Chapter 74

I asked the Pope to arrange a meeting with the Emperor, but I received a reply stating that, considering the Emperor’s schedule, it would only be possible in about two months. Supposedly, the Emperor was currently away on some sort of royal tour. While it was possible for me to personally seek him out where he was touring, there was a very high probability that the next episode would trigger in the meantime.

‘That would be dangerous.’

I’d be needed to get through the next episode safely. That meant I had to stay put and prepare for the next chapter until the Emperor returned.

“D-does that mean Sir Hereis has been granted the mission of being the Saintess’s companion?”

It wasn’t the Crown Prince who spoke. The words burst out of a woman who had been quietly listening beside me. Using this as a starting point, the others, who had remained silent until now, began to chatter.

“I did wonder why Sir Hereis’s achievements were so leaps and bounds ahead of others. One chosen by God is truly different, after all.”

“A companion. That sounds almost like a term for a married couple.”

“Perhaps Ralphican designated Sir Hereis as the Saintess’s soulmate?”

Excellent.

These were the exact words I wanted to hear. A partner of destiny. An atmosphere where anyone could see they ought to get married. This was exactly what I wanted to cultivate.

‘Let’s see if he still won’t marry me after this.’

Furthermore, the effect of the word “companion” didn’t end there. If the protagonist was under the protection of Ralphican, how could the Order of Ralphican possibly leave him be?

‘They’ll have to bind him to the Church by handing him some kind of title.’

Actually, this content existed in the original Saintess route as well. Between the anomaly in Lanta Village, the demonic contamination of the County, and the magic beast terror incidents, the protagonist would eventually be called the Saintess’s companion by the people for his merit in silently supporting her. Later, he would even take the position of Commander of the Saintess’s personal knight order. And as expected. The Pope showed interest immediately.

“This is the first I’ve heard of this, Saintess. Had you told me sooner, I would have invited Sir Hereis to this gathering as well.”

“I didn’t want to place a heavy burden on Sir Hereis, so I wished to speak with caution. My foresight was lacking.”

“Not at all. I am moved by your considerate heart. It was my own foresight that was lacking.”

However, the Pope urged me to give him a heads-up first if something like this happened next time.

“Hmm… I’ll have to invite Sir Hereis sometime soon. Since he is one who has received Ralphican’s blessing.”

‘Success.’

It was obvious he was planning to invite him and then work on making sure he couldn’t leave. The Pope clung to me for a moment, saying he felt left out, then left the banquet hall, stating he would be away for a bit. He likely intended to hold a meeting regarding what to do with the protagonist.

“I apologize.”

I was swirling my wine glass to toast my victory when the Crown Prince suddenly apologized. Perhaps sensing my gaze beneath the veil, the Crown Prince added an explanation with an awkward smile.

“I feel like I brought up something unnecessary. It feels like an event that will have a profound impact on my dear friend’s life just passed by…?”

Was the person he felt sorry for the protagonist?

“Well, as long as he is the Saintess’s companion, he’ll end up involved with the Church one way or another.”

The Crown Prince rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.

“I’m a bit envious. Having a partner designated by fate.”

…?

Coming from a playboy?

Silence fell over the hall at the absurd statement from Crown Prince Theodore, who was famous for his extensive history with women. The Crown Prince seemed lost in thought and didn’t appear to notice.

“The Crown Prince will surely find a fated love someday as well.”

Since the meal was almost over and I just wanted to go home, I threw out a closing remark. But then, the Crown Prince’s eyes suddenly filled with sorrow.

“Ah.”

And his cheeks flushed shyly.

“Actually, there is already someone I have in my heart.”

Hasn’t that happened once or twice? Isn’t it true that he sometimes has several people in his heart at once, and his target changes every time he turns around?

…The people in the banquet hall looked at the Crown Prince with that exact look in their eyes.

“But that person has no interest in me. It seems they don’t even consider me as a romantic interest because of the difference in status.”

That playboy-like guy is suffering from a one-sided love that transcends status?

This time, everyone’s eyes held that look.

“Come to think of it, there haven’t been any scandals lately…”

“Is he actually serious this time?”

“What are you talking about? Everyone surely saw clearly who it was that whistled at the Saintess earlier.”

“Th-that’s true, but…”

However, he did look truly sincere. The Crown Prince’s face, which had always been full of arrogance, now looked like a regular adolescent boy experiencing his first unrequited love. Everyone became skeptical at this reaction they had never seen before. Including me.

“Oh. A person the Crown Prince has in his heart. I am curious what kind of person they are.”

One official jumped in to ask like a middle-aged man who was obsessed with young people’s love stories.

“I’m curious too, Your Highness!”

“Please, tell us the story properly! Haha!”

The atmosphere of the banquet hall, which had been stiff with tension, grew warm and amicable thanks to the Crown Prince’s story. It wasn’t intentional, but it was a good thing. If rumors spread that several people got indigestion at a banquet with the Saintess, it would surely affect my reputation.

…Though my mental health was deteriorating instead. Meanwhile, the Crown Prince wore a bittersweet smile as he reminisced about that time.

“It was a fated encounter, brief as a brushing of sleeves. I know neither her name nor her age… but she was a person with blonde hair and purple eyes that were quite captivating.”

Blonde hair and purple eyes?

Surely, it couldn’t be? While everyone was busy eating, I stealthily pulled down my veil, which had been hiked up slightly above my philtrum.

“My goodness, where did you meet her?”

“It was at the Imperial Palace banquet hall.”

‘Son of a…’

It seemed the person the Crown Prince had fallen for was indeed me. My throat felt dry, and I reached for my drink.

“Do you know anything else about her? Have you heard the rumors about the continent’s greatest informant? He became quite famous for finding a Marquis’s daughter who had been missing for twenty years! If you hire him, you’ll surely be able to find her…!”

This guy is really crossing the line.

‘…’

Let’s stay calm. He won’t find me anyway, so let’s not get worked up for nothing…. As I ground the beef in my mouth with my molars, they continued to wag their tongues.

“Hmm, even an informant would have a hard time finding her. She belongs to the Church.”

“Ah! I-is that so?!”
“Yes. As you know, one cannot recklessly investigate members of the Church.”

I suppose so. The secretive Church would absolutely loathe such a thing.

“But we happen to be at the Great Cathedral right now! Perhaps the one you’re looking for might be right here!”

“Prince Theodore. Are there any other distinguishing features? We will search diligently while we stay here!”

“Hmm, other features. She has cat-like eyes that turn up slightly at the corners, and her firmly set lips are quite cute.”

Goosebumps erupted all over my body. Since the weather was getting warmer and I was wearing short sleeves, the chicken skin was clearly visible. I lowered my arms beneath the table.

“I see!”

“And actually, I intend to look for her myself while I’m here.”

“Indeed…! Such passion!”

Good luck finding someone who’s standing right in front of you. I only wished he would stop wasting his energy on futile efforts and hurry back to the Empire to work for the stability of the nation.

‘Well, how long could he possibly last? He’ll give up soon.’

Or so I thought. Crown Prince Theodore was more persistent than expected.

“Saintess~ Good morning!”

Looking at the Crown Prince, who waved both arms at me before going on his way, Emily muttered.

“My. He’s here again today. Do you think he really intends to stay until Sir Hereis arrives?”

The Pope had invited the protagonist to the Holy City under the pretext of awarding him an honorary title as the Saintess’s companion and a holy individual chosen by Ralphican. The Crown Prince had used the excuse of seeing the protagonist as a reason to stay hunkered down in the Holy City.

The Church seemed to find it too bothersome to find a reason to refuse, so they were just leaving him be. Amidst this indifference, the Crown Prince went around asking questions every single day, which is why I would occasionally run into him whenever I walked around the external buildings. At this rate, he’s going to be around until the next chapter event.

“Seems like it.”

When I returned to my room and took off my veil, Emily comforted me with a pitying face.

“It’s uncomfortable, isn’t it? Goodness, I didn’t think the Crown Prince would stay this long.”

“It’s fine.”

It had already been two weeks since the Crown Prince settled in. During that time, because I never knew where he might pop up, I always wore my veil whenever I was outside. Thanks to that, just hearing the Crown Prince’s name made me shiver.

“At first, it was awkward having the Imperial Crown Prince roaming around the Great Cathedral, but these days, everyone seems to have accepted it.”

Unlike me, the people of the Church seemed to have adjusted to the thick-skinned prince. How unfortunate. It would have been great if someone had suggested kicking him out because he was a nuisance.

“It’s surprising that the playboy Prince has turned into such a romantic, after all. Does love really change a person? Everyone’s been trying to help him because they think it’s romantic.”

“Ah, sure.”

“I’ve also been trying to look closely at the faces of people around me lately. The Crown Prince’s lady has blonde hair and purple eyes, and her hair is long and straight, reaching down to her hips. He said she’s about a head taller than the average woman~ Ah, he said her voice has a drowsy feel, not carrying much emotion! Hmm, there was more, but I can’t remember.”

The description had grown even more detailed in the meantime.

“If he still hasn’t found her, maybe she’s just not here?”

“Hmm, could that be it? But if she went to the medal ceremony with Sir Ilian, she should be one of ours!”

Damn, did the Crown Prince spill that much?

“Even Sir Ilian keeps saying he doesn’t know; it’s strange. He seems to be being very tight-lipped! Oh, didn’t you see her too, Saintess? You went together!”

“I’m not sure either. I wasn’t really paying attention.”

“Is that so~? Hmm, how truly strange!”

‘She’s going to catch on soon.’

Emily knew too much. Right now, her attention was caught by the ‘blonde hair’ trait, so she hadn’t even considered me a candidate, but if she thought about it calmly for just a moment, she’d find the answer soon enough….

‘Well, anyway.’

I shifted my focus away from Emily and looked at the blue window floating before my eyes. The illustration showed a carriage carrying the protagonist, with the Great Cathedral visible beyond it.

-Looks like they’re almost there?

-We’ll see the Saintess soon.

That was right. Currently, the protagonist was coming to the Great Cathedral. Didn’t I say earlier that the Pope had invited him? Today was the day the protagonist would arrive. And it was also the day Chapter 4 began.

-Are we running away to the Holy City?

-But is it okay to take someone accused of being a heretic to the Holy City?

-It’s always darkest under the lamp.

-They say to hide a tree, use the forest.

‘Well, as you can guess from the atmosphere, he’s not just coming to accept an invitation.’

The illustration now showed the inside of the carriage. The protagonist wasn’t the only one inside. Edelina and the Marquis of Peyers sat opposite him, trembling with anxiety.

“Hereis. Will we really be okay like this?”

“Edel! Is this the time for us to be questioning that?!”

“I know, but I’m worried we might be a burden to the Saintess…”

“Edelina. Don’t worry. You know the Saintess’s abilities. She surely has foreseen everything. Perhaps she called me to her side specifically to help you.”

“Do you think so? But, if even the Saintess doesn’t believe me…”

The protagonist’s words were half-right. The reason I called him was indeed to help Edelina. However, it wasn’t because I believed in her innocence, but to prevent any variables in the quest. Specifically, the variable of Mo Je-won progressing the story incorrectly and heading straight for a Bad Ending.

Of course, I wouldn’t have to worry about this if Mo Je-won just did a good job….

“Ehehehe…. Right, there’s no need to worry~ I’m sure the Saintess will take care of everything!”

-Agreed.

-Just believe, human.

-Passing the buck, lol.

-Ah, they keep showing us this, hahaha.

…How could anyone trust a person like that?