be punished, even without my intervention.

    ¡®Fall into the hell that¡¯s brought on by the demons, you damned abuser!¡¯

    Knowing the fact that I was now able to freely leave the Duke¡¯s household, I raised my middle finger in a refreshing way with a relieved heart.

    AHHHH QUEEN LEMME BOW DOWN RQ

    [1] ???? is used to describe a composition that starts off well, but fizzles out with a bad ending. examples include bleach and game of thrones (source: the qoo)

    [2] ?? is a genre that combines elements of both romance and fantasy.

    [3] ???? is rather hard to tl into a book title, but it roughly translates to good triumphing over evil, or [something] having a moral lesson behind it (like a parable).

    [4] ??? author is trying to avoid copyright (they¡¯re referring to the series app)

    [5] ??? is a character in a novel who is a superhero and is often compared to that of robin hood (i.e. robbing the rich and giving to the poor). his name is also used synonymously with the name ¡®john smith¡¯ in official documents as a sample name.

    [6] ??ËÀ the hanja for death is pronounced ¡®sa¡¯ which makes it a pun with ???(?) which is anticlimax.

    [7] ?? ??? refers to works that are heart-warming, and about overcoming hardship/healing from fl/ml¡¯s trauma and how they overcome it together. an example of such is the manga ¡®orange¡¯.

    [8] ??? is internet slang for a refreshing/satisfying situation.

 CH 2

    ¡®First of all, I want to convert all these jewels into money.¡¯

    I left the Duchy with a few jewels that had belonged to Meliara.

    It was unfortunate, but even if the world was doomed to end tomorrow, I was still hungry, and urgently needed some money to buy food.

    ¡®Where would be a good place? If it¡¯s a store on high street, then they might recognise my face.¡¯

    There was no point for me to stir up rumors for no reason, so I stepped into an alleyway in order to avoid people¡¯s eyes, thinking that it¡¯d be better for me to go to a jeweler that wasn¡¯t located on the main street.

    It was then.

    ¡°Woof! Woof! Woof!¡±

    I heard a dog barking behind me.

    I turned my head, since I, who even liked the occasional stray mutt that passed by, would like anything as long as it was an animal. Then, my eyes widened into saucers.

    ¡°Hic!¡±

    The animal that had barked at me was indeed a dog.

    It was just that it had three heads.

    ¡®C-Cerberus?¡¯

    The first thing that came to my mind was the dog that guarded the gates of the underworld in Greek mythology. The color of his coat was black, and his eyes were also an eery blood-red.

    ¡®Did this novel have a setting where this sort of thing existed?¡¯

    I tried to recall the original novel.

    ¡®In hindsight, it did seem as if the main couple hunted a ¡®monster¡¯ that appeared in the capital, which created several cool scene¡­ Then, is this that monster¡­?¡¯

    As I stiffened up since I didn¡¯t know what to do, the ¡®animal¡¯ hurriedly approached me.

    ¡®Although I knew how to fight off flashers, I didn¡¯t know how to deal with monsters!¡¯

    Do I run away? No, wouldn¡¯t it catch up to me?

    Pretend to be dead? No, then I¡¯d definitely get eaten up either way!

    I should climb a tree¡­ but where is the tree that¡¯s supposed to be here?!

    While my head was full of all these sorts of thoughts, the ¡®animal¡¯ had suddenly already arrived right in front of me.

    Although it seemed as if a scream would come out of my mouth at any moment, I kept my lips shut for fear that a loud noise would provoke it.

    But it was then.

    ¡°Woof! Woof! Woof!¡±

    The three heads of the animal barked one after another, rubbing their faces against my abdomen. it was even wagging its tail softly!

    The way it stuck out its tongues and made a panting sound was a bit cute, so I carefully petted the middle of the three heads.

    Then the child let out a bark, as if pleased, and raised its front paws toward me.

    ¡°Uwah!¡±

    My body tumbled backwards at the sudden weight. Then, the three heads rubbed against my face and the nape of my neck while licking my cheeks.

    ¡°Ah! Wait, wait! Ahahaha! My face will be a mess if you all do it at once!¡±

    ¡°Woof!¡±

    Despite my protests, the child only barked cutely, acting cute.

    ¡®It¡¯s got three heads, but it¡¯s still a puppy nevertheless, right?¡¯

    There was no mention of such an animal in the original novel, but the author couldn¡¯t possibly explain every single dog that passed by!

    After coming to the conclusion that this was one of the common animals in this setting, I showered my adoration on the child to my heart¡¯s content.

    It even lay flat on his back, perhaps because it just liked my touch that much.

    ¡°You want me to rub your belly? Haha, alright!¡±

    I was scratching the child¡¯s stomach with both hands at its cuteness, when I heard a man¡¯s voice from not too far away.

    ¡°Kelber.¡±

    At that resolute voice, the tail of the child who was being touched by my hand, which had been raised in the air, froze.

    When I looked up, I saw a man who was walking toward us from the end of the alleyway

    ¡°You suddenly left the ranks. What are you doing?¡±

    At that deep voice, the puppy jumped up and hid behind me with a whimper.

    I instinctively hugged the child tightly at its pitiful whimpers.

    The man who had stopped right in front of me looked down at the two of us without saying a word.

    His golden eyes intertwined with mine.

    At that moment, I suddenly felt my breath catch and stopped breathing, in a way that was completely different to when I did when I first encountered the three-headed puppy.

    ¡®Are you sure you¡¯re human¡­?¡¯

    His appearance was exquisite enough to naturally raise such suspicions.

    His perfect features that created a deep impression, as well as that flawless copper-colored skin, devoid of even a single blemish.

    Silver hair which was as elegant as the moon that shone ethereally in the deep night sky, and eyes that were sharp, yet were as bright as jewels.

    He was so dazzling that there were no words that could possibly describe his appearance.

    ¡°Are you the owner of this child?¡±

    I, who had a weakness for handsome men, almost blurted out, ¡®Do you have a lover?¡¯.

    ¡°I am.¡±

    He frowned as he answered and alternated his gaze from me to the child called ¡®Kelber¡¯.

    ¡°That¡¯s unusual. There¡¯s never been a case where Kelber has been so friendly with a human he doesn¡¯t know.¡±

    ¡°Ahaha. I¡¯m normally the type of person to be loved by animals.¡±

    It had been like that ever since I was a child. Animals had always like me, regardless of whether it had been the haggard stray cat, the dense pigeons, or the agile red squirrel.

    Nevertheless, this wasn¡¯t the first time I had heard a dog owner say, ¡®He¡¯s not normally like this,¡¯ embarrassed by the way their dogs who had been on a walk had run up to me for a hug.

    I smiled and stroked Kelber¡¯s neck.

    ¡°What a cute child. Each of its three heads has a different personality, so it¡¯ll never get boring. Hahaha.¡±

    Each head¡¯s disposition was slightly different. One who likes rubs, one who likes to lick, and one who just constantly shook its head.

    ¡°Three heads¡­?¡±

    The man muttered in a strange voice despite the fact that I had complimented all three of them.

    ¡°Oh, was it perhaps a bit strange for me to say ¡®three heads¡¯ just because they have three heads?¡±

    The furrow in his brow, which had already been there at my words, got even deeper,

    I was wondering what was with him, and whether I had perhaps used a rude expression by accident, but he suddenly grabbed my wrist.

    ¡°?¡±

    Although he wasn¡¯t rough, he pulled me firmly toward him and grabbed my chin with the other hand.

    ¡°!¡±

    I took in a short breath in the distance between us that had suddenly narrowed.

    His clear and refreshing scent tickled my nose. Even the light fragrance, which wasn¡¯t too heavy, was according to my taste, so my heart started to beat faster.

    I twisted my wrist, trying to get out, flustered at the fact that my racing pulse seemed to have been delivered right to his fingertips.

    But rather, he clenched my wrist in an even tighter grip and scrutinised my face.

    Although it would¡¯ve been a rather normal reaction for me to push him away and ask him what he was doing, the look in his eyes while he was looking at me was so desperate that I couldn¡¯t bring myself to push him away so heartlessly.

    OMG I WANT BOTH OF THEM HGALKSDJFD IM GOING FERAL

    ¡°Are you perhaps¡­¡±

    It was when he seemed to be trying to say something, but his luck seemed to have run out.

    ¡°Your Excellency!¡±

    Another man¡¯s voice sounded from behind him.

    At the appearance of another man, the handsome man finally released me and hurriedly backed away.

    ¡°Have you found Kelber yet¡­ Oh, so he was here.¡±

    The man who appeared behind him was a middle-aged man with gray hair.

    ¡®Judging by his clothes¡­ is he this handsome man¡¯s butler?¡¯

    He seemed to be a nobleman since his light clothes seemed to look very luxurious.

    I got up from where I was, shook off the dust from my clothes and nodded in greeting. The butler smiled and greeted me in the same way.

    ¡°You found Kelber. Thank you.¡±

    ¡°No, I just came across him while passing by.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d still like to repay you somehow, so is there anything you¡¯d like?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s alright. I haven¡¯t done anything that great.¡±

    He hesitated at my euphemistic refusal, then took out two gold coins and stuffed them in my hand.

    ¡°Even if that¡¯s the case, I still can¡¯t possibly not repay you for the favor, so please, at least accept this.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s alri¡­¡±

    I was about to refuse, but then stopped and thought about it again.

    ¡®No, even though this child approached me and acted cute, from their point of view, I must have been taking good care of the child, right?¡¯

    In addition, just from looking at the clothes that both he, and even the butler was wearing, it was clear that this person was someone with a lot of money. If we were talking about two gold coins, then it¡¯s definitely nothing worth mentioning for that man.

    In any case, the higher my budget was, the better it would be for my exile before the collapse of the empire.

    Alright! It¡¯s impolite to refuse money that¡¯s given to you out of gratitude anyway!

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll take it. Thank you.¡±

    I changed my words and smiled. I quickly put the gold coins in my pocket in case he changed his mind.

    Upon receiving my thanks, the two of them quickly disappeared from my sight.

    Before leaving the alleyway, the handsome man stopped once more to look back at me.

    ¡®The longer I look at him, the more his looks seem to fit my taste.¡¯

    That¡¯s all I could think of when I saw the man staring at me with a mysterious expression for a long time.

    Although I smiled and waved at him, he walked off at the sound of his butler calling after him without even a single acknowledgement back.

    ¡®What a shame.¡¯

    Although he had already disappeared from my sight, his faint scent on my wrist lingered with me for a long time.

    ***

    pls do not share this anywhere or the transmigration gods will transport u into boku no pico !! this translation has been stolen from mioscorner.com, pls only read there i¡¯m begging u :kneels:

    ¡°You there.¡±

    After he left her, Lecht, who was immersed in his own thoughts, stopped walking and called out to a man who was just passing by.

    ¡°Pardon¡­? M-Me¡­?

    The commoner approached Lecht, whose cold aura emanated uncontrollably, extremely tense.

    ¡°How many heads does this dog have?¡±

    The man¡¯s hands trembled at the bizarre question of the man who seemed as if he would cut off his head at any moment.

    He was afraid that he¡¯d be dragged away and made to do hard labor if his answer wasn¡¯t to their satisfaction.

    ¡°O-One.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure there¡¯s only one?¡±

    At the question that was repeated, as if what he had answered was an incorrect answer, the man started to sweat and checked the dog that he was pointing to again.

    The large black dog revealed its ferocious teeth, very clearly showing its hostility. Its red eyes made him erupt in goosebumps.

    ¡°I-Isn¡¯t there only one head¡­?¡±

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    He had only answered according to what he had seen, but the man let out a nasally hum, as if he didn¡¯t like that answer.

    ¡°Sorry¡­!¡±

    In any case, it was always the fault of the commoner if they happened to offend the nobility, so the man bowed his head in obeisance. As he waited for the incoming mocking that was about to come, a slightly different, gentler voice sounded out.

    ¡°Your Excellency, what else are you doing again?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°You may go.¡±

    At the words of the person who seemed to be the butler, the commoner said a, ¡®thank you!¡¯ and ran away hastily.

    Tanma, the butler and aide, looked back at his master with a serious expression on his face and asked.

    ¡°Why did you do that?¡±

    ¡°They saw three.¡±

    ¡°Pardon?¡±

    ¡°That woman could see that Kelber had three heads.¡±

    It was only then that Tanma finally realised why Lecht had such a strange expression on his face earlier.

    ¡°To be able to see through your illusion spell¡­¡±

    Kelber, who Lecht had summoned, originally had three heads.

    However, it was normal for an ordinary human to see a dog with a single head instead, since there was an illusion spell.

    But that woman had seen Kelber¡¯s true form instead.

    ¡°Could she be a demon? Or a contractor?¡±

    It was natural for Tanma to bear such doubts, as anyone who had made a contract with a demon, or who was a demon, would be able to see through the illusion spell.

    At this question, Lecht recalled how it had felt to hold her wrist and the peculiar sense of unfamiliarity he had felt through her eyes.

    ¡°No. I didn¡¯t feel that sort of feeling at all.¡±

    If that had been the case, then Lecht would have noticed. No matter how well they hid or controlled their energy, no demon would be able to hide from the Demon King, Lecht.

    ¡°They were able to see Kelber¡¯s true form, even though they were a human?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m being so serious about this.¡±

    Silence flowed between the two of them.

    Tanma looked at Lecht and asked carefully.

    ¡°Then would it be¡­ that person¡­?¡±

    Lecht¡¯s fingertips twitched at the question that seemed to have read his thoughts.

    As Tanma said, the question of ¡®is it her?¡¯ dominated Lecht¡¯s mind.

    However, there were a few reasons why that doubt hadn¡¯t turned into a certainty.

    ¡°Her appearance definitely seems to be different than what Your Majesty said.¡±

    One of them was her appearance.

    The woman he remembered was someone with pitch-black hair and eyes which were as pretty as obsidian. It was extremely different to the appearance he had just seen.

    In his memory, she was shorter than the woman he had just saw, and was on the petite side.

    ¡®However¡­¡¯

    ¡°However, she may not be able to have both the same appearance and soul at the same time either.¡±

    Tanma clearly summarised Lecht¡¯s thoughts.

    ¡°Should we investigate this?¡±

    ¡°As soon as possible.¡±

    Lecht answered Tanma¡¯s question as if he had just been waiting for it.

    ¡°I understand.¡±

    Although he had more work to do, Tanma didn¡¯t complain.

    A human woman who could see the true form of Kelber through the illusion spell.

    Perhaps she was the one the lord had been waiting for this whole time.

 CH 3

    Having successfully exchanged my jewelry for money, I changed my outfit first.

    That was because, even though I had worn the simplest clothes from the Duchy, they were still too flashy and made me stand out too much. The long flowy skirts were also too uncomfortable.

    I used to wear pants since I had felt uncomfortable with even formal skirts, not to mention the clothes that a noble young miss had to wear.

    After that, I bought a map and found an inn that was the closest to the city walls. This was the best place for me to start moving from tomorrow.

    I roughly unpacked my luggage in the single room and found a restaurant on the first floor.

    ¡°Here¡¯s your garlic wild boar meat stir-fry and creamy beer~¡±

    I ordered one of the things I had always wanted to try while reading <A Divine Retribution>, and now it was really right in front of me.

    ¡°Thank you for the food~!¡±

    To think it¡¯s wild boar¡­! Isn¡¯t this a dish that can¡¯t easily be tasted in Korea?

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s really good though?!¡±

    Although it was my first time trying wild boar meat, it actually wasn¡¯t that bad?! It¡¯s pork, but should I say it was more delicious than pork?

    Since this was so delicious, I wanted to try all the other food that was here. Perhaps the grilled brown bear tongue that I had seen earlier.

    I was so hungry that I finished the food without any hesitation. It wasn¡¯t until I had washed my mouth down with a mouthful of creamy beer that I finally opened the map that I had bought. It was a detailed map of the Bakarta Empire, as well as the areas surrounding it.

    ¡°Then, where should I plan to go?¡±

    My notebook, which lay open next to the map, contained what my future plans were.

    The ultimate goal after seeking asylum, was none other than finding the spirit.

    Although going into hiding was one thing, I still needed a way to protect myself in case something unexpected happened. So what I had thought of was the spirit.

    The spirit, which was mentioned in passing in the novel, was sleeping in the abandoned temple of the moon god and was said to be a defense spirit.

    Although it wasn¡¯t strong enough to stop someone from deliberately trying to kill me, I would still at least be able to avoid being shot by stray arrows.

    It was unknow whether the Demon King would only destroy the Empire or completely wipe out the entire continent instead.

    So, if the world were to suddenly turn into a war zone, it was clear that having the spirit would have a great impact on my survival rate. The problem was¡­

    ¡®Why is the abandoned temple there?!¡±

    The abandoned temple of the moon god, where the spirit was sleeping, was right next to the the territory of Grand Duke Arvis!

    Grand Duke Arvis, who boasts the second largest territory after the capital, was a place that was extremely hard to enter.

    In particular, Grand Duke Arvis, who ruled the area, didn¡¯t leave the Grand Duchy very often, so no one but the Emperor knew what he looked like.

    Since he didn¡¯t show his face very often, there were rumors that said that he was an ugly-looking man, and there were also doubts on whether he was a real person or not.

    However, I knew the reason why the mysterious and incomprehensible figure didn¡¯t leave the Grand Duchy.

    ¡®Because he¡¯s the one who destroys the Empire!¡¯

    Grand Duke Arvis was the Demon King, who had hidden his identity!

    After staying quiet for close to a hundred years, what sort of bullshit could have caused him to suddenly call for his entire demon army and completely obliterate the empire?

    ¡®Could the emperor have offended him¡­? No, he couldn¡¯t have.¡¯

    The Demon King was a founding contributor who had helped the founding emperor to establish the empire.

    Since no one else had lived for a hundred years, although the other nobles and ordinary citizens merely thought that the present Grand Duke Arvis was only a descendant of the founding contributor, only the Emperor knew that he was that very person himself.

    ¡®I mean, he knows he¡¯s the Demon King, so would he have been crazy enough to provoke him?¡¯

    So what the hell was the reason?

    When he founded the empire, he raised a human up into the emperor¡¯s position, but did his desire to conquer finally boil over?

    Or what, did he wonder, ¡®shall I devour the Empire today¡¯ simply because he was bored?

    Why was someone who should be ruling the Demon world live as the Grand Duke in the mortal world in the first place?

    ¡°Huu, let¡¯s calm down.¡±

    Thinking of this, I calmed my worked up self with a few deep breaths.

    ¡®It¡¯s alright. There are still three months left until the invasion.¡¯

    Right, what¡¯s important right now isn¡¯t why he lives as a Grand Duke in the mortal world, but how I¡¯m meant to get to the abandoned temple next to his estate.

    ¡®I¡¯m going to be as inconspicuous as possible, steal the spirit and bounce.¡¯

    There wouldn¡¯t be a chance for me to encounter him anyway, since it¡¯s said that he¡¯s always stuck to the confines of the Grand Duchy.

    I¡¯ll come and go quietly. Quietly.

    ¡®Please don¡¯t let anything strange suddenly happen, just because I¡¯m in the body of a villainess¡­¡¯

    I grabbed my map and notebook with the hope that everything would go well.

    While I was thinking that it¡¯d be better for me to go to bed early since I¡¯d have to ride in a carriage first thing in the morning tomorrow, someone approached my table whilst I was in the midst of preparing to leave.

    pls do not share this anywhere or the transmigration gods will transport u into boku no pico !! this translation has been stolen from mioscorner.com, pls only read there i¡¯m begging u :kneels:

    ¡°Meliara?¡±

    As I raised my head up, I saw a man approach me, taking off his hood.

    ¡°It really is you!¡±

    He approached me with a bright smile that seemed as if he were happy to see me, and naturally sat down at my table.

    ¡°I think this is the first time I¡¯ve seen you wearing pants. I thought I saw wrong for a moment.¡±

    Seeing him talk to me in such a friendly manner, I couldn¡¯t even manage a stutter in reply.

    Who are you¡­?

    Dark pink hair tied up into a single bunch. Eyes as blue as the summer sky. Skin that was like white jade.

    ¡®What kind of characters are all so pretty and good-looking?¡¯

    The man I had met in the afternoon had been so handsome, it seemed as if he¡¯d be able to conquer the world just with his beauty alone, but this man in front of me was quite formidable too. It was clear that he¡¯d be in ¡®the top 5 most good-looking people I¡¯ve ever seen in my life¡¯.

    So¡­ who are you?

    ¡®We seem to know each other since he had greeted me before¡­ but did I ever have such a friend who had greeted me so warmly like this?

    It was hard for me to think, ¡®Oh, it¡¯s you!¡¯, just by looking at his face.

    ¡°Y-Yeah, how have you been?¡±

    I tried to greet him without being awkward to the best of my ability.

    However, his eyes widened, as if surprised by my greeting.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s just because you¡¯re speaking casually to me.¡±

    Heok. Did we usually not do so? I only did it because you were also speaking casually to me¡­!

    ¡°Ahaha, it¡¯s been so long since we met so I forgot¡­¡±

    ¡°I mean, it¡¯s good! You can continue.¡±

    He used his hand to prop up his chin and smiled brightly while looking at me.

    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t do so, even if I asked you in the past. That¡¯s why I always felt hurt, since it felt like you were trying to keep a wall between us all the time.¡±

    When he gave a faint child-like smile, coupled with the vibe of a pure idol, I felt as if I had a maternal love that didn¡¯t even exist.

    ¡°Then, since you¡¯ve already changed your way of speaking with me, can you change the way you address me as well?¡±

    ¡°Address?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. After all, ¡®Your Highness¡¯ is too stiff.¡±

    Your Highness¡­?

    I inhaled sharply.

    ¡®Your Highness¡¯?!

    ¡°Call me Linden.¡±

    ¡°Ahem!¡±

    I tried to stop the choking sound from coming out of my mouth.

    I knew he couldn¡¯t have been an extra with a face like that!

    A combo of pink hair and blue eyes.

    ¡®You¡¯re the Empire¡¯s second prince!¡¯

    He, who was giving me a pretty smile right now, was the second prince of the Bakarta Empire, who possessed the long name of Linden Ezzarson von Bakarta, and was the second male lead in the original novel.

    Unlike the Crown Prince, who had the Empress for a mother, and was from the main line of descent, he was the son of a concubine. As the only daughter of the head of the billionaire Ezzarson Guild, his mother, who had come to the imperial palace to help her father, had caught the eyes of the Emperor and eventually became a concubine.

    She, whose influence was weak despite her wealth, couldn¡¯t win over the Empress, who enjoyed the support of the aristocratic faction, and eventually died a mysterious death when Linden was seven years old.

    His grandfather, the head of the Ezzarson Guild, raised the child outside of the imperial palace in order to prevent Linden from getting caught up in the struggle for succession.

    ¡®Although I heard that his face wasn¡¯t widely known, unlike the Crown Prince¡¯s, I didn¡¯t know it would be this bad.¡¯

    He, the prince, was sitting in an inn on the outskirts of the capital, yet no one around us paid any attention to him.

    ¡®But it¡¯s not like I don¡¯t know, just because those around me don¡¯t know!¡¯

    In addition to that, he was often referred to as a ¡®schemer¡¯! I had to be careful not to provoke him.

    ¡°Ohoho, but how could I say the name of His Highness, who is the light of the Empire, so thoughtlessly?¡±

    I diligently tried to make something up. However, his face stiffened slightly as he mumbled reflexively.

    ¡°The light is my older brother.¡±

    Shit. I pressed the wrong switch.

    ¡®I forgot that he had an inferiority complex to his older brother, the Crown Prince.¡¯

    He hated the fact that everyone would say that the Crown Prince was the future and light of the Empire, while simultaneously calling him the stain and the shadow of the Imperial Palace.

    ¡°You are the light to me. Hoho.¡±

    Nothing good would come out of pretending in front of a schemer, so I wagged my tail slightly in order to make him feel better.

    However, Linden looked at me suspiciously and said.

    ¡°¡­Did you decide to change routes and go for me after breaking your engagement with my older brother?¡±

    ¡°No way. I don¡¯t have anymore lingering attachment to the imperial palace.¡±

    Seriously. I have no interest in that anymore.

    My only concern right now was ¡®how to steal the spirit quietly and flee to a distant continent¡¯.

    ¡°You said it was your only hope at one point.¡±

    ¡°Gosh. How could that be my only hope when the world is so vast?¡±

    The imperial palace was a doomed stock. Grand Duke Arvis¡­ when the Demon King starts to run rampant, the entirety of the Imperial Palace would return to dust.

    ¡°¡­Your thought process seems to have changed after your broken engagement.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Could you please stop saying things like ¡®you¡¯ve changed¡¯ since it prickles at my conscience¡­?

    Although there was no way he¡¯d ever notice that this body¡¯s soul had changed, I was only speaking dispel any useless doubts.

    ¡°I just had a change of heart after my engagement got broken off. You don¡¯t need to worry about it too much.¡±

    ¡°How could I do that?¡±

    Linden tilted his face toward me.

    ¡°It¡¯s your business, not anyone else¡¯s, so of course I have to care.¡±

    In addition to that, he began to look at me closely with a slow gaze.

    Although it was burdensome for me to have such a pretty face right in front of me, I didn¡¯t know where to put my eyes since he kept looking at me with those blue eyes of his. I sneakily avoided his gaze and wiped off some cold sweat.

    ¡°Hahaha, how nice of you.¡±

    A laugh that seemed awkward, even to me, suddenly burst out.

    While I was wondering how to fix this, he whispered to me, as if he hadn¡¯t felt anything strange.

    ¡°I¡¯m not being nice. I¡¯m only like this because it¡¯s you.¡±

    His expression was so pitiful that it made my heart ache for no reason.

    The reason Linden was so dangerous was because contrary to his insidious mind that was constantly plotting to bring down the Crown Prince and snatch away the female lead, Olivia, he had a very naive-looking appearance.

    And he knew how to use his appearance to his advantage.

    So I knew this was all just acting. I knew he was a trickster, yet¡­!

    ¡°You know, just like how I¡¯m your only friend, you¡¯re my only friend as well.¡±

    Haaa¡­ I¡¯m melting, I¡¯m melting.

    um YES ????

    I ended up screaming in surrender to his face and said, ¡°Thank you for caring about me, it¡¯s really comforting to know.¡±

    I knew that he hadn¡¯t said this to console me, but rather, to ¡®supervise¡¯ me, since it would be a waste for him to throw away ¡®the Empire¡¯s only princess¡¯ card so early.

    ¡°If Your Highness ever needs comfort someday, please come and find me. Although I can¡¯t say anything particularly cool, I can still lend a listening ear to you.¡±

    If I had remembered correctly, it was about now that his grandfather finally died.

    Finding out that he had lost the last person who would always be on his side unconditionally must have been extremely difficult for Linden.

    Anyway, there was no room for me, since the original female lead would comfort you instead.

    ¡®But giving someone who is in need of comfort a shoulder to cry on is simply one¡¯s duty as a human being, right?¡¯

    However, he made another bizarre request at my suggestion.

    ¡°Then call me Linden.¡±

    ¡°Well, naturally that¡¯s a bit¡­¡±

    No matter how much you want to, you¡¯re an imperial prince and I¡¯m a princess¡­ Oh, I¡¯m about to be exiled soon, so I¡¯m actually a commoner.

    ¡°Then at least speak casually with me then.¡±

    ¡°Haa¡­¡±

    How persistent. It was clear that there¡¯d be no end if we continued to argue like this.

    ¡°Alright, Linden.¡±

    In the end, it was a battle that I, who was particularly weak to handsome men, had no choice but to lose to Linden, who used his looks to his full advantage for the most part.

    It would¡¯ve been strange for me to call him ¡®Your Highness¡¯ while speaking casually to him, so I just gave up on it all.

    Then Linden, who had been disappointed, looked a little surprised before his whole face brightened up.

    ¡°As expected, there¡¯s no one like you, Meliara.¡±

    ¡°¡­Right.¡±

    His smile was dangerously pretty. Look how fast my heart is beating already¡­

    While I was in the midst of thinking that meeting a handsome guy wouldn¡¯t be as hard as expected, someone came into the restaurant at the sound of the bell at the top of the door.

    I unconsciously turned my gaze to the sound of the door opening, and inhaled sharply upon looking at who had entered.

    [1] although ?? means ¡®fate¡¯ normally, in webnovels (especially martial arts ones), they often refer to when a character receives an opportunity to level up spontaneously (e.g. being chased by a villain, falling off a cliff, then finding [something/somebody] in the cave under the cliff and getting stronger through that). this can also refer to objects depending on the situation (e.g. secret martial arts almanac, elixir, master, etc.)

 CH 4

    The man who had just entered the restaurant, scanned his surroundings and stopped when his eyes met mine.

    I couldn¡¯t move either, too captivated by the man¡¯s deep gaze.

    ¡®I didn¡¯t know we¡¯d meet again.¡¯

    Thump thump thump thump.

    My heart suddenly started to beat foolishly.

    ¡°Woof!¡±

    The puppy¡¯s cry, which expressed his joy to see me, was a bonus instead.

    Breaking the brief silence, Kelber ran up to me and leapt up, placing his front paws on my thighs.

    As he tried to lick my face, I burst into laughter and rubbed his face.

    ¡°It¡¯s nice to see you again too!¡±

    The man, who came to break up the excited greeting, pulled on Kelber¡¯s leash. When he pulled the leash of the middle one, all the heads were also pulled back at the same time.

    ¡°Get down, Kelber.¡±

    With just a few words, Kelber calmly got down to the floor.

    I let out a small exclamation of admiration at how well trained he was. He was both charismatic, and even made training his dogs seem charismatic.

    His voice was both strong and lovely at the same time.

    ¡°So we meet again.¡±

    I gave him a pretty smile, since I was happy to see him again.

    But instead of greeting me, he just stared at me and proceeded to say something rather ridiculous.

    ¡°Your hairstyle has changed.¡±

    ¡°Ah.¡±

    I brushed back the baby hairs that had fallen past my ear.

    ¡°I tied it up since it felt uncomfortable.¡±

    When I had met him during the day, my hair, which had been let loose, was now tied up.

    ¡°Does it look weird?¡±

    I asked stealthily. Is it so bad that you¡¯d comment on it as soon as we meet again?

    ¡°I like it. It¡¯s refreshing.¡±

    ¡°Really? That¡¯s a relief then.¡±

    I tucked my hair behind my ears and smiled bashfully. Receiving compliments has always been an enjoyable thing.

    ¡°Are you also staying here today?¡±

    ¡°For now¡­¡±

    He muffled the end of his words as he alternated his gaze between me and Kelber.

    ¡°That seems to be the case.¡±

    ¡°I heard that there are a lot of pretty decent single rooms still on the top floor that are available. Oh, and the wild boar meat here is also really good.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡±

    As I was chatting to him, Linden tugged my sleeve lightly.

    ¡°Meliara. This person is¡­?¡±

    He had a look of a young child who was extremely wary of strangers as he asked.

    ¡°Oh, I ran into him by chance during the day. He¡¯s the owner of Kelber over here.¡±

    Come to think of it, since he was a noble, would he recognise Linden?

    I remembered that he had been dragged away by a butler who seemed to have raised him as well. Although the commoners wouldn¡¯t recognise Linden by his face, the high-ranking aristocrats would.

    Then, a thread of suspicion suddenly came to my mind.

    ¡®Then in that sense, I¡¯m also the daughter of one of the three major dukes.¡¯

    Though of course, now disowned.

    Although it wouldn¡¯t have been known to everyone yet, this man still didn¡¯t call me ¡®Princess¡¯ either. Besides, it would come out rather naturally too.

    ¡®Do you not know my face?¡¯

    It came to mind that he may not be a high-ranking aristocrat.

    Then wouldn¡¯t you be surprised to hear that Linden is a prince?

    ¡°Nice to meet you. I¡¯m Linden Ezzarson von Bakarta.¡±

    ¡°Heok.¡±

    Linden¡¯s self-introduction made me feel a prick in my conscience for no reason.

    ¡®Everyone in the restaurant will be shocked if you¡¯re that loud¡­!¡¯

    Upon looking around anxiously, I discovered something even more shocking.

    Our surroundings were severely quiet, and everyone was even looking this way. However, it was a different sort of tension from being shocked by the appearance of the prince.

    ¡®Don¡¯t tell me¡­ the people I had simply thought were all mercenaries and travelers were actually all Linden¡¯s own escort knights?¡¯

    I thought he had simply been walking around freely since commoners didn¡¯t recognise his face, but to think that the knights must have been watching him from where they were hidden all this time!

    ¡®Well, to be fair¡­ he¡¯s a prince who never knows how many poisoned arrows might come down at any moment, so there¡¯s no way he¡¯d just be roaming around by himself.¡¯

    I quickly looked at the owner of Kelber.

    How shocked must he have been. Just as I was thinking of going to comfort him by telling him not to worry, the man however, simply nodded his head indifferently and took a seat next to me.

    The forehead of Linden, who had been ignored, wrinkled slightly.

    But he soon regained his composure and smiled.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it basic courtesy for one to return a greeting after receiving one?¡±

    His laugh seemed to sarcastically be saying, ¡®why are you like this, you rude bastard¡¯.

    However, Kelber¡¯s owner, who was far from being embarrassed or offended, spoke casually.

    ¡°Why should I?¡±

    ¡°What¡­?¡±

    ¡°Although you may think it¡¯s nice to meet me, it¡¯s not for me. So I don¡¯t think there¡¯s a need for me to return your greeting.¡±

    I could feel the sincerity in his voice when he said that, so this time, not only Linden, but also my eyes widened in shock.

    Wow, this is the first time I, who had lived in modern times, had seen a My Way1.

    I could feel the knights surrounding us flinch, perhaps because they had thought that his rudeness had gone too far.

    Linden lifted his finger slightly to restrain them.

    He spoke while still smiling.

    ¡°You seem to be close with my older brother. If that¡¯s the case, then that might be why you aren¡¯t happy to see me.¡±

    No matter how much they opposed each other, I didn¡¯t think they¡¯d shed all pretense of courtesy this fast, but¡­

    ¡°Even if that¡¯s the case, shouldn¡¯t you at least tell me your name?¡±

    In any case, Linden seemed to be trying to deescalate the situation somehow.

    However, the man didn¡¯t seem to have the slightest intention in helping him with his efforts.

    ¡°Why should I?¡±

    pls do not share this anywhere or the transmigration gods will transport u into boku no pico !! this translation has been stolen from mioscorner.com, pls only read there i¡¯m begging u :kneels:

    He said the exact same thing as before.

    This time, Linden¡¯s smile faltered noticeably. The raised corners of his lips trembled slightly.

    Not only that, but his knights all started to rise from their seats. It was the moment when their swords were unsheathed from their scabbard.

    ¡°Grrrr¡­¡±

    This time, Kelber¡¯s fur bristled as he bared his teeth. Perhaps because he had three heads, but his growl seemed to be three times more menacing as normal dogs.

    Linden¡¯s gaze slowly moved from Kelber, to his knights, and then finally, to the man.

    ¡°What do you think will come out of this?¡±

    Although he was still smiling, it was definitely a threat.

    I wasn¡¯t the only one who felt this sort of tension, but the expression of the man who owned Kelber didn¡¯t even change a single bit.

    ¡®Should I come forward and stop them¡­?¡¯

    Although I wondered what sort of help my words could possibly be to them, I still opened my mouth to stir up the atmosphere.

    However, before I could even say anything, an enormous pressure started to overwhelm and envelop the room.

    ¡°That¡¯s what I was going to say.¡±

    ¡°Urk.¡±

    ¡°Heok.¡±

    At the owner of Kelber¡¯s low remarks, several knights behind him fell to their knees. They clutched their chest and trembled.

    Although I also felt as if my stomach was being squeezed, as if something was on top of it, it was clear just by looking that the pressure felt by the knights was different to the feeling of awkwardness I felt.

    ¡®What¡¯s going on¡­¡¯

    I couldn¡¯t figure it out if I didn¡¯t know the cause.

    The black energy that had burst out in an instant from the man who was sitting next to me was seeping into the bodies of the knights. I avoided it skillfully.

    ¡®Black energy? Aura? What is this?¡¯

    Although I didn¡¯t know what it was, one thing was certain: the fact that this man was an incredibly formidable person.

    Even Linden, who was set up with the foundations as an excellent mage in the original novel as the second male lead, seemed to be clenching his fists due to the bothersome energy.

    ¡°You¡­¡±

    Linden¡¯s voice trembled slightly.

    ¡°No way¡­¡±

    However, the man turned his head to me, ignoring Linden.

    Although it was an act that could be said to be disrespectful toward the prince, Linden, who had already witnessed his capability, didn¡¯t bother to make a point of it.

    The reason why they couldn¡¯t make a big fight here and cause Linden to seem like the victim was probably because he would a lose more than he would gain.

    ¡°Lecht.¡±

    He looked at me straight in the eyes and spoke.

    ¡°It¡¯s Lecht. My name.¡±

    ¡°Oh. My name is Meliara.¡±

    I responded in bewilderment to the self-introduction that didn¡¯t seem to match the atmosphere around us.

    The gaze he looked at me with was subtle as he muttered quietly.

    ¡°¡­Ara?¡±

    My shoulders shuddered in that moment.

    ¡®Right. If you look at it, you could get Ara out of Meliara.¡¯

    I was surprised the moment I heard my name from my previous life.

    ¡°If you want to call me that, then you can. Haha.¡±

    I tried to laugh it off, but then he suddenly said something out of the blue.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you recognise me?¡±

    ¡°Pardon?¡±

    He didn¡¯t seem to be talking about when we met in the afternoon.

    How would I know who you were?

    When I looked confused, as if I really didn¡¯t know, he added cautiously.

    ¡°Have you¡­ never met me before¡­?¡±

    His voice had softened to the fullest, and the eyes he used to observe me had become completely gentle, the sharpness from before nowhere to be seen.

    I wondered if this was the same person who seemed as if he was about to devour all the knights until just now.

    I felt as if I had glimpsed the affectionate side he had been hiding, a warm breeze blowing through my heart.

    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know.¡±

    I smiled, pretending to be calm, and said.

    ¡°I think today is my first time.¡±

    If it was me, I knew I wouldn¡¯t have forgotten such a handsome face.

    ¡®Did he perhaps ever meet the original owner of this body?¡¯

    If that was the case, then I¡¯m sorry, but it wasn¡¯t in my memories. So, of course, the only thing I could was pretend to be clueless.

    ¡°¡­or maybe not.¡±

    His eyes darkened as he muttered softly.

    I felt sorry for no reason for not remembering¡­

    ¡°Although I don¡¯t remember meeting you before, won¡¯t it be fine if we get to know each other more from now on?¡±

    I smiled as brightly as I could as I spoke.

    Although I didn¡¯t know what kind of meeting he had with Meliara in the past, there was no law against building a new relationship with me.

    Relationships with handsome men have always been welcome.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    However, he didn¡¯t respond to my suggestion.

    Hey¡­ it¡¯s a bit embarrassing, so can you at least say yes or no¡­?

    I, who always felt awkward when it was silent, let out a haha before adding.

    ¡°Although I did say that, I won¡¯t have much time since I¡¯ll be busy with something from now on. Haha.¡±

    Although I did say that I¡¯d get to know him, the truth was that I had to find the spirit and to go and seek asylum somewhere.

    The handsome man was enjoyable, but avoiding the collapse of the empire was more important.

    ¡°Something?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I¡¯m planning on going to the eastern village of Chiban.¡±

    The village of Chiban was right before the Arvis Grand Duchy, and was the closest village to the abandoned temple of the Moon God.

    ¡°So, next time I see you¡­¡±

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll go with you.¡±

    ¡°¡­Huh?¡±

    I felt flustered for a moment since his reply had come back even before I had finished my question.

    This wasn¡¯t the conversation I had been expecting though?

    The conversation I had been expecting was that I would say, ¡®So, next time I see you, let¡¯s have a cup of tea together¡¯, and then he¡¯d answer ¡®let¡¯s do so¡¯ in reply.

    Although it was a pity for me to leave a handsome man, I couldn¡¯t just give up on my survival just to see more of him.

    But what do you mean by us going together¡­? Didn¡¯t we only meet for the first time today¡­?

    Upon seeing my perplexed expression, he said.

    ¡°I was also scheduled to head to the east.¡±

    ¡°Ah, is that so¡­?¡±

    ¡°Furthermore, the security outside of the capital isn¡¯t too great, so it¡¯ll be safer for you to move around with me.¡±

    That¡¯s¡­ true, I guess?

    There was no guarantee that I, who didn¡¯t even know any self-defense, would be safe on my way to the abandoned temple of the Moon God.

    ¡®If I look at it from that angle, then it would be safer for me to go with Lecht¡­¡¯

    I mean, his skills seemed to be great, just judging from the black energy that had blown in the wind earlier.

    However, I couldn¡¯t just shout, ¡®alright!¡¯ without any hesitation.

    In any case, he was also someone who I had only met for the first time today.

    Though I did say that there were no bad people amongst animal lovers. Though he was handsome enough to melt away all my vigilance and alertness!

    ¡®But accompanying him for a few days was a different story, right¡­?

    He said, as if he could see the concern showing on my face.

    ¡°Would you feel more at ease if I swore on the Lake of Moonlight that I¡¯d protect you?¡±

    ¡°Pardon¡­?¡±

    He suddenly pulled out a dagger before I could even respond properly.

    ¡°No matter where you¡¯re going, I swear that I¡¯ll take full responsibility for you safety until your arrive.¡±

    At the same time, upon seeing him reach out to cut the tip of his finger without any hesitation, I hurriedly stretched out my hand to stop him.

    ¡°Wait!¡±

    I grabbed his hand which was gripping onto the dagger with both hands.

    ¡°There¡¯s no need for you to go so far!¡±

    Swearing on the ¡®Lake of Moonlight¡¯ was the most supreme oath one could make for those who believed in the Moon God.

    It was said that if this oath was violated, that the Moon God would then curse the souls of those who took that oath and sentence them to ten thousand years of suffering.

    But to think that you would do that! And so willingly as well!

    Any of my remaining anxiety was immediately washed away.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go together!¡±

    It takes about a week to reach the abandoned temple of the Moon God.

    Although I didn¡¯t know where this man¡¯s ¡®schedule in the east¡¯ was, there was no way it would be at the temple, so I was sure that we¡¯d split ways in the middle.

    To think he¡¯d make a vow to the Lake of Moonlight just to accompany me for a few days. That could¡¯ve been a disaster.

    Still, even if that was the case, I was still grateful at his willingness to do so. My heart fluttered for no reason.

    ¡°I was also at a loss at the thought of going by myself, but now that Lecht is going with me, I feel reassured.¡±

    When I spoke with a bright smile, he put away the dagger he had taken out and nodded slightly.

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    The combination of his reply in a deep voice and those golden eyes of his that were slightly downcast made my heart flutter very easily.

    Looking at that handsome face, I smiled happily at my daydream of a week-long feast for my eyes, until Linden suddenly tugged at my sleeve.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go as well!¡±

    ¡°Why you as well¡­?¡±

    ¡°I, I also have something to do in the east.¡±

    Really? I think you just stuttered though?

    ¡°Take me with you too, okay?¡±

    The way he looked at me pitifully was cute, like a whining rabbit. How could I say no to a face like this?

    ¡°Just do as you like.¡±

    In fact, it wasn¡¯t as if I could do anything to stop him from coming.

    No matter how much he¡¯s called the ¡®Prince of Misfortune¡¯, he was still a prince anyway. Who could possibly stop him¡­

    Oh.

    I turned my eyes to Lecht. If it was Lecht, I felt as if he would even be able to block the way of a prince.

    ¡°That¡¯s fine, right?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m just accompanying you on your way.¡±

    Fortunately, Lecht didn¡¯t try to make it difficult for anyone this time.

    ¡°Then, let¡¯s set off tomorrow morning.¡±

    I said while alternating my gaze between the two of them.

    Lecht on my right. Linden on my left.

    Gosh. There are flowers in both hands.

    Although they weren¡¯t my flowers, it was still a pleasant night nonetheless.

    I WANT FLOWERS IN BOTH OF MY HANDS TOO PLS GHSDLKFJDFKJDFJSDFJ

    [1] ???? (My Way) refers to those who do not care about other people¡¯s opinions and tend to act according to their own thoughts without listening or caring about others, only going ¡®their way¡¯.

 CH 5

    Only the two of them were left in the restaurant on the first floor after Meliara headed back to her room.

    Although the sharp tension that filled the atmosphere was still there, lecht stood up, as if he couldn¡¯t care less about it.

    Upon his appearance of leaving without even a word, a knight who was next to him cried out in protest.

    ¡°Please show more courtesy toward His Highness, the Prince¡­!¡±

    ¡°Enough.¡±

    However, Linden raised a hand to silence him.

    Instead, he looked warily at Lecht and asked cautiously.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect to see you in a place like this, Grand Duke.¡±

    Lecht, who had stopped in his tracks because of the knight, turned his head to look at Linden.

    His ambiguous attitude didn¡¯t seem to be perfectly respectful, nor was it completely disrespectful either.

    Nevertheless, he said something completely irrelevant instead.

    ¡°The fact that I¡¯m Grand Duke Arvis.¡±

    Linden flinched reflexively at that sharp gaze that seemed to pierce through his body.

    ¡°You¡¯d better not let her know.¡±

    ¡°¡­Why?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no need for you to know that.¡±

    Having said that, Lecht¡¯s gaze skimmed over the knights standing next to Linden.

    ¡°You¡¯d better make sure your knights keep their mouths shut, since there¡¯s no way that fact will leak out from my side.¡±

    Linden¡¯s gaze landed on Tanma, who was standing behind Lecht.

    Although the butler was smiling, that smile was just as cold as the light in Lecht¡¯s eyes.

    Lecht left the restaurant without any qualms after that.

    ¡°How could he be so rude¡­!¡±

    ¡°Enough. Don¡¯t speak recklessly.¡±

    Linden shut his angry knights up. Instead, he sighed and wiped the sweat at his furrowed brows.

    ¡®I think I know why His Majesty said that.¡¯

    When he was very young, he overhead His Majesty the Emperor talking to his older brother, the Crown Prince.

    What he had said was so absurd that he could still clearly remember it.

    ¡°And, no matter what happens, never oppose the Grand Duke of Arvis.¡±

    ¡°Would I even ever have the chance to meet that person who never even leaves the Grand Duchy?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m saying this because he doesn¡¯t appear very often. No matter what unreasonable or absurd situation there is, never go against him.¡±

    ¡°Why are you so wary of him?¡±

    ¡°That man is the reason our empire exists today.¡±

    ¡°I know he¡¯s a descendant of the country¡¯s founder, but¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not like that! That person¡­¡±

    There was no mistaking the fact that the emotion that filled the face of the Emperor, who was sighing deeply, was undoubtedly ¡®fear¡¯.

    He was well aware of Grand Duke Arvis¡¯ capabilities. It was to the point that he felt that sending the Grand Duke¡¯s knights to subdue the barbarians or invade other countries was more reassuring than sending the Imperial Palace¡¯s.

    But did the empire¡¯s emperor possess that much tact?

    ¡°The reason he leaves us be and allows us to act like the imperial family is simply because he doesn¡¯t like to leave his territory.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean by leave us be? Father, just how could the Grand Duke possibly be so low-profile¡­¡±

    ¡°Ziken¡±

    He wasn¡¯t even there, yet the emperor was still careful about what he said.

    ¡°Unless the empire is in a crisis, just let him live quietly within the Grand Duchy. Because the moment he decides to point his sword toward us, this empire will become a wasteland.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean¡­¡±

    ¡°If you don¡¯t want to see the empire in such a state, then don¡¯t provoke him.¡±

    Although Ziken may not have noticed, Linden did.

    The fact that it was something more than simply the Grand Duke grasping onto one of the Emperor¡¯s weaknesses.

    Something that even the Emperor was trying to hide.

    Ever since he had met Grand Duke Arvis, he had only been even more confused.

    A dismissive attitude that flows out so naturally.

    A power that could easily subdue, and was to natural to be called arrogant. Is this the exact feeling of how it felt to be a ruler since birth?

    The moment he revealed his overwhelming aura, Linden recalled the one and only portrait of Grand Duke Arvis in the Emperor¡¯s room, and immediately changed his attitude.

    Since he was someone whom even the Emperor was wary of provoking, it was wiser to be cautious, instead of seeing a critical situation first.

    Linden turned toward the stairs to the second floor.

    ¡®Just what does Meliara have?¡¯

    Just what exactly was it that even forced Grand Duke Arvis to make a move?

    Although he volunteered to accompany them on their journey in order to find out about it, it somehow seemed as if it would be a troublesome journey now.

    ¡°Haa, I need a drink.¡±

    Linden, who felt stifled by the refreshing scent left behind by Lecht, ventilated the surroundings with a little wind magic and went to look for alcohol for the first time in a long time.

    ***

    pls do not share this anywhere or the transmigration gods will transport u into boku no pico !! this translation has been stolen from mioscorner.com, pls only read there i¡¯m begging u :kneels:

    It was a fine morning as I washed my body and hummed while descending the stairs excitedly.

    When I arrived on the first floor, a kid was already waiting there to greet me first.

    ¡°Woof!¡±

    ¡°Kelber! Did you sleep well?¡±

    As I stroked the head of the guy that was wagging his tail, I found yet another familiar face.

    ¡°Butler. We meet again.¡±

    I thought that he seemed like someone who had aged really well.

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s an honor to see you again, miss.¡±

    ¡°Please just call me Meliara.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Miss Meliara.¡±

    No, I was asking you to call me my name without the addition of the ¡®miss¡¯ in front of it though.

    However, it seemed to be more comfortable for the butler to call me ¡®miss¡¯, so I just laughed it off.

    ¡°And your name is?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s Tanma.¡±

    ¡°What a cool name! Then Tanma? Butler? Or Butler Tanma?¡±

    ¡°Call me whatever you like.¡±

    I smiled brightly, deciding on a name in order for it not to be awkward later.

    The butler also smiled from corner to corner of his face. His smile exuded a dignified aura.

    ¡°Breakfast has been prepared already. Would you like some?¡±

    The butler guided me to one side of the restaurant on the first floor.

    Lecht and Linden were already there waiting for me.

    ¡°Did the both of you sleep well?¡±

    ¡°Yep. Did you have a good sleep too?¡±

    Lecht merely nodded his head concisely while Linden asked me in return gently. He even pulled out a chair for me to sit in.

    I, who was experiencing the first time a man had pulled out a chair for me to sit in, sat down with a faint smile in my heart.

    As soon as I settled into my seat, Linden immediately pushed a large plate in front of me.

    ¡°This is the best-selling breakfast menu item here.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s all this? Sausage, bacon, and eggs on pancakes. Even a salad¡­?¡±

    It was an amount so big that I couldn¡¯t even tell if it were a breakfast or a hearty dinner instead.

    Although it looked like it had been cooked tastily, I had no choice but to put on a slightly embarrassed expression.

    ¡®I don¡¯t normally eat this much in the morning¡­¡¯

    I normally only eat about a piece of toast and one cup of multigrain shake.

    I didn¡¯t have much time to eat since I was always busy with work, and once I had already established the habit once, I would get rather bloated if I ate too much for breakfast.

    When I had first taken possession of this body, I tried to eat more for breakfast, wondering if my appetite had changed since my body had also changed, but it seemed as if I couldn¡¯t eat more for breakfast due to the influence of my mind instead of my body.

    But I had no choice but to pick up my knife and fork awkwardly once I saw the way Linden looked after he had prepared all of this for me, his eyes sparkling.

    ¡°Thanks. I¡¯ll eat well. Haha.¡±

    It was when I stretched my fork out toward the pancake, thinking to myself that I should pretend to eat it, even if I had indigestion later.

    The plate gradually moved away from me. Gently, as if my fork and the plate were magnets that repelled each other.

    I spotted the hand that moved the plate as my gaze followed the plate in a puzzled state of mind.

    ¡°Lecht¡­?¡±

    It was Lecht.

    ¡°Now what are you doing?¡±

    Linden¡¯s protest followed behind quickly, but Lecht ignored him easily and placed a smaller plate in front of me instead of the large plate of breakfast.

    Two pieces of toast which were cut into the shape of a triangle were placed on the noticeably smaller plate.

    It looked exactly like what I had been eating every morning for the past few years.

    ¡°This is¡­?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll feel uncomfortable moving about if you eat too much in the morning.¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­¡±

    So you were worried about how it¡¯d affect our travel. I thought you had noticed that I felt troubled by the huge breakfast.

    I smiled mockingly at myself, who had expectations for no reason, and lowered my fork to stab some toast.

    As soon as I stared at him, he added, as if he had something else to say.

    ¡°¡­It¡¯s strawberry jam.¡±

    I burst out laughing again.

    ¡°How did you know that I like strawberry jam?¡±

    Although he naturally wouldn¡¯t have known, and had just chosen it because it was the most common one, I was still in a good mood for no reason, as I smiled and took a bite of the toast.

    The crispy texture of the toast was so delicious that I wouldn¡¯t get tired of eating it even if I had to every morning.

    A cup of multigrain shake would be perfect here.

    Since there was no way I¡¯d be able to find multigrain powder here, I swallowed my regret and reached out for a glass of water, but the glass suddenly disappeared.

    Instead, a light brown drink was placed right in front of me.

    It was the drink I had been thinking about a while ago, so my eyes were bound to widen into circles when I saw it.

    Nah, no way.

    ¡°What is this?¡±

    ¡°Try it. You¡¯ll like it.¡±

    Instead of answering my question, he suggested me to taste it.

    I slowly tasted the drink with a trembling heart. The sweet yet savory taste soaked my tongue and flowed down my throat.

    ¡®Is this really multigrain powder¡­?¡¯

    I was confused.

    Of course there was no law against the people of the empire eating ground and roasted soybean powder or glutinous rice powder and the like, and mixing it into milk. It¡¯s just that in my mind, multigrain powder was a very ¡®Korean¡¯ food, so I didn¡¯t think that I¡¯d see it here at all.

    ¡®Nothing is impossible if you have the right ingredients.¡¯

    But just because I had understood it didn¡¯t mean that I could make any sense of it.

    When I looked up in confusion, Lecht was staring at me with his chin in his hand, leaning against the table.

    Looking at his languid expression and his unwavering eyes, it seemed as if he had been watching me ever since he had given me that toast. When our eyes met, he added, as if he had just been waiting.

    ¡°Apparently it tastes better when you add honey instead of sugar.¡±

    My heart started to beat faster at those meaningless words.

    ¡°Ah, yes¡­ That¡¯s right, it¡¯d taste better with honey.¡±

    Why was my heart in such a fluster over such an offhanded remark?

    Was it perhaps because multigrain powder was just exactly to my liking? Or maybe it was because I noticed that he was watching me eat? Ah, or was it just because Lecht¡¯s face was just that handsome?

    Well, to be fair, with a face like that, even if he said, ¡®Ma¡¯am, this jade heating mat is a premium high quality product,¡¯ I would still be excited and buy everything.

    Yes, this rapid heartbeat is because of that sharp jawline and those dark features of his that were sexy, even this early in the morning.

    I tried to calm my heart down by chewing on my toast and drinking all the multigrain shake, rationalizing all my thoughts.

    ¡°Thank you for the meal.¡±

    ¡°Will that be enough for you?¡±

    Linden asked, as soon as I put my glass down. The look of concern was obvious on his face.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine. I don¡¯t normally eat a lot in the morning anyway.¡±

    ¡°I see¡­¡±

    ¡°Have you eaten enough? It seemed as if I was the only one eating.¡±

    ¡°Yep. I finished eating already.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a relief. Lecht, have you eaten¡­ Huh? Where did he go?¡±

    When I turned my head back again, Lecht was nowhere to be seen. The jingle of the doorbell and the shaking of the door showed that he had already gone outside.

    ¡°So fast, I didn¡¯t even hear the sound of him moving¡­¡±

    ¡°Meliara.¡±

    As I was still blankly awestruck, Linden called out to me again. Turning his head, he asked me with an extremely serious expression on his face.

    ¡°How do you know that person?¡±

    ¡°Rather than know each other¡­ did you see that dog there? Kelber. I ran into that kid yesterday and then happened to also meet him for the first time.¡±

    Although Lecht spoke as if we had met in the past, this was the first time I had met him.

    ¡°It was my second time meeting him last night when I was with you.¡±

    ¡°But why¡­¡±

    He trailed off at the end of his sentence.

    But I seemed to know what he was trying to say.

    It was why he was so openly hostile to Linden, but not to me? He was definitely treating me differently from Linden, so much so that it was even obvious to me.

    ¡°Perhaps he¡¯s one of His Highness, the Crown Prince¡¯s people? He might not know that our engagement has already been broken.¡±

    That was the best guess I could make.

    ¡°That¡¯s not it.¡±

    ¡°How can you be so sure?¡±

    ¡°The thing is¡­¡±

    He seemed to be extremely cautious with his words. The place where he sneakily glanced towards was where Butler Tanma was waiting for Linden and I with a friendly smile.

    ¡°Since he¡¯s someone who¡¯s a close acquaintance of His Majesty the Emperor.¡±

    ¡°Ohhh.¡±

    The Prince of Misfortune who was rejected by the Emperor. A direct power who had a close relationship with the Emperor. It was understandable for Linden to act low-key in front of him.

    ¡®Wait no, you¡¯re one of the Emperor¡¯s people, yet you don¡¯t know that I¡¯m the Princess of Darchez?¡¯

    What a mysterious man.

    ¡°Would you feel more at ease if I swore on the Lake of Moonlight that I¡¯d protect you?¡±

    But I didn¡¯t hate it for some reason.

    ¡°Try it. You¡¯ll like it.¡±

    He may have done such things without putting much thought into it, but I couldn¡¯t stop thinking about it and smiling over it again and again.

    What could I do if it was something good? It wasn¡¯t a crime for my heart to flutter, right?

    After experiencing the natural unspeakable magic that occurred no matter what a handsome man said, I began to have high hopes for my journey in the future.

    ***

    The carriage that greeted me the day I came out with all my luggage was extremely nice.

    Unlike the dazzling carriages I had seen in the Darchez Duchy, it carried a dignified aura, and was made of dark varnished wood. At the same time, the decorations which weren¡¯t too excessive only added to the carriage¡¯s luxurious feeling.

    ¡°Get on.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay! I can just go there via the public carriage.¡±

    ¡°Is there a need for us to travel on the same road with different carriages?¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­¡±

    That¡¯s true. It would be strange for me to pay to rent a public carriage when there was one already readily available.

    ¡°Then I won¡¯t refuse you! Thank you.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s only natural for this to happen.¡±

    Oh my. Look, even his answer is perfect.

    ¡°It seems like I¡¯ve found a really good companion.¡±

    Aside from the cost it saved from renting a carriage, sharing the same one was a wonderful choice, as it would even take into account his responsibility for my safety too.

    I smiled happily and entered through the door Lecht had opened for me.

    The inside was just as nice as the outside. Contrary to its dignified feeling, it was still cozy. It also seemed to have a subtle scent of peony.

    ¡°Even the seats are spacious.¡±

    Is this what it feels like to ride an expensive limousine?

    I burst into laughter for no reason upon experiencing this sort of luxury for the first time.

    ¡®But what are you all doing instead of getting on?¡¯

    I seemed to have seen enough of its interior, yet still heard nothing from Linden or Lecht, so I poked my face out of the open door.

    Sure enough, the two men were glaring at each other with the cold wind blowing in the background.

    ¡°Of course, isn¡¯t it a given for everyone to ride in the same carriage together?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure why you would think that was a given.¡±

    ¡°Wow, you¡¯re so cold-hearted. Can¡¯t we share one of them?¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong must be your attitude of claiming a favor as a right.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not claiming it as a right, but it¡¯s common sense in this situation¡­!¡±

    From what I heard from the contents of their argument, what I seemed to get from it was that Linden was roughly saying that, ¡°Doesn¡¯t it make more sense for us all to get in the same carriage since we¡¯re all going together?¡±, and Lecht was, ¡°It¡¯s my carriage, so why should you get on it?¡±

    ¡°Haa¡­¡±

    I suddenly heard the sound of Linden calling out to me just as I had sighed, at a loss on who to convince.

    ¡°Meliara, can¡¯t I get on the carriage too?¡±

    ¡°Huh¡­? This carriage isn¡¯t mine, so¡­¡±

    At my words, Linden¡¯s face reflexively looked as if it were close to tears.

    ¡°Then am I supposed to follow you guys on a horse by myself¡­?¡±

    ¡°N-No, it¡¯s not that, but¡­¡±

    Since you¡¯re someone with a lot of money, shouldn¡¯t you rent your own carriage¡­?

    No, but as Linden said, we¡¯re all going the same way, so wouldn¡¯t it be strange for us to go separately? It was reasonable for Linden to get on the same carriage as us using the reason I was using to ride in Lecht¡¯s carriage.

    ¡°Meliara. Take me too¡­ okay?¡±

    Linden, who had suddenly closed the distance between us before I knew it, gave me a pitiful look. Even if it wasn¡¯t the case, I still felt as if I were bullying him, since his expression was so pitiful, like a child¡¯s, and was a mixture of both a puppy and a rabbit¡¯s.

    ¡°O-Okay.¡±

    I, who didn¡¯t want to feel like I was a gangster bullying a child, answered impulsively, causing Linden¡¯s face to brighten like a blooming flower.

    ¡°Thanks!¡±

    And then quickly climbed into the carriage.

    Ah¡­ I received yet another critical hit from his beauty.

    It was then that I catch sight of Lecht behind him.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. It¡¯s not my carriage, yet I¡­¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter.¡±

    He answered immediately before I could even finish my sentence.

    ¡°If you¡¯re comfortable with it, then do it.¡±

    He was someone who had been acting extremely firm, saying that he¡¯d never allow Linden to ride with us, but when Linden did get on the carriage with us, he acted as if it only an insignificant matter.

    ¡®Are you just trying to meddle with Linden¡¯s every move?¡¯

    As a person of the Emperor, do you not like Linden, who is ¡®the stain on the Imperial Palace¡¯? Or did the Emperor send you to ¡®test¡¯ Linden?

    Although my head was filled with all sorts of thoughts, it didn¡¯t seem to have anything to do with me, so I simply let it all go. I was just happy to be able to see these two handsome men at a glance.

    So I shouted out energetically.

    ¡°Then shall we not stop until we get to Chiban Village?¡±

    ¡­I didn¡¯t know at that time.

    That our journey to the temple would be so difficult¡­

 CH 6

    Except for stopping to eat and sleep, I thought we¡¯d be on the carriage the whole time.

    But don¡¯t tell me¡­

    ¡°Bleurgh.¡±

    I¡­

    ¡°Urk.¡±

    ¡°Meliara, are you alright?¡±

    I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d get carriage sickness¡­!

    The carriage ride was worse than I had imagined. It was like riding a never-ending ride of Disco Pang Pang1.

    Although I didn¡¯t eat much, I still kept feeling nauseous, so we finally ended up stopping the carriage.

    We managed to find a lodging nearby where I could lie down on the bed while we passing through a small village.

    Still, the motion sickness showed no sign of going away.

    ¡°That medicine really doesn¡¯t work on you.¡±

    Although I had already taken the motion sickness medicine that the knights had saved for Linden, it only tasted bitter, and showed no sign of helping me get better.

    ¡°We¡¯re trying to find a more effective drug. Just wait a little longer.¡±

    Although I felt sorry for the knights who would suffer from Linden¡¯s words, I was in no position to argue about it right now.

    ¡°Whine¡­¡±

    Kelber also struggled to rest all three of his heads on my bed, perhaps because he was also worried. I stroked his head, saying not to worry, but even that small action made it feel as if the whole world was spinning.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take a quick nap.¡±

    ¡°Yes, that would be for the best.¡±

    I lay on the bed and closed my eyes. In this case, it¡¯s best to take a nap.

    ¡®If you keep getting motion sick like this, it¡¯ll probably take more than half a month to get to the temple¡­¡¯

    It was a road that had to be driven on for three days, yet I cried out in surrender after just a day. Although the temple was also a problem, this would further disrupt my plan for asylum. I groaned at the unexpected wedge thrown in my plan.

    ¡®Chrysanthemum tea is the best for motion sickness¡­¡¯

    Even in my previous life, I also frequently got motion sickness. There were many folk remedies for motion sickness, but chrysanthemum tea was the one that worked best for me. So, whenever I rode a roller coaster or a boat, I would always carry some chrysanthemum tea with me in a thermos.

    ¡®But here, I don¡¯t even know where to get it from.¡¯

    Now, I couldn¡¯t even go and look for it, since the world would spin even if I tried to walk on flat ground.

    All I could do was lie on the bed and moan. I tried to close my eyes, hoping that ¡®time would heal me¡¯, but Lecht entered the room after a knock.

    He had disappeared as soon as the carriage had stopped, so just as I was about to ask where he had gone, I saw that he had a cult of hot tea in his hand.

    ¡°Drink.¡±

    The moment I got up to receive the cup with a bewildered mind and caught a whiff of the orchid¡¯s scent, I immediately knew what it was.

    ¡°Chrysanthemum tea¡­?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±

    ¡°How did you¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    He closed his mouth which was trying to say something, then said stiffly.

    ¡°It was Tanma. He said that chrysanthemum tea was good for motion sickness.¡±

    ¡°Ah.¡±

    Judging from the fact that it was the butler, and not just anyone else, who had said so, it seemed to be a well-known folk remedy in this world.

    I took a sip of the tea he gave me. I only took a few sips, but it completely cleansed my stomach. The uncomfortable feeling disappeared in an instant.

    ¡°Haa, it seems like I¡¯ll live another day.¡±

    The amount of chrysanthemum tea he had brought was more than enough for five people to share between them.

    After I finished drinking a moderate amount, I set the cup aside.

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    ¡°Since it¡¯s already quite late, we¡¯ll stay here for dinner tonight and leave tomorrow.¡±

    Lecht said, as if he knew that I wanted to sleep.

    I smiled timidly.

    ¡°Yep, that¡¯s fine.¡±

    ¡°I cast some heat insulation magic on the tea.¡±

    He seemed to imply that I¡¯d be able to drink it any time I want throughout the evening.

    To be honest, I didn¡¯t need the chrysanthemum tea anymore because most of my nausea was already gone, but I simply laughed without telling him the truth.

    ¡°Lecht, you¡¯re very kind.¡±

    His fingertips flinched.

    ¡°¡­I¡¯ll leave Kelber behind with you.¡±

    At his words, Kelber quickly climbed into my bed and settled down there. After confirming that once more, Lecht proceeded to leave the room without saying anything else.

    As I watched him leave, Linden, who was watching from the side, tucked me in bed and said.

    ¡°I¡¯m in the room right next to you, so just call me if you need me. Understand?¡±

    I noticed his appearance as he tucked the blanket over me tightly for no reason.

    ¡®He seems to be thinking that no matter how much I¡¯m suffering from my broken engagement, that I¡¯ll still be a good chess piece he can use, just by being the Princess of Darchez¡­¡¯

    So for him to take care of me this much is all because it fits into his scheme.

    But I¡¯m a doomed stock.

    ¡°Linden.¡±

    ¡°Why did you call for me?¡±

    I, who had already read the novel, knew just how much he wanted to bring down his older brother, the Crown Prince.

    He was compared to his older brother, the Crown Prince, for his entire life, and was chased endlessly by the powers in the Crown Prince¡¯s faction. His precious connection was killed by the Empress, and all those how approached him favorably were the Crown Prince¡¯s spies, thus, he was always a loner.

    It was the female lead, who finally touched his heart, which was falling apart after losing his last blood relative, the head of the Ezzarson Guild. It was only natural for him to fall in love with her.

    However, the novel, which had all of its narratives revolve around the male and female lead, was harsh to the second male lead. Even her, who was no different from being his salvation, was taken away.

    By his older brother, whom he had been jealous of and hated for his whole life.

    ¡®All the readers thought that Linden would blacken and revolt. And it probably would¡¯ve have happened if it weren¡¯t for the Demon King Invasion cliff hanger ending.¡¯

    When the Demon King invaded, the amount of troops that had gathered under Linden¡¯s name was enormous. It was a size that couldn¡¯t have been prepared in a short amount of time.

    That meant he must have built up the power to confront the Crown Prince a long time ago.

    So, if he was taking this opportunity to force his way through that crack that came about after my broken engagement with the Crown Prince and make me one of the people in his faction, then I was only wasting this person¡¯s precious time.

    ¡°Is it true that you have something to do in the East?¡±

    Even I, too, wanted to lighten his life a little bit.

    Because no matter how much of a schemer he was, he still wasn¡¯t a bad character. He had simply lived a life of cheating and deceiving in order to survive.

    ¡°Yeah, why?¡±

    ¡°What sort of thing?¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t tell you because it¡¯s confidential¡­¡±

    He talked without even blinking. As a character who was good at lying by nature, I couldn¡¯t even tell if his words were true or not.

    ¡°It¡¯s not because of me¡­right?¡±

    ¡°Because of you?¡±

    It was something I couldn¡¯t outright ask him, so I was at a loss for words.

    As I bit my lips, unable to say anything else, Linden came up to me with a grin.

    ¡°Although I¡¯m not sure what you¡¯re worried about, it¡¯s alright, so you can relax.¡±

    ¡°¡­Really?¡±

    If it was this guy, who could read other people¡¯s expressions and intentions proficiently, he would definitely know what I¡¯m thinking.

    ¡°Yes. I really have something to check, so we¡¯re going together.¡±

    That make sense¡­ He¡¯s such a busy kid, where would he even find the time to spare in order to try and capture me like this? To think such a thought would be far too arrogant.

    Thinking like that, I was able to let out a breath in relief.

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll believe that.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s because it¡¯s true.¡±

    He reached out and placed his hand slightly against my forehead.

    ¡°You seem to have a slight fever too. Enough, get some sleep.¡±

    ¡°¡­Okay.¡±

    I turned my body to watch Linden, who had meticulously shut my curtains, leave my room.

    ¡®He said it himself that that wasn¡¯t it, so it probably isn¡¯t.¡¯

    Even if that wasn¡¯t the case, I didn¡¯t want to make it any more complicated, since I still felt rather sick due to my motion sickness.

    At last, I closed my eyes and went to sleep at the sound of the door closing.

    Thanks to the chrysanthemum tea, i was able to quickly fall into a deep sleep.

    Unfortunately, the good night¡¯s sleep didn¡¯t last very long.

    ***

    pls do not share this anywhere or the transmigration gods will transport u into boku no pico !! this translation has been stolen from mioscorner.com, pls only read there i¡¯m begging u :kneels:

    ¡°Bring the sedan chair from the Grand Duchy.¡±

    Lecht, who had come out of the lodging, said to Tanma.

    ¡°Although it¡¯ll definitely make her less motion sick, wouldn¡¯t the real thing still be visible to to her, even if it looks like a carriage to everyone else?¡±

    The ¡®sedan chair¡¯ that Lecht referred to was a means of transport which was frequently used in the Demon Realm. Although it was brought to the human world and made to look like a carriage with illusion magic, it was actually an installation that was made by having two slug spirits the size of a brown bear carrying a sedan chair.

    ¡°Then it will only bring me closer to certainty.¡±

    Tanma burst into laughter at Lecht¡¯s words.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you certain about it, even now as well?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not just a matter of seeing Kelber properly.¡±

    ¡°Aha, so that person who thought that was the same person as the one who ran around chaotically just to find one chrysanthemum flower, right~?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Tanma said with a sly smile.

    ¡°His Majesty, at least the one that I know, would never act like that. How unusual.¡±

    Just like he said, this wasn¡¯t at all like Lecht.

    This was Lecht, who treated everyone in this world as if they were air. He was born noble from the very beginning, and never once thought of others, nor ever had to lower his head at all.

    That person then immediately overturned the village upside down, just because he was looking for chrysanthemum tea.

    He wouldn¡¯t do that, unless he thought that was her.

    ¡°You don¡¯t remember. They¡¯re completely different in appearance.¡±

    Tanma smiled softly at Lecht¡¯s blunt tone.

    ¡°But the way they smile is the same. ¡­That¡¯s what you¡¯re thinking too, right?¡±

    Lecht¡¯s fingertips twitched at Tanma¡¯s sharp sense. Tanma, who had been serving him for over 100 years, knew exactly what Lecht was thinking.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t both her memories and appearance all exactly to your expectations?¡±

    In Tanma¡¯s eyes, using the facts that he knew as an excuse only seemed to be his way of complaining.

    ¡°Are you worried about repeating what happened two years ago?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Two years ago, there was a case where a newly appeared saint of the sun god in the empire, insisted on visiting the Arvis Grand Duchy to ¡®bless¡¯ it.

    The Grand Duchy was a place that was no different from a hotspot that transported those of the demon realm to the mortal one, and was filled with the blessings of the moon god, which was worshiped by the demons.

    It was pathetic and troublesome for the saint to give the blessing of the sun god to such a place, but he was persuaded by Tanma, who said that they should get along well, so she entered the Grand Duchy.

    However, the woman saw through Kelber correctly.

    She said that there were three heads.

    Lecht was full of anticipation and placed all of his hopes on her.

    However, it turned out that the woman was only a con tractor of a demon, and not the woman he had been waiting for.

    ¡°There¡¯s no guarantee that this won¡¯t happen again, even this time.¡±

    Lecht never forgot is disappointment at that time. The feeling of his spirit being robbed and his small ray of hope that had bloomed being trampled all over.

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t Your Majesty know better than anyone else that it¡¯s different from last time?¡±

    At Tanma¡¯s point, Lecht¡¯s fingertips flinched again.

    He knew.

    Lips that would purse when anxious. Eyes that would flit around when noticed. Adoring Kelber so much. Not eating breakfast and going to find chrysanthemum tea when you were motion sick.

    There¡¯s no way he wouldn¡¯t know.

    She would be the only one in this world who could say that such an arrogant and self-centered person like himself was kind.

    Although a hundred years had passed, there was no way he wouldn¡¯t recognise her, no matter how many bottles of liquor he had poured because of the memories that would become clearer and clearer as time passed.

    god if a man could think abt me like that QAQ

    However, Lecht replied sharply to Tanma¡¯s prompting.

    ¡°Enough.¡±

    ¡°Your Majesty.¡±

    ¡°Stop spouting nonsense. That¡¯s something we¡¯re able to find out once we visit the temple.¡±

    If she was taken to the temple, he would be able to make sure she was the person he was waiting for.

    Lecht had already planned to take Meliara to the temple of the moon god, the very moment he heard that her destination was the village of Chiban. He was willing to make as many excuses as possible just to take her.

    So, Lecht was suppressing the emotions that had suddenly surged up until he was certain.

    ¡°I¡¯ll call for the sedan chair.¡±

    Tanma was also aware of the fact that Lecht¡¯s determination came from an effort to restrain himself, so the dispute didn¡¯t continue any further.

    It was when he was about step forward in order to get his job done.

    ¡°Won¡¯t we all die like this?¡±

    He heard two men talking in whispers after a day¡¯s work, looking exhausted.

    ¡°Still, won¡¯t it be fine since the fatality rate is less than twenty percent?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the case for men like us. Our parents and wife. Besides, don¡¯t you have three children? The mortality rate for children is particularly high.¡±

    ¡°Haa. That¡¯s right. Apparently it¡¯s transmitted through physical contact only, so it¡¯s been tough trying to keep the wife and children from leaving the house.¡±

    It could sound like a lament of a circumstance that could be found anywhere.

    However, the next line caused both Lecht and Tanma¡¯s heads to turn in that direction in unison.

    ¡°To think there could be an epidemic in our village, of all places.¡±

    Tanma furrowed his brow slightly and walked over to where they were.

    ¡°Excuse me. Could you tell us more about this?¡±

    [1] Disco Pang Pang is a popular korean amusement park ride where people sit on a circular machine holding onto the metal bars surrounding it and try not to get thrown off. there are countless viral videos of the host trying to shake passengers off while either making fun of them or trying to matchmake them to other passengers.

 CH 7

    ¡°Meliara.¡±

    Someone tried to wake me up.

    Still in the throes of sleep, I dismissed the voice, turning over.

    ¡°Mmm¡­¡±

    ¡°Meliara, open your eyes.¡±

    But the voice sounded quite urgent.

    ¡°Are you sure it¡¯s not that disease? Did you make a proper diagnosis?!¡±

    An angry voice followed.

    ¡°For the princess, a simple motion sickness is correct.¡±

    ¡°Then why isn¡¯t she opening her eyes?!¡±

    I opened my eyes in the commotion.

    As I squinted while my vision adjusted to the light, my field of vision slowly opened up, and saw people surrounding my bed.

    ¡°Meliara!¡±

    It was none other than Linden, who had been making the loudest commotion since earlier.

    Linden, who had been angry at the middle-aged man in white who was next to him, came closer toward me.

    ¡°You¡¯re awake?¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s going on¡­¡±

    I had been in a deep sleep for a long time¡­ When I woke up, my voice was completely muffled.

    ¡°How are you feeling? Is it hard for you to breathe?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine though¡­¡±

    I looked around at the people surrounding my bed, including Linden.

    Linden, the mister who appeared to be a doctor, Kelber, Tanma, and Lecht.

    This was a bolt out of the blue. Why was everyone watching me while I was sleeping?

    I quickly brushed my fingers through my hair to untangle it and quickly felt around my face to check if there was any dry eye mucus or saliva.

    Lecht stared intently at me, who was doing so. It was as if he were checking each and every action I took.

    ¡°Ahem. What¡¯s going on?¡±

    There must be a reason why everyone had come into the room of someone still sleeping and woken them up suddenly.

    Linden sighed in relief when I cleared my throat and asked again.

    ¡°Haa¡­ Don¡¯t be too surprised and listen.¡±

    I was already extremely surprised at my point of view when I woke up, with everyone staring at me, but I nodded without mentioning that part. Wouldn¡¯t anything be less surprising that this situation?

    ¡°There¡¯s an epidemic going on in the village right now.¡±

    ¡°What¡­?¡±

    I take back what I just said.

    There was something that was even more surprising.

    ***

    pls do not share this anywhere or the transmigration gods will transport u into boku no pico !! this translation has been stolen from mioscorner.com, pls only read there i¡¯m begging u :kneels:

    ¡°Thirty percent of the village has caught it? Isn¡¯t that extremely serious?¡±

    Listening to the story, the situation seemed very serious.

    Apparently the infectious disease that had spread in the village was transmitted through contact, and that the symptoms included age spots that spread across the skin and red spots that resembled hives. Whether it was a result of the skin being scorched internally, the failing of the respiratory tract came with it along with coughing up blood.

    Fortunately, the mortality rate wasn¡¯t that high, but even if that was the case, it wasn¡¯t as if the mortality rate was zero. Furthermore, the symptoms were severe, which made the situation very complicated.

    ¡°Sorry. Since it¡¯s you, I wanted to at least get you out first¡­¡±

    Linden sighed, suppressing the furrowing of his brow.

    ¡°Huh? No, no.¡±

    I quickly waved my hands.

    ¡°You need to keep the restrictions that you make. I don¡¯t want to be the only one who gets a privilege either.¡±

    Linden used his authority as a prince to quarantine the village. In any case, I roughly understood that it was a contagious disease that spread through contact, and that naturally we should try and prevent it from spreading any further.

    It has been less than three days since the symptoms of the disease first began to appear, and in a village that was specifically on the outskirts with not much traffic coming in and out of the village. It seemed that we could prevent the disease from spreading to the capital if someone were infected here.

    The problem, however, was that the village was now sealed off, and that even we were now trapped within it.

    ¡°If I had known this would be the case, i would have passed through this place and stopped elsewhere.¡±

    ¡°You stopped because I got motion sickness anyway. If you had tried to go through this village, I would have just collapsed in the carriage.¡±

    Linden still seemed to be feeling apologetic, so I smiled and reassured him.

    ¡°Besides, thanks to our brief stop here, you now know that there¡¯s an epidemic here and you were able to deal with it, right? Then, it¡¯s a relief instead.¡±

    To be honest, I was also a little flustered, since this was something that had never been mentioned in the original novel.

    Since the original novel was rather inattentive to the parts of the story that weren¡¯t a part of the love story between the two main leads. However, if this happened to be a major event, then it would¡¯ve been treated as an arc, so at the same time, I was relieved that this wasn¡¯t considered a major event.

    Just then, Linden¡¯s communicator rang.

    ¡°Sorry, I have to pick this up again.¡±

    ¡°Hurry up and go.¡±

    Seeing him make another apologetic expression again, I smiled exaggeratedly and pushed his back.

    ¡°I can¡¯t take up every busy person¡¯s time.¡±

    Although this was Linden, who was pretty much unknown to the public, and was the one who waited with bated breath in the struggle for power, he was still a prince anyway. The health and safety of the Empire¡¯s people was at stake, so he was handling this case as the Chief Medical Officer.

    After he left, I turned my head again to look at the city square.

    The city square, which normally allowed you to witness the people¡¯s daily lives and trivial matters, as well as the intricate patters on its floor, was now full of sick people.

    In order to minimize contact between the sick and the healthy, Linden decided to gather all the sick people together in one place.

    Since it was such a small village, the number of hospital rooms in the clinic was limited, so Linden chose a wide open space instead. Thus, the present city square was full of people lying in bed with blankets, people who still seemed to be able to move, as well as people waiting for their family member¡¯s recover just outside the square.

    Just as the knights were about to

    Lecht entered my vision just as the knights were about to distribute the blankets they had brought to the people.

    ¡°What did the doctors say?¡±

    ¡°As expected, it¡¯s hard for them to cure this with medicine.¡±

    The answer that came from Lecht, who had gone to find out how to cure the disease, was still the same as when I had first heard.

    ¡°Did you at least find out the cause?¡±

    ¡°I do have a conjecture, but¡­¡±

    Lecht looked around the square, his words trailing off.

    ¡°I¡¯ll handle that on my own.¡±

    That¡¯s fair. What¡¯s important right now isn¡¯t what caused the disease but rather, how to end it instead.

    When I nodded to indicate that I understood, Lecht looked at the blankets piled up in my arms and spoke again.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you to rest? Were you running an errand again?¡±

    ¡°The whole village is suffering, so it¡¯d feel too pretentious of me to sit alone in my room like that.¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you also sick?¡±

    Ahaha¡­ It¡¯s just a little motion sickness¡­ There are so many actual sick people around here.

    I only got motion sickness that was a little more severe, so in Lecht¡¯s eyes, I must seem like some weak little woman.

    ¡°The only way we can be on our way quickly again is if the situation also calms down quickly.¡±

    The reason I was helping wasn¡¯t because I was someone who possessed particularly good morals. Rather, it was more so that I found myself unable to sleep by myself properly in such a chaotic situation.

    ¡°By the way, it¡¯s a disease that even the doctors can¡¯t cure¡­¡±

    I switched topics before Lecht¡¯s nagging could continue.

    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we naturally contact the temple then?¡±

    On second thought, it was a little strange.

    ¡®If it was a story about a disease that desperately needs the power of the temple, then it must have been mentioned at least once in the original novel.¡¯

    Though of course, I wasn¡¯t familiar with every chapter, so there was a good chance that I missed it if it had been mentioned too lightly.

    As I was wondering whether or not it had been mentioned or not, Lecht¡¯s voice continued to sound out.

    ¡°Even if you don¡¯t contact the temple¡­¡±

    His gaze landed on me.

    But this time again, the end of his sentence trailed off. He was a man who always said what he wanted to say, simply and clearly, so I was rather surprised that he blurted out his words and trailed off like that.

    ¡®There are times when even he is unsure.¡¯

    As i looked at him with curiosity, his eyes that were making contact with mine also seemed to examine my face closely. It was as if he was hesitating whether to say something or not.

    ¡°What? Is there a way¡­¡±

    ¡°Damn it, you bastards!¡±

    Just when I was about to ask if there was a way or not, a piercing voice sounded.

    When I turned my head in surprise, I saw Linden, who wasn¡¯t too far away, hurling a dimly lit communication device at the knight next to him and ruffling his hair violently.

    I looked at him with round eyes.

    Linden always had a gentle smile in front of others since he was a schemer who used his gentle face to his heart¡¯s content. Such an appearance of him using such emotionally harsh words wasn¡¯t a sight that could be seen very often.

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter? What¡¯s not working?¡±

    I approached him and asked worriedly. It seemed like the situation was extremely bad for him to be so uncharacteristically angry.

    ¡°Oh, Meliara.¡±

    He quickly rearranged his facial expression when he saw me and quickly curled his eyes into crescent moons and smiled. But after seeing him angry once already, I couldn¡¯t just forget it that easily.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on? Who you were talking to just now, wasn¡¯t that the Imperial Palace?¡±

    ¡°Haa¡­ It¡¯s the Imperial Mage¡¯s Tower. But those guys said they can¡¯t send any support.¡±

    Linden ruffled his unruly hair even more. There were more hairs that were undone than those tied up.

    ¡°Do they understand the severity of the situation?¡±

    ¡°I already explained to them. But they said that they couldn¡¯t put manpower into trivial matters.¡±

    ¡°Trivial matters?¡±

    I turned my head to see the patients suffering and vomiting blood.

    ¡°Wuuu¡­ Older brother, if you¡¯re gone, what should I do¡­¡±

    ¡°I beg you¡­ I beg you¡­ Lord, please take me¡­¡±

    People who cried out a mourning prayer for recover for their brothers, sisters, parents, children, lovers and the like. If this was a trivial matter, how severe would things have to get for it to be considered a serious matter?

    ¡°To think that they¡¯d still play as politicians even to this very moment.¡±

    The reason why the stance of the Mage¡¯s Tower came out like that was simple. It was because it was Linden who had sent the request.

    The Imperial Mage¡¯s Tower, which had been serving the emperor from generation to generation, was naturally a strong pillar of support for the Crown Prince.

    Moreover, Linden was now strong enough to threaten the position of the current Tower Master. To the extent that more than half of the petty assassination attempts stemmed from the schemes of the Mage Tower.

    ¡°No matter how much they hate you, this is a matter of safety for the citizens of this empire.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not like this is something that could affect the reputation of the Mages Tower or the popularity of my brother.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re seriously the worst.¡±

    I clicked my tongue.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you contact them?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think they¡¯ll listen. Did you forget that my engagement was broken up in a grand manner, so much so that the whole neighborhood knows?¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­¡±

    As if he had forgotten after saying something, Linden looked at me.

    ¡°Sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to poke your sore spot like that¡­¡±

    It was cute to see the appearance of those big eyes looking at me like that, so I laughed out loud.

    ¡°Forget it. Don¡¯t worry about it.¡±

    Whether his constant glancing was watching me, or watching my reaction, was rather ambiguous, but either way, it didn¡¯t matter to me. Since it was a fact that the broken engagement didn¡¯t hurt me at all.

    ¡°By the way, if the Mages Tower doesn¡¯t work either¡­¡±

    Although there was also another way for us, which was to ask the Imperial Palace for help, unfortunately, that was a difficult option for the both of us.

    In any case, the Emperor was turning away from Linden in order to appear to support the Crown Prince, so Linden¡¯s pride wouldn¡¯t allow him to bow his head to him to ask for his help. I, too, was afraid to put a request in for the Emperor as the recent events had placed me in the Emperor¡¯s bad books.

    ¡°Then there¡¯s only the temple left¡­ Should we go?¡±

    It was the saintess and the priests rather than the Emperor who would be able to solve the situation anyway.

    However, both I and Linden had been putting off contacting the temple until the very end.

    ¡°I think they¡¯d rather me die from this plague when they hear what we have to say.¡±

    It had been less than a month since I tried to poison their saintess.

    ¡°What sort of scary nonsense are you saying.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s true. From the temple¡¯s point of view, I¡¯m probably at the level of ¡®First person they want to stab to death¡¯?¡±

    Linden tried to comfort me, but I just smiled awkwardly and scratched my cheek.

    ¡°There may be a few priests who put the safety of the people first, but even they would probably suspect that this is simply a ruse that I devised.¡±

    Linden¡¯s face became complicated at my answer.

    I clicked my tongue once again since it frustrated me that we couldn¡¯t do this or that.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m not in any position to speak since I¡¯ve done something to deserve it¡­¡±

    A long sigh came out of me naturally.

    ¡°I hate how the Imperial Mages Tower and the Temple of the Sun God can act like this since they¡¯ve basically got a monopoly on the hopes of the people¡­¡±

    Huh¡­?

    As I lamented over the Mage Tower¡¯s power trip and the temple¡¯s monopoly, I suddenly remembered an important fact.

    ¡°It¡¯s not like there¡¯s only one temple in the empire¡­¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    Not hearing my murmuring, Linden repeated his question again.

    I shouted excitedly at Linden.

    ¡°There isn¡¯t only one faith in the empire!¡±

    It felt as if a fog that had been muddling my thought process had finally been lifted.

    ¡°What are you talking about¡­¡±

    The eyes of Linden, who had been frowning, suddenly became as large as saucers.

    ¡°Meliara, you can¡¯t possibly mean¡­!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right! The Moon God!¡±

    I had momentarily forgotten.

    The fact that there are two gods in this world!

 CH 8

    Why didn¡¯t I think of that?!

    There were two religions in this world.

    The solar doctrine which worshiped the Sun God, and the lunar doctrine that worshiped the Moon God.

    Most of the empire¡¯s nobles were believers of the solar doctrine. It was an unavoidable circumstance that occurred when the Emperor himself pursued the solar doctrine.

    However, the Emperor didn¡¯t condemn or ban any other religions.

    Even the abandoned temple I was going to visit was not a temple of the Sun God, but one of the Moon God.

    ¡°On the contrary, they wouldn¡¯t welcome them, who are hostile to the Temple of the Sun God, right?¡±

    Solarists and Lunarists never got along well in the first place. They fought over every trivial matter, starting from the fact that ¡®my god is greater, your god is fake,¡¯ to the fact that the Solarists divine power was only flashy but without substance, to the fact that the Lunarists temple was completely dark and gloomy, making one feel at unease immediately.

    Therefore, since the day had come where we were shunned by the Solarists, there was a strong possibility that on the contrary, the Lunarists would like it if we asked for their help, and would think it was a way to fight back against the Solarists.

    ¡°Anyhow, even if it that¡¯s the case, the lunar doctrine is still a bit¡­¡±

    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t think so badly about them. I¡¯m sure they¡¯re good people too, they just simply believe in another god.¡±

    Linden seemed to be averse to them since he was a Solarist. But now wasn¡¯t the time to argue about that! As an atheist, I honestly didn¡¯t care which temple it was.

    ¡°But how do we call for them?¡±

    There were many sun temples around us. You¡¯d probably be able to find a solar temple just by riding a horse for a quarter of a day.

    On the contrary, the number of lunar temples was extremely small.

    ¡°Would asking a guild get the job done?¡±

    Most guilds were in charge of delivering requests for the Sun God¡¯s Temple, so I wondered whether it would be the same case for the Moon God¡¯s Temple. However, the village that we were in was so small that there may not even be a guild or anything like that.

    As I was pondering this matter, I heard a word from behind me that ended all my worries.

    ¡°That won¡¯t do.¡±

    ¡°Which part? Calling for the priests of the Moon God? Or contacting them through a guild?¡±

    ¡°The Lunar religion doesn¡¯t use the same communication network as the Solar one.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­¡±

    So they avoided using guilds since the Solar religion used it. Weren¡¯t they only putting themselves at a disadvantage just because they didn¡¯t want to overlap a little though¡­?

    ¡°Then?¡±

    At my question, Lecht snapped his fingers at Tanma.

    Tanma, who had been standing behind him, approached him and placed a small stick in Lecht¡¯s hand.

    Lecht handed it to me right away.

    ¡°Is this¡­ a whistle?¡±

    It was about the size of my finger and made out of silver. Although it didn¡¯t seem to be made into a structure that could sound out many notes, the engraving on the side of it was still very elegant nonetheless.

    ¡°Blow it.¡±

    Seeing that I showed an interest in it, Lecht gave me permission, so I put the whistle in my mouth and blew into it.

    Phweeee¡ª

    The bright sound filled the night sky. It was a pretty sound that was rather high-pitched, yet didn¡¯t pierce the ears, clear, yet not sharp.

    A loud whistle could shock or discomfort even the blower, yet it automatically put a smile on my face.

    ¡°How nice¡­¡±

    A small remark of admiration came from my side.

    When I turned my head, it turned out to be Linden.

    He looked at both the whistle and I with dazed eyes, as if he were possessed by something.

    ¡°Right? Isn¡¯t it nice?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s unique.¡±

    Lecht muttered in reply to me, who was excited and repeated myself.

    ¡°What¡¯s so unique about it?¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you a Solarist?¡±

    With his chin raised high, Lecht asked Linden.

    ¡°The sound waves of the Moon God sound unpleasant to those who are filled with the divine power of the Sun God.¡±

    ¡°Oh, so that¡¯s how it is¡­¡±

    How fascinating. It sounds different depending on which god you¡¯ve been blessed by. Although I didn¡¯t particularly believe in any god, it was still a little fascinating.

    ¡°Then why is Linden¡­?¡±

    Could it be that Linden isn¡¯t actually a Solarist¡­?

    Well, to be fair, he seemed to be an atheist, even from my point of view. Despite the fact that Linden was a prince, didn¡¯t mean that he was obligated to be a Solarist.

    ¡°Huh? Then I guess you aren¡¯t a Solarist either, Lecht.¡±

    This whistle showed that it was possible to contact the temple of the Moon God without having to visit there in person first. Then, through this ¡®means of contact¡¯, wouldn¡¯t that imply that Lecht was a Lunarist?

    ¡°How unique. Most of the Empire¡¯s nobles were Solarists though.¡±

    As he was one of the Emperor¡¯s people, I too naturally thought that he was a Solarist.

    ¡°So what happens now?¡±

    I blew the whistle according to his words.

    But nothing happened.

    The priests of the Moon God didn¡¯t suddenly appear in front of me like magic, nor were there any traces that remained of having successfully contacted them like a communication device. All I had done was blow into a pipe.

    Instead of answering my question, Lecht raised his head and looked up at the sky behind me.

    ¡°It¡¯s coming from over there.¡±

    With his eyes on the dark horizon as he spoke, I turned my head toward the direction he was looking in.

    As soon as I did so, a frightening shadow quickly flitted across the night sky which was full of moonlight. The black object cut across the wind so fiercely it made a schwing sound, and then skyrocketed into the space where Lecht and I were.

    ¡°?¡±

    The thing that had ascended into the sky then began to descent at a much more leisurely pace.

    Lecht raised his arm toward it. He raised his wrist and elbow to his eye level and made it parallel to the sky.

    That was the moment.

    Flap!

    A cool breeze brushed past me.

    ¡°Wow!¡±

    What spread its large wings and glided gracefully toward Lecht was none other than a hawk.

    Screech! Squawk¡ª!

    The hawk, which a harmonious mixture of gray and yellow, landed gently on Lecht¡¯s arm.

    Flap¡ª

    It latched onto Lecht¡¯s arm and flapped its wings once, just like it did when it shook off the wind in the sky while it was flying.

    Lecht¡¯s hair fluttered arbitrarily in the wind. His silver hair that swayed in the moonlight, those golden eyes of his which were exceptionally bright, as well as the hawk that was with him, brought together a completed sight that would remain forever engraved in my eyes.

    i would engrave that in my eyes too

    ***

    pls do not share this anywhere or the transmigration gods will transport u into boku no pico !! this translation has been stolen from mioscorner.com, pls only read there i¡¯m begging u :kneels:

    ¡°So the priests will be able to receive it straight away if we send a telegram through this guy?¡±

    I stroked the head of the hawk that was settled on Lecht¡¯s arm.

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s very convenient.¡±

    It made a squawk squawk sound and scratched its neck and torso against my hand, perhaps because it was in a good mood. A smile flowed out of me naturally, putting me in a better mood once I felt its warmth through my hands.

    ¡°Coming all the way here, it¡¯s been hard on you.¡±

    ¡°Squawk!¡±

    As if replying to my words, the child made a sound before moving its body up and down.

    ¡°The messenger bird is so cute, I want to call for it just to meet it.¡±

    To think that I¡¯d be able to see a hawk that I¡¯d normally only be able to see in a zoo or on TV up so close! This couldn¡¯t have been a more pleasant night for me.

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll go and bring you a pen and paper for you to write a letter¡­! Huh?¡±

    As I was about to move towards the lodging, I felt a tug at my clothes.

    I looked down to see a child pulling on my clothes.

    ¡°Noona1, what was that just now?¡±

    A smile came to my lips as I took in the sight of the bright-eyed child.

    I knelt down on one knee and showed the child the whistle.

    ¡°This is a whistle.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I know what this is. You blow on it when you¡¯re in danger.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±

    Although the child seemed to be talking about a self-defense whistle, despite this whistle being one that was used to contact the Moon God¡¯s Temple, the ¡®dangerous time¡¯ he referred to could still be used on the current situation too.

    It was the moment I was about to reach out my hand to stroke the head of the child who was curiously looking at the whistle.

    ¡°Urk¡­¡±

    The child suddenly grabbed at his chest tightly and fell forward.

    I, who was sitting right in front of the child, automatically reached out to catch the child.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong¡­¡±

    ¡°Cough!¡±

    The child started to cough before I could finish my question. Although he tried to cover his mouth with his hand quickly, he still couldn¡¯t hide the blood that was on it.

    ¡°Oh.¡±

    It didn¡¯t take me too long to figure out what it was.

    ¡°Miss!¡±

    ¡°Meliara, get away from that child!¡±

    ¡°No one come any closer!¡±

    I heard the voices of Tanma and Linden, one after the other, but I shouted out before they could reach me.

    ¡°Get away from me.¡±

    ¡°Woof! Woof!¡±

    The obedient Kelber, who could understand my words, barked anxiously, but didn¡¯t come any closer.

    There was nothing I could do.

    What I saw in that child was undoubtedly a symptom of the plague. I had let down my guard since that child hadn¡¯t been wearing a bracelet that marked him as someone who was infected.

    ¡°Haa¡­ The priests will be here soon anyway, so¡­¡±

    Although I couldn¡¯t say that I caught it right away since I only just made contact with the child, I still had to be careful not to spread it to anyone else anyway.

    ¡°I¡¯ll stay in my room by myself until they come¡­¡±

    I sighed while grabbing onto the child¡¯s shoulder, but then suddenly felt a warm hand covering my hand which was still holding onto the child¡¯s shoulder.

    Shocked, I realized the hand that came into my vision and covered my own one was Lecht¡¯s large one. He was sitting next to me, kneeling on one knee.

    ¡°Lecht, just what are you doing right now?!¡±

    Startled, I tried to pull my hand out of his, but Lecht wrapped his hand around my own, which was holding on tightly to the child¡¯s shoulder.

    Even though it wasn¡¯t a strong force, I couldn¡¯t pull my hand out, no matter how hard I tried.

    ¡°Lecht!!!¡±

    I grabbed him with my other hand and pushed him away urgently.

    But he didn¡¯t budge at all.

    Instead, he moved to roll up the child¡¯s sleeve.

    The symptoms on his skin that weren¡¯t able to be seen under his sleeve were now revealed.

    Realizing that it was definitely a symptom of the disease, I became even more urgent.

    ¡°Lecht, let go of me! What are you going to do if you get infected, Lecht¡­!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean, it¡¯s okay¡­!¡±

    A mixture of frustration and distress suffocated my heart.

    My head was filled with my own safety, of course, as well as the wellbeing of the child, and the safety of Lecht as well. Having imagined the terrible situation of Lecht vomiting blood, I grabbed his wrist even tighter and shouted.

    ¡°Please let go of me!¡±

    Even if I got it, I¡¯d have it by myself, and even if I got sick, I was better being sick by myself.

    ¡°I hate it when it¡¯s Lecht that¡¯s sick¡­!¡±

    That was the moment.

    I felt a burst of gentle wind from my solar plexus and flow out from my fingertips.

    At the same time, a light flashed from my hand which was enveloped in Lecht¡¯s. It was a short and intense light, to the point that I had to squint my eyes.

    Surprised by the flash, I looked at the back of Lecht¡¯s hand which was covering my own in a daze.

    ¡°What was that just now¡­?¡±

    While I muttered under my breath with a dazed look on my face, Lecht pulled up the child¡¯s sleeve that he had checked earlier.

    ¡°Huh¡­?¡±

    The spots had disappeared seamlessly. Although the wound itself that had ruptured remained, the skin disease had definitely been healed.

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    I wasn¡¯t the only one who was surprised.

    The child lifted up his clothes and checked his own body with a puzzled expression.

    ¡°Noona, I feel more comfortable breathing now.¡±

    He took a few deep breaths and then spoke, as if he were amazed. Then he raised his head and looked at me with sparkling eyes.

    ¡°Noona was the one that healed me, right? Right?¡±

    ¡°Huh? Oh, that¡¯s¡­¡±

    ¡°Wow! I¡¯m correct, right? That flash back then was you, right?¡±

    I¡­ don¡¯t know either.

    I don¡¯t know, but for some reason, I think it was me.

    Although it was groundless confidence, the light seemed to have come from my hand just then. Because I had felt an unknown energy burst from my solar plexus.

    I looked down at my hand that Lecht had released at some point.

    I could vaguely tell. That the power that had burst from my body had healed the child.

    ¡°That¡¯s why I said it was okay.¡±

    Although I still couldn¡¯t wrap my head around it, despite it having been me who had done it, on the contrary, Lecht spoke leisurely about it, as if he knew everything already.

    ¡°What is this¡­¡±

    ¡°Woah!¡±

    Gasp!

    Crackle!

    It was when I was going to ask what was going on.

    I heard a loud noise sound out from beside me.

    ¡°?¡±

    When I turned my head in surprise, I could see three people in black robes scrambling out of a portal and tripping over each other¡¯s legs.

    Although I knew that space travel portal was a special privilege given to high priests, why did they suddenly come over here¡­

    As I was looking at them in confusion, one of the people who was scanning his surroundings while falling over his own feet caught sight of me and shouted.

    ¡°That person¡­! It¡¯s that person! There¡¯s no mistaking it!¡±

    Then, he rushed toward me.

    Surprised, I staggered back, but fell instead.

    They, who rushed toward me, surround me, who had nowhere to escape to.

    ¡°You¡­ no, I mean, you2¡­!¡±

    ¡°Pardon?¡±

    ¡°Am I correct?¡±

    ¡°What¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s this person! Can¡¯t you feel this vast energy?¡±

    ¡°¡­?¡±

    They knelt down in front of me and repeatedly said ¡®ohhhhh¡¯, and ¡®wowww¡¯, as well as things I couldn¡¯t understand.

    ¡°Hey, just what¡¯s going on right now¡­¡±

    ¡°Everyone, quiet. They¡¯re speaking.¡±

    ¡°To think your voice could be so bright!¡±

    ¡°Hnggg, my eardrums are melting¡­¡±

    ¡°Wait, no, please calm down¡­¡±

    ¡°Even if I die, I¡¯ll have no regrets¡­ Hic, to think I could see you in person here before I die¡­!¡±

    ¡°I hope you get reincarnated in paradise. Meanwhile, I¡¯ll be going to hell for wanting to covet their beauty for a little longer.¡±

    ¡°So, excuse me¡­¡±

    ¡°Hnggg, if only there was a way to capture such a beautiful voice¡­!¡±

    ¡°How dare you think of trapping such a noble thing in a single place!¡±

    ¡°Hey!!!¡±

    I finally raised my voice at the appearance of them, who didn¡¯t seem to even have any thoughts of listening to me.

    Only then did they shut their mouths and look at me.

    I glimpsed the faces underneath the black hoods. All of them were looking at me with surprise in their eyes.

    ¡°Huu¡­ So.¡±

    It was when I finally began to talk since I thought I could finally squeeze a word in now.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe even your voice, which is full of anger, could sound so elegant¡­¡±

    ¡°Just a sigh from this noble one will surely be able to purify the whole world!¡±

    ¡°Are you guys crazy?¡±

    In the end, I still eventually spit out a slew of harsh words.

    [1] ?? is what a younger guy calls an older girl, so we can infer that the kid is a boy.

    [2] he uses the normal particle ?, then switches to the more formal particle which is ?? to show respect

 CH 9

    You guys aren¡¯t cultists, so what¡¯s going on?

    The epidemic is overwhelming already, but has the situation now even caused madness as well? But I heard that there was no cure for lunacy though!

    ¡°Everyone, please shut up. Isn¡¯t she unable to speak because of you guys?¡±

    Then, someone who finally spoke words that I could agree with appeared.

    Unlike them, who had rushed out of the portal senselessly, the owner of the voice walked gracefully out of the portal.

    She came up to me and took off the hood of the black robe she was wearing.

    The face that was exposed, along with her curly purple hair, had exquisite patterns that covered more than half of her face.

    Just when I was thinking that the elaborate and intricate patterns that seemed to be tattooed on her seemed to suit her copper-coloured skin, she knelt down on one knee in front of me.

    ¡°My apologies for startling you. These guys have a good heart, but are unfortunately not proficient at expressing themselves.¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s alright.¡±

    Even though I had been slightly concerned over whether they were crazy or not.

    ¡°But, who are you¡­¡±

    ¡°I see that I¡¯m quite late to introduce myself.¡±

    She continued in her dignified tone.

    ¡°I am Lydia, the high priest of the Lunarists, who serves the Moon God.¡±

    She pressed a hand to the left of her chest and bowed her head toward me.¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­! It¡¯s nice to meet you!¡±

    I quickly bowed my head in return.

    ¡°I¡¯m very grateful that you came. Huh? We had not even sent out a letter yet, so how did you know?¡±

    ¡°So the one who sent out that distress signal was you, as expected.¡±

    ¡°The distress signal¡­ Are you perhaps talking about the whistle? If you¡¯re talking about that, then I did indeed call for you¡­¡±

    However, it was when I was about to tell them that the owner of the whistle was in fact Lecht, not me.

    ¡°Oh¡­! As expected!¡±

    ¡°Heup, so this day has finally come¡­!¡±

    All of a sudden, the three hooded men and women started to kick up a fuss again.

    ¡°Silence everyone.¡±

    Lydia scolded them instead of me, who had been left startled by them.

    As they all shut up once again, Lydia reached out to me.

    ¡°Could I check your hand, just for a moment?¡±

    ¡°Of course¡­¡±

    I readily stretched out my hand toward her. My hand was once again covered by hers. Moments later, an indescribable warmth permeated my hand from where she had touched.

    ¡°This feeling is¡­¡±

    It felt similar to the sensation I had felt when I healed the child. Except this time, the wind didn¡¯t escape from my body, but entered it instead. It felt as if a rainbow had entered my heart, and spread to each and every remote corner of my body. My whole body had become lethargic and relaxed, as if I was taking a bath.

    After a few minutes of silence, Lydia finally put down my hand with a satisfied smile. She looked at me as she continued to wipe off the drops of perspiration on her forehead with the back of her hand.

    ¡°Of course, we¡¯ll need confirm a lot more things, and it¡¯ll be a long process before we make a decision, but this, I think I can tell you with certainty, even now.¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°A depth that is immeasurable and beyond what I can fathom, even with my divine power. The purity of your power that was transmitted through the power of God¡¯s whistle.¡±

    ¡°Pardon?¡±

    I tilted my head slightly, not understanding what she was trying to say as she simply spoke with an even gentler smile on her face.

    ¡°Lunar¡¯s servant, Lydia, greets the next saintess in advance.¡±

    ¡°Pardon?¡±

    ¡­Did I hear it wrong?

    ¡°You are Lunarism¡¯s next saintess.¡±

    ¡°¡­What?¡±

    What sort of pounding on the paper window while sleeping1 nonsense is this?

    LYDIA IS SO FINEEEEE

    There was a moment of silence.

    ¡°I¡¯m only asking because I think I heard wrong. But did you just say, ¡®the next saintess¡¯?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    So I didn¡¯t hear it wrong.

    ¡°So¡­ is that saintess the saintess that I think you¡¯re talking about?¡±

    ¡°What sort of saintess do you think ¡®that saintess¡¯ is?¡±

    ¡°So¡­ the one who is divine and holy, loved by all believers of that religion, with a halo that illuminates them from behind, leads the priests onto the right path with an open heart, and is overflowing with divine power, which if used, will demonstrate mysterious abilities. Is it that one?¡±

    Lydia laughed at my unpleasant explanation and said.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think you¡¯ll need to worry particularly about being divine and holy, since your existence itself already makes that a fact. The same goes for the halo.¡±

    No, that part isn¡¯t what¡¯s the point here¡­

    Even though I was the one who said it, it was still a bit embarrassing. A halo? Really?

    ¡°Although leading a priest is correct, it isn¡¯t a requirement. As a saintess, just going your own way will be enough. We will simply follow after you on our own.¡±

    ¡­But what if I was thinking of defecting?

    ¡°The amount of divine power you possess is enough to cover the whole of this world, so you¡¯re right about that part.¡±

    So what if I can cover the whole world with that?

    ¡°Now, if we¡¯re talking about mysterious abilities, then¡­ the power you show will be more than that of our priests combined, so you¡¯re also right about that.¡±

    ¡°Ha¡­?¡±

    The only sounds that came out from my slightly parted lips were stupid ones.

    ¡°But didn¡¯t the high priest of Solarism say that this body didn¡¯t have the vessel for any divine power at all?¡±

    I weeded out this strange point.

    This body had no such ability. Because of this lack of ability, she was subsequently abused by the Duke. When I thought of his evil deeds, I regretted it to the point that I wished I had at least hit his chin before leaving.

    Lydia clapped her hands at my question and spoke.

    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me, that bastard, no¡­ that guy, he¡¯s met a saintess before, yet he said that and kept his mouth shut from us? Oh my¡­ hohohoho.¡±

    The shape of those eyes that were like crescent moons, and that mouth that resembled an arc, were clearly all gentle. However, I felt an unknown fear at the sound of her laughter and the look in her eyes.

    ¡°Hohoho, did that senile geezer say that? Ohohoho!¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    It was obviously me who was in the middle of complaining, but when I saw Lydia like that, my mouth automatically shut by itself. It felt as if I¡¯d be ripped apart calmly if I even said one word out of line.

    ¡°Well, he wasn¡¯t wrong.¡±

    Lydia, whose laughter had already subsided, said.

    I tilted my head.

    ¡°But isn¡¯t that contradicting to what you just said? To have such a large amount of divine power, enough to cover the whole world, yet have no divine power at all¡­¡±

    What sort of ¡®refreshing fine dust2¡¯ nonsense is this?

    ¡°Was it a deception?¡±

    ¡°Since your lunar divine power is infinite, of course there¡¯s no vessel or place for you to hold any solar divine power.¡±

    ¡°What¡­?¡±

    It felt as if my head had just been hit with something refreshing.

    ¡°So that geezer¡­ the high priest of Solarism, was saying that you had no ability as a ¡®saintess of Solarism¡¯?¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­¡±

    Then, was it true that Meliara really had abilities, but the Solar faith simply kept their mouth shut since it wasn¡¯t their ability, but that of the Lunar faith¡¯s? That is, she was eventually harmed in the end, by the political divide between religions?

    ¡°Haa.¡±

    A sigh flowed out of my mouth.

    Seriously, what sort of unfair life was this?¡±

    ¡°Seriously, isn¡¯t life too harsh?¡±

    She would¡¯ve lived a much better life, if only she had known that she had the divine power of the Moon God.

    She wouldn¡¯t have had to act so tyrannical over the female lead in the original novel for no reason. She would¡¯ve been loved by the people as the Lunarism saintess without having to be obsessed over the original novel¡¯s male lead, the Crown Prince.

    However, her abilities as ¡®the saintess of the Moon God¡¯ which was able to solve all those problems at once, was buried by the silence of the high priest of the Sun God.

    ¡°No matter how bad the relationship is between the Solar and Lunar religions, couldn¡¯t you at least say one sentence, like, ¡®rather than us, you might have the power of the Lunar faith instead¡¯?¡±

    It felt as if my heart was boiling and had overflowed. I couldn¡¯t tell whether it was anger or resentment. I didn¡¯t know, but I could only tell that, either way, there were various mixed emotions that were swirling around in my heart.

    I grinded my teeth so hard that my jaw hurt. I thought that if I didn¡¯t do at least that, then this feeling would only fester inside of me.

    At that time, a warm heat touched my jawline.

    pls do not share this anywhere or the transmigration gods will transport u into boku no pico !! this translation has been stolen from mioscorner.com, pls only read there i¡¯m begging u :kneels:

    ¡°?¡±

    It was a rough feeling, like there were calluses, but the emotions conveyed were so soft that it felt as if the strength put into my chin had naturally disappeared by itself.

    As I turned my head in the direction of the hand, I saw Lecht, who had suddenly approached me at some point in time, who was standing right next to me and looking down at me.

    ¡°You¡¯ll get hurt.¡±

    ¡°¡­?¡±

    ¡°You get hurt so easily.¡±

    I had to think for a moment about what he was talking about.

    So, right now, are you doing that because you¡¯re worried that my teeth while get hurt? No, I know I¡¯ve been grinding my teeth, but you¡¯re telling me that you¡¯re worried about that¡­?

    What the hell happened to my image after my motion sickness for you to treat me as if I¡¯m a soap bubble that could burst at even the slightest touch?

    ¡°Is the high priest of the Solar religion the problem? Will your anxiety disappear if I dispose of him?¡±

    ¡°Dispose¡­?¡±

    Why does that word feel sort of scary¡­? It¡¯s as if he¡¯ll be dragged somewhere and disappear quietly¡­

    ¡°I¡¯ll get him away from your sight.¡±

    The moment Lecht said that, I suddenly recalled Lecht and Linden¡¯s first meeting.

    Someone who was powerful enough to make Linden, who was an archmage, take a step back in retreat.

    Besides, didn¡¯t he say that he was one of the Emperor¡¯s people?

    ¡°No!¡±

    If such a person touched the high priest, then it would only mean war.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t he someone whose face I won¡¯t have to see anyway?¡±

    I didn¡¯t even know exactly what he looked like.

    ¡°Although we had a sort of bad relationship in the past, it¡¯s easier to treat each other as if we have nothing to do with each other now.¡±

    My intuition strongly suggested that I had to stop Lecht.

    I grabbed his hand tightly and said firmly.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. Really.¡±

    Lecht looked at me without any reaction, even though I had exaggerated it a little bit. It was as if he knew I was trying to force him to stop.

    Just as I was wracking my brains, trying to think of how I was meant to convince this man who was too kind, Lydia spoke up.

    ¡°In regards to that part, we were planning on lodging a formal protest against the Solar religion anyway.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°Those tadpoles seem to have forgotten who it¡¯s thanks to that they themselves are able to be in that position today in the first place. Hohohoho!¡±

    ¡°¡­?¡±

    The sound of her ¡®hohoho¡¯ laughter was so calm and creepy, to the point where I was worried about whether I would have to stop the people on this side from fighting too.

    However, there seemed to be no reason for me to stop them from fighting when they were fighting against a religion¡­ no, but is there? If I¡¯m really the saintess, then this problem is related to me too, right?

    After thinking deeply for a while, I finally asked.

    ¡°But how can you be so sure that I¡¯m the saintess?¡±

    What did she say earlier? Was it the amount of power and purity was in my divine power? Was that what determined who was the saintess?

    ¡°There are a variety of reasons. In the future, we plan to go through various verification procedures to accumulate more certainty.¡±

    ¡°So, like what?¡±

    Lydia yanked at the string around her neck. At the end of it, was something that was similar to Lecht¡¯s whistle.

    ¡°Do you want to try blowing into it?¡±

    I did what she told me to do.

    The bright ¡®phwiiiiit¡ª¡¯ sound from earlier sounded out.

    Before I could even take the whistle out of my mouth, the hawk that I had seen earlier had already sat on my shoulder.

    ¡°Could you please give it back to me?¡±

    At Lydia¡¯s request for the whistle, I returned the whistle and stroked the hawk¡¯s neck.

    Lydia took the whistle into her mouth and blew it.

    There was a ¡®phwaeeek¡ª¡¯ sound that was sort of similar to the sound before, but was somewhat a little different.

    Although it was the same instrument, the sound that I had made when I played it sounded like one of a skilled performer, whilst Lydia¡¯s was one of whom that had just started out.

    ¡°The sound¡­ seems somewhat different?¡±

    ¡°The purer and cleaner the divine power is, the clearer the sound is once it touches God¡¯s power.¡±

    This was rather hard for me to refute. Since even I had thought that the sound I had made was rather pretty.

    ¡°But isn¡¯t it too early to conclude that I¡¯m the saintess, just from that?¡±

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s hard to explain in words, but for those like me, who have been measuring the depth and purity of the divine power of others for a whole lifetime, can¡¯t help but understand it naturally. As the saintess, you will naturally be able to feel it as time passes.¡±

    I was in a stalemate in the end. Since I apparently had a lot of divine power, and it was also clear as well.

    ¡°Then, when someone with more divine power, which is even purer than mine, appears, then does that person become the saintess?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not the case. A saintess is the only child who is directly ordained by God. There are times when no saintess appears for centuries, but there can never be two children of the same god in the same time period.¡±

    So how do you know that I¡¯m the only one then?

    I needed certainty. Since this way, the moment they find out that I¡¯m not the saintess they revere, they¡¯ll immediately throw me away.

    I hated that. When you need me, I¡¯ll be raised as preciously as gold and jade, but the moment you know that I¡¯m not, the attitude will immediately do a 180. Rather than being disappointed, they would¡¯ve thought that they had been cheated, even if I left.

    ¡°If I¡¯m the saintess, then how come you only appeared now? Why is my ability only now being revealed?¡±

    When I spit those words out, my tone was a little harsh. However, Lydia explained gently, as if she understood.

    ¡°The ability to channel divine power is not revealed from birth. Of course, a vessel, a bowl to be filled with divine power, is born with you, but it takes time for it to manifest itself as an ability.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    I nodded, as if indicating that she should continue explaining, as she smiled and added.

    ¡°The only odd one here is me, who distinguished myself at four years old, however, the rest of the priests here, all revealed the abilities at around twelve to sixteen years old. Sometimes, people¡¯s abilities even manifest, only at their middle-ages.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­¡±

    ¡°The divine power of Lunarism is one that originates from the soul. Since that power comes out with the body as a medium, the moment the soul and the body unite as one, only then is the power manifested.¡±

    Although the explanation was rather long, only one part caught my attention.

    ¡°The power comes from your soul?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    My momentary flinch may have been noticed by them.

    ¡®Then¡­ the owner of this power isn¡¯t this body, but me instead?¡¯

    My mind quickly became complicated. I thought that Meliara¡¯s power had been handed over to me the moment I possessed her body, but it wasn¡¯t that, and instead, was a power that had always originally belonged to me from the very beginning?

    All kinds of hypotheses and facts were tangled in my head, only adding to the confusion.

    As I pressed at my confused temples, Lydia asked.

    ¡°Have you perhaps seen any marks on your body recently?¡±

    ¡°Marks?¡±

    ¡°When that power begins to manifest, those signs are often revealed together.

    Lydia pointed at her face and said.

    ¡°So that¡¯s what it was¡­¡±

    ¡°Although they don¡¯t appear on everyone who has manifested their abilities, the stronger the power is, the more intense the markings seem to come out. It can be seen as evidence of the body fully embracing the power of the soul.¡±

    ¡°But I don¡¯t have that though.¡±

    Meliara¡¯s body was clean and devoid of markings.

    ¡®There were spots like that in my past life, but this body has no flaws, let alone patterns like th¡­at, wait.¡¯

    I suddenly recalled my body from my previous life. One hand instinctively headed toward my left shoulder blade. Although I couldn¡¯t see anything with my clothes on, I still turned my head to stare at my shoulder.

    ¡®Come to think of it, I had it in my past life. Something like a mark.¡¯

    Although it couldn¡¯t be said to be the same as Lydia¡¯s, it was awfully similar to hers. Although it was a marking I had existed ever since I was young, it was oddly pretty, so the aunties that would help to scrub my back at the bathhouse would always ask me where I had gotten my tattoos done.

    ¡®If it¡¯s a power that originates from the soul¡­ does that mean that I also had such a power in my previous life too?¡¯

    Then the marking¡­ don¡¯t tell me¡­!

    ¡®It¡¯s common for them to appear late.¡¯

    ¡°J-Just a moment!¡±

    I hurriedly ran into the lodging that wasn¡¯t too far away. Although I could hear Kelber chasing after me, I had no time to pay attention to that and ran straight to my room on the second floor.

    As soon as I opened the door and came in, I immediately took off my shirt. I was in such a hurry that I almost ripped my clothes off.

    I closed the bathroom door with a loud bang and stood in front of the mirror in only my underwear.

    ¡°Heup.¡±

    I turned my back to the mirror to check.

    ¡°It¡¯s really there¡­¡±

    There was the marking on my body which had never once been mentioned in the original novel. The marking that was very similar to the one I had on my body in my previous life, was no engraved on this body in the exact same place.

    It was as if my soul had put a stamp on this body, saying, ¡®this body is mine now.¡¯

    I felt as if I had just been hit really hard on the head.

    ¡°This is really¡­ my power?¡±

    In any case¡­ it seemed like I really was the saintess of the Moon God.

    [1] ??? ?? ???? is a proverb that refers to when someone does something that others cannot understand/to suddenly do or say something out of context. this stems from a legend where a man and a woman knocked on one another¡¯s paper windows to secretly indicate that they wanted to snu snu. however, knocking on one¡¯s own paper window had strange and ridiculous things occurring.

    [2] ??? ???? couldn¡¯t find anything online but i¡¯m assuming it¡¯s referring to something contradictory since fine dust can¡¯t possibly be ¡®refreshing¡¯.

 CH 10

    ¡°The purification of the people over here is finished.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve worked hard.¡±

    ¡°How about you go back and rest for a while, Saintess? I heard that you had originally stopped because of motion sickness on the way, but couldn¡¯t even sleep a wink because of the outbreak.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±

    I quickly rejected their offer.

    To be honest, even if I went back to my room now, I wouldn¡¯t be able to sleep at all.

    My mind only got more complicated after I gradually accepted the fact that I could be a saintess.

    While my mind was complicated to death, the priests continued to follow me like trained soldiers. Wait, no, them being trained soldiers was frankly too docile of a remark. Rather, they were more like ducklings who were chasing after their mother duck.

    ¡°How could you have such a pretty face and a beautiful heart? To think that you can¡¯t sleep due to your anxiety over the common people dying. Heuk heuk.¡±

    ¡°To think that I was the first priest who had the grace to see the Saintess first! Just where should I go to boast about this honor?¡±

    ¡°Were you the one who saw her first? It was clearly me who saw her first.¡±

    ¡°I was the one who greeted her first though?¡±

    ¡°Aha, no, well my hand was the first hand to be held by her.¡±

    ¡°No! If you think about it like that, then the first to hold her hand is clearly the high priest.¡±

    ¡°Fufu, I don¡¯t care what number I am. I won¡¯t ever wash this hand.¡±

    ¡­They were clearly just a group of hardcore fans. With me as their target. Although this sort of interest was rather troublesome.

    ¡°Ahem. Is there anything else I can do to help¡­¡±

    ¡°There isn¡¯t!¡±

    I asked to try and go back to what we were talking about before, but an answer came back quickly before I could even finish my question.

    ¡°It¡¯s enough for you just to sit here and look pretty.¡±

    Just sitting is fine, but what the hell do you mean by sitting and looking pretty?

    When he saw the reluctant expression on my face, he quickly inserted how he interpreted my expression as.

    ¡°B-But of course, it this was handled by the Saintess herself, it would be sorted out immediately¡­¡±

    He was the one who had looked at me with particularly sparkling eyes.

    ¡°But even if that will be the case, we still want to show that we¡¯re capable people as well. So just leave it to us!¡±

    ¡°No just when on earth did this guy get so proactive¡­! Saintess! I¡¯m definitely better than this guy! Just watch and see!¡±

    The youngest looking one of them shouted in a loud voice, before running past me, the rest of the priests following after him.

    ¡°O-Okay¡­ good luck¡­¡±

    Left all alone after they rushed out, I sat on the simple chair they prepared for me, thinking it would be awkward for me to continue to remain standing. Kelber placed his three heads on top of my legs and began to doze off.

    ¡®It¡¯s embarrassing for me to be the only one doing this when everyone else is busy working hard.¡¯

    I looked around to see if there was anything I could do, my butt constantly lifting off the chair.

    ¡®Should I help the doctors?¡¯

    The divine power from the priests could only cure the disease, but not the wounds that were caused by it, so the doctors were extremely busy.

    At first, I had wondered whether or not it was because I didn¡¯t have enough divine power to heal them. But when I asked Lydia, I found that that wasn¡¯t the case.

    ¡°You could think that way since you¡¯re so familiar with the divine power of Solarism. However, it¡¯s not that we don¡¯t, rather, it¡¯s that we can¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t do it?¡±

    ¡°The divine power of Lunarism cannot heal wounds. Lunarism¡¯s divine power has the ability to ¡®purify¡¯, but not the ability to ¡®restore¡¯.

    ¡°What exactly does that mean?¡±

    ¡°For example¡­ the divine power of Solarism is more suitable for healing bruises and fractures, while the divine power of Lunarism specializes in purification and the alleviation of mental illnesses.¡±

    The more I listened to her talk, the more I once again realized how little I actually knew about Lunarism. The moment I thought that, the road ahead felt even more daunting.

    ¡®Do I really have to be a saintess?¡¯

    I was meant to flee the country, but I suddenly became a saintess.

    If I kept going at this rate, in the event of a war, it was clear that I would become embroiled in ¡®protecting the citizens of the Empire¡¯. I¡¯d really hate for that to happen though¡­

    What sort of saintess is a self-centered person like me?¡¯

    I had never had any ties to religion in my lifetime. That was simply because I thought that if I ever had some sort of ¡®corner of faith¡¯, I would just continue to lean on it in vain. But to think that religion could be forced into my arms like this.

    Although I hoped that the verification process would would make them come to the conclusion that I wasn¡¯t one, but judging by the reactions of Lydia and the priests, it all seemed to be in vain.

    Should I just refuse and run away before they begin the process? But wouldn¡¯t they be disappointed if the saintess who had appeared for the first time in a hundred years suddenly ran away¡­?

    ¡°As a saintess, just going your own way will be enough. We will simply follow after you on our own.¡±

    Although that¡¯s what they had said, I¡¯m sure that it¡¯d be extremely troublesome for them if I fled to another country and left the Empire behind.

    ¡®But I really don¡¯t want to die.¡¯

    That¡¯s right, I really didn¡¯t want to die. I really didn¡¯t. To be more accurate, I didn¡¯t want to be in pain. It was even harder to know whether I¡¯d be able to die painlessly with a single stroke of a sword.

    My whole body shuddered just imagining the difficult and arduous life I¡¯d have to live if I was caught up in a war.

    Choosing to remain in the Empire whilst knowing that the Demon King would clearly invade was really just stabbing a death flag in my future.

    Lunarism must exist in other countries besides the Empire, so couldn¡¯t I go to a safe place like that and become a saintess there?

    But to be fair¡­ the Empire was like the Vatican City of Lunarism, so the fact that someone like the saintess, who was revered like that of the Pope, was going to abandon a place like this and hide in another was¡­

    Sigh¡­ Life really isn¡¯t going my way¡­

    Just as I was lamenting over my meaningless situation, Linden suddenly approached me.

    ¡°Just what sort of situation is this?¡±

    ¡°Oh, Linden.¡±

    ¡°Are you really the saintess of the Moon God?¡±

    ¡°At least that¡¯s what they¡¯re all saying¡­?¡±

    Though I¡¯m seriously considering just turning a blind eye to it and running away.

    ¡°How¡­?¡±

    ¡°Although they still have a lot of things to confirm, apparently I¡¯ve already met all the requirements that can be checked right now.¡±

    Well, it feels like I¡¯m talking about a product when I call it a ¡®requirement¡¯.

    ¡°But didn¡¯t the High Priest two years ago already¡­¡±

    Linden seemed to have the same question as me. Just how did I become the saintess when they had said I didn¡¯t have the ability to?

    I was able to answer it easily since it had also been a questions that I had asked.

    ¡°That was the High Priest of the Sun God. Apparently the divine power of Solarism and Lunarism are too different.¡±

    I stretched out my palm. As soon as I thought of the image of taking a deep breath in and pushing out the air from my lungs out through my fingertips, a silver wind began to gush out from my palms. It was a wind that had the color of moonlight.

    ¡°How do I use my power?¡±

    ¡°You can use it just by thinking of it.¡±

    When Lydia had explained it like that, I had wondered what sort of far-fetched nonsense she was spouting, but it really was like that.

    It was a unique power.

    Unlike magic, which required both talent and effort, this power could be used just by thinking of an imagine my head without even having to learn how to use it separately.

    When it more leaked out of my fingertips, it flowed out toward Linden, ruffling his clothes lightly. Linden looked at the divine power that wrapped around him and disappeared with a confused expression.

    ¡°Oh, will this sort of energy make you feel uncomfortable since you¡¯re a believer of Solarism?¡±

    I felt bad for only belatedly remembering that he was a believer of another religion. Wasn¡¯t this pretty much the same as sprinkling the holy water of Catholicism on a Buddhist friend?

    ¡°My bad. I¡¯ll be more cautious next time.¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    He came a little closer and knelt down on one knee in front of me. Then whispered in an urgent voice.

    ¡°Please show me one more time.¡±

    Since it wasn¡¯t too difficult of a request, I channeled my strength back into the palm of my hand once again. Another ball of tranquil moonlight appeared once again.

    Linden looked at it with a blank expression on his face, like a child who had seen a candle for the first time in their life.

    I had made the ball a little larger. What used to only be the size of quail eggs now became the size of an egg.

    ¡°Can I touch it¡­?¡±

    He asked me cautiously, as if he were asking to touch a newborn child instead. Why are you being so cautious about this? I burst into laughter since it was so cute.

    ¡°Of course.¡±

    Linden cautiously reached out to touch the light once he obtained my permission. The light climbed up Linden¡¯s fingers, as if it were happy that it touched something new, creeping up his hands and arms and finally burst into a smoky haze.

    When Linden moved his hand again, the light scattered and disappeared with a ¡®poof¡¯, as if it were shy. I still didn¡¯t know how this power behaved, so I looked at it strangely.

    ¡°Just one more time¡­¡±

    As I followed the scattered energy with my eyes, I heard a voice, as if it were deeply immersed in something. When I looked down, I saw him grabbing my knee tightly, whispering to me with an expression that seemed as if he were about to collapse.

    ¡°Sorry. Can you show me¡­ just one more time?¡±

    He pleaded with me imploringly, as if he were a person who had experienced warmth for the first time on a snow capped mountain.

    ¡°Is that not allowed¡­?¡±

    My heart ached for no reason at the sight of him, who looked like he would burst into tears at any moment if he didn¡¯t see it.

    I didn¡¯t know why exactly he was doing this. But I could still make a vague guess.

    Just how barren and poor must his life have been for him to feel so desperate toward this small amount of tenderness? I felt sorry for him once again, and felt greatly shaken at the fact that he reminded me of myself in my previous life, who had lived a rather tenacious life. It felt as if a consensus of my own had started to form for no reason.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to be sorry.¡±

    Manifesting power. Even though I didn¡¯t know when I knew, now that I knew about my power, this was easier than opening a brand new water bottle for me. If only this could bring comfort to his lonely heart, even just for a little bit.

    ¡°I¡¯ll show you as much as you want.¡±

    Such a trivial thing was a piece of cake.

    I placed his hand on top of my palm. It looked rather strange, since his hand was much bigger than mine, but it didn¡¯t matter.

    ¡°I can show you until my divine power runs out.¡±

    My divine power, which had a silver light to it, started to form once again. This time, it gathered over his palm which was in my hand.

    ¡°Did you think I couldn¡¯t even do this for you?¡±

    Linden¡¯s eyes, which were looking at me, shook violently at my words. He lowered his gaze, his face becoming strange, one that was neither one of laughter or tears.

    Seeing my power dancing softly on his hand, he finally relaxed, the tenseness eventually leaving his body. The balls of light blooming on his hand became one, then split into two, then for, and eventually became dozens, circling around his body. The light, which seemed to disappear in a fluster, seemed to get used to him over time, and stuck to him instead, continuously falling off, as if to act cute.

    I recalled what Lydia had said.

    ¡°The divine power of Lunarism is rather unique. Although it¡¯s an inanimate power, it has its own will, and as it assimilates with wielder, will be influenced by their thoughts and emotions as well.¡¯

    Just like children who tried to imitate their parents.

    So as I continued to use this power and accept it as mine, my emotions gradually began to seep into those lights, which were crystalloids of my power. So slowly, my perception of Linden had changed from, ¡®who is this? who is this?¡¯, to, ¡®a person who is okay for us to be close to!¡¯.

    ¡®Even though divine power isn¡¯t something that has life in it¡­¡¯

    It was fascinating just to see that they were moved by their own will and agitated by emotions.

    I was watching happily when Linden suddenly moved that hand that was grasped in mine. At his movement, my lights buzzed, as if shouting, ¡®he moved, he moved!¡¯, and gathered around his arms and wrists.

    Naturally, a lot of the children returned to me. Linden placed my hand, which was curled into a fist, back in his own. As if he were handling a precious chick, he gently placed it on top of my hand. With his head bowed, he whispered softly.

    ¡°¡­Th¡­¡±

    Although it was a voice that was soft enough to be obscured by the noise in the background, I could still hear it clearly.

    ¡°¡­Thanks.¡±

    That¡¯s why I was able to smile broadly.

    ¡°Mm.¡±

    We spent a long time after that with the soft breeze that was created by my divine power.

    ***

    pls do not share this anywhere or the transmigration gods will transport u into boku no pico !! this translation has been stolen from mioscorner.com, pls only read there i¡¯m begging u :kneels:

    At the same time Meliara was practicing how to channel her power, Lecht was quietly walking to the outskirts of the village with Kelber by his side.

    Since that bastard was showing his presence so obviously, he couldn¡¯t just let it go.

    Lecht, who had arrived at the end of the empty road, headed into a dark alleyway where even the moon didn¡¯t dare to cast its light. Tanma followed closely behind him.

    At the dead-end of the alleyway, the sound of a snake slithering on the ground was heard.

    Lecht stopped at a reasonable distance away from the vaguely visible black figure.

    With the sound of another slither, five pairs of red eyes shone from the ground. It was a five-headed cobra demon.

    The black figure that had the snake wrapped around its legs and waist turned towards Lecht. The glare of those icy blue eyes pierced through the darkness.

    ¡°Long time no see, little brother.¡±

    It was a soft voice that starkly contrasted those eyes which were full of vigor.

 CH 11

    ¡°Please remain courteous to His Majesty the Demon King.¡±

    Despite having Tanma already directly point it out, the man only let out a light laugh.

    ¡°Today, it seems the number of bastards following you has decreased from two to one, huh?¡±

    He whispered those harsh words gently. It was a voice so gentle it could enchant anyone who happened to be soft-hearted in an instant. A biting tone, the exact opposite of that, came out of Lecht¡¯s mouth.

    ¡°It¡¯s not like you¡¯re unaware of the fact that it¡¯s strictly forbidden to meddle with humans without permission.¡±

    His voice was so sharp that if it had been a knife, it would¡¯ve been leave that man in two.

    ¡°What would happen if you had humans come into contact with drugs that even demons can¡¯t tolerate? Fortunately it was diluted, otherwise it would¡¯ve led to nothing but death.¡±

    The starting point of this epidemic was a contaminated well. Lecht confirmed that the well contained a substance that was notoriously dangerous, even to demons.

    So it hadn¡¯t occurred naturally, but had been done intentionally by someone. Since it was a drug that couldn¡¯t be obtained in the human world, Lecht immediately knew that one of the demons had interfered.

    The man shrugged at Lecht¡¯s words.

    ¡°Ah~ Why is my little brother acting so stiff, yet again?¡±

    The man giggled as if it were amusing.

    ¡°You know that a contractor¡¯s request is an exception to that, right?¡±

    Whispering in a voice that seemed as if it were determined to seduce its opponent, he slowly approached Lecht, one step at a time. The five-headed snake also moved in a slither in unison with its summoner. Tanma flinched and attempted to take out a weapon from his spatial storage, but was stopped by a hand gesture from Lecht.

    The appearance of the man who was standing in front of Lecht was finally revealed slightly by the rays of moonlight shining from the front of the alleyway. He had hair which was black at its roots and gradually turned white near the ends, along with a lone half-broken horn that protruded from the two-toned hair. And on that skin that was so white, it made one wonder if they were really still alive, was a scar that started from his forehead and crossed over one of his eyes to reach his cheekbone.

    ¡°Since my little brother is the great Demon King, shouldn¡¯t I, as the older brother, follow such important rules that we are forbidden from breaking?¡±

    He had only narrowly toed the line, nothing had been broken.

    ¡°To think that you would raise such a basic question¡­ Has our honorable Demon King gotten confused about the rules since he¡¯s been away from the demon realm for too long?¡±

    Raising the corners of his lips, he tilted his upper body toward Lecht. If it had been toward a human, just coyly crinkling his eyes would¡¯ve already made them lose their mind.

    ¡°So that¡¯s why I told you. I¡¯ll look after that position for you until you come back.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re going too far, Sir Frody.¡±

    Although Frody¡¯s gaze slowly turned toward Tanma due to his intervention, he was quickly ignored and his attention was once again returned to Lecht.

    ¡°It¡¯s just that that seat shouldn¡¯t cool down so much, so I¡¯ll just go and heat it up a bit. What do you think?¡±

    As if it wanted to come over, the fluttering aura of temptation enveloped their surroundings. It was Frody¡¯s unique ability, ¡®enchantment¡¯, which was so powerful that even Tanma, who had lived several thousand years longer than them, flinched and had to avert his gaze.

    It was when that invisible tail seemed to move gently. Frody¡¯s face stiffened.

    ¡°Urk.¡±

    His face gradually distorted, as if he were suffocating.

    Slitherrr¡ª!

    Noticing the situation, Frody¡¯s summon rushed toward Lecht, revealing its teeth from all five heads.

    Bang!

    However, it was pressed down to the floor by Lecht¡¯s scabbard. It couldn¡¯t even budge. Both the snake, and Frody too.

    ¡°You seem to have forgotten since I¡¯ve been away from that seat for so long.¡±

    Black energy overwhelmed their surroundings and oppressed them heavily. That ticklish energy soon disappeared without a trace.

    ¡°Just how exactly I had come to sit on that seat.¡±

    ¡°Heukkk¡­!¡±

    That white face had now turned red and blue.

    Those calm yet terrifying eyes of Lecht¡¯s wandered in the direction of Frody¡¯s horns on his head. Half a horn which had a rough cross-section that remained there, as if someone had broken it off violently. Lecht gazed it at slowly before looking back at Frody¡¯s face.

    ¡°I don¡¯t like to joke around.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    The meaning behind that simple and clear warning was obvious. There was a long bout of silence.

    ¡°Keu¡ªhurk¡­!¡±

    In the end, after Frody¡¯s hand clutched at Lecht¡¯s collar urgently, only then did Lecht¡¯s energy, which had dominated their surroundings, ease up.

    ¡°Cough! Cough!¡±

    Frody hurriedly took a step back before coughing his lungs out. Lecht also removed the sword that had been holding down the snake.

    Slither¡ª!

    His minion hurriedly shrunk from its enlarged state and slithered up Frody¡¯s legs, clasping tighter to his waist. It was survival instinct.

    Although he was doing nothing but clutching at his exhausted neck, Frody waited for a long time before his breathing went back to normal.

    Frody, who was barely able to breathe again and had his waist bent, raised only his head up to stare at Lecht. Although the light in his eyes was full of life, Lecht only added with a calm expression, as if he were already used to such hateful emotions.

    ¡°Don¡¯t make me regret my first act of being ¡®merciful¡¯.¡±

    Lecht left the alleyway, leaving only heavy words behind him. Even after he left, however, the traces of the Demon King still remained in the alleyway.

    ¡°Bastard. You¡¯ve been doing well by yourself.¡±

    Frody grinded his molars together, forcibly ventilating the remnants of Lecht¡¯s energy with his own.

    ¡®Damn it. If only I had discovered her first at that time.¡¯

    What happened a hundred years ago was still lamentable.

    The necklace on the neck of Frody, whose breathing had returned to normal, suddenly hummed. His contractor seemed to be looking for him. Frody held the necklace in his hand and stared coldly in the direction Lecht had disappeared into.

    ¡°Let¡¯s see how long you can turn your nose up and look down on me for.¡±

    He had not yet accepted the outcome of the fight a hundred years ago.

    ***

    pls do not share this anywhere or the transmigration gods will transport u into boku no pico !! this translation has been stolen from mioscorner.com, pls only read there i¡¯m begging u :kneels:

    The ¡®relief¡¯ for the village took longer than expected. Just that night was enough to cure the epidemic. It was all thanks to the efforts of the three priests who had sworn to me to believe in them.

    However, the reason the village¡¯s ¡®relief¡¯ took a long time was because of what happened after that. The wounds which were left by the skin disease as well as the heartburn that was caused by the vomiting of blood all ended up being the sole responsibility of the village doctors.

    There was no helping the fact that it took a long time, since there were only two doctors in the village. In any case, since I wasn¡¯t doing anything by myself, I conscientiously went to go help the doctor.

    The treatment continued for three days, and after running around with the doctor both day and night, I finally got to rest on the fourth day. And slept for twenty four hours. I slept so heavily I didn¡¯t even think I dreamed of anything.

    ¡°Whine¡­¡±

    Perhaps Kelber had stayed by my side the entire time I slept, since he came up to me as soon as I got up and gently wagged his tail.

    ¡°Mm, I¡¯m awake.¡±

    A hoarse voice flowed out of my mouth.

    ¡°Gosh¡­¡±

    ¡°Hing. Whine.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sick. I¡¯m just hungry.¡±

    I stroked Kelber¡¯s cute head and crawled out of bed. Even after wasting a full day, I still felt tired.

    ¡®I really hate being sick¡­¡¯

    I let out a moan because of my stiff shoulders and legs.

    ¡®I¡¯m not going to do anything anymore.¡¯

    I helped the doctors since I couldn¡¯t leave and say, ¡®Then, I¡¯ll leave the rest to you!¡¯, since I had watched the situation break out. But the situation had now calmed down.

    ¡®I just hope those fanatic priests didn¡¯t talk about me¡­¡¯

    The more harrowing a situation was, the stronger the obsession with religion became. Especially if all of them had been ¡®saved¡¯ by the priests of Lunarism. Gratitude and affection in moderation was appreciated, but obsessive love was burdensome.

    ¡®Haa, this won¡¯t do. Working my body to the bone and all that for the safety and peace of other people didn¡¯t suit me at all.¡¯

    Clicking my tongue, I got out of bed and hauled my heavy body outside. My shoulders jumped as soon as I opened the door. I was proud that I didn¡¯t let out a scream in surprise.

    ¡°Everyone¡­ what are you doing here?¡±

    There was a swarm of people right in front of my door. Lecht, who was leaning against the wall opposite to the door. Butler Tanma who was right by his side, standing tall and upright. Even Linden, who was squatting down next to him.

    ¡°Woof!¡±

    Kelber, who had come out of the room with me, pushed me towards Lecht¡¯s direction. However, before my body which had been pushed could reach Lecht, someone blocked my way.

    ¡°Meliara!¡±

    Linden jumped up from where he was and grabbed my shoulders.

    ¡°Are you okay? You¡¯re not sick, are you?¡±

    ¡°U-Um¡­ I¡¯m fine except for the fact that I feel sort of off for sleeping for so long.¡±

    ¡°Really? You¡¯re sure you don¡¯t have a fever?¡±

    He even placed the back of his hand against my forehead, as if he didn¡¯t believe my words.

    ¡°Except for the fact that I¡¯m hungry, I¡¯m really fine.¡±

    ¡°Does someone who normally feels fine sleep for this long?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡±

    I didn¡¯t know that news of me sleeping would spread this much¡­

    ¡°I was already tired all the time because of motion sickness, but I guess this must have happened because the incident developing without a chance for me to catch my breath.¡±

    Come to think of it, it was a very dynamic ten days. After I had my engagement broken off and got disowned by my family, I left the house and met Lecht and Linden and happened to stop at a village where an epidemic broke out due to my motion sickness. As if that wasn¡¯t enough, there was even the sudden point of priests appearing. After that, I ran around the village with a doctor to treat the people with the disease. It was as if the incident had raged on without rest for not even an hour, or a day of rest.

    ¡®It¡¯s amazing that I didn¡¯t pass out even earlier from being overworked.¡¯

    If I alone had done it without the priests coming to heal the plague, I might¡¯ve even suffered from a nosebleed. My shoulders trembled at the terrible image.

    ¡®Oh right, Linden.¡¯

    My trembling was felt by Linden, who was still holding my shoulder.

    ¡°Look, there¡¯s clearly something wrong with you.¡±

    Linden looked at my complexion with a tearful expression on his face. To be honest, his pale complexion was more of a concern than mine was.

    ¡°It¡¯s you, not the people who will be taken care of.¡±

    He muttered in a sorry voice.

    ¡°It would¡¯ve been nice if I had known how to do healing magic¡­¡±

    I quickly shook my head in the face of the look of depression that seemed as if it would fall into a hole in the ground.

    ¡°Forget it, what healing magic?! I¡¯m tough!¡±

    I raised both my arms to show off my non-existent biceps.

    Healing magic was one of the types of magic that Linden had deliberately not learned. He had thought that if he knew that he had a talent for magic earlier, he would¡¯ve been able to learn healing magic and save his poisoned mother. That incident completely twisted his mind.

    Instead of hurriedly learning to be proficient in healing magic to prevent such things from happening in the future, he turned a blind eye to healing magic in order to erase the anger he had felt at not knowing such an easy thing in the past.

    In any case, she hadn¡¯t been able to survive. That was how that child had consoled himself. Those were words that dug at his own weaknesses and wounds, so I hurriedly comforted him.

    ¡°If it was needed, the doctors and priests would have already taken care of it, right?¡±

    I couldn¡¯t trigger his trauma just because I was having a hard time.

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s just fatigue. Don¡¯t you also get tired from working too much? It¡¯s just like that.¡±

    I explained again and again that I was never sick. Nevertheless, Linden still had an unsatisfied expression on his face. The expression on his face was so convincing that I started to get confused over whether this was to trap me further into his scheme or whether he was actually serious or not. Just like that evening when he had begged me to show him a little more of my divine power.

    ¡®He¡¯s simply too good at acting¡­¡¯

    When I had read it just as words on a page, I had found it strange and thought, ¡®People fall for this? All the while being aware that he¡¯s simply using his beauty?¡¯, but now I understood. It was just his beauty, but his eyes, facial expressions, gestures, everything about him completely and perfectly captivated me and dragged me into his scheme.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine. Really, I¡¯m serious.¡±

    I, who was about to encroach into his domain, sneakily pushed him away from me to talk. However, his hand didn¡¯t seem to have any thoughts of leaving my shoulder. I raised a hand to separate us, but a hand suddenly grabbed my wrist.

    That warm hand simultaneously removed Linden¡¯s arm from me and pulled me toward them. Although the force behind it wasn¡¯t very strong, my body still naturally tilted in the direction the man was pulling, like flowing water.

    Plop¡ª

    And fell into a scent I liked. The embrace that held me warmly was large and cozy, making it more comfortable than any blanket I had ever used. A deep voice that was sweet enough to melt away all my fatigue whispered.

    ¡°Don¡¯t overdo it.¡±

    It was not an unusual phrase, but at the same time, those words that were full of warm feelings flowed softly into my ears.

    ¡°If it¡¯s hard, complain.¡±

    Thump thump thump thump thump.

    My heart rate quickly broke through the roof in an instant and soared like crazy high into the sky.

    If it¡¯s too hard, it¡¯s okay for you to complain.

    In fact, it was actually a phrase that I had always wanted to hear since I was very young, yet no one had said that to me.

    ¡°Even if it¡¯s you, it¡¯s okay nonetheless.¡±

    In that moment, the tears that I couldn¡¯t bear to hold back suddenly came pouring out.

 CH 12

    I was once the biggest tomboy in the orphanage. There was no other child who could make up such creative pranks like me, nor was there ever a child like me who received the most scoldings from the teachers.

    ¡°Teach, here¡¯s a present~!¡±

    ¡°Ahhh! What is this?!¡±

    I would bring a frog as a gift and hide it in the teacher¡¯s desk drawer.

    ¡°Ara, did I or did I not just finish erasing all the graffiti you drew last time?¡±

    ¡°I drew a new drawing! This time, it¡¯s a puppy that even the teacher would like!¡±

    I had scribbled as if marking areas everywhere, regardless of whether it was on wallpaper or an outer wall. With the other children, I would make the teacher suffer by hiding all of the teacher¡¯s writing aids in the playground or deliberately get myself extra dirty during playtime.

    ¡°Ara Lee! Just where on earth did that child go again?!¡±

    Whenever I heard my name ring out loudly in the orphanage, I would feel happy for no reason. Even if it wasn¡¯t love, I found it satisfying as long as I had a stake in the teachers¡¯ heads.

    Then one day, the director of the orphanage called me in. I walked in grumbling, wondering if they were going to tell me I had caused a mess or scold me again, but the director of the orphanage unexpectedly didn¡¯t look angry. Instead, they gave me the coke that I liked and had me sit down on the sofa.

    ¡°Although I¡¯m not sure you think of me, I sincerely support your future.¡±

    The director, who had only approached me intimidatingly, spoke in a friendly voice that didn¡¯t suit them.

    ¡°Now that you¡¯re a full-fledged teenager, I have something that I have to tell you.¡±

    It was about a month before my middle school entrance ceremony.

    ¡°You should¡¯ve felt it in primary school, but you are very different to the other kids in your school.¡±

    ¡°Because I don¡¯t have a mom and dad?¡±

    ¡°¡­That¡¯s right.¡±

    I vaguely remembered that the director had smiled painfully at the fact that he had thoughtlessly spit out.

    ¡°But compared to other kids who only have one mom and one dad, I have five teachers who are like my mom and five uncles who are like my dad.¡±

    The cleaning lady, the bus driver who drives me to school, as well as the faculty staff uncle on the second floor who gives me candy everyday.

    ¡°Yes, we¡¯ve always cherished that positive spirit of yours.¡±

    The director patted my head affectionately.

    ¡°But Ara, this world is not as optimistic or as tolerant as you are.¡±

    ¡°?¡±

    ¡°Since you are different from other children, the world will view you differently, even if you do the exact same thing.¡±

    ¡°Um¡­ it¡¯s hard for me to understand what you mean.¡±

    The director spoke in a more serious voice.

    ¡°It means that you will have to start taking responsibility for your actions and words.¡±

    I left the director¡¯s office without understanding what it meant in the end. It was only after entering middle school for a few months that I finally came to understand the meaning of what they said.

    ¡°Ah, I was hit in the back by my mom again because I was playing games yesterday. Aren¡¯t my mom¡¯s slaps getting more painful day by day?¡±

    As always, my classmates were chatting about what was happening at home. It was a conversation that was rather trivial since everyone had experienced something like that. So I also shared my daily life that was rather trivial.

    ¡°Me too. I was watching the video you sent me yesterday but got hit on the back by the teacher for using my phone while eating.¡±

    But the moment I said that, the surroundings immediately became quiet. The two in front of me looked at me in shock and seemed taken aback. They tried to gauge my mood, exchanged glances with each other before asking me cautiously.

    ¡°This might be crossing the line, but¡­ do the helpers at the orphanage normally hit a child like that?¡±

    ¡°Do they do it often?¡±

    I was speechless. It was something I often saw. Children who were scolded by their teachers for just playing on their phones. At worst, they¡¯d be confiscated. So I had talked about it casually, but the conversation had gone in a completely unexpected direction.

    ¡°If that happens a lot¡­ isn¡¯t that child abuse then¡­?¡±

    ¡°Do they hit you really harshly? Then¡­ shouldn¡¯t we report this?¡±

    ¡°What sort of nonsense are you talking about? It¡¯s exactly the same as when you got smacked on the back by your mom for using the computer.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t¡­ isn¡¯t that a little different from this¡­?¡±

    Even the friends who asked were cautious. Their voices were full of doubts, as if they weren¡¯t sure.

    ¡°My mom is my mom. The orphanage helper is¡­ um¡­¡±

    I pursed my lips tightly at the sight of my friend¡¯s eyes darting here and there without finding the right word. I wasn¡¯t sure what sort of existence a mother was since I had only seen it in books and videos. But if what was in those books and videos was a mother, then to us, our mother was the helpers at the orphanages. However, other people didn¡¯t seem to see it like that.

    ¡°Ah, in any case, if it gets worse, be sure to tell us, okay? Since that¡¯s a really serious problem.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. We¡¯ll protect you.¡±

    My two friends said firmly, but that only confused me. As I looked back on that days conversation several times on my way home from school, I began to understand what the director had said to me. Even if i did the same thing, the world would view it differently. So that¡¯s what it meant. In my point of view, what those children had experienced and what I had experienced hadn¡¯t been very different, but my ¡®complaint¡¯ had suddenly inflated into a serious social problem. And then I realized.

    ¡®I probably shouldn¡¯t complain about things like that anymore.¡¯

    That would make those who heard it feel awkward, and may even harm those around me. Upon realizing that, I changed my behavior. I became cautious in order for them to be unable to find any faults in me, and didn¡¯t speak recklessly on ¡®trivial complaints¡¯ that would clearly show the difference between us.

    I didn¡¯t think it would be that difficult. Wasn¡¯t it just having no one to rant to about my injustice and being unable to relieve my anger and shutting up and retreating when I came across an unfair situation? In other words, it simply meant that I wouldn¡¯t be able to let anyone know about those minor ¡®complaints¡¯ that anyone could make, such as, ¡®How nice, we didn¡¯t get any money for new year¡¯s¡¯.

    I thought it wouldn¡¯t be a big deal. But I didn¡¯t realize until later.

    How big of a difference it would make over whether I was able to spit out a small word of complaint or not. Everytime I swallowed a complaint, it felt as if a small stone was weighing down on my chest, and over time, as the stones piled up and up, they eventually crushed me. My small, insignificant worries that I had turned a blind eye to began to fester.

    Accurately trying to explain what the problem was only yielded an ambiguous answer, so it was difficult for me to shake off this twisted emotion that had come from someplace. Even though I was clearly aware of how it was affecting me, I swallowed every single grudge I had and internalized it, as if it had become a habit. I destroyed myself internally and caused my fatigue to quickly pile up, as if I was waiting for someone to give me permission to complain to them.

    But someone said something like that to me for the first time. If it¡¯s too hard, it¡¯s okay for you to complain. It was a phrase that alleviated the heavy burden that the world had put on me.

    ¡°Heuk¡­¡±

    Something which had been tangled deep in my heard suddenly threatened to surface as I grabbed the collar of the person hugging me and started to sniff. I didn¡¯t want to cry, but my tears kept flowing out.

    I knew that everyone was having a hard time. Since there¡¯d always be talk of chronic fatigue and suicide on the TV and the internet. So I knew that there were people who endured worse conditions than me, and that there were a lot of people who bore a greater responsibility than me.

    The same was true of this epidemic. They almost lost their lives, and some could lose their friends, colleagues, or even their only family. Knowing how frightening and difficult it must have been, I had no choice but to follow the doctors for three days until I collapsed out of exhaustion. Since my fatigue couldn¡¯t possibly be compared to their pain.

    So even though I knew my pain was extremely insignificant¡­ even if that was the case, I still hoped that someone would understand. I wanted to complain.

    ¡°Huhuheung¡­¡±

    I eventually burst into tears.

    I didn¡¯t tell you that I wanted to complain, but you knew. What was this, it felt warm and grateful.

    Although I was extremely shy and embarrassed, I felt relieved to be able to think, ¡®It¡¯s okay for me to do that too¡¯.

    ¡°Uhuhuuuu¡­¡±

    I buried my face in the man¡¯s shoulder and shook off my grievances for a while

    ***

    pls do not share this anywhere or the transmigration gods will transport u into boku no pico !! this translation has been stolen from mioscorner.com, pls only read there i¡¯m begging u :kneels:

    Isn¡¯t everyone aware of it? When you cry, it feels as if the whole world resents me, so you cry harder, but after you finish crying, the belated embarrassment that comes rushing in so big.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    In what right mind would a grown woman cry like that in the arms of an unfamiliar man? Oh, right. I must¡¯ve cried because I was out of my mind.

    ¡­But now what should I do?

    With my face still buried in his firm shoulders, I urgently tried to wrack my brain for ideas. Now, no matter how much I squeezed my eyes, the tears didn¡¯t seem to want to come out anymore. I was so embarrassed to the point that I couldn¡¯t bear to lift my head up that I wished that I had just collapsed from exhaustion after crying instead.

    Then his voice resonated in my ears.

    ¡°You must be hungry after lying in bed for such a long time.¡±

    Gurgle~~.

    As soon as he finished speaking, the sound of thunder roaring sounded from my stomach.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    A moment of silence passed.

    Ah shit¡­ so embarrassing¡­! Where¡¯s the doghole? Even if it¡¯s a mouse hole, I just want to stuff Lecht in it and run away¡­

    ¡°I heard that their rye bread is their specialty here.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Would you like to go down and eat? Or would you like me to bring it to your bed?¡±

    To what he had added, my stomach answered instead of my voice.

    Glug~

    Another short moment of silence passed as I felt a puff of breath from his laughter brush past my ears. Embarrassed, I didn¡¯t even have time to ascertain to what that sound was.

    ¡°Excuse me for a moment.¡±

    ¡°Kyaaa!¡±

    As soon as he finished speaking, my body suddenly felt light. I looked down at him, startled by the sudden elevated view I had.

    ¡°Wh-What are you doing!¡±

    ¡°Because you didn¡¯t seem to want to move.¡±

    ¡°That¡­!¡±

    It¡¯s because I¡¯m too embarrassed to raise my face!

    ¡°I thought you didn¡¯t have any strength in your legs since you hadn¡¯t eaten anything, so I thought to just move you directly by myself.¡±

    ¡°My legs are fine¡­!¡±

    So I had said that in a way of inadvertently wanting to be let down, but he replied with an irrelevant answer.

    ¡°If you¡¯re uncomfortable, should I hold you differently?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not what¡¯s important right now.¡±

    ¡°If you hate it, then I¡¯ll put you down.¡±

    The words of him, who was looking up at me, made me speechless.

    ¡°It¡¯s not that I hate it, but¡­¡±

    Although I was surprised, I didn¡¯t hate it. Although it was embarrassing, it was never something I hated. It was the first time someone had lifted me up like this after the teachers at the orphanage had done it when I was very young. Oddly enough, my heart felt slightly ticklish, perhaps because it had also brought back a lot of my childhood memories.

    ¡°I¡¯m heavy¡­¡±

    But unlike when I was small, I was now an adult. Both my height and heart had grown so much that it had now become heavy.

    At my muttering, Lecht let out a hmm before saying.

    ¡°If this is heavy, then what the hell is light?¡±

    Those words that contained sincere questions sounded sweeter than nonsense such as, ¡®No, you¡¯re light¡¯, or, ¡®It¡¯s fine¡¯, so my face flushed bright red.

    ¡°Then something like a feather¡­ that¡¯s light¡­¡±

    Embarrassed by his needlessly serious question of him asking me to tell him, I hid my face with both hands and muttered softly in reply.

    ¡°A feather you say.¡±

    He repeated my gibberish and little by little began walking.

    ¡°Feathers are hard.¡±

    ¡°¡­?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s hard to hold onto something so light it might fly away.¡±

    ¡°¡­!¡±

    My face, which had barely calmed down, turned red again. Was he saying that feathers were hard or that it¡¯d be hard for me to be like a feather? I didn¡¯t know exactly what he was trying to say, but my brain automatically interpreted his words in a sweet way. I felt my heart flutter at those meaningless words of his.

    As I shut my mouth in order to reorganize my thoughts by myself in my fantasy, he quietly added.

    ¡°Even if that¡¯s the case, since you like feathers, then we¡¯ll go with that.¡±

    He said while staring at my blushing face.

    ¡°Your job is to do whatever your heart desires. It¡¯s up to me to follow you.¡±

    Thump thump thump.

    My heartbeat was the first to respond. Then my breathing hitched and halted, the nerves in my whole body tingling and coming to a standstill. My face was already red so I didn¡¯t know if it could turn any redder, but what was certain was that my cheeks were as hot as the stones in the desert. Lecht was clearly saying this because I was the saintess.

    As a saintess, just going your own way will be enough. We will simply follow after you on our own.¡±

    What he had said obviously hadn¡¯t been any different from what Lydia said. But why did it sound so different? Was it because of his handsome face? Is it because I¡¯m a straight woman, and Lydia is a woman and Lecht is a man? Or¡­

    ¡°Saintess!!!¡±

    My thoughts, which had been floating around in confusion, were cut off by a sudden disturbance.

 CH 13

    At some point in time, the three musketeers who had been running towards us had finally arrived on the first floor.

    ¡°Gosh, what should we do?! Our saintess¡¯s beautiful face has shrunk to half its original size!!¡±

    ¡°Huhuhu¡­! That¡¯s why I told you not to overwork yourself!¡±

    ¡°Oho, then I wonder just who was the one who had said that the appearance of our saintess working was dashing?¡±

    The three musketeers were just as lively as usual today.

    At some point in time, the three musketeers who had been running towards us had finally arrived on the first floor.

    ¡°Gosh, what should we do?! Our saintess¡¯s beautiful face has shrunk to half its original size!!¡±

    ¡°Huhuhu¡­! That¡¯s why I told you not to overwork yourself!¡±

    ¡°Oho, then I wonder just who was the one who had said that the appearance of our saintess working was dashing?¡±

    The three musketeers were just as lively as usual today.

    ¡°Saintess, please come over here! I¡¯ve already prepared a chair and table.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve already wiped it to the point it¡¯s shining. After all, our beloved saintess shouldn¡¯t come into contact with even a speck of dust.¡±

    ¡°The food will be out soon. Something that¡¯s warm that¡¯ll relieve your fatigue!¡±

    Although I hadn¡¯t even said a single word, they all moved in different directions for me.

    I desperately wanted to hide at the sight of them, who seemed blind to the fact I was embarrassed by the people around us looking at us, but Lecht sat me down on the chair they had prepared for me as if it were natural.

    Then, Lecht settled down in the chair next to me.

    ¡°Water, milk and juice, have all been prepared for you to drink. Of course, the rice flour drink you drank last time is also here.¡±

    ¡°Rice flour¡­? Oh, the multigrain shake¡­¡±

    ¡°What do you want?¡±

    ¡°U-Um, there are so many options¡­¡±

    When I hesitated, Lecht beckoned toward Tanma who was next to me.

    ¡°Bring it all out.¡±

    Gasp.

    ¡°Yes, I understand.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    Lecht, who shows excessive care as if it were natural, and also Tanma, who follows his orders as if it were natural.

    These men¡­ even though you pretend you¡¯re not, inwardly, you¡¯re no different from those hardcore fans, the three musketeers, right¡­? Is the appearance of the saintess of the moon god that incredible?

    It would¡¯ve been rather ungrateful of me to tell them not to do so, so as soon as my eyes flicked back and forth, a variety of food and drinks came out. It was such a generous sight it seemed as if the table legs would bend under its weight.

    Did they want me to eat all of this by myself¡­? You¡¯re sure this isn¡¯t actually a buffet instead?

    ¡°You all must be hungry, right? Sit down. Let¡¯s eat together.¡±

    ¡°Were you worrying about the stomachs of our lowly selves?! To think that the next saintess is such a nice person! We¡¯ve succeeded now!¡±

    ¡°Hic, hic, hic¡­ I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m sitting at the same table as the saintess¡­! To think that this sort of honor would be bestowed on me whilst I was still alive¡­!¡±

    No, I was actually suggesting to eat it together since there was to much, but I didn¡¯t know that you¡¯d actually interpret it that way.¡±

    ¡°I did it since it¡¯d be a waste if there was a lot leftover.¡±

    If I just leave the story as it is, it felt as if the story would swerve off in a strange direction and people might begin to praise me, so I just spoke honestly instead.

    However, hardcore fans weren¡¯t hardcore fans for no reason.

    ¡°How wise, to even think about food wastage!¡±

    ¡°Huhuuuu, she¡¯s even someone who cares about the environment¡­ Our saintess is the best¡­¡±

    Sigh¡­ Let¡¯s just not talk at all.

    ¡°Uwahhhhh, I¡¯m going to trust god diligently and donate a lot from now on¡­¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you already a priest¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m already doomed. I covet the beautiful appearance of the saintess so much that I¡¯ll fall into the depths of hell due to excessive greed anyways.¡±

    ¡°Pardon? What sort of reason to go to hell is that?¡±

    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go to hell together. I¡¯ll go happily.¡±

    ¡°Huhuuu, the rye bread is so tasty¡­ the saintess is so pretty¡­¡±

    ¡°Pfft.¡±

    I eventually burst into laughter listening to their continuous stream of words.

    ¡°Hahaha! What¡¯s with you all? Ahahaha!¡±

    Saying that you¡¯d go to hell for seeing my face too much, and saying that you¡¯d go to that same hell happily. Although I¡¯m sure the rye bread was delicious, was it possible for one to cry because I was too pretty?

    They were all just nonsensical words, yet they all had one thing in common.

    The fact that they liked me.

    It¡¯d be a lie for me to say that I wasn¡¯t burdened by their blind liking toward me.

    However, there wouldn¡¯t be many people in the world who could hate and reject someone who liked them. Especially if it was such a pure show of affection like this.

    ¡°I¡¯ll keep a firm hold of your priests so you don¡¯t fall into hell, so stop crying and eat.¡±

    I laid out a lot of rye bread, which was the local specialty here, in front of them.

    ¡°Eat well and help me out. We need to gather our strength in order for us to put the village in order.¡±

    I decided to accept their blind faith and unconditional love.

    Let¡¯s first put aside my worries over whether I should accept being a saintess or not, and what I should do with fleeing the country. Whether or not I¡¯m the saintess, I would enjoy their lavishing of affection on me first.

    That¡¯s not something that¡¯s too hard for me to do, right?

    ¡°Yes, saintess!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll follow you!¡±

    ¡°Thank you for the food!¡±

    Watching them boldly stuffing food into their mouths, I was able to continue eating with a happy heart.

    ***

    pls do not share this anywhere or the transmigration gods will transport u into boku no pico !! this translation has been stolen from mioscorner.com, pls only read there i¡¯m begging u :kneels:

    The sound of Meliara¡¯s laughter resonating was so refreshing it was even able to pass through the closed window. There was a man who was watching her outside of the window near the alley.

    ¡®Was she someone who knew how to laugh like that?¡¯

    Linden¡¯s expression was complicated as he leaned on the other side of the alleyway, looking at her.

    The first time he had met Meliara was at the temple.

    His first impression of her had been, ¡®she really is pretty¡¯.

    Although he had known that she was a beauty through the rumors, she really was very pretty.

    However, it hadn¡¯t been very pleasing to see her yelling at Saintess Olivia, and seeing her cling to his older brother, the Crown Prince, had been rather disgusting.

    The only reason he had approached her was because she was the Princess of Darchez, and was also his brother¡¯s fiancee.

    Since he had thought that as long as he used her properly, he¡¯d be able to suck out the sweetest juice1.

    The woman he gradually got to know more of was no less of a miserable person than he was. She severely lacked affection.

    Thus, she was a woman who would open her heart to me with just a few whispers of sweet words and wide smiles.

    Thanks to that, he was able to extract some information on the crown prince as well as the resources of the nobles who stood in the Duke¡¯s faction.

    Though of course, she later noticed what he was doing and tried to keep her distance. Since there was no need for her to be hated by the Duke over helping the Prince of Misfortune.

    Nevertheless, she was a woman who couldn¡¯t heartlessly cut him off. Because even the false affection he had given her was like a much-needed rainfall in a drought in her heart.

    ¡®I thought I had her all figured out.¡¯

    However, ever since he had reunited with her in the capital, she had changed.

    He had thought she had come to meet him since she had personally come to the inn that he owned, but¡­

    ¡°Y-Yeah, how have you been?¡±

    The smile on her embarrassed face seemed as if she didn¡¯t know she¡¯d meet him. He had wanted to tease the innocent expression he had seen for the first time.

    ¡°Call me Linden.¡±

    ¡°You know, just like how I¡¯m your only friend, you¡¯re my only friend as well.¡±

    He thought she¡¯d push him away like always while saying, ¡°Please don¡¯t be like this¡±.

    However, he heard something surprising instead.

    ¡°If Your Highness ever needs comfort someday, please come and find me. Although I can¡¯t say anything particularly cool, I can still lend a listening ear to you.¡±

    It was a refreshing surprise.

    Was she someone who could afford this sort of mindset?

    No, the woman he had clearly known obviously wasn¡¯t like that. She was a woman who was always urgently trying to attract even the slightest bit of visible affection to herself. She was a woman who couldn¡¯t afford to be considerate and understanding to the emotions of those around her.

    ¡°Alright, Linden.¡±

    ¡­She wasn¡¯t a woman who knew how to smile so beautifully.

    ¡°I¡¯ll show you as much as you want. I can show you until my divine power runs out.¡±

    She wasn¡¯t a woman who knew how to make a sacrifice for others.

    Linden bowed his head and looked down at his palm.

    ¡°Did you think I couldn¡¯t even do this for you?¡±

    There was no way she could be this warm. It was obviously not possible.

    ¡°If it¡¯s hard, complain.¡±

    ¡°Hic¡­! Huhuheung¡­¡±

    Seeing her sobbing over a few words of comfort which was like nothing, Linden felt his heart breaking.

    Just how many things had she bottled up and held onto tightly inside?

    Instead of changing after her engagement got broken off, perhaps she had always been like that.

    Perhaps she had lived hiding her true self due to the crushing pressure of being the crown prince¡¯s fiancee as well as holding the position of a princess.

    And now that she had been freed from it, maybe her true character was being revealed.

    ¡°Haa.¡±

    Linden closed his eyes and instinctively leaned his head against the wall.

    The warm lights she had made that evening probably wouldn¡¯t be forgotten any time soon for a long time.

    In any case, perhaps he had fallen into a deep pit of emotions that he couldn¡¯t escape from now.

    What had started off as simply being her companion in order to find out why Grand Duke Arvis had showed an interest in her had now developed into a burden too large for him to handle.

    It was a burden that burst out of his heart, one that he couldn¡¯t get rid of on his own.

    ¡°Your Highness.¡±

    Linden, who was taking a deep breath, opened his eyes at the voice of his subordinate calling out to him.

    When his eyes flitted over, he saw the special agent he had sent to bring news from the capital.

    ¡°What of the news I told you to investigate?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s exactly as you¡¯ve expected.¡±

    Linden turned his head around to fully face him.

    ¡°A few days ago, the saintess of the sun god, Olivia, disappeared from the temple and was discovered not too far from here, collapsed, exactly like you said.¡±

    That beautiful face furrowed their eyebrows and frowned.

    ¡°The temple seems to have been working on something discretely, but¡­ this doesn¡¯t seem to have been the first time they¡¯ve done exactly as you¡¯ve thought.¡±

    It was the moment the Pandora¡¯s box, which shouldn¡¯t be opened if you were a believer of the sun god, was opened.

    ***

    Last night, while Meliara was still asleep, Lecht and Linden both stood in front of her room.

    ¡°If you have something to say, then say it.¡±

    Lecht was the first to break the silence, perhaps because Linden¡¯s constant glancing irritated him.

    His voice was so sharp it felt as if a sword had just brushed past, completely different from when he was dealing with Meliara.

    Linden asked boldly, not feeling too particularly hurt by it.

    ¡°I know the Grand Duke isn¡¯t interested in ¡®this side¡¯.¡±

    When it comes to ¡®this side¡¯, it naturally referred to politics. And when it comes to Grand Duke Arvis, he was famous for ignoring all exchanges of power.

    ¡°I have no interest.¡±

    ¡°Then to Meliara, why did you¡­¡±

    A few weeks ago, Linden thought Meliara would no longer be worth investing in as soon as he heard that the engagement between Meliara and the Crown Prince had been broken off.

    When she had even come to his own lodging that he owned, he thought to just deal with it appropriately and shake her off, since it seemed as if she were trying to cling onto her last straw.

    Though of course, he had been a little shocked by the change in temperament which was different to what he had thought when he met her.

    However, wasn¡¯t the Grand Duke Arvis, who had suddenly appeared out of nowhere, showing an interest in her now?

    So he followed them.

    If he could use Meliara to bring Grand Duke Arvis into politics, then that would signal the sound of the tide overturning all of the Crown Prince¡¯s supporters at once.

    Of course, all those numerous calculations he had made had already started to fade away the moment he faced Meliara¡¯s divine power, but Linden tried not to forget the initial purpose of this trip.

    ¡°I¡¯m curious as to why the Grand Duke is paying so much attention to Meliara.¡±

    ¡°I have something I want to confirm.¡±

    ¡°Are you talking about whether she¡¯s the saintess?¡±

    When faced by the pinpointing of Linden¡¯s question, Lecht¡¯s gaze shifted slightly toward Linden.

    His gaze passed over him lightly before resting on the door once again.

    ¡°That has nothing to do with you.¡±

    ¡°It does. Meliara is my most precious friend.¡±

    There was a bite in Linden¡¯s voice. It resembled a provocation along the lines of, ¡®I¡¯m a friend, but what are you?¡¯.

    ¡°As long as you continue to show an interest in Meliara, I have a duty of protecting her to keep her safe.¡±

    ¡°Protect?¡±

    Lecht murmured softly at Linden¡¯s resolute words.

    As if he was truly insignificant, he snorted quietly before turning his head to face Linden.

    At that moment, Linden felt as if he was facing a large amount of darkness. The sort of dark quagmire that you could never hope to get out of once you step foot into it.

    ¡°Then you should¡¯ve first erased that unpleasant energy in your body before coming.¡±

    ¡°¡­it¡¯s only a difference in beliefs.¡±

    Linden, who had been going strong, faltered when he thought that him being a Solarism believer was the reason why he couldn¡¯t become friends with her, who was destined to become the saintess of Lunarism.

    ¡°Beliefs? And just what exactly is that belief? The sun god? Or that ¡®saintess¡¯?¡±

    ¡°Of course it¡¯s the sun god.¡±

    ¡°¡­do you perhaps, not know?¡±

    He wanted to believe it was a nonsensical question, but Lecht threw in a small comment.

    ¡°The ¡®blessing¡¯ in your body isn¡¯t from the power of the sun god.¡±

    [1] ??? ??? is an idiom that describes gaining a lot using your own/other¡¯s position without making any effort yourself.

 CH 14

    ¡°What?¡±

    Lecht replied calmly at the shocked Linden¡¯s question.

    ¡°It looks like you¡¯ve been ¡®blessed¡¯ by that blonde saintess.¡±

    ¡°¡­yes.¡±

    All people are born with a vessel for divine power. If that vessel was filled with your own power, then you would have ¡®divine power¡¯, and if it was filled with the help of another, then you would receive a ¡®blessing¡¯ and become a believer.

    Linden was born with an affinity to magic, but lacked an affinity for divine power, so he had been ¡®blessed¡¯ directly by the saintess last year. Not because he wanted to become a believer of Solarism, but rather to approach her since he was curious about what sort of woman the woman his older brother liked was like.

    Although it wasn¡¯t unusual for a prince to receive a ¡®blessing¡¯ from a saintess, when it was pointed out by Lecht, Linden felt as if he had been caught red-handed for no reason.

    ¡°That¡¯s not the power of the sun god.¡±

    ¡°Your Excellency.¡±

    Tanma, who was standing silently next to Lecht, intervened. He had an expression that seemed to say that there was no need for him to say that.

    ¡°Does he really have to know? In any case, it seems as if Ara cares about this guy.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Linden felt as if those words of his were rather strange as well.

    If this man were really interested in Meliara, he would¡¯ve felt displeased with him, who she ¡®cared¡¯ for, as well as his claims of her being his ¡®most precious friend¡¯. If he were a man, he¡¯d at least be jealous.

    However, this man seemed to be someone who was above that. He wasn¡¯t broadminded enough to accept it. Rather, it just seemed so insignificant to the point he didn¡¯t even care about it.

    Even though it poked at Linden¡¯s pride, the strange feeling of acceptance surging up in him was still uncomfortable.

    ¡°It¡¯s not that I¡¯m disgusted with Solar¡¯s power. They¡¯re just different in nature, since it reflects the power of that god. But that clumsy imitation in your body is disgusting, so empty it out.¡±

    ¡°What you just said¡­ don¡¯t you know that¡¯s a very dangerous statement for you to make?¡±

    It was a statement that claimed that the saintess¡¯s ¡®blessing¡¯ was fake.

    ¡°Do you think I¡¯d care about that?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Lecht, who added indifferently, turned his head back to the door.

    If word of this ever leaked out, he would end up provoking the Temple of the Sun God.

    He didn¡¯t care that the Temple would risk their lives to eradicate him?

    ¡®So His Majesty the Emperor hadn¡¯t been saying to be careful for no reason.¡¯

    His attitude that seemed to say, ¡®what¡¯s the big deal¡¯ was so arrogant that it seemed rather incredible.

    ¡°Why are your thoughts like that?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s just the truth.¡±

    Linden examined Lecht¡¯s expression. This was the first time he had ever seen someone so difficult to read.

    ¡®He doesn¡¯t seem like someone who would lie about something like this.¡¯

    He was definitely the sort of man to think that all such schemes and lies would only be committed by insignificant people.

    So that meant that that was at least the complete honest truth from that man.

    This¡­ needed to be further investigated.

    ¡°If you¡¯re curious, how about we start with the situation this time then?¡±

    He added, as if he had read Linden¡¯s thoughts.

    ¡°If you¡¯re talking about the situation this time, don¡¯t tell me¡­ the epidemic?¡±

    ¡°I think I¡¯ve given you enough hints with this.¡±

    ¡°Why are you telling me this?¡±

    Was it really because Meliara cared about me?

    But no matter how much he thought about it, it was simply too weak of a basis.

    Apart from Meliara, he was a man who had constantly dismissing Linden with the consistent reply of, ¡®Why should I?¡¯ to any question until now. It was information that felt to abruptly friendly.

    ¡°Because there are many ways to easily get things done without putting in much effort in the world.¡±

    So, if he were to interpret it into his own words, it would be, ¡®I want to throw a stone at the saintess, but it¡¯s too much of a hassle, so I¡¯ll just use Linden instead¡¯.

    How many people in this world would say that they would use a prince so openly?

    Linden didn¡¯t try to pick a fight. Since it¡¯d be really helpful if all of this turned out to be true.

    ¡°Thank you for those intriguing words. Please do so again in the future.¡±

    ¡°¡­Why should I?¡±

    Though he was still an uncooperative man at the end.

    ***

    pls do not share this anywhere or the transmigration gods will transport u into boku no pico !! this translation has been stolen from mioscorner.com, pls only read there i¡¯m begging u :kneels:

    ¡°Linden, what are you thinking so hard about?¡±

    I tapped on the shoulder of Linden, who was staring at the table with a serious expression.

    ¡°Oh.¡±

    He looked at me and smiled brightly, as if he were coming to his senses again.

    ¡°Just because. I was just thinking that I should probably give the knights a bonus since this situation has occurred.¡±

    ¡°Oh! That¡¯s a good idea. Linden, you¡¯re such a great boss!¡±

    To think that you were a boss who would give bonuses after doing hard work! You knights better take care of Linden properly! Such a boss wasn¡¯t common at all!

    Although this wasn¡¯t something I¡¯d receive as well, my mood turned for the better for no reason as I smiled and looked ahead.

    The boisterous banquet was in full swing. Not only the restaurants, but places everywhere in the village were currently holding banquets like this.

    The theme of such banquets was simple. Appreciating a mundane life.

    Due to the sudden incident that had broken out, everyone was extremely grateful with the lives they had regained, as if they had suddenly realized they had been taking the peace they thought would always be guaranteed for granted.

    Although in the end, we still couldn¡¯t figure out what had been the start of the situation in the first place, it was still fortunate that everyone turned out okay anyway.

    Just as I was watching the people dance and sing happily while piping my cream beer, the three musketeers suddenly rushed toward me.

    ¡°Would you like to dance with us, saintess?¡±

    ¡°The beautiful dance of the beautiful saintess! Hic hic, I might even faint from happiness.¡±

    I waved my hand in refusal as I held in a laugh at their over-exaggerated reactions.

    ¡°I appreciate the offer, but I think just sitting here and drinking would be more enjoyable for me.¡±

    I looked shakily at the beer in front of me. The three musketeers that were the priests seemed to think it were a shame, but quickly gave up and left the table.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you like dancing? I remember you quite liking it though.¡±

    Linden asked as they left.

    ¡°I do like it, but I¡¯m not very good at it.¡±

    When I smiled regretfully, Linden stretched his hand out toward me.

    ¡°Then, do you want me to teach you?¡±

    ¡°Although I appreciate the offer, I¡¯ll have to refuse. I¡¯ll become an outlaw who steps on other people¡¯s feet whenever I dance.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯ll be fine if you just learn how to do it properly. No one¡¯s good at doing something right off the bat.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m always hopeless when it comes to coordinating my body. Won¡¯t I destroy the fantasy of the priests who expect my dancing to be beautiful?¡±

    I turned my head to see that the three musketeers were all shaking their bodies along with the other villagers, perhaps because they were drunk. It looked so amusing that I ended up bursting into laughter.

    ¡°It¡¯d even be believable to think that they were laughter evangelists1 rather than priests of the moon god.¡±

    I would always burst into laughter whenever I was with them. Although most of the instances were rather absurd, the amusing moments far overshadowed them.

    I kept watching them with a smile until Linden called out to me again.

    ¡°But Meliara.¡±

    ¡°Huh, what is it?¡±

    ¡°You were a believer of Lunarism?¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­¡±

    Although it was a pretty random question, it was still something he could¡¯ve been curious about.

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t, but¡­¡±

    ¡°Right? Weren¡¯t you originally a believer of Solarism? The entire Duchy believed in the sun god. So how does it make sense for you to become the saintess for the moon god?¡±

    ¡°It was probably because the Duke believed in the sun god. However, I¡­¡±

    To be more exact, I was a believer of neither the sun or moon god.

    ¡°To be more precise, I was agnostic. There wasn¡¯t a particular god I believed in.¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t have a particular god you believed in?¡±

    The expression on Linden¡¯s face became peculiar. He was looking at me with a face that seemed to belong to someone whose last piece of meat had been robbed by his best friend.

    ¡°Y-Yeah.¡±

    ¡°How could that be?¡±

    ¡°I just¡­ didn¡¯t have one?¡±

    ¡°How?¡±

    I just said that I didn¡¯t have one because I didn¡¯t have one, so how am I supposed to answer you when you ask me how I didn¡¯t have one again¡­?

    ¡°It¡¯s not that I deny the existence of the sun or moon god. I¡¯m not an atheist. Should I say that I¡¯m agnostic2 instead, to be more exact? It¡¯s not that I think there¡¯s no god, but rather, I don¡¯t recognise a god?¡±

    At Linden¡¯s expression that seemed as if he had just been broken up with, I hurriedly started to spout gibberish in order to convince him.

    ¡°So, it¡¯s more like how could we possibly dare to discern God? How could we possibly define ¡®God¡¯ with our standards, or something like that?¡±

    ¡°What are you talking about¡­¡±

    You¡¯re right. What sort of dog eating grass nonsense3 is this?

    In any case, realizing that my bullshiting couldn¡¯t cure his wounds(?), I hurriedly shouted out.

    ¡°It means that the gods in this world are all incredible!¡±

    In order to drive the point home even more, I even gave him a thumbs up, but Linden looked at me with an expression that seemed to say that he couldn¡¯t comprehend what I was doing even more.

    It was when I was about to die of embarrassment.

    ¡°Pfft.¡±

    I heard a sound of laughter from the other side.

    Wait. The sound of laughter¡­?

    When I turned my head in surprise, there was Lecht, who was sitting next to me, his head turned slightly to the side in order to cover his mouth with his fist.

    ¡°Keukeukeuk4.¡±

    However, he couldn¡¯t hide the laughter that was flowing out, nor his shoulders that were shaking. His eyes which were folded finely into crescents and the corners of his mouth which were slightly visible above his fist.

    But I was surprised by the easygoing atmosphere around him most of all.

    Wow, to think that was the laughter of an uptight and firm man. It was neither a refreshing or delightful laugh, nor was it an awkward smile either.

    It was just a small simple burst of laughter.

    However, it was enough to give my heart a critical hit. This was a seduction that went beyond unexpected charm.

    Standing behind him was Tanma, who also looked at Lecht in surprise, perhaps because this sort of scene couldn¡¯t be seen very often. Even Kelber, who had been dozing off underneath the table, was looking at Lecht with a ¡®huh¡¯ sound.

    As I stared at his enchanting appearance with my eyes in a daze, his golden eyes met mine. He said to me, still with his fist covering his mouth.

    ¡°That¡¯s right, all gods are incredible.¡±

    There was a smile on his face as he said so. My face heated up as I felt a sense of teasing there.

    ¡°D-Don¡¯t tease me¡­!¡±

    Although Linden had been confused and didn¡¯t seem to know what I was talking about, Lecht seemed to have noticed that I didn¡¯t have anything to say, so I had just rambled on endlessly without anything meaningful to say.

    ¡°Pfft. You¡¯re right. It¡¯s indeed foolish for us to define God by our standards.¡±

    ¡°Lecht¡­!¡±

    I could feel my face redden in real time. My ears were burning, and even my hands which covered my cheeks were about to heat up.

    As I stared at him with a tearful look on my face, he reached out his clenched fist toward me. A large, reliable hand reached out to brush against a handful of hair that had arbitrarily scattered loosely near my neck. As he tugged at it gently, my hair swept through his fingers as if it were flowing water.

    He bent at his waist and kissed a small strand of hair that seemed to get tangled and manipulated between his fingers. There were clearly no nerves in my hair, but it felt as if I could feel the sensation of his lips touching my hair.

    A scorching sensation quickly ran down my spine and shocked my tailbone. From there, the sensation of that feeling spreading to all my nerves in my whole body made me feel as if there was electricity at the ends of my fingers and toes.

    All my attention was focused on the hair he was holding, and my entire being was focused on him.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if you don¡¯t believe in God. It¡¯s okay for you to believe in another god too. But let¡¯s make this clear first so we can move on.¡±

    ¡°W-What is it¡­?¡±

    My whole body was extremely tense with nerves, so I asked him in a trembling voice. He stared straight into my eyes and whispered quietly with a light smile.

    ¡°You are the child who has been chosen by Lunar, the moon god.¡±

    ¡°Is that so¡­? Because I¡¯m the saintess of the moon god?¡±

    Though it hasn¡¯t been confirmed yet.

    Was it because Lecht¡¯s voice was so full of confidence? It was something that I had already known, but I felt excited, as if it was the first time I had heard such a thing. My whole body felt light, like it was floating, as if I was on top of a cloud.

    ¡°You will be loved. Without a doubt, infinitely.¡±

    My heart pounded loudly with a badump badump sound. I wasn¡¯t sure whether it was because I was nervous from his actions or whether it was because my heart was fluttering from his smile. Or perhaps it was just due to the surprise I felt at what he had said, without a single doubt in his mind.

    Although it was hard to tell what it was, I was certain that all my nerves were focused on him.

    ¡°So just trust me this one time.¡±

    ¡­I felt as if I were about to believe in a religion that didn¡¯t exist.

    [1] ????? originates from the term ¡®?????¡¯ (happiness + preacher), popularized by preacher choi yunhee whose sermons often centered around happiness similarly the term laughter evangelist refers to those that spread laughter.

    [2] to clarify, atheist and agnostic is not the same. atheists typically do not believe a god exists, while an agnostic is someone who doesn¡¯t believe it¡¯s possible to know for sure a god exists or someone who is not committed to believing in the existence of a god/God.

    [3] ? ? ?? ?? ?? is a proverb that means ¡®impossible¡¯ and stems from the idea that dogs are carnivores like wolves. (source: namuwiki)

    [4] sound of someone holding in their laughter.

 CH 15

    ¡°Oh my, what is this?¡±

    After receiving a warm send off from the villagers when leaving the inn, I unknowingly spoke in a friendly tone to the object in front of me.

    ¡°I changed the carriage to a more comfortable one since you said the previous one was too uncomfortable.¡±

    Tanma explained with a smile.

    ¡°I think this will definitely be more comfortable, but¡­¡±

    Was this really a ¡®carriage¡¯¡­?

    TABLE OF CONTENTS

    this chapter is brought to you by mio

    as translator, proofreader and editor!

    pls do not share this anywhere or the transmigration gods will transport u into boku no pico !! this translation has been stolen from mioscorner.com, pls only read there i¡¯m begging u :kneels:

    ¡°Oh my, what is this?¡±

    After receiving a warm send off from the villagers when leaving the inn, I unknowingly spoke in a friendly tone to the object in front of me.

    ¡°I changed the carriage to a more comfortable one since you said the previous one was too uncomfortable.¡±

    Tanma explained with a smile.

    ¡°I think this will definitely be more comfortable, but¡­¡±

    Was this really a ¡®carriage¡¯¡­?

    What was standing in front of me was far from what I knew a carriage to be.

    First, there were no wheels. There were no horses either. There were only two slugs that were bigger than most cows, carrying what seemed to be a ride which looked around the size of a house.

    ¡®I don¡¯t even know which part I¡¯m meant to be shocked at.¡¯

    The enormous size of the slugs? That there were no wheels? The fact that there were no horses yet it was still called a ¡®carriage¡¯?

    Perhaps I wasn¡¯t as shocked since this was after I had already met Kelber.

    A slug harnessed sedan chair¡­

    Yeah, well¡­ something like that could exist too!

    This is a world where my hair is blue and Linden¡¯s hair is pink. Magic and divine power are a reality as well.

    ¡°Oh, this seems to be the first time you¡¯ve seen a carriage like this! Fufu. It¡¯s a local specialty of our region. It would be rare for you to see it in the capital.¡±

    Tanma said proudly.

    ¡°Despite its appearance, it¡¯s still extremely fast.¡±

    The snails¡­?

    ¡°Ohhh, right.¡±

    Although what he said was unbelievable, I had no choice but to believe it since the person who had used it before said so.

    ¡°As long as Young Miss just rides it once, you¡¯ll also get drunk on the feeling and only be able to use this as your sole means of transportation from there on. Fufufu.¡±

    He kept smiling, as if he were absorbed in bragging about his local specialty.

    Unable to find a proper response, I smiled awkwardly and walked toward the slug. The feeling of seeing such a large slug was different compared to those that were the size of my finger.

    I carefully stretched out a finger and stroked the slug.

    ¡®I thought it would be extremely sticky and slippery, but¡­¡¯

    It was extremely different to what I had imagined it would feel like. Perhaps the feeling of a plate that has just been cleaned? Furthermore, the long antennae that were wiggling toward me were¡­

    ¡°So cute¡­!¡±

    It was obviously much cuter than I thought¡­?!

    I thought I only liked furry animals, but that clearly wasn¡¯t the case.

    I liked everything, as long as it was cute! There was no helping it, even if I was a face dog1! How could you not like something when you see something this cute?

    I hugged the slug¡¯s neck tightly while I was at it. I felt like I was hugging a soft leather pillow¡­!

    ¡°Hugging you feels different to hugging Kelber too!¡±

    Linden approached me when I was in a good mood while rubbing my face against it for no reason.

    ¡°You used to hate things like that.¡±

    ¡°Huh? Me?¡±

    ¡°You said you didn¡¯t like things like animals. Since you couldn¡¯t stay presentable.¡±

    So Meliara was someone who didn¡¯t understand the loveliness of animals.

    What a shame!

    ¡°I decided to reconsider it again. Since there are no children who will give you an infinite amount of affection like these babies will.¡±

    Animals will be the only ones who will trust you and love you unconditionally without calculating like humans do.

    ¡°Even though I¡¯m not sure about the sophisticated cats or birds¡­¡±

    Linden looked at the slug and I with a complicated expression on his face.

    ¡°This sort of horse¡­¡±

    ¡°Woof! Woof! Woof!¡±

    ¡°What a thoughtless dog¡­¡±

    Kelber, who had rushed to my side at some point, tugged on my clothes, as if he didn¡¯t want me to only hug the slug.

    ¡°You¡¯re very pretty as well. You¡¯re cuter than every other puppy, so don¡¯t worry.¡±

    I stroked all three of Kelber¡¯s heads with as much affection as I gave to the slug. It was more accurate for me to say that the three of them just shoved their heads underneath my hands, one after the other, without needing me to move them at all.

    ¡°Sure enough, you¡¯ve changed.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Damn it. I told you not to say that since it stings my conscience.

    As I tried to sneakily avoid Linden¡¯s sharp questioning, Lecht came toward me at a good time.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve finished talking?¡±

    I saw that he had been having a very serious conversation with the priests earlier.

    ¡°We decided that we¡¯d travel separately first and then meet at Chiban Village.¡±

    Although his tone was stiff, I smiled, knowing that it was one of Lecht¡¯s charming points.

    ¡°But isn¡¯t the temple there an abandoned temple? Is doing it there fine too?¡±

    One of the procedures I had to undergo in order to confirm whether I was a saintess or not was to check my reaction with the holy objects in every temple. Of course, the temple I was going to was the closest temple of the moon god.

    ¡°Apparently it wasn¡¯t that they were specifically shut down, but rather that there wasn¡¯t a sufficient number of new priests to be dispatched to it instead.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­¡±

    That seemed like a rather painful topic¡­ I didn¡¯t know they had to leave the temple unattended due to a lack of priests¡­

    ¡°But what about that holy thing?¡±

    Since that was the same place I was going to find the spirit¡­ could that perhaps be¡­?

    ¡®No way, the temple wouldn¡¯t only have holy objects, so both the holy objects and the spirit could be there too.¡¯

    ¡­or was it too naive for me to think so?

    ¡®If the spirit is a holy object, am I going to have to steal it sneakily?¡¯

    Wouldn¡¯t that obviously cause a big problem¡­?

    But I had to go to the temple first to see whether or not it was actually a holy object.

    ¡°What were you going to say?¡±

    ¡°Haha, it¡¯s nothing!¡±

    ¡°?¡±

    ¡°Then, shall we continue on our way?¡±

    I switched the topic.

    As I headed for the carriage, Lecht, who was standing next to the carriage door, reached his hand out toward me.

    The rather large hand put me into a good mood for no reason, so I smiled brightly and grabbed onto it. My body floated without needing my feet to touch the foothold, and I landed easily in the carriage.

    ¡°According to what the butler said, this carriage will reduce my motion sickness, so we can head to Chiban Village without stopping¡­¡±

    ¡°Your Highness!¡±

    ¡­or so I thought, but now what? The heads of Lecht, Linden, and myself, all turned toward the people who were running toward us.

    ¡°Now what sort of fuss are you making?¡±

    When Linden scolded him with a hint of anxiety in his voice, the knight tried to talk while taking a breather.

    ¡°The Head of the Ezzarson Guild has collapsed.¡±

    ¡°What¡­?¡±

    The news he had delivered explained why he had run to us so hurriedly.

    Linden¡¯s face hardened. I bit my lip as I watched his pale face turn aghast.

    ¡®I forgot. That Linden¡¯s grandfather would pass away around this time.¡¯

    I had gotten caught up in so many incidents that I had missed out on this important fact.

    ¡°Is it his respiratory problem again?¡±

    ¡°It may be because of that, but apparently a heart attack has also come along with it.¡±

    The knight bowed his head with an apologetic look on his face.

    A tendon could be seen sticking out of Linden¡¯s fist which was clenched tightly together. As he looked at the ground with an expression that seemed to say he was preoccupied with many thoughts, his face grew darker and darker.

    Then he took a heavy step toward me.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go. If we drag our feet any longer, we¡¯ll be late to our appointed time.¡±

    My eyes grew wider at his response.

    ¡°You¡¯re not going to go back?¡±

    They just said that his grandfather had collapsed. Wasn¡¯t that also a complication?! This could probably wait until tomorrow. But you said that you¡¯re going to continue on with us to the temple instead of going back to your grandfather?

    ¡°This sort of thing has happened a lot before. It¡¯ll be fine.¡±

    He placed his foot on the foothold of the carriage as he said so. However, I used my whole body to block his path into the carriage.

    ¡°Meliara¡­¡±

    He looked up at me with a voice that seemed to have lost all its strength.

    ¡°Go back to your grandfather.¡±

    ¡°¡­I said it¡¯s fine.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not very convincing for you to say that with a face that obviously screams that it¡¯s not okay.¡±

    His shoulders flinched at my point.

    How could I possibly not know when a guy, who normally hides his own feelings, is revealing his inner feelings so clearly to me?

    ¡°Linden.¡±

    I called his name softly. As if his appearance was one that seemed to be standing precariously on a bridge that was about to break soon, I reached out and held onto his hand.

    ¡°Haa¡­ I was going to let it go since I thought it was just me being too self-absorbed, but as expected, I can¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°¡­What?¡±

    ¡°The reason you¡¯re following us to the East, it¡¯s because of me, right?¡±

    ¡°¡­I told you, it isn¡¯t.¡±

    Although he still denied it, I continued to reply truthfully after a beat.

    ¡°Since I had my engagement broken off with the Crown Prince, you¡¯re accompanying me in order to ensnare me because you think I¡¯ll be an advantageous chess piece you can use if I turn to your side, right?¡±

    Whether I had truly hit the mark with my point or not, his expression was one that was filled with helplessness.

    It was normally extremely difficult to read his facial expression, but I was able to read his mind immediately because of the mess his mind was in right now. That¡¯s how much I could tell the news of his grandfather had shaken him.

    ¡°Linden.¡±

    ¡°¡­I told you, it isn¡¯t.¡±

    Like a child who had just been scolded, he bowed his head and gripped my hand tightl, repeating the same words under his breath over and over again.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been disowned.¡±

    I decided to inform him openly of my situation.

    At that, Linden¡¯s head whipped up as fast as a flash of lightning. His eyes which were round like saucers, seemed to be extremely shocked.

    ¡°If you were a little more quick-witted and observant, you might have guessed it, just from the fact that I had been walking around like this without a single maid or escort. Or maybe you¡¯ve already done a background check on me, I don¡¯t know.¡±

    ¡°¡­I haven¡¯t done one though.¡±

    Whether or not I had hit the mark again, his shoulders flinched once again, but he still successfully managed to find a response.

    ¡°The Duke said that he¡¯d erase my name from the Duchy¡¯s genealogy because I made the Duchy into a joke. So I told him to go ahead and do it.¡±

    ¡°You actually agreed to that..?¡±

    ¡°Yep. Even if I tried to cling onto it, nothing would change in the end anyway.¡±

    This wasn¡¯t something I said just because I knew the ending was doomed.

    After her engagement was broken off and she had been abandoned by that faction, there was no family that was willing to offer a marriage to her unless they wanted to lose access to the temple or no longer be able to show their faces in society.

    There wasn¡¯t even a chance for her to become the next Duke since there was also a successful older brother before her.

    There was no point in remaining in the Duchy too, since even if she lived off of them for a while, there was no future there other than being a lonely loser.

    ¡°Since I didn¡¯t need the Duchy either, I didn¡¯t have any other reason to remain in the Duchy too, so I thought now would be a timely opportunity for me to try and live the life of someone who wasn¡¯t a princess. So I decided to take a trip to the East.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t exactly say, ¡®I¡¯m going to flee the country!¡¯, so I just smiled and packaged my words prettily.

    Linden looked at me without speaking. Those eyes of his were full of confusion.

    ¡°That¡¯s why, Linden. It¡¯s a waste of your time to try and use me as a political chess piece.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for only telling you now. I was going to tell you last time, but then you said that you were going because of something else instead, so¡­¡±

    He, who had prepared a bunch of excuses, shut his mouth, wondering if there was a need for him to pull them apart.

    But the situation is different now.

    He might not even be able to stand guard by his grandfather¡¯s deathbed. Yet he was still trying to capture the useless, good-for-nothing me.

    ¡°So go back. Your grandfather, I¡¯m sure he misses you.¡±

    I whispered with an apologetic heart.

    Instead of answering, he just held my hand even tighter. It felt like a request for courage.

    He started to talk after a moment of silence.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sticking close to you just because you¡¯re a princess.¡±

    ¡°¡­?¡±

    ¡°At least not now.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    When I didn¡¯t reply, he added, ¡°I¡¯m really not.¡±

    I wasn¡¯t able to easily believe what he said, since I knew all too well how thoroughly he had been moving in order to bring down the crown prince.

    I was flustered and rather pitied his attempts at presenting himself nicely, even in this situation.

    ¡°Linden, you don¡¯t have to put so much effort in front of me.¡±

    I tried to speak as gently as possible.

    ¡°I don¡¯t have a grudge against you, nor am I trying to find any fault in you. I¡¯m not even blaming you.¡±

    How could I possibly blame you when it was your background that made you like this? You¡¯re just as much of a victim as well.

    ¡°You don¡¯t even have enough time to give to those who will be of help to you and those who are precious to you, yet you put so much effort into me and aren¡¯t afraid you¡¯ll miss your time with them.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what exact thoughts you had when you approached me, and what you¡¯re trying to get through me.¡±

    I¡¯m only trying to make a vague guess of it.

    ¡°But what I want to say is, it doesn¡¯t matter what it is.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m saying this because I feel sorry that you¡¯ve wasted your time.¡±

    ¡°¡­No.¡±

    Linden, who had only bowed his head and said nothing for a long time, whispered quietly.

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not wasting my time.¡±

    When I asked again since I couldn¡¯t hear what he said very well, he raised his head and looked up at me. I inhaled sharply when I finally checked his expression.

    The tip of his nose which was slightly scrunched up was tinged red, and his pretty blue eyes were wet with tears.

    ¡°Don¡¯t say that.¡±

    It was an expression that seemed to have genuinely been hurt. The emotions were too deep for me to consider it as an act.

    ¡°Don¡¯t talk like you¡¯re just nothing, as if I¡¯m doing something pathetic.¡±

    His eyes were filled with resentment. However, I could also see a great sadness that was even larger than that.

    Just why¡­ What on earth did I say wrong for you to make such an expression, as if you¡¯re a mistress that¡¯s just been abandoned¡­!?

    He added, staring at me with an expression that seemed like his tears were about to fall at any second.

    ¡°I decide where my time should be used for it to be the most valuable.¡±

    That voice was clearly choked up, but his tone was firm, without any waver.

    ¡°I¡¯ll decide who¡¯s precious to me, so¡­¡±

    His face was arranged pitifully, and his voice resembled the growling of a beast, so I swallowed loudly, my nerves taut.

    ¡°If you don¡¯t want to see me go crazy, then don¡¯t say such a thing so carelessly.¡±

    Somehow, I felt as if I had touched something of this scheming man¡¯s that I shouldn¡¯t have touched.

    [1] face dog refers to someone who likes [sb/st] based on their appearance

 CH 16

    In the awkward silence that followed, only Kelber¡¯s whine could be heard.

    I carefully ruminated over what I¡¯d say upon seeing the dazed expression on his face.

    ¡°Ignore my useless words. I¡¯m sorry for upsetting you.¡±

    To start off, I thought I should begin with consoling him, since it seemed like the cause of his spilled tears was me.

    I stretched out my hand toward his face. His tears streamed down my thumb as I tried to wipe them away from his eyes.

    In the awkward silence that followed, only Kelber¡¯s whine could be heard.

    I carefully ruminated over what I¡¯d say upon seeing the dazed expression on his face.

    ¡°Ignore my useless words. I¡¯m sorry for upsetting you.¡±

    To start off, I thought I should begin with consoling him, since it seemed like the cause of his spilled tears was me.

    I stretched out my hand toward his face. His tears streamed down my thumb as I tried to wipe them away from his eyes.

    Linden slipped away from me and hurriedly turned his head away, as if he had just noticed that there were tears in his eyes. Although his tears were quickly wiped away, the tip of his nose, which had turned red from crying, was particularly conspicuous due to his pale face.

    Although I did feel a bit sorry for him, he looked so much like Rudolph that I ended up laughing out loud.

    Since even he, as a schemer, had already expressed his true feelings to me, I also thought that I should be honest with him as well.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure if you know, but I genuinely wish for your peace and happiness.¡±

    It had been that way ever since I read the novel.

    Linden was an extremely pitiful second male lead.

    It was to the extent where I had suddenly wondered, wouldn¡¯t it be okay to make him a little happier too?

    I hoped that the rays of happiness would reach him as well, even if it was only something trivial.

    However, if the Goddess of Happiness really doesn¡¯t intend to walk beside him, even if it¡¯s just for a moment, then¡­

    ¡°So that¡¯s what I¡¯m saying. Go back to your grandfather.¡±

    Since it was such a miserable fate, the Goddess of Regret and Misery should at least leave him alone.

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t your grandfather come looking for you every time he collapses? Hmm?¡±

    I reached out again in the direction of Linden, who still didn¡¯t budge. I gently brushed my hand through his messy hair.

    ¡°Go and check up on your grandfather¡¯s health and keep him company too.¡±

    ¡°Haa¡­ Do you know how contradictory your words are right now?¡±

    ¡°Are they?¡±

    I wasn¡¯t sure what the contradiction was though. All I knew was that he would regret it later if he didn¡¯t go back now.

    ¡°Meliara. Show that to me again.¡±

    ¡°Huh? That?¡±

    He suddenly said something totally unrelated whilst the topic was on going back to his grandfather.

    ¡°The cluster of lights you create with your powers.¡±

    It was a rather meaningless and purposeless request. It was also extremely out of the blue.

    However, although I was puzzled by it, it wasn¡¯t a difficult request for me to fulfill, so I held out my palm.

    Soon after, small balls of light sprung up from the palm of my hand. They, who had seemed like balls of moonlight at night, now seemed like dandelion spores during the day.

    The cluster of lights left me and went over to Linden¡¯s outstretched palm.

    They sprinted up Linden¡¯s arm in a frenzy, as if exclaiming, ¡®I know this guy! It¡¯s a kid we know!¡¯. The rays of light that had wrapped around Linden¡¯s arms and upper body soon scattered all over the place.

    Linden watched the whole process silently.

    ¡°You know.¡±

    He cut off my words and said, perhaps to ask me to make more.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t ask me for a reason earlier.¡±

    ¡°Reason? Oh, the reason why you wanted me to make it for you?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°That¡­ isn¡¯t it because it doesn¡¯t matter what the reason is?¡±

    It¡¯s not like you can hurt me with the light I made. And it¡¯s not like it¡¯s that hard for me to do either. Couldn¡¯t I just show it to you since for whatever reason, you wanted to see it?

    While I muttered softly under my breath, he added.

    ¡°It might not be a big deal to you, but for me, it¡¯s something I need. Then, shouldn¡¯t you use that to get something from me in return?¡±

    ¡°Psh, no way. How are you meant to live if you judge everything in the world like that?¡±

    ¡°I did.¡±

    ¡°Huh¡­?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve lived like that all my life. It wouldn¡¯t be a big deal to me, but after discovering what the other person needed, I¡¯d keep it in my hand, make a deal, and take what was beneficial for me from them.¡±

    No, because why are you suddenly revealing yourself to be a schemer now? The person listening is getting flustered.

    ¡°That¡¯s right, it wouldn¡¯t have been a big deal for you to make these lights. But I was desperate for it.¡±

    I could vaguely see now that he wasn¡¯t talking. That night under the moonlight where he had looked fragile. It was clear that he was referring to the day I had constantly used up my divine power.

    ¡°I¡¯ve always had to calculate, had to pay a price, and had to be shunned.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    The following words suddenly reminded me of a paragraph from the novel.

    <He, who was always shunned, was always lacking somewhere. Rather than becoming numb to the rejection, his fear of it grew instead.>

    And the reason he was drawn to the Saintess, Olivia.

    <That¡¯s why he was drawn to Olivia. Because other than his grandfather, she was the only one who didn¡¯t shut him down for no reason.>

    ¡°You¡¯re the first one. The first person who treated me like this, regardless of how much I could give you.¡±

    <¡°You are the first person who has not calculated over what benefit you could steal from me, or what profit could be gained if you sold me.¡±>

    ¡°Oh.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t help but sigh.

    It wasn¡¯t a grand enough confession for it to be called a love confession, but it was still without a doubt, Linden¡¯s sincerity.

    I knew because I had already read it.

    As much as when he said those words to Olivia, it was said that it was an emotion that came from the bottom of his heart, one without any gimmick or mask. It was said to be the moment when he revealed his bare face, the one which he was the most embarrassed of.

    A childish face came to mind.

    ¡°If there was another reason why I didn¡¯t want to go back right now that I haven¡¯t said yet¡­ then you probably would¡¯ve made me go back in return for creating that light for me.¡±

    His words made me tilt my head.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that a little out of the question?¡±

    Both were beneficial to him.

    One was that he would be able to stand guard by his grandfather¡¯s deathbed, and the other was¡­

    Come to think of it, why did you like my cluster of lights so much? Talking about it had made me curious to know the answer.

    Is it because they¡¯re pretty? Because they¡¯re warm?

    I decided that I¡¯d ask him that next, but he cut in first.

    ¡°It¡¯s not. Since they¡¯re both things that would only benefit me.¡±

    ¡°So?¡±

    He smiled at my response, as if he understood me perfectly. It was a smile full of despondency.

    ¡°It¡¯s hard. People who can¡¯t be calculative.¡±

    ¡°Hmm?¡±

    ¡°Apart from my grandfather and mother, this is the first time someone has treated me so sincerely.¡±

    He slowly reached out and grabbed my hand.

    ¡°It¡¯s really hard.¡±

    I find it hard to scheme and calculate everything like you though¡­

    He looked down at the hand holding mine tightly and finally said, ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll go and see my grandfather.¡±

    ¡°Really? Good choice!¡±

    After talking round and round in circles, he finally chose to go back home.

    I smiled broadly with joy. Linden also allowed a faint smile upon seeing mine.

    ¡°You only told me to go back solely for my peace of mind, and not with any other secret motives, right?¡±

    ¡°Yep.¡±

    ¡°Since those are your sincere feelings.¡±

    ¡°Yep!¡±

    I nodded my head repeatedly at his words that continuously hit the mark.

    He smiled, as if he thought my indignation was cute, and pulled the hand that he was holding and brought it to his mouth.

    Chuu¡ª

    His lips touched my fingers.

    I stiffened due to the sudden contact and his eyes crinkled into crescent moons, as if he enjoyed my reaction, adding with a smile.

    ¡°It seems like I¡¯ll end up doting on you at this rate.¡±

    ¡°H-Huh¡­?

    There seems to be something strange about the flow of this story¡­?

    It was when a flustered noise came out of my throat.

    There was a sudden hand gripping his wrist. Then, it gently wrapped around my hand after taking it out of Linden¡¯s grip, as if protecting it.

    ¡°If you¡¯re done talking, then we should leave now.¡±

    Lecht turned his back toward Linden and faced me.

    He, who had been the exact one to separate the two of us, wrapped his hand around my hand which had just been held by Linden.

    My hand fit right into his.

    He wasn¡¯t even a professional basketball player, so what were his hands so big for¡­ or was it just my hands that were small¡­

    He started rubbing his thumb against the back of my hand.

    It was a slow and meticulous caress.

    ¡°We still have a long way to go. We¡¯ll have to depart now in order to get to Chivan in time.¡±

    It would be a different story if we were just going by ourselves, but the fact that we had already arranged an appointment with the Moon God¡¯s high priestess and priests would make it rather troublesome.

    However, my worries weren¡¯t on the time, but rather, my hands.

    ¡°Th-That¡¯s right¡­ we should go¡­¡±

    His touch, which had started with the back of my hand, was now touching my fingers.

    As if he were trying to wipe something off of it.

    My heart fluttered for no reason because of the size of his large hands, but my heart became even louder when he began to rub my hands with his long fingers.

    Although I was flustered, I was also happy at the same time, so I just left my hand to him and merely satisfied myself with wiggling my toes in my shoes.

    I wasn¡¯t even aware of why the tips of my toes would curl at the tingling sensation whenever I touched his hand.

    ¡°That¡¯s why I told you to go intervene earlier. Saying I¡¯m not sure, I have to wait for the temple, it was out of place¡­ now someone else has cut in line, cut in line for that pretty hand. Tsk tsk.¡±

    It seemed like Tanma was murmuring and clicking his tongue next to me.

    Was it just me or were the shoulders of Lecht, whose gaze was still on the hand that was rubbing me, drooping lower and lower?

    ¡°I really don¡¯t understand this guy either.¡±

    Linden¡¯s voice, which came from behind Lecht¡¯s back, quickly brought me back to my senses.

    I hurriedly pulled my hand out. I quickly hid my hand behind my back, flustered that I was enjoying his touch.

    ¡°W-Well then, Linden! I guess we¡¯re going to have to go our separate ways here!¡±

    I looked for Linden, who was meant to be right next to me. Lecht, who seemed to be immovable, unexpectedly moved aside.

    Although it wasn¡¯t that he completely moved aside, rather half his back still covered me when facing Linden.

    ¡°You¡¯ll make it safely to the capital, right?¡±

    ¡°Meliara, how old do you think I am?¡±

    ¡°Oh, was it useless for me to worry? Haha.¡±

    Although I laughed awkwardly, I still honestly couldn¡¯t help but worry. He was a prince who didn¡¯t know where or how his enemies were hiding.

    ¡°Are you coming back to the capital after you finish what you¡¯re doing?¡±

    I flinched at Linden¡¯s question.

    I was thinking of fleeing the country by using that excuse though¡­ Well, I guess I can only say goodbye to fleeing the country now, since I¡¯ve got the whole saintess of the Moon God thing going on.

    ¡®What about the demon invasion?¡¯

    Should I at least let Linden know too? Tell him to get ready? He¡¯d look at me like I was a crazy woman though.

    How did Linden die again? Should I go back for a while to prevent him from dying? There was no way I¡¯d be able to save the whole capital anyway, so shouldn¡¯t I just try and protect the people who are important to me?

    As my complex thoughts continued, I heard Linden¡¯s voice again.

    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me, are you thinking of never coming back again?¡±

    I waved my hand in surprise at the shocked expression on his face.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s not like that! Of course not!¡±

    I couldn¡¯t bear to upset a handsome man, so I hurriedly tried to explain.

    ¡°It¡¯s because I was thinking of traveling. That¡¯s why I don¡¯t know when I¡¯ll be back.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°Mmhm.¡±

    I smiled and nodded at Linden double checking again. I hoped that my smile looked convincing.

    ¡°Thank goodness.¡±

    He seemed to retreat with a small mumble, but stopped and looked back at me.

    ¡°Meliara.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    He let out a groan, pondering for a moment, and then asked.

    ¡°When we meet again, can I call you ¡®Ara¡¯?¡±

    I was wondering what you were going to ask me.

    ¡°Of course.¡±

    There was no reason for me to refuse him calling me by my real name.

    Linden smiled brightly, as if he liked that answer.

    ¡°Okay! Thanks!¡±

    It was the first time I had seen such a pure and bright smile of his.

    ***

    pls do not share this anywhere or the transmigration gods will transport u into boku no pico !! this translation has been stolen from mioscorner.com, pls only read there i¡¯m begging u :kneels:

    When the original party of three was reduced to only two, the carriage suddenly felt exceptionally spacious. There was only an awkward silence that made me wonder if I should have asked the butler to ride with us.

    ¡®Seems like I had a lot to talk about with Linden¡­¡¯

    I felt his absence belatedly. How pleasant and comfortable it was to talk with Linden.

    Of course, it wasn¡¯t as if I hated the situation now.

    Lecht, who watched the scenery passing by with his chin in his hands, leaning against the window, gave off the flavor of sightseeing.

    Even while his head was turned at an angle. Even while he had an unreadable expression on his face. The sharp jawline and sleek neckline that fell below the silver hair. Eyes that were clear, yet not stiff.

    Somehow, he was a man whose Adam¡¯s apple was even a cause of envy.

    However, the most attractive of them all were those gold eyes of his.

    ¡°What is Lecht going to the East for?¡±

    After watching him for a while, I decided to try my luck when the silence became too heavy.

 CH 17

    Kelber, who was lying next to me with his chin resting on my lap, opened his eyes to look up at me, as if he was happy to hear my voice. He closed his eyes again as I continued to pat his heads, occasionally whining and sniffing with his nose.

    ¡°Going home.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­ so you live in the East. Whereabouts in the East?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    He remained silent.

    Did you want me to guess or something? The capital of the Bakarta Empire lay more in the northwest than in the center, so when it came to the ¡®East¡¯, it encompassed quite a large amount of territories. There were such a large amount of areas that it became quite difficult to guess.

    ¡°It¡¯s a place you¡¯d like.¡±

    ¡°Me?¡±

    Why is that? Is there a beach? Or a place with a beautiful night view? Are there a lot of restaurants? Or maybe there are a lot of attractions there too?

    ¡°A place with a good view of the galaxy, and lots of animals.¡±

    ¡°Wow, really?¡±

    Then yes, you¡¯re right! A place I¡¯d like! Of all the scenic views, I especially liked looking at the night sky, and among all the things I liked, I especially liked animals as well.

    ¡°I really want to go there at least once.¡±

    ¡°You can come.¡±

    ¡°Psh, how could it be as easy as that?¡±

    I had to get certified as a saintess, find the cheat, and flee as well¡­ hmm, well, fleeing the country is temporarily on hold.

    t/n: i¡¯m changing the translation of spirit previously to cheat since i¡¯m not even sure if it is a spirit and cheat is more ambiguous.

    Regarding that, I was going to speak to the high priest about that after my confirmation as saintess. Wouldn¡¯t you believe a prophecy of invasion if it was given by god? Or would I be punished for using god¡¯s name in vain? But wouldn¡¯t that be better than suffering from the demon invasion anyway?

    ¡°If you¡¯re the owner of that thing, then¡­¡±

    Lecht said softly to me, who was still lost in my own trivial thoughts.

    ¡°I¡¯m thinking of taking you there.¡±

    ¡°To your house?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    The look in Lecht¡¯s eyes as he gazed at me deepened for an instant. A spark appeared in those golden eyes I liked so much.

    ¡°Lecht and the butler as well. Are you inwardly Lunarism fanatics?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Since I¡¯ll monopolize your house if it really turns out that I am the saintess you know.¡±

    Even though it felt like it was a result of fanaticism since I was the saintess, completely devoid of romantic air, it still didn¡¯t feel too bad.

    ¡°That¡¯s fine though. A believer like Lecht should be monopolized as much as possible.¡±

    Even though he had a cold expression on his face, there would be no one else who could take care of others so well. He was also skilled in martial arts, so he¡¯d protect me if anything happens.

    Huh¡­? Come to think of it, didn¡¯t I have Lecht¡­?

    At that moment, a brilliant thought flashed through my mind.

    ¡°Lecht!¡±

    I quickly reached out and clasped his hand. Lecht looked at me with wide eyes as Kelber suddenly woke up with a whine, perhaps because he was startled by the sudden noise.

    ¡°If I¡¯m confirmed to be a saintess, you¡¯ll protect me, right?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°No matter what happens, you¡¯ll protect me, right?¡±

    To think that I was so anxious about the invasion with such a talented person by my side! How pathetic!

    Although I felt bad since it felt like I was taking advantage of his abilities by capitalizing off the fact that I was the saintess, Lecht was a fanatic believer anyway, so as long as he was, it should be fine. It didn¡¯t seem like he¡¯d hate it either.

    ¡°If something dangerous happens, or even if the whole world is overturned on its head! Even so, protecting the saintess can surely prove that you¡¯re an extremely devoted believer, right?¡±

    I gently fanned his ego and devotedness to the faith and eagerly held his hand in order to prevent him from hitting me if he caught onto what I was saying.

    As I looked at him with twinkling eyes, he, who was speechless for a while, slowly stretched out his hand that was not being held by me. His hand touched my face and slowly swept my hair back, like a stream of water flowing backwards. The feeling of his fingers brushing through my blue hair was warm.

    ¡°I will give my all just to protect you.¡±

    His replying voice was much deeper than usual. He combed his fingers through my hair and whispered in an ardent voice, as if he had been completely soaked in salt water.

    ¡°Whether it be my life or my soul.¡±

    My heart began to pound in an instant at his expression that had softened slightly, different to his usual cold expression.

    No, I didn¡¯t mean for you to stake everything like this though¡­

    His words which were clearly very burdensome came to me in a bewildered flusteredness. As a believer, those words were just onces of faith to the saintess, but I kept assuming it to mean something different because of his languid voice.

    Badump, badump, badump, badump, badump. My heart, you¡¯ve worked hard today as well.

    ¡°Nothing will harm you with me by your side, so don¡¯t worry.¡±

    It was the moment I gained a reliable escort knight.

    But of course, the fact that I felt more of a ticklish and heart pounding feeling rather than a reassured feeling was a secret I kept only to myself.

    * * *

    pls do not share this anywhere or the transmigration gods will transport u into boku no pico !! this translation has been stolen from mioscorner.com, pls only read there i¡¯m begging u :kneels:

    ¡°Saintess¡ª! Our pretty saintess has arrived¡ª!¡±

    A cheerful voice calling to me echoed through the streets as soon as I got off the carriage.

    ¡°This way, Saintess! We¡¯ve got the best room here, all cleaned up and blessed already!¡±

    Wait, cleaning is understandable, but is it necessary for it to be blessed?

    ¡°We¡¯ve also prepared the fruits that you like! Oh, you must be hungry so should we have dinner first? Vegetables, meat, fish, everything is possible!¡±

    I burst into laughter at those words that seemed to belong to a hawker at a street market.

    This feels surprisingly good after you get used to it though? Feeling happy over the affection that they poured on to me, I laughed and followed after them.

    ¡°As long as I can eat together with the priests, anything is fine.¡±

    ¡°Heok! Please give me a warning if you¡¯re going to say something that will make my heart race!¡±

    ¡°Huhhhh¡­ As expected, the saintess¡¯s words can even heal hearts¡­¡±

    Now I could roughly figure out each of their temperaments. A priest with many tears, a priest with a loud voice, and a priest who prefers to show through his actions rather than words. Although they were all at different ages, apparently they had been appointed as priests in the same year.

    When I entered the lodging, the high priest, Lydia, was there waiting for me as well.

    ¡°Am I late?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not the case. I just arrived in advance since I had something I had to prepare.¡±

    We sat around a large table and made plans for the future. It was about the procedures that were needed to certify the saintess, specifically regarding tomorrow¡¯s itinerary where we would be going to the temple.

    In any case, I was still going to the temple, so the destination had remained the same, but somehow, it had become a trip with a very different resolution from what had been decided at the beginning of the trip.

    Of course, it¡¯s not like I hated it. Naturally, it was fine.

    ¡°And that guy said, ¡®Well, the saintess ate his soup first¡¯! That¡¯s wrong, she clearly had my bread first!¡±

    ¡°By dipping the bread in the soup, obviously the soup hits the tastebuds first!¡±

    ¡°She obviously went to grab my bread first! Then obviously my bread would come first! The soup is also impossible to eat without my bread!¡±

    ¡°Pfft, were you guys still fighting over that?¡±

    I was here with these cheerful people who showered me with affection over every single little action of mine.

    ¡°Miss, here¡¯s a napkin.¡± (Tanma)

    ¡°Woof!¡±

    There¡¯s also a butler, who takes care of me like this, and also an adorable Kelber who only follows after me.

    ¡°It¡¯s hot since it won¡¯t cool off. Drink this.¡±

    There¡¯s even Lecht, a believer who¡¯d even risk his own life to protect me, so how could I not be happy?

    * * *

    The mountain road from Chivan Village to the temple was even steeper than I expected. There wasn¡¯t a separately paved road, nor was there a road formed by the frequent commute of people.

    Due to this, it was such a rough climb to the extent that even believers who had heard of the abandoned temple didn¡¯t come and find it, thus leaving it neglected.

    ¡°Kyaaa!¡±

    ¡°Woof!¡±

    Lecht grabbed me when my feet slipped on something that was collapsing. Although I was a little flustered since what he had grabbed onto was my waist.

    ¡°Thanks.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s dangerous.¡±

    He tightened his grip on my waist as if he was trying to say it was alright, even if I fell again. In a daze, I swayed in his arms in an ambiguous state, one that wasn¡¯t fully in his embrace, nor was it one where I was pushing him away either.

    ¡°It¡¯ll be uncomfortable to walk like this¡­¡±

    That was the only thing that came to my mind as an excuse.

    Well, I truly meant it, to a certain extent at least. How am I meant to walk if you hold me like this? It¡¯s impossible to walk backwards like this too.

    While I was being indecisive about this and that, Lecht released his grip on me. Although it was a pity that the warmth disappeared, before that feeling could even settle in my heart, Lecht suddenly kneeled on one knee with his back toward me.

    His back was the widest back of a man I had ever seen. I wasn¡¯t so slow that I didn¡¯t understand that his gesture clearly implied for me to get on his back.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to do this¡­! I can walk by myself.¡±

    Of course, even though I had slipped at a rate of five times per minute, I still hadn¡¯t fallen yet.

    I tapped him on the back to indicate for him to get up, but he didn¡¯t budge.

    ¡°Get on his back, Miss.¡±

    Tanma said softly as he approached me.

    ¡°It¡¯s fi¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh, you fell? What if you sprained your ankle!¡±

    He spoke with a loud voice that wasn¡¯t appropriate for the situation, one sentence after the other. As soon as he did so, one of the priests who had gone ahead shouted.

    ¡°What did you say?! Our saintess sprained her ankle?!¡±

    ¡°Argh!!! This damn mountain ridge!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s why we said one of us should carry you!¡±

    I glared at Tanma at the sight of them panicking all over the place. He did that on purpose. Just listen to them! However, Tanma was just smiling proudly, as if my glare didn¡¯t even sting his eyes.

    ¡°The priests are worried. Please get on.¡±

    Tanma guided me to Lecht¡¯s back with both hands. It¡¯s not like you can say ¡®Please get on the carriage¡¯. Can a butler do that? Isn¡¯t Lecht your boss? What if you get in trouble later?

    Words of protest bubbled up my throat, but only a sigh escaped from my lips. I should¡¯ve felt annoyed, but his smile was so pleased that it felt embarrassing for me to get angry.

    ¡°Then, excuse me.¡±

    I covered Lecht¡¯s back with my body. I felt warm, as if I was lying on a fluffy sofa, his cool scent enveloping me.

    He rose up from his position with his hands under my thighs and my knees. He supported me firmly so that no strength would be exerted from my arms, which were hanging around his neck.

    I was worried that he¡¯d be able to feel my heart that was touching his back speed up. However, I didn¡¯t want to move away and lose the warmth that was transmitted through the touching of our bodies.

    With every step he took, we moved up and down slightly, his body temperature giving me a sense of stability that went beyond warmth.

    ¡°This is nice¡­¡±

    Since he was giving me a piggyback ride anyways, I rested my face against him. As I buried my cheek into the nape of his neck, his refreshing scent permeated deeper into my lungs.

    ¡°I feel like I¡¯m only ever receiving things from Lecht, so I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    ¡°Not at all.¡±

    He immediately responded to my small apology.

    ¡°There¡¯s absolutely no problem with this.¡±

    At the quick reply, I smiled and whispered.

    ¡°Why? Is it because I¡¯m the saintess?¡±

    Lowering my head further, I buried my face further into his neck.

    ¡°Even though I didn¡¯t expect it from you, you¡¯re surprisingly religious.¡±

    The fact that he¡¯d be extremely faithful in trusting god with such a serious and cold expression wasn¡¯t consistent at all. Just based on the aura he exuded, I didn¡¯t think he¡¯d be someone of extremely strong faith. It was more likely for him to be a god.

    I guess it¡¯s lucky for me to be Lunarism¡¯s saintess, otherwise I¡¯d receive the same treatment as Linden, right? Would you change my treatment to that if I was confirmed not to be the saintess?

    Although I didn¡¯t think that would happen, I became upset for no reason. Although it¡¯s touching when someone who normally isn¡¯t nice treats you warmly, a person who changes after being good to you for a while is even worse.

    ¡°I hope I can quickly confirm that I¡¯m the saintess soon.¡±

    I hoped that even this slight anxiety would disappear quickly. As if he was cheering my heart on, I felt Lecht¡¯s arm which was holding me tighten its grip a little.

    ¡°So that I can use Lecht as an escort knight.¡±

    When I added that on at the end playfully, I could hear Lecht smirk¡ª no, laugh.

    After that, it was silent. There was only the sound of the rustling of fallen leaves as we stepped on them, all the way until we arrived at the temple.

    But there was no awkwardness at all.

 CH 18

    ¡°Wow.¡±

    I let out a natural gasp at the scenery of the place where Lecht had dropped me off.

    ¡°How wonderful.¡±

    That was my first thought upon seeing the temple of the moon god. Seeing as it was known as an abandoned temple since no one took care of it, I thought it would look gloomy, like a haunted house. But that wasn¡¯t the case at all.

    The surrounding mountains were all covered in shadows due to the dense forest, but as far as where the temple was located, a lot of light fell through the foliage of the trees.

    Although we set off right after lunch, the moon was already up by the time we arrived since the sun had set rather early. Although it wasn¡¯t a full moon yet, the amount of moonlight illuminating the ground was still ample.

    The temple, which had been flooded with moonlight peaking through the leaves, was shining brightly. It was as if stars had been scattered over the temple roof.

    The vines that climbed up the wall seemed to make the temple more antique than messy. Perhaps because of the shape of the surrounding trees, the temple seemed safe, as if the mountains around it were warmly embracing it.

    ¡°Watch your feet as you enter.¡±

    Lydia opened the door and entered first. The heavy door squeaked, as if it had been left unattended for a long time. It wasn¡¯t an unpleasant noise either.

    The interior had an antique elegance of its own. The dust floating in the air danced softly under the moonlight coming in through the window.

    ¡°The cleanliness of this place is rather poor since it hasn¡¯t been maintained very well, so be careful not to get your clothes dirty.¡±

    At Lydia¡¯s words, the three priests kicked up a fuss to defend my clothes. Thanks to the cute priests who were worrying down to the most insignificant and trivial details, I was able to bravely walk up with a light heart to the altar where Lydia stood.

    When I stepped up to the altar, I was able to see the temple from a slightly higher perspective. It was just as cool as I had expected.

    ¡°Then, shall we begin the process without delay?¡±

    ¡°Alright.¡±

    Whether it was sightseeing or simply taking my own time. We had already delayed it for so long because of me, so I thought it would be better to conclude the procedure quickly.

    ¡°What should I do?¡±

    The moment had now come for me to know whether the holy object they were talking about was the same as the defence cheat that I knew about.

    ¡°First, come here.¡±

    I followed Lydia¡¯s instructions.

    When I stood where she was talking from, I could see a clean bowl. Although it was rather old, it was clean and seemed to be very well kept, unlike the rest of the temple. As soon as I saw it, I could tell, ¡®Oh, so that¡¯s the holy object¡¯.

    As Lydia instructed, I lifted the bowl with both hands. As soon as my hand touched it, the bowl gave off a soft glow and began to fill up with something on its own.

    ¡°This is¡­?¡±

    ¡°It fills up automatically when being touched with the power of the moon god.¡±

    Gosh, there were so many fascinating things.

    I took the bowl of water and walked further into the temple with Lydia guiding me. There were elaborate patterns carved into the floor. It didn¡¯t seem like a pattern merely used as a decoration for the temple, but rather, it was large and profound, as if it contained some sort of meaning.

    Above all, what really stood out was the towering pillar that rose from the middle of the pattern. It was about the height and thickness of my waist, with the circular top hollowed out. It was a much gentler curve than the concave bowl I was holding onto currently.

    ¡°This is a ¡®pillar¡¯ which can be found in every temple. When a temple is built in a place within God¡¯s reach, it¡¯s the first thing that¡¯s planted and carved, with the temple collapsing the moment it is destroyed.¡±

    Lydia explained with a smile, as if it had been obvious to her that I¡¯d been curious.

    ¡°How fascinating.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s because all temples are connected by the will of God.¡±

    Will of God you say¡­ What sort of god is the moon god?

    ¡°You just need to pour the water from the bowl in here.¡±

    The place Lydia was referring to was the dip on top of the pillar.

    Splish¡ª

    As I poured the water in, Lydia took the bowl away from me and asked me to hold onto the pillar.

    ¡°Please imbue the energy slowly, and as warm as possible please.¡±

    As warm as possible you say. If I had heard this sort of phrase a few days ago, I would have wondered what it meant. However, I could understand what Lydia meant since I had made this sort of light and that sort of light and so on in the process of making a bunch of lights for Linden.

    I infused the pillar with energy that was Linden¡¯s favorite color. The pillar began to glow with my power. The water that was contained at the top gradually started to be absorbed into the pillar.

    Then, a breathtakingly beautiful scene began to unfold.

    ¡°Wow¡­¡±

    pls do not share this anywhere or the transmigration gods will transport u into boku no pico !! this translation has been stolen from mioscorner.com, pls only read there i¡¯m begging u :kneels:

    The stream of water where my light had fused together with it started to flow along the patterns engraved on the floor. As the water filled the circular patterns, the surrounding area near my feet began to get brighter and brighter.

    The pattern was much larger than I thought. Centered around me, it slowly filled the floor and started climbing up the walls and the pillars as well. By the time all the fine lines had been filled up, the whole temple was bathed in light that was melded with my power.

    It was beautiful in a different sense to the time when only moonlight would flood through my window. It was such a picturesque sight that when I turned my head, even the noisy trio had been stunned into silence.

    The thought that anyone would have believed in God if presented with this sort of scenery suddenly flashed through my head.

    It was at that moment.

    Flash!

    A single beam of light suddenly burst from the pillar. It flew from the area above me and flashed, scattering before it reached the ceiling. The light, which seemed to disappear in all directions, quickly began to converge in one place again.

    And with a gentle breeze, an object slowly appeared. It was floating in the air, so incredibly large that it was hard to believe that it came from such a thin pillar.

    ¡°A shield¡­?¡±

    Its presence overwhelmed the surroundings much quicker than the faint outlines from earlier.

    Hum¡ª Hum¡ª

    It vibrated gently, as if it were speaking to me.

    ¡°It¡¯s a holy relic that has been passed down for 100 years. It has the ability to identify and confirm powers anywhere, as long as it¡¯s a temple of the moon god.¡±

    Lydia¡¯s resounding voice was mixed with the resonating sound of the holy relic.

    ¡°Unlike how anyone who has been confirmed to possess the divine power of the moon god, there is only one person in this world who can truly embrace and bear this.¡±

    I could tell who it was, even without asking.

    ¡°It¡¯s been said that this piece of armor has been reserved for the next saintess by Lunar.¡±

    Lydia¡¯s words confirmed my thoughts.

    ¡°It¡¯s something that belongs to the saintess, that¡¯s what I think.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Will you be able to turn my hope into faith?¡±

    I proved myself as a saintess through that, and in a pretty way as well. I pulled my hand off the pillar, took a few steps back and raised my head.

    It was so I could fit the whole shield into my line of sight. Although it was silver, it didn¡¯t feel particularly holy. Although the energy it exuded was rather overwhelming, I could also sense its feelings.

    ¡®I can sense¡­ its feelings.¡±

    No matter how divine a holy relic was, it was still awkward for me to be able to feel the emotions of objects. However, the emotion I had felt in that object was definitely ¡®deep affection¡¯.

    I didn¡¯t mean that objects normally showed affection for me though. It was just that I could feel the love and affection that was put into that object when it was created. It felt as if it had been made, stitch by stitch, while thinking about the person who would use it.

    Was it because of the elaborate designs on it? Was it because of its pretty appearance? Was it because of its mystical color? Did Lunar put their whole heart into it, just because it was a holy relic?

    ¡®What was the person who made you thinking when they were making you?¡¯

    It was said to have been passed down for 100 years as an object that Lunar had left for the next saintess. That¡¯s how long both Lunar, as well as Lunarisms, had been waiting for the next saintess, right?

    I reached for it with a smile. My palms turned upwards. As if it were to hold my hand.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know if I¡¯m worthy enough.¡±

    Will I be able to meet their expectations? Will the self-centered me, who hadn¡¯t thought at all of protecting the citizens of the empire and had merely thought of hurriedly fleeing on my own at the sound of war breaking out, will I really be able to be the Saintess?

    ¡°Although I¡¯m not sure, I¡¯ll try to bear the responsibilities of a saintess.¡±

    The love and affection you have in me. The hope of the Lunar religion. The expectations of the believers. Even though I¡¯m worried about what will happen if I only bring disappointment, and how I¡¯m scared of the fact that they may not like me when they meet me in person.

    ¡°Will you give me courage?¡±

    I spoke to the holy relic with a sincere heart.

    ¡°Be with me.¡±

    The shield, which only had an outline, gradually filled with light and soon began to glow to the point where it was dazzling.

    Hum¡ª Hum¡ª Hum¡ª

    The entire atmosphere resonated with the shield, its amplitude of vibration awakening my soul. I let go of my power and submitted myself to my senses.

    My divine power, which began to scatter all throughout my skin, became one with the vibration of the shield and filled the air. As the temple slowly raised its sleeping head, something lurking silently within my soul poked its head out.

    A gentle breeze from somewhere blew in with a whoosh¡ª and wrapped around me and the shield in unison. A gust of wind that was too soft to be called a whirlwind tickled me.

    The shield, which had discovered a clear model, gradually became smaller and smaller before falling into the palm of my hand. Like the dissolving of a melting snowflake, the shield seeped into my body and climbed up my arm before settling within my solar plexus.

    The light of the shield, which had been humming to the beat of my heart, gradually faded away. At the same time, the rays of light which had spread all throughout the temple also faded away. The temple became silent, as if the one who had shown such a phenomenal appearance hadn¡¯t been them.

    It returned to being a temple densely filled with dust. I was the only one who had changed. A new resolution. A confirmed identity. A genuine power that had been embraced.

    ¡°Congratulations.¡±

    Lydia was the first to welcome me back. She placed her hand on her chest, bowed her head, and knelt down on one knee to greet me. The hyperactive three priests also did the same. They saluted me with a serious look that was incongruent to their usual expressions.

    ¡°Saintess.¡±

    Although I had heard that same word a number of times already, it now reminded me of those past memories.

    ¡°You may feel frustrated since there will be a lot of things I don¡¯t know. You may also be unsatisfied since I may not measure up to how long you have waited. However, I will try my best to meet your expectations.¡±

    I spoke frankly.

    ¡°So please take care of me.¡±

    ¡°The honour is mine, Saintess. I will assist you with all my might.¡±

    I laughed awkwardly at Lydia¡¯s excessively respectful words. It still felt a little awkward to be treated as such a high-ranking and divine person. But I¡¯d get used to it someday, right?

    However, even if that¡¯s the case, I didn¡¯t want to feel distant from them. At that thought, I naturally thought of Lecht. I suddenly thought that we¡¯d become distant for no reason, since a faithful believer like Lecht might be too busy revering me instead.

    I turned my head quickly.

    ¡°Then, Lecht is now my escort kni¡­!¡±

    My playful words were swallowed back inside. It was because of the large pair of arms that had embraced me the moment I turned around. It was the scent I had kept smelling ever since I came here, and a scent that I really liked, so I could automatically tell who it was without even checking.

    In the first place, there was only one person here who was able to engulf me in such a large embrace.

    ¡°Lecht¡­?¡±

    Although he had a tight grip on me, as if he were trying to hold onto a small bluebird trying to fly away, the force he exerted was cautious, as if he were anxious not to hurt me.

    ¡°As I expected, it really is you.¡±

    His voice was more serious than usual.

 CH 19

    ¡°¡­Is that so?¡±

    The force behind the hug was stronger than anything I had ever felt so I hugged him back.

    In any case, it seemed like he was very moved by the fact that I was the saintess. I felt as if I needed to comfort him. Although I knew he was a very devout believer, I didn¡¯t know that¡¯d he¡¯d be this happy upon the appearance of the saintess.

    ¡°Then, Lecht is now my escort knight, right?¡±

    TABLE OF CONTENTS

    this chapter is brought to you by mio

    as translator, proofreader and editor!

    ¡°¡­Is that so?¡±

    The force behind the hug was stronger than anything I had ever felt so I hugged him back.

    In any case, it seemed like he was very moved by the fact that I was the saintess. I felt as if I needed to comfort him. Although I knew he was a very devout believer, I didn¡¯t know that¡¯d he¡¯d be this happy upon the appearance of the saintess.

    ¡°Then, Lecht is now my escort knight, right?¡±

    Even if I couldn¡¯t satisfy all of the Lunar religion, I at least wanted to satisfy Lecht.

    ¡°Did I not hear it correctly? You said you¡¯d protect me if I was the master of the holy relic.¡±

    Although I didn¡¯t need the life or soul he had talked about, I still would¡¯ve been happy with his protection.

    ¡°You know you can¡¯t go back on your own word, right?¡±

    As I joked around with him, the arms around me got tighter and tighter. As I was pressed closer to his body and could feel the tight muscles of his torso more clearly, my heart started to flutter.

    Ah¡­ A saintess shouldn¡¯t be doing this sort of thing with a believer.

    Good thoughts¡­ Good thoughts¡­

    However, my efforts were sadly all wiped out by the small sigh he had let out near my earlobe. How could a sigh be so seductive? As I sang the national anthem in my head in an attempt to get rid of the wicked thoughts in my head, he slowly released me.

    He held me by my shoulders and wouldn¡¯t let go of me despite already releasing me from his embrace. His face was filled with more emotion than ever before.

    A slightly wrinkled brow, but a mouth that was slightly raised at its corners. It wasn¡¯t pain, nor was it desperation either. Just what the hell is that emotion?

    To think that the emotions a believer could feel for a saintess who had finally appeared for the first time in 100 years could be so rich. Because they had been waiting so eagerly for so long.

    After looking at me for a long time, he slowly said with a deep voice that seemed to have turned the temple into a cave.

    ¡°I promise1.¡±

    I, who had been smiling in anticipation at what he was going to say to me, suddenly felt my heart skip a beat. It was because of his face. Even though he was a kind person, it felt as if he had built a wall somewhere in him.

    However, I could see all the boundaries collapsing from his face at this moment. A gaze full of tenderness and affection. A faint, but extremely captivating and languid smile. He took my breath away in a completely unexpected way.

    ¡°Until the very day the world ends.¡±

    Badump, badump, badump.

    My heart dropped down to the floor and bounced up several times, like a rubber ball.

    ¡°Until not a single one of your wishes is left unfulfilled.¡±

    I was clearly getting a sense of how frightfully awful fanatic devotion was. So it would only be right for me to feel scared and refuse him.

    ¡°I will stay by your side and keep you from all harm, I promise.¡±

    He covered my face, which had become the color of a peach, with his large hands. He gently stroked my cheek with his thumb, as if it had become a habit. The hard calluses on his hand felt extremely soft.

    ¡°As long as you¡¯ll let me.¡±

    Ah¡­ I guess this is why people become leaders of cults2.

    His frighteningly sweet unconditional declaration made my heart flutter.

    * * *

    pls do not share this anywhere or the transmigration gods will transport u into boku no pico !! this translation has been stolen from mioscorner.com, pls only read there i¡¯m begging u :kneels:

    On the road down the mountain, I was once again forced by the eagerness of Tanma and the priests to go down again on Lecht¡¯s back.

    Although I had struggled to calm down my pounding heart at first, my body was exhausted from just receiving the sacred relic and his broad back was so warm. Soon, sleep overcame me.

    Returning to Chivan village with me, who had fallen asleep, the group soon split in two.

    ¡°Then, we will contact you as soon as the preparations for the Saintess¡¯s proclamation ceremony are complete.¡±

    Lydia and the priests had to go to the main temple to prepare for a ceremony to proclaim Meliara as the Saintess of the God of Night.

    t/n: author inconsistency. went from god of the moon to god of night.

    On the other hand, while the temple was preparing to receive her as a saintess, it was decided that Meliara would stay at Lecht¡¯s estate.

    Of course, this decision was naturally made without Meliara. Since she had been too busy sleeping to hear.

    However, Lecht didn¡¯t think it¡¯d be a problem since he had already told her that he¡¯d take her to his estate if she was the master of the sacred relic. He had nothing to gain from dawdling around in Chivan village, so he was just about to set off.

    ¡°If you¡¯re lacking in funding, please feel free to contact us at any time.¡±

    While Lecht laid Meliara comfortably in the carriage, Tanma discussed the schedule with Lydia.

    ¡°Then, see you soon.¡±

    When Tanma returned to the carriage after finishing his conversation with Lydia, he found his master kneeling on one knee on the floor of the carriage, staring intently at the sleeping Meliara.

    ¡°Here is a blanket, Your Majesty.¡±

    Tanma handed over the blanket which had been prepared inside the carriage. Receiving it, Lecht glanced at Tanma in response. Somehow, his voice seemed to be very cheerful, and his face looked refreshed.

    ¡°You seem to be in a good mood.¡±

    ¡°The partner my master has been waiting for for over 100 years has finally appeared, so of course I¡¯m in a good mood.¡±

    ¡°I think it¡¯s because of a different reason though.¡±

    Despite Lecht¡¯s suspicions, Tanma only smiled.

    ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to the day I can welcome the Young Miss to the Demon King¡¯s Palace.¡±

    Although he had spoken kindly, he had actually said in other words, ¡®You left the Demon King¡¯s Palace unattended because you were looking for her¡¯. There was a lot of dissatisfaction in his gentle tone, But Lecht had nothing to retort.

    Because of his own insistence on waiting for her in the human world, Tanma had suffered a lot, whether it be acting as the Demon King¡¯s deputy and proxy, or as the Grand Duke¡¯s butler.

    ¡°Would it be better to hold the wedding in the Demon Realm~?¡±

    Lecht, who was watching Tanma move away while humming a pleasant concern, turned his head again just for his eyes to land on Ara.

    ¡°¡­Ara.¡±

    With her name on his lips, a tingling sensation rose from his heart and numbed all the nerves in his body. It was a pleasant sensation.

    He stretched his hand toward her face. The tip of his finger touched her forehead, then gently moved down along her face to her cheek.

    ¡°Mmm¡­¡±

    Perhaps because she felt ticklish, she whined fretfully in her sleep and brushed her face with her hands. Lecht gently pulled his hand back. After rubbing her face for a while, she fell asleep again with a snore.

    A small smile crept across Lecht¡¯s lips as he watched her fall asleep with her hand on her cheek. The past voice that had become a distant memory now echoed vaguely in his ear.

    ¡®Just you wait! Later on, you¡¯ll be so into me you won¡¯t even be able to get out of it, Lecht!¡¯

    She, who had taught him compassion and affection, which he had thought to be the most meaningless and unnecessary emotions in the world.

    ¡®You didn¡¯t know? Lecht is very considerate. He¡¯s a man who¡¯s overflowing with kindness and warmth.¡¯

    She made him realize what it felt like to experience preciousness and affection when all he had known was nothing but absolute power and authority, and was the first and only woman in this world who loved and trusted him infinitely without any cost.

    ¡®No matter what happens, we¡¯ll definitely meet again. I know it.¡¯

    She had turned his life upside down and left it as well. She was the kind of woman who had shaken all his beliefs and so sure of herself to the point where it was harsh.

    ¡®Then, I promise I¡¯ll never leave you alone.¡¯

    So he had believed her. So he had waited with anticipation, leaning on that one promise which had been spoken with no witnesses or evidence, simply because it was her who had said it.

    ¡®So please wait obediently, okay?¡¯

    As long as 100 years.

    ¡®What did I need to be certain of?¡¯

    The fact that he had wasted his time going on about certainty was pathetic. The way she talks in her sleep, the way she seems flustered by his touch but doesn¡¯t reject it, the way she sees things as she pleases and acts brightly.

    ¡®So clearly, this is all you.¡¯

    Although the color had changed, the loveliness contained in those copper eyes looking up at him was exactly the same as that contained in those black eyes.

    There was no part that wasn¡¯t her.

    ¡°This time, I¡¯ll definitely protect everything.¡±

    Lecht whispered softly, hoping she could hear him in her dreams.

    Even your laughter. Even your tears. I will protect all of your hopes, dreams, and happiness.

    ¡°Just stay by my side.¡±

    Just like you promised.

    ¡®Then, I promise I¡¯ll never leave you alone.¡¯

    Even if it¡¯s a promise only he remembers.

    ¡°That¡¯ll be enough.¡±

    As long as he didn¡¯t have to fall into the swamp of waiting for a long time again, then there was nothing tough about it.

    The 100-year wait was a suffocating amount of time, even for a Demon King with a long lifespan.

    * * *

    I seem to have had a very happy dream.

    Although I couldn¡¯t remember it very well, already having received a great welcome to the morning, I lay down and stretched. The feeling of the blanket on my body felt very pleasant today. It was soft like silk and cool like 100% cotton.

    ¡°This place uses nice blankets¡­¡±

    Mumbling as I hugged the soft blanket, I suddenly thought of what happened last night and opened my eyes.

    ¡°Heok. How did I even get to this room?¡±

    The last thing I remembered was that Lecht¡¯s back was extremely large and warm. It seems like the tension I had in the temple had probably been melted by Lecht¡¯s warmth, so I had fallen asleep on his back.

    Recalling the embarrassing incident last night, I suddenly came to my senses, thinking that I should at least apologize to him for causing trouble.

    ¡°Huh? This isn¡¯t my room though?¡±

    As I got up, I realized that this wasn¡¯t the room I had unpacked in when I had arrived at Chivan village. Then, whose room is this? Wait, no, is this the right room? Even the size of the bed I was lying in was bigger than the room I had unpacked in.

    The first thing that came to mind was Meliara¡¯s room back in the Duke¡¯s estate. It was around that size, wait, no, even bigger than that room.

    However, unlike that room which had felt empty and deserted at that time, this room was filled to the brim. Of course, not only was the furniture pretty, but every single one of the ornaments were simplistic yet grand. It was a poised, yet luxurious room.

    ¡®I don¡¯t think this is our accommodation¡¯s room.¡¯

    I went to move in order to confirm it.

    But then, I ended up kicking Kelber, who was lying at my feet.

    ¡°Kking?¡±

    t/n: onomatopoeia of dog whining

    Kelber, who had been sleeping, suddenly woke up at the poof sound that came from my kick. He shook his head, then stuck out his front paws to stretch.

    ¡°Woof! Woof!¡±

    Kelber jumped out of bed and gently wagged his tail at me, as if telling me to follow him.

    ¡°Kelber. Where are we?¡±

    I followed after him. As soon as my feet hit the floor, I heard a knocking sound.

    ¡°May I come in, Miss?¡±

    ¡°Yes, please enter.¡±

    Since they were probably an employee of the accommodation, I answered. It was a woman who was dressed neatly and wearing an apron that came in through the door.

    ¡°If you¡¯re awake, would you like me to draw the curtains now?¡±

    ¡°Oh, yes, thank you.¡±

    Although I thought they¡¯d ask me, ¡°What time would you like me to come in for housekeeping today?¡±, I still nodded, bewildered that they¡¯d even draw the curtains for me.

    As they pulled the thick curtains aside, the sunlight that had been hidden behind it poured in. I frowned slightly at the sudden brightness in my vision. As I blocked the sunlight with my hands and walked to the window, my squinted eyes suddenly widened again at the scenery outside the window.

    ¡°What is this¡­?¡±

    [1] ???? lecht uses the ending ¡®?¡¯ which is used as a final ending to a sentence to promise something to the listener so he basically double promises her AHHHH

    [2] ??? refers to ¡®fanaticism¡¯ but i¡¯ll be using it interchangeably with ¡®cult¡¯ depending on the context since they both do fit. i¡¯ve referred to it as ¡®cult leader¡¯ just because it¡¯s more understandable in english and also because meliara is referring to the blind affection and devotion cults lavish onto their leader or god (i.e. ymir in attack on titan)

    [3]

 CH 20

    A vast garden lay before my eyes.

    There were nine gardeners in sight as well as three large fountains. Each of the divided areas were decorated after different styles. At the end of the vast garden was a road wide enough for carriages, and behind that stood a stone wall that stood tall like a fortress.

    I seemed to have also had this sort of dazed feeling when I first saw this sort of view outside of the Periot Dukedom¡¯s window¡­ But this wasn¡¯t the Dukedom. It didn¡¯t even look like Chivan village, which was the last place I remember.

    ¡°This is¡­¡±

    As I reached my hand outside the window, a cold air rushed through my fingers. I looked at the scene with a dumbfounded face as the woman from before spoke to me again.

    ¡°May I introduce myself before I assist you in getting ready?¡±

    I whipped my head around. That overly-cautious attitude made me uneasy somehow.

    ¡°Greetings, Miss. I¡¯m Solte, the one who will be serving you exclusively from today onwards.¡±

    ¡°Exclusively?¡±

    What kind of accommodation had people exclusively serving one person?

    ¡°Yes. There are two other people besides me, but one has gone to organize Miss¡¯s clothes and shoes while the other has gone to prepare your meal.¡±

    Wait, no matter how luxurious an accommodation is, to have three people¡­ is impossible!

    ¡°Excuse me, wait a minute.¡±

    No matter how ignorant I was of this world, there was no way I couldn¡¯t realize that something was wrong when I opened my eyes to such an elegant room, a dazzlingly beautiful view outside the window, as well as three people who exclusively ¡®served¡¯ me.

    ¡°Who¡­ no, not that.¡±

    She clearly just introduced herself.

    ¡°Where am I? Why are you ¡®exclusively¡¯ serving me?¡±

    I scanned my surroundings.

    ¡°What about Lecht? Is this Chivan Village?¡±

    The only reason I was able to stay calm in this sort of bewildering situation was Kelber, who was by my side. The child who normally growls at strangers when necessary didn¡¯t seem too concerned about Solte¡¯s appearance. Rather, he sat there only looking at me and wagging his tail softly, as if he wasn¡¯t interested at all. I was able to calmly enquire about the situation since Kelber¡¯s behavior allowed me to know that I wasn¡¯t in a dangerous situation.

    ¡°Oh, my apologies. I didn¡¯t realize that you¡¯d need an explanation for that part.¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s probably weirder for me to ask in this sort of situation.¡±

    Waking up after sleeping soundly and asking, ¡°Where am I?¡±. It would¡¯ve been bewildering enough from Solte¡¯s point of view.

    ¡°This is the central bedroom, located on the third floor of the main building in the Arvis Grand Dukedom. The reason I¡¯ve been put in charge of taking care of you is because I¡¯ve got the most diverse set of skills among the other maids and have been working the longest in the Grand Dukedom.¡±

    ¡°What¡­?¡±

    I felt like I had been hit on the head by what she said. She went on, not knowing why I was shocked.

    ¡°If you are referring to the ¡®Chivan Village¡¯ which is located to the west of the Grand Duchy, then this isn¡¯t the place. This is the residence of the Grand Ducal Family, which lies in the very heart of the Arvis Grand Duchy.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°And His Excellency, the Grand Duke Lecht Arvis who you are looking for, is waiting for you in the study closest to the dining room so that he can dine with the miss at any time.¡±

    Solte¡¯s explanation was so detailed that I couldn¡¯t even think I had heard wrong. However, I still hoped that I had heard wrong.

    ¡°Arvis, the Grand Duke?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°You mean, the Lecht I know¡­? The one with silver hair, a deep voice, and golden eyes that are sexy, that Lecht is the Grand Duke of Arvis?¡±

    Solte seemed to be a little puzzled at my question, which was so bewildering that she couldn¡¯t even continue to speak properly, and just nodded with a smile.

    ¡°His Excellency certainly has silver hair and a deep voice. All our employees also think that his gold eyes are cool as well.¡±

    She seemed to think that I was bragging about Lecht, so she smiled and agreed enthusiastically. But what I needed wasn¡¯t agreement. It was a denial of what I said.

    ¡°So Lecht is¡­ the Grand Duke of Arvis¡­ Oh¡­¡±

    My head spun as my legs lost their strength in an instant.

    ¡°Miss!¡±

    ¡°Woof!¡±

    Solte grabbed onto me quickly as Kelber supported me with his head as I stumbled. My head continued to spin, even with their help. I felt as if white were flashing before my eyes.

    Grand Duke Arvis. He was a founding contributor to the empire as well as an existence even the emperor feared.

    So, Lecht¡­

    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, since you like feathers, then we¡¯ll go with that.¡±

    That sweet Lecht¡­!

    ¡°You will be loved. Without a doubt, infinitely.¡±

    That considerate Lecht¡­!

    ¡®Was the Demon King?!?¡¯

    That day, for the first time in my life, I experienced how it felt to faint.

    * * *

    pls do not share this anywhere or the transmigration gods will transport u into boku no pico !! this translation has been stolen from mioscorner.com, pls only read there i¡¯m begging u :kneels:

    <The ground rumbled with every step he took. The spot that he brushed past while exuding a dark energy froze over, as if it had been struck with the frost of night.

    Those eyes filled with vitality and the long hair fluttering in the wind aroused a bloody air. Those huge black wings, several times the size of his body that could destroy monuments with just a gust of wind from a single flap as well as those round horns protruding from his temple indicated that he was not a human being.

    Having destroyed the capital in an instant, he stepped foot into the Imperial Palace. The Imperial Knights, who were in disorder fighting against the army he had brought, fought a bloody battle, but the Imperial Knights were far too lacking compared to the demon troops, whose abilities far exceeded that of humans. They fell like autumn leaves.

    ¡°Grand Duke Arvis! Why in the world are you doing this all of a sudden?!¡±

    The desperate voice of the emperor, who had been driven into a corner, rang out. He had thought as long as he didn¡¯t provoke him, he wouldn¡¯t venture out from the Grand Duchy, but just what the hell had made him so dissatisfied to the point that it had made him turn his sword to the Empire? He couldn¡¯t think of anything, no matter how much he thought about it.

    The Grand Duke, who was looking at the emperor with an unreadable expression on his face, slowly extended his left hand, which had been clenched in a fist. What slowly fluttered out from his grasp were black rose petals.

    ¡°Because the rose has withered.¡±

    The black rose petals were scattered in all directions, carried by the cool wind.

    ¡°That¡¯s why the Empire is no longer needed.¡±

    A voice that was mixed with such deep emotions it felt as if one was tearing out their own heart.

    ¡°Their traces, I¡¯ll erase them all. If I don¡¯t, I think I¡¯ll go crazy.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Though naturally, I¡¯m not in my right mind right now either.¡±

    The Demon King, Grand Duke Arvis, who was pretty much talking to himself, slowly raised his sword.

    And in that way, he destroyed the very empire he had built with his own hands.>

    That was the Grand Duke Arvis I know. Suddenly appearing and establishing an empire, living there for 100 years disguised as a Grand Duke, then suddenly destroying the empire for reasons no one could understand. The Demon King.

    But you¡¯re saying that Lecht is that Demon King. And this place is the Grand Duchy, which is no different than his base.

    So I¡­ instead of fleeing the country, had on the contrary, crawled into the hideout of the very person who had destroyed the empire.

    ¡®I¡¯m crazy¡­!¡¯

    In any case, I think this life has been completely ruined! Losing my mind over that shocking fact, I covered myself with the blanket and tore my hair out.

    Even if it goes wrong, this is too big of a disaster! No wonder his out of this world appearance didn¡¯t seem to look like a human¡¯s; he was never a real human.

    ¡®Didn¡¯t the novel clearly say he has wings? And horns? And long hair?!¡¯

    I thought he was just one of the nobles the emperor trusted and considered close. And treating Linden sharply was due to the support of the emperor. But rather than that, he was an existence where there would be no consequences, even if he looked down on all the mortals in this empire.

    I hurriedly reflected on my past behavior. I hadn¡¯t said anything that would cause any trouble, right? I hadn¡¯t cursed at demons or the Demon King, right?

    ¡®Didn¡¯t I say some bullshit about having the Demon King be my escort?¡¯

    Oh my Lunar¡­ What can I do? I didn¡¯t want this. I just wanted to live a peaceful and pain-free life.

    But it¡¯s not enough, even after suddenly singling me out as your child, making me a saintess, and making my plans of fleeing the country fly away, so you let me chatter some bullshit statement to the demon king.

    It¡¯s obvious that Lunar hates me. It¡¯s obvious that a saintess is chosen, not as the child they love the most, but as the child they want to bully the most¡­!

    ¡®Hnng. What should I do?¡¯

    How laughable it must have seemed for a person like me to ask him to escort me. How hilarious!

    It was when I was kicking my blanket in shame as all kinds of dark history and trivial words I had said without knowing he was the Demon King came flooding into my head, one after another.

    Knock. Knock.

    A knocking sound was heard.

    ¡°Who is it¡­?¡±

    With the blanket wrapped up to my neck, I asked cautiously.

    ¡°Miss, it¡¯s me, Tanma.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡±

    I said, breathing a sigh of relief when I heard that it wasn¡¯t the Demon King, Lecht.

    ¡°Come in-¡±

    But my words were blocked in an instant.

    Wait a minute. If Lecht is the Demon King, then Tanma, his closest aide is¡­? There¡¯s no way  the butler serving the Demon King doesn¡¯t know that he¡¯s the Demon King. So does that mean that Tanma isn¡¯t just an ordinary human being either¡­?

    ¡°Heok.¡±

    Suddenly having another realization, I froze when I saw the incoming Tanma. Even though I had seen him for several weeks, at this moment, he suddenly looked completely different.

    ¡°How are you feeling?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve called in all the doctors and healer mages, but they¡¯ve all said it¡¯s nothing but simple fatigue.¡±

    He clicked his tongue and came over to me.

    If Lecht is the Demon King, then even if he can¡¯t be, Tanma is definitely the second-in-command.

    <The middle-aged aide always knew and carried out what the Demon King wanted, like a ghost. There was nothing that could stop him since there was nothing he lacked in skill, so their invasion proceeded without a hitch.>

    This old man was also a dangerous old man¡­!

    I swallowed dryly as I watched the butler who was smiling mildly walk up to my bed.

    ¡°We are in the midst of preparing an elixir that helps improve anemia and physical strength.¡±

    ¡°Elixir¡­ haha¡­¡±

    Don¡¯t tell me, it¡¯s a medicine that demons take? Won¡¯t I be taking it in vain if any side effects from taking it come up? Don¡¯t tell me, you¡¯ll overturn the continent just to find it, there¡¯s no way, right¡­?

    <The only thing they left in their wake was silence and devastation. Everything in the empire had returned to nothing.>

    Although I hadn¡¯t even read the novel that diligently, phrases from it kept popping up in my head.

    I shut my eyes tightly and shook my head. Let¡¯s calm down. They still haven¡¯t invaded yet.

    There¡¯s still two months lef-

    Damn, we only have two months left?!

 CH 21

    You¡¯ve already finished planning the invasion of the Empire, haven¡¯t you? Just when exactly will it start?

    What about the army? Are they already in the human world?

    So was the reason why you came to the capital just to confirm if the invasion would go smoothly?

    Why are you even invading in the first place? What exactly are you dissatisfied about?!

    <¡°Because the rose has withered.¡±>

    What sort of emotional outburst is that? Why is the Empire no longer needed if the rose has withered? Roses wither every year!

    ¡°Would you like me to dine in your room? Or would you like to eat in a restaurant?¡±

    ¡°Wh-What?!¡±

    My voice was distorted since I was immersed in my own thoughts and hadn¡¯t heard what Tanma had said properly. My heart began to pound with anxiety about my future and worries of my safety.

    I looked at Tanma while hugging my blanket tightly as he spoke with his characteristically gentle smile.

    ¡°However, I recommend you go to the restaurant.¡±

    His words seemed as if he were threatening me, ¡®If you don¡¯t go to the restaurant, even I¡¯m not sure what will happen to you¡¯.

    ¡°Going on a light walk along the way will be good for your body, not to mention that His Excellency is also waiting for you too. If you don¡¯t go, he¡¯ll probably spend a few more days having sleepless nights.¡±

    Why was it that to me, the sentence had been filtered into, ¡®I¡¯m keeping my eyes on you to make sure you aren¡¯t getting into any nonsense, so be prepared¡¯?

    Gulp.

    Tanma, who was staring at me, cocked his head to the side as I swallowed dryly and just stared back at him.

    ¡°Miss?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll go!¡±

    [t/n: formalities are used here bc ara is SCARED LMAGLDSF]

    pls do not share this anywhere or the transmigration gods will transport u into boku no pico !! this translation has been stolen from mioscorner.com, pls only read there i¡¯m begging u :kneels:

    I answered straight away, scared that I¡¯d hear more frightening words.

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll call for Solte to help you get ready.¡±

    Tanma smiled brightly and retreated from the room after replying as such.

    Just as my shocked heart had calmed down a little more due to his departure, Solte soon entered the room not so long after that.

    She had come in with other maids as well. They kindly helped me in washing up and changing.

    After being relieved for a while, I soon recalled the fact that this was the place where the Grand Duke of Arvis, the Demon King lives, and started to probe their awareness.

    Do they work here because they know the Grand Duke of Arvis is the Demon King? Then if that¡¯s the case, are they also demons? Then what about the horns? Why don¡¯t they have horns?

    It was clearly said that demons had horns though. It was said that their physical abilities that surpassed humans as well as the abilities that were unique to each individual came from their horns.

    So, although wings were a sole privilege that belonged to the Demon King, apparently all demons were supposed to have horns.

    Come to think of it, the butler, Tanma, didn¡¯t have horns either, right? Then were they all just humans?

    No, but if that was the case, Lecht is the Demon King and he obviously doesn¡¯t have any horns either!

    Maybe he was hiding his appearance? It was probably that.

    Since he had lived in the human world for 100 years, he¡¯d easily be able to hide something like a demon¡¯s appearance¡­!

    All sorts of endless possibilities entangled and filled my head. I arrived at the restaurant while I was distracted by my complicated thoughts.

    ¡°Woof! Woof! Woof!¡±

    Seeing the three heads of the dog greeting me temporarily alleviated the thoughts that had been weighing on my mind. I stroked Kelber¡¯s head with a spirit that cleared like a bit of bad weather.

    ¡®It seems like even demons have pets.¡¯

    So it wasn¡¯t a race devoid of any humanity after all.

    As I was feeling comforted by Kelber¡¯s soft fur, I suddenly had a small epiphany.

    ¡°Kelber¡­ are you also, perhaps¡­¡±

    If it was a pet raised by demons¡­ then it would also be a demonic creature. My hand, which was still stroking Kelber¡¯s head, suddenly stopped.

    So the monster that the saintess female lead and the crown prince male lead had to slaughter in the novel¡­!

    A demonic creature!

    After all, it wasn¡¯t normal to have three heads! But why didn¡¯t Linden or anyone else say anything?!

    ¡°Hing?¡±

    Kelber came up to me, whining in complaint when my petting suddenly stopped. But I couldn¡¯t pat him as naturally as before.

    ¡®To think that I had the bravery of a fool! You¡¯ve been sleeping with a demonic creature on your lap!¡¯

    The difference between knowing and not knowing something largely influenced my point of view on things.

    ¡°Ha, haha¡­ I¡¯ll show you affection later. Haha¡­¡±

    Kelber tilted his head, whining, as I laughed awkwardly and slowly moved away. However, he didn¡¯t go after me since he was a kid that understood what I was saying.

    ¡®But you never know¡­ what if he suddenly changes and bites me¡­¡¯

    Apparently demonic creatures could willingly change their size¡­ So he could even suddenly become the size of something like a brown bear¡­! I need to be careful¡­

    I crept sneakily into the restaurant. The attendants, who opened the restaurant door for me, the knights, who were standing by the door, even the waiters who could be seen as you walked in.

    There was no way for me to tell who on earth was a demon, who was human, who was aware of Lecht¡¯s identity, and who was involved in the carnage following the invasion, so I became wary of everyone. I became even more frightened since everyone gave me a beautiful smile.

    ¡®Apparently people who smile while stabbing you in the back are scarier than people who normally show their anger on the outside.¡¯

    I sat at the table with my nerves on edge, as if I was in the middle of a haunted house. But before my butt could touch the chair, the door opened once again as Lecht walked in.

    ¡°Ara.¡±

    He seemed to look bigger than usual, as he strode towards me. Probably because I now knew he was the Demon King.

    I felt like I could see invisible wings and horns on him, and suddenly felt like I was under the illusion that I could even see the black energy I saw during his first meeting with Linden.

    ¡°Hic.¡±

    A hiccup leaked out of me. It was because of all the tension that I had built up within me on the way here.

    ¡°Hic!¡±

    I hurriedly covered my mouth with both hands. However, I couldn¡¯t stop my shoulders from shaking from time to time.

    As soon as I started hiccuping, the servants waiting around came up to me in the blink of an eye and poured me some wa3ter.

    ¡°Would you like some hot tea?¡±

    ¡°If you¡¯d prefer a soda, I¡¯ll prepare that for you right now.¡±

    Seeing them react to my hiccups, to the point of making a commotion over it, I waved my hands while only taking a glass of water. They bowed their heads and retreated, perhaps because they knew I was fine.

    However, as they moved away, Lecht filled my vision instead.

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±

    He stood right next to my chair and patted me on the back.

    ¡°Is the temperature of the restaurant uncomfortable?¡±

    He seemed to think that the sudden hiccups were due to the temperature.

    ¡°Or did you put a strain on your body coming to the restaurant despite not being fully recovered yet?¡±

    ¡°Hic.¡±

    No, it¡¯s clearly because I was surprised to see Lecht¡­

    When I couldn¡¯t bring myself to tell the truth, he added quietly.

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you just call me to your room? It¡¯s fine to eat there if it¡¯s more comfortable for you.¡±

    He spoke in a tone which was a mixture of sterness and tenderness. The aloof attitude that I had seen over the past few weeks was so miniscule that I couldn¡¯t find it, even after washing my eyes.

    It disintegrated the tension within me for a moment, but I came to my senses straight away.

    ¡®Now that I¡¯ve been found out, it doesn¡¯t matter anymore¡­ is that why¡­?!¡¯

    Until recently, you continued to show such a domineering and overbearing posture in protecting your dignity, but now that I know you¡¯re the Demon King, you¡¯re telling me to grovel at your feet now that I know, right?

    As I was trying to rationalize my thought process like this, I found something strange in my logic.

    ¡®On the contrary, that doesn¡¯t really add up.¡¯

    If you want to say, ¡®Grovel at my feet now that you know¡¯, after you reveal that you¡¯re the Demon King, you should be even more domineering, so why did you suddenly become even more tender?

    When I looked at him with a look that said I couldn¡¯t understand him, he moved his hand that had been patting me on the back and placed it on my head. He gently patted my head, slowly, as if he were soothing a child, a faint smile appearing on his lips while doing so.

    ¡°You look like you have something to say.¡±

    I was terrified when the thoughts in my mind were revealed. My eyes flitted back and forth as I frantically thought about how to say it.

    Could I just outright ask him openly, ¡®Are you the Demon King?¡¯

    Come to think of it, the only thing he revealed to me was that he was the ¡®Archduke of Arvis¡¯, and it was thanks to the novel that I knew that the Archduke of Arvis was actually the Demon King. So there was a good chance that he didn¡¯t know that I knew who he was.

    However, isn¡¯t the issue too serious for me to pretend to be ignorant and let it go?

    But I couldn¡¯t ask, ¡®Why did you invade the Empire?¡¯ And if I ask, ¡®Why is the Empire of no use to you now that the rose has withered¡¯¡­ rather, he¡¯d probably be suspicious of where I came to know of that.

    Should I just lightly ask, ¡®Do you know about demons?¡¯ Or how about, ¡®What are your plans for the next two months?¡¯

    I was trying to wrack my little brain with all my might, my eyes flitting back and forth when a warm hand touched my cheek. His thumb naturally brushed lightly against my eyes.

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to look around and read the room like that. You can ask me.¡±

    How did you know I was reading the room? Do you perhaps have mind reading abilities?

    As I swallowed dryly due to anxiety, this time, his thumb came down to the corner of my mouth. Before I knew it, my lips, which were habitually pursed, were completely and perfectly exposed to his touch.

    When his roughly callused finger slowly swept over my lower lip, my nerves jumped, as if something that had been my secret had suddenly been revealed. The thumb that ran slowly across my lip line lightly rubbed the corner of my mouth before slowly sliding downwards.

    His large hand, which was covering my cheek, also traced down the contours of my face, before gently taking a hold of my chin.

    All his actions overstimulated me, perhaps because I was already extremely nervous. I was extra sensitive to his touch, as if all the nerves in my body were directed to my face.

    The smile floating on his lips grew a little deeper.

    ¡°Why are you so nervous again?¡±

    So, am I not supposed to look nervous in this situation? I mean, my favorite face is this close¡­

    Wait, no, it¡¯s not that. Rather, it¡¯s being caught by the Demon King?

    Thump, thump, thump, thump.

    I could hear the sound of my heart beating diligently in my ear drums.

    However, it was his languid voice that made my eardrums cry for a respite.

    ¡°There¡¯s something I want to do to you right now.¡±

    The lack of strength in his voice created a needlessly sensual and suggestive atmosphere.

    His face, which had approached little by little, suddenly became close enough for us to feel each other¡¯s breath. As if the tip of his nose could touch mine, it tickled me.

    ¡°But if I do it without permission¡­ you¡¯ll be frightened and run away, right?¡±

    What do you want to do? What can you even do in this pose? There¡¯s only one thing I can think of though.

    It can¡¯t be. There¡¯s no way. Lustful demons, be gone. Pure thoughts, come back.

    ¡­Even then, there¡¯s only one thing that comes to mind?!

    ¡°I want your permission.¡±

    ¡°¡­to what?¡±

    The thing I¡¯m thinking of? Is it really that? So suddenly, without any warning?

    It¡¯s not like we¡¯re lovers who get hot and flustered just from making eye contact, right? And in a restaurant too? With everyone looking at us?

    Pfft, no way. In any case, Lecht might be too embarrassed as well¡­

    ¡°A kiss.¡±

    ¡­or not.

    He stared straight at me with a scorching look so strong the temperature couldn¡¯t be measured.

    His request for consent was heard once more through the sound of my heart beating loudly in my ears.

    ¡°Please give me permission. To kiss you.¡±

    There was an indescribably excitement that couldn¡¯t be hidden in his deep voice.

 CH 22

    There was a moment of stillness. There seemed to be a bird chirping in the distance.

    I couldn¡¯t push him away, but even so, I still couldn¡¯t say a word of consent, and just stiffened.

    It happened when he opened his mouth again, just as I had become a statue of stone.

    ¡°Whew~ Our Demon King is getting it on even in broad daylight.¡±

    A voice that I had never heard before sounded from behind me. I instinctively grabbed onto Lecht due to the goosebumps I got all over my body because of his vulgar voice.

    Forget grabbing onto him, rather he instead just pulled me tightly into his arms. Although thanks to that, I was lifted from my chair, I ended up burying my head into his tight embrace anyway.

    A man standing at the open window sill caught my eye.

    The first thing I saw as soon as I saw him was the horn on his forehead. Contrary to what I had imagined, the horns were broken in half.

    pls do not share this anywhere or the transmigration gods will transport u into boku no pico !! this translation has been stolen from mioscorner.com, pls only read there i¡¯m begging u :kneels:

    ¡®A demon!¡¯

    I instinctively burrowed myself into Lecht¡¯s arms even more and clutched the collar of his shirt tightly with my hands. My body instinctively seemed to think it¡¯d be safe there.

    The man standing at the window sill with his arms crossed was still staring at me.

    Although it was quite a distance away, I could still feel the ¡®interest¡¯ in his gaze. That feeling of interest felt sticky and sinister; just all around unpleasant.

    ¡°Sir Frody. You¡¯ve behaved insolently. Please knock on the door before entering.¡±

    The one who was mediating the situation was Tanma, who was standing by the door.

    However, the man merely snorted at Tanma¡¯s words and jumped down from the window sill.

    ¡°Have you been living amongst humans for so long that you¡¯ve adapted their manners to become ours as well? Since when have we ever gone knocking before entering?¡±

    The man who spoke with a sneer walked lightly in the direction I was in. Since he was barefoot, the sound of his footsteps couldn¡¯t be heard at all, with every step of his as soft as a banquet dancer who could captivate their audience.

    Lecht turned my body slightly and tried to hide me within his embrace, as if trying to prevent him from approaching me at all.

    However, such behavior of Lecht¡¯s did not deter the man¡¯s curious gaze.

    ¡°Who is it? A new lover?¡±

    He poked his head out from the side and asked me with a mischievous light in his eyes. His voice was extremely thin compared to Lecht¡¯s, so much so that it sounded like an itchy nasally voice and a soft breeze.

    ¡°Hehe~ There¡¯s no way my little brother can do that though, right?¡±

    He added with a snicker, as if he was genuinely enjoying this situation.

    Slither¡ª

    I took a deep breath in shock when I turned my head at the sound that came from the floor by his feet, as if it was agreeing with him.

    ¡®That¡¯s a demonic creature! You can tell it¡¯s a demonic creature just by looking at it!¡±

    Of course, that also was the case with the three-headed Kelber.

    It¡¯s just that it was my worldview and that I was also extremely formidable.

    ¡­I was so stupid.

    ¡°So you¡¯re the saintess?¡±

    When the man Tanma had called ¡®Sir Frody¡¯ asked such a question, Lecht¡¯s arms wrapping around me tightened even more.

    Noticing the subtle change, the man smiled and crinkled his eyes into the shape of his fingernails.

    With a charming smile on his lips, he was just like a nine tailed fox, waving its nine tails gently and beckoning me to come over. Although the way he dealt with the opponent was rather calm, he seduced them powerfully.

    ¡°The new saintess, it¡¯s a pleasure to meet you.¡±

    ¡°Hello.¡±

    ¡°The saintess this time seems to be gentler than the last one, huh?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°I think they¡¯re cuter this way. It suits me well.¡±

    As he whispered quietly, ¡°Please take care of me¡±, I felt the gooseflesh erupt all over my arms and shoulders.

    It was an extremely strange feeling. My whole body seemed to be enchanted by him, as if it were possessed, but at the same time, the entirety of my soul seemed to be screaming out that I had to be careful of him.

    ¡°But¡­ this isn¡¯t what our Demon King has been waiting for though?¡±

    ¡°¡­?¡±

    I wondered what his comment meant. The ¡®this¡¯ he was referring to was probably talking about me, so is he saying that I¡¯m not the one that Lecht was waiting for?

    What do you mean? Didn¡¯t Lecht wait for a long time for a saintess? But I¡¯m a saintess though.

    ¡°Ahh, so as long as it¡¯s a saintess, it doesn¡¯t matter? Well, it¡¯s true that a Demon King must have a saintess by their side after all.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll tear your mouth¡­ you shut up.¡±

    Lecht, who had only been listening silently to what he had to say, growled, as if he could no longer bear to hear it. It seemed like he was in the middle of spewing some harsh words, but then he stopped and looked at me out of the corner of his eye before he turned the conversation around.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Come on, we all have the right to see the saintess, don¡¯t we?¡±

    He came a step closer to me. The five-headed snake by his side also slithered a bit closer.

    At that moment, the wisps of black energy began to bloom like a haze from Lecht¡¯s feet.

    ¡°Grrrrr¡­¡±

    Kelber, who had retreated a few steps at the sound of my promise to give him affection later, stopped in front of me to block me and bared his teeth. Kelber¡¯s tail stood up sharply with his fur raised, and whether it was an illusion or not, he seemed to grow bigger and bigger in size.

    Slither¡ª

    Not losing out either, the snake with five heads also opened their mouths wide and stretched out their necks threateningly.

    While the two demonic creatures were fighting it out, Lecht¡¯s eyes were still fixed on the man named Frody.

    ¡°Ms Saintess, if you already only love this Demon King so much, what about when he changes his mind? You need to meet them and give them all an equal chance.¡±

    ¡°¡­?¡±

    Now what does that mean?

    I looked up at Lecht with a puzzled look on my face, but he didn¡¯t allow his sharp gaze to drop away from the man. Instead, he pressed my face deeper into his arms and hugged me tightly, as if he didn¡¯t care.

    His refreshing scent gave me a sense of security, so I leaned forward without resisting as the man¡¯s voice continued to sound out.

    ¡°Aww, don¡¯t tell me, has the enchantment worn off already?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°I had wondered why my little brother, who would only confine himself in his mansion, suddenly set out to the capital for no reason all of a sudden¡­ Turns out that you knew the saintess had appeared and went to make preparations in advance, huh?¡±

    ¡°Looks like you still have the habit of looking at the whole world by your standards.¡±

    Lecht said in a pitiful voice, as if he couldn¡¯t bear to listen to his nonsense anymore.

    Hiss¡ª!

    ¡°Grrrrr¡­¡±

    Perhaps because it understood his words were a provocation, the five heads on the snake raised up even higher and darted their tongues out even more violently causing Kelber to growl more intimidatingly and grow even larger in size. He was no longer the size of a large dog but now became the size of a tiger.

    Upon hearing that sound, the man named Frody, who was still smiling grimly, whispered.

    ¡°Our pretty new saintess.¡±

    I had never been so creeped out from someone calling me pretty.

    ¡°I¡¯ll let you know in advance, but you¡¯d better be careful.¡±

    ¡°¡­?¡±

    The tip of his finger, which moved softly like something that belonged in a dance, was soon directed at Lecht.

    ¡°The last saintess was also naive and didn¡¯t know anything about this world, but then she was deceived by him and had her whole life ruined. Let alone her body, even the traces left of her can¡¯t be found.¡±

    ¡°!¡±

    My eyes widened.

    Wh-What, ruined? What can¡¯t be found? Wh-What do you mean let alone?

    My shoulders stiffened as I gradually loosened my grip on Lecht¡¯s collar, which I had been holding onto tightly.

    The fact that Lecht was the Demon King suddenly came to my mind again.

    The Demon King who destroyed the Empire.

    Surely it¡¯s a little strange that he¡¯s trying to ¡®protect¡¯ the saintess. It would make more sense to say that he was up to something instead.

    With my imagination going crazy, I suddenly began to feel extremely uncomfortable in his arms. It was actually starting to get scary, to be exact.

    I wriggled in his arms awkwardly while the man¡¯s voice continued.

    ¡°Ah, I was hoping I¡¯d find you first this time.¡±

    The mournful sign that was shed was so gentle that it would also compel the listeners to shed sorrowful sighs too.

    ¡°But I¡¯m free to hope, right?¡±

    He whispered in a cute voice, as if begging for me to look at him, before snapping his middle finger and thumb.

    With a snapping sound, petals began to scatter across the restaurant. The distinct orange flowers that were shaped like umbrellas were gold osmanthus flowers that I had once seen in a park before. The fine flowers brightened up the heavy atmosphere and spread a deep fragrance into the air. The magnificent scent that seemed to have been sprayed with strong perfume made my sense of smell as well as my head woozy.

    Just as my senses were going fuzzy, I heard the sound of a tongue clicking above my head as Lecht raised one hand in the air.

    It was when he was about to snap his fingers just like the man.

    ¡°Don¡¯t mess with Her Majesty!¡±

    A gust of wind had blown in from somewhere and blown away all the petals and fragrance. Shocked, all of us turned our heads to see a man standing next to Tanma, panting.

    Although he looked imposing, just like someone who had just finished his military conscription, he was a man with a youthful looking face. His short hair fluttered in the residues of the gentle breeze.

    On both sides of his forehead were small horns that indicated that he was a demon. It didn¡¯t even reach a hand span, so unlike Frody¡¯s broken one, it was cute despite being similar to it.

    Next to him was Tanma, who was holding the man by the neck with a pleased smile. He was panting for breath and leaning with his whole body forward and no doubt would have rushed forward toward us if it weren¡¯t for Tanma.

    ¡°Now just who are you trying to ¡®enchant¡¯?! Let go of me, Tanma! I¡¯m really going to hit that bastard this time!¡±

    Upon seeing him huff and puff with a crimson face, Lecht let out a small sigh.

    Then Frody burst out into laughter.

    ¡°Pffft! So was this useless good for nothing still alive?¡±

    ¡°¡­!¡±

    Frody¡¯s words made the man stiffen. His face grew even redder.

    ¡°How did my little brother, who shed neither tears nor showed any mercy, slip into the role of a clean-up crew, that¡¯s only fit for trash?¡±

    He giggled and stepped back. Raising both hands in the air, he showed an exaggerated ¡®surrender¡¯.

    ¡°Okay, okay. I won¡¯t touch your toys. Happy now?¡±

    ¡°I-Is that damn flour boy comparing Her Majesty to a toy right now?! I¡¯m going to beat that bastard into sujebi dough!¡±

    ¡°You guys really have a lack of humor.¡±

    Frody returned to the open window sill in the blink of an eye, stepping back onto it and smiled at me again. His demonic creature, the five-headed snake, suddenly shrank again before wrapping itself around his waist.

    ¡°Then, see you next time, Ms Saintess? If possible, just the two of us.¡±

    ¡°Y-You¡­!¡±

    He even winked as he threw himself out of the window and disappeared. The only thing that remained from where he disappeared was a strong scent of flowers.

    ¡°Your Majesty! Let me go after that bastard! This time, I¡¯ll definitely¡­!¡±

    ¡°Enough.¡±

    At Lecht¡¯s words, the man shut his mouth tightly. His whole face was still red, perhaps because he couldn¡¯t cool down.

    Lecht rubbed his temple and opened his mouth again.

    ¡°Tanma, why did you bring him here? I already said that it¡¯s not the right time to introduce them yet.¡±

    Tanma, who was still holding onto the back of the man¡¯s neck said with a smile.

    ¡°It¡¯s said that rabid dogs are the best at hunting crazy bastards.¡±

    ¡°Ha¡­¡±

    A deep torment was felt in Lecht¡¯s sigh.

    ¡°Both of you, get out.¡±

    ¡°Fufu, with pleasure.¡±

    ¡°Y-Your Majesty, may I just offer my greetings to Her Majesty¡­!¡±

    Bang!

    Although the man whose name I didn¡¯t know seemed to be trying to say something, he was quickly dragged away by Tanma.

    The door closed tightly, leaving only me, Lecht, and Kelber in the restaurant.

    Lecht had let me go when Frody disappeared, so I stood a few steps away from him. Although I was facing him, I couldn¡¯t lift my head up.

    The silence felt extremely heavy.

    ¡®I¡¯ll let you know in advance, but you¡¯d better be careful.¡¯

    I kept fiddling with my hands in front of me since my heart kept pounding and the floor beneath my feet felt unstable. My lips kept getting dry despite my constant licking, and with my eyes constantly darting back and forth, I finally looked up slightly.

    Lecht was looking down at me with a very perplexed expression. Seeing as his mouth kept opening and closing as well, it seemed like he didn¡¯t know what to say to me either.

    After observing him like that for a while, I finally found my words first.

    ¡°Lecht. You¡¯re the Demon King?¡±

    It was a question that I knew the answer to, but for some reason, that question was the first to pop out of my mouth.

    ¡°¡­Yeah.¡±

    A rather delayed reply came back. It was an answer that I already knew, but my shoulders still trembled.

    Another short silence passed before I asked cautiously again.

    ¡°Why¡­ didn¡¯t you tell me?¡±

    In fact, that was the part I was most curious about. Although of course, I was also concerned about how he was going to destroy the empire, so if the preparations for that were finished, why he was doing so, etcetera. There were a lot of things I wanted to know.

    However, this was the most doubtful point.

    ¡°We¡¯ve already been together for a month.¡±

    Over the course of a month, he never once told me.

    ¡°Even if you were the Demon King¡­ you still hid from me the fact that you were the ¡®Grand Duke of Arvis¡¯.¡±

    If it had only been a week or so, it could be that he was just careless and didn¡¯t pay attention to that. Or he just didn¡¯t have the time to talk about it, I understand.

    But it had been a month. That was long enough for the moon to expand and then fade once again.

    This was a period of time in which anyone could have called him ¡®Grand Duke Arvis¡¯ at least once, or something about him is brought up in conversation at least once.

    ¡°Why did you do it?¡±

    There was no other explanation other than he had deliberately intended to deceive me.

 CH 23

    ¡°Linden knew, right?¡±

    I still remembered Linden¡¯s ambiguous behaviour at the start of the journey.

    ¡®How do you know that person?¡¯

    ¡®Since he¡¯s someone who¡¯s a close acquaintance of His Majesty the Emperor.¡¯

    Although Linden wouldn¡¯t have known that Lecht was the Demon King, he at least knew that he was the Grand Duke of Arvis. There was no doubt about that.

    However, the reason he didn¡¯t say anything to me must have been because Lecht had forbidden him from mentioning it.

    Now that I think about it, there were a lot of strange points that I had naturally brushed off when I was unaware of the situation.

    ¡°Why did you hide it?¡±

    The shock of learning that Lecht is the Demon King still lingers. I was still scared at the thought of what he was going to do to the Empire.

    However, there was still one more emotion that was larger than that, stabbing at my heart. Was it the feeling of betrayal? Or was it sorrow?

    ¡°Because I wasn¡¯t sure about you at first.¡±

    He answered me flatly.

    ¡°There was no way for me to know how you¡¯d react later.¡±

    Although it was a stiff tone that had no emotion in it, I could tell that it was true from the look in his eyes.

    ¡°So what you weren¡¯t sure about, is it being sure that I¡¯m the saintess?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure it¡¯s you.¡±

    So it was that.

    ¡°The less people that know that I¡¯m the Grand Duke of Arvis, the easier it is to maintain confidentiality, so I normally don¡¯t talk about it.¡±

    ¡°Then Linden¡­¡±

    ¡°Hmm. Well he¡¯s a case that found out by himself.¡±

    ¡°Come to think of it, it¡¯d be weird for you to ignore the prince when you didn¡¯t know him.¡±

    ¡°¡­Is that so.¡±

    Now that I think about it, it was pathetic of me to believe the weak basis of, ¡®it¡¯s because he¡¯s one of the emperor¡¯s people¡¯. Even Linden would have been suspicious.

    ¡°So you didn¡¯t know how I¡¯d react later?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°When I asked you where your home was and where you lived, you still avoided my question.¡±

    There was clearly an opportunity for him to bring it up.

    ¡®A place with a good view of the galaxy, and lots of animals.¡¯

    That was clearly an answer that avoided saying the whole truth.

    ¡°Wasn¡¯t that something you should¡¯ve told me at least then?¡±

    He lowered his gaze as I reproached him with the little resentment that I had bottled up. After looking at my feet for a while, he finally raised his eyes again.

    ¡°I was afraid that you¡¯d avoid me.¡±

    Although this too, was said flatly, perhaps because of the look in his eye, my shoulders that had been tense soon relaxed.

    ¡°When people normally find out that I¡¯m the Grand Duke of Arvis, they usually fall into one of two groups. Those who think they can get something out of me, and who are interested in scheming.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°And those that flee in fear or avoidance.¡±

    That was understandable.

    He was renowned for being trusted and favoured by the emperor as the descendant of the empire¡¯s founder, but nothing was known about himself. There were rumours that he was eccentric, and that the whole family would be ruined if they wronged him.

    The land that was under the Grand Duchy was as large as the capital, and his army was strong enough for it to be acknowledged even by the emperor, so even the Mage¡¯s Tower didn¡¯t dare to provoke him recklessly.

    When faced with such overwhelming power, it was obvious what people¡¯s reaction would be. Lecht, who had lived as the Grand Duke for 100 years, must have seen it many times.

    ¡°So you thought that I¡¯d be like that too.¡±

    He probably thought I¡¯d choose the latter since it didn¡¯t look like I wanted to get anything from him.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to deceive you.¡±

    ¡°When you hid it for a month and had the chance to bring it up, you just beat around the bush, but you weren¡¯t trying to deceive me?¡±

    ¡°¡­I was going to tell you when you woke up.¡±

    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you have told me before you brought me here?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    He couldn¡¯t find an answer to rebut my logic. No matter how you thought about it, it was clearly him at fault.

    I was so shocked that I fainted at the news. It was even my first time fainting since being born.

    Still not being able to fathom this poking feeling in my heart, I took half a step back.

    That was when he began to open his mouth to speak again.

    ¡°If I had told you, would you have followed me here?¡±

    It was now my turn to be at a loss for words at his logic. He was right.

    I would have fled as soon as I knew that he was the Grand Duke of Arvis.

    No matter if I was the saintess or whatever, with the Demon King right in front of me, I would¡¯ve run away without even looking back. The reason why the novel had become an ¡®anticlimax¡¯ and why I wanted to flee the country was right in front of me, so of course I would¡¯ve escaped.

    ¡°If you, who was even burdened by the position of saintess, knew about me¡­ then you wouldn¡¯t have even been able to fall asleep on my back.¡±

    That was too true. I wouldn¡¯t have even been up there in the first place. Lecht was piercing right through the truth.

    ¡°Still, deceiving is deceiving.¡±

    However, in the end, he still deceived me.

    ¡°You¡¯ve even taken away my chance to choose whether or not I want to run away or follow after you.¡±

    I could see Lecht¡¯s fingertips flinching at my point. Although his expression hadn¡¯t changed at all, it felt like I could read his thoughts.

    It was then that I had a realisation of what exactly this feeling that was weighing down on my heart was. It wasn¡¯t a feeling of betrayal or sorrow; it was anxiety.

    ¡®Because I have no intention of letting you go.¡¯

    I couldn¡¯t understand what those words meant.

    ¡®Your job is to do whatever your heart desires. It¡¯s up to me to follow you.¡¯

    I constantly wondered if what he said was true.

    ¡®Let alone her body, even the traces left of her can¡¯t be found?¡¯

    The unidentified man¡¯s words kept ringing in my ears.

    <And in that way, he destroyed the very empire he had built with his own hands.>

    The future of the novel that hadn¡¯t yet unfolded kept coming into mind.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to force you.¡±

    I didn¡¯t know if I could take his words that he had softly whispered to heart.

    ¡°Then let me go.¡±

    So defensive words popped out of my mouth instinctively.

    His expression changed greatly this time. His eyes widened and his shoulders also stiffened. His calm breathing which could be heard before suddenly stopped.

    After the end of a long silence, his lips finally parted again.

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ difficult.¡±

    In any case, this answer was within my expectations. However, I spoke curtly upon hearing that answer.

    ¡°So you didn¡¯t mean to force me. Then shouldn¡¯t you let me go if I want to leave?¡±

    Hiding it from the beginning for fear of me avoiding him was a completely different story to doing so to prevent me from running away. That was not only taking away my chance to choose to run away, but also my freedom to run away.

    His silence had caused me to roll into the den of demons, and aside from it being scary, it also wasn¡¯t pleasant to have the faith I put into someone being betrayed.

    ¡°I¡¯m leaving.¡±

    Frankly, despite having nowhere else to go, I was stubbornly sticking to my feeling of betrayal and sadness.

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Let me go.¡±

    ¡°I said no.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Why does Lecht get to decide where I¡¯m going? I¡¯m the one that¡¯s leaving though?¡±

    Why do I feel so hurt about this?

    ¡°Then are you going to use your power and authority to block me from leaving? Then how can I possibly trust you at this point?!¡±

    My ugly way of speaking started to become harsher.

    I wonder why that was the case. There¡¯s no reason for me to get this angry. So what was making me so emotional?

    ¡°Also, what did he mean by as long as it¡¯s a saintess, it doesn¡¯t matter? Just what else are you hiding from me?!¡±

    Oh, I see. So that¡¯s what I¡¯m so upset about.

    It wasn¡¯t that I was scared because he was the Demon King, nor was it because I felt betrayed over the fact that he deceived me.

    No, maybe I had felt like that in the beginning. But that wasn¡¯t the case now.

    The reason why the tip of my nose kept feeling stuffy and the feeling of wanting to cry keeps welling up from within.

    ¡®But¡­ this isn¡¯t what our Demon King has been waiting for though?¡¯

    ¡®Ahh, so as long as it¡¯s a saintess, it doesn¡¯t matter?¡¯

    It was the fact that Lecht was waiting for a saintess. And it was the fact that I wasn¡¯t the one he was waiting for.

    ¡®The saintess this time seems to be gentler than the last one, huh?¡¯

    He was probably talking about the previous saintess. The saintess whose life Frody had said was completely ruined.

    So, it wasn¡¯t me who was meant to receive all of Lecht¡¯s kindness, but it was that saintess.

    ¡°Let me go.¡±

    ¡°Ara.¡±

    Feeling like I was about to cry, I closed my eyes and shouted.

    ¡°I hate men who lie!¡±

    My shrill voice filled the spacious restaurant. In the silence that followed, the only sound that could be heard was my panting for breath.

    Along with his expression of surprise from earlier, Lecht was looking at me with another expression as well. He looked extremely flustered¡­ no, as if he had received a great shock.

    Today was a day where I had witnessed a variety of emotions on his face. Normally, it would have been fascinating, but I wasn¡¯t particularly happy about that right now.

    ¡°Ara, I¡­¡±

    He stretched out his hand toward me, calling me quietly. However, I stepped back reflexively and moved away from him.

    At that moment, his eyes shook, like the flame of a candle in front of the wind.

    ¡°¡­Ara.¡±

    He called out for me once again, clenching his fist which had stopped awkwardly midair.  There was a sense of embarrassment in his voice, but I, who had felt overwhelmed with emotions already, wasn¡¯t in the right mindset to consider his feelings as well.

    Since I was busy protecting my wounded heart. I was busy hiding it since I felt as if my pride and innermost thoughts had been revealed.

    Another step backwards of mine made his legs flinch. It was a movement that seemed to stop him from approaching me any further.

    ¡°I¡¯m leaving. Don¡¯t stop me.¡±

    I mumbled as I hastily wiped away the tears that had started to drip down my cheeks at some point. It was stubbornness to stick to feelings of resentment and pain.

    ¡°If you stop me, I¡¯ll hate you for the rest of my life!¡±

    After that, I left the restaurant as if I were fleeing.

    Kelber rushed after me with a whine, but Lecht, however, didn¡¯t go after me.

    * * *

    pls do not share this anywhere or the transmigration gods will transport u into boku no pico !! this translation has been stolen from mioscorner.com, pls only read there i¡¯m begging u :kneels:

    ¡°Lecht¡­ must be very angry, right?¡±

    It had been a whole day since I yelled emotionally at Lecht.

    He hadn¡¯t come to look for me, nor had I left this room. My meal had been brought up by Solte, and Kelber had remained by my side.

    I hadn¡¯t been able to sleep that evening since I was so resentful and angry. However, after a day, an apologetic feeling began to ooze its way into me.

    ¡°Should I apologise¡­?¡±

    It was certainly wrong for him to deceive me and bring me here without consulting me first. However, I didn¡¯t think I had needed to shout so loudly.

    ¡°Whine?¡±

    Kelber, who was lying on the bed, raised his head at my sigh.

    As I hugged Kelber, the soft feel of his fur relieved my mood, albeit only slightly.

    kelber is so sweet IM MELTING ;-;

    However, although Kelber¡¯s warmth gave me a sense of peace, my mind was still complicated since it hadn¡¯t solved the underlying issue.

    ¡®I could¡¯ve said it in a nicer way, so Lecht must have been flustered since I suddenly got angry at him.¡¯

    In any case, this mouth of mine was the source of trouble. Anyone who had a temper vented on them out of the blue would get upset. Lecht was no exception to that.

    Just as I was sighing, stroking Kelber¡¯s back in my arms, I heard a knock at the door.

    ¡°You can come in.¡±

    I thought it was Solte who was going to bring me warmed milk, so I spoke to the door. However, Solte didn¡¯t open the door.

    ¡®Did you not hear me?¡¯

    Or were you having a hard time opening the door since you were carrying so much stuff?

    I got up from my seat and opened the door instead. However, I was surprised by the figure standing on the other side of the door.

    The figure of the person standing in the dark hallway was too large for it to be Solte. Above all, those gold eyes that glowed softly were unique to just one person.

    ¡°L-Lecht, what brings you here¡­¡±

    My heart was pounding in surprise.

    He stood at a distance and said nothing. Those two eyes of his that resembled evening stars in the fathomless night sky just stared at me.

    He was just as expressionless as always, but I could tell he was agonising over something, perhaps because of the dark shadow that was cast over his face. It was obvious that he had a lot of things to say, but didn¡¯t know what or how to say it.

    ¡°Did you drink?¡±

    I couldn¡¯t smell it at first, but as I stood facing him for a longer period of time, the smell of alcohol quietly crossed through the door frame.

    ¡°¡­A bit.¡±

    He spoke with a face that didn¡¯t seem like it only had a bit at all.

    He parted his lips, as if he was about to say something, then closed them tightly once again, so I eventually spoke up first.

    ¡°Can I ask you about just one thing?¡±

    ¡°Ask as much as you want.¡±

    ¡°Why won¡¯t you let me leave?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    I should¡¯ve asked my questions like this in the first place instead of just getting angry like I did before. Although I had an emotional outburst since my mind was complicated from the overload of information it had to receive at once, I still should have rationally asked for the reason to figure out the situation.

    ¡°I ended up raising my voice since I got too emotional. I¡¯m sorry for saying such harsh words.¡±

    Although the accident had already occurred, I still wanted to correct the situation now.¡±

    ¡°But since it¡¯s Lecht, there must be a reason why you¡¯re doing this to me, right?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    The Lecht who I had witnessed so far has been a very rational person. Although he sometimes illogically ignored Linden, upon learning that he was the Grand Duke of Arvis, it was still according to his character. And despite being unusually discriminatory against Linden, the way he treated Tanma and Kelber showed how reasonable he was.

    At the restaurant that day, my judgement was clouded for a while from the realisation that Lecht was the Demon King, as well as the words Frody had said, but¡­

    ¡°I want to hear about that reason.¡±

    I should¡¯ve asked calmly like this.

    Lecht¡¯s gaze fell to the floor at my question.

    Was it a reason that was difficult to say? But I still wanted to hear it.

    As I waited patiently, he finally opened his mouth after thinking about it for a long time.

    ¡°Do you have some time right now? I have something I want to show you.¡±

    His voice was relaxed, perhaps because he was drunk.

    Although it was a bit of a sudden question, it was probably because what he wanted to show me was related to my question.

    ¡°Yes, please show me.¡±

    I nodded my head without hesitating and followed after him.

 CH 24

    Although it was already night, it wasn¡¯t dark at all thanks to the full moon in the sky.

    I probably would¡¯ve enjoyed the night¡¯s walk more, had it not been for this ambiguous situation where neither of us were fighting or had yet to fully reconcile with each other, but my nerves were completely focused on what he wanted to show me.

    The place where he took me to was a garden located deep within the Grand Duchy.

    I couldn¡¯t even remember how many guards I had met along the way to the place surrounded by tall and thorny vines. Not only were there guards, but also several demonic creatures standing guard there.

    There were also several protective barriers placed there by mages that had to be lifted. It didn¡¯t even seem like the emperor¡¯s bedroom would be as well protected as this.

    The place that we finally arrived at was a rose garden.

    ¡°Wow, there are so many roses¡­¡±

    Even though this was the season for roses to wilt, all the roses here were still fresh. Although it wasn¡¯t completely blocked off from the outside air, a warm energy that kept the temperature seemed to keep it from dying.

    The colored roses each showed off their own beauty in their own individual circular sections. Red, white, pink, and yellow. Amongst them, the black roses¡¯ section was in the very centre, being protected by all the other colours.

    ¡°So black roses are this pretty?¡±

    Although I had seen many roses in my life before, this was my first time seeing a black one. It was so beautiful it seemed as if it had been painted with ink.

    ¡°Woah, what¡¯s that?¡±

    My gaze came to a stop at a single rose that was floating in the centre of this space. I walked past Lecht who had stopped in his tracks and headed toward the rose.

    Had he cast a spell on it? It was both larger and fresher than the other roses, and had a different radiance to it.

    The black rose grew brighter as I drew closer to it. A smile spread across my lips since it looked like it was glad to see me, as if it were a greeting.

    It wasn¡¯t emitting a blinding light either. Its soft glow was like a mood light, adding to the atmosphere.

    ¡°Is this a rose too? Or was it made through magic?¡±

    I looked back at Lecht and asked. And then my eyes widened upon seeing his expression.

    He had this expression after suddenly pulling me into a hug at the temple too. As if he was also in pain. As if he was also happy.

    A look of complicated emotions that were all intertwined into one big mass.

    ¡°Lecht?¡±

    As I took a step toward him to ask him, he let out a sigh mixed with a small groan and opened his mouth.

    ¡°Yeah. Since it¡¯s shining so brightly like that.¡±

    Lecht¡¯s low voice flowed in the breeze.

    I looked back at the rose doubtfully at his words. Hey, hasn¡¯t it been shining ever since I approached it¡­?

    ¡°Since it shines by your side, I can¡¯t let go of you.¡±

    ¡°What does that mean?¡±

    What do I have to do with a rose shining? As I was thinking about it, a phrase suddenly flashed through my mind.

    <Because the rose has withered.>

    The flower in that scene was definitely a black rose. Dark and beautiful, just like that child floating in the air right now.

    I felt like I had just been hit in the head with a frying pan.

    Lecht took a step closer to me as I stared blankly at the rose, my thoughts complicated as those two points came together in my head. He slowly reached out a large hand and covered my face, turning me toward him.

    His gaze toward me, who was wide-eyed, was filled with infinitely deep emotions. I felt as if my whole body were about to melt away softly despite the cool night breeze.

    ¡°100 years.¡±

    A deep voice tickled my ears.

    ¡°I¡¯ve waited for 100 years. Just to meet you.¡±

    The weighty information conveyed in his blunt tone was enough to make my heart rate soar.

    You¡¯ve waited 100 years? And that¡¯s all just to meet me?

    Although it still hadn¡¯t completely sunk into my head yet, the affection that filled his voice and eyes continued to stir up a storm in my heart.

    Holding onto my heart that seemed as if were about to melt from affection and flutter away, I asked.

    ¡°Were you waiting for the saintess of the moon god?¡±

    Lydia had told me that the moon god¡¯s saintess hadn¡¯t appeared in the last few hundreds of years. So, from the standpoint of the Demon King, who worships the moon god, he must¡¯ve been waiting for the saintess.

    However, Lecht shook his head slightly at my question.

    ¡°Whether or not they¡¯re the moon god¡¯s saintess isn¡¯t important.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Of course, although I knew that you were going to appear as the saintess of the moon god, what I was waiting for wasn¡¯t you as the moon god¡¯s saintess, but just you as yourself.¡±

    I had no choice but to continue asking questions in response to the words that were beyond my comprehension.

    ¡°But why¡­ me?¡±

    ¡°We first met 100 years ago.¡±

    ¡°Maybe you¡¯ve mistaken me for someone else? The human life span isn¡¯t that long.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure if the time I met you had been during your previous life, or even the life before that. But what I¡¯m sure of is that I definitely haven¡¯t mistaken you for someone else.¡±

    He was resolute in his opinion. It wasn¡¯t a tone of speculation, but a voice that only those who had complete confidence could make.

    ¡°How do you know? The person you¡¯re thinking of might be a different person to me.¡±

    I¡¯m not Meliara. I was just another person who had taken over Meliara¡¯s body. So if he had been waiting for Meliara, then she wasn¡¯t here.

    Because of this, the thought that those huge expectations and emotions were directed towards Meliara and not me, made me extremely uncomfortable.

    ¡°It¡¯s you.¡±

    ¡°How can you be so sure?¡±

    Although it wasn¡¯t my fault that I took over Meliara¡¯s body, his deep emotions made me feel like I had sinned, so I had no choice but to ask in a curt voice.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure about you, Lecht, but I¡­!¡±

    He spoke softly in a calm voice just as I was about to have an outburst.

    ¡°I told you. It¡¯s because that shines.¡±

    The black rose next to us glistened, as if replying to his words.

    ¡°That is a rose made from a fragment of your soul that you left 100 years ago.¡±

    ¡°¡­?¡±

    ¡°This admirable guy has endured all kinds of bad weather without withering, only looking forward to the day it would finally meet its master again.¡±

    I had a strong feeling that he was actually talking about himself instead of the flower.

    Enduring for 100 years.

    I had the illusion that he was whining for praise, having gone through such a difficult time just in order to meet me again. To the point where his voice was quietly earnest.

    ¡°It shines powerfully just because you, its master and main soul, has returned to its side again and given it more strength.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°So don¡¯t tell me that I¡¯m mistaken.¡±

    Lecht said, as if making the final court ruling.

    ¡°The soul that I¡¯ve waited 100 years for, that¡¯s you.¡±

    My heart throbbed. If it was a soul, and not a body, then that was me. It wasn¡¯t that I had stolen the affection that was supposed to be given to Meliara, but it was that they belonged to me in the first place.

    ¡°Ah.¡±

    An unbearable sigh escaped from between my teeth.

    He had waited 100 years. For my soul. But for what reason?

    There wasn¡¯t much variety in the answers that I could come up with to that question. And all of them were based on melodrama as well.

    To get revenge for a great resentment. To seek forgiveness for an infinite sorrow. To repay the favour due to endless gratitude. Or, he had done a terrible thing in the name of love.

    As I was at a loss for this or that, he whispered in a voice that was full of ardent emotions.

    ¡°You said it back then. That we¡¯d definitely meet each other again.¡±

    He moved his hand which had been on my cheek and brushed it through my hair. I felt a tingling sensation from my hair, as if there were nerves there too.

    ¡°And that at that time, you wouldn¡¯t leave me alone.¡±

    He drew my hand towards him as he reminisced about a promise I couldn¡¯t remember. He put my hand on his chest to cover his heart, as if doing so could keep it from running away.

    Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump.

    His heart rate that vibrated from underneath the palm of my hand was far beyond normal levels. It was fascinating that the heart of Lecht, who always looked calm and unperturbed, could beat so fast. And be so fluttery.

    Since there was no way I could be unaware that this heartbeat was completely because of me.

    ¡°With that promise as my motivation, I¡¯ve endured an unbearable 100 years.¡±

    His heart raced even faster, as if in agreement. To the point where I was worried it might combust like this.

    ¡°That¡¯s why I can¡¯t let you go.¡±

    Although I still felt like he was trying to justify himself, and still felt like he was trying to convince me to stay too. The only thing that was certain was knowing that his heart was for me..

    ¡°Because this heart, for as long as it beats, will only beat for you for the rest of its life.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°So¡­ I guess I can¡¯t let you go.¡±

    It was a confession that was covered with an obsession so terrible, the weight of it was difficult to bear. But when I heard it, although my heart sensed the danger it was in, instead of fleeing, it began to roll down toward him.

    Thump. Thump.

    t/n: this thump refers to something dropping. think like a rock or smth lmao

    My heart was accelerating with his confession, just like how his heart had been motivated by my words in the past.

    Thump. Thump. Thump.

    I was overwhelmed with emotions that were hard for me to extricate myself from.

    Th-Th-Thump.

    Helplessly.

    Fast.

    artist said white in his eyes? nah.

    * * *

    pls do not share this anywhere or the transmigration gods will transport u into boku no pico !! this translation has been stolen from mioscorner.com, pls only read there i¡¯m begging u :kneels:

    Coming back to the room that day, I didn¡¯t know what sort of mood I had returned with.

    With blood rushing to my head, I couldn¡¯t even give him a vague answer since I couldn¡¯t even think properly.

    Instead of rushing me for an answer, Lecht just quietly led me to my room.

    I wasn¡¯t in my right mind when I got back to my room.

    ¡°Because this heart, for as long as it beats, will only beat for you for the rest of its life.¡±

    It was the first time in my life receiving such a deep confession. My face flared crimson red every time it came up randomly.

    ¡°¡­Kyaaa!¡±

    I wonder how many times I had screamed under the blankets already. The heart that had been racing so fast seemed as if it were about to go on strike soon.

    After staying up all night with a fluttering heart, I finally calmed down a little. I could finally reflect on what he had said.

    ¡®But what I¡¯m sure of is that I definitely haven¡¯t mistaken you for someone else.¡¯

    He said he had met my soul 100 years ago.

    So when is that? In my previous life¡­? Then in my previous life, had I lived in this world?

    So was I a demon back then? Maybe that¡¯s how I met Lecht, the Demon King.

    I wonder what I looked like? Was my personality similar to my one now?

    ¡®It¡¯s inevitable that I don¡¯t have any memories of that time, but¡­¡¯

    It was also inevitable for me to have complicated feelings.

    A characteristic of humans was that every person, even twins, were different, depending on their background. No matter how much of the same soul we share, our personalities could be different due to the different lives we had lived, so if I had different beliefs and principles 100 years ago from the ones I had today, then I could be seen as a completely different person.

    ¡®Although my heart is racing at the fact that he waited 100 years for my soul¡­ I would be lying if I said it wasn¡¯t burdensome.¡¯

    It was just like my concerns on whether or not I would be able to meet the expectations of the Lunar religion as a saintess who finally appeared after a few hundred years.

    No, it felt even worse than that.

    What if he was disappointed? Wouldn¡¯t he feel betrayed if I suddenly changed after he waited for 100 years? Wouldn¡¯t you be upset that I had no memory of it?

    Shaking my head wildly, complicated emotions filled my heart, even as it fluttered in excitement.

    ¡®Nothing will be solved if you continue digging your own grave like this!¡¯

    First, let¡¯s find out what I was like 100 years ago!

    I jumped up from my seat.

 CH 25

    Deep inside the Great Temple of the Sun God, the saintess¡¯ prayer room was quiet. A faint voice broke the silence.

    ¡°What¡¯s making you think so hard like that, Frody?¡±

    At the sound of her calling his name, a demon with a broken horn sitting by the window watching the sky turned his head.

    Sitting on her knees on a soft cushion in the middle of the prayer room, she had her two hands clasped together, as if she had just been in the middle of ¡®praying¡¯.

    ¡°It¡¯s unlikely for you to be so quiet.¡±

    Fair skin and charming blonde hair. Even her voice sounded pure, instantly stimulating the beholder¡¯s protective instinct. The pure white clothes that adorned her as well as the flowers and ornaments that adorned her hair made her look wholly otherworldly.

    At her whisper, Friday smirked and said while raising an eyebrow perversely.

    ¡°Why? Are you sad that I¡¯m not paying attention to you, Miss Contractor?¡±

    As he rose from his seat and approached her softly, the woman pouted her lips.

    ¡°It¡¯s not that. I was just worried about you since you looked like you were deep in thought about something serious.¡±

    Her expression and tone of complaint was enough to shake the hearts of many people. However, it didn¡¯t work on Frody, who possessed ¡®enchantment¡¯.

    ¡°To think you can say something so cute.¡±

    Frody knelt on one knee beside her, grabbing her chin and pulling her up.

    ¡°You¡¯re clearly anxious at the thought of me thinking of abandoning you.¡±

    His blue eyes shone dangerously.

    ¡°My ¡®saintess¡¯.¡±

    ¡°I told you, it¡¯s not that¡­¡±

    Frody gently wrapped his arms around the waist of Olivia, who was about to protest. As his hand touched her waist, Olivia could no longer continue speaking and let out a low moan.

    His power, ¡®enchantment¡¯, began to flow upon the physical contact.

    ¡°F-Frody¡­ we¡¯re at a temple¡­¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve done it at a temple before, so what¡¯s the problem? Does it feel new to you again?¡±

    Frody¡¯s hands slowly wandered over the robes of the saintess. Olivia¡¯s skin was lit aflame by his touch that descended down her waist, back, ribs, chest, and finally, her lower abdomen.

    ¡°Still, the prayer room is a sacred place¡­¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re still worried about that sort of thing despite not even being the real saintess?¡±

    The strong scent of gold osmanthus began to permeate the surrounding area. Olivia felt an electrifying sensation at the tip of her tongue as it ran down her throat with an almost sweet taste.

    Despite knowing that it was dangerous, she still couldn¡¯t resist the temptation that was right in front of her. There were not many people who could resist the power of Frody in the first place, who had been nominated as a ¡®Demon King candidate¡¯ with Lecht.

    Of course, any saintess that had received a divine blessing from a god could have nullified his powers, but unfortunately, Olivia wasn¡¯t the real saintess and was helpless before his ¡®enchantment¡¯.

    ¡°Frody¡­¡±

    At Olivia¡¯s whiny voice, Frody¡¯s wandering hand stopped.

    ¡°Should I stop?¡±

    ¡°No¡­! Keep going¡­¡±

    But as soon as he was about to let her off, Olivia clung to him like a chick looking for warmth. Her hands, which had been clasped together in prayer were now clasping onto his loose clothes.

    It was difficult to extricate yourself from the power of ¡®enchantment¡¯ once you had a taste of it.

    ¡°Miss Contractor, I have something I¡¯m curious about. Can you answer it?¡±

    ¡°Mmm¡­¡±

    Although she managed to answer him with difficulty, her mind was already submerged halfway in his enchantment.

    ¡°There was a fool who loved a woman so much that they changed the direction of their life, beliefs, and attitude in dealing with the world.¡±

    ¡°Frody, more¡­¡±

    ¡°They had even turned a blind eye to my broken heart for a 100 years, just to reunite with that woman.

    ¡°Mmhm, just a bit more¡­¡±

    ¡°But then, instead of waiting for her, that guy suddenly turned his eyes to power?¡±

    ¡°W-Wait, this is too much¡­!¡±

    ¡°To another woman who is essential to gaining power. It¡¯s not even funny.¡±

    ¡°Heup!¡±

    Olivia eventually groaned and fell to the side due to Frody, who had lost control of his powers while thinking about something else. As a result, the power that was filling up Frody¡¯s heart also stopped.

    Although the power of ¡®enchantment¡¯ was the ability to completely seduce the opponent and absorb their energy, it stopped taking effect when the opponent lost their senses like this.

    With a disappointed expression on his face, Frody brushed his fingers through Olivia¡¯s long blonde hair. The soft hair flowing between his fingers reminded him of that black-haired saintess from 100 years ago.

    ¡®It¡¯s a different woman.¡¯

    He let out a moan upon recalling the murderous look Lecht had exuded with the woman with blue hair in his arms.

    Clearly, the existence of the ¡®Moon God¡¯s Saintess¡¯ was essential to the Demon King. All of the Demon King¡¯s power comes from the Moon God, and the one that designated that power was the saintess, who was dubbed a ¡®child¡¯ of Lunar.

    It wasn¡¯t just nonsense when it was said that the position of the Demon King would be compromised if the saintess fell into the hands of another. The impact of it could be clearly seen through the fact that the previous demon kings always had a saintess by their side as their companion.

    But that guy was different. He was a fool who had given his heart and soul to that black-haired saintess 100 years ago.

    Since she said she¡¯d return one day, he¡¯d looked just like a puppy who¡¯d lost its owner in a pitiful exchange, so he had thought that he wouldn¡¯t have paid attention to any other saintess, even if they showed up.

    But to think he had shown such an appearance over a woman other than the saintess with black hair. It was something he couldn¡¯t have even imagined.

    ¡®But that¡¯s fair. Love is a meaningless action anyway.¡¯

    Frody looked down at Olivia with a smirk.

    Just look at this. It only took an instant for her to lose her true self in someone else¡¯s enchantment.

    ¡®But it would still be amusing to provoke him.¡¯

    Just as he was thinking of an enjoyable prank, a knock sounded from the door of the prayer room.

    ¡°Livi, it¡¯s me.¡±

    Frody grinned at the all too familiar voice of the man.

    ¡°Miss Contractor, a fish has arrived.¡±

    With a snicker, Frody gradually disappeared, leaving only the heavy scent of gold osmanthus in the air.

    ¡°Sorry for interrupting you. But it¡¯s something I have to tell ¡­ Livi!¡±

    The blond haired man who had opened the door came rushing in hastily upon finding Olivia, who had fallen to the ground.

    ¡°Livi, what¡¯s wrong? Livi!¡±

    As the crown prince hugged her limp body, Olivia¡¯s eyelids slowly fluttered open.

    ¡°¡­Your Highness?¡±

    ¡°Haa, Livi. Are you being impractical again and praying even while your body is still weak? I already told you to be careful!¡±

    Opening her eyes, Olivia smiled at him after glancing around the room and letting out a sigh. It was a smile so warm it seemed to be able to melt anyone¡¯s heart.

    ¡°Did I end up like this after praying for Your Highness¡¯ peace and safety?¡±

    ¡°Livi¡­¡±

    Her sweet voice moved the heart of the crown prince. Looking down at her with eyes dripping with affection, he hugged her in his arms tightly.

    ¡°How did such a loveable woman like you become mine?¡±

    ¡°Your Highness¡­¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s really no one but you for me.¡±

    ¡°¡­Me too. You¡¯re the only one for me.¡±

    Olivia also hugged him tightly, their faces inches apart. The priests of the sun god, who rushed in at the news that the saintess had collapsed, could only quickly avert their eyes from the overflowing love between a man and a woman.

    * * *

    pls do not share this anywhere or the transmigration gods will transport u into boku no pico !! this translation has been stolen from mioscorner.com, pls only read there i¡¯m begging u :kneels:

    ¡°Solte, where¡¯s the butler, Tanma¡­ oh?¡±

    I found the butler standing in the hallway just as I had opened the door to hurriedly ask Solte a question.

    ¡°Good afternoon, miss.¡±

    ¡°Mister Butler, you came just in time! I wanted to ask you something!¡±

    However, my eyes landed on the man next to Tanma before I could say anything.

    ¡°And this person is¡­?¡±

    It was the man I had seen when Frody had appeared.

    ¡°I sought him out since I figured that we¡¯d need someone exclusively serving you completely from now on.¡±

    ¡°But don¡¯t I have Solte?¡±

    There were also many other maids who were exclusively reserved to serve me other than Solte.

    ¡°Of course, she¡¯ll suffice as an escort and maid.¡±

    ¡®Escort?¡¯

    ¡°Apart from that, you¡¯ll also need an errand boy and someone to vent your anger for you.¡±

    ¡®Vent my anger¡­?¡¯

    Despite his words being mixed with some strange vocabulary, Tanma continued to speak before addressing the point.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve already seen him before. This guy¡¯s name is Ryno.¡±

    ¡°Hello! I¡¯m Ryno, who will be taking care of all the miscellaneous tasks by Your Majesty¡¯s side from now on!¡±

    Gosh, that shocked me. My shoulders flinched from the roaring voice that seemed to resemble a foghorn in volume.

    Disregarding my surprise, Ryno grabbed my two hands with both eyes of his sparkling.

    ¡°I will exhaust this very life that Your Majesty has saved for you!!¡±

    ¡°No, there¡¯s no need for you to exhaust it or anything¡­¡±

    Despite my soft murmur, he chose not to listen to it and continued on bravely.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe that the day we get to see Your Highness again has really come¡­! Every moment waiting for Your Majesty was noble and worthwhile! I am honoured to be able to serve you, Your Majesty!¡±

    ¡­Is it just me who feels like the number of fans has increased by one more?

    I turned my gaze to Tanma and shot him a look that clearly conveyed a plea for help. However, instead of helping, Tanma only gave a satisfied smile in return. It was an extremely spiteful smile.

    When I sent a resentful look back with the meaning of, ¡®Why did you bring this sort of guy here?!¡¯, Tanma let out a laugh before opening his mouth.

    ¡°Although he has a problem with controlling his volume due to his overenthusiasm, you can just tell him to shut up. He listens well.¡±

    No, those tips won¡¯t help. His voice was so loud, I doubt he¡¯d even be able to hear my voice in the first place.

    ¡°Even so, he¡¯s the most capable man in this mansion.¡±

    When Mister Butler was away from the demon realm, Ryno was the one that took over the duties of the butler of the Grand Duke Mansion, so the fact that he had capable skills seemed to be true.

    It was as fascinating as it seemed to be. To think that this guy, whose aura exudes an enthusiastic new employee who had just been admitted to the company, had abilities comparable to that of the vice president.

    ¡°But Mister Butler, did you also leave the demon realm?¡±

    A burst of laughter escaped from the lips of Tanma, who I had always thought was a ¡®butler¡¯ at the Grand Duchy. It was a chilling smile.

    ¡°His Majesty, the Demon King, also left the Demon King¡¯s Palace empty, so I also had to take care of that too.¡±

    Although he had said so mildly, I was still able to discern the grievances that were hidden behind those words.

    I snuck a glance at his eyes and asked.

    ¡°There¡¯s no way Lecht left that position to wait for me here¡­ right?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. It ended up being like that because our damned Majesty was just too damn stubborn.¡±

    Tanma smiled and naturally cursed his boss. It was an impressive skill.

    ¡°You¡¯re right! It would¡¯ve been fine for His Majesty to wait in the demon realm as well, but he was just too stubborn and insisted on the human realm! Your Majesty, you¡¯re perfect!¡±

    No, but what does his insistence on the human realm have anything to do with me being perfect?

    ¡°Come to think of it¡­ did you also say you were ¡®waiting¡¯ for me, Ryno? So you also met me 100 years ago?¡±

    ¡°So you really don¡¯t remember¡­¡±

    He looked sullen for a moment. But his expression soon came back to life, as if it had been resurrected. It was like Ottogi1, which would never fall.

    ¡°But that¡¯s okay!! Because I remember you, Your Majesty!¡±

    His words made a smile appear on my face. Although I didn¡¯t remember him, the important thing was that he had memories of me from 100 years ago.

    ¡®I can ask him about me from 100 years ago!¡¯

    I covered one of his hands that were holding onto mine with one of my hands. Although I wasn¡¯t able to cover his entire hand with my small hands, I was still able to convey the meaning I wanted to through that action.

    ¡°Then, I¡¯ll be counting on you from now on, Ryno!¡±

    Since I¡¯ll have a lot to ask!

    Looking at the hand touching mine with wide eyes, Ryno shouted while smiling so wide his gums were exposed.

    ¡°Yes! I love you too, Your Highness!¡±

    No, I said I¡¯ll be counting on you, not I love you. Still, I smiled at the expectation that I could hear about me from 100 years ago.

    It was then. I heard a deep voice from the door that was still open.

    ¡°Just what are you doing right now?¡±

    I turned my head to see Lecht, who was staring at me and Ryno. To be more precise, he was glaring at our hands clasped together.

    IM CRYING pls someone save poor ryno QAQ i love him poor baby HGLDSFKFSDJ

    [1] ??? ottogi is a large korean food manufacturing company.

 CH 26

    ¡°Hic!¡±

    As Lecht¡¯s ferocious gold eyes turned to Ryno¡¯s direction, he hurriedly shook off my hand before hiding behind Tanma. Although he had a young face, he was built like a brown bear and wasn¡¯t able to hide behind Tanma very well.

    I approached Lecht, whose eyes seemed to tear apart Ryno at any moment now.

    ¡°What happened?¡±

    I intuitively felt as if Ryno would be in danger if I hadn¡¯t done so.

    Lecht¡¯s gaze shifted to me as I stood in front of him and asked him a question. I put on the prettiest smile I could muster to ensure the wellbeing of Ryno. Lecht¡¯s expression softened noticeably, as if it had been eaten.

    Turning his attention to me, he held out a bouquet of flowers. It was the roses that I had seen yesterday, now beautifully trimmed.

    ¡°Wow, what¡¯s the occasion? Why the bouquet all of a sudden?¡±

    I hugged the colourful bundle of roses in my arms. The faint scent of roses began to permeate the room.

    ¡°You said that bouquets shouldn¡¯t need to have a reason for them to be given.¡±

    ¡°I did?¡±

    I was about to ask him when I said that when I noticed the look in his eyes.

    ¡°Oh, the me from 100 years ago.¡±

    Oh god. The me 100 years ago hadn¡¯t even known shame. To think that I said, ¡®Buy me a bouquet of flowers. Always. At any time.¡¯.

    In any case, all these benefits were thanks to me from 100 years ago. I praised the past me.

    ¡°Have you had lunch yet?¡±

    Lecht asked as I buried my face in the bouquet for a whiff.

    ¡°I haven¡¯t eaten yet.¡±

    ¡°Then let¡¯s have it together.¡±

    ¡°Okay!¡±

    I handed the bouquet of roses to Solte and asked her to put it in a vase before following after Lecht.

    He then naturally grabbed my hand. His behaviour was so natural that I didn¡¯t even sense any awkwardness.

    I only realised the situation after I had walked past a few guards and servants after thoughtlessly walking alongside him for a while. The servants burst into giggles after greeting us, while the guards saluted us with a satisfied smile that I couldn¡¯t quite understand.

    ¡°By the way, Lecht. Why are we holding hands¡­?¡±

    When I asked him while looking down at our interlocked hands with wide eyes, he explained calmly.

    ¡°Because you said we should hold hands when we walk together.¡±

    No, did the me from 100 years ago say that as well?

    ¡°Otherwise I¡¯d walk too fast and you¡¯d get sad and scared when left behind by yourself.¡±

    Wow. The me from 100 years ago must have been great at flirting. You¡¯re telling me that you said all those things without feeling any shame at all?

    ¡°That¡­ how long had we known each other for when I said that?¡±

    No matter how aggressive I was, it must have been after we became a couple, right? We were at least a thing, right?

    ¡°Three days.¡±

    ¡°!¡±

    I said something shameless like asking you to hold my hand, only after we had known each other for three days? You¡¯re seriously incredible, me.

    ¡°It¡¯s good.¡±

    I held Lecht¡¯s hand tighter as I expressed my respect and gratitude to the me from 100 years ago.

    * * *

    pls do not share this anywhere or the transmigration gods will transport u into boku no pico !! this translation has been stolen from mioscorner.com, pls only read there i¡¯m begging u :kneels:

    Lunch was more enjoyable than I expected. The food that came out suited my tastes perfectly, the dessert was the ice cream I especially wanted to eat, and Lecht was a friendly talking partner.

    Friendly¡­ because although he never took the initiative to lead the conversation, he still answered all my questions well. However, I wasn¡¯t complaining since I had a lot to talk about as well as questions I was curious about. Rather, I took advantage of the opportunity to ask him a lot of things I was curious about.

    ¡°So you¡¯re saying Kelber looks like he only has one head to other humans?!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±

    ¡°And the slugs pulling the carriages look just like horses?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°No way¡­!¡±

    I heard about a lot of things I was clueless about. In particular, he explained that the main reason he had followed me to the East was because I had recognised Kelber in his true form.

    He had wanted to ask me to go with him to the Temple of the Moon God for a while when we arrived at Chivan Village, which I had been planning to go to since the beginning. Although there was no need for that since Lydia appeared in the middle anyway.

    ¡°So I¡¯m the only one who can take that holy object, right?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    In addition, I found out that the defensive cheat that I had been thinking of taking was a holy object and wasn¡¯t something that could be taken unless I was the saintess in the first place. I didn¡¯t even know that and had been planning to steal it on my way to fleeing the country.

    Then, upon recalling my plan to flee the country, I looked at Lecht again. The reason I was going to flee the country was because the Demon King was going to destroy the Empire.

    However, with the Demon King sitting right in front of me, no matter how I looked at it, Lecht didn¡¯t seem to have any intention of invading the Empire. Although he was a man who could wilfully ignore the emperor, he didn¡¯t seem like he would trample over others so recklessly.

    ¡°Lecht, about that rose.¡±

    I decided to put my faith in Lecht, who I had met personally, instead of the future written in the novel.

    ¡°You said it¡¯s endured for 100 years, right? Without withering nor breaking.¡±

    Since I couldn¡¯t ask him, ¡®Are you planning on destroying the Empire?¡¯, I thought up a question with the help of the description in the novel.

    ¡°Then¡­ what would you do if it withered?¡±

    Lecht¡¯s hand, which was lifting the teacup, suddenly froze in its place. The cup was placed back onto the saucer with a ¡®clack¡¯ sound. The sound was louder than I expected.

    ¡°If the rose died, then that would mean your soul had ceased to exist.¡±

    He explained, perhaps because he thought I didn¡¯t understand.

    ¡°So that neither reincarnation nor revival is possible. Your existence has ceased to exist, both in this world, and anywhere else.¡±

    Although it was a grave remark, I could spot a subtle wrinkle in his forehead.

    ¡°But the fact that the rose has withered¡­¡±

    Anger flashed across Lecht¡¯s face for an instance. And then it was soon quickly filled with a sense of forlornness.

    He looked at me with empty eyes, like a person whose reason to live had disappeared and said.

    ¡°It would¡¯ve meant that I had lost you.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°If I lose you¡­ I¡¯d probably start by wiping out this continent that took you away from me.¡±

    I felt chills starting from my tailbone climb up my spine and all the way to my skull.

    ¡°After that, this world, then every dimension that¡¯s in existence¡­ and finally God. I would eliminate them, one by one.¡±

    A quiet anger could be felt in Lecht¡¯s voice. It was an anger directed towards this world that had ¡®taken¡¯ me away. But after a while, warmth soon filled his voice, as if the anger had never been there.

    ¡°But you¡¯re in front of me right now. So I don¡¯t really want to imagine that.¡±

    He looked at me and whispered in a tone that seemed to be of complaint. But my tense shoulders didn¡¯t loosen up easily.

    ¡®So if it weren¡¯t for me, you were actually thinking of wiping out the Empire?!¡¯

    If I hadn¡¯t been transported into this novel. If I hadn¡¯t coincidentally run into Kelber that day. Although all sorts of ¡®if¡¯ scenarios came to my mind, the biggest realisation I had was the importance of my existence in this world.

    ¡®Then what¡¯s going to happen if Lecht is disappointed that I¡¯m different from the me 100 years ago¡­?¡¯

    Although I had simply thought, ¡®I¡¯ll just find out what I was like 100 years ago!¡¯, I now started to worry about something completely different.

    * * *

    For the sake of the wellbeing of the world, I urgently needed to find out about what I was like 100 years ago. Because I now knew that the weight on my shoulders was not just Lecht¡¯s expectations, but also the destruction of the Empire route.

    But it wasn¡¯t as easy as I thought it¡¯d be. And that was because Lecht wouldn¡¯t leave me alone.

    At the beginning, a bouquet of flowers was given everyday, making the room reek with the strong scent of flowers. There wasn¡¯t even enough space on the table to put them anywhere.

    ¡°It¡¯s better to look at fresh flowers. So it¡¯s fine if you stop giving them to me.¡±

    ¡°Every garden you see outside the window belongs to you.¡±

    Just because I had said it was a bit too much, he decided to give me a garden of several thousand pyeong1, rendering me speechless.

    ¡°Wait, now what else is this?!¡±

    ¡°I thought they would all look good on you, so I just bought one of every colour.¡±

    Since he couldn¡¯t give me flowers, as if his hands were just itching to buy them, he constantly bought me clothes, shoes, and accessories.

    ¡°It¡¯s too much! Even my room is full!¡±

    ¡°As expected, just having one floor is too small.¡±

    And then gave me a villa as a gift for my excuse of not having anywhere to put them.

    ¡°There¡¯s nowhere for me to wear it anyway. Aren¡¯t I just at home everyday?¡±

    ¡°You must be bored. Do you prefer going to plays, or concerts?¡±

    He interpreted my words of having nowhere to go as me saying I was bored, so he called for various theatre and orchestral groups.

    ¡®I don¡¯t even have any time to find out about me from 100 years ago¡­!¡¯

    I didn¡¯t have much time to think without him there, so I racked my brains for a bit and ended up saying¡­

    ¡°Demonic creatures are so fascinating! I¡¯d like to spend some time with Kelber!¡±

    It was absolutely ridiculous. But¡­

    ¡°In any case, I¡¯ve made a demonic creature zoo for you. Did you want to take a look?¡±

    He wrapped up my flimsy excuse beautifully. His affection was like an unstoppable tsunami.

    i¡¯ll take him if u don¡¯t want him ara GHDSLKJ

    Even though I tried to find out about myself from 100 years ago to set a course of action so as not to disappoint him. I had even thought to seduce Lecht if the me from then and now were just too different! But I didn¡¯t even have time to come up with such a plan, let alone find out more about me from 100 years ago!!

    With a heavy heart, I chose the most extreme method that I had left for my last resort.

    * * *

    ¡°¡­So why did you say we were doing this again?¡±

    Ryno, who was squatting in the bushes at the back of the building with me, asked.

    ¡°¡­I thought that this way, Lecht would leave me alone.¡±

    I avoided his gaze since it sounded like a childish solution, even to me. Fortunately for me, however, Ryno didn¡¯t seem to be someone who thought of complications like that and would back me unconditionally if it was regarding me.

    ¡°Are you avoiding His Majesty?¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ yes, something like that.¡±

    ¡°What has His Majesty done to wrong you, Your Majesty?!¡±

    Wait, how did you come to that conclusion¡­?

    ¡°Huu, I knew it. I knew His Majesty would make a mistake someday.¡±

    He shook his head with a look of ¡®today¡¯s the day¡¯.

    ¡°Go ahead. What has Our Majesty done? Huu, I¡¯m already getting the feeling that it¡¯s not the usual big problem.¡±

    ¡°No, he didn¡¯t do anything wrong. I¡¯m just trying to avoid him because of some circumstances¡­¡±

    ¡°What? It can¡¯t be!¡±

    When I spoke truthfully, Ryno let out a big gasp before coming to an absurd conclusion again.¡±

    ¡°So His Majesty is suppressing you, Your Majesty!¡±

    Bro. Why are your conclusions always so extreme?

    ¡°You always say that people¡¯s freedom shouldn¡¯t be restricted recklessly, yet you yourself don¡¯t actually put it into practice either?! I¡¯m so disappointed in His Majesty!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not about suppressing my freedom¡­¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Your Majesty. I¡¯ll risk my life to help you escape.¡±

    I licked my lips as I watched Ryno¡¯s eyes blaze with determination. How is he always so resolute?

    As I was thinking about how to pacify this situation, I decided to just change the subject altogether.

    ¡°Why is Ryno so good to me?¡±

    I sat down on the handkerchief that Ryno had laid on the ground and asked him with my chin cupped in my hand.

    ¡°Because Your Majesty is my life¡¯s saviour.¡±

    To prevent me from getting cold, Ryno only chose warm winds, letting it flow to me and replied.

    ¡°Also, Your Majesty is the one who gave me my name.¡±

    With a smile that seemed to look happy, I asked back.

    ¡°Your name? Ryno?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°The me from 100 years ago was quite¡­¡±

    You even had a bad sense in naming. You can¡¯t just name them ¡®Ryno¡¯, no matter how much they resembled a rhino or how determined they were. That¡¯s just too much.

    ¡°¡­Special.¡±

    To say my sense in names was lame was the same as saying his name was lame, so I simply twisted my words.

    ¡°I think so too! When you first gave me that name, I wondered if you were crazy.¡±

    ¡°Ahaha¡­¡±

    Although his honesty might have sounded rude, I laughed awkwardly, knowing that he hadn¡¯t meant any harm as he added.

    ¡°Your Majesty is the only person in this world who could see me, who grew up at a garbage dump and was covered in rubbish filth, and say that you¡¯d call me ¡®Ryno¡¯, since I¡¯d become an invincible2 guy!¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡±

    However, I let out a sigh when I heard the true meaning of the name, which was completely different from what I expected.

    [1] unit of measurement, approx 3.3m2

    [2] ryno¡¯s name is actually ?? (muso) and invincible is ???? so it¡¯s actually a bit of wordplay.

 CH 27

    I see. So he wasn¡¯t given the name Ryno lightly, just because of the way he ran forward ignorantly like a rhinoceros, but it was a name that was given with a deep trust in this child¡¯s infinite potential.

    ¡°¡­How cool.¡±

    I felt an inexplicable sense of defeat upon hearing the story behind his name.

    The woman that was me 100 years ago was really cool. To even be able to let someone keep such wonderful words in their hearts for the rest of their lives.

    ¡°There are a lot of people who have been waiting for Your Highness other than me as well! Especially Sir Tanma, the aide, when Your Highness saw his odd eye that was said to be bad luck, and for the first time in his life, he heard you say that ¡®Your uniqueness will bring good luck¡¯. That¡¯s why the aide, who used to wear an eyepatch, now wears a monocle. Haha.¡±

    You were even able to make someone else¡¯s insecurity something they should be proud of.

    ¡°Those bastards who are still waiting anxiously for Your Highness in the demon realm must be so jealous that I¡¯ve become Your Highness¡¯ exclusive errand boy! Since it¡¯s thanks to Your Highness that they¡¯ve been able to protect their pride, and of course, their life!¡±

    You became a life¡¯s saviour that makes someone pledge a loyalty that wouldn¡¯t fade, even after 100 years had passed by.

    ¡®With that promise as my motivation, I¡¯ve endured an unbearable 100 years.¡¯

    You made someone fall so deeply in love that they¡¯d even wait 100 years.

    This¡­ there¡¯s no way to beat this. How could I win over such a wonderful person who left such a deep mark on the hearts of so many people?

    My head drooped. I was disappointed.

    I had tried to find out more about myself from 100 years ago to gauge how different we were. If we were too different, I was going to try and satisfy Lecht¡¯s expectations and be more like me back then. If that didn¡¯t work, then I was going to try and seduce him by acting with more charm than her. But how was I meant to fight with such a big gap between us already from the start?

    ¡®To think I could feel such a sense of defeat from myself.¡¯

    This world¡¯s wellbeing, and the fall of the empire, I suddenly felt as if it were all in vain.

    ¡°Y-Your Highness? D-Did I say something wrong? Why are you crying?!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not crying.¡±

    ¡°Your words and your actions don¡¯t match though?!¡±

    I could see Ryno waving his hand in every direction, flustered.

    I really didn¡¯t want to cry over something like this, but the tears kept coming out of frustration and urgency.

    ¡°I-I would like to wipe away your tears, but Your Highness is sitting on my handkerchief¡­! I-I deserve to die for my sin! I¡¯ll go and receive my punishment, so please stop crying!¡±

    Ryno began to beg while saying something extreme again, but I couldn¡¯t bear to tell him the truth. How could I tell him that I was crying because I was jealous of myself 100 years ago?

    It was then. A large shadow fell over the two of us.

    ¡°Last time, you fearlessly confessed your love to my woman, and this time, you made her cry?¡±

    Lecht, who had appeared from god knows where, was looking down at us.

    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t be able to pay her back for her tears, even with your life.¡±

    He looked angry. Very angry.

    ¡°Your Majesty, that¡¯s¡­!¡±

    Ryno, who was about to protest, shut his mouth and prostrated himself flat on the floor.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry!! I¡¯ll happily accept whatever punishment you give me!¡±

    No, why are you taking the blame all by yourself? I opened my mouth to explain that it wasn¡¯t Ryno¡¯s fault, but Lecht was faster.

    ¡°I¡¯ll decide on how to dispose of you later.¡±

    He came toward me, leaving Ryno who had merged himself with the ground.

    ¡°Lecht, this¡­ heok!¡±

    I opened my mouth in the atmosphere that seemed to need me to explain why I cried, but he suddenly hugged me tightly. Caught off guard by him princess carrying me, I stopped crying.

    ¡°Whatever the reason is, let¡¯s go inside first. It¡¯s cold.¡±

    My body was cold, just like he said. No matter how much Ryno had tried to generate warm air in my direction, it was still basically autumn weather.

    ¡°¡­I¡¯m fine though.¡±

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m not.¡±

    When I let out a sound that said I didn¡¯t want it, he cut it off with a single sentence.

    With my mood suddenly pleasant for no reason, I leaned against him.

    ¡°It¡¯s not actually Ryno¡¯s fault.¡±

    ¡°If you say so, okay.¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t keep scolding someone who¡¯s innocent.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m getting suspicious since you keep covering for him though.¡±

    ¡°Lecht.¡±

    As I spoke in a stern voice, he smiled faintly and hugged me even tighter.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Since that¡¯s what you want, I won¡¯t do anything.¡±

    His words once again showed that he fully respected my opinion. Lecht¡¯s words always started and ended with me like this. I thought this was extremely good at first.

    When a man who seemed to be cold began to take care of me with such a gentle expression, my stomach filled with butterflies¡­ but now that I realised I was extremely different to the woman I was 100 years ago through my conversation with Ryno, I started to feel repulsed. His affection was suffocating.

    Although they all claim that it was ¡®me¡¯, she and I were still two different people from my point of view. I wanted to look like her, and share the same memories as her.

    As all these complicated thoughts were rolling around in my gloomy heart, Lecht had already arrived at my room before I even noticed. He lowered me onto the sofa and began to wrap me tightly in a blanket that was folded next to me.

    ¡°What are you doing¡­?¡±

    When I asked him about his behaviour that was completely random and wasn¡¯t like his usual behaviour at all, he handed me a warm cup of milk I didn¡¯t even know when he had prepared.

    ¡°When you¡¯re sad, you feel better after being wrapped up in your blanket and drinking something warm.

    ¡°Did the me from 100 years ago do that?¡±

    It was something that I knew, even if I hadn¡¯t finished my sentence. I just asked for no reason. No matter what happens, it¡¯ll always end with that woman from 100 years ago.

    ¡°Can you tell me why you were crying now?¡±

    As I stared at the warm milk in my hands, Lecht sat in front of me and asked. It was an expression that showed his determination to destroy anything that made me cry.

    ¡°Lecht is so considerate.¡±

    I brought up my feelings honestly.

    ¡°¡­What?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sad because Lecht is too nice.¡±

    Although I could see his bewildered expression, I said what I had to say. There was no way I could solve this problem by myself anyway.

    However, contrary to my seriousness, he smirked instead.

    ¡°Whether it was 100 years ago or now¡­ you¡¯re the only one who would say things that no one else would agree with, like how I¡¯m considerate.¡±

    Again, again! Again with the me from 100 years ago! I pouted.

    ¡°Seriously, just what on earth did that woman not do¡­¡±

    I set my cup of milk down, trying to soothe my ugly heart.

    ¡°I have something to tell you. It¡¯s important.¡±

    I thought my seriousness about this matter wouldn¡¯t be conveyed if I was wrapped up in a blanket, so I adjusted my posture and sat down.

    ¡°Tell me.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s start afresh again.¡±

    ¡°Start what?¡±

    I realised I had spoken out too hastily when I finally spit the words out, so I quickly added.

    ¡°I¡¯m talking about this relationship. It¡¯s a strange relationship, it¡¯s like we¡¯re a couple, but not a couple.¡±

    That¡¯s how it was if you looked at it.

    He referred to me as ¡®my woman¡¯, yet we had never established what our relationship was. Although he confessed his deep feelings for me, it was a story of how he had been waiting for the me from 100 years ago, so he wouldn¡¯t let me go now that I had appeared.

    It wasn¡¯t a confession of love for me, nor did I really know what feelings I had in my heart for him.

    Although it was true that my heart would flutter for him, if you asked me if I liked him, then I really didn¡¯t know yet. The most honest answer I could give was probably to say that I didn¡¯t have enough feelings for him to turn into lovers yet.

    ¡°I know that Lecht has been waiting for me for 100 years. Thank you so much for the care I¡¯ve witnessed personally. But¡­¡±

    I tried to find a way to convey my thoughts as clearly as possible in order not to hurt his feelings.

    ¡°To be honest with you, I don¡¯t know.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t know?¡±

    ¡°The me from 100 years ago doesn¡¯t feel like me.¡±

    Apart from not having any memories of her, the more I heard about her, the more I felt estranged from her. She was a more confident, more accepting, and wiser woman than I was.

    ¡°So actually¡­ I¡¯m a little scared at how much affection Lecht is giving me.¡±

    Lecht¡¯s brow furrowed slightly at my words.

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t be able to live up to Lecht¡¯s expectations. I¡¯m scared that Lecht will be disappointed once he finds out that the real me is very different from what Lecht thought I¡¯d be.¡±

    ¡°Ara.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong though! It¡¯s absolutely not that I dislike receiving Lecht¡¯s affection at all!¡±

    I could sense a hint of impatience in the voice that said my name, so I added quickly.

    ¡°How should I put this¡­ I think I¡¯ll need some time to get used to it.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Plus, I don¡¯t actually know a lot about you either, Lecht. Of course, other than being the Demon King, having waited for me, and being a considerate person. Although I know all of that¡­ I still think it may be too early for us to define our relationship with just that alone.¡±

    I explained my stance on this as calmly as possible, hoping that he wouldn¡¯t get offended.

    ¡°So, can we start all over again?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°I will try to get to know more about Lecht as soon as possible and get used to your affection. So, please stop thinking about the me from 100 years ago, and just look at the me in front of you right now.¡±

    I understand that it¡¯d be difficult. But at some point, it was an issue that had to be brought up, at least once. It wasn¡¯t like I could suddenly find my memories from 100 years ago, nor was it possible for me, or him to bear his burdensome feelings.

    ¡°Is that too much for me to ask for?¡±

    But that was just my opinion anyway. This could have seemed like an unreasonable request from his point of view.

    I looked into his eyes and asked him.

    However, the look on his face as he looked at me wasn¡¯t one of bewilderment or anger. Nor was he disappointed or flustered. It was full of affection. As if I was cute for making such a request.

    From his point of view, it must have been bewildering for a lover, who he had finally met again after 100 years, to want to start from zero again. As I was waiting for his answer, he suddenly burst into laughter.

    ¡°So this is what it feels like to hear that.¡±

    ¡°?¡±

    ¡°So, is it my turn to tell you this?¡±

    When I tilted my head, he reached out his hand to hold my clenched fist. He then added with a faint smile.

    ¡°Even if this world splits in two, I will never be disappointed in you.¡±

    ¡°No, that¡¯s why the me right now may not live up to what you think of me¡­!¡±

    ¡°Even if you are substantially different to the person you were 100 years ago, my heart won¡¯t change. Since what I love about you is your very existence.¡±

    He cut off my hasty protest.

    ¡°But I¡¯ll try. I¡¯ll only look at the you right now.¡±

    Somehow, it felt as if there was a smile in his voice. He whispered with such a cheerful expression on his face that I wondered if I had really just pushed this man away.

    ¡°I already know how loveable of a woman you are, so it¡¯ll be hard for me to ignore everything though.¡±

    He continued to speak affectionately, as if he didn¡¯t care about my face turning red or not.

    ¡°I will try to restrain myself so as not to make you feel burdened. However, can you cut me some slack if my feelings jump out of control sometimes?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Since you¡¯re just too loveable.¡±

    ¡°¡­!¡±

    I felt as if the world had stopped when he put an end to his sentence.

    How could this man be so radiant, even at this moment when I¡¯ve rejected him?

    He smiled as he carefully examined my face, which must have already turned a ripe peach colour. It was a smile that made me unable to fight back.

    ¡°That much should be acceptable, right?¡±

    Although I should¡¯ve said no, I wasn¡¯t in any position to protest. My heart kept pounding and blood kept rushing to my head making my eyes go wide.

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    My thoughts and everything flew away at those words that sounded like a complaint.

    It was clear that he either didn¡¯t take my request seriously, or that he enjoyed my flustered reaction whenever he was determined and seductive. Otherwise, there¡¯s no way he could have such a pleased expression on his face.

    ¡°¡­Yes.¡±

    Of course, I had nothing to say and just nodded dazedly at him again, as if I had been mesmerised.

    the way i just screamed into my pillow ;-;

    pls do not share this anywhere or the transmigration gods will transport u into boku no pico !! this translation has been stolen from mioscorner.com, pls only read there i¡¯m begging u :kneels:

    * * *

    Lecht acted well according to my request. The way he expressed his affection was no longer as over the top as before and had definitely decreased, and he never brought up how I was like ¡®100 years ago¡¯.

    Although I couldn¡¯t say I didn¡¯t feel regretful at all, I was satisfied since it at least wasn¡¯t burdensome or uncomfortable anymore. However, before we were even able to adjust to our relationship¡¯s new dynamic, a piece of news arrived that would change everything.

    It was the obituary of the Head of the Ezzarson Guild.

 CH 28

    The slug sedan chair was just as fast as the butler, Tanma said. It could run for days at the full speed of a horse.

    Perhaps because I was distracted by my worry and anxiety, we were able to dash to the capital without my motion sickness acting up.

    My mood was complicated when I came back to the place I had grandly promised to flee from. However, there was no time for me to feel sentimental.

    We went straight to the funeral ceremony of the Head of the Ezzarson Guild. We couldn¡¯t take Kelber with us, so he had to stay at the accommodation with the butler.

    ¡®It really is a funeral ceremony fit for the head of Ezzarson.¡¯

    The scale of the funeral ceremony clearly showcased the financial power of the Ezzarson Head. Both the scale of the event, as well as the procession that had gathered to say their final goodbyes to him that seemed to have no end to it.

    I brushed past the grieving people and headed inside the venue.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that the Princess of Darchez over there?¡±

    [t/n: the princess they¡¯re using to refer to meliara is the one used for daughters of high ranking nobles (namely dukes and grand dukes), not the royal one.]

    ¡°I thought she was living a secluded life at home after her engagement with the crown prince was broken off, so what is she doing here?¡±

    There were quite a lot of people who ended up recognising me.

    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me, did she come here just to harass people?¡±

    ¡°She couldn¡¯t have, no matter how crazy a woman is.¡±

    As expected, there wasn¡¯t a single gaze of goodwill here. Although I wasn¡¯t too happy with them whispering about me, my concern for Linden was too great to care about their curious eyes.

    ¡°Oh.¡±

    However, I had no choice but to stop in my tracks when I found Linden inside.

    He was smiling while making conversation with other people. He was lightly making small talk with other people, as if nothing had happened.

    ¡°He looks better than I thought he would.¡±

    Lecht, who was standing next to me, said.

    My heart sank at his words.

    ¡°¡­He isn¡¯t.¡±

    The fact that it looked like that to Lecht just showed how much it was choking Linden up by hiding it inside him right now.

    ¡°There¡¯s no way he¡¯s fine.¡±

    Just look at what sort of existence was the head of the Ezzarson Guild to him.

    <His grandfather was the only one left in this world who cared unconditionally for him. He was the only one left that would unconditionally be on his side. To Linden, losing his grandfather was as if the last candle in his life had been extinguished.>

    He was the only pillar Linden could lean on after losing his mother.

    I knew it. The reason why he was smiling right now.

    <But he had to keep going. All alone, without any shelter or shield. No matter how dark or cold the road ahead was, he had to keep going. Because as soon as they saw a gap in his defence, the hyenas who were sweeping his surroundings with their flashing eyes would push him into the abyss.>

    Because this place was swarming with people who would bring him down, the moment he showed any weakness.

    Just how many of those who came to this place had really come to mourn the death of the Ezzarson Guild Head? Everyone was here to check on Linden¡¯s condition and how that would factor into their future plans.

    ¡°Did Princess Darchez just come here to provoke His Highness the Crown Prince? Is she going to threaten to support the Second Prince from now on?¡±

    ¡°What a pathetic thing to do. Would that even work? Even a passing dog would know that the Duke of Darchez has no choice but to support Her Highness the Empress.¡±

    Even the people who turned up to mourn the person who passed would slander me like that.

    I turned my gaze to where they were. When my cold gaze me theirs, they shuddered and turned away. It was as if they had never been talking about me at all.

    ¡°Seriously, this is the worst.¡±

    They didn¡¯t even have the courage to talk bad about me to my face. Although I wanted to give them a piece of my mind, I held it in. I didn¡¯t want to cause an unnecessary bitch fight at the place where we were sending off Linden¡¯s most cherished person. I took a deep breath and headed back to where Linden was.

    But I had to stop before I could even take more than a few steps. Since there was a voice that called out to me.

    I didn¡¯t expect the Princess to be here.¡±

    I let out a deep sigh since the voice had a sharp edge to it. What is it this time¡­

    I had just clicked my tongue at the fact that no one had the courage to talk shit in front of me, and it seemed that someone who would talk shit openly in front of me had now appeared. I was dumbfounded at the incredible timing.

    Vowing not to cause a big scene even if it were just for the sake of Linden, I turned around and had my breath taken away.

    ¡®This human¡­!¡¯

    This was truly out of my expectations. Tall with broad shoulders. Handsome facial features and neatly styled blond hair. In addition to that, his eyes, which seemed as if you were looking into the deep sea, made him an objectively ¡®beautiful man¡¯. But¡­

    ¡®You look like him?!¡¯

    The man in front of me had the same face as the man who had hit-and-run me! Although my senses had been fuzzy since I had been overwhelmed by the profuse bleeding and pain, I still remembered the face of the person who killed me. How could I forget? Although the colour of his hair and eyes were different, it was definitely his face.

    My heart pounded loudly with a ¡®thump, thump¡¯ sound.

    Was it fear? No, it was clearly anger and injustice.

    I had tried so hard to survive. In a world where there had been no one by my side, I had still endured it, regardless of my circumstances, but my life had ended in vain, all because of that bastard.

    Although I had already buried it in my heart since it was my past life that I couldn¡¯t go back to, that didn¡¯t mean that sense of injustice had disappeared either.

    ¡°If I had known you were coming, then I wouldn¡¯t have brought Livi.¡±

    ¡°Your Highness¡­¡±

    At the words he said with a click of his tongue, I saw a slender woman digging into his arms with her shoulders trembling. She had soft platinum hair, and a face so pretty it reminded me of a doll. With white clothes that seemed to shout, ¡®I¡¯m the saintess¡¯ to anyone who saw her, I could tell who she was, even if it was my first time meeting her.

    ¡°Your Highness.¡±

    Crown Prince Ziken Srengito von Bakarta.

    ¡°Saintess.¡±

    Olivia Duncan, the saintess of the sun god.

    It was the appearance of the original male and female lead.

    * * *

    pls do not share this anywhere or the transmigration gods will transport u into boku no pico !! this translation has been stolen from mioscorner.com, pls only read there i¡¯m begging u :kneels:

    The volume of the whispers around us grew even louder. Although my heart was raging at the thought of the hit and run, I tried to soothe my anger by reminding myself that they were two completely different people.

    ¡°I greet the Crown Prince. I am Meliara.¡±

    I had long abandoned the Darchez name, so I only announced my name.

    ¡°I hope you¡¯ve also been healthy during this time, Saintess.¡±

    As a bonus, I also greeted the female lead.

    Although I wanted to yell, ¡®Don¡¯t date that bastard, go find another man instead!¡¯, I still swallowed those irrelevant words in the end. Anyway, she was happy being by his side in the novel, so I reminded myself once again that the male lead and the guy who hit me were two different people. However, the following words of the Crown Prince didn¡¯t help my resolve at all.

    ¡°Healthy? Your teasing is getting worse by the day! After what you¡¯ve done to her¡­!¡±

    He once again pinned the point of me trying to poison her on me again.

    Though of course, it was a bit unfair to say that ¡®I¡¯ did it since it was something that ¡®this body¡¯ had done before I crossed over. However, now that I had taken over this body, it was something that I had to deal with. Now, it was meaningless to try and separate ¡®me¡¯ and ¡®my body¡¯.

    Suddenly having inadvertently poked at the other party¡¯s trauma in a moment of carelessness, I smiled apologetically.

    ¡°I would like to extend my sincerest apologies regarding that situation. Although you might be disgusted at my words, it¡¯s the truth.¡±

    Due to the nature of the situation, it was clear that making a material offering of compensation in apology would only worsen the situation anyway.

    ¡°I¡¯m really sorry. I¡¯m glad you¡¯re okay.¡±

    I bowed my head sincerely.

    Even though she seemed pretty when I saw her in writing, she was even prettier when I saw her in person.

    To think you dared to poison such a pretty female lead. I couldn¡¯t believe that the previous owner of my body had done such a terrible thing that I could only imagine.

    ¡®To be fair, no matter how pitiful Meliara¡¯s background is, she was still probably reviled as a villainess.¡¯

    Because using your own wounds as an excuse to hurt others is still an evil thing to do.

    I was worried that the female lead might have developed a trauma because of me and was thinking of how to convey my sincerity when the crown prince by her side suddenly raised his voice.

    ¡°Ha! Are you trying to make it as if such a dangerous incident had never happened? Instead of begging for forgiveness on your hands and knees, can you only use your mouth¡­!¡±

    I looked at Ziken, who suddenly had a wild outburst, in bewilderment. ¡­What¡¯s with him?

    ¡°Do you know how vulgar your prideful appearance is right now? Apologise properly!¡±

    Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re annoyed because I¡¯m not crying and begging on my knees right now? ¡­What the hell?

    It was correct that I was contemplating on how to convey my sincerest apology. However, it was ridiculous to hear that someone was unsatisfied at the fact that my apology wasn¡¯t more servile and humble.

    And it wasn¡¯t the saintess, who was the one who was receiving the apology, but the irrelevant crown prince who spoke up.

    ¡°I had no intention of pretending it never happened at all.¡±

    For a moment, I was so angry that I almost let loose my suppressed feelings and said, ¡®You stay out of it¡¯, but I spoke as calmly as I could.

    ¡°I do feel genuinely apologetic, and I will continue to say sorry until my feelings have reached your heart.¡±

    After shifting my gaze to the saintess and saying my apologies one more time, I continued.

    ¡°If the Saintess will believe my sincerity if I beg on my hands and feet, then I am willing to do so. Even a local kid knows that pride is the most unnecessary thing in an apology.¡±

    I added, pointing out that none of what he had said applied to me.

    The truth was, I thought that I¡¯d only be putting a burden on the shoulders of the kind-hearted saintess if I had just recklessly cried and begged on my knees in the first place.

    No matter how close to death the good-natured female lead was, she would have had no choice but to forgive her upon seeing such an appearance from the villainess. I had given her the simplest of apologies since the forgiveness I would¡¯ve received would¡¯ve been ¡®extorted¡¯ rather than truly willing.

    However, I couldn¡¯t help but feel annoyed when I heard that it was my pride that had something to do with it.

    ¡°By the way, Your Highness.¡±

    But there was something even more unpleasant than that.

    ¡°Why would Your Highness force such an apology? As far as I know, Your Highness doesn¡¯t have the qualifications to say such a thing to me.¡±

    ¡°What did you just say? Qualifications?¡±

    ¡°Yes, qualifications.¡±

    ¡°Ha! Livi is mine. I¡¯m well qualified enough to make sure she receives a proper apology.¡±

    Staring at him, who was speaking proudly, I said.

    ¡°That¡¯s exactly what I¡¯m pointing out. Didn¡¯t this all happen because of Your Highness¡¯ extremely liberal view on love?¡±

    He furrowed his eyebrows.

    ¡°Wh-What?¡±

    The Empire was a place where polygamy was permitted. However, it was only legally permissible, and ¡®an affair¡¯ was still not something that was easily accepted.

    That was one of the major reasons why everyone still looked down on Linden and rejected him. Since the emperor had taken Linden¡¯s mother as a queen even in the presence of the empress, simply because he had ¡®taken a fancy¡¯ to her.

    [t/n:  the raws don¡¯t actually say queen, but it¡¯s referring to an empress (??), just not one with a status as official as the legal empress (??). i¡¯m just using different terms for differentiation purposes.]

    ¡°I¡¯m not trying to absolve myself of all fault.¡±

    I added an explanation, just in case the female lead had misunderstood me.

    ¡°My fault is mine alone. I admit it. I will definitely apologise and live my life with those feelings.¡±

    Attempting to poison someone was bad. I had no intention of denying that.

    ¡°But isn¡¯t Your Highness¡¯ fault a fault too?¡±

    But apart from that, this man¡¯s fault shouldn¡¯t be absolved either. Just like how no matter how much of a villainess Meliara was, the duke¡¯s fault of abusing her would not disappear.

    ¡°If I can ask the other party to apologise, just like Your Highness did, then I¡¯d like to ask Your Highness to apologise.¡±

    I held out my palm and said expressionlessly.

    ¡°Please apologise for cheating on me, your fiancee.¡±

    BOOOOOOO TOMATO TOMATO TOMATO

    In the novel, the villainess was too busy blaming the whole situation on ¡®the bitch who bewitched His Highness¡¯.

    But no matter how much I thought about it, if the man was someone who was in his right mind, then he should have ended his relationship before going to his new woman in the first place. Rather than saying it would be politically helpful and setting up a non committal bridge, then finding love somewhere else.

    Love or power.

    If you had chosen love, then you should have given up cleanly on a political marriage and thought of other ways to gain power. If you had chosen power, then you should have buried the love in your heart, even if it tore it in two.

    Wouldn¡¯t you have been able to properly become an emperor if you could at least clearly determine and carry that out? At least that was what I would¡¯ve thought.

    Ziken¡¯s face turned red and blue. This very expression showed that he seemed to think I had a point. The words he finally uttered with a crimson face after repeatedly opening and closing his mouth like an idiot was¡­

    ¡°Princess!!¡±

    Just look at the way he raised his voice since he had nothing to say. Wow, how ugly¡­ The male lead who had seemed infinitely cool when I was reading the novel was actually so ugly in person.

    It was when I was about to tell him to keep it to himself since I didn¡¯t want to hear anything unless it was a sincere apology.

    ¡°I couldn¡¯t bear to hear anymore.¡±

    A deep voice flipped the atmosphere.

    Lecht, who was watching everything from behind me, walked out to stand next to me. People¡¯s eyes turned to him in an instant.

    ¡°I held it in since I thought I¡¯d get scolded for intervening.¡±

    Lecht said, wrapping his arms around my shoulders and pulling me into his arms.

    ¡°But I can¡¯t stand seeing you being bullied anymore.¡±

    While the words he whispered to me were sweet, the look in his eyes was full of a savage force that seemed as if he were about to tear into Ziken at any moment now.

 CH 29

    Ziken must have felt it too since he suddenly retreated a few steps back. However, he stepped forward again to retort, perhaps because his ego was wounded.

    ¡°What¡¯s with you?¡±

    The surrounding area became even noisier with whispers of, ¡®What¡¯s wrong with that person¡¯, and, ¡®Did they come with the Princess?¡¯. Although it was a natural consequence of Ziken¡¯s shouting, I could tell without even having to look around that all the attention in this large funeral hall was now focused on us.

    ¡°Who is interrupting the conversation between the crown prince and princess?¡±

    It was an implication that he¡¯d have to pay the price if he wasn¡¯t at a high enough position.

    I couldn¡¯t hide the absurdity on my face.

    Don¡¯t tell me, you don¡¯t know who Lecht is¡­? I thought since the emperor was aware of Lecht¡¯s identity, obviously Ziken, the crown prince would be aware of it too. Didn¡¯t Linden recognise him in an instant as well¡­? Oh, I wasn¡¯t in any position to talk since I didn¡¯t recognise him either, but weren¡¯t Ziken¡¯s circumstances completely different to mine?

    As I looked at him with an expression as if he was ridiculous, I heard Lecht let out a preposterous snort.

    ¡°The fact that you don¡¯t recognise me¡­ It seems like the emperor hasn¡¯t fully recognised you as the next emperor yet.¡±

    Lecht¡¯s soft murmur spread throughout the quiet funeral hall, creating a small stir in the crowd. Although his natural speech that lacked formalities as well as his arrogant tone were surprising, what was most surprising to them was probably what he had actually said.

    They all looked at each other with wide eyes while others hastily covered their mouths with their hands or fans.

    Ziken¡¯s eyes widened as if something had stabbed him, his face flushing red in an instant.

    ¡°Just what sort of nonsense¡­!¡±

    Ziken, whose anger had flared up again, was about to begin shouting again, but the female lead who was next to him pulled his arm sharply.

    ¡°Livi¡­?¡±

    Ziken turned his head toward her, as if to ask why she stopped him. However, Olivia¡¯s eyes weren¡¯t on Ziken but on Lecht instead. She furrowed her eyebrows, as if she had suddenly thought of something, and opened her mouth cautiously.

    ¡°Your Excellency, the Grand Duke of Arvis¡­?¡±

    Ziken¡¯s eyes became round like saucers at the name she said as the surrounding crowd also became dead silent.

    At the sound of his name, Lecht¡¯s gaze, which had been on Ziken, slowly turned to Olivia. Olivia flinched briefly at his gaze before plucking up her courage again and taking a step closer to him.

    ¡°It is Your Excellency the Grand Duke, right?¡±

    There were gasps here and there at the words that were spoken one more time, as if to check.

    There was no one amongst the empire¡¯s nobles that didn¡¯t know of Grand Duke Arvis, who was lavished with the trust and favour of the emperor. Nevertheless, this was the first public appearance of him, who was always shrouded in mystery. Their attention was focused on him.

    ¡°Do you remember me? I went to the Grand Duchy two years ago go give a ¡®blessing¡¯¡­!¡±

    As this was something I wasn¡¯t aware of, I looked up at Lecht with wide eyes. And was greeted with his face which was full of displeasure.

    ¡°Saintess of the Sun God.¡±

    ¡°Yes! That¡¯s right, I¡¯m the saintess from back then!¡±

    Olivia exclaimed in a delighted voice upon Lecht¡¯s recognition of her. She laughed and took a step closer to where we were standing.

    ¡°Even then, it was a pity that I could only bump into you once, so I¡¯m really glad that I get to meet you again like this.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°I couldn¡¯t give you a proper blessing since I didn¡¯t get to see your face even when I left.¡±

    Olivia reached out her hand, her eyes seemingly dripping with regret. It looked like she was trying to grab Lecht¡¯s hand, the one that wasn¡¯t holding my shoulder.

    ¡°So I made up my mind to definitely do it for you when we meet again¡­¡±

    However, her hands couldn¡¯t touch Lecht.

    Slap.

    Since Lecht coldly swatted her hand away.

    ¡°I said there was no need for it though.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡±

    His voice was as cold as an ice rink. It was an even colder voice than the one he used to deal with Ziken.

    ¡°You seem to have forgotten, so I¡¯ll say it one more time. The Grand Duke of Arvis serves the Moon God. Stop trying to mix anything else into a place that has already been blessed sufficiently by Lunar.¡±

    Lecht wrapped his arm tighter around my shoulder as he said that. His warmth helped to calm my chaotic emotions that erupted upon my meeting with Ziken.

    ¡®That¡¯s true¡­ the Grand Duchy, which is owned by the Demon King, serves the Moon God.¡¯

    Olivia nodded her head, as if to say it was reasonable, and let out a small sigh.

    ¡°Oh¡­ then¡­¡±

    Looking at the expression that seemed as if the world was caving in on that face that looked like a rabbit would make anyone who saw it uncomfortable. It was an appearance that stimulated a protective instinct, with a face that made one want to pat her on the back and ask her if she was really okay.

    ¡°Lunarism only has a history of 100 years and the number of priests is small, so the power of the blessing would be weaker compared to Solarism.¡±

    Olivia continued with a worried expression.

    ¡°Although there¡¯s no helping it if Your Excellency doesn¡¯t believe it, I¡¯ll still give you a blessing for a bright future.¡±

    In other words, ¡®Even if you believe in another god, I¡¯ll gladly grant you a blessing for your peace and happiness¡¯.

    Gosh, it¡¯s just like what a saintess should say.

    ¡°You¡¯ll allow me to do at least that, right?¡±

    It won¡¯t be easy to refuse such a request when you ask with such a pure face¡­

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡­I¡¯ve underestimated Lecht once again.

    My bad. Lecht¡¯s refusal was so blunt I almost laughed out loud. Nevertheless, laughing right now with this timing would look bad, so I managed to keep my lips tightly shut.

    ¡°And since when was the power of the blessing determined by how long a religion¡¯s history was, or how many priests it had?¡±

    Lecht made an extremely good point.

    ¡°I meant that there¡¯d be a lower probability of God¡¯s touch gracing that place since there were less priests. Just look at the fact that there hasn¡¯t even been a saintess for 100 years already¡­¡±

    Olivia said, as if she were genuinely concerned about the Grand Duke who believed in Lunarism. But unfortunately, it was a very misguided concern.

    ¡°What do you mean there¡¯s no saintess?¡±

    Lecht said, as if asking what nonsense they were spouting.

    ¡°She¡¯s right in front of you.¡±

    ¡°Pardon?¡±

    This time, it was Olivia¡¯s turn for her eyes to widen, as if asking what he was talking about.

    Then, Lecht pulled my shoulder to stand me in front of him and said.

    ¡°Here, the saintess of the Moon God is standing right in front of you.¡±

    Olivia¡¯s shocked eyes turned in my direction, followed by the shocked eyes of the people standing behind us.

    ¡°What do you mea¡­¡±

    Olivia whispered in a voice that couldn¡¯t seem to believe it. Our surroundings started to stir as well.

    Suddenly in the spotlight, I smiled awkwardly and scratched my cheek. Then I jabbed Lecht¡¯s stomach with my elbow.

    ¡°How could you say that here¡­!¡±

    And protested quietly.

    ¡°Then did you just want me to leave it when they spouted that nonsense about not having a saintess when our saintess is right in front of them?¡±

    Though he replied in a loud voice, contradictory to my whisper.

    ¡°But we haven¡¯t even held the proclamation ceremony yet¡­¡±

    ¡°They never said we couldn¡¯t reveal who the saintess was before the proclamation ceremony.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true, but still¡­¡±

    No, why does this guy only say the right thing? There¡¯s nothing else for anyone to say¡­!

    I couldn¡¯t do anything else so I just smiled awkwardly while listening to the murmuring around me.

    ¡°Princess Darchez is the saintess of the Moon God¡­?¡±

    ¡°Grand Duke Arvis said so¡­ There¡¯s no way that person is lying¡­¡±

    ¡°He is the Grand Duke, right¡­? There¡¯s no one who actually knows anyway.¡±

    ¡°Saintess Olivia said he is.¡±

    Since they couldn¡¯t believe that I was the saintess of the Moon God, doubts about Lecht¡¯s identity began to circulate. Eventually, the chaotic mood exploded based on the words of the crown prince.

    ¡°You¡¯re lying!¡±

    Ziken took a step forward, pulling Olivia back behind him.

    ¡°The High Priest of Solarism has already testified that the Princess has no divine power! Yet no she¡¯s a saintess.¡±

    He was confident in what he said.

    Well, that¡¯s somewhat understandable. Since I used to think like that too. He probably didn¡¯t know that the divine power of Solarism and Lunarism were two different things.

    ¡°Your Highness, although you¡¯re correct in saying I have no divine power in Solarism, I am the saintess of Lunarism¡­¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense!¡±

    I tried to explain to him, but he just cut me off and got angry again.

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t enough for you to poison Livi, and now you¡¯re a saintess?! You¡¯re really a woman who knows no fear! How dare you commit such blasphemy!¡±

    ¡°¡­Your Highness, are you doubting what Grand Duke Arvis said?¡±

    I pointed out that him claiming I wasn¡¯t a saintess was tantamount to saying that Lecht¡¯s words of me being the saintess was a lie.

    But Ziken¡¯s answer to that was something I didn¡¯t expect.

    ¡°How did you even think of deceiving Grand Duke Arvis?¡±

    He didn¡¯t think I was lying, but rather thought I was deceiving him instead.

    Wow, to be this thoroughly filled with suspicion. It was admirable, in a sense.

    ¡°That poisonous tongue of yours may have been able to bring you this far, but it won¡¯t deceive me! It¡¯s impossible for a vicious woman like you to become a saintess!¡±

    His proclamation echoed throughout the funeral hall. Everyone held their breath at the incident that had now become blasphemy. A chilling tension lingered over the hall.

    Even though I knew I¡¯d be the hated villainess who bullied the female lead in the eyes of the male lead, I didn¡¯t know it¡¯d be to this extent.

    It was when I was about to open my mouth to say that it¡¯d be better for him to take those words back, no matter how angry he was.

    pls do not share this anywhere or the transmigration gods will transport u into boku no pico !! this translation has been stolen from mioscorner.com, pls only read there i¡¯m begging u :kneels:

    ¡°Can you take responsibility for what you¡¯ve just said?¡±

    A sharp voice pierced through the atmosphere that was like thin ice, like a spear. I turned my head towards that sound.

    ¡°She¡¯ll never be a saintess and she¡¯s just deceiving everyone with her superficial tongue. I asked if you could take responsibility for that. Brother.¡±

    A furious Linden was striding toward us. Behind him were also the three musketeers as well. Likewise, they also had an extremely angry expression on their faces.

    The moment I, who had been completely immersed in the situation, spotted Linden, I was suddenly reminded that this was the funeral ceremony of the Head of Ezzarson.

    ¡°Linden.¡±

    How much effort must he have put in to pretend to be calm and try not to cry, yet we ended up making the atmosphere messy with irrelevant words such as ¡®to apologise or not to apologise¡¯, or ¡®whether or not you¡¯re the saintess¡¯.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. We were too loud, weren¡¯t we?¡±

    ¡°No, that doesn¡¯t matter to me, but¡­ I thought you¡¯d come and see me as soon as you arrived, but you went to see my brother instead.¡±

    Although he said it in a joking voice, he seemed to be genuinely sad, judging from his drooping shoulders and downcast eyes.

    ¡°No, that¡¯s not it! I was going to go to you first¡­!¡±

    I grabbed his hand in a hurry.

    ¡°I was on my way to you, but His Highness spoke to me and it turned out like this. Seriously.¡±

    I made it a point in saying that he definitely occupied a higher spot in the ranking list of my heart. Obviously Linden was much more precious to me than the person who showed me such an ugly appearance.

    ¡°It¡¯s true¡­!¡±

    Thinking he was actually upset, I became anxious and started to appeal to him since he just looked at me with a tearful expression without saying anything. Then, Linden burst into laughter with a pfft.

    ¡°I know. I was just kidding.¡±

    ¡°What? Haa¡­ You scared me.¡±

    I was worried that Linden would be upset because of Ziken, so I was relieved. With my heart finally settling back into place, I let go of Linden¡¯s hand.

    I glanced at him, but he continued to smile shamelessly. Then, we burst into laughter at the same time.

    Amidst our laughter, Ziken¡¯s voice interrupted us.

 CH 30

    ¡°Since when did the both of you become so close?¡±

    Although he was looking at me, the question itself seemed to be directed at Linden.

    ¡°Since Older Brother broke off your engagement with her?¡±

    Linden replied leisurely. His following comment that he added was surprising.

    ¡°Back then, I held it in since it¡¯d be Sister-in-law who¡¯d get criticised for no reason if I was close to her.¡±

    He was provoking Ziken. He was adding more pressure to my earlier request for an apology from Ziken by turning it around and saying, ¡®You have a fiancee, yet Older Brother is having an affair?¡¯

    ¡°However, now that she¡¯s become a woman who has no relation to Older Brother, I tried to act cute in front of her. Though of course, it was rather difficult since Ara kept pushing me away since she was trying to keep her loyalty to Older Brother.¡±

    He emphasised the phrase, ¡®a woman who has no relation¡¯. He had a multitude of purposes, all of them included an intention to attack Ziken while protecting my dignity.

    ¡°Linden.¡±

    When I called out his name softly in gratitude and apology, Linden smiled with his eyes, as if telling me not to worry.

    ¡°To think that you came to such a conclusion after seeing me have such a bad experience with her.¡±

    Ziken said, as if he couldn¡¯t understand Linden.

    ¡°That¡¯s why it¡¯s not you, Linden.¡±

    ¡°Although I don¡¯t know what you mean by that, I think I have a better eye for people than you.¡±

    ¡°What sort of confidence do you have to say that you have an eye for people when you keep a woman who¡¯s committed crimes and blasphemy against the sacred by your side?¡±

    Ziken¡¯s last words were an obvious jeer.

    I wrinkled my forehead. However, Lecht¡¯s words pierced through the air before I could even say anything.

    ¡°From the way it¡¯s come out, can I take it that you¡¯re accusing me of blasphemy too since I¡¯ve guaranteed it?¡±

    It was a tone that was asking just to confirm. However, the contents of the sentence was so heavy that Ziken¡¯s face looked embarrassed for a moment.

    ¡°As I said earlier, I¡¯m not doubting Grand Duke Arvis. In any case, I¡¯m worried that that woman is deceiving the Grand Duke.¡±

    Although he answered calmly, he couldn¡¯t hide his impetuousness completely.

    ¡°You don¡¯t seem to know since you don¡¯t come here very often, Grand Duke Arvis. That woman is an extremely vicious female!¡±

    ¡°Crown Prince, you¡­¡±

    Looking at Ziken, who was continuously slandering me, Lecht repeated softly.

    ¡°I must have seemed like a fool who would easily be deceived by such lies to you.¡±

    His voice was so cold, I felt the temperature around me dropping.

    Well, that¡¯s true. Lecht wasn¡¯t the type to be fooled by anyone. No one would try to deceive him, unless they were hoping to kill themselves.

    ¡°I-I didn¡¯t mean that¡­¡±

    Ziken¡¯s face began to turn pale at Lecht¡¯s point.

    ¡°The High Priest of Solarism has clearly determined that she has no divine power!¡±

    He hastened to mention that important fact. I didn¡¯t miss the opportunity this time, and added quickly before anyone interrupted.

    ¡°He said that I didn¡¯t have the divine power of ¡®Solarism¡¯.¡±

    I had wanted to say it earlier, but wasn¡¯t able to due to his sudden yelling.

    ¡°I don¡¯t have any of the divine power of ¡®Solarism¡¯, but am overflowing with the divine power of Lunarism.¡±

    ¡°W-What sort of forced narrative¡­!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s the truth.¡±

    When I shrugged my shoulders, as if to say, ¡®there¡¯s no helping it since that¡¯s the truth¡¯, the confusion in Ziken¡¯s eyes permeated my gaze. In fact, I could understand his confusion since I had been unaware of that fact too.

    However, I didn¡¯t say that out loud. Since I had been too disgusted at the fact that you painted me as a fraud without even listening to a single thing I had to say.

    He turned his head to Olivia, his eyes seemingly asking her for help. Holding onto his arm tightly and looking at me with the same confused eyes as him, she opened her mouth slightly.

    ¡°I think I¡¯ve heard of that before¡­¡±

    The appearance of Olivia, who spoke in a small voice, was extremely pitiful. She seemed to be at a loss since she couldn¡¯t lie, even though she knew she should take the crown prince¡¯s side. Her appearance was so pitiful that I had no choice but to chime in.

    ¡°I also found out for the first time when I met the High Priestess of Lunarism. In any case, there are more people in the empire who are unaware of it since Solarism is more well-known.¡±

    Although it was annoying for me to give the crown prince a loophole to escape through, Olivia was just too pitiful to turn a blind eye to. I had treated her badly in the past, and the only thing she was guilty of was falling in love with the wrong man.

    ¡°So, shall we stop talking about this now? We¡¯ve only talked about irrelevant topics at the funeral ceremony of the Head of Ezzarson.¡±

    Please, let¡¯s talk about something else. I hastily wrapped up the topic and turned around before Ziken could speak of any nonsense again.

    ¡°Linden, I¡¯m sorry I¡¯m late.¡±

    I finally got to tell Linden what I wanted to say as soon as I arrived.

    ¡°We came running as soon as we heard the news, but¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I can already tell how hard you¡¯ve tried just by seeing your arrival, even when you get such bad motion sickness.¡±

    Linden smiled and patted my hair into a mess. Although he said he was fine, I still felt apologetic.

    ¡°Is there anything else I can do to help?¡±

    Linden smiled as I looked at him with a teary face.

    ¡°Why? Will you listen if I tell you?¡±

    ¡°Whatever it is, just say it. I¡¯ll listen to it all.¡±

    I spread both arms and patted my chest.

    ¡°If you¡¯re that confident, then what will you do if I ask you for a favour that¡¯s too unreasonable?¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter since I just won¡¯t do it if I can¡¯t. So just tell me everything!¡±

    Linden burst into laughter at my logic that didn¡¯t quite make sense. It was a much more relaxed smile than the one before.

    As his tension was relieved, I also put my mind at ease, smiling as I added.

    ¡°You already know. I¡¯m a pushover when it comes to you. So when I say something, just hurry up and take it.¡±

    I suddenly recalled Linden asking ¡®Why aren¡¯t you calculative?¡¯ when we parted last time.

    As I spoke confidently, Linden¡¯s smile became subtle. He seemed like he was happy, yet also seemed like he was forcing a smile.

    ¡°You¡¯re saying that even though you know I can¡¯t do that because it¡¯s you¡­¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    He seemed to have mumbled something, but I couldn¡¯t hear him properly so I asked him again. However, instead of saying it again, Linden rearranged his facial expression and smiled prettily.

    ¡°Then, I¡¯m really free to ask to my heart¡¯s content?¡±

    ¡°Mmhm, go ahead.¡±

    ¡°Please bless the last journey Grandfather will embark on.¡±

    I heard sighs and gasps all over the place. Regardless of them, Linden continued.

    ¡°To be honest, I didn¡¯t know if you¡¯d get here on time, so I asked for a favour from the Temple of the Moon God.¡±

    Linden glanced slightly behind him.

    ¡°Aha, so that¡¯s why the priests¡­¡±

    The three musketeer priests who were looking at the crown prince with rage bubbling in their eyes, smiled as soon as I turned around.

    ¡°But now that you¡¯re here, I¡¯d be very happy if you could do it personally yourself. It¡¯s not enough for the funeral hall to be filled with your blessing, but rather, overflow with it. To the point where you exhaust all of your divine power.¡±

    I smiled and held one hand out, knowing that he had deliberately added that in there due to my request for a ¡®strong¡¯ favour.

    ¡°You seem to have underestimated me.¡±

    Light began to burst forth from my palm. It flowed out as if it had been frustrated from being confined for so long, growing at a tremendous speed.

    ¡°No matter how much you extort, my divine power will never run out.¡±

    Flash¡ª

    My cluster of lights filled the funeral hall in an instant. The scene that unfolded seemed to be large snowflakes fluttering to the ground as time stopped for a moment, yet also resembled a sight wherein someone had scattered thousands of cotton flowers.

    It seemed beautiful, even to me, despite it being a power I had created. Just by judging from the sighs and expressions of the people around me, I could tell that I wasn¡¯t the only one who thought so.

    I slowly walked inside to where the coffin of the Head of Ezzarson lay.

    The cluster of lights was now not only on my hands, but had now scattered over my whole body. It evoked an extremely mysterious atmosphere.

    An old man who looked a lot like Linden, who was standing beside the coffin, lay inside with his eyes closed. My heart broke at the thought that the old man would¡¯ve been worried about Linden, all the way until he closed his eyes.

    ¡°May all the lingering concerns you have be dispelled. They now belong to the living¡­¡±

    I continued to speak, hoping that the power of my blessing would warmly envelop the path he takes to leave.

    ¡°May you have no worries, nor apprehensions on this last journey.¡±

    I kneeled next to his coffin and put my hands together.

    ¡°May your departure be peaceful.¡±

    A tremendous amount of divine power spread throughout my body, and a light that was so bright, it was blinding, burst from my body. That light seeped into the body of the Head of Ezzarson and even to everyone gathered in the funeral hall, as I closed my eyes and prayed for the blessing to be upon the Ezzarson Head¡¯s last road.

    It was the least comfort I could offer for Linden, who was unable to even properly mourn his loss of the most precious person in the world to him.

    * * *

    pls do not share this anywhere or the transmigration gods will transport u into boku no pico !! this translation has been stolen from mioscorner.com, pls only read there i¡¯m begging u :kneels:

    ¡°Frody! Frody!!¡±

    Back at the temple, Olivia went straight into the prayer room and locked the door.

    Although the priests had expressed their concern when she, who had left with the crown prince, had run back with a face of urgency, she shook them off, saying that she wanted to be alone. The prayer room was made to be soundproof in order to prevent the contents of her prayers being leaked out, so no one else was able to hear her calling for someone anxiously.

    ¡°Frody!!¡±

    ¡°Hwiyu~ What has made my contractor so angry?¡±

    t/n: whistle onomatopoeia

    The black smoke that flowed out from her necklace gradually took shape. Olivia grabbed onto the clothes of Frody, whose appearance was gradually being revealed.

    ¡°How could this happen?¡±

    ¡°What are you talking about all of a sudden?¡±

    ¡°How could that woman be the Saintess of the Moon God?¡±

    Frody, who had been wondering what she was talking about, let out a hmm~ when she said the words, ¡®Saintess of the Moon God¡¯.

    ¡°You must¡¯ve met that saintess, right? What do you think? I thought she was cute.¡±

    ¡°You knew¡­??¡±

    Olivia looked at Frody with a face of betrayal.

    ¡°You knew she was the Saintess of the Moon God, yet you didn¡¯t tell me?!¡±

    Frody tilted his head, as if he didn¡¯t understand why she was angry.

    ¡°I just managed to destroy her¡­ I just managed to push her into the bottomless pits of despair, so how could she be the Saintess of the Moon God?!¡±

    ¡°Aha, was she the princess my contracter hated?¡±

    He knew his contractor was trying to destroy the Princess of Darchez.

    There were a lot of things she had asked him to do in the context of framing or secretly attacking her. But not once did he know what the woman who was the princess did, nor what she looked like. He just brought what Olivia asked for and did what she asked him to do.

    Lecht¡¯s objective in coming to the human realm was to continue to scheme and provoke Lecht, not pay attention to human affairs.

    ¡°Why does that bitch have it all¡­! Why?!¡±

    Olivia screamed and threw a cushion on the floor. It was fortunate that there weren¡¯t many things to throw and break in the prayer room. Otherwise, he¡¯d end up getting cut with glass like last time.

    Olivia¡¯s eyes flashed as she breathed in and out heavily with both of her fists clenched tightly. Green eyes the colour of a fresh bud, which were once naive and pure, were now quickly dyed with anger and other twisted emotions.

    ¡°Frody, did you properly prepare that last time?¡±

    ¡°Of course I did. Have you ever seen me disappoint you, Miss Contractor?¡±

    ¡°When can I use it?¡±

    ¡°Right now?¡±

    Frody looked out of the transparent part of the colourful stained glass window. There were a multitude of people coming and going to and from the temple since it was still daytime.

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ From now on, let it loose at the place where I told you.¡±

    The corners of Frody¡¯s mouth went up as he watched her one gentle eyes covered in madness. He approached her with a very pleased look, pulling her waist toward him and lifting her chin up.

    ¡°Your wish is my command.¡±

    In a dangerously sweet voice, Frody covered her lips with his.

    A sticky and wet sound filled the prayer room.

 CH 31

    The funeral ceremony ended successfully. After I gave the last blessing, I was forced to return to the accomodation first due to the fussing of the three musketeers who said that I ¡®have to take a break¡¯.

    [Ara] ¡°Thank you for coming with me.¡±

    I said to Lecht after finishing dinner.

    [Lecht] ¡°It¡¯s only natural since I couldn¡¯t have let you go by yourself.¡±

    [Ara] ¡°Still, you don¡¯t normally like to make public appearances.¡±

    My gratitude was natural since he had stood by my side through it all and put up with it.

    [Ara] ¡°Besides, you did a good deed for Linden too.¡±

    The place where he had his very first appearance, which had never happened before, was at an event entirely for Linden.

    It was also extremely meaningful for him to have defended me, who he had shown up with. That clearly showed that Linden and I had a close relationship.

    Although I, of course, hadn¡¯t done it deliberately, it just happened out of nowhere because of Ziken. As a result, it was clear that the hot topic in politics from now on would be whether or not Grand Duke Arvis was siding with Linden.

    [Ara] ¡°You got annoyed because of me.¡±

    [Lecht] ¡°I¡¯ll just ignore it.¡±

    However, Lecht was calm, despite being the one in the eye of the storm.

    [Tanma] ¡°On the contrary, it¡¯ll help us sort out whether it is favourable for Miss or not if we already understand the intentions of those who come to contact us.¡±

    The butler was even thinking of turning it into our own advantage.

    I laughed, slowly becoming accustomed to the unique kindness and love of these people.

    Then, I heard the fretful nagging of the three musketeers from beside me.

    [Priest ¡ª] ¡°Saintess, please don¡¯t overdo it¡­ You won¡¯t even let us help you¡­ hic hic.¡±

    [Priest ¡ª] ¡°Just me doing it would¡¯ve been enough.¡±

    [Priest ¡ª] ¡°If the Saintess gets sick, I¡¯ll file a formal complaint to the top of Ezzarson!¡±

    [Priest ¡ª] ¡°Give them a break. They¡¯ve just lost their Head.¡±

    They were both worried and affectionate to me today as well.

    [Priest ¡ª] ¡°Still, they¡¯re much better than that damn bastard who denied the Saintess.¡±

    [Ara] ¡°Damn bastard¡­?¡±

    [Priest ¡ª] ¡°That¡¯s right, how dare that damn bastard crown prince suspect the verdict given by our High Priest Lydia?!¡±

    [Ara] ¡°¡®Bastard¡¯ crown prince¡­?¡±

    I¡¯m sometimes worried that their worries and affection are a little too much though. My eyes widened at the sight of them cursing out the imperial family without hesitation, unaware of the final blow that was about to follow.

    [Priest ¡ª] ¡°It sounded like a declaration of war against Lunarism and Grand Duke Arvis, and I¡¯m willing to accept it. Your Excellency, should we prepare for war?¡±

    It was the butler who answered.

    [Tanma] ¡°That¡¯s a good id-¡±

    [Ara] ¡°No, you can¡¯t!¡±

    I slapped Lecht¡¯s shoulder and tried to stop them.

    [Ara] ¡°How is it that all of you are getting worse as time goes by?¡±

    There seemed to be no limit to their overreactions and fanatical comments.

    [Ara] ¡°Aren¡¯t you all underestimating me too much?¡±

    Perhaps Lydia¡¯s remark, saying that I could cover this world with my divine power hadn¡¯t been an exaggeration, since my divine power had filled the funeral hall and even reached those who were mourning on the streets outside. And yet it still hadn¡¯t run out.

    [Priest ¡ª] ¡°Hic hic. But you were shaking. Huhu.¡±

    [Ara] ¡°I was just a little dizzy since I wasn¡¯t used to using this much all at once. It¡¯s not because of any lack of divine power.¡±

    As I continued to comfort the priests who seemed to burrow into the ground with guilt over not having properly assisted me, a gentle touch swept my hair to the side.

    [Lecht] ¡°Still, don¡¯t overexert yourself.¡±

    It was Lecht, who was also concerned.

    [Lecht] ¡°Who will treat you if you get sick?¡±

    [Ara] ¡°Haa¡­ Then just who was the one who called the top five healer mages and twenty doctors last time, just because I overslept a bit due to being too fatigued?¡±

    I said, as if I couldn¡¯t believe it, but Lecht let out a sigh of dissatisfaction instead.

    [Lecht] ¡°Yet they still couldn¡¯t relieve you of your fatigue. Useless things.¡±

    If such talented people are useless, then who in the world is useful then?

    Shocked, I looked at Lecht, only to find that his eyes were serious.

    [Ara] ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll never overexert myself, so stop frowning already.¡±

    I laughed, thinking that I should stay healthy, even if it was just because I felt sorry for the doctors and healer mages.

    [Ara] ¡°Even though you still look cool with a frown on your face, I still prefer the Lecht with a smile on his face. So stop frowning, okay?¡±

    I pressed my thumb against Lecht¡¯s furrowed brow, attempting to smoothen it out. The furrowed brow then relaxed like magic.

    [Ara] ¡°Aww, so cute.¡±

    t/n: this is something you¡¯d say to a child. english equivalent would be like ¡®aww that¡¯s it, good girl/boy¡¯ etc

    That¡¯s when I heard the priests whispering to the side.

    [Priest ¡ª] ¡°Of course the only person who could treat Grand Duke Arvis like a child is our Saintess¡­¡±

    [Priest ¡ª] ¡°As expected, she¡¯s so cool¡­¡±

    I blushed at those words as Tanma burst into laughter.

    I felt flustered and apologetic that it seemed like that, even though I hadn¡¯t meant it that way. But despite hearing that he was treated like a child, Lecht just acted like nothing happened and pressed his face more into my hand.

    [Ara] ¡°B-By the way, will Linden be alright?¡±

    Thinking that I¡¯d probably pat his head and treat him like a child again if we continued to stay like this, I quickly retracted my hand and changed the topic.

    Although I returned to the accomodation with the three musketeers after the funeral, Linden was probably still at the burial site. It was obvious he still had to deal with other people.

    [Ara] ¡°He kept pretending to be fine, even though he clearly wasn¡¯t fine at all¡­¡±

    He kept a bright expression on his face, but his lack of mischievousness and frequent sighs revealed that he was merely hiding his complicated emotions.

    At my words that were tinged with worry, Lecht replied softly.

    [Lecht] ¡°He probably did that since thinks he¡¯ll collapse if he doesn¡¯t.¡±

    I found that Lecht was looking at me when my head turned at the understanding tone that empathised with Linden¡¯s pain.

    [Ara] ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    [Lecht] ¡°Knowing that your emotions will go out of control the moment you acknowledge that you¡¯ve lost it. Knowing how vast the darkness that will swoop in to attack you will be, the moment you bring it up.¡±

    [Ara] ¡°¡­¡±

    [Lecht] ¡°So it¡¯d just be better to endure it and pretend that you¡¯re okay.¡±

    Each word was filled with understanding and empathy. Just like someone who had gone through a similar experience to Linden .

    [Ara] ¡°It¡¯ll fester inside if you don¡¯t snap out of it though.¡±

    I was worried since I had also ended up being entangled in my emotions when I had let them pile up one by one by brushing it off and saying I was ¡®fine¡¯. I was able to snap out of those emotions thanks to Lecht, but¡­

    [Lecht] ¡°It¡¯ll be alright. The prince is a strong man.¡±

    Lecht said, patting my head.

    I nodded my head. But my worries weren¡¯t easily dispelled. Since Linden was someone who best suited the words, ¡®a soft heart under a strong exterior¡¯.

    ¡®Still, the saintess female lead will go and comfort you.¡¯

    I pressed down my worries by recalling the original story. But it wouldn¡¯t be too long afterwards that I came to regret my foolishness in overlooking the fact that we had already deviated greatly from the original plot.

    * * *

    pls do not share this anywhere or the transmigration gods will transport u into boku no pico !! this translation has been stolen from mioscorner.com, pls only read there i¡¯m begging u :kneels:

    I tossed and turned in bed for a long time, unable to fall asleep. I eventually got up.

    [Ara] ¡°I can¡¯t sleep because I keep worrying!¡±

    The face of Linden, who always had to force a smile, kept lingering in my mind, making me unable to fall asleep. Even though I knew that the female lead would comfort him anyways, I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d be able to fall asleep unless I saw her comforting him with my own two eyes.

    Even though being nosy frustrated me, I couldn¡¯t help it.

    <To Linden, losing his grandfather was as if the last candle in his life had been extinguished.>

    That terrible phrase kept grating against my nerves.

    [Ara] ¡°Candles or whatever¡­! I¡¯ll make you a damn campfire¡­!¡±

    Losing my temper for no reason at the original novel, I ran to the building that enshrined the Head of Ezzarson.

    I was just about to go in after greeting the guard who was guarding the building until the door opened as a blond man walked out.

    [Ziken] ¡°You again. What is it now?¡±

    It was none other than the crown prince, who had frowned and gotten annoyed at me. What the hell am I supposed to say to you when you ask me ¡®What is it now?¡¯ as soon as we meet?

    [Ara] ¡°Although I¡¯m not sure what sort of answer you want to hear from me, I find it quite embarrassing that Your Highness completely changes your attitude right away when there¡¯s no one around.¡±

    However, Ziken continued to speak, further proving my point.

    [Ziken] ¡°Do you know how much humiliation I suffered because of you?¡±

    [Ara] ¡°And why is that my fault? You should blame yourself for not believing me and coming to your own conclusion, Your Highness.¡±

    [Ziken] ¡°You tricked me!¡±

    [Ara] ¡°I only said the truth. It was you, Your Highness, who chose not to believe me and came to the conclusion that it was a lie.¡±

    [Ziken] ¡°You deliberately left out the fact that your divine power is different!¡±

    His angry voice echoed through the streets at night.

    [Ara] ¡°I was going to explain, but you didn¡¯t even give me a chan-¡±

    [Ziken] ¡°Ha! Well I guess you¡¯ve switched sides since we¡¯ve broken off our engagement, so this must¡¯ve been your way of sharpening your knife in order to get revenge on me.¡±

    ¡­Yeah, you didn¡¯t even give me a chance to talk, just like right now, asshole.

    I looked at the pathetic Ziken who was being sarcastic to me, despite being entirely in the wrong himself.

    [Ziken] ¡°Do you feel refreshed now? Will you sleep peacefully now that you¡¯ve got your payback?¡±

    Wow, how am I even meant to react to such a childish comment? Are you really the crown prince? It was so absurd that I couldn¡¯t even find the strength in me to retort back.

    [Ara] ¡°Think whatever you want. Can you please get out of my way instead? There¡¯s something I have to do in there¡­¡±

    [Ziken] ¡°Do you know how big of a shock Livi received because of you?¡±

    Don¡¯t interrupt people when they¡¯re speaking. How many times has it been already? I would¡¯ve already punched him if he wasn¡¯t the crown prince.

    Although I was irritated momentarily, I wasn¡¯t able to protest due to what he added next.

    [Ziken] ¡°How shocked must she have been to go back to the temple before the funeral ceremony had even finished?!¡±

    [Ara] ¡°What¡­?¡±

    [Ziken] ¡°That kind hearted child even came to bless Linden, despite knowing that he was hostile toward her¡­!¡±

    [Ara] ¡°What did you just say? The saintess went back to the temple?¡±

    [Ziken] ¡°That¡¯s right!¡±

    At Ziken¡¯s words, I put aside my manners, pushing him to the side to go in. He lost his temper, but couldn¡¯t catch up to me.

    ¡®If the female lead has already gone back to the temple, then who will comfort Linden¡­!¡¯

    A dark environment greeted me as I opened the door abruptly and ran inside. The large space was created to commemorate the Head of Ezzarson, with a dim lamp lit at the innermost part.

    I could dimly make out the figure of a man sitting next to the Head of Ezzarson¡¯s remains, which were protected by layers and layers of magic.

    Linden was sitting by himself, all alone in this cold, dark space.

    My heart dropped with a thud.

    * * *

    Throughout the funeral, Linden never went to the area where his grandfather¡¯s coffin was located.

    He knew he was going to crumble the moment he saw his grandfather lying motionless in his coffin, so he adopted a self-defensive attitude.

    He dealt with the nobles who had come from far away.

    There was no one who had really come to pay respect to his grandfather. Everyone was busy trying to judge his worth by asking him questions about his future plans.

    It had always been like that, so there was no reason for him to get particularly hurt or surprised over it. He just laughed at them, thinking that life was just this futile.

    It was when he was conversing like it was nothing with those people who were trying to push him into the abyss.

    [Ziken] ¡°You¡¯re lying!¡±

    An angry shout that sounded from inside the hall made his head turn. There, Linden spotted a familiar head of blue and silver hair.

    His heart seemed to melt the moment he saw that blue hair that resembled the night sky.

    Ara had come. What a relief¡­

    She was no different to a buoy or a lighthouse to Linden, who seemed to have been thrown into the open sea.

    Nevertheless, he was nervous about her being with his brother, so he quickly walked over to that side before hearing an excessive remark.

    [Ziken] ¡°How dare you commit such blasphemy!¡±

    Blasphemy? Did you even know that the woman standing next to you was a fake?

    Linden recalled the fact that Ara had tried to ¡®poison¡¯ Saintess Olivia.

    Was it really true? Could a woman who doesn¡¯t even know how to be calculative and just gives it freely really try to poison someone? A woman who gives off such warm and tender divine power?

    Linden was slightly sceptical of it.

    Ara had to be innocent. Wasn¡¯t there a siutation where the fake was worshipped as a saintess in the first place anyway? Such a scheme was still likely to remain, even after additional attempts.

    [Ara] ¡°Whatever it is, just say it. I¡¯ll listen to it all.¡±

    There¡¯s no way such a woman could hurt anyone.

    People left one by one after the funeral ceremony that was overflowing with the blessing of Lunar. Everyone was busy talking about the authenticity of Ara being the saintess as well as Grand Duke Arvis. The political scene would¡¯ve been reversed just from one event, but the fact that both incidents took place at his grandfather¡¯s funeral ceremony caused the way they looked at Linden to change.

    The first to feel this the most strongly after Linden was Ziken. He approached Linden, who was standing by himself at the burial site after everyone else had left.

    [Ziken] ¡°Princess of Darchez and Grand Duke Arvis? You¡¯ve put in some effort, little brother.¡±

    [Linden] ¡°¡­¡±

    [Ziken] ¡°But don¡¯t tell me you¡¯ve forgotten¡­ have you? Imperial Father¡¯s words on how Grand Duke Arvis would only lead us all to destruction if he really showed an interest in politics, let alone help you.¡±

    Linden remembered. To never provoke Grand Duke Arvis.

    Ziken clicked his tongue as he observed Linden¡¯s expression.

    [Ziken] ¡°How much were you driven into a corner for you to wake up a sleeping lion?¡±

 CH 32

    ess mask on his face cracked slightly.

    TABLE OF CONTENTS

    this chapter is brought to you by mio

    as translator, proofreader and editor!

    Linden swallowed a sigh at the words of Ziken, who clicked his tongue as if he was pathetic.

    He already knew that Grand Duke Arvis had no interest in politics. The reason he had even come here was entirely because of Ara. Despite not having a single expectation of that since he already knew, he still didn¡¯t want to explain it to Ziken, who was unaware of that and came to such a conclusion.

    He was waiting for his pathetic older brother to leave after finishing everything he had to say, but then he said something he couldn¡¯t just ignore.

    [Ziken] ¡°No matter how much effort you put into pulling the Princess of Darchez to your side, it¡¯s still my power in the end.¡±

    Linden¡¯s expressionless mask on his face cracked slightly.

    [Ziken] ¡°Do you really think the Duke of Darchez is going to abandon my mother, the Empress?¡±

    The Duke of Darchez, who valued honour and class to the highest degree, would never support Linden even if he was forced to death due to his blood which was mixed with that of a commoner. There was also no way for Ara, who had been treated as a nuisance in the Duchy, to override the Duke to command the family.

    [Ziken] ¡°She seems to be behaving uncharacteristically childishly and has run away from home¡­ but she¡¯ll end up going back home anyway.¡±

    At Ziken¡¯s words, Linden recalled what Ara had said.

    [Ara] ¡°The Duke said that he¡¯d erase my name from the Duchy¡¯s genealogy because I made the Duchy into a joke. So I told him to go ahead and do it.¡±

    As expected, he didn¡¯t do it. No wonder he couldn¡¯t find anything no matter how much he investigated. To be fair, there¡¯s no way a duke who values honour would disown their own daughter.

    That being said, it meant that Ara would be dragged back to the Duchy, even if it was against her will. She¡¯d be made to aid the power of the Crown Prince, even if it was by force.

    So, what he meant was that no matter how well Ara treated Linden right now, she would still abandon him in the end one day.

    Linden¡¯s fingertips became cold. ¡­He didn¡¯t want that.

    He had never once cared about losing power before. He just thought of it as losing a knight on a chessboard. He could keep fighting with what remained, and if it wasn¡¯t enough, he could just gather more power.

    But Ara was different. As he imagined Ara turning her back on him, Linden felt as if the ground from under his feet had disappeared.

    [Ziken] ¡°The Princess is the Saintess of the Moon God? That¡¯s great.¡±

    Ziken laughed arrogantly.

    [Ziken] ¡°Livi is mine, so Solarism is mine. The Princess will end up in my faction, so Lunarism will also be mine.¡±

    [Linden] ¡°¡­¡±

    [Ziken] ¡°Oh my. Once again, you don¡¯t have a single thing, do you?¡±

    In the end, Linden glowered at Ziken, his once expressionless face collapsing.

    [Ziken] ¡°Isn¡¯t this because you keep coveting other people¡¯s things that you aren¡¯t worthy of? You¡¯re just like your mother.¡±

    [Linden] ¡°You better shut that mouth of yours.¡±

    Linden finally grabbed his brother by the collar at his insults toward his mother.

    [Knight] ¡°Your Highness!¡±

    The knights who were guarding him ran toward him, but the red haze that rose around Linden held them back.

    Ziken was nonchalant, even after witnessing Linden¡¯s magic.

    [Ziken] ¡°What, you¡¯re going to attack me? That wouldn¡¯t be a bad sight to see. The prince of misfortune who was petty and couldn¡¯t endure his inferiority complex and used his magic to turn his grandfather¡¯s burial hall into a wasteland.¡±

    [Linden] ¡°¡­!¡±

    He made a declaration of war to destroy this place without any hesitation the moment Linden attacked him.

    [Ziken] ¡°Crawl back to where you came from while licking what I threw away. You know what? Why don¡¯t I throw one more thing away out of pity?¡±

    Despite the humiliation that followed, Linden was unable to do anything but tremble with anger. The place where they were currently standing was too great of a weakness. Ziken had deliberately come here to provoke him since he knew that too.

    Thump!

    Ziken was the one who pushed Linden away first. He walked away, leaving nothing but a jeer for Linden, who he had thrown over onto a chair.

    After a while, the door closed and the burial hall became silent again. Alone and flung onto a chair, Linden finally looked at his grandfather¡¯s remains, which were illuminated by the lamp.

    It was dark. Everything was so dark. Both this space, as well as his life.

    He had never coveted the throne. He just wanted to live. But the Empress refused to allow it.

    So he was hunted down. Rather than being continuously hunted down, he thought it¡¯d be better to fight back, so he started to face them head on.

    But the Empress destroyed the people around him one by one, as if his efforts were futile. If he built friendships, it led to death, and if he built trust, it only led to betrayal.

    The last person to side with him unconditionally in this brutal world was his grandfather. Yet now he was gone too.

    He was at a loss. It felt as if his heart was slowly freezing over. With his grandfather¡¯s death came a cold loneliness which crept through the cracks in his heart.

    In this cold and lonely moment, he only longed for one thing.

    Ara.

    Even if you¡¯re someone who¡¯s going to leave me anyway, can¡¯t you at least come and stay by my side for this moment?

    Looking at his empty hands with his head bowed, it was the moment he had such a thought. A small bundle of light floated gently over to his hand.

    The cluster of light twirled around Linden¡¯s hand, as if it was saying, ¡®I know him! He¡¯s a good child!¡¯. Starting with that one, bundles of light continued to flow towards him.

    Recognising what it was, Linden raised his head.

    As expected, Ara was also standing there. The space which had only been lit by a dim lamp was now filled with the soft divine power she had created. She was looking down at him with an expression as if she were about to burst into tears at any moment.

    Is this an illusion?

    Then, her pretty lips moved.

    [Ara] ¡°Sorry. I got here too late, didn¡¯t I?¡±

    Linden collapsed at the lovely whisper of her teary voice.

    [Linden] ¡°Ara¡­!¡±

    He hugged her hastily. Burying his face into her stomach, he clung to her eagerly.

    [Linden] ¡°Don¡¯t abandon me.¡±

    A sudden request bubbled up. Linden begged her, knowing that she was destined to be taken away by the Duke of Darchez in the end.

    [Linden] ¡°I¡¯m really alone now¡­¡±

    Even though after the loss of his grandfather, there was only a dark road ahead with nothing remaining. Even though this was only a world that was full of things that would devour him¡­ He felt like he could endure it if she was by his side. With her warmth and light, he could also overcome that tunnel.

    [Linden] ¡°So please¡­¡±

    The tears that had already burst now flowed out uncontrollably.

    There was nowhere for him to cry in the funeral ceremony, so he had endured it over and over again. But he couldn¡¯t help but shed those tears the moment he grabbed onto her. They were tears that he had already endured for a very long time.

    [Linden] ¡°Please don¡¯t leave me alone.¡±

    Linden came to a realisation. She wasn¡¯t a buoy or lighthouse in the vast ocean. She was the last breath of air for him, who had already fallen into the water.

    He heard a warm voice that dissolved all his worries.

    [Ara] ¡°How are you alone? We¡¯re here too.¡±

    Linden¡¯s body was enveloped in a warm and gentle divine power. Her divine power began to cleanse all of his depression, anxieties, and negative emotions, one by one.

    [Ara] ¡°You¡¯re not alone, Linden.¡±

    Her voice was so full of assurance¡­

    [Ara] ¡°So you can cry as much as you want.¡±

    Linden believed it, despite knowing how absurd her words were.

    And then he cried.

    * * *

    pls do not share this anywhere or u will always stub ur toe when u walk past a door frame !! this translation has been stolen from mioscorner.com, pls only read there i¡¯m begging u :kneels:

    Anyhow, it was this mouth of mine that was the problem.

    [Lecht] ¡°Does it look like I require financial help?¡±

    [Linden] ¡°It¡¯s not for you, Your Excellency, but for Ara.¡±

    [Lecht] ¡°Then we¡¯ll go to another accomodation.¡±

    [Linden] ¡°All of the best accomodations around here are owned by the Ezzarson Guild.¡±

    [Lecht] ¡°Then I¡¯ll just buy this place.¡±

    [Linden] ¡°I don¡¯t have any intention of selling it though?¡±

    A smiling Linden. A frigid Lecht.

    [Ara] ¡°Haa¡­¡±

    It all started on the day I comforted Linden.

    *

    At the sight of Linden completely collapsing and seeming as if he were about to disappear from the world at any moment after the loss of his grandfather, I grabbed onto him first. The sound of him begging me not to leave him was so sorrowful that I couldn¡¯t help but comfort him, despite not knowing the reason why.

    The problem was what happened next.

    The morning sun rose while I stayed by his side, comforting him. As I heard the baker¡¯s cry of ¡®the first batch of bread for the day has come out!¡¯, I found Lecht, standing in front of the door waiting for me when I returned to the accommodation.

    Although Lecht greeted me as if nothing had happened, I could get a pretty good glimpse of his emotional state just by observing Kelber next to me, who was whining and refused to approach him. The severe dark circles of the butler, who was responsible for preparing our breakfast, gave me a broader image of just how exhausted he must¡¯ve been dealing with Lecht all night.

    I snuck a look at Lecht cautiously as I fiddled with my cup of multigrain shake. It felt as if I had been caught by my roommate sneaking back into the house after partying for a whole night. Although there wasn¡¯t anything wrong with it, it was just something that you couldn¡¯t help but notice.

    [Lecht] ¡°Does it not suit your preference? Do you want me to make you a new one?¡±

    Lecht asked when I continued to fuss without drinking. His outstretched hand touched my hand which was wrapped around the cup.

    I looked back at him, surprised by his icy hands which were normally always warm. But he just looked at me as if he didn¡¯t notice.

    [Ara] ¡°Lecht, don¡¯t tell me¡­¡±

    Did you wait outside the whole time?

    Although the question bubbled up in my throat, I couldn¡¯t manage to spit it out. Even the Three Musketeer Priests knew how much he cherished me, so it was meaningless for me to ask him why he did it. But above all, it was obvious that our ambiguous relationship would be brought to the surface again the moment I asked that question.

    Our conversation would go around aimlessly, with me explaining in detail why I came back late, and then him making excuses for why he was standing outside, just to ease my guilt. Only awkwardness and guilt would remain after that.

    [Ara] ¡°No. It¡¯s delicious.¡±

    I set aside the conversation that was making me uneasy just from imagining it, and held his hand tightly instead, breathing divine power into it. His hands soon warmed up. He didn¡¯t reply, as if he hadn¡¯t noticed the meaning in my actions.

    When the delicate atmosphere had passed, a familiar man came in through the open door of the accommodation.

    [Linden] ¡°Ara!¡±

    It was Linden, who had changed bright clothes, greatly contrasting the dark clothes he had been wearing until this morning. He was smiling so brightly that I wondered if he was still the same man who had cried yesterday like a child who had lost everything in the world.

    Running straight to where I was, Linden nodded perfunctorily to Lecht and held my hand which wasn¡¯t holding Lecht¡¯s tightly in his own.

    [Linden] ¡°You¡¯re staying in the capital until the proclamation ceremony, right?¡±

    [Ara] ¡°Y-Yeah.¡±

    Why is he so excited?

    I replied to him calmly, despite being puzzled.

    [Ara] ¡°In any case, I thought that¡¯d be better after considering the time it¡¯ll take to go back and forth.¡±

    According to the Three Musketeer Priests, the time was roughly set to the full moon a month later, so timing was too vague to incorporate the travel time to and from the Grand Duchy.

    [Linden] ¡°That¡¯s great! There¡¯s going to be a night market set up around the river to celebrate the harvest season this evening!¡±

    [Ara] ¡°Night market?¡±

    [Linden] ¡°Let¡¯s go! You¡¯ve never been there, have you? I¡¯ll show you around!¡±

    He wrapped both of his hands around mine, his eyes sparkling.

    A night market¡­ That sounds fun.

    [Ara] ¡°Hmm, I don¡¯t have anything in particular planned tonight, so¡­¡±

    Just as I was about to nod my head, Lecht spoke up, pulling on my hand which was already in his grip.

    [Lecht] ¡°Prince. Do you really think this is the time to sightsee leisurely at the night market? From what I saw yesterday, it seems like the Crown Prince¡¯s faction is in need for an urgent clean up.¡±

    With his eyes glued onto Linden, he pulled his chair toward me and stuck himself closer to me.

    [Linden] ¡°On the contrary, it¡¯s actually counterproductive to be in a hurry. And going to the night market with Ara isn¡¯t exactly just about having fun either.¡±

    In a way, it could be seen as a ¡®political move¡¯, since its purpose was also to show off his relationship with me, the Saintess of the Moon God.

    Wow, you even thought that far ahead during this time. I couldn¡¯t even think of anything else apart from what sort of yummy food would be at the night market.

    [Lecht] ¡°You¡¯re being very obvious about using Ara. Even doing so in front of me as well.¡±

    Lecht was upset about the actions of Linden, who seemed to be using me like a tool.

    [Linden] ¡°That¡¯s an issue I¡¯ve already finished speaking with Ara about. She promised that she¡¯d stay by my side.¡±

    Linden ever so subtly twisted my ¡®You¡¯re not alone¡¯ phrase to Lecht. I hadn¡¯t meant it like that.

    [Lecht] ¡°Ara has plans to go with me, so you can just get lost.¡±

    [Linden] ¡°I was the one who brought up the idea of a night market. Stop trying to freeload off of my idea.¡±

    The two men who were grabbing my wrists had stuck themselves to either side of me at some point and were now staring down each other. It was so fierce I thought I could see sparks flying between them.

    Unable to do this or that, I groaned, causing the two men to look at me in unison.

    [Linden] ¡°Ara, you¡¯re coming with me, right?¡±

    [Lecht] ¡°Ara, back then, you clearly said I was your escort knight.¡±

    A cold sweat trickled down my back as a pair of pretty blue eyes and alluring gold eyes looked passionately at me at the same time.

 CH 33

    Pursing my lips, I looked at the two of them alternately with a defeated expression. I felt defeated. The situation wouldn¡¯t end just by choosing one of them hastily since my relationship with the two of them was still ambiguous and hadn¡¯t been defined yet.

    My relationship with Lecht was one that would start from zero, since I had felt burdened due to his longing feelings that he had held for me for a long time. Although my heart would often flutter for him, I wouldn¡¯t exactly say that my feelings for him were deep enough for me to say that I ¡®liked¡¯ him. But saying ¡®no¡¯ would feel too heartless, so I had told him I would try and get used to his affection, thus resulting in our relationship being ambiguous in many ways.

    My relationship with Linden was even more ambiguous. Only a few hours had passed since I had seen him crying profusely, saying that he was now all alone. How cornered must he have felt for him to cling onto the first person he saw and beg them not to leave him? It was already impossible to turn him away, my nonexistent maternal instinct surging inside of me. I wanted to stay by his side and support him, at least until he had the strength to take on the world by himself again.

    [Linden] ¡°I can pick only the most entertaining stands and take you there!¡±

    [Lecht] ¡°I can let you do whatever you want, as long as you stay by my side. It¡¯s dangerous.¡±

    How could going to a night market turn into such a hot topic? What should I do¡­?

    As my eyes flitted across the room, I suddenly made eye contact with the butler, Tanma. I suddenly became conscious of the situation the moment I caught a glimpse of his satisfied smile.

    [Ara] ¡°Pfft.¡±

    I burst into laughter.

    [Ara] ¡°Ahaha!¡±

    The two men, who had become so serious about going to a night market, and me, who was sweating over it. And these people were a demon king, a prince, and a saintess. Thinking about it now, it really was a funny situation.

    [Ara] ¡°Ahahaha!¡±

    [Lecht & Linden] ¡°Ara?¡±

    I laughed so hard that tears almost came to my eyes. The two men simultaneously said my name in a puzzled voice.

    [Ara] ¡°Let¡¯s all go together. It¡¯s more fun to go to a night market together!¡±

    I said, holding both of their hands at the same time.

    [Ara] ¡°The three of us, Butler Tanma, the Priest Trio, and Kelber. Together.¡±

    A smile involuntarily leaked out of my overflowing happiness.

    [Ara] ¡°The two of you don¡¯t have any complaints with that, right?¡±

    [Linden] ¡°Ugh.¡±

    [Lecht] ¡°Hmph.¡±

    The two men glared at each other in dissatisfaction at my question.

    [Ara] ¡°Or should I just go by myself?!¡±

    The two burly men flinched in unison despite it not even being a scary threat.

    [Lecht] ¡°Let¡¯s go together. If that¡¯s what you want, then okay.¡±

    [Linden] ¡°Haa¡­ alright. Together¡­¡±

    In the end, we concluded that we¡¯d all go together to the night market.

    *

    I didn¡¯t know back then. Just how severely competitive these two men were.

    [Lecht] ¡°Does it look like I require financial help?¡±

    [Linden] ¡°It¡¯s not for you, Your Excellency, but for Ara.¡±

    [Lecht] ¡°Then we¡¯ll go to another accomodation.¡±

    [Linden] ¡°All of the best accomodations around here are owned by the Ezzarson Guild.¡±

    [Lecht] ¡°Then I¡¯ll just buy this place.¡±

    [Linden] ¡°I don¡¯t have any intention of selling it though?¡±

    A smiling Linden. A frigid Lecht.

    [Ara] ¡°Haa¡­¡±

    I wouldn¡¯t have had any hopes or dreams of these two having a good time together if I had known¡­ Anyway, it was this mouth of mine that was the problem.

    [Linden] ¡°Are you that dissatisfied over not having to pay for your accommodation?¡±

    [Lecht] ¡°It¡¯s only natural for a guest to pay when they stay over.¡±

    The two would butt heads at least once an hour, and at most, up to five times an hour. All the reasons they would face off with each other over were all extremely trivial, from ¡®Ara likes drinking warm tea¡¯ and ¡®She likes drinking cold things as well¡¯, to ¡®As the saintess, Ara¡¯s residence should be in the capital¡¯s Great Temple¡¯ and ¡®The safest place is in the Grand Duchy, where Lunarism is the most active¡¯.

    Now they were arguing about whether or not I would pay for my stay in the inn that Linden owned.

    [Linden] ¡°But Ara isn¡¯t just another guest, is she? I don¡¯t accept money from friends.¡±

    [Lecht] ¡°Just because you¡¯re a ¡®friend¡¯, doesn¡¯t mean that you¡¯re not a ¡®guest¡¯ either. A fee is paid in expectation of receiving proper treatment.¡±

    [Linden] ¡°Do you think I won¡¯t provide you with the appropriate treatment if I don¡¯t get paid? I¡¯m not shameless enough to do that.¡±

    Linden clearly used to be cautious of Lecht¡¯s mood before¡­ Did he perhaps lose his mind when his grandfather passed away, I wonder? And on top of that, Lecht didn¡¯t seem to care whether or not Linden was there last time, so why is he reacting like this now?

    [Ara] ¡°Lecht, let¡¯s look on the bright side. Linden considers us as his really close friends. Just accept it graciously, alright?¡±

    I ended up playing the mediator once again. Sometimes I¡¯d succeed, but¡­

    [Lecht] ¡°I¡¯ve never had a friend like that.¡±

    [Linden] ¡°I was only talking about you, Ara!¡±

    ¡­this time, I failed.

    I sighed as I watched the two men glare at each other.

    Fine, I give up. Fight, fight, fight, fight¡­

    Kelber immediately rested his head on my lap as soon as I plopped my tired body onto the chair.

    [Kelber] ¡°Woof! Woof! Woof!¡±

    I was comforted soon by his whining and the wagging of his tail. Just as I was patting his three cute heads, the door burst open as the trio of priests suddenly rushed in.

    [Priest 1] ¡°Saintess~! Our pretty Saintess!¡±

    [Priest 2] ¡°Saintess! I cut my hair!¡±

    [Priest 3] ¡°The Saintess isn¡¯t interested in your hair cut.¡±

    They were very rowdy today as well.

    [Priest 1] ¡°Saintess, you¡¯re pretty today as well¡­ Hehe.¡±

    [Priest 2] ¡°Gosh! I should¡¯ve grown my hair out just like the Saintess!¡±

    [Priest 3] ¡°Give it up. It¡¯ll just look like dog hair on you.¡±

    Their praises were still overflowing with energy.

    [Ara] ¡°You¡¯ve all arrived! Now, should we set off then?¡±

    I jumped up from my seat and ran toward the priests.

    [Ara] ¡°If both of you don¡¯t come quickly, I¡¯ll leave you both behind!¡±

    The two men who were still arguing with each other vigorously as they went out the door with the priests, finally stopped fighting and ran after us.

    [Kelber] ¡°Woof! Woof! Woof!¡±

    [Tanma] ¡°I heard that the candy they sell by melting sugar is quite popular in the night market.¡±

    [Lecht] ¡°Tell me when your legs get tired. I¡¯ll give you a piggyback.¡±

    [Linden] ¡°Ara, take my hand and let¡¯s go!¡±

    The Priest Trio, who were leading the way while squabbling with each other. Kelber and Tanma, who were faithfully guarding me from behind. And Lecht and Linden, who were guarding me on both sides. It was a combination that was tiring in many ways, but¡­

    [Ara] ¡°No matter what, drinking and eating at the night market is the best!¡±\

    But at the same time, it was the combination that gave me the most happiness, so I ran forward energetically, confidently expecting that this trip to the night market would be really enjoyable.

    * * *

    pls do not share this anywhere or u will always stub ur toe when u walk past a door frame !! this translation has been stolen from mioscorner.com, pls only read there i¡¯m begging u :kneels:

    Meanwhile, at that time in the Grand Duchy¡­

    [Ryno] ¡°I also want to go to Her Majesty¡¯s proclamation ceremony though¡­¡±

    [Guard] ¡°Cheer up. You can¡¯t be humanised, so there¡¯s nothing you can do.¡±

    The guard, who was accompanying the depressed Ryno, patted him on the shoulder. The image of the man squatting on a bench with a sad face looked extremely inconsistent with his frame that was as large and bulky as a brown bear¡¯s.

    [Ryno] ¡°What if I can¡¯t humanise myself, no matter how hard I try?¡±

    Humanising, which was a process which hid a demon¡¯s horns and ears, was something not many demons were able to do since it required an enormous amount of magic and skill. And Ryno, who was born with half human blood would naturally have less innate magic than the average demon, so humanisation wasn¡¯t something that he could achieve just through his own effort alone.

    [Ryno] ¡°But that¡¯s how I mastered the wind though.¡±

    To the extent of spitting blood, his ¡®wind¡¯ ability went from just being able to extinguish a few candles to being able to create a gale strong enough to devastate a field in only 100 years. All of this was thanks to Her Highness, who believed in him as ¡®an invincible guy¡¯.

    Mulling over the wind while jutting his lips out, Ryno suddenly jumped up from his seat, his eyes sharpening.

    [Guard] ¡°What the hell, you scared me. What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    The guard next to him staggered in surprise. Ryno held onto him to prevent him from falling, but his gaze was in the direction of the rose garden.

    [Ryno] ¡°This smell is¡­!¡±

    It was the strong scent of gold osmanthus which had been carried over by the wind.

    * * *

    The night market was fun. I ate a lot of chicken skewers and sugary snacks, as well as apple pie and alcohol bread, and also some warm mulled wine since it got cold after drinking a refreshing beer. I tried making a candle with the stuff that the priests had brought and also played a game where you scored points by throwing a small ball into a container.

    Although they were all things that I could see and do at any festival, after going through so many things recently, I just went along and enjoyed the little time that I could afford to spend leisurely.

    Lecht and Linden, who were busy butting heads and arguing about every single little thing, gradually got a bit more docile as time passed by. Rather than being docile, they seem to have concluded that it¡¯d be better to get along nicely without fighting, since I¡¯d ditch them for the trio of priests whenever the both of them started fighting.

    It would be the Lantern Festival in three days.

    I looked up at the moon while Linden went to buy a lantern with the trio of priests. The moon a few days before the full moon looked so pretty.

    Just as I was about to make a small wish that the following days would also be peaceful like this, a ticklish voice sounded from next to my ear.

    [Linden] ¡°What are you looking at?¡±

    [Ara] ¡°Ack, you scared me.¡±

    Turning around, I found Linden looking in the direction I was looking up at, holding two lanterns in his hands. Asking as if he was curious, he looked back at me and smiled happily when our eyes met. When I saw Linden looking so carefree without any worries, I ended up smiling too.

    [Ara] ¡°Just looking at the moon.¡±

    [Linden] ¡°Tada! I ended up choosing the one with the moon and the stars on it for you. It¡¯s pretty, right?¡±

    [Ara] ¡°It¡¯s pretty. Thanks.¡±

    I received the lantern he bought for me. It was a large lantern that was three times the size of my face. Looking around, they were all roughly the same size.

    [Linden] ¡°Your one is a flower, Your Excellency. Just stay still like a flower.¡±

    [Lecht] ¡°¡­¡±

    Wow, Lecht seemed to swear at him with his eyes. Seeing as Lecht and the flowers somehow seemed to be compatible with each other despite seemingly contrasting each other, I let out a laugh.

    [Ara] ¡°Oh, it¡¯s starting.¡±

    We quickly joined in as we watched all the lanterns around us being lit.

    [Linden] ¡°Ara, don¡¯t forget to make a wish. Even better if it¡¯s about me.¡±

    [Lecht] ¡°You have a lot of greed too.¡±

    Listening to the voices of the two men who were squabbling until the end, I set my lantern afloat.

    ¡®I hope that everyone can be happy.¡¯

    I prayed for a simple, yet difficult wish on my lantern.

    Lecht and Linden¡¯s lanterns, which were set off together, circled around mine, as if they were still fighting amongst themselves. The lanterns then floated up further and further upwards, before disappearing among the other lanterns.

    [Ara] ¡°Today was also a meaningful night.¡±

    I whispered with a jubilant heart.

    [Lecht] ¡°We should go back now.¡±

    [Linden] ¡°Ara, shall we go home?¡±

    The two men replied back to me at a frighteningly fast speed.

    [Linden] ¡°The night market is also open tomorrow, so let¡¯s finish off what we couldn¡¯t do today then.¡±

    [Lecht] ¡°It¡¯s alright to take a day off. The night market will be open the day after tomorrow as well.¡±

    The two men stretched out their hand toward me at the same time, giving me similar yet different opinions, as if they never wanted to lose.

    I paused for a moment at the similarities between them. Hair style, skin tone, facial expressions, and mood. These were two men with no similar points between them. However, the large hand that was extended to me, as well as all their actions which were extremely gentlemanly, were all perfectly consistent with one another.

    I suddenly remembered what Lecht had once said.

    [Lecht] ¡°You will be loved. Without a doubt, infinitely.¡±

    A grin leaked out.

    You¡¯re right. I¡¯m receiving so much love right now.

    [Ara] ¡°Why don¡¯t we try something else besides the night market tomorrow?¡±

    Instead of holding their hands, I ran forward and took the lead, just like I did every evening. We headed back to the accommodation, talking about our plans for tomorrow.

    But none of those plans we talked about were achieved.

    The monumental news that flew into the accommodation the next day shattered my peaceful daily life.

 CH 34

    I ended up oversleeping, perhaps due to the fatigue of staying up late for a few nights since I was having too much fun.

    [Ara] ¡°Huam~¡±

    t/n: yawn sound

    [Kelber] ¡°Woof!¡±

    [Ara] ¡°Yes, did you have a good sleep too, Kelber?¡±

    Kelber wagged his tail in greeting as soon as I woke up, still by my side despite the sun having already risen high in the sky.

    After taking a quick shower and changing, I walked lightly to the dining hall on the first floor. Although I felt excited at the thought of going to the restaurant we had talked about yesterday, the smile on my face soon disappeared after I found someone completely unexpected waiting for me.

    [¡ª] ¡°Meliara.¡±

    Although it was definitely the first time I had seen this person, I knew who they were right away. The exact same indigo blue hair that resembled the blue hair I see in the mirror every morning. A face that I had seen countless times on the portraits hanging on the walls of the Duchy. And above all, the familiar emblem of the Darchez Duchy, stuck on both the chest of him and the knights who were escorting him.

    [Ara] ¡°Alion Darchez¡­?¡±

    His face stiffened as he glanced at me for an instant. Shortly after that, he got up from his seat as he parted his tightly closed lips.

    [Alion] ¡°Let¡¯s go back.¡±

    [Ara] ¡°What¡­? Where¡­¡±

    [Alion] ¡°What do you mean, where? Back home of course.¡±

    Spitting it out in a blunt voice, he approached me. I took a step back instinctively and said.

    [Ara] ¡°Lord Darchez, you must not have heard the news since you¡¯ve been out on an expedition this whole time¡­ I¡¯ve left that house.¡±

    t/n: lord is used to refer to the children of high ranking nobles (notably heirs)

    [Alion] ¡°¡­¡±

    He didn¡¯t respond to my words and just stared at me, so I added.

    [Ara] ¡°The home you say you want me to go back to is no longer my home.¡±

    At the table behind him, Tanma and Lecht were watching Alion and I with a dark expression.

    There was a moment of silence.

    Alion let out a soft sigh. It was like a tired sigh of a man forced to bear a heavy barley sack on his shoulders.

    [Alion] ¡°I¡¯m doing this since I heard something different from Father.¡±

    He spoke with a slight frown.

    [Alion] ¡°You know how easy it is for Father to say something harsh when he¡¯s angry.¡±

    [Ara] ¡°Regardless of how angry you are, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s ¡®easy¡¯ for someone to say that we should pretend not to know each other since you¡¯ll be expelled from the Duchy forever, though.¡±

    His eyes, which were cold and stiff the whole time I was talking, suddenly widened into circles. He lowered his deep blue eyes to look at the floor.

    [Alion] ¡°Haa¡­ I was wondering why you left home all of a sudden¡­¡±

    He spoke while rubbing his face.

    [Alion] ¡°I¡¯ll speak to Father about it and make it as if it never happened. So don¡¯t worry about that and just come back home first.¡±

    As he took another step toward me again, I retreated yet another step back.

    [Ara] ¡°What do you mean make it as if it never happened? I have no intention of going back to that house.¡±

    [Alion] ¡°Meliara.¡±

    [Ara] ¡°I asked him to make sure he removes my name from the genealogy though. I told him not to look for me.¡±

    Alion frowned, as if this was the first he had heard of this.

    [Ara] ¡°Please go back, Lord Darchez. I have nothing to do with that family now.¡±

    [Alion] ¡°¡­¡±

    Despite what I said, he seemed to have no intention of moving. I had no intention of standing here and waiting until he left, so I tried to avoid him first. But Alion grabbed my wrist while I was on my way to Lecht¡¯s table.

    [Alion] ¡°Meliara, why are you like this all of a sudden?¡±

    His grip on me was strong.

    [Alion] ¡°Hasn¡¯t Father only said something crazy once or twice? Why are you like this all of a sudden¡­¡±

    [Ara] ¡°Once or twice?¡±

    My voice came out sharply, having gotten sharper in many ways due to the recent events with the Crown Prince.

    [Ara] ¡°All of a sudden you say.¡±

    [Alion] ¡°¡­¡±

    Thinking about the past of this body was very complicated, so it was frustrating that the past, which I thought I had completely severed after leaving the Duchy, kept coming back and suffocating me. Even though it was something I had to deal with, it was still very uncomfortable.

    [Ara] ¡°Do you know what I heard as soon as I was born?¡±

    [Alion] ¡°¡­¡±

    [Ara] ¡°Rather than killing her mother, it would¡¯ve been better if she hadn¡¯t been born.¡±

    [Alion] ¡°!¡±

    The reason why it was uncomfortable wasn¡¯t because I wanted to run away. It was because of the weight of that past.

    [Ara] ¡°And do you know what I heard most frequently while living in the Duchy?¡±

    [Alion] ¡°¡­¡±

    [Ara] ¡°Useless bitch.¡±

    It was a frustrating past, even when it had just been reading words on a page. The background of Meliara Darchez¡¯s upraisal was so brutal it was enough to make people wonder if she had no choice but to become a villainess.

    [Ara] ¡°A useless bitch who can¡¯t even seduce the Crown Prince. A useless bitch who doesn¡¯t have the faintest trace of magic, unlike her mother who was a mage. A useless bitch who can¡¯t even exhibit a lick of divine power.¡±

    There were so many that I couldn¡¯t even list them all.

    [Ara] ¡°So don¡¯t you think it¡¯s a bit unreasonable for you to say it was only ¡®once or twice¡¯?¡±

    [Alion] ¡°¡­¡±

    I could feel the strength behind Alion¡¯s hand grabbing my wrist. His pupils shook.

    [Alion] ¡°That¡­ You know Father only said all of that because he wasn¡¯t thinking for a momen-¡±

    [Ara] ¡°Out of anger, out of rage, out of drunkenness, out of frustration.¡±

    I cut him off in a trembling voice. My voice was flat.

    [Ara] ¡°I know.¡±

    I was never angry. On the contrary, I was so despondent I would even laugh. Having endured too much to be angry, Meliara was only filled with sadness, just sadness.

    [Ara] ¡°By the way, Lord Darchez. A frog can die from a stone thrown by someone unintentionally1.¡±

    [Alion] ¡°¡­¡±

    Meliara had to endure a long time of loneliness and violence in what he flippantly called, ¡®a senseless thing said without thinking¡¯.

    [Alion] ¡°Meliara, I¡­¡±

    [Ara] ¡°Let go of me.¡±

    I wasn¡¯t putting up any sort of resistance into the wrist he was holding. It wasn¡¯t that I had no strength to shake him off, but that I was just too tired to fight.

    [Alion] ¡°Meliara.¡±

    [Ara] ¡°Let go of me, Lord Darchez.¡±

    [Alion] ¡°¡­¡±

    Upon my repeated calm request, he slowly loosened his grip on me. My hand naturally fell out of his grip.

    The red handprints were clearly visible, perhaps because of my pale skin. Although it didn¡¯t hurt, I still hid it with my other hand since it looked quite bad.

    Taking a step back, I said in a low voice.

    [Ara] ¡°Please, don¡¯t ever come see me again.¡±

    It was an earnest request, devoid of anger or resentment. Looking at me for a long time with a complicated expression that I couldn¡¯t understand, Alion finally opened his mouth.

    [Alion] ¡°What are you going to do now without the Darchez name?¡±

    The words he murmured lightly dispersed in the quiet space.

    I would have ignored it if that question that was closer to a monologue was ridiculing what I could do by myself. But I paused for a moment at the voice that deluded me into thinking he was genuinely worried.

    Alion Darchez wasn¡¯t a good older brother in the novel either. He hated her for taking his mother away when he was young, and avoided her when he grew older, and upon her engagement being broken off and being removed from the family, he left for an expedition to the border, not even remaining by her side.

    ¡®But unlike the Duke, Alion actually pretends to be worried about his sister.¡¯

    His hypocritical, two-faced appearance was both unpleasant yet satisfying, so I pasted on a shallow smile.

    [Ara] ¡°Stay healthy, Lord Darchez.¡±

    Alion¡¯s eyes shook once more. There was a moment of silence, with not even the sound of breathing heard. Alion turned around first.

    [Alion] ¡°¡­Let¡¯s go back.¡±

    Despite it being the first thing he said when he found me, both the target of the sentence, as well as the meaning, were now different.

    [Knight] ¡°Your Lordship, but His Excellency, the Duke¡­!¡±

    [Alion] ¡°Go back.¡±

    Alion glared down with a cold light in his eyes at the knight who seemed to protest against him, making the knight shut up as he walked out. The knight glanced between Alion and I alternately before running after Alion, exclaiming a short ¡®Gosh!¡¯ and seemingly wanted to stomp his feet out of frustration.

    Silence came to the dining hall after Alion¡¯s departure. Apart from Alion and his knights, there were only Tanma and Lecht in the first place anyway. It was because Linden had cleared out the whole place so we¡¯d be comfortable.

    But what should I do with this heavy atmosphere? Should I explain what sort of situation this was to Lecht? How much of it should I explain? That they were this body¡¯s family, but had left after being removed from the family? Even that I¡¯m actually someone else who just took over Meliara¡¯s body?

    [Kelber] ¡°Hing?¡±

    As my train of thought continued with various concerns, one of Kelber¡¯s heads burrowed into my hand. Another licked my wrist while the other one rubbed against my hip. My anxiety slowly melted away despite having been frozen stiff earlier.

    At the same time, I heard Lecht speak up.

    [Lecht] ¡°I allowed him some space since he claimed that you were family, but your relationship seems to be no better than strangers.¡±

    Turning my head, Lecht had already approached me before I knew it and pulled me into his embrace. Startled by the unexpected hug, Tanma soon entered my line of sight. He had a faint smile on his face like always.

    [Tanma] ¡°It¡¯s my fault, miss. I¡¯ll definitely make sure to restrict his entry next time.¡±

    He banned Lord Darchez naturally and lightly, with the casualness he would use to say, ¡®Gosh, the tea¡¯s gone cold. I¡¯ll heat it up¡¯.

    It was clear that neither of them were deliberately prying into the details or interrogating me too heavily for my sake. But despite that, they were clearly expressing their concern for me.

    [Ara] ¡°Thank you.¡±

    [Lecht] ¡°It¡¯s only natur-¡±

    The moment I was expressing my thanks for their consideration of me.

    [¡ª] ¡°Ack! Take that hand off! That¡¯s cheating!¡±

    A discontented voice cut off Lecht¡¯s reply and filled the dining hall. When I turned around, I saw an upset Linden entering the dining hall.

    [Linden] ¡°You shouldn¡¯t try to score a goal when the opposing team isn¡¯t there, seriously!¡±

    At the obnoxious voice that accused him of foul play, Lecht clicked his tongue with a tch and murmured under his breath.

    [Lecht] ¡°I wish I could add that to the restricted access list while I¡¯m at it.¡±

    I burst out laughing at the murmur that was more than half sincere.

    How are you going to restrict access to Linden when it¡¯s his property?

    Linden approached us in big strides and pulled me out of Lecht¡¯s arms, placing me by his side as he glared discontentedly at Lecht. Wondering if it would turn into another argument again, I spoke with Linden.

    [Ara] ¡°Where have you been since morning?¡±

    Though the sun was already too high in the sky for me to say it was morning.

    Turning his gaze to me at my question, Linden smiled softly, his eyes crinkling, as if he hadn¡¯t just been growling at Lecht.

    [Linden] ¡°Ara, I was going to give you this when you woke up.¡±

    [Ara] ¡°Wow! So pretty.

    He pulled out a pretty bouquet of tulips from behind him. Lecht clicked his tongue again when I received the colourful bouquet with both hands.

    [Lecht] ¡°You did the same thing as me, so what exactly are you dissatisfied about?¡±

    [Linden] ¡°I at the very least still gave it in front of you.¡±

    [Ara] ¡°Ahh, thank you! Wow, tulips! Wow, so colourful!¡±

    I deliberately admired the colourful bouquet between the two men. Having barely managed to reverse the almost bloodthirsty situation, I looked exaggeratedly around the empty dining hall and asked another question.

    [Ara] ¡°Where did the priests go? They should¡¯ve finished their morning prayers already.¡±

    They didn¡¯t seem to fight if the topic didn¡¯t have anything to do with me. But a sudden incident immediately overshadowed my topic of choice that I had chosen after much consideration.

    The door burst open with a bang as a winged demonic creature appeared.

    [Linden] ¡°What¡¯s happening all of a sudden¡­!¡±

    At the loud sound and appearance of something large, Linden pulled me back and quickly performed barrier magic.

    But the expressions of Lecht and Tanma were somehow peaceful. Even Kelber, who was next to me, was carefreely scratching his ears with his hind feet.

    Seeing their relaxed appearances made me turn my head again to reconfirm it was a demonic creature. It was a gryphon, undoubtedly a demonic creature, with the body of a lion, but the head and wings of an eagle.

    Did a Demon King, a demon, and a demonic creature have no reaction to it since it was a demonic creature? No, even humans are surprised when a brown bear suddenly appears out of nowhere.

    It was then.

    pls do not share this anywhere or u will always stub ur toe when u walk past a door frame !! this translation has been stolen from mioscorner.com, pls only read there i¡¯m begging u :kneels:

    [¡ª] ¡°Your Majesty!!¡±

    [Ara] ¡°Oh.¡±

    At the sonorous voice that rang out, I immediately realised why they were so easygoing. There was only one person I knew who would make such a dramatic appearance with such a powerfully loud voice.

    [Ryno] ¡°Your Majesty! Are you okay?!¡±

    Sure enough, it was Ryno who jumped off the gryphon. The back of my throat tightened as I got a headache due to many different reasons.

    ¡®Where does that idiot think this place is, showing up riding a gryphon¡­!¡¯

    With his horns exposed too!

    [Ryno] ¡°Your Majesty! There¡¯s trouble¡­!¡±

    [Ara] ¡°Hey, you invincible walking disaster!¡±

    Before he could bring anything up, I rushed up to him with an urgent heart and hid his face in my arms.

    [1]  proverb meaning be careful of what you say to other people

 CH 35

    While holding Ryno in my arms, I used my head to gesture at the gryphon to Lecht. That was an indication for him to do something about it.

    But Lecht, however, had a carefree expression on his face, as if he was asking me why I was doing this. On the contrary, he shot a glare at Ryno.

    When I averted my gaze slightly, Tanma, who was next to me, also had a smile on his face, no different from how he usually would.

    No, why are you all so relaxe¡­

    That was when I suddenly remembered what Lecht had told me before.

    [Lecht] ¡°All demonic creatures hide their appearance with illusion magic when they leave the Grand Duchy. It just doesn¡¯t work on you, since you¡¯re the Saintess of the Moon God.¡±

    [Ara] ¡°No way.¡±

    I turned my head and looked at the gryphon. When its eyes met mine, the gryphon approached me cautiously and rubbed its beak against my cheek, its red eyes shining. Perhaps because it was in a good mood as it continued to rub against me even more, its large size gradually shrunk as it did so. When it spread its wings after being chased away from me by Kelber in a fit of temper, it had already shrunk to the average size of an eagle, its wingspan spanning around one metre.

    I heard the sound of Linden muttering as he absorbed the barrier magic he had cast earlier.

    [Linden] ¡°This is the first time I¡¯ve seen a size manipulation spell being cast on an animal. I knew that theoretically, it was possible, but I never did it since it was too dangerous¡­¡±

    At his muttering, I gulped, swallowing dryly before replying back.

    [Ara] ¡°R-Right? That¡¯s just an ordinary animal.¡±

    [Linden] ¡°To think of enlarging an eagle and riding it, how incredible.¡±

    [Ara] ¡°An eagle¡­ haha.¡±

    I see. So it looks like an ordinary eagle to Linden. And he thinks it was enlarged by a spell!

    As I breathed a sigh of relief, I suddenly heard a muffled voice from within my arms.

    [Ryno] ¡°Y-Your Majesty¡­! I love you, and I¡¯m really thrilled to be in your arms as well, Your Majesty, but¡­ I can sense His Majesty¡¯s bloodthirst¡­!¡±

    I turned my head slightly at the words of Ryno, who was grabbing onto my collar while his shoulders trembled. Lecht was indeed looking at Ryno, who was still in my arms, with a ferocious light in his eyes. But I couldn¡¯t just let go of him right away.

    [Ara] ¡°Ryno, your horns¡­! You said you couldn¡¯t humanise yourself.¡±

    The cold temperature around Lecht dropped even lower at my whisper that was so soft it couldn¡¯t be heard by Linden.

    Ryno¡¯s voice trembled as he spoke.

    [Ryno] ¡°I have an illusion spell on me, just like other demonic creatures¡­¡±

    [Ara] ¡°Oh.¡±

    So, unlike the butler Tanma and Lecht, who were able to humanise themselves, illusion magic had been cast over Ryno, just like other demonic creatures. So it meant that his horns were only visible to me, and not anyone else.

    ¡®So that¡¯s why Lecht and Butler Tanma were so relaxed!¡¯

    No wonder they never had the thought to urgently hide Ryno, who had appeared out of the blue with horns¡­! Why did it feel like I had somehow been deceived by myself?

    [Linden] ¡°Ara. That guy¡­ are you guys close?¡±

    Linden¡¯s voice was just as cold as Lecht¡¯s.

    After realising how strange my actions must have looked, I quickly let go of Ryno, whose face was still buried in my chest.

    [Ara] ¡°Oh, ahaha! It¡¯s been so long¡ªit¡¯s so good to see you!¡±

    I slapped Ryno on the shoulder as I laughed exaggeratedly.

    [Ara] ¡°I¡¯ll introduce you guys! This is Ryno. He¡¯s a friend I met while I was at the Grand Duchy! So, he¡¯s a believer of the¡­ our Lunar religion. So he taught me a lot about the things I don¡¯t know. Very competent!¡±

    I introduced him with a moderate mixture of truth and lies.

    [Linden] ¡°You must be a mage.¡±

    Linden stretched his hand out to Ryno after sneaking a glimpse at the gryphon and Kelber, who were scrapping with each other on the ground.

    [Ryno] ¡°I¡¯m not a mage, but I can control the wind!¡±

    [Linden] ¡°¡­?¡±

    Ryno answered valiantly and shook Linden¡¯s hand up and down in the air.

    Linden tilted his head with an expression of ¡®aren¡¯t you a mage if you can use wind magic?¡¯ and whispered quietly under his breath.

    [Linden] ¡°As expected, mages are full of weird quirks.¡±

    A cold voice fell between us just as I was feeling relieved at overcoming the situation.

    [Lecht] ¡°What business did you come here for?¡±

    Ryno¡¯s shoulders shook violently at Lecht¡¯s voice. Feeling the energy around Lecht become even fiercer after he sneakily tried to hide behind me, Ryno leapt up with a ¡®eek¡¯ and went to hide behind Tanma instead.

    But you¡¯re clearly too large to hide behind Tanma¡­

    [Ryno] ¡°The truth is, there¡¯s a problem in the Grand Duchy¡­¡±

    Those words caused Lecht¡¯s fierce energy to flare up even more. In other words, the atmosphere became even more tense.

    [Tanma] ¡°Problem?¡±

    Tanma had on his usual smile as he asked, perhaps because it was related to the Grand Duchy.

    [Ryno] ¡°Pestis has started to spread.¡±

    t/n: latin for disease or plague; has the meaning of the worst disease

    Tanma and Lecht¡¯s faces stiffened. I didn¡¯t know what they were talking about, so I grabbed Lecht to ask him.

    [Ara] ¡°What are you talking about?¡±

    [Lecht] ¡°Do you remember the epidemic that was in the village where we stopped?¡±

    [Ara] ¡°Of course I do.¡±

    It was an incident that revealed that I was the saintess, so there was no way I could forget it.

    [Lecht] ¡°Apparently that disease started in the Grand Duchy.¡±

    I held my breath. What sort of bombshell is this?

    [Ara] ¡°Don¡¯t tell me we were the ones who brought it in? No, but none of us were infected though¡­?¡±

    [Lecht] ¡°No. It¡¯s not that.¡±

    [Ara] ¡°If that¡¯s not the case, then how¡­¡±

    Lecht added softly under his breath.

    [Lecht] ¡°That bastard has crossed the line.¡±

    It was unclear whether that was a reply to me or if he was just talking to himself.

    In any case, I had the thought that I should try and resolve the situation first, even if that meant I had to slow my search for the cause like last time.

    [Ara] ¡°Let¡¯s go back quickly before it gets worse!¡±

    I shouted urgently since I could fix everything once I arrived. But the direction where the broken door was suddenly became noisy.

    pls do not share this anywhere or u will always stub ur toe when u walk past a door frame !! this translation has been stolen from mioscorner.com, pls only read there i¡¯m begging u :kneels:

    [Priest ¡ª] ¡°I told you, I¡¯m not telling the Saintess! What if she collapses again?!¡±

    [Priest ¡ª] ¡°Didn¡¯t even the High Priestess tell you to tell the Saintess? It¡¯s worth it.¡±

    The Priest Trio rushed in whilst arguing just as raucously as always. But the only difference this time was that they were all extremely pale.

    [Ara] ¡°What¡¯s wrong with all of your faces?¡±

    Having just some bad news, I became anxious at the mood of their tussling which seemed even heavier than usual.

    [Priest ¡ª] ¡°Saintessss! Hngg, we¡¯ve got a big problem¡­!¡±

    [Priest ¡ª] ¡°Oh, seriously, I told you we should¡¯ve just figured this out on our own without telling the Saintess!¡±

    One of them began to sob loudly while the other began to vent his temper.

    [Ara] ¡°What¡¯s the matter with you guys? Tell me.¡±

    At my urging, the calmest priest among them spoke. What he said was shocking.

    [Priest ¡ª] ¡°Do you perhaps remember the epidemic in the village where we first met you, Saintess?¡±

    [Ara] ¡°¡­No way.¡±

    [Priest ¡ª] ¡°There has been an outbreak of that epidemic in the capital.¡±

    I started to feel dizzy.

    [Priest ¡ª] ¡°It started a few days ago at the Head of Ezzarson¡¯s funeral and is now spreading at a tremendous rate.¡±

    There was an outbreak of that deadly disease in the Grand Duchy and the capital at the same time? How could the worst situations coincide this much with each other?

    [Linden] ¡°Ara!¡±

    [Tanma] ¡°Miss!¡±

    [Ryno] ¡°Your Majesty!¡±

    [Priests] ¡°Saintess!¡±

    The moment my vision turned white, several people reached out towards me, who stumbled. I reached out to hold onto the arm of whoever got to me first and asked.

    [Ara] ¡°Has anyone informed the central gov¡­ no, the palace? Have you started to quarantine the area?¡±

    When I thought of what happened back then, I was reminded of the incredible transmission rate. We needed to stop it quickly before it spread any further.

    [Ara] ¡°What about the temple? Does Lydia know? Can we send any more priests? No, more importantly, shouldn¡¯t we immediately send more doctors to the capital?¡±

    My thoughts started to jumble out of order.

    [Lecht] ¡°Ara, calm down.¡±

    It was Lecht who was patting my hand and calming me down.

    Looking at it now, it was Lecht¡¯s arm that I was holding onto tightly. As if I was holding onto my lifeline.

    He gently loosened my tense fingers and pulled a russet handkerchief from out of his pocket. He carefully wrapped the handkerchief around my wrist, which I hadn¡¯t thought would abate after turning red from Alion¡¯s grip.

    [Lecht] ¡°Have you calmed down a little?¡±

    [Ara] ¡°Yes¡­ thank you.¡±

    His actions broke the tempo of my complicated thought process. The sand in the murky water seemed to have subsided a bit now.

    I took a deep breath in, alternating my eyes from the tulips still in my hand to the soft handkerchief wrapped around my wrist.

    That¡¯s right, panicking doesn¡¯t help the situation at all. Let¡¯s calm down.

    [Ara] ¡°Have you informed the temple?¡±

    I went through every point thoroughly.

    [Priest ¡ª] ¡°The High Priestess knows. She said she¡¯s coming here right away.¡±

    [Ara] ¡°What about the Imperial Palace?¡±

    [Priest ??¡ª] ¡°I came here right away since I thought I¡¯d be able to tell you right away as His Highness the Prince is here, but¡­¡±

    At the end of the priest¡¯s gaze was Linden, who had a troubled expression on his face. In other words, what they were saying was that they deliberately ran to find Linden first instead of going to the Imperial Palace or going to find Crown Prince Ziken.

    Linden nodded and said.

    [Linden] ¡°I¡¯ll let the Imperial Palace know.¡±

    Then he added, wiping his forehead.

    [Linden] ¡°Although this isn¡¯t something I should be saying in this sort of situation, thank you for coming to find me instead of my older brother.¡±

    [Priest ¡ª] ¡°Don¡¯t mention it.¡±

    They exchanged brief, yet meaningful pleasantries. It was when I was listening to them and wondering what I should sort out next.

    [Priest ¡ª] ¡°Of course I¡¯m not going to that damn bastard who ignored our Saintess!¡±

    [Ryno] ¡°What? How dare that bastard ignore Her Majesty!¡±

    My eyes widened into circles at the priest¡¯s unexpected outburst in such a serious situation, and the goofiness of Ryno, who had such a quick reaction to it.

    [Priest ¡ª] ¡°So a really irritating guy that only has his position actually does exist!¡±

    [Ryno] ¡°He seems like an uncomfortable person to be around, just judging from what I¡¯ve heard! That sort of guy just can¡¯t mind his own business!¡±

    Nevertheless, I burst out into laughter at the appearance of the two men who genuinely started to fume in anger together. The dark and heavy atmosphere was considerably relieved thanks to them.

    [Ara] ¡°Right, let¡¯s put out the nearest fire first. Priest, please guide me to the location.¡±

    I put down the bouquet of tulips on the table first and spoke,

    [Priest ¡ª] ¡°Will you be alright?¡±

    [Ara] ¡°Of course I will. I can¡¯t just pace around anxiously when it¡¯s a disease that I can cure.¡±

    Although the priests looked restless, they still nodded their heads in the end. As we all walked toward the broken door, Linden suddenly added.

    [Linden] ¡°By the way, Mr. Green Eyed Mage.¡±

    [Ara] ¡°Ryno, I think he¡¯s talking to you.¡±

    [Ryno] ¡°What? Me? But I¡¯m not a mage though.¡±

    Although Ryno denied it, Linden, who had already labelled him as ¡®an eccentric mage specialising in wind magic,¡¯ continued to speak.

    [Linden] ¡°Although I¡¯m happy that I met another mage, I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll still have to charge you for breaking the door. Since this timber was quite expensive after all.¡±

    [Ryno] ¡°Heok.¡±

    Ryno turned his head with a look of extreme embarrassment on his face. His gaze was on Lecht and Tanma. However, Lecht brushed past him and said calmly.

    [Lecht] ¡°If you don¡¯t have money, then you¡¯ll have to use your body to pay him back.¡±

    [Ryno] ¡°Heok. But¡­!¡±

    Tanma followed after Lecht and patted him on the shoulder encouragingly. Though his smile seemed to be somewhat cold.

    [Tanma] ¡°Just think of it as the price of Miss¡¯s hug and work hard. Good luck.¡±

    [Kelber] ¡°Woof!¡±

    Behind him following triumphantly was Kelber, who had won the scuffle with the gryphon.

    [Ryno] ¡°Your Majesty¡­¡±

    Ryno gave me a look that asked him to save him as his last resort. Although his body was distracting, the look in his eyes was so forlorn it made me think I was kicking a puppy away and poked at my conscience. Nevertheless, I had no choice but to avoid his gaze.

    [Ara] ¡°¡­Good luck.¡±

    I don¡¯t have any money either¡­

    [Linden] ¡°Then, Mr. Green Eyed Mage. Thank you in advance for cleaning up.¡±

    After only giving him a firm handshake, Linden left the dormitory happily, leaving a devastated Ryno behind.

 CH 36

    By the time we arrived, Saintess Olivia and the Solarism priests were already taking care of the people. They seemed to have come as soon as they heard the news.

    [Ara] ¡°So you¡¯ve come as well, Saintess.¡±

    I approached her, thinking she was just as kind-hearted as I expected, but my path was suddenly blocked by a particularly sharp voice.

    [Solarism Priests] ¡°Don¡¯t come any closer to our Saintess!¡±

    The Solarism priests stood in my path and had hidden Olivia behind them.

    ¡®Oh right. I¡¯d take the top spot for people they want to avoid in Solarism.¡¯

    Although I was a little hurt by their blatant hostility, I still took a step back, thinking that they had enough reason to take such a stance.

    [Ara] ¡°I¡¯m also just here to help people. I¡¯ll keep my distance from the Saintess and go see what the situation is right now.¡±

    I thought that it¡¯d be better for me to work myself to the bone instead of bothering her again, so I tried to turn around. At least that¡¯s what I would¡¯ve done if I hadn¡¯t heard the following words.

    [Solarism Priest] ¡°To think that you had the nerve to show up so shamelessly in front of her again after doing such a heinous thing.¡±

    [Ara] ¡°¡­What did you say?¡±

    I asked the priest whose temper had suddenly flared up, but he didn¡¯t answer me. Instead, the guy next to him clicked his tongue disdainfully and started to slander me.

    [Solarism Priest] ¡°I used to think that your face was as thick as an iron shield, but I didn¡¯t think it¡¯d be to this extent. Aren¡¯t you just here to check how much the epidemic you¡¯ve spread is spreading?¡±

    Although it had just been something that had been muttered amongst themselves, I couldn¡¯t just overlook the meaning behind it.

    [Ara] ¡°I beg your pardon?¡±

    Unexpectedly, it sounded like they were insinuating that I was the one to spread the epidemic.

    [Ara] ¡°The epidemic that I spread? What sort of nonsense are you saying?¡±

    At my sharp voice, the priest snorted and said.

    [Solarism Priest] ¡°Is that not the case?¡±

    I frowned at his voice that was so full of conviction. There were three people that managed to respond faster than me, just as I was about to ask for an explanation of what that nonsense meant.

    [Lunarism Priest] ¡°What did you just say?! Our Saintess what?¡±

    [Lunarism Priest] ¡°That¡¯s the most ridiculous groundless accusation I¡¯ve heard all year.¡±

    But the Solarism priests didn¡¯t back down at the furious voices of the Priest Trio and retorted back.

    [Solarism Priest] ¡°How do you explain this situation then?¡±

    [Solarism Priest] ¡°It started at the location where the Ezzarson Head¡¯s funeral was held. The timing of it was even exactly at the same time of the sending off ceremony in the evening!¡±

    [Solarism Priest] ¡°They all said that they had absorbed the ¡®light¡¯ that woman created as well.¡±

    To sum up everything that they were spewing recklessly, it seemed like the epidemic had started the evening I released my divine power at the sending off ceremony. What¡¯s more was that everyone who showed symptoms had one thing in common with each other, and that was absorbing my divine power that day.

    [Ara] ¡°Everyone, let¡¯s calm down a bit.¡±

    I first broke up the priests who were fighting with each other while growling. Despite the grumbling, the Priest Trio still obeyed what I said.

    [Ara] ¡°I¡¯m quite flustered by the coincidentally overlapping locations and times too, but isn¡¯t it too far fetched for you to claim that the disease began to spread because of my divine power?¡±

    I asked the priests of Solarism. Saintess Olivia, who had also similarly calmed down the priests who had previously been protesting, stepped forward.

    [Olivia] ¡°Even though the people afflicted have attested that the symptoms started to appear after their body absorbed the Princess¡¯s light?¡±

    The look in the eyes of Olivia, who was making eye contact with me, remained completely unperturbed. It was as if she firmly believed that this was set up by me. No matter how much of a female lead she was, there was no way she could just let go of the fact that I could be the root source of the disease.

    [Ara] ¡°Divine power cannot be the source of the disease. I¡¯m sure you¡¯d know that better than anyone else, Saintess.¡±

    Although the divine powers of Solarism and Lunarism were slightly different in nature, they both had healing properties, and didn¡¯t harm people anyway.

    [Ara] ¡°Moreover, my divine power covered the whole district that day.¡±

    Not only did it cover the funeral ceremony, but the entire 500 metre radius surrounding it too. There wouldn¡¯t have been a single person who hadn¡¯t touched my divine power that day.

    [Olivia] ¡°¡­¡±

    [Ara] ¡°Regardless of how bad the relationship Solarism has with Lunarism, I hope you won¡¯t treat your opponent¡¯s divine power as an infectious pathogen.¡±

    My tone was stern, since this part was not only insulting to me, but also the entirety of the Lunar religion.

    Then, the Saintess muttered softly.

    [Olivia] ¡°It might not be divine power though¡­¡±

    Her voice was too loud for it to just be talking to herself. This was further proven when everyone around me flinched in surprise and began to look at me with a suspicious gaze. There were even people backing away from me in fear.

    ¡®What¡­?¡¯

    I couldn¡¯t help but frown. Even if she was going to doubt me, that didn¡¯t seem like something a person who was in the position of a saintess would accidentally say in such a public place. Wouldn¡¯t it be better to openly cast suspicion on me? By saying that, she seemed to want to single me out as the culprit, but not take any responsibility for it.

    [Ara] ¡°What you said just now. What do you mean by that?¡±

    She avoided my eyes when I asked her directly without dropping the issue.

    [Olivia] ¡°¡­I didn¡¯t say anything though?¡±

    She even had an excuse prepared.

    [Ara] ¡°Do you doubt my divine power?¡±

    I held out my palm to manifest my divine power. It transformed into a ball of light and flew toward a person who was waiting for treatment. He was startled momentarily, but thankfully didn¡¯t try to avoid it.

    Thanks to this, my divine power naturally seeped into him and the age spots on his skin soon disappeared from view. Like before, although the open wound remained, the skin disease had been remarkably cured.

    Olivia¡¯s eyes seemed to twitch as I added.

    [Ara] ¡°My ability has been guaranteed by Lydia, the High Priestess of Lunarism. But if the Saintess of Solarism, Miss Olivia, doubts my divine power, it could be considered as the Solar religion objecting the Lunar religion¡¯s words.¡±

    [Olivia] ¡°You¡¯re reading into it too much!¡±

    Olivia said, jumping up at my point that could lead to a fight between the two religions. But my voice was flat.

    [Ara] ¡°There¡¯s just that much weight behind those words.¡±

    It¡¯s not something you can just whisper.

    As if she had been falsely accused, she added with a soft murmur.

    [Olivia] ¡°You¡¯re obviously trying to cover it up with those words because I hit the mark¡­¡±

    The moment I heard that brusque murmur, I felt as if my thought process had suddenly froze.

    Was this the female lead that I knew¡­?

    This was a mean appearance that didn¡¯t seem to match with the bold and honest female lead of the original novel. It felt like a huge discrepancy, and a very bad feeling of foreboding began to rise from my feet.

    Thinking it was just an irrelevant emotion, I shook it off and started to speak.

    [Ara] ¡°Do you really think I started this epidemic? While using, not divine power, but a mysterious, unknown ability in such a populated area? And so what exactly would I gain from that?¡±

    [Olivia] ¡°¡­¡±

    [Ara] ¡°Doesn¡¯t it make more sense for it to have started because an infected person had attended and spread it?¡±

    She neither confirmed nor denied it.

    [Ara] ¡°That¡¯s quite embarrassing. To think that it was you, and not other people, who believed such a ridiculous claim.¡±

    The Saintess, who was so kind and understanding, and understood the situation better than anyone else in the original novel, had such an absurd doubt¡­

    [Ara] ¡°Just how did the rumour start in the first place?¡±

    [Lecht] ¡°I¡¯ll look into it.¡±

    As I muttered while frowning, Lecht, who had been watching me from behind, suddenly spoke up. His expression also seemed to look grave when I turned my head around.

    [Lecht] ¡°It¡¯s a false claim that has slandered your reputation, so whoever started it will have to pay dearly.¡±

    [Ara] ¡°¡­¡±

    Normally, I would¡¯ve stopped Lecht when he said something like this. Since I had said he didn¡¯t need to be so passionate. But I didn¡¯t stop him this time. Unlike anything else, I couldn¡¯t simply brush over the criticism I had received for being the culprit of an epidemic that had hurt people so much.

    [Ara] ¡°Then, can I ask you for a favour? Seeing as you discovered the cause of the disease last time, you should be able to find out naturally this time too.¡±

    [Lecht] ¡°Alright.¡±

    Just as I was trying to thank him, a sharp voice suddenly interrupted me.

    [Olivia] ¡°How do you think it started?! People must have started talking amongst themselves naturally since you¡¯ve got a lot of previous history! Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re going to try and punish everyone when they have the right to doubt?¡±

    I couldn¡¯t respond to Olivia¡¯s words without hesitating. Since there¡¯s a history of this body trying to harm her.

    Lecht spoke first when I was thinking over it for a moment while sweeping back my hair from my throbbing head.

    [Lecht] ¡°Once we investigate, we¡¯ll know whether the rumour had started naturally in conversations and spread, or whether it was spread by one person with malicious intentions.¡±

    His eyes were fixed on Olivia. I seemed to have glimpsed a great amount of deep fury in his eyes.

    At the appearance of Olivia flinching and clasping her two hands together, I decided to add.

    [Ara] ¡°Please don¡¯t say anything recklessly until it turns out to be true and backed with solid evidence. Since the words of someone who is in the position of saintess like yourself will reach more people than others.¡±

    The weight in the words of groundless rumours spread from other people and what came out of the Saintess¡¯s mouth was different.

    After that, I nodded to her in greeting and moved on.

    [Ara] ¡°Let¡¯s hurry up and get things sorted first.¡±

    The Priest Trio and those who had been waiting for me followed after me.

    [Ara] ¡°Priests, please come and provide healing with me.¡±

    [Priest Trio] ¡°Yes!¡±

    [Ara] ¡°Linden, can you regulate the area like last time?¡±

    [Linden] ¡°That much should be easy.¡±

    [Ara] ¡°Lecht, please do what I mentioned earlier.¡±

    [Lecht] ¡°Alright.¡±

    Since it was something we had already experienced once, we were able to coordinate our actions easily.

    Before everyone else started their tasks, Lecht whispered to me softly.

    [Lecht] ¡°Don¡¯t overdo it.¡±

    I laughed at his words, recalling the time when he had called all kinds of healing mages and doctors when I had just been fatigued.

    [Ara] ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Are you underestimating me again?¡±

    As I spoke while playfully jutting out my lip, Lecht smiled faintly and whispered softly.

    [Lecht] ¡°No way. I believe in you more than anyone else. But I¡¯m still worried.¡±

    Tanma, who was standing next to him, added a few words too.

    [Tanma] ¡°His Excellency would still be worried, even if Miss was a god.¡±

    Although what he said was a bit troublesome, I laughed since his meaning was accurately conveyed.

    [Ara] ¡°You be careful as well, Lecht. If you have any symptoms, just come and look for me right away. Don¡¯t say you hate seeing me tired out or you don¡¯t want to infect me and make excuses for not coming. I¡¯ll seriously scold you if you do.¡±

    Lecht¡¯s smile deepend when I showed him my clenched fist as I spoke.

    [Lecht] ¡°Okay.¡±

    He turned around first with a smile. He seemed like someone who had already decided where he was going to start the investigation I had requested him to do.

    I rolled up my sleeves as well as I watched him leave with Tanma.

    [Ara] ¡°Come on, Kelber. Just stay by my side, okay? We¡¯ll be busy from now on!¡±

    I rushed over to where the sick people were gathered.

    * * *

    pls do not share this anywhere or u will always stub ur toe when u walk past a door frame !! this translation has been stolen from mioscorner.com, pls only read there i¡¯m begging u :kneels:

    Unlike giving blessings, healing took a lot longer since it had to be done one by one.

    When Linden had said that it had spread more rapidly than expected, I thought we¡¯d have to stay up and run around for about a week, so we all shouted ¡®let¡¯s do this!¡¯ together. But contrary to my resolve, I didn¡¯t heal people for very long.

    It was because someone had shown up and interrupted, not even 30 minutes into healing.

    [Ziken] ¡°Just what sort of strange situation is going on here?¡±

    [Linden] ¡°¡­You¡¯ve come, Brother.¡±

    [Ara] ¡°Greetings, Your Highness.¡±

    Ziken, whose ego seemed to be needlessly inflated, seemed to be overflowing with displeasure. I thought he was annoyed at the fact that such a thing had occurred in the capital, so I opened my mouth in order to calm him down.

    [Ara] ¡°You shouldn¡¯t worry too much. We¡¯ve started to restrict the outbreak regions, and once we finish healing¡­¡±

    But as if he had started to develop it as a habit, he once again interrupted me and started to get angry.

    [Ziken] ¡°Did you restrict the area without any orders or permission from the imperial palace? You sure do have a lot of nerve!¡±

    The crux of why he was displeased clearly lay in a very different place.

    [Ziken] ¡°Can I interpret this as a challenge to the imperial family¡¯s authority?¡±

    It must have been a deliberate move since he even dropped the formalities in front of everyone and exposed his true self that he had been hiding.

 CH 37

    Ziken¡¯s arrogant smile that was directed toward me somewhat reminded me of a hunter¡¯s satisfied smile upon capturing his prey. I let out a snort in disbelief at his absurdity and opened my mouth while trying to hold back my laughter.

    [Ara] ¡°It¡¯s imperative to take action quickly in an epidemic like this. We had to start implementing restrictions and quarantining quickly to prevent endangering other areas from being infected.¡±

    [Ziken] ¡°Even if that was the case, that still doesn¡¯t mean you have the right to take control of the area without permission.¡±

    So you just want me to dazedly watch on until I get your permission while the epidemic spreads all over the place?

    [Ziken] ¡°And, who sets the criteria for a ¡®dangerous¡¯ situation? Then haven¡¯t you now created a justification for anyone in the empire to seize authority if they, like you, can exercise authority that hasn¡¯t been delegated to them by simply determining a situation as ¡®dangerous¡¯?¡±

    He spat it out when I didn¡¯t reply to him, as if he wanted now was the right time to say it.

    Although his words were a bit far-fetched, they were still true in some ways. If anyone could do this just by saying it was ¡®dangerous¡¯ as an excuse, then the line that signified overstepping into the Imperial Palace¡¯s territory would become more and more unclear. Some people would even say that there was a problem with the fairness of it all.

    ¡®But this isn¡¯t a democratically governed country¡­ so now only the Crown Prince is able to make that judgement, but¡­?¡¯

    But it was clear to everyone that the situation now was a grave one.

    As I was thinking of something that I couldn¡¯t bring to actually say, Linden suddenly interrupted me.

    [Linden] ¡°I did it. If anyone has to take responsibility, it¡¯s me.¡±

    Linden gave me a slight smile when I turned my head in shock.

    Although Linden was the one who was restricting the areas, I was the one who started it. So it was only right for me to be the one who took responsibility for it. I began to start feeling apologetic first since Linden had only come forward to protect me to prevent my fight with Ziken from escalating any further.

    You didn¡¯t have to cover it up like this though¡­

    In any case, Ziken, who claimed that it was a challenge to the imperial family¡¯s authority should have nothing to say since Linden, who was part of the imperial family, had started it. But contrary to my expectations, Ziken crossed his arms and shot back at Linden.

    [Ziken] ¡°And you got permission from Father?¡±

    There was a hidden meaning in his words that came suddenly.

    [Ziken] ¡°What right do you have to take responsibility for assuming such control in the capital when you don¡¯t even have permission to do so?¡±

    [Linden] ¡°¡­¡±

    It was a threat that was synonymous to him saying, ¡®How dare you, who hasn¡¯t even been acknowledged by Father yet, mess with me on my turf?¡¯. His meaning was that if Linden was responsible for this situation, he would consider it as a challenge to his own authority as the crown prince.

    [Ziken] ¡°Tell me. Who was the one in charge of everything?¡±

    Ziken, who was reaching to try and fit our situation into his agenda, left us in a dilemma. Whether I was trying to challenge the imperial authority, or whether Linden was openly acknowledging his challenge against the Crown Prince.

    [Ziken] ¡°Between the two of you, who is it?¡±

    Ziken laughed arrogantly, if he was happy that he could trap us both at the same time.

    Then.

    pls do not share this anywhere or u will always stub ur toe when u walk past a door frame !! this translation has been stolen from mioscorner.com, pls only read there i¡¯m begging u :kneels:

    [Lecht] ¡°Neither of them are.¡±

    A deep voice split the heavy atmosphere between us. Lecht, who had stepped out, was walking over in our direction.

    [Ziken] ¡°G-Grand Duke? How can you be here¡­¡±

    The embarrassment on Ziken¡¯s face was apparent, perhaps because he had deliberately chosen to come at a time when Lecht wouldn¡¯t be here.

    [Lecht] ¡°I¡¯m the one who¡¯s in charge of this place. So, do you have anything to say to me?¡±

    [Ziken] ¡°N-No sir.¡±

    [Lecht] ¡°I heard it was some sort of challenge to authority or something.¡±

    [Ziken] ¡°No way. I¡¯ve never said that. Haha¡­¡±

    Lecht stared at Ziken¡¯s awkwardly smiling face and shot another attack at him.

    [Lecht] ¡°Crown Prince, do you think I¡¯m a joke?¡±

    [Ziken] ¡°Pardon¡­?¡±

    [Lecht] ¡°Seeing as you so obviously lied to me and pretended that you hadn¡¯t said what you just said earlier.¡±

    I almost laughed at Lecht¡¯s rather mischievous appearance. Seeing Lecht tormenting Ziken who tried to feign innocence despite him already hearing everything gave me both a sense of satisfaction and schadenfreude.

    The gaze of flustered Ziken wavered for a moment. But instead of acknowledging his mistake or apologising, he did the opposite and got angry instead.

    [Ziken] ¡°But aren¡¯t you also lying as well, Grand Duke?¡±

    [Lecht] ¡°Me?¡±

    [Ziken] ¡°There¡¯s no way the Grand Duke could be in charge of everything here.¡±

    [Lecht] ¡°If not me, then who else can top my position?¡±

    Lecht¡¯s blatant choice of words left Ziken choking on his own words.

    [Lecht] ¡°I don¡¯t particularly like it when someone gives orders to me.¡±

    [Ziken] ¡°B-But it was Linden¡¯s messenger who contacted me¡­¡±

    [Lecht] ¡°Doing small errands like that doesn¡¯t suit a person like me.¡±

    Although it was extremely arrogant of him to say that even a little errand boy of his was more important than Linden¡¯s messenger, Ziken had to put up with it since it was Grand Duke Arvis who was doing it. Seeing as there was no reply, Lecht continued.

    [Lecht] ¡°Does who contacted you really matter to you that much? What matters is that you¡¯ve already been contacted.¡±

    [Ziken] ¡°That¡­¡±

    [Lecht] ¡°And what¡¯s important right now is for us to gauge the severity of the situation, not find out who¡¯s in charge.¡±

    [Ziken] ¡°¡­¡±

    [Lecht] ¡°The Crown Prince seems to lack the ability to judge the gravity of things. That¡¯s an extremely important quality to have as an emperor.¡±

    Ziken¡¯s face gradually turned red at the words Lecht uttered lightly.

    [Ziken] ¡°N-No sir. I think my viewpoint on the incident is very different from that of the Grand Duke. So that¡¯s why my opinion is just a bit differe¡­¡±

    Looking at Ziken, who was trying to package it as if he wasn¡¯t completely incompetent, Lecht nodded slightly as if he agreed and said.

    [Lecht] ¡°So you took it as a challenge to your authority as the crown prince when I determined that it was dangerous and started to sort things out.¡±

    [Ziken] ¡°N-No, that¡¯s¡­!¡±

    [Lecht] ¡°I will try to respect your opinion, even if we have opposing ones.¡±

    Lecht¡¯s expression was cold, unlike his words, which were quite amicable.

    [Lecht] ¡°If dealing with an emergency is treason by your standards, then alright. I¡¯m committing treason.¡±

    Ziken¡¯s face turned so pale it was almost pitiful. The people around us also started to whisper amongst themselves and take a step back at the word ¡®treason¡¯.

    [Ziken] ¡°G-Grand Duke, what sort of alarming words are you saying right now?!¡±

    [Lecht] ¡°I¡¯m just speaking from your standards.¡±

    A black energy began to rise up in wisps from the bottom of his feet as Lecht spoke solemnly, lifting his chin slightly at the same time.

    [Lecht] ¡°If I¡¯m committing treason anyway, then¡­¡±

    Lecht unsheathed his sword that was hanging from his waist with a schwing!

    [Lecht] ¡°The act of eliminating the crown prince is also in line with what I want to do.¡±

    The sharp blade of the sword was pointed at Ziken. His voice was calm, but the atmosphere that erupted from it was fierce.

    [Ziken] ¡°G-Grand Duke!! What are you doing?!¡±

    [¡ª] ¡°Everyone, protect His Highness!¡±

    The knights all quickly pulled out their swords in a hurry. It quickly turned into a confrontation. The people dispersed in the serious atmosphere. Though there were also some who stayed to watch the fight.

    [Ziken] ¡°Grand Duke, what the hell are you doing?¡±

    [Lecht] ¡°I¡¯m holding you accountable for what you said.¡±

    The one who brought up nonsense like a challenge to authority first was also Ziken. The one who pressured us by asking us who was in charge and tried to use it to control us was also Ziken. With everything being what Ziken had said, Lecht was only responding to them. But of course, Lecht was the only one who could say, ¡®You must be saying I¡¯m committing treason¡¯, as if it were natural based on his statements as a standard.

    [Tanma] ¡°We¡¯re going to war? Then I¡¯ll go and make preparations for it.¡±

    And the only one who could respond to that statement so casually was the butler, Tanma.

    [Ziken] ¡°Grand Duke!!¡±

    I let out a snort at the sight of Ziken yelling with a face that was completely pale with fright. Seeing him still raising his voice without a word of his thoughtlessness in this situation was still unpleasant for me to see.

    ¡®Was he taught to never lower his head to anyone since he was the crown prince?¡¯

    He was someone who I would never get along with. I liked people who could admit that they were wrong, no matter how powerful they were.

    [Ara] ¡°Lecht, calm down.¡±

    Thinking that there¡¯d really be a war between the Grand Duchy and the Imperial Family at this rate, I grabbed Lecht¡¯s wrist tightly.

    [Lecht] ¡°You want me to listen to what he said about you and just do nothing about it?¡±

    At Lecht¡¯s words, which seemed to express his deep displeasure toward him, I whispered softly to him.

    [Ara] ¡°No, but we should finish dealing with the epidemic first.¡±

    I also hated Ziken, who would always lash out at me. But I also knew what would happen to the Empire if Lecht set his mind on attacking them. I wanted Ziken to receive a good scolding, but that didn¡¯t mean I wanted the Empire to be destroyed.

    Lecht obediently lowered his sword at my touch. However, the tension among the knights surrounding Ziken didn¡¯t dissipate easily.

    [Ara] ¡°Your Highness.¡±

    I called out to Ziken. He was looking at me and Lecht with a very shocked expression on his face.

    [Ara] ¡°The current situation is a threat to the Empire¡¯s most precious asset, its citizens.¡±

    The people of the Empire were the reason for the Empire¡¯s existence. Whether it be an empire, a kingdom, or a republic, a nation couldn¡¯t exist without its people. His frown deepened, perhaps because my words were completely out of the blue. I ignored him and continued on.

    [Ara] ¡°This disease spreads at an extremely rapid rate. If by some possibility, we can¡¯t contain it, then it will spread through the entire capital and the death toll will continually rise. So we did everything we could to stop it.¡±

    [Ziken] ¡°¡­¡±

    [Ara] ¡°But let alone say that we¡¯ve worked hard to protect the Empire¡¯s citizens, Your Highness has come to the conclusion that we¡¯re challenging your authority.¡±

    The eyes of the people around us that gathered to watch the fight turned to Ziken. Their gazes were extremely scathing. There was no way Ziken couldn¡¯t feel their gaze if I could feel it too. I could tell by the tendon protruding from his jawline that he had clenched his teeth tightly.

    [Ara] ¡°In order to maintain a monopoly over authority, you¡¯ve ignored the health and safety of the people of the Empire¡­ Don¡¯t tell me that¡¯s the standard by which Your Highness normally uses to think of the Empire¡¯s citizens?¡±

    [Ziken] ¡°Stop spouting nonsense!¡±

    He raised his voice again when he was backed into a corner. It was an obvious pattern, so it was of no surprise to me now.

    [Ara] ¡°Then if that isn¡¯t the case, please call back your knights and let us continue our work.¡±

    Ziken bit his lip at my request. He finally came to a conclusion after a long bout of silence.

    [Ziken] ¡°All of you, put away your swords now.¡±

    He returned as an epic failure and suffered an irreversible blow despite being determined to attack Linden and I. He seemed to think that he¡¯d only lose his image and have nothing to gain if he insisted anymore here. Moreover, the fact that he¡¯d really have to consider going to war with Grand Duke Arvis seemed to influence him greatly as well.

    [Ziken] ¡°Put it away! Why aren¡¯t you quickly putting them away?!¡±

    His temper was suddenly directed toward the innocent knights. Ziken looked at me as the knights hurriedly fell back behind him.

    [Ziken] ¡°You just wait and see. I¡¯ll make you regret that.¡±

    ¡­What the hell, what¡¯s with this stereotypical eighth grade syndrome1 threat that¡¯s all for show?

    Soft fur brushed against the back of my hand just as I was thinking, ¡®What the hell is with this pathetic bastard?¡¯. Kelber stood in front of me with his body puffed up, staring at him ferociously with his red eyes as he bared his teeth.

    [Kelber] ¡°Grrrr¡­¡±

    [Tanma] ¡°Ahem.¡±

    Butler Tanma also coughed behind me. I could imagine the butler¡¯s cough without even turning to look back just from hearing that unnecessary cough.

    Then, I felt Lecht¡¯s touch at my temple, then his hand gently swept over my hair. He wrapped his arm around my shoulder along the way and pulled me strongly toward him.

    [Lecht] ¡°You speak quite boldly in front of her escort.¡±

    When I lifted my head up, Lecht was already staring at Ziken with an expression that seemed as if he were about to tear him apart.

    [Ziken] ¡°E-Escort¡­?! The Grand Duke, to the Princess¡­?¡±

    Lecht continued to add, ignoring Ziken¡¯s flustered voice.

    [Lecht] ¡°I guess I should give a response if I¡¯ve been challenged.¡±

    Bang!

    Lecht stabbed the sword he was holding into the ground with a bang! It was to the point where I was under the illusion that the ground shook for a moment.

    [Lecht] ¡°To touch her is to touch me. So you¡¯d beeter come thoroughly prepared.¡±

    [¡ª] ¡°!!!¡±

    The only ones who weren¡¯t astonished at those words in this place were Lecht and Tanma.

    And I had a headache.

    ¡®After I just managed to avoid the destruction ending¡­!¡¯

    That moronic Crown Prince ruined everything.

    [1] Korean people use this word to satirise a person who has an overly unrealistic and emotional imaginations on a regular basis like a stereotypical 8th grader. For example, people with ?2? may think they are the main character of a TV show and act dramatically all the time. Likewise, ?2? ?? (literally ?2? patients) may think they are so special that they do not have to listen to any person or follow any rule. In Korea, ¡°?2?¡± can be used to describe a person of any age, as long as the person shows these qualities. However, it is most often used to describe teenagers in middle school age. (https://www.facebook.com/koreanwithhos/posts/1719706291627027/)

 CH 38

    I asked Lecht cautiously after sending back the ghostly pale Ziken.

    [Ara] ¡°Lecht, you weren¡¯t actually being serious¡­ right?¡±

    [Lecht] ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    [Ara] ¡°About accepting the challenge.¡±

    Although I tried to quell my anxieties, my efforts were futile in the end due to Lecht¡¯s reply.

    [Lecht] ¡°Of course it¡¯ll be a war if he touches you.¡±

    [Ara] ¡°No¡­!¡±

    I stopped him in a hurry. The only one who could stop this man, whose everything started and ended with me, was me.

    [Ara] ¡°That foolish Crown Prince was obviously just saying that to show off his ego. So how could you just take it as a challenge¡­!¡±

    [Lecht] ¡°¡­¡±

    [Ara] ¡°The empire will be destroyed if you truly raise your sword against it, Lecht!¡±

    Lecht didn¡¯t open his mouth, even at my scolding. Just as I was contemplating how to overcome this troublesome situation, I suddenly heard the sound of Lecht trying to stifle his laughter.

    [Ara] ¡°Why are you laughing?¡±

    [Lecht] ¡°I just didn¡¯t expect for you to have that much faith in me.¡±

    Seemingly in a good mood, Lecht looked at me like I was adorable.

    [Ara] ¡°No, it¡¯s not a matter of having faith in you, rather, it¡¯s just a fact.¡±

    I saw it in the original novel. Of you completely obliterating this place.

    [Lecht] ¡°But it isn¡¯t to the point you¡¯d believe that it¡¯s a ¡®fact¡¯ without a single flicker of doubt.¡±

    Although I could be sure of it since I had really seen such a scene in the original novel, Lecht seemed to look at it differently.

    [Ara] ¡°No, I mean¡­¡±

    He spoke up just as I was about to protest that that wasn¡¯t what I meant.

    [Lecht] ¡°There is no fixed outcome to any war. A moment of carelessness can result in a backstabbing, and a small mistake can wipe out an entire army.¡±

    [Ara] ¡°¡­¡±

    [Lecht] ¡°Even I have never been 100 percent certain that I would win. But you¡¯re already even more sure of it than I am. To the point where you can firmly say that it¡¯s a ¡®fact¡¯.¡±

    What he said was right. The war I had witnessed in the original novel was a war that began due to the withering of the rose, where Lecht was completely beside himself and not in his right mind. It was clear that if a war broke out this time, both the quality and the circumstances would differ from that war since the reason for this war would be due to Ziken¡¯s provocation.

    [Ara] ¡°But¡­ no matter how I look at it, I don¡¯t think Lecht would lose though¡­¡±

    But aside from that, I still thought it¡¯d be Lecht¡¯s victory by a landslide anyway. He¡¯s the Demon King¡­ Demons were fundamentally more durable and stronger than humans. And they would use demonic creatures too. No matter how you look at it, it¡¯d be Lecht¡¯s victory for sure.

    As I murmured softly while scratching my cheek in embarrassment, Lecht reached both hands out to my face. He cupped my face with both hands and bowed his head slightly. With his forehead now touching mine. The warmth from his body lingered around me.

    [Lecht] ¡°I know you hate when I talk about the past. But in my eyes, in both the past and the present, you were and still are¡­¡±

    [Ara] ¡°¡­¡±

    [Lecht] ¡°You see through my true feelings even when I find myself doubting them, and flood me with your baseless trust and faith.¡±

    His slightly muffled voice was affectionate. The feeling of his thumbs stroking both of my cheeks was earnest, as if he couldn¡¯t hold it in any longer.

    Although I found myself once again comparing myself to the me 100 years ago, the sentiment sweeping through my heart was different. In the past, whenever he told me about myself 100 years ago, I¡¯d only feel burdened, and honestly, a little jealous too.

    But I didn¡¯t feel that sort of burden anymore. There was only a gentle breeze in my heart now. It tickled, so I lowered my gaze and started fidgeting with my fingers for no reason.

    This wasn¡¯t what I meant to say¡­ What was I going to say again¡­

    The words I was going to say disappeared from my mind, with only butterflies filling my stomach. The skin that was touched by his hands seemed to be extra sensitive as my heart started to beat faster and faster.

    [Tanma[ ¡°Ahem.¡±

    It was the butler¡¯s needless cough that brought my mind, which had been absorbed in a world where only the two of us existed, back to reality.

    [Tanma] ¡°I wouldn¡¯t interrupt the two of you if I didn¡¯t need to, but I will dare to interfere since the situation right now is quite particular. We still have a lot of work left to do.¡±

    The place where he jerked his head towards was filled with people who were looking at us with shining eyes. They weren¡¯t the gazes of those who were waiting for a doctor, but resembled those who were watching a sweet play instead.

    Realising that we were doing such a thing in public, I stepped away from Lecht.

    [Ara] ¡°Then, shall we finish our work?¡±

    Turning my body stiffly since I couldn¡¯t bring myself to look back at Lecht due to my sheer embarrassment of it all, I spotted a dash of pink at the end of my field of vision.

    [Ara] ¡°Oh.¡±

    Already far away from me, Linden was walking away. That pink hair gradually disappeared around the corner at the end of the road.

    My heart, which had only been feeling ticklish, suddenly started to tingle slightly. It felt as if I had just applied an extremely potent salve on it. I felt like I seemed to know what this uncomfortable feeling was.

    Kelber dug into my hand as I continued to stare vacantly at the place where he had disappeared.

    [Kelber] ¡°Hing?¡±

    He tugged slightly at my sleeve with his teeth, as if he was saying, ¡®Let¡¯s go and heal them, quickly¡¯.

    [Ara] ¡°Mmhm, we should get to work.¡±

    I turned on the heel of my foot with a heavy heart.

    * * *

    pls do not share this anywhere or u will always stub ur toe when u walk past a door frame !! this translation has been stolen from mioscorner.com, pls only read there i¡¯m begging u :kneels:

    I poured my energy into healing the influx of sick people. Lecht led the people adeptly whereas I had no idea where Tanma had gone.

    It was around sunset when the Priest Trio appeared, causing a commotion in the peaceful clinic as they arrived.

    [Priest Trio] ¡°Saintess! There¡¯s a big problem!¡±

    Every one of them was saying the exact same thing, unlike how they usually always quarrelled.

    [Priest Trio] ¡°You must leave right now!¡±

    There was an urgency in their voices as they ran towards me, trying to avoid the crowd of sick people. Surprised, I briefly asked the people I was dealing with for their understanding and went to greet them. Beads of sweat were dripping down the foreheads of all three of them.

    [Ara] ¡°What on earth has happened for all of you to run here with your faces so ghostly pale?¡±

    [Lunarism Priest] ¡°You should escape right now!¡±

    [Ara] ¡°Why?¡±

    [Lunarism Priest] ¡°The Crown Prince, that man has finally burst into action.¡±

    I frowned. Not much time had even passed before I had to hear Ziken¡¯s name again. Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re really going to go to war?

    [Ara] ¡°What did that person do? Take your time to explain¡­¡±

    Before I could even finish asking them to explain the situation, the sound of clanking armour drew nearer, and the door that the Priest Trio had just come through swung open once again.

    [Ziken] ¡°There you are.¡±

    With a triumphant expression on his face, Ziken strode in with a group of knights. Olivia was also by his side.

    [Kelber] ¡°Grrrr¡­¡±

    The Priest Trio blocked his way and stood in front of me while Kelber was by my side guarding me. Lecht, who had been on the opposite side of the room, was now standing next to me before I knew it.

    Ziken pushed the sick people who were blocking the way in front of him to the side and scoffed jeeringly as soon as he saw me.

    [Ziken] ¡°Drag that woman out.¡±

    The knights stepped forward at his command. Flinching in shock, I stepped back and bumped into Lecht, who was standing next to me.

    Without another word, he wrapped his arm firmly around my shoulders and pulled out his sword. Kelber also raised his hackles and enlarged his size while the Priest Trio didn¡¯t budge an inch from where they were standing, as if they were about to have a fistfight with them at any moment now.

    [Lecht] ¡°Are you going to go down this path after all?¡±

    I swallowed dryly at Lecht¡¯s words.

    Ziken, are you really choosing to go to war?

    [Ziken] ¡°Please step back if you don¡¯t wish to be an accomplice, Grand Duke.¡±

    [Ara] ¡°Accomplice¡­?¡±

    Ziken pulled out a small bottle at my question.

    [Ara] ¡°What is that?¡±

    [Ziken] ¡°The cause of this epidemic.¡±

    I furrowed my eyebrows.

    If that¡¯s the cause of this epidemic¡­ does that mean that that¡¯s what caused the disease?

    His next words were even more absurd.

    [Ziken] ¡°This came out of your bag.¡±

    [Ara] ¡°What sort of nonsense¡­¡±

    It was my first time seeing the glass bottle, which still had a few drops of its blue contents.

    [Ara] ¡°This is my first time this.¡±

    [Ziken] ¡°You¡¯re even feigning innocence right now. It came out of your bag.¡±

    [Ara] ¡°It¡¯s an object I¡¯m not aware of. More importantly¡­ don¡¯t tell me you searched my room? Without even a warrant or any notice at all?

    Even if you¡¯re the crown prince, can you even rummage through other people¡¯s rooms too?

    [Ziken] ¡°It was standard procedure to conduct an investigation due to the rumours of you spreading this plague.¡±

    [Ara] ¡°Do you think it even makes sense to conduct an investigation based solely on rumours?¡±

    [Ziken] ¡°There is no smoke without a fire1.¡±

    [Ara] ¡°You should notify the other party if you were thinking of conducting an investigation. This feels more like a secret background check in order to nitpick and find a fault to incriminate with more than an actual investigation.¡±

    [Ziken] ¡°Well, it turned out to be a wise thing to do in the end, didn¡¯t it?¡±

    I let out a sigh automatically. What he had determined about this serious situation as a result made me feel like shit, and above all, his final conclusion was wrong as well.

    [Ara] ¡°That isn¡¯t mine.¡±

    [Ziken] ¡°It came out of your bag so stop pretending.¡±

    [Ara] ¡°How am I meant to know if it actually came out of my bag, or if Your Highness just showed up holding it and insisted it came out of my bag?¡±

    [Ziken] ¡°Are you even accusing me of lying right now?! Me, the Crown Prince?!¡±

    [Ara] ¡°Then you¡¯re saying that I¡¯ve done something so extensively damaging to the people? Me, the Saintess?¡±

    Ziken frowned when I returned what he had said to me, tit for tat.

    [Ara] ¡°Besides, if I really did that, then why would I have to struggle so hard to heal all these people one by one?¡±

    [Ziken] ¡°You¡¯re dissatisfied with the fact that Livi is the Saintess of the Sun God and has everyone¡¯s love all to herself, so you¡¯ve staged your own self-fabricated scenario to expand your influence.¡±

    Even though I¡¯ve always thought so, I was always shocked at how imaginative this guy is with his narrow-minded thinking.

    [Ara] ¡°And also. Isn¡¯t it strange for me to use a bottle that contains a liquid that is apparently the cause of the disease and put said empty bottle back in my bag? Isn¡¯t that pretty much admitting to being the culprit? So why would I do such a stupid thing?¡±

    [Ziken] ¡°¡­¡±

    Even if I really did that, that¡¯s way too sloppy. It makes more sense for me to dispose of the bottle to where it can¡¯t be found after I use it. Whether it¡¯s shattered or buried in acid; even throwing it in the trash makes more sense, but you¡¯re saying that I just kept it in my bag?

    [Ara] ¡°Obviously someone is trying to frame me.¡±

    It was also very pathetic seeing Ziken run to try and arrest me after thinking that he had found the reason for the disease without my detection. I was very worried about the future of the empire, and wondered whether such a pathetic guy could really become the next emperor of this empire.

    Ziken¡¯s face turned red, perhaps because of the thought that he had been caught in someone else¡¯s conspiracy and been deceived by their scheming.

    [Ziken] ¡°I didn¡¯t know that your tongue could be so poisonous and sway someone, even when you¡¯ve already been caught doing something!¡±

    I shook my head at him, who always just kept raising his voice.

    [Ara] ¡°You¡¯ll find out if my tongue is poisonous or if I¡¯m just telling the truth after you conduct an actual investigation.¡±

    [Ziken] ¡°¡­¡±

    [Ara] ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you didn¡¯t even think to do a proper investigation? You scoured my entire room over some baseless rumours for nothing and you¡¯re just going to accept this inconsistent situation?¡±

    Ziken was speechless when I shot back at him. As he stuttered and floundered for an answer, Olivia, who was beside him, interrupted him.

    [Olivia] ¡°It¡¯s because you¡¯ve committed something this openly before in the past.¡±

    [Ara] ¡°¡­?¡±

    [Olivia] ¡°After you said that you¡¯d give me tea in front of everyone, you actually sent me the tea you talked about.¡±

    She was talking about her own birthday, where all the nobles who wanted to get in line with the Crown Prince sent Olivia a bunch of expensive gifts. The original novel¡¯s Meliara had expressed her jealousy of Olivia by offering to send her tea. It was a statement that belittled her, meaning that, ¡®You¡¯re only worth a cup of tea¡¯. And she had actually sent the tea as well.

    [Olivia] ¡°And there was also poison in that tea.¡±

    Her words left me speechless. Now that I was thinking about that incident, it was also extremely similar due to its overlapping points of extremely shamelessly announcing ¡®I¡¯m the culprit¡¯. It meant that since there was a precedent, then it was reasonable to think that I would have done so.

    [Ara] ¡°Saintess, that¡¯s¡­¡±

    That situation was different to the current one since it was me, but also not me at the same time. But how was I supposed to explain that?

    Ziken decided that now was the time for him to add something as I lagged behind a bit.

    [Ziken] ¡°To think that you shamelessly chose to send chamomile tea since you knew that Livi enjoys drinking chamomile tea before bed every evening¡­!¡±

    He clicked his tongue, saying that it was extremely wicked of me to do so. Although his words were aggressive, I felt a sense of oddity to them.

    [Ara] ¡°Wait. Chamomile?¡±

    I quietly repeated the question in a slightly foolish voice.

    [Ziken] ¡°That¡¯s right. I was suspicious of why you sent it on purpose, but the gentle Livi¡­!¡±

    He kept chiselling away at me with his highly temperamental voice. But I was no longer listening to him.

    I didn¡¯t have any memories from when that incident happened. But one thing was for sure.

    <Meliara chose to send chamomile tea among the various teas. It was one of Olivia¡¯s least favourite teas.>

    Meliara hadn¡¯t given Olivia chamomile tea, but peppermint tea instead.

    A cold sensation starting from my feet started to wrap itself around me.

    [1] rumours and gossip have some truth to them

 CH 39

    Meliara had given her peppermint tea. Olivia collapsed after drinking chamomile tea. But the one who tried to poison Olivia was Meliara?

    What sort of planting a green bean only for it to yield a red bean1 nonsense is this? Feeling dubious, I asked one more time for confirmation.

    [Ara] ¡°You¡¯re saying you collapsed after drinking the chamomile tea I gave you?¡±

    Ziken temper flared at my question.

    [Ziken] ¡°What exactly are you playing at now, Princess!? To even poke at other people¡¯s trauma like that¡­!¡±

    He hurriedly jumped to Olivia¡¯s defence. Olivia fisted her temple robes with her small hands as her slender shoulders trembled violently. Although I felt a bit apologetic at her pitiful appearance, this was something that I needed to confirm.

    [Olivia] ¡°You even announced that you were going to send chamomile tea in front of everyone¡­¡±

    Olivia said, her voice full of terror.

    [Olivia] ¡°You said that you¡¯d know that I was rejecting your goodwill if I didn¡¯t drink it, so I¡­ hic¡­¡±

    Hearing her say that she was forced to drink it under my coercion and threats, I felt dizzy, swiping a hand across my forehead.

    Although the original story had already changed drastically, this was part of a future that hadn¡¯t happened yet. All the events before I came here were exactly the same as the original novel¡¯s. I didn¡¯t just trust the original novel blindly.

    But there hasn¡¯t been anything wrong with what happened in the past so far. So if that was the case, then how was I meant to accept these two inconsistent facts?

    ¡®Who made the switch in the middle¡­?¡¯

    If that was the case, then this was a serious situation. Although I had now left the Duke household, I was still a princess at that time, so it could be interpreted as an attempt to incite discord between the Darchez Duchy and the temple. Furthermore, even the Crown Prince, Princess, and the Saintess had all been deceived by it.

    ¡®However¡­¡¯

    I had a strong gut feeling that this wasn¡¯t done by a third party at all.

    I fixed my eyes onto Olivia.

    Contrary to her trembling shoulders and slender figure that was held in Ziken¡¯s embrace, her shifty eyes that kept glancing at me were strange. It wasn¡¯t a gaze that stemmed from fear or cautiousness, but a vigilance that came from envy and jealousy.

    A phrase flashed in my mind.

    <[Meliara] ¡°It¡¯s not me, Your Highness! No matter how jealous I am, I won¡¯t do something so illogical or senseless!¡±>

    At that time, I had brushed past that line with the thought ¡®The villainess is speaking nonsense again¡¯, but now it sounded a bit different.

    One after another, all the other ¡®evil deeds¡¯ that were commited by Meliara in the original novel suddenly came to my mind. Even the line that Meliara shot back every time.

    <[Meliara] ¡°Did such a thing happen? But what do you mean it¡¯s my fault?¡±>

    I had only thought that she was extremely shameless back then, but what if that was actually the truth devoid of lies¡­?

    <[Meliara] ¡°You know what the truth is, Saintess! So why are you saying something else instead?!¡±>

    My head began to throb as if I had been hit hard in the back of my head by the line that was full of Meliara¡¯s pent up anger. My heart began to pound.

    Olivia is¡­?

    ¡®Since when did she¡­¡¯

    I didn¡¯t know when or where it started. But at some point, everyone would single out Meliara and attack her ceaselessly whenever something happened to Olivia. They even sometimes swore at her without even considering the logistics of the situation, to the point where it even felt a bit excessive.

    I had thought it was natural since she was a ¡®villainess¡¯, but what if everything was actually someone else¡¯s well-crafted scheme? And if Meliara had only been stuck in that framework¡­?

    [Ara] ¡°Ha.¡±

    A bitter laugh escaped from my mouth.

    So this is how it felt to be played. It was the moment when everything in the original novel that I had believed in flew away in an instant and returned to being a blank canvas again.

    It was already confirmed that the male lead was an absolute disgrace unlike the original novel, so it wasn¡¯t exactly that strange for Meliara to not actually be a vicious villainess either.

    But the fact that the female lead was blackened and was actually the secret mastermind behind it all hit me harder than I expected. The sense of betrayal was different to when I found out about the male lead¡¯s true nature.

    ¡®No, Ara Lee. Let¡¯s not jump to conclusions. Nothing has been confirmed yet.¡¯

    I could feel my fury bubbling up inside, but I managed to correct my thoughts. I had a hunch, but not any actual evidence. The only thing that was telling me to find out the truth was just a ¡®feeling¡¯.

    [Ziken] ¡°This should be enough evidence, right? Don¡¯t make things any bigger than they are and just come with us obediently!¡±

    Coming to my senses at Ziken¡¯s roar, I took a deep breath in.

    [Ara] ¡°I¡¯m not going.¡±

    [Ziken] ¡°What?¡±

    [Ara] ¡°There¡¯s still no solid evidence that I did it.¡±

    I lifted my head up stiffly and started to act shamelessly.

    [Ziken] ¡°There isn¡¯t any evidence that¡¯s more solid than this medicine coming out of your bag!¡±

    At Ziken¡¯s protest, I began to speak, my eyes glued to Olivia.

    [Ara] ¡°I told you, that¡¯s an unknown bottle I¡¯m not aware of. Maybe someone put it in there to frame me.¡±

    She avoided my eyes when we made eye contact, just as I expected. Although it was an action that could be interpreted in a variety of ways, my doubts continued to grow.

    [Ziken] ¡°Th-That immoral woman is making that sort of speculation again¡­!¡±

    Ziken swore at me again, but I didn¡¯t yield to him.

    I couldn¡¯t help it. If I allowed myself to be arrested just like this, then I wouldn¡¯t have enough time to investigate the truth as well as what was going on with Olivia. I couldn¡¯t leave such an important matter to someone else, so all I could do was thoughtlessly refuse to cooperate with them.

    [Ara] ¡°I won¡¯t go with you until you¡¯ve finished your investigation.¡±

    [Ziken] ¡°Say something that makes sense!¡±

    At my unreasonable stubbornness, he became so angry it seemed like he was about to collapse from high blood pressure at any moment now.

    There was a heavy tension that lingered over the confrontation between those who defended me and Ziken¡¯s knights. There was a long bout of silence.

    A long shadow suddenly drifted past Ziken and Olivia.

    [Ziken] ¡°Hic!¡±

    [Olivia] ¡°Kyaaa!¡±

    At the appearance of the shadow of a person, Olivia screamed in surprise while Ziken also naturally jumped in shock.

    [Ziken] ¡°Wh-What?!¡±

    Ziken, who had belatedly discovered the identity of the shadow, stumbled over his words before demanding.

    Butler Tanma, who had appeared from who knows where, looked sharply at Olivia and Ziken, who had suddenly screamed and jumped in surprise. With an expression that seemed to think that they were ridiculous, he nodded perfunctorily at them before walking toward Lecht. All of his actions were so natural and normal that I wondered if this space was still the one that had been filled with tension until recently.

    pls do not share this anywhere or u will always stub ur toe when u walk past a door frame !! this translation has been stolen from mioscorner.com, pls only read there i¡¯m begging u :kneels:

    [Ziken] ¡°What the hell were you guys doing until he came nearer to you!¡±

    [Knight] ¡°I-I couldn¡¯t feel his presence at all.¡±

    [Knight] ¡°I couldn¡¯t see him¡­¡±

    [Ziken] ¡°How could you have not seen such a tall man?!¡±

    Ziken shouted at the knights behind him. They all looked extremely wronged.

    Truthfully speaking, I was extremely surprised as well. Even though I was looking toward the entrance, I hadn¡¯t even seen the butler at all. Coming back to my senses, I noticed that the butler, like a ghost, had already passed Olivia and Ziken.

    ¡®As expected of the second in command of the demon realm¡­¡¯

    When I looked at the butler with a look of admiration, the butler smiled at me before turning to Lecht.

    [Tanma] ¡°I¡¯ve found the place where the false rumours of Miss spreading the disease started, just like you¡¯ve ordered.¡±

    His words drew the attention of everyone here. Ziken, who was scolding the knights, and the knights, who were being scolded unfairly, all looked to Tanma.

    [Lecht] ¡°And the result is?¡±

    [Tanma] ¡°All of the rumours lead back to a single man.¡±

    At that moment, a quick glance was exchanged between Tanma and Lecht.

    [Tanma] ¡°He¡¯s said to be a man with an appearance that is estimated to be in his late 20s and early 30s. He also has bizarrely pale skin.¡±

    Everyone swallowed dryly at the description of the one who started the rumour.

    [Tanma] ¡°He¡¯s said to have extremely charming sky blue eyes which resemble a winter lake. His hair is about this long, and¡­¡±

    The more he explained, the deeper I frowned.

    [Tanma] ¡°Apparently, his hair is a rare style that is a mix of black and white hair. But most importantly of all¡­ he¡¯s apparently so charming that all who see him fall in love at first sight, regardless of their age and gender.¡±

    This¡­ is clearly Frody. No matter how many times I heard it, it was clearly Frody, with the only description missing being his ¡®horns¡¯.

    [Ara] ¡°Lecht, this is¡­¡±

    I tugged at Lecht¡¯s clothes slightly and whispered inaudibly to others to him. Lecht nodded slightly, as if he was saying that it was the person I thought it was.

    It¡¯s Frody? The source of that rumour¡­? I had definitely thought it¡¯d be Olivia though¡­

    I turned my head to check on Olivia. Sure enough, her face had turned a pasty white and her pupils were shaking violently. As if a big secret of hers had just been revealed. But why was Olivia so flustered when the source of the rumour is Frody¡­?

    Ziken, who had no time to check on Olivia¡¯s condition, interrupted Tanma.

    [Ziken] ¡°What you just said, are you sure?¡±

    [Tanma] ¡°Yes, I discovered it by contacting the majority of the people who were in the area who had heard of this rumour. I can call them over myself if you don¡¯t believe me.¡±

    Ziken didn¡¯t question it, perhaps because the person speaking was an aide to Grand Duke Arvis.

    [Ziken] ¡°So where is that man now?¡±

    [Tanma] ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m talking about right now¡­¡±

    Tanma let out a huff and rubbed his chins softly.

    [Tanma] ¡°I couldn¡¯t get a hold of his whereabouts.¡±

    [Ziken] ¡°What did you say?¡±

    [Tanma] ¡°I don¡¯t know if he¡¯s able to freely use some sort of teleportation magic, but he can be at the 24th Street at one moment, then appear on the 7th Street 5 minutes later.¡±

    [Ziken] ¡°There¡¯s no way that¡¯s possible! Are you sure it¡¯s the same person?¡±

    [Tanma] ¡°Everyone gave the exact same description.¡±

    It was also quite unlikely for various people to have such a unique appearance. Unless several people had predetermined to do so and dressed up exactly the same.

    [Tanma] ¡°Oh, they all said that as well. When they were with him¡­ he smelled strongly of flowers.¡±

    [Olivia] ¡°Oh.¡±

    Olivia was the first to react to Tanma¡¯s last comment. A shaky sigh escaped her lips. She seemed to be shocked that she had made a sound and quickly covered her mouth with her hand. But her erratic gaze and trembling hands couldn¡¯t be covered.

    [Ziken] ¡°Livi? What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    [Olivia] ¡°Oh, that¡¯s¡­¡±

    Olivia finally opened her mouth to speak after only repeating the words ¡®uh¡¯ and ¡®um¡¯ for a long time, her voice filled with fright.

    [Olivia] ¡°To think someone actually tried to frame the Princess¡­ I can¡¯t believe such a terrible thing has happened¡­¡±

    Ziken looked at her ardently at her trembling words.

    [Ziken] ¡°You were so worried about the woman who tormented you to that extent? Haa, what should I do with you when you¡¯re so full of kindness?¡±

    I almost let out a jeering laugh at the sight of him hugging her tightly, as if he was going crazy due to his love for her.

    Do those actions really seem like she¡¯s ¡®worried¡¯ about me? There should be a limit to how blinded by love you can be.

    She was no pushover. How would you react when you find out that the woman in your arms has, in fact, pushed all those false accusations onto that woman you thought was evil with her schemes and acting?

    ¡®This situation should also be Olivia¡¯s fault¡­ so why is Frody appearing out of nowhere?¡¯

    Don¡¯t tell me they¡¯re working together¡­? If it wasn¡¯t for that, there¡¯s no way she would have reacted like that to Tanma¡¯s explanation. To be fair, if I knew about Frody, then it was rather close minded for me to assume that Olivia didn¡¯t know as well. What remained of my little doubt was only whether or not she knew Frody was a demon.

    Feeling another incoming headache at the thought of how to figure this out again, I opened my mouth.

    [Ara] ¡°You¡¯ve cleared me of all suspicion and charges now, right? Then could you please step back? There are still many sick people waiting to be healed.¡±

    [Ziken] ¡°You haven¡¯t been absolved of everything yet! How do you explain the bottle from your bag?!¡±

    [Ara] ¡°That¡¯s obviously been planted by someone in order to frame me¡­¡±

    [Ziken] ¡°And the proof that that was the case.¡±

    [Ara] ¡°¡­¡±

    [Ziken] ¡°See. The charges against you haven¡¯t been lifted yet.¡±

    It was when I was feeling suffocated by the suspicion of the persistent Ziken.

    [Ziken] ¡°We can just catch that guy and ask him.¡±

    Ziken made a wise choice but came to a stupid conclusion.

    [Ziken] ¡°If he¡¯s the one who claims you spread the disease, then he¡¯s one of the two. Either he¡¯s trying to frame you, or he¡¯s seen you use the bottle.¡±

    Even while he was speaking of both possibilities, he was still putting more emphasis on the latter. Looking at me while raising one corner of his mouth sardonically, he commanded the knights.

    [Ziken] ¡°Go and bring the person who started the rumour.¡±

    He looked arrogant, as if he were whispering, ¡®I¡¯ve got you now¡¯.

    But does he know? Just how pale Olivia, who was in his arms, is right now?

    [1] The proper proverb is ¡®planting green beans will yield green beans, planting red beans will yield red ones¡¯ the meaning being ¡®the apple doesn¡¯t fall far from the tree¡¯ or ¡®you reap what you sow¡¯. But Meliara has mixed them together to show the inconsistency of the story line.

 CH 40

    I had no intention of stopping him from digging his own grave. But unlike me, there was someone who had to stop this from happening.

    [Olivia] ¡°There¡¯s no need for you to go that far, right¡­?¡±

    Olivia, who was gripping onto Ziken¡¯s collar tightly, asked cautiously. But Ziken let out a sigh, obviously already misinterpreting the reason for her desperation.

    [Ziken] ¡°Livi, are you going to ask me to forgive her again?¡±

    [Olivia] ¡°That¡­¡±

    [Ziken] ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll investigate it thoroughly and get to the bottom of this case to make sure they won¡¯t be able to get away with it this time.¡±

    It was a statement from a man who firmly believed that I was the culprit.

    Olivia bit her lower lip. Ziken brushed his thumb over her lip upon discovering it and smiled.

    [Ziken] ¡°The habit that appears whenever you¡¯re anxious has come out again.¡±

    [Olivia] ¡°¡­¡±

    [Ziken] ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll make sure to protect you from that woman¡¯s retaliation or anything like that.¡±

    He really said anything he wanted, despite being in front of the person who was directly involved in the incident¡­

    But that probably wasn¡¯t what she was worried about anyway.

    [Olivia] ¡°But¡­¡±

    [Ziken] ¡°Trust me, Livi.¡±

    The disjointed conversation between her, who was caught up in anxiety, and Ziken, who was just making wild guesses, looked so ridiculous to a third party who knew the truth.

    In the end, Olivia couldn¡¯t help but nod her head. Realistically, there was no justification for Olivia to stop Ziken from actually investigating the facts of the case. No matter how much she was called a ¡®kindhearted saintess¡¯.

    Appreciating the patheticness of Ziken, who had driven his own lover into a corner, I interrupted their discordant conversation and asked.

    [Ara] ¡°Then shouldn¡¯t Your Highness step aside and go chase after him immediately?¡±

    I spoke while looking at the sick people surrounding me. There were a lot who had run away at the sudden confrontation, but there were still a lot who remained. I could tell how desperate they were, even without asking. Since I had seen how they were constantly monitoring the situation and seemed uneasy over whether I¡¯d really get taken away or not.

    [Ara] ¡°I need to heal the people here.¡±

    There were still a lot of people who were waiting for the divine power¡¯s touch in places other than here too.

    I was thinking of investigating the past between Olivia and myself, as well as the relationship between Olivia and Frody in my spare time while I healed them.

    Nevertheless, Ziken, who always got in the way every time, didn¡¯t let it go very easily this time either.

    [Ziken] ¡°I can¡¯t let someone who¡¯s still under suspicion, like you, continue to heal people.¡±

    His words naturally caused the expressions of the people beside him to darken.

    I tried to speak while holding back a frown.

    [Ara] ¡°Please do not harm the innocent people around you just because of your suspicion which is directed towards me, Your Highness.¡±

    There might not be many people since the epidemic hadn¡¯t had a severe outbreak yet, but after a while had passed, there would be people in need of urgent care coming out soon. Turning a blind eye to them all would be too harsh.

    [Ziken] ¡°I don¡¯t know what else you¡¯ll do if I leave you here.¡±

    [Ara] ¡°Then assign someone to monitor me.¡±

    I could just do it while avoiding the eyes of the monitor if it was for the investigation. It was more important to heal these people first.

    But Ziken didn¡¯t allow that either.

    [Ziken] ¡°Then I¡¯m just burying my head in the sand. How am I supposed to believe that you¡¯ll actually heal people?¡±

    [Ara] ¡°¡­¡±

    I couldn¡¯t even find any words to respond to his words that were suspicious of even the fundamentals. What use were my words to someone who didn¡¯t even believe my intentions?

    Someone who would resolve my concerns appeared exactly at that time.

    [Lydia] ¡°That part is our responsibility.¡±

    The composed voice that came from the entrance caused all of our heads to turn in unison. Lydia, who was so elegant even the act of her taking off her hood seemed so, was walking towards me.

    [Lydia] ¡°Saintess, how have you been?¡±

    She was the first to greet me.

    [Lydia] ¡°I¡¯m quite late, aren¡¯t I?¡±

    She also added that it took quite a long time to gather all the priests who were scattered outside the capital. Lydia only turned her gaze to Ziken and Olivia after greeting Lecht with a look.

    [Lydia] ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Your Highness.¡±

    [Ziken] ¡°I didn¡¯t expect even the High Priestess to come.¡±

    Ziken greeted Lydia with a courteous appearance, completely different to the one he had when he faced me.

    [Lydia] ¡°Please speak comfortably, Your Highness.¡±

    [Ziken] ¡°How could I do that? You¡¯re the High Priestess.¡±

    Lydia spoke in a tone of amazement at his words that were full of respect.

    [Lydia] ¡°That¡¯s strange.¡±

    [Ziken] ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    [Lydia] ¡°Then why are you so courteous to me, who only takes care of people on behalf of god, and yet so disrespectful to even speak informally and raise your voice at the Saintess, who is the child of god?¡±

    Ziken, who had a benevolent smile on his face as he asked, immediately stiffened at Lydia¡¯s answer. She had only coldly stated the facts, but it was still a satisfying line nevertheless.

    ¡®It¡¯s probably because I¡¯m firmly entrenched in that bastard¡¯s head as ¡®that vicious bitch¡¯.¡¯

    He must¡¯ve taken on such a rude attitude since before he saw me as a saintess, he had previously viewed me as a wicked woman who had harmed his lover.

    Ziken did a double take as he looked alternately between Lydia and I, like someone who had heard something that he never could have thought of. Nevertheless, the expression on his face clearly showed that even if he was dying, he still hated the idea of being respectful toward me.

    Lydia started to speak once again, ignoring him who displayed such an attitude.

    [Lydia] ¡°I will hereby guarantee it with the name of the High Priestess right here. She is not someone who would dare to do harm to people.¡±

    If it was the Priest Trio who said that, I would¡¯ve just thought that they took my side unconditionally since they just liked me, but it felt different when Lydia, and not anyone else, said something like that. So this is how it felt to receive someone else¡¯s complete trust in you.

    [Lydia] ¡°However, I will not cause any disruption to your investigation if you wish to do so, Your Highness.¡±

    She even expressed her confidence at how he wouldn¡¯t be able to find anything, even if he conducts an investigation.

    [Lydia] ¡°Rather, if you allow it, I¡¯d be happy to assist Your Highness in catching the man who dared to frame our Saintess. But in return¡­¡±

    [Ziken] ¡°In return¡­?¡±

    [Lydia] ¡°While the investigation is being conducted, the Saintess¡¯s residence will be changed to the Great Temple.¡±

    [Ziken] ¡°!¡±

    If we¡¯re talking about the Great Temple, not even the imperial family could bring their knights in there without their permission. If we took that point into consideration, then it would definitely be the safest place for me in this situation.

    [Lydia] ¡°I¡¯d like to take this time to inform everyone here. The Saintess will be staying in the Great Temple of the God of Night until the full story of the incident has been revealed.¡±

    Lydia declared without even seeking Ziken¡¯s permission.

    She was relying heavily on using the fact that I was the Saintess after highlighting it. She was appealing to the fact that despite not having a proclamation ceremony, I was still an existence worthy of being protected by the Lunar religion since I was Lunar¡¯s Saintess.

    If Ziken still insists on taking me away right now, it would be tantamount to a declaration of war against Lunarism. Ziken couldn¡¯t respond hastily, perhaps because he also understood the underlying meaning behind her words.

    [Lydia] ¡°If anyone is in need of healing, please come and visit the Great Temple at any time.¡±

    Lastly, Lydia turned back toward me with a gentle smile on her face.

    [Lydia] ¡°The Moon God¡¯s Saintess right here, Ara, will heal you.¡±

    The words of her, who had even remembered my wish of being called ¡®Ara¡¯ instead of ¡®Meliara¡¯, completely reversed the atmosphere in which Ziken had the upperhand in.

    LYDIA MY MELANATED QUEEN

    * * *

    pls do not share this anywhere or u will always stub ur toe when u walk past a door frame !! this translation has been stolen from mioscorner.com, pls only read there i¡¯m begging u :kneels:

    We all headed back to the Great Temple after the long battle between Ziken and I ended.

    The Great Temple was even more spectacular than the temple I had seen in the mountains. Although it wasn¡¯t particularly flashy at any place, there was still a subtle beauty to it.

    The priests who Lydia had contacted had gathered together and naturally greeted me warmly. Although there were priests who asked for a handshake or guidance, none of them were as unusual as the Priest Trio.

    [Ara] ¡°Phew, I¡¯m exhausted out of my mind.

    It had already become nighttime by the time I finished greeting everyone. Only after Lydia had butted in and kicked everyone out did I finally have time to catch a breather.

    [Lydia] ¡°I told them to make preparations to welcome and receive people right away starting from tomorrow. Are you sure you¡¯re okay with that, Saintess?¡±

    [Ara] ¡°Of course I am.¡±

    I was overflowing with divine power. It was enough, not just for me to use, but also for all the priests combined to use if they wanted to.

    [Lydia] ¡°I feel a bit apologetic for only telling you now that you¡¯ve arrived, but not everyone who comes will believe you¡¯re innocent.¡±

    [Ara] ¡°I know. There will be people who don¡¯t believe me and are just feeling me out, but there will be more people chasing after me because they believe me coming after them because they don¡¯t have any other options left.¡±

    Normally, as a human being, you¡¯ll even chase after a god you don¡¯t believe in if you¡¯re in a desperate enough situation.

    [Lydia] ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. Although it¡¯s possible for the divine power of Solarism to relieve symptoms, it¡¯s difficult for them to completely heal someone.¡±

    Unlike the divine power of Lunarism which ¡®purifies¡¯, the divine power of Solarism only has the power to heal festering skin, but is unable to remove the disease itself. So in the end, the only option left for them is to seek out the Lunar religion.

    [Ara] ¡°It¡¯ll start getting busy soon.¡±

    [Lydia] ¡°We¡¯ll be the ones to deal with the rude ones, so you won¡¯t have to worry about that.¡±

    [Ara] ¡°Thank you, Lydia.¡±

    [Lydia] ¡°No, I should be the one thanking you. We haven¡¯t even held the proclamation ceremony, yet you¡¯re already working so hard.¡±

    Truthfully speaking, I didn¡¯t need a grand event like a proclamation ceremony or whatever, just because I was the Saintess. But to them, it was a procedure that had to be followed in order to show the dignity of the Lunar religion, so I just smiled in response.

    [Lydia] ¡°Get some rest then.¡±

    After Lydia left the room, only Lecht, Tanma, and I were left in the room.

    [Ara] ¡°You¡¯re also staying here, right Lecht?¡±

    [Lecht[ ¡°In the room next door.¡±

    [Ara] ¡°That¡¯s a relief¡­¡±

    How I truly felt leaked out of my lips without me knowing as I covered my mouth quickly, surprised by what I had just said.

    [Ara] ¡°Oh, that¡­ It¡¯s because even though the temple is safe, I feel a bit more secure if you¡¯re here¡­¡±

    Lecht smiled as if he understood the additional excuse I had blurted out.

    [Lecht] ¡°Where would I, your escort be, if not here?¡±

    Does he know how reassuring it is for him to call himself my ¡®escort¡¯ at a time like this?

    [Ara] ¡°To be honest, I was a bit scared when the Crown Prince brought in his knights. I wondered if I¡¯d really be dragged away when I had done nothing wrong at all.¡±

    Although I had pretended to be strong in front of Ziken since I didn¡¯t want to lose to him, my heart was actually racing wildly at the time.

    [Ara] ¡°But you drew your sword and stood guard next to me so I was able to say everything I wanted to say. Thank you.¡±

    [Lecht] ¡°You don¡¯t need to thank me for something I would¡¯ve done naturally.¡±

    [Ara] ¡°But still, it¡¯s something I¡¯m grateful for, so of course I have to thank you.¡±

    To be honest, I was even thankful that he said that what he did was a given.

    I gave him a pretty smile. Lecht smiled with me. His smile in a room that was dark since it was night, despite the lamp being lit, had a different sort of charm to it. It was bewitching.

    [Ara] ¡°But¡­¡±

    A person naturally came to my mind just as I was thinking it was bewitching.

    [Ara] ¡°About what the butler said earlier.¡±

    I looked at Tanma, who was standing behind Lecht and asked.

    [Ara] ¡°Is it true that he started the rumour about me?¡±

    [Tanma] ¡°I¡¯m sure. He apparently also carries around a small snake as a pet too.¡±

    The fact that people saw that and didn¡¯t care meant that Frody had humanised himself, and the pet snake was under an illusion spell, like Kelber.

    [Tanma] ¡°He doesn¡¯t seem to have any intention of hiding his own identity.¡±

    [Lecht] ¡°Probably trying to feel out my true intentions.¡±

    Lecht, who had stayed by my side silently throughout everything, spat out as if he was annoyed.

    [Ara] ¡°Why Lecht¡­?¡±

    The two of them didn¡¯t seem to get along very well last time we met either. Frody kept deliberately provoking Lecht and getting on his nerves while Lecht just ignored Frody as much as he could. He seemed to have not responded since he hadn¡¯t crossed his bottom line yet. I could sense that their relationship was much more complex than just one of hostility.

    [Ara] ¡°You might think this is a bit odd, but I thought Saintess Olivia was the one who did it.¡±

    [Lecht] ¡°The woman with blonde hair?¡±

    [Ara] ¡°This time as well¡­The tea that I apparently poisoned. The truth is¡­¡±

    I calmly began to explain. Of course, excluding the fact that I had read it in a novel and that I was Ara Lee and had possessed Meliara¡¯s body.

    The fact that the tea I had given her was a different type of tea, and the fact that she seemed a bit off during the situation today. So, in many ways, I explained how all my previous incidents also had many dubious aspects to it as well.

    [Ara] ¡°I know it may seem strange to be so suspicious in the absence of any concrete evidence.¡±

    I didn¡¯t know the entire story either, so it all sounded vague, even to me.

    [Ara] ¡°But for some reason¡­ the way Olivia¡¯s complexion changed earlier¡­¡±

    [Lecht] ¡°It¡¯s not strange. That¡¯s enough for your suspicion of her to be reasonable, and you¡¯ve come to the right conclusion.¡±

    [Ara] ¡°Do you really think so?¡±

    Lecht spoke resolutely, as if he fully trusted my tentative thoughts that stemmed from my gut feeling.

    [Lecht] ¡°This incident is probably that woman¡¯s fault too.¡±

    [Ara] ¡°But didn¡¯t you say Frody was the one who started the rumour¡­ What¡¯s with Frody and Olivia?¡±

    How did the two of them get to know each other, does Olivia know that Frody is a demon, so on and so forth. I had a lot of questions. Lecht seemed to know, so I quickly asked him.

    [Lecht] ¡°There¡¯s something I didn¡¯t tell you since I thought it had nothing to do with you. I would¡¯ve told you earlier if I knew you and her were this entangled with each other.

    [Ara] ¡°What is it?¡±

    Lecht pressed his forehead as if he had a headache and spoke as if he were sighing.

    [Lecht] ¡°That blonde woman and Frody are in a contractual relationship.¡±

    [Ara] ¡°Contractual¡­?¡±

    There wasn¡¯t anything strange about it, since anyone would enter into a contract when they make transactions. It was just that Lecht was so serious I could only guess that the contents of their transaction was anything but lighthearted.

    [Lecht] ¡°It¡¯s a contract where in exchange for Frody¡¯s power being lent to her, that woman then serves as a medium for Frody to remain in the human realm.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t help but widen my eyes. What he told me was, as expected, a grave story on a completely different level.

 CH 41

    As a general rule, demons were not allowed to stay in the human realm. In order for a demon to cross over, they needed the Demon King¡¯s explicit permission to do so. This was due to the fact that in the past, a commotion caused by one or two demons had been the catalyst for a war that raged on between both the human and demon realm.

    It was a rule to prevent such friction from happening again. But there was an exception to that rule.

    [Lecht] ¡°If you are summoned by a human and obtain a human contractor, you will be able to cross over to the human realm without the Demon King¡¯s permission on the condition that the only thing you will do will be to fulfil the contractor¡¯s requests.¡±

    The power that could be used in this place was also limited and was dependent on the contractor¡¯s abilities. Therefore, their messing around didn¡¯t seem likely to cause another commotion like last time again.

    [Ara] ¡°But the magic used to summon demons is forbidden in the Empire¡­¡±

    But what I didn¡¯t understand was why Olivia was able to summon Frody. Just as the rule of gaining the ¡®approval of the Demon King¡¯ was established in the demon realm, the rule ¡®prohibiting the summoning of demons¡¯ was also established in the empire.

    [Ara] ¡°To think that the Saintess would have such a Midas touch¡­¡±

    It was a story that was much more severe than simply framing Meliara. Lecht put his hand on his forehead and proceeded to say something even more shocking.

    [Lecht] ¡°She isn¡¯t a saintess.¡±

    [Ara] ¡°Pardon¡­?¡±

    [Lecht] ¡°That woman does not possess the divine power of Solarism.¡±

    I felt as if I had just been knocked on the back of my head. My head was tingling and I couldn¡¯t find any words to say for a moment.

    [Lecht] ¡°That ability that she uses like her divine power is all borrowed from Frody¡¯s own power.¡±

    [Ara] ¡°No way¡­! So Olivia has deceived the whole empire into thinking that she¡¯s the Saintess?!¡±

    [Lecht] ¡°You could say that.¡±

    I was so shocked I couldn¡¯t even manage a snort.

    why is frody so fine,,,, artist also rlly outdid themselves this chapter FOR NO REASON

    [Ara] ¡°How did you know about this, Lecht?¡±

    [Lecht] ¡°I found out two years ago when she came to bless the Grand Duchy. She could see Kelber¡¯s true form.¡±

    He had said that there were two cases when someone saw through Kelber¡¯s illusion magic and to his true form. They were either a demon, or they were under a contract with a demon. Since I was the Saintess, a child of Lunar, whom the demons served, I was able to see them despite not belonging to either of the two cases.

    [Ara] ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell anyone about it?¡±

    If it was such a serious matter, then he should¡¯ve brought the matter up with the Emperor.

    [Lecht] ¡°The only reason I stayed in the Empire was to wait for you.¡±

    [Ara] ¡°So whether or not the Saintess was deceiving everyone or not has nothing to do with you, Lecht.¡±

    It wasn¡¯t particularly damaging to the Grand Duchy, so from his point of view, there was no need for him to cause a commotion when he was content with simply living quietly.

    Closing his eyes as he pressed down on his throbbing forehead, Lecht said.

    [Lecht] ¡°If I had known that woman was using it to do that to you, I would¡¯ve dealt with it earlier.¡±

    Opening his eyes, he looked down at me with an apologetic expression.

    [Lecht] ¡°As expected, I should have found you sooner.¡±

    I relaxed my frown at his remorseful words.

    [Ara] ¡°It would¡¯ve been no use.¡±

    Even if he had met Meliara sooner, he would¡¯ve brushed past her since it was before I had arrived in her body.

    [Lecht] ¡°Why would it have been no use? I could¡¯ve dealt with the Crown Prince and the Saintess if I had known you were having a hard time.¡±

    I laughed at his words that unhesitatingly branded both the imperial family and Solar religion as his enemies. It was very much something that Lecht would do.

    [Ara] ¡°But how could the High Priest not know that her ability isn¡¯t actually divine power?¡±

    After all, the High Priest of Solarism was the one who judged that Meliara¡¯s body had no divine power at all. But to mistake a demon¡¯s power as divine power, does that even make any sense?

    [Lecht] ¡°Frody¡¯s ability is ¡®enchantment¡¯, so it must have concealed the feeling of her power quite well. Otherwise, maybe they¡¯re all just in cahoots with each other.¡±

    To have even the High Priest in the same league as them¡­? It was a situation that I didn¡¯t really want to think about.

    [Ara] ¡°I¡¯d like to believe that isn¡¯t the case, but¡­ I guess we should try and investigate it together.¡±

    Lecht had said he had just left it because it had nothing to do with him, but I couldn¡¯t do the same. I could tell just how much that woman had done so far, just by looking at Meliara¡¯s life.

    [Ara] ¡°This is an act of deceiving the people who love and believe in her and the Solar religion.¡±

    It wasn¡¯t just one or two people who donated money to the temple in order to receive just one of her blessings. I was angry at both her framing Meliara for attempting to poison her, and all of her previous schemes and misdeeds.

    But the incident this time was the one that upset me the most.

    [Ara] ¡°How could she even think of spreading an epidemic?¡±

    To even hurt the very people who believed in her.

    She deceived people with her false abilities, coercing them into supporting her and taking their affections. And by doing so, had driven them into a corner.

    [Lecht] ¡°Isn¡¯t she a woman who raised her position by trampling you underfoot? There¡¯s nothing she can¡¯t do.¡±

    [Ara] ¡°She¡¯s a woman who¡¯d even go as far as scheming for a civil war, just for her own interests if we leave her alone.¡±

    Other than having been falsely accused by her, what was more pressing was having to catch her in order to prevent further damage.

    [Ara] ¡°Haa, but I don¡¯t know how to catch her. The Crown Prince who is absolutely obsessed with her is unusually stubborn. Moreover, if the High Priest is also in on it, then¡­¡±

    That idiotic man was ready to believe that a stone rolling on the ground was gold if she even said the word. It seemed like a love that was strong enough to bring you to tears to strangers, but to me, it seemed like a ridiculous complacent obsession.

    [Lecht] ¡°Then we can just obliterate the Crown Prince¡¯s sources of influence.¡±

    [Ara] ¡°No, you can¡¯t!¡±

    Lecht¡¯s immediate reply was so bloody that I slapped him on the shoulder.

    [Ara] ¡°I¡¯m trying to catch her in order to prevent her from doing any more damage, but if you do that, then we¡¯ll actually go to war for real.¡±

    Even if Lecht was the Demon King, the Emperor would have to declare civil war on Lecht, with him touching the Crown Prince as more than enough justification to do so. It was tantamount to trying to prevent the danger of a civil war and creating an actual civil war in the process of it.

    [Lecht] ¡°Then shall we just take care of him without anyone knowing?¡±

    [Ara] ¡°Are you going to continue saying such frightening things?¡±

    I glared at him with a deadpan expression.

    [Ara] ¡°The Crown Prince may be extremely frustrating and annoying, but¡­¡±

    Although it was true that he enjoyed showing off his power and behaving like that, at least he didn¡¯t do anything that would hurt the citizens of the empire like this. If you ask me, this man was also probably a victim of Olivia¡¯s lies.

    [Ara] ¡°He¡¯s only an idiot, and not an actual evil person at heart.¡±

    Though of course, that didn¡¯t mean he was innocent of all the crimes he committed while he was ignorant. It wasn¡¯t a crime to be ignorant, but he couldn¡¯t irresponsibly avoid his crime with the excuse of ¡®I didn¡¯t know¡¯.

    However, in Ziken¡¯s case, I thought it was worth brushing over.

    [Ara] ¡°And won¡¯t you only be pruning the branches if you catch him? We have to get rid of the roots.¡±

    Catching Ziken would solve anything, since the one we were trying to get rid of was Olivia.

    [Ara] ¡°First off, our main priority is to make it clear that she was the one who started this incident as well¡­ Frody won¡¯t defect to our side, right?¡±

    [Lecht] ¡°If we utilise the authority of the Demon King, I can make it so that he tells the truth.¡±

    At Lecht¡¯s pleasant words, my feeling of discomfort, as if I had indigestion, was soon replaced by a good feeling.

    [Ara] ¡°Really? Then we¡¯ll find him tomorrow and reveal the truth!¡±

    [Tanma] ¡°No, you can¡¯t.¡±

    But my joy was soon blocked by Tanma.

    Tanma, who had received my puzzled look, explained with a troubled expression on his face.

    [Tanma] ¡°I also agree that it¡¯s of the utmost importance for us to catch that woman and clear Miss of her innocence. But I am against Your Majesty using your authority to do so.¡±

    [Ara] ¡°Why?¡±

    Is there a reason why he shouldn¡¯t use it?

    [Tanma] ¡°It is against the rules of the demon realm to impose your authority on him, since staying in the human realm under a contract with a human means being free from the ¡®Demon King¡¯s approval¡¯.¡±

    [Ara] ¡°Oh, so there¡¯s another rule.¡±

    Finding out about yet another rule I was unaware of gave me a headache.

    [Lecht] ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. I¡¯ll call him out tomorrow.¡±

    [Tanma] ¡°You can¡¯t, Your Majesty. Don¡¯t you know how great the cost you¡¯ll have to pay for tampering with the rules of the human realm?¡±

    [Lecht] ¡°I¡¯ll take care of it.¡±

    [Tanma] ¡°Your Majesty!¡±

    Looking at the unusual atmosphere between Lecht and Tanma, I asked cautiously.

    [Ara] ¡°What happens if you break the rules?¡±

    [Tnama] ¡°On a small scale, you¡¯ll be stripped of the Demon King¡¯s authority, and on a large scale, you¡¯ll be banished to an infinite world of space and time.¡±

    [Ara] ¡°Heok.¡±

    Didn¡¯t you say it wasn¡¯t a big deal?

    [Ara] ¡°Then you can¡¯t, you absolutely cannot do that.¡±

    [Lecht] ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal. There¡¯s nothing to worry about.¡±

    [Ara] ¡°I can tell just how serious it is just from hearing about it, what do you mean it¡¯s nothing?!¡±

    [Lecht] ¡°Tanma has exaggerated it for no reason.¡±

    [Ara] ¡°No way. Even if it¡¯s exaggerated, the risk is too big. We can find another way.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t push Lecht into a difficult situation just to clear my name.

    [Lecht] ¡°It¡¯s really fine.¡±

    [Ara] ¡°I said no!¡±

    I began to grow restless when Lecht kept saying it was fine. Since this man was someone who would even suffer an accident for me.

    [Ara] ¡°Don¡¯t you dare! If you do, I¡¯ll ignore Lecht for the rest of my life!¡±

    I saw Lecht¡¯s fingertips flinch at my threat. It was a reaction that came out whenever he was flustered or a point had hit its mark. He nodded meekly, just as I expected.

    [Lecht] ¡°We should find another way.¡±

    I smiled proudly at the sight of him obediently listening to my words.

    [Ara] ¡°Then how should we reel that woman¡­ no, how we¡¯ll catch her; should we think about it more tomorrow and just head in for today? Being physically healthy is essential to hunt after all.¡±

    Although I was someone who preferred to live quietly whenever possible, I was going to catch her. Not because I was an extremely righteous person, but because the least I could do was to try and protect the people as the Saintess of the Night God to the best of my ability.

    * * *

    pls do not share this anywhere or u will always stub ur toe when u walk past a door frame !! this translation has been stolen from mioscorner.com, pls only read there i¡¯m begging u :kneels:

    A priest approached Lydia, who was looking up at the moon outside of the large window.

    [Priest] ¡°High Priestess, I have a question.¡±

    Instead of answering him, Lydia said something completely irrelevant.

    [Lydia] ¡°Today¡¯s full moon looks just like a red moon.¡±

    [Priest] ¡°A red moon?¡±

    The priest looked up at the moon that Lydia was looking at.

    [Priest] ¡°Isn¡¯t it impossible to predict the cycle of the red and blue moon?¡±

    [Lydia] ¡°It¡¯s just a feeling.¡±

    [Priest] ¡°It¡¯d be nice for it to be a red moon. If the red moon, which only rises once every twenty or thirty years, comes out at the Saintess¡¯s proclamation ceremony, don¡¯t you think we¡¯d be able to lift our heads a bit higher?¡±

    Lydia smiled with him upon hearing his excited voice.

    [Lydia] ¡°It will come out. Since Lunar will want to talk to Miss Ara.¡±

    [Priest] ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right. Apparently Lunar is rather chatty.¡±

    Among the priests, Lydia was the only one who had ever communicated directly with Lunar.

    [Lydia] ¡°Yes, they¡¯re quite chatty too¡­¡±

    Lydia smiled mysteriously as if she suddenly thought of something.

    [Lydia] ¡°Since it¡¯s been 100 years since they¡¯ve met.¡±

    [Priest] ¡°100 years?¡±

    The priest looked at Lydia with an odd expression on their face.

    [Priest] ¡°Oh, I guess you¡¯re right. It¡¯s been 100 years since the last saintess has appeared.¡±

    Lydia smiled meaningfully at the priest¡¯s question. The priest, who didn¡¯t notice, then went on to tell her why they had sought her out.

    [Priest] ¡°What should we do with what the Crown Prince sent? I reported it yesterday but you haven¡¯t said anything, so I¡¯ve come again to ask.¡±

    Yesterday, a slightly friendly message arrived from the crown prince¡¯s faction, saying that they wanted to strengthen their ties with the Lunar religion in the future.

    [Priest] ¡°I don¡¯t know where they got their audacity from.¡±

    They appealed the fact that the Crown Prince and new saintess had previously been engaged. Even if there had been an unpleasant situation in the past, the relationship could still be renewed again. However, it was ridiculous from the Lunar religion¡¯s point of view.

    [Priest] ¡°They sent us that yesterday, yet today they¡¯re trying to paint our Saintess as a sinner.¡±

    It was like they were using Ara as a link to strengthen their ties with the Lunar religion, while simultaneously trying to shame and accuse Ara at the same time.

    [Lydia] ¡°The one who wants to strengthen their relationship with us isn¡¯t the Crown Prince himself, but the forces behind him.

    In other words, attempting to accuse Ara of a crime was an act that solely belongs to the Crown Prince.

    [Priest] ¡°If so, why would the Crown Prince do something that would go against his own influence¡­¡±

    [Lydia] ¡°He must be blinded by love.¡±

    Lydia suddenly thought of Lecht as she said so. She let out a laugh.

    That¡¯s true. Some people could even dedicate 100 years to a single person, so what the Crown Prince was doing right now was merely childs play.

    [Lydia] ¡°Ignore it.¡±

    [Priest] ¡°Yes!¡±

    The priest replied happily, as if he had been waiting for that response. He didn¡¯t ask any useless questions like, ¡®Will that really be alright?¡¯. It was because deep in his heart, he didn¡¯t want to associate with someone who had insulted the Saintess.

    Lydia, who was left alone again after the priest left, looked up at the moon once more. She smiled as she recalled Ara again.

    [Lydia] ¡°I really wouldn¡¯t have recognised her if you hadn¡¯t said anything, Lunar.¡±

    There was a secret of Lydia¡¯s that people didn¡¯t know of. Although it had been twenty years since she had first heard Lunar¡¯s voice and become their high priestess, she had already lived for over 100 years.

    That was when Lunar told Lydia something about the saintess, among the many conversations they had.

    [The previous saintess and the new saintess are the same person.]

    Rather than the fact that they were both saintesses, it meant their soul itself was the same. However, it was difficult to think of them as the same person since they had a different appearance and had no memory of 100 years ago.

    [Lydia] ¡°His Majesty the Demon King must be a master at recognising her.¡±

    She thought she was second to none at loving Ara, but in the end, she still couldn¡¯t beat the Demon King.

    ¡®It¡¯s a bit sad that you can¡¯t remember anything though.¡¯

    Lydia smiled as she touched the design on her face with her fingertips. A new world had opened up to Lydia 100 years ago thanks to her, but she herself had no memory of it.

    She thought about talking about it, but she gave it up in the end. Since telling someone, ¡®I was that girl back then¡¯, who didn¡¯t even have any memory of it, was burdening them as well.

    ¡®Well, my grief can¡¯t be compared to His Majesty.¡¯

    He could¡¯ve been resentful and hurt at the fact that she had forgotten such a deep love¡­ but he still looked at her with eyes that dripped honey, and only took care of her. The Demon King who ruled over the entirety of the demon realm, would be excessively nervous and attentive to her every word.

    It might seem ridiculous to other demons if they saw that, but Lydia understood.

    As long as they had life in them, they would have no choice but to be drawn to Ara. Ara wasn¡¯t just a ¡®user¡¯ of divine power, but divine power itself.

    The divine power of Lunar specialised in purification. It wasn¡¯t just poison or diseases that it purified. It also purified a person¡¯s mind. Just by being around her, all the pain and wounds suffered throughout your life are healed, and your mind is immediately relieved of all anxiety.

    A panacea for the soul. Who in the world wouldn¡¯t like that?

    t/n: panacea is a cure all for all diseases

    [Lydia] ¡°Loving Ara is uncontrollable.¡±

    Lydia herself was still unaware that she was also one of them, falling back into the memories of her and Ara from 100 years ago.

 CH 42

    The fact that no one came to the temple for healing was so humiliating to the point where there were no visitors to the temple.

    [Priest] ¡°So they¡¯ve all fallen for the words of those Solarist bastards and are suspecting our Saintess, huh?¡±

    I didn¡¯t know the reason why, but a lot of the priests, including the Priest Trio, were busy expressing their anger.

    [Ara] ¡°Don¡¯t be too upset. All we¡¯ve done is give them a choice, there¡¯s no need for us to forcefully heal them.¡±

    They seemed angry at the fact that people were doubting me, but I didn¡¯t really mind. Since the truth would be revealed one day, I thought it¡¯d be better for me to think about how to catch Olivia red handed.

    ¡®There must be someone who knows I sent her peppermint tea.¡¯

    She couldn¡¯t have gone out to buy tea leaves by herself as a princess. And even if she did, there would¡¯ve been a maid or a knight who had followed her out. There had to be someone who knew that the tea Meliara had prepared and sent out was actually peppermint tea.

    ¡®The problem was that I didn¡¯t have any of my previous memories, so it was hard for me to single that person out.¡¯

    I began to feel quite hopeless at the thought of having to go back to the Duke¡¯s estate just to find that person.

    Should I send in a spy to investigate all the servants in the Duke¡¯s estate? But the problem was, apart from the embarrassment of having my spy discovered, there would also be the misunderstanding that I still had lingering feelings for them as well.

    ¡®Finding someone who knew that Olivia was the one who prepared the poisoned chamomile tea¡­ would be even harder.¡¯

    According to what Lecht had told me in the morning, the blue substance in the bottle that Ziken had showed me was the cause of the epidemic. The fact that she had obtained a poison from the demon realm from Frody in order to prevent herself from being found out was a chilling act in itself.

    ¡®Was there nothing else I could do but meet up with Frody and try and persuade him to help me after all?¡¯

    I stroked Kelber¡¯s head that was resting on my knee as I mulled over the problem. I was also scratching the chin of the Lunarism messenger bird which was sitting on Kelber¡¯s back. The name of the hawk, which was like a mascot of the Lunar religion, was named ¡®Lu¡¯. Both of them were essential to stabilising my mental and physical health.

    But someone soon appeared, breaking the stability that was once there.

    [Ryno] ¡°Your Majesty!!¡±

    [Ara] ¡°That scared me.¡±

    Ryno was loud from the moment he appeared this time as well. He came in normally through the temple doors instead of breaking something this time, running towards me, who was sitting on the stairs.

    [Ryno] ¡°I heard that you were going to be staying here for the time being, so I came running over here!¡±

    Oh, yeah, we left you at the accomodation¡­ To be honest, I had actually completely forgotten about him, but I pretended I hadn¡¯t and smiled prettily.

    [Ara] ¡°It¡¯s good to see you. I had just been wondering whether or not I should go and pick you up.¡±

    [Ryno] ¡°Heok, Your Majesty is always so considerate of me, as expected. I¡¯m touched.¡±

    He sat cross-legged on the floor with a teary expression on his face.

    [Ara] ¡°Have you finished fixing the broken door?¡±

    [Linden] ¡°It¡¯s all been fixed.¡±

    Although I had directed the question at Ryno, the answer to that question sounded from above my head. I turned my head to see Linden with half his hair tied up.

    [Ara] ¡°Linden¡­¡±

    My heart began to feel heavy when I made eye contact with him, the last moment I had seen of him replaying in my mind. However, Linden smiled and spoke quickly, as if to stop the words coming out of my mouth.

    [Linden] ¡°They say that mages all have weak bodies, but as expected, not all of them are like that. He fixed the door in one night.¡±

    [Ryno] ¡°Yes! I completely fixed it!¡±

    Ryno announced gallantly, regardless of whether he was aware of the awkward atmosphere between Linden and I.

    [Linden] ¡°I heard the rumour. So my brother is trying to paint you as the culprit?¡±

    [Ara] ¡°Yeah, he said he found the evidence in my room or something.¡±

    I sighed as I recalled yesterday¡¯s incident. Ryno let out a loud ¡®Ah!¡¯ and said at my deep sigh.

    [Ryno] ¡°Were those guys in armour that came to the place where I was yesterday actually the bastards that caused trouble for Your Majesty? I heard it from the prince over here.¡±

    My eyes collided with Linden¡¯s again at Ryno¡¯s words. At Linden¡¯s slight smile, I tried to smile with him, but the lip muscles that were used to form a smile felt too stiff and awkward.

    [Ryno] ¡°I didn¡¯t even know and just let them go! I didn¡¯t even know that the room those bastards went into was Your Majesty¡¯s room¡­! I¡¯m such a useless person! I sincerely apologise!¡±

    [Ara] ¡°No, it was inevitable since you didn¡¯t know what Ziken looked like.¡±

    It was only natural since he had never heard about what he looked like or even met him before, and had only been told by the Priest Trio that he was the ¡®Crown Prince¡¯.

    [Ara] ¡°More importantly, about the Grand Duchy¡­¡±

    It had become a situation that was beyond my capacity since I couldn¡¯t leave this place either.

    [Ryno] ¡°I knew it was the plague as soon as it broke out so I¡¯ve already prevented it from spreading any further.¡±

    Since it was a poison that the demons were familiar with, unlike the case with humans, they were able to take action as soon as the symptoms appeared.

    [Ara] ¡°But it¡¯s not getting any better either.¡±

    [Ryno] ¡°Everyone who¡¯s caught it is quite tough, so they¡¯ll be able to hold out until your return.¡±

    [Ara] ¡°If you¡¯ve caught it, you¡¯ve caught it, and if you¡¯re sick, you¡¯re sick.¡±

    It was also quite frustrating to let go of people who you knew were sick. However, due to the nature of the Grand Duchy, I couldn¡¯t just ask any priest to go instead of me either.

    Who was going to take responsibility for it if the priest collapsed from shock after being sent to a place that was teeming with horned demons and peculiar demonic creatures¡­?

    [Lydia] ¡°I¡¯ll go.¡±

    Lydia, who wasn¡¯t standing too far away from us, approached.

    [Ara] ¡°Ah, Lydia, I appreciate the offer, but¡­¡±

    There wasn¡¯t anyone that I trusted more than Lydia to heal the people of the Grand Duchy. But the reason why it was troublesome to send her to the Grand Duchy was the same reason I couldn¡¯t send any other priest either.

    No matter how calm Lydia was, it would still calm as a shock to her.

    [Lydia] ¡°I know what you¡¯re worried about, Saintess. But it¡¯s alright.¡±

    Her smile was as gentle as it always was.

    [Ara] ¡°No, the problem isn¡¯t what you¡¯re thinking of, Lydia. It¡¯s actually a bit more troublesome¡­¡±

    [Lydia] ¡°It¡¯s alright.¡±

    Lecht, who was sitting next to me, leaned toward me when I was at a loss at being unable to explain the reason clearly to her. He whispered softly to me, the distance between us so close I could feel his breath against my ear.

    [Lecht] ¡°The High Priestess over there, she¡¯s a half-demon.¡±

    [Ara] ¡°Yes¡­ What?!¡±

    The one who was being shocked wasn¡¯t Lydia, but me?!

    pls do not share this anywhere or u will always stub ur toe when u walk past a door frame !! this translation has been stolen from mioscorner.com, pls only read there i¡¯m begging u :kneels:

    I turned my head to look at Lydia.

    [Ara] ¡°No way¡­¡±

    She smiled, as if she knew what Lecht had just told me.

    [Ara] ¡°Then Lydia, with this child¡­ and him¡­¡±

    I pointed to Kelber and Ryno, one after the other. Lydia smiled and nodded her head. It meant that she could see the true form beyond the illusion magic.

    [Ara] ¡°Huu¡­ I feel betrayed¡­¡±

    [Lydia] ¡°I didn¡¯t tell you since I didn¡¯t think it was that important to you, Saintess.¡±

    [Ara] ¡°Well, that¡¯s true¡­ it doesn¡¯t really matter.¡±

    It didn¡¯t matter whether Lydia was a human, a demon, or of mixed race.

    [Ara] ¡°I just feel embarrassed by my past behaviour when I didn¡¯t even have to be careful in front of you, Lydia.¡±

    [Lydia] ¡°It was very natural. It is alright.¡±

    [Ara] ¡°I feel even more embarrassed when you comfort me like that, Lydia¡­¡±

    Lydia laughed softly when I covered my red face with my hands.

    [Lydia] ¡°Then, I¡¯ll be back soon. It should only take one or two days with the space travel portal.¡±

    [Ara] ¡°Oh yeah, you can use that, Lydia.¡±

    I was just thinking about how nice it¡¯d be not to get motion sickness like I did in a carriage, but Lydia laughed and said.

    [Lydia] ¡°You can also use it too if you want. It isn¡¯t a matter of ability, but of gaining permission.¡±

    [Ara] ¡°Really?¡±

    [Lydia] ¡°There¡¯s isn¡¯t anything you can¡¯t use in the entirety of Lunarism, Saintess.¡±

    Then I¡¯d definitely use that next time I travel to and from the Grand Duchy!

    [Ara] ¡°Then you should¡¯ve told me that earlier! Then I wouldn¡¯t have had such a hard time riding in the carriage.¡±

    Lydia said something out of the blue just as I was smiling at the good news.

    [Lydia] ¡°To be honest, I didn¡¯t tell you since I thought you wouldn¡¯t use it, even if I did tell you.¡±

    [Ara] ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I use something that¡¯s so good?¡±

    [Lydia] ¡°The motion sickness is worse than riding the carriage.¡±

    [Ara] ¡°Huh¡­?¡±

    [Lydia] ¡°The motion sickness is 100 times worse than the carriage. So I don¡¯t use it unless it¡¯s really urgent either.¡±

    [Ara] ¡°Heok.¡±

    Forget using it next time. Motion sickness that¡¯s 100 times worse than a carriage? I¡¯ll definitely die¡­

    Lydia laughed as I shuddered.

    [Lydia] ¡°Then, I¡¯ll have to ask you to stay at the temple for the time being.¡±

    [Ara] ¡°Stay safe!¡±

    I clenched my fist in support of Lydia, who said she¡¯d go despite having to suffer terrible motion sickness.

    [Lydia] ¡°Could I ask you to be my guide there?¡±

    Lydia nodded her head succinctly, asking Ryno as she approached him.

    Ryno looked at Lydia with a blank face that was unlike his usual self, murmuring.

    [Ryno] ¡°We¡¯ve met before, haven¡¯t we?¡±

    Lydia tilted her head and smiled at his words.

    [Lydia] ¡°Have we?¡±

    [Ryno] ¡°I-I guess not.¡±

    Lydia only smiled at Ryno¡¯s weirdness.

    [Ryno] ¡°That¡¯s strange. Why is it so familiar?¡±

    Ryno continued to tilt his head as Lydia smiled without neither affirming nor denying his statement.

    [Ryno] ¡°Anyway, let¡¯s go! I¡¯ll be back, Your Majesty!¡±

    Ryno waved at me before following after Lydia.

    But Lecht spoke sharply before I could answer him.

    [Lecht] ¡°What do you mean, you¡¯ll come back? Isn¡¯t it your job to protect the Grand Duchy while Tanma is away?¡±

    [Ryno] ¡°¡­Hic.¡±

    Ryno hiccuped at Lecht¡¯s sharp jab.

    [Ryno] ¡°I-I will make sure to carry out my duty!¡±

    I shook my head as I watched Ryno reply energetically before rushing away like he was fleeing.

    [Ara] ¡°Just by looking at him, Ryno seems like the type to just invite scoldings.¡±

    Lydia let out a small laugh at my words, as if she agreed with me, and followed after him.

    Linden whispered to me softly as I waved at them.

    [Linden] ¡°Ara, sometimes you say things that I don¡¯t understand.¡±

    [Ara] ¡°Hmm?¡±

    I turned my head to find him looking at me with a very complicated expression on his face. He seemed rather sentimental, perhaps because of how his eyes looked.

    [Linden] ¡°With the Grand Duke and the High Priestess¡­ It¡¯s like there¡¯s yet another thing I don¡¯t know about.¡±

    [Ara] ¡°¡­¡±

    I couldn¡¯t say anything at his murmur. Although he looked upset, I couldn¡¯t tell him anything about the demons rashly just to comfort him.

    [Linden] ¡°I always think I know you well, but then I always find out that I don¡¯t.¡±

    Linden smiled self-deprecatingly and sat where Ryno had been sitting.

    [Ara] ¡°Linden, that¡­¡±

    [Linden] ¡°I¡¯m not saying this to complain.¡±

    Just as I was about to say something, he interrupted me and added another comment rather hastily.

    [Linden] ¡°I came because I had something to tell you.¡±

    [Ara] ¡°¡­Okay. Tell me.¡±

    Although it was highly likely that his intention was to change the subject, I didn¡¯t bother trying to stop him from doing so.

    [Linden] ¡°This might sound absurd, but I¡¯m telling you because I think you¡¯re being framed.¡±

    [Ara] ¡°What are you talking about?¡±

    [Linden] ¡°This case, Olivia¡­ I think she was the one that did it.¡±

    [Ara] ¡°!¡±

    I couldn¡¯t hide my look of surprise.

    Although I had told Lecht and Tanma last night about my suspicions of Olivia, I hadn¡¯t spoken about it to anyone else.

    I didn¡¯t want to cause a commotion until I got my hands on solid evidence. I didn¡¯t want to give her time to prepare for a counterattack by letting her know that I was going after her.

    But how did Linden know? Linden wouldn¡¯t know about Frody, just because Lecht did¡­

    [Ara] ¡°How¡­ did you come to that conclusion?¡±

    [Linden] ¡°I was actually doing a little investigation on Olivia before this all happened. Did you know that woman was around the village where the epidemic started?¡±

    [Ara] ¡°Olivia?¡±

    Linden shared the information that he had learned at that time with me.

    A saintess who suddenly disappeared from the temple.

    Apparently she had been found, collapsed at one of the villages on the outskirts, though perhaps her escape might have also been to meet with the crown prince, which she did quite often. With that village being the one exactly next to the village where the epidemic broke out.

    [Linden] ¡°I couldn¡¯t believe it, so I tried to dig even deeper, and focused on the dates where she had ¡®suddenly disappeared¡¯.¡±

    Having talked for quite a while, Linden paused for a moment. Trying to gauge my reaction, he asked even more cautiously than he had before.

    [Linden] ¡°Attempting to poison Olivia¡­ that¡¯s a false accusation, right?¡±

    My eyes widened.

    [Ara] ¡°How did you¡­¡±

    How did he get his hands on a fact that even I had only found out yesterday? I asked him while I admired his intelligence, hoping to get my hands on some evidence from how he found out.

    [Linden] ¡°Haa, I knew it.¡±

    Linden rubbed his face, as if my reaction was a good enough answer. The face that had been swept by his large hand looked glad, as if he had just finished his homework. There was also a sense of relief.

    [Ara] ¡°How did you find out?¡±

    [Linden] ¡°The messenger you had sent to deliver the tea said so when he was drunk at the bar I own. He said that his mistress was innocent.¡±

    [Ara] ¡°Oh¡­¡±

    Found it.

    Someone other than me who knows that I sent peppermint tea. To think that I found it without having to put a spy in the Duke¡¯s estate. I guess Lunar must really love me.

    [Linden] ¡°Obviously, everyone thought it was just some drunken nonsense, but the manager told me when he heard me investigating it.¡±

    [Ara] ¡°So where is that person now?¡±

    Linden looked perplexed as I asked urgently.

    [Linden] ¡°That¡¯s actually the problem. It¡¯s also the key point that I¡¯m trying to tell you.¡±

    [Ara] ¡°How serious is it for you to have to prepare me like that?¡±

    He looked so serious I wondered if that person had died.

    [Linden] ¡°There¡¯s someone who¡¯s been looking into this case long before me, and has since taken the messenger.¡±

    [Ara] ¡°No way, is it Olivia?¡±

    I doubt it was Ziken. It would¡¯ve been too obvious if such a simple-minded guy had made such a masterful move behind someone¡¯s back.

    Contrary to my expectations of it being Olivia or one of her aides, Linden brought out a name I couldn¡¯t have even imagined would come out.

    [Linden] ¡°Alion.¡±

    [Ara] ¡°What¡­?¡±

    [Linden] ¡°Alion Darchez was investigating this case before I was.¡±

 CH 43

    [Ara] ¡°Is it really the Little Duke?¡±

    [Linden] ¡°Yeah. I even double checked it since I couldn¡¯t believe it either.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t understand why I was hearing that man¡¯s name here.

    [Linden] ¡°To be honest, I also looked into everything where you and that woman were involved with each other since I had suspicions about a lot of things as well, but¡­¡¯

    In other words, he had run a background check on me without informing me, but it didn¡¯t matter to me. Because I knew just how touchy Linden was on having all the information in his grasp first.

    [Linden] ¡°And the places I had stuck my hand in all had traces of the Little Duke presence.¡±

    [Ara] ¡°So apart from the poisoning case, the Little Duke had been investigating everything before that?¡±

    [Linden] ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s too much of a coincidence.¡±

    How could there be such a good opportunity for him to coincidentally investigate all the past ¡®villainous¡¯ acts of Meliara and find out that she had actually been framed instead? No one would bother investigating unless they already had doubts about what they knew. But to think that just investigating wasn¡¯t enough and he even needed to take away an important witness¡­

    [Linden] ¡°This is just my opinion, but¡­¡±

    Linden snuck a look at my face and spoke cautiously.

    [Linden] ¡°The Little Duke of Darchez¡­ I think he knows you¡¯re being framed.¡±

    [Ara] ¡°What?¡±

    [¡ª] ¡°There¡¯s no way¡­¡±

    The quiet voice of a woman sounded in my ear, overlapping with my own voice.

    Shocked because there was no one else around me except for Lecht and Tanma, I turned my head to where I had heard the sound come from. But there was no one there.

    [Ara] ¡°Just now, did you hear someone else¡¯s voice?¡±

    [Linden] ¡°A voice? Whose voice?¡±

    [Ara] ¡°A woman¡¯s voice¡­¡±

    [Linden] ¡°I¡¯m not sure.¡±

    Linden tilted his head at my question while Lecht walked over to the place where I was looking. Behind a pillar. He looked behind the curtain and shook his head.

    [Ara] ¡°Never mind, I must have misheard.¡±

    But I was sure I heard it. It was strange, but since Lecht said he didn¡¯t feel anything, I brushed it off, thinking only I had felt it.

    [Ara] ¡°So what you¡¯re trying to tell me is that the Little Duke seems to believe that I¡¯m innocent?¡±

    [Linden] ¡°Yeah.¡±

    [Ara] ¡°The Little Duke and I don¡¯t seem to have a relationship that justifies such faith in me though¡­¡±

    Meliara and Alion¡¯s sibling relationship was in a way, worse than that of strangers.

    [Linden] ¡°Although I haven¡¯t met the Little Duke very often either, he¡¯s not the type of person to be so affectionate.¡±

    [Ara] ¡°No, that isn¡¯t the problem.¡±

    He neglected the young Meliara, who was being mistreated by the Duke, and turned a blind eye to her abuse. By hiding behind the position of a ¡®bystander¡¯, what he had done was nothing short of enabling and agreeing with Meliara¡¯s abuse.

    It was a totally different matter to being an affectionate person. But now, he seems to believe that I¡¯m being framed¡­?

    [Ara] ¡°How hypocritical.¡±

    If that isn¡¯t the case, then the only other possible reason is¡­?

    [Ara] ¡°Maybe it¡¯s a ploy he¡¯s made to make me return to the Duke¡¯s estate.¡±

    [Linden] ¡°But to say that¡­¡±

    Linden looked even more perplexed at my suspicion.

    [Linden] ¡°You and Olivia first had conflict when the Little Duke was at the front lines for the subjugation, right?¡±

    [Ara] ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±

    [Linden] ¡°I think he asked someone to look into it as soon as he heard news of it at the front line.¡±

    [Ara] ¡°¡­That was almost two years ago.¡±

    [Linden] ¡°Yeah, so¡­ personally, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a ploy constructed to get you to return to the Duchy.¡±

    It wasn¡¯t something that happened recently. It¡¯s something that¡¯s been like that for a long time already.

    I massaged my head, which was full of complicated thoughts. My throat felt stuffy, like someone who had eaten something wrong.

    [Ara] ¡°You¡¯re saying that he might have trusted and cherished me, even while he neglected me for such a long time?¡±

    [Linden] ¡°I just said it since it could be a possibility.¡±

    Linden added cautiously, perhaps because my voice was too sharp.

    Nevertheless, the only thing I could do was let out a sigh. My throat felt stuffy. Whether it was anger or annoyance, an emotion that I couldn¡¯t quite identify rose up from within me.

    [Ara] ¡°Haa¡­¡±

    I shut my eyes tightly and tried to empty my stomach of its contents with a sigh, but it was useless.

    [Ara] ¡°Even if that¡¯s how he truly feels¡­¡±

    There¡¯s already no one left for him to tell.

    [Ara] ¡°Even if it¡¯s late, this is just too late.¡±

    I heard a soft, muffled sound, as if it were responding to my words that I had blurted out.

    [¡ª] ¡°Heup¡­!¡±

    Despite the person trying not to make a sound, it was the kind of sobbing that couldn¡¯t be held in.

    [¡ª] Heuheuk¡­

    I turned my head at the quiet sounds of sobbing so sorrowful it was enough to shake people¡¯s hearts just by listening to it.

    [Ara] ¡°You can¡¯t hear this either?¡±

    I asked Linden, but he shook his head with an expression that showed he didn¡¯t know what I was talking about.

    [Ara] ¡°Lecht too?¡±

    Lecht shook his head as well. Tanma was no different to them.

    I got up from where I sat and moved carefully to where the sound was coming from.

    [¡ª] Heuheuk¡­

    To be honest, it was a little creepy. To think that no one else but me could hear the sound.

    But that was all the more reason for me to investigate it thoroughly. The source of the sound was none other than behind the pillar. It was definitely where Lecht had just checked earlier.

    My eyes widened when I poked my head in slightly to check the identity of the sobbing person.

    [Ara] ¡°Huh¡­?¡±

    [¡ª] !

    Surprised by my voice, the woman fell back onto the floor on her butt.

    Brown eyes that looked back up at me. Clean skin. A face that looked exactly like mine, but filled with tears.

    [Ara] ¡°Meliara¡­?¡±

    [¡ª] You can¡­ hic, see me¡­?

    The source of the auditory hallucination that had been heard earlier was none other than the original owner of this body.

    * * *

    pls do not share this anywhere or u will always stub ur toe when u walk past a door frame !! this translation has been stolen from mioscorner.com, pls only read there i¡¯m begging u :kneels:

    I deliberately took Lecht and Linden to my room in case anyone else could me if I talked outside. Butler Tanma stayed outside, saying that he would go and keep the priests in order instead of me.

    [Ara] ¡°You really can¡¯t see it?¡±

    Pointing to Meliara¡¯s soul, I asked them again, but both men shook their heads.

    [Meliara] You¡¯re the first one who¡¯s seen me.

    The way she trails off at the end of her sentence, her way of speaking, and even her act of tucking her hair behind her ears. All of them were described as her habits in the original story.

    I stretched out my hand again, but it went straight through her, just like it had before.

    [Ara] ¡°Ha, I really can¡¯t even touch it.¡±

    Even though it didn¡¯t seem like I was hallucinating, it was still my first time seeing a ghost, so I didn¡¯t really know how to accept it.

    [Ara] ¡°If I¡¯m the first one to see you, then why were you hiding like that earlier?¡±

    [Meliara]?? Oh¡­ because I feel like I¡¯m in a place where I¡¯m not supposed to be for some reason¡­

    She felt like she did something wrong, even though her opening her eyes here wasn¡¯t because she wanted to. I felt suffocated just thinking of how she had been treated to think like that.

    [Ara] ¡°You said you couldn¡¯t go outside this temple, right?¡±

    [Meliara] Yes¡­

    [Ara] ¡°If the area inside the temple is special, then¡­ is the fact that I can see you also thanks to the fact that I¡¯m the saintess?¡±

    [Meliara] That could be the case¡­ It could also be because you¡¯re me as well¡­

    I exchanged a few words with her, feeling like I was talking to a mirror. The more we talked, the more I understood. This wasn¡¯t an illusion, but was Meliara herself.

    [Ara] ¡°So the day before I opened my eyes in this body, you had earnestly wished to just ¡®disappear like this¡¯? And then when you woke up, you found yourself here in the temple in this state?¡±

    [Meliara] Yes¡­

    [Ara] ¡°How could that be?¡±

    Although she had wished to die, she hadn¡¯t personally drank any poison, nor had she jumped off from anywhere either.

    [Meliara] To be honest, back then¡­ it felt like something had burst out from here¡­ and now that I think about it, it seemed like the mana exploded¡­

    [Ara] ¡°Mana¡­? Don¡¯t tell me that was your magic being unleashed?¡±

    [Meliara] Maybe¡­

    [Ara] ¡°Weren¡¯t you unable to use magic? You, who couldn¡¯t use it, unlike the Duchess¡­!¡±

    How much persecution had she received from the Duke though¡­! I couldn¡¯t just recklessly talk about her terrible past, which she was all the more aware of than me, so I just shut up.

    [Meliara] That¡¯s what I thought as well, but I guess it was actually possible¡­

    She lowered her head and looked down at her own two hands. For her mana to burst out causing her to become a mage at that moment; why then of all times?

    Looking back at that time, it was where even her engagement had been broken off, and she had lost all hope. Anyone who fell into an abyss like this would think that they just wanted to die, even if it was just for a moment. But the moment she had that thought, the first magic she had in her life burst out from within her, making her soul disappear from her own body.

    Just how pitiful would this woman¡¯s life be? Even though I was angry and frustrated just from hearing about it, Meliara herself was quite calm.

    [Meliara] I was stupid¡­ I should have been more careful¡­

    [Ara] ¡°It¡¯s not your fault. How could you be careful when you didn¡¯t even know you could use magic?¡±

    It was never her fault. I would rather blame God than put the blame on her.

    [Meliara] I should¡¯ve worked harder in order to learn how to use magic faster¡­

    [Ara] ¡°How could you work any harder than you already did¡­!¡±

    And to think that during all this time, you thought that you caused harm to other people just because you couldn¡¯t use magic fast enough.

    [Meliara] Thank you for saying so.

    I realised upon seeing her smile softly, as if she were happy, even with such obvious words that were a given. Just how low Meliara¡¯s self-esteem was. It upset me once again when I thought of the environment she grew up in, which led to her becoming like this.

    As I closed both eyes tightly with a sigh, Linden called out to me.

    [Linden] ¡°Ara, if I¡¯m not mistaken, then¡­ there¡¯s someone there, right?¡±

    Turning his head, he gestured lightly to where Meliara¡¯s soul was standing. But to him, it would look empty.

    [Linden] ¡°And that¡­ if I¡¯m not out of my mind, then¡­¡±

    Looking alternately between where Meliara was standing and where I was standing, he spoke cautiously.

    [Linden] ¡°Meliara Darchez?¡±

    [Ara] ¡°Haa¡­¡±

    How many times have I sighed already? But when I thought about everything I had to explain in the future, all I could do was let out another sigh again.

    [Ara] ¡°Lecht, Linden. I have something to tell the two of you. It¡¯s going to be something absurd that you¡¯ve never heard anywhere else before.¡±

    I asked Lecht and Linden simultaneously.

    [Ara] ¡°Can you promise to believe what I¡¯m saying?¡±

    [Lecht] ¡°You¡¯re asking something that¡¯s a given.¡±

    Lecht¡¯s answer came frighteningly quickly, as soon as he heard my question, while Linden seemed to hesitate for a while before nodding his head.

    [Linden] ¡°Who would I trust, if not you?¡±

    [Ara] ¡°Huu¡­ Then, shall we take a seat first? It¡¯s going to be a long story.¡±

    * * *

    The story, which I thought would take the whole day to explain, took less time for them to digest than I thought it would.

    [Linden] ¡°So ever since I first met you at the lodging, you¡¯ve been a different person.¡±

    [Ara] ¡°I¡¯m sorry for not telling you right away.¡±

    [Linden] ¡°No, I completely understand. There¡¯d be no need for you to tell me if we didn¡¯t have this close of a relationship as we do now.¡±

    He was right. Since there¡¯s no reason for me to go around talking about this for no reason.

    [Linden] ¡°I¡¯m glad I know, even if it¡¯s now.¡±

    A soft smile was spread prettily across Linden¡¯s face.

    [Linden] ¡°I seem to understand everything now.¡±

    He looked relieved, as if he had finally realised something. In any case, he seemed to have noticed how much I changed and thought it was strange. As expected, he¡¯s quite quick-witted.

    [Ara] ¡°Lecht too, I¡¯m so-¡±

    [Lecht] ¡°There¡¯s no need for you to apologise.¡±

    Lecht stopped me mid apology. Instead, he brushed the back of his finger against my cheek and whispered.

    [Lecht] ¡°Since what I¡¯ve been waiting for is¡­¡±

    He didn¡¯t finish his sentence, perhaps because he was conscious of the people around us. However, I could still understand the obvious words, ¡®Since what I¡¯ve been waiting for is your soul anyway¡¯, that he had swallowed.

    [Lecht] ¡°So that¡¯s why you were saying that it would¡¯ve been of no use, even if I had found you sooner.¡±

    Judging from the relieved look in his eyes as he whispered, he seemed to have been hung up all throughout the day over our conversation yesterday. He smiled as I nodded my head.

    [Meliara] Someone wrote about my story¡­?

    While the two men only cared about when they discovered the difference between Meliara and I, Meliara reacted in a completely different direction.

    I spoke apprehensively.

    [Ara] ¡°Even if a story was written about this place, it¡¯s definitely still its own world and space.¡±

    I felt like with her already low self-esteem, she¡¯d have an even bigger sense of shame upon realising that this place was only a world within paper.

    [Ara] ¡°But I guess it¡¯d be the same if you wrote about my world as well, it¡¯d also be like a world inside a book too?¡±

    Although I tried to explain the situation in a hurry, Meliara was fixated on a completely different point than what I was thinking.

    [Meliara] So someone read my story¡­

    [Ara] ¡°Meliara¡­?¡±

    Her tears dripped down uncontrollably.

    [Meliara] So there was someone who took interest in my life¡­ I¡¯m glad¡­

    She didn¡¯t even seem to care that she was seen as a ¡®villainess¡¯ in it. She was just glad that someone had been paying attention to her, even if it was someone in another world.

    I felt my chest getting stuffy by seeing the reaction that showed just how lonely her life had been.

    Just what sort of grudge did Olivia have against this kind of person?

    [Ara] ¡°Meliara, could you finish what you were saying earlier? The story of you and Olivia.¡±

 CH 44

    Upon arriving at the Grand Duchy using the space travel portal, Lydia immediately started to work without further ado. Her job was easy since everyone who needed her touch was already gathered in one room.

    Although there were many horned demons, and demonic creatures that would be outside the bounds of what would be familiar to humans, they didn¡¯t bother her at all.

    [Ryno] ¡°You¡¯re not a human, are you?¡±

    Ryno asked as he looked at her, who he thought would¡¯ve been much more startled, but was unusually calm, as if she was used to it.

    [Ryno] ¡°Seeing as you have no horns¡­ Do you have more human blood than demon blood?¡±

    [Lydia] ¡°Just like how the size of a demon¡¯s horns does not make a difference to demons, the presence or absence of horns also has nothing to do with how much of each side¡¯s blood you have mixed in you.¡±

    [Ryno] ¡°So you are of mixed race!¡±

    Ryno didn¡¯t care if she was closer to that of a human or a demon in the first place anyway.

    [Ryno] ¡°Woah! It¡¯s my first time seeing another half-demon other than me!¡±

    Ryno shifted closer to sit next to Lydia, who was washing her hands lightly to heal the next person.

    [Ryno] ¡°Maybe that¡¯s why I felt you looked familiar¡­!¡±

    Lydia focused on the next patient after glancing at him for a bit.

    [Ryno] ¡°My name is Ryno. What about you?¡±

    [Lydia] ¡°You¡¯re very extroverted.¡±

    [Ryno] ¡°I mean, it¡¯s my first time seeing another half-demon! I even thought that I was the only one in this world!¡±

    The shining eyes that were fixed on her face were quite burdensome.

    [Ryno] ¡°You won¡¯t feel annoyed if I drop the formalities, right?¡±

    [Lydia] ¡°¡­¡±

    [Ryno] ¡°Let¡¯s speak comfortably as friends. How about it?¡±

    [Lydia] ¡°Friends¡­ Even if I¡¯m older than you, I¡¯ll still be 100 years older than you.¡±

    [Ryno] ¡°Heok. You didn¡¯t seem like you were.¡±

    Obviously having not thought that Lydia would be older than him, Ryno covered his mouth in surprise. But soon after doing so, he began to talk once again.

    [Ryno] ¡°When did you meet Her Majesty? I first met her 100 years ago, but back then, I¡­¡±

    Lydia didn¡¯t bother to stop him from talking excitedly about Ara. Since she also liked talking about Ara as well.

    [Ryno] ¡°¡­so that I can repay Her Majesty¡¯s faith in me¡­!¡±

    He continued talking until Lydia had finished healing everyone. Finally finished with healing her last patient, Lydia stretched her stiff body. It had become dark outside before she even knew it.

    [Ryno] ¡°What about you? When did you first meet Her Majesty? How did you meet her?¡±

    Ryno finally concluded his story before asking about Lydia¡¯s story. Lydia turned her head to look out of the open window beside her. The autumn wind was floating in softly.

    [Lydia] ¡°The first time I met Miss Ara was on a cool, windy night like tonight.¡±

    Lydia smiled as she recalled that day back then.

    [Lydia] ¡°She had an appearance that resembled a black rose, different from what she looks like now.¡±

    [Ryno] ¡°That¡¯s right. Her Majesty was beautiful, even when she had black hair.¡±

    Lydia continued to speak calmly when Ryno responded to her words.

    [Lydia] ¡°At that time, Miss Ara told me something I had never heard before in my life.¡±

    [Ryno] ¡°What did she say?¡±

    Since she had something as cool as, ¡®You¡¯re going to become an invincible guy¡¯ to him, he similarly anticipated what sort of incredible words she¡¯d say to Lydia. And naturally, Her Majesty didn¡¯t disappoint him.

    [Lydia] ¡°It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve seen such a pretty girl like you. So why are you covering up this pretty face?¡±

    Lydia raised her hand to brush it across the Lunar pattern that covered half of her face.

    [Lydia] ¡°I would always try and cover it in a hurry, since everyone around me would only ask why that sort of thing was on a girl¡¯s face.¡±

    [Ryno] ¡°Cover it¡­?¡±

    At her words, a glimpse of a past memory flashed through Ryno¡¯s mind.

    [Ryno] ¡°Huh¡­?¡±

    He sprang to his feet and reached a hand out toward her. His eyes grew round as he covered the left side of her face with the pattern with his own hand.

    [Ryno] ¡°T-The masked noona from back then¡­?¡±

    t/n: used by younger males to address older females

    Lydia let out a grin at Ryno¡¯s words.

    [Lydia] ¡°Do you remember now?¡±

    [Ryno] ¡°Heoookk!¡±

    [Lydia] ¡°You¡¯d always follow me around, saying noona, noona. So you¡¯ve forgotten about it all, huh?¡±

    Ryno¡¯s mouth was so wide it seemed like his jaw was about to drop.

    [Ryno] ¡°W-Why did you pretend not to know me?!¡±

    [Lydia] ¡°I was wondering how long it would take for you to remember.¡±

    [Ryno] ¡°I-It¡¯s because I thought you were a human! Obviously I thought you were already dead¡­!¡±

    Lydia grabbed his hand which was covering half her face, still seemingly not believing him.

    [Lydia] ¡°Long time no see, crybaby.¡±

    He had deliberately pretended to be energetic and strong for 100 years already, since he didn¡¯t want to be criticised for being vulnerable, just because of the human blood in him. Overturning all that effort he had put in, Ryno started to cry upon reconnecting with the friend he hadn¡¯t met for 100 years.

    * * *

    pls do not share this anywhere or u will always stub ur toe when u walk past a door frame !! this translation has been stolen from mioscorner.com, pls only read there i¡¯m begging u :kneels:

    Late into the night, we put our heads together to plan a counterattack.

    [Linden] ¡°Wouldn¡¯t the Little Duke have wanted to prove Meliara¡¯s innocence, judging by how he gathered all the evidence like that?¡±

    [Ara] ¡°I still think it¡¯s simply because he wants to restore the Duke of Darchez¡¯s reputation.¡±

    I just couldn¡¯t believe that he was struggling to clear his sibling¡¯s name after leaving Meliara neglected for so many years beforehand. But Meliara was a bit more innocent.

    [Meliara] Still, I¡¯d like to think that he did it because he believed I was innocent¡­ Is that too naive of me¡­?¡±

    In any case, she would still carry the hope that he believed in her since she still had affection for her older brother.

    [Linden] ¡°It¡¯s still a bit strange when you think about it. No matter what his initial intentions were, why isn¡¯t he revealing it and just staying put when he now knows for sure that his little sister is innocent?¡±

    Linden expressed more doubts about Alion¡¯s current actions than the reason behind it.

    [Ara] ¡°Maybe he still lacks all the sufficient evidence, or perhaps he¡¯s just waiting for the right timing to reveal it.¡±

    While we exchanged our varying opinions, the one who gave the most useful conclusion was Lecht.

    [Lecht] ¡°No matter if it¡¯s his initial intentions or what his current mentality is. Nothing will change unless we meet him.¡±

    We had to meet him to see what his intentions were, and what his current mentality was right now. We also had to meet in order for us to take the evidence too.

    [Ara] ¡°Regardless of anything else, he¡¯s more likely to meet me rather than Lecht or Linden, so I¡¯ll request for him to make a visit.¡±

    I was a bit worried since I had sent him back so cold-heartedly last time so he might not agree to my request to meet now. If he said he wouldn¡¯t meet me, it¡¯d be beyond my capacity, since there was no other way for us to meet, seeing as I currently was unable to leave the temple.

    However, it was immediately revealed that all my worrying was meaningless the next day. Receiving the message, he came to see me as soon as the sun rose.

    * * *

    I greeted him in the temple¡¯s parlour.

    While I was meeting with Alion, Linden said that he¡¯d look into Olivia while Lecht also left, saying that he¡¯d try to track Frody¡¯s footsteps.

    [Ara] ¡°You came quite quickly.¡±

    [Alion] ¡°¡­it¡¯s because I¡¯ll always be too late.¡±

    He hesitated for a while before he spoke.

    [Alion] ¡°So it¡¯s my desperate struggle to make up for it, even if it¡¯s only now.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t help but pay attention to the expression of Meliara, who was sitting next to me, at his words that were filled with a meaning I couldn¡¯t quite understand. Looking at Alion with a complex expression on her face, she whispered.

    [Meliara] It¡¯s a bit awkward, since this is my first time seeing my older brother¡¯s face this close¡­

    But still, to think that it¡¯s her first time seeing her brother¡¯s face this close despite living under the same roof for so long. As long as they¡¯ve had a meal together, no, then doesn¡¯t this mean they¡¯ve never even had tea together before?

    Alion seemed to look even more annoying for no reason.

    He spoke quietly, perhaps because he had glimpsed the emotions that showed on my face.

    [Alion] ¡°Drinking tea together¡­ I think it¡¯s our first time.¡±

    [Ara] ¡°So you know.¡±

    To be honest, even though Meliara had been amazed by this ¡®first time¡¯ of theirs, I didn¡¯t think that he¡¯d notice either.

    Even though I was conscious of my detest of him, my voice still inevitably sounded a bit too curt. My cold reaction caused him to look at my face.

    [Alion] ¡°I heard you had a disturbance with the Crown Prince.¡±

    He changed the conversation soon after.

    [Alion] ¡°That¡¯s probably why you contacted me, right?¡±

    [Ara] ¡°It¡¯s similar to that.¡±

    [Alion] ¡°What do you need?¡±

    Without even asking what had happened, he asked. At his sudden reaction to tell him what I needed, I felt a bit flustered.

    [Ara] ¡°Is that what you¡¯re most curious about¡­?¡±

    [Alion] ¡°¡­What would you like me to be curious about?¡±

    [Ara] ¡°You must have heard the full story already. About how they found the drug in my bag, or how I¡¯m being suspected of spreading the epidemic. So I thought you¡¯d be the most curious about whether or not I¡¯m innocent.¡±

    [Alion] ¡°You said it¡¯s not you.¡±

    [Ara] ¡°What¡­?¡±

    [Alion] ¡°You said it wasn¡¯t you. That¡¯s what you told me, or did I mishear that?¡±

    [Ara] ¡°It wasn¡¯t me¡­ I did say that.¡±

    [Alion] ¡°So is there any reason for me to be more curious about that?¡±

    At his sincere looking appearance and the words that were said with a frown, as if they were a given, I was lost for words for a moment. I didn¡¯t know how he interpreted my silence, but he added.

    [Alion] ¡°If you say it¡¯s not you, then it isn¡¯t.¡±

    [Ara] ¡°¡­Did you always think like that?¡±

    I was rather embarrassed by his completely unexpected response.

    [Ara] ¡°Did you always believe¡­ that your little sister was innocent¡­?¡±

    [Alion] ¡°¡­¡±

    [Ara] ¡°Is that why you investigated like that every time a situation occurred?¡±

    [Alion] ¡°You knew I investigated it all, as expected. I thought I had been pretty secretive already.¡±

    [Ara] ¡°¡­¡±

    He paused for a moment before speaking again.

    [Alion] ¡°It wasn¡¯t that I specifically believed you were innocent. I just believed you.¡±

    [Ara] ¡°What do you mean by that¡­?¡±

    He said to me, who didn¡¯t understand the difference between the two.

    [Alion] ¡°Because you always said it wasn¡¯t you.¡±

    [Ara] ¡°¡­¡±

    [Alion] ¡°It didn¡¯t matter if you weren¡¯t innocent. I just believed you when you said it wasn¡¯t you.¡±

    I kept suspecting that the reason he investigated was to protect the reputation of the Duke of Darchez. But that wasn¡¯t the case. Regardless of whether the reputation of the Duchy was restored, or whether she was innocent or not, he had only simply believed his little sister.

    [Ara] ¡°Ha.¡±

    I turned my head at the truth that was unusually heavy. I could see Meliara next to me, who was just as shocked as I was.

    [Meliara] Brother¡­ believed in me¡­? But I thought you hated me, Brother¡­

    [Ara] ¡°Do you normally believe the words of someone you hate without doubting it?¡±

    I threw Meliara¡¯s question back at Alion. At that moment, Alion¡¯s face was stained with embarrassment. His eyes shook violently.

    [Alion] ¡°It¡¯s not that I hate you¡­!¡±

    Instead of saying something that sounded like an excuse, he just kept his mouth shut. After a brief moment of silence, he opened his mouth again.

    [Alion] ¡°Tell me what you need.¡±

    His objective of switching the topic was too obvious.

    [Alion] ¡°Seeing as you¡¯ve got both the Grand Duke of Arvis and the Lunar religion on your side, you must need something that can¡¯t be done without me, right?¡±

    [Ara] ¡°Correct.¡±

    [Alion] ¡°Tell me. I¡¯ll see if I can do it.¡±

    [Ara] ¡°The things you¡¯ve investigated about me so far.¡±

    He frowned without saying anything, as if he didn¡¯t understand what I was saying right away.

    [Ara] ¡°You have the messenger who delivered the tea to Saintess Olivia, right? I need that person.¡±

    [Alion] ¡°¡­¡±

    [Ara] ¡°Other than that, all the evidence that can prove my innocence, like the ledgers of the shop that sold the poisonous herbs.¡±

    Realising what I was aiming for, only then did his frown deepen.

    [Alion] ¡°Are you thinking of using it?¡±

    [Ara] ¡°Yes.¡±

    [Alion] ¡°You won¡¯t be able to restore your relationship with the Crown Prince if you touch Saintess Olivia. You know that, right?¡±

    [Ara] ¡°I have no thought of restoring that relationship.¡±

    I peeked at Meliara who was next to me. I thought she would hope for that relationship to be repaired, since she loved that foolish Crown Prince. However, she shook her head, as if she could read my thoughts.

    [Ara] ¡°I can¡¯t go back anyway.¡±

    Meliara nodded in agreement with my comment. She seemed to have made up her mind too.

    Alion seemed to be troubled over something for a moment.

    [Alion] ¡°Alright.¡±

    [Ara] ¡°Really¡­?¡±

    [Alion] ¡°I can give it all to you.¡±

    I was even momentarily surprised by his unexpectedly refreshing answer.

    [Alion] ¡°Instead¡­¡±

    His words that meant to introduce conditions caused my lips to shut.

    As expected, there¡¯s no way he would just give it all away. I was the one who was foolish to think that he would help me without a price after hearing all that nonsense of him believing his little sister.

    In the end, he too, was a nobleman who took net profit into account.

    [Ara] ¡°Instead?¡±

    As I waited quietly for his request, his lips moved slightly before he spoke in a breathy voice.

    [Alion] ¡°Instead, will you come back to the Duchy if I ask you to?¡±

 CH 45

    To be honest, I wasn¡¯t that surprised. Since it was within the range of requests he could¡¯ve asked of me. That was why I could also answer him right away.

    [Ara] ¡°Little Duke, our relationship was severed the moment the Duke of Darchez threw me away. There is no reason for me to return to the Duchy.¡±

    I understood that it would be a shame for the Duchy to lose me, who had become a saintess. But wasn¡¯t it too deceptive of them to grab onto the ¡®useless child¡¯ once they had become of use?

    [Ara] ¡°If you want me to do something as the Saintess for the Duchy, I can talk to the temple and consider doing so.¡±

    [Alion] ¡°It¡¯s not that.¡±

    He bit his lower lip at my words telling him to request something different since I had no intention of returning.

    [Alion] ¡°It¡¯s true that my father was the one who told me to bring you back since you became the saintess. I won¡¯t deny that. But I¡¯m saying that I want you back, not just because of that reason.¡±

    [Ara] ¡°¡­I don¡¯t quite understand what you¡¯re saying.¡±

    Why else would he want Meliara back, if not for the reason that she¡¯s now a ¡®saintess¡¯?

    His lips moved slightly, but he couldn¡¯t find anything appropriate to say. Instead, he placed the box that was next to him onto the table.

    Curious as it is about what was inside the box that he had brought together with him, he pushed it closer toward me.

    [Alion] ¡°I brought it back when I was returning from the expedition this time.¡±

    He was beating around the bush when it was clearly a gift. All sorts of thoughts ran through my head for a moment.

    A gift? Was Alion the type of person who would care enough to give Meliara a gift?

    That didn¡¯t seem to be the case when I snuck a look sideways to check Meliara¡¯s expression. Since she had a shocked expression on her face too.

    I looked suspiciously at the box for a long time before I reached my hand out.

    [Ara] ¡°I can open it, right?¡±

    I opened it after I confirmed he had nodded his head.

    Inside was a teddy bear that was big enough to fit in my arms. It was a teddy bear that was ordinary enough to be found anywhere.

    [Alion] ¡°I¡¯ve never once¡­ properly behaved like an older brother before.¡±

    [Meliara] Ah.

    It wasn¡¯t me, but Meliara, who let loose a sigh at his explanation of his gift. She covered her mouth with trembling hands. She looked like she was about to burst into tears at any moment now.

    I understood without even having to ask.

    Something she wanted to have at least once, but never had the chance to receive, even once. She never once had a stuffed toy that aristocratic girls would naturally have in their ordinary childhood.

    Since no one bought one for her, nor was she in any position to ask for one.

    [Alion] ¡°When I came back and heard that you weren¡¯t at the Duchy anymore, I thought you had just run away from home in a childish fit of temper. And after only listening to our father, who said that you talked back to him and complained, I went to pick you up without even trying to understand your reasoning behind it properly¡­¡±

    He, who seemed to be laying out his justification, trailed off in the middle of his sentence. His lips moved slightly before he continued on carefully.

    [Alion] ¡°The moment I saw your expression when you said we should never see each other again, I knew. That you really had no intention of coming back.¡±

    [Ara] ¡°¡­¡±

    [Alion] ¡°So that¡¯s why I also missed my opportunity to say this.¡±

    [Ara] ¡°Say what?¡±

    He hesitated again at my question. He seemed to be thinking, ¡®Is saying this really the right thing?¡¯ After a long while of hesitating, he whispered.

    [Alion] ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    My eyes widened at the words that flowed out of his lips. Meliara also seemed just as shocked when I turned my head to look at her. The sight of her trembling hands that still covered her mouth was extremely pitiful.

    [Alion] ¡°When I was little, I hated you because I believed the words of those around me when they said that my mother died because of you, just like a fool would.¡±

    He slowly began to tell his own story. I considered whether or not I should stop him, but I waited quietly since Meliara seemed to want to hear it.

    [Alion] ¡°Then one day, I heard what you said when you were crying all by yourself.¡±

    ¡°If it weren¡¯t for me, my mum wouldn¡¯t have died, my brother wouldn¡¯t be sad, and my dad wouldn¡¯t be angry all the time.¡±

    [Alion] ¡°It wasn¡¯t something a child of only nine years would say.¡±

    [Ara] ¡°¡­¡±

    [Alion] ¡°I immediately came to my senses the moment I heard those words. Just what on earth was I doing to my little sister?¡±

    As if it wasn¡¯t enough for her not to receive the generous love of her family, she was even shunned and abused at such an age. Since they were siblings with a nine year age gap, Alion, who turned eighteen, immediately realised his past wrongdoings.

    [Alion] ¡°But I couldn¡¯t get closer to you without hesitating. You already found being around me so uncomfortable¡­¡±

    Alion was also not someone who could suddenly change his behaviour to treat someone else warmly. Rather, the guilt of what he had done to her until now would¡¯ve more likely caught him by the heels instead.

    [Alion] ¡°I couldn¡¯t even protect you from our father since I was too weak¡­¡±

    Moreover, to Alion, the Duke was like an unsurpassable mountain. He wasn¡¯t brave enough to stand up to his father and protect Meliara at such a young age.

    [Alion] ¡°But seeing it now after coming here, even that¡¯s all just a cowardly excuse. Even though I was weak, while you were living in fear, you were much more¡­¡±

    He couldn¡¯t bear to finish his sentence.

    Since she, at a much younger age, and with a much smaller body, was already being pressured by this unsurpassable mountain of a father, while he had been running away due to his fear.

    Knowing that, Alion was at a loss for words for a long time. Staring only at the teddy bear that was inside the gift box, he murmured quietly in a voice that was almost a sigh.

    [Alion] ¡°I didn¡¯t need to do anything that grandiose¡­ I clearly could¡¯ve just started with the basics.¡±

    Those words that were murmured quietly made my heart tighten. A sour feeling tickled the edge of my throat.

    He had figured out the problem more accurately than I thought he would.

    [Alion] ¡°So, give me one more chance, Meliara. So that at least once, I can be a proper older brother to you.¡±

    [Ara] ¡°¡­¡±

    [Alion] ¡°Come back.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t say anything to that.

    [Meliara] Heuheuk¡­

    Since I wasn¡¯t the recipient of those words, and since the actual Meliara was crying silently next to me.

    I wanted to be angry just like how I felt deep in my heart, since it was already too late. But I couldn¡¯t even say anything recklessly, since it didn¡¯t seem to be my place to get angry like that.

    The desperate appearance of Alion, who doesn¡¯t even know that his little sister is already gone. The sound of Meliara sobbing, and her tears that are still leaking out, even now. And a teddy bear that, even though is late, has arrived all the more too late.

    I felt that this whole situation was regrettable.

    A single word of resentment popped out of nowhere as I looked at the teddy bear that was lying on the table like that.

    [Ara] ¡°Why are you only here now?¡±

    Why are you so late? And what¡¯s with this extremely common teddy bear?

    this is so tragic QAQ

    pls do not share this anywhere or u will always stub ur toe when u walk past a door frame !! this translation has been stolen from mioscorner.com, pls only read there i¡¯m begging u :kneels:

    There was a long silence that followed the end of that sentence.

    It was Alion who got up from his seat first.

    [Alion] ¡°¡­Goodbye.¡±

    I only looked up from my position, since there was no reason for me to stop him from leaving.

    The light in his eyes when we made eye contact was dark. I could still see the fatigue I had seen when I had encountered him at the accommodation.

    I could now understand why his face was always so dark.

    Even if he was only the Little Duke, he might¡¯ve had a better life than Meliara, since he would¡¯ve had the care of everyone in the Duchy. But¡­

    ¡®This man was also just a victim of a broken family.¡¯

    He too was a man who needed just as much affection as Meliara needed.

    I could see that now.

    But there was nothing I could do.

    Since nothing would change, even if I went back with him. The fact that he was already too late was now an irreversible reality. It would only be a deception for me to pretend to be Meliara to reward his efforts, just to ease my mind.

    [Ara] ¡°Little Duke.¡±

    I wasn¡¯t in a position to forgive him, since I wasn¡¯t Meliara. So this was the only sincerity I could freely tell him with my position.

    [Ara] ¡°Stay healthy.¡±

    Alion¡¯s pupils shook violently for a moment. But in the end, he still left the room without leaving a reply.

    The sound of Meliara¡¯s sobbing grew louder as the door clicked shut after his departure.

    [Meliara] Heuheuheuk¡­!

    I could neither give her a pat on the back since I couldn¡¯t even touch her, nor did I have the ability to give her any words of comfort. The best I could do was give her some time to herself. I left the room with her, crying sadly in front of the teddy bear.

    I took a heavy step after telling the priests not to enter that room for a while.

    I had only wanted to ask him for some evidence, but I had unintentionally caught a glimpse of the deep and complicated feelings between the two siblings. Although it wasn¡¯t intentional, the situation became even more complicated since there was a foreign existence stuck between the two of them.

    ¡®I don¡¯t think it¡¯s possible to ask for Alion¡¯s cooperation anymore, so what should I do?¡¯

    Should I really use a spy to steal the evidence¡­?

    But I didn¡¯t want to employ such a method after seeing the complicated relationship between Meliara and Alion.

    The problem was just that going ahead without either Frody¡¯s testimony, or Alion¡¯s evidence was like hitting a rock with an egg.

    ¡®I should be able to clear my head a bit if I take a walk.¡¯

    I headed to the garden with the thought that I¡¯d be able to think a bit more comfortably after getting some fresh air. I followed the long hallway and watched the scenery outside of the large window.

    [Ara] ¡°It¡¯ll really be winter soon.¡±

    I was hit by the chilly air as soon as I opened the door to the garden. I was lucky that I had my outerwear on.

    A cold energy wafted up as I walked on top of the lawn. It was a refreshing and pleasant coldness. It helped to ease the complicated thoughts that were cluttering my head.

    I suddenly felt a prickling sensation at the back of my head as I was looking at the cloudless blue sky. I turned my head in surprise, but I couldn¡¯t see anything there.

    ¡®That¡¯s strange. I thought I could feel someone looking at me.¡¯

    Thinking that I had mistaken it for the feeling of the cool wind, I turned my head back. However, as if to prove that I hadn¡¯t been mistaken, Kelber suddenly stood in front of me with his back turned to me, his hackles raised.

    [Kelber] ¡°Grrr¡­¡±

    [Ara] ¡°Kelber¡­?¡±

    I began to feel anxious upon seeing Kelber baring his teeth threateningly at the empty space in front of us.

    I put my hand on my chest and circulated my divine power around my heart. I could feel the shield that I had absorbed from the side temple in Chivan Village. Preparing to take it out at any time, I leaned closer to Kelber, who was now the size of a lion.

    At that moment, the fragrance of gold osmanthus flowers tickled the tip of my nose. I could tell who it was immediately.

    [Ara] ¡°Frody.¡±

    As soon as I finished speaking, a small breeze billowed frighteningly in the space in front of me and revealed his figure.

    [Frody] ¡°Oh, it looks like the Saintess is right. How did you know?¡±

    [Ara] ¡°It¡¯d be stranger if I didn¡¯t know, when you¡¯ve been so strongly appealing for me to notice you like this.¡±

    Frody approached me, the corner of his mouth curling up.

    [Kelber] ¡°Woof woof!¡±

    Kelber barked loudly at him as he approached me.

    Frody¡¯s pet snake, which didn¡¯t seem to like that, grew in size and sprang up toward Kelber. The five-headed snake that was as big as a horse, and Kelber, who was as big as a brown bear, quickly began to entangle each other.

    It was a far cry from his playful tussling with Gryphon. The two of them rushed to kill each other.

    The snake was using its body to try and bind Kelber, who cleverly avoided it and was trampling on the moving torso of the snake. It looked as if either of them would be severely injured if they were even bitten once.

    But I didn¡¯t have time to worry about Kelber¡¯s fight.

    Frody, who had narrowed the distance between us in an instance, was now right in front of me.

    [Frody] ¡°Hello, Saintess.¡±

    ¡®Although I thought of meeting him in order to persuade him, I wasn¡¯t expecting him to show up in person like this either.¡¯

    Was it because I knew he had a hostile relationship with Lecht? Or was it because I knew that he was the figure behind Olivia¡¯s true self? Although he had never harmed me, nor did we have a particularly bad relationship, I could still feel chills travelling up my spine.

    [Frody] ¡°I thought so last time as well, but your face is really pretty, Saintess.¡±

    I took a step back as he examined my face closely and evaluated it.

    [Ara] ¡°I appreciate the compliment, but could you please stay away from me? This distance is a little burdensome.¡±

    Nevertheless, he approached me just as much as I retreated.

 CH 46

    t/n

    will be getting rid of the brackets and only putting them in when it¡¯s simply impossible to differentiate who¡¯s speaking or not!

    ¡°You can¡¯t just show favouritism to only my younger brother though.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think you not respecting my personal space has anything to do with the fact that I favour Lecht.¡±

    ¡°It does, what do you mean it doesn¡¯t? You¡¯re always stuck super close to my younger brother while you don¡¯t even allow me to approach you.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s natural that my relationship with Lecht is different from my relationship with you.¡±

    ¡°Then that¡¯s favouritism, isn¡¯t it?¡± Frody continued to blur my point.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it natural to treat the person who has always protected me differently from a person who helped frame me with false accusations?¡±

    ¡°I couldn¡¯t help it because I was bound to a contract.¡± He said in a sad voice as if it wasn¡¯t his fault, but then threw another absurd speculation at me. ¡°Or are you jealous about the fact that I have a relationship with another woman?¡±

    How on earth did that issue lead him to come to that conclusion¡­? His unfounded confidence and narcissism seemed to be able to pierce the heavens. I was so lost for words that I couldn¡¯t find the words to say anything back to him.

    ¡°Tell me honestly. You like me too, don¡¯t you, Saintess?¡± He bent his upper body and leaned closer toward me, his eyes crinkling as he laughed.

    The scent surrounding me got even stronger to the point where it felt like I had fallen into a perfume bottle that contained gold osmanthus. It was so strong that my head started to ache. I could feel the scent trying to soak into my body. It muddled my senses like how it would be if I was drunk and narrowed my vision down to only see Frody.

    But I only felt like that for a short amount of time. In an instant, the divine power in my body removed it immediately.

    Tanma had explained it to me before. ¡°A saintess can easily disperse the ability of all demons.¡±

    With my ability, even the strongest demon wouldn¡¯t be able to touch me, the child of god. That¡¯s why I wasn¡¯t afraid to face Frody, despite not knowing what his special ability was.

    ¡°So this is your ability.¡±

    A scent that muddles up all your senses.

    The corners of Frody¡¯s lips curled up. ¡°What do you think? Are you enraptured?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Everyone who has fallen for my seduction says so. It¡¯s a pleasure that makes you desperately yearn for it to never end.¡±

    Pleasure, what pleasure? I just had a severe headache from that strong scent.

    ¡°So that¡¯s why you¡¯re wary of Ryno?¡±

    I remembered my first meeting with him. After all that provocation toward Lecht, he had taken a step back in retreat when Ryno appeared. No matter who sees it, it¡¯s obvious that Lecht is the stronger one between the two.

    ¡°Your scent must be spread first for you to be able to enchant, but Ryno¡¯s wind blows away all traces of your scent.¡±

    I seemed to have hit the nail on the head. Frody¡¯s eyes twitched.

    ¡°Why would I be wary of someone who isn¡¯t even a proper demon?¡± Although he spoke in a languid manner, I could sense a sharp edge in his voice. Since he was always a provocative and sly person, it was easier for me to sense when his composure was shaky.

    ¡°Do you think that I¡¯m unable to beat that half blood?¡±

    It was true that the stronger amongst them would win, regardless of their abilities anyway.

    ¡°But it¡¯s true that you¡¯re forced to avoid him as well, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    However, it was inevitable for him to hate his opposing elemental type. No matter how much someone with the fire ability was able to beat someone with a water ability by using a much stronger fire, it was a similar logic in the sense that in the end, fire would be forced to avoid water.

    ¡°Are you provoking me right now, Saintess?¡± Frody placed his index finger on my chin and lifted my face toward him. ¡°What are you going to do if I lose all reason? I seem to have less patience than I thought.¡±

    ¡°That sounds like something I¡¯m meant to say.¡± I glared at him and said firmly, ¡°I¡¯ll say it one more time. Take your hands off me and stay away from me.¡±

    ¡°And what are you going to do if I don¡¯t move away?¡±

    With a sarcastic tone, he moved closer toward me. The tips of our nose were about to touch. He raised one corner of his mouth as the scent of gold osmanthus got even thicker.

    I clicked my tongue at my past thought of trying to convince this man at least once. Just by seeing him look down at me now, I could tell that he was the type of person who didn¡¯t have the adequate emotions for me to do so.

    So I took out the divine power from within my heart and detonated it.

    Bam!

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    A flash of light appeared with the loud noise as a great wall was formed between the two of us. Frody was cast far away, as if he had been thrown out.

    ¡°Grrr¡­!¡±

    Kelber bit the body of Frody¡¯s pet snake harshly and wounded it severely just in time. The five-headed snake made a grotesque sound and shrank its swollen body. Becoming the size of a normal snake, it hurriedly slipped out of Kelber¡¯s grasp and disappeared up the opening of Frody¡¯s pants by his ankle. Kelber came straight back to my side and guarded me.

    ¡°Ha!¡±

    Frody, who had been thrown by force and not by himself, let out a sigh as if it were ridiculous.

    ¡°You even used the same move as that woman. Is it because you¡¯re also the saintess?¡± He said, looking at the wound caused by the surging of my shield within me.

    Although I had already retrieved the shield back within me, he stuck his long tongue out and licked the blood that was coming out of the wound with his eyes fixed on me. As if he were provoking me. His ¡®enchantment¡¯ overflowed in that series of actions.

    ¡°Saintess, shall I give you some advice?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no need.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t trust my brother too much.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t your way of coming between us a bit too shallow?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not trying to come between the two of you. I¡¯m saying this with you in mind, Saintess.¡± Frody¡¯s soft voice seemed to slightly scratch the inside of my ear.

    I didn¡¯t know what he meant by that. But I didn¡¯t fall for it.

    I had already heard the rumours about the Grand Duke of Arvis, and also read the story of him as the Demon King in a novel. However, the Lecht I had met in person was completely different to what they said about him. So, no matter what Frody said, I was going to trust Lecht, who I had already seen and judged for myself.

    But I had something else I was curious about. ¡°Why do you hate Lecht so much?¡±

    Although he smiled softly and constantly called him, ¡®Little brother, little brother¡¯, Frody hated him. No, he despised him.

    Even though it had only been a short while, I could see through it with just a few words.

    ¡°Probably trying to feel out my true intentions.¡±

    Considering that Lecht had been the one to say that, the relationship between the two of them seemed to be quite complicated.

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand why someone with such a strong sense of narcissism like you would lower yourself into signing a contract with a human just to argue with him.¡±

    He was a man who ignored Ryno, simply because he had human blood mixed in with his demonic lineage. I could see what he thought of humans. Furthermore, he wasn¡¯t just any ordinary arrogant man.

    But to be a contractor and listen to a human¡¯s ¡®requests¡¯? Just to pick a fight with Lecht? It was an incomprehensible act that didn¡¯t match his standards at all.

    ¡°Because he doesn¡¯t suit being the Demon King.¡±

    ¡°¡­?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m the one who¡¯s the product of the previous generation¡¯s demon king and saintess. But you think I¡¯m fine with the product of my father¡¯s night of decadent pleasure taking the position of the demon king?¡±

    There was a sense of superiority, anger, and ridicule in his voice.

    ¡°But wasn¡¯t the demon king determined by Lunar, and not by blood?¡±

    I didn¡¯t know everything there was to know about the demon realm. But I had heard all the basics from Tanma and Ryno.

    The reason why the Demon King was the Demon King was because God deliberately gave the power of God to the Demon King for his own use. Since using the power of God usually required a lot of mana, God usually tended to choose those who had a huge amount of mana.

    ¡°Naturally, you were a candidate as well, but¡­ wasn¡¯t it still Lunar¡¯s decision in the end anyway?¡±

    Since genetics also played a large factor in mana, it was usually those of high rank amongst the demons, or those who possessed the lineage of the demon king that eventually became the next demon king. So whether it was Frody or Lecht, there was nothing strange about it.

    ¡°Did that punk say it like that?¡± Frody laughed as if it were amusing. ¡°That result was fraudulent.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean fraudulent? It was a decision made by God.¡±

    ¡°To be more exact, it isn¡¯t made by God, but by the Saintess.¡±

    What is he trying to say¡­?

    ¡°Since we can¡¯t always hear God¡¯s voice, it¡¯s the Saintess, who is the child of God, who makes those decisions. We have no choice but to accept those words.¡±

    ¡°Then are you claiming that the Saintess of that time misrepresented God¡¯s words?¡± I was a little dumbfounded. ¡°There¡¯s no way a saintess would do that. Lunar wouldn¡¯t have just watched and let that happen.¡±

    ¡°Are you talking about divine punishment? It¡¯s been almost five thousand years since that¡¯s been meted out.¡±

    It seemed as if Frody didn¡¯t believe in Lunar itself.

    ¡°Whether you believe it or not, that¡¯s the conclusion. Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s pathetic for you not to accept it?¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t help but not believe it. Because the saintess was in a relationship with that bastard at that time.¡±

    I felt suffocated for a moment. ¡®That bastard¡¯ he mentioned was obviously Lecht.

    ¡°In a relationship¡­?¡±

    ¡°Yes, they were dating.¡±

    ¡°¡­Do you mean the saintess from a hundred years ago?¡±

    ¡°Yes, that black-haired saintess. Oh, as expected, you seem to know of it as well?¡±

    His words relieved the tension in my stiffened body. If it was the saintess from a hundred years ago, then he was talking about me.

    ¡°But I don¡¯t know how he coaxed the saintess into doing it, or how he made her point him out as the Demon King. I guess the saintess fell in love with that bastard who¡¯s full of crap¡­¡± he clicked his tongue as if he was still amazed at it, even now. ¡°But as soon as he became the Demon King, the saintess disappeared without a trace.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Lecht, that bastard made sure he didn¡¯t even leave behind a body.¡± Frody had also said that when we first met. ¡°He must have thought she was unnecessary after he had already achieved his purpose.¡±

    ¡°That must be your own delusion.¡±

    ¡°You say it¡¯s just my delusion, but the fact that the saintess disappeared without completely is a fact though?¡±

    Despite knowing that Lecht wasn¡¯t the one to do such a thing, my heart still pounded at Frody¡¯s confident voice.

    ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m telling you to be careful, Saintess. That is, if you don¡¯t want to end up like the previous saintess.¡±

    What he said made sense at first, but on second thought, was full of discrepancies.

    Why would Lecht wait for me for a hundred years if he had already dealt with me as the ¡®previous saintess¡¯? And he had used the description, ¡®left¡¯, to describe the me from a hundred years ago. It made more sense for me to have died then, and that Lecht had simply buried me without Frody¡¯s knowledge.

    ¡°Thank you for the advice. But it¡¯s more likely for me to doubt you since you played a part in trying to drive me into a corner than to believe that you¡¯re truly concerned about me being deceived by Lecht.¡±

    I decided to deflect his argument with a medley of contradictions. He¡¯s a man who falsely accuses me in order to get on Lecht¡¯s nerves. It¡¯s a piece of cake for him to make that bullshit up to drive a wedge between us.

    ¡°I believe in Lecht.¡±

    There was a slight crack in Frody¡¯s face, which had remained provocative all along at my unhesistating answer.

    ¡°What I¡¯m particularly sure about is that he¡¯s a man who keeps his word. And¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°That he promised to protect me with all his might.¡±

    As soon as I finished speaking, something black descended with a bam from the sky.

    Babam!

    ¡°Ack!¡±

    The thing that fell on Frody was so harsh that it shook the floor strongly. Frody, who had hurriedly retreated, was now holding a rapier that he had gotten from god knows where.

    The dust that had flown in the air at that moment slowly cleared up, and what caught my eye after my vision adjusted was a hole in the place where Frody had been standing. There was a man standing in that man-made crater. His huge wings were spread out behind his back. The feathers that filled those wings were black and shone like a crow¡¯s, and were denser than an eagle¡¯s.

    ¡®Just look at this. How could I not believe in him?¡¯

    A faint smile hung across my mouth. Lecht, who beat his wings threateningly and caused a strong gust of wind to sweep through the garden, descended and pulled out a heavy double-edged sword from out of the ground.

    At the black aura that was swirling around Lecht, Frody tightened his grip on his rapier. ¡°Ha. Look here, Little Brother. Don¡¯t you know what happens when you touch me, who has a human contractor?¡±

    Lecht¡¯s large wings moved in response to Frody¡¯s provocation, yet not a provocation, and enveloped me in them. When I felt that soft sensation against my body, I was already in his arms before I knew it.

    Wrapping his arm around my shoulder and pulling me toward him, he spoke in a low voice. ¡°Do I look like I care about that right now?¡±

    ¡°What¡­?¡±

    ¡°If the regulations of the demon realm are a problem in dealing with you, who touched Ara, then such a trivial thing like the demon realm, I¡¯ll just replace it as well.¡±

    ¡°¡­?¡±

    I let out a gasp at Lecht¡¯s words, which could be seen as worse than when he said he¡¯d destroy the empire.

    But did I already get used to his remarks at some point? Instead of the anxiety or unease I naturally should¡¯ve felt, my heart seemed to be pounding like crazy with a sense of excitement.

 CH 47

    also, if you see frody being referred to as ¡®friday¡¯ anywhere in the chapter (or future ones), pls lmk in the mistakes channel on my discord or the comments below, my google docs likes to autocorrect frody¡¯s name to friday GHSDLKFJFDSJ

    ¡°I told you already. Don¡¯t make me regret my first ¡®act of mercy¡¯.¡±

    ¡°¡­Are you really being salty when we were just having a little chat?¡±

    Although Frody had put it like that, everyone here knew that it was a lie.

    ¡°I thought it was strange for you to have left more traces of yourself than necessary in the area, but in the end, it was just to deceive my eyes so you could come and see Ara. That was your true intention.¡±

    It was the appearance of Lecht, who seemed to have chased after the traces left by Frody so far. Seemingly having been led on a wild goose chase, Lecht¡¯s ego seemed to be wounded.

    In response, Frody replied slyly, ¡°True intention? I was just enjoying my game of hide and seek with you, Little Brother.¡± As if he held no malice toward him. ¡°And I simply came here because I thought our Saintess would want to see me.¡±

    His eyes curved up at me. If he had a tail, it would¡¯ve been swaying back and forth, telling me to come already. That was how much his voice was wrapped in enchantment. Though it didn¡¯t work on me, the Saintess.

    ¡°Why would I want to see you?¡±

    ¡°Think about it carefully. You obviously thought that you wanted to meet me though?¡±

    When I looked dumbfounded, he added with a hehe~, ¡°Wasn¡¯t I the only one who could solve the false accusation against you, Saintess?¡±

    ¡°What a unique way of using the words, ¡®I want to see you¡¯.¡±

    If ¡®I want to see you¡¯ meant, ¡®I want to meet up and talk about something¡¯, then I did want to see him. But I had a hunch that Frody would¡¯ve never mistaken the two of them for something else.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t want to see you. Please leave.¡± I waved my hand like I was swatting away a fly.

    ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Rather than asking Frody for help, I¡¯d rather give candy to a child.

    ¡°Oho~?¡±

    Although he snorted as if he couldn¡¯t believe it, I continued to ignore him and said, ¡°You came by yourself when you came, so leave by yourself too then.¡±

    I turned around without confirming whether or not he was leaving. I grabbed the arm of Lecht, who was next to me. Lecht noticed what I wanted straight away and let me naturally toward the building before I could pull him in that direction.

    However, before we left the garden, Frody said once again, ¡°I warned you.¡±

    I stopped in my tracks and turned my head. I frowned at Frody¡¯s triumphant appearance. It showed a firm belief that one day, I¡¯d definitely be betrayed by Lecht.

    Although it bothered me, I didn¡¯t really want to argue with him over nothing.  ¡°You¡¯d better look after yourself properly. Since I¡¯ll definitely get even with you for what you¡¯ve done to us humans.¡±

    I was annoyed at the fact that he kept hiding behind the excuse of it being ¡®his contractor¡¯s request¡¯ to avoid taking responsibility for causing that accident.

    I turned my head and dragged Lecht back into the building. When I left the garden where the cool late autumn breeze was blowing and came inside, the warm air immediately melted my numb cheeks and ears.

    ¡°Oh right, Lecht, if anyone sees your wings¡­!¡±

    Although I had returned to the building in a huff, I quickly turned my head towards him when I realised belatedly what he still looked like. However, he had already folded his wings back in, and also put his sword back into its sheath as well.

    ¡°Did you not get caught, even while you flew here in that state?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s been a hundred years since I¡¯ve lived in the human realm. I know how to stay out of sight.¡±

    Aha¡­ I was worried over nothing.

    ¡°That¡­ I¡¯m sorry.¡± I apologised to Lecht before I could say anything else. ¡°I was the one who brought up the idea to persuade Frody first, made you chase after him, then ended up discarding him on my own as well.¡±

    It was an apology for wasting his efforts.

    ¡°I couldn¡¯t get through to him at all. I can see why you opposed this method in the first place, Lecht.¡±

    Lecht, who listened to me sighing, took off his coat and wrapped it around me. ¡°Don¡¯t say you¡¯re sorry. I¡¯m actually happy that you said you wouldn¡¯t get involved with him any further.¡±

    My turbulent mind calmed down slightly after feeling the weight of the heavy coat on my shoulders. My feelings of discomfort that came after meeting Frody turned for the better.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t do it just to hear an apology, and if it¡¯s for you, then I can do as much as you want.¡± He added softly, ¡°I guess you didn¡¯t get it.¡±

    I could feel a sort of sadness in his voice for some reason. His expression was no different from usual, and he didn¡¯t use a different tone in voice either. His hands went to fix my coat, as if to drive out all the cold energy from my body.

    ¡°Then, thank you?¡±

    His hand, which had been fastening each button, one by one, paused in its motion.

    ¡°Saying that should be fine, right?¡±

    It was subtle, but I could see the corners of his mouth rising. I guess that¡¯s what he really wanted to hear instead. I thought it was unexpectedly cuter than I thought it would be for him to pretend not to smile and hide it, so I laughed.

    ¡°¡­Why are you laughing?¡± At my sudden laugh, he asked me with a slightly anxious expression.

    My lips kept going up since I found it so cute that a man who could decide to destroy the empire or even the demon realm if he wanted to, would get so nervous at just a smile from me. I bit my lip and tried to stifle my laughter, but the more I tried to, the harder I ended up laughing.

    He examined my face with an uneasy expression. ¡°Ara?¡± He seemed to be worried that something he had said was wrong.

    ¡°Because you¡¯re cute.¡± I spoke frankly, thinking that I didn¡¯t have to hide it. ¡°It¡¯s because you¡¯re so cute, Lecht.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m, what¡­?¡±

    The word ¡®cute¡¯ didn¡¯t go well at all with the words, ¡®Demon King¡¯ and ¡®The Grand Duke of Arvis¡¯. But those were the thoughts of people who didn¡¯t really know Lecht.

    He was a man who was like an onion. No matter how many layers I peeled off, there would always be a new charm that would be revealed, and would make me laugh continuously nonstop.

    He looked at me with large eyes, as if what I had said was an extreme shock to him.

    ¡°Other people wouldn¡¯t understand, would they?¡±

    At my question, Lecht looked at me with a confused expression on his face and nodded his head minutely. Meanwhile, the tips of his ears slowly turned red. Perhaps it was because I had already been made aware of his cuteness already, but even that appearance of his was cute to me.

    I couldn¡¯t stop laughing and buried half of my face into his large coat. I kept laughing so hard that my cheekbones started to ache.

    Looking back on it now, this morning was full of failures in many ways, as well as issues that caused me to have complex thoughts about it.

    Alion had told Meliara what she had wanted to hear her whole life, but she herself was already in an irreversible situation, leaving only regret behind. And instead of requesting help from Frody, we came to the uncomfortable conclusion that Frody was a target that had to be unconditionally guarded against.

    ¡®It¡¯s clearly a very frustrating situation.¡¯

    Laughter continued to flow out uncontrollably from my lips.

    ¡®But I think I can figure it all out somehow.¡¯

    I thought that I could get through anything with this man. The scent of the coat that wrapped around me was good, so I ended up gaining groundless confidence.

    pls do not share this anywhere or u will always stub ur toe when u walk past a door frame !! this translation has been stolen from mioscorner.com, pls only read there i¡¯m begging u :kneels:

    LECHT¡¯S TINY BLUSH HGLSKFJDDFJS

    The refreshing scent that remained on his clothes soaked deeply into my lungs as I remembered Lecht¡¯s wings again. Since it was my first time seeing it, it was so captivating that I ended up being fascinated as soon as I saw it.

    ¡°By the way, Lecht.¡±

    He raised his eyebrows slightly at my call, as if he was asking ¡®what is it?¡¯

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you have any horns?¡±

    ¡°¡­?¡±

    ¡°If you undo your human appearance, shouldn¡¯t you have both horns and wings?¡±

    Lecht, who was the Demon King in the original novel, even had long hair as well. But where did the long hair and horns go, and why did only the wings end up coming out?

    ¡°Like I said earlier, I¡¯ve lived in the human realm for a hundred years. It¡¯s simple enough for me to undo certain parts of my human appearance.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­¡±

    So you¡¯re saying that it¡¯s easy for you to walk around just with your wings out. How fascinating. I tried to picture his majestic figure with wings again. It was so spectacular that I wanted to keep it as a picture.

    ¡°If I say that I want to see it, will you show it to me again¡­?¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡± He answered unhesitatingly. ¡°Anytime you want.¡±

    ¡°Then the horns as well¡­?¡± I asked cautiously, just in case it was offensive, but he nodded his head with a ¡®you¡¯re so cute¡¯ look in his eyes. ¡°Then I¡¯ll look forward to it, Lecht¡¯s horns.¡±

    I covered my face with his clothes again to hide my laughter. Nevertheless, I couldn¡¯t hide my cheeks from going up, and when he saw me smiling like that, Lecht ended up smiling as well.

    ¡°Do you like wings and horns that much?¡±

    Oh, so it was that obvious I liked it. My eyes widened as I nodded.

    ¡°Seriously¡­¡± He swept a finger over the cheek of me, who was still draped in his coat. ¡°Not a single thing has changed about you.¡±

    ¡°Really¡­?¡±

    It was Lecht who didn¡¯t bring up the me from a hundred years ago ever since I had said it was burdensome. But he whispered, as if he couldn¡¯t hold it in any longer.

    I didn¡¯t feel as much repulsion as before either. That¡¯s how much it showed that I was leaning towards Lecht, right?

    ¡°You¡¯re seriously exactly the same. Whether it¡¯s your habits, mannerisms, the way you speak, or your preferences; all of it. A hundred years ago, you loved my horns and wings just as much as well.¡±

    He covered my face with his entire palm, perhaps because he wasn¡¯t satisfied with using just the back of his finger lightly. I didn¡¯t try to avoid it either, since the feeling of his calluses that developed from holding a sword felt nice against my skin.

    ¡°Is it¡­ still awkward?¡± He asked in a nervous voice. ¡°I thought I was already used to waiting though.¡±

    With the ends of his eyes drooping down slightly, it was an expression of Lecht¡¯s that I had never seen before, so my heart started to race.

    ¡°Waiting for you while you¡¯re in a place where I can¡¯t see you and where time is irrelevant is completely different to waiting calmly for you when you¡¯re already right in front of me.¡±

    As expected, was he also nervous about Frody¡¯s appearance today? An untimely confession of his heart soon ensued.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know how much longer I¡¯ll have to wait for you to get used to me¡­ so I don¡¯t know what I should do.¡±

    Although he was expressing it in a pretty roundabout way, he was without a doubt, complaining about it being difficult. This man is seriously a master at shaking people¡¯s hearts¡­ even if I didn¡¯t think he was cute, seeing him with this sort of appearance made me even more helpless against him.

    ¡°Lecht¡­¡±

    I placed my hand over his hand which was stroking my cheek. Even though my hand was so small it was simply too ridiculous to cover his large hand, he paused in his actions at my touch.

    Looking at him staring down at me with such profound eyes, I inhaled deeply and opened my mouth. ¡°You know, we¡­¡±

    Then.

    ¡°Saintess!¡±

    ¡°Ara!¡±

    Linden was running along with the three priests from the end of the corridor. Surprised, I turned my head, Lecht¡¯s hand naturally slipping off from my body.

    Although it was a pity that I had missed the opportunity to talk to him properly, upon seeing them running toward me in such a hurry, I promised that I¡¯d continue the conversation with him next time. Lecht also took a step back, as if he had caught my meaning.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong everyone?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s something ridiculous going on in the town square!¡±

    ¡°I have a way to catch that woman!¡±

    They all spat out in unison, as if they had only been waiting for me to ask. The Priest Trio looked both shocked and dumbfounded, while Linden seemed rather excited.

    ¡°Something ridiculous? And a way to catch Olivia?¡±

    Perhaps because they were all talking about the same thing, they appointed Linden to talk on behalf of them. ¡°That woman succeeded in curing the epidemic.¡±

    ¡°What¡­?¡±

    ¡°It isn¡¯t just one or two people either, but dozens of them, so I can¡¯t even say it¡¯s a coincidence either.¡±

    My eyes were even wider than they were before. ¡°That¡¯s ridiculous¡­¡±

    It was so ridiculous that I couldn¡¯t even continue to speak. Even if the wounds that are caused by the disease can be healed, diseases such as infectious diseases themselves could not be healed with the divine power of Solarism.

    It was because of the characteristics of the divine power, so words like, ¡®because she¡¯s the Saintess¡¯, and ¡®because I have more divine power that¡¯s purer¡¯ wouldn¡¯t make sense. It was like treating a burn with advanced hemostasis.

    ¡°Right? Isn¡¯t it ridiculous? How can the divine power of Solarism purify it?¡±

    ¡°The High Priest of Solarism is always saying things like, ¡®There must be a mistake,¡¯ and, ¡®Diseases are normally like bruises in the body, so the divine power of Solarism should be fine,¡¯ but he¡¯s clearly just full of crap!¡±

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t this seem rather fishy? I can¡¯t make sense of it at all in my head. How is this the divine power of Solarism?¡±

    The trio of priests, who did not know that Olivia was a fake saintess, were rather passionate about this dumbfounding and stuffed up situation.

    ¡°It¡¯s a situation where the High Priest of Solarism and their priests are taking care of people in the town square. That¡¯s why the situation has been completely reversed.¡± Linden, who knew Olivia was the fake saintess despite not knowing who Frody was, added quietly. ¡°She probably wasn¡¯t aware that she couldn¡¯t cure the disease with the divine power of Solarism, and ended up blindly healing people with the unknown power she uses.¡±

    It must have been a mistake since she had never actually used real divine power before. It was about the same level, no, even more fruitless and absurd than the incident where my peppermint tea had suddenly turned into chamomile tea.

    ¡°Huu¡­¡±

    That¡¯s why they say you¡¯ll get caught if your tail is too long1.

    When I was at such a loss for words because of how absurd the situation was, Linden smiled and said what I wanted to say instead. ¡°She dug her own grave.¡±

    In any case¡­ looks like I¡¯ll be able to blow my nose without even lifting a hand2?

    [1] if you keep doing something no matter how quietly you try to do it, in the end you will be caught. there are no secrets that can be kept forever.

    [2] ?? ? ?? ? ?? ???? = take it easy without lifting a finge

 CH 48

    Olivia¡¯s behaviour which clearly broke the bounds of her own position after the commotion broke out in the square ignited the situation immediately. Because of that, the patients had no choice but to turn their eyes to the Lunar religion for treatment, causing the Great Temple of the Moon God to become busy without even having any time to rest.

    ¡®I had wondered why I was so free, but it was because the people didn¡¯t feel the need to come here since Olivia had been healing them.¡¯

    Didn¡¯t I say that it was weird for not even one person to come until now?

    I wanted to run over there immediately to protest, but I held it in. Unless there was a way for me to prove that her ¡®strange power¡¯ came from Frody, there would be nothing for me to reap if I ran there right now.

    I needed a surefire way to prove that everything she had done in the past, including this epidemic, was all her doing, to be more exact. Because for those who didn¡¯t know the full story, Meliara¡¯s false accusation and Olivia¡¯s ¡®strange power¡¯ were both two completely separate events.

    ¡°Is there no movement on the Solarism side yet?¡±

    Linden shook his head at my question. He stood by my side publicly, while he secretly moved his subordinates to observe the situation. ¡°Apparently there¡¯s been conflict between those who have been requesting an explanation right in front of the Great Temple of the Sun God and those who don¡¯t want to doubt their own saintess¡ªit¡¯s chaos out there.¡±

    ¡°Heok¡­ Did anyone get hurt?¡±

    ¡°I heard that Older Brother¡¯s order of knights in the surroundings made a move before it got too heated¡­¡±

    ¡°So only the Crown Prince has moved, but the temple remains silent.¡± I clicked my tongue. ¡°What I need to know instead is whether or not the High Priest is in on their plan so I can formulate a plan of attack.¡±

    When I only heard about what happened in the town square itself, the High Priest seemed to have nothing to do with it. However, I thought it was another bump in the road when I saw that the Saintess was staying in the Great Temple even when things had gotten to this point.

    ¡°By the way, Ara, do you know exactly what power that woman uses?¡± Linden asked quietly so that no one else would hear. ¡°No matter how much I investigate it, I can¡¯t tell what it is¡­ but you seem to know.¡±

    Linden naturally failed to conclude that she had a contract with a demon since he didn¡¯t know much about demons.

    I snuck a glance at Lecht. When our eyes met, he nodded slightly with an expression that said it was okay. It was a sign that meant I could tell him.

    ¡°Regardless, I was actually thinking of telling you later. When Lydia comes back¡­¡±

    Just as I was about to speak, the teleportation portal opened beside us as Lydia appeared in the light. Despite the rumour that using the teleportation portal would cause severe motion sickness, Lydia approached me with her usual expression on her face.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to be back so soon.¡± I welcomed her back happily.

    When the incident first broke out, I had first sent a letter to her through Lu, the messenger bird of Lunarism.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t think I could afford to waste any time when I read Miss Ara¡¯s letter. Don¡¯t worry. The Grand Duchy has all been put in order.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    It was incredible that Lu had arrived at the Grand Duchy in half a day with a letter, and the fact that Lydia was able to put the whole place in order in only a day was also incredible.

    Nodding at Lecht in greeting, Lydia swept a glance around the temple.

    ¡°Now then, since even Lydia has arrived, shall we go over there to talk for a while?¡±

    I requested for the rest of the priests to heal the remaining patients and headed to the parlour. With both Lecht and Linden of course. Tanma had left to do another favour of mine.

    The parlour I had entered was where I had met both Alion and Meliara.

    Meliara was waiting for me. I nodded in her direction, then sat down on the couch next to where she stood.

    ¡°A teddy bear? It¡¯s something that I¡¯ve never seen before.¡±

    Lydia looked at it with a suspicious gaze when she found an object that she had never seen before in the temple.

    ¡°It¡¯s a gift from the Little Duke to his little sister.¡±

    ¡°Oho.¡±

    Nodding, Lydia tilted her head and looked up at me.

    ¡°The little sister you¡¯re talking about is yourself, right Miss Ara?¡± she asked, perhaps because it felt strange for me to use the expression ¡®little sister¡¯.

    Lydia¡¯s help was essential in helping us determine whether or not the High Priest of Solarism was in cahoots with Olivia. Now that I knew Lydia was a half-demon, I was able to tell her everything without any reservations.

    ¡°To be more exact, I¡¯m actually not Meliara Darchez.¡±

    *

    pls do not share this anywhere or u will always stub ur toe when u walk past a door frame !! this translation has been stolen from mioscorner.com, pls only read there i¡¯m begging u :kneels:

    I was able to finish the explanation a lot more concisely, perhaps because I already had the experience of telling Lecht and Linden before. But of course, this time, it also contained the whole story about Olivia and Frody¡¯s power.

    Lecht listened quietly since he already knew the whole story, while Lydia listened without much of a reaction. The one with the biggest reaction was Linden.

    ¡°Haa, slow down for a moment. I heard it all properly, right?¡± Linden asked again, sweeping his hair back with an incredulous expression on his face. His eyes darted back and forth between Lecht and I.

    ¡°It¡¯s the truth. Lecht is hiding his appearance as the Demon King, and¡­ Olivia has dipped her hand into sorcery and signed a contract with a demon.¡±

    ¡°Haa.¡± Linden pressed his finger against his furrowed brows, as if he had a headache.

    ¡°His Majesty the Emperor also knows about Lecht.¡±

    At my additional comment, Linden sighed. ¡°So that¡¯s why His Excellency the Grand Duke said that to my Older Brother at the funeral ceremony.¡±

    ¡°The fact that you don¡¯t recognise me¡­ It seems like the emperor hasn¡¯t fully recognised you as the next emperor yet.¡±

    Linden now understood that the Emperor would have told Ziken the story behind Lecht if he had truly recognised Ziken as the next emperor. Because the story of how Grand Duke Arvis was the Demon King and telling them not to provoke him recklessly was always a conversation that occurred between the previous emperor and their heir.

    While Linden tried to sort out his muddled thoughts, Lydia laughed quietly.

    ¡°You don¡¯t seem that surprised though, Lydia. I expected it with Lecht¡¯s identity, but¡­ I thought you would be shocked at the part where Meliara and I were two different beings.¡±

    ¡°I was guessing.¡±

    ¡°¡­Don¡¯t tell me it¡¯s that obvious?¡±

    ¡°No, it isn¡¯t. It¡¯s just that¡­¡± She seemed like she was about to say something, but then smiled after a moment of thought. ¡°Lunar told me. Not to be fooled by the next saintess¡¯ appearance.¡±

    ¡°Not to be fooled¡­ No, why did Lunar say it in such a weird way¡­¡±

    Lydia was the only person who could hear the voice of Lunar apart from me, the saintess. As the saintess, I could only hear it in the temple on the night of a full moon, while Lydia could only hear it on a night with a red or blue moon.

    ¡®I¡¯m starting to have even more questions. Then did Lunar know that I was coming?¡¯

    While I was absorbed in my own conjectures, Lydia suddenly pulled me back to reality. ¡°If that woman¡¯s power comes from a contract with a demon, then it¡¯s highly likely that the High Priest isn¡¯t aware of it.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re sure?¡±

    ¡°Since he¡¯s the type of fellow who thinks the demonic clan is a race that¡¯s lower than humans.¡±

    ¡°A lower race?¡±

    ¡°Yes. That¡¯s why he considers Lunar to be of a lower class than Sol; because it¡¯s a god that is worshipped by demons.¡±

    ¡°Lower class? But they¡¯re both gods though?¡± I couldn¡¯t help but sigh. There were naturally people who liked to discriminate and create a division between factions, wherever they went.

    ¡°That¡¯s the fundamental reason behind why the Lunar and Solar religions are unable to forge a closer relationship with each other.¡±

    ¡°So that¡¯s why you¡¯re sure that the two of them aren¡¯t on the same side, because there¡¯s no way a person like that would appoint Olivia as a saintess if they knew she was in a contract with a demon.¡±

    ¡°The real question now is whether that old man¡¯s pride will allow him to reveal the truth after he knows the truth behind the saintess.¡±

    He himself would receive a shock when he realised that he had been serving a woman who was entangled with a demon all this time. Then, he¡¯d probably feel betrayed.

    But regardless of that, the High Priest also might choose not to reveal this matter since the honour of Solarism was also at stake.

    ¡°Although he didn¡¯t know before, there¡¯s a high possibility that he¡¯d try and cover it up now that he knows.¡±

    Olivia¡¯s weakness was the fact that her power was fake, while the High Priest¡¯s weakness was to hide it to protect the honour and reputation of Solarism. It was a fake and hypocritical relationship. It was a relationship that made me tired just from hearing about it.

    ¡°Then we should make our move before the High Priest of Solarism tries to officially cover it up for Olivia.¡±

    Now that I knew that Olivia¡¯s sorcery wasn¡¯t related to the High Priest, I sorted out my thought process right away.

    ¡°Everyone, huddle toward me a bit closer.¡±

    I beckoned over Lydia and Linden and relayed to them the plan that I had in mind.

    It was a scheme that would be unveiled while we continued to cure the patients in the afternoon.

    *

    ¡°Wait, then won¡¯t you actually need the Little Duke¡¯s help?¡± Linden asked with a frown after everyone had heard what my plan was.

    However, I turned my gaze toward Meliara, who was sitting next to me. Despite her eyes still being red, she nodded toward me with a determined look on her face.

    I suddenly thought of my conversation with her.

    ¡ªI¡¯ll try and convince Older Brother.

    A calm Meliara told me a few minutes after Alion had left.

    ¡°How? He can¡¯t see or hear you at all. As you can see, it seems like it¡¯s almost impossible for you to get back into this body.¡±

    When her soul tried to enter the body, it just ended up floating through me. It seemed like the body didn¡¯t even want her back in the first place.

    ¡ªAra can tell him my words for me¡­

    ¡°It won¡¯t be convincing enough. No matter how much I act, in the end, it¡¯s still just acting.¡±

    ¡ªI want to get rid of these false accusations against me.

    ¡°¡­You¡¯ve changed for the better. I didn¡¯t think you could even overcome it before.¡±

    ¡ªNow I know that Older Brother was taking care of me. I wouldn¡¯t be able to be cleared of these false charges if it weren¡¯t for Older Brother.

    I agreed with that statement.

    ¡ªI think I know. The place where Older Brother hid the messenger.

    ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡ªWe have a villa. I know that he always goes there whenever he wants to avoid other people¡¯s gazes.

    ¡°Would he hide them in such an obvious place?¡±

    ¡ªBecause Older Brother is the most familiar with the saying it¡¯s often the darkest right underneath the lamp1.

    It was extremely heartbreaking to see the appearance of Meliara who had said those words. It sounded like a saying that accurately represents the relationship between the two of them.

    ¡ªThere¡¯s only one other way if Older Brother doesn¡¯t give him to you. Just steal it from him.

    I smiled widely at her resolute expression.

    ¡°I thought you were just a gentle young miss, but you¡¯re even more daring than I thought you were.¡±

    ¡ªClear me of my false charges and punish that woman for me. And¡­ please relieve the burden weighing down on my Older Brother¡¯s shoulders for me.

    ¡°Then, shall we knock out your older brother by hitting him on the back of his head to relieve him of his burden?¡±

    ¡ª¡­

    It was the same expression as that older brother who cherished his little sister, yet never expressed that affection to her.

    ¡°Alright. The timing of those two people who keep stepping out of line to the point where it¡¯s tiresome. I¡¯ll try and rewrite that destiny that¡¯s full of terrible luck.¡±

    ¡ª¡­Thank you.

    ¡°What do you mean thank you? Since I¡¯m now a saintess, that¡¯s the least I should do.¡±

    I should help if Lunar loves me. Despite the fact that they¡¯re different gods, it doesn¡¯t change the fact that I¡¯m going to punish a woman who is tarnishing a god¡¯s name. That was how our deal was sealed.

    However, both Linden and Lydia¡¯s help was essential for us to be able to fix a net so secure that not even loaches would be able to escape from it.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry and just trust me.¡± I smiled at Linden who looked at me anxiously.

    All the puzzle pieces were being put into place. All that remained for us to do was to take action.

    I was going to use the Solar religion as a shield to hurl that woman¡ªwho used Frody¡¯s power to wield a false power¡ªdown into the abyss. Since she had been so disgraceful, this was something she had to endure.

    * * *

    Clouds filled the night sky and blocked the rays of moonlight on a dark night.

    An incident was quietly unfolding at a villa on the outskirts of the capital, owned by the Darchez family.

    ¡°Urk.¡±

    ¡°Keu.¡±

    The two figures in black who were wearing deep hoods blended into the shadows as two guards quietly fainted. The figure used the wooden beam to climb the walls to avoid the hallways where they were most likely to bump into other people. The figure with the larger build landed easily on the veranda located on the third floor with a more slender figure in their arms.

    The two of them peered through the window to check. People who appeared to be maids were seemingly taking care of a man. The man continued to show signs of discomfort, as if he wasn¡¯t used to such treatment. Then, they let out a noticeably long sigh as soon as the maids left the room.

    The hooded figure outside of the window moved, as if that was what they were waiting for. The window was opened silently without a sound as the two of them entered the room like flowing water.

    ¡°I¡¯m grateful for your protection, but it¡¯s uncomfortable¡­¡±

    It was the messenger who was the only one who knew that the tea sent by Meliara wasn¡¯t chamomile tea.

    The smaller figure slowly approached him, who was still muttering.

    No matter how brightly the lamp had been lit, the messenger was still frightened when something black suddenly appeared in the already dim room. ¡°Heok, w-what¡­!¡±

    ¡°Shush!¡± The shadow covered the man¡¯s mouth before he could even scream in shock. The voice that flowed out from underneath the hood was faint, and the hand that was touching his mouth was small and tender. It wasn¡¯t hard for him to realise that the person was a woman.

    The thick clouds cleared just in time as the moon appeared from behind them. The moonlight flooded in through the window and illuminated the hooded figure.

    ¡°¡­!¡± The shocked man¡¯s eyes grew even wider. As soon as the woman lowered her hand covering the man¡¯s mouth, the man immediately let out a shaky voice. ¡°Y-Young Miss?¡±

    The woman in the hood had the face of Meliara Darchez, the young miss he had been serving until just a few months ago. The large figure behind her was Grand Duke Arvis, but the messenger was unaware of that fact.

    ¡°Young Miss, how could you¡­¡±

    ¡°Shush.¡±

    Although he had a lot of questions, the man shut up when she placed her index finger on his lips.

    ¡°Ask questions later. Shouldn¡¯t we get out of here first¡­?¡±

    The three of them disappeared after a while without a sound. All that remained was a slight trace of her divine power.

    It was the first incident where a person who had been protected within the villa of Duke Darchez was ¡®abducted¡¯ by the Princess of Darchez. And this incident, which not many were aware of, was in fact, the starting point of everything.

    [1] ?? ?? ??? it¡¯s often difficult to see what¡¯s right under your nose.

 CH 49

    A mysterious rumour that began with the ¡®disappearance¡¯ of a messenger.

    ¡°Did you hear about it? Apparently, the divine power of Solarism can¡¯t normally cure infectious diseases like this one.¡±

    ¡°Then what was Saintess Olivia doing during the day?¡±

    It started at a tavern that was located in a corner of the capital. The tavern was so small that only close acquaintances knew that it was owned by the Ezzarson Guild.

    ¡°So¡­ you¡¯re saying that Saintess Olivia is a fake?¡±

    ¡°What¡­?¡±

    An even more terrifying image was added onto the already dangerous rumour of how ¡®Saintess Olivia is a fake¡¯.

    ¡°Then what was that power?¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t hear? Apparently it¡¯s forbidden magic.¡±

    ¡°What? F-Forbidden magic¡­?!¡±

    The bad news travelled quickly. Within a few days, there was no one within the capital that hadn¡¯t heard of that rumour.

    *

    Around the time when the rumour spread and eventually reached inside the Great Temple of the Sun God.

    ¡°W-Where did that sort of nonsense come from¡­!¡±

    ¡°You think it¡¯s nonsense? Just go and ask that woman and you¡¯ll know.¡±

    It was Lydia, who had appeared at the front steps of the Great Temple without even so much as a sound.

    The words she relayed to the High Priest, who was trying to understand the circumstances of the incident, gave him quite a huge shock. ¡°I¡¯m saying that the power you¡¯ve been worshipping until now is one that belongs to a demon.¡±

    In any case, he had been rather frustrated at the fact that Olivia refused to open her mouth for whatever reason she had. But to think that the words that slowly came out would turn his world upside down like this¡­

    * * *

    pls do not share this anywhere or u will always stub ur toe when u walk past a door frame !! this translation has been stolen from mioscorner.com, pls only read there i¡¯m begging u :kneels:

    ¡°Damn it¡­!¡±

    After Lydia¡¯s visit, the High Priest of Solarism couldn¡¯t even eat properly, let alone sleep due to his anxiety.

    ¡®Forbidden magic? Demonic contract? Damn it all!¡¯

    The words she had said had explained everything that had remained unexplainable until now.

    The High Priest tore at his own white hair and gnashed his teeth.

    ¡®Is that woman crazy¡­?! And all while she had the name as a saintess too!¡¯

    He swore at Olivia, who he had sincerely respected as a precious saintess just last week. The most intolerable of them all to him was the attitude of the High Priestess of Lunarism.

    ¡°The power you¡¯ve been worshipping until now is one that belongs to a demon.¡±

    He had known earlier that she was a half-demon.

    Sixty years ago, the passing Lydia had chanced upon him while he was doing odd jobs. She had told him that he had a unique ability, and showed him how to release his divine power. Thanks to this ability which was greater than expected, he became the high priest at a young age. He tried asking around for her so he could express his thanks, but she had disappeared like the wind.

    Then, he met her again ten years ago. When he heard that there was a woman who could hear Lunar¡¯s voice, and that she had become Lunarism¡¯s High Priest, he went to meet her.

    But the moment they met, he knew. What she was at that time. And that she wasn¡¯t a normal human being.

    His grateful feelings and whatever else he had for her disappeared, and he was only appalled and disgusted at her appearance which didn¡¯t age.

    He then informed the emperor of this. But what was more surprising was the emperor¡¯s reaction. The fact that he had said there was no law that dictated or opposed half-demons from becoming high priests, so what exactly was the problem? At that response, he concluded that the emperor and the Lunar religion were one in the same boat. He thought that the emperor saying he was a believer of Solarism was tantamount to just a political act.

    Ever since then, he has bumped heads with the emperor again and again to try and overthrow the Lunar religion. Although he wasn¡¯t happy at the fact that the crown prince and the saintess were dating, he also used that fact to poke at the emperor¡¯s sore spot.

    Furthermore, the moment the crown prince¡¯s fiancee touched the saintess, he immediately inflated the situation in order to put pressure on the emperor. It seemed like the dissolvement of the engagement between the crown prince and the Princess of Darchez would deal a huge blow to the emperor¡¯s power, so he gloated over that quite a bit as well.

    But he didn¡¯t expect that same exact Princess of Darchez to return as the Lunar religion¡¯s saintess! And to top it all off, to think that their own saintess was a fake¡­!

    ¡®If the emperor hears about this¡­! Damn it, damn it, damn it!¡¯

    Angry, his eyes glistened as they darted around the room.

    ¡®No, I¡¯d rather¡­ yes, if it¡¯s like this, then there¡¯s only one way.¡¯

    He found a loophole he could use to survive.

    ¡®Let¡¯s knock down our own athlete1¡¯

    As he opened the door to leave, he saw that the paladin who was standing guard by the door looked shocked.

    ¡°Where is she?¡±

    ¡°She¡­? Ah, are you talking about the saintess?¡±

    Saintess? What a disease. His irritation rushed to his throat, but he managed to hold it in.

    ¡°Where is she?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s with His Highness the Crown Prince.¡±

    What a malicious woman.

    After the incident that burst out in the square, he had asked her a few times how that had happened. However, she had said she didn¡¯t know and cried with a terrified expression on her face. It was obvious he had only asked her a question, yet she had made him bewildered by making him out to be some shameless old man.

    What was even more infuriating was that the crown prince ended up falling for her actions and started to protect her. After Lydia¡¯s visit, it was as if she had suddenly forgotten how to leave the crown prince¡¯s side. As if she knew what had been said and fled. It was an action that showed she understood that the High Priest couldn¡¯t possibly touch her while she was next to the crown prince.

    ¡°Where? The garden?¡±

    For her to be in such a visible place also bothered him, as if she were deliberately teasing him. After confirming with the paladin, he strode leisurely to the garden and discovered Olivia, who was fussing in the arms of the crown prince.

    ¡°Saintess.¡±

    The crown prince¡¯s knights blocked him as he took a step forward. When the crown prince¡¯s knights turned their blades towards the High Priest, the Paladins also naturally protected the High Priest in turn.

    ¡°Your Highness. Who was the one who gave permission for these knights to be brought into the temple?¡± Normally, no one other than the paladins were able to be armed in the temple. But now, with the permission of the High Priest, the knights of the crown prince were given special permission to be allowed within the Great Temple.

    ¡°And just who was the one who reached out for help since the Paladins couldn¡¯t touch the civilians recklessly?¡± Ziken retorted at the High Priest¡¯s remarks. Just like he said, the disturbance in front of the temple these days couldn¡¯t have been stopped without the crown prince¡¯s knights.

    There was palpable tension between the two of them.

    ¡°Saintess. I¡¯m thinking of going to the imperial palace.¡±

    Ziken wasn¡¯t the only one who was surprised by the sudden change in the High Priest, who was normally respectful to the saintess until just a few days ago. The Paladins didn¡¯t seem to understand the situation either and alternated their gazes between the saintess and the High Priest. The rumours that were circulating the capital began to slowly creep into their heads.

    ¡°I plan to make it clear that I¡¯m the biggest victim in this incident.¡±

    ¡°¡­!¡±

    Olivia¡¯s breath stopped at the words of the High Priest, as if she already knew everything.

    ¡°Whether you want to run and hide or ask for His Majesty¡¯s forgiveness¡ªit¡¯s all up to you.¡± He remarked coldly before heading to the main entrance.

    ¡°Then the Solar religion won¡¯t remain unharmed either!¡± Olivia shouted at his receding figure. When the High Priest stopped and turned around, she added, ¡°Have you ever thought about what would happen to the Solar religion¡¯s prestige if the information about me was leaked outside?¡±

    The High Priest scoffed at her words, as if it was ridiculous. ¡°It¡¯s already ruined. I¡¯m just looking for a way to reduce as much damage as possible right now.¡±

    Of course, this was the High Priest who valued his pride and prestige above everything else. But Lydia also knew. So if both she and the Saintess Meliara¡ªwho had a severely bad relationship with the Solar religion and that woman¡ªknew, then there was no way they could be let off so easily.

    It was only a matter of time before the emperor knew about it. Even though the emperor didn¡¯t have much animosity with the demons, he couldn¡¯t let go of people who dabbled in forbidden magic.

    Thus, the High Priest intended to abandon that woman immediately and try to appeal to the fact that he and the Solar religion were the victims in this situation. That way, even if rumours spread, they could at least receive the protection of the emperor and create a public image where ¡®The Solar religion was the unfortunate scapegoat for that witch¡¯.

    ¡°I can¡¯t just stand and watch while the Solar religion collapses because of you.¡± With his words that seemed to indicate the end of the conversation, he turned around to leave.

    That was when the urgent voice of Olivia sounded out. ¡°Everyone, catch the High Priest! That guy is about to betray the Solar religion!¡±

    ¡°What¡­?¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    At her cry, the crown prince¡¯s knights rushed toward the High Priest. Although the startled Paladins blocked them in a hurry, they all wore expressions of confusion. One was the High Priest while the other was the saintess¡ªboth of whom they had an obligation to protect.

    ¡°What is that woman saying?! The traitor must be you!¡±

    ¡°None of you believe me, do you?¡±

    At Olivia¡¯s face that seemed to have been dealt a huge shock and the trembling of her shoulders, the tip of the Paladins¡¯ swords trembled slightly. They all knew about what had happened in the square as well. As well as the mysterious rumour that had spread throughout the capital. Naturally, they were more inclined toward the High Priest¡¯s words than hers.

    Nevertheless, her charming appearance and the tears in her eyes were also huge weapons against them. Their judgement was easily shaken.

    ¡°If you don¡¯t catch that person¡­ my life might be in danger¡­! Hic¡­!¡±

    There were many of them who decided to become paladins with just a glance at the saintess. Even if they hadn¡¯t, not one of them hadn¡¯t received her helping hand. As if they were possessed by something, they all slowly lowered their swords and opened a path for the crown prince¡¯s knights.

    ¡°W-What are you all doing right now?! That woman is clearly a traitor!¡±

    The approaching sight of the crown prince¡¯s knights striding toward him seemed as insurmountable as a forest fire devouring a tree. It was when he stepped back with a pale face.

    ¡°Now, now~. That¡¯s enough.¡±

    He ended up bumping into someone behind him, as the extended hand of the crown prince¡¯s knight was then shoved away by a firmer hand.

    Although the voice was mixed with a bit of mischief, it was still quite grave.

    The one who had struck the knight¡¯s hand was Grand Duke Arvis, and standing right next to him was the blue-haired Princess of Darchez.

    * * *

    ¡°Princess, I¡¯m sure I told you not to leave the temple!¡± The first person to react when I appeared in the Great Temple of the Sun God was naturally Ziken.

    ¡°Oh, that? His Majesty the Emperor has rescinded that order.¡±

    ¡°¡­!¡±

    Ziken paused when he heard that the emperor had touched the restriction that he had personally imposed himself. He must have also heard the rumour that was circulating around the capital. But he probably thought it was just a false rumour and brushed it off. He believed in Olivia, thinking that there was probably a reason why this was happening to her. He was a fool that was blinded by love.

    But¡­ to think that the emperor would meddle in this? It was clear that something was starting to become even more complicated.

    ¡°High Priest? I¡¯ve come to escort you. I¡¯ll bring you to the imperial palace safely.¡± I smiled at the High Priest, leaving behind the crown prince who seemed to be swamped by layers of confusion.

    To be honest, it didn¡¯t matter what happened to the High Priest of the Solar religion. But I did it deliberately since I knew how much it¡¯d provoke Olivia if I decided to side with him at this moment.

    ¡°How do you know that I¡¯m going to the palace¡­?¡±

    ¡°I just do.¡±

    I swept my gaze over Olivia, who was in the crown prince¡¯s embrace, the knights of the crown prince who were trying to grab the High Priest, and the absent-minded Paladins who had stepped down. My gaze lingered a moment longer on Olivia specifically.

    ¡°Honestly, I¡¯m a little disappointed since this went too according to my expectations. I wish you had a more original response.¡±

    At Olivia¡¯s trembling appearance in his arms, Ziken naturally raised his voice without fail. ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing right now, Princess? You don¡¯t have the qualifications to insert yourself into this situation!¡±

    As Ziken started to talk about qualifications again, I snorted as if it were ridiculous and pointed at Olivia. ¡°Just how much has that woman over there done to me so far?¡±

    ¡°Done to you¡­?¡±

    ¡°¡­!¡± Olivia¡¯s breath stopped at the words I added. She chewed her nails so thoroughly that her thumb began to bleed.

    The expressions of the knights also appeared to be mixed with confusion and astonishment.

    ¡°Mis Olivia. I¡¯m thinking of going to the palace now. And I will be telling His Majesty about everything you¡¯ve done so far.¡±

    ¡°W-What do you mean things I¡¯ve done? Just what are you talking about¡­¡±

    ¡°What are you asking for when you¡¯re the one who knows better than I do? Oh, and of course, I¡¯ve prepared all the evidence needed as well.¡±

    ¡°¡­!¡±

    ¡°So you have two options right now. One, you can go with me to the imperial palace to confess your sins, ask me for forgiveness, and plead for mercy in front of His Majesty the Emperor.¡±

    Our surroundings became chilly, as if it had been splashed with icy water.

    ¡°Or two, be dragged away by force, watch all of your past misdeeds being brought out, and then be punished accordingly with your crimes.¡±

    ¡°¡­!¡±

    ¡°I recommend taking the former option if you still have your future in mind, but honestly, the latter isn¡¯t too bad either.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°What do you want to do? Miss Olivia, the ¡®Saintess¡¯?¡± I could hear the sound of Olivia swallowing dryly all the way over here. I noticed that she had already been completely caught in the trap I had set.

    ¡°Y-You have no right to drag me away¡­!¡±

    Oh, you weren¡¯t fooled. What a shame.

    I smiled and said, ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right. I can¡¯t drag you away by force.¡± What right did I have to do that? I was simply here to declare war on Olivia. My only purpose was to provoke her.

    A wave of relief washed over Olivia¡¯s face at my words. She collapsed onto the floor, perhaps because her legs had gone weak, as Ziken hurriedly took care of her.

    As I was about to turn around with a small sigh at that appearance of hers, Linden had a bewildered expression on his face as he asked, ¡°Are we really going to leave like this?¡±

    ¡°Just one minute is enough for me to dispose of them.¡± Lecht said affectionately, as if he thought I was going to keep a low profile instead of dealing with them.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s not like that.  Even if it¡¯s the Solar religion, this is still a temple. There is no need for us to spill any blood, nor do I want to.¡±

    No matter how different a god was, as a saintess, I didn¡¯t want to cause a disturbance at another god¡¯s base.

    ¡°I can¡¯t help it since you didn¡¯t like the two options that I gave you. There¡¯s no choice but to go with the third option.¡±

    ¡°Third option?¡±

    When the two men asked me simultaneously, I spoke clearly enough for me to be heard by Olivia. ¡°Whether that woman comes or not, I¡¯ll just do what I have to do.¡±

    ¡°Aha.¡± Linden nodded as if he understood what I meant immediately.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if that woman is there or not if I just reveal everything in the first place.¡±

    A sharp scream sounded out when I tried to walk out. ¡°No¡­! We have to catch that woman! She can never leave!¡±

    It was Olivia¡¯s final move.

    However, it wasn¡¯t the Paladins or the knights of the crown prince that moved at her words. It was the huge number of knights behind me.

    Private mercenaries that were owned by Linden as the Head of the Ezzarson Guild. Although they were private mercenaries in name, their ability was just as good as any other imperial knight. A part of the knights from the Grand Duchy had also come over a few days ago. Of course, only those who could humanise themselves came. And the Paladins of the Lunar religion that moved at Lydia¡¯s command. They were people who were willing to lay down their lives to protect me, their saintess.

    As soon as they heard Olivia¡¯s shrill cry, they transformed from waiting quietly to putting their hands on their weapons and surrounding me. From my point of view, they were like a wall that couldn¡¯t be broken through unless all the knights that were directly under the emperor¡¯s command were dispatched.

    I turned my back on them and only turned my head, looking down at Olivia who was collapsed on the floor. With a gaze that was devoid of hate and ridicule¡ªeyes that contained nothing.

    ¡°Just who is catching who?¡±

    Olivia¡¯s face turned pale at my words.

    why is this framed like they¡¯re the avengers LMAO

    [1] knocking down someone on your own team, friendly fire.

 CH 50

    The emperor greeted us upon our arrival at the imperial palace. To tell the truth, I had actually already told him in advance last night that we¡¯d be visiting him today. I also further explained how we would need to have a discussion on what was making the capital so chaotic recently.

    If I looked at it from his perspective, there was no reason for him to refuse. Above all, he probably already knew that Lecht would be by my side too. So in the end, he¡¯d still greet me, even if it was just out of mere curiosity.

    ¡°Just how long has it been since the Grand Duke has last visited the imperial palace?¡± Naturally, he was also the most sensitive to Lecht¡¯s mood as well.

    ¡°I¡¯m relieved to see that you look healthy. Everyone, please sit.¡±

    I could see that the table he prepared for us was a round table, as if he had been conscious of overcomplicating the situation by deciding who would sit at the head of the table.

    The five of us, who sat on the opposite side of the emperor. This included the High Priest of the Solar religion. However, contrary to the emperor¡¯s expectations, Lecht ended up taking a seat that was one away from the centre instead of the centre seat. Although his expression afterward seemed to convey that he was already used to me taking the middle seat, the emperor looked a bit flustered.

    Though of course, that expression soon vanished from his face and was replaced with a smile that was directed at me. ¡°I wasn¡¯t aware that the Princess was this familiar with the Grand Duke. Hoho.¡±

    Lecht opened his mouth before I could reply, ¡°She¡¯s the reason I founded this empire.¡±

    The eyes of the emperor, who was aware of Lecht¡¯s real identity, widened suddenly. ¡°So it was actually true that the Grand Duke stayed here in order to wait for someone¡­¡± Not able to hide his face filled with regret, he added, ¡°If I had known it was Princess Darchez in advance, then¡­¡±

    ¡°Furthermore, I didn¡¯t know that the Princess was this close to Linden.¡±

    The expression of Linden, who had received the emperor¡¯s attention, was extremely complicated. Just how long had it been since he had last sat face to face with the emperor? It was probably his first time ever since he last left the imperial palace. Naturally, the gaze that the emperor directed toward Linden wasn¡¯t exactly comfortable either.

    ¡°It¡¯s because we get along well with each other.¡± I said lightly, knowing that Linden wouldn¡¯t bother to say anything.

    Nodding his head, the emperor asked Lecht, ¡°Seeing as how we¡¯re talking about the story of how this empire was founded, I¡¯m guessing this child knows about it all already.¡±

    ¡°There was no reason for him not to know.¡±

    ¡°Haa, gosh.¡± The emperor, who couldn¡¯t have possibly been unaware of what Lecht¡¯s words meant, sighed slightly.

    His gaze swept over Linden and I, and even Lydia as well. ¡°The Grand Duke has completely ruined the life that I¡¯ve built up so far.¡±

    He deserved to feel that way. He discarded me like a card in order to maintain his relationship with the Solar religion. He even humiliated me by dissolving my engagement in such a high profile way.

    However, it turned out that I was the reason why Lecht had originally decided to stay in the human realm. What¡¯s more was that the emperor now knew that Linden was aware of the whole truth about Grand Duke Arvis, which was a discussion that was only had between the former emperor and his heir.

    So with such a variety of significant issues, the emperor had no choice but to feel despondent.

    ¡°So, Princess.¡±

    No, why are all of you humans calling me a princess? I¡¯ve already given up that title. Although I wanted to point that out, there were more important things to discuss so I let it go for the moment.

    ¡°Why did you want to see me in such a hurry?¡±

    ¡°You must¡¯ve heard about the recent rumours running rampant throughout the capital these days.¡±

    ¡°Is it the talk about the plague?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    The emperor¡¯s gaze landed on the High Priest of the Solar religion. Although they were only talking about the ¡®plague¡¯, the recent rumours had also included talk of the Solar religion¡¯s saintess.

    ¡°Regardless, it seemed to be a rather grave issue, so we decided to come and find you all together.¡±

    ¡°Do you know something?¡±

    ¡°This epidemic is caused by a poison called pestis.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve heard of such a poison before.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a lethal poison that was originally from the demonic realm.¡±

    The emperor¡¯s brow twitched slightly. ¡°Is that true?¡±

    Lecht nodded at the emperor¡¯s startled remark.

    ¡°It was mixed into waterways that were used by a small number of people. The results of the investigation show that there were no traces of someone forcibly tampering with the facility.¡±

    ¡°Are you saying that someone has intentionally spread this epidemic?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±

    ¡°However, there¡¯s also a rumour saying that I started it. Of course, it¡¯s obviously a false accusation. The symptoms of pestis show up almost immediately, so I wouldn¡¯t have had time to spread it. Anyone who was at the night market can testify for me about that.¡±

    At that point in time, I had spent all day being encircled by countless numbers of people, and of course, Lecht and Linden as well.

    ¡°It was strange, so after further investigation, it was revealed that only one person had been behind the malicious rumours that had been spreading about me.¡±

    ¡°Was he trying to spread the poison so he could frame you, Princess? Ha. What a troublesome bastard.¡±

    ¡°Yes, but that¡¯s the problem.¡±

    ¡°Problem?¡±

    I relayed the explanation Tanma had told me to the emperor who had asked. Naturally, about flashing from the east and then to the west in an instant. All the way to the details about his unique appearance and the scent of flowers that always lingered behind them.

    ¡°How could he show up in two completely different places at the same time?¡±

    ¡°It would be one of the two. Either he¡¯s an extremely talented mage, or he¡¯s a demon.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve re-checked it several times, but that guy isn¡¯t someone who¡¯s obtained a mage¡¯s licence either.¡± Linden added an explanation to my words. A mage like that would¡¯ve had some sort of record somewhere. But there was nothing.

    ¡°So there was only one conclusion that we could come to.¡±

    A demon. The emperor understood without me having to spit it out.

    The emperor thought for a moment before his gaze moved to Lecht. ¡°Grand Duke.¡±

    ¡°He isn¡¯t someone who has crossed over with my permission.¡±

    The emperor¡¯s face darkened at Lecht¡¯s firmness, perhaps because he desired an explanation from Lecht.

    ¡°¡­Grand Duke, don¡¯t you know that summoning demons is forbidden throughout the entire continent?¡± As an emperor, he was also aware of the regulations that were put into place after the war between the demons and humans. Although the general public may forget, he as an emperor, could not.

    ¡°I¡¯m saying that someone broke it.¡±

    The emperor eventually let out a deep sigh. ¡°This isn¡¯t a case that will end with a simple epidemic.¡±

    ¡°I have more to say regarding him.¡± I added at his worried murmur.

    ¡°Tell me.¡± He spoke in a voice that didn¡¯t seem to want to hear anything else. He must have had a hunch at this moment that anything I¡¯d say would only make the situation even more severe.

    ¡°This incident is also related to when I had my engagement broken off.¡±

    ¡°Princess, that¡­ wait, you¡¯re saying that the demon and the forbidden magic is also related to that attempted poisoning incident?¡±

    ¡°Yes. And do you remember the tea party that Her Majesty the Empress hosted last year? It ended chaotically with an incident of theft, didn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°I remember. But back then, the results of the search were clearly¡­¡± The emperor stopped talking after a while and looked at me, since I had ended up as the criminal in that story.

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s also related to this situation. There are also many other cases apart from these ones.¡±

    ¡°Princess. I don¡¯t quite understand how to relate those cases to this.¡± The emperor asked me in an extremely solemn manner, as if he thought that I was taking this opportunity to restore my reputation by weaving irrelevant matters into it.

    Since I had expected at least this level of opposition, I laughed and said, ¡°I stayed quiet until now, since I wasn¡¯t able to point out who the real culprit was, even if I myself knew that it was only a false accusation.¡±

    ¡°So you¡¯re finally setting things straight now that the real culprit has shown themselves?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    The emperor¡¯s blue eyes were fixed on me for a long time. It was a deep gaze that seemed to be able to see through me. I had nothing to hide, nor did I have anything for me to be conscious of, so I received his stare head on.

    ¡°Then if that¡¯s the case¡­ both I, and many other people have wronged you too much.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°But Princess. As you can see, the culprit is a demon. He¡¯s also someone who has escaped from the Grand Duke¡¯s grasps. It isn¡¯t clear whether we can catch him.¡±

    In other words, ¡®I¡¯m sorry, but it¡¯ll be hard to solve this case¡¯.

    Obviously, this wasn¡¯t the problem. Since I knew who the culprit was.

    ¡°Your Majesty.¡± I called out to him as I took a deep breath in. Pointing out the saintess¡ªwho was loved by everyone¡ªas the culprit was something that I absolutely had to do. To top that off, we had a lot of bad blood between the two of us, so regardless of how much evidence I gathered, it was still a dangerous act. ¡°The truth is¡­¡±

    It was when I was cautiously opening my mouth.

    Bang!

    ¡°Your Majesty, they¡¯re all lies!¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t go in¨C¡±

    ¡°You seem to have a lot to say when I¡¯ve already given her permission to enter!¡±

    The door of the sitting room suddenly swung open violently as Olivia, Ziken, and the guards that were standing guard at the door rushed in.

    ¡°Your Majesty, it¡¯s not true! I¡¯ve never done something like that in my life!¡± Olivia collapsed at the emperor¡¯s feet and grabbed onto the emperor¡¯s chair.

    ¡°Saintess Olivia? Just what are you doing right now¡­¡±

    ¡°Hic hic¡­ It¡¯s not true, you can¡¯t believe that woman¡¯s words¡­!¡±

    Even the emperor cast a look of absurdity down at Olivia, who had come in rudely without permission and was now shedding tears.

    Misinterpreting the silence, Olivia cried out tearfully, ¡°How could I have done such a terrible thing? Hic¡­!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right, that woman is trying to frame Livi. You know just how kind and tender-hearted Livi is too, right Father?!¡±

    ¡°Hic hic¡­ I really didn¡¯t do anything bad¡­¡±

    ¡°How could a child like that possibly sign a contract with a demon?! How does that even make any sense?!¡±

    ¡­Damn. I hadn¡¯t even started tattling on them, yet they suddenly barged in, piled on a heap of straw, set fire to it, and then blew themselves up to self-destruct? It was so absurd that I couldn¡¯t even find the words to respond.

    The emperor¡¯s cold voice that was dripping with frost filled the drawing room as he looked at them with a sour expression on his face. ¡°What¡­ did you just say?¡±

    I was a bit worried that he¡¯d misunderstand me driving Olivia into a corner as a result of the personal feud we have with each other.

    ¡°I asked you what you just said!¡±

    Seems like it was a useless worry though?

    I couldn¡¯t stand the urge from the corners of my mouth to curl up, so I resorted to covering my mouth with the teacup in front of me.

    Slurp.

    Today¡¯s bitter black tea almost tasted as sweet as honey.

    * * *

    pls do not share this anywhere or u will always stub ur toe when u walk past a door frame !! this translation has been stolen from mioscorner.com, pls only read there i¡¯m begging u :kneels:

    The main part of my role afterwards was merely to watch from the sidelines.

    ¡°That¡¯s why it¡¯s slander¨C Father¡­?¡± Ziken finally seemed to sense that there was something wrong with the emperor¡¯s expression.

    He looked at the emperor, and then at us with a belatedly flustered look on his face. Me, who was drinking tea with an emotionless face, and Lecht, who was handing me a handkerchief. As well as the dumbfounded expressions on the rest of the others.

    ¡°W-Wait¡­ what¡¯s going on¡­¡±

    In any case, it was the appearance of having run only believing in Olivia¡¯s words¡­ I guess this would probably be the time to use the expression, ¡®blinded by love¡¯.

    ¡°Crown Prince.¡± He had clearly only said his title, but it was so overbearing that even I, who was unrelated to this, got goosebumps. As expected, the emperor was still an emperor in the end.

    In my head, I had thought he was a little insignificant since he had been the emperor of an empire that had been overthrown by Lecht in the end¡­ But even so, isn¡¯t he still the man who holds the most power in the human realm?

    ¡°Did you just say that the saintess has dipped her hands into forbidden magic?¡±

    ¡°Father, that¡¯s¡­¡±

    ¡°Crown Prince.¡±

    It was obvious why the emperor had called Ziken ¡®Crown Prince¡¯ instead of his first name. In other words, it was telling him to take responsibility for making such remarks that couldn¡¯t possibly be ignored at such a gathering of important figures.

    ¡®In any case, he¡¯s already upset about the fact that Linden knows everything about Lecht that only emperors are meant to know, but to think that such a remark has now come out of the crown prince¡¯s mouth too¡­¡¯

    I¡¯m sure the emperor is going out of his mind right now.

    ¡°Your Majesty, it¡¯s because of the incredulous rumours that have been circulating the capital recently.¡±

    Was it because he had already been the crown prince for a long time? Ziken¡¯s mind turned quickly while he stood in front of the emperor. He talked calmly, as if he hadn¡¯t just forcibly entered the room.

    Olivia also shut her mouth, as if she had finally noticed the atmosphere. I even had the impression that I could hear her eyes darting to and fro even from where I was.

    ¡°I said those words in order to inform you not to believe such rumours because they¡¯re not to be trusted.¡±

    ¡°Did you rudely enter a place where guests had gathered just to say that?¡±

    ¡°¡­My apologies.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not the one you should be bowing your head to in this place right now.¡±

    It might have been a little different if the emperor was alone in his office right now. But now, we were discussing a major event with the emperor as his guests. It was embarrassing for the emperor to do this to the crown prince in such a place, and at the same time, it revealed the crown prince¡¯s weakness and allowed it to be seized.

    He had to apologise right away in order to settle the matter immediately. The problem was that the people Ziken had to bow his head to included both Linden and I; people who he had looked down in contempt at for his whole life.

    ¡®There¡¯s no way that brat can accept that.¡¯

    I happened to make eye contact with Ziken as I was setting my teacup down. I smiled readily. Ziken¡¯s face crumpled at my smile. Normally, such blatant displeasure from him would¡¯ve made me feel bad as well.

    But that wasn¡¯t the case at all right now. There was no reason for me to feel bad when you just went ahead and self-destructed like that.

    I was able to smile even wider with an extremely relieved and happy heart.

 CH 51

    t/n

    just a disclaimer since i know there will be quite a few more readers due to the recent manhwa adaptation: i¡¯m not in any way a native speaker. i¡¯m just someone who has somewhat of a grasp on korean grammar structures so this is technically all just edited mtl aided with the little knowledge i have of korean, so this is in no way a perfect translation!

    just something to put out there in case this does get an official adaptation from naver (highly likely with webtoons) and so you don¡¯t start comparing my tl with the official one HGLSDKJDFJDFS

    i substitute a few words here and there and paraphrase as well to fit the novel format better as well so pls bear with me QAQ

    I shook my head and drank my tea at the sight of Ziken dragging it out without being able to lower his head to us.

    Upon the gradual reddening of the crown prince¡¯s face, the emperor clicked his tongue as if he could read what he was thinking and said, ¡°I¡¯ve explained many times before that there¡¯s a difference between maintaining your authority and inflating your own pride.¡±

    It was obvious why he was criticising the crown prince so openly in front of us. It was a request to pressure us by saying, ¡®I know my son did something wrong as well so look, I¡¯ll scold him in front of you¡¯. Well, I didn¡¯t intend to receive an apology from the crown prince in this sort of situation anyway, so I didn¡¯t bother to nitpick anything.

    ¡°And you, Saintess Olivia.¡±

    The shoulders of the crying Olivia who was still at the emperor¡¯s feet flinched momentarily.

    ¡°I cherished you quite a lot, Saintess¡­¡±

    The emperor¡¯s gaze swung toward the High Priest of the Solar religion. Since the two of them never really got along in the beginning.

    ¡°It¡¯s quite troublesome that your naivety has ultimately caused you to be unable to distinguish which line you shouldn¡¯t cross.¡± Those words were meant as a reproach to the Saintess, but his eyes were staring directly at the high priest. In other words, it meant, ¡®Shouldn¡¯t the Solar religion teach at least these basics to the Saintess?¡¯

    Obviously, the high priest wasn¡¯t going to just take that sort of remark lying down. ¡°Your Majesty, that woman is doing that sort of thing on purpose!¡±

    In any case, this was the high priest who had abandoned Olivia and suffered a severe defeat before coming here. But for the Solar religion to be cursed and humiliated because of her? Of course he couldn¡¯t stand it. ¡°All the rumours circulating the capital are true!¡±

    ¡°High Priest, what exactly are you saying?¡±

    ¡°That woman isn¡¯t the saintess! She¡¯s fake!¡±

    I was almost certain that his voice was so loud it not only filled the drawing room, but also the corridor outside.

    ¡°W-What are you saying?! Your Majesty, he¡¯s trying to frame me!¡±

    ¡°Stop trying to trick everyone! You used the crown prince as a shield to stop me from coming to the imperial palace and exposing the truth about you!¡±

    ¡°Only because you¡¯ll make up lies like this¡­!¡±

    The two of them began to fight.

    ¡°Then what did you do to cure a disease that can¡¯t be cured by the divine power of the Solar religion? It¡¯s poison, and our divine power clearly can¡¯t neutralise poison!¡±

    ¡°I-It was a delusion! Those people all deluded themselves into thinking they got better! You can seek them out again and find out for yourself. None of them are fully healed yet¡­!¡±

    ¡°Do you think I don¡¯t know that you just tried to find them and poison them again?!¡±

    ¡°Silence, both of you!¡±

    Wow. It¡¯s a complete mess. The situation began to worsen on its own so much that I rather regretted that I didn¡¯t have popcorn here with me. I lifted my teacup as I listened to all the audacious and horrendous past deeds of her being exposed.

    As I sipped the sweetly bitter black tea, the emperor said to me, ¡°Princess, didn¡¯t you say that you knew who the real culprit was earlier?¡±

    ¡°Pfft.¡± Suddenly being thrust into the situation, the black tea I had been drinking was caught in the crossfire. ¡°Cough! Cough!¡±

    ¡°Ara!¡± Linden took out his handkerchief in surprise, but I already had Lecht¡¯s in my hand.

    As I covered my mouth and choked, Lecht patted me gently on the back.

    ¡°My apologies.¡±

    ¡°No, I apologise instead.¡± The emperor cast a glance at Olivia, who was the main culprit of this chaotic commotion, and her ¡®lover¡¯ and his son, and sighed quietly. ¡°Go ahead and finish what you said earlier. About knowing who the real culprit is.¡±

    Olivia opened her sharp eyes and glared at me. The high priest had a triumphant expression on his face that seemed to urge me to speak quickly, while Ziken still seemed to be pent up with annoyance.

    Although it was a little burdensome for me to receive this much attention¡­ I calmly wiped the corners of my mouth with the handkerchief and opened my mouth. ¡°I don¡¯t know much regarding the forbidden magic and the demon.¡±

    At my words, Olivia¡¯s eyes widened while the high priest seemed a bit flustered.

    ¡°What I was going to tell you was the truth behind who framed me.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡± The emperor looked unsatisfied, perhaps because I was talking about something that was unrelated to this case.

    Nevertheless, I went on calmly. ¡°You remember what I told you earlier about the characteristics of the person who spread malicious rumours about me, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I remember.¡± The emperor¡¯s expression eased when I started talking about the demon that had been mentioned earlier.

    ¡°He also makes an appearance in every instance where I¡¯ve been framed.¡± At the emperor¡¯s nod to continue, I asked the maid to call in the people who were being protected by the knights outside.

    ¡°Wait, that child is¡­¡± The high priest of the Solar religion also recognised one of the people among them. But I placed my index finger on my lips as a gesture to remain silent.

    Among those who entered the room timidly, the messenger boy bowed first. ¡°Greeting the Empire¡¯s Sun. My name is Ross, and I worked as a messenger boy for the Darchez Duchy until a few months ago.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s the one who was in charge of delivering the tea leaves I gifted to Saintess Olivia,¡± I added onto his self-introduction.

    At my nod, he began to speak in a trembling voice. ¡°The rain was especially heavy that day, so I remember it quite clearly. Miss told me to wait in the room while she prepared the present. So I saw her choose the gift and package it herself¡­¡±

    The fact that the maids hadn¡¯t done it and she had to do it herself would be both refreshing, yet heartbreaking. Though I didn¡¯t know if this would help very much.

    ¡°For the Saintess, miss¡­¡± The messenger glanced at Olivia and said, ¡°Gifted peppermint tea to her.¡±

    ¡°What¡­?¡± Although it was obvious, Olivia¡¯s eyes grew round at the words that she had heard for the first time. ¡°T-That can¡¯t be! What I received was chamomile tea!¡±

    ¡°I think it¡¯s strange too. I clearly saw Miss packing peppermint tea and personally delivered it myself, yet why did it suddenly become chamomile tea when it came into the hands of the saintess¡­¡±

    ¡°Are you saying I¡¯m lying?! No, you must have switched them! Yes, so you poisoned¡­!

    ¡°The person I delivered the tea to at the time had the same appearance as the person who spread the rumours!¡± The messenger hurriedly added as soon as the arrow of criticism seemed to be directed at him.

    At the silence of the people who were drenched in shock, I continued to speak, ¡°The person standing next to him is a maid who once belonged to the Solar religion. After seeing the saintess vomit blood and fainting, she apparently quit her job due to the shock from the traumatic incident.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± The maid¡¯s eyes flitted apprehensively toward Olivia and the high priest.

    However, at my slight smile when our eyes met, she clenched her fist and started to speak. ¡°This isn¡¯t the man who said he was a messenger from the Darchez Duchy and whom I received the tea leaves from.¡± She said, pointing to the messenger beside her. ¡°It wasn¡¯t this man, rather¡­ he had the same appearance as the man in the rumours.¡±

    At her words, it was silent this time. It was heavy.

    ¡°They were switched¡­¡± At the emperor¡¯s murmur, I could see Olivia¡¯s eyes darting here and there.

    I said what I had to say before she could say anything else. ¡°There are more incidents like that. Shall we continue?¡± I said, pointing to the people who were standing further away.

    The emperor waved his hand. Since he was able to tell that even if he kept listening, the results would most likely be the same. ¡°So that person is definitely the culprit.¡±

    ¡°Yes. As I¡¯ve said earlier, we presume that he belongs to the demon clan.¡±

    ¡°Hmm.¡± A groan leaked out of the emperor as he glanced at Olivia and Ziken.

    ¡°Your Majesty, the demon is the one at fault, so Livi is innocent¡­¡±

    ¡°What a peculiar situation. I, the Princess, and the people present right now, were all just talking about how the demon was involved in so many of these situations, and that we had to find the contractor of the demon in this empire, yet¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°I wonder why the crown prince and saintess suddenly appeared saying ¡®The saintess isn¡¯t the contractor¡¯.¡± Since there had never been mention of a saintess throughout our entire conversation.

    When Olivia¡¯s shoulders flinched violently while Ziken was stunned speechless, I discovered that Tanma had opened the door gently and entered the room. He seemed to have finished the task I had asked him to complete. When our eyes met, he gave me a cold smile and nodded. I signalled with my eyes and made Lecht and Linden aware of his presence as well.

    Receiving my signal, Linden opened his mouth immediately. ¡°This is hurting my conscience.¡± The usual tender softness to his voice was gone, and was replaced by a clear and cold voice.

    ¡°Linden, just what are you talking about¡­!¡±

    Ignoring Ziken¡¯s outburst, Linden asked Olivia, ¡°Olivia, why did you go to Zabotsa village, the village where the epidemic broke out a few months ago? And in secret from the temple as well?¡±

    ¡°¡­!¡±

    ¡°Turns out you arrived just one day before the epidemic broke out. And on top of that¡­ you had company with you as well.¡±

    Olivia¡¯s face gradually began to pale. I started to slowly get up from my seat.

    ¡°I-I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about¡­¡±

    ¡°The man¡¯s appearance was extremely¡­ peculiar at that time, so I noted it down.¡± Linden said as he tapped the paper in front of him.

    In the meantime, I walked slowly around the table. Lecht followed after me quietly.

    ¡°Skin as white as snow. Hair down to his neck that was mysteriously both black and white¡­ Eyes like the winter sky¡­¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know such a man!!!¡±

    At Olivia¡¯s shrill cry, I asked, ¡°You really don¡¯t know?¡±

    Distracted by Linden¡¯s words, Olivia, who didn¡¯t know that I was now behind her, almost collapsed in shock.

    ¡°Princess, just what are you doing right now¡­!¡±

    Ziken tried to grab me, but Lecht blocked his path. The emperor sat quietly on the sidelines watching.

    ¡°I asked if you really don¡¯t know.¡± Looking down at Olivia, I bent slightly at the waist and asked Olivia once again.

    ¡°I-I don¡¯t know! I don¡¯t know that man!¡±

    ¡°Then what¡¯s this?¡± I yanked at a necklace that was hanging from the neck of her, who was screaming.

    ¡°Ah¡­!¡±

    She tried to reach for me in a hurry, but¡­ crack. The necklace had already been thrown to the floor and shattered under the heel of my shoe.

    ¡°No!¡±

    At Olivia¡¯s devastated voice, a dark blue energy burst from her necklace. Then immediately with a puff, a wind burst in as the whole room was filled with the scent of gold osmanthus.

    ¡°Gosh, seriously. What did your ¡®fake¡¯ saintess do like an amateur this time? Didn¡¯t I say that our contract would be broken if this shattered?¡±

    A man appeared in the black whirlwind. He had the same appearance as the ¡®man from the rumours¡¯ that had been mentioned over and over again today. And with the additional horns on his head, he was that very problematic demon we had been talking about.

    ¡°Oh? You aren¡¯t by yourself today? You only ever call for me when you¡¯re alone though.¡± Friday swept a glance through the crowd of people gathered and raised the corners of his mouth. ¡°Damn, judging by the atmosphere, this is just like ¡­¡±

    He crinkled his eyes into crescent moons and laughed, as if he enjoyed this chilly atmosphere. He crossed his arms prettily and poked the tip of his finger into his cheek with a hehe and whispered perversely, ¡°My Saintess, seems like they found out you were fake, huh?¡±

    Bingo. This time, it was my turn to raise the corners of my mouth.

    * * *

    pls do not share this anywhere or u will always stub ur toe when u walk past a door frame !! this translation has been stolen from mioscorner.com, pls only read there i¡¯m begging u :kneels:

    A few days ago, when Ara had disappeared and said she would come back after confirming something while she was contemplating on how to catch Olivia. She returned with a book in her hand.

    ¡°Butler. I¡¯d like to ask you a question.¡±

    ¡°Yes, go ahead Miss.¡±

    Although Lecht was also with him, asking him instead of Tanma would obviously be in violation of the demon realm¡¯s regulations.

    ¡°You said it was against the regulations for Lecht to force anything onto Frody, right? That includes breaking the contract.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Then what if I do it?¡±

 CH 52

    Tanma paused at Ara¡¯s words. ¡°In any case, it should be fine since you¡¯re the saintess, but¡­ you might receive some backlash too.¡±

    ¡°Because it¡¯s also considered to be forceful?¡±

    ¡°No. They should be used to obeying the strong.¡±

    In other words, Ara was a ¡®child of god¡¯, so none of the demons would be able to go against her. The only position that could be compared to hers would be the demon king, who also used the power of god.

    ¡°It¡¯s just that since Miss has been with His Majesty the whole time, others may speculate that you acted on his behalf.¡±

    ¡°So they¡¯re going to make an issue out of it since I still haven¡¯t gone to the demon realm and greeted the council of nobility there yet.¡±

    ¡°Yes. They would be quite full of complaints.¡±

    ¡°I was thinking of going after the proclamation ceremony as soon as this situation has been cleared up though¡­¡± It was completely beyond her as well since her return was delayed for too long. Tapping her chin and mulling it over, she suddenly opened her mouth again. ¡°What if I had justification to do so?¡±

    ¡°Justification?¡±

    ¡°A justification for me to break the contract.¡±

    Tanma was silent for a moment. ¡°Do you have anything in mind?¡±

    Ara¡¯s eyes lit up.

    ¡°No matter how many times I think over it, there¡¯s simply no reason for Olivia to touch the Grand Duchy. And at the same time when she¡¯s dealing with the capital as well.¡±

    If she was going to do it, then she would¡¯ve done it at a time when she could¡¯ve gone there herself to exert her own power and influence. There was absolutely nothing for her to gain by going now.

    ¡°Are you saying that it¡¯s an independent move made by Frody?¡±

    ¡°It could be.¡± Ara kept the smile on her face as she said those words. ¡°And even if the contract is with a human, the fact that he hurt one of his own kind? They won¡¯t be able to let this go easily.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s for sure¡­ but these are the demons who often engage in territorial wars of their own anyway.¡±

    ¡°No, this isn¡¯t a dispute between demons, rather it¡¯s ¡®accepting a human¡¯s request¡¯.¡± Ara took the demons¡¯ own pride and the fact that they wouldn¡¯t be able to accept that into consideration. ¡°Whether it was his own independent act or an order from Olivia, wouldn¡¯t that be enough for us to forcibly break the contract and summon Frody back to the demon realm?¡±

    At her voice that seemed to even be somewhat playful, Tanma smiled. ¡°I¡¯ll return to the Palace of the Demon King and definitely make that the justification.¡± Ara¡¯s smile deepened at Tanma¡¯s resolute response to her.

    ¡°But did you find a way to break the contract?¡± It wasn¡¯t that he meant to look down on her, but he just truthfully didn¡¯t think that Ara would be able to pressure him like Lecht.

    That was when Ara opened the book she was holding and showed it to him. ¡°Although the contract is forbidden magic, books written about the contract aren¡¯t.¡±

    It was a book about summoning demons and signing a contract with them. You could see how old it was just from seeing the paper, which was dry and crumbling.

    ¡°If you know your enemy and yourself, you can fight a hundred battles and win.¡±

    The page she had flipped to detailed the importance of the ¡®summoning medium¡¯ that was used to make the contract.

    * * *

    pls do not share this anywhere or u will always stub ur toe when u walk past a door frame !! this translation has been stolen from mioscorner.com, pls only read there i¡¯m begging u :kneels:

    Thanks to Tanma, who had returned from the Palace of the Demon King after making sure that it was a probable cause to do so, I was able to forcibly break Olivia¡¯s contract immediately thereafter.

    ¡°Miss Olivia, would you be able to give us an explanation? Why would a demon come out of your necklace?¡±

    Being able to guess that the medium for the contract was the necklace was all thanks to Meliara as well.

    ¡ªIf it¡¯s something she carries all the time, then¡­ a necklace. It¡¯s probably that necklace.

    ¡°How do you know?¡±

    ¡ªThe Saintess Olivia that I know has always insisted on wearing accessories and clothes that are of the latest trend. But she hasn¡¯t changed that necklace ever since the day I first met her. And it¡¯s just my gut feeling, but¡­ it never seemed to match Olivia¡¯s preferences.

    ¡°Then if that¡¯s definitely the case¡­¡±

    That was how we put all pieces of the puzzle together, and how the situation right now came to be.

    ¡°I-I don¡¯t know! I said I don¡¯t know!¡± Olivia continued to deny everything I said.

    As she continued to deny it, I had no choice but to open the book I had brought and place it in front of the emperor. ¡°The necklace just now was the medium Olivia used to make the contract with the demon. By breaking it, the contract is forcibly terminated.¡±

    Although the emperor seemed to be shocked at the sudden appearance of a demon, he quickly regained his calm composure. He took a quick look at the book I showed him.

    ¡°No, Your Majesty. She¡¯s trying to frame me! You must have done something to the necklace!¡±

    ¡°How could I possibly tamper with a necklace that you¡¯re always wearing?¡±

    ¡°Right now! You¡¯re clearly snatching the necklace right now!¡±

    Olivia shouted urgently, but I simply continued to speak at a leisurely pace to the high priest. ¡°Please go and confirm it. There shouldn¡¯t be any of that vast ¡®power¡¯ you felt in her previously anymore.¡±

    ¡°G-Get away from me!¡± Olivia screamed and clung onto Ziken as the high priest began to move towards her at my words. However, the emperor¡¯s knights had also moved at the emperor¡¯s command.

    ¡°Your Highness, you also know that they¡¯re setting me up right now! Your Highness, please help me!¡±

    ¡°Li-Livi¡­¡± Ziken was unable to do anything for his screaming lover. Since they were the emperor¡¯s very own knights.

    Olivia, who had been pretty much pushed into the hands of the high priest, kicked up a fuss trying to escape his grasp, but it was no use.

    ¡°Heok! Th-There¡¯s really none left¡­!¡± The high priest of the Solar Religion stumbled backwards in shock.

    You came here already knowing that she wasn¡¯t the real saintess, so what are you acting so surprised for?

    Although I felt rather apathetic toward it, I looked at the emperor after receiving a small nod. ¡°I beg Your Majesty. On the fact that she summoned a demon with the forbidden magic and used the power she contracted as a sacred power to deceive others. On the fact that she pretended to be a saintess with her false power, tarnished the Solar religion¡¯s name, and deceived all the nobles in the empire, including you, Your Majesty.¡±

    ¡°No¡­ No!¡±

    ¡°On the fact that she couldn¡¯t stop there, and unleashed a poison that originated from the demon realm against the citizens who loved her, causing countless people to fade away with the disease, driving them to death¡ªI accuse her. As a result of her actions, half the capital was immobilised, causing both direct and indirect damage to many people.¡±

    ¡°Shut up! I said it¡¯s not me!¡±

    ¡°And, furthermore¡­ on the point that she framed me, Meliara Darchez, numerous times in order to obtain the position beside the crown prince, who was originally my fiance.¡±

    I listed off all of her false accusations against me thoroughly. From the fact that I was accused of stealing something all the way to the fact where she had tried to shift the blame for the epidemic onto me.

    ¡°I carried the prejudice of having attempted to poison people, the reputation of the Darchez Duchy was seriously damaged, and even an imperial marriage was broken.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°I desperately beg of you to mete out punishment for all of these malicious deeds.¡± I placed my hand slightly above my heart and bowed my head.

    Although Olivia was still screaming, everyone else was now looking at me silently. Olivia, who had been shouting that it wasn¡¯t her for a while now, gradually became quieter in the silence. Bent at the waist, I remained unmoving.

    ¡°To think that the damage caused by the lies of a single person would escalate to the extent of it being a national tragedy. How pathetic.¡± Letting out a long sigh, the emperor pressed his fingertips to his forehead and tried to speak calmly.

    But I could see the fury that filled his eyes. It was a fury that was directed at the fact that one person could fool the entire empire, including himself, the emperor.

    ¡°Drag the ¡®fake¡¯ saintess, Olivia away.¡±

    ¡°Your Majesty, I¡¯m not the one at fault! It¡¯s not me!¡±

    ¡°We can investigate that little by little. Just how far you truly went with your little ploy.¡± The emperor looked at Olivia with a cold look in his eyes. The time where people thought she was the Solar religion¡¯s saintess was over. All that love had now been returned as betrayal and anger. ¡°I will investigate this down to the very detail of it all.¡±

    Was it that difficult for him to make his ruling right now, even with how clear the evidence is right now?

    Feeling a bit disappointed, I nodded slightly, but the emperor said something I hadn¡¯t expected at all. ¡°It isn¡¯t to determine if that person is guilty or not. In any case, she¡¯ll receive the death penalty for pretending to be a saintess with the help of forbidden magic.¡±

    I didn¡¯t hide my confusion at his words that were directed toward me. ¡°Then why investigate¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s to make sure that those who were affected by the culprit are adequately compensated.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­¡±

    It was a promise to expel all the false accusations from Meliara Darchez, the original owner of this body. In addition to the other victims such as the messenger and the temple maid, who were standing behind me right now.

    ¡®How reliable.¡¯

    I was able to laugh carefreely for the first time since this situation erupted. ¡°Thank you.¡± And bowed my head.

    ¡°No! Argh!!¡±

    I turned my head toward the still noisy Olivia. As she was being dragged away, Olivia¡¯s eyes met mine. All I did was just stare at her, yet her face turned red as she looked at me. ¡°You¡¯re looking down on me again, aren¡¯t you?! Again! Ahhhhhh!¡±

    With her current appearance, no one would be able to associate her with the word ¡®saintess¡¯.

    * * *

    The ¡®fake¡¯ saintess incident that had erupted out of nowhere had caused the emperor to be quite busy. We vacated the place at his words that expressed he was sorry, but we should catch up casually over tea another time. The high priest of the Solar religion also went back in a hurry since it was necessary for him to sort out the temple.

    And Frody, of course, had resumed his humanised state at the command of Lecht.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that you¡¯d break it, Saintess. That¡¯s a violation of the regulations though.¡± Frody said with a smile.

    ¡°What violation.¡± I didn¡¯t pay any attention to him. I looked back at Tanma, ignoring him.

    ¡°In any case, it seems like it all fortunately went quite well, huh?¡±

    ¡°Because rather than the disciplinary action, everyone just wants to see the saintess as soon as possible instead.¡±

    Tanma told me about what had transpired when he returned to the demon realm.

    *

    At an emergency council meeting in the demon realm that was held at the request of Tanma.

    ¡°I thought the saintess would be coming since he said it was an emergency, but even His Majesty hasn¡¯t arrived yet?¡±

    ¡°Just what the hell is taking them so long?! Isn¡¯t he stopping us deliberately? I¡¯m telling you, he¡¯s taking advantage of the fact that we can¡¯t cross over into the human realm without his permission first!¡±

    The nobles who had gathered as a council after a long time were busy placing bets.

    A few months ago, the story of the saintess appearing started to circulate throughout the demon realm. It was only natural, since Ryno had spread rumours all over the place, saying that he had become the exclusive servant of the saintess.

    Ever since then, all of them had put in a request to be granted an audience with the saintess, but Tanma continued to block them by saying that the saintess still had issues that she had to resolve in the human realm.

    The nobles, who had brushed over it at first, started to complain when it lasted for several months.

    ¡°I¡¯m saying, why the hell would the proclamation ceremony be held in the human realm first? Isn¡¯t Lunar the demon realm¡¯s god in the first place?¡±

    ¡°The Lunar religion wouldn¡¯t have spread all the way to the human realm if His Majesty hadn¡¯t stayed in the human realm in the first place.¡±

    No matter how much they thought about it, it felt like their demon king was trying to hog the saintess to himself by using one excuse or another.

    ¡°The proclamation ceremony in the human realm was the saintess¡¯ choice.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    After silencing them with words they couldn¡¯t refute first, Tanma said, ¡°But even that is being delayed.¡±

    ¡°Why is that?¡±

    ¡°I knew it, he¡¯s obviously doing this on purpose¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s because of Sir Frody¡¯s interference.¡±

    The conference room suddenly became quiet once Frody¡¯s name was brought up. A chilling tension hung in the air.

    ¡°Everyone is aware that he signed a contract with a human, right?¡±

    ¡°Is that the problem? Even if we know, the regulations¡­¡±

    ¡°Yes, the contract is fine. However, he used it as an excuse to hurt His Majesty¡¯s people.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°The bigger problem at hand is that their return to the demon realm is being delayed since the saintess is currently handling it. Because of what Frody did under the pretext of the contract.¡±

    ¡°Ahem, ahem¡­!¡±

    All of them showed an unpleasant expression, just like he expected.

    Making sure that all of their arrows were being pointed at Frody, Tanma said, ¡°So the saintess is going to forcibly terminate the contract.¡±

    ¡°¡­!¡±

    ¡°So that she can come to the demon realm as soon as possible. Oh, and there will be a grand welcoming ceremony that will be held when she comes.¡±

    All of them shut their mouths. Disciplinary action or whatever aside, their biggest wish was for the saintess to come back as soon as possible.

    ¡°Is there anyone who opposes this?¡±

    Although Tanma¡¯s smile seemed extremely hateful in their eyes, no one dared to raise their hand.

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll let the saintess know your exact words. I¡¯ll see you all again with the saintess.¡±

    That was how the emergency meeting ended.

    *

    ¡°Things went well thanks to Tanma¡¯s efforts.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s my honour for me to be of help to you.¡±

    ¡°Gosh, I really should rush to the demon realm as soon as the proclamation is finished. I didn¡¯t know everyone had been waiting for me like that.¡±

    Although Ryno had always told me, maybe I hadn¡¯t been able to believe him wholeheartedly since it was him who was telling me¡­

    ¡°When you return, come and see me too¨C¡±

    ¡°Tanma.¡±

    ¡°Yes, understood, Your Majesty.¡±

    Frody tried to take advantage of the gap in conversation to call out to me, but Lecht and Tanma immediately cut him off.

    ¡°Regardless, I made a huge meritorious contribution this time¡­¡±

    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you think about what you¡¯ve done so far?¡± I turned around after spitting out a harsh remark to Frody.

    Although my work wasn¡¯t completely finished yet, now that the emperor was moving too, all I really had to do was wait. I was rather pleased that I was able to make it to the deadline of the proclamation ceremony by a narrow margin.

    ¡°Then, let¡¯s go and prepare for the proclamation ceremony! We only have two days left!¡±

    It had been a long time since I had last been able to laugh carefreely without my feet feeling heavy.

    *

    However, another stumbling block came to find me sooner than I expected.

    ¡°Meliara. Can I talk to you for a bit?¡±

    It was Alion Darchez.

 CH 53

    ¡°No, Ara, your skin is too bright so this colour won¡¯t suit you.¡±

    ¡°Anything looks good on Ara.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a given. I¡¯m just choosing a colour that will look especially pretty from among them.¡±

    Linden and Lecht were bickering, yet sitting side by side as they continued to pick out my clothes. They were in the middle of choosing the clothes that I would wear to the proclamation ceremony of the saintess which would be held the day after tomorrow. Although I was perfectly capable of choosing it myself, they had come and done it for me.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t both of you busy? Your own work must have been delayed while you were dealing with this issue.¡±

    ¡°No, not at all.¡±

    ¡°One way to have more time is if you have a competent subordinate.¡±

    They really got along well at times like this though.

    I shook my head and stood the two of them up. ¡°Well, I¡¯m busy so no. I¡¯m saying that I can¡¯t prepare properly for the proclamation ceremony.¡±

    When I pushed them out with my hands on their backs, Lecht let himself be pushed out unwillingly while Linden turned back and complained. ¡°So I¡¯ll help you. What do you need?¡±

    ¡°I need time to myself.¡±

    ¡°Apart from that¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s all stuff I can do by myself, so go.¡±

    Only me and the maids remained in the room after I had successfully kicked them out.

    ¡®Come to think of it now, I can¡¯t see where Meliara went.¡¯

    She had been waiting for us when we came back from the imperial palace. When I told her about everything that had transpired, she had burst into tears and had gone to slowly shed her sorrowful feelings.

    But after that, she was nowhere to be found. I had even gone to the area that had been specially set up for her, but she wasn¡¯t there. She wasn¡¯t next to the teddy bear either. I had briefly wondered if she had simply just left like this, but that shouldn¡¯t be the case.

    ¡®Maybe she just wants to be alone right now.¡¯

    I mean, she had suffered because of Olivia for so long, and now all of that had been resolved.

    ¡°Even my thoughts are getting complicated for no reason.¡±

    ¡°Woof!¡±

    ¡°Mm, alright. Stop thinking about bad things.¡± I smiled at Kelber, who was acting cute to cheer me up. ¡°You seem to be acting cuter since noona hasn¡¯t played with you in a while, huh?¡±

    Kelber had remained in the temple throughout the whole duration of the case since we constantly had to move here and there. He had continued to whine so we would take him as well, but there was no way I would be able to take him to infiltrate the villa or when we went to the imperial palace, so he ended up staying here for a long time.

    Maybe that¡¯s why it felt like I hadn¡¯t seen him for a long time.

    ¡°I¡¯ll play with you a lot after the proclamation ceremony is over.¡±

    ¡°Woof!¡±

    I was patting his three heads and giving him a heap of affection when I heard a knock at the door.

    ¡°Yes, come in.¡±

    Don¡¯t tell me the maids are bringing in even more clothes? There were already so many for me to try on though. I turned my head in half worry and excitement.

    What opened the door and came in was even better than what I expected.

    ¡°Why did you come in again? Go and do your work.¡±

    ¡°The Grand Duchy is too far away.¡±

    Can even that be considered an excuse? Nevertheless, I still let out a small smile at his cuteness.

    ¡°If you really do want to be left alone, then I¡¯ll leave.¡±

    ¡°That isn¡¯t what I meant.¡±

    The truth was that I just couldn¡¯t stand watching Linden and Lecht bickering all the time. I would¡¯ve normally just laughed and brushed it off in the past, but now that my feelings were set in stone, I couldn¡¯t just stand and watch that happen.

    Having said that, although I had never had a proper conversation like that with Linden, I just put an end to it by apologising and kicking both of them out instead. But how did Lecht notice that point and come back again like this?

    Although it was rather unexpected, in any case, Lecht seemed to be particularly sensitive to the changes in my emotions. Since that much could be interpreted to mean that he was always watching me, my heart started to flutter at that thought.

    ¡°I¡¯ll come back after changing into my next outfit, so do you just want to wait here?¡±

    He grabbed my wrist that was outstretched and pointed to the sofa as I was talking. He then took something out of his inner pocket and tied it around my wrist. At the cold touch, it didn¡¯t take very long for me to figure out what it was.

    ¡°What¡¯s with the sudden bracelet¡­?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh, is it like the bouquet? Did I tell you that it was fine for you to give me a gift no matter when it was as well?¡±

    The person I was a hundred years ago was someone who would¡¯ve said something like that.

    As I asked with a smile, Lecht smiled as well, as if he had the same thought as me. ¡°Those words are true too, but this is¡­¡± Holding my small hand preciously between his two large hands, he swept the tip of his thumb over the bracelet. ¡°It was something I had to give you someday.¡±

    ¡°¡­Don¡¯t tell me, you waited 100 years to do this?¡±

    Instead of answering my question, Lecht smiled awkwardly. That itself was more than enough as an answer.

    ¡°It¡¯s exactly my style.¡±

    Looking at the bracelet, I had the thought that the saintess from a hundred years ago really was me. We had similar taste in men, and our preferences regarding this were similar too. Even our habits and the way we talked were similar as well according to Lecht.

    ¡°It¡¯s because I made it by copying a bracelet you liked.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­ what? You made it?¡±

    ¡°I wanted to give you something as well when you came back, just like how you left me with a piece of your soul back then.¡±

    ¡°Just Lecht¡¯s heart is more than enough¡­¡±

    The fact that he never stopped loving me through a hundred years was more than enough. Nevertheless, saying it with my own mouth was a bit more embarrassing than I thought it would be. Although I had shut up rather quickly, Lecht, who had already heard it, stroked my cheek with the back of his finger again with a tender expression on his face.

    ¡°Yes, if it¡¯s you, then you would say that just giving you a rock that¡¯s on the side of the road would be enough for you.¡±

    ¡°No, how could we possibly compare your heart to a rock on the side of the road?¡±

    ¡°But I¡¯m not good enough.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°No matter how much I give you, it will always be lacking; it won¡¯t be enough.¡±

    Wow¡­ he¡¯s seriously coming in with his blinkers on1¡­

    ¡°The rose shines when you get closer to it.¡±

    ¡°Is this like that as well?¡±

    It¡¯s not shining though¡­?

    ¡°A summon.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a device that can summon me, anytime, and anywhere.¡±

    ¡°!¡±

    My eyes widened. I couldn¡¯t help but be shocked. How could I not be shocked when he put a device on my wrist that was capable of summoning the demon king?

    ¡°In any case, this is a bit¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s disposable.¡± Lecht added quickly.

    Did he make it a one use item since he knew I would feel burdened otherwise? I laughed at how cute he had been when he had quickly added that it was disposable lest I refuse it.

    ¡°What is this? Are you giving this to me so that I can call you when I need you because you¡¯re not thinking of staying by my side anymore?¡±

    ¡°¡­!¡± Although I had only been joking, Lecht seemed to be extremely flustered. ¡°It isn¡¯t like that. It isn¡¯t that, rather, I made it like that since there was no other way for me to show you that I¡¯m now bound to you.¡±

    Wow, this was the first time I had seen Lecht speak so fast.

    ¡°I have no intention of leaving you.¡±

    I could see just how frantic Lecht was by the way he cupped my cheeks so that my eyes were fixed on his while he talked. ¡°Just like in the case where Frody approached you as soon as I left you, if that ever happens again and something happens to you when I¡¯m not there, I would never forgive myself for it. That¡¯s why I did it.¡±

    ¡°I know.¡±

    At his appearance of continuing to explain desperately to the point where it was pitiful, I tried to calm him down. Even the remaining mischievous feelings I had of wanting to see more of that adorable appearance had all but disappeared now.

    ¡°You¡¯ll stick right by my side, I know.¡± And the words I had wanted to say last time, but couldn¡¯t. I carefully brought out the feelings of my heart that I wanted to show him. ¡°I believe Lecht, since you¡¯re a man who keeps his promises no matter what. That¡¯s why you¡¯re reliable, and cool, and¡­¡±

    I couldn¡¯t find the words to say when he just continued to stare at me with my face in his hands. My throat felt itchy, but the words wouldn¡¯t come out. My heart felt like it was flipping upside down, my cheeks in his hands felt burning hot, and his gaze that was on me made me feel even more embarrassed. At this rate, it seemed like I wouldn¡¯t be able to say what I wanted to say.

    So I stepped forward. He hadn¡¯t used a lot of force to hold me, so I easily escaped his grasp. And then I plunged straight into his arms.

    It was a rather funny issue. It was embarrassing for me to just look into his eyes, but I was used to hugging him like this. I gently embraced the arms that felt safer than anywhere else in this world.

    ¡°That¡¯s why I like you.¡±

    Badump, badump, badump, badump.

    Was this heartbeat that was sounding in my ears my own or Lecht¡¯s? It was probably both of ours, but frankly, it didn¡¯t matter anyway.

    I buried my red face into the nape of his neck. His refreshing scent, which had now become my favourite fragrance, gently tickled the tip of my nose.

    ¡°Ara.¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t say it again!¡±

    How could I possibly confess my feelings twice when I¡¯m already feeling embarrassed? I grumbled as I tightened my arms around him for no reason.

    Soon after, I heard a small laugh in my ear as he wrapped his arms around me. He hugged me tighter in his large embrace.

    ¡°Just once is enough.¡±

    His sweet voice stirred up my eardrums. Our conversation ended there, but the warm hug and our loud heartbeats continued.

    It was when I thought I would fall into a honey pot just like this.

    ¡ªA-Ara! What should we do, outside¡­! Heok!

    Meliara shouted as she urgently appeared after floating through a wall. Then, she turned around in surprise when she discovered Lecht and I. Shocked, I quickly moved away from Lecht, while Lecht looked at me with wide eyes, shocked from my actions.

    ¡°Ara?¡±

    ¡°Oh, the thing is¡­ Meliara appeared¡­¡± I whispered softly, pointing to where Meliara was standing.

    ¡°Oh.¡± Lecht also nodded lightly, as if he now understood why I had pushed him away.

    ¡°Ahem, so why did you come and find me?¡±

    ¡ªI¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to interrupt¡­

    My face was scarlet red from the fact that I had wholeheartedly hugged Lecht as well as the obvious embarrassment that was visible on the face of Meliara, who had witnessed it all.

    ¡°E-Enough about that¡­! What¡¯s outside?¡±

    A knock sounded before Meliara could answer my question. In any case, I flinched momentarily, perhaps because I had heard Meliara¡¯s urgent voice talking about something ¡®outside¡­¡¯.

    ¡°Saintess, a visitor has arrived.¡± A maid spoke from outside.

    ¡°A visitor?¡±

    Judging by the reaction of Meliara, who was shocked and covered her mouth with one hand, I could guess that the reason why she had barged in so urgently was because of that visitor¡­

    ¡°Yes, the Little Duke, Alion Darchez is outside.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­¡±

    I was able to understand why Meliara had been in such a fluster at the name of that person.

    * * *

    pls do not share this anywhere or u will always stub ur toe when u walk past a door frame !! this translation has been stolen from mioscorner.com, pls only read there i¡¯m begging u :kneels:

    The only ones who were left in the drawing room were Alion and I. At my feet was the napping Kelber, stuck to me like a piece of gum. Of course, Meliara was there as well, but she was invisible to Alion, so from his point of view, there were only the two of us here.

    A long bout of awkward silence passed.

    ¡°I¡¯ve just come back from the imperial palace.¡± He opened his mouth first. ¡°They said that they would compensate for the damage that the Darchez Duchy has suffered during this time.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°I told them that I¡¯d rather they reward you instead, since you were the one who suffered more damage than the Duchy.¡±

    ¡°His Majesty already told me that he would give me a separate compensation.¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s what His Majesty said to me as well.¡± Alion smiled bitterly. Sighing silently, he bowed his head. ¡°Now there¡¯s no excuse I can use for me to ask you to come back.¡±

    ¡°¡­Aren¡¯t you going to say anything about me sneaking out the messenger and all the other witnesses?¡±

    ¡°What right do I have to talk about that? It¡¯s a villa that belongs to the Darchez Duchy so you can easily go in and out of it if you want, plus giving you the witnesses if you wanted them would be the right thing to do in the first place.¡±

    Alion raised his head heavily and stared at me. I couldn¡¯t hold up to his gaze and turned away. Although all he saw was his younger sister, the emotion behind that gaze was too heavy for me to bear, since I wasn¡¯t actually his younger sister.

    ¡°Melia¡­¡±

    ¡°Little Duke.¡± I took the initiative to interrupt him before he could say anymore. ¡°I¡¯m not your younger sister.¡±

    ¡°Meliara, please.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not saying this because of the bad feelings that piled up from your past deeds.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s just an irrefutable fact.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t bring myself to say the part where an outsider had taken over and currently occupied his younger sister¡¯s body. Although Meliara was able to accept this fact since she was a child who already had no lingering feelings for life in the first place, him being able to accept it was something that was beyond my knowledge.

    However, I still thought it would be wrong of me to pretend to be his younger sister. No matter how much he looked for her, he wouldn¡¯t be able to meet Meliara, and I wasn¡¯t her either. So I should just cut it off cleanly right here.

    ¡°I can¡¯t go back to your side.¡±

    His face distorted immediately as he bowed his head, as if trying to hide it. A faint sigh echoed throughout the drawing room.

    He slowly raised his head again, an expression of resignation on his face. ¡°I¡¯m going to oust my father and become the duke.¡±

    He had even used the term, ¡®oust¡¯. That in itself was quite symbolic. I could see just how resolute he was in that decision, just from that alone.

    ¡°So¡­ if you decide that you want to come back at any time, the Duchy¡¯s doors will always be open to you.¡± After leaving those words behind, he rose from his seat.

    I couldn¡¯t bring myself to say anything until he had left the room.

    ¡°Haa¡­¡±

    After Alion had disappeared, only Meliara and I remained in the room.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. At any rate, he¡¯s still your older brother, but I so heartlessly¡­ but it¡¯s because I really can¡¯t be like you.¡±

    ¡ªNo. This is for the best. I think this is better. I think he¡¯d have a harder time if he found out that I couldn¡¯t stand it and gave up on my life in the end.

    ¡°You¡¯ve lived your whole life being misunderstood like that, and you¡¯re still able to forgive your older brother?¡±

    ¡ª¡­I guess so.

    ¡°You¡¯re too nice.¡± I let out a sigh. ¡°Should I tell him to come to the temple when I¡¯m not here? That way, even if he can¡¯t see you, you¡¯ll at least be able to see him often.¡±

    ¡ªHe¡¯s a busy person. How could he do that?

    ¡°You¡¯re even worrying over others now as well. You can be selfish sometimes as well. Even after living your whole life in suffering, you¡­¡±

    ¡ªBecause I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going to happen next either.

    I was lost for words when Meliara looked down at her own hand. No, why are you suddenly rushing in with the facts¡­ it really makes people speechless.

    But what really happened next actually made me speechless.

    ¡°What¡­ were you talking about just now?¡± The voice of the man who was supposed to have just left sounded from the door.

    Shocked, our heads turned around at the same time to find Alion still standing there.

    ¡°L-Little Duke? You haven¡¯t left yet¡­?¡±

    ¡°I forgot to give this to you¡­ but what were you just talking about?¡±

    He had a small gift box in his hands. Was he trying to give me all the gifts he hadn¡¯t been able to give me so far? But that was beside the point.

    ¡°Who are you talking to?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Who are you?¡±

    Oh¡­ we¡¯re in big trouble.

    [1] coming across really straightforwardly and headstrong

 CH 54

    In the end, I confessed everything to Alion. That I was someone who lived in a completely different place, but had died in an accident a few months ago, and that I had suddenly woken up in Meliara¡¯s body. After that, I had tried to sever my ties with the Darchez family to survive, but then I had suddenly become a saintess and subsequently had to return. And then shockingly meeting Meliara in the temple, and even the reason why she had to leave this body. Naturally, the part where this was a novel was also excluded.

    It wasn¡¯t a great story to hear. At first, Alion tried to argue that he had heard it all wrong, but it wasn¡¯t very convincing. The biggest problem in the first place was that Alion also felt that I didn¡¯t seem to act like how his younger sister used to before.

    ¡°I just wanted to think that your personality had changed a little after encountering a big incident.¡± Alion let out a long sigh and rubbed his thin face. There seemed to be a darker shadow than before on his face.

    ¡°You seem¡­ to believe it easier than I thought you would.¡±

    ¡°Because I can¡¯t help but believe it. Everything you do is different from my younger sister.¡±

    You can even see those tiny differences¡­?

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you think of me, but¡­ I¡¯ve been watching over my younger sister for a longer time than you think.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Honestly, before you told me all of this¡­ I had wondered if you were really my younger sister. I don¡¯t know if this will sound arrogant, but¡­¡± He smiled bitterly. ¡°Meliara, that child¡¯s heart is quite weak, so if I had already pleaded with her this much, she probably would¡¯ve already returned to the Duchy.¡±

    Rather it was my determination that convinced him that I wasn¡¯t actually Meliara.

    ¡°So my actual younger sister¡­ is standing right here?¡± he asked, pointing to the seat next to me. He let out another deep sigh at the sight of me nodding my head.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± There wasn¡¯t much I could really say about this situation.

    He turned his face that was filled with mixed emotions from the space where Meliara was to me and shook his head. ¡°What exactly have you done wrong? You, too, only opened your eyes after your life was unfairly ended, and that place just ended up being here.¡±

    Oh¡­? I hadn¡¯t expected this. I had naturally thought that he¡¯d blame me or get angry. But to my surprise, he simply calmly accepted the situation as it was.

    ¡°And the fact that my younger sister¡­ haa¡­ my younger sister chose to give up on life was also my fault in the end.¡±

    ¡ªHuh¡­? N-No. It¡¯s not like that at all, Brother.

    ¡°She said that it isn¡¯t though? It could never be.¡±

    He gave me a slight smile when I told him what Meliara had said. ¡°If it¡¯s that kid, then that¡¯s what she¡¯d think. I can even imagine what sort of voice she had said that with.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°But you know. That I¡¯m too late.¡± Then, he put down the gift box he had shown me earlier.

    After examining Meliara¡¯s face, I opened the box. There was a small hairpin in it. It was a cute and prim hairpin that suited Meliara¡¯s timid personality perfectly. Although it was just a hairpin, it felt as if Alion was telling Meliara just how long he had been watching over her.

    ¡°Just by seeing me only do what I should¡¯ve done for you all along now, it¡¯s obvious just how l¡­¡±

    ¡°It isn¡¯t too late.¡± Perhaps it was because his voice was filled with so much pain. I uttered something that could¡¯ve been too meddlesome. ¡°At least you¡¯re here now.¡±

    I turned my head to look at Meliara. She looked at the hairpin with a heartbreaking expression on her face today as well, and raised her head to look at her older brother.

    ¡°Your words, your actions, everything you do; she¡¯s watching it all. Although she can¡¯t come back¡­ at least your feelings are being conveyed.¡±

    Alion looked shocked at my words. As if he had never thought of it that way. He slowly began to breathe again after he caught his breath. But he inhaled deeply, as if he were trying to calm down his excitement. ¡°Is there really¡­ no way for us to meet?¡±

    Oh, this is why I had tried to be cautious with my meddling. Hope was like a weed, so even if you only left a little, it would spread in an instant.

    ¡°Saintess. If you¡¯re the saintess¡­¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t. If I knew how to do it, I would¡¯ve done it already.¡±

    ¡°Whether it¡¯s donating or anything, I¡¯ll do it all. The official religion for the Duchy will also be changed to the Lunar religion. If I can just have five minutes¡­ no, just one minute. Please, is there no way for us to talk face to face?¡±

    ¡°You know it¡¯s not that sort of problem, Little Duke.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    This is why it¡¯s harder to pluck out the hope that¡¯s already spread.

    Alion bowed his distorted face. His clasped hands trembled. There was a silence where only his breathing could be heard, and then he rose from his seat.

    ¡°Pardon me.¡±

    ¡°Are you leaving now?¡±

    At my question, rather than at me, he looked at the spot next to me. Gazing at the spot where nothing could be seen for a long while, he sighed with a complex look on his face.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take my leave.¡±

    ¡°Little Duke.¡± I called out to Alion, who was leaving after that greeting. As he was turning the doorknob, he turned his head.

    ¡°Although they¡¯re invisible to the world, a lot of them are important.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Apart from the obvious love and hate, we can¡¯t see the changes in scent, or the wind that changes the seasons either.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Just because you can¡¯t see it, doesn¡¯t mean it¡¯s not there.¡± I said this since I knew he hesitated because he couldn¡¯t see Meliara.

    His gaze returned to where Meliara was once more. ¡°I¡¯ll be back.¡±

    I smiled and nodded at the slightly different reply.

    ¡ªThank you.

    Although Alion had left and Meliara had said that, I couldn¡¯t do anything else but shake my head with an awkward smile on my face.

    * * *

    pls do not share this anywhere or u will always stub ur toe when u walk past a door frame !! this translation has been stolen from mioscorner.com, pls only read there i¡¯m begging u :kneels:

    I couldn¡¯t sleep until late at night because of my turbulent feelings after meeting Alion. After tossing and turning for a while, I finally got up from the bed.

    I had wanted to go for a walk, but instead of going very far, I ended up only sitting by the window after I put on my robe. A cool autumn breeze blew in when I opened the window slightly.

    ¡®Or should this be called the winter wind?¡¯

    Seeing that there were more leaves that had fallen than on the trees, it seemed that autumn was now coming to an end.

    ¡®Seasons. Wind. And relationships¡­¡¯

    Relationships were so mysterious in the way that they would brush past like the passing wind, yet they would return like the returning seasons. A relationship that was thought to last forever could be cut off at some point and become irreversible, while there were also times where a relationship that seemed to amount to nothing would become a long lasting relationship.

    Although my relationship with Lecht was one that took a hundred years, it was a tenacious one that came full circle in the end. Olivia and I had an ill-fated relationship, but in the end, we were just brushing past and would never see each other again. In that sort of sense, the relationship between Alion and Meliara was even more complicated.

    ¡®The relationship that I thought I was holding onto by myself was one where another person was holding onto as well¡­¡¯

    When he had started to pull on the string, she had already been in a state where she had let go of it already. But that didn¡¯t mean she had left the string behind and disappeared forever either. Standing at the end of it, she was watching as the string was being pulled. But she couldn¡¯t grab onto it. Then if that was the case, would she even be happy to see the string being pulled?

    ¡®If it¡¯s Meliara, then she would be satisfied with just that. But with the hope that the other party must be watching him, the one it would be hard on would be Alion, who has to pull on that string endlessly with that hope.¡¯

    Since he had given her such a hard time for so long, I wanted to tell him that he should be able to bear at least that much. But at the same time, I knew it wasn¡¯t an easy time for him, so I couldn¡¯t say that recklessly either. Two people who had just missed each other on their journey that I wondered how it could get so tangled.

    ¡°How nice would it be if I could let you meet each other just once, even if it¡¯s for a short while.¡±

    I leaned my head against the window and closed my eyes.

    ¡®What¡¯s the point of being a saintess? I can¡¯t even do a miracle like that.¡¯

    [I can do it for you though.]

    I suddenly opened my eyes widely at the voice that was ringing in my head.

    ¡°What? Who is it?¡±

    There was no sign of anyone present, so whose voice was that?

    As I looked around in surprise, Kelber, who was by my feet, also looked up. All three of his heads tilted to one side, as if they were wondering what the problem was.

    ¡°Did you¡­ not hear that?¡±

    [As expected, the power of the red moon is the best! Time and space can overlap even if it¡¯s not a full moon.]

    ¡°I really heard it! What the hell!?¡±

    I jumped up from my seat. Then, I soon discovered something strange.

    ¡°Kelber doesn¡¯t have any reaction to it¡­?¡± All he did was jump up with a ¡®kking?¡¯ sound, tilting his head as if asking why I was so surprised. That meant he didn¡¯t think there was a threat.

    However, what was even more flustering was that I didn¡¯t know where I should look to find the source of the sound. At least when I first met Meliara, I was at least able to pinpoint where the sound of her sobbing came from. But the sound I heard now was ringing in my head instead of my ears.

    [But my daughter. Your reaction is just too cliche.]

    A voice that was so vague, it seemed too ambiguous to be a male or female¡¯s.

    ¡®They just talked about the red moon¡­ right?¡¯

    And referred to me as ¡®their daughter¡¯. Even talking about time and space overlapping.

    I naturally remembered what Lydia had said, ¡°The saintess is the only child of god that has been appointed by god themselves.¡±

    Don¡¯t tell me¡­

    ¡°Lunar?¡±

    [Yep! It¡¯s been a while, daughter!]

    There was only one word that filled my heart at this moment.

    ¡°¡­oh my god.¡±

    * * *

    I was made to suffer for a long time because of that word that came out of my mouth without going through my filter.

    [To think that your first word to me is ¡®oh my god¡¯¡­ Daughter of mine, that¡¯s just too much¡­]

    ¡°Sorry.¡±

    [If you hadn¡¯t come to the temple, I would¡¯ve just been waiting here this whole time since I can¡¯t even go to meet you¡­]

    ¡°I said I¡¯m sorry already¡­¡±

    The whining was extremely different to the stern and elegant image of a ¡®god¡¯ I had imagined.

    ¡°But think about it too, Lunar. Isn¡¯t it just too absurd for a god to suddenly pop out of nowhere?¡±

    I had known about it since Lydia had said that the saintess was able to hear god¡¯s voice. Nevertheless, she had clearly only said that I¡¯d be able to hear it on a night with a full moon though?

    ¡°Besides, what¡¯s with the timing of your appearance? Thankfully Kelber was by my side, otherwise I would¡¯ve definitely screamed and collapsed.¡±

    Anyone would panic if they suddenly heard a voice when they were alone in their room.

    [Still, wouldn¡¯t it be better than hearing my voice while you¡¯re in front of other people?]

    It was their own consideration toward me so as to not make me seem like a lunatic. I couldn¡¯t say anything more about the upsetting voice.

    ¡°Are you really Lunar?¡±

    [You don¡¯t believe me? Should I do a miracle?]

    ¡°The full moon is obviously tomorrow.¡±

    [I have more energy since it¡¯s the red moon tonight. That¡¯s also why my energy reached you faster. This is all possible because you¡¯re my most precious daughter.]

    Listening to the proud voice, I imagined an elementary student who looked down on the world in the form of a god.

    ¡®When Lydia said that Lunar was talkative, I hadn¡¯t thought it¡¯d be to this extent¡­¡¯

    [What? Lydia said that?]

    ¡°Heok! You can read my thoughts?¡±

    [Of course I can. Didn¡¯t I say that our time and space had overlapped?]

    Although I didn¡¯t really know what they meant by overlapping time and space, I still understood that I would need to be careful with my thoughts now. I couldn¡¯t even gossip in my head. Why did I feel wronged somehow¡­

    I rearranged my dishevelled gown and swept a hand through my hair.

    ¡°Right. Well, anyhow, the important thing is that we met. It¡¯s nice to meet you, Lunar.¡±

    [Welcome home, daughter.]

    ¡°So, about the miracle I was talking about earlier?¡±

    [Yes, what do you want me to do? Lightning in a clear sky? Hail? Or maybe you want a landslide?]

    No, why does a human¡­ no, god, say something so scary with such an innocent voice?

    ¡°Not that, but what I said earlier about letting Alion and Meliara meet each other.¡±

    [Oh, that one.]

    The voice of the excited Lunar slowly subsided.

    [As expected of my daughter, you¡¯ve never asked for something easy. Just how difficult is it to connect the space between the living and the dead?] They grumbled, [I¡¯d rather you just ask for a landslide.]

    ¡®Is it that difficult? But I can see both of them and talk to them though?¡¯

    [That¡¯s because you¡¯re my daughter.]

    ¡®So there¡¯s no other way?¡¯

    [There¡¯s a way. But it¡¯s a rather awkward method.]

    ¡®Tell me.¡¯

    Lunar explained it to me step by step. My face couldn¡¯t help but darken when I heard the whole story.

    ¡®Haa¡­ that¡¯s definitely going to be difficult.¡¯

    [Well, miracles don¡¯t happen easily after all.]

    It was a concern that started with a long sigh.

    ¡°Then¡­¡±

    That night, I didn¡¯t end up getting a wink of sleep due as I continued to chatter with Lunar.

 CH 55

    o be sighing at that noisy voice.

    TABLE OF CONTENTS

    this chapter is brought to you by mio

    as translator, proofreader and editor!

    The morning dawned on the day of the proclamation ceremony. Since I was being proclaimed as the Saintess of Lunar, who was the god of night, my proclamation was scheduled to be held when the moon had risen into the sky at night. Thus, it was time to prepare for the event that would be held in the evening.

    I had nothing else to do after choosing which clothes I¡¯d wear. Even if I tried to help with the preparations, the priests would aggressively stop me from doing anything by forcefully keeping me in my room. To be honest, I was actually a bit tired since I had stayed up all night chatting with Lunar yesterday.

    [So what you¡¯re saying is, the truth is that you actually had divine power in your previous life, but that world was a place where divine power couldn¡¯t be manifested, right?]

    Even now, I seem to be sighing at that noisy voice.

    [But despite that, the people around you are still fundamentally influenced by your divine power and are able to receive peace of mind just by being by your side¡­]

    ¡®You really do talk a lot¡­ Lydia wasn¡¯t just saying it after all¡­¡¯

    [A lot? But I¡¯m only talking about things of importance right now? If you don¡¯t listen carefully, you¡¯ll regret it when you end up hitting the ground later¡­]

    They read my thoughts yet again.

    Haa¡­ How is it possible for them to talk without even taking a single minute¡¯s rest? If we¡¯re talking about skills, then this is one too. What¡¯s even more impressive is that it¡¯s all stuff I haven¡¯t heard before, with not even a conversation overlapping.

    ¡®I thought I wouldn¡¯t be able to hear you in the middle of the day when the moon disappeared.]

    [The moon always exists somewhere. Like you said, just because you can¡¯t see it, doesn¡¯t mean it¡¯s not there.]

    To think that they even used the line I said to Alion. Cheap, they¡¯re too cheap!

    [Aha! I suddenly remembered it since you said something about things you can¡¯t see. Aren¡¯t you curious about how the shield you have is made?]

    I¡¯m not curious. No, I¡¯m curious, but I don¡¯t want to tell them that I¡¯m curious. Since it¡¯s obvious that we¡¯ll end up talking about that topic for another hour.

    ¡®I¡¯m going to sleep. Don¡¯t disturb me.¡¯

    [Daughter! You¡¯re too mean! We¡¯ll need to part ways after tonight is over!]

    How terrible, to have to endure until tonight.

    I lay down on the bed, leaving Lunar, whose dignity as a god had disappeared over night, to kick up a fuss. Nevertheless, I still couldn¡¯t sleep. This time, there was another distraction apart from Lunar.

    ¡°Saintess, His Highness the Prince has come.¡±

    There were visitors coming in and out as soon as day broke.

    ¡®Looks like I won¡¯t be getting a good sleep today either.¡¯

    [There¡¯s originally something like destiny you see, so you¡¯re born with some parts, and there are parts that you make as you live¡­]

    ¡°Haa¡­¡±

    And Lunar, who had started talking about that straightaway. The reason why the Lunar religion¡¯s saintesses don¡¯t appear very often was probably because even if they did appear, they¡¯d just run away from Lunar¡¯s chatty self.

    With a sigh, I stepped out to meet Linden. I changed into my light inside-wear and went to the drawing room where Linden was waiting for me.

    ¡°What did you come here so early for when the proclamation ceremony is at night?¡±

    ¡°I had something I wanted to show you. But Ara, why does your complexion look so pale?¡± Linden asked anxiously as he looked at my dark circles that seemed to hang down to my cheeks.

    ¡°I just couldn¡¯t sleep well. It was probably because the issue I was worrying about hasn¡¯t been fully resolved yet.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t bear to say, ¡®I couldn¡¯t sleep because Lunar was being too noisy¡¯, so I smiled and made something up.

    ¡°Really? Then you¡¯d probably be even more glad to hear this.¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    Linden placed a piece of paper on the table. It was an official document that came from the imperial palace. It¡¯s said that there wasn¡¯t any inn or tavern that wasn¡¯t connected to it.

    ¡°They¡¯ve decided on the death penalty.¡±

    Everything that Saintess Olivia had done so far was written down on it. Compared to all her other malicious acts, the story of her deceiving everyone as a saintess was written in the headlines the most.

    ¡°It¡¯s also written that the Solar religion was also damaged because of this. Though I don¡¯t know how much of this the people will believe.¡±

    Wouldn¡¯t they have already lost a lot of their trust in the Solar religion when they mistakenly took Olivia to be a saintess in the first place? But that was something for the Solar religion to worry about, not me.

    ¡°As per your request, they seem to have excluded the story of you and the Grand Duke Arvis as much as possible.¡±

    Although there was no way they couldn¡¯t write about it, they thankfully only labelled him as someone who helped.

    ¡°That¡¯s a relief. That way, it won¡¯t seem like it was the Lunar religion who was saying all of that for no reason.¡± I brushed the official document slightly with my fingertips. My thoughts became complicated.

    ¡°What¡¯s with your expression? I thought you¡¯d be happy.¡±

    ¡°Hm? No, that¡¯s¡­¡± Considering what Olivia had done, I thought that this punishment was well deserved for her. My thoughts weren¡¯t complicated about that part. ¡°There¡¯s no mention of the crown prince at all.¡±

    ¡°Well, the thing is¡­ that¡¯s because His Majesty also thinks that he¡¯s a victim who has been deceived by her.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s right to some extent, but it¡¯s also the crown prince who set up the stage that allowed for her to run wild.¡±

    Would she have been able to become that unruly without Ziken backing her? She received his protection just by shaking her shoulders tremblingly and shedding a few tears. Using his love for her, she transformed a lie into the truth.

    ¡°There¡¯s no way the emperor would have been unaware of that fact¡­¡±

    ¡°Still, he¡¯s the crown prince. He wouldn¡¯t want to put a stain on his reputation for nothing.¡±

    ¡°Even though the reason why that woman was able to commit those deeds that drove his innocent fiancee to become a villainess and annul his engagement with her was because he openly dated that woman?¡±

    People were already aware of that fact. The nobility would already be suspicious of the crown prince¡¯s qualifications, and that would serve as a lifelong weakness for him. Since the crown prince being described as a ¡®wronged victim¡¯ could also be interpreted as lacking the qualifications to succeed the throne.

    ¡°The only people who like pushovers that are blinded by love are those treacherous subjects who are in positions of power.¡±

    ¡°Nevertheless¡­ it¡¯s because he¡¯s the crown prince. Even the emperor¡¯s arms will naturally curve inwards1.¡± Linden¡¯s voice was bitter as he said those words.

    I cast a look at his face. The look in his eyes as he stared at the official document seemed to be entangled with complicated emotions, and his lips that were tightly sealed into a straight line seemed to contain an unconcealable sense of grievance and anguish. My own concerns seemed to fizzle out when I saw the expression on his face.

    ¡®Although I¡¯ll be going to the demon realm after the proclamation ceremony ends anyway, I can¡¯t just stand by and watch the empire descend into a shit storm.¡¯

    As I jumped up from my seat, Linden¡¯s eyes widened, as if he were shocked.

    ¡°Linden, the emperor¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­?¡±

    ¡°He has two arms.¡±

    ¡°What are you talking about¡­?¡± At the sudden irrelevant words, the voice of the dazed Linden trailed off.

    He seemed to get a grasp at what I was thinking. ¡°Ara, no! It¡¯s dangerous!¡±

    He jumped up from his seat. ¡°Do you think the empress will just sit by as you do that? Even if that¡¯s not the case, the situation right now is already so worrying, so¡­!¡±

    ¡°Linden, answer me this one time. Do you want to be the crown prince?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not what is important right now!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s important. Your opinion is the most important of all.¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t do, no, I can¡¯t do anything that puts you in danger¡­!¡± He said, gripping my shoulder.

    ¡°That¡¯s not the answer to my question.¡±

    ¡°So, this idea is seriously crazy¡­!¡±

    ¡°I asked if you will be the crown prince?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡± Linden¡¯s Adam¡¯s apple bobbed up and down violently. His eyes were especially eye-catching. ¡°It¡¯s impossible. No matter how much this incident has shaken his position, he still has the empress as well as the Duke of Darchez, so¡­¡±

    ¡°Linden.¡± I asked again, interrupting his blabbering.

    ¡°Crown prince. Do you want it?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    With his lips pressed tightly together, he bowed his head in the end with a small sigh. The hand clasping my shoulder trembled slightly.

    ¡°I at least¡­ am confident that I¡¯ll do better than Ziken.¡±

    He confided his innermost thoughts that no one else would¡¯ve seen to me.

    ¡°At first, all I wanted to do was survive. But then, it became something that I refused to yield on that stemmed from my grievance with them.¡± He started to get angry at the empress, who wouldn¡¯t let him go even if he lived quietly.

    ¡°But now, especially as we¡¯ve experienced this situation¡­ I¡¯ve started to become greedy.¡±

    It was understandable though. The Lunar religion, who opposed the Solar religion and stood on his side, as well as Lecht, who he began to spend more time with, even though it was rather difficult to say that they were ¡®on the same side¡¯.

    As the incident continued to unfold, there naturally must have been many voices among the nobility that said, ¡®I¡¯d rather the prince be¡­¡¯. A chance could be seen in that road, which had only been dark before.

    ¡°If I had the same authority as he had, just how much quicker and easier would I have been able to handle this, and I kept thinking that I¡¯d be able to be a better crown prince than him¡­ because I¡¯m confident that I will hold more love for the empire¡¯s citizens than him.¡±

    Well, that much is obvious.

    ¡°However, that doesn¡¯t mean that I want it so badly to the extent that I¡¯d push the people who are precious to me to be my arms and legs.¡±

    Raising his head again, Linden moved his hands from my shoulders and gently cupped my jaw. Unable to reach it, he put his hand around that area and swept my cheek lightly with the tip of his thumb. It was an extremely soft touch. It seemed to tremble slightly as well.

    ¡°Ara, please don¡¯t do anything dangerous for me. Even more so if it¡¯s for me.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Promise me you won¡¯t do anything reckless.¡±

    I raised both hands to grab his hand. I lifted his hand off my face and smiled as I lowered it. ¡°Alright, I won¡¯t. I won¡¯t do anything dangerous.¡±

    ¡°You really won¡¯t, right? You won¡¯t do anything, right?¡±

    ¡°To me, I¡¯m the most precious person in the world. I won¡¯t do anything dangerous.¡±

    He let out a sigh and smiled at my words that were said with a smile. It was a smile that was mixed with relief and bitterness.

    Understanding the meaning of that smile, I slowly started to move. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll get going first. Since I have a lot of work to do today.¡±

    ¡°Right, there must be a lot to prepare for the proclamation ceremony.¡±

    ¡°See you tonight!¡± I said my farewell to Linden brightly and left the room.

    After that, I headed to the place where Lecht was at. He was talking to Ryno in the garden.

    ¡°Huh? What brings you here, Ryno? I heard that you can¡¯t participate in the proclamation ceremony though?¡±

    ¡°His Majesty personally cast an illusion spell on me!¡±

    When I looked at Lecht in surprise, he explained to me, ¡°Tanma sent this guy instead since he has a lot to deal with because of the incident this time.¡±

    Oh, he¡¯s here instead of Tanma.

    ¡°That¡¯s actually better instead. Ryno, I¡¯m sorry, but could you give up on attending the proclamation ceremony today?¡±

    ¡°Heok, w-why¡­?¡±

    I smiled at him, who was crying while asking if he had done something wrong. ¡°I want to leave you with a matter that¡¯s way more important than that.¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡± His eyes sparkled at the words, ¡®important matter¡¯.

    ¡°Listen carefully to what I say from now on. As soon as I finish telling you this, go over to the Darchez Duchy straight away, and¡­¡± I told him the plan that I had come up with. He listened intently with glistening eyes and nodded. Though the expression of Lecht, who was next to him, darkened a little.

    When my explanation was over, Lecht cut in. ¡°But if the incident that you think of doesn¡¯t happen, I think your relationship with Alion will worsen for nothing then.¡±

    My plan was heavily dependent on other people¡¯s actions, so everything could go down the drain and amount to nothing in the end.

    ¡°No. Although the exact details may be slightly different, I¡¯m sure that this sort of incident will happen.¡±

    ¡°How are you so sure?¡± Lecht shot me a look of doubt and concern.

    ¡°There¡¯s no end to human greed, so if she has nothing more to lose, she¡¯ll also have nothing else to fear.¡±

    ¡°That might be the case for that woman, but what about the crown prince? He still has a lot to lose though.¡±

    ¡°Oh, the answer to that is even easier to predict.¡±

    ¡°¡­?¡±

    ¡°Lecht, just imagine that I had been imprisoned in an underground prison for being a con-artist that had deceived all the demons in the demon realm. Furthermore, I¡¯ll soon be facing the death penalty as well.¡±

    Lecht¡¯s face stiffened immediately.

    ¡°But what would you do if I¡¯m crying and clinging onto you, saying that I¡¯ve been framed and that I don¡¯t want to die?¡±

    I had only asked him to imagine it, but black energy was already rising from Lecht¡¯s feet. I didn¡¯t even have to hear his answer for me to know what it was. Since he had already said those words before.

    ¡°If the regulations of the demon realm are the problem, then such a trivial thing like the demon realm, I¡¯ll just replace that as well.¡±

    I reached out and clasped his hand, which had been clenched into a fist so tightly his tendons were sticking out.

    ¡°The crown prince would do the same thing.¡±

    People were able to go beyond their limits to become impossibly brave in the name of love. So although it was still extremely dangerous on one hand, they would still be able to protect their loved ones.

    Especially Ziken, whose loved one was on the verge of death. A normal incident would already have him agitated to the extreme. I mean, that punk wasn¡¯t even that smart in the first place.

    ¡°The difference is that you have the ability to do so, but he doesn¡¯t.¡±

    Lecht had the ability to not only save me, but also to protect the people around me. Tanma, Ryno; he had the overwhelming power and ability to protect me without sacrificing a single one of them. Lecht could do that.

    I could feel Lecht loosening his clenched fist at my words.

    ¡°No matter how moving their love is, there¡¯s no way I can leave a person who drives their people to such extremities as the crown prince who is supposed to protect them, right?¡±

    He was a man who could bring about the destruction of the empire by causing political and diplomatic issues just to protect his loved one. I had already tried so hard to prevent the destruction of the empire, so there was no way I could just leave it like that.

    In any case. ¡°I want to at least give Linden that much before I go to the demon realm.¡±

    Since I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d be able to keep the promise that I wouldn¡¯t leave you, no matter what. Although it was rather high-sounding of me to call it an alternative, I still wanted to do it for him. Since I thought I¡¯d be able to depart to the demon realm with no worries if I knew that he¡¯d be fine, even if I wasn¡¯t there.

    In the end, Lecht nodded with a small sigh, as if he knew how I felt.

    * * *

    That evening, when the sun had set and it was already dark. There was a suspicious movement in the dungeon of the imperial palace.

    ¡°Livi.¡±

    ¡°Y-Your Highness¡­?¡±

    ¡°Hush! Hurry up and come out.¡±

    The exact thing Ara had thought would happen was starting.

 CH 56

    t/n

    i¡¯ve decided to change ryno¡¯s name to the literal translation, ¡®muso¡¯. i previously translated it as ryno because i mistakenly thought it was the meaning behind his name, but it wasn¡¯t. so henceforth, ryno will be known as muso, and when i have time, i¡¯ll go through all my chapters (on my drafts, here, and wattpad GHSLDKFJ PAIN) and correct his name ^^

    ¡°Your Highness, can we take a short break¡­?¡±

    ¡°It must¡¯ve been very tiring for you, right?¡±

    Ziken guided the horse with Olivia in his arms.

    ¡°Haa, just how hard was it for you while you were in there?¡± He brushed his thumb over her chapped lips with a pained expression.

    ¡°I want to go wash up in the stream, even just a bit.¡±

    ¡°Alright, it¡¯ll be safe for a while since we¡¯ve already come this far.¡±

    Ziken let out a sigh as he turned back to look at the way they came from. He got off the horse first and helped Olivia down.

    He let out a long sigh as he watched her walk heavily toward the sound of water. To think that such a bright and energetic child would look so dejected¡­

    ¡°Your Highness. It¡¯s dangerous for Your Highness to accompany us all the way.¡± A knight approached him to warn him.

    ¡°So you want me to send Livi off on her own? I should at least see her off safely to the villa first before I return.¡±

    ¡°But the jailbreak would have already been discovered, so at any rate¡­¡±

    ¡°Do I look like someone who can¡¯t even take care of themselves?¡±

    ¡°¡­My apologies.¡± At Ziken¡¯s reprimand, the knight eventually bowed his head and retreated.

    It was when he turned his head in the direction Olivia went to wash up, worried that she would need a towel or additional outerwear.

    ¡°Wh-What is that?!¡±

    A fierce flash of light burst out from where she had disappeared to, causing the knights to kick up a ruckus.

    ¡°Livi!¡± The shocked Ziken dashed in her direction in an instant.

    Standing there was Olivia, whose hand was bleeding from an injury that seemed to be made with a sharp rock. Although he was momentarily surprised, he could see that Olivia was standing in the centre of a large summoning circle.

    ¡°I¡¯m not resigned to this¡­! Frody!¡±

    The summoning circle which quickly absorbed her blood, let out a strong light, circling quickly until it formed a figure.

    ¡°Hmm? What is it?¡±

    The figure that appeared was the demon that had been seen in the imperial palace¡¯s drawing room. Shocked, Ziken drew his sword, but Olivia reached Frody first.

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s my fake saintess again.¡± He acknowledged Olivia, who grabbed him by the collar.

    ¡°Sign a contract with me, right this instant!¡±

    ¡°Woah, calm down Miss Fake.¡±

    ¡°Fake, don¡¯t call me fake!¡± Shrieking back, Olivia pulled Frody by the collar.

    ¡°!¡±

    What happened next made Ziken¡¯s breath stop. His heart sank with a thud.

    Olivia was kissing Frody. The eyes of Frody, who was looking down at Olivia with an expression of, ¡®What¡¯s wrong with her?¡¯, met Ziken¡¯s. The look in his eyes quickly became provocative as he wrapped his arms around Olivia¡¯s waist. He parted his lips as his long and slender fingers swept over every corner of Olivia¡¯s nape and hair. The kiss gradually deepened as Frody continued to keep his eyes on Ziken.

    And Ziken, whose thoughts had come to a complete standstill. With a face filled with shock, he continued to watch as Olivia and Frody kissed deeply, not even daring to breathe.

    ¡°You, you bastard!¡±

    Ziken only came to his senses after the angered voice of his knight had been cut off. ¡°Get away from her, you demon bastard!¡± Ziken swung his sword at Frody.

    However, Frody dodged it lightly and pulled Olivia closer toward him by her waist. ¡°Woah, woah. What will happen if your pretty lover over here gets hurt?¡±

    ¡°Get away from Livi!¡± The moment he shouted that, a whiff of gold osmanthus brushed past the tip of Ziken¡¯s nose.

    ¡°Why should I? From a girl who has thrown herself into my arms and is clinging onto me like this?¡±

    The scent became so overwhelmingly strong that it began to dizzily muddle all of Ziken¡¯s senses. His vision began to swim and his body swayed unsteadily. Although he tried to pick up his sword from the ground and come to his senses, all he could see in his blurry vision was Olivia, who was hanging tightly onto Frody¡¯s neck.

    ¡°Li-Livi¡­¡±

    ¡°This is my order as your contractor. Take me to that woman!¡±

    ¡°That woman? Oh, you mean my saintess?¡±

    ¡°Urk¡­! ¡®Your saintess¡¯ is meant to be me!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, yeah. Alright. But granting that is a bit difficult.¡±

    ¡°What? Why?! The words of your contractor are meant to be followed unconditionally though!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true, but¡­¡± Blocking his words, Olivia kissed him deeply again.

    ¡°Will this do? What else do you want? You said that my body would be enough!¡±

    ¡°Hmmm~?¡±

    ¡°Do you want me to give my soul as well? Okay, I¡¯ll give it all to you, so just take me to her right now!¡±

    Frody could see that Olivia was holding a dagger in her arms as well. ¡°No matter what you give me, there¡¯s nothing I can do to help you kill the saintess, so¡­ huh?¡±

    No matter how deeply the saintess fell for Lecht, she was still a saintess. He could still coax her into becoming his, so it was still too early to make a decision to kill her.

    Just as he was about to refuse, a strong flash of light burst out from under his feat. It was a teleportation circle that stretched over Olivia and Frody of course, and even Ziken and his knights.

    ¡°Huh??¡± The light engulfed them along with Frody¡¯s rather stupid-sounding exclaimation. The beam of light shot up into the sky with a powerful gale and disappeared.

    The forest returned to its tranquil state once more. With only the harrumphing sound of the horses that were still tied to the trees.

    After a while, a bear-like figure appeared behind a tree.

    ¡°This much should do it, right?¡±

    A baby face that seemed incompatible with that hulking body.

    ¡°Phew, teleporting is just as hard as I expected. Especially with such a large number as well.¡± Muso let out a sigh as he slumped against the tree. Humans needed to use a space travel portal to cross long distances, but for demons, Muso¡¯s ability was enough to allow them to travel short distances. ¡°Her Majesty will take care of the rest, right?¡±

    He looked up at the moonlight that was shining through the foliage of the trees. Seeing as his heart was pounding violently, it seemed like it wouldn¡¯t be too long until the moon turned red. A happy smile flashed across Muso¡¯s lips.

    ¡®As expected, Her Majesty is the best.¡¯

    It reminded him of when he first met the saintess when he was little.

    * * *

    pls do not share this anywhere or u will always stub ur toe when u walk past a door frame !! this translation has been stolen from mioscorner.com, pls only read there i¡¯m begging u :kneels:

    There were many people in attendance at the proclamation ceremony. Although it had been chaotic due to the various recent commotions, they had all still come running since this had been all the talk lately. The curiosity they held toward the Saintess of the Lunar religion, who had finally appeared after a hundred years, was also quite large.

    ¡°Your Majesty, you must have been deeply concerned.¡±

    ¡°What could there be to be concerned about? I¡¯m just relieved that it could be resolved.¡± All of them were gradually getting on the emperor¡¯s nerves, but the emperor only brushed it off while smiling craftily like a fox.

    ¡°For him to leave the Princess of Darchez, who will become the Saintess of the Lunar religion to be by the side of a scammer like that is a bit¡­¡±

    ¡°Shush. What if someone hears?¡±

    ¡°You clearly think so as well. But on the other hand, Prince Linden Ezzarson was on Grand Duke Arvis¡¯¡­¡±

    Most of the whispering was about the crown prince¡¯s choice and their growing interest in Linden.

    [Are they cursing the crown prince as well? Is that punk actually that pathetic?]

    ¡®I can hear it as well. My mind is already quite chaotic, so you don¡¯t need to do a play by play commentary of the situation right now either.¡¯

    I could naturally hear it all as well, yet Lunar still insisted on delivering the news to me again.

    [My daughter is holding her proclamation ceremony, yet you want me to keep quiet. Isn¡¯t that too much?]

    ¡®Do you want to see me make a mistake in front of everyone? I don¡¯t have any time to worry about you, so please be quiet.¡¯

    [Eiii, how cold.]

    Despite grumbling, Lunar quieted down. Thanks to this, I feigned ignorance and was able to deal with the people who approached me.

    ¡°Thank you for coming.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you asked for this sort of favour because you thought I wouldn¡¯t come?¡±

    ¡°Would that not be the case?¡±

    Alion couldn¡¯t find the words to reply to what I had said with a smile. Instead, he ended up changing the subject and threw out another question. ¡°Why did you ask us for guards?¡±

    ¡°You just said so earlier. Because I thought you wouldn¡¯t come.¡±

    ¡°Then just giving me an invite would¡¯ve done the job; I can¡¯t help but think that you have other intentions behind why you deliberately asked me for guards to secure this event.¡±

    This guy really¡­ He wasn¡¯t good at expressing his feelings to his younger sister, yet he¡¯s able to be straightforward at times like this.

    ¡°It¡¯s not like the paladins of the Lunar religion aren¡¯t skilled enough, and even if they are lacking, Saintess also has¡­¡± Alion silently alternated his gaze between Linden and Lecht, who were standing somewhat closeby. It was a gaze that said that I could have used the Grand Duke of Arvis¡¯ manpower or the mercenaries that belonged to the Ezzarson Guild.

    ¡°Due to the nature of this ceremony, Kelber, who¡¯s always attached to me as a guard, can¡¯t be by my side today¡­ you don¡¯t believe this excuse, right?¡±

    ¡°¡­You mean that puppy?¡±

    I smiled and properly explained to Alion, who had a ¡®does that even make any sense¡¯ look on his face. ¡°Just because. It¡¯s not bad for us to look like a close pair of siblings to other people anyway.¡±

    Alion swept his gaze around me with a complex look on his face.

    ¡°Meliara is over there.¡± I pointed to an empty seat on the second floor. It was a place that I had deliberately asked the priests to leave vacant for Meliara. Alion, who was staring at that place, shook his head and turned his eyes away.

    ¡°May I ask you a question?¡±

    ¡°Yes. As long as I can answer it.¡±

    ¡°You said that you¡¯d oust the duke, right?¡± I placed more emphasis on the word ¡®oust¡¯.

    Alion nodded as well, as if he had noticed my meaning behind it too. ¡°There is only one reason why I lowered my head in submission to the crown prince. And that was because my younger sister wanted him.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Although I am also at fault for pushing my younger sister to that point, I still cannot condone my father¡¯s actions. So now, I no longer have any reason to support His Highness the Crown Prince, nor the reason to go along with my father either.¡±

    I smiled at his resolute tone. Since once a person who is simple and honest makes up their mind, it won¡¯t be easy for them to break it.

    ¡°You¡¯ve come to a good conclusion. I strongly support it. Then, I think today¡¯s task will also be a good gift for you.¡±

    ¡°Gift?¡± He asked back, but a priest who was in charge of the ceremony began to guide everyone to sit down.

    ¡°Then, shall we move as well?¡±

    I was supposed to wait in the space behind the podium and come out when it was time for me to do so. It was when I stepped onto the stairs leading to the waiting area.

    Boom!

    With a loud explosion, a huge whirlwind began to form in the middle of the temple. It was so powerful that it had enough force to make cracks appear in the floor and for the pillars to shake. People screamed and tried to flee in every direction to avoid it while Alion¡¯s knights which were standing at attention proceeded to pull out their weapons.

    ¡°Whew~ Muso¡¯s wind seriously isn¡¯t normal.¡± It was much more formidable than I had thought it was.

    [After loosening the security of the temple¡¯s boundaries earlier, is the play that my daughter planned finally starting now?]

    ¡®Yes. So Lunar should also get the timing correct.¡¯

    [Of course! This is my specialty after all!]

    After the wind dispersed with a flash, the appearances of Olivia and Frody were revealed, as expected. Behind them was also Ziken and his knights, who were still reeling from the teleportation.

    ¡°W-What the hell is going on with the situation here?¡±

    ¡°Over there, isn¡¯t that the crown prince?¡±

    ¡°How could the criminal be here¡­?!¡±

    ¡°I-It¡¯s a demon! The criminal really showed up with a demon in tow!¡±

    All the nobles and spectators that were gathered in the temple were astonished.

    Whilst everyone was still stuck in shock, Olivia pointed at me with a dagger in her hand and shouted, ¡°Frody, kill that woman right now!! That¡¯s an order!¡±

    The words that came out of her mouth made many people gasp sharply before fainting. There were some who really fainted, while others had their mouths hung wide open, unable to say anything.

    ¡°No, because our contract¡­¡± The sound of Frody¡¯s voice, which was puzzled at the situation like everyone else, was heard slightly.

    However, his words were buried under Alion¡¯s shout. ¡°Protect the saintess and subdue the intruders!!¡±

    ¡°Yessir!¡±

    Ziken, who had finally managed to come to his senses when the Darchez¡¯s elite corps flocked over with their swords and spears, was greatly flustered. He scanned the situation sprouting from his surroundings, and then slapped his hand to his forehead at the sight of Olivia and Frody. ¡°Why is Livi with that bastard¡­¡± His face revealed the immense shock and betrayal he felt in that moment.

    ¡°Catch the criminal!¡±

    But at Alion¡¯s shout, Ziken was shocked back to reality and picked up his sword that was lying on the floor. ¡°Protect Livi!¡±

    ¡°Y-Your Highness?¡±

    ¡°Right this instant!!¡±

    His knights were briefly baffled by his orders. Half of them bit the bullet while half of them took up their swords with a sense of loyalty to Ziken.

    ¡°Block them!¡±

    ¡°Catch her!¡±

    ¡°Kill that woman¡ª!!¡±

    All kinds of screams and shouts were mixed together with the sharp sound of swords clashing against each other in the Great Temple.

    [As expected, the funniest thing in the world is watching fights!!]

    Feeling refreshed as I heard Lunar say the words I had wanted to say, I struggled to keep the corners of my mouth from raising into a smile.

 CH 57

    The fight was rather one-sided. Although Ziken¡¯s knights were good, Alion¡¯s knights were also second to none as well. Moreover, the knights that Ziken had brought had only been brought with the purpose of breaking Olivia out of prison, so they were far fewer in number compared to Alion¡¯s knights, who had been gathered to guard the entire temple. Even I could still tell who had the upper hand despite not even knowing how to fight.

    ¡°Linden, could you go and evacuate the nobles?¡± Although the fight was going to end soon anyways, I still took the opportunity to push him toward the nobles. ¡°Keep His Majesty safe.¡±

    ¡°His Majesty already has knights by his side.¡± As he was saying so, he pushed my back in that direction as well.

    The nobles, whose lives were the most precious in this world, were running wildly in this dangerous situation. Linden calmed them down skillfully and led them away from where the fighting was taking place.

    ¡®He¡¯s the best at dealing with people.¡¯

    I admired his proficiency in that area once again.

    ¡®Now that I¡¯ve clearly imprinted Linden¡¯s skills on everyone there, I should also get a move on now¡­¡¯

    It was when I was thinking of intervening in the fight.

    ¡°Die, die I said!!¡± Olivia, who was halfway to insanity already, desperately threw the dagger that she had toward me. Just where in the world did she get all that power from? To my surprise, the dagger flew directly toward me.

    ¡°Saintess!!¡±

    ¡°Ara!¡±

    Astonished shouts broke out from all sides. Lecht, who had moved faster than anyone else, drew his sword to block it. But the dagger was unable to reach me or Lecht.

    Because my shield, which I had prepared myself to use just in case, revealed its sturdy appearance. Although I had also thought so when I had taken it out to use against Frody last time, it really was a very holy looking shield.

    Alion didn¡¯t miss the opportunity that was provided, and immediately overpowered Ziken¡¯s knights, who had paused at the huge shield that had suddenly appeared. The altercation finally came to a close.

    I slowly made my way over to Olivia, who had been captured by Alion¡¯s knights. On the way over, I picked up the dagger that had fallen to the ground weakly after being blocked by my shield. I alternated my eyes between her, who was glaring at me as if she was going to kill me with bloodshot eyes, and Ziken, who had been blocked by Alion¡¯s sword and couldn¡¯t come any closer.

    I opened my mouth languidly amidst the silence. ¡°You seem to think that I¡¯ll be kind and merciful due to my label as a ¡®saintess¡¯.¡±

    Schwing. Thud¨C! I flicked the dagger to the ground and it easily stuck into the floor with just the strength from my wrist alone. I could see just how well the blade had been forged.

    ¡°Kyaaaaa¡ª!¡±

    ¡°Livi¡­!¡±

    Olivia shrieked and screamed, as if she thought that I was throwing it at her, while Ziken, who was shocked, also flinched as expected.

    ¡°I am a person who feels that those who lay a hand on my people don¡¯t deserve that respect from me.¡± I declared with an icy face. ¡°The crime of breaking into the temple to kill me, who is Lunar¡¯s daughter, without acknowledging your crime, which has placed the empire¡¯s citizens in danger due to your numerous crimes. Furthermore, for the crime of daring to hurt the priests and knights who serve Lunar in Lunar¡¯s own area.¡± I pointed at Olivia. ¡°I punish you in the name of God, to live in pain for the rest of your life and to be unable to break free from it, even if you die.¡±

    Bang!

    As soon as I finished speaking, I heard the sound of heaven and earth being overturned outside. A bolt of lightning struck the ceiling of the Great Temple. It drilled through the unscathed temple roof and struck the area right in front of Olivia.

    ¡°Ahhhhhhh!!¡± Olivia screamed as her face turned pale at the large hole in front of her. It was a natural reaction to the true power of God that she was seeing for the first time.

    [What do you think? The timing was great, right?]

    If it weren¡¯t for those additional words, even I might have collapsed in worship.

    I turned my gaze away from her, whose face was filled with terror as she gasped intermittently, and looked at Ziken. He also looked back at me with eyes filled in shock.

    ¡°Moreover, toward Ziken Srengito von Bakarta, who actively promoted turning his sword against the Lunar religion, I declare in Lunar¡¯s name that he will be regarded as an opposing existence to Lunar, and will be subject to strict surveillance and vigilance.¡±

    It was an announcement that the Lunar religion would forever shun Ziken. At a time when everyone was in awe at the power of God that they had all encountered for the first time, the weight of those words were extremely heavy. Since I was now the only person to hold ¡®the power of the living god¡¯ in this era. I was well aware of that, so I was going to make use of that perfectly until the end.

    I turned my head slowly toward where the emperor and the nobles were all gathered and standing together. Everytime my gaze passed over them, they flinched.

    ¡°Lunar doesn¡¯t desire your excessive loyalty or your infinite worship. It doesn¡¯t matter where your devotion lies either.¡±

    There was no reason to especially discriminate against someone, just because they were a Solarist either.

    ¡°However, whoever touches our people, no matter who it is, we will never forgive them.¡±

    We were willing to reveal our hostility, even if they were someone who is the crown prince, so it was practically telling them that if they wanted to make us their enemy, then feel free to support Ziken and attack us. However, how many of those who had witnessed the true power of God with their own eyes would have the courage to do so?

    [Wow, my daughter is so cool! Just look at that frightening expression!]

    ¡­Fortunately people didn¡¯t know that that very god would be this restless.

    [So now it¡¯s my turn to adorn the finale, right?]

    As soon as Lunar finished speaking, the full moon in the sky began to change colours.

    ¡°The red moon¡­!¡±

    Starting with someone¡¯s breathy exclamation, everyone became fascinated by the red moon that could be seen clearly through the huge window.

    The red moon was considered as more rare and mysterious, since its cycle was unknown.

    ¡®Don¡¯t tell me the reason why there isn¡¯t a set cycle for the red moon is because it¡¯s all according to whenever Lunar feels like it?¡¯

    [I can¡¯t do it too often because it gets tiring. The only time I show it off is when people start to forget my existence.]

    Receiving the moon¡¯s red light, I swept my right hand through the air. Following my movements, a tremendous amount of divine energy poured forth from my fingertips. In an instant, the temple was filled with my divine power, and feeling their gazes on me again, I smiled.

    ¡°On the contrary, if you are someone who is considered as our person, Lunar will protect you, even after you leave this world.¡±

    My divine power stretched out to everyone gathered here. Although it was a little petty, it was more concentrated around the priests, paladins, and Alion¡¯s knights, who were all considered as ¡®Lunar¡¯s people¡¯. The difference in treatment was obvious to anyone watching.

    Leaving behind that sort of discrimination, I added, ¡°The door to the Lunar religion is always open.¡±

    So hurry up and defect. I mean, in regards to both religion and political support.

    What I wanted to say was clear without having to say it out loud. Since the place where my divine power was most concentrated was none other than where Linden was.

    * * *

    pls do not share this anywhere or u will always stub ur toe when u walk past a door frame !! this translation has been stolen from mioscorner.com, pls only read there i¡¯m begging u :kneels:

    Their response came faster than I had imagined it would.

    The furious emperor made a proclamation on the spot. ¡°The criminal will be burned at the stake tomorrow morning!¡±

    Her sentencing was changed from a beheading to a burning, and the date was also greatly pushed forward. It was a result that everyone had come to an agreement on, so much so that it was unnecessary for them to list out all of her crimes.

    However, an even more shocking proclamation was soon announced shortly after. ¡°It is recommended that the Crown Prince, Ziken Srengito von Bakarta, who was swept away by his personal feelings and abused the authority that was given to him to aid the criminal in escaping and lent a hand in the criminal¡¯s personal revenge is recommended to step down from his position.¡±

    Although the word used was ¡®recommended¡¯, it was no different from ordering a deposition.

    The shocked Ziken was taken into the imperial palace on the emperor¡¯s order, and Olivia, who was completely out of her senses with terror, was naturally taken back into the imperial dungeons.

    Now all that was left was Frody, who was by himself and naturally attracted a lot of attention, but the emperor asked me to be responsible for him as the saintess and resolve it. Of course, the emperor said this because he knew that Lecht, who was beside me was the demon king, but to other people, it would¡¯ve seemed like the emperor had great faith in me.

    Afterwards, the High Priestess declared that the proclamation ceremony had ended, as the emperor and the nobles all left their seats. As expected, I couldn¡¯t see Linden either, perhaps because he had been swept away by the nobles.

    ¡°I really feel extremely wronged this time though?¡±

    As I was searching from here to there for Linden, a charming voice caught my attention instead.

    ¡°I swear, I was just staying in my room obediently alright? But then that woman suddenly summoned me.¡± The expression on the face of Frody, who said he felt wronged, didn¡¯t look wronged at all. ¡°I was going to say that it¡¯s impossible to renew a contract with someone whom I¡¯ve already terminated a contract with~. So I was going to tell her that I couldn¡¯t help her touch the saintess.¡± He whispered, showing his two hands to proclaim that he was innocent. His smiling appearance and tone that seemed to imply ¡®I feel wronged~¡¯ was extremely hateful.

    ¡°Don¡¯t pretend that you weren¡¯t aware of everything. Since there¡¯s no way you didn¡¯t sense Muso there.¡±

    Frody smirked at my words. ¡°I was just wondering why the wind that teleported us was so unsophisticated and coarse.¡±

    From the moment he was teleported, Frody would have known that this was all something that was done by me. Since if that wasn¡¯t the case, then there would¡¯ve been no reason for Muso to participate in the matter either.

    ¡°By the way, Saintess, is it alright for you to make use of me like this without even obtaining my consent prior to this?¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s just say that we won¡¯t ask you to answer to the crime of causing chaos in the Grand Duchy for this.¡±

    It was discovered that Olivia had never asked for pestis to be sprayed on the Grand Duchy, so it was revealed as a deliberate act of Frody¡¯s own doing. Although it was a situation where punishment was inevitable, we said that we would let it slide for this incident. No one was seriously injured, so Lecht use it to so that we could proceed with this operation instead of punishing him for it.

    ¡°Hmm~? You¡¯re still trying to call it even between us by yourself¡­¡±

    ¡°Go.¡±

    ¡°Huh¡­?¡±

    Frody was swallowed in an instant by a teleportation circle that suddenly appeared on the ground. It was a recall to the demon realm according to Lecht¡¯s will.

    Although there were a few priests that saw him disappear, they brushed it off by pretending not to know. Since it had also been their first time witnessing the power of God, they seemed to be cautious about asking about too much as well.

    ¡°Then, what should we do about the ceiling¡­? What¡¯s with the hole, Lunar should learn to do it in moderation too. And what¡¯s with this floor too?¡±

    [Only by doing it this way would it be able to be this dramatic!]

    ¡°Then who¡¯s going to fix this?¡±

    [Everyone will be happy to witness the power of God.]

    ¡°Haa, I can¡¯t believe it.¡±

    The short play caused Lunar to be extremely elated.

    ¡°I used to think so before as well, but Lunar really seems to cherish you alot.¡± Lecht said, wrapping his arms gently around my waist. I doubt that he could hear Lunar¡¯s voice, so I guess he just came to that conclusion by listening to what I said to Lunar. Was it just me that could sense the jealousy in his voice? Lunar was the one who confirmed my suspicions.

    [Is this loverboy still even jealous of me? Gosh, how absurd¡­ That¡¯s my daughter!]

    It was natural that I¡¯d be loved by Lunar, so Lecht, who was even jealous of that, was so cute that I laughed. ¡°It¡¯s not so much that I¡¯m cherished, but I think they¡¯re just bored because they don¡¯t have anyone to chat with.¡±

    ¡°I heard that they can also talk to the High Priestess on a day with a red moon. But why does it feel like they¡¯re only talking to you?¡±

    Lunar was the first to react to those curt words.

    [I¡¯m going, I¡¯m going! Fine, I¡¯m going to Lydia! Gosh, I don¡¯t even want to look at you.]

    ¡°They¡¯re going to Lydia. They said that the two of us could talk.¡±

    ¡°Good.¡± He was a demon king who used the power of Lunar and was also satisfied that he had kicked Lunar out.

    ¡°What are you going to do if Lunar gets mad?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think they¡¯re that petty.¡±

    No, I think they are. They were completely childish and cheap. But I just laughed it off. Even if they were childish and cheap, I knew that they weren¡¯t the type to vent their anger on Lecht.

    ¡°Then, can I take you to the Palace of the Demon King with my heart at ease now?¡± A smile hung from Lecht¡¯s mouth, as if he had waited for this day. I also felt his arms tighten around me. He seemed just as excited as I was about me going to the demon realm.

    ¡°We should go. But, I still have something to wrap up here.¡± I said, looking at Linden who was walking toward me.

 CH 58

    ¡°¡­Ara.¡± I could sense the complex emotions in Linden¡¯s voice that was calling out my name.

    ¡°Lecht. Could you wait here for a moment?¡±

    Lecht had a dissatisfied expression on his face at my request, but he nevertheless still quietly retreated without any hesitation. I took Linden to a nearby room where there were no people.

    Linden opened his mouth as soon as the door closed. ¡°Why did you do that?¡±

    ¡°¡­Did it make you feel bad?¡±

    ¡°I told you not to do anything dangerous¡­!¡±

    ¡°Linden.¡± I quietly cut off his words that were said in a choked voice. I smiled slightly at him, who was looking at me with an inexplicable emotion on his face. ¡°I¡¯m Lunar¡¯s child, who is called to be a saintess. In front of me, I have the Lunar religion, and by my side, I have Lecht guarding me. And although it will take some time, I will also have the Little Duke of Darchez, who will become the influential Duke of Darchez, watching my back.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Moreover, it wasn¡¯t me that came forward first. It was her and Ziken who broke into the temple and ruined the proclamation ceremony first, and it was also them who aimed their sword at me first. All I did was respond to them accordingly.¡±

    As if it wasn¡¯t enough for them to break into the temple armed, they even tried to attack the saintess. It was a perfectly normal reaction for the Lunar religion to regard them as their enemy and designate them as their number one target to guard against.

    ¡°On top of that, the emperor has now turned his back on the crown prince.¡± He had tried so hard to remove the crown prince from the situation. Yet Ziken simply kicked all of the emperor¡¯s hard efforts away.

    ¡°Now, neither the empress, nor anyone else in power, can touch you recklessly.¡± Even if they did try and touch him in the first place, they wouldn¡¯t have a way to suppress the Lunar religion or Lecht.

    Linden remained silent. He understood everything I was saying, so there was no reason for him to refute it; thus, he just looked at me quietly.

    ¡°Haa¡­¡± It was a sigh that was finally uttered after a long period of silence.

    He covered his distorted face with one hand. Only his blue eyes were revealed through the gaps of his fingers.

    ¡°My life¡­ it was like I was walking in a very long tunnel.¡± He slowly began to tell his own story. ¡°Ever since I was very young, I had never seen my mother smiling happily, even when she was alive. Even when I lost my mother and went to live with my grandfather, that long tunnel continued onwards.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Although it felt like my grandfather was walking with me now as well, it was still extremely dark, it seemed hopeless. But then, the tunnel that I had thought had become desolate after my grandfather¡¯s death¡­ for the first time, I could feel a warm breeze gushing in.¡±

    His eyes were fixed on me. With the light in his eyes filling with affection and pain. ¡°The warmth that I had finally experienced for the first time was really¡­ it could drive people crazy.¡± Linden stretched out his hand toward me cautiously. Nevertheless, it stopped before it could touch my face. It hung around that space, as if he couldn¡¯t bear to touch it.

    ¡°But do you know what drove me even crazier?¡± Clenching his fist that was still suspended in the air, he spat out painfully, ¡°The moment that warmth appeared, for the first time in my life, it was like I had begun to see the light at the end of the tunnel.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°The tunnel that I thought had no end¡­ it seemed to be letting me know that the tunnel where I couldn¡¯t even see an inch ahead of me in the dark¡ªit had an end to it.¡±

    Linden let out a huff that was close to a sigh. It was a sigh that seemed to release all the stuffy feelings blocking his heart, as well as his suffocated breath, all at once. He took a deep breath and released all the air in his lungs. After breathing deeply for a while, he met my eyes.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to check what¡¯s at the end of it. So¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Walk with me.¡±

    Oh.

    I let out an inconcealable sigh.

    ¡°You were the one who gave me that light in the darkness and imbued warmth into that desolation. If you just keep walking by my side, I think I¡¯d be able to keep going without losing hope, no matter what happens.¡±

    ¡°¡­Linden.¡±

    ¡°I want to see my future with you, who healed my past and made my present reality radiant.¡± He kept going on heartrendingly, as if he was a person who knew what I was going to say.

    He cautiously stretched out his hand again to hold my hand instead of my face. Holding onto my two small hands with his large ones, he pleaded with me. ¡°Is that not possible?¡±

    My heart felt heavy. My chest seemed to be choked up.

    I didn¡¯t think that it would turn out like this with such a straightforward tactic. Since he was someone who would always gather information first, instigate a situation, and then gently scheme in secret. However, that¡¯s also why I could see how serious he was right now.

    So¡­ rather, I¡¯d also have to firmly convey my feelings as well.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    Linden lowered his frowning face. His hand that was wrapped around mine tightened slightly.

    ¡°As expected¡­ you can¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    ¡°Did you know that word is really cruel?¡±

    He was right. The words, ¡®I¡¯m sorry¡¯, were probably the cruellest words in the world. All I could say in response to this person¡¯s loss and pain was ¡®I¡¯m sorry¡¯, just these two words. Even though I couldn¡¯t help but say it, it was an extremely cruel sentence.

    ¡°To be honest¡­ I overheard your conversation with Lydia and Grand Duke Arvis. About going back to the demon realm after the proclamation ceremony is over.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°At first, I even thought of abandoning everything that I had lived for here and following you to the demon realm.¡±

    This was completely outside of my expectations. I didn¡¯t know you were having thoughts like that.

    Raising his head, Linden smiled awkwardly and added, ¡°But for you to seal it like this, saying that this is the place where I should be.¡±

    I had ousted the crown prince as well as the power of his faction. At this rate, rather than Ziken being reinstated as crown prince again, Linden had a bigger chance at becoming the new crown prince instead.

    ¡°Giving me a gift like this is clearly telling me not to follow after you.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean it like that¡­¡±

    Linden grinned at my words. ¡°I¡¯m meant to say that I¡¯m thanking you.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Since this opportunity is the last gift you¡¯ll give me. So I¡¯ll handle it preciously and make it so that it will bloom beautifully.¡±

    ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    ¡°I really don¡¯t like those words.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m thinking of seriously doing it properly. I want to take the position of crown prince and become an emperor that will go down in history. So that when we meet next time, only the words, ¡®Great job, you¡¯ve done well, you¡¯ve worked hard¡¯, will come out.¡±

    Next time. He was promising me a next time.

    ¡°So if that bastard makes you cry, come back anytime you want. I¡¯ll scold him harshly as the person who won the struggle for the throne in the human realm.¡±

    Linden, the future emperor, who scolds the demon king. You care about how I¡¯m feeling apologetic toward you, even in this situation. He prioritised soothing my pain more importantly than protecting his own wounds. Just like a fool.

    Being fully aware of his efforts, all I could do for him right now was just smile at him, just so that his efforts wouldn¡¯t amount to nothing. ¡°Yeah, thank you.¡±

    Only then did he let go of my hand and then reach out to my face. But instead of cupping my face with his large hand, he only lightly mussed up my hair. ¡°If you know, then smile a bit. They say that smiling makes one happier.¡±

    ¡°Mm, you too.¡±

    ¡°Even though I¡¯m going to be busy soon thanks to a certain gift from someone?¡± Linden said jokingly as he burst into laughter.

    He took a step first. However, as he turned the doorknob, just before he left, he stopped and stared at me. ¡°It feels unfair somehow.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°This is the only image of you that I know, yet Grand Duke Arvis also knows what you were like a hundred years ago.¡±

    How did he find out about a hundred years ago? To be honest, it wasn¡¯t too shocking that he knew. Since now that he knew Lecht¡¯s true identity, it wouldn¡¯t have been too hard for him to find out about our relationship.

    ¡°This appearance that I¡¯ve seen of yours is already insanely lovable, yet when I think about how pretty you were a hundred years ago¡­ I feel like it¡¯s really unfair somehow.¡±

    ¡°It was just normal.¡±

    ¡°You? Normal?¡± As if he had heard something ridiculous, Linden added with a grin, ¡°Like that makes sense.¡±

    He vanished out of the door after that softly added murmur.

    * * *

    pls do not share this anywhere or u will always stub ur toe when u walk past a door frame !! this translation has been stolen from mioscorner.com, pls only read there i¡¯m begging u :kneels:

    Coming out of the temple, Linden left without looking back. Though there were many eyes that were stuck on him, he ignored them all.

    ¡°Your Highness, Marquis Rothschild would like to speak to you¡­¡±

    ¡°Next time.¡±

    A subordinate came and reported to him about this and that, but he cleared them all out.

    ¡°I¡¯m tired. Next time for all of them.¡±

    That¡¯s how he got out of that place, as if he were running away. He almost ran back to his house.

    Occupying the top floor of the Ezzarson residence was Linden¡¯s own space. It was a space that had been occupied by him ever since his grandpa was still alive.

    Closing the door with a bang, Linden roughly exhaled a breath that he had been holding in this whole time. ¡°Haa.¡±

    As he leaned against the door, the strength in his legs disappeared as he collapsed. When he leaned his head against the door, the appearance of Ara flickered before his eyes. Although he closed his eyes, he could picture her face even clearer in his head.

    ¡°Haa¡­¡±

    She naturally popped into his head whenever he was alone. It was at the level of it being a chronic disease.

    ¡®I knew from the beginning where her gaze was directed.¡¯

    There was no way he couldn¡¯t be aware of it, since the way she looked at Grand Duke Arvis became the exact same way he looked at her. He had already expected a rejection from the time he had started to confess his feelings. Nevertheless, his reason for confessing to her was simple.

    ¡®Still¡­ at least you can leave comfortably now.¡¯

    If it was her, then she wouldn¡¯t have been able to take a step with peace of mind since she would still be worried about leaving him behind. She must have been troubled thinking about how to vaguely end things with him, who she liked, yet was unable to whisper about love to. Since she was such a gentle and affectionate woman.

    So he had no choice but to come forward himself. So that she could completely reject him and be comfortable.

    ¡®How pathetic.¡¯

    Linden let out a chuckle. As soon as he had let her go, he felt as if his appearance of wanting her to be comfortable was extremely insignificant. Insignificant and pathetic. But he had no regrets. So he kept laughing, because that was even more pathetic.

    ¡°Linden, you don¡¯t have to put so much effort in front of me.¡±

    She was the most comfortable existence to him since he never had to package himself in a certain way. But at the same time, did she know that he had to put in double the effort to keep that smile on her face?

    ¡°You already know. I¡¯m a pushover when it comes to you.¡±

    No matter how much he thought about it, the pushover wasn¡¯t her, but rather, himself.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure if you know, but I genuinely wish for your peace and happiness.¡±

    Even though she didn¡¯t accept him as her man, he knew that those words of hers contained unrivaled sincerity.

    ¡°In front of me, I have the Lunar religion, and by my side, I have Lecht guarding me.¡±

    And because it was her, even her explanation at how she would be safe was simple, as she let him know that that man would be by her side. It was even crazier because she was such an innocent and candidly honest woman.

    ¡°Seriously¡­ she takes first place for driving people crazy.¡±

    The fact that she didn¡¯t know what she was doing was the craziest part.

    A bitter smile hung from Linden¡¯s lips. His affection for her that he was unable to hide. The futility of having no choice but to give up.

    And in the midst of all that, this ¡®crown prince¡¯ position that she had left behind for him became exceedingly precious. Yet if he could return it in exchange for her, then he would be more than happy to do so.

    His opposing feelings had mixed in several places and penetrated his mind. But there was nothing he could do to make it better, so all Linden could do was let out a dejected smile.

 CH 59

    A stormy few days had passed since the proclamation ceremony had ended. The entire empire had been turned upside down by what had occurred that day, but the Great Temple, where it had all started, was still peaceful.

    ¡°Wow, I can¡¯t even file a claim to Lunar.¡± I clicked my tongue at the priests that were struggling to fill in the holes in the floor and the ceiling.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it enough that they cooperated nicely with you on that day?¡± Lydia comforted me, telling me not to worry about the cost.

    A day after the full moon had passed, Lunar¡¯s voice also naturally disappeared along with it. Although I was relieved that the rowdy voice that had been filling my head the whole day had disappeared, it was also a little disappointing when it actually did.

    ¡°Whether it¡¯s to thank them or to file a complaint, I¡¯ll have to wait until next month anyway.¡±

    Though there was nothing to be sad about since we could still meet again, as long as I came to the temple on the day of a full moon.

    ¡°You¡¯ll come to meet Lunar again next month?¡± But the man by my side suddenly interrupted me. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re thinking of staying up all night every time the full moon rises?¡± Although those words were filled with concern, he still couldn¡¯t hide his brusque expression.

    ¡°Don¡¯t get jealous of Lunar. Isn¡¯t she someone who always only calls me, ¡®daughter, daughter¡¯?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t like it.¡± Lecht sneakily hugged me from behind. With his face resting against my hair, he murmured, ¡°Lunar is your family and I¡¯m not, so it feels like there¡¯s a line dividing us.¡±

    Wow, so you can even think of it like that. His jealousy seemed to have no limits and exceeded common sense.

    I just patted his arm that was wrapped around me silently, knowing that no matter what I said now, it would all stimulate his jealousy even further regardless. I simply changed the subject instead.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for causing so many incidents before we could leave.¡± I said to Lydia, who was looking at Lecht and I with a smug expression on her face.

    Being able to feel comfortable in the Great Temple, even after the situation burst out of control, was all thanks to Lydia.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much about what¡¯s happening on this side and spend as much time as you need over there.¡±

    ¡°And if you do need to, it¡¯s easy for the Great Temple in the demon realm to contact the Great Temple here as well!¡± Muso added another comment on top of Lydia¡¯s reassurance.

    ¡°Like Muso said, please come and find me whenever you need to. In any case, the place that will suit the saintess of the Lunar religion more than the human realm would be the demon realm.¡± They were words that relieved the sense of obligation to visit them often.

    As I smiled smugly, I suddenly spotted a grinning Muso, who was looking at Lydia with an expression that said, ¡®I did a good job, right?¡¯.

    ¡°But when did the two of you get so close?¡± I¡¯m pretty sure the only time they spent together was when they went to the Grand Duchy together last time.

    ¡°Aha. Seems like you don¡¯t remember, Ara. We met a hundred years ago.¡±

    ¡°Heok, really? How?¡±

    When asked again in shock, Muso replied with a smile, ¡°We met when you took me in, Your Majesty! You gave me food and blankets back then.¡±

    ¡°So that¡¯s how you guys connected¡­ no, wait a minute. So you also met me a hundred years ago, Lydia?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Back then, you had black hair, didn¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°Wait, why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡± I was completely unaware of it, as if I was someone who was meeting her for the first time.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t remember anyway, so I thought that I didn¡¯t need to insist on you being aware of it. Since it¡¯s a memory, we can just make new ones from now on.¡±

    So there wasn¡¯t anyone around me that wouldn¡¯t talk about a hundred years ago, huh? The woman that was me from a hundred years ago, you sure lived your life diligently.

    ¡°When you go to the demon realm, there will also be many people apart from me that still remember you, Ara. Seems like every one of us is living with precious memories, one by one.

    ¡°I¡¯m starting to feel apologetic again. I can¡¯t remember though.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m telling you in advance that you don¡¯t have to. Since everyone will just be happy that you¡¯re back, Ara.¡±

    As soon as Lydia finished speaking, Lecht¡¯s arm that was wrapped around my waist tightened. Embracing me tightly, he whispered in my ear, ¡°Don¡¯t you know when you look at me? Remembering isn¡¯t important. What¡¯s more important is that you¡¯re by my side.¡±

    My face turned red at the uselessly sweet words that he uttered.

    ¡°Woof! Woof!¡± As if agreeing with Lecht, Kelber wagged his tail and rubbed his head against me, making me even more flustered.

    When I was just wiggling my toes since I didn¡¯t know what to say, Lydia looked behind me and said, ¡°We have a visitor.¡±

    The place she was staring at was where Alion Darchez, who had just opened the temple door and entered,was standing.

    ¡°Oh.¡±

    As soon as I spotted him, I immediately extricated myself from Lecht¡¯s arms and looked around me. Meliara was nowhere to be found.

    ¡°She must be beside the teddy bear again.¡± She would always be there whenever I couldn¡¯t find her. Just what are you thinking about so much while you look at that teddy bear? Nevertheless, I never asked for the particular reason, since she always seemed to be in a good mood when I went to find her.

    ¡°Saintess. Your Excellency.¡± Alion nodded to both me and Lecht. ¡°Greetings, High Priestess.¡±

    After greeting everyone lightly, Alion immediately turned toward me. ¡°Saintess, I¡¯d like to talk to you for a moment. Do you have time? It¡¯s in regards to clearing up the recent rumours that have been floating around about your engagement.¡±

    ¡°Is that really the reason?¡±

    The engagement he was talking about was none other than the one between Linden and I. When Ziken merely became a discarded card of his and Linden popped into his mind, the Duke of Darchez sneakily brought up how close Linden and I were to the emperor and suggested that we be engaged. And constantly brought it up here and there as if it were already a done deed.

    However, being aware of the relationship between Lecht and I, the emperor¡¯s reaction was lukewarm, and above all, Linden was also clearly expressing his refusal. With that as the root source, rumours began spreading about internal conflict within the Darchez Duchy. Though of course, the Darchez Duchy also had a horde of other problems besides that. But that isn¡¯t likely to be the reason why Alion came to see me.

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ the external reason.¡±

    I laughed at his honest answer. ¡°Why do you need to make up an external reason when it¡¯s just an older brother coming to visit his younger sister?¡± I started to walk forward. ¡°You can just come. I even gave you a gift at the proclamation ceremony in order for you to do so.¡±

    Alion¡¯s shoulders flinched at my words. This was our first conversation since the proclamation ceremony, so he seemed to have a lot to ask about.

    ¡°This way.¡±

    I led Alion to a room that Meliara might be in. Although Lecht had a dissatisfied expression on his face, he still diligently left with Kelber in tow.

    Just as I suspected, Meliara was in the room where the teddy bear was kept.

    ¡ªOh! Ara. You¡¯ve co¡­ with Older Brother.

    Meliara, who smiled brightly upon seeing me, paused when she spotted Alion following behind me.

    ¡°Is¡­ she here?¡± Alion asked upon seeing the teddy bear being beautifully displayed on the table when he entered.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°How did you know that I came here because I wanted to meet her?¡±

    ¡°Is there any other reason for Alion Darchez to pay a visit to the Lunar religion?¡± Coming here under the pretext of talking about the engagement that was about to be annulled was too flimsy of an excuse.

    Alion, who had been silent for a while, asked cautiously, ¡°Where is she?¡±

    At his question, I went and stood next to Meliara. Alion looked over when I showed him she was right next to me. Though it would only look like an empty space to him anyway.

    He pressed his fingers against his furrowed brows with a complex expression on his face once again. ¡°I¡¯ve come to the realisation of it every time, but humans really are just animals with a weaker visual perception.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be so hard on yourself. Since in this scenario, your sight, hearing, and touch, all of it should be excluded.¡±

    Though it¡¯s better if you can hear, even if you can¡¯t see. Like how I can hear Lunar¡¯s voice. But in Alion¡¯s case, there was nothing. So even if he came with a huge resolution, it was more likely for him to overthink when facing the situation in reality.

    ¡°Is there really no way¡­?¡± He asked me in the end, unable to overcome the wall that was a human¡¯s five senses.

    Although I had shaken my head firmly last time, I couldn¡¯t confidently do so this time. Ah¡­ this seriously doesn¡¯t seem right.

    Alion¡¯s eyes were particularly conspicuous as I pressed my lips tightly together. ¡°Saintess.¡±

    ¡°Haa¡­¡±

    He naturally noticed that I was acting differently this time.

    With a long sigh, I began to speak heavily. ¡°It¡¯s not that there isn¡¯t a way.¡±

    ¡°Is that true? As long as you tell me, I¡¯ll do it.¡±

    His enthusiastic appearance made my heart feel even heavier as Meliara bit her lips as well. It was because I had already told her.

    ¡°It isn¡¯t easy either.¡± I hesitantly started to tell him the way. ¡°The Little Duke¡­ will have to die and come back to life.¡±

    ¡°Pardon¡­?¡±

    As expected, Alion looked at me with an expression that seemed as if he must have misheard me.

    ¡°Haa¡­¡±

    *

    I had also been pondering laboriously over this part on the day Lunar had first appeared as well.

    ¡®So there¡¯s no other way?¡¯

    [There¡¯s a way. But it¡¯s a rather awkward method.]

    At my question, Lunar spoke in a worried tone.

    [Although you can see her and talk to her because you¡¯re my daughter, you still would¡¯ve been able to see her, even if you weren¡¯t my daughter.]

    ¡®How come?¡¯

    [Because you¡¯ve experienced death before. Because of that, your soul has been suspended over both the realms of the living and the dead. Well, since that¡¯s also something that¡¯s closer to me, I don¡¯t really have a problem with it.]

    So being alive wasn¡¯t something that was an obstacle. It¡¯s just that the only ones that could be seen were those who had died ambiguously and couldn¡¯t cross over to death like Meliara.

    [So there¡¯s only one way if her brother wants to meet her. And that¡¯s for him to die and come back to life.]

    ¡®Die and come back to life¡­ Did I hear you correctly?¡¯

    [Yes, that¡¯s right. Dying and coming back to life.]

    How could you say such a thing so easily?

    [It can¡¯t be helped. Since it¡¯s impossible for her to come back to life. Even I can¡¯t do something like turn back time for the whole world just to save one particular dead person, regardless of how much authority I have over time.]

    Even Lunar couldn¡¯t get too involved in the lives and deaths of each individual. So even if a natural disaster like a landslide occurred, they still weren¡¯t able to kill a specific person that way.

    ¡®So the Little Duke has to die¡­¡¯

    [It¡¯s not dying, but dying and coming back to life.]

    ¡®Is it really as easy as how you make it sound? It¡¯s not like he can open his eyes in another body like me!¡¯

    [My daughter, don¡¯t you have the ability to neutralise poisons?]

    Lunar said lightly, as if asking if there was a need for me to think so deeply about this.

    ¡®What does neutralising poison have to do with any of this?¡¯

    [You can drag him to the point where he¡¯s about to die with poison and then bring him back to life. Although it¡¯ll only be a short while, it¡¯ll still be enough time for the two siblings to meet, right?]

    ¡®But if I fail to get the timing right, then he¡¯ll die.¡¯

    [Yep.]

    Is the weight of people¡¯s life and death different to them because they¡¯re a god? Lunar spouted crazy nonsense quite carefreely.

    ¡®Haa¡­ that will definitely be difficult.¡¯

    [Because miracles don¡¯t happen easily.]

    *

    Recalling my memories of that time, I explained to Alion, ¡°There¡¯s no guarantee that it will definitely succeed. There¡¯s probably a higher chance of failure since I¡¯ve never done it before.¡±

    No matter how, I had to stop him from dying. However, that didn¡¯t guarantee that he would be able to safely meet Meliara either. Though Lunar had also said, ¡®I guess he would?¡¯, they never said that they were certain either. And what about the pain that would come from taking poison in the first place as well?

    ¡°So irregardless, it¡¯s all up to you.¡±

    I placed the poison that I had prepared on the table with the teddy bear. I had prepared it in case he came back and made such a request. To be honest, I didn¡¯t actually want to use it, but¡­

    ¡°If you want to take that risk and give it a try, then¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll do it.¡±

    He answered before I could even finish speaking.

 CH 60

    Though I had thought it would turn out like this, but still¡­

    ¡°You¡¯ll basically be leaving your string that¡¯s tying you to life with me; is that really alright with you? Even if I might suddenly change my mind and decide to kill you?¡±

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll just accept it.¡±

    Although my eyes were round, he smiled rather faintly. ¡°If that happens, although the Duchy might be worried, at least I¡¯ll be able to walk hand in hand with my younger sister on her final road.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°I couldn¡¯t even be by that child¡¯s side and hold her hand as she took her first step because I drowned in grief over that selfish reason. I even made her attend her debutante by herself since I had mistakenly placed my trust in the crown prince.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°I thought that I¡¯d at least be able to walk by your side at your wedding, but now, even that¡¯s impossible. So if I could walk hand in hand with that child, even if it¡¯s her final road in this life, wouldn¡¯t that be a death I¡¯d be content with?¡±

    It was pure sincerity. Just why would such a person leave their younger sister to be lonely by herself for such a long time? The more I got to know him, the more I felt that the situation was regrettable.

    I let out a sigh and handed him the poison. ¡°Still, you should at least sign a waiver before drinking it. Since I¡¯d hate to have the blame be shifted on the Lunar religion.¡±

    ¡°Gladly.¡±

    He unhesitatingly wrote a waiver and signed it at my light words and gulped down the poison.

    ¡°Keurgh!¡± He vomited blood not even a minute after he had drank it, perhaps going to show just how lethal the poison was.

    ¡ªB-Brother¡­

    His younger sister, Meliara, began to pace around beside him with a restless look on her face.

    I kneeled beside him, who was breathing heavily and seizing intermittently. I covered his eyes with my hands and whispered, ¡°Go and have a good meeting.¡±

    At that moment, his soul escaped from his body like a lie. Though I was momentarily surprised, I slowly began to infuse my divine power into his body.

    t/n: alion¡¯s dialogue as a soul will now be in bold

    ¡ªThis¡­

    ¡°I won¡¯t be able to hold this for more than five minutes.¡±

    Alion, who was looking down in bewilderment at his own body, quickly came back to his senses at my words.

    ¡ªSo you really can see souls.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think this is the right time for you to admire me.¡± I pointed with my chin at the area next to him.

    Turning around, he spotted his crying younger sister. Then he stiffened on the spot. His eyes that were looking at her shook violently. Though it was an absurd story, his gaze was different from the way he had looked at me when I had told him that I was occupying his younger sister¡¯s body.

    ¡ªMel¡­iara.

    He called out awkwardly, as if he had never said her name before. A faint smile spread across the lips of Meliara, who was looking at him.

    * * *

    pls do not share this anywhere or u will always stub ur toe when u walk past a door frame !! this translation has been stolen from mioscorner.com, pls only read there i¡¯m begging u :kneels:

    Alion was filled with complicated emotions upon seeing the appearance of his younger sister, who was smiling at him. Turns out his little sister had become this skinny¡­ He felt as if his heart was about to be torn apart.

    ¡ªMeliara, I¡­

    He opened his mouth once again, but couldn¡¯t bring himself to say anything.

    Staring at Alion, who only bit his lips for a long time, Meliara opened her mouth instead.

    ¡ªI¡¯m sorry, Brother.

    ¡ª¡­What?

    What she had said was so shocking that Alion¡¯s whole face stiffened up.

    ¡ªWhy are you¡­

    ¡ªJust because I wanted to marry His Highness the Crown Prince¡­ I never knew that you had been pushed to the front lines of the subjugation in order to satisfy my greed.

    ¡ªThat¡¯s¡­

    It hadn¡¯t been for her. It had been a selfish step that he had taken in an effort to make up for the past mistakes he had committed.

    ¡ªBrother had been taking such good care of me, yet all this time, I thought that you hated me¡­ Yet you were such a good older brother¡­

    ¡ªStop. Please, just stop.

    Alion¡¯s face distorted, as if he couldn¡¯t bear to hear anymore.

    ¡ªI wasn¡¯t a good older brother.

    ¡ªBut¡­

    ¡ªI hated you. Because I thought Mother had died because of you.

    He spoke honestly about his feelings.

    ¡ªBut¡­ you¡­

    His face twisted up once again as he winced. It hurt so much it felt as if his heart was being split in two whenever he recalled the thought of his younger sister, who at the age of nine years old, regretted ever being born into this world.

    ¡ªYou didn¡¯t take Mother away¡ªrather, it was Mother who risked her life to bring you into this world.

    ¡ª¡­

    ¡ªI realised that too late.

    The relationship between the two of them had already become estranged. And Alion, who had never learned how to love, didn¡¯t even know how to correct it. He didn¡¯t know how to apologise, nor did he know that he had to apologise. Since he was also young, and no one had ever taught him to. He just wanted to hide from his feelings of remorse every time he saw her increasingly uncomfortable and wary gaze. So he simply avoided her.

    ¡ªBut Brother, you were young back then as well¡­

    ¡ªYou were even younger though.

    ¡ª¡­

    ¡ªI¡­

    Alion¡¯s throat started to close up as he choked out.

    ¡ªI should¡¯ve let you know that you were never alone.

    He always only thought by himself. He did whatever the empress and crown prince wanted since she seemed eager to marry the crown prince. Always obtaining a losing hand.

    On the premise that the marriage had already been set in stone, he even departed on a subjugation expedition. Not even knowing that when he returned, his younger sister¡¯s engagement had been annulled and she had been kicked out of their family. If he had known that she would be in such pain and loneliness, then he would never have gone on the subjugation expedition in the first place.

    ¡ªEverything became ruined because I made a cowardly choice and acted foolishly.

    It all went wrong. And it became too late for him to fix it.

    ¡ªMeliara. I know that words alone won¡¯t be enough, but¡­

    He let out a long sigh.

    ¡ªFor making you feel lonely¡­ and for pushing you away because of my own pain, I am truly sor¡­

    Alion, who had been sincerely trying to apologise, suddenly had his words stuck in his throat.

    ¡ª¡­!

    It was because of the sudden warmth that had dashed into his arms. His younger sister, who was in tears, had run into his embrace. And hugged him with all her might.

    ¡ªThank you, Brother. Thank you for letting me know that I was also loved.

    Alion¡¯s eyes became as round as saucers. He froze, as if he were genuinely filled with shock. His pupils trembled violently as his face gradually scrunched up. He seemed as if he were in more pain now than when he had consumed the poison earlier.

    ¡ªI think I can finally leave happily now. Thank you so much, Brother.

    As if to prove what she had said was true, her appearance was becoming even fainter than before.

    ¡ªMeliara.

    Alion called out her name urgently, but Meliara only donned an even prettier smile for him.

    ¡ªI¡¯m truly happy now. So don¡¯t worry about me too much as well, Brother.

    ¡ªMeliara, please.

    He spoke urgently, as if he instinctively knew what would happen next, but Meliara was more knowledgeable about this space than he was. She slipped away from him before he could say anything or react properly.

    ¡ªYou¡¯ll have to live a healthy life and live out my share as well, alright?

    Smiling beautifully, she pushed him back by his chest. It was obviously only a weak push since she herself also had a small stature, yet Alion, who was a knight, stumbled backwards.

    ¡ªWait¡­!

    ¡ªGoodbye, Brother.

    His younger sister¡¯s happiest and most radiant looking smile that he was seeing for the first time was also the last thing he saw before Alion¡¯s world was turned upside down.

    ¡°Melia¡­! Keurgh!¡±

    He hurriedly stood up and shouted as soon as he came to his senses, but it was blood that came out instead.

    ¡°Your body has been wrecked by the poison.¡± It was a voice he had just heard, yet a voice filled with completely different emotions reached his ears instead.

    Clutching at his sore chest, he turned his head to see a woman sitting down with the same face as his younger sister.

    ¡°Although I¡¯ve finished neutralising the poison, you¡¯ll still need to recuperate and take some medicine in order to repair your ruined body.¡± She was quite expressionless, but she wasn¡¯t able to conceal the worry and pity in her eyes¡­

    ¡°It¡¯s definitely¡­ different.¡±

    It wasn¡¯t his younger sister. He could see it clearly after meeting his younger sister. It was the same face, yet two different people.

    Saintess Ara smiled painfully at his words. ¡°You can see it because it¡¯s you. Because you truly love your younger sister.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Unable to say anything, Alion turned to where Meliara had been standing. ¡°I couldn¡¯t say anything in the end.¡±

    Saying he was sorry, as well as saying that he loved her. His tolerant younger sister didn¡¯t bother to listen to him and left after receiving an understanding of it. As if she understood his true feelings, she left after embracing him.

    ¡°I thought it¡¯d be better if I told her my true feelings before she left, but¡­ I still have my own regrets.¡± He laughed at himself in self-mocking. Because of the poison, his anguish came with it, his smile twisting.

    ¡°Every death leaves lingering regrets. From the one who is leaving, to the one who is sending them off.¡± Ara said quietly.

    There was a brief silence afterwards.

    Getting up shakily, Alion wiped the blood from around his mouth with a handkerchief and asked, ¡°Have you heard that Father is going to proceed with the engagement between you, the saintess, and Prince Linden?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Do you have any intention to?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Alright. Then I¡¯ll proceed with that in mind. I thought you wouldn¡¯t, but I just wanted to make sure.¡± Alion bowed his head toward Meliara, who was looking up at him from where she was kneeling. ¡°Then I¡¯ll take my leave now. Thank you again, from the bottom of my heart.¡±

    ¡°No, all I did was give you the power to do what you already had in mind.¡±

    It was Alion who decided to take the poison in order to meet his younger sister. Ara seriously didn¡¯t think she had done much herself.

    ¡°No, that power made that invaluable time possible.¡± But on the contrary, Alion thought that Ara had done everything. ¡°Thank you.¡±

    ¡°Alright. Take care of yourself too.¡±

    Alion said his farewells and left. As he opened the door and left, the sound of the knights who were waiting outside making a fuss at the bloodstains on his clothes sounded. But the door soon slammed shut as silence returned to the prayer room once more.

    ¡°Is it really fine to leave it like this?¡±

    ¡ªYes, this is more than enough.

    Ara raised her head and turned her gaze toward Meliara, who was smiling. She had already become visibly fainter to the eyes. The light along the faint outline was getting brighter and brighter.

    Both Ara and Meliara knew what that meant.

    ¡ªDon¡¯t be sorry. You¡¯ve done more than enough.

    Meliara said after reading Ara¡¯s expression.

    ¡ªYou cleared me of all my false accusations and prejudices. You helped me feel my older brother¡¯s love for me, and even got me the revenge that I never once could¡¯ve imagined getting.

    ¡°But¡­¡±

    I couldn¡¯t help but think of the thought, ¡®If only I hadn¡¯t taken over your body in the first place¡¯.

    Meliara thought differently.

    ¡ªI don¡¯t blame you. The one who gave up first was me anyway.

    The one who had given up her body first was her after all. This was the result of her own choice while she had only been the one that got caught up in it.

    ¡ªRather, you are a person who has bloomed beautifully, and brought life to what I had given up on.

    Meliara squatted in front of Ara. She smiled as she tapped her heart with her index finger. Though she naturally couldn¡¯t feel it, Ara felt it somehow and thought she had been mistaken.

    ¡ªThe person sitting here isn¡¯t Ara, who became Meliara, but rather, wholly you, just Ara.

    This place no longer had a ¡®Meliara¡¯ remaining.

    ¡ªThat¡¯s why you should live. Beautifully, boldly, and exactly like you would.

    ¡°Meliara¡­¡± A faint smile hung from Ara¡¯s mouth. It was a smile full of gratitude. ¡°Thank you.¡±

    ¡ªI should be the one saying thank you.

    The two smiled at each other. And in that manner, Meliara¡¯s body was also enveloped in light and disappeared. With the only thing she left behind her being a gust of warm air.

    ¡°Goodbye.¡±

    It was a final greeting that would be eternal.

    * * *

    ¡°Goodbye then.¡± Lydia sent us off with a smile.

    ¡°I¡¯ll trust in the words of Lydia and come back safely.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    I also responded with a bright smile, turning my head to see Lecht standing on top of the teleportation circle that was departing to the demon realm. The teleportation circle was glowing softly, as if declaring that it was ready to go.

    I placed my hand in his outstretched hand as he grabbed it, enveloping it in his large hands. I was pulled helplessly into his arms. His refreshing scent made my heart race.

    ¡°It¡¯ll be troublesome if you fall behind in the middle, so hold on tightly.¡±

    No, to think that I could fall behind in a teleportation circle with a fixed departure and destination. I laughed at Lecht, who was hugging me tightly under the excuse of such a ridiculous reason. I hugged his waist, pretending not to know either.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±

    To your world.

    I closed my eyes and buried my face in Lecht¡¯s arms as the bright light from the teleportation circle engulfed me.

 CH 61

    Although it was rather embarrassing for me to say, honestly speaking, I seemed to have the wrong preconception in my head of what the demon realm would be like. I had imagined an almost stereotypical red land, a black palace, et cetera. But all such preconceptions flew away as soon as the light from the teleportation circle dissipated and the world unfolded before my very eyes.

    ¡°Welcome to the Demon King¡¯s Palace.¡±

    ¡°Wow!¡± I held nothing but admiration now.

    I was right about it being a vast expanse of land. But on the contrary, it wasn¡¯t the gloominess or red that I couldn¡¯t see an end to, but the greenery. The endless sky seemed refreshing and the floating clouds seemed fluffy like wool. The scenery was so picturesque that one could even paint a picture out of it.

    However, the most awe-inspiring thing there was the towering castle. Unlike my preconceived notion that it would be crude and unsophisticated, it seemed to be even more refreshing and clean than the imperial palace. Although it was luxurious and grand, it didn¡¯t go over the top and didn¡¯t feel heavy either, not the slightest bit gloomy at all.

    ¡°Welcome, my lady.¡± Tanma, the butler, greeted me at the main gates. It wasn¡¯t his human appearance that I usually saw, but his appearance as a demon, his horns blatantly out in the open too. He had his usual smile on his face, but it somehow felt different from usual.

    ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Butler.¡±

    I hadn¡¯t been able to meet him for a while after he took Frody away, perhaps because he was getting things ready at the Demon King¡¯s Palace so he could welcome me properly.

    The butler nodded slightly and led me inside.

    ¡°You said that the Grand Duchy is like a mini version of the Demon King¡¯s Palace¡­ Is the Demon King¡¯s Palace really that much better?¡±

    The density of the splendour was in two completely different realms, even in this garden that we had just walked past. It was a place where every single petal hadn¡¯t been left untouched by the gardener. The level stone path and even the lighting that would illuminate it the pathway at night had been perfectly maintained.

    ¡°Everyone seems to have paid more attention since the lady was coming.¡± Tanma said, letting out a laugh when I couldn¡¯t hide my awe at the surroundings.

    No, was this really something that was possible simply because they ¡®paid more attention¡¯?

    That¡¯s how we arrived in front of the castle gate.

    The eyes of the gatekeeper seemed to sparkle as they looked at me. Their affection that was openly directed toward me was to the extent where it felt slightly burdensome.

    Although the thing standing guard with the gatekeeper seemed like a demonic creature, it was also the first time I had seen that sort of species before. It seemed like a sable, but its stripes looked like a skunk¡¯s, and its large tusks were reminiscent of wild boars. Although it seemed like a kid that was cute in various ways, it made one nervous for no reason, perhaps because it was bigger than a brown bear.

    I shifted closer toward Lecht as I saw it wave a tail that was thicker than an elephant¡¯s trunk at me. I wanted to hug it at least once and shower it with affection, but I thought that my ribs would definitely break if it hugged me, even once.

    ¡°We¡¯ve prepared something small to welcome you, my lady.¡± Tanma said as he opened the door with the gatekeeper.

    And the moment the door swung open, a thunderous roar suddenly erupted.

    ¡°Welcome, Your Majesty!¡±

    ¡°Ahhh! Her Majesty has come!¡±

    ¡°Wow! Welcome!¡±

    Voices that were unexpectedly filled with joy and welcome. Lecht entered with his arm wrapped around the shoulders of me, who had stiffened and froze on the spot.

    Vibrantly coloured petals were scattered over my head as I walked on a path that had been covered by a red carpet. Long ropes on either side of it were preventing the crowd from rushing onto the red carpet. There were also guards stationed to control them, who were screaming like crazy. Even those guards seemed to be unable to stop glancing at me, unable to focus on the task at hand. It was too obvious that everyone here welcomed me.

    ¡°Those bastards who are still waiting anxiously for Your Highness in the demon realm must be so jealous that I¡¯ve become Your Highness¡¯ exclusive errand boy!¡±

    ¡°Everyone will just be happy to hear that Miss Ara is coming back.¡±

    Muso and Lydia¡¯s words suddenly flashed in my mind. So what they had said hadn¡¯t just been said to make me feel better, but it was actually the truth. There had actually been this many people waiting for me.

    It seemed like the tears would burst from my eyes at any second now, so I tried my hardest to put on a smile. Although they were tears of joy, the only thing I wanted to show them, who were watching me, was a happy smile.

    ¡°The butler¡¯s standard of ¡®something small¡¯ seems to differ greatly from mine.¡±

    ¡°This must have seemed too small when compared with my lady¡¯s standards.¡± Tanma said playfully, despite knowing exactly what I meant. ¡°Don¡¯t fret. A grand-scale welcoming party has also been prepared separately.¡±

    Just how large of an event were they planning to hold? However, I suddenly had the thought that by receiving their welcome, reducing the size of the event would also seem as if they were reducing the love they gave me. Letting them show their affection toward me to their hearts content was also a precious act in itself.

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll look forward to it.¡± As I whispered while smiling, the cheers around me grew even louder. I thought that it was a good idea for me to follow Lydia¡¯s advice and choose the most splendid dress amongst the clothes I had been given.

    ¡°Ara.¡± Lecht called my name amidst the shouts that were even more formidable than the ones during the proclamation ceremony. I turned my head toward him without concealing any of my overwhelming emotions.

    It happened in a flash.

    Lecht¡¯s lips brushed against my forehead, then left just as quickly.

    ¡°L-Lecht?!¡±

    ¡°Kyaaaaa!¡±

    ¡°Wooooooo!¡±

    The cheers which I hadn¡¯t thought would be able to grow any louder, became even rowdier to the extent where I wondered if the Demon King¡¯s Palace would be able to stand it without collapsing like this.

    ¡°Why all of a sudden¡­!¡± In any case, my heart that had already felt overwhelmed with emotions, raced so fast it felt like it was about to explode. I felt as if it were about to jump out of my mouth with its thumping.

    ¡°I¡¯m making sure that no bastard here has forgotten. That you¡¯re my woman.¡±

    ¡°!¡±

    Lecht smiled smugly at my face that was now burning red. At that smile that seemed like the smile of a wolf who was pleased at catching a mouthwateringly appetising piece of prey, my heart couldn¡¯t stand it any longer.

    I buried my face into Lecht¡¯s arms with a strange groan. I had to hold onto something because it felt as if my legs were about to lose their strength at any moment now.

    As if he knew somehow, Lecht lifted me up into his arms and walked to the end with the endlessly growing cheers at his back.

    It was a blessed moment that was mixed with happiness and embarrassment.

    * * *

    pls do not share this anywhere or u will always stub ur toe when u walk past a door frame !! this translation has been stolen from mioscorner.com, pls only read there i¡¯m begging u :kneels:

    ¡°I heard that they¡¯ve arrived.¡± A demon with a single horn in the middle of their forehead said as he finished contacting his old friend that worked in the Demon King¡¯s Palace.

    ¡°Hmmm~¡± The person who received their report let out a long nasally sound. It was just a sound, yet the shoulders of the demon who had just delivered the report started to tremble slightly. It was due to the powerful force of enchantment that had engulfed his whole body for a moment.

    ¡°Saintess, my saintess. You really have no sense of fear.¡± Frody murmured as he looked down at the forget-me-nots that were blooming before him, despite it not being the season for it. ¡°It would¡¯ve been safer for you to continue staying in the human realm¡­ I wonder just how many people are after you in the demon realm, Saintess.¡±

    Frody uprooted the forget-me-nots. He examined the sensitive flowers from a few angles before lifting the corners of his mouth. ¡°Just like me.¡±

    Murmuring softly, he dropped the forget-me-nots onto the floor. The heavy scent of gold osmanthus began to spread simultaneously as he trampled the flowers underfoot. Since the scent wasn¡¯t able to completely devour the remaining scent of the forget me nots, it simply absorbed the flowers¡¯ vitality instead. The scent of the gold osmanthus became even stronger the longer it continued to do so, and the forget-me-nots that had bloomed eventually all withered.

    ¡°And the thing I told you to prepare?¡±

    ¡°¡­Though they¡¯re still trying, there hasn¡¯t been a definite response either.¡± The subordinate standing by his side replied, trying his best not to breathe in the scent as much as possible. The difference in ability between him and Frody were evident, so if he so much as inhaled that scent even once by accident, his rationality would be eaten away by it.

    ¡°Oh¡­ that¡¯s quite troublesome. I only got it after breaking the rules and playing a joke on the Grand Duchy.¡± Frody smiled at his subordinate. It was a smile that was expressed with his eyes so charmingly that it would¡¯ve been able to captivate men and women of all ages without fail. ¡°Don¡¯t you think?¡±

    ¡°¡­Yes.¡±

    ¡°If there¡¯s any possibility of me having no choice but to make the saintess disappointed, then¡­¡±

    He walked lightly toward his subordinate. His mischievous aura that could be seen when he was facing Ara and Lecht had completely disappeared, now only replaced by a bleak energy.

    ¡°I would be very upset, right?¡± Standing before his subordinate, he whispered, leaning down and looking into his eyes while doing so. A tiny light shone in his blue eyes, poking his subordinate¡¯s soul.

    ¡°I¡¯ll make sure it¡¯s ready within the time frame!¡± He shouted, already pale with fright, as Frody stood back up from his bent back.

    ¡°Then. You should do so. After all, it¡¯s none other than a present for our precious saintess.¡±

    Humming to himself, Frody brushed past him. Only after he disappeared into the darkness and the sound of his footsteps couldn¡¯t be heard anymore did his subordinate finally let out a breath.

    And with Frody¡¯s disappearance, the scent of gold osmanthus also disappeared along with him like it had never existed in the first place.

    * * *

    Lecht disappeared soon after, seemingly having been dragged away by Tanma, who had nagged at him about having all his work pushed back.

    After leaving me with the words that he would come and see me in the evening, as expected, the one that came to see me was none other than Solte, who had come on behalf of him. Apparently she had come over to the demon realm even earlier than Tanma in order to prepare my room for my arrival.

    Both glad and relieved to see a face I knew, I allowed myself to be guided leisurely to the floor that I would stay on.

    ¡°Hold on!¡± But as I was listening to her explanation, I suddenly discovered an embarrassing part. ¡°Who¡­ the dress room?¡±

    ¡°This is your dress room, my lady, and that is His Majesty¡¯s dress room. In any case, I thought it would be better for them to be separated rather than all lumped together so that it would be more convenient when you¡¯re selecting what clothes to wear, so I made it like so.¡± Thinking that I didn¡¯t understand her reasoning, Solte calmly added an explanation. Even though I was just flustered by what she had said.

    ¡°No, why is Lecht¡¯s dress room in this room¡­¡±

    Solte tilted her head at my question. ¡°I thought it would be inconvenient for the dress room to be far away from the room, so I arranged it like this. It was like this in the Grand Duchy as well¡­ are you perhaps uncomfortable with this?¡±

    No, why does the conversation between Solte and I always seem like it¡¯s one wavelength apart? I wasn¡¯t curious about that part.

    ¡°I mean, why is ¡®Lecht¡¯s¡¯ dress room in ¡®my¡¯ room¡­¡± I felt like I knew the reason why after I phrased the sentence like this.

    ¡°Aha.¡± Solte smiled, finally understanding my meaning behind the question. ¡°Because this room is my lady and His Majesty¡¯s room.¡±

    ¡°H-Huh¡­? Why? How, why?¡± I was so flustered that I even lost the ability to speak properly.

    Solte, who finally managed to understand me, tilted her head again and said, ¡°The aide¡­ so I arranged it like that since the butler, Tanma, specifically ordered me to do so. Did he not inform you beforehand?¡±

    No¡­! This is my first time hearing about such a thing!

    At my face that was full of embarrassment, Solte let out a ¡®hmm¡­¡¯ as if she were contemplating over something before smiling. ¡°I didn¡¯t think there would be a problem for the two of you to share rooms a little quickly since the two of you will be married soon anyway.¡±

    ¡°Whatttt?!¡±

    ¡°Oh, though of course, there are many people here who call you, ¡®Her Majesty¡¯ already since they¡¯ve already promised to pledge the rest of their life to you a hundred years ago¡­¡±

    No, wait. So you¡¯re saying that the reason why Muso calls me, ¡®Her Majesty¡¯ is because he already sees me as Lecht¡¯s wife?! I thought he was just calling me, ¡®Her Majesty¡¯ because he couldn¡¯t find a way to over exaggerate and call me, ¡®my lady¡¯ in a very Muso-like way!

    ¡°Back then, there weren¡¯t many people who could celebrate it with the two of you together, so the truth is that everyone is expecting for the two of you to hold a ceremony this time.¡±

    Huh¡­?!

    ¡°Naturally, I am also looking forward to your wedding, my lady. Since according to His Majesty¡¯s character, he will definitely make it grander than any other demon king¡¯s wedding.¡±

    So how did it become that my own wedding ceremony had already been settled without me even knowing? I felt so aggrieved, yet I couldn¡¯t even find the words to retort when I saw that even Solte was smiling with her eyes full of anticipation.

 CH 62

    Although I was momentarily embarrassed, unable to find the right reply in the end, I still ended up continuing to look around the Demon King¡¯s Palace. The messy situation was soon forgotten due to the amount of beautiful treasures that were hidden in every corner of the palace.

    It wasn¡¯t until evening when it came up in my mind once again. Upon seeing the maids who came in to help me prepare for bed, I sent them out once again with a strange ¡®uwah¡¯ sound. I endured without changing out of my clothes since I thought I should have an in depth conversation with Lecht about this situation first.

    Standing at the end of the wide balcony that was outside the window, I rearranged my thoughts while enjoying the cool night breeze. Though of course, my complex thoughts all disappeared like the melting snow upon witnessing the palace¡¯s appearance at night. ¡°Wow, it¡¯s even shining.¡±

    The sentries that were standing guard had taken along one demonic creature between the two of them. Just looking at them was fun since their appearances and sizes all varied drastically. If most of them were large and stuck to the ground during the day, then there were even more of those smaller demonic creatures that flew in the skies at night.

    In order for the sentries to look around better, most of the demonic creatures that were with them were those that could illuminate themselves. Seeing flashes of blue, yellow, and pink lights flying all over the place, the whole situation even felt somewhat dreamlike.

    I was watching that exact scene as if I was possessed when a large coat suddenly enveloped me.

    ¡°No matter how warm the winter of the demon realm is, it¡¯ll still be cold.¡± A voice that melted my eardrums whispered to me. I could feel his solid chest against my back. Enveloped in his coat, he hugged me tightly.

    ¡°When did you get here? You surprised me.¡±

    To be honest, I wasn¡¯t actually that surprised because the scent of his body immediately covered me the moment his coat was wrapped around me. Nevertheless, I still complained for no reason in particular since I was flustered at the fact that I had been so absorbed in watching the view that I hadn¡¯t noticed he had come so close.

    ¡°From when you saw the lantern sparrow.¡±

    ¡°Huh? It¡¯s already been a long time since that one!¡±

    That was the kid that looked like a plump sparrow and emitted a green light as it flew; that was the one I was watching fifteen minutes ago!

    ¡°I just continued to watch1 since you, who was just watching the view, was just so beautiful.¡±

    ¡°!¡±

    I told you to turn on the indicator when you¡¯re changing lanes2¡­!

    ¡°Then I interrupted since the wind had gotten chillier. Keep watching.¡± He whispered, hugging me securely in his arms. It was a spirit that seemed as if he¡¯d even stay up all night like this if I wanted to.

    ¡°No, I can finish sightseeing after a little while. I had something I wanted to ask you.¡±

    ¡°Go on.¡±

    I had intended to speak with him face to face, but he didn¡¯t move with me in his arms at all. Did you perhaps want to talk in this position, or¡­ well, it¡¯s not like I can¡¯t, but¡­

    ¡°Are we getting married?¡± Clueless on how else to phrase it, I just asked him directly as it was.

    He, who was holding me in his arms, flinched greatly when I said that. To the extent where I had ended up flinching as well.

    I felt his arm that was wrapped around me loosening, so I turned around quickly. I sat perched on the balcony as I looked up at him. ¡°Solte thinks we are, and so does everyone else¡ªthey all think we¡¯re getting married.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°And to add onto that, we¡¯re even sharing the same room together. Did you know about that too, Lecht?¡±

    Though according to Solte, it may not have been Lecht¡¯s order, since she had said that ¡®the butler specifically ordered¡¯ for her to do so. But I doubt that Lecht wouldn¡¯t have known¡­ After all, which sort of butler would arrange such a room without informing their master beforehand?

    ¡°The room¡­¡± He seemed to be choosing his words for a moment, then took my hand instead of speaking soon after. ¡°I¡¯ll show you.¡±

    He led me into a room. Walking across a room that was larger than my own room back in the Grand Duchy, he opened the door to his dress room and entered. Brushing past various tailcoats and suits, he opened the door on the other side of the dress room.

    There, a room appeared with a very different atmosphere from the room we had just passed. Although the size of the room was similar, this place was a little colder and less friendly.

    ¡°There¡¯s¡­ another room?¡±

    ¡°This is my room.¡±

    ¡°Huh¡­? But Solte said¡­¡±

    Lecht let out a little groan at my confused voice. It was a groan that seemed like a sigh. ¡°Although we decided to start afresh and leave out what happened between us a hundred years ago, most of the guys here still think of me and you with our relationship from a hundred years ago.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­¡±

    ¡°Even if I explain that it¡¯s different to them, they still won¡¯t be able to understand. Like Muso for example.¡±

    I immediately understood upon hearing him say they were like Muso. That¡¯s true. Since Muso still smiles when he sees me and calls me, ¡®Your Majesty¡¯, even now.

    ¡°That¡¯s why I deliberately told them to prepare it like this.¡±

    If we used a separate room now, there was a high possibility that unnecessary discord would suddenly arise. Lecht seemed to be worried about that.

    ¡°It was my mistake for not informing you in advance.¡±

    ¡°No, I completely understand.¡± I shook my head with a smile. ¡°But even if it is a room that has been prepared in secret¡­ isn¡¯t it too dreary?¡±

    It¡¯s a bit too much for him not to even have a single plant in the room. He should at least put a sofa in there, even if he wasn¡¯t going to use it anyway. I felt cold just looking around the room that lacked warmth.

    ¡°Well¡­ I¡¯m used to this anyway.¡± But Lecht scanned the room roughly and said that, as if he didn¡¯t know what I was talking about. ¡°For me, this is enough since it¡¯s only for me to get a good night¡¯s sleep, but I get how it could feel dreary to you.¡±

    ¡°If you sleep in a place like this by yourself¡­¡±

    There would also be an unavoidable loneliness. I swallowed the words that I couldn¡¯t bear to finish. I became distressed for no reason at the thought of putting him to sleep by himself in a place like this.

    Rather than this, he could just sleep in my room instead. The bed was big enough as well. I shocked myself at the thoughts that naturally continued to flow.

    ¡®Thoughts that will get you in big trouble!¡¯

    At times like this, you need to be strong-minded! There will be no end to it if you start letting down your guard!

    Nevertheless, those thoughts only lasted for a moment. My thoughts soon flowed to how firm and cosy his arms were every time he hugged me.

    ¡®No! Pure thoughts, pure thoughts!¡¯

    I shook my head and quickly shook off those evil thoughts.

    ¡°Then, shall we go and see the rest?¡±

    ¡°Pardon?! S-See what?¡±

    No way, don¡¯t tell me, your abs? In any case, I had already been thinking about his solid chest, so his words suddenly threw me to take it the wrong way.

    ¡°Since we resolved your question about the room, I was wondering if you wanted to see the rest of the palace. Though if you¡¯re tired, we can just do it tomorrow as well.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­ Seeing the rest of the palace¡­¡±

    I kicked the lustful devil that kept filling my thoughts with the colour of flesh out of my head before it could cause any trouble and moved my legs stiffly.

    ¡°R-Right! Seeing the rest of the palace, alright!¡± I thought I¡¯d be able to calm down my heart if I got more of the night breeze.

    Lecht followed in silence after me, who scurried back through the dress room toward the balcony.

    The moon, which hadn¡¯t been in the sky earlier, was floating in an aloof manner. Long after the proclamation ceremony, the day which a red moon had risen into the sky, the moon was now cut in half, yet it still looked as beautiful as ever.

    ¡°Perhaps because I¡¯m the saintess of a moon god, but I think the moon is truly great, as expected.¡±

    ¡°Do you want me to show it to you at a closer view?¡± Approaching my side, Lecht leaned against the balcony and looked at me. Covering me with his own coat so I wouldn¡¯t be cold was simply a bonus.

    ¡°Closer?¡±

    Lecht extended his index finger and pointed at the sky at my question.

    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me¡­ in the sky?¡±

    There was a faint smile on Lecht¡¯s lips. It was a smile that suited the moonlight extremely well. ¡°You said you wanted to see my true appearance. And that you looked forward to my horns and wings.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true, but¡­¡± Although I trailed off, my heart began to race as I naturally began to imagine his appearance.

    Irregardless of that, I also happened to meet several demons today. It was an amount that was incomparable to the number I had met in the Grand Duchy. Although all of them had their own unique charm, the only one who had wings was Lecht. Since wings were a privilege that was only given to the demon king.

    Just what would Lecht look like in his complete demon king appearance? My heart started to race.

    ¡°Are you¡­ really going to show me?¡±

    My fingertips down to the toes of my feet began to itch due to the overflowing anticipation that was about to burst out. Lecht stretched out his hand to grab my hands, which were twisting together bashfully. Both of my hands flopped into his large hand.

    ¡°You¡¯re asking something that¡¯s obvious again.¡± Sitting on the balcony, he leaned over slightly and whispered to me. ¡°Didn¡¯t I say that I¡¯d show you whenever you wanted?¡± The deep smile on his face made my heart tremble once again.

    Rising from his seat, Lecht released my hand and retreated a few steps back. A tranquil breeze began to billow around us after a while. Although the wind was rather lacking, it was still charged with light.

    The moonlight wind, that was quite similar to my divine power, began to surround him and spun at a gradually increasing pace, blocking my view.

    The moment I thought he had been completely engulfed in the wind¡­

    Flap¡ª!

    Those enchanting black wings that I had seen before spread to reveal its full glory and suddenly burst into light. And the appearance of Lecht, which was finally revealed, showcased the perfect demon king¡¯s appearance.

    ¡°Woah!¡±

    It was more than I could¡¯ve ever imagined. His short silver hair had elongated to become as long as my hair and gave off a mysterious glow, while the tips of his ears had stretched out into sharp points. His elegantly curved horns carried an even heavier dignity than any of the ones I had seen today.

    His eyes were the most conspicuous of them all. Although they were the same gold as when he was polymorphed, they carried a profound and mysterious light in them that couldn¡¯t be explained in words.

    ¡°Huh¡­?!¡±

    I was staring into his eyes, as if I was possessed as Lecht approached me. And before I could even react, he hugged me and lifted me into a princess carry.

    ¡°Hold on tight.¡± He whispered languidly in a low voice, spreading his black wings to their full length. He stepped onto the balcony railing on his tiptoes.

    ¡°Oh my go¡ª!¡±

    Shocked at the sudden sensation of the ground getting further and further away from me, I closed my eyes and clung on tightly to his neck. Although his coat fell off in the process, I couldn¡¯t care less. Either way, I didn¡¯t find it cold at all thanks to his body temperature.

    He hugged me even tighter than how tightly I was holding onto him. With the sound of us cutting through the wind, we continued to climb even higher and higher.

    At some point, he stopped and said, ¡°Open your eyes.¡±

    I slightly opened my tightly shut eyes.

    ¡°Woah!¡±

    Unlike my fears that it would be frightening, my eyes widened at the world that was presented before my eyes. The demon realm was spread before my feet. It was a dazzling sight that I couldn¡¯t have ever seen even once for as long as I lived. The scene that I had seen for the first time since arriving in the demon realm as well as the evening view of the Demon King¡¯s Palace from the balcony of my room were both incomparable to the brilliance of what was in front of me.

    Lecht turned around slowly on the spot with me in his arms. The land in front of the Demon King¡¯s Palace, the village lights that could be seen off in the distance, as well as the towering and rugged mountain range. From the steep cliffs behind the palace to the refreshing sea below it that started at the horizon line. There wasn¡¯t a single corner that wasn¡¯t breathtakingly beautiful.

    ¡°Ara.¡±

    Watching the spectacle as if I was possessed, I turned to Lecht with a dazed expression on my face. His face that was in front of my very eyes right now was even more perfect than the view I had just witnessed.

    Oh. I now understood why the light in his eyes was different. The eyes of a human that I was familiar with were different to those of a demon king. They were like the pained eyes of a dragon that lived deep within the mountains.

    As I stared at him with shaky eyes, he asked me quietly, ¡°Do you like it?¡±

    I nodded with a stunned face. He then smiled deeply, as if he liked my answer.

    Badump, badump, badump, badump, badump.

    My heart reacted frankly, and he, unaware of it, continued to add on with a strange voice. ¡°It¡¯s yours.¡± Seeing my eyes widen, he reaffirmed it once again. ¡°Everything that you see right now¡ªall of it is yours.¡±

    They were somehow the most cheesy words I had ever heard in this world. But at the same time, they were also the most enrapturing words.

    The demon king, who had given me the demon realm as a present, then quietly added, as if even that weren¡¯t enough, ¡°That includes me as well.¡±

    My heart stopped beating and my breath hitched in my throat.

    I couldn¡¯t even reply. Because he had stolen my senses away and swallowed my lips.

    [1] the word ???? that they use is usually used in tourism and sightseeing contexts where [sb] is watching a beautiful view or landscape, so ara is lecht¡¯s landscape (AWWWW)

    [2] ??? ? ?? ???? to say something surprising/shocking without any prior context

 CH 63

    The maids showed off their skills today as well for my welcoming party. It seemed to take much more time and technique than when the priests had put in their utmost effort for the proclamation ceremony.

    ¡°Just how in the world did they twist my hair up like this?¡±

    It was so fascinating since they hadn¡¯t even used hairspray.

    ¡°The venue itself will be warm, but you¡¯re going to take a walk outside, then please call for us and ask for a shawl.¡±

    ¡°Okay, then I¡¯ll do that.¡±

    I had deliberately chosen a dress that revealed my shoulders and arms so that I could show off the pattern on my shoulder blade. So it was natural for the maids to worry about me feeling cold.

    ¡°I matched the earrings with the necklace¡­ Then, what would you like me to do for your bracelet?¡±

    The bracelet I was wearing was the one that Lecht had given me. Although it was a pretty and delicate bracelet that suited my preferences, it was slightly monotonous and too plain compared to my current outfit.

    ¡°This will be enough.¡±

    Nevertheless, I didn¡¯t want to replace this with another bracelet, nor did I want to layer it with anything else either.

    I was fiddling with that precious bracelet when Solte bowed her head toward the entrance of the dressing room. ¡°You¡¯ve come, Your Majesty?¡±

    ¡°Woof!¡±

    When I turned my head, the sight of a joyful Kelber wagging his tail happily greeted me, and Lecht, as expected, was there as well.

    ¡°Lecht!¡±

    Lecht, whose horns and long hair remained unconcealed, was leaning against the dressing room¡¯s entrance.

    ¡°What about your wings?¡±

    ¡°Tanma nagged at me and said that my clothes don¡¯t have any holes for it.¡±

    ¡°Ahaha.¡±

    The wings showed off the authority of the demon king, so they weren¡¯t revealed unless necessary. But seeing as I liked his wings, Lecht often took them out to show me in my presence. That¡¯s probably how he got nagged at by Tanma.

    ¡°But you¡¯re still able to have your horns and long hair?¡±

    ¡°Because I think you like this appearance of mine more.¡±

    I laughed at his words and ran toward him. Wrapped up in his warm embrace, I whispered, ¡°That¡¯s not true. I¡¯ll like it all, as long as it¡¯s Lecht.¡±

    Lecht widened his eyes slightly, then smirked soon after, brushing my cheek with the knuckle of his finger. ¡°If you continue to keep provoking me like that, then we might not be able to go to the welcoming ceremony.¡±

    ¡°That would be troublesome! Everyone had worked so hard to prepare for this already!¡± I loosened my arm that was holding onto his waist and clutched his hand tightly instead. ¡°I¡¯m not going to let go of this hand today.¡±

    ¡°I had no intention of letting go either.¡±

    Lecht led me toward the venue of the banquet. While matching my non-committal pace that was the result of not having worn such high heels in a long while.

    When we arrived in front of the venue, the gatekeeper looked at me with his eyes wide open. It was an expression as if his whole soul had flown away.

    Judging by the demonic creature that was standing beside him, it seemed like they were the gatekeeper and demonic creature that had been guarding the main gates the day I had arrived. The demonic creature whose name was ¡®Zibik¡¯, looked at me today as well and wagged its huge tail.

    ¡°Woof!¡±

    Kelber, who didn¡¯t like me smiling at other demonic creatures, enlarged himself and barked at it, causing the gatekeeper to finally come to his senses.

    ¡°Please enjoy your time today.¡±

    ¡°His Majesty and the Saintess are now entering!¡± Another gatekeeper came from inside and announced the arrival of Lecht and I as the other gatekeeper opened the door for us.

    The venue, which had been buzzing until the door opened, quickly became quiet. All of their eyes were now on me and Lecht. The place we had stepped into was a balcony on the second floor that was overlooking the entire venue, so it was even easier for us to draw their attention.

    ¡®So you made us enter through the second floor on purpose.¡¯

    Here, in the demon realm that valued hierarchy highly, he had made them look up at us as the demon king and the saintess.

    The only sound that echoed throughout the event hall with no music was my heels as I descended the stairs. I felt burdened by their stares and nervous at the same time, so my legs kept losing their strength.

    But Lecht, who was familiar with all this, just held my arm tightly. Relying on that reassurance of his, I was finally able to arrive at the seat of honour that was all the way across the silent event hall.

    ¡°You¡¯ve all done well in coming all the way here to welcome the saintess.¡± Lecht¡¯s heavy voice resonated throughout the hall. Whether or not it was because it now contained magic as well, his voice seemed to feel even more magnificent and weighty. ¡°I won¡¯t dampen the mood by giving a speech, so let¡¯s start the banquet right away.¡±

    As he finished curtly and waved his hand, the waiting band immediately began to play the music they had prepared in advance. The silence, which seemed to breathe its last breath with the music, soon disappeared, as the sound of people¡¯s voices soon filled that void back up.

    ¡°Huu, I almost couldn¡¯t breathe¡ªthat would¡¯ve been a big problem.¡±

    Holding onto Lecht¡¯s hand tightly, I leaned against him as he smiled at me, brushing my cheek with his thumb.

    ¡°You¡¯ll get used to it. Since you¡¯ll be living like this for the rest of your life.¡±

    ¡°Oh my, are you saying that I should stick to your side for the rest of my life, Lecht?¡±

    ¡°Even if you aren¡¯t by my side, it¡¯s only natural for you, who is the saintess of Lunar, to be treated like this.¡± And with an expression that seemed to say that he had left some words out, he added, ¡°Though of course, apart from that, it¡¯s true that I want you to stand by my side for the rest of your life.¡±

    Thanks to him, who was trying to appeal to me without missing a beat, I was able to relieve the accumulated tension that I had gained when I entered the hall.

    ¡°You¡¯re so beautiful today, Your Majesty!¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Muso.¡±

    Muso¡¯s eyes shone as he brought us to the seats that had been prepared for Lecht and I.

    ¡°Woof! Woof!¡±

    Even Kelber seemed rather excited and stuck around my feet, pushing his head onto my lap. Unlike when we were in the human realm, Kelber stood guard by my side with the size of a tiger instead of a large dog. In my eyes, Kelber at this size seemed just as cute to me as ever, since I knew that he could probably enlarge himself to the size of a seven storey building if he wanted to.

    ¡°There are many people who would like to greet you, my lady. If it¡¯s fine with you, would I be able to start sending them up one by one?¡±

    I nodded as Tanma asked me while I sat next to Lecht in my seat.

    Ever since I had arrived in the demon realm, there had been a torrent of requests and letters to meet me in the Demon King¡¯s Palace. Nevertheless, Tanma and Muso made the collective decision to refuse them all on my behalf, stating that they would all see me at the welcoming banquet.

    Thus, maybe that was why the nobles who greeted me were largely divided into two categories.

    ¡°Greetings, Saintess. You don¡¯t know just how long I¡¯ve been waiting for the day I finally meet you, Saintess¡­!¡±

    Those who were thrilled by the fact that they had met me and seemed to be at a loss of what to do with themselves.

    ¡°I am ¡®Robla¡¯, the one who is in charge of managing the lush continent in the west. I was here a few days ago to meet you, but it seemed like it was really hard for you to make the time.¡±

    And those whose pride was scratched by the fact that I didn¡¯t meet them.

    It was difficult to judge who was right and who was wrong. Although saintesses were necessary and important existences to the demons, demons were also a species that were the type to risk both their life and honour on their pride at the same time as well.

    One thing that such a diverse group of people had in common was that they had all brought gifts. Was it because I always brought Kelber everywhere, or because they had all been made aware of my love for animals that included demonic creatures?

    ¡°This is a sky ray. They¡¯re extremely docile and gentle creatures. The dots that you see now will glow blue at night.¡±

    ¡°White fire foxes are creatures who deeply assimilate with their owner¡¯s feelings, so they are particularly good at distinguishing between who is an ally and an enemy. Although the flame by its tail is rather weak since it¡¯s still a baby, it¡¯ll easily be able to destroy an entire village when it becomes an adult.¡±

    There were a lot of them who gave me adorable demonic creatures which I had never seen before as a gift. A fox that resembled a weasel and lightly shook its tail which had a white flame at the end of it, and a bat bird that seemed like a stingray and flew in the air instead of in the water. As if what I had seen when I had come to the palace hadn¡¯t been all the demon realm had to offer, unique looking kids kept constantly coming out.

    It was also Kelber, who was naturally the most displeased whenever a new demonic creature was presented.

    ¡°Grrrr¡­¡±

    ¡°Shh. It¡¯s okay, you¡¯re the prettiest, Kelber.¡± I had to keep patting his head since it seemed like he was seconds away from mauling the baby demonic creatures.

    The gifts that I had seen were so diverse, it was to the point where even the accessories and jewellery that were occasionally mixed in between them seemed a bit too plain.

    ¡°What sort of fruit is this?¡±

    The thing that was as fascinating as a demonic creature was a specialty product that they had brought.

    ¡°This isn¡¯t a fruit, but a herb called ¡®Alcant¡¯! It¡¯s a specialty that¡¯s only grown on our Mindoongmori Mountain, and can be eaten just as it is as well¡ªhowever, the best way to consume it is to boil it like tea and mix in a little honey with it.¡±

    t/n: ???? can also be translated as ¡®bare/bald head¡¯ but idk if that¡¯s actually the mountain¡¯s name so imma just leave it in korean form HGSDLFKJDS

    Its colour resembled a grape, but it looked exactly like a ginger. It also seemed easy to eat, since its size was only that of a cherry.

    ¡°To be honest, even though it¡¯s a gift for the saintess, the one who should actually eat it is His Majesty instead!¡±

    ¡°Pfft.¡±

    ¡°Cough!¡±

    Tanma almost burst into laughter while Muso choked at the noble¡¯s words that had been said with a grin.

    ¡°Why? Can I not eat it?¡±

    pls do not share this anywhere or u will always stub ur toe when u walk past a door frame !! this translation has been stolen from mioscorner.com, pls only read there i¡¯m begging u :kneels:

    ¡°Ah¡­ You can still eat it, Saintess, but it¡¯ll be more effective if His Majesty eats it.¡±

    ¡°Effective¡­?¡±

    At the tilt of my head, the woman mustered up her courage to reply, ¡°Because it¡¯s the most recognised male aphrodisiac in the demon realm!¡±

    ¡°!!¡±

    I widened my eyes and turned my head away, blushing as if I couldn¡¯t hear all the dirty thoughts the demons around us were thinking. Some tried to hold back their laughter while others simply turned red as well.

    At the effect that I never could have imagined, I froze and wasn¡¯t able to shut my jaw that had dropped. The only one who was smiling was the noble who had presented it.

    ¡°W-Wait, why did you, such a present¡­¡± I had to thank her for the gift, but I was too flustered and wasn¡¯t able to speak properly.

    Lecht, who was sitting by my side, leaned over slightly and turned his head to look at my face when I ended up only being able to utter some odd noises. And asked a question that added even more fire to this already flustering situation. ¡°Should I try eating it?¡±

    ¡°E-Eat, what do you mean eat?!¡± I shrieked in surprise and slapped his shoulder. ¡°Do you have a problem?! Even if you don¡¯t eat it, it¡¯s enou¡­!¡±

    I was once again rendered speechless upon reflexively replying to his playful question.

    ¡°No, I mean¡­! Lecht!¡± I glared at him with a crimson face when I realised that I had fallen into his trap.

    But he just looked at me with a pleased look on his face and smiled. ¡°Then, should we just try and check it out once?¡± He grabbed me by the waist and got up from his seat.

    ¡°Wh-Wh-What¡­!¡±

    What do you mean check¡­?!

    As I pushed at his chest with a face that had turned the colour of a pomegranate, he whispered with a cheeky smile on his face, ¡°Let¡¯s go and dance.¡±

    Then, he led me to the centre of the hall. It would be more accurate to say that he simply held my waist and moved me there. Moving me to the centre of the floor, he stood facing me. ¡°You like to dance.¡±

    ¡°No, but how could you say such a thing in that sort of situation¡­!¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°They¡¯ll all think of something weird¡­¡±

    He lowered his head when I jutted out my lip and complained. He stuck his face close to my cheek, as if his lips were seemingly about to touch them, and asked, ¡°Is that why you don¡¯t want to dance?¡±

    ¡°Who said I didn¡¯t want to¡­¡± Although my heart felt like it was doing backflips due to the misunderstanding and my face had already turned beet red, dancing together would still be good.

    ¡°But I don¡¯t know how to dance¡­¡± I had never learned how to waltz or tango.

    ¡°Unlike human balls, there¡¯s no need for formality.¡± Lecht said affectionately at my concern and lifted my arms to hook around his neck. Lecht and I just swung our bodies leisurely in time with the calm music.

    ¡°Do we look like penguins with our waddling?¡±

    ¡°If you¡¯re a penguin, then I¡¯m a penguin too.¡±

    ¡°No way, where in the world would I find a penguin this good looking?¡± I leaned against his body. It felt good since his arm that was supporting my waist felt firm.

    ¡°Do you really think I don¡¯t need to take alcant?¡±

    ¡°Tch, stop playing around!¡±

    He enveloped my fist in his hand after I hit his chest painlessly.

    ¡°Just why did that woman give me that as a gift¡­¡± I grumbled in vain and leaned my head against Lecht¡¯s chest.

    Lecht smiled as well, resting his chin against my head. His deep laughter was even sweeter than the music that echoed throughout the hall.

    ¡°Lecht, you know¡­¡± Perhaps because I had hit him for playing a joke on me over the aphrodisiacs, I suddenly remembered his desolate room. As expected, I kept being bothered about leaving him to sleep in there by himself. ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking about it, and we¡­¡±

    ¡°Ahhhhh!¡±

    When I was about to say, ¡®Why don¡¯t we just share one room¡¯, a sharp scream suddenly pierced the atmosphere in the hall. The sudden scream caused both mine and Lecht¡¯s heads to turn at the same time.

    And unidentified light was surging from the ground where the disturbance was coming from. Had one of the demons gotten out of control and gone on a rampage? But to say that was the case, the light that could be seen seemed to be far too ominous and foreboding.

    Lecht and I rushed over immediately. Walking past the nobles that had huddled together and were murmuring with each other, the guards had raised their weapons and surrounded something.

    ¡®An intruder?¡¯

    How was that possible in such a heavily guarded place? Although I was also curious about the method they had used to do so, I was even more curious about who it was.

    ¡°Huh¡­? I¡¯m bleeding¡­ Then, i-is this a real spear? This isn¡¯t a film set?¡± The bewildered voice of a girl was heard from amongst the guards. ¡°W-Where is this? Is this really not a hidden camera prank?¡±

    Although I was familiar with the things she was talking about, they were all words that the demons in this place would never say. A strange feeling rushed up my spine. Pressing down my pounding heart, I pushed aside the guards that had formed a tight wall around them.

    Sitting on the floor was a girl who was trapped at the ends of a sword and a spear. The moment I saw the cute appearance of a girl with half of her long straight hair tied up, my breath stopped. Contrary to the intensely coloured striped tie, the ambiguous grey jacket was undoubtedly part of a school uniform, no matter how much I looked at it. To top it all off, the prestigious high school emblem on the chest of the jacket further proved my guess.

    ¡°A high school student¡­?¡±

    The child, who had been shakily hugging their backpack tightly, soon burst into tears at my murmur. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I skipped self-study¡­! I¡¯ll never skip school anymore, so please send me back home¡­! Huuuuu¡­¡±

    There was a name tag stuck under the high school emblem on the jacket. It was a name tag with the name ¡®Song Ara¡¯ clearly embroidered on it.

 CH 64

    From there, the welcoming banquet fizzled out.

    Since a woman had suddenly dropped into the venue, everything had descended into chaos. And to top it all off, the atmosphere had become even more awkward since I had stopped the guards who had thought she was an intruder and tried to punish her.

    Nevertheless, the child who was crying out of fear seemed like a high school student, no matter how many times I looked at it. So I couldn¡¯t just leave her to herself.

    I finally managed to persuade the knights, who tried to follow me as an escort, claiming that she was suspicious, and eventually brought the child to my room by myself. Obviously, that included Lecht and Kelber as well.

    ¡°So, to summarise it all, you suddenly lost your senses on your way to the internet cafe after sneaking out of self-study, and when you opened your eyes, you found yourself in that place earlier.¡±

    ¡°Huhuuu, yes¡­¡± Song Ara blew her nose and sipped on the warm tea that the maids had prepared. Compared to her teary appearance when we first met, this seemed to be a much more genuine appearance.

    ¡°A senior in Daehan High School¡­¡±

    I rubbed my forehead at the student ID that was found in the child¡¯s belongings. Daehan Private High School was often talked about a lot and was involved in many scandals since it was a place where the children of the cream of the country¡¯s richest families and conglomerates gathered.

    ¡®It¡¯s the media that keeps inflating the news¡ªlooking at it right now, they¡¯re no different to ordinary high school students.¡¯

    She was ¡®on the way to the internet cafe after skipping self-study¡¯. It was such a normal sentence that I ended up feeling a little sour.

    ¡°It¡¯s not like there was an accident either. You didn¡¯t fall into a manhole or anything, right?¡±

    ¡°No way, no matter how much I walk while looking at my phone, there¡¯s still no way that I¡¯d fall into a manhole.¡± Song Ara, who was saying that, then shouted ¡®Ah!¡¯, placing down her mug and fumbled. ¡°My phone!¡±

    There wasn¡¯t a pocket in her uniform jacket, nor in her skirt. Song Ara flipped her bag upside down and shook it, but there was no phone that dropped out.

    ¡°I must have dropped it when I lost my senses¡­ Hing¡­ I just bought it last month though¡­¡±

    ¡°It wouldn¡¯t have worked here anyway.¡±

    ¡°Where exactly is this place?¡± Song Ara quickly gave up her thoughts about her phone and looked at me upon hearing my words.

    Although the tip of her nose had slightly reddened since she had cried for so long, she was still extremely cute since her face was the type that was round, and her eyes were also large due to her double eyelids. The beauty spot at her jawline also made her young face even cuter.

    ¡°Hey, that mister¡­ is his horn real?¡± Song Ara hid behind me and pointed at Lecht while talking.

    The sound of her using ¡®mister¡¯ to describe him made me laugh. I quickly put away my expression and said, ¡°Yes, the horns are real, and like I said earlier, this isn¡¯t Korea, nor is it Planet Earth, but rather, it¡¯s a completely different world.¡±

    ¡°Wow¡­ so it¡¯s something like a fantasy world, right?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. Did you not read <A Divine Retribution> that was serialised on Series?¡±

    Song Ara shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t normally read webtoons or webnovels¡­¡±

    That¡¯s what I had also suspected, seeing as she hadn¡¯t even heard of the title before. It had even topped the rankings for several months, so if you had even a smidge of interest in it, there would¡¯ve been no way you had never heard of the name before.

    ¡°Anyway, it¡¯s a world that¡¯s similar to that of the novel. To be more exact, what happens in the novel occurs in the ¡®human realm¡¯, while this is the ¡®demon realm¡¯.¡±

    As I was speaking to her, I had the thought that it wouldn¡¯t have been of any help to know about the novel anyway. Since this was the demon realm anyway.

    ¡°So eonnie is either a reincarnator or a transmigrator¡­ and this is the demon realm¡­ so that mister is the demon king, right? So is that puppy over there Cerberus or something¡­? No, that would be at the gates of hell¡­¡±

    t/n:  ?? is used by younger females to address older females. can be translated literally to ¡®older sister¡¯ as well, but i think i¡¯ll just stick with the korean term.

    ¡°Woof!¡±

    ¡°Ahhhh!¡±

    But somehow as she was talking, Kelber¡¯s three heads suddenly barked simultaneously, causing Song Ara to scream and cling onto me.

    ¡°Hing¡­ I normally like dogs¡­ but he just looks too scary¡­¡±

    At her sniffling appearance and body that seemed to cling to my arm, I laughed while calling out to Kelber. ¡°Good boy. He¡¯s no different from other dogs. Go on and pet him.¡±

    Kelber, who ran over quickly, placed his head on the end of the bed where we were sitting and wagged his tail gently. I stroked Kelber first, and after looking over at him cautiously, Song Ara also hesitantly placed her hand on Kelber¡¯s head.

    ¡°So soft¡­!¡±

    Since Kelber had closed his eyes and stayed still at her touch, Song Ara gained more confidence as she started to pet him more proactively.

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing to be scared of. Although the guys here may look different, they¡¯re all still exactly the same in the end.¡±

    Whether it¡¯s earth, the empire, or the demon realm. The way people lived was all the same. I had felt it while I was in the Grand Duchy, but even more so when I came over to the demon realm.

    ¡°But that mister over there is a ¡®king¡¯¡ªthe king of this world, right?¡± Song Ara removed her hand from Kelber and shifted closer toward me.

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±

    ¡°Wow¡­ then is eonnie the queen then?¡±

    My breath became stifled when the child asked me such an innocent question.

    ¡°No, well, we aren¡¯t married¡­¡±

    ¡°But everyone calls you ¡®Your Majesty¡¯, so isn¡¯t that like, ¡®Your Majesty the Queen¡¯?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡±

    Ah, how was I meant to tell her about the complicated story from a hundred years ago that I had become entangled with?

    ¡°Aha! So you¡¯re not married yet, so you¡¯re both engaged then?¡±

    I mean, that¡¯s kind of¡­ it¡¯s true that Lecht and I were in a relationship, but we had never actually talked about marriage. So we weren¡¯t engaged. But a hundred years ago, we were married or did something similar to that, and it wasn¡¯t like I would say no if asked to do it again¡­ Even I got confused trying to explain our relationship!

    ¡°Anyway, eonnie is the top figure in the hierarchy in this world, right?¡±

    ¡°No, the top figure is Lecht¡­¡±

    ¡°No way, I can tell who¡¯s in the higher position just from the way that mister is looking at you eonnie.¡± Song Ara snickered and hugged my waist tighter. ¡°Then I¡¯ll just stick right next to you eonnie. Since this is the safest place to be, isn¡¯t it?¡± She nestled her face against my chest and looked up at me with her eyes shining. ¡°Eonnie¡¯s name is also ¡®Ara¡¯, right? Hehe, please take care of me, eonnie.¡±

    Was it a survival instinct, or was she just normally this adorable? I didn¡¯t know which one it was, but I laughed anyway at the appearance of Song Ara who was smiling brightly and clinging stickily to me. It was a smile that was so bright, it was to the extent that it even made the viewer feel better. Let alone feel burdened at the appearance of a person I had only met for the first time today approaching me so unhesitatingly, I even took a liking to her.

    ¡°Okay. Just stay safely by my side. I¡¯ll find a way to send you back.¡±

    ¡°Alright! Eonnie is the best!¡±

    Song Ara squealed happily and dove into my arms. Sensing the bright atmosphere, Kelber also barked a few times and wagged his tail, trying to squeeze himself in between me and Song Ara.

    Lecht was the only one who didn¡¯t like this situation. He was staring at us with an expression full of dissatisfaction.

    ¡°Just for the time being.¡± If there really was no way for me to send them back, then I thought that I would just protect the child until she became an adult and found a place to stay.

    Lecht let out a sigh at my apologetic expression. ¡°How could I stop you if you want to do it? Then just do that,¡± he said in a resigned voice.

    After hearing that, Song Ara laughed quietly and buried her head into my arms, whispering, ¡°Just look how much that mister is into you, eonnie¡­! How romantic¡ª!¡±

    It was a sentiment that made me even more embarrassed than her, who had said those words.

    pls do not share this anywhere or u will always stub ur toe when u walk past a door frame !! this translation has been stolen from mioscorner.com, pls only read there i¡¯m begging u :kneels:

    * * *

    A thorough investigation was conducted on how Song Ara had gotten here, and why she had suddenly fallen into the venue. However, no matter how much was investigated, there was nothing that came out of it.

    It was impossible for us to know the identity of the light that had covered the venue in the first place. I had wondered if she had been teleported, but they had said it wasn¡¯t that. It had felt similar, yet different, so the guards and the researchers related to it were reportedly agonising over the investigation.

    What was fortunate was Song Ara¡¯s ability to adapt to the situation.

    ¡°Eonnie, eonnie! What is this? It¡¯s really tasty!¡±

    ¡°This is a fruit that¡¯s native to the demon realm. It looks similar to a raspberry.¡±

    At first, she felt uneasy about leaving my side in case those ¡®scary misters¡¯ would come and point their spears at her again. But as she lived closely with me, eating together and sleeping on the same bed, she actually adapted to the demon realm faster than I thought she would.

    ¡°Oh, right. The gatekeeper mister from earlier did say that as well. Apparently demonic creatures aren¡¯t particularly divided by species! They¡¯re all just ¡®demonic creatures¡¯!¡±

    Was it because everyone in the Demon King¡¯s Palace treated her kindly due to the way I took care of her like a younger sibling?

    ¡°Just like how sparrows and pigeons are both birds, yet don¡¯t mate, I thought demonic creatures were also like that, but apparently they aren¡¯t!¡±

    She showed a tremendous amount of sociability, and before I knew it, most of the employees had already met her. Rather, I could also see that Song Ara had an easy to approach appearance, while for me, it was harder since I possessed the image of the ¡®Demon King¡¯s woman¡¯.

    ¡°Apparently, if they just mate with someone they like, they¡¯ll end up giving birth to a demonic creature that¡¯s never been seen before.¡±

    It was also cute to see the child fascinated by the things that I had once heard and been fascinated about. Did Lecht feel like this when he looked at me? Although the fact that she had a natural cuteness to her also played a part, she was fundamentally just a child who was filled with innocence and naivety.

    ¡°Right, right! There were a couple of larger demonic creatures that were picking on a tiny baby, so I went and scolded them. I did good, right?¡±

    Her cheerful nature and character that was unable to endure injustice was also one of the reasons that made me like her even more.

    Although I had guessed to some extent upon seeing she was a Daehan High School student, it was clear that she was also a child from a formidable household when she started to talk more about her family. And even the youngest daughter of a household that any Korean would have heard of before.

    Perhaps because she had grown up receiving only an enormous amount of love, she also had a tendency to be stubborn, but it was to the point where it was loveable since she seemed used to giving love to others as well. The reason she was able to be brave also seemed to be because she still didn¡¯t know to be scared of the world, and didn¡¯t think that anyone could hate her either. It was probably also thanks to this somewhat reckless personality of hers that she was able to adapt so quickly to the demon realm as well.

    ¡°Right, eonnie! I asked Solte eonnie earlier and she said that she¡¯s done preparing my room! I can sleep separately tonight!¡±

    ¡°Hmm? You said that you were scared and that we should continue sleeping together though.¡±

    ¡°Come on~. Still, how could I keep taking up the time of a person who has a fiance every night?¡±

    Song Ara squirmed with an even more embarrassed look on her face than I had as she used the word, ¡®fiance¡¯.

    To me, who couldn¡¯t find the words to reply because I didn¡¯t know what her words meant, she added, ¡°I¡¯ll take Kelber and sleep somewhere else today! Don¡¯t keep kicking out Mister Demon King because of me, so today, the two of you¡­ hehe.¡± Song Ara covered her mouth with a napkin and sprang up from her seat with an indecent smile.

    ¡°You¡¯re really sleeping by yourself? Will you be okay?¡±

    Just as I was going to ask why she was suddenly doing this when she was a child who normally didn¡¯t like being away from me even for a moment, Song Ara then said coyly, ¡°Of course! I¡¯ll have Kelber with me too anyway.¡±

    Having spoken bravely, Song Ara sprang up from her seat and gestured to Solte to come over. Solte then approached us with a box that she had been holding, as if she had only been waiting for the signal.

    ¡°I feel really sorry for Mister Demon King because I feel like I¡¯ve been hogging you too much¡­ so I prepared a present!¡±

    ¡°Present?¡±

    I smiled, finding it praiseworthy that she had the time to prepare a present, as Song Ara said with a face full of excitement. ¡°It¡¯s sleepwear! I painstakingly chose it out for you!¡±

    Then she burst into happy giggles and disappeared with Kelber.

    Wondering, ¡®Why is she being like that?¡¯ I opened the box and immediately knew why.

    ¡°Heok.¡±

    It was a present that I couldn¡¯t help dropping my jaw at.

    At me, who was so flustered by the contents of the present that I couldn¡¯t find the words to say, Solte asked, ¡°Then, would you like to return to your room and have me help you try it on?¡±

    ¡°W-What do you mean help?! I won¡¯t wear it!¡± I slammed the lid on the box with a completely red face.

    It was sleepwear alright. Yeah, it was sleepwear, but¡­

    ¡°H-Hurry up and take it away!¡±

    How could I wear that piece of string, where not even a single piece of cotton could be found? Shameful!

    I pushed the box containing the wild clothes (?) in Solte¡¯s direction. But as Solte slowly put away the box, my eyes still continued to dart there.

    Hmm¡­ it¡¯s an extremely embarrassing looking outfit, but¡­

    ¡®No matter how I think about it, I¡¯m just not used to it¡ªthere isn¡¯t actually anything strange about it though¡­?¡¯

    Yeah, it¡¯s a little sly and promiscuous, but¡­

    ¡®What¡¯s wrong with being perverted between lovers¡­?¡¯

    I began to rationalise without end in my head. And most of all, there was only one thing that I was really curious about.

    ¡®What sort of expression would Lecht have if I wore that¡­?¡¯

    The curiosity that was rising from my heart was even more powerful than the shame that wrapped around my body.

    ¡°S-Solte!¡±

    Solte, who had reached the door at a pace that was even slower than a sloth¡¯s, turned her head sharply like a weasel at my call.

    ¡°Ahem. Bring it here. No, to the room¡­¡±

    The words that I would try it on at least once didn¡¯t seem to want to come out of my throat. My face turned red instead.

    ¡°I-It¡¯s because it¡¯s rude to throw away a present without even using it! That¡¯s why!¡± After throwing out an excuse that no one would ever believe, I jumped out of my seat and rushed toward my room.

    Solte followed after me with the box in question.

 CH 65

    ¡°Apparently they found no sign of a modified teleportation circle.¡±

    Frody was lying face down on his bed and browsing through a report that his subordinate had brought back. From the beginning to the end, it talked about a woman who had broken into the venue.

    ¡°That¡¯s how the punks in the Demon King¡¯s Palace work.¡± Frody got out of bed with a smug smile on his face. His pet snake followed after him by itself. The long gown that he wore which was still dragging along the edge of the bed left a scent of gold osmanthus in every place he passed by.

    ¡°Then, shall we get going then?¡±

    ¡°Will it be alright? They might get suspicious if you go now for no reason¡­¡±

    ¡°Rather, it¡¯d be more suspicious if I don¡¯t go.¡± Frody stepped lightly, readjusting the gown that had slipped off his shoulder again. ¡°What would my little brother think if I didn¡¯t show up when such an amusing story was circulating throughout the demon realm? Right?¡±

    ¡°I see. It was me whose thoughts were lacking.¡± The subordinate who gave the report retreated and lowered his head. ¡°Have a safe trip.¡±

    ¡°Hehe~. I¡¯m already thrilled just imagining it¡ªjust what sort of reaction will my little brother have?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°And the reaction of the saintess who believes in my little brother without end.¡±

    Frody hummed in a happy mood and slowly headed toward the Demon King¡¯s Palace.

    pls do not share this anywhere or u will always stub ur toe when u walk past a door frame !! this translation has been stolen from mioscorner.com, pls only read there i¡¯m begging u :kneels:

    * * *

    I shouldn¡¯t have said that I¡¯d try this on unnecessarily¡­ I think this was the first time in my life I had worn something so embarrassing. I hadn¡¯t even worn hot pants during my university days since it was uncomfortable¡­

    ¡®As expected, a person really does become weirder when they start dating¡­¡¯

    It¡¯s precisely dating, because even while being aware of the fact, you still get weirder, right?

    ¡°Is this really how you wear it¡­?¡± I flushed as I checked the clothes wrapped up underneath my gown.

    ¡°Of course.¡±

    I had already asked several times, yet Solte had only given me the same answer with a gentle smile on her face.

    ¡°Uhh¡­ I don¡¯t think this is right¡­¡±

    Knock, knock.

    I was about to say that it would be better for me to take it off since it looked so awkward when a knock sounded at the door. I hurriedly rearranged my gown that had been partially taken off and wrapped it around my torso.

    ¡°Ara.¡±

    Although I heard Lecht¡¯s incomparably sweet voice, I couldn¡¯t breathe. My heart felt as if it were about to jump out of my mouth with its pounding.

    ¡®Why did he come over so quickly¡­?!¡¯

    It was after my desire to show Lecht and see his reaction had already disappeared. I mean, I didn¡¯t look like a person who should be wearing something like this when I tried it on in the end!

    However, Solte greeted Lecht with an excited expression on her face. ¡°Miss is inside.¡±

    Solte left the room as Lecht entered. ¡°Have a good time.¡±

    Although it was a courteous voice, there was still happiness that emanated from it.

    Entering the room, Lecht was just as puzzled as I was. Holding a bouquet of flowers in one hand, he was in his polymorphed appearance since Song Ara seemed to have frozen and gone into shock when she saw his demon king appearance. Thus, I had asked him to maintain his human form only while the child was still here. And in precisely Lecht fashion, Lecht took that into consideration everyday.

    ¡°The child from the other world that I encountered in the garden earlier told me that I had to go and see you today.¡± He slowly approached me. Although it was the same behaviour as any other day, my heart started to beat faster and faster. ¡°I heard you decided to sleep separately now.¡±

    I guess Song Ara had already tipped Lecht off. I couldn¡¯t figure out how much she had already told him, so I glanced at him with an uneasy heart. Nevertheless, he seemed to have heard nothing except that Song Ara had now decided to sleep separately.

    ¡°You said that you¡¯d continue to stay by my side no matter what, so¡­ why are you doing that?¡± Coming closer toward me, he had a worried expression on his face as he saw me wrap my gown tighter around myself and stiffen up.

    ¡°Are you cold?¡± He set down the bouquet he was holding onto the bedside table and clasped my shoulders with his large hands. Looking around the room, he stroked my shoulders with his long thumbs. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you wear something warmer?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not that, but¡­¡±

    ¡°Or were you waiting for me to warm you up?¡±

    ¡°!¡±

    My face flushed red at Lecht¡¯s mischievous words.

    Lecht smiled and kissed me briefly on my forehead at my reaction. ¡°I¡¯m joking.¡±

    He seemed to be joking more often these days.

    Ever since I had confessed to him, coupled with the fact that he was more at ease as well now that I had returned to the demon realm as well, Lecht seemed to be more enthusiastic and aggressive in his actions as well. Although he spoke quite bluntly, the joke clearly still contained some amount of sincerity. It was obvious that he had taken a step back and was waiting until I allowed him to come closer.

    ¡°I¡¯ll feel quite troubled if you¡¯re only joking.¡±

    That¡¯s why I felt like I had to take the initiative to approach him first.

    Lecht, who was moving toward the heating equipment on one side of the room, suddenly stopped in his tracks. ¡°What¡­?¡±

    ¡°That¡­ it¡¯s true that I was waiting for Lecht to personally give me a warm hug, so it¡¯ll be troubling if you were only joking.¡± I spoke each word carefully to Lecht, who was wondering if he had heard correctly and asked me to repeat it once more.

    Lecht stiffened for a moment. Staring at me with his eyes trembling violently, he spat out with bated breath, ¡°Asking for a hug¡­¡±

    Lecht cautiously asked once more, just in case he had misheard.

    Instead of answering him with my words, I unwrapped my gown. When the cord was loosened, the gown naturally fell open, and the clothes I was wearing inside were soon revealed.

    Lecht¡¯s eyes widened slightly, his pupils shaking harder than a candle in front of a harsh gale.

    As I watched his Adam¡¯s apple bob up and down naturally, I allowed the gown to slowly slip off my shoulder. ¡°I¡¯m cold¡­ Are you just going to keep looking at me like that?¡±

    As soon as I asked sullenly with an expression that was not at all sullen, the distance between Lecht and I quickly disappeared. One hand that was cupping the nape of my neck quickly dug into my hair. His other large hand swept up my waist, causing the gown to slip off even further.

    Without even giving me any time to be surprised, Lecht quickly swallowed my lips. The whole sensation made my heart pound to the point where even the air seemed to have become sweet. It felt as if this time and space only existed for us.

    My body was pushed back by the force of Lecht, who was holding me tightly. As I was pushed back a step or two, my body hit the dressing table behind me, and he naturally sat me on top of it. As our eye levels had now become more similar to each other, he became even more unhesitating in his advances.

    ¡°Haa, mmph.¡±

    Even the little sighs that I let out for a bit from between my lips were all swallowed up by him again as he held my lips in his mouth. A piece of flesh penetrated through that momentary gap and pushed its way into my mouth roughly.

    It was much more intense than the kiss we had shared in the sky with the demon realm at our feet. He was always so sweet, but now I could finally see just how strongly he desired me and how much he had already endured. I could feel the desire of him waiting for a hundred years, and even after that, how much he had endured and restrained himself after that, in all its totality.

    I grabbed onto his collar and pushed him away slightly at his sweeping kiss that was so intense it took my breath away. I thought he might have already lost all reason, but he managed to notice the strength I had put into my hand and parted from me momentarily.

    ¡°Haa, Lecht¡­¡± I was exhilarated at his heated eyes that stared at me from right in front of my nose as he leaned his forehead against mine.

    Amidst all of this, my heart was filled with the affection and tenderness of him, who had cupped the back of my head with his hand so that it wouldn¡¯t bump into the mirror. I couldn¡¯t believe that someone could cherish me to this extent. Wasn¡¯t it just one¡¯s great fortune to be able to meet a person who could give this sort of love in their life? And the fact that it was Lecht also caused me to be happy beyond belief.

    I raised the hand that was holding onto his collar and cupped his cheeks. I stroked his loveable face that was hotter than mine, and whispered, ¡°I love you.¡±

    Lecht¡¯s breath, which had still been flowing out lightly, suddenly stopped. There was no expression of shock or fluster. On the contrary, he had just simply frozen out of shock.

    After a moment, his pupils slowly began to waver, and his face gradually started to contort. It was an expression that appeared due to a happiness that was so great he couldn¡¯t handle it anymore. It was a happiness that seemed to bring tears to his eyes, yet he didn¡¯t want to cry, and made him want to smile, yet smiling didn¡¯t seem to be able to express all the emotions he was feeling right now.

    I knew that feeling all too well. Because I was feeling that same exact happiness right now.

    ¡°I love you, Ara.¡± He whispered with a scorching breath. He slid up his hands that had brushed my back and waist, cupping my cheeks affectionately, and whispered continuously, ¡°More than you could ever imagine¡­ I love you so much that I can¡¯t even express it all with these words.¡±

    ¡°I know.¡± I kept stroking his face and smiling.

    My nose kept scrunching up by itself, so perhaps my face even looked ridiculous right now since I was smiling slightly as well. Nevertheless, Lecht still looked at me with a gaze that seemed to think even that expression was so adorable it made him go crazy.

    ¡°I will try my hardest to love you as much as you love me.¡±

    ¡°¡­That¡¯ll be tough. If you know just how much I love you.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s hard to say, since I think I¡¯ll be able to.¡± Staring into his golden eyes that aroused me, I said, ¡°Just how much you love and cherish me.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°I think it¡¯ll be too easy for me to love, and continue to love such a you, even more in the future.¡±

    ¡°Ara.¡±

    ¡°I love you.¡±

    With all my heart.

    He carefully kissed me again. It was a kiss filled with the utmost care, that was completely different from the one earlier, which had raged on continuously as if there was no tomorrow.

    The hand that had been cupping my jaw swept past my neck and back and wrapped itself tightly around my back, dragging it towards him. I also wrapped my legs tightly around his waist.

    It was the moment he held me so tightly it seemed as if the sound of our heartbeats had merged into one.

    Crash!! Boom¡ª!

    The building shook slightly with the large explosion.

    Surprised, I clung onto Lecht tightly and turned my head toward the sound while Lecht also hugged me, as if to protect me.

    Soon after, a few sharp voices intersected one another.

    ¡°Sir Frody! Just what are you doing right now?!¡±

    ¡°You white, peeled potato bastard!¡±

    It was the voices of Tanma, who would never normally raise his voice, and Muso, whose voice was filled with anger.

    Awoo¡ª! Woof! Woof!

    Kiiik¡ª!

    With Kelber¡¯s howling and the fierce hissing of snakes, the cause of the disturbance was easy to understand.

    Krrrk¡ª!

    I heard the sound of teeth grinding from beside me. It sounded so loud to the point where I was worried their teeth would break, so I turned my head back in surprise. ¡°Calm down, Lecht.¡±

    Patting a tendon that was protruding from out of his jaw, I said, ¡°I¡¯m sure they¡¯re having another meaningless argument again. Let¡¯s go check it out together.¡± I picked up my clothes that were in the dress room next to the dressing table and pushed Lecht slightly. ¡°Just wait a moment. I¡¯ll be right back after changing.¡±

    ¡°Haa¡­¡±

    Doing a once over on how I looked, Lecht sighed deeply. He rubbed his angular face that had an annoyed expression that was rare for me to see on his face. Although I¡¯m not sure if it was intentional, the black mana that curled up from his feet to his waist was quite a frightening situation as well.

    ¡°Don¡¯t go down by yourself. Don¡¯t you dare. Since I¡¯m scared.¡±

    To say that I was scared was a lie. But I thought he¡¯d probably break Frody¡¯s neck straight away if I let him go down alone like this.

    Perhaps because my lie worked, Lecht nodded and took a few steps back.

    ¡°I¡¯ll wait.¡±

    Although he said those words as calmly as he could, it was a voice that emanated a deep rage.

    * * *

    By the time I changed my clothes and went down outside with Lecht, the situation had already turned chaotic.

    Kelber, who had already inflated himself to the size of a house, and Frody¡¯s five-headed snake, whose size wasn¡¯t any less either. Neither of them could hide their agitation and were in a state where they were littered all over with injuries, perhaps because they had already had a major fight.

    Muso¡¯s sharp wind was also circling around the garden. Even Tanma, the butler, was carrying a weapon ¨C a crossbow. His pink eye that was hidden behind his monocle shone in a particular light.

    Frody stood in front of him. With Song Ara in his arms.

    ¡°I¡¯m just here to greet the protagonist of the rumours who I¡¯ve been so curious about, so isn¡¯t this reaction from everyone just too overexaggerated?¡± he whispered in a tingly voice, as if asking what he had done wrong.

    ¡°You¡¯ve stirred up too much of a racket for this just to be a greeting.¡±

    ¡°Oh, Saintess? So you were with my little brother?¡± Frody smiled at me, pretending to be innocent as soon as I interrupted. He clearly would¡¯ve been able to sense Lecht and I, yet he pretended to be unaware.

    I gripped onto Lecht¡¯s hand tightly at the sight of the black haze that was emanating from Lecht¡¯s body becoming thicker. I tried to convey with my fingertips to ask if he was alright and if he could calm down while looking at Frody.

    ¡°Why is that child in your arms?¡±

    Frody was hugging Song Ara lightly in his arms with a princess carry. Seeing that she didn¡¯t seem to wake up with this disturbance and how it didn¡¯t seem like she had simply fallen asleep, a thought flashed through my mind as I frowned.

    ¡°What have you done to such a young child?¡±

    Taking Frody¡¯s ability into consideration, I was immediately concerned about the child¡¯s condition. Friday¡¯s ¡®enchantment¡¯, which robbed one of all their senses and eventually eroded their mind, would simply be too powerful for an ordinary child to shake off.

    ¡°What do you mean what have you done? Just what kind of person do you see me as?¡±

    A bastard who could even use a young child for their own amusement?

    ¡°Regardless of what you think, I¡¯d never use my ability on a kid like this.¡± Perhaps because my expression had revealed my true thoughts, he said in a voice that seemed to have been wronged, ¡°I had just arrived but then found the child sleeping in the garden. That¡¯s why I was just trying to take her to your room.¡±

    Song Ara liked to look at flowers, so that didn¡¯t seem to be complete nonsense. Nevertheless, I didn¡¯t believe it entirely either.

    ¡°I understand, so I¡¯ll take the child now.¡±

    ¡°But since seeing this rumoured kid, I suddenly had a thought.¡± I stretched out my hand, but Frody ignored it and brought up another story. ¡°An unidentifiable way of appearing. Black hair¡­ and apparently even black eyes? Hearing all of this, doesn¡¯t it remind you of someone?¡±

    I frowned once again since I couldn¡¯t understand all of his words at once. However, Tanma and Muso flinched, as if they knew what he was talking about. Their flusteredness could be seen in the wind and the direction in which the crossbow was aimed in.

    With a smile that raised the corner of his mouth, Frody said, ¡°Little Brother, it seems like your lover from a hundred years ago has returned again. What are your thoughts on that?¡±

    Only then did a small sigh flow out from between my teeth.

    Come to think of it, why had I never thought of that? A child who suddenly appeared out of the blue. Black hair and black eyes like that of the woman a hundred years ago. An immense amount of sociability that captured the hearts of many people. And¡­ the name, ¡®Ara¡¯.

    A sliver of anxiety that I had never felt before suddenly swept through my heart.

 CH 66

    I had heard the account of having black hair and black eyes several times. However, I too, had looked like that in my previous life as well. So I had never thought of making such an association when I first saw Song Ara.

    ¡°Because Your Majesty is the one who saved us!¡±

    The bright appearance of Song Ara flashed through my mind. She quickly adapted to a place that she was seeing for the first time and gained the favorability of those around her. Her bright personality and her pretty way of speaking also matched with the saintess from a hundred years ago that they talked about.

    ¡°Seems like every one of us is living with precious memories, one by one.¡±

    I was plunged into confusion in an instant when I thought it might be Song Ara. I felt chilled down to my fingertips.

    Lecht pulled me, whose tongue was stiff and was unable to reply, over to his side. He wrapped his arm firmly around my shoulder and pulled me into his embrace, shooting back sharply at Frody, ¡°Do you think that I can¡¯t even recognise my own woman?¡±

    Lecht¡¯s furious voice erased the anxiety that had risen to the tips of my fingers.

    ¡°You¡¯re the soul I¡¯ve been waiting for a hundred years for.¡±

    That¡¯s right. Lecht would know better than anyone else, so there was no way. I had no reason to be anxious as long as the rose, which contained a piece of my soul, shone.

    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me, that woman¡¯s claiming to be the reincarnation of the saintess from a hundred years ago?¡± Frody asked, as if he were dumbfounded.

    ¡°There¡¯s no reason for me not to.¡±

    ¡°But that woman had this sort of thick black hair and eyes though:?¡± Frody said, glancing down at Song Ara at my words.

    Lecht was the one who responded to that. ¡°You must be stupid for you to assume that she would look the same as she did a hundred years ago in the first place.¡±

    At Lecht¡¯s growl, Frody openly scanned me up and down slowly with narrowed eyes. ¡°No. You¡¯re not that woman from back then.¡±

    Frody shook his head. As soon as I caught sight of his deepening smile, it became clear that he was only here to pick a fight.

    ¡°Back then, that saintess was not as polite toward me.¡±

    Dumbfounded by his evidence that proved it wasn¡¯t me, I let out a sigh that was close to a laugh and said, ¡°Then will you believe me if I treat you impolitely?¡±

    Frody¡¯s expression became rather bitter at my unintentionally provocative tone. Nevertheless, he quickly muttered with a meaningful smile, ¡°I thought so before as well, but the saintess this time is really exploding with charm. To the point where even I covet it.¡±

    Lecht¡¯s arm around me tightened at the words that he had added with blazing eyes, while I pasted on a forced smile. ¡°If you¡¯re done spouting nonsense, would you please let go of Song Ara and disappear now?¡±

    I also wanted to ask him to take responsibility for causing the ruckus he had here. However, Kelber also seemed to have had no smaller part in the property damage that had taken place, so we just ended up brushing over it.

    If we tried to pursue it right now, it would become troublesome since it would even involve those who had allowed him to enter the Demon King¡¯s Palace in the first place. Even though Frody continuously picked fights with Lecht, he still wasn¡¯t someone who was banned from entering the Palace.

    And above all, Song Ara¡¯s safety was still the top priority.

    ¡°There¡¯s still no guarantee that this child isn¡¯t that woman from a hundred years ago, right? Then I don¡¯t really want to let go of her.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Since I¡¯m curious. Just what will my little brother choose; his past relationship, or power?¡±

    He insisted that I wasn¡¯t the woman from a hundred years ago to the very end. He was just provoking me. There was no reason for me to fall for it, so just as I was about to tell him to keep his hands off Song Ara, Lecht said in a low voice, ¡°I¡¯ll show you that there won¡¯t be a need for me to choose.¡±

    A huge teleportation circle began to form throughout the garden. Not a short distance teleportation circle, but an ultra long distance one. Large enough for it to connect from the human realm to the demon realm.

    ¡°Lecht?¡±

    ¡°Hold on tight.¡±

    I was going to ask why he would fall for such an obvious taunt, but Lecht simply hugged me tightly with a look that asked how on earth he was meant to endure that. At the light that burst forth from the teleportation circle on the floor and engulfed us, I clung onto Lecht tightly first.

    It may have been more difficult than usual to teleport, especially after Song Ara had appeared and numerous additional barriers had been set up. Nevertheless, Lecht carried on doing so as if he had no qualms. Furthermore, it was more sophisticated than other space travel portals since there was no sensation of motion sickness.

    After waiting with our eyes closed for a while, a cool breeze enveloped us. The place we had arrived in was the garden of the Grand Duchy.

    ¡°Geez.¡±

    When I turned my head at the sly sigh, Frody was with us too. With Song Ara still in his arms.

    Even when she slept in the same bed as me, once she fell asleep, she¡¯d sleep so deeply it was like she was a log¡­ Nevertheless, it still made me anxious when she didn¡¯t wake up in this situation. But even if that was the case, I was still cautious since I thought I¡¯d startle her if I called out to her to wake up.

    Still worried, I made eye contact with Frody. His eyes crinkled as he smiled, as if he had read my thoughts. At any rate, he was a hateful fellow.

    ¡°Will this be enough for an answer?¡±

    The black rose, which was made with a piece of my soul, emitted a pretty glow toward me today as well.

    ¡°Hmm~?¡± Frody snorted as if he found it interesting. Then he added, ¡°Are you sure that can be proof?¡±

    ¡°What more do you want?¡±

    At my question, Frody flicked his fingers while hugging Ara in his arms. ¡°Move.¡±

    ¡°How dare that bastard to¡­!¡±

    ¡°Muso.¡±

    Muso, who had come with us, was furious, but I raised a hand to block him.

    ¡°But, Your Majesty¡­!¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re trying to do, but go ahead and try.¡± Despite Muso¡¯s protests, I replied calmly and took a step back without taking my eyes off Frody.

    It was obvious what he was up to, but I didn¡¯t have a clue on ¡®what¡¯ he was going to do. And there was no way he was going to ruin the rose all of a sudden in this situation.

    To be honest, I was actually a little curious. What had he prepared for him to be so confident? It was clear that if I tried to block him, he¡¯d only become more energetic and say more unnecessary nonsense.

    ¡°Nothing will change anyway.¡±

    No matter what it was, I wanted to nip it in the bud right here. Lecht followed my lead.

    When I stepped away from the black rose, the black rose, which had been shining with excitement, became silent again.

    All of Frody¡¯s actions in holding Song Ara and moving in the direction of the rose entered my vision. But it was then.

    ¡°Huh¡­? Why is it shining? Shouldn¡¯t that only react to Her Majesty?¡± The rose began to shine accordingly to Muso¡¯s words as Frody approached it.

    ¡°See? It¡¯s the same. So how can this be proof?¡± Frody said triumphantly in a voice that had a mixture of ridicule in it.

    Why did it shine?

    When I became flustered and couldn¡¯t find the words to reply, the angry voice of Lecht suddenly came out. ¡°What sort of trickery are you trying to pull?¡±

    ¡°What did I do? That¡¯s just what that child¡¯s existence is.¡± Frody said aggrievedly as he placed Song Ara on the ground. With such light steps that felt as if the soles of his feet hadn¡¯t touched the garden floor, he retreated. The rose¡¯s light remained, even after he withdrew.

    ¡°As you both know, isn¡¯t this the first time I¡¯ve seen this child? Does it make sense for me to do something?¡± Frody raised his hands and smiled. Although he had a smile that was so hateful it made one¡¯s teeth ache, there was still nothing wrong with what he said.

    Song Ara had fallen into this world during my welcoming banquet. Frody hadn¡¯t participated in the event. We had even spent every waking moment together ever since she had fallen here. So how could you explain this situation¡­? It was confusing.

    ¡®Does it perhaps¡­ react like that to every soul that¡¯s from earth¡­?¡¯

    At that time, when absurd doubts were sprouting in my mind, I felt the strength of the hand that was wrapped around my shoulder. Lecht¡¯s expression, which I had turned to take a glance at, made my heart drop. Eyes that were wide open and slightly parted lips.

    Lecht wasn¡¯t the type to reveal his emotions in his expressions. That¡¯s why this was also the first time I had seen such a shocked expression of his.

    I seemed to be shrouded in an even greater confusion than when I had seen the rose shining toward Song Ara. I took a step back instinctively.

    Lecht turned his head in surprise at my movement. ¡°Ara.¡± He called out to me calmly, as if he had returned to his senses. ¡°In any case, something seems to have gone wrong.¡±

    ¡°Gone wrong?¡±

    ¡°Something¡­ so¡­¡±

    However, unlike what he said, he wasn¡¯t able to find a way to explain it. I was already so flustered, so just how flustered was he?

    ¡°Lecht. The woman you¡¯ve been waiting for¡­ is it me?¡±

    ¡°What¡­?¡± A clearly bewildered Lecht.

    ¡°You said you knew because the rose was shining.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Lecht alternated his gaze between me and the rose with a look of uncertainty on what he should do on his face. There was no explanation or clarification that came out from those slightly parted lips either.

    Instead, he grabbed my shoulder and said, ¡°There¡¯s no way I wouldn¡¯t recognise you. It¡¯s not anyone else, but you. I don¡¯t know what¡¯s gone wrong with that. No, it doesn¡¯t even matter now.¡± Words and sentences mingling between the gap of his mouth came gushing out. ¡°What use is a piece of a soul when you¡¯re right here with me? You¡¯re already back in my arms.¡±

    I was able to sense his urgent feelings since I knew that him uttering gibberish was a habit that came out whenever he was flustered.

    ¡°I know. You¡¯re the one I¡¯ve been waiting for.¡±

    Then, his lips, which had inched closer for a kiss, stopped just short before reaching me and paused in the air.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure.¡± He looked at me with eyes that seemed to appeal for me to believe him.

    pls do not share this anywhere or u will always stub ur toe when u walk past a door frame !! this translation has been stolen from mioscorner.com, pls only read there i¡¯m begging u :kneels:

    To be honest, I was still confused. Now that the rose that had given me confidence in the first place had now erased all my existing confidence, I felt as if everything I had believed in had now turned upside down. However¡­

    ¡°Ara.¡± Lecht¡¯s desperate gaze that was cast toward me extinguished all such confusion.

    Yeah, who cares if the rose is a bit weird? Quite some confusion had probably sprung up after a hundred years. Or maybe it just shone toward anyone that was from earth. Who cares?

    I tiptoed slightly and pasted my lips against his. When my lips descended on his with a chuu sound, he drew me into his arms, as if he had only been waiting. And proceeded to pour out kisses onto me. The heat that rose so intensely was so hot that it was to the extent where we couldn¡¯t even feel the winter wind that was lashing at us so sharply.

    Our deeply intertwined breaths didn¡¯t even give me any time to think of my anxiety and confusion. He swallowed all my breath and senses, as if he were scolding me for being shaken for even a moment.

    ¡°Haa¡­¡±

    The scorching breath that flowed out from our lips that had barely parted turned the cold air white. Amidst the cold of the early winter, the only ones who were burning up were us.

    ¡°The rose was never meant to convince me of you. I already had confidence in you.¡± Lecht¡¯s tender voice gently permeated my ears. ¡°I¡¯ve loved you for more than a hundred years, so how could I not recognise you?¡±

    His voice was sulky, to the point where you could even detect a hint of blame. At his extreme cuteness, I was able to relieve myself of my anxiety.

    ¡°That¡¯s true. All I needed to do was trust you, Lecht. I¡¯m the one who was wrong.¡± I whispered and stroked the top of his head.

    Leaving himself to my hands, he nodded. The arm that was wrapped around my waist tightened slightly.

    The time that only belonged to us was soon broken by Frody¡¯s voice.