The Saintess Returned to the Emperor's Arms

If I’m targeting you 

 

“What did you just say?”

 

Looking at the emperor, who was agitated despite his usual relaxed appearance, El realized that his guess was correct.

 

‘Was the emperor’s ability really to read minds? Even though I expected it, it was surprising. If I hadn’t had the barrier, I would have died.’

 

In fact, he only had a vague guess about the emperor’s abilities. Of course, he had intended to keep his mouth shut until he was sure of his judgment.

 

But why, at this moment, his useless competitive nature kicked in.

 

“El Weiss. how did you…”

 

The knights who were far away began to pay attention to the emperor’s angry voice.

 

El was uncomfortable with their attention. It would be the same for the emperor as well.

 

“There are many listening ears. Your Majesty, so let’s move now and I will explain everything.”

 

The silent Emperor’s eyes were alive with life.

 

But El wasn’t really afraid of the Emperor.

 

What really scared him was somewhere else. These were the eyes of Riella, who was looking at him worriedly from afar, behind the emperor’s back, without knowing anything.

 

* * * 

 

“Miss Riella!”

 

Lou’s voice echoed through the long hallway.

 

‘Why is this happening in the middle of the night!?’ 

 

Lou ran toward the Emperor’s office. She’d heard the call while she was sleeping soundly in the maids’ quarters at the Lake Palace. Riella is desperately looking for her right now.

 

“Lou, sorry. I know you’re sleeping…but I’m so anxious to be alone…”

 

“Miss Riella! What happened? What is this outfit all about? Why are you here? I thought you were asleep in your bedroom?”

 

“That’s because…”

 

Riella rushed over and grabbed Lou’s hand, who couldn’t even comb her hair properly.

 

Riella was shivering as if she were naked in the cold.

 

“What about his Majesty? Where is his Majesty?”

 

“Inside.”

 

“But why aren’t you going in?”

 

Riella shook her head at Lou’s words.

 

The person who wanted to enter the office more than anyone else was Riella herself. But at the same time she was so scared that she couldn’t reach for the door.

 

“His Majesty and Sir El are inside together. There was a big fight outside in the bar, and there were people doing dangerous work, and Sir El acted like he knew them well, but Sir El…disobeyed His Majesty again…so I’m afraid…”

 

“Miss Riella. Slow down. I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

 

Lou pulled the stuttering Riella into a tight embrace.

 

The night dew that clung to the hem of Riella’s cloak coolly wet Lou’s cheeks, which had not yet completely shaken off the sleep.

 

* * * 

 

“So, your father’s family once worked for the Federation, so they knew the secrets of their descendants. Did you figure out my identity after you entered the imperial palace?”

 

“Yes.”

 

EL’s answer was short and clear. All his explanations were like that.

 

The process by which he understood the emperor’s abilities, and the process by which he noticed Riella’s identity. In explaining everything, El answered without any hesitation.

 

“There were enough clues. Because I knew that there was a living saint, I was able to recognize it more easily than your Majesty, who had completely ruled out the possibility.”

 

‘The bottom line is, am I a fool for not knowing Riella even though I was with her for a long time?’

 

Herhan sneered at El’s words because they sounded harsh to him.

 

“I can’t read your mind, so I can’t tell If you tell me the truth.”

 

“When I was young, my father gave me some medicine. He said it was a medicine that prevents me from being manipulated by those with abilities. Maybe that’s why I’m like this.”

 

“Is this a drug used by the Federation? Despite being part of a world war, they were still following their old habits…”

 

Herhan was even more confused as El remained calm despite his deliberately provocative words.

 

To sum up, El only knew a lot of facts due to his family’s history, and did not have any intention or commit any wrongdoing.

 

The same goes for the explanation of the shadow merchant. Because he grew up in poverty, he knew the existence of shadow merchants while wandering around the back alleys, and thanks to that, he was well-versed in their fraudulent methods.

 

“But why did you come?”

 

“Yes?”

 

“Why did you follow me and stop me from entering the bar? Are you going to answer that it was just an act of loyalty?”

 

“That…”

 

EL, who answered any question without hesitation, hesitated for the first time.

 

“Of course.”

 

“Loyalty to me?”

 

“…..”

 

“Okay. Is it loyalty to the ‘ambassador’?”

 

El was unable to answer until the end when Herhan asked him sarcastically. 

 

It was the first silence since he knelt before the emperor and began to explain.

 

Herhan kicked out El by telling him to wait outside until the decision was made.

 

Even though he heard all the answers to his questions, Herhan did not feel at ease until the moment El 

showed his back.

 

Somehow, it made him wonder if everything he’d heard could be a lie.

 

“Is it because I always rely only on ability? Now, without that power, I feel like I’ve forgotten how to recognize people’s sincerity.”

 

Asion smiled bitterly at Herhan’s disturbing confession.

 

“What kind of person do you think El Weiss is?”

 

“He doesn’t look like someone who will be loyal to Your Majesty.” 

 

Asion answered. Herhan also agreed with that idea.

 

“But he doesn’t seem like someone who would put Miss Riella in danger.”

 

Asion’s added words made Herhan’s mind feel distant.

 

It was a questionable topic from the start, but the look in his eyes when he threw himself in the way and tried to save Riella seemed somehow sincere.

 

“That’s why I feel like that person is more dangerous.”

 

* * * 

 

“What a relief! I’m so glad….”

 

Riella made her way over to El, who had just come out of his office after being told to return to his daily duties as before.

 

The emperor’s intention was to keep El by his side and keep an eye on him, as it would be more dangerous to immediately throw him away, but Riella just sighed, thinking that things had turned out well.

 

El looked at Riella in silence and asked.

 

“Were you worried about me?”

 

“Of course! How can I not worry? I was so scared that Sir El would be falsely accused of being one of those guys and punished.”

 

Riella looked at El pitifully.

 

Although she had been standing at an appropriate distance from him next to Lou, Riella’s eyes seemed to be holding El in her arms and comforting him.

 

“Sir El. I don’t know what’s going on, but please don’t do that again. Don’t keep going against His Majesty. Every time Sir El causes his Majesty’s misunderstanding, my heart sinks.”

 

‘If it’s not a misunderstanding, what are you trying to do? What if I’m really with them? If I’m really targeting you…’ 

 

While El hesitated, unable to answer in confusion, the office door opened.

 

Riella immediately turned to go inside.

 

“I have to go in. If he sees us talking like this, Sir El might get in trouble again.”

 

“Ambassador.…”

 

El mustered up the courage to call Riella, but Riella could not hear him and had already entered the emperor’s office.

 

Riella’s voice came out through the slightly open door. She approached the emperor and spoke kind words of concern, curiosity, and affectionate words to him.

 

El closed his eyes tightly and turned around.

 

‘I shouldn’t have followed you today. I shouldn’t have thought to save you.’ 

 

* * * 

 

It was early morning.

 

Waiting anxiously for the sun to rise, Greta entered a dark alleyway and was horrified as soon as she arrived at the messy, messy basement bar.

 

“What is all this!”

 

She gasped.

 

The bag that Greta put down on the floor was full of the money that the shadow merchant had requested.

 

But when she brought the money at the promised time, she didn’t see a rat, let alone a bastard.

 

“Are you really going to just take the down payment and run off with it? You bastards! Where are you! Can’t you come out right now?”

 

Empty liquor bottle. A glass. Broken candlestick.

 

Greta became vicious, throwing everything she could get her hands on.

 

That takes a few tens of minutes. Finally, someone sneakily appeared and Greta immediately grabbed him by the collar, but it turned out that he was not a shadow merchant, but the owner of the building next door who had come after hearing Greta’s rampage

 

“Let go of me! What kind of fuss are you making? Everyone here has been captured!”

 

“What, what do you mean? They were captured?”

 

“Yes! There was a lot of noise last night, and guards came in early morning and arrested people one after another. Oh, and he was dealing illegal drugs while pretending to run a bar.…Oh my god, I didn’t even know there were such scary people living next door to me!”

 

Greta was dazed.

 

All the shadow merchants were arrested in just one day of collecting money.

 

The reason she went through all the trouble of coming to the empire was to make a deal with these people.

 

‘Then what about me? What should I do? If I don’t get the medicine right away, Fabian will…!’

 

At that moment, a man’s face appeared in Greta’s mind as she sat down helplessly.

 

‘You are the only one who can mobilize guards at dawn and rob the shadow merchant.’

 

‘Emperor Herhan. How the hell did you do it? Did you go behind my back? Are you going to do it like this?’ 

 

It didn’t matter if it was the Emperor or not.

 

Now that she has lost Fabian’s only source of medicine, there was only one way to save Fabian.

 

Greta immediately went back to the inn and helped Fabian up.

 

The place where Greta drove her horse directly was the imperial palace.

 

In front of the majestic walls of the imperial palace, Greta stared at the gatekeeper without hesitation.

 

“Open the gate immediately.”

 

“Who are you? If you want to enter the imperial palace, tell me your name.…”

 

Plak!

 

Greta got off her horse and slapped the gatekeeper on the cheek as he blocked her way.

 

“What kind of security are you ordering? Open the door right now! Then go and tell your emperor. The princess of the Kingdom of Liotta has arrived!”

 

The gatekeeper, who was about to arrest Greta, looked her up and down with bewildered eyes.

 

“You are the princess of Liotta?”

 

‘The woman who drives only one horse without an attendant and carries a dying young man on her back and goes crazy, is a princess?’

 

“Open the gate immediately. Didn’t you hear me?”

 

* * *