There was not a single movement on John’s face. Only the fierce gaze filled his red eyes revealed his unpleasant state of mind.
“Wasn’t the saint’s partner the crown prince?”
“You knew, too, Duke?”
The saint opened her eyes wide.
“That’s right. My partner now is His Highness the Crown Prince Carlos. It’s thanks to His Majesty the Emperor’s consideration for my situation as a person with few acquaintances in the Empire.”
The saint lowered her long eyelashes and smiled sadly on her lips.
“…But I didn’t have any intention of that.”
The saint lowered her voice and took a step closer to John. As she pushed her bright blond hair behind her ear, her white and clean neckline, which seemed to have never suffered, stood out.
The sweet scent of lilies became stronger. John’s eyes turned red as he looked at the saint.
‘John. You must survive. Promise me.’
The smell of blood spread fiercely and the flames rose as if they would devour everything. His ears were ringing and his throat was choking.
Memories consumed his whole body.
‘John Blanchett. Do you know what it feels like to be burned? When your skin burns, you feel like you would rather die.’
‘You are so lucky. You were able to survive without experiencing such pain. In that sense, your family was very unlucky.’
John clenched his fist. He wanted to destroy everything around him right away. The screams of his family spurred the violence he had tried to suppress.
“John?”
The saint called John’s name in a quiet voice. John’s red eyes glared at the saint as if they would pierce through his face.
‘As expected.’
Stella smiled faintly, hiding her joy.
‘He instinctively knew who his real companion was.’
Duke John Blanchett was clearly confused. Between the fake who coveted the lent position and himself who deserved to be treated as Estelle’s real wife.
‘But everything was as fate had it, and I saved him…’
John could no longer swallow his hatred.
Until Stella noticed, the man’s large hand suddenly shot out. As if to choke the other person’s windpipe.
‘Kill that woman.’
The moment his hand moved as if to snap Stella’s neck.
“Just stop there.”
The voice with a calm demeanor, the hand of someone who seemed insignificant but strong grabbed John’s hand.
Minister Orteca smiled with narrowed eyes and placed a hand on Stella’s shoulder.
John’s cold gaze turned to Chancellor Orteca. The Chancellor was the Emperor’s poisonous snake who cruelly purged the Emperor’s enemies with a gentle expression.
“I’m sorry, Duke Blanchet.”
The Chancellor bowed his head to John in an unusually polite manner and apologized. He bowed deeply.
“It seems that the Saintess has forgotten for a moment that she has a ball partner. She was raised well in the temple, so she often shows her immature side.”
An elegant remark that belittled the Saintess.
John furrowed his eyebrows. It was an attitude that was not typical of an Emperor’s confidant who placed importance on his relationship with the temple.
‘The Emperor ordered it.’
Chancellor Orteca spoke in a warm voice as if he sympathized with John’s feelings.
“The Saintess’ partner is His Highness the Crown Prince. That’s what has been decided. If the Duke can overlook the Saintess’ mistake, I will take her here and make sure to teach her the etiquette of the palace.”
Stella sullenly protested to the minister’s words.
“…Even if you didn’t say that, I was talking well with the duke. We were friends without any selfish motives.”
“I’m not your friend.”
John warned her sharply. His ferocious murderous intent was revealed without him knowing it.
“Saint, I told you.”
The minister patted her shoulder and warned her in a low voice. It seemed like he was protecting her, but in fact, he was threatening her.
“Be careful. Especially to the Duke of Blanchet, a distinguished guest of the royal family.”
Stella couldn’t act any more selfishly.
John was dizzy between the deep murderous intent he felt and Estelle. He thought about killing her. Since that day when he couldn’t do anything, he had been looking forward to chewing up all his enemies and cruelly punishing them. That’s why he tried to kill her. But he had never had a murderous intent like this before.
‘What on earth is that woman?’
A woman who touched the hatred deep inside John more than Libertan.
His head started to hurt again. But John didn’t feel that pain so bad. John ignored the saint and went.
Right now, he learned something new, something more than this woman.
‘What I truly seek.’
John’s goal was always one. He wanted to kill the enemies who destroyed Blanchet.
‘Estelle…’
Estelle was different from those enemies.
He could bring up their own daughter, Estella, who was already dead, and insult her, but he couldn’t even touch Estelle, who was now his wife.
John headed to the room where Estelle was waiting without looking back. He had missed her desperately since he left the room. But now, this moment that he couldn’t see right away seemed like hell.
He needed Estelle so desperately.
* * *
“D-Duke Blanchet!”
Stella furrowed her eyebrows as she watched John leave without looking back.
‘You must still be very confused.’
Minister Orteca tapped Stella on the shoulder.
“Saint, can you explain today’s events?”
“…I just checked the Duke’s intentions just in case. I didn’t want to make you uncomfortable either. Can I ask you one more time?”
Stella pouted her lips coquettishly.
“I understand your intentions. I don’t want to make you uncomfortable either. I just wanted to let you know that regardless of your wishes, there is someone who will always be by your side to pray for you.”
Warm sunlight poured in through the window on the palace wall. The Saint’s blue eyes sparkled noblely. She carefully clasped her hands together as if praying, and there was not a single hint of selfishness in her.
“Your Majesty, you understand my feelings, right?”
“Ah. I see.”
The eyes of Prime Minister Orteca sank coldly.
‘The saint is very interested in Duke Blanchet.’
The duke seemed very hostile to the saint.
‘If I use this well, I can achieve the desired result.’
Stella was a saint who received the favor of the Holy Nation.
Divine power was divine power, but in an empire with many Athea believers, it has tremendous influence in itself.
‘That’s why the lie she told at the Royam Kingdom presentation was covered up.’
From the believers’ perspective, it would have been difficult to dare doubt a saint recognized by the Holy Nation.
Prime Minister Orteca smiled kindly at Stella.
“I fully understand the saint’s feelings. However, as her guardian, I am afraid that others will misinterpret her innocent feelings.”
“Oh my, that’s right. There could be such people.”
“But don’t worry too much. I will help you a lot since I was asked by Cardinal Simon to look after the saint.”
Stella smiled brightly at the minister’s words.
* * *
She checked the tapestry Queen Royam had given her.
‘Isidor is right.’
She even felt the power of a fairy near that name.
-Would you like to open the tapestry?
“Yes, open the tapestry?”
-Yes. That fairy named Isidor must have left something for another fairy. So shouldn’t we check it somehow?
“But…”
This tapestry was a gift from Queen Isabella.
“Is it okay to break someone else’s gift?”
-Hmm, you’re a fairy. You don’t have to worry about human etiquette.
-Yes. It is absolutely necessary, so what can I do? The person who gave you the tapestry would want it to be of more help to you.
It was not an ordinary tapestry, but one that Queen Isabella cherished and hung in her office.
‘What if I were to look for that tapestry?’
No matter how much she was treated as a benefactor of the Kingdom of Royam, it was something that could hurt her feelings. However, there were priorities in work.
“There is nothing I can do. I have no choice but to get something similar.”
She held the tapestry in her hand and pulled on the part where the name ‘Isidore’ was written.
[Isidore.]
The tapestry was gradually torn, but the name Isidore in the middle of it became clearer. She could see something like an illusion passing through the sparkling fairy energy.
‘Young John?’
Young John was seen sitting in the bedroom of the palace with his mother and sister. John’s mother, the former Duchess, was seen folding an animal out of a towel for Lily.
‘Here, Lily. Look at this. Doesn’t it look like a rabbit?’
‘John, did you see John? Mom made a rabbit out of a towel!’
‘Yes, I saw it.’
‘Mom. Can you make other animals?’
‘Yes. Do you know how to make something, too? Do you want to make one for Lily?’
Young John seemed strangely annoyed, but when Lily whined, he folded a towel and made a swan.
‘Okay, that’s it?’
‘Wow! John is amazing! How can he make something like this? Can I do it too?’
‘If you just fold it roughly, it will come out right away.’
However, despite her confident ambition, Lily seemed to be not very good with her hands. Unlike John, who made the swan in one go, Lily failed every time.
‘That’s not how you fold it. Just follow along and fold it.’
‘Hmm. It’s too difficult…’
At that moment, John’s mother, who had been happily watching the siblings, stood up from his seat.
‘Duchess, His Majesty is calling for the Duchess.’
‘Oh, is that so?’
The former Duchess’ face turned pale. However, the Duchess nodded elegantly and straightened her appearance.
‘Lily, John. Mom will go out for a moment and come back. You two, be quiet.’
At that moment, something strange caught my eye.
‘Is that an emerald earring?’
The former Duchess carefully hid one of her emerald earrings in her sleeve. However, she could see her fiddling with it, unable to hide her anxiety.
‘Why are you doing that?’
Suddenly…
At that moment, John came in with a cold and expressionless face. She could even feel the atmosphere that made it difficult for people to approach.
At that moment, the illusion that had been before my eyes disappeared like a bubble.
‘Huh? The tapestry too…’
Strangely, in the blink of an eye, the tapestry I had torn had returned to its original state.
‘Is this also the power of the fairy?’
But the important thing right now was John. I smiled brightly at John as if she was looking at the tapestry.
“John is here?”
John stood still, staring at her face without saying a word. For some reason, his expression seemed strangely tired.
“…Estelle.”
John bit his lip and hugged me tightly. His large arms were tight, barely able to breathe.
It was a desperate gesture.
John held her body tightly as if he couldn’t hold it in for even a moment, and rubbed his high nose against the back of her neck. His thick chest heaved as he smelled her body.
He seemed like someone who had been out of breath for a long time and was finally able to breathe.
‘What happened outside?’
However, John’s reaction seemed unusual to ask.
‘John would do something like this… to only Libertan.’
However, the revenge related to Libertan had almost been fulfilled. There would be nothing that could make John suffer this much right now.
She patted his back without saying a word.
John, who was breathing heavily, slowly pulled his face away and looked at me. His red eyes were dark and deep.
“Madam.”
He leisurely clasped his hands together.
“I’m glad you’re by my side.”
John slowly lifted the hand he was holding while looking at her.
Her heart started pounding. She couldn’t even blink properly and looked at the handsome John. John’s red eyes were filled with longing.
“Stay by my side forever.”
He whispered softly and placed his lips on the back of her hand while still looking at her.
A leisurely and natural movement. His hot lips pressed firmly against the back of her hand.
Now, John’s gaze went beyond longing and burned with intense desire and affection like someone who had been starving all his life.
The sound of my heartbeat, the rustling of the bedsheets, and even the quiet air tickled her ears.
“Yes.”
Until then, his earnest gaze still continued to burn on her without letting go. She was captivated by that quiet yet intense gaze.
“I won’t go anywhere and will stay by John’s side.”
She answered, not knowing whether she was talking to John or to herself.
* * *
The social gathering was still going on. Diana looked bored as she interacted with the ladies.
‘How long are you going to keep talking?’
Whenever she acted like an ordinary noble lady like this, she remembered the time when she received the title of knight and could ride a horse to her heart’s content and practice her sword.
‘It’s not unfair that she was stripped of her title, but…’
At that moment, Lady Luigi approached Diana with a friendly face.
“Oh, Princess Diana. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen you.”
“Oh, Lady Luigi.”
“I heard the news. I heard you lost your knighthood because of Duke Blanchett.”
Lady Luigi grumbled as if he understood Diana’s feelings.
“How can people be like that. Princess Diana didn’t do it on purpose, she was just fooled by that mean woman, and now she’s losing her knighthood.”
“It was my fault.”
“Oh, Princess. Duchess Blanchett isn’t around here right now.”
Lady Luigi whispered in a low voice as if telling a secret.
“I can’t just call a low-level commoner anywhere. You understand, right, Princess?”
Tsk!
Lady Luigi blinked after being suddenly slapped in the face. Of course, everyone around her was the same. Diana also looked at her hand and muttered with a surprised face.
“Lady Luigi. I’m sorry.”
“What the…”
“I reached out without realizing it because you said something so inhuman.”
Of course, Diana was sincere.
—————————————————————
Translator Note:
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