Table of Contents

Color Gallery

Table of Contents Page

Title Page

Copyrights and Credits

Prologue

Chapter 1: The Tragic Heroine and the Righteous Crown Prince

Chapter 2: As a Saint, as a Bodyguard

Chapter 3: A Disquieting Shadow

Final Chapter: The Conspirators’ Last Days

Epilogue

Side Story 1: Lingsha and Johann Holding Down the Fort

Side Story 2: Johann’s Errand

Side Story 3: Prince Eric’s Fifth Birthday

Afterword

Newsletter

Prologue

IT’S VERY HUMAN TO BELIEVE you are the main character of your own story. And whether that story is a comedy or a tragedy…well, that depends on you.

My half sister had a particularly strong case of Main Character Syndrome. She was convinced that she was a tragic heroine and acted the part every chance she got to avoid scrutiny. She would burst into tears and cry, “Nobody cares about meeee!”which, when paired with her beautiful girlish looks, masterfully garnered sympathy from those around her.

“Ohh, my sweet big sister, what a bee-yoo-tiful barrette you have in your hair. I think it would suit me better. May I have it?”

“No, Jill. I only just bought it, and I like it very much.”

“Noooo, how cruel of you. Why must you always be so mean to meeee?”

This exchange happened yesterday, and she cried her eyes out before I could even finish saying no.

My stepmother heard her crying and said, “Jill, is something wrong? Oh, there you go again, making poor Jill cry! You wretched child.”

“Oh, please don’t scold Leia, Mother! It’s all my fault. I was selfish and asked Leia if she would show me her barrette.”

“What a sweet girl you are, Jill! Can’t say the same for Leia.”

It was a vicious, unending cycle. My eyes filled with frustration whenever I had to listen to my sister and stepmother blathering away.

With things being the way they were, my sister and I couldn’t help but grow distant. In fact, I was scared to have anything to do with Jill. In the past, I would push back every time she was selfish with me, but her superb acting talents meant that everyone ignored my side of the story… So I’d resigned myself to my fate.

All I needed was for somebody to understand. I was so sure that one day somebody would understand my plight, but I learned firsthand just how naive that fantasy was.

The melting of the snow signaled the end of winter. On this spring day, with winter’s chill still lingering in the air, Philip, the son and heir of Duke Gilbert, invited me to his house and said, “Leia, I think you know why I’m breaking off our engagement. I’m aghast that you’ve been abusing your poor little sister right under my nose.”

I was utterly dumbfounded—I had no idea what I had done wrong. All the unfounded accusations only made my head ache.

He seemed to be under the impression that I was abusing Jill. That much was easy to decipher from the look of utter disgust on his face.

“Jill was in tears when she came to me. She said that you brag every day about how you serve the kingdom as a saint. That you mock her and call her useless for failing to become a saint herself. She said that the daily abuse affected her so much that the mere sight of your face gives her heart palpitations!”

Philip proceeded to outline all the ways I had supposedly abused Jill. I was a saint—that part was true—and Jill had failed the saint exam, due to a lack of natural ability. But I never once mocked Jill for it. I could swear that before God.

I did remember that she asked me what my work as a saint entailed, and I remembered giving an answer. In Jill’s mind, my response was likely warped into boasting about my own achievements. Jill was a genius at twisting the truth and presenting it in such a way that it sounded believable. It was so bad that if I didn’t keep my wits about me, I would even start to believe that I was truly at fault.

That was why Philip had so readily believed the lie that I was abusive. I heaved several silent sighs of frustration. What a mess I’ve gotten myself into again.

“I have never abused Jill. And I’ll swear this before God if I—”

“There you go, flaunting your sainthood again! You seem ­awfully proud of your own abilities, but if you think your superior talents will let you get away with anything, you’re sorely mistaken! If you truly consider yourself a saint, why don’t you try acting like one?!”

Anything I said was shot down on the grounds that I was boasting about my sainthood. Despite all his accusations, I did not believe that my sainthood let me get away with anything, and I never once bragged about being a saint either. But Philip had received Jill’s story as gospel—he had already written me off as the enemy.

“All right, let me approach this from a different angle. Please listen to me. Won’t you believe Leia Westoria is a humble human being? It’s unfair to take Jill’s story at face value.”

“Now you accuse Jill of lying?! Tears streamed down her cheeks while she pleaded her case to me; her voice was so frail it could disappear on the wind! Aren’t you her sister?! How could you be so cruel to your own flesh and blood?! I simply cannot fathom it!! Ohh, ohh…!”

I’d wagered that at least some trust for me remained in Philip’s heart, but sadly, my plea was in vain. Philip wouldn’t even hear my side of the story. Instead, he sobbed and begged me to pity poor Jill.

Could it be that my little sister’s Main Character Syndrome is contagious?

Seeing the tears on Philip’s face made me believe that had to be true. Even in circumstances such as these, Philip couldn’t abandon the premise that Jill was the tragic heroine of this story. My voice didn’t even reach him. The sad truth was that, the more I tried to refute Jill’s story, the more certain Philip became that I was evil incarnate.

As for Philip, he was lured into this narrative by the romance of being the hero protectingJill, the heroine. Seeing his besotted state made me realize any attempts to win his trust would be pointless.

“Fine. If you won’t believe me, that’s your right. Well, I must go now and put up some magic barriers.”

Maybe I should’ve played the fragile victim like Jill, but I just couldn’t bring myself to do that. All I could do was implore people to realize Jill was wrong.

In the end, I became the villain of the story. If Philip had a shred of trust in me left, we could’ve patched things up. But as long as the premise that I was the bad guy held fast in his heart, we would fail to reach an understanding no matter what I said.

Besides, I had work to do. I had to fulfill my duties as a saint—the very profession that Jill used to accuse me of abusing her with. My task today was to erect magic barriers in the forest to the east of the royal capital to keep the monsters out. It was a direct request from the royal family of Elshaid, so I couldn’t dilly-dally.

“H-hey, now! I just ended our engagement! Isn’t it a bit too soon to take on new work, you capricious wretch!”

At this point in the exchange, Philip finally lost his composure.

It’s too soon to take on new work? You’re one to talk, Philip, I thought. You wouldn’t even listen to me.

I felt that he was the capricious one, for not even hearing his fiancée’s side of the story. And I wanted to say so, but I knew it would accomplish nothing. Above all else, continuing to be there was painful, and I wanted to leave as quickly as I could.

As far as I was concerned, I was better off single.

My father would probably scold me for ruining my engagement to a duke, but I assumed Philip would approach Jill next. I could practically see it happening already. That way, our house would still marry into a duke’s family, so it shouldn’t disadvantage my father in any way.

Besides, Jill had already ensnared Philip’s heart. I had no proof, but my long years as her sister left no doubt in my heart that it was so.

I entered the carriage parked outside Philip’s manor and headed for the forest to the east of the royal capital. As I rode in the carriage, I ruminated over what Philip had said. They really had some nerve, claiming I was flaunting my status as a saint…

I knew that Jill was insecure over my being a saint. Three women of the kingdom were selected as saints to protect Elshaid from harm, and each saint was assigned a church.

The main religion practiced in the east was the Aejis Faith—it was the national religion of Elshaid. Every kingdom that practiced the Aejis Faith employed saints, of which there were always three. The reason there were only three saints was because three was considered a holy number in Aejis…but therein lay the cause of the discord between Jill and me.

Two years ago, an Elshaid saint retired, so the church held examinations to select a new saint. Jill and I took the exams together. We both passed with flying colors and made it into the final seven.

House Westoria had produced a long line of renowned mages, and Jill and I were born with magic ability far above normal—naturally, we held an advantage in exams that prioritized magic. So we both made it to the final round of exams, yet Jill rejoiced as if she had already become a saint. I remember how delirious with excitement she was that she would finally achieve her dream of being a saint…ignoring the fact that only one of the seven remaining candidates would be chosen.

In the end, I was the one chosen to be a saint. I would never forget the look on her face that day. When she stared at me, her eyes were filled with an antagonistic contempt I’d never seen before. That was likely the first time those negative feelings grew so big inside of her.

“It’s just not fair!” she cried, blaming me for her loss.

From then on, she alleged to everyone that would listen that I was flaunting my position as a saint. No matter how hard I asked her to stop, she refused to hear it. Little did I know that this incident would escalate into what had just happened…

When the carriage arrived at the forest, I let another little sigh escape me. “My heart feels so heavy…” But I had to put up my barriers, so I chased that thought out of my head, and I got out of the carriage to see what condition the forest was in.

“Ah, I see. According to these traces, the barriers were destroyed quite a while ago. I’ll need to do a full-scale barrier incantation.”

When I surveyed the forest, I found the barriers to be in a sorrier state than anticipated—monsters could just waltz in as they pleased. I needed to take care of this as quickly as possible.

I knelt, looked up at the heavens, and prayed. My prayer let me borrow God’s powers, which I converted into light magic to activate my five steles into a summoning circle. That summoning circle would serve as an area marker to erect a protective barrier that would cover the entire forest.

“Are you Saint Leia?”

“Mmf?!” I twirled around, surprised by the voice suddenly behind me.

“Are you the insolent saint who has been abusing her little sister?”

And there before me stood Eric Elshaid—the Kingdom of Elshaid’s crown prince. He had beautiful silvery hair and deep blue eyes that I could lose myself in. Having those eyes turned on me made my heart skip a beat.

Why is the crown prince talking to me?

And he was talking just like Philip, accusing me of abusing my little sister. What in the world was happening?

Chapter 1:
The Tragic Heroine and the Righteous Crown Prince

“WHAT? WHY AREN’T you speaking?” Prince Eric demanded, gazing harshly at me.

Though I was nervous, I was quite offended that he would be so rude to a stranger. Crown prince or no, it was a less than pleasant first impression.

“Prince Eric, it is an honor to meet you. I am Leia Westoria. This abuse of which you speak, it never happened. Not a mite.”

I paid my respects to the prince while continuing to work on the barriers. I had just managed to unleash enough magic energy into the summoning circle to erect a barrier around the entire forest, so I wasn’t about to cancel the spell—not even for the crown prince.

And naturally, I took the opportunity to deny the claim that I had abused my little sister. Because it was untrue.

“Hmm. Well, my friend Philip said that you abused your sister quite severely, causing her great psychological trauma.”

“Yes, I heard the same story from Lord Philip myself, Your Highness, but those claims are groundless. I can only assume Jill has a persecution complex.”

“Yes, but abusers are rarely aware of their actions, so you may only think you’re innocent.”

Eric’s claim was technically not wrong, and I wouldn’t blame a third party for siding with Philip. But the prince did not know Jill.

Jill had a very active imagination, so she surely believed I was abusing her. In other words, no matter how hard I denied her claims, they would still be real to her. That’s why Philip found it so easy to believe and sympathize with her.

At this rate, the lie that I had abused Jill would become truth by consensus—no matter how hard I tried to clear up the misunderstanding, they would likely perceive that as a common ploy of an abuser, hence the mess I was in. It was incredibly difficult to correct someone’s perceptions when they’ve deluded themselves—this was something I knew all too well.

“Say what you will, but I have never said anything to denigrate Jill. I’ve heard that you are a righteous and equitable man, Prince Eric, so I’m shocked to see you jump to such quick conclusions over a matter you know nothing about, based on the testimony of one person. I guess rumors can’t be trusted, can they?”

“Ohh…”

Uh-oh. I just snapped at the prince without thinking!

I immediately regretted opening my mouth. I supposed I was still quite stressed from my fiancé breaking off our engagement. Jill had put me in a foul mood, for more reasons than one. And on top of that, a prince I’d never met had to call me an “insolent saint who’s been abusing her little sister.” It was only inevitable that I would snap at someone.

Even saints can only put up with so much stress, and I was especially fragile today, given that my engagement had just been broken off. Besides, I didn’t care if he was the crown prince, I couldn’t just sit there quietly and take his mistreatment. Even if he wouldn’t believe me, I wanted to at least defend myself. Still, that didn’t change the fact that I said the wrong thing. Now I was in a real fix: I just picked a fight with the crown prince.

It was likely that rumors of the saint who abused her little sister had spread all the way to the royal family. Against my will, a future where I was no longer a saint flashed before my eyes.

“I see. You are correct, I know nothing about the matter. But Philip came to me with actual tears in his eyes and told me how cruel you had been to your little sister. I suppose seeing my friend cry like that allowed my emotions to get the better of me…”

Prince Eric thoughtfully folded his arms and nodded. His one-sided attitude had made me snap at him, but at least he was willing to hear me out. But I was still surprised to hear that Philip had bought into the tragic heroine narrative so readily that he had even cried in front of Prince Eric.

To think that Prince Eric could be so swayed by a rumor alone… My little sister is a force to be reckoned with.

“All right, let’s start over. I’ll get to know you first. You’re right, it wasn’t fair of me to believe Philip’s testimony. I will apologize for that.”

“Umm…Your Highness?”

After giving a light apology, the prince sat on a nearby boulder and stared hard at me.

Is he going to just keep observing me like that?

A part of me found him fascinatingly earnest, but I was a little frustrated—and I had a reason for that. A very good reason. He was sitting in the path of danger.

“Your Highness! Get down!”

I threw a knife at the monster about to attack Prince Eric from behind. My magic knife ended the monster’s life instantly upon contact. Even while erecting these barriers, I still had enough magic for simple spells. Then again, endurance was a bare minimum for a saint—if I couldn’t accomplish a simple feat like this, I wouldn’t be one in the first place.

We were in a forest near monster territory. This was the sort of place where barriers were usually erected. As such, it was not the sort of place where a crown prince should set foot. Prince Eric’s actions could only be described as reckless.

It was entirely plausible that a monster would attack us while I was in the middle of erecting my barriers, but Eric’s bodyguards were nowhere in sight, and I had no idea why. Wasn’t that what bodyguards were for?

“Prince Eric, I must advise you to leave this place. If you’re hurt, it will be my responsibility. So please, lea—huh?!”

Just then, Eric unsheathed his sword and charged at me with ridiculous speed. His nimble approach, like a silent gust of wind, was inhuman.

“Don’t worry, I’m strong. I usually keep a bodyguard with me, but I am able to defend myself,” he murmured in my ear.

I turned around to see a giant monster impaled on his sword. I had heard that Elshaid’s crown prince was incredibly gifted in both his studies and in athletics, but his swordsmanship was shockingly first rate too.

Wow, he detected the monster’s presence behind him almost exactly the same time I did.

As a saint, I was conditioned to notice monsters swiftly, but Eric’s reaction time wasn’t that different. He couldn’t have achieved such sharp reflexes with a half-baked training regimen.

“I have many enemies. This may sound odd, coming from the crown prince, but this kingdom is rotten to the core. Ever since I started fighting the corruption festering in Elshaid, I have had to fend off would-be assassins.”

“Assassins are targeting you? You? Crown prince Eric?”

“Yeah, and we captured a dozen of them today alone. Naturally, they’ll all be executed after an interrogation. It’s to be expected when you target the life of the future king. But punishing people for their unforgivable acts has led to some rather pesky consequences.”

Eric confessed that his sense of justice had put his life in danger in such an offhanded manner, he may as well have been describing the life of a stranger. I figured that went to show just how tough the experience had made him. He couldn’t even trust his own bodyguards…

“I have no complaints regarding you as a saint. You’ve shown your skill well enough. Don’t mind me, just keep putting up those barriers.”

He sat on the boulder again, crossed his legs, and continued to stare at me. I hadn’t been observed while erecting barriers since my training days, so it made me a little nervous. Meeting the crown prince in such a peculiar way was baffling, but I shook off my confusion and focused on the barrier before me so I could at least finish my job.

***

I faintly heard the ringing of the evening bells from the city.

“My task for the day is done, so I’ll be taking my leave now, Your Highness.”

“Wow, that’s a saint for you! You work fast. I guess I’ll head back to the palace too. See you later.”

I bowed to Prince Eric, then I got in my carriage and headed back.

He said “see you later” like he was going to come here again tomorrow… Things really have taken a strange turn. Since Eric had watched me work the whole time, I was much more tired than usual. All in all, today really was a series of troublesome events. I wonder if my father already got word of my broken engagement.

I was exhausted enough as it was; the thought of receiving a lecture when I got home made my head pound. It truly was a pity that I couldn’t cure my headache with magic.

“Welcome home, my sweet sister! I hope you had another lovely day, doing the Lord’s work.”

I entered my house with a mounting sense of dread, but Jill greeted me with a warm smile. Everyone who knew her said she had the smile of an angel, but I regret to inform you that, to me, it looked like the grin of a devil.

“Jill, you told Lord Philip that I was abusing you, didn’t you?”

“B-but why would I ever say anything bad about you to Lord Philip? Oh! Oh! Y-you’re too cruel! Oh, Leiaaa, you’re just so meeeean!”

Jill’s eyes instantly welled up at the mention of that cock and bull story she told Philip. Ahh, there she goes again. Crying shall commence in three…two…

The speed at which she turned on the tears was extraordinary, really. In a way, I was impressed. And the swiftness with which she turned on the waterworks correlated positively to the degree of trouble it caused me.

But the real trouble always came after, because whenever Jill cried, she would always make an appearance.

“Leia!You yelled at poor Jill again, didn’t you?! Why can’t you be nice to your baby sister?! Just look at how scared she is!” My stepmother, Catherine, stormed down the stairs.

My birth mother died when I was little, and Catherine was my father’s second wife. She was Jill’s mother, and she harbored a grudge against me for some reason. Meanwhile, she loved her precious baby Jill to death, so whenever Jill cried, she was quick to blame me. When I was chosen to be a saint and Jill failed, she stormed into the church and threw a fit. I also got an earful from her, making the day I became a saint a more troublesome than happy memory.

All in all, my relationship with Catherine was even rockier than my relationship with Jill.

What upset me the most about Philip breaking our engagement was that I might have to continue living here now. Nothing felt worse than living in a home where two of the people who lived there hated you.

“Oh, Mother, please forgive poor Leia. Lord Philip broke off their engagement, and she’s awfully distressed about it.” Jill had a smug look of victory on her face as she came to my defense. It was vexing, the cunning way she omitted the fact that she was the reason Philip broke off the engagement in the first place.

But I know how Jill’s mind works. I know she’s genuinely convinced herself she had nothing to do with my broken engagement.

I was angry…but I had resigned myself to my fate. I knew all too well just how powerful her self-delusion was.

“I don’t blame Lord Philip for falling out of love with a cold, heartless girl like you. If only he had chosen Jill from the very start, we could have been spared this trauma.”

“If only he had chosen Jill from the very start? So I take it that Lord Philip has already—”

“Yes, of course! Lord Philip was gracious enough to ask if he could marry our sweet Jill and protect her from all the harm that comes her way. He added that he doesn’t want to have a thing to do with you and your rotten personality anymore.”

As Catherine detailed Jill’s engagement to Philip, it was clear that he had feelings for her. After all, this was the guy who ran to Prince Eric in tears, pleading for justice. He wouldn’t have done that for a girl he didn’t care for—even Philip wasn’t that weird.

But proposing to a girl the same day he broke an engagement with her sister? I don’t think he could be any more unprincipled than that. And Philip called me capricious? He’s one to talk! That guy moved on way too fast.

Various feelings roiled inside me, but before I could put any of them into words, my stepmother’s scolding began.

“I hope you’ve learned your lesson, Leia. I don’t care how talented you are as a saint, if you’re rotten as a human being, you’ll never be happy. A heartless girl like you is destined to marry a scumbag.”

It was the sort of free-floating hostility that would make anybody lose their temper. But if I fought back, I could already hear my words being twisted and exaggerated against me later. It would result in nothing but added stress.

So all I could do was ignore her. I had long since given up on getting her to understand me. And to make things worse, I still had the same lecture from my father to look forward to later. After all these years, I had no doubt that my father’s words wouldn’t hurt me, but that confidence didn’t make it any easier. The whole thing just made me feel so hollow.

“For crying out loud, what are you two bickering about in the doorway…”

“Speak of the devil…” I murmured under my breath as my father emerged from his study. He wore his usual mask of ineffectual frustration, but his eyes betrayed his true feelings: He wanted to resolve this conflict as soon as possible, even if it meant making me the bad guy.

“Oh, oh, Father, I’m so s-sorry. Leia and I were having a little spat,” Jill sniveled.

“Darling, Leia has been cruel to Jill again. Do talk some sense into her!”

“Oh dear. Again, Leia?” Forced to follow the same script for who knew how many times now, my father looked at me as if I were a tumor. He probably didn’t care who was telling the truth—whether I truly was a villain or Jill was blowing everything out of proportion. To be blunt, my father’s indifference was the main cause of our strained relationship. If he would only blame my stepmother and sister just a little…if he would only hear my side of the story…things wouldn’t have gotten as bad as they were.

But my father wouldn’t speak up, nor would he listen. He liked to play it safe and steer clear of hassle. At least outside of the home he acted as a proper count and maintained his lands, so it couldn’t be said he totally ignored the world around him—that was his one saving grace.

“Oh, if only Leia didn’t live here, our family would be so much more peaceful.”

“But, Mother, that would be so unfortunate for poor Leia! Then again…if I were an only child, I would be so much happier… Oh, no, I shouldn’t say it. I mustn’t indulge in such wicked thoughts!”

“You are such a sweet girl, Jill.”

Jill was shamelessly voicing her inner monologue; it would’ve been nice if she’d at least made an effort to hide her true colors. That pair truly did believe they would be better off without me, so it was a shame they couldn’t get rid of me by marrying me off to Philip. But then again, if my leaving would make their lives so much better, it was baffling why they’d sabotaged it.

“Anyway, Leia. I’ll see you in my study—”

“M-Master! Master Westoria! Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear!” our servant Bob yelled.

The abnormal fluster in his voice drew everyone’s eyes toward him—we knew there must be some emergency.

“What’s the racket all about?” my father demanded.

“Th-the crown prince! Prince Eric! He’s come to call!!!”

My parents let out a muted gasp.

“Prince Eric, you say? Ooh, he’s my dream man. Ever since I was a little girl, I wished to live with Prince Eric in the palace.”

Our household erupted into a frenzy of activity. Jill wiped her eyes and quickly smoothed her hair. I guessed she had a thing for Prince Eric. The way she raved about him with stars in her eyes barely an hour after accepting Philip’s proposal—talk about turning on a dime. She could teach a class.

Still, we had no idea why His Highness would grace our humble home with his presence. I could only assume I’d offended him back at the forest and he came to complain. Either way, this was still going to be a big hassle. I just wanted to go to my room and lie down, but that would have to wait. All I could do was sigh again… Seemed like I was doing a lot of that today.

“W-well, well! My goodness, our house has been blessed by royalty’s presence! If only we had known sooner, we could have given you a proper welcome.”

“No need to concern yourself; it was my fault for barging in unannounced. Count Westoria, let’s get straight to the purpose of my visit. I have a very important favor to ask.”

The prince’s sudden announcement made my head tilt in confusion. The prince wants a favor? What could it be? Hmm… I can’t think of anything.

What could my father do for him? Loan out his lands for some royal project? That was the only thing that came to mind.

“A favor of us, Your Highness? Please, ask anything and we shall comply. I will do everything in my power to fulfill any request of Your Highness.”

Even though my father had no idea what this request might be, his answer was automatic. It was only natural for him to say he would do everything in his power to help: He was speaking to the future king, after all. If my father had a chance to get on his good side, he would.

“I truly appreciate your commendable attitude. Well, here is my request: I wish to employ your daughter, Saint Leia Westoria for some time as my bodyguard. As such, she shall need to reside in the palace.”

Another muffled gasp from my parents.

Wh-what is he saying? “Come work at the palace” was the last thing I imagined…

At the prince’s unexpected proclamation, my happy home ­descended into chaos. Naturally, I was just as surprised as everyone. I was so stunned that my mouth gaped.

Despite the tumult in my mind, I felt the chill of Jill’s terrifying gaze upon me. She stood there, trembling and clenching her fists with the most bitter expression. I didn’t know what exactly she was bitter about, though I imagined it had something to do with the prince ignoring her and asking me to serve him at the palace.

“Oh, yes, I see… You’d like Leia to be Your Highness’s bodyguard, yes… I feel that might present some logistic issues—she is quite busy erecting barriers every day.”

My father answered the prince’s proposal with an incredibly sensible answer. He was right. My current work requests came from the crown, and while Prince Eric did indeed belong to the royal family, I couldn’t simply turn my entire schedule upside down at his behest.

That aside, the prince sure was an oddball for wanting me to be his bodyguard when I was suspected of abusing my little sister. I couldn’t understand why he would want to have someone like me close by.

“Quite right, Count Westoria. But this is not a selfish whim of mine—it’s a direct request from His Majesty the King. And you needn’t worry. We already sent a request for a saint through the church. I have the agreement here.”

“I’ll have a look at it… Hmm…yes, this is indeed a direct request from His Majesty…”

If the king himself sent a request to the church, it must be a very important assignment. And there was precedent for it: A saint’s job was to maintain the kingdom’s prosperity, and ­protecting the prince was part of that.

But a saint’s job was to maintain the kingdom’s prosperity in a general sense. In fact, asking a saint to be a personal bodyguard for a prince was the rarest of requests.

“Um, Your Highness, I understand that this is a direct request, but I have other duties which I must attend to.”

“I know you’re busy, but you don’t need to worry about that either. I will adjust my responsibilities to accommodate your own.”

“Accommodate how?”

“Just as I did today: I will shadow you as you carry out your tasks so we can be together at all times.”

What in the world was Prince Eric even suggesting? Looking back on our exchange just now, I told Prince Eric I was busy with my own saintly duties, and he didn’t even bat an eye when he said he would shadow me.

It doesn’t make sense to me. It’s hard to believe that he would turn his whole life upside down just so he could be near me at all times.

Even though he said he wanted to keep me not just close but as his bodyguard specifically, it didn’t make sense that he would tag along while I saw to my duties, even if I were acting as a bodyguard. My mind started to swim as the conversation took an even more incomprehensible turn.

“Sh-shadow her, you say? Your Highness will shadow…Leia at her job?”

“Indeed. I want to determine whether or not Leia is suitable to be a saint of Elshaid, so I’m taking the opportunity to observe her at work. This is all included in the order from His Majesty.”

I was finally starting to understand. Apparently, he was ­going to observe me like he did today, except with permission. It all seemed very dignified. While I doubted it was normal for a person to observe their own bodyguard while being protected, for someone like Prince Eric, whose sense of justice was stronger than the average person, the idea wasn’t all that bizarre. The time we’d spent together so far was brief, but I did get the impression he was a bit of an enigma.

I never thought I’d hear the phrase, “I’m going to always be by your side” outside of a romantic context. I guess I’m just not cut out to be a romantic heroine.

In fact, I was the polar opposite of Jill. I didn’t seek out romance, and I wanted to avoid abnormal situations like this if at all possible.

“Well, if His Majesty has granted permission, then it is not my place to question. Ah, yes. I see. Understood. Well, we will happily leave Leia in your care at the palace.”

“B-but, Father!”

Yet another muted gasp.

A voice rang out, a shriek louder than any I had heard from this person. Just before our father could give his final approval to Prince Eric’s request, she had cried out to interrupt him.

“Jill, whatever is wrong? You know, I don’t usually hear you raise your voice like that. And in front of His Highness, even! Do be more careful.”

My father looked genuinely baffled by Jill’s abnormally loud voice as he rebuked her. And Jill, with a sour look on her face, gasped in horror—then immediately smiled peacefully. She was always quick to change her mood, but what has she been so upset about since I came home?

“B-but, Father, if Leia moves into the Palace, I will miss her terribly.”

It was so unexpected that I almost blurted out, “You’ll never miss me, and we all know it!” I was just so taken aback by her claim that she would miss me, I couldn’t figure out her true goal.

“Hmm? But, Jill, didn’t you just say minutes ago that you would be much happier if Leia were gone?”

“What?! Oh, but I’d never say such a thing! Leia is such a kind, sweet big sister to me—I want her to stay by my side forever and always!”

My ears must be defective. Jill would never say anything like that in earnest.

How could a girl who accused me of abusing her day in and day out turn around and say she wants me to stay by her side of all things? It was a clear contradiction. But to an outsider who only saw her at this moment, and not how she was every day, she surely seemed like a sweet girl whose love for her big sister was unwavering. Oh, what a uniquely exasperating predicament.

“So you’re Jill Westoria. Philip Gilbert is a friend of mine, you know. Now, according to him, Leia has been abusing you. He said you were the one who told him so. Is that true?”

That’s right. Prince Eric had heard Jill’s side of the story through Philip. It was only natural that he was able to see how her words and actions contradicted each other.

“Y-you think I spoke ill of my sweet big sister to Lord Philip? B-but I would never do such a thing! What I said to Lord Philip was that Leia was so incredibly talented that I felt like an utter failure… I was merely lamenting to him because I felt depressed…”

With tears in her eyes, Jill told Prince Eric the truth as she saw it. She was good at putting on a pretty face and getting people to believe her side of the story, but that wasn’t her only talent. By turning on the waterworks, she avoided deeper questioning and furthered her own agenda.

Regardless of the truth, the look on her face had the power to make you believe you were mistaken all along. I figured Eric would let up on her now.

“All right, if what you’re saying is true, that means Philip is either a painful embarrassment of a man who deluded himself into thinking your sister was abusing you, or the story you told him was intentionally misleading… Now then, which is it?”

Eric betrayed my expectations and calmly pressed Jill further, without flinching. Jill’s story was full of contradictions, yet it was still unusual for anybody to keep digging for the truth like this.

“Wh-what are you saying, Prince Eric? Why are you being so mean to meeeee?” she sniveled, tears streaming down her face as she blatantly refused to answer the prince’s question.

Whenever Jill’s hypocrisy was pointed out, she simply turned on the waterworks, I ended up looking like the villain, and Catherine would scream my ear off. Even more grating was how my father and other men would then always stop questioning her and apologize. They would back down immediately—perhaps to avoid further hassle—and take the blame themselves. Jill had come to expect this treatment from everybody, and that only made her worse.

“Your Highness, I don’t know what Lord Philip told you about Leia and Jill, but as poor Jill is crying…couldn’t we perhaps drop the matter?”

And, just as I foresaw, my conflict-avoidant father begged Prince Eric to drop the matter. Jill was still sniveling. I was almost impressed at how beautifully she could keep those giant tears rolling.

I watched Prince Eric, wondering what his next move would be.

“Jill, do you honestly expect those tears to fool me? Please don’t make me laugh. Such antics can’t twist the truth. Oh, how much easier my life would have been if they could. Speaking as someone who’s experienced a crying lady who nearly stabbed me in the back, I frankly find this situation most unpleasant.” In a tone that was both calm and firm, Prince Eric sent Jill the message that her tears were futile. His voice was quiet yet filled with a distinct rage.

All those assassination attempts had made Eric immune to tears. I had to wonder what circumstances led to a crying lady attempting to stab him in the back. I couldn’t imagine it, but it must have been quite the chaotic scene.

“Oh, oh…waaaah… Prince Eric… You’re just too cruel!”

Prince Eric’s harsh rebuke made Jill sob all the louder. Not knowing what I would even call this scene, all I could do was stand there in a daze and watch. The prince was disgusted by Jill—that much was clear. And my father was more troubled than I had ever seen him before.

“Well, one thing has been made quite clear: The accusations of Saint Leia abusing her little sister Jill hold not an ounce of truth. Jill admitted so herself, so there’s no doubt. In which case, there are no issues with Leia’s ability to be a saint. To settle the matter so quickly is truly a blessing. Now I can take her back to the palace with me with a free conscience.”

“Now, wait just a minute, Prince Eric!” Catherine snapped. It was clear she just wanted to stop me from going to the palace. “Leia is abusing Jill! She’s just tricked sweet, fragile Jill into not noticing it. If you take her back to the palace with you, she will surely cause you trouble. Mark my words!”

“Tricked Jill into not noticing, you say? Would a girl who, ­deliberately or not, told a misleading story about her sister abusing her really not notice such a thing? Now, let’s set aside the question of whether or not abuse has taken place. I’d like to determine that for myself, if you please.”

“Oh… I suppose that would suffice.”

“As long as there is a possibility of abuse, it’s best that the sisters live apart. Wouldn’t you agree, Count Westoria?”

“Hmm. Yes. Quite right. As long as Your Highness finds the arrangement acceptable…”

This time the muted gasp came from Catherine and Jill. From their expressions, it looked like they’d gotten the opposite of what they’d wagered.

“Then it’s decided! Leia, starting today, you will be my bodyguard. And I won’t take no for an answer. Also, it would be best if you left this house.”

“Prince Eric?”

“Your Highness, wait! Leia does not belong in a palace!”

“Where are you taking her? You mustn’t! Oh, Prince Eric! Please, please don’t take my sweet sister away from meeee!”

As Prince Eric grabbed my hand to lead me out of the house, Jill forgot her tears and jumped to her feet in protest. Her voice was like a howling animal. But without so much as a nod in her direction, the prince tugged on my hand and whisked me into his carriage.

I too was stunned by the sudden turn of events, and before I knew it, I was at the palace. Seriously, I had no memory of the ride over there.

And that was how the new chapter in my life began.

***

“Have a seat. Do you take sugar in your tea?”

“Thank you. Sugar in my tea, Your Highness? Er, no, thank you.”

Having skipped supper at home, I was given a light meal when I arrived at the palace. Immediately after, the crown prince invited me into his study and urged me to sit on the sofa. Everything was moving so fast my brain couldn’t keep up.

And it was then I realized that my broken engagement was already a distant, indifferent memory.

Incidentally, I didn’t take sugar in my tea because anytime I saw something sweet, an image of Jill fake-crying and calling me her “sweet sister” popped into my mind. I got the sense that I had been avoiding sweets in particular ever since she started the tragic heroine act.

“I don’t take sugar either, though I do add milk sometimes. My chief bodyguard Johann swears that adding the appropriate amount of sugar brings out the subtle nuances and richness of the tea leaf, but I just don’t have much of a sweet tooth.”

As he sat in front of his desk and talked, the servant who brought the tea tasted it for poison before Eric took a sip. It seemed he was more wary of assassins than normal. His teapot, cups, and other utensils were all made of silver as well.

I heard somewhere that silver reacts to poison. If he has to ­employ this tactic on top of having his servants test his drinks for poison, that goes to show the danger of his situation.

Seeing how the simple act of sipping tea could turn into such an ordeal made me feel a little bit of pity for the prince. Once Eric sipped his tea, I took a sip of my own. And it certainly was royal palace tea—its aroma was sublime.

“Thank you…it’s delicious.” I didn’t mean to say the words out loud, but it was so much more delicious than I could have imagined that I couldn’t help myself.

Prince Eric smiled and replied, “Glad to hear it. Help yourself to the cookies. I’m going to work on some documents… Of course, if you’re bored, feel free to read any of the books on the shelf. The topmost books are the ones I personally like most.” And with that, he got to work on his documents.

The cookies were from a recently opened bakery in the capital. I recalled the time Jill bought some just for herself, then flaunted them. Even cookies were triggering negative memories of my little sister now… She must have traumatized me more than I realized. I needed to try to forget and move on, now that I was away from home—even if my move was not exactly something I planned.

I’m actually surprised that the crown prince is so busy, he needs to work into the night. I thought all a prince did was lean back and take credit for everyone else’s work.

In retrospect, it made me think that he was wasting his time when he watched me work, but I figured he was just that eager to make me his bodyguard.

I sat there, wondering how much longer I should relax and enjoy the tea and cookies. I assumed he would give orders to his new bodyguard, but he showed no such inclination. Perhaps he was going to wait until he finished with his papers.

Then again, even princes had their own problems. I decided to wait quietly until he was ready. And I could do more than just wait—I had cookies to eat and books to read. I could wait forever if I had to.

“………”

This is taking forever! He could’ve at least warned me it was going to take this long.

How much longer was Prince Eric going to keep me waiting? An hour had already passed.

Huh? There’s somebody outside the window.

To protect myself from monsters, I constantly sent out my magic energy in a ten-meter radius, so I could always sense when someone was approaching even without looking.

Apparently, attempts on the prince’s life seemed to truly be a near daily occurrence. I thought I had it bad, but I had to admit that Prince Eric had it far worse.

He hasn’t given me any bodyguard orders yet, but I have to do something.

I returned my cookie to my plate and drew a circle of light with my index finger.

“Saintly Wind, pierce!”

“AAAAGGGHHH!!!”

The assassin crashed through the window into the study…and was promptly flung back by the gale that burst from my circle of light. With assassins lurking this close to the prince, the palace seemed as dangerous as the rest of the world.

“Hmm… Only one today, eh?”

Prince Eric’s reaction was way too mild for somebody whose life had just been threatened. He would have been perfectly justified if he showed a little terror or surprise… But despite the assassin breaking through his window, Prince Eric sat unmoved as he continued to work on his papers.

This was obviously just a part of his daily routine. Watching this scene unfold…made me feel sad somehow.

About two hours after tea, the prince rose and peered at my face. He was finally ready to explain my duties as a bodyguard. At the very least, I wanted to know what times of day he needed me to be on duty.

“All right, that concludes your first assignment. Isn’t that a good book?”

“Yes, it’s very good, Your High—what? My first assignment?”

“Now, stay by my side every day like this starting tomorrow. My work ran late today, between negotiating with His Majesty and visiting your home, but usually I’ll need you to be my bodyguard in the evenings for one to two hours.”

The words “that concludes your first assignment” seemed too good to be true. All I did was eat cookies, drink tea, and read a book. The refreshments were delicious, and the book was good, but that was all I had done for two hours.

Now, if you pointed out that I sensed the presence of an invader and attacked him with magic, you would be right. But that was all I did. In short, I didn’t feel like I did any bodyguarding. And yet, the prince was trying to dismiss me for the day.

“Your Highness, please wait. I assumed my bodyguard duties would take the entire day.”

“Of course not. That’s not how it works. I have specialized bodyguards. Besides, you’re a saint. Not even a prince such as I would work you to death.”

To be honest, I was stunned. Although our time spent together was too quiet since we barely spoke, it seemed as though I was nothing but the prince’s tea buddy.

Why did he want me to do this for him? For that matter, if he had specialized bodyguards already, why did he need someone like me?

I had assumed that palace life would be a little better than my life back home, but finding out the job was this easy actually scared me.

“Then, with all due respect…why? Why did you go out of your way to make me your bodyguard? No matter how I look at it, you don’t need me.”

I couldn’t understand what Prince Eric was thinking. Between this and wanting to observe my saintly duties, I couldn’t see why he was so obsessed with me.

Since I completely denied his accusation that I abused Jill, I figured that had made him obstinate, almost as if he was determined to catch me red-handed and expose my evil nature. But doing that wouldn’t benefit him in any way. Besides, from what I’d seen so far, Prince Eric already had his hands full with his duties as crown prince.

“At first…I was furious. I was so happy for my friend because I heard he was marrying a saint. I assumed she must be a very talented and virtuous woman—but my expectations were betrayed.”

The truth had come out—he was angry about Philip’s broken engagement. But I already knew that much. And since he had come at me when I was vulnerable, I had said some awful things to him too.

But, with the clarity of hindsight, I realized that from his point of view, I was the wench who had betrayed his friend. It was only natural for him to act the way he did, especially when his life was in such danger every day.

“Afterward, I watched you at work as a saint. And while there was no doubt that you were distracted by my presence, you wielded your great arcane powers calmly and without conceit to erect the barriers. Since you were not the woman Philip had made you out to be, I began to have doubts.”

I silently took in his words.

“I was worried that I might have jumped to conclusions about you. And I was embarrassed that I had let my self-righteousness get the better of me and scolded you. I was ashamed that I had made assumptions about somebody I barely knew.”

“Huh?”

Prince Eric’s crystal-clear eyes looked directly into mine. He wanted to apologize for how he behaved earlier. And he was right: He had denounced me without getting the facts straight. To be honest, I did think Eric had acted poorly.

But since assassins were at his throat every day, it was under­standable that he would be so untrusting. So as long as his apology was sincere, I was willing to forgive him.

“I’m sorry for how I treated you earlier today. I was wrong—I should have made an effort to confirm the facts. As the crown prince, and more importantly, as a human being, my behavior was just too inconsiderate.”

“Your Highness, please, don’t bow to me. I don’t hold any grudges.”

“Please, just let me observe you at work again with a fresh slate so that I may pass judgment. I want to have a good, proper look at you and determine if you truly are suited to be a saint and whether Philip was telling the truth. It’s true that I don’t have enough bodyguards, but that was only half of the reason I brought you here.”

“Huh?”

Um, what? The matter isn’t closed?

I couldn’t believe he still suspected me of foul play. Either that, or he simply wanted to consider Philip’s testimony and my own with an impartial gaze.

He was—how should I put it?—stubborn. Even though he owned up to his mistakes, there were still things he wouldn’t surrender so easily.

“So…you still won’t believe me, Your Highness?”

“I’m sorry… Naturally, I want to believe you, but I simply can’t be certain after knowing someone for such a short time. It’s my nature.”

I still had a hard time understanding what he was getting at, but the look in his eyes told me he was sincere. His eyes were so earnest that I looked away without meaning to.

He’s so righteous, it hurts to look at him.

“I’m going to keep an eye on you for a while. As a saint, and as my bodyguard.”

And with that, Prince Eric instructed his servant to show me to my room and walked out of the study. Now my work for the day was truly done.

I felt trapped. I was going to be judged by Prince Eric, and those clear, righteous eyes of his.

“Lady Leia, Prince Eric has instructed me to escort you to your room. This way, please.”

Well, either way, at least I finally get to lie down.

The servant showed me to my quarters. Once inside, I was immediately surprised by how spacious it was. It certainly was a palace-sized guest room—it was several times larger than my room at home.

The bed in here was so comfortable that it could plunge me into a deep and immediate sleep. And I couldn’t believe how much quieter things were without Catherine and Jill around.

“Please, just let me observe you at work again with a fresh slate.”

Maybe he truly was just virtuous and true to a fault. He really surprised me, admitting his mistakes one moment, then saying that in earnest the next. Truth be told, I almost laughed then. This might’ve been the first time I’ve ever been so curious about a person. Even after I closed my eyes, I could still see Prince Eric behind my lids, and I couldn’t sleep.

But the sensation faded after about ten minutes. The next thing I knew, it was morning. The succession of unexpected events had worn me out.

Today would be my first full day in my new life at the palace. A servant helped me dress and get ready for the day. After breakfast, I prepared for my saintly duties and went to Prince Eric’s study.

“You’re off to do your work as a saint, aren’t you? Use a palace carriage. I’ll ride with you.”

Thus, my life as Eric’s so-called bodyguard—more of a conversation partner—began.

The unexpected turn of events was dizzying, but I wanted to do my best at the tasks assigned to me. I may not have looked it, but I was highly competitive, so if Prince Eric wanted to judge my character with his own eyes, I vowed that I would win his approval at all costs.

I had never been ashamed of my actions, not even once. And starting today, I was going to show that to Prince Eric.

-Eric’s Perspective-

I DIDN’T HAVE MANY FRIENDS. Perhaps this had something to do with the fact that I had many foes. I was sure nobody was strange enough to want to face peril every day.

Philip Gilbert was one of the few friends I had. His father, Duke Gilbert, was a longtime friend of my father, which is how he and I became childhood friends. Frankly, aside from early childhood, I never had a friend I could wholly trust.

Assassins threatened my life every day, and I was constantly beset by adversaries. I was slow to trust—that was why longtime friends like Philip were so important to me.

“Prince Eric! Oh, something terrible has happened! Saint Leia is an evil woman!”

One day, Philip came to me in distress, claiming Saint Leia had a rotten personality. It was unusual for Philip to be so forthright in his condemnations. At the very least, I’d never heard him make a declaration like this before, so I assumed it was rather serious.

After all, Leia Westoria was Philip’s wife-to-be. And a saint, no less. Since there were only three saints in Elshaid, the church screened them to make certain there were no flaws in their character.

So I wondered what this Saint Leia must have done for my friend to be so strident in his criticisms. I decided I would start by hearing Philip’s side of the story.

“Slow down, you’re not making any sense. Tell me in detail, what did Leia do?” I soothed the seething Philip so he could relay the events with precision.

Due to the fact that I couldn’t attend parties often for fear of assassination attempts, I was not acquainted with Leia, but since I attended the saint confirmation ceremony, I at least knew what she looked like: blonde hair, blue eyes, and exuding a strong-willed aura.

“F-forgive me, Your Highness! Anyway, do you know what sort of person her little sister is?!”

“Saint Leia’s little sister, you say? Nothing comes to mind, but I do vaguely recall her appearance. I’ve never spoken with her, though.”

Hmm. Leia’s little sister… I have a vague sense she was also at the confirmation…

I knew all the names of the government officials from top to bottom, but I didn’t know the names of all the daughters of the nobility. If I had attended parties regularly, I might have learned some of them, though.

“Well, Leia’s little sister is named Jill, and she’s such a lovely, elegant little lady,” Philip explained, sensing I didn’t know her.

Aha. Jill Westoria… So that’s the name of Leia’s little sister.

According to Philip, Jill was as beautiful as a flower.

“Jill has dreamed of being a saint all her life! She endured the grueling examination process and made it all the way to the finals! But unfortunately, Leia was chosen over her in the end!”

“It can’t be helped; there was only one open position.”

“Yes, and Jill said as much! She said that her sister was a genius and more worthy of the position!”

“Well, if she understands that, then I don’t see the problem.”

According to the Aejis Faith, the number of saints was limited to three. It was a strict rule with no exceptions. And because it was such an exclusive profession, many girls dreamed of being saints when they grew up.

If Jill still acknowledged Leia’s talents in spite of her own dreams being crushed, I could sympathize with the girl, but I didn’t see any major problem…

“Your Highness, this is the most important part. Are you listening?”

“I can hear you just fine, you don’t need to stand so close! I’m not going to run and hide or anything, so please, just say what you’re going to say.”

“F-forgive me. I just got carried away… Leia, knowing it was Jill’s dream to become a saint, has taken to flaunting her status as a saint. For example…”

From Philip’s testimony, I gathered that Leia had psychologically tormented Jill. Knowing full well that Jill was struggling to get over her grief of not becoming a saint, Leia mocked her for not being chosen, breaking Jill’s heart.

“When Jill came to me with tears in her eyes, telling me of Leia’s abuse, I couldn’t bear to look at her. Oh-oh…! Your Highness, do you understand?! How tragic for poor, fragile Jill! Oh-ohh, oh-ohhh!”

Philip…no need for you to cry.

I couldn’t stand to see tears in Philip’s eyes. That was my first time seeing him weep—to be honest, I was shocked.

What in the world was wrong with the church? I thought they thoroughly screened saint candidates not only for their arcane abilities but for their moral rectitude as well. At the very least, the church wouldn’t choose the sort of lady who would belittle her sister’s feelings.

Seeing my friend cry for the first time made my heart burn with rage.

So the government isn’t the only thing in Elshaid that’s rotten…the church is too.

This meant more work for me, but there was no point in complaining. I was used to making many enemies by then. My heart had a strong sense of justice that I couldn’t—no, didn’t want to—betray. It seemed I would need to meet this Leia Westoria.

“Anyway, I’m breaking off my engagement to Leia! I’ve come to tell you so, since I had promised I would introduce her to you last time we spoke!”

“Breaking off the engagement? Ah, good. Do as you wish. Philip…I’m giving you the benefit of the doubt, but can you swear to me that what you said was completely truthful? I trust you aren’t spreading falsehoods about Leia’s misdeeds?”

“Of course not, Your Highness. I’ve known you since we were small lads; I know how much you detest lies. I have never once lied to you, my prince.”

“Of course. I was just making sure. All right then, I will put my faith in our friendship.”

And so, in hearing Philip’s testimony, I decided to meet the saint named Leia who was allegedly abusing her little sister. As luck would have it, the royal family assigned saintly tasks through the church. While the three saints’ tasks differed, it was quite easy to track down Leia’s whereabouts.

Aha. So she’ll be erecting barriers in the forest tomorrow. I’ll go see her then.

“Are you Saint Leia?” I called out to the lady who was expertly drawing summoning circles.

She had noticed my presence before I spoke, but from the shocked expression on her face when she turned to look at me, it was clear she knew who I was.

“Are you the insolent saint who has been abusing her little sister?”

When Leia just stood there, staring at me in silence, I pressed further.

“What? Why aren’t you speaking?”

Surely she was confused by my presence. It was indeed out of the ordinary for a crown prince such as myself to call on a saint.

“Prince Eric, it is an honor to meet you. I am Leia Westoria,” she greeted me while erecting her barriers. “This abuse of which you speak, it never happened. Not a mite.”

Ooh, impressive. Despite my sudden intrusion, she hasn’t forgotten about her duty. She’s definitely talented, just as I expected. And she refuted the abuse claims outright.

“Hmm. Well, my friend Philip said that you abused your sister quite severely, causing her great psychological trauma.”

“Yes, I heard the same story from Lord Philip myself, Your Highness, but those claims are groundless. I can only assume Jill has a persecution complex.”

“Yes, but abusers are rarely aware of their actions, so you may only think you’re innocent.”

So, Philip must have already confronted her. He probably had broken off their engagement right after he told me he would. If that was the case, her poise was commendable. She had strong mental fortitude.

“Say what you will, I have never said anything to denigrate Jill. I’ve heard that you are a righteous and equitable man, Prince Eric, so I’m shocked to see you jump to such quick conclusions over a matter you know nothing about based on the testimony of one person. I guess rumors can’t be trusted, can they?”

I didn’t respond.

…I guess I had it coming. She’s a sassy one.

But she was right. And I would need to own up to my mistake. Philip may be an old friend, but Leia’s abuse of her sister was hearsay, nothing more. I didn’t witness it personally, so my knee-jerk condemnation was careless at best.

Wow, Eric, what are you doing? You claim you’re going to purge the rot from Elshaid and then casually pass judgment on someone in the same breath. Have you no shame?

Leia had looked right at me when she answered my accusations. There was a strong gleam in her eyes I couldn’t dismiss—her bold spirit was overpowering me.

“I see. You are correct, I know nothing about the matter. But Philip came to me with actual tears in his eyes and told me how cruel you had been to your little sister. I suppose seeing my friend cry like that allowed my emotions to get the better of me…”

She said nothing.

“All right, let’s start over. I’ll get to know you first. You’re right, it wasn’t fair of me to believe Philip’s testimony without question. I apologize for that.”

I was ashamed of myself for being so unfair. I had taken my friend’s words at face value and accused Leia of foul play. That was unacceptable.

If Leia was telling the truth, then that would mean my friend wrongfully broke his engagement and hurt his former fiancée. Whether it was Saint Leia or Philip—one of my only friends—who was in the right, I had to pass fair and equitable judg­ment.

So I decided to observe Leia. As Philip’s friend, it was my duty to determine which one of them was telling the truth. Having said that, it was impossible to learn everything about Leia’s personality in an afternoon.

As I watched Leia finish erecting her barriers, I thought to myself: What would be the best way for me to learn everything about her?

I can’t make an impartial judgment about her in such a short time. What should I do about this… Isn’t there some excuse I can use to have Leia by my side? I don’t suppose it’s possible to have Leia live at the palace as a handmaid. She’s the daughter of Count Westoria; I could never disgrace her like that. All right, how about a lady of the court? No, that wouldn’t be appropriate, considering the objective is to spend more time with her.

Her duties for the day complete, Saint Leia and I parted ways, and my chief bodyguard Johann ran over to me. He had been keeping over us the entire time she and I spoke.

“Your Highness, something on your mind? My ears are open, if I may be so humble.”

“I wish to keep Leia by my side. I need time to assess her worthiness of sainthood up close.”

“Ah, you wish to have Lady Leia near at hand… Why not have her be your bodyguard? I witnessed how she handled that monster just now, and it was most impressive. And I don’t think anyone could blame you for adding another bodyguard to your roster. Furthermore, as a saint, she wouldn’t disadvantage Elshaid in any way—wouldn’t that make her more trustworthy in your eyes as well, Your Highness?”

Aha…a bodyguard! I consider myself a good fighter, but she just might have me beat. And Johann’s right, I was just thinking it was time to add another bodyguard to the team. We may have a winning idea here.

It worked out perfectly for me, since I could observe her and solve my bodyguard shortage. I could also accompany her on her saintly tasks. Assassins would come for me regardless; I was in danger no matter where I went.

“Very well, Leia Westoria shall be my bodyguard. I’ll go get permission from His Majesty. Johann, prepare the paperwork we’ll need to send to the church.”

“Yes, Your Highness!”

And thus, I set the wheels in motion to make Leia my bodyguard. Before the day’s end, I paid Westoria Manor a visit to take Leia home to the palace with me.

-Jill’s Perspective-

“IT’S AS I FEARED…God is a bully.”

The world is cruel and unfair.

I worked very hard and strove diligently every day to live my life in an upright and honest way, yet my dear sister had denied me all my greatest desires.

Take, for example, when I was training to be a saint. My sister got a head start when she received far more tutoring from our magic teachers than me. And when I failed the exam, she had to go rub salt in the wound by immediately getting recognized as a saint by the church.

It was unfair that she got so much private tutoring! And if Mother hadn’t told me about it, I never would have even known. It made me so disappointed in her; she had such a smug look on her face for a cheater. I couldn’t believe that I once felt admiration for her.

But then, as if that wasn’t bad enough, she decided to seduce the man of my dreams, Prince Eric! I was going to make her pay dearly for that.

“Ohhh…”

“What’s wrong, Jill? You’ve been all sighs today,” said Lord Philip, heir to a duke.

He was a very kind man who listened to my woes. After advising me countless times, he unexpectedly broke off his engagement with my sister and proposed to me. I was flattered by the proposal, but now that my sister had left to go live with Prince Eric in the palace, the world had lost its luster.

Prince Eric’s face is far more handsome than Lord Philip’s…

Ohh, dearest Prince Eric, why did you hurl such harsh words at me? I was so enraptured by you, even more so than when I first met you. And yet you were just too cruel.

It was all my big sister’s fault… I was certain she cheated her way into Prince Eric’s employ too.

If I were the one chosen to become a saint, the one at Prince Eric’s side right now would’ve been me. But my sister was chosen instead, and so she was chosen to be by Prince Eric’s side. It was too late to change the facts. The more I thought about it, the deeper I sunk into my woes. Why, why must I be cast into this bottomless abyss of despair?

Why did Lord Philip say something that would make Prince Eric and my sister grow closer? I could only assume he did so out of spite.

“Lord Philip, why did you tell Prince Eric that horrendous slander that Leia was abusing me? Now Prince Eric has whisked her away to live with him at the palace!”

“Er, but Jill, didn’t you tell me Leia was abusing you? Remember how you cried, saying that despite being a saint, she had a rotten soul? I simply relayed your words to the prince. He is a man of justice, you know, so I was sure he would do something about it. I did this all for your sake, Jill.”

What?! W-well, I certainly didn’t expect him to say a thing like that. Why, from the way he phrased it, it sounds like he thinks I’m some reprobate who lied about being abused. Aha, I see, Lord Philip, you think I’m a rotten wench. How cruel. I only wanted to confide in you that I am not as talented nor as blessed as my sister. And you twisted my words to Prince Eric? What a dreadful thing to do.

So that was why Prince Eric looked upon me with such scorn—it was all Lord Philip’s fault!

“Do you mean to say that you intentionally brought my sister and Prince Eric together? And you portrayed me as a conniving, duplicitous wench? It’s just too cruuuel! Oh! Oh-oh! Wahhhh!”

“What?! A-are you crying?! Wh-why?!”

If only Lord Philip hadn’t told such absurd lies, my sister wouldn’t be living at the palace with Prince Eric, and my inferiority complex wouldn’t torment me more than it already did…

The tears simply will not stop! I am in grief…in misery… I curse my misfortune that led Prince Eric to say such cruel things to me—everything is just too terrible!

Why…why did my big sister get all the blessings while I ­endured such odious hardship?

“Oh-oh…oh, me…! L-Lord Philip, you shouldn’t have ­b-broken off your engagement with my sister. D-don’t you feel at all sorry for her?”

Lord Philip was just too fickle and too selfish. Most men in his position wouldn’t have broken off their engagements so frivolously. He surely didn’t consider how poor Leia would feel, abandoned and isolated.

“Whoa, wait just a minute now! When I proposed to you, you were crying with joy!”

Philip raised his voice, and my heartbeat raced. “P-please don’t yell! You’re frightening meeee! I had to act happy, didn’t I? I didn’t want to be rude to you!”

I did not realize what a terror this man was. Look at him, yelling and pressuring me out of nowhere—I cannot believe my eyes! I can’t believe I thought he was kind… Lord Philip is so terrifying, I cannot stand the sight of him! My hands simply will not stop shaking.

“Yes, I suppose Prince Eric would be more suited to someone like Leia, not a talentless, pathetic girl like me who can’t even be a saint. It’s obvious, really. Oh-ohhh… But just the thought of them together makes my heart ache so!”

“Whoa, now, Jill… I hope you’re not implying you’d prefer Prince Eric over me?!”

Once again, Lord Philip lashed out at me with cruelty in his heart.

Now, you know I can’t answer a question like that! Whom do I prefer, Prince Eric or Lord Philip? Why, there’s no comparison.

But if I were to give him my answer, Lord Philip’s feelings would be hurt—worst-case scenario, he could become overwhelmed with rage. He did yell at me earlier, and if I angered him any further, he could even strike me. And that would be more than I could bear. My only recourse was to remain silent.

“Your silence says it all… I’ll admit, Prince Eric is handsome, and he is the crown prince, after all. I see… The heir to a duke just isn’t good enough for you!”

“B-but I never said such a thing! First, you brazenly misinterpreted what I said about my sister, and now this? It’s just toomuch! Wahhh…”

How could he suggest such a thing?! I didn’t even speak, and yet he’s already decided I’m wicked. Once again, Lord Philip has imagined what’s in my heart and is trying to vilify me.

How could he say such cruel things? I simply cannot bear it! It’s just too much. Where did my sweet, gentle Lord Philip go…

“Argh, what a nuisance! Fine, you win, I’ll annul our engagement! Leia is ten times the lady you are! She has talents enough to become a saint, and she most certainly did not abuse you! That’s it, I’m marrying Leia after all!”

In his fury, Lord Philip cast me aside. Never before had a gentleman expressed such cruel sentiments to me—it was too frightful to bear.

Are you really going to discard me? Please, don’t say you’ll marry Leia! That would sadden me the most.

As I feared, Lord Philip found my sister to be more blessed than me—he was merely making a fool out of me.

If even Lord Philip abandons me, how ever can I go on living? Dear God, why must you torment me so?

But Lord Philip vanished before my eyes…leaving sorrow in his wake.

Oh, this is just too cruuuel!

Chapter 2:
As a Saint, as a Bodyguard

ABOUT A WEEK HAD PASSED since I came to live at the palace. As both a saint and as a bodyguard, I was starting to feel right at home. Every day, I cured the wounded with healing magic, erected barriers near monster nests, and performed other such saintly duties. Prince Eric observed me during these tasks, and afterward, I acted as his bodyguard.

In other words, I was by Prince Eric’s side all day, every day…yet strangely enough, it didn’t feel exhausting.

After two weeks as Prince Eric’s bodyguard, most of my time on duty was spent chatting with him. To be honest, living at home with nothing to do was much harder. Here, I neither needed to endure Catherine’s scolding and grumbling nor did I fume over Jill. If anything, you could say my life was now more comfortable.

Occasionally, an assassin would attack us, but I always foiled them with magic, just as I did on the first day. Curiously, the ones who reached us were only about half of the total assassins caught. That was startling for me to hear. I was shocked to discover how many assassins were able to infiltrate the palace. Incidentally, Prince Eric’s bodyguards were the ones who caught the other half of the would-be assassins.

“Well, hello there, Lady Leia. On your way to work?”

“Yes, I’m about to go see Prince Eric right now. He wishes to accompany me to my work again today. Sir Johann, have you caught another assassin? Thank you for your service.”

“Oh, tut. Your arrival at the palace has made my job much easier, Lady Leia.”

On my way to Prince Eric’s study, I crossed paths with his chief bodyguard, Johann Olbrun. He was in the middle of ­hauling off a couple of outlaws bound with rope.

The Olbrun school of fencing boasted a history of over four hundred years, and Johann was the acting swordmaster and a renowned swordsman. I heard that Prince Eric had studied the sword with Johann’s father at the Olbrun training hall. In other words, Johann was Prince Eric’s senior.

“I just realized that a week has passed since you joined us, Lady Leia. Have you and Prince Eric become friends?”

“Er—f-friends, you say? Th-that’s a bit sudden. I already have my hands full just trying to keep up with my daily tasks.”

Johann’s unexpected question took me aback. Since our first encounter wasn’t exactly on the best terms, closing the distance between us was a challenge. Naturally, I knew the prince wasn’t a bad person: After escaping daily assassination attempts, it was inevitable that he’d become severe and unapproachable. But all I could do about it was wait for time to pass. To the prince, I was nothing more than an object of study—there was nothing special about our relationship whatsoever.

“Is that so, my lady? Hmmm… I was hoping you would be able to get Prince Eric to open up sooner.”

“You flatter me, sir. In truth, I tend to make enemies without meaning to.”

I just don’t understand. What exactly is Johann hoping I’ll accomplish?

Johann assured me that Eric and I could become friends, but I knew that would be a difficult task for me. I didn’t know what to say around him, and I had no idea how to get closer to a prince who was so prickly. Even after a week, I still felt like I was walking on eggshells every day, worried that if I let my guard down even a little, I would anger Prince Eric again.

That being said, I was telling the truth when I said I felt more comfortable here than I had at home. Only now did I realize how constrictive my old life had been.

“Ha ha ha! You and His Highness are alike in that regard. Prince Eric has always been quite stubborn, even as a boy. When­ever we sparred, he hated when I gave him a handicap, even though I’m older than him. I tried to appease him, saying I didn’t want to hurt him, but then he would just say, ‘If you go easy on me, I won’t speak with you anymore!’ and, well, he was a real handful.”

“Oh my…how adorable. However, it sounds like you’re implying that I am stubborn and immature.”

“Oops, pardon me! I misspoke, my lady. Do forgive me.”

I chuckled, “Well, you’ve told me such a delightful anecdote, so I’ll forgive you.”

I shouldn’t be surprised, but even Prince Eric was a child once.

Come to think of it, I was a little untamed as a child myself. Perhaps that’s why my stepmother disliked me, why she said I was unlovable.

“Well, I’m glad you liked my little story. Now then, would you like to hear another? On Prince Eric’s fifth birthday, he—”

“Don’t you have outlaws to tend to, Captain Johann Olbrun?” a voice interrupted.

“Urk… Hello there, Your Highness,” he said, turning around awkwardly. “Weren’t you in your study?”

Johann’s nostalgic reverie was deflated by the prince’s sudden appearance behind him.

Prince Eric seems a bit peeved. Does he really hate reminiscing so?

“Leia was late, so I came to check on her. We have no time to stroll down memory lane. It is surely of no interest to her anyway.”

“Oh, but I am interested, Your Highness. I’m sad that I didn’t get to hear Sir Johann finish his story.”

“My heavens! You like my stories? Well, I shall have to tell you some more tomorrow!”

Prince Eric’s eyes widened in dismay. “Johann. Keep your mouth shut! That’s an order.”

So even Prince Eric can get embarrassed sometimes.

Here we were, having a harmless conversation, and he just snapped at us—it was quite unexpected. Perhaps he only let his true colors show because he was comfortable around Johann. He was always weirdly standoffish around me.

Unable to disguise the amusement in my voice, I said, “I guess you do know how to enjoy yourself, don’t you, Prince Eric?”

It was unusual to see Prince Eric look so flustered.

“Enjoy myself? Right… Isn’t it time for your saintly duties? Why don’t you get ready to go. The carriage is already waiting.”

It was a small step…but I felt like I had gotten closer to Prince Eric. I realized he was more normal than I’d assumed and that was why Sir Johann wanted us to be friends.

“Come, let’s go. Are you ready?”

And with this on my mind, I departed with the prince for my daily assignment.

Today’s assignment was in the rocky mountains near the wastelands. There were reports of monsters in the area, so the church had received a request for barriers to be erected.

Prince Eric was busy reviewing his documents, even during the carriage ride. I had asked him once out of curiosity why he was so busy all the time, and it apparently had something to do with why assassins targeted him.

Most of Prince Eric’s work entailed compiling reports that exposed corrupt nobles and government officials. Having such a strong sense of justice, Prince Eric couldn’t stand people with dirt on their hands controlling the government. Purging these corrupt officials by force simply because he did not like them was not Prince Eric’s style—he was gathering irrefutable evidence so he could prosecute them properly.

Once Prince Eric had a corrupt nobleman on his radar, no amount of power or influence could shield that noble from ­losing everything. So the most influential people, terrified of being exposed and losing their power, were trying to rid themselves of Prince Eric.

It wasn’t hard to see why they’d be scared of him. No one was safe from a crown prince armed with pure, cold logic—even I found him frightening.

If my father, Count Westoria, had one redeeming quality, it would be his innate aversion to rocking the boat. He stayed out of power struggles and focused only on the lands he was given, governing them with a light hand. Since he was harmless on a base level, I could rest at ease knowing I wouldn’t have to worry about Prince Eric going after him. In that regard, Philip’s father, Duke Gilbert, was much like mine, though it was probably more thanks to him holding the higher rank of duke, which allowed him to live a life of opulence without getting his hands dirty.

Philip likely was able to maintain his friendship with Prince Eric thanks to inheriting his father’s disposition and, as such, disinterest in things like fraud or corruption. He had plenty of wealth and would inherit his father’s lands in time—there really was no need for him to harbor any cutthroat ambitions.

Until Jill tricked him, I never once thought unfavorably of Philip. He was a warmhearted and textbook-perfect nobleman of high rank. He was a little spoiled and could be insensitive at times, but given the family environment I had grown up in, it was nothing I couldn’t endure.

I hoped he wouldn’t be so inconsiderate as to invite me to his wedding with Jill after breaking off his engagement with me, but I had a feeling that Jill would insist I come to the wedding regardless. I could clearly envision her pleading to me, tears streaming down her face: “But Leia, don’t you want to bless your little sister on her special daaaaay?”

And if I turned her down, Catherine would show up and scold me for being heartless.

Okay, let’s nip that thought in the bud. Worrying over it now won’t do any good—it will only put me in a sour mood. Besides, it would just be one bad day to endure; I should take a page from my father’s book and not rock the boat.

“What’s wrong? You look troubled. Did something happen?”

“No, Your Highness. I was just wondering what might have happened to you on your fifth birthday.”

“Ah, that again. That Johann sure does like to stir up trouble. There’s nothing much to tell, but if it will wipe that nonplussed look off your face, I’ll tell you. Just promise not to laugh.”

“Of course I won’t laugh, Your Highness.”

“You mean it?”

“Yes. I swear as a holy saint, my word is my bond.”

“Huh… All right, I believe you. Well, the day I turned five, I considered myself already an adult, so I sneaked a bottle of my father’s wine. Johann and I drank it together and caused a drunken ruckus. That’s all.”

“So that’s what happened… I heard that you stay away from alcohol, seeing as it impairs judgment. You’re right, a five-year-old thinking he’s an adult isn’t much of a story.”

I spoke with a measure of reluctance, but the prince was kind enough to tell me a story about his childhood to get my mind off my little sister crying selfishly. His story was just the sort of minor mishap every child experienced.

From the way Johann spoke and the story Prince Eric told me just now, it seemed like the prince was a bit of a scamp in his youth. It saddened me a little that he suppressed that side of him now. He hid the parts of his personality that made him human so he could live in a state of constant vigilance. Even from my short time together with him, that much was painfully clear.

“Yes, exactly. So there’s no need to pry into my past. All right, we’re here. These lands are too desolate to be farmland, and not hospitable for human habitation either, so we don’t know exactly what to do with them. They are dangerous, though, as monsters are prone to come out.”

“Yes, I am aware, Your Highness. I’d like to test something.”

“Test something?”

After our long conversation, we had arrived at the wastelands. Like Prince Eric said, the land was worthless, so it was abandoned and forgotten. As a saint, it was my job to make Elshaid a prosperous kingdom, and I had taken the title of saint because I believed in that philosophy. As such, I often asked myself the question, “What can I do to make Elshaid a better place?”

I arranged extra steles on the ground, then I gazed up heavenward and prayed. With the power of God in my hands, I amplified my magic energy and activated two summoning circles.

“Y-you activated two summoning circles at once?! What in the world are you trying to do here?!”

“O great powers of divine protection! Heal the earth!”

When the two summoning circles converged into one, I amplified my magic energy further. It was a spell that granted energy to all living things within an enclosed area—including even the very soil itself. New buds sprouted from the ground, and bits of green peeked out from the patches of snow remaining on the boulders.

I wasn’t sure this would work, since this orison requires spending a large amount of magic energy, but I think I was successful.

“I figured this was a wasteland that would never again be ­arable… I had no idea saints could use healing magic to revitalize the soil itself.”

“I’ve only just recently gained this ability. I was hoping there was some other way I could serve Elshaid besides erecting protective barriers, and since most of the areas that border monster territory are wastelands, I figured I could regenerate them little by little by using my magic like this.”

The new barrier spell I had developed in secret received high praise from Prince Eric. It was a synthesis of healing magic and the barrier spell. It still only produced minimal results, and I hadn’t yet tried it outside of experiments, but seeing the smile on Prince Eric’s face made all that hard work worth it.

“This is a truly fantastic discovery. You should be proud of yourself. Then again, it’s very like you to not boast—that’s one of your virtues.”

“I don’t know what you mean, but I am honored, Your Highness.”

I didn’t become a saint to brag about my achievements, I just wanted to do the most I could to serve those who relied on my powers. Even so, I was truly happy to receive praise for my hard work.

Prince Eric saw me for who I really was. When he first said that he was going to observe me to see if I was worthy to be a saint, I thought it meant he would intentionally seek out mistakes or flaws, but he really was simply observing me. If anything, it was a little unnerving how he had nothing but praise for the things I did.

We spent the rest of our time in the wasteland disposing of monsters and occasional assassins—me by magic, him by sword—while I finished erecting my barriers.

Watching Prince Eric’s swordsmanship, I could see why he didn’t need a bodyguard. Most notable were his speed and the merciless precision of his strikes against an enemy’s vitals. The prince specialized in disposing of his enemies without giving them an opening. I realized that, while Prince Eric trusted Johann, he had still worked very hard to ensure that he was able to defend himself and keep himself safe.

Watching him wipe green monster blood off his blade, I began to worry that Prince Eric would eventually snap under all the pressure he was under. Perhaps if there were more people in his life he could trust, the tense atmosphere around the prince would soften at least a little. But as things stood now, Prince Eric looked dangerously close to his breaking point. I wanted to reach out and help him.

I don’t necessarily want to make the first move, but maybe I should try to get a little closer to him. Thinking back, I only had a bad first impression of him. In his daily life, he’s a peaceful man, despite his strong sense of justice.

“Helloooo! Prince Eric! Leia!”

As I pondered these matters and completed my barriers, I heard a voice call out to us. It was Lord Philip. What was he doing all the way out here?

Panting for breath, he said, “Your Highness! Long time no see…”

“I hardly think that much time has passed, but what’s wrong? Why did you come all the way out here? And in such a hurry at that?”

“Oh, it’s nothing pressing, Your Highness. And Leia, you are every bit as beautiful as Jill.”

“Well, thank you. It’s not often I hear praise from you, Lord Philip.”

Prince Eric seemed just as baffled as I was by Philip’s desperate expression as he ran over to us. And he was praising my physical appearance too—was there something in the air?

I know it’s rude to say so, but it just feels weird.

When we were engaged, he often praised my talents and my intellect, but he never said a word about my appearance. That’s why I could say with confidence that his attitude was the exact opposite of usual.

I wonder why he really came here… I’ve got a bad feeling about this.

“Leia, I’ve just broken off my engagement with Jill!”

I was at a loss for words at Philip’s sudden confession.

Um…what did he just say? It sounded like he said, “I’ve just broken off my engagement…”

I mean, it was barely a week ago that he broke off our engagement and proposed to Jill. I couldn’t get a grasp on the situation at all—was it a joke?

“I realized that Jill is nothing but trouble. You would never abuse her, yet she used her nefarious wiles to trick me into believing it. So I broke things off with her.”

Okay, he looks like he’s serious. Is this the other side of speed-dating, speed-dumping?

After being engaged to Jill for only a week, Philip broke up with her. It was almost like he was trying to break some sort of world record.

I thought it over and decided it had absolutely nothing to do with me—this was between him and Jill. It might have been out of line for me to complain. In the end, his jilting me was all in the past. It was over.

“Is that so? Sorry to hear it. I suppose that means that the houses of Westoria and Gilbert are not meant to be joined ­after all.”

“Preposterous! There is still a connection!”

“Huh? But you broke off your engagements to both me and Jill, so the connection is as good as severed.”

What in the world is this gentleman even saying? I don’t get it.

He ended his engagements with both of Westoria’s daughters—clearly the connection was severed. I could only conclude that was what Philip had wanted.

“I’ll get engaged again! To you, Leia! After all, that’s the way things were up until just last week! We can get back together, water under the bridge, all’s well that ends well!”

Wow…I didn’t think he was actually this stupid.

The look on Philip’s face during his re-proposal was just so optimistic that I had to curse him under my breath.

If he was joking, I would let it slide, but his eyes were so earnest…and that made my blood boil. He had refused to listen when I begged him to hear my side of the story, and now this? Could a person be any more entitled?

Since it all happened only a week ago, it was still fresh in my memory. If he thought I could just close my eyes and sweep everything under the rug, he was an idiot.

“Lord Philip, our union ended on that day. An engagement is a sort of promise. You can’t unilaterally break it, then act like that didn’t happen when it suits you—don’t you think that’s a little dishonorable?”

My emotions were about to get the better of me, so I suppressed them and calmly informed Philip of the absurdity of his words. I wished I didn’t have to spell it out for him like this. The thought that this man—the son of a duke, no less—used to be my fiancé just made me feel sad.

“Y-you may have a point there, but I was deceived, you know? I’m a victim of your sister’s lies! Please spare me some empathy.”

He might have been fooled, but that wasn’t my problem. He wanted my grace, but setting aside his personal reasons, he had been my fiancé, somebody I spent so much time with, yet had ­refused to hear my side of the story, broke our engagement, and as if to twist the knife he had stabbed into my back, proposed to my little sister on the very same day! The reality of his actions wouldn’t simply vanish.

The very concept of breaking up with somebody, then getting right back together with them disgusted me. He hadn’t shown a bit of remorse for doubting me and didn’t even make an effort to apologize, and that had made me thoroughly repulsed by him.

“After some thought, I realized that you were a better fit for me, as you are quiet and manageable. Not to mention the prestige that comes with being a saint. Prince Eric, do put in a good word for me? I came to you for advice on the matter earlier, so I’m sure you understand.”

Philip was frantically trying to propose to me. To be blunt, his behavior was downright unpleasant, and I couldn’t understand why he was so fixated on getting me back. He had even escalated his efforts by asking the prince to back him up.

Now that I think about it, Prince Eric confronted me that day in the forest because Philip had gone to him for advice. Naturally, he wanted to help Philip, one of his only friends.

After a long pause, Prince Eric uttered with simmering rage, “You loathsome disgrace.”

“Heh?!” Philip yelped, now hysterical.

It seemed our prince was furious.

“Philip. I am honestly disgusted by you. You took Jill’s fabrication without question and told me that Leia was not worthy of being a saint. I was going to let that slide as temporary poor ­judgment, seeing as I made the same mistake myself. In that regard, you and I are equally guilty.”

Prince Eric scrutinized Philip with eyes colder than I had ever seen before. His tone was calm and firm, but his rage was palpable—a fury which stunned Philip into silence. The prince felt it would be hypocritical of him to blame Philip for denouncing me based on someone else’s lies, since he had done just the same. But Prince Eric at least had given me a chance rather than jumping to conclusions, and he apologized to me when he realized he was wrong, so I had no intentions of pressing him further.

He continued to berate Philip. “However, you failed to own up to your own carelessness, and you have the gall to propose to Leia again without so much as an apology? Have you no morals? I did not realize that Duke Gilbert failed to instill a basic understanding of human decency in his heir.”

“B-but, Your Highness, um, I’m just a little disconcerted since I was deceived! I fully intended to apologize to Leia.”

“And I’m saying you’re being self-centered. In your shallowness, you only sought to gratify your own desires. You’re shameless if you think you can just turn around and propose to somebody you just dumped. You have abandoned human decency and behaved as a monster. You are a disgrace.”

Philip tried to plead his case, but that only fanned the flames of Prince Eric’s rage. The color drained from his face as he began to tremble.

This was an example of Philip’s naivete—he wasn’t used to anger being directed at him. All his life, he had wanted for nothing, had no need for remorse or guilt. That shaped him into the man he was today.

Still, Prince Eric is being awfully merciless.

Philip was rendered defenseless and on the brink of surrender. I started to have an idea of why Prince Eric had such a strong sense of justice—and why he made enemies so easily. It didn’t matter who you were—if he sensed you had no principles, he would not turn a blind eye.

I admired that about him, but it seemed like a rough way to live.

“Moving forward, I’m going to reconsider my association with House of Gilbert. I will inform your father as much, so keep that in mind.”

“Y-Your Highness?! That’s uncalled for! I thought we were friends—eep?!”

The point of Prince Eric’s sword brushed against Philip’s throat.

“I’m sure you’re aware this area is teeming with monsters. A true friend tells his friend when he’s wrong. If you think a friend is somebody who doesn’t challenge you and agrees with everything you say and do, then you and I were never truly friends.”

There was a monster, fangs bared, skewered on Eric’s blade. Philip opened and closed his mouth in terror as he fell on his rear. Then, with tears in his eyes, he stood up and ran away. It was a pathetic sight to behold; I couldn’t bear to watch.

His terror had to have been quite real. Prince Eric’s spirit was just that overpowering.

“Phew… Sorry you had to see that. It seems I’ve just lost another friend.”

“I am so sorry, Your Highness. I never wanted to involve you in the fallout of my broken engagement.”

“Don’t blame yourself, Leia. I chose to get involved.”

Prince Eric was kind enough to accept my apology, but his sad eyes lacked their usual vigor. He had cherished Philip’s friendship, and he surely must have had reservations about ending it.

“Um…Prince Eric! It really is a shame what happened with Lord Philip, but if you make another friend, that’ll even the score.”

After a pause, Prince Eric said, “Hmm… Yes, I suppose you’re right.”

That’s pretty good for spur-of-the-moment advice, in my opinion.

Making friends wasn’t easy, but if Prince Eric had a positive attitude, I was sure things would work out for him.

“I hadn’t even considered that before you suggested it. A new friend… I see…”

“Well, I’m happy I could help.”

“What about you, Leia? Would you be my friend?”

“Huh?!”

His request for friendship blindsided me. I was sure he was joking. How could a man who said he needed to “observe” me only a week ago want to be my friend? The question was completely out of the blue.

“Er, forgive me. I’m not exactly in the right place to ask you to be my friend.” After retracting his friend request, he turned his back.

“Prince Eric?”

He didn’t prefer solitude, that much was obvious. He was just an awkward man who only knew how to approach things in a stupidly direct way.

What’s come over me… In my heart, I genuinely do want to get to know Prince Eric better.

He had rescued me from that dreadful house. If my new life began that day, you could call Prince Eric my own personal savior. Maybe that was why I wanted to get to know him better. And if we both made the effort to get to know each other, I was sure that moments like this would feel much more joyful.

But we were having a heart-to-heart talk now…so I had the sense that such a day would come.

“Well, let’s head back.”

“All right. I’d love to hear about your fifth birthday in greater detail on the ride back.”

“Um…just ask Johann.”

“But I want to hear the story from you, Your Highness.”

I walked a little behind him. If that distance between us ever were to close, there would need to be a big change in either my feelings or his.

Maybe it was just the sun reflecting off his silver hair, but as he walked ahead of me, Prince Eric looked all the more majestic.

***

Another week had passed since Philip tried to resurrect our engagement. Eric’s lecture seemed to have worked—I hadn’t heard a peep from Philip since.

I wondered if any trouble arose from ending his engagement to Jill. Then again, even if it caused problems, my father didn’t have the courage to complain to Duke Gilbert. He would ­probably stick to his creed of not rocking the boat and stay out of it.

But my stepmother Catherine was likely fuming. It must have been humiliating to have her beloved Jill cast aside like that.

And in spite of how troublesome my family was, I was considering going back for a visit. Not because I missed them, of course. I had another reason.

Since my move to the palace was so sudden, most of my personal belongings remained in my old home. I just wanted to retrieve them. I had more than the clothes on my back, but only just. Today was my day off from bodyguard duties and I had no saintly tasks either, so I took the opportunity to swing by.

I made my way to Prince Eric’s study to request permission to go. Looking back, the reason I was employed as his bodyguard in the first place was because one of his bodyguards was suspended. Apparently that bodyguard was to come back to work starting today.

I wondered what sort of person this bodyguard was. Since they had been suspended, they had to have done something bad, but if the morally righteous Prince Eric was allowing them to come back to work, it couldn’t have been too transgressive.

“Yarrrgh!!!”

Huh?! Wh-what?! Er, what in the world is happening?!

As I walked down the hall to the prince’s study, two men who looked like they didn’t belong there crashed through the windows, one after the other.

They must be assassins after the prince. Wow, I didn’t know people could fly so fast!

“You’re not escaping from me, oh no! Aha! There you are!”

“Eeeeep!!!”

A woman with a slight build and black hair that was pulled up in two buns chased after the duo. She leaped through the ­shattered window and smacked the intruders without mercy.

Errrrr…we’re on the second floor, aren’t we? How has she singlehandedly overpowered two men twice her size?

“Graaaah!”

“P-please don’t kill me!”

The men were probably assassins after Prince Eric. If they were arrested, they would likely face harsh sentencing, but I still couldn’t let them be killed in the palace hallway.

“Could you please stop hurting those men? They’ll die.”

“Hm?! We wouldn’t want assassins dying on us, no. Thanks for stopping me, lady. Xiexie!”

Judging by her accent, she was clearly not a local. Perhaps she was a refugee. From the way she looked, chances were high she came from the kingdom in the east, perhaps the Ren Empire.

“It’s reassuring that you know it would be bad for them to die, but why did it take me intervening for you to not kill them?”

“Master taught me that if somebody gives me a bad feeling, I hit until he stops moving, see? That’s vital wisdom for survival!”

I wouldn’t call that wisdom—more like simple assault. But between her death glare and her brawn, she was clearly no ordinary woman.

Seriously, who is she?

As I tried to make sense of the confusing new information, Prince Eric’s study door swung open and he appeared, a troubled look on his face.

“Lingsha… I thought it was you when I heard the loud crash.”

“Eric! My suspension is over, yes! Now I can bodyguard you again.”

Bodyguard? And she said suspension, meaning she’s the suspended bodyguard that was supposed to come back to work today.

Prince Eric sure did seem to have a unique collection of bodyguards in his service. But from what I saw earlier, she certainly could hold her own in a fight.

“Hm? Leia? I thought you were taking the day off. Never mind, now that you’re here, let me introduce you to my bodyguard, Lingsha. She was suspended, but she’s back on duty today. The two of you will likely work together often.”

“Nice to meet you, Lingsha. I’m Leia Westoria.”

“Leia, yes! So nice to meet you!”

An innocent smile bloomed on her face, melting away all trace of the death glare that was once there. She seemed like a bubbly, cheerful girl. At the very least, it was a relief to find out she wasn’t bad. Prince Eric acted naturally around her, so it was clear she had his trust.

“Lingsha is the twelfth princess of the Ren Empire, but she got caught up in a power struggle, so she ran away and sought asylum in Elshaid as a refugee.”

“W-wow, a princess? Do forgive my rudeness earlier, Princess Lingsha.”

I never would have guessed she was a princess of the Ren Empire. I figured she was a refugee, but I had no inkling that she was of such high status.

“Leiaaaa, I don’t need the princess title, yes? When I left my motherland, I left my title behind. Now I’m Eric’s bodyguard. Just like you, Leia!”

“But, Princess Lin—”

“Just Lingsha, please. Thanks. Be less humble, yes?”

I don’t feel like I’m being particularly humble…

Her aversion to being called princess might be a personal hang-up of hers, so I should respect that, I thought. Still, I felt uncomfortable addressing royalty by name and nothing else. As a saint of Elshaid, I wanted to pay everyone the most basic courtesy.

“All right…I’ll call you Miss Lingsha, then.”

“Oh, Leia, you are a lady of honor! I like it. Let’s be friends, yes?”

She nodded eagerly and extended a friendly hand. I gripped her small hand in mine. I genuinely wanted to be friends with Lingsha—I had a feeling she would make my life a lot more exciting.

“Oh, that’s right, you still haven’t told me why you’re here. Is something wrong?”

“Oh, er, no, Your Highness. I just came to ask permission to go to my parents’ manor to pick up my personal belongings.”

I knew I was in for an earful of unpleasantness when I got home, but it couldn’t be helped. All I had to do was grit my teeth and bear it for a while.

The past two weeks without the constant abuse from Catherine and Jill made me feel like I could handle anything. The prospect of being around the pair wasn’t so dreadful anymore—I knew with a little determination, it would pass. It wasn’t a problem to me anymore because I knew I could go back home to the palace afterward.

“Of course, you’re welcome to retrieve your personal belongings, but are you sure you’re all right going back to that house alone? Shall I send a bodyguard with you?”

“Er… A b-bodyguard, Your Highness? Is there a problem with my going home alone?”

I’d gotten Prince Eric’s permission, but he looked worried and gave the strange suggestion of sending a bodyguard along. Unlike the prince, my life wasn’t even in danger.

“I know your stepmother and sister dislike you, so I was trying to be considerate.”

“Your Highness, please don’t make any statements that are difficult for me to respond to…”

I knew that my stepmother and sister disliked me, but ­hearing it from someone else made me uncomfortable. I wished he had been a bit more tactful.

This was the first time anybody had ever said my stepmother and sister disliked me to my face. It was true of course, and maybe their cruelty was so obvious that Prince Eric noticed it after meeting them for such a short duration, but he said it so bluntly that it pained my heart.

“I could come with you, naturally, but would you like Lingsha to join you?”

“If your family abuses you, Leia, I’ll throw them out the ­window to their death, yes?”

“No, you needn’t worry about me. I’m used to it.”

I wouldn’t wish that on anyone, even Catherine. Besides, this was my problem to deal with. And I was only going to pop in and out, so I couldn’t trouble the prince with this. I appreciated how attentive he has been toward me recently, but I didn’t want to let myself get too soft. After all, I was technically here to be observed.

“All right…then I’ll send you off in a royal carriage with an attendant. That will likely keep Countess Westoria at bay.”

Prince Eric’s offer to let me borrow an official royal carriage of Elshaid was generous. If I showed up in one of those, that would make me a royal guest. According to the prince, that would deter any funny business. Personally, I wasn’t sure how much good the royal carriage would actually do, but it was a kind gesture, so I graciously accepted.

Probably, the prince still felt guilt over how he treated me when we first met. He’d since stopped apologizing for it, but I got the impression that he wasn’t over it. Nonetheless, I was flattered by his attention, so I would let him coddle me when necessary. However, I would be fine today—even on my own, I would be safe.

And so, I turned to go on my way…to pay a visit to the family that probably hated me for the first time in two weeks.

***

“We’ve arrived, Lady Leia.”

“Thank you. I don’t have many belongings; this should take no more than an hour.”

I thanked the attendant and opened the door to my family home to see Jill standing there to greet me, a smile creeping across her face. She had probably rushed to the door when she heard the carriage approach.

“Oh, my sweet sister Leia, I see you’re back from the palace! Poor dear, to think that Prince Eric got sick of you after a mere twoweeks… But fear not, I’m not like him. I know you have many redeeming qualities, Leia.”

Well, that’s new. She never used to butter me up like this before.

Her eyes sparkled with joy when she looked at me, and I was at a loss for words. She was under the impression that I had been kicked out of the palace. I recalled how Prince Eric had come to take me away the first time and she desperately tried to stop him.

Does the idea of me living at the palace really upset her that much? I just don’t get how she really feels.

“Hello, Jill. Thanks for coming to greet me. Oh…by the way, I’m sorry about Lord Philip.”

If what Philip had told me the other day was true, Jill’s engagement with him was broken. She had mentioned now and then during my engagement how she thought Philip was handsome, so I’d assumed the breakup had hurt her, but she seemed rather well.

“Oh, Lord Philip? What makes you think I’d be upset? Do I look upset?”

“Er, but I heard that Lord Philip broke off his engagement to you…”

When I saw the curious, blank expression on Jill’s face, I got the feeling I was way off base.

What’s going on? I get the sense we’re talking past each other…

Did Philip lie when he said he broke off their engagement? No, that wasn’t possible. He didn’t seem to be lying at all.

“Duke Gilbert begged for our forgiveness,” Catherine said as she descended the stairs. She was clearly in a foul mood. “He said if word got out that his son had broken his engagement with a girl as sweet as Jill, it would bring shame to his house. So he begged Jill to pretend Lord Philip didn’t break off the engagement to begin with. What is that gentleman thinking? How could he tell my darling Jill that she’s annoying?!”

“Oh, Mother, I’m not bothered by it. Lord Philip must have been under a terrible amount of stress. I’ve forgiven him.”

I didn’t see that coming… After making such a bigfuss of trying to get me to marry him, he went back to Jill in the end?

If it were me, I would be far too embarrassed to do such a thing, but I supposed he was different. Though, since Duke Gilbert was the one who had come begging for forgiveness, I couldn’t be sure this was Philip’s handiwork.

Well, I wash my hands of it. If Jill’s fine with it, then I don’t care. I just want to steer clear of this mess—that’s my sincerest wish.

“Still, for somebody who went off to the palace with such a smug look on her face, you’ve come crawling back awfully quick. I must say, I’m not at all surprised. Fate wouldn’t permit a wretch like you to stay by His Highness’s side and abandon poor Jill.”

“Oh, Mother, please don’t blame poor Leia. Her heart has surely shattered over falling out of His Highness’s favor. I’m so sorry, my sweet sister. Looks like I’ll be first to marry after all, and you’ll simply become a spinster…”

Under the mistaken impression that I had come back for good, Catherine didn’t even pretend to hide her joy, and Jill was as verbose as ever. I didn’t expect to feel so awful after only a few moments back in my old home; it reconfirmed just how miserable I’d been here.

Of course, I hadn’t said a word about losing the prince’s favor. As for the matter of Jill marrying before me, that was only because Jill stole Philip from me in the first place. When confronted by the utterly oblivious women, I found myself wishing I could go back to the serenity of the palace as soon as possible, but I couldn’t do that until I explained to them that I needed to gather my things.

The only problem was: I knew that explaining it to them would only cause further havoc. It was easy to imagine the drama that would unfold—and that was why I dreaded telling them.

My desire to leave this house outweighs my dread, I realized.

“Um… I’m returning to the palace. I only came here to collect my belongings.”

“What?!” my stepmother and sister gasped in perfect unison. Their saccharine smiles melted in a flash. Catherine’s anger was on full display, and Jill’s eyes shot daggers at me.

They were surely disappointed, since looking down on me was their only source of joy when I was around. They weren’t even trying to hide their emotions, so I understood perfectly well what they were thinking without a word.

“W-w-well, my goodness! Does your wickedness know no bounds?!”

“H-how cruel of you, Leia! I was merely trying to console your broken heart—I would never mock you! You’re just too cruel!”

They let loose all their hostility, no holds barred.

Do they really think I’m the bad guy here?

The way they just assumed I came back because the prince hated me and mocked me for it—that was a hundred times more wicked than anything I could have done. It was troublesome that they could only interpret the facts in a way that benefitted them. I was starting to think I would not be able to take it lying down anymore.

“My sweet sister gets to be with the crown prince—the man of my dreams—and who do I wind up with? Oh, woe is me…” she finished with a sigh so over-the-top that, if Philip were here, he would’ve wanted to break off the engagement yet again.

Her sighs transitioned into sobs, causing Catherine to chew me out for tormenting Jill, so I silently ascended the stairs, stashed my most important possessions in a bag, and hurried out of the house.

“That was fast, my lady. Is that all your belongings?”

“Yes, thank you. This is all I need…”

I hastily clambered into the carriage, plopped down in my seat, and let out a long, low groan. The ordeal was even more hellish than I’d imagined. Mind you, I’d never been to Hell, but I sometimes wondered if Hell was nicer than that house.

My short trip back home after two weeks at the palace was simply that exhausting and excruciating. I only kept my sanity by telling myself those grim little jokes while I was there.

Until I moved out, I had no clue that the way my family acted was so abnormal. I also didn’t realize how frayed my sanity was after having endured that treatment all those years.

Still, it sounds like Jill and Philip are back together. Though, from the way she was acting, I foresee trouble in paradise. I hope they’ll be okay…

It was pointless to worry. If I got involved, Catherine would only yell at me for meddling.

In any case, I didn’t want to return to that house any time soon. Just thinking about my family made me sick. So I decided to clear my thoughts and focus instead on the joy I would feel when I returned to the palace.

***

It wasn’t yet noon when I arrived back at the palace and went to Prince Eric’s study to tell him what happened. I also needed to thank him for letting me use the royal carriage.

“That was quick—not too quick, I hope?”

Prince Eric greeted me with a smile as he sipped his tea. The warm, calm atmosphere soothed my heart, shaken as it was by the encounter with my stepmother and sister.

Only a little while ago, I didn’t recognize the bliss that came from inhabiting such a serene, untroubled environment.

“Do you want some tea, Leia? It’s warm, very tasty, yes.”

“Oh, yes, thank you.”

Wow… Peace and quiet truly is a beautiful thing. Hard to believe that the mere absence of my stepmother and sister and their constant yelling could make me feel so blessed.

“Urrgghh, forgive me! I was wrong! Please spare me!”

“Huh?!” I looked up in confusion.

“Here you go! Do you want milk and sugar?” Lingsha held out a cup of tea for me with one hand while her other was holding a large man by the scruff of his neck.

That’s right…Prince Eric is surrounded by assassins.

Even knowing that, I considered this place peaceful—was there something wrong with me? I started to worry about myself like I was a concerned friend.

“No sugar, thank you, and I’ll add my own milk. You seem to have your hands full, Miss Lingsha.”

“Oh, no, Leia, it’s no problem at all! Let Lingsha take care of you!” As Lingsha skillfully poured milk into my cup, the scent of tea reached my nose. “Here you go. Just relax, yes?”

Lingsha handed the giant assassin over to a policeman and sat beside me.

This tea is so good. Lingsha must really be skilled at brewing it.

From the rough way the bodyguard had handed me the tea, it was hard to believe just how delicate its flavor was.

“Doesn’t Lingsha make the best tea?”

“Oh yes, Your Highness. Its flavor fills my heart with warmth.”

Even though I spent my days fighting off assassins, I felt at peace. My heart was as warm and cozy as this cup of tea.

“I’ve been so happy lately that I was starting to worry something terrible was going to happen. Returning home this morning made that worry even stronger.”

After some time of living at the palace, I felt as if my life had been blessed by some kind of miracle. It was just so unbelievably perfect that I was starting to worry that everything that had ­happened after my broken engagement was just a dream.

“There was a time when I felt the same way, you know.”

“Oh! Did you really, Miss Lingsha?”

“Well, yes, back in the Ren Empire, everyone in my family kept killing each other. Elshaid is a hundred times more comfortable to live in, oh yes indeed. So I’ve adopted it as my home.”

I was alarmed by Lingsha’s casual tone. I couldn’t even ­imagine what it was like to have your entire family trying to kill you. She had mentioned earlier that people were often beaten senseless there—the Ren Empire was surely a lot wilder than Elshaid.

But after everything she’d been through, Lingsha saw Elshaid as her homeland now.

What caused her change of heart, I wonder…

“You consider Elshaid…to be your home?”

“Oh yes! Once it became truth, I didn’t have to think about anything, and life got better, you see.”

“By become truth…do you mean you convinced yourself that Elshaid was your homeland?”

“Oh yes! At first, I was shocked that I could eat every day without worrying about anybody stealing my food. But always being shocked wore me out, you see. Wondering and fretting won’t change anything either. It’s a luxury, not needing to think.”

“Not needing to think is a luxury… Is that really how it works?”

“For the last four thousand years, it’s worked that way, oh yes. The people of the Ren Empire have always, always loved luxury. And I know life will be much easier for you if your life here becomes truth in your mind, Leia. I promise you’ll think it’s stranger not to see your life that way.”

I chuckled, “That does sound like a carefree way to live. I think I’ll follow your example, Miss Lingsha.”

“Oh yes, I promise you’ll have more fun that way. The tea here is tasty too.”

I realized that I’d been smiling a lot more when I talked to people now. All those years living at that house made me forget how to enjoy conversations. It may have made me sad in the past, but now, it felt so insignificant.

I think I’ll take a page from Lingsha’s book and try to forget about my family.

“Prince Eric, I’m going to extract a confession from the assassin Lady Lingsha just captured.”

Johann had been in the room this whole time, but he’d been having a staring contest with some important papers until he excused himself just now to deal with the assassin. I felt like it was too soon to get a confession, but he surely had his reasons to rush.

“You question your assassins so soon after their attempts?” I blurted out. The arrest transpired so quickly before my eyes that my curiosity was piqued. I knew I was out of line to ask, but I just had to know. Of course, if the information was confidential, I wouldn’t pry.

“As Lady Lingsha has captured three assassins today, I’ll have to start right away if I want to finish questioning them before nightfall.”

“Oh, I see. She caught three assassins?”

“Yes, although we’ve had fewer assassins than usual this week. Here, you can see the information on this graph I’ve created. While we mustn’t be complacent, the number of arrests has been trending downward.”

One glance at Johann’s graph was enough to recognize that the line had been on a downward slope. I then remembered that Lingsha had two assassins in tow this morning. Adding the one she just caught, that made three.

If there were fewer assassination attempts now, it was scary to imagine how many there used to be. Though now that I was presented with the facts, I did get the sense that there were fewer assassins now than there were when I first arrived.

“Isn’t having fewer assassins a good thing?” I asked.

“Quite right, Leia, but that isn’t what concerns Johann. Aren’t you curious as to why there are fewer assassins? Answering that question will help us track down the mastermind behind them all.”

“Yes indeed, Your Highness. We must find these fiendish criminals who want our prince dead as soon as possible, so that we may stop them for good.”

Now I understood. The mastermind who sent the assassins surely had a reason to attempt fewer assassinations. Figuring that out might help us uncover their identity.

Who could it be? I wondered. They had sent so many assassins to do their dirty work, yet they didn’t leave a trace. In other words, this mastermind had to have access to a great deal of money and resources, perhaps even aid from other kingdoms.

I can think of one sort of person who has the money, the resources, and the connections with other kingdoms…but it can’t be…

“W-wait a minute, don’t tell me the mastermind is one of Elshaid’s—”

“You’re a sharp one, Lady Leia. I’d rather this information not leave this room, but yes, His Highness and I both theorize that the mastermind is a member of the Great Four.”

The air of the study turned tense when Johann revealed that the mastermind behind the attempts on Prince Eric’s life was likely someone in the four greatest noble houses. There were four dukes in Elshaid who managed large tracts of land, supported the royal family, and were central to the national government. Their families were called the Great Four, and they were treated differently from the other noble houses.

With special rights and privileges far greater than that of the rest of the nobility, the Great Four wielded tremendous power—and Lord Philip’s house, Gilbert, was one of those four families. That was why it was unheard of for a member of House Gilbert to come crawling to beg forgiveness of a lowly count like my father.

Of course, it was easy to deduce that Duke Gilbert had only done so because he was terrified that Philip had so angered Prince Eric that his title was in jeopardy. Even so, it was unthinkable that people so privileged would be dissatisfied with their circumstances. They were second only to the crown in power.

“About seventy percent of the government officials whom Prince Eric has stripped of title had connections to the Great Four. They have ample reason to hold a grudge.”

“That said, nobody from the Gilbert house was involved,” Prince Eric conceded. “The other three houses are suspect, though.”

Everything was now starting to make sense. Among the special privileges of dukes was the power of appointment. Since Prince Eric showed no clemency for the corrupt, the bureaucrats who had dirtied their hands fell and the dukes grew angry—those officials were appointed and influenced by the dukes. The more government officials fired, the weaker the influence the dukes held in the workings of government.

“Those three houses wish that my younger brother Dale would become the rightful heir to the throne instead of me. They aren’t shy about telling His Majesty so. It’s clear they want me to disappear.”

I had spoken with Prince Dale, Eric’s younger brother, many times at parties. His face was like Eric’s, but that was all they had in common. He was cordial and nonthreatening, and this demeanor made the eligible bachelor quite popular with ladies, at least judging by the longing gazes he received wherever he went.

Prince Eric wasn’t betrothed either, but according to Johann, this was because marriage was out of the question when his life was in constant peril.

Is Prince Dale refraining from marriage out of respect for his brother?

I couldn’t imagine what their relationship was like, but it was rather alarming to learn that three of the four most influential houses favored Prince Dale over the crown prince.

The notion that the crown prince chosen by the king—the will of the kingdom by extension—was unfit to rule existed due to the tension between the royal family and the Great Four.

“It concerns me that His Majesty the King has done nothing, despite the numerous assassination attempts on the crown prince’s life,” I said. “Wouldn’t most kings take some sort of action?”

I couldn’t understand His Majesty’s thought process. It was unbelievable that he would sit idly by while his heir received such horrid treatment. Any other king would stand up to those who dared slight his chosen heir—even if they were the four most powerful noble houses.

“His Majesty is not being careless. His request to the church that you be my bodyguard is proof of that. It is tacitly understood within the kingdom that the Great Four are a breeding ground for fraud and corruption. If your goal was to maintain a temporary peace, then it wouldn’t be a mistake to leave the Great Four alone.”

“Your Highness… Are you saying that His Majesty decided to leave the Great Four alone in order to maintain this temporary peace?”

“That’s right. And that’s the way a statesman should act. If His Majesty truly wished to give the Great Four free rein, I would have already lost my claim to the throne. Do you see what I’m getting at?”

Prince Eric had a point—if the king wasn’t concerned with Prince Eric’s safety, he wouldn’t have made the arrangements to secure me as his bodyguard. But I still felt it was irresponsible of him to not make proactive attempts to intervene, for fear of war breaking out in Elshaid. Therefore, I could only conclude that His Majesty likely had a secret agenda.

“Do you suppose that His Majesty secretly hopes that you will change the balance of power, Prince Eric? Perhaps that’s why he hasn’t officially named Prince Dale his heir. And he won’t say so personally so as to avoid political chaos, right?”

“At the very least, His Majesty is testing me—that’s what I believe.”

“As do I,” Johann agreed. “His Majesty is most certainly anything but careless.”

Perhaps this “test” was to determine if Prince Eric was capable of unmasking the mastermind on his own. That would explain why Johann was working so diligently to uncover clues.

Prince Eric is incredible. Even when he’s surrounded by enemies, he still puts his trust in his father the king and doesn’t resent him.

He was surely dying for help. There was no joy to be found in a life of ceaseless danger.

I looked at Prince Eric. His gaze was diligent as ever, truly the product of a strong spirit. The frightful impression I had of him when we first met was long gone now, and I was losing myself in the beauty of his gaze.

“Well, I’ll take my leave now,” Johann said, then left the study to interrogate the assassins.

I wanted to help—if only there was something I could do. I didn’t want him to lose the sparkle in his eyes.

“The solemn conversation is over now, yes?” Lingsha asked. “Come on, Leia, your trip home, tell me about it. I’m worried they bullied you, see?”

“That’s right, Leia. Did your family have any news of Philip?”

Just when I thought the tension in the air would dissipate, Lingsha brought up my family. It seemed that Prince Eric received word about Philip and Jill from Duke Gilbert—though that was to be expected.

“Yes, I heard that he and Jill are to be wed after all.”

“It wasn’t what I was pushing for, but Duke Gilbert was so determined, and as long as you are willing to forgive him, I’m prepared to let it slide so they can save face.”

Prince Eric was angrier with Lord Philip than I was, but Duke Gilbert’s apology had smoothed things over.

“I’m not at all bothered by it. The whole ordeal has made me rather disenchanted by marriage.”

“Sorry to hear that—but there’s nothing wrong with being alone. I’m not yet betrothed, and my life has no shortage of excitement.”

“Then perhaps I should follow your lead and find ways to rejoice in my solitude as well.”

“Yes, you would be well served to do so for a while. You are both talented and supernaturally powerful. You will bid farewell to your life alone when the time is right, I’d wager.”

Would the day truly come when I could bid farewell to my life alone? The way my life was now, I certainly couldn’t imagine it, and surely Prince Eric was only able to accept my declaration against marriage with such ease because he himself had not yet chosen a partner to share his life with. He probably thought he needed to steel himself until he unmasked the mastermind. But after this was all over, as crown prince, Eric was expected to marry. I wondered what sort of person would become his wife…

Knowing Prince Eric, she would surely be devout. Someone he could trust…

What was I even thinking? It didn’t concern me at all. I just needed to keep my mind on protecting Prince Eric until he unmasked the mastermind.

I started to get the feeling that I would be alone for a long time hence. After what happened with Philip, I wasn’t too eager to get married, so I was better off alone. At least I was enjoying my life for now, in spite of all that.

***

About a month had passed since I became Prince Eric’s bodyguard. Being reserved by nature, I mostly kept to myself and made no particular effort to talk to anybody, but little by little, I warmed up to the other bodyguards and could now speak freely with them.

They were all lovely people who were fun to talk to. I became especially close friends with Johann and Lingsha. As Prince Eric trusted them both greatly, we spent a lot of time in his study, lending an ear and giving advice.

“Here, Leia, I thought you’d like this bread when I saw it, so I bought it, you see. I’d be so happy if you ate some!”

“Thank you very much… Ooh, it is good. And what a mellow aroma too. Did you buy this in the capital?”

“Oh, yes! This elderly couple who runs a pizzeria? Well, their son opened a bakery against their wishes, you see. The bread tastes of contempt for home!”

“O-oh, really?”

It was hard to believe his parents didn’t support him when his bread was this good.

Wait a minute… As soon as she said it tasted of contempt for home, the bread started tasting extra salty. I hope I’m just imagining it…

Lingsha knew all the best eateries in the capital. Because of her influence, I’d been buying dinner on the way home from my saintly duties more and more.

“Lady Leia, could you notify Prince Eric that his new sword will be delivered tomorrow? There’s another matter I must attend to,” said Johann.

“Oh, of course! Anything I can do to make your job easier.”

Johann was not only the captain of Prince Eric’s bodyguards, he also assisted the prince in his administrative tasks. This was because he simultaneously held the position of Captain of the Guard and Police Deputy of the Crown Prince. Because he had looked after Prince Eric since childhood as if he were his own baby brother, Eric trusted him more than anyone. It was only when the two of them talked that Prince Eric ever smiled like an innocent boy.

Johann was a skilled bodyguard, as one would expect. He rounded up assassins one after another. It could be argued that without Johann around to serve him, Prince Eric would not have been able to follow the path of justice.

With his message in my care, Johann left Prince Eric’s study.

“Leia, I’ll make more tea, yes? Give me the cups.”

“Thank you, Miss Lin, your tea always tastes so good. Where did you learn how to make it?”

Lingsha’s tea had a rich, heavenly aroma. Neither me nor Johann could make tea like she did. She seemed to have some trick up her sleeve, but she never had an answer for us when we asked what it was.

“Learning to make tea was part of my training to lull my enemies into a false sense of security. Ren’s people drink lots of tea, you see. After they drink a cup of tea is when they’re the most relaxed. And if your enemy feels safe, you can blast ’em to Heaven with one punch, you see?”

“M-my goodness, you’ve studied under some very unique circumstances, haven’t you?”

Lingsha’s tea was delicious, in any case. But I learned a valuable lesson: Some questions were better left unasked. It was possibly one of the most important lessons I’d ever learned.

Three years ago, Lingsha abandoned her title of imperial princess and fled to Elshaid as a refugee. When Prince Eric declared that he would take her under his wing, he became a pillar of ­support for Lingsha in Elshaid. There were plenty of bumps along the way, but the important thing was that she had successfully escaped the Ren Empire and could lead a peaceful life in Elshaid. She became a bodyguard because of her mastery of martial arts, and because she’d volunteered herself for the task.

I was happy to have yet another nice person I could talk to. All the traces of hardship I felt while living with my family were now gone, and my days were filled with joy. All that remained was to find and stop the mastermind that targeted Prince Eric. As one of his bodyguards, I worked hard to try and solve that problem.

“Oh no! I forgot my request from the church in my room. I was supposed to read it through and show it to His Highness by the end of day. Miss Lin, if His Highness should come by, could you tell him I went to get something I forgot and that I’ll be right back?”

“I can, oh yes. You are in good hands!”

Having assured Lingsha that I would return promptly, I rushed off to my room to fetch the church’s request.

***

I returned to my room, tucked the document under my arm, and was about to make my way back to the study when I had an unexpected encounter with someone. It made me nervous because this was the first time I’d seen him in this kind of situation, and the last time I saw him was likely a year ago.

“Hi there, Leia. Long time no see. I was surprised to hear you had been appointed my brother’s bodyguard—only a little while prior, I’d heard you were to be wed to Duke Gilbert’s son.”

“Prince Dale, it is an honor to see you again. I’m terribly sorry to tell you this after you were so kind as to give our marriage your blessing, but I was inadequate and thus my betrothal was annulled. I’m terribly ashamed.”

Elshaid’s second prince, Dale, stood before me. We’d exchanged pleasantries now and then at parties, but I didn’t know him very well beyond that.

He was in many ways the polar opposite of the prickly Prince Eric. He approached everyone cordially with a smile that never left his face. In short, he was the very embodiment of harmlessness.

His hair was the same silver as Eric’s, though he wore his long. With a delicate, androgynous face and a beautiful slender body, he was just as beautiful as any lady. He was wildly popular with nobles and peasants alike.

I suspected the Great Four favored him over Prince Eric to succeed the throne because he would be easier to control.

“No need to apologize, my lady! In fact, I could not feel more reassured, knowing a fantastic saint such as yourself is taking care of my brother. Elshaid simply cannot function without him. I hope we have you in our service for many years to come.”

Prince Dale smiled sweetly at me. Apparently, he thought my presence as Prince Eric’s bodyguard was to be celebrated. I wondered if he truly had no ambitions of his own—slitting Prince Eric’s throat in his sleep and becoming the next king, for example.

Of course, since he always spoke so lovingly about his brother, my suspicions were nothing more than meanspirited conjecture. However—and maybe it was because the Great Four conversation was fresh on my mind—I couldn’t help but wonder what his true feelings were. Naturally, I never dared to ask such an impertinent question, but I was dying to know what secrets lay behind that sweet smile of his.

“Thank you. I shall defend Prince Eric with my life.”

“Defend him with your life? Huh… Well, let’s you and I have a nice chat sometime.”

When he heard the words “defend him with my life,” Dale’s constant smile faltered for a moment. He almost seemed sad in that instant…or perhaps it was an expression of love… His face hinted at mixed emotions beneath the surface.

But his smile quickly returned, and with a bow, he slipped past me and left.

What in the world was that look on Prince Dale’s face? An impulse to ask him as he walked away seized me, but I didn’t have the courage to act on it, so I continued on my way to Prince Eric’s study.

Prince Eric was surely in there already. I would need to apologize for my tardiness, and then perhaps we could talk a little about Prince Dale.

“I see. So you saw Dale. Well, did he say anything to you?”

When I told Prince Eric about my encounter with his brother, he gave me a noncommittal response. I hadn’t heard any rumors of bad blood between the brothers, but he had said they didn’t see each other often. I wondered if neither of them cared much about that.

“No, Your Highness, only to give my regards to you.”

“I see,” he answered curtly, and took a sip of tea.

It seemed he had complicated feelings about his brother. After all, the conspiracy to assassinate Prince Eric was motivated by the goal of putting Prince Dale on the throne.

I wanted to believe that the eternally smiling prince was harmless, but given what I’d been through, I couldn’t trust him—and that frustrated me. It hurt, wanting to believe in something but being unable to.

“Oh, Eric, Leia, why so doom and gloom? In the Ren Empire, everyone I crossed paths with would beat me and call me the enemy, you see! Elshaid is like Heaven compared to that, oh yes indeed!”

“Miss Lin?”

“Lingsha, why the sudden outburst?”

Lingsha had just declared, her eyes dead serious, that Prince Eric’s precarious life of daily assassination attempts, a life in which he had to suspect his own brother, was like Heaven.

It was hard to explain…and maybe it was because she was so valiant, but looking at her always made me feel refreshed. Seeing the big smile on her face made me proud to have made a friend that made me feel so good. Watching Lingsha smile, I could almost feel myself growing more cheerful.

“My master always told me, ‘Lingsha, if you can’t fight off your attackers while you’re asleep, then you’ll never wake up again.’ Get it? But I can sleep real good in a bed now, oh yes! It’s a wonderful thing that the mattress merchants in Elshaid aren’t starving from poverty!”

“Lingsha. I’ll ask you again… What are you talking about?”

“You have me, Miss Lingsha, and also Sir Johann, Your Highness. You do have many enemies, that I can’t deny, but you also have allies. And we’re all very blessed to be able to feel safe with each other and relax over a cup of tea. I believe that is what Miss Lingsha was trying to say.”

“Oh… Yes, you’re both right. If I suspect everything and everyone, I will never be at peace. I truly am grateful to you both. To me, trust is the greatest treasure of all. In comparison, my title as crown princeis nothing more than a rock in the road. Thank you, both of you. I feel better now.”

Prince Eric offered us his sincere gratitude. Trust was his treasure—he was probably on to something.

On the day my engagement ended, I’d wished that Lord Philip had believed me, so I was sincerely happy to be included in Prince Eric’s short list of trusted people.

I vowed in my heart to always cherish the treasure of Prince Eric’s trust.

***

As the light of the full moon shone through the lace curtains, Prince Eric suddenly muttered, “That’s odd.”

He sat at his desk in the study doing his usual paperwork. My saintly duties had taken longer than usual today. Since he had accompanied me, that meant he had gotten to work later than usual, and I was guarding him at night for the first time in a while.

I wondered what he thought was odd. It was a quiet night, and not a single assassin had shown up in two days. It was the definition of peaceful—so what was the matter?

I had nothing in particular to do, so I busied myself eating the cookies Lingsha had bought me and flipped through the pages of the novel Johann had recommended. It was so peaceful I was starting to feel guilty and a little anxious. However, if it meant Prince Eric was in no danger, a bodyguard feeling bored was definitely a good thing.

Wow, these cookies are so good. I need to ask Lingsha where she bought them next time I see her.

“Yeah… This is odd. It’s been too long since somebody’s tried to kill me.”

“Er—that’s your problem?!”

His chair rattled as Eric leaped out of it, went to the window, and opened it to look outside. I sat there, stunned by what he just said. The revelation that assassination attempts had become part of his definition of “normal” was just too much. It was such a shock that I blurted out my feelings without thinking.

Technically, it was unusual. During the month or so since I’d arrived here, assassins made constant attempts until early spring. It was almost like they’d lost interest as the weather grew warmer; however, since I was a new recruit, I had just assumed that this was typical and thought nothing more of it.

Johann said, “Your Highness, step back from the window. I don’t care if we haven’t had as many assassins—it’s dangerous for you to stand there.”

He was quite right to warn the prince—assassins would love to attack the prince if they spotted him at the window. Goodness, the prince could be so reckless. He was probably confident that they wouldn’t be able to kill him so easily, which wasn’t to say that I approved of him purposefully putting himself in danger.

“Oh, sorry. I thought that if I showed them an opening, they might make a move.”

“I don’t think offering yourself as bait would be wise, Your Highness. No point in luring out an assassin if you end up dead.”

“Fair enough. I’ll heed your warning,” Prince Eric said and obediently sat back at his desk.

It helped that Prince Eric was surprisingly flexible. He wasn’t like this just with Johann—if Lingsha or I gave him legitimate-sounding advice, he would take it. Even so, I wondered if it was really necessary for us to think so deeply about the waning of assassination attempts.

“Eric, are you bored? No assassins to blast away?”

“Lady Lingsha, you have the wrong idea. What His Highness is trying to express is his concern that the assassination attempts haven’t merely decreased, they’ve stopped. He feels a great sense that something is wrong about it all.”

I couldn’t say that it didn’t feel wrong…but I thought there was a rather simple explanation for the sudden decrease in assassins. We had to remember that the situation up until now was not normal, so it naturally followed that people would assume the situation returned to normal for abnormal reasons.

“Don’t you think they’ve simply run out of assassins? I doubt the mastermind who wants Prince Eric dead has a magic cauldron that spawns an infinite supply of assassins.”

That was my theory: The mastermind simply ran out of ­willing assassins. I didn’t know where they came from, but they surely didn’t run cheap. Assassins were single-use pawns—if they failed, they were executed. If they succeeded, they would need to be compensated, along with a suitable advance on the job. Moreover, the mastermind needed to put all sorts of measures in place to ensure nobody discovered them. That alone would take a large sum of money.

Besides, most people wouldn’t be assassins, and some lines were so difficult to cross that no amount of money would suffice. The way I saw it, I wouldn’t be surprised if we had simply caught every single assassin in the kingdom.

“You may be right,” Prince Eric said, seeming to agree somewhat with my theory. “This month alone, we caught and executed quite a number of assassins.”

He was right. Since I’d arrived, we had captured dozens of assassins. They weren’t in infinite supply, so it was only natural that they would run out eventually.

But there was an evasiveness in Prince Eric’s reaction to my theory. Like there was some small detail of it that concerned him. From my vantage point, an abnormal number of assassins had already been sent after the prince—enough to make me contemplate the existence of a magic assassin-spawning cauldron, but I knew that couldn’t be.

“Well, I did send a lot of assassins and non-assassins flying, you see!”

“Lady Lingsha…I’m not sure how I feel about that. Anyway, Your Highness, we will take a brief patrol outside.”

After chiding Lingsha, Johann took her outside. In these situations, patrolling outside was especially important; it was possible our enemy was counting on us letting our guard down.

“Your Highness, is there anything else that’s concerning you? I still think the decrease of assassins is something to celebrate.”

After Lingsha and Johann left, I pressed the still-skeptical Prince Eric further. As his bodyguard, I felt it was important that I knew about any misgivings he might have.

“Not in particular, no. I agree with you, it’s most likely they simply ran out of assassins. And I realize I should celebrate the lack of wrongdoers…but I just can’t bring myself to be happy about the end of this battle. Is something wrong with me?”

Now it made sense. Johann had mentioned earlier that the assassins were the one link to the mastermind targeting Prince Eric. Now that the assassins were gone, the trail had gone cold. We had captured so many assassins and yet we still weren’t any closer to finding the mastermind…and Prince Eric had to have felt terribly bitter about that.

“Would I be correct in saying that the reduced assassination attempts might indicate that our mastermind has given up?”

I asked the question to ease the clouds of worry that were forming on the prince’s face. The mastermind had failed despite sending so many assassins. It was impressive that they left no evidence, but that long succession of failures must have stung.

We felt frustrated, but surely this mastermind was as frustrated, if not more so. Rather than acting rashly and screwing up, it made sense for them to lay low for a while. If they were caught, it’d all be over.

“I don’t think we can reach that conclusion yet. We should interpret this to mean that this mastermind is proceeding with extreme caution now. They may have stopped recklessly sending assassins, but you can bet they’re formulating a new plan.”

“A new plan… That’s alarming. Not only do we need to continue being vigilant for assassins, but we need to keep our eyes peeled for some new scheme.”

He was right. After so many botched assassinations, most masterminds would try to salvage the situation. After all, they had already invested so much time and money on their mission. It was imprudent of me to assume the mastermind had just given up.

Following that line of logic, our mastermind would probably use a different tactic—something more direct. I still couldn’t imagine what form that sort of plan would take, but I could tell that life was about to get incredibly bothersome.

“Having said that, I have you to thank, for the decrease in attacks, Leia.”

“Me? Oh, but that can’t be, Your Highness. I only guard you for two hours each day.”

I found it hard to believe that I was the reason Prince Eric’s assassins had tapered off. I barely spent any time guarding him; compared to Lingsha and Johann, my contributions were insignificant.

“But right around the time you became my bodyguard, it got much easier to catch the assassins. The time it takes you to incapacitate an assassin after sensing him is incomparably faster than anyone else. This is intimidating to assassins.”

One of the basic requirements for becoming a saint was the ability to suppress a monster attack even while erecting magical barriers. In addition, we were trained in healing magic. Since I had become a saint, I could still sense a living being’s presence and cast a spell on it, even with both hands tied behind my back.

I never dreamed that all my training would eventually help me protect Prince Eric as his bodyguard.

If my presence was a deterrent to the assassins, that made my coming here all worth it.

“Our enemy might have falsely assumed that you would eventually slip up as my bodyguard. That alone shows just how much of an impact having a saint as a bodyguard is.”

“Is that really how it works, Your Highness?”

Prince Eric leaned in closer and whispered, “It is. I really am glad I have you, Leia.”

I was a little embarrassed. As I started to lose myself in his soft gaze, I caught my breath and averted my eyes.

I liked to think that the day would come when Prince Eric’s days could be filled with laughter and joy, even without me. It was just tragic that he felt a sense of unease when assassins weren’t trying to kill him.

Since I started working for Prince Eric, that had become my secret wish.

Prince Eric was doing the right thing, and because he was ­doing the right thing, his life was in danger. That was why I wanted to give him his peaceful life back, and in doing so, prove that Prince Eric Elshaid was just.

“Don’t worry, Prince Eric. If one of our battles is over, then we must move onward. And if new sparks of war should come our way, as long as we don’t forget to keep pushing forward, our efforts will bear fruit—I’ll see to it that they do.”

Rejoicing over the progress we had made was an important first step. If we kept our eyes on the past, our morale would drop. But most importantly, I wasn’t the only one in this fight. Johann and Lingsha were fighting alongside me, so I hoped that Prince Eric could put his trust in his allies.

“Goodness…I struggle to understand why Philip broke off his engagement with you.”

“You think something’s wrong with him?” I asked, doubting my ears.

“Er, no,” he smiled evasively. “I only meant to say that you are an incredible woman.”

The way he laughed it off only made me more curious as to what he meant…but maybe I was overthinking it.

I didn’t want quiet peaceful nights like this to be seen as undesirable forever. As I looked out the window at the full moon, I offered a silent prayer.

Dear God…please make peaceful nights like this the norm for him.

-Eric’s Perspective-

“YOU ARE A DISGRACE!”

When I yelled those words at my friend that day, my sense of shame had probably fallen into a deep slumber. But whenever I looked back on that moment now, I felt embarrassed.

Over a month had passed since Saint Leia Westoria had become my bodyguard. When she arrived, there were patches of snow here and there, but they had since melted, and the great outdoors basked in the warm glow of springtime and the budding of overflowing greenery.

At first, she was as demure as a domesticated cat, but as time went on, she loosened up and began to act as her true self—a woman who worked hard, thought hard, and laughed hard.

She was good friends with Johann and Lingsha now. I would often catch glimpses of her conversing merrily with them in my study.

“Does something hurt, sir?”

“Yeah, I banged up my knee real good. Can’t move it none.”

“Oh dear, well, I’ll fix that right away. O Saintly Light, bring healing!”

“Whoaaa! The town healer couldn’t fix my knee, but would ya look at that! I feel spry again!”

Once a week, without fail, Leia could be found at the town church just outside the royal capital, healing the wounded with magic. Her healing spells were most notable for their precision and prized as much as her barrier spells. Even using the same magic, the efficacy of her spells exceeded that of the ­average mage.

“That healing spell you just used…how does it work? The healer of this town isn’t necessarily negligent, from what I’ve heard.”

“Good question. I’ve devised a way to focus my magic energy on the affected area of a patient, so the spell will target it directly. A spell can be drastically more effective if it is focused. However, focusing a spell requires a delicate hand with the arcane energy, so it’s a difficult trick to master.”

That made sense. A slow river’s current could be made much swifter and stronger if channeled through a smaller opening. Leia’s magic worked on the same principle: By focusing the magic into a small area, its effects were amplified.

She needed powerful magic energy to become a saint in the first place, an energy so powerful nobody else could come close to equaling it. And yet she did not rest on her laurels. She kept up her training and had developed new methods to achieve even greater results.

I had never met a harder worker than her.

Only yesterday, she had achieved the feat of healing a wasteland while erecting barriers. As a saint, she was not only satisfactory—she exceeded expectations.

The tarnished image I’d had of Leia from Philip’s testimony over a month ago was utter hogwash. I knew that now…

But I felt so wretched. I was in no position to scold Philip either.

Here this woman tirelessly worked with such devotion to help Elshaid, and I took idle gossip as truth and judged her. Was a man such as I truly worthy of waxing poetic about justice?

I felt so ashamed. I had lectured Philip on morality, yet could I say my treatment of Leia was entirely moral?

She didn’t blame me, of course. She even seemed to forgive me for unfairly passing judgment on her. She had likely forgiven me not because I was the crown prince but out of mercy and her own compassion. But as the days passed, the more I watched her work with such devotion, the harder it was for me to bear.

“You’ve been more than satisfactory as a saint. Why do you continue your training further?”

She had finished her saintly duties for the day and was in my study, guarding me. Everyone recognized Leia Westoria’s genius. And as it was the church who had chosen her to be a saint, they surely knew even better than me that her saintly abilities were extraordinary. And yet, she silently and devotedly kept her eyes on the path ahead. This fascinated me to no end.

“I’m not doing this for the glory. I think… I think I do this because I love the kingdom of Elshaid. Hard work is no burden if you’re doing it for something you love.”

“You love Elshaid, Leia?”

“Of course, I do. With its beautiful greenery, its historical buildings, and its smiling townspeople… Just looking at it all, you can’t help but find it wonderful. Maybe that’s why…why no matter how uncomfortable I felt at home, mysteriously enough, I never felt the desire to leave this kingdom.”

It was then that I discovered the source of the devout light in her strong gaze.

Leia did not want to look back. She worked hard for what she loved because she loved it. It was a simple, yet powerful motivation. It was unclear whether it was out of egoism or altruism, but when she said she was happy to work hard for the things she loved, I couldn’t bring myself to question her further.

What an unbelievable woman I have as my bodyguard. No wonder she was undaunted by my initial condemnation of her.

It was only natural that you were so easily able to refute anything I said to you then. You had overwhelming faith in yourself. You had faith in the path you had chosen, so you had no hesitations.

“Why all the questions, Your Highness? Is something ­troubling you?”

“Oh, no, it’s not that. I was just laughing at myself, wondering why I picked a fight with someone with a heart so much bigger than my own.”

Looking back on how I acted, it was so funny it hurt. When I realized I was wrong, I should have given her a proper apology then and there.

Leia, you may have forgiven me, but I still haven’t forgiven myself.

But I couldn’t bring myself to tell her, because this was all brought about by my own fragility. I alone had to shoulder the burden of my mistake. I had to keep carrying it until, at the very least, I could proudly say that I served my kingdom well as the crown prince. This was my own path to atonement.

“Everyone makes mistakes, Your Highness, even me. But when we admit we were wrong and make amends, that’s how we grow.”

“Leia…?”

“I know you regret how you treated me that day. After all the time we’ve spent together, I’d like to think I understand you at least a little. And from the look in your eyes and the things you say sometimes, I can easily imagine that you believe my forgiveness is not enough—you haven’t forgiven yourself.”

Ah, she saw right through me.

We’d barely known each other for a month, yet I felt truly seen by her. Our positions had reversed—I’d wanted to observe her yet here she was, reading me like a book.

Perhaps I was a bit conceited. I didn’t understand or appreciate how much more I had to grow.

“But now, we can have casual conversations like this. I would love it if the assassins would keep on behaving for some time.”

“You can say that again. You know, it’s been a while since I’ve felt so at peace.”

These moments with you, chatting about nothing in particular… I don’t think I could put into words just how much they mean to me.

I never thought much about what it meant to be happy, but this warm, light feeling in my heart might’ve been it. The understanding came naturally to me.

-Jill’s Perspective-

MY SISTER LEIA is truly a hateful person.

Only yesterday, she pretended to be returning home for good only so she could make a fool of me—her true nature became quite clear to me then. My sister hated me and had treated me with cruelty this whole time. I couldn’t believe I used to trust her. How I used to force a smile on my face and convince Mother that I was all right and that Leia could not be capable of such viciousness.

But this was just too cruel.

The rumors were spreading faster than I could breathe:

“I heard Prince Eric is quite taken with Saint Leia.”

“Yes, they’re inseparable.”

“So Prince Eric is ready to settle down at last. What great news!”

“Hey, what if that broken engagement was fate’s way of joining her with Prince Eric?!”

“Oh, how sweet! I never imagined a broken engagement could lead to such romance.”

Apparently, as Leia worked diligently as a saint at the palace, Prince Eric never left her side, and he wouldn’t let anyone else have her. Why did the world seem to revolve around Leia? She only pretended her heart was broken when her engagement ended so she could get closer to my dream man, then she used her schemes and wiles to steal his heart! Even the evilest of witches would be shocked by my sister’s cunning.

If her conniving ploys were to be lauded as piety, then this world and everyone in it was simply outrageous!

My insidious sister had all the luck while I suffered every possible loss. For example, she forcedherself on Prince Eric while I had to live in fear because I bore witness to her chilling true nature.

Oh, Prince Eric, why my sister? Is it because I failed to become a saint? My God, I suppose this is the punishment I incur for falling out of your favor.

If only God loved me like he loved my sister, then I could have at least had a taste of a life of splendor. Truly, what a mad world, that such an honest and moral woman as I would be forced to lead a life of rejection. Life was a tragedy—so tragic that nothing would ever again brighten my day.

Ohh…why did things have to turn out this way?

“…ll? Jill? Hey, Jill, are you listening to me?”

“Ohh? Why, Lord Philip! Um… Were you saying something?”

Oh, he gave me a fright! I was caught in a little private reverie when Lord Philip’s keen eye took notice, and he scolded me for having the temerity to be absorbed in thought—for the fourth time today, no less. I wished he wouldn’t growl at me so! It made me want to cry.

I was having dinner with my fiancé, Lord Philip, to appease my father. Yet I felt such tragic, tragic sorrow that food tasted like ash in my mouth.

Lord Philip was more prone to mood swings these days, and there was no delight in being in his company. I once read in a book that a proper man should dutifully ensure that his lady enjoyed herself at the dinner table. Lord Philip used to make an effort to entertain me with good conversation, but all traces of that man were now gone, and I was forced to endure his tiresome conversation.

Right now, he was talking about something I didn’t understand too well, but he had a severe, terrifying look in his eyes that made me not want to listen.

Please, dear Philip, don’t scowl at me so. When you look at me like that, my body trembles, and I can’t move.

“Jill, I don’t like your attitude. I’m carrying this burden too, you know.”

“B-burden? Lord Philip, what is this burden of which you speak?”

I hadn’t the faintest idea what he meant. He was the heir to a duke, so I always figured he was blessed with a life of ease and luxury and that he wanted for nothing.

I was the only one carrying a burden. I was forced to be with the odious Lord Philip. And I had no escape.

Lord Philip should’ve worshipped me and showered me with praise, yet he did nothing but complain. Was this an example of that so-called “psychological abuse” I had recently learned about? Yes, that had to be it. House Westoria was nowhere near the status of House Gilbert. I was sure he intended to escalate his abuse of me once I married into his house! Just the thought of it sickened me so…

“The burden of marrying you, of course.”

“What?! M-marrying me is a burden to you? How can you say something so cruuuel?”

I had done nothing wrong. And besides, our marriage was Lord Philip’s idea—he had no right to speak to me that way.

“What are you going on about? Isn’t it a burden for you too? Marrying me is so upsetting to you that you won’t even listen to a word I’m saying.”

“O-oh, how could you say such a thing? I haven’t said anything of the sort! Do you really see marrying me as a burden? That’s just too cruel. Oh-oh…”

“See, there you go, always crying!I should be the one crying, you know. Damn it all!”

Lord Philip’s harsh declaration—that he was forced into marrying me—made me so sad the tears flooded out of me. And I’d treated him with such kindness this whole time, sparing him the truth that my heart belonged to Prince Eric!

Yes, this simply has to be psychological abuse. He’s trying to damage my psyche by saying such unfair things. I remember reading about it in a book once. I know I’m right.

“Oh, Lord Philip, just what has happened to you? You used to be so kind, listening to me even when I cried, but now it’s like you’re a different person. What grudge do you bear against me?”

“Grudge? Come, now, Jill. I’m just frustrated. What’s wrong with you? Do you think that as long as a man doesn’t complain, everything’s fine and dandy with him? Every time you see my face, you groan. Every time Prince Eric comes up in conversation, you sigh. Whenever I say anything, you’re immediately lost off in your own little world and give me the most perfunctory responses. I’m not stupid, you know. I know you don’t want to marry me.”

Why did he have to be so awful?

He spoke of the feelings in my heart as if he knew what they were. I was only thinking to myself a little, and he concocted this absurd delusion in his mind—he had to have been crazy!

The way he spoke, it was like he regarded me as a wicked shrew with a constant sneer of disgust on her face—like I was some sort of villainess!

Lord Philip was such an ogre. I couldn’t believe that my father commanded me to marry such a horrid man. Was my life truly written to be one big tragedy?

Ohh! If only I had a beautiful, rosy life like my sister—how happy would I have been!

Dear God…have I sinned? I only want a quaint, happy life. Why does living an unselfish and devout life bring me nothing but abuse?

“Ohh, ohh… Why me? Why must I and I alone endure such cruelty? Oh, oh… Why, God, why does my sister get all your blessings? Oh! Ohh!”

“Damn it, again with the waterworks. You always pull that stunt when things don’t go your way. My dad pretty much told me that marrying you to demonstrate my loyalty to Prince Eric was a precondition for remaining his heir. If he only knew what an insufferable banshee you were, then I could’ve married Leia and lived happily ever after.”

Lord Philip’s slander was relentless. He broke off his engagement to my sister without her input, then proposed to me, then broke it off with me, and then begged me to take him back—fine words after everything he’d done!

He had some nerve, saying he would never be happy if he married me. Could he be any more self-centered?

“Lord Philip, what a horrible thing to say after you jilted my sister! Waaah! Why me? Why must all these horrible things happen only to me? And my sister…why does my sister get all the happiness?”

My sister always finds happiness. I’m sure her life is more fun than she can handle.

Leia had everything handed to her. Meanwhile, I had to struggle for everything in my life. I thought that once she left home, it wouldn’t bother me anymore, but just the thought of her living at the palace made my heart ache as though it were being crushed… It was the worst feeling.

“Well, you’re better off staying away from Prince Eric. He’s ­under constant attack by assassins. And while Leia is strong enough to handle it, you’re practically a magnet for danger.”

“Assassins, you say?”

I didn’t know that Prince Eric was the target of assassins.

Was that why my sister became his bodyguard? That meant…the worst might still happen to her.

Oh dear. No, I mustn’t indulge in such macabre fantasies.

I had wished just now that Leia would be assassinated, which meant they would then hold the saint’s exams once more and I could become a saint.

I could get back everything that my sister stole from me.

But it was wrong of me. I didn’t want to be the sort of person who wished someone dead. It was evil.

Leia was cunning, and she’d attained far more happiness than I had, but she hadn’t done anything deserving of death.

However, in light of my miserable condition, was there any justification for my sister’s actions? No…don’t think such thoughts. It’s wrong.

“As I was saying, we must both grin and bear the burden of this engagement so our parents can save face. We’ll need to have children eventually, so you’d better do some growing up. I’m only telling ya for your own good.”

Lord Philip…did you just say “ya”? Such a rough, careless form of address saddened me so! Your psychological abuse had no limits!

The thought of bearing children with this man made me feel dirty, and I doubted that I could honestly love our children—especially not children with his unkempt red hair and weaselly eyes.

Oh, what cursed star was I born under?

“Hey! Are ya even listening to me?! If ya keep this up, I’m gonna complain to your pathetic count of a father!”

“Eeeeep! Please don’t shout at me so!”

My tears would not stop. How many times did I have to grovel before him to not shout at me before he understood? He was tormenting me on purpose; that had to be it. He sought to break me and turn me into a mindless woman who obeyed his every whim. I know it—I read about it in a book once!

Why was I the sole victim of all these horrors?

Dear God, am I in a sort of purgatory? If I were to overcome it, will good things come to me? You wouldn’t let poor Jill live a life of only hardship and loss, would you?

At this rate, I would die of psychological trauma. Lord Philip and Leia were practically trying to murder me.

Wah! I felt sick, so sick I could vomit.

These dinners with Lord Philip were always so overbearing. The tragedy of being forced into marriage with such a man felt like a knife plunged into my heart. My only recourse was to sit and let time pass me by. My dinners with Lord Philip became a brutal sort of training—training to deaden my emotions.

But then, there was a little knock at the door.

“Lord Philip, you have a visitor who insists on seeing you. May I let him in?”

“Who is it? Well, no matter. Let him in.”

“Philip! Long time no see, old chum. When I heard you were at this restaurant, I thought I’d pop in to say hello.”

“Well, well, well, if it isn’t Duke Berklein. I don’t see you here often.”

Jade Berklein, a duke and member of the Great Four, stepped into our private room at the restaurant. He was still only in his twenties—he had taken over the house after his father died young. That, coupled with his chiseled face, made him nearly as popular with the ladies as Prince Eric.

He had been a bachelor ever since his fiancée died of an illness right before he gained the title of duke, which is why I hadn’t heard any strange rumors about him.

I heard that he only made brief appearances in social functions and rarely set foot in the royal capital, so I was also quite surprised by his presence here.

“Ha! Ha ha! I thought it would be a nice change of pace to sample the delights of the capital. Are you saying a country bumpkin like me is out of place in a city restaurant like this?”

“Of course not! You know I’d never mock you. Your distrust hurts me, Your Grace.”

“Ha ha ha! Do forgive me. My wit tends to be dry. Well! So, this is your fiancée! You’re Count Westoria’s daughter, correct?”

“Yes, I’m Jill Westoria. I am honored that you remember me, though we’ve only met once.”

Would you believe it—Duke Berklein recognizes me!

I figured he must’ve found my maturity alluring. Unlike the always-irate Lord Philip, this man was a living, breathing Adonis. His beautiful black hair and the enchanting way his eyes sparkled behind his glasses made me swoon on the spot.

“I never forget a pretty face. After all, I am a bachelor. Plus, I’m starved for good company. Oh, Philip, I do envy you, old chum.”

“Th-there’s no need to be envious, trust me.”

Lord Philip, perhaps it is because you just denigrated me, but you seem to have a hard time accepting Duke Berklein’s compliment with grace, I thought. By showing contempt for me, you’ve signaled that there is no love between us—I can tell without you saying so.

Duke Berklein was so mature and masculine in comparison to Philip. Ooh, how I wished I was engaged to a fine man like him instead. He called me pretty and practically said he wanted to marry me. If only a wealthy and influential man like him were my fiancé, then I wouldn’t need to fret over my sister so.

“Duke Berklein, as we’ve just finished our dinner, would you mind if we excused ourselves?”

“What, leaving already? And here I thought we could catch up.”

“I’m so terribly sorry, but I have plans after this. Jill. Come.”

About two hours had passed since we had sat down to dinner. I supposed that Lord Philip felt stifled from having to spend so much time with me. He also seemed uncomfortable around Duke Berklein, to the point of rushing through the end of our dinner. If you asked me, I was grateful to put that agonizing ­dinner punctuated by Lord Philip’s cruel jeers behind me…

“Too bad. Well, see you later, old chum. Next time we meet, let’s have a nice, long chat.”

“Y-yes, of course. I’ll take you to the best restaurant the capital has to offer. Ha ha ha ha!” Philip leaned forward and presented his hand for a handshake, his face contorted with discomfort.

Seeing the two men side by side made Lord Philip appear even seedier than usual. My eyes couldn’t help but wander to Duke Berklein, smiling with his perfect white teeth.

“Lady Westoria, may we meet again.”

“Y-yes, my lord!”

Duke Berklein gazed right into my eyes and extended his hand, which I naturally took. His hand was big and strong and…wait, what’s this?

There was something in his hand. C-could it be…a secret letter for me?

How—how romantic! Look at me, receiving a secret letter from a handsome gentleman like Duke Berklein!

“………ill! Jill!”

“Yes?! Lord Philip, you were saying?”

“Don’t give me that! Why is your head still in the clouds? We’re leaving. Damn it all…”

Lord Philip’s short fuse was so terrifying and awful! But I was eager to read my secret letter as soon as possible, so I obeyed.

“Well, see you later. I’ll be waiting,” Duke Berklein whispered, with a smile and a wave. I had to stop myself from answering him.

“Hey. What are you doing? Forgive my fiancé, Duke Berklein.”

“Eek?!”

Then Lord Philip dragged me out of the restaurant. As soon as we were outside, he climbed into the Gilbert carriage as if finishing a chore and drove off. He didn’t even offer me a ride home! That could only mean he was patronizing me.

Why did I have to return from dinner with my fiancé alone in my own house’s carriage? If this was the treatment I had to endure, I wished that I could have stayed longer to chat with Duke Berklein.

Oh, that’s right, the letter from Duke Berklein!

I still had his secret letter. I began to read.

“Would you rendezvous with me at the house of your friend, Baroness Almer?”

What is the meaning of this?

Carol, daughter of Baron Almer, was a friend I made when we went to school at the Royal Academy. Why did Duke Berklein want to meet me at her home?

It made no sense whatsoever. However…

“Lady Jill, do you wish to return straight home? Or is there someplace else you’d like to stop first?”

“I wish to visit my friend Carol. Make haste! To Carol’s house!”

And so, my carriage made for Carol’s house. I did not understand why Duke Berklein wanted to meet me there, but I simply couldn’t ignore the request.

After thirty minutes in the carriage, I arrived at Almer Manor, where Carol lived.

“Ooh, hello there, Jill. So good you came, just as he said you would. Come on in.”

Carol seemed to be expecting me. Her mother and father both welcomed me into their home with wide grins on their faces. After paying my respects to them, I entered Carol’s room.

“Last time we spoke was at the graduation ceremony from the Royal Academy. Have you already spoken with the esteemed Lord Jade?”

“Not yet. Are you on a first name basis with the duke?” That was another surprise; Carol seemed to have quite a close relationship with the duke, since she referred to him by name. As this thought came to mind, a knock resounded from the door.

“May I come in?”

“Come on in, Lord Jade.”

It was Duke Berklein. I’d had my doubts when the letter requested that I meet him here, but here he was…

“Wh-what, pray tell, is Duke Berklein doing here?”

“Lord Jade has helped our house a great deal, Jill. That’s why whenever he has business in the royal capital, we always give him a warm welcome at Almer Manor. And since you would be in town today as well, he asked if he could borrow our house, so of course, we obliged.”

“There you have it. Sorry I startled you.”

I didn’t know the circumstances, but Carol’s family seemed to be terribly indebted to Duke Berklein.

“Carol, so sorry to do this barely after I’ve entered your room, but could you give me and Jill some privacy?”

“Aww, what a pity… But I will graciously obey, Lord Jade.”

“Thank you. Tell your father I will thank him in turn later.”

“Yes, my lord! I will go tell him that straight away!”

Duke Berklein had only just entered the room and he’d already sent Carol away.

Carol should’ve been ashamed of the vulgar expression on her face. Though I had to admit, a glance from Duke Berklein was enough to make any lady hot and bothered.

She obediently left the room, leaving me alone with Duke Berklein.

“May I sit beside you?”

“Y-yes, my lord.”

When he smiled at me with his perfect white teeth, I forgot to breathe. I never knew such beauty existed.

“Ah, right, being from the country, I often borrow the house of Baron Almer or any of my other acolytes for my own private use. The Berklein house has many friends among the nobility, and this family in particular is happy to obey me, so I feel quite at home here.”

“R-really, my lord?”

I didn’t understand what Baron Almer being an “ackolite” meant, but it seemed the two houses were very friendly. He was also friendly with many other noble houses, though he didn’t associate with House Westoria. Oh, how jealous I was.

But if he went through the trouble of borrowing Carol’s room so that he and I could be alone… Duke Berklein surely had a personal interest in me.

“Jill, you are so beautiful.”

“Huh?!”

“Oh—er, forgive me. I didn’t mean to say that out loud.”

He called me beautiful. Duke Berklein called me beautiful.

My heart was all aflutter.

“D-Duke Berklein?”

“Won’t you call me Jade? Please…I need it. I need to hear your sweet little voice calling my name.”

“A-all right…Lord Jade.”

His face moved closer to mine…his breath was on my lips…I couldn’t look at him straight anymore. Could it be that Lord Jade had feelings for me? If that were so, then I could understand why he wanted us to be alone.

“Thank you for calling me Jade. I know I said I remembered you from meeting you at a party, but I wasn’t being entirely honest… I asked the church to show me your scores on the saint exams. You received such high marks at the magic academy, yet you weren’t chosen to be a saint, and that just didn’t seem right to me. I wanted to tell you that.”

I gasped!

“In other words, I’ve always harbored suspicions as to why your unremarkable sister was chosen to be a saint over you.”

“Lord Jade…are you saying you believe me to be more gifted than my sister?”

His black eyes gazed into mine…and he slowly leaned in closer. Then he rested a gentle hand on my head.

“Yes, that’s precisely what I’m saying. You are a treasure. I see the value in your abilities—particularly your natural affinity for Arc Poison. I have connections within the church, so I put in a good word for you to be chosen as a saint…”

“You did, my lord?”

“Yes. But sadly, your sister was chosen to be the third saint. And according to Elshaid law, there can only be three saints, so you won’t have another opportunity until a saint retires…or dies.”

W-wow, I didn’t know. I had no idea how diligently Lord Jade was pulling for me.

So I was right. If Leia wasn’t chosen, I would be a saint right now.

If only Leia were out of the picture…

Then I wouldn’t have to suffer in such despair.

“If only… If only Saint Leia were out of the picture.”

“Huh?!”

It was as if he’d read my mind. Lord Jade kept caressing the top of my head as he gently whispered in my ear, “Forgive me… I was just thinking out loud. I’d love to get to know you better. Won’t you tell me about yourself? I want to know everything.”

“Mm…!”

Lord Jade pressed his lips against mine, and…my memory after that was a blur.

Lord Jade sees me for who I really am. And he accepts me.

It was then and there that I surrendered myself to Lord Jade, body and soul.

Chapter 3:
A Disquieting Shadow

ABOUT A MONTH AND A HALF had passed since I became Prince Eric’s bodyguard. The twittering of the birds and the balmy spring air felt so good that I almost fell back asleep on my morning off.

However, even though I had no obligation to get up early today, my head was clear. Rather, it hurt. The reason: a short ­letter. The sender: my stepmother, Catherine.

She wanted to meet me in private. Naturally, this was the first time she’d ever requested such a thing of me.

What in the world could she possibly want? I have a bad feeling about this…like I’m about to get roped into something unsavory.

Prince Eric, perhaps afflicted by the same bad feeling, had a serious expression when I told him I was going to go visit my stepmother.

“You’re going to visit your stepmother? You shouldn’t go out of your way to visit somebody you dislike.”

“Fair point, but she said she needed my advice, so I must go. A saint ignoring a plea from her own mother—don’t you think that would be just a bit too heartless of me?”

Prince Eric didn’t seem to understand why I would visit my stepmother, which was understandable. I didn’t think he would go out of his way to visit someone he didn’t want to.

If I had to be honest, I didn’t like Catherine and I didn’t want to see her. But since I deemed a request for advice from my own family was something a saint such as myself simply couldn’t ­ignore, I promised I would visit her on my day off, which was today.

I would’ve liked to think she wouldn’t request advice from me as a pretext to gripe at me, but this was Catherine. I needed to keep my wits about me, so I braced myself for at least one scornful remark.

“Hmm… So she wants your advice, eh? I didn’t take her for the type to ask you for advice. Don’t you think she has an ulterior motive?”

That was Prince Eric for you. Even though he hardly knew her, he understood quite well what kind of person Catherine was. And he was right: Catherine would sooner die than show any weakness to me.

Because of her intense pride and her hostility toward me, Catherine would never normally ask me for advice. That had to be why Prince Eric was suspicious when he heard otherwise.

“Exactly, Your Highness. That’s why I’m concerned—curious, rather. It makes me wonder what has made my stepmother so desperate that she would ask for my help. I think something bad might be happening to House Westoria.”

It would take a crisis of high magnitude to inspire Catherine to take such desperate measures. And since, worst-case scenario, it might be a matter of serious concern for House Westoria, I had a duty to find out what was wrong.

To be honest, I was anxious because I couldn’t understand it. And I feared if I ignored it, the problem would only worsen.

“All right, as long as you’re skeptical. I think you have nothing to fear, Leia, but you should still be careful. Shall I send Lingsha along as a bodyguard?”

“Ooh, yes! Lingsha will gladly blast away anybody for you!” Lingsha whirled her arms and bared her white teeth in a menacing grin.

Uh-oh. If Catherine says something disagreeable, I can just see Lingsha flinging her straight into the sun… That will only get Lingsha in trouble. I should probably decline the offer.

“I’ll be fine on my own, but thanks for the kind offer.”

I could handle myself, so her protection wasn’t necessary. It would also be problematic if Lingsha’s presence aggravated Catherine to the point where she would no longer speak openly with me. And so, I went alone to visit my stepmother. How long had it been since I spoke with her? Years, probably. Since I couldn’t remember, it had to have been very long ago.

And so, with a strange sort of tension in my chest, I set out for a chat with my stepmother.

“Leia! So good to see you.”

“So good to see you again too, Mother.”

Before Catherine arrived, I had been standing in front of a popular restaurant in the capital waiting for her to show up for our meeting. She looked a bit thin, and the thorny exterior she usually wore also felt a bit subdued.

She seems…meek?

I couldn’t help but suspect that it was part of some ploy to gain my sympathy. She had to be scheming something. As I watched my stepmother force a smile, I started to feel like I made a mistake coming here. Bluntly put, there was something foreboding about this.

“Ahem. Well, I think you know what I need advice about. It’s Jill.”

“Did something happen to her?”

She wants my advice about Jill?

This was making less and less sense. Catherine had convinced herself I was abusing Jill. What did Catherine expect me to do to help her?

“I think…your little sister might be having an affair.”

“Mmf?! W-wait a minute, Mother… If that’s true, we shouldn’t be discussing it out here. Let’s go inside first.”

“Y-yes…quite right. We can’t discuss this in public. How careless of me.”

Careless didn’t even begin to describe it. She had just dropped a bomb on me.

Maybe she was messing with me… No, that couldn’t be it. Catherine would never joke about Jill having an affair. But what if it was true? I couldn’t even begin to imagine. My mind swam in a sea of confusion as I followed Catherine into the restaurant.

We had arrived at the restaurant a little before noon, so it was not at all crowded. Once we were seated in a private room and I had calmed myself with a few sips of tea, I reopened the conversation.

“Um… Is Jill really having an affair? It’s so out of the blue, I find it hard to believe.”

I thought there had to be some mistake. Lord Philip was a ducal heir—Jill would never cast him aside for someone else. Her standards were way too high.

“I don’t want to believe it either, but it’s the truth, so I have no choice.”

If Catherine insisted it was true, I had to believe her. The cup in her hand was shaking, and she was consulting me about this matter.

I wonder who he is? Knowing Jill, it has to be someone who’s either incredibly handsome or incredibly rich.

Considering he had to be at least equal to Philip in those categories, he was either royalty or a nobleman of high rank. That was why this didn’t make any sense to me.

“The other man…it’s Duke Berklein. My private investigator told me so.”

“D-Duke Berklein? Wait… Surely not?!”

Jade Berklein became a duke in his twenties after his father died young. I couldn’t believe that the young duke was having an affair with Jill. Most of the nobility loved gossiping about affairs and such, but this was just so shocking that it was unreal to me.

Duke Berklein did have a reputation with the ladies for being handsome…and he was also available since his fiancée had died. From Jill’s perspective, he would’ve been quite a catch. But there was one other matter I needed to ask about first.

“Um, Mother… Did you really hire a private investigator to follow Jill around? Why would you do so over just a rumor?”

I was shocked that Catherine would hire someone to spy on Jill. That meant that Jill was acting suspicious in some way.

“Oh, it’s not what you think. I originally hired him to gather proof that you were abusing Jill when nobody was around to see and to protect Jill if anything were to happen. I paid in advance, so after you moved to the palace, I kept him on as a bodyguard.”

Come to think of it, I had gotten the sense there was somebody lurking around Jill the last time I saw her. So that was a detective. I picked up on his presence immediately with my ability to sense auras, but his identity was always a mystery to me.

I never dreamed Catherine would hire someone to stalk her own daughter.

Wouldn’t that have clued her in to the fact that I wasn’t tormenting Jill? No, Leia, let’s drop that for now. What’s most important now is dealing with Jill’s affair.

“So…how exactly did Duke Berklein and Jill’s affair start? I didn’t know they’d ever even met.”

Duke Berklein lived in a remote area and managed his lands from there. I heard he rarely set foot in the royal capital, so I wondered how they had managed to form a relationship.

“She bumped into him while she was out to dinner with Lord Philip. Ever since then, she’s been sneaking out of the house at night to visit him.”

She met him during a dinner date with Lord Philip? Was that really enough to initiate an affair? It seems contrived.

The more I heard from my stepmother, the more suspicious I became. I needed to hear more details.

“So, did you confront Jill about it?”

“I could never do that! If Jill confirmed it and the affair went public, our family would never be able to face the House of Gilbert again!”

Just as I thought. If news of the affair were to get out, Duke Gilbert would not forgive our house, despite the way I had been wronged by Philip. Then our house would be disgraced. Catherine wanted to avoid that at any cost—that much was clear.

Still, though, Duke Berklein?

I was still in shock over the unexpectedly big name Catherine had dropped. He was definitely Jill’s type, but I didn’t take her for the cheating type. I know she’s my sister, but her naivete drives me crazy sometimes.

“Please, Leia…you have influence with Prince Eric, could you please get him to help you drive Jill away from Duke Berklein in secret? I want His Highness to mediate, to force Duke Berklein to promise to keep his hands off her.”

The way Catherine worded the request bothered me. It took two to tango. Jill had a hand in the affair as well. She couldn’t be absolved of all the blame.

And there was no way I could ask Prince Eric for help.

A righteous man like him would never approve of such an underhanded plot. He would laugh, declare that adultery is absurd, and turn the request down on the spot. I wondered why Catherine didn’t seem to grasp this.

“Why aren’t you saying anything? She’s your precious little sister for God’s sake. Don’t you want to help her?”

Jill. My precious little sister. While I couldn’t use those words to describe her in earnest, it was true that if she grew too ­obsessed with Duke Berklein, she was as good as disgraced. Then the Westoria family’s reputation would be tarnished, and even Prince Eric’s name could get dragged through the mud for having employed me as his bodyguard.

This is a real fix we’re in… An amicable resolution would be ideal, of course. However…

No. Why would somebody who’s engaged—to the heir of a duke, no less—have an affair? Wasn’t this situation all just a little too odd?

I had to bare my soul and be honest with her, even if it meant jeopardizing my position as royal bodyguard. But if I was honest with Catherine, she would lash out in anger, and that filled me with a sense of dread.

“Um, Mother…I have something to say about Jill’s affair—”

“So you will tell Prince Eric! That’s my Leia. I always had faith in you. Now Jill is safe and sound.”

Why did she cut me off mid-sentence? It was a real problem that she always assumed whatever reality suited her best.

“Mother, please, Prince Eric is a moral and just man—he would never forgive an affair. If I told him your proposal, he would get very angry.”

It was simply impossible, so I needed to make sure she wasn’t getting her hopes up.

“Oh, I’m well aware of that. Under normal circumstances, Prince Eric would never forgive our house for having an infidelity scandal.”

“If you understand, then why are you seeking his help?”

I couldn’t comprehend why she would do something so reckless when she knew what the prince was like. The whole thing was utterly illogical.

What in the world was Catherine expecting from me? The further the conversation progressed, the more we talked past each other. That all-too-familiar miserable feeling started to creep back.

I knew that look. It was the look Catherine got in her eye when she was going to force an impossible demand on me.

“That’s why I’ve come to you for help. Tell him he owes you for saving his life and that he can repay you by helping Jill.”

The words that spilled out of her mouth did not betray my bad feeling.

This is hopeless. Catherine doesn’t understand anything.

Prince Eric would never commit an unrighteous act in order to repay a debt. His gratitude for my protection and Jill’s affair were different matters entirely. The mere act of asking for his help was pointless.

“It’s impossible, Mother. All that would do is anger Prince Eric and send House Westoria into further disgrace.”

“What? How do you know? You haven’t even asked him yet. I didn’t realize you were so heartless. Does the idea of helping Jill really sicken you so?”

I was trying to warn her that if we waited until after asking for his help to find out how Prince Eric would react, it would be too late. But she didn’t understand it at all. That was why I didn’t want to tell her.

“Mother. Believe me, I am not at all saying that the idea of helping Jill sickens me.”

“Then help your poor little sister! She’s the only one you’ve got.”

“I would love to help her if I could. But if Jill really is having an affair, telling Prince Eric would only make things worse.”

“Well, it’s your job to convince him to see it our way!”

This is hopeless. We’re right back at square one.

Prince Eric’s sense of justice was beyond the norm. I kept trying to tell her there was no convincing him, but she just wouldn’t believe me. This wasn’t even the sort of problem you should ask a prince for help with anyway.

Catherine, after clumsily broaching the subject, had worked herself up. She had probably assumed I was going to easily agree to her plan, and now she was angry for being so naive.

In spite of everything, I still wasn’t about to abandon Jill. Even though there was discord between us, she was still my family. But the fact that she, a betrothed woman, was seeing another man? It was insane to compare her sense of ethics to mine, let alone to Prince Eric’s.

There was no way she would be acquitted of her misdeeds. Catherine should take the severity of her daughter’s actions more seriously.

“Don’t you think Jill should be confronted about this? While being careful to ensure the scandal doesn’t go public, of course. And consult the Berklein house in secret as well. If Jill really has committed adultery and you don’t punish her, that’s just bad parenting.”

First, we needed to get Jill to repent. I had never seen Catherine scold Jill before, but she would have to if anything were to change. If Jill started to own up to her mistakes, then whatever she did next would actually mean something.

“But I could never punish her! Jill is very sensitive; she’s not like you. If I accused her of infidelity out of nowhere, she would be heartbroken and tormented with guilt. And if that happens…she just might kill herself!”

Catherine was going to be soft on Jill until the bitter end. I doubted that a girl who would sneak off in the middle of the night to have an affair would kill herself over being asked a few personal questions.

To truly resolve the scandal, we would need both parties to talk to each other. Even if we did get Prince Eric to mediate, he would definitely condemn the infidelity. Jill had to own up to her mistake—that was the critical first step.

“Even if Prince Eric were to mediate, Jill is one of the parties involved in the scandal. It’s impossible for her to come out of this unscathed.”

“No, Prince Eric can approach Duke Berklein in complete secrecy and convince him to break things off with Jill—and ­tactfully too, to spare her feelings.”

Uhh…what makes you think Prince Eric would go to such lengths for you? I’m the one trying to be tactful here…

Catherine was more naive than I thought possible. My head hurt so bad I could scream. Even in a damning situation like this, Catherine still prioritized coddling Jill’s feelings.

Put bluntly, her wish was impossible to grant. Absolutely impossible. How could I make her understand? After all my explaining, she still didn’t get it.

Catherine was making me start to think I should just give up on the idea of helping Jill altogether. We were talking past each other—Catherine just said one ignorant thing after another, and it was starting to break me.

“Since Jill was one of the cheaters, it’s impossible for her to come out of this without getting hurt. Why don’t you understand that? If you really care about her, you need to get her to own up to her mistake at least a little.”

“What sort of monster are you? Jill is a good girl! I’m sure Duke Berklein coerced her into making this mistake. She’s pure and innocent! She can’t possibly understand a thing she’s doing!”

There she goes again. Catherine was always like this, and she’d never change. She built her entire outlook on life on the premise that Jill was an angel. Her unwavering faith in Jill was the trait that complicated everything. If her darling daughter ever made a mistake, she decided that someone else was entirely to blame.

Catherine was the root cause of Jill’s rotten personality. She affirmed everything Jill said and did and forced Jill’s servants to treat her accordingly.

“An affair can’t be committed by just one person. Jill is also at fault. If you really want to help your daughter, then you must make her take responsibility for her actions.”

“How dare you?! You think you’re so special just because you work at the palace now?! Don’t get all high and mighty with me just because I made the slightest mistake! I’ve had enough! I won’t ask for your help ever again!”

When Catherine determined that I wasn’t going to agree to her plan, she chewed me out and stormed out of the restaurant.

Her temper was short as ever… Why didn’t she calmly listen to what I had to say? To make matters worse, I was now in a tricky situation. I couldn’t, in good conscience, pretend I didn’t hear that Jill was having an affair with Duke Berklein. I had to try to put a stop to it.

But I had no idea what I should do. Catherine was…Catherine. And Jill wasn’t going to politely hear me out either. I really was in a bind. Excluding Prince Eric, I had no one I could confide in about this.

“Countess Westoria seems to have stormed out on you…”

“Yes. Her request was just unreasonable; it was a line I simply couldn’t cross.”

“Ah, I see. What sort of request was it?”

“Well, you see, it was—huh?! P-Prince Eric?! What are you doing here?!”

Why is His Highness here?

His tone was so casual that I started to answer without thinking. I turned around and saw that Prince Eric was in the private room with me for some reason. His arms were crossed in thought.

“Sorry I startled you. I just couldn’t help but worry, so I ­followed you here. I’ve been keeping watch from the neighboring private room, though I couldn’t hear what you were saying, of course.”

“I want to eat these pancake thingies!” Lingsha said.

“Hmm, I think I’ll order a rice bowl,” Johann added.

I never dreamed they would follow me here. But Prince Eric was right there, wearing a peasant disguise, with Lingsha and Johann in tow, both in similar disguises as the prince. They were both ordering from the menu like normal customers.

“Please, you scared me half to death.”

“I didn’t think it would scare you that badly.”

“Oh, it did. I never thought you would be caught dead in a restaurant like this, Your Highness.”

He seemed to genuinely believe what he had done wasn’t so shocking, but I assure you, anybody would be scared to death.

“So, what did the countess have to say? From what I know about her, I discerned that she met with you because she wanted you to manipulate me into doing something for her.”

He was sharp as ever. Of course, he hadn’t figured out the part where Jill was having an affair, but nobody would have guessed that.

What should I do… Should I tell him the truth or evade the question?

In my fruitless struggle to find an answer, I sank into the vortex of my thoughts: I should tell Prince Eric now to avoid troubling him later, but as this was my own family’s dirty laundry, perhaps I should be the one to wash it. I felt Prince Eric’s gaze as time ticked by.

“Well… Let’s move to the private room next door—it’s bigger. This room is too small for four people, and we’ll likely draw attention here.”

Noticing my hesitation to answer, Prince Eric suggested we move to another room. He was so kind for not condemning my silence outright. That was probably because he still felt guilty about what had happened between us early on. Either that, or he just trusted me now. Either way, I could tell he was being tactful regarding my feelings.

That’s settled. I can’t keep secrets from him. I’ll put my trust in Prince Eric and tell him everything.

And with that, we moved over to the private room Prince Eric had rented.

***

“Your Highness, it’s been a while since you’ve dined at a restaurant of the common man.”

“I used to come to places like this all the time, Johann, back when I trained at your fencing school.”

Before my eyes was Crown Prince Eric, sitting down at a commoner’s restaurant. Since the staff wouldn’t dream of Prince Eric visiting their restaurant incognito, they had acted perfectly normal when taking his order. And it was only natural that they didn’t recognize him—this was not the sort of establishment that expected a royal visit.

“Leia, you didn’t order anything. Did you eat earlier?”

“No, Your Highness, I’m just not hungry…”

“Ugh!” Johann grunted. “That won’t do. Do you feel ill?”

“Um, not exactly.”

“Ooh, I wonder what it feels like to not be hungry! I always thought that only happened in fairy tales, you see.”

“Er, well…is that so, Miss Lin?”

Everyone seems concerned about my not ordering anything. What should I do? I never feel like eating when I get like this.

“You should look at the menu and find something you can eat. If you’re not ill, you probably just temporarily forgot what hunger feels like.”

Prince Eric handed me a menu. My matter was set aside so that we could sate our appetites first. The food started to arrive.

Wow…look at Lingsha go to town on that giant parfait.

“So, about what my stepmother wanted…”

“Yes, we’ll get to that, but we don’t want the meal getting cold, do we?”

Prince Eric waved his hand dismissively. He had a point; the food wouldn’t taste as good if it got cold, but I had been on edge ever since I sat down at the table. I watched Prince Eric take a bite of cheap steak as I waited, committed to swallowing my pride and telling him everything.

Johann and Lingsha are eating too… I guess I’ll just have to wait a bit longer.

“Leia, you aren’t thinking clearly right now. It’s okay. Take some time to settle down before talking.”

“Prince Eric?”

“You need to order something. If you fill your belly, you’ll feel at peace.”

Prince Eric gently suggested I order something to eat—and he was probably right. My argument with Catherine had made me unable to think straight.

“All right, then… I’ll order a rice omelet.”

“Good, focus on having a nice lunch first.”

Prince Eric ordered me a rice omelet, and in no time, it was brought to me.

“My gardeners are very accommodating, but I still don’t understand plants much. When I left it to my gardeners’ discretion, they took care of everything.”

Then we talked about nothing. Nobody asked about Catherine. Instead, we discussed the trivial matter of what we should plant in the palace gardens. As we chatted the way we always did back in his study, I started to relax.

You know…I might actually like talking to the prince. How strange. At first, I was too nervous to even think about whether or not I enjoyed it.

Johann and Lingsha’s banter further contributed to the calm and peaceful atmosphere. The noxious air from the past several minutes started to feel like a bad dream.

“So, what did Countess Westoria come to see you about? As I said earlier, I assume she wanted you to request my help with something. But since she stormed out in a huff, it was likely an unreasonable request in your eyes, correct?”

Having noticed that my nerves had calmed, Prince Eric finally brought up the matter of Catherine. It was the moment of truth. Time to brace myself for the storm.

“Your perceptiveness astounds me, Your Highness. And well, if I don’t tell you now, I’m sure you’ll find out in time what was said… Prince Eric, can you promise you won’t breathe a word of this to anyone else?”

“Of course. Clearly, it’s a delicate subject, and I wouldn’t want to add to your troubles.”

It could’ve been an empty promise, but I was still grateful for his concern and his respect for my secrets. I was sure that even if I didn’t tell Prince Eric what had happened, he would be able to get a general idea of what it was. With a little digging, it would be easy for him to learn the whole truth himself, so it was much more constructive to tell him now. Besides, I didn’t want to keep secrets from him, but I had my own practical reasons as well. Anyway, it was time to tell Prince Eric everything my stepmother had said to me.

“So it’s about my sister Jill…”

I told the prince about the conversation with my stepmother, that Jill was having an affair and her secret lover was the young duke, Jade Berklein. I took no pleasure in airing my family’s dirty laundry in front of the prince, but it simply couldn’t be avoided in this instance.

How strange… I just assumed that morally righteous Prince Eric wouldn’t be able to listen quietly at the news of his friend being cheated on, but he’s just sitting there, nodding in silence. Isn’t he going to get angry, like he did with Lord Philip?

“Hmm… Are you sure she’s actually having an affair?”

“Huh?!”

Prince Eric patiently listened to my entire story before replying, so when he finally spoke up, it took me by surprise.

Isn’t it an affair?

If she was sneaking out at night to visit a gentleman, how could that be anything else? I think most people would agree that was cheating, but Prince Eric didn’t seem convinced.

“I’ve met and spoken with Duke Berklein many times. His eyes have always gleamed with raw ambition.”

“Ambition, you say?”

I had met Duke Berklein as well, but while I had the impression he was a meek and timid man, Prince Eric had seen ambition in his eyes. The prince was a good judge of character, so maybe he was able to see a facet of Duke Berklein’s personality that others overlooked.

“First off, Duke Berklein would never risk making an enemy of Duke Gilbert just to have an affair with your little sister.”

“Yes, but the fact remains: Jill is meeting Duke Berklein in secret. My stepmother would never tell such a brazenly scandalous lie to me, so I know it’s true.”

Prince Eric doubted the affair on the grounds of Duke Berklein’s personality. But the fact remained that they were meeting at night in secret. And Catherine would never tell a lie that would destroy her beloved daughter’s reputation, so I had to believe her.

Besides, just because somebody wasn’t the cheating type didn’t mean they were incapable of it. So while I could sympathize with the prince thinking it was unlikely, it was difficult for me to doubt the story on that point alone.

“I understand what you’re trying to say,” Prince Eric continued. “There’s ample circumstantial evidence. You’re saying, there aren’t just vague implications of an affair but that an affair is actually happening. Correct?”

“Yes, Your Highness. Exactly that.”

“But what strikes me as odd is the circumstances that led up to it. Your stepmother said the affair began after Duke Berklein happened upon Jill and Philip having dinner. Now, if that’s true, how do you think Duke Berklein seduced your sister with Philip sitting right there?”

“Huh?! Oh, w-well…”

Come to think of it, how did Duke Berklein seduce her?

I could understand him bumping into her and then seducing her, but he would never do that with her fiancé, Philip, sitting right there. He must have seduced her in secret.

“He might have, say, handed her a note.”

“Yes, but he wouldn’t have had time to write such a note. There would’ve been no chance to get a pen and paper.”

He could have easily passed her a letter through a handshake or something, but if it was a chance encounter, he couldn’t have written her a letter then and there. My stepmother’s private investigator would have caught him doing that.

“Then, what if he wrote the letter in advance?”

“Huh?! But how—”

“Don’t you think it’s possible Duke Berklein already had a plan in place to use Jill for some scheme, then he pretended to bump into her by chance? That’s my theory.”

He’s using Jill? But whatever for…

No matter what his motives were, if his affair with someone else’s fiancé went public, the reputations of both houses would be tarnished. In other words, his motive was something so important to him that he was willing to risk making an enemy of House Gilbert and losing his good standing in high society over it.

Could an absurd scenario such as that actually be true? Even if Prince Eric was right and Duke Berklein was ruthlessly ­ambitious, the plan still seemed anything but reasonable to me. This whole situation was completely beyond my comprehension.

“I find that very difficult to believe, Your Highness. What could he possibly stand to gain by using Jill?”

My voice came out in a meek croak. Such a theory implied that the Duke Berklein had approached Jill with some outrageous, nefarious motive. I knew it was all just Prince Eric’s conjecture, but the more I heard, the more worried I felt.

“From the information we have now, there’s no way we can know for certain. Duke Berklein is a rather troublesome fellow. Two of the corrupt officials I caught earlier were his allies, and the day after I accused them, they both committed suicide.”

“Do you mean—”

“Yes, they were killed before they could speak. Naturally, to the public, it seemed as though they were atoning for their crimes. By paying for their crimes with their deaths, my pursuit of the case would come to an end. Without any evidence of murder, the only conclusion one can draw is that they killed themselves.”

An icy chill ran down my spine. The prince had spun a dark, brutal tale. I could read between the lines: Duke Berklein was a ruthless man who used people until they were no longer useful and then disposed of them. That meant Jill was in danger.

“If he’s using Jill for some scheme…does that mean he’ll discard her once she’s served her purpose?”

“It’s highly likely, yes. If he’s taking advantage of her romantic feelings for him, that will eventually be an obstacle for him.”

Eric confirmed my worst fears. If eliminating obstacles was Berklein’s modus operandi, Jill would be no exception to the rule. I felt like I was being crushed under a heavy weight, worse than what I felt when Catherine came to me for advice. What in the world was I supposed to do about this? What I had assumed was just a common case of infatuation had turned into a much more dangerous situation.

“Anyway, our next move is clear: Find out Duke Berklein’s endgame. I’m sorry, I’m sure this is weighing heavily on your heart.”

Prince Eric is right. We need to find out what Duke Berklein is after.

I understood that intellectually, but my head was starting to ache from the realization that this scandal was a lot more complicated than I had thought.

Prince Eric had deduced that Duke Berklein was using Jill. If he was right—if my sister was getting trapped in a preposterous plot of absurd proportions—it was quite possible that if we didn’t hurry to save her, we could miss our chance.

Worst-case scenario, she could even get murdered.

“Sorry if I scared you. This might be just a man and woman swayed by their own carnal desires. I only extrapolated all of this because I’m a skeptic at heart. Please, don’t take it too seriously.”

“It’s too late to try and comfort me now, Your Highness. The more you say, the more I believe your deductions are correct.”

“Oh… I’m sorry I’m like this. I didn’t want to burden you again.”

Prince Eric’s deductions were ruthlessly precise. There were no holes in his logic. But I didn’t want him to apologize for that. Thanks to him, I was now aware of the danger my sister was in. I could no longer consider Duke Berklein’s visits with my sister a common scandalous affair.

“Eric…what’s ‘carnal desires’?”

“Lady Lingsha! You should try these pancakes—they’re exquisite.”

Johann was trying to remain politely disinterested in my plight by chatting casually with Lingsha. I appreciated his tact and consideration.

But I still had no idea what to do about Jill. Prince Eric said he didn’t know what Duke Berklein’s motives were…but was that really the case? I couldn’t help but think that the wise prince had a theory or two. That’s just the kind of man he was.

“Prince Eric, do you really have no ideas on what Duke Berklein’s motives are? I feel like you would at least have some theories.”

“You think I have theories? I think you overestimate me.”

Do I, though?

Prince Eric insisted that he didn’t have enough information to determine Duke Berklein’s motives, but this man had already deduced he was using Jill for some scheme based solely off the story that they were having an affair. He should’ve had at least a vague idea of what motivated Berklein.

Of course, he couldn’t be certain, but it seemed like he would have a hypothesis, at least. Unable to accept his response, I just stared critically at the prince in silence.

“Oh, dear… Please don’t stare at me like that. Why do you think I’m hiding something?”

“Because you seem to be awfully well apprised of what sort of person Duke Berklein is. In other words, you’ve done your research on him. Am I wrong?”

Prince Eric saw through the plot holes in the affair narrative because he knew a great deal about Duke Berklein. And since the duke had behaved suspiciously, hearing about the affair with Jill had to have given him an epiphany. I must be right.

Meaning, he had to be thinking about Duke Berklein’s scheme holistically.

“I won’t deny it. That suicide scandal was what prompted me to start investigating him. He was squeaky clean, though. If I had discovered anything, I would of course inform you about it.”

“Not if Duke Berklein’s motives would be difficult for me to hear. You could be keeping quiet to spare my feelings.”

Yes, that was why he wasn’t telling me everything he knew—it was actually quite simple. It was something that would be difficult for me to hear. That was the only conclusion I could draw.

“Hmph… You’re quite sharp yourself, Leia. If you’ve already deduced that much, why do you still want to hear it? Very odd.”

“You may be right, but…won’t you please tell me anyway? I can handle the truth. I’ve steeled myself.”

“Steeled yourself… I see. Er, I mean, perhaps I’m the one who needs to steel myself.” Prince Eric folded his arms.

“Why must you steel yourself, Your Highness?”

Why would he, the deliverer of the bad news, and not I, the recipient, need to steel himself? I supposed that when one had to deliver bad news, they would need to steel oneself to some extent, but still…

“This is…pure speculation. I have no proof. It’s only a hypothesis. So please, keep this in mind when I tell you.”

“Yes. Of course, Your Highness.”

Finally, Prince Eric was ready to tell me everything he was thinking. Naturally, it was a mere guess based on circumstantial evidence; I knew that. But I still wanted to know. I wanted to know why Duke Berklein was using my sister.

“Duke Berklein’s true target…is you, Leia.”

“M-me?”

I never expected to hear that. How in the world did he come to that conclusion?

“What I’m about to say will soil Duke Berklein’s good name, so it brings me no pleasure to say it, but if he is the mastermind who was plotting my assassination, he would want to eliminate you. Therefore, it’s plausible that he made contact with your ­sister for that reason. I have no proof of this whatsoever, however. It’s pure speculation.”

Berklein approached Jill to eliminate me…because he’s the mastermind plotting to kill Prince Eric?

Naturally, this was all Prince Eric’s speculation. It was an outlandish theory, which he himself admitted had no proof. But hearing it out loud…it did make sense. It was definitely a possibility. Prince Eric was likely being targeted by a member of the Great Four, and I was his bodyguard. I hadn’t been in his service long, but I was keeping him safe.

There was no mistaking it: Whoever conspired to kill Prince Eric saw me as an obstacle.

And the timing with which Duke Berklein, one of the Great Four, had approached my sister was a little too convenient. If his reason for approaching her was to eliminate me from the picture, a few things started to add up. Of course, there were also some wildly illogical components to the scenario, but overall, it was still plausible.

“Leia, I’m so sorry. Employing you as my bodyguard might have put your family in danger. It’s all my fault.”

Prince Eric bowed his head to me. But there was no way he could have foreseen the crass thought processes of a murderer.

“Please, don’t apologize to me, Your Highness. You said so yourself—we still don’t have proof you’re right.”

“Well, by the time we get proof, it might already be too late. I’ve relied too much on your brilliance, Leia. I thought you could easily thwart any assassin, but I didn’t consider the safety of your family.”

I thought it presumptuous to condemn someone based on pure speculation, but I could see what Prince Eric was trying to say. By the time his speculations were confirmed, I could be dead.

The prince looks gloomier than before. He shouldn’t; this isn’t at all his fault…

I felt nothing but pride and honor that he had chosen me to be his bodyguard because he trusted in my abilities. I didn’t want him to look so sad on my behalf. That look of insecurity in his eyes did not suit him.

“Well, I think this is a good thing.”

“Leia? How can this be a good thing? Your sister’s life may be in danger.”

“Nothing has happened yet, and that means we can stop the tragedy before it happens. Let’s rejoice in our luck: We’re ­empowered to protect ourselves preemptively. I can now see rather clearly that our mastermind has schemed to use Jill as bait to take my life.”

I knew I’d survive this crisis. If anything, I was grateful for it. I was grateful to have the knowledge that I was a target before it was too late. Furthermore, now that I knew I needed to be wary of Duke Berklein, if he really did have a nefarious scheme, I could enact measures to thwart him before he even had the chance to put them in motion.

So there was no need to despair. Right now, what mattered most was that we apprised ourselves of Duke Berklein’s actions and made sure that he was unaware that we were wise to him.

“I am your bodyguard, Prince Eric. I am ready to put my life on the line to protect yours. We’ve finally reached a point where we might be able to catch the mastermind. Now is no time to hesitate. We must take action.”

If Berklein had a plot to use Jill to assassinate me, I had to consider this an opportunity to do something good. If I could bring his treachery to light, then I could determine once and for all that Duke Berklein was Eric’s assassin and stop him before he struck. Then Prince Eric would no longer be the target of assassination attempts, which would indicate that Eric’s dearest wish was finally coming true. So it was my job to make the preparations necessary to catch the fiend red-handed.

“This is a crucial moment, Your Highness.”

“Yes… You’re right. And when I see you look at me like that, I know I have no choice but to rise to the challenge.”

“Well, I’m just relieved to see you’ve regained your former vigor.”

“I came here to ease your worries, yet now it seems the opposite has happened. You’re right, we should be taking action now. I will protect you, Leia, and I will fight even harder in the name of justice.”

That was the Prince Eric I knew. A pessimistic disposition definitely did not suit him.

With steely determination in his gaze, Prince Eric declared that he would fight in the name of justice. This is the true form of the crown prince, who denounced dishonor with more fervor than anyone.

And for your sake, I will do everything in my power to catch your enemies. I will fight by your side. When the two of us are together, nothing can scare me.

But there was just one matter that still concerned me. If Berklein simply wanted Jill to be his hostage, he would have just kidnapped her rather than begin an affair. That would’ve been much more direct.

He must have had some reason for taking the time to foster a romance with her…and that reason had to be a key factor in his planned use for her. My heart filled with dread as an image flashed through my mind: Berklein manipulatingJill into murdering me.

I’d like to think things won’t escalate that far…

After all, rocky history aside, we had never even come close to trying to kill each other. Jill wasn’t even capable of murder. I shouldn’t have been thinking about such a thing when we were trying to be positive. I decided to throw my whole heart into ­being Prince Eric’s bodyguard—I needed to keep my mind focused only on that.

***

Soon after, Prince Eric and I discussed our plan.

“First, we need to think of some ways to get proof. We need to do another review of Duke Berklein as well,” he said.

I asked him if I should try to get more information from Catherine, but he stopped me.

“If Countess Westoria throws a fit, that will make our task more difficult. We don’t want her behavior to tip off Duke Berklein either.”

So, for the three days following my meeting with Catherine, we did nothing but wait. The stakes were naturally quite high. We finally had a chance to catch the mastermind targeting us red-handed, even though he hadn’t left behind a shred of evidence. Our deductions weren’t based on concrete proof, but if our hunch was right, you could say we were incredibly close to catching the mastermind.

But three days…

Ordinarily, it wouldn’t feel that unusual to accomplish nothing in three days, but a part of me was beginning to feel impatient.

“Leia, sorry to spring this on you when you’ve just arrived, but I’d like you to bring me some papers from the library.”

“Oh, um, yes, Your Highness.”

I’d entered Prince Eric’s study after dinner like usual, but this time he had a mission ready for me. Since he had other bodyguards, he had taken to assigning me more errands lately. And since the assassins had stopped coming for him, this was the only way I could make myself useful.

That being said, it was still bad for me to spend too much time away from the person I was supposed to be guarding, so I hurried to the library and threw the door open.

“Oh… Hello there, Leia. We meet again.”

“Prince Dale, you’re utilizing the library too, I see. Sorry to intrude. I’ll just wait outside until you’ve finished.”

That startled me. I wasn’t expecting to find Prince Dale in the library. I didn’t want to get in his way, so I figured it would be best to give him priority.

“Oh, that’s quite all right. It’s not anything classified…unless you’re searching for documents you’d rather keep secret, Leia?”

“Ha ha ha… Of course not.”

“Heh heh. Only joking. Please, come on in.”

Prince Dale, you big tease.

Seeing my flustered expression, he smirked and beckoned me into the library. It seemed I wasn’t the only one looking for documents.

“Well, thank you, Your Highness.”

“My brother and I both have been assigned several tasks by our father. We’ve been coming here just about every day because of that.”

“Oh, really? That sounds like a lot of work.”

“Ha ha ha! Not as much work as a saint like you has, Leia.”

While they gave off different impressions at a glance, Prince Dale and Prince Eric looked quite similar when they smiled. As I watched him go back to the search for his own documents out of the corner of my eye, I began my own search for Prince Eric’s. Since Elshaid’s palace had quite the large volume of documents, finding something was always grueling.

I’m sure it’s on this shelf somewhere… Oh?! There it is!

“Huh?!” Prince Dale and I exclaimed in unison.

Prince Dale and I had reached for the same document.

Wait a minute, Prince Dale needs the same document as me? Isn’t this a little too much of a coincidence?

I ran through a number of theories in my mind. And how couldn’t I? The document in question was about that incident.

“Pardon me, Your Highness. I didn’t realize you were searching for the same document.”

“Oh no, don’t apologize. Still. I’m surprised that my brother is investigating that incident again. The Berklein devotees’ deaths. I thought everyone was satisfied with the suicide verdict.”

That’s right, Prince Eric had tasked me with retrieving the documents about Duke Berklein’s two devotees who killed themselves when Prince Eric had unmasked their corruption. Prince Eric suspected that Duke Berklein had killed them both to keep them quiet, but since no evidence of this was found, their deaths were determined to be suicides. Prince Eric had instructed me to bring him the case files so he could reopen the investigation, thinking it could give him some clues into Jill’s situation now.

I never thought Prince Dale would be after the same documents.

“Um, Prince Dale… Do you want these documents as well?”

“Yes, that’s right. But my brother can borrow them first. I’m not in any hurry, and I’ve got other matters to tend to. I’ll just borrow them after he’s finished.”

With a soft smile, Prince Dale offered the documents to me without skipping a beat. Feeling a warm friendliness from him, it was easy to understand why everyone loved him. I never got a bad feeling about him either.

But was it really okay of me to jump rank like this?

“But won’t that inconvenience you, Your Highness?”

“It’s no trouble at all. Remember, I told you my father assigned me many tasks. I can always handle one of the others first.”

Come to think of it, he had said something to that effect. Dale’s father—in other words, the king—had tasked his son with an assignment that had something to do with Duke Berklein’s former subordinates. That in and of itself piqued my interest, but I wasn’t sure what I should do. However, since Prince Dale insisted that I take the case files first, I felt like it would actually be rude to refuse him.

“All right, I’ll take you up on your kind offer. Thank you for your generosity, Your Highness.”

Having thanked him, I took the documents. Since we were in a race against time, I wanted to get them to Prince Eric as soon as possible.

“Don’t worry about it. This is about the only thing I can do to help my brother.”

“Huh?!”

Melancholy filled Prince Dale’s eyes. What burden did he bear?

“Oops—I’ve said too much. I still have more documents to look for. What about you, Leia?”

“Oh! Ummm… Well, this is all, really. Um, thank you again, truly. I’ll be sure to tell Prince Eric about your generosity.”

That’s right. I got what I came for. I needed to get back to Prince Eric. It was wrong of me to stand there, wondering why Prince Dale was sad.

Remembering my task at hand, I bowed to Prince Dale and turned to leave the library.

That took longer than I thought. I need to hurry.

“Leia!”

“Hm?!”

Prince Dale’s voice stopped me in my tracks. His voice was loud and sharp, not at all the sort of voice I would have expected from him.

I turned around and noticed that the prince looked just a little down. I wondered why.

“Er, it’s just, protecting my brother is important and all, but please do protect yourself as well. Also, give my brother my regards.”

“Y-yes, I will tell His Highness. Thank you.”

It was such a simple message that it gave me pause. It felt like that wasn’t the only thing he had wanted to tell me, like there was something else he needed me to know…

But I had no time to spend worrying about that. With ­another bow in Dale’s direction, I hurried back to Prince Eric’s study.

***

“Your Highness, I’ve brought the documents you requested.”

“Thank you—ah, I’ve been assigning you all sorts of menial tasks lately. Sorry about that.”

He thanked me for the documents. His humility despite his position as crown prince was something he and Prince Dale had in common.

“Prince Dale was in the library searching for these same files under order of His Majesty. As he wasn’t in any hurry, he said you could have them, but perhaps we should return them as quickly as possible.”

“Dale wanted these documents? Hm. So His Majesty asked Dale…” He stroked his chin in contemplation.

So it piqued his interest as well.

It could’ve been sheer happenstance, but it was only natural to wonder why both princes were looking for the same case files at the same time. The fact that the king gave the order only deepened the mystery.

“Understood. Thanks,” Prince Eric said after about ten seconds of silence and returned to the papers on his desk.

He was intensely focused on his work. Whenever he got like this, I couldn’t talk to him unless it was something important. Prince Eric wasn’t a stranger to shooting the breeze now and then while he was at work, but whenever he needed to focus, he became impervious to everything else around him.

According to Johann, that was Prince Eric’s version of a work-life balance. Whenever he was focused on a task like this, he was more precise and efficient than humanly possible. For the following hour, he took notes, nodding and uttering an “aha” every once in a while, until he suddenly stood up.

It seemed that Prince Eric had found an answer.

“All right. I’ll shadow Jill Westoria.”

“Huh?! Why so sudden, Your Highness? And do you mean, you personally?”

Why was he being so impetuous? Regardless of his reasons, it was absurd for Eric to put himself in danger like that. The resolve in his eyes only made his absurd suggestion all the more shocking.

No, wait, this is Prince Eric. He knows full well his plan is unconventional; he must have his reasons.

He was certainly not the sort of person who would stalk someone only to satisfy personal curiosity. He had to have a good reason.

“Leia, get Johann and Lingsha.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

Hesitant, I obediently marched out of his study to retrieve Johann and Lingsha from their patrol outside.

“Prince Eric, was there a reason you summoned us?”

“Did you get bored and wanna talk?”

Johann and Lingsha stood before Prince Eric. He would probably order them directly to follow Jill. I was sure Johann would object, though.

“I’m going to shadow Jill Westoria. I want to see for myself why she and Duke Berklein are meeting in secret.”

Just as I expected, Johann and Lingsha both gasped in surprise as I did earlier. The reaction was only natural—Prince Eric’s proposition was that absurd.

I know Prince Eric has a plan, but wouldn’t most princes do what my stepmother did and hire a private investigator?

“A conspiracy borne from Jill Westoria’s trysts with Duke Berklein,” Johann mused. “I understand, Your Highness. You wish to personally expose the duke’s high crimes.”

“That’s right. This is my fight. I want to catch Jade Berklein red-handed—and I want to do it myself.”

“I am well aware of that, Your Highness. But won’t you let me take care of it instead? I am your top confidant and have sworn my loyalty to you. Please, have faith in my loyalty and stay at the palace where you will be safe.”

Johann’s eyes were earnest as he begged Prince Eric to stay behind. But Prince Eric felt that as this was his fight, his duty to gather the evidence he needed to strike the final blow. Since Johann had aided Eric all this time, he understood the prince’s feelings on the matter, but as his bodyguard and vassal, he opposed the suggested plan. He didn’t want to put his prince in danger.

“Johann, I have never for one second doubted your loyalty. But it’s my duty to settle this matter with Duke Berklein myself. The deaths of those two officials were quite a bitter experience for me.”

In high society, the young duke Jade Berklein was ardently admired. When Prince Eric found out that there might be a cruel side to the man—that he might have killed his own men after they failed their mission to silence them forever—Eric was unable to let that go. Therefore, even though it was too late to avenge the men, Prince Eric wanted to at least settle the matter himself.

“But, Your Highness! It’s too dangerous out there!”

“Johann, as far as I’m concerned, I’m in more danger here at the palace, under constant threat of assassins. And while they have stopped coming recently, that might have been a ploy to make us lower our guard. If you stay here as my body double, couldn’t it be argued that I would be safer outside?”

He had a point. If we made our foes think Prince Eric was at the palace, he would actually be safer elsewhere. If Johann were his body double, that would preempt word of his absence ­leaking out.

“That is sheer sophistry, Your Highness!”

“That’s right, I’m being fallacious. But if anyone could pull off being my body double, it would be you, the man I trust the most. Am I wrong?”

“Ugh, you never back down when you get like this. While I have my reservations, I accept the task. I will serve as your body double.”

It would be more correct to say Johann gave up rather than that he was persuaded. As a longtime friend of Eric’s, he knew the prince would not yield under any circumstances. If even Johann couldn’t stop him, I knew it was no use complaining, but I still thought it was a bad idea for a crown prince to impulsively put himself in danger.

“Prince Eric, this scandal involves my own family. Please, let me accompany you.”

I volunteered to help Prince Eric shadow Jill. I could protect him myself, and I would never let him venture out there alone.

“If you’re caught, you’ll be in danger too, seeing as you’re his primary target.”

“I am well aware of that, Your Highness, but I can look after myself. Besides, keeping you safe is my duty.”

That’s right. I would blast away any danger that came our way. I was Prince Eric’s bodyguard, and I had no intention of running away from my responsibility.

“Hm. So we’re at an impasse. I suppose it would be wrong of me if I was the only one who got their way. All right, Leia. Come with me.”

“As you command, Your Highness.”

At least he was aware he was being selfish—that meant a lot to me.

Thus, it was decided that I would accompany Prince Eric at night to shadow Jill.

“Eric is right here, oh yes. He definitely did not go outside,” Lingsha recited. “There. I’ve got my lines down.”

Johann and Lingsha remained in Prince Eric’s study to make it look like he was doing paperwork all night.

After we gathered our gear, Prince Eric and I sneaked out of the palace, heading for Westoria Manor. The moon was bright. Its light made it easier for us to see our target, but we would have to be careful not to be seen ourselves.

“All right…we should be safe to observe them from here, undetected.”

Prince Eric and I hid in the shrubs at Westoria Manor, my former home, and kept watch. I never dreamed the day would come when I would spy on my own home.

I scanned the vicinity for other presences and confirmed we were alone. Perhaps Catherine’s contract with her private investigator had expired already.

“Do you think Jill will actually come out, Your Highness? According to my stepmother, she only leaves once every few days.”

“I know. We’ll have to wait every night until she does. Anyway, it’s quite clear this is a race against time.”

“Yes, indeed. The further behind we fall, the harder it will be to find all the answers.”

We were already quite far behind. But the further behind we fell, the more likely it was that Duke Berklein would act before we could stop him. That was why we went to such extreme lengths over a mere conjecture.

“Luck might be turning in our favor. Look over there. Jill Westoria just came out.”

It was no less than providential. Getting results on the first day was ridiculously good fortune. Prince Eric whispered to me that I should watch the back of the house, so I turned my attention there.

That’s really her… I can’t see all of her in the darkness, but that’s definitely Jill.

“We’re following her—just don’t get too close. Always keep this much distance from her.”

“Understood.”

While keeping an ample buffer between us, we trailed Jill close enough so as not to lose sight of her. Even without the moonlight to rely on, I could sense human presences with my magic, so we would be all right, as long as we didn’t fall too far behind. We would not lose her.

We kept following Jill until she ducked into the forest.

Aha…this is the perfect place to go for a nighttime tryst. There’s no signs of human life anywhere.

There was a lake in the forest. With the moon reflecting off the water, the area looked quite mystical. Under different circumstances, it would even feel romantic.

“Leia. Keep your eyes over there.”

I looked where Prince Eric pointed just in time to see Jill approach something.

That looks like a horse-drawn carriage… I think she’s talking to somebody inside.

“Your little sister must have said some password. There’s Duke Berklein now.”

“Looks like it, yes. Duke Berklein must be taking a number of precautions as well.”

Thanks to the light of the moon, we could clearly see Duke Berklein and Jill in an embrace. I never thought I’d witness my little sister having an affair in the middle of a forest. I knew there was nothing to be done, but I still felt a little hurt.