《Banished Villainess – Under Observation!》


 CH 1

    Prologue


    Thumping sound resounded as the carriage shook. The one riding inside Chloe Sereknight, was absent-mindedly gazing at the surrounding scenery. Just a moment ago, she was the fianc¨¦e of Prince Leddorio, the first prince of the Coloflare Kingdom.


    The behavior she currently shows makes it seem as though the impudent and disgraceful attitude she had displayed when she was condemn at Sacred Church were all a farce. However, Chloe had always been bold and impudent, hence, her current manners make it seem as though she was possessed by something else.


    The one who anxiously greeted her was none other than her exclusive butler, Sheen Purpleton. Chloe who gave him a side glance, emitted a self-depreciating smile which puzzled him.


    ¡°I guess so. Too many things happened to day¡­, if only I knew that things would end up like this¡­, I would¡¯ve prepared more for it. But well, since you¡¯re with me, I guess all is good. But Shin, are you really okay with this.  Having to escort someone like me?¡°


    ¡°That¡¯s fine and all, but no matter what you say now, you cannot possibly follow me up to the convent, do you?¡°


    From this day onwards, Chloe¡¯s engagement with the first prince is annulled. She is also disowned by the Ducal House Sereknight, and sent to live her life at the convent. The carriage they were currently riding at is headed to that place for that purpose.


    ¡ô¡¡¡ó¡¡¡ô¡¡¡ó¡¡¡ô


    Looking at it with grimace, or to some, expressionlessly, was her former fianc¨¦e and the one responsible for the annulment of their engagement, Leodorio Bertnand Calaflea. Beside him were Sei Bruno, his foster brother as well as the son of the minister to the left, Dy Nable, an apprentice knight who is also the son of a general, and lastly Darck Sereknight, the oldest son of the minister to the right and Chloe¡¯s older brother.


    They are currently in the middle of observing the ducal lady, whom they had banished away from the capital, by monitoring her through the magical brooch of Shin, whom betrayed his mistress and now acts as Leddorio¡¯s spy. The footage and the sound recorded by the magical item can be sent towards a reception brooch a considerable distance away and can be viewed real time through a mirror by using the brooch as a projector.


    They are not entirely willingly monitoring the criminal whom they have just chased away. They are doing this solely to ease the anxiety of their beloved, Momo Palette, even just a little. If Chloe were to do any suspicious behaviors, Shin is ordered to immediately arrest her on the spot and with the irrefutable evidence, send her towards the gallows.


    ¡°You can¡¯t put up this strong fa?ade for long, you damn false saint.¡°


    The sound of teeth grinding against each other resounded in the personal room of the first prince.

 CH 2

    Condemnation


    Once in several decades, the miasma within the territories of the Coloflare Kingdom thickens, giving birth to demonic beasts that places the kingdom under great risk. Subjugation forces are sent towards them in such times, but due to their incessant spawning, there is almost no end to them.


    One day, as if she was a response to the existence of the demonic beasts, a lady appeared who had purified all of the miasma


    The Holy Church designated the lady as the Saintess. From there on, a rule was set that if the miasma shows any signs of thickening again, the church is to find a Saintess, and if they failed, they must nurture one from scratch.


    But not only has the church, even the royal family made a royal decree in regards to the matter of the Saintess. They had determined that the Saintess as the savior of the country, shall be sheltered by the royal family.


    The reason for that is the latter¡¯s proud and vain personality. Chloe only ever thought of her fianc¨¦e as nothing but accessory to her name, and she has the disposition to never ever accept having her most prized accessory, who never loved her, be stolen by from her side.


    The prince was about to reach his limits of putting up with the suffering of having to stand next to her as her fianc¨¦e. It was around that time when he met, Momo Palette, whom they found in the country side, and awakened her abilities to attend the academy as the true saintess.


    She was an honest and bright lady who has the heart treat everyone with indiscriminate kindness. Her figure stole the eyes of the prince and before he knew it, he always thought of her every time he relaxed his mind. He doesn¡¯t even remember when he started to desire monopolizing her attention.


    As he grew more repulsive towards Chloe whom intensified her harassment of Momo due to severe jealousy, his feelings for Momo just keep growing day by day.


    ¡°No, you¡¯re mistaken, highness! That woman was acting intimately with engaged gentlemen, which is why I¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t touch me! How presumptuous of someone like you to dare call yourself a saintess¡­, I will have to talk to father to have our engagement reconsidered.¡±


    Hanging her head low, Chloe¡¯s hand and knees fell to the ground. Leddorio only looked at her     coldly while his arms wrapped around Momo¡¯s shoulders.


    ¡°I shall inform the House Sereknight of this matter. You best behave yourself until then¡­, well then, everyone, start the ceremony of Momo¡¯s formal recognition as the saintess immed¡ª¡°


    The holy church believers began leaving the banquet hall one after another. Not even a single one of them bothered to look at Chloe, who still remained prostrated on the ground.

 CH 3

    The thoughts of the entourage of the Crown Prince.


    After the designation of the Saintess had ended, Leddorio¡¯s entourage obtained permission to use the lounge of the Holy Church and met with Momo there. Although he¡¯d rather be alone with Momo instead, they are not officially a couple yet. She is a lady that is indiscriminately kind to everyone else and in turn, everyone else also yearned for her as well, save for that woman of course.


    ¡°Momo, you¡¯ll have to fulfill your mission as the saintess from now on. It may be a tough endeavor, but worry not because we¡¯ll be here to help you.¡±


    ¡°Y-Yes¡­ thank you very much. I am grateful, your highness however..¡°


    Momo averted her eyes from the prince. She looked somewhat troubled even though they had just gotten rid of the one who harassed her.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter? What are you worried about?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s about Lady Chloe. Is it really fine for me to be at ease from now on? After all, she¡­ loved Benny so much that she harassed me.¡°


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter however she feels. No matter what anyone one says, the only one I will ever love is you, Momo.¡°


    ¡°B-But¡­¡±


    ¡°I-I love Momo as well! No matter what filthy means that wench pulls, I¡¯ll be here to protect you!¡±


    Leddorio held the hands of Momo attempting to court her but Dy interjects. Although the prince was fond of his muscle brain friend, he will not yield an inch when it comes to love.


    ¡°At any rate, once she is disowned by the House Sereknight, she wouldn¡¯t be able to do anything anymore. Darth is supposed to tell us the particulars but¡­¡°


    Sei only shakes his head in response to the gaze of the prince. Although they are rivals in many things as both sons of the minister to the left and minister to the right, his only two commonalities with Darck were their love for Momo and hatred for Chloe. Everyone in this room are not only rivals in love for Momo, but also those who wants to protect her safety.


    Before long, Chloe¡¯s brother, Darck arrives at the lounge.


    ¡°It has been determined that Chloe will be sent to the convent. The place is in our territories, an institution that has the favor of the duke.¡±


    ¡°What a shallow punishment¡­., so she is not disowned? Isn¡¯t that just pulling her out of public?¡°


    ¡°They could¡¯ve just sent her to the Nansonia region instead.¡°


    ¡°T-That¡¯s no good!¡°


    As the group were discussing additional punishment, Chloe turned pale and interjects into the conversation.


    ¡°The more you push her to such extreme circumstances, the more she will resent me in return. Your highness should not underestimate the grudge of a woman.¡°


    I should know, after all I¡¯ve been on the receiving end of her harassment, or so the personal experience seems to leak from her words. Although the prince feels like that this kind of punishment alone wouldn¡¯t be enough to restrain Chloe, if Momo asserts this much then there¡¯s something that needs to be done about it.


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, let¡¯s put her under monitoring. If Chloe dares to create any disturbance we¡¯ll dispose her immediately. That responsibility¡­. falls to you Shin.¡±


    He who was previously Chloe¡¯s exclusive butler, had also been touched by Momo¡¯s kindness, resulting to his secret betrayal of the lady. Because he ended up betraying his mistress and assisted in gathering evidence against her ultimately, one can easily imagine what kind of treatment he receives.


    ¡°I will put pressure to the Duke so that he¡¯ll change the destination to a convent in Nansonia instead. If he tries to go against it, I¡¯ll send him there together with his daughter. So Shin, you are to volunteer as her guard, and keep using that brooch to show us her circumstances.¡±


    ¡°Very well, my lord.¡±


    He thought he had finally gotten away from Chloe¡¯s rule, only to be pulled away from Momo¡¯s side and back to following his mistress¡¯ whims again. Although that¡¯s rather bad on its own, if things go well, he¡¯ll be given the chance to settle his vengeance personally.


    Furthermore, Shin wondered just what kind of face that woman will make if her longest most trusted tool were to betray her.  Still, that would have to wait until Chloe actually show signs of plotting revenge.

 CH 4

    Banished from the Capital


    Thus, the decision to annul Chloe¡¯s engagement with the prince, and banish her away from the capital was done swiftly beyond normal means. Naturally, the king himself was a little bit reluctant, but the influence of the holy church within the kingdom is far too great. It would be costly to keep a noble lady labeled as the false saint as the crown princess. Momo on the other hand, is to be welcomed by the House Sereknight as their daughter.


    Although Darck was not entirely happy with becoming officially siblings with her, he knew that he will not able to get her heart even if he competed against Leddorio for her favor.


    As such Chloe, while only wearing her simplistic dress (albeit much superior to commoner dresses), was sent towards the Nansonia region taking limited personal belongings with her. The travel would still take a couple of days and because they were not able to secure lodging, they had no choice but to spend the night outdoors.


    To this, Sheen was surprised that Chloe obeyed without voicing even the slightest bit of complaints.


    ¡°Milady, do you not feel uncomfortable?¡±


    ¡°Well, if you ask, then it is uncomfortable, but I heard that Nansonia Region is even more of a harsh place so it¡¯s a good time to get used to this.¡±


    ¡°..Frankly speaking, I am surprised, lady. I never expected that you would be able to bare these kinds of circumstances.¡±


    ¡°I guess you¡¯re right. If I am still the way I was, I would have rather wished for death cursing the world instead, or maybe desire everything to ruin.¡±


    Although she is smiling as though it wasn¡¯t her business, the words she said are without a doubt, dangerous. If she had said it seriously, the prince ready to order Shin to cut her down immediately.


    ¡°Then why is milady¡­.¡±


    ¡°Do you still remember the day we first met?¡±


    Changing the subject, Chloe asks Shin a different question.


    Shin Purpleton, was a man that Chloe grew fond of and picked from the slums, raising him to become her personal butler. As if poking fun of his good features and how he is always readily available when called, Chloe once said that ¡°this man is ever diligent pet¡± referring to him.   At that time, Leddorio and even the person she called as her property, Shin, felt repulsive of her sense of superiority.


    ¡°I know I have said a lot of horrible things, but the truth is, I¡¯m really grateful to you. My father is always busy, you see, and I just can¡¯t seem to see eye to eye with my brother, but you still kept my lonely self, accompanied. I am really grateful for your efforts since then.¡±


    ¡°Milady? Did the outdoor plain food not sit well with your stomach?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t eat anything bad, silly. I¡¯m saying that the convent is off limits to men, and now that I¡¯ve been chased off from the ducal house, this seems to be the most appropriate time to tell you.¡±


    Not only Shin, but even Leddorio¡¯s group who have been monitoring Chloe¡¯s behavior were dumbfounded by her admirable words. However, Darck alone, who muttered ¡°it¡¯s far too late for that,¡± with contempt, must be referring to their relationship as siblings.


    Darck was a child born from one of the lower ranked employees of the ducal house, and was officially recognized upon the death of the duchess, which is also perhaps one of the reason why they had a dark history as siblings.


    ¡°Even if the convent is strict, there are several towns surrounding it. As long as milady wishes to meet me, I shall see her any time of the day.¡±


    ¡°Then the atonement would be for nothing, right?  In addition, do you really think I haven¡¯t noticed that Brooch, Shin?¡±


    Chloe¡¯s face immediately turns facing the mirror screen with her fingers raised.

 CH 5

    Suspicious Brooch


    Cold atmosphere froze the air. With her fingers pointed in front of them across the mirror, it felt as though they were the one being observed instead. The magical brooch was an item secretly developed by the royal mages, but during her condemnation, they camouflaged it by using a crystal ball as intermediary so there¡¯s no way Chloe would know of its existence.


    ¡°That brooch, is the same thing that Miss Momo¡­ Lady Momo has on right? I have always thought it to be the case, but am I wrong?¡±


    ¡°I have no idea where milady¡¯s misunderstanding is coming from, but this is merely a cheap article that can be bought in street stalls anywhere.  It is likely that the miss only bought a similar one if she had the same thing.¡±


    ¡°Street stalls, is it?¡­ I never thought you had that kind of taste.¡±


    ¡°I can give it to milady if she wishes for it. Although the design is far too simplistic.¡±


    The brooch was made entirely for observing Chloe, and although it will see lesser use if worn by the person herself, it would be much better than being found out immediately. But after staring at it momentarily, the lady peeled her gaze off it.


    ¡°Never mind then. It is no longer my business to whom Lady Momo sends her gifts. However, if Shin truly loves that woman, you would be better off going back to her side immediately rather than wasting your time with me.¡±


    ¡°Shin who was still about to say something was suddenly put to halt. Chloe immediately drew a leather bag outside her luggage and stood up.¡±


    ¡°At the very least, at this moment, I need you by my side.¡±


    ¡°As you wish.¡±


    An ambiance of urgency reverberated within the recorded footage.


    ¡°What on earth is happening!?¡±


    Dy yelled upon seeing Shin covering Chloe with his sword drawn.


    ¡°Mountain bandits, from the looks of it.¡±


    ¡°Mountain bandits!?¡±


    The area within the region had a very severe public order which results into numerous requests for army dispatchments.  Most of those dispatched troops however, were sent towards subjugation of monsters instead, which resulted in the worsening banditry problem.


    A yell resounded in the other side of the screen. By the time the two of them returned to the carriage, the coachman had already been killed. The bandits numbered too many placing too much burden on Shin¡¯s shoulders.


    Must Shin really protect Chloe? The prince thought. At the very least, if he chooses to let Chloe die or taken away without resistance, Leddorio and the others will certainly not blame him.


    Presently, Chloe¡¯s had no allies in her predicament.

 CH 6

    Bandit Raid


    The bandits who raided their carriage had surrounded them with vulgar expressions plastered across their faces.


    ¡°You lot, don¡¯t kill the woman. There¡¯s so much fun waiting for her.¡±


    ¡°Of course, boss. We rarely find such a fine piece in this place.¡±


    Bandits¡¯ behavior are all the same wherever they come from. Although Dy had clearly shown his displeasure, the two other sons of minister are just watching expressionlessly.


    ¡°Darck, are you not even worried about your younger sister?¡±


    ¡°Maybe if she had been a little more cuter, I would¡¯ve spared her a worry.¡±


    ¡°If the same kind of situation were to happen to Momo, I would kill all of them immediately, or even make them regret ever being born. But as for Chloe¡­., frankly speaking, I think she deserves it.¡±


    (Can you hear this Chloe? You have made so many loath you so much, you wench. You must¡¯ve been out of your mind to think that I had feelings for someone like you.)


    ¡°What about your highness? She may be no longer be, but she had been your fianc¨¦e at some point.¡±


    In the first place, she even cried in opposition to having Shin follow Chloe as her escort. If the worse were to indeed happen, the prince thought that the decision to not allow Momo to watch any further before might¡¯ve been truly correct. Even though Chloe had harassed her in the past, it would still be too much for Momo¡¯s gentle heart to see her getting assaulted by bandits.


    While he was thinking that, one of the bandits charged brandishing his sword at Chloe with Shin behind her. However, the butler was still preoccupied with an opponent of his own and wouldn¡¯t make in time to save her. Just when all of them thought it was over¡­


    Suddenly they heard a whirling sound,


    Then, it was followed by thumping sound coming from behind Shin. The monitoring brooch was placed right in front of him so the other side of the mirror had no idea what just happened. After Shin finally managed to fend off one of the bandit, he turn his back behind and there he saw Chloe¡­,


    ¨Cwith her hand on a mini-crossbow with rapid-fire mechanism, as well as bandits sprawling in pain on the ground holding their knees.


    ¡°Lady, what on earth¡­?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t have enough time so this is the only thing I was able to bring with me. Well, I have Shin by my side anyway, so it still worked out for self-defense in the end. It still lacks the strength to be fatal though, but it can at least stop their movements as you can see.¡±


    ¡°I had quite a lot of enemies back then¡­, both as the saintess and the queen candidate. So I took some self-defense lessons with harsh difficulty. Thinking about it now, I should have continued learning more.¡±


    Defeating all the bandits and tying them all with a rope, Chloe glanced at them with bitter smile.

 CH 7

    Iris Mountain


    With their coachman killed and their horses scared away by the bandits previously, the two left behind were initially at lost what to do. Although help would likely arrive sooner or later due to the brooch, it would still be unreasonable for them to spend numerous nights in the mountain waiting for their arrival.


    ¡°We¡¯re a little way too deep in the Nansonia mountain range¡­ I believe it would still take an entire day of walking to descend to the nearest city.¡±


    ¡°If bandits have appeared, then this must be around Iris mountain, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    As if unrelated to Shin who had already fully resolved to descend from the mountain without eating, for some reason Chloe was able to identify their location due to the bandits. Although it¡¯s natural to expect bandits to appear along the mountain range, Iris mountain isn¡¯t particularly famous for bandit sightings which made her conjecture a little strange.


    ¡°Err¡­ yes, that maybe the case. We should have entered the mountain by now.¡±


    ¡°Then the dungeon must be up there, so let¡¯s ascend instead. It would be faster to go there instead than to descend.¡±


    ¡°Huh!?¡±


    Shin hurriedly chased after Chloe who had already walked out of the mountain path to ascend the mountain.


    She may have been temporary but the position could not possibly achieved with money and connections alone. After taking severe lessons and intense studying, her efforts were recognized by the church. It may be frustrating for the prince, but her hard work to achieve the position of the prince¡¯s fianc¨¦e is genuine. Although the prince couldn¡¯t fathom how it warped her personality to such a degree.


    As the prince struggled with bitter feelings he couldn¡¯t understand, the two was able to arrive at the inn in the mountainside.

 CH 8

    The lodging they found was a three-story building and cannot be called extravagant even by false flattery. It had integrated itself with a church seemingly about to collapse and by the looks of it, just a single assault of the demonic beasts would easily demolish the building. But then again, a lodging house this close to a dungeon would obviously erect sufficient barriers to protect it.


    ¡°Shin, we are to pretend as travelers, so you have to watch my words, do you understand?¡±


    Before Chloe knocked on the door, she momentarily turned to Shin to say that.


    ¡°Welcome, how many are people are staying?¡±


    Right after Chloe knocked, a middle-aged woman with a considerable physique opened the door. She seems to be the mistress of the building from the looks of it.


    ¡°My apologies, but we have been raided by the bandits earlier and we¡¯re out of hand. We do not mind even if it¡¯s a small corner, but could you spare a room for us to borrow?¡±


    ¡°Oh, were you chased off from the main highway. That¡¯s pretty unlucky for you two¡­ but it do happen a lot within this area. I wouldn¡¯t mind sparing you a room and a meal for the night but, tomorrow some customers will come you see¡­ That said, my husband runs a church right at the back, so if you want a place to stay, you can use that instead. There¡¯s hardly any people who¡¯ll come there to pray anyway.¡°


    ¡°We are very grateful.¡±


    Entering the building, its first floor had both the reception as well as a pub and the lodging rooms are located in the 2nd floor and upwards. After they sat in one of the chairs of the many tables, the mistress carried a food towards their table. They were handed hard bread, meat soup as well as a darkish liquid for refreshments.


    ¡°Sorry, they were just left overs.¡±


    Chloe smiled as she tore a piece of the tough bread and soaked it in the meat soup. If she was the same as she had been before, she would¡¯ve refused it all and called it nothing but dog food. It looked as though she had already gotten used to traveling in a mere days of journey, to the point that nobody would even think that she was a former ducal lady, unless somebody told them.


    ¡°By the way, this might be an insensitive question but¡­ are you two eloping?¡±


    ¡°He is my older brother.¡±


    Shin nearly cough and nearly choked on his drink. It was either due to how Chloe had nonchalantly lie without hesitation or because he knew his actual brother very well, or both. As for the aforementioned brother however, his eyebrows only furrowed watching it happened.


    After running a lodging close to a dungeon for higher grade adventurers, the mistress must¡¯ve seen her fair share of ruined nobles. Shin and Chloe¡¯s eyes met for a moment, and this time revealed their real circumstances¡­, or not.


    ¡°As mistress had said, we are nobles. However, I was disowned by my parents just a day ago. My older brother was the only one who went against it and chose to come with me instead.¡±


    ¡°Is that so. I don¡¯t know the circumstances but, throwing you out on such a dangerous mountain, what a terrible pair of parents. That aside, you sure are a really thoughtful brother. You have to protect your sister well, alright?¡±


    ¡°She sure blabbers a lot about other¡¯s circumstances for someone who knows absolutely nothing.¡±


    ¡°Let it slide, Darck. There¡¯s no way Chloe would foolishly flat out say that she was driven off for harassing the Saintess.¡±


    The prince shows his generosity as he chided Darck who was visibly irritated. This much of a lie is adorable compared to how they have been deceiving Chloe this entire time, he thought.

 CH 9

    As the mirror screen blurred, what it shown afterwards was the interior of a ruined church. There, they saw Shin¡¯s face for the very first time after his departure from the capital.


    The magical brooch could not only record footage, but can also edit and compile the footage within a short time. What they have been watching so far was the compilation of what had happened. Now Shin is truly facing them across the mirror, real time. Watching the footages for a considerable amount of time, they hadn¡¯t even noticed that it was already night time.


    ¡°Good work, though there some accidents, I¡¯m glad you¡¯re safe. You are our comrade after all.¡±


    ¡°Much obliged, sir. However, I am quite surprised myself. To think that milady¡­ Lady Chloe would be able to deal with consecutive irregular situations that smoothly.¡±


    In a moment, Shin¡¯s profile disappears from the mirror screen and had turned back to showing the reflection of the prince¡¯s group.


    ¡°Now then, as for Chloe¡¯s recent behaviors¡­, what do you all think?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s likely that she won¡¯t cause any trouble for the time being¡­ after all, she had been causing heaps of them all this time.¡±


    The two of them nodded at each other in agreement to his opinion. Darck on the other hand, had been clear about his displeasure all this time.


    ¡°Do not be fooled by her meek pretense, your highness. Chloe¡¯s true nature is pitch black, the total opposite of Lady Momo.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t really have to tell us that, we know. Even comparing her to Momo is just plain absurd¡­. But I have to say I don¡¯t really prefer talking harshly about someone in front of her brother.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t see any problems as she is already disowned, sire. Furthermore, I only have one sister in this world, and she is none other than Momo.¡±


    (Stop blushing dimwit, she is yet to have her formal adoption.)


    In the end, Darck could only turn his love for Momo forcefully into sibling affection. Although Darck called her without honorifics in front of the Leddorio, the prince isn¡¯t as displeased because they were about to be siblings.


    ¡°I gotta say, I am really impressed with how she dealt with those bandit bastards. To think she could fire that crossbow with a straight face after being surrounded by a group of such men. What can I say? I¡¯m in awe.¡±


    ¡°It was probably Shin who dealt with most of them though¡­, but I see, if you have fallen for her, why don¡¯t you become her fianc¨¦e instead?¡±


    Dai is an apprentice knight with thoroughly muscle for brains. He might not mind the particulars of an engagement so long as he can spar with them, thought the prince. However, even Leddorio do not expect someone like Chloe to have the physical means to hold a sword for that either.


    As for her crossbow, he heard that she had trained for it before as her precaution.


    ¡°Stop with the jest, highness. I prefer fragile girls that makes me want to protect them. To hell with the kind of women who takes pleasure with bullying the weak.¡±


    Having disparaged Chloe so much and releasing all his frustrations regarding her, his body had finally remembered its limits and desires to sleep.


    ¡°For the time being, we¡¯re adjourned. It will be bad for tomorrow if we stay up too late.¡±


    ¡°Very well, I will be coming next as well. For our beloved saintess.¡±


    Finally closing it all by proclaiming their love for Momo anew, the three men left the room afterwards.

 CH 10

    Villainess¡¯ Rescue.`


    ¡°There¡¯s no need.¡±


    Shin consulted Chloe about requesting a carriage during their breakfast but she refused without hesitation. Their breakfast consisted of bread, ham and egg, as well as coffee. It makes one wonder just how do these food supplies make it to the mountain.


    ¡°However, it might lead to problems if we stay in this place for long.¡±


    ¡°About that, Shin¨C¡±


    Placing her fork on the plate, Chloe¡¯s glance headed towards Shin.


    Although she kept her voice and head low in order to kept their circumstances secret, the brooch is capable of recording even up to the most quiet whispers, which by the way, the brooch can raise the volume.


    Prince Ledorio was slightly red in embarrassment after having the true nature of his harassment, found out by Chloe. Normally though, it should be obvious to everyone else. However, Chloe had been conveniently misunderstanding the prince no matter how much he had treated her coldly thus far. She¡¯ll arrive at incomprehensible conclusions along the lines of the prince not being honest with his feelings, or it being their trial of love, among other things.


    ¡°¡­Does milady have anything particular in mind?¡±


    ¡°That makes sense, lady¡­, However, wouldn¡¯t it be even more imperative to send a report to the kingdom and have them purify it?¡±


    ¡°Not at all, the current saintess is Lady Momo, right? If she were made to come to this place for that, they would not only have her purify the lodging but capture the entire dungeon altogether instead. It would be too much for her at her current level. Furthermore, this isn¡¯t a place of total importance that the royal capital would send her here knowing it would put her in danger, and first and foremost of all, the entourage of the prince wouldn¡¯t permit sending her here just to die either.¡±


    The main reason why she chose to stay was the weakening barrier. Still the prince feels uncomfortable seeing Chloe thinking about the betterment of the people or the world itself¡­, as far as he is concerned, he is certain that the lady is doing this in order to earn the mistress¡¯ favor and turn her into one of her pawns.


    That aside, the prince is still surprised how the lady had calmly explained the circumstances regarding Momo and his entourage. She may be a banished criminal but if the place they had been stranded at were to become truly dangerous they would have no choice but to send the Saintess depending on the circumstances.


    Of course, Leddorio would not allow Momo to go there, but he didn¡¯t expect that his former fianc¨¦e would even be able to guess their would be sentiments.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-


    Vouivre Notes:


    I might not update for some days due to school works. Either way, I guess everyone can pretty much guess what¡¯s the deal with Chloe at this point. At any rate, I just want to say something in regards to how I¡¯ve been translating this series.


    The truth is that in some parts of its chapters, the narrator seems to switch from third person to the first prince¡¯s out of nowhere, which¡­ is slightly okay-ish in Japanese but a little odd in English. With that in mind, I have decided to just change them all to third person and make those switches appear to be describing his feelings instead. If it feels odd, you can tell me¡­ or not actually, spare me.


    That¡¯s about it really. Yeah.

 CH 11

    Terms of Employment.


    After their breakfast, Chloe asked the mistress to let them stay for a while. However, the reason she had stated was not regarding the weakening barrier but a made up lie.


    ¡°Unfortunately, we don¡¯t have any money with us¡­ We initially thought of becoming adventurers since we are already disowned but, the dungeon here is restricted to higher grade adventurers after all. So if it wouldn¡¯t cause any trouble, would you please employ us instead?¡±


    ¡°This lodging doesn¡¯t really have any formal employee so that would really help but. I won¡¯t be able to pay you a decent wage, you know? The only ones who would even think of coming to this remote place are either monsters, bandits or adventurers who have a death wish.¡±


    ¡°Just allowing us to stay would be enough, mistress. Even if we try to find employment in the town, father would likely have a hand at preventing us from finding one, and if that were to happen I would have no other choice but¡­, so please let us stay.¡±


    As Chloe refuses to bulge even an inch, the mistress had finally given up convincing her. Thus, the two were able to secure employment for themselves within the mountain in the middle of nowhere. However, Chloe used a fake name instead of her real one.


    ¡°Please call me Chacko, Chacko Brown.¡±


    ¡°Chacko is it, that doesn¡¯t sound like a noble¡¯s name, but prying sounds like a pain anyway. How about you, boy?¡±


    ¡°I am Shin, ma¡¯am.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you siblings? Just use this room for two.¡±


    Vouivre Note:


    I didn¡¯t have much time to edit these properly so they might sound rough. Sorry about that.


    Also, they might be obvious but, to make distinctions between lines said by those watching the projection and those who are in the projection, I am going to use double quotations for those inside the projection and single for those outside the projection.

 CH 12

    Discarded Love


    ¡°Milady.., are you truly fine with sharing a room with me?¡±


    After finally coming to his senses, he asked Chloe who was preoccupied making the bed sheet, checking the closet, and inspecting the room in general.


    ¡°What¡¯s the issue about it?¡±


    ¡°A huge one, lady. Although we pretended to be siblings, we are a pair of young unmarried persons in truth.¡±


    Chloe who was initially mystified about Shin¡¯s protest, replied in a small giggle. As she is currently looking at Shin¡¯s direction, it made the prince who was watching it in the mirror feel like he was the one being made of instead.


    ¡°Please do not tease me.¡±


    ¡°Sorry, it¡¯s just a little unbelievable that you are that conscious of me. I thought that was improbable even if you flip the heavens and earth.¡±


    Why would you say that, lady? First and foremost, I am still a man. Or is that milady only still see me as a mere pet?¡±


    Although it looked as though Shin was coaxing his mistress, not at all. He is just stating common sense. But as he brought up one of her outrageous remarks in the past, it made Chloe unusually sad.


    ¡°I have said countless stupid things back then¡­, you were just so important to me that, I was afraid that his highness would suspect you for infidelity. Truly, I had never thought of you as a pet, not now and neither in the past.¡±


    ¡®Hey I can¡¯t see anything!¡¯


    Chloe¡¯s finger had covered the entire surface of the mirror because she is touching the brooch, making the prince slightly anxious that she might end up breaking it.


    ¡°To tell you the truth, you are my most ideal brother. It would¡¯ve been much better for me if you had been my brother instead of Darck.¡±


    ¡®Even I would much prefer Momo over someone with such a terrible personality.¡¯


    Dark starts rebutting even though the other side can¡¯t hear him. The prince thought that it was also filled with frustration of having Momo as a sister rather than his wife. Before long, Chloe¡¯s finger took off the brooch and instead held Shin¡¯s hands.


    ¡°I am willing to act as lady¡¯s brother or lover so long as she wishes it¡­, however I am guessing that there¡¯s no one else who could fill the latter role other than his highness, Leddorio.¡±


    ¡°Not at all, his highness doesn¡¯t really matter.¡±


    ¡°¡®Huh¡¯¡±


    Shin and Leddorio¡¯s voice were in unison.


    (Chloe¡­ that Chloe whom had been sticking by my side all day wherever I go, the lady who kept appealing to me to the point of irritating, had said that?)


    ¡°M-Milady¡­, there¡¯s no one here other than the two of us. There¡¯s no need to force yourself.¡±


    ¡°Rather, I have been forcing myself since before till now, silly. I very much prefer to just have fun you know? Doing ascetic practices, taking lectures as the queen candidate, every single night to the point of almost dying, I didn¡¯t have any other choice than to at least make the engagement worthwhile.  Fine, I admit it. I did love his highness actually, and have fallen in love with him at first sight, but now that the engagement is annulled and I¡¯m chased off like this, he¡¯s an unrelated person to me now. It¡¯s over for us. He¡¯s already in the past. Digging up the past every single time would just be a waste of my time, rather, a waste of my life. I¡¯d rather just forget all about it and enjoy my second life, don¡¯t you think so?¡±


    ¡®W-Waste of life¡­ Already in the past¡­?¡¯


    ¡°Y-Your highness, please calm down. That is nothing but whining of a sore loser.¡±


    Leddorio who seemed as though he¡¯s about to cross over to the other side of the mirror to confront the lady himself, was hurriedly stopped by Sei. The prince didn¡¯t expect that Chloe is a woman with such a fickle heart. Since from the time they were ten year old, right up to the cancellation of their engagement, the lady had always kept her eyes on him not even sparing a glance to any other men. The only exception was Shin, whom the prince had thought was more of a pet to the lady but¨C


    ¡°And here I thought you¡¯re starting to look better after reflecting, you wench¡­ fine, I¡¯ll give you the greatest of despair for making a fool out of me!¡±


    The observation was initially done with the intention to ease Momo¡¯s worries but Leddorio who was visibly mad had declared that in front of Chloe¡¯s reflection.

 CH 13

    The Lady Reborn Anew


    After that, the two had put a partition between their beds and changed towards the employee clothes that they have given. The brooch was taken off and tossed into the drawer so the other side of the mirror doesn¡¯t know the details either way. However, Shin who had been oppressed for so long to the point he had developed feelings over Momo, is highly unlikely to develop any carnal desires for his mistress.


    ¡°Shin, what do you think? Does it fit me?¡±


    ¡°Lady, that hair is¡­?¡±


    The sound of Shin swallowing his breathe can be heard from the other side of the mirror. Chloe who had an apron on top of her plain onepiece dress looked as though she was an entirely different individual. Although her facial features didn¡¯t really change, much was thanks to her hair color which now only extends towards her shoulders and had a different brown color. Seemingly pleased at the reaction of her butler, the lady took off her brown hair and revealed her usual black hair color.


    ¡°It¡¯s a wig I borrowed from the mistress. We can¡¯t really have my identity as the temporary saintess who was chased out by the prince be exposed after all. Right now, I am not Chloe but Chaco, understand? That¡¯s how you should call me, brother.¡±


    ¡°¡­.If that¡¯s what you wish to go with, I will follow mila.. Chaco. Still, may I ask where you got the false name, Chaco Brown?¡±


    Haphazardly dodging the topic, Chloe retreated and descended to the first floor. The Mistress asked her to man the bar at the evening but until then, she is to peel the skin of potatoes in the kitchen. Shin on the other hand, was tasked to chop woods.


    ¡®Now we can¡¯t see her circumstances anymore but¡­ Darck, how is her kitchen skills?¡¯


    ¡®As if Chloe had any at all. She has never even touched a knife once in her entire life. She¡¯s likely give up this working pretense sooner or later.¡¯


    Darck sharply answered at the sudden question of Sei. Dai on the other hand who had closer sensibilities to commoner looked at the two with much interest.


    ¡®Well, a woman who¡¯ll end up becoming queen anyway has no use for kitchen skills anyway. Either she¡¯ll end up cutting her fingers, or peel those potatoes off so bad there¡¯s hardly anything to eat. In comparison, Momo¡¯s quite the skilled cook. All those cookies she had given me so far were so damn tasty.¡¯


    ¡®What?¡¯


    ¡®Oh? So she did not give his highness any. Maybe she has been forewarned by Chloe, or she¡¯s feeling a little reserved because you¡¯re a royalty.¡¯


    ¡®Of course, she gave me some before.¡¯


    The prince was slightly embarrassed due to his inadvertent reaction to the fact that he was not the only one given cookies. He was looking reproachfully at the figure of Sei who was trying to suppress his laughter. As the mirror show Shin coming back to the kitchen, he came across Chloe who was carrying a mountain load of peeled potatoes.


    ¡°Chaco, you can handle knives?¡±


    ¡°One order of Friend Chicken in herbs and Ale for table number five! Potato sides for table number 3!¡±


    ¡°Heey, take our order as well.¡±


    Who? Just who is this lady, who look as though she was a waitress at the outskirts bar with commoner patrons, or rather that¡¯s exactly what she is right now, or so thought the prince.


    Nobody would believe that the girl reflected in the mirror who confidently ran in the midst of a crowd of rustic customers that could even be described as thugs as she took their orders was the former fianc¨¦e of the crown prince.


    Chloe skillfully dodges the insolent customers who attempts to touch her behind with a forced smile. Shin moves closer towards her back and likely because of his threatening glare, the face of that customer turned pale in result.

 CH 14

    Sacred Stone and Magic Stone


    After the last customer had left, and having finished tidying up the bar, they can now have their meals. At the same time, Pastor Grace had also returned from the church.


    ¡°Good work, you really helped me out there. It¡¯s only your first day but it makes me want to truly hire you as waitress.¡±


    ¡°Had mistress been managing the whole place all this time?¡±


    ¡°Although they all left already, sometimes those adventurers who explore that dungeon pay their lodging fee through helping. That statue of a husband over there only stays holed up in his church all the time though.¡±


    ¡°Hey, what do you mean by statue? There would be a vast difference if there¡¯s no church right next to a dungeon. Whose efforts do you think keeps the peace around here¡­¡±


    Pastor Grace is different to the solemn priests of the Holy Church. To find a perfect description, his temperament much closely resembles that of an adventurer than a priest. What he meant by having the church keeping the peace refers to the barrier that Chloe had said much earlier. Although the sacred stone to keep it up is already broken.


    When they were told to rest, the two headed outside pretending that they would only take a stroll. After confirming that there¡¯s no one else to see them, Chloe¡¯s body began to emit a glow. She was trying to erect a barrier using her own sacred powers. She may not be the Saintess anymore but she is still as capable as a priest recognized by the Holy Church, making her capable of such feats.


    ¡°Although we can keep the safety around here by putting a barrier up every day¡­ they would still need to buy a new sacred stone after we leave.¡±


    ¡°About that lady, couldn¡¯t you just use magic stones instead?¡±


    ¡°You must have been tired, milady.¡±

 CH 15

    Observation Reports 2


    Reflected in the mirror was the lone figure of Shin. The only times that they are able to speak with him are when he needs to state his observation reports.


    ¡°It looks as though Milady is not in a hurry to head to the convent. She is more concerned about the malfunction of the barrier and wants to do something about it.¡±


    ¡®That would¡¯ve been unbelievable for Chloe in the past but, if she¡¯s doing it because she feels indebted to the mistress then there¡¯s nothing we can do. You may contact the holy church for a request tomorrow.¡®


    ¡°Understood, sire.¡±


    Dai interjects between the conversation of Shin and the prince. The prince initially thought it was rather unusual for him to be in such a thought but he was referring to the arbitrary nickname the lady had used as her false name.


    ¡®Really feels like I¡¯ve heard it somewhere before, Chaco Brown hmm.¡®


    ¡®What do you mean? If there¡¯s truly somebody with that name, it might cause the person trouble.¡®


    The prince wandered within the small amount of memories he had that concerns Chloe but he couldn¡¯t find a single thing involving a lady with the name Chaco Brown. Ignoring Dy who was groaning, seemingly trying to rack his brains to remember, the prince went back to the main subject.


    ¡®Shin, there¡¯s something I need you to do. Before you make it to the convent, you are to seduce Chloe.¡¯


    Shin hysterically raises his voice and frowns. It was natural for him to do so, thought the prince. Although he is still keeping Chloe¡¯s company as her butler even after her condemnation, his heart still lies with Momo. However, the prince had a reason why he wanted him to make Chloe fall.


    ¡®It would be much easier if that woman would obediently do as she is told along the way. It has to be you, after all, I¡¯m apparently already in her past.¡®


    ¡°She is just putting up a front, highness. Milady¡¯s feelings for his highness is genuine, and I refuse to believe that it is something that can be thrown away so easily.¡±


    Shin¡¯s attempt to seemingly comfort the prince out of sympathy for being called a waste of life just irritated the prince more. It was in fact, because of the things that came out of those feelings of the lady that the prince had driven her out, in the first place.


    She needs to be reminded that she was banished not to escape but to be rid of freedom. The prince have no desire to give the one who harassed his beloved the freedom to love nor dream.


    ¡®There¡¯s no need to be proactive about it. You just need to act the way you have been doing while being suggestive to make her expect something. Eventually, when she arrives to the point that she can no longer bear without you by her side, you can reveal the ploy at the convent and return here afterwards.¡®


    ¡°Could milady even develop feelings for me even though we¡¯ve been together since childhood, highness? Flattering her to recover her mood had been our staple interaction for a long time so I believe that my attempts at advancements would hardly make a difference.¡±


    ¡®You are the one who said it yourself, that she is putting up a front. No matter how thick the nerves of that woman are, she is only enduring her condemnation. Now that she is forced to lower her pride to deal with such savage rascals of a lodging in the middle of nowhere, you just need to appeal to her that you¡¯re the only one who can understand her sufferings. Once she opens her heart and becomes dependent to you, it does not matter if she does not fall.¡®


    It does not need to be love right away. Now that she had been abandoned by Prince Leddorio and her family, Shin is the only one she has. Once Shin cajoles her with alluring words, she will soon desire to monopolize him out of desperation to forget her lingering attachments to Leddorio. That desire will inevitably become love in the end.


    Although it would be like a fleeting dream, the prince still wondered if the lady would still be able retain her composure after being betrayed by the love she believed in for the second time around.


    (I will never grant you that second life. You belong to the filthy ground you once groveled into during your condemnation, Chloe.)


    Leddorio who had one corner of his mouth raised as he indulged with his dark expectation only made his subordinated perplexed at the sight of their lord.


    Vouivre Notes:


    That¡¯s about it for now, or maybe me more. I have more bulk translated chapters but I don¡¯t know if I would still have time to look into them for errors and editing. But hey, if it comes, it comes, I guess?


    Not that I¡¯m giving you false hope, but I totally am.

 CH 16

    Early Morning in Sacred Church


    The next day, Leddorio went to the Holy Church.


    As he entered the chapel, he saw Momo clad in monastic clothing, polishing the statue of the first Saintess. Normally, she should be finishing her final academic year around this time, but after having been designated as the Saintess, she was put on temporary leave to start her ascetic practices.


    ¡°Oh, Sir Benny! What are you doing in the chapel so early in the morning?¡±


    ¡°Good morning, Momo. Aren¡¯t you a little early too?¡±


    The sound of her voice which was as pleasant as the sound of the wind chimes had easily put the prince in a good mood. It may be for her sake, but the prince felt that all the stress building up having to monitor his former fianc¨¦ are being healed. On the other hand, Momo¡¯s usual bright smile looks slightly dimmer clearly showing her fatigue.


    ¡°It¡¯s because the church wakes up waaay too early. Every day we have to wake up by five in the morning to do the cleaning before breakfast time! I¡¯m so exhausted already and it¡¯s even harder to keep my stomach from grumbling.¡±


    ¡°Is it that hard for you? Should I ask the head priest to exempt you? It¡¯s already determined that you¡¯re the Saintess anyway, so normally you shouldn¡¯t even be doing these anymore.¡±


    ¡°But¡­ would that really be okay!? I feel bad making Sir Benny go to such lengths for me though¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t mind it. You can just bake me cookies in exchange as per usual.¡±


    ¡°Alright, we cannot really freely use the church¡¯s kitchen but¡­ Sir Benny is special after all.¡±


    The prince thought that Momo¡¯s secretive gesture of hiding her lips behind her index finger was nothing short of angelic. Although all of them who wish to protect Momo have an unspoken rule not to steal a march on one another, the prince thinks that he is still in the lead. After all, unlike the other gentlemen, he can meet her like this without their knowledge.


    ¡°Although I truly came here because I miss you¡­ can I ask you something¡±


    ¡°What is it, Sir Benny?¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t mind me asking, do you know the name, Chaco Brown?¡±


    Momo¡¯s eyes widened at the words of the prince. As he had expected, that person truly exists.


    ¡°Chaco was my classmate for two whole years.¡±


    ¡°I see. Do you get along with her?¡±


    ¡°During my first year, she used to speak a lot to me and teach me a lot of things. It made it easier to talk to her since we were both commoners, although we have gotten out of touch now. What about her, sir Benny?¡±


    ¡°Well, do you remember the thing about us monitoring Chloe through Shin?¡±


    ¡°¡­..Yes.¡±


    The sight of Momo¡¯s eyelashes hanging low made the chest of the prince tighten. He thought that the lady must be in anguish just by thinking that Shin is being compelled to serve his tyrannical mistress. He is already aware that this was due to the lady¡¯s ever gentle heart, but he still cannot help but feel jealous.


    ¡°The truth is some trouble had occurred. The two got raided by the bandits and lost their carriage, so for the time being they ended up having to work at a lodging house.¡±


    ¡°!¡±


    ¡°Because of that, Chloe had to use a fake name which was Chaco Brown.¡±


    ¡°Is¡­that the case? Miss Chloe must have known about Chaco Brown then.¡±


    Seeing Momo lost in thought, the prince suddenly recalled how Chloe had driven her into isolation during their time at the academy.


    ¡°You two must¡¯ve been really close before. I am sure that Chloe had a hand on your estrangement from one another. Don¡¯t worry, she is no longer here, so I will return your friend to you in no time.¡±


    ¡°Huh? P-Please wait, your highness!¡±


    He left promptly having confirmed the existence of a lady named Chaco Brown. Although Momo was seemingly about to say something, none of it reached the ears of the prince.


    His next destination would be the alma mater he had just recently graduated from. His purpose would be to meet the true Chaco Brown. Of course, he would also have to inform her about the wicked lady, Chloe using her name for her own convenience.

 CH 17

    Chaco Brown


    It hasn¡¯t been long since he had last taken a step into the academy grounds but the prince was already feeling nostalgic. The memories of the dazzling days he had spent was overlapping with the mundane ones.


    He went to the staff room of the academy to inquire about a student name Chaco Brown. He was told that the commoner lady is in the newspaper club, and that he will surely meet her there after class. Certainly, the prince would feel guilty to interrupt their class or break times so he decided to wait.


    Because he judged that it will be too conspicuous having a graduate like him loiter around the premises, he decided to kill time at the royal lounge of the academy instead. Finally visiting the newspaper club after class, he saw a lady with a pair of amber eyes and chocolate hair, sporting the same hairstyle as Chloe¡¯s disguise within the crowd of members inside.


    ¡°You must be Chaco Brown, are you not?¡±


    ¡°I am, highness. May I ask what business does his highness have here?¡±


    Although Leddorio was helped by the newspaper club during Chloe¡¯s condemnation. All the students related to that had already graduated together with him. Presently, the head of the same class was the lady called Chaco Brown.


    ¡°It¡¯s a little private.. There are several things I need to tell you but¡­ not here.¡±


    ¡°Then let us go somewhere else, highness.¡±


    Trying to find a place with no prying ears just lead them back towards the royal lounge. The entire place used to be reserved only to them during their academy days and he can still remember the tea times he exchanged with Momo here. Unfortunately though, due to the interference of Sei and the others, they are almost never left alone together.


    ¡°I heard that you were Momo¡¯s classmate.¡±


    ¡°Yes, that is true. Although Miss Momo was on temporary leave now, we have been classmates before then.¡±


    ¡°¡­Just classmates? Not friends?¡±


    ¡°Did Miss Momo told his highness so?¡±


    He jumped straight to the subject of Momo but she felt considerably distant. Chaco brown only answered his question with another one and he felt that there were something more to her response. He ended up suspecting that perhaps, Chaco actually hates Momo, unrelated to the interference of his former fianc¨¦e.


    ¡°Momo was ostracized. She had consulted me in the past about how all her attempts of socializing are ignored, as well as how her personal belongings are either stolen or ruined by others. The main perpetrator to such vile acts is my former fianc¨¦e, Chloe.¡±


    ¡°So that was how his highness got the engagement annulled and banished her ladyship away from the capital.¡±


    Her manner of drinking may be considerably rougher in comparison to other aristocrats, but the facial expression of the commoner lady named Chaco had never changed the entire time. There was neither sympathy for Momo, nor disdain for Chloe. All she did thus far was to state what had happened.


    ¡°Are you aware of the fact that Chloe is using your name and posing as a commoner?¡±


    ¡°Huh!?¡±


    The prince saw Chaco¡¯s facial expression changing for the very first time as her eyes widened in surprise. After the prince told her how it had been relayed by his spy who is currently attached to the lady, as well as asking about her knowledge over the matter, she reverted back to her reserved state.


    ¡°I believe it would not be that strange for her to know about me because my name is often written in the newspaper as a reporter, highness.¡±


    ¡°I apologize if I ended up offending you but, I am thinking that Chloe may have had a hand in your estrangement with Momo.¡±


    ¡°You are overthinking it, highness. Momo and I were never that close in the first place.¡±


    The prince do not know whether he had truly ended up offending her or not but he noticed the narrowing of her eyes. He initially thought that the lady hated the idea of having associated with Chloe, but on the contrary, it was due to being called Momo¡¯s friend.


    ¡°However, Momo had told me that you¡¯ve told her a lot of things and how she had been in your care for a while.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that was true in the beginning. We have gotten a well and talked about a lot of things, and she kept asking about all about all of my special information, but after quite some time she just stopped talking to me anymore.¡±


    ¡°Did you have a quarrel which lead to that?¡±


    ¡°She had not really told me of anything she had been displeased about. But if I were to read her gestures, I would say that it was because she had no use of me anymore.¡±


    The prince could not comprehend what Chaco was talking about. At any rate, she had no qualms about Chloe using her name due to its commonality. On the contrary, she feels honored even. The prince tried to tell her to get along with Momo again but..


    ¡°If his highness orders it then I shall comply, but I feel like it would be an unnecessary consideration from Miss Momo¡¯s perspective.¡±


    With Chaco bowing her head to the prince before leaving, the prince was left alone in the lounge with dissatisfied.

 CH 18

    The Second Prince Joins


    The gathering to monitor his banished former fianc¨¦e, Chloe in the middle of the night had become an established routine. Truthfully, he would rather just watch his beloved Momo¡¯s everyday life instead, but that would have been a crime. Furthermore, no man would ever want to show their beloved¡¯s private life to other people either.


    As the prince thought of that, he remembered the last time he had met with his beloved which made his forehead crumple.


    ¡°Is something the matter, highness? I thought that you might be thinking about Lady Momo but, your face suddenly turned grim.¡±


    ¡°Wait, how did you even figure out what I was thinking?¡±


    ¡°We have been together for some time, highness. I can tell it by your face somehow.¡±


    Seeing his foster brother¡¯s composed face as he said that felt infuriating for the prince. Even as Sei had said that, he who always tries to keep his calm and composed behavior becomes much more relaxed and expressive when it involves Momo too, not losing to the him.


    ¡°I met with the lady named Chaco Brown and told her how Chloe had been using her name without her permission. From what I heard from Momo, the two of them had been classmates for two years.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ Was she Momo¡¯s former classmate? She must¡¯ve been resentful to the idea.¡±


    The group had just started their assembly but the figure of Dai emptying tea cake plates one after another had caught the eyes of the prince. Dai was a son of a general who held his father in high regard, striving every day to become a man just like him. There was a time that he had hit a slump in his daily endeavors but he made it past there due to Momo¡¯s encouragement. This made him fall for her as result.


    Although that gentleness of Momo is one of the many reasons the prince fell in love with her, he¡¯d frankly rather have her stop minding other people like that. He doesn¡¯t want to have other gentlemen misunderstanding her kindness for love after all.


    ¡°No, on the contrary, she felt honored having her name used.¡±


    ¡°What!? Was that woman her ally or something!?¡±


    ¡°I do not know. For now, she no longer had any relationship with Momo and they may have never been friends in the first place. Well, enough with that, Momo would be fine with just us by her side. Rather than that, we have to uncover Chloe¡¯s schemes.¡±


    The prince changed the subject in order to forget the unpleasant behavior of Chaco that he had recalled and started the preparation for their monitoring assembly.


    At that moment, the participants heard a knock coming from the door. Anyone else other than the entourage of the prince should have been refused entry at this hour. As he suspiciously opened the door, the person on the other side was his younger brother, was Yello Keith Coloflare, the 2nd prince.


    ¡°Keith. Why are you here?¡±


    ¡°I heard that older brother is doing some interesting things so I was considering joining.¡±


    ¡°This is not a game. We are doing this to protect Momo from Chloe¡¯s¨C.¡±


    ¡°If older brother was that worried, he should have had her imprisoned rather than banishing her away. I do not understand why brother must go out of his way to send her in a place far away and monitor each and every single one of her actions.¡±


    ¡°The standard punishment for atonement is to dedicate her life to the church. If I can have my way, I would have gotten her imprisoned, or rather even executed.¡±


    Leddorio had never been able to get along with his clever younger brother in the past. Unlike him, his younger brother had just obediently accepted the fianc¨¦e assigned to him. He had also maintained a favorable relationship with Chloe before she was condemned. On top of it, there were also talks about the crown has passed to Keith instead, now that Leddorio is no longer engaged.


    ¡°Mhm, so that how you ended up monitoring her¡­ then I guess I shall join.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to. You have not fallen in love with Momo anyway, unlike all of us here. This monitoring is for her sake.¡±


    As Keith tried to enter the room, Leddorio was trying to push him back outside instead.


    ¡°But I am not totally unrelated, older brother. After all, Lady Chloe was someone who should¡¯ve been my sister-in-law, and after Lady Momo is wed to brother, she¡¯ll be one instead.¡±


    As the 2nd prince stated the inevitability of his marriage with Momo, the 1st prince was caught off-guard and allowing him to get through. Likely because they were in private quarters, the subordinates of the prince were able to interject into their conversation.


    ¡°I cannot ignore that remark, highness. It¡¯s not as though the Miss Momo had already chosen who she will be wed to.¡±


    ¡°Exactly. I may be loyal to his highness Leddorio, but my allegiance and love are this and that.¡±


    ¡°We will become family anyway whoever she decides to marry.¡±


    Ignoring the chattering of his subordinates, the prince started to project the recordings of the brooch into the mirror instead.

 CH 19

    Internship Starts


    The morning starts early in the lodging house of the Grace¡¯s. Shin was to wake up while it was still dark to clean the chicken house and sort out their eggs. But surprisingly to him, the chickens in the henhouse were of a monster variety.


    The prince who was watching thought that they likely sneaked in because the barrier had gotten weaker.


    ¡°We originally had normal hens but because they all got done in by these monsters, we decided to have them lay eggs for us instead.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s amazing how they obediently stay in the closure. It must¡¯ve been hard to just take the eggs from them.¡±


    ¡°We use the ¡°Red Dragon¡¯s Collar¡± for that. It was found within the dungeon and the customer paid us with it in exchange for his rent. If you put it on to weaker monsters, they won¡¯t be aggressive.¡±


    Monster chickens lay more eggs than normal ones and their eggs are much bigger and taste better. That¡¯s why the two of them are enough to provide the needs of the lodging house.


    At any rate, because Shin cannot allow his mistress to do dirty work, so he had taken up the job instead.


    ¡°But I wanted to do it too because it looks interesting¡­¡±


    ¡°Not only it is dangerous, but the smell is also foul too. There¡¯s no way I would allow Chaco to do this kind of thing.¡±


    ¡°Then I guess I¡¯ll just let Chaco clean the toilet instead.¡±


    ¡°!¡±


    Although he managed to prevent her from doing one dirty job, another one comes for her instead. If this was the old Chloe, she would¡¯ve crushed this lodging mistress thoroughly, earning his pity. But because the lady accepted the job like it was normal, the flustered butler raised his voice.


    ¡°Is that fine with you, Chaco? This intense job might be too much¡­¡±


    ¡°Cleaning is a staple part of the ascetic practices of the church so I¡¯m used to it. Besides, I would not do well in the convent if I refuse something like this, wouldn¡¯t I?¡±


    The prince suddenly recalled going to the holy church to ask them to decrease the burden on Momo. The Church had told him that morning cleaning is essential to deepen the benevolence of the Saintess. However, he argued that he cannot allow the Saintess who would also become the queen candidate to do such a lowly task. However, the prince certainly didn¡¯t expect that Chloe had done it obediently during her time, considering that even Momo hated it.


    ¡°Apparently toilets are governed by a beautiful goddess, and by cleaning it, you cleanse your heart all the same.¡±


    ¡°I have never heard of such a thing. Did you earnestly do your cleanings during your time, Chaco?¡±


    ¡°Only when people are looking, of course. Other than that, I cut corners when I can, I guess?¡±


    ¡®I knew it. She is just that kind of woman. Cleansing your heart? This lady is likely just pushing her responsibilities to others even after having designated as a temporary saintess.¡¯


    With her index finger above her lips, Chloe chuckled as she told the Shin in a volume only he can hear. The prince immediately jumped to denouncing her which was also nodded by Darck in agreement. Although her actions thus far had made it seem like she had become an entirely different person, finally seeing this slightly cunning side of her made the prince feel relieved.


    (Relief? Why am I relieved? So long as this woman doesn¡¯t reflect on her actions, Momo will never be at peace.)


    ¡°Ohh, very interesting. So this is sister Chloe.¡±


    ¡°Stop calling her sister. She is no longer my fianc¨¦e.¡±


    ¡°Oh right. But well, her past actions aside, hasn¡¯t she been reflecting properly?¡±


    ¡°The word reflect doesn¡¯t exist in her sets of vocabulary.¡±


    Contrary to the stubbornness of the prince, Prince Keith was watching the screen with so much interest.

 CH 20

    Rock, the Adventurer.


    After being done with the cleaning of the toilet and the rooms, Chloe is now preparing for breakfast before the customers come. During such time, the ingredients that cannot be procured in the mountain such as milk, are being delivered from the city.


    Chloe began to stare in wonder at a man who was taking out milk bottles of outrageous size and quantity from his filthy bag.


    ¡°It¡¯s Rock Glinda!¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Having his name called, the man stopped what he was doing and glance in Chloe¡¯s direction. He had unkempt green hair and looked quite the ordinary man. Shin who found his mistress action¡¯s strange called out to her.


    ¡°Is he an acquaintance, Chaco?¡±


    ¡°N¡­Nope. He¡¯s a well-known adventurer. I didn¡¯t expect that he would be an employee of this lodging house though.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ I didn¡¯t think someone would recognize me this deep in the mountains. At any rate, I am not officially employed here but I¡¯m helping out because I¡¯ve been in the care of the priest in the past. In return though, they allow me to use a room whenever I explore the dungeon.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I see.¡±


    Chloe was merrily talking to the well-known man. Although Shin doesn¡¯t know whether it was due to her excitement or not, he noticed his mistress blushing slightly. He barged in to their conversation and took her away for a moment.


    ¡°Chaco, if we do not do our jobs properly, we won¡¯t be able to stay here.¡±


    ¡°Sorry. You didn¡¯t have to be that mad though.¡±


    ¡°I would get angry, seeing milady ogling others like that.¡±


    Shin was earnestly following the order to seduce Chloe given to him by the prince. On the otherhand, Chloe who saw his attempt to insinuate jealousy was only bewildered in return.


    As this happened, Rock, on the other hand, was asking the mistress about the circumstances of the two.


    ¡°Hey, aren¡¯t those two lovers? I was being glared at severely though.¡±


    ¡°Apparently, they are siblings that have been chased out of a noble house. I don¡¯t really know anything other than that.¡±


    ¡°Mhm, a girl that beautiful¡­ What a waste.¡±


    ¡°What, are you interested in her now? Don¡¯t you have that cute childhood friend you always brag of?¡±


    ¡°About that, I haven¡¯t heard any news about her since she went to the capital. I still write to the village now and then since I was adopted, but I haven¡¯t received any letter from her at all. I wonder what she is up to nowadays, Momo¡­¡±


    ¡® ¡°Momo!?¡± ¡¯


    The voices in the monitoring room and within the mirror are in unison


    The prince have heard before that Momo Palette came from a village at a considerable distance from the capital called Palette Village. When that information reached Chloe, she started branding her as bumpkin incessantly.


    The prince began to wonder if Rock Glinda and Momo came from the same place. The young man, on the other hand, had surmised from her reaction that Chloe might have come from the capital and impulsively grabbed her by the arms.


    ¡°Do you perhaps know Momo? She had a pair of pink eyes which was the same as her hair. She is a girl who just had this kind of fluffy atmosphere to her and she got taken to the capital three years ago for having Saintess aptitude. Can you please tell me.. just how is my childhood friend recently?¡±

 CH 21

    Saintess¡¯ Childhood Friend.


    The reflected scene on the mirror suddenly skips towards their break time.  The whole place had likely been too busy for Shin to worry about recording, thought the prince. The mirror shows Chloe and Shin sitting at a table with having their light meal, together with Locke Glinda in front of them.


    ¡°You were asking if I knew Momo Palette earlier, right? I do know her. Miss Momo had become the saintess, and because she replaced the temporary saintess who was the fianc¨¦e of the crown prince¡­, she is likely to become the queen as well.¡±


    Chloe didn¡¯t talk of her harassment of Momo causing her banishment from the capital. Locke was just astounded by what he had heard, not even noticing the self-deprecating smile of Chloe as she told him that.


    ¡°That¡¯s impossible for her! Momo may be bright and energetic but she is also a clumsy airhead. Being the Saintess and the Queen would be too much for someone like her. It may have been a run-of-the-mill rural village but I was happy just spending my days merrily right by her side¡­ did she not feel the same at all?¡±


    Locke smashed his fist on the table as he shared his grievances. He is clearly among the gentlemen who had offered their hearts to the Momo. Although he had been for much longer in that regard because he was a childhood friend. Naturally, that didn¡¯t sit very well with the observing gentlemen who were not even hiding it with a frown plastered among their faces.


    ¡°Whatever Miss Momo truly desires, she is the saintess who is loved by God and chosen by the church. It is her life¡¯s duty to use the blessing given to her for the sake of her country.¡±


    ¡°And who on earth decides something like that!?¡±


    ¡°The God is the one to decide, of course. The kingdom and the church only complies in accordance to his will.¡±


    ¡°That damn..!¡±


    Locke, who was about to yell blasphemy of all things, was immediately put to a stop by Chloe. If she were the one to say such a thing, the prince would order Shin to cut her down immediately. Although, she had become much more agreeable recently after her banishment. The prince considered that the lady might be aware that she is under surveillance, but he pushed the idea aside. There¡¯s no way that Chloe would agree to share a room with Shin knowing that the prince is observing her.


    ¡®What is she saying? Momo has obviously fallen in love with me!¡±


    Dai who argued against the screen prompted others to retort back.


    Although they were able to work together to have Chloe banished, they are such a mess when it comes to their love rivalry.


    As they quarreled, Prince Keith suddenly said something out of topic.


    ¡®I would appreciate it if she stops implying that all men fall for Miss Momo. After all, I am devoted to Canaria.¡¯


    Prince Keith is engaged to Canaria Riqum, a ducal lady from a neighboring kingdom. From Leddorio¡¯s perspective, those who would obediently accept a future partner chosen for them by their parents have no sense of self. But then again, Lady Canaria is much unlike his former fiancee, a docile lady who blushes just by being beside his younger brother.


    ¡°Hmp, a child would not be able to understand Momo¡¯s charms.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, right. But wouldn¡¯t brother much prefer having less rivals? Apparently the childhood friend will join the fray though, what will brother do now?¡±


    ¡°Nothing at all. That man will likely never ever meet Momo anymore. He no longer has any contact with her anymore which means that their relationship wasn¡¯t anything in the first place.¡±


    As the prince said that, the mirror reflected the figure of Chloe seemingly trying to comfort Locke, who was visibly heartbroken.

 CH 22

    Shin¡¯s doubts.


    The break time had already ended by the time Locke regained his composure. The guest rooms and the kitchen are now waiting for them to be cleaned and sorted out. As Shin and Chloe worked together in cleaning one of the rooms, he began to probe her thoughts.


    ¡°Milady, just who is on earth is that man called Locke.¡±


    ¡°Oh, are you curious about him? You should have just asked him before then.¡±


    ¡°He might be bothered if I were to ask his background himself. Besides, the lady knows about him anyway.¡±


    ¡°You have a point.¡±


    As Chloe agreed, she began to talk about the man referred to as Locke Glinda.


    According to her knowledge, he is the adopted child of House Glinda, an earl house from a neighboring country. He is an adventurer who had made a name for himself, also known as Glinda of the Twin Blades. As the alias suggests, he wields two swords and is famous for his swift strikes, skilled enough that the opponent would not even notice that he had been cut into two.


    As for their life in the Palette Village, Chloe had it investigated in the past to grasp Momo¡¯s weakness and have discovered that they spend their days gathering ingredients for medicinal plants or magic potions.


    Chloe may not call Momo a country bum anymore, but she can no longer take back what she had said in the past, thought the prince.


    ¡°That¡¯s about what I know, I guess.¡±


    ¡°That can¡¯t be lady. You were able to recognize him at first glance. Have you actually not met him in the past?¡±


    ¡°Not at all, he had just shown to be as he was described.  What is your deal, you are suddenly so inquisitive. Ohh, I see now.¡±


    Chloe suddenly began to get closer to the screen having with a cunning smile on her face. The prince was amazed how she had been able to stay a saintess for so long, although only as a temporary one. Shin¡¯s body pulled back on her approach, as shown in the mirror projection.


    ¡°You must be jealous of Locke, right? He is Momo¡¯s childhood friend, after all.¡±


    Nobody knew who between Shin and the observers were more taken aback by her words.


    ¡°It appears that they haven¡¯t met for at least three years though, what are you going to do now? Return to the capital?¡±


    ¡°Please stop it, Milady.  I do recognize that I am jealous of that person, however¡­¡±


    Chloe, who had been making fun of him was petrified, as Shin stared at her, holding both of her hands.


    ¡°Not because she was related to Miss Momo¡­ but how the lady is acting so overly-familiar with him.¡±


    ¡°Shin¡­¡±


    ¡°I have overstepped my bounds. Either way, milady has a duty she needs to fulfill. Please have restraints from fooling around.


    His words heavily implying that he had feelings for his mistress had left everyone astonished. Prince Leddorio also heard from Momo that Chloe had certainly thought nothing of Shin other than a mere pet. Even the butler himself acted that way.  The only one who should be able to know how he truly feels is the true saintess, Momo herself but¡­,


    The prince has no idea how Chloe took the warning of her butler but she only unhanded her hands from him and smiled in resignation.


    ¡°I know that¡­ Don¡¯t worry, I will never belong to anyone else. No matter what happens to me, my heart will remain mine and mine alone.¡±


    She will not trust anyone.


    From the way Chloe answered, it made the prince felt as though she is refusing everyone, including those in the prince¡¯s room.

 CH 23

    The Priestess¡¯ Capabilites.


    From what the prince had seen in his inspection of orphanages, he is aware of how tedious the process of washing each and every single one of the clothes from washbasin, washboard down to the soap, as well as how rough are they to the hands. When he saw how lovely Chloe¡¯s hands in the past, he had been convinced that he was just pushing the responsibility to someone else, but it appears that she had been using after-care creams for that.


    With no such high-class items to help her this time around, the prince assumed that her hands must¡¯ve been dry now after all the washing.


    At any rate, Chloe who scooped up water from the water well were checking the quality.


    ¡°Not good, I guess. The barrier I can put up would not be able to reach the underground water after all. Although it would be alright to use it for cleaning and laundry, drink it, and you are done for¡­ We need to get the sacred stones quickly.¡±


    ¡°How about the ones already used in cooking, lady? Are they safe?¡±


    ¡°I did not sense any mana in them, likely because the priest is purifying them before use.¡±


    As the two were having such a conversation, Locke came from the back door carrying a hoe and basket with him.


    ¡°The mistress said that you are to work on the fields after putting up the laundry for drying. She asked me to guide you to the fields.¡±


    ¡°Is it okay to leave outside the barrier? Wouldn¡¯t we get attacked by monsters?¡±


    ¡°We use magic items for traps to prevent that. But definitely avoid going alone.¡±


    Locke led them, clearing the path as they descended a little from the mountain. Arriving at the place, they were given goggles to wear and were astonished after putting them on. The downward slope looked like it had nothing but a severe crowding of trees from the naked eye, and unless you use a magic item like the googles, you¡¯ll go past them without noticing anything.


    In there, they saw a small farming field. The food supplies of the lodging are all sourced here, along with the water well next to it. As Chloe inspected the water quality, she saw no problems with it.


    ¡°Looks like the sacred stone for the barrier of the field is fine. Now we only need to ask the Holy Church for the one to use on the lodging house.¡±


    ¡°Hey, are you by any chance, a priestess? You seem to know well about barriers and sacred stones.¡±


    Chloe looked troubled for a moment due to Locke¡¯s question. However, she decided to only tell him about the things that she can.


    ¡°Before Miss Momo appeared, I also undertook the saintess¡¯ ascetic practices as a trainee. That¡¯s why I can also use sacred power to a certain degree.¡±


    ¡°Is that the so. I also heard about all the fuss regarding Momo¡¯s awakening, but I have no idea to what degree she awakened her powers.¡±


    ¡°Fufu¡­ to the point that all these high-class young nobles have all become head over heels about her.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re saying it like Momo¡¯s a witch or something.¡±


    ¡®Take that back, the witch here is that woman!!¡¯


    The entourage started throwing a fit, forgetting that they cannot be heard across the screen. For some reason, seeing the 2nd prince watch them all, while smiling, seemingly amused, felt irritating for the 1st prince.


    ¡®Calm down, everyone. It¡¯s not like he badmouthed Lady Momo.¡¯


    ¡®On what grounds? That guy just called Momo, his very own childhood friend, a witch.¡¯


    ¡®Good grief¡­ that was just a banter because Lady Chloe had implied that Momo made other gentlemen fall in love with her. The way I see it, even Locke himself loves Momo as well.¡¯


    ¡®That¡¯s¡­¡¯


    ¡®You¡¯re right!  It¡¯s because of what Lady Chloe had said earlier!¡¯


    ¡®True, she may be my sister, but to show her jealousy like this, how unsightly.¡¯


    Feeling embarrassed in allowing his blood to go up to his head, Leddorio hesitated to finish what he was saying. After seeing Dai and Darck redirect their anger towards Chloe, the prince turned his gaze back towards the screen again.


    All of them adore Momo as a pure maiden. Naturally, they also see her as a love interest. However, all their adorations rest on their image of her as a sacred entity.  On the contrary, Locke genuinely sees her from the perspective of a childhood friend. The prince is aware of his ugly jealousy regarding that, but recognizing it would put him in the same kind as Chloe.


    Having remember all the deeds that his former fianc¨¦e thus far, the prince swore to not allow himself to become comparable to her in any way.

 CH 24

    The Reply of the Holy Church


    After working on the fields, their remaining works are to prepare for dinner, and just like the other day, serve the bar and clean up.


    These are the jobs entrusted to Chloe and Shin for a day. However, the sight of Chloe looking so tired and yet gratified, not even showing the slightest bit having any hardship, makes the prince resentful.


    The other thing that irks the prince is her getting along with the man called Locke. At one time, when Shin came back from having descended the mountain alone, the projection showed them the two having such a merry conversation at the counter.


    ¡°I¡¯m back. What do you think you¡¯re doing, Chaco?¡±


    ¡°Oh, welcome back then. I¡¯m asking Locke about the Palette Village.¡±


    Although it was only Dai who straightforwardly immediately jeered her teasing gesture, all of them felt the same way. Momo herself had never said anything about her past before she arrived in the capital. The prince saw this opportunity to know more about her but after seeing Chloe¡¯s cunning and teasing smile, he¡¯d rather refrain from it. The same goes for her use of suggestive words in front of Locke.


    ¡°What now, is Chaco¡¯s older brother also interested in Momo?¡±


    ¡°Please stop saying such unfounded things. I don¡¯t remember allowing you to call me that way either.¡±


    ¡°Fufu, looks like he completely hates you know Locke.¡±


    ¡°Mila¡­ Chaco!¡±


    Saying so, Shin smashes the letter he had brought with him in the counter.


    The lodging cannot use messenger pigeons unless, in dire situations and for that, most of its correspondences are done at the town below. Locke offered to deliver the letters instead because he often climbs and descends the mountain, but because he might end discovering their identity due to the name Sereknight, they refused his offer.


    ¡°Are those letters from your family, Chaco?¡±


    ¡°No, they came from the holy church. I told you about the sacred stone used here being broken, right?  I was asking the holy church to replace it with a new one.¡±


    Chloe told Locke while lowering her voice because she had not informed the mistress about it yet. Before the prince even noticed, her closeness with Locke is growing deeper. Considering her vehement refusal of any contact with any other men except the prince while she was his fianc¨¦e, the prince thought that she had gotten considerably frivolous.


    As Chloe opened the enveloped and read the letter, her face turned sullen.


    ¡°Is something wrong?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ it said here that the church, or rather Priest Grace himself, had been excommunicated by the holy church, and therefore the request for assistance cannot be granted.¡±


    ¡°Huh, is that true?¡±


    Even the master of the lodging house himself has his issues. At any rate, because they cannot prevent the intrusion of monsters with this anymore, they had no other choice but to think of other ways to put up a barrier.


    ¡°Should we just ask for a mage to fix a barrier using a magic stone.¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t seen one participating in the dungeon exploration lately, and even if I did, we will have to hire her. I heard the lodging is barely shouldering its operational expenses, and even if I offer to pay, the mistress will refuse.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Hey, this place has an advanced-level dungeon, right?¡°


    Chloe¡¯s muttering gathered the attention of both Shin and Locke.


    ¡°Locke, if you had been able to explore considerably deeper in the dungeon, could you take some magic crystals with you?¡±


    ¡°Wait, does that mean¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll have make the sacred stone on my own.¡±

 CH 25

    Priest Grace¡¯s True Identity.


    Magic Crystals are minerals only found in the nests of strong monsters considerably deep within the advanced level dungeons. The sacred stones are refined from these magic crystals.


    ¡°Are you being serious? To a dungeon that only those considerably capable can return alive from?¡±


    ¡°But the people staying in this lodging house are trying to conquer that exact dungeon, aren¡¯t they?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true. But even if I came back carrying one with me, how are you supposed to make it into a sacred stone? The church would not lend you one of their specialists knowing that you¡¯ll use it for the church of Priest Grace.¡±


    While the three of them stealthily try to discuss things, the mistress suddenly came vigorously clapping her hands.


    ¡°Look, break time is over now. Hurry up and return to your posts.¡±


    Holding Chloe who was in a hurry to leave the counter, the mistress¡¯ gaze went towards the door leading to the church.


    ¡°Tell me all the details about it in the church after your work. I¡¯ll have that foolish husband of mine tell you everything too¨C along with the reason why he had been banished from the holy church.¡±


    They kept their voice low, but the mistress heard them nonetheless.  It looks like this is the limit to keeping it secret.


    Thus Chloe, Shin, and Locke sat in front of the Grace couple inside the church late at night.  Its dark halls are illuminated by the lamps making it seem like a mass is ongoing, giving the prince an eerie feeling.


    Chloe kneels in front of the couple.


    ¡°First, Please let me apologize for lying about my identity.  I have committed a crime in the capital and am currently under transportation towards a convent.  I had no choice but to stay until the method to go to my destination is determined. ¡°


    ¡°Don¡¯t mind it. I told you that all people who come here have all sorts of circumstances, didn¡¯t I? We don¡¯t pry about those kinds of things. I¡¯m surprised that you¡¯re staying here because of the barrier though.¡±


    ¡°Although there¡¯s no reason for a passing person like me to worry, I was not able overlook it because nobody seemed to notice the faulty sacred stone.¡±


    Those were the justifications Chloe said to the mistress, but the prince suspects that it¡¯s only her way of delaying her transfer to the convent as much as she can. But having seen today her entire workload for a whole day, the prince thought that perhaps the convent would not be any different.


    (¡­But, Chloe said that the reason she had gotten used to the kitchen was due to the experience she got from the holy church in the capital. That being the case, the convent must be even rougher after all.)


    While the prince was pondering his conjectures, Priest Grace, who has always been taciturn, now spoke.


    ¡°I am ashamed to admit it, but I was not able to notice the abnormality in the barrier.  I was not blessed with as much divine power even though I was a priest. The faulty sacred stone was an old one that I took with me when I left the holy church.¡±


    ¡°Why did Priest Grace leave the holy church?¡±


    His banishment from the holy church in the past had been the main reason for their refusal to cooperate but, the priest only let out a sigh, seemingly about to recall something unpleasant.


    ¡°When I was still young, the holy church had taken in many orphans to cultivate a saintess. Those who had shown no promise but had good looks were taken in under the pretext of personnel apprentice and¡­, were driven into literal hell. Many tried to escape losing their lives in the process.¡±


    Everyone was at a loss for words at Priest Graces¡¯ sudden revelation of the dark side of the holy church. The church had a history as deep as the kingdom itself. Due to not attracting as much attention during the times miasma has not thickened yet, some corrupt individuals may have led the church to that. Rather, maybe even now, considering that this is still concealed from the public.  At the very least, not even an aristocrat like Chloe and the saintess Momo who resided in the holy church had known about it.


    ¡°I¡¯ve covered up some of them, allowing them to escape.  When that came to light¡­, the church had pushed all the blame for that to me of all things.  Thankfully, some of the families of those saintess apprentices felt grateful to me and sheltered me, and now I¡¯m living here in a remote place deep in the mountains.¡±


    ¡°By the way, my younger sister was one of those apprentices, and after having sheltered Masrat in our home, we ended up being together.¡±


    The mistress cheerfully told them how the couple came to be together, but the three, not knowing how to react, just looked at each other¡¯s faces.

 CH 26

    Sacred Stone Refiner


    As if to dispel the deafening silence, the mistress vigorously clapped her hands.


    ¡°Hey, stop with those depressed looks on your faces.  My husband was able to save countless lives ever since he built a church here. Aren¡¯t you one of those, Locke?¡±


    ¡°Y-Yeah..¡±


    As the gaze gathered on him, Locke scratched the back of his head, looking embarrassed.


    ¡°After Momo headed towards the capital, I was adopted by an earl house from the neighboring country. They told me how I looked like their departed son and how they needed an heir because they couldn¡¯t have children. Well, I ended up getting relieved from that immediately though. But since I was formally adopted, I thought that by making a name for myself as an adventurer, I would have the face to meet her but¡­, I couldn¡¯t even get to an advanced level, and as I had just barely escaped a dungeon on the verge of death, it was boss who picked me up.¡±


    ¡°¡±Call me priest. Even though I was excommunicated from the Church, I am still a man of faith.¡±


    Saying so, the priest coughed clearing his throat and then turned his gaze towards Chloe.


    ¡°You did well in noticing the faulty sacred stone. Only the considerably higher clergymen can discern an irregularity within the divine power. Although I must say that I had a slight clue about it when smaller monsters were able to pass through the barrier.¡±


    ¡°What does father want to do? We were thinking of having a magic crystal refined by a refining specialist into sacred stone but, the church would likely refuse to send one¡­¡±


    Chloe¡¯s face darkened. She had no choice but to reveal a part of her actual circumstances because the sacred stone used to put up the barrier was starting to reach its limits. The priest is no longer officially recognized by the holy church and could no longer help her fix that.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I¡¯m wondering if I should pay a magician a high sum to put up a barrier using magic stone or use this as a sign to close down the lodging and the church. But if you managed to get a magic crystal and bring it to me, there¡¯s no need to worry anymore, little miss.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°When I was still with the holy church, I was one of those refining specialists you were talking about earlier. It¡¯s one of those skills that you¡¯ll never lose even as you age.¡±


    Having already spoken about many things, the mouth of the three gaped open in utter surprise to the priest¡¯s sudden revelation regarding his other job. The church had been able to survive because adventurers are entering the dungeon to harvest magic crystals. However, Masrat Grace is a priest and not an adventurer, and therefore, cannot enter the dungeon himself. They cannot ask their customers to bring one for them either because nobody would volunteer to risk their lives for charity, and those who got one would much rather sell it to church for a large sum.


    ¡°I never thought I would ever meet a generous person that would willingly replace a sacred stone for free¡­, For the first time in decades, I¡¯m starting to believe in the existence of god.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m appalled. That¡¯s not the kind of words that should come out of the mouth of a priest. Anyway, that¡¯s about it. You can stop worrying around if you are troubled about something and just consult us about it.¡±


    The mistress said so as she laughed while patting Chloe in the back. The tyrant who would usually yell at her impertinence and socially kill her for her transgression is no longer there. In her place was a lady who was flinching with a wry smile on her face.

 CH 27

    Bitter Memories


    On the next day, Chloe had woken up earlier than Shin and had already left their room. As Shin descended the stairs, he saw her in the kitchen.


    ¡°Good Morning. You should have woken me up as well.¡±


    ¡°Oh, good morning, brother. I had to do some early kitchen preparations, you see¡­ Let¡¯s start cleaning now.¡±


    The day is still early, and hardly anyone had woken up yet. Nevertheless, Chloe still calls Shin brother like they are actual siblings. It seemed that Chloe sincerely wants to treat him that way, and Shin could only breathe a sigh in reply.


    ¡°Did you use the kitchen without asking for permission? The mistress might get angry, you know?¡±


    ¡°Of course, I asked for permission yesterday. The mistress had said that she is going to watch me cook as well.¡±


    ¡°Watch you cook!? Not just the preparations anymore, you plan to lead the kitchen now, lad¡­?¡±


    Chloe sealed the lips of Shin, who was about to raise his voice with her finger. As the two left and were about to take the cleaning tools outside, the mistress had already woken up and merrily greeted them.


    ¡°Good morning, you two. Isn¡¯t it hard to wake up that early?¡±


    ¡°Mistress, are you truly planning to leave the cooking to Chaco? My younger sister is so unskilled that she often had me eat the burnt sweets she baked that she couldn¡¯t possibly give to the person they were meant to be. ¡°


    ¡°Hey, that¡¯s embarrassing, stop it. That¡¯s already way back in the past.¡±


    ¡®Burnt cookies? What is that about?¡¯


    ¡®As you have heard from him. That woman tried to bake cookies to get your favor in opposition to Miss Momo.  She had made me taste it as well, but when I told her that it was disgusting, she threw it in the wastebasket out of anger.¡¯


    Darck sneered as he had told the Leddorio, while the prince knitted his eyebrow in response to the story he had just heard of. As if the embarrassing story of the ever proud Chloe had hit his funny bone, Dai burst out in laughter.


    ¡®Guahahaha, that Lady Chloe? Baking!? It doesn¡¯t suit her at all!!!¡¯


    ¡®I feel for you, your highness. You just narrowly managed to avoid having to eat burnt cinders.¡¯


    As his friend Sei, looked at him with such a pitiful glance, the prince retorted in response.


    ¡®Even if she had successfully managed to bake something, I would never put anything that woman made into my mouth. Momo¡¯s cookies are amazing precisely because she had put her pure heart on it¡­ it may not be my business but, how about you Sei? I heard the negotiations about your engagement is not going well either.¡±


    ¡°The prince should save his worries because the annulment is already under discussion and proceeding smoothly. Now that there¡¯s an angelic being like Momo living inside my heart, I can no longer continue the engagement. It would be rude to my fiancee.¡±


    Not only Leddorio, even the negotiation for Darck, and Sei¡¯s engagement had sunken to the bottom of the ground. Once Momo¡¯s engagement to the prince was to be announced, there¡¯s no way the selfishness of the two will push through. However, because Momo had not made any distinction in her relationship with them, all the rivals are convinced that it could be them whom she will end up marrying.


    To this, the prince could only look at his friends with a cold glance.

 CH 28

    Chloe¡¯s home cooking.


    ¡°Good morning, Chaco, Shin.¡±


    Reflected in the mirror screen was Locke descending from the stairs. He had stayed over yesterday.  The delivery for today was entrusted to a different person so Locke himself was here as just another lodging customer.  After greeting them, Lock had shown them a map that he made on his own.


    ¡°This is the map of that dungeon. As of now, I was only able to clear around this part. Looks like I gotta prepare well and gather some people to reach the places where magic crystals are. By the way, the structure of the areas of that dungeon transforms after clearing it. If I gotta describe it, it sorta feels like you¡¯re in the stomach of some sort of monster.¡±


    ¡°I know I¡¯m the one who asked you to but, I¡¯m truly sorry for having you go to such a dangerous place.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I want to repay my debt to the boss anyway. Besides, it¡¯s my thanks for telling me about Momo¡¯s circumstances.¡±


    ¡°Uhm, I made you something. You can have it for lunch if you want.¡±


    Chloe handed him a wrapping as she said that leaving Locke in awe. Shin flustered, rushed towards the counter as he saw her do that.


    ¡°So that¡¯s what you¡¯ve been doing so early in the morning, Chaco! But your cooking is a little¡­¡±


    ¡°T-The mistress watched over as I cooked, and she had tested the taste too! Brother, if you¡¯re so worried about it, why don¡¯t you try it as well, here and now!¡±


    Chloe took out a plate of sandwich apart from the wrapped lunch box that she handed to Locke. Bacon and Egg seasoned with pepper can be seen peeking between the two bulky bread slices. The lettuce that they got from the farm, laced with sauce, also rests at its center. As Shin stared at the sandwiches with hesitation, another hand quickly reaches for them.


    ¡°Hey, can I take it? They were going to be my lunch anyway, so there shouldn¡¯t be a problem if I eat it now, right?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Leaving Shin, who was too late to react, Locke ate the sandwich in the blink of an eye. Chloe could only stare at him, astounded.


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s great. You gotta be pretty great in cooking if this was your first try.¡±


    ¡°I-Is that true¡­.? Chaco is poor at baking sweets, though.¡±


    ¡°Everyone has something they are bad at. At the very least, this is not so different from the ones I had that Momo cooked. Guess, I gotta look forward to the lunch box too.¡±


    ¡°T-Thanks, Locke.¡±


    Chloe blushingly smiled back as Locke smiled broadly. However, the scene had only made the gentlemen on the other side of the mirror restless.


    ¡°I-I can¡¯t believe it¡­.. Chloe can prepare food? This is only the third day since she started working in the kitchen!¡±


    ¡°Still, what a rude fellow. He had been lucky enough to eat Lady Momo¡¯s cooking in the past. There was no need to compare it to something like Chloe¡¯s cooking.¡±


    ¡°Maybe his taste buds were a total bust? Or maybe¡­ it¡¯s really delicious.¡±


    ¡°Like hell!¡±


    The gentlemen in the room all fell silent at the sudden yell of the prince. The one most surprised amongst them were in fact, him. He was supposed to laugh at having the cooking of Chloe and Momo compared but, he inadvertently raised his voice more than he had intended to. Nevertheless, he somewhat managed to regain his composure after a moment.


    ¡°T-That man called Locke is a mere adventurer. He must have acquired sufficient skills in cajouling women. Chloe is just easily deceived by such flatteries because he is not used to men.  He may be her childhood friend, but we truly cannot afford to let him approach Momo.¡±


    The irritated prince knew that he sounded like he was making an excuse, but he couldn¡¯t stop himself. Fortunately, his retainers were all nodding in agreement to everything he said and went back to insulting Chloe and Locke afterward.


    The only one to pour a cold water on the situation was his younger brother, Prince Keith.


    ¡°Still, what about the plan about having sister-in.. Lady Chloe fall in love with Shin?  If I were to say it, Lady Chloe seems to be getting along well with Locke instead.¡±


    The group of gentlemen who were riled up immediately fell silent.

 CH 29

    Internship Ends


    No one was able to understand what Keith had said immediately. However, the first person to ever truly tasted Chloe¡¯s finished cooking was indeed, neither the prince nor Shin, but rather Locke.


    ¡°That man is in love with Momo, isn¡¯t he? Even Chloe should have understood that.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true, but Lady Chloe should also know that Lady Momo will be married to brother Leddorio, which means that Locke will be single. In the first place, can we even control just whom the lady will fall in love with?¡±


    ¡°Shin is in the position to make her entirely dependent on him. When he shows her his favor, Chloe, who has no other people to rely on will soon¡­ ¡°


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem to be going well though.¡±


    As the prince discussed with his younger brother, the recording of the past few days kept rolling on the screen.


    Receiving lunches from Chloe every morning, Locke drops at the bar in the evening along with his companions. The mirror had shown Chloe worriedly gazing at the door of the lodging house during the times that Locke doesn¡¯t return, as well as the figure of her immediately rushing to treat him with sacred magic when he returns wounded.


    The surrounding people gazed at her actions pleasantly and now treats her as though she was Locke¡¯s lover.  On the other hand, Shin¡¯s approaches barely elicit responses, and when he tries to woo her with sweet-talking, she only assures him that he does not need to mind her as much any longer.


    In the first place, they have been fully occupied in the past few days and barely had time alone together. When Chloe is done with her work, she immediately lies on her bed to sleep in tiredness.  The situation is still way too far from the lady falling in love with her butler.


    In the meantime, the promised one-week probation period with the mistress had already passed. As for the result, Chloe and Shin were formally hired as employees of the lodging house.


    ¡°Chaco¡¯s hardworking anyway, and you are well received by the guests. Besides, you¡¯re a kind girl. No matter what circumstances you may have, you are free to stay here as much as you want¡­ or rather, we¡¯d like you to stay.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, mistress.¡±


    ¡®That overbearing woman was able to put up with her pretentions for a whole weak,  how surprising.¡®


    ¡®That¡¯s not very honest of you, Darck. Why don¡¯t you just acknowledge the hard work of your adorable younger sister?¡®


    ¡®My only adorable sister in this world is none other than Momo, your highness, Yellow.¡®


    As Darck kept harshly talking about his younger sister, a broad grin surfaced within the face of the 2nd prince.


    ¡°Oh? Darck must not have any romantic feelings for Lady Momo then. I mean, if Lady Momo were to have feelings for Darck, you will have to decline her because you only see her as a sister. Not to mention, you can no longer treat each other as opposite sexes which obviously, means that a wedding is out of the question too, right?¡±


    ¡°W-Well¡­¡±


    ¡°Keith, you¡¯re being malicious.¡±


    Leddorio had rebuked his younger brother, but what truly made the relationship between the two cloudy was his idea to have her adopted by the House Sereknight in order to allow him marry Momo. She may have been a saintess, but she is still a commoner and needs a sufficient peerage for that.


    However, maybe because the Duke feels conflicted about adopting the lady who was the cause for his daughter, Chloe¡¯s banishment, the negotiation regarding the adoption has not been moving smoothly.


    First, Momo needs to be clear on who she will be marrying, their reactions will vary depending on that.

 CH 30

    Bobbed Hairstyle


    ¡°We are finally officially employed.¡±


    Returning to their room, Chloe took off her brown hair wig and threw herself on the bed. Although she would never have guessed that numerous gentlemen are currently watching her relaxed moments, the prince still felt that it was odd for her not to recognize Shin as the opposite sex to be bothered about him. Still, the prince thought it can¡¯t be helped, since the pet treatment of the lady to her butler can¡¯t be changed so easily.


    ¡°Are you truly fine with this, milady? Working yourself hard beyond tire every single day; it¡¯s such a tough life, a complete turnover from the environment you have enjoyed thus far.


    ¡°We are allowed to stay for free. I cannot just take advantage of the mistress¡¯ goodwill and slack myself around every day. Besides, I¡¯m currently having a lot of fun right now. The Grace couple, as well as the temporary helpers, are all good people after all.¡±


    ¡°Is that so, lady? Normally, those kinds of people would not be even allowed to approach you. I only see them as a group with dubious nature.¡±


    ¡°You think? You must¡¯ve been considerably dyed by the capital¡¯s colors then.¡±


    That¡¯s my fault though, muttering so, Chloe took out a sewing scissor and proceeded to cut her the lustrous long black hair that she had always been proud of, right around her shoulders.


    ¡°Wha!?¡±


    ¡±¡±!!¡¯


    Not only Shin, everyone who watched as the scene unfolded was all at a loss for words. While Chloe just put all her cut hairs in the wastebasket and refreshingly caressed the base of her neck afterward.


    ¡°Mhm, that¡¯s more refreshing.¡±


    ¡°What are you thinking, lady! Only sinners cut their hair short like that!¡±


    ¡°I mean, I am a sinner. Besides, the gathering of magic crystals would likely be a long battle, and I would have to go there wearing a wig all the time. This makes it much more comfortable.¡±


    ¡°That may be true, but¡­ not even the convent would force you to do something like this.¡±


    In the Coloflare Kingdom, only the sinners and official clergymen cut their hair short. At the very least, no lady below marriageable age would ever think of cutting their hair. The sinners sent towards convents may undergo strict discipline and compelled to live modest lives but once they show remorse for their actions, they can return to their normal lives. The only ones who are locked in the convent for the rest of their lives are those who do not show the slightest signs of remorse for their actions, and even then, are not compelled to cut their hairs short either. The prince thought that it was only natural for the butler to doubt the sanity of his mistress, considering just how she easily cut her hair without showing hesitation.


    ¡°Hairs grow fast, silly. Besides, there¡¯s no one to look but you anyway¡­, am I wrong?¡±


    Her probing way of saying it made the prince reconsider that Chloe may know that she is under observation. The lady sure has shown them considerably improper behaviors for that, but she likely had no idea that the one monitoring her is the prince who had her banished, Leddorio himself.


    ¡®What a woman¡­¡¯


    The prince inadvertently leaked a surprised voice from his mouth, while on the other hand, Darck only shook his head in sympathy.


    ¡®She may be a fool, but her pride is tall.  Being forced to deal with vulgar individuals may have put a strain on her and destroyed her mind. It¡¯s a hard sight to watch.¡¯


    ¡®Really? I¡¯m seeing her in a better light, though. The woman may have been unexpectedly cool to be with.¡¯


    The sight of Dai, seemingly covering up for Chloe looked unbelievable for Sei, who only stared at his friend in disbelief.


    ¡°Are you serious!? Didn¡¯t you say that you prefer fragile ladies that make you want to protect them?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean it that way. I only meant that we could become friends with that.¡±


    ¡°That is still unbelievable¡­. with a woman who was crazy enough to cut her hair short?¡±


    As the prince gazed at his two friends arguing,  his side glance revealed the trembling shoulders of Prince Keith, seemingly giggling pleasantly.


    ¡°She has become quite interesting, isn¡¯t she? If I hadn¡¯t met Canaria first, I might have fallen in love with her.¡±


    ¡°You can still pick her up right now as a mistress if you wish.¡±


    The prince who just couldn¡¯t grasp what his younger brother was thinking threw a banter instead.


    ¡°I¡¯ll have to refrain from that. I wouldn¡¯t do things that would make my fiancee uneasy, unlike somebody I know.¡±


    The younger prince who bantered back without even sparing a glance at him was truly as cheeky as he had thought.

 CH 31

    Shin Purpleton¡¯s Origin.


    My name is Shin Purpleton. That¡¯s how I am called that for convenience¡¯s sake.


    I didn¡¯t have a parent to raise me in the slums. The number of orphanages in this kingdom is very few, and because of their awful circumstances, numerous orphans chose to escape from them towards the slum. The same goes for me, who had to live off shoplifting and stealing from others in order to survive.  Of course, there were times where I slipped up and got beaten half-dead in result.


    At some point, I was picked up by now, my mistress, Chloe Sereknight. Her father, the prime minister to the right, Duke Blackia Sereknight, had taken her towards the slum to let her observe the slum¡¯s circumstances. At that time, I felt the noble must gotten mad to bring his daughter to such a filthy place. But in truth, Chloe was taken there at such a young age, to familiarize herself with the situation of the entire country, both as the prospective Saintess, and the Queen Candidate.


    Utterly ignorant of their circumstances, I tagged along with my slum friends to attack the carriage of rich nobles whom we thought, went to the slum for their amusement. Sure enough, we ended up gotten done in by their escorts easily instead.


    Chloe had gotten fond of me as I was being taken away along with my comrades. Much of the reason was that she found the color of my hair and eyes to her liking. Apparently, in other countries, amethyst-colored hair and eyes were a sign of royal blood.


    The hell was that? That doesn¡¯t concern me anyway, I thought.


    After all, there¡¯s no way a royalty would go all the way to the slum of a neighboring country to abandon their child. I was certain that it was just some sort of coincidence. Nevertheless, Chloe¡¯s fondness was not the first time either. I had been taken in by countless aristocrats to their manor, as their plaything.


    All of the aristocrats in this country are trash.


    With that belief, I was initially against the idea of being taken to the ducal manor. But what we had raided on that day was the duke¡¯s carriage, and I was aware that I could have been executed on the spot instead. That¡¯s why in order to survive, I had to become Chloe¡¯s dog abandoning my comrades in the process.


    Chloe was the one to give me the name Shin. It seems like that was the name of her pet that had previously died. She told me that it was a clever bird, capable of learning words, and had beautiful purple wings.


    In the manor, I was given high-quality clothing, taught how to read and write, and drilled with manners as well as escorting skills.


    The ¡°Purpleton¡± last name came from the head butler of the house, who was also my teacher. However, I have never thought of him as a parent. He was nothing but a person who blindly follows the House Sereknight, who never batted an eye to Chloe¡¯s selfishness either.


    On the other hand, Chloe, herself was convinced that she had saved me by picking me up.


    Be grateful. You are now indebted to me, she said


    ¡®The only reason why I took the filthy you was because I realized that you would become beautiful when polished.¡¯


    ¡®You are my favorite adorable pet. You must never dare to betray me and be mine for your entire life.¡¯


    ¡®But don¡¯t misunderstand. In the future, I will become the queen of this kingdom. My mind and body shall be entirely dedicated for the sake of his highness, Leddorio.¡¯


    I was not expecting anything from the beginning either because I knew that all aristocrats are the same.


    At first glance, my life may look like it had gotten entirely better compared to how it was before. However, this new life was nothing but a mere doll that Chloe had gotten fond of. I knew that she can discard me away after she growing tired of me, so I needed to keep earning her favor to prevent that.


    The debt of gratitude that she had spoken of was nothing but a chain to prevent me from escaping. I took her hands in order to survive, but I had to kill my heart to constantly wag my tail at her every time in exchange. I knew immediately that I needed to escape from that place quickly, however I had no place to return to anymore because the duke had already dissolved the slum area. I have no idea what became of my former comrades either, and even if I do meet them again, they would likely not forgive the one who betrayed them.


    I have always thought that my days of constant effort to flatter nobles will last forever. However, what became the turning point of such a life, was Chloe¡¯s order to observe the horrible pest who kept coiling around her fianc¨¦e.


    She constantly greeted me with a smile whenever I met her, an unlikely treatment for someone who was nothing but Chloe¡¯s pet with dubious origins.


    ¡®But that was not the real you, wasn¡¯t it?¡¯ she said to me.


    ¡®Your heart is only being burdened by Lady Chloe¡¯s orders. I know that you¡¯re really a gentle person.¡¯


    ¡®It¡¯s true that people love to keep rare birds by their side to preserve their beauty. But I believe that those birds grow far more beautiful when they are free to spread their wings in the sky.¡¯


    Her words slowly melted by frozen heart and had brought me to tears. I was not a doll. However, I revealed to her that I had been indebted to the ducal house and cannot afford to leave.


    Before I even realized, I had already been grew to like¡­ to love Miss Momo.


    One day, Prince Leddorio attended Momo¡¯s formal introduction together with her. The prince may have been neglected his fianc¨¦e thus far, but he may have found his heart at rest with Miss Momo, just like me.


    As I realized Lady Chloe¡¯s complete defeat, I also became aware that it would be the end of my love for Miss Momo as well. Nevertheless, I still loved Miss Momo and wanted to lend her my strength for having saved me.


    That¡¯s why, in order to escape my hellish days, and aid my beloved at the same time, I became the prince¡¯s spy.


    Initially, the prince was fully intent on ruining the entire ducal house. However, Miss Momo had gotten along with Sir Darck, who was Lady Chloe¡¯s sibling from a different mother. Still, they couldn¡¯t find any leads that could bring the house to ruin either way, so the prince conceded with the condemnation of Chloe alone.


    Chloe had employed the help of her followers and some thugs in order to harass Miss Momo. I was one of those people but because I couldn¡¯t make it into myself to wound Miss Momo¡¯s beautiful heart, I had only been deceiving my mistress and were in fact, protecting Miss Momo from her.


    The Miss had said that it was the proof of my kindness but honestly, it was only brought by my ego of not wanting to be hated by her.


    I didn¡¯t mind even if I am fired from the ducal house anymore.


    Before long, I ended up helping in gathering evidence against my mistress and had her condemned, resulting in her engagement being annulled and to her banishment from the capital.

 CH 32

    Shin Purpleton¡¯s Secret Life.


    ¡°Chloe is starting to fall for Locke. Do everything to stop that and win her over. Whatever means necessary; even if you have to force the issue.¡±


    Seeing Chloe¡¯s tendency to fall in love with Locke instead, the prince has chosen a method that disregards his honor. The strategy to abandon Chloe after she becomes dependent on me stays the same. However, because he surmised that Lock is a threat to the plan, he¡¯s asking to make it happen before him.


    ¡®Your highness, that is a little¡­¡¯


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that too much, brother? Shin is in love with Momo too.¡±


    Prince Yellow, who apparently recently joined the monitoring, interjected in the conversation. It makes me wonder if it¡¯s alright for the two of them to be in the same place, even though they are currently at the battle for succession. Whichever the case, Prince Leddorio seemed annoyed by it and glared at his brother in return.


    ¡°Don¡¯t say such effeminate things, Keith. If he is truly in love with Momo, using his own body for her sake should be nothing for him. Besides, don¡¯t you resent her, Shin?  The way I see it, this looks to be the perfect time for your revenge, am I correct?¡±


    He¡¯s right. I¡¯ve always been waiting for the moment to strike back at her. I¡¯ve always hated myself who had to follow all of this little girl¡¯s whims. Having the last laugh after throwing her away in her wretched state? Wouldn¡¯t that be the most ideal? That¡¯s how things should be¡­, and yet I couldn¡¯t help but grip my fist in hesitation.


    ¡°It¡¯s not like your body is clean either. That woman¡¯s personality may be a bit off, but she¡¯s still a woman. Just taint her and think of it as your revenge.¡±


    Even Darck, who was a child of a mistress, held Chloe in utter disdain. He may be an aristocrat, but his sense of values is closer to that of a commoner. These differences may have made it impossible for him to love his younger sister. I understand his feelings, and yet I¡­


    |


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Shin? Don¡¯t tell me you were moved by the changes in her personality?¡±


    ¡°¡­It is nothing, sire. I shall comply..¡±


    After bowing my head deeply to hide my facial expression, I cut off the signal of the brooch.


    After returning to the bar, I saw Chloe still had her brown wig on, cleaning for closing. Locke, who seems to be helping her, was having a cheerful conversation with her which she smiles in reply. I felt the dark feelings I harbored within my heart leaking out. Surely, the part of me who had been tyrannized by Chloe thus far just cannot stand the sight of her enjoying her like this.


    Chloe wasn¡¯t that much bothered by her annulment with the prince.  That was merely her one-sided pursuit, no matter which angle you look at it, and the reward she would get at most, would be a loveless marriage.


    But what about Locke? He may have fallen in love with Miss Momo, but once her relationship with Leddorio were to be announced, he would likely give up on her. If that were to happen, Locke may settle with Chloe, whom he had recently gotten closed to, instead.


    ¡°Chaco, the mistress had said that you can rest now.¡±


    ¡°Oh, is it already that late?¡±


    Forcing myself in between their conversation, I took Chloe by the arms. Although clearly bewildered, she obediently follows.


    ¡°I guess that¡¯s that then Locke, good nig¨C Sto¨C, you¡¯re hurting me!¡±


    ¡°It must be hard having such an overprotective brother.¡±


    Glaring at Locke¡¯s tease in return, he just waved his hand towards us and saw us out. I couldn¡¯t help but get pissed at his carefree attitude.


    Returning to our room, as Chloe took off her wig and is about to disappear off to her partition, I trapped her against the wall with both of my arms on her side.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Shin?¡±


    ¡°You seem to be enjoying yourself, miss?¡±


    ¡°I guess I am. He said that the dungeon clearing went smoothly, but what makes me happier is that nobody got hurt.¡±


    I could feel so much kindness from her gaze, something that I couldn¡¯t find in her during our time at the capital. The incomprehensible irritation in my body just exploded even more as a result.


    ¡°Have you fallen in love with him?¡±


    ¡°Wha..What are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°Did you forgot, milady. You have sinned, and in order to atone for that, you will have to leave this place after fixing the barrier.  Furthermore, that man is also in love with Miss Momo. He¡¯s just the same as his highness.¡±


    ¡°What happened to you, Shin? You¡¯re a little strange.¡±


    I sealed the lips of Chloe who still doesn¡¯t seem to understand what was happening. I took the strict measure. I pushed her towards the bed. I thought that she will start fighting back when I¡¯m on top of her but unexpectedly, she didn¡¯t move an inch.  She just obediently laid flat, with her eyes staring at me in wonder.


    ¡°I have been holding back all this time but can no longer. Milady, I will have you remove other men from those eyes except me.¡±


    I took one of her trapped hands and kissed the back of it. I would have rather just took a strand of her hair and kiss it instead but recently she had cut it short.


    ¡°Shin¡­¡±


    ¡°I am serious, lady.¡±


    I gazed at her passionately, trying to make her conscious as much as possible, then whispered close to her ears. Her body twitches in response. That¡¯s how it is. Surrender everything to me. Know all there is to men with my body. She has to acknowledge fully in her heart that there¡¯s no other man for her but me.


    However, the thought running inside of her betrayed all my expectation.


    ¡°I guess that¡¯s true. I may have been too happy. Now that I have escaped from the capital, from those people, from my own fate, I thought that I can finally feel the life that was given to me.. but I guess that doesn¡¯t mean I can forget my sins, can I?¡±


    ¡°Lady, what on earth..¡±


    ¡°Go ahead, Shin. I shall take this punishment. But in return, promise me one thing. After this moment, you must never ever think that you do not deserve to be with the one you hold dear.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t understand what Chloe was saying. What about not deserving to be with their beloved? Haven¡¯t I implied that she was the one I love by pushing her on the bed like this?


    Wait, did this person just call this whole thing ¡°punishment¡±?


    ¡°Milady¡­. do you perhaps think of this situation as a ¡°punishment?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Shin. I have always known that I am under observation. I mean, there has to be something in it for you, who resents all aristocrats, to volunteer yourself to escort one. Besides, you have the right to take revenge. However, you must absolutely not fall to self-hatred after doing it.¡±


    She knows¡­ everything¡­ from the very beginning?


    She knew that I am an observer? That I hate all aristocrats? That far from yearning, I am aiming here for revenge? That has to be a lie. If that were to be true, why couldn¡¯t she have avoided her condemnation by the prince? Not only had she simply allowed the gathering of evidence against her, she even allowed me to stay with her afterwards, that¡¯s something only fools would do.


    Or did she mean that she allowed me to stay by her side knowing everything, thinking that she may be killed instead if she didn¡¯t?

 CH 33

    Shin Purpleton ¨C Outside the Observation


    ¡°S-Surely, you jest, lady. I would never dare to betray¡­¡±


    Assaulted by guilt, I lowered my voice so that Chloe would not be able to read my feelings but, she didn¡¯t say anything and merely pointed at the brooch at my chest. Although not currently in use, I still wore the brooch to my chest like always.


    ¡°That brooch can record both sound and footage, right? Miss Momo was wearing the same thing¡­, I don¡¯t believe so but, was she the one who ordered you to seduce me?¡±


    ¡°She was not!¡±


    Partly because I was flustered that she knew about the recording function, I could not maintain my composure upon hearing Miss Momo¡¯s name mentioned. After plucking off the brooch, all including my upper coat off my body, my hands impulsively went towards Chloe¡¯s neck.


    ¡°Miss Momo would never resort to such cowardly means! Don¡¯t compare her to the likes of filthy noble like you!!¡±


    ¡°Hngg¡±


    Upon seeing Chloe turning pale as she struggled to move, I promptly unhanded her and jumped back. Unhanded, she began violently coughing. I needed to skillfully deceive her away from her doubts but I ended up losing to my rage and confirmed them instead. Now, no words will convince her anymore.


    ¡°¡­Too late for that, my body had long been filthy as it is.¡±


    Now that I¡¯ve shown her my true self, there¡¯s no need to keep up the polite tone when talking to her. As Darck had previously said, I had already sold off my pride and dignity away before Chloe even picked me up.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so. If your heart is tainted as you claim, there¡¯s no way you could¡¯ve fallen in love with someone.¡±


    ¡°Hahaha, that¡¯s a lot of talk from the one who was obsessed with his highness, Leddorio.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s true. So maybe my feelings for his highness were merely admiration.¡±


    I ridiculed her, implying that her heart is just as filthy, expecting her to get angry, but she quickly acknowledged it. Still, why on earth is this woman not running away from the man, who not only tried to rape her, but also almost strangled her to death?


    ¡°Didn¡¯t Miss Momo tell you before? You are a kind person, Shin.¡±


    Those were the words that saved me, the exact words that made me fall in love with Miss Momo.  I thought that Chloe had hidden something in me with similar functions as the brooch, but on the second thought, magic items on that level aren¡¯t so easy to prepare. Noticing my surprise, Chloe only revealed how she knew with a bitter smile.


    ¡°She told me about it herself, silly. She told me that you were a gentle person, and to stop making you do cruel things. I¡¯m not one to talk but, the person who ordered Shin to steal my chastity must be quite the hopeless human being, isn¡¯t he? Depending on the circumstances, he may be trampling on Miss Momo¡¯s feelings.


    ¡°Ugh¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind you betraying me because I only reap what I sow. But Miss Momo is not so heartless as to not get sad knowing that you betrayed your true feelings, right?¡±


    As I was thinking that it¡¯s truly possible that the two may have met without my knowing, Chloe, of all people, suddenly started throwing sound arguments at me. I couldn¡¯t help but feel shame. She is right, the main purpose for the observation is for Miss Momo¡¯s sake. Making Chloe fall in love with me and discarding her in despair were nothing but born out of the prince¡¯s ego.


    If Miss Momo were to know about the things that I could¡¯ve done¡­ it would have been much better if she only disdained me in return. But just thinking about the figure of Miss Momo glaring at me with tears in her eyes just made me despair. Telling her that it was all for her sake would hurt her even more.


    ¡°Raise your face, Shin.¡±


    Seeing me like that, Chloe picked up the brooch and threw it back at me. She has the same confident look in her eyes as she gazed at me, only that they were much more firm.  It was hard to look at the brilliance she emits.


    ¡°I initially thought that the one who ordered you¡­was father but, now I can roughly guess who. Just observe as you have done so far. Oh, but you have to keep it secret that I know I am being watched.¡±


    ¡°What a naive woman, those who betrayed you will watch, waiting for the right opportunity to ruin you¡­.. Or is it that you¡¯re going to use me as a double agent?¡±


    ¡°I just don¡¯t want to have problematic suspicions against me, so you don¡¯t have to go that far. Rather, that alone would be enough to prevent false charges. So, are you surprised?¡±


    ¡°Same goes for m¡­ I am the same lady. So I was right, my lady has been acting for that, isn¡¯t she?¡±


    Because Chloe never pointed out the vulgar tone that I have been using all this time, I reverted to my usual respectful tone. Maybe because she had already heard my true vocal tone somewhere, she knew that I was not seriously trying to seduce her. She laughed, not offering an answer, and began tending to the room partition while muttering about making one of the customer rooms vacant for herself.


    (I see, I can no longer sleep in the same room with Chloe¡­)


    For some reason, just the thought of that made my chest turn cold. In the end, I was not able to use the opportunity to entrap or take revenge against her. Although relieved that I avoided having to hurt Miss Momo,  I was still unable to find an outlet for my anger so I had the sudden urge to test Chloe instead.


    ¡°Milady, If I¡ª if I did forcefully crossed the line, would I have hurt you?¡±


    ¡°¡­I wonder? You have the same pretty face so that doesn¡¯t really change my favor to you. Fortunately, though it¡¯s rather strange to say that, I am currently single.  So whatever you have resolved yourself to do, I may have had accepted it.¡±


    Although that was quite a calculating answer, it was very much like her that I ended up laughing. If she had been the same as she was, she would have despised me and call me all sorts of words. But now she had completely changed after leaving the capital, and I had the sudden chill thinking that just maybe, she truly is a different person compared to before.


    ¡°Then maybe if I did better, there¡¯s a chance that milady may have picked me as her lover.¡±


    ¡°Uhm, well, for now, that¡¯s impossible. Just as you have said before, I¡¯m too preoccupied with myself that I don¡¯t have the leeway to fall in love. I guess the condemnation may have hurt me more than I thought, I¡¯ve said all sorts of things but, it looks like I was truly seriously in love with Sir Benny. That¡¯s why these new love that try to come just passes through the hole that it had left on my heart.¡±


    As I teasingly told her that not really meaning it, she replied with a slightly troubled smile on her face. I grasped my clothe bearing the sudden assault of pain in my heart, hiding it behind the same kind of smile.


    As I acted rather strange, Chloe told me she was sorry, although it was not clear what the apology was meant for. She put on her wig once more and headed outside the room afterwards.


    When I heard the sound of the door closing, I threw myself on the bed and put my hand over my face. I can still feel the warmth and fragrance that Chloe had just left on the bed. I couldn¡¯t help but want to laugh like a fool, because in doing so, I can bear the cold drought that just passed through my chest.

 CH 34

    Castle Conference 1


    The day after their observation session, Leddorio was summoned to a conference inside the castle. The cabinet members filled the seat of the table. Under normal circumstances, they would only make reports during the court council, and seeing them sitting felt unnecessarily imposing for the prince.


    After the prince sat next to his younger brother Keith, his father, the king, began to speak.


    ¡°Leddorio, there are rumors about your willingness to concede your rights to the succession.¡±


    ¡°I have no idea what are they about, sire. I do not intend to abandon by royal duties.¡±


    ¡°But you did annul your engagement to the ducal lady of House Sereknight.¡±


    ¡°While it is true that I currently do not have a prospective queen. I already have someone else in mind. No matter the process, I believe the result will still follow the old customs, considering that we will still have the saintess as the queen, nonetheless.


    As the prince attempted to gloss over Chloe¡¯s issue like it was no matter, the face of the minister to the right visibly cramped.


    ¡°The saintess would still need to be accepted in a sufficient noble family for her to be a viable marriage partner. She is still a commoner and I will not be able to recognize your engagement, as it is.¡±


    ¡°We intended to have Duke Sereknight do something about that, but as of now, we still haven¡¯t received any favorable replies. I believe that he must be allowing his parental sentiments regarding his daughter¡¯s love rival to prevent him from making appropriate decisions.¡±


    The prince glared at the minister to the right sending him a questioning look.


    The prince, however, is convinced that all will be fixed when his engagement to the saintess were to be officially recognized.


    ¡°That¡¯s what Prince Leddorio had said, Minister Sereknight. What are your thoughts on this?¡±


    ¡°With all due respect¡­, as this is a royal decree, I do not have any reason to refuse. However, I find it questionable why his highness is convinced that I have resentment against the saintess brought by fatherhood. The punishment for the actions of my daughter was just and acceptable, and whichever the case, I will feel honored to accept the aforementioned saintess into our household.¡±


    While the surrounding clamored, the minister drank a glass of water to rehydrate his throat. The only times he does something like this are when he is having a hard time saying what he must. The minister then closed his eyes and lowered his head looking to be embarrassed.


    ¡°As embarrassing as it is¡­, my son being quite a problem¡­ majesty.¡±


    ¡°Your son¡­, you must be referring to the older brother of Chloe, Darck.  Was he in opposition to the saintess¡¯ engagement with the prince?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no way he would be! Darck himself was glad about their eventual siblinghood. He even said that he¡¯ll help to convince the duke.¡±


    Leddorio raised his voice and stood up earning the ire of his father. Prince Keith on the other hand, only looked at his brother with a cold glare.


    ¡°Leddorio, sit down.¡±


    ¡°However¡­¡±


    ¡°Minister, you may continue¡­¡±


    ¡°Y-Yes, sire. As the prince had said, my son supported the idea of the adoption. But at the same time, he had also proposed the annulment of his engagement.¡±


    ¡°What!?¡±


    The one who reacted this time was Margrave Whyte who also had a royal bloodline. Darck and his daughter had been engaged now. However, the margrave was aware that due to the formers distrust of women, largely due to the circumstances of his sister, the two are merely engaged in papers and not in form.


    ¡°Of course, I rejected his outrageous proposal. However, my son had said that keeping the engagement would be unfair to his fianc¨¦e considering that his heart had already been taken by someone else¡­ This brought us to a quarrel making me stall the adoption. For now, I sent him to General Nable¡¯s house to cool his head.¡±


    (Darck, you fool! This is different from what we had talked about!¡±)


    The minister reddened in revealing a shame of his household. The prince on the other hand was the same, his shoulders also trembling, but for an entirely different reason. The woman Darck was referring to according to the revelation of the duke was of course, Momo. However, the two can no longer be married once they officially become siblings. Furthermore, the talks about the adoption itself were for the sake of allowing Momo to be wed to the prince, in the first place. Leddorio wondered just what Darck was thinking, causing such troubles, ultimately delaying the adoption which he had agreed to from the beginning.


    ¡°Duke Sereknight, the reason for your reservations in adopting Miss Momo, was because the aforementioned lady was the same lady that your son had set his sights upon, is she not?¡°


    At that moment, Prince Keith drops a huge bombshell at the conference.

 CH 35

    Castle Conference 2.


    The first one to react to the bombshell that Prince Keith dropped was Margrave Whyte who sent a forced smile to the Duke¡¯s direction.


    ¡°Sir Sereknight¡­ I believe it is you, who bowed your head at our doorstep asking for the engagement out of your concern for your son¡¯s position due to not having your wife¡¯s blood, are you not? Unfortunately, your fatherly sentiments seems to have not reached him. At any rate, my daughter had already been aware that young man didn¡¯t have feelings for her, that¡¯s for the both of them to deal with¡­ However, I believe that you can no longer plead for your son¡¯s excuse if he yearns for the first prince¡¯s lover.¡±


    ¡°I have no words to excuse him, sir Whyte. I have already told my son that he can never get married to the saintess and to stop competing against the prince but¡­, he insists that the saintess had yet to choose a man for herself and that the prince is no more than a friend to hers either. My son even asserted that they have a mutual agreement to accept whichever gentlemen the lady decides on.¡±


    At that moment, the conference went into an uproar. There have been doubts about whether the marriage between Leddorio and Momo will happen, but now even the assumption that the two were lovers had fallen apart. The king, caressed his temple, attempting to ease his headache, glanced over the prince in question.


    ¡°Leddorio¡­ you heard the minister. Is it true that you have yet to earn the heart of the saintess?¡±


    ¡°She is a pure lady capable of equally loving everyone without discrimination. That¡¯s why she wanted the holy church to handle Chloe¡¯s punishment instead to avoid making Darck and the House Sereknight shoulder her sins. That kindness of hers was what had captivated me in the first place.¡±


    ¡°¡­.About this agreement that the minister had spoken of, is Darck the only compliant party?¡±


    ¡°No, it includes my foster brother Sei, and Dai. We are all rivals in love but we have agreed not to force her love on ourselves but prioritize her happiness instead.¡±


    Leddorio insists with his unwavering eyes. Of course, it¡¯s not as though he completely complies with it. While the prince keeps his rivals in check, he still waits for any moment to get past them in their race. Of course, the prince also watches out for outsiders like Locke, who was apparently her childhood friend, attempting to suddenly snatch her away.


    The prince saw the minister to the left looking greatly perplexed at the corner of his vision. Although the prince heard that the engagement of his son had already been dissolved, much of what had been revealed at this conference may still be news to him.


    The king looked at the whole surrounding at let out a huge sigh.


    ¡°Then is the relationship between you and the saintess nothing but friendship? I take it that it is not on the level of having an engagement possible.¡±


    ¡°She said that this is an important decision and wants to think about it carefully. Nevertheless, I love Momo and I will make her heart mine alone.¡±


    ¡°Minister Sereknight, I take it that your son was also acting just like this due to the Saintess?¡±


    ¡°He is, sire. We had failed to reach a compromise, and because I fear the possibility of my son committing a taboo out of passion after the adoption, I had decided not to proceed with it¡­ I would very much like to take responsibility for this and leave my post but¡­¡±


    ¡°The minister to the left is in the same predicament and I can¡¯t have the royal palace out of its crucial men. However, you must talk it over with him once more.¡±


    Seeing the pale minister taking his words into his heart, the king turned his glance over the prince this time.


    ¡°Now to get back on the topic. Leddorio, as things are, Yello shall become the crown prince instead.¡±


    ¡°W-Why is that, sire!? If Momo becomes my fiancee¡­¡±


    ¡°And when is that going to happen?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a possibility of the saintess choosing a different man, and she may in fact, choose none at all. I am aware that the marriage between the two of your is still within the realms of possibility, however, that is not going to happen any time soon, is it?  Duke Sereknight is already having second thoughts on the adoption due to his son, and without this plan of yours into motion, there¡¯s no other house willing to take her in either. It is only logical to choose Yello instead given that he had a proper lady next to him.¡±


    Leddorio immediately turned pale. His legs now seemingly faltering.


    (Wait¡­ I need time! Just a little more time.. Once I marry the Saintess¡­ after I get married with Momo.. I..)


    Do not lose to your brother. If only he had been born incompetent, you surely had been the next king. The same words said to him as a child could be taken as losing to his brother would make him nothing as a worthless incompetent prince.


    Flustered by the genius of his younger brother, and pestered by the persistence of his fianc¨¦e, Chloe, at the same time, the prince closed his heart thinking that nobody ever understands his pain.


    ¡°Even the swans who look elegant at the surface of the lake are swimming with all their might. It is only natural that his highness is working his hardest considering his position.¡±


    ¡°The lessons and studying on my own are both hard, but whenever I think that even sir Benny working his hardest, I feel like I can put more effort into it.¡±


    ¡°You are not alone, sir. Be it your complaints or whatever, I will hear all of them for you, as long as you wish.¡±


    (Momo¡­., the true saintess who shone the light on my heart. It is you and not Chloe who befits the position of a queen. As long as you stand right beside me I..)


    As Leddorio was about to stand up after sorting out his thoughts, Keith placed his hand on his shoulder.


    ¡°Brother Leddorio, father is not saying that you should give up on Momo. He is merely saying that if you truly wish to pursue your love, you can do so while leaving the matters of the kingdom to me.¡±


    Prince Keith who talked to him like he was trying to convince a small child smiled deviously.

 CH 36

    The Start of the Fall


    Leddorio¡¯s footsteps led him towards the sacred church. It has already been determined that Prince Keith will be the crown prince instead. For Leddorio, that was tantamount to calling him an incompetent heir. If problems didn¡¯t arise, he would have been the next king as the oldest son, with his father and younger brother acknowledging it. However, Leddorio still couldn¡¯t believe how the seat was taken from him just by losing his fiancee. Not to mention, the annulled fiancee in question, was a lady banished for harming the true saintess. It made the prince feel like the one getting punished for what happened was him instead.


    (At any rate, I need to talk with Momo¡­ But damn you, Darck. As I thought, you were still much like your sister in the end.)


    As he cursed Darck within his inner thoughts, he was searching for Momo within the church grounds. Soon enough, he found Momo in the dining hall eating her lunch on her own. Although the surrounding men of faith were bothered by the sudden intrusion of the prince, Leddorio didn¡¯t mind it as he placed both his hands on the table.


    ¡°W-What happened, Sir Benny? Were you able to get permission to lessen my morning duties?¡±


    ¡°Well, no¡­ I didn¡¯t come here for that today. To tell you the truth,  I am in a considerably disadvantageous position in the succession of the crown due to not having a fiancee.¡±


    ¡°Huh!?¡±


    In actuality, the 2nd prince had already been designated as the heir, but the Leddorio decided to omit that for now. Besides, the prince thought that once he gets engaged to Momo, he will be able to overturn that decision. After all, the thickening of miasma recently had become unusual. The only way to purify all of them would require similar feats to the legen, and the royal palace wouldn¡¯t be able to ignore the man who was able to capture the heart of a Saintess capable of such feats.


    The sound of metal to ceramic clashing was heard as Momo put placed her spoon down and began tidying up her plate. The lady was able to deduce that this is not the kind of conversation she can have while eating. After sorting out her food, she came back with baked cookies and tea for the prince.


    ¡°Would you please tell me what happened, sir?¡±


    ¡°Of course, thank you¡­ I explained to you about the need to have you adopted by the House Sereknight to have sufficient peerage, didn¡¯t I? That agreement was also made so that the responsibility for her crimes will fall to Chloe alone. However, Darck had betrayed us. The bastard was never intent on accepting you as his sister in the first place.¡±


    ¡°Huh, Sir Darck did that!?¡±


    ?


    The lady was shocked by the sudden revelation of Darck¡¯s betrayal. However, Leddorio had already been aware that the young heir to the dukedom was planning to annul his engagement. Darck only did the same thing as the prince and Sei, and Leddorio acknowledged that he must annul his engagement with his fiancee becayse he was in love with another woman. However, the prince failed to realize just how much damage its ripple would cause to his succession right.


    ¡°That man still sees you as a woman. Would you truly be fine with having such your brother?¡±


    ¡°D-Did Sir Darck said so, sir?¡±


    ¡°No, but that¡¯s exactly why he annulled his engagement to the lady of House Whyte, didn¡¯t he?¡±


    ¡°¡­..¡±


    Momo¡¯s head hanged low, not saying anything. Leddorio doesn¡¯t know whether the feelings behind her wavering eyes were out of her disappointment for Darck, or delight in realizing the extent of his love for her. Either way, the adoption of the House Sereknight is no longer possible as far as the prince is concerned. He needed to find a new house that would adopt her, but finding the right one would take a lot of time.


    The prince was about to probe the extent of the lady¡¯s feelings towards Darck but before he did, Momo changed the topic.


    ¡°Speaking of House Sereknight, what has Lady Chloe been up to recently?¡±

 CH 37

    Dislocated Gears of Fate


    ¡°Why bring her up now? He may be Darck¡¯s sister but your adoption should no longer be her concern¡­¡±


    ¡°No Sir, this is quite important.¡±


    Answering his question, Momo began biting her nails muttering ¡°Is this what happens when the timing is off?¡±, however, the young prince had no idea what she was talking about.


    ¡°As Lady Chloe¡¯s sins were being revealed, she was glaring at me with such frightening eyes. She was throwing all sorts of curses at me for stealing Sir Benny¡¯s heart. Sir has told me that the lady was assaulted by the bandits in Iris Mountains after she had been banished, right? The miasma within that region is considerably thick, and those who have built up resentments and had wicked hearts are susceptible to the demonic influences. How was Chloe within the footage, sir?¡±


    As the prince tried to recall Chloe¡¯s circumstances, he suddenly felt asking about the man who called himself Momo¡¯s childhood friend. He was truthfully only nonchalantly asking her about it, but it elicited a prompt response from the lady who suddenly changed her complexion and brought her face closer.


    ¡°Where did you hear that name from, sir!?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ there was an adventurer with that name in the lodging house Chloe was working at. He claims to be from the same village as you so I thought of asking whether you remember him or not to make certain of it¡­, so is it true then?¡±


    ¡°Y-Yes¡­ he was my childhood friend, sir¡­, but Glinda¡­?¡±


    ¡°Apparently, he was taken in by an Earl house of a neighboring kingdom after you went to the capital.¡±


    As they talked about the man called Glinda, Momo¡¯s eyes widened and her shoulders trembled seemingly finding it unbelievable. By her reactions alone, the prince was certain that Locke was not an ordinary childhood friend for the lady.


    The prince inadvertently grasp both of the delicate shoulders of the lady.


    ¡°Momo, I haven¡¯t thoroughly asked you about your feelings until now but, I need you to be clear with me today. Just who do you have in your heart?¡±


    ¡°Sir Benny? It hurts..¡±


    ¡°Is it Shin? Darck? Or is it that man called Locke? Momo, you know how I feel right? My heart had discarded Chloe just for you, and yet, would you still not choose me in return?¡±


    ¡°P-Please wait a moment, sir!¡±


    Momo pushed Leddorio¡¯s chest away in panic. That behavior felt like a refusal for the prince but the lady¡¯s words that followed implied otherwise.


    ¡°I do not have the time to think about who I love sir. My sacred powers¡­ were awakened for the sake of purifying the miasma¡­ That is the exact reason I am here.¡±


    ¡°I do not care about those kinds of things. There¡¯s no one else for me but you, Momo.¡±


    ¡°So I was not enough?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant!¡±


    Seeing Momo unusually irritated by his persistence, Leddorio felt embarrassed by his overbearing assertiveness brought by his impatience. As he let go of the lady¡¯s shoulders, Momo awkwardly took a step away from him.


    ¡°Until the miasma of the Nansonia Mountain range is fixed, I have no time to think about nobilities, marriages, and such things, sir. What I am more concerned about is Lady Chloe¡¯s behavior. I am concerned about why she approached Locke, and there¡¯s the matter regarding Shin as well. Sir Benny, may I come to the next observation session?¡±


    The prince was bewildered by her sudden request but, it looked like the lady had thoughts in mind to do that.

 CH 38

    Darck¡¯s Recklessness


    Momo had never voiced any desire to join Leddorio¡¯s observation assembly thus far, which is mostly thanks to the prince assuring her to leave all the matters regarding Chloe to them alone and focus on her saintess duties.


    However, because she now insists on joining, seemingly intent on making certain of Chloe¡¯s recent behaviors, the prince saw no reason to decline her further.


    ¡°Goodness, your royal highness, Prince Leddorio. You should have told us beforehand if you wished to visit¡­, presently, my husband and son are both not here to welcome your presence.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need the formalities. Where is Darck?¡±


    ¡°He has been practice-swinging in the garden, highness. We have received a request from Duke Sereknight to reform his son through discipline.¡±


    Leaving the General¡¯s wife who was bewildered by his sudden arrival, Prince Leddorio hurriedly went towards the garden. There he saw Darck, earnestly swinging his sword, seemingly freed from his own thoughts.


    Noticing the prince¡¯s presence, the young duke brought down his sword, but before he was able to greet him, the prince immediately threw his fist to his face.


    ¡°Gaa.. your highness? What on earth?¡±


    ¡°Nothing comes to mind, Darck? Color me surprised, I never would have expected you to change your allegiance to the 2nd prince.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t follow you, sire.¡±


    Darck was puzzled by Leddorio¡¯s actions, but because the prince had his sword drawn and seemingly ready to use it, the young ducal heir reassumed his stance to block his oncoming strike.


    The sound of blades clashing reverberated in the garden.


    ¡°Because of your folly of breaking your engagement, the duke didn¡¯t proceed with Momo¡¯s adoption, handing the crown prince¡¯s seat to Keith, who had a fianc¨¦e. What should I think of this, Darck? You made me believe that you truly welcomed the idea of having Momo as your sister. You had me completely fooled.¡±


    ¡°This is a misunderstanding, sire! Indeed, I have decided to just watch over her as her older brother if Miss Momo truly desires to be with his highness. That is exactly why I asked her myself to confirm if she truly loves Prince Leddorio with all her heart. However, she merely told me that she cannot choose yet until she fulfills her duty. That¡¯s why I, too, had decided to postpone things until everything is over. It is not certain whether she chooses you or not, sire. That¡¯s why I told Margrave Whyte to not expect anything from me until then.¡±


    Darck¡¯s excuse was exactly as he had heard during the conference. The prince brushed off Darck¡¯s strike and pointed his blade at him with a scornful smile.


    ¡°You seem awfully confident of yourself. Do you really think that Momo would cast me aside and choose someone like you instead? The older brother of the woman who caused her harm?¡±


    ¡°!!¡±


    As the prince brought Chloe¡¯s subject to the table, Darck¡¯s glare seemingly flared in anger. Leddorio thought that although only half, this behavior truly makes him Chloe¡¯s older brother. The thought of that made him unconsciously strengthen his grip on his sword even more.


    ¡°This does not relate to my younger sister! What about you, sire? You allowed your foster brother, Sei to break his own engagement. Are you only willing to concede your beloved to those close enough to be your sibling?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t misunderstand. The one who will choose is Momo herself. If she takes the hand of Sei instead, I will accept that¡­ but you Darck, you are different. You were on board to my plan concerning the adoption, right? She was supposed to be accepted to your family in order to shield the House Sereknight from accountability, while consequently engaging herself to me to keep my position firm. You agreed to all of that.¡±


    ¡°¡­..That¡¯s..¡±


    As Darck lowered his sword, the prince seized him by the shoulder, bringing his face right next to ducal heir¡¯s ears.


    ¡°Do not forget that the day we all became aware of our feelings to Momo, all of us became farers of the same boat. Throwing a fit like this just like your sister, can you still keep your face knowing it will bring Momo to shame?¡±


    ¡°!!!¡±


    Hatred towards his younger sister, yearning towards Momo, and his faltering loyalty. As these feelings made the ducal heir¡¯s face sour, his arm lost the strength to hold his hilt, making him drop the sword to the ground.

 CH 39

    Momo Joins The Fray


    Momo has only one body. No matter how many hearts of men she captivates, in the end, she will still choose only one of them.  Even though men may temporarily gather their arms together for the sake of their beloved, they must still have the will to sacrifice others in order to fulfill their yearnings. For Prince Leddorio, the aforementioned sacrifice refers to Darck.


    Chloe was not only the daughter of the minister to the right, she had also been recognized as the temporary saintess. Her social standing and position made her the most adequate queen candidate. If the prince was forced to find a replacement for her, he would need to seek, not only a lady with the same influence, but also one who belongs to his political faction.


    Incidentally, the prime minister to the left, Duke Bruno, belongs to the 2nd prince¡¯s faction. However, because his son was closer to the 1st prince, the political balance will change in the next generation.


    Political circumstances aside, leaving Darck psychologically battered, Leddorio now headed towards the mistress of the house in order to inquire the whereabouts of his third love rival, Dai.


    ¡°My son, Dai? He would¡¯ve been at the training school as always but, he said that he wanted to grow stronger and recently headed towards an advanced level dungeon far away..¡±


    ¡ô¡¡¡ó¡¡¡ô¡¡¡ó¡¡¡ô


    At the next observation assembly, those who didn¡¯t know the circumstances were bewildered by the entrance of the new participant. After all, the one who warned them about Chloe¡¯s behavior and prompted this observation assembly, the saintess herself, sat in front of the mirror where the recordings are to be projected.


    ¡°Your highness, could you please explain this?¡±


    ¡°Well, Momo seems to be intrigued about that woman¡¯s circumstances¡­ that aside, Keith! Just how long do you plan on being here? There¡¯s no merit for you in participating in this gathering anymore. Why don¡¯t you go to your beloved fiancee and curry her favor instead or something?¡±


    Leddorio glared at his brother who leaned himself against the wall observing Momo with interest. He thought that the 2nd prince should¡¯ve been busy, given that he is now the new appointed heir to the throne.


    ¡°Your worry is unwarranted brother. My relationship with Canaria is in perfect shape. It¡¯s just that I¡¯m curious about Miss Momo, or more precisely, just who among all of you will she pick. After all, she is the true saint, and I cannot ignore her circumstances as a royalty, myself.¡±


    Unlike Leddorio who scornfully smacked his lips in response, Momo offered no response to the words of the 2nd prince. It looked as though other men aside from specific individuals do not exist in her world.


    The first prince just let out a sigh and used the brooch to start the projection.


    The scene reflected in the mirror was a dim stone wall which, as the observers know, means that they are at the Grace Church¡¯s attic. After Shin who had the brooch on him, used a ladder to descend from the attic, he went towards the door that leads to the lodging.


    At the other side of the door was Chloe, wearing her brown wig, turning her glance at his direction.


    ¡°Good morning, brother.¡±


    ¡°Good¡­morning, Chaco.¡±


    ¡®She really named herself Chaco as you had told me, sir.¡¯


    ¡®That she did. I informed the person herself about this but she didn¡¯t seem to mind. Did you have any discord with that lady?¡¯


    ¡®¡­No, sir. I don¡¯t remember anything significant. She was just a classmate.¡¯


    Even as she answered the prince¡¯s question, Momo¡¯s eyes were glued at the projected screen the entire time.

 CH 40

    Locke


    After that, Chloe and Shin were having a chat as they did the lodging¡¯s morning preparations.


    ¡°Where is Locke, Lady?¡±


    ¡°Apparently, he is going to explore the dungeon with new individuals. I think he¡¯ll be back around noon.¡±


    ¡®Locke¡­¡¯


    The prince heard the man¡¯s name leaking out of Momo¡¯s mouth. Leddorio thought that perhaps the lady is having mixed feelings knowing that Chloe got to know her childhood friend, at the very least, he hoped that it was nothing more than that.


    ¡®So they really knew each other.¡¯


    ¡®She hasn¡¯t seen him yet so we do not know for sure¡­.¡¯


    ¡®When you show such a fleeting gaze, I can¡¯t help but feel jealous.¡¯


    Although Sei, who immediately jump towards coaxing the lady took an elbow from Leddorio, the prince felt the same way. He couldn¡¯t help but consider the possibility that perhaps Momo might have had feelings for Locke in their hometown and only hid it when she approached them.


    However, he immediately brushed those kinds of thoughts aside. No matter what past the lady may have had, Momo said that she currently doesn¡¯t have feelings for anyone. Leddorio has to believe that.


    The feelings of the entourage aside, the mirror began to show Chloe making something in the kitchen. She brought with her, wheat flour, butter, and salt, and after making a cookie batter, she put them aside.


    ¡°Are you planning to bake Cookies, lady?¡±


    ¡°I had the sudden urge to bake after helping the mistress cook for a while, so I decided to bake cookies for old time¡¯s sake. I obtained permission, of course.¡±


    ¡°If the lady is thinking of using baked sweets to get Locke¡¯s affection, she is mistaken. It¡¯ll just get the same result as his highness.¡±


    The prince thought that Shin was unusually too direct with his words today. He considered that perhaps the young butler had already given up on coaxing his mistress. As he expected, Chloe seemed to take offense at his words as her cheeks swelled in red.


    ¡°I¡¯ll eat them all myself if I fail, silly. In the first place, I already told you that Locke and I aren¡¯t like that. That man wanted to become an adventurer just for Lady Momo¡¯s sake and you¨C¡°


    Bothered by the mutterings of Momo, the surrounding gentlemen suddenly started trying to appeal to her one after another.


    ¡®Miss Momo, I would do anything to grant your wish too. My feelings for you will not lose to anyone, not even to that of a childhood friend.¡±


    ¡®E-Even I..¡¯


    ¡®Look at you Darck, saying that even though your recklessness had ruined Lady Momo¡¯s chance of entering the noble society. Did you forget that already? Not only that, his highness was¡­¡±


    ¡®Momo, just what is Locke to you?¡¯


    Leddorio barged into the conversation, interrupting the argument between Sei and Darck. Although Momo looked frightened at his sudden assertive questioning, prince thought given that she insisted on joining the observation, he had the right to ask.


    ¡°Locke¡­, was an orphan who had been taken in by the village chief of our hometown, Palette Village. He kindly looked after me¡­. and I remember him for being such a good person.¡±


    ¡°Do you love him?¡±


    ¡°Uhm, no¡­ We have been together since childhood we are more of siblings than anything¡­ anyhow he was a really good person so¡­¡±


    ¡°I see, whichever the case, you didn¡¯t see him as a romantic partner.¡±


    Although Sei said so with a bitter smile, he wasn¡¯t unable to hide his feelings of relief. As far as the entourage of the prince are concerned, Locked wasn¡¯t as good looking and even if he enrolled at the academy together with Momo, he wouldn¡¯t have garnered any special attention, and it¡¯s unlikely that they would have considered him a love rival then either.


    But what of Chloe? Leddorio was certain that now that he had abandoned her, the lady would go towards the butler that she had taken in for his looks during childhood instead. However, just the thought of his former fianc¨¦e settling for a rural man who still reeks of being a country hick, just doesn¡¯t sit for the young prince.

 CH 41

    Unexpected Intruder


    It was high noon.


    All the tables were occupied by the lodging guests and the adventurers who stopped by to eat. Shin was taking orders while used the brooch to send Chloe¡¯s footage to the prince¡¯s entourage.


    Locke came back around the time the customer traffic had loosened and sat near the counter. The mistress, who knew their circumstances asked for Chloe to entertain him instead.


    ¡°Welcome back. Did it go well with the new members?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, they will stay at the lodging tonight so I¡¯ll introduce them later. They also want to meet you too.¡±


    ¡®How is it? Are you certain it¡¯s him?¡¯


    ¡®I cannot tell from behind sir, and we haven¡¯t met in three years¡­ but I do recall his unkempt greed colored hair.¡¯


    As Momo hesitantly replied remaining fully focused on the mirror, Chloe began to hand over her baked cookies to Locke, blushing slightly. She had already tasted them, so whether that behavior was brought by her lack of confidence in her baking skills or not, the prince was not certain.


    ¡°Although, I do not think it will measure up to Miss Momo¡¯s baked cookies¡­¡±


    ¡°Did you bake this, Chaco? I¡¯m honored to be the first taster. Then, I¡¯ll take¨C¡°


    Locke said as frivolously as he reached for the platter but, someone else took the cookies before him.


    The intruder grabbed the cookies and threw them all into his mouth making a crunching sound as he ate. His behavior astounded not only Chloe and Locke those within the mirror but even the ones observing it.


    ¡®W-Why is he¡­¡¯


    ¡®What is that idiot trying to do?¡¯


    ¡°Hmp, it¡¯s true. Momo¡¯s cookies were far more delicious.¡±


    Saying so with a laugh, the man was none other than the absentee in the observation room, Dai, himself.


    ¡°What¡¯s your deal? That¡¯s really rude, and by Momo, you mean..¡±


    ¡°I came here to observe that woman over there. I even saved you the trouble in case that woman put some love potions in there or something. Isn¡¯t that right, Chloe Sereknight?¡±


    Dai suddenly drops a bombshell without the slightest hesitation. Minister Blackia¡¯s ducal house, the Sereknight, is a name known even in the most remote mountain regions. The same goes for the fact that its ducal lady, Chloe, used to be the temporary saintess and the prince¡¯s fianc¨¦e.


    Although most of the customers had already left after lunch time, most of those who remained were all stirred by his words.


    ¡°Chloe Sereknight? The heck is that?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m talking about that criminal near you. That woman got abandoned by the prince for harassing the saintess and was thrown out of the capital as a result. She may look meek and sweet right now but she was fooling you all this entire time.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡±


    Locke turned his entire body towards the screen. Momo¡¯s eyes widened in surprise which confirmed to the prince that he was truly the childhood friend Momo knew.


    (Putting that aside, Dai, you bastard! What the hell are you thinking!?)


    The original plan was to have Shin cruelly discard Chloe after she grew reliant on him without letting her know that she was under observation. The prince thought that perhaps Dai was trying to show Locke the true nature of the lady to disillusion him of her deception.


    Still, he considered the approach far too direct.


    ¡°So?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°So what if Chaco is that Chlo-whatever that you talked about? That kind of personal history is common among these fools who try to challenge that dungeon over there. The policy of Grace Church had always been to not refuse those who come, but not chase after those who leave. Isn¡¯t that right, Boss?¡±


    Locke¡¯s glance headed towards the entrance that leads to the church where Father Grace¡¯s peeking silhouette could be seen.

 CH 42

    Dai¡¯s Independent Actions


    ¡°Did you come from the capital, lad? I¡¯d appreciate it if you don¡¯t bring your troubles here.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s that woman who¡¯s trouble here. You are better of just kicking her out right now. The wench is just pretending to be a pitiful weak lady to earn your compassion¡­ and she even got this wig going on for that!¡±


    Just as he declared, Dai grabbed the brown wig of Chloe and tried to pull it off, but what should have been a wig had stuck to her head. His attempt just made the lady scream in result.


    ¡°It hurts! Stop it!¡±


    ¡°What the hell are you doing!!¡±


    Locke hastily went to try to stop him, but the mistress got to Dai first, clobbering his head with a rolling pin. Leddorio watching the entire thing, thought that perhaps Chloe was using the sacred magic, ¡°Adhesion¡± to glue the wig to her scalp.


    Dai, however, letting the blood go up to his head, had yet to realize who he looked like to the surrounding people.


    ¡°Unhand her! Pulling a lady¡¯s hair like that, you¡¯re one hell of a pile of trash, ain¡¯t cha? You think that pretty face can get you out of anything? You¡¯ll never be popular with ladies if you keep that up.¡±


    ¡°That hurts you old hag! The only trash in this place is that woman right there, and hey, I already have Momo so, you can mind your own damn business!¡±


    Now unhanded, Chloe caressed her head seemingly in pain. Locke hearing Momo¡¯s name twice, reacted this time around.


    ¡°Momo? Are you talking about Momo Palette?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, the same lady that the trash over there had harassed out of jealousy in having her fianc¨¦e taken away. As her childhood friend, you must understand how unforgivable that was, right?¡±


    Locke¡¯s eyes suddenly narrowed for a moment, then inclined his head seemingly in wonder.


    ¡°If that¡¯s true, Momo must be the current fiancee of the prince, then? I knew it, your feelings for her are one-sided after all!¡±


    ¡°No, they are not engaged! And Momo always comes to my training bringing snacks for me and cheering me on! His highness and the other folks are understandably attracted to her, but I am special¡ª¡°


    ¡°Just a moment, please come here with me!¡±


    Then, the young butler, lowering his voice, rebuked Dai for his rash actions.


    ¡°What is this about, sir?  Intruding in this place and even going as far as revealing milady¡¯s identity.¡±


    ¡°I wanted to see everything with my own eyes, and well, seeing that girl putting on a sheep¡¯s clothing like that, I just wanted to unmask her pretensions.¡±


    ¡°We already have plans for that, sir. On the contrary, what you did let her earn everyone¡¯s sympathy even more.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just coaxing, deception, and such roundabout methods don¡¯t fit me well, you see. Even Momo had praised my straightforward personality.¡±


    ¡°¡­I see. At any rate, be advised, sir. I will be reporting everything to his highness.¡±


    ¡®What a fool.¡¯


    The prince was utterly speechless about Dai¡¯s foolishness. He thought that now Chloe would convinced that she is under observation and the one pulling the strings behind it was Leddorio himself. There¡¯s no other choice but for them to change their plan to ruin her.


    However, the prince gained an unexpected merit from Dai¡¯s shameful sight. Momo¡¯s rigid cold eyes as she watched the sight of him tells the prince that his love rivals had decreased by one.


    On the contrary, it was Momo, who was disillusioned by him, but of course, being on the other side of the mirror, Dai was unaware of that.

 CH 43

    Unexpected Reunion


    Not showing any signs of reflecting from his rashness, on the contrary, Dai went on the counteroffensive against Shin.


    ¡°Then what about you? What have you done so far? Didn¡¯t his highness tell you to hurry up and make that woman fall already?¡±


    ¡°If it were that easy I wouldn¡¯t have had any troubles. She and I had been in a master-servant relationship since the beginning.¡±


    ¡°What, so you¡¯re nothing but a pet to her after all.¡±


    Shin was silenced by Dai¡¯s excessive words. That was the truth before Chloe had been banished so he couldn¡¯t say anything against it. But having lost her fianc¨¦e, Chloe who had no other choice but to rely on him was different now.


    ¡°Then you¡¯ll never make her fall like that. There¡¯s no point in staying in this place anymore; just forcibly drag her towards the convent.¡±


    ¡°But sir, the barrier of this place is still¡­¡±


    ¡°Hey, are you telling me you took her words seriously? If it¡¯s that bad, then Momo will do something about it. She¡¯s the real deal after all.¡±


    ¡®So he says, but do you know something about the miasma surrounding the dungeon of Iris Mountain?¡¯


    ¡®Uhm, the monsters in that dungeon are a handful since it¡¯s restricted to advanced-level adventurers. It is true that it would be better to strengthen the barrier first, but¡­¡¯


    While she answers his question, Momo seems to hesitate continuing further. The prince thought that maybe she was afraid of having to face that dungeon now, though even if that¡¯s the case, the prince will go together with her to ensure her safety.


    It was at that moment¨C


    ¡°Oy mate, just how long do you plan on making troubles inside the house. Can¡¯t ya see you¡¯re bothering everyone else?¡±


    ¡°Look, he clearly dislike it. Just unhand him already.¡±


    A person approached the two of them and took Dai¡¯s hand off Shin. Surprised, the butler turned himself towards those people but what he saw was¡ª


    ¡®Lucky.. Sam.. Kisara?¡¯


    The one who muttered their names was Darck. All of the eyes in the room now turned against him.


    ¡®Do you know those people?¡¯


    ¡®Yes, they are employees of the house. Recently, it appears they took a leave, so I don¡¯t see them anymore, so why¡­¡¯


    Dai was not the only one surprised. Shin¡¯s was the same, his voice trembling as he called out to the three of them.


    ¡°You three¡­ just how? Haven¡¯t you all got done in when the slum had had been shut down.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, so we took employment from the House Sereknight.¡±

 CH 44

    Dearest Comrades


    According to what the prince heard, Shin, who had been picked up by Chloe, wasn¡¯t able to save his comrades that were caught alongside him. The guilt of that had been dragging his heart down ever since.


    Now, the young butler was speechless at the unexpected reunion.


    ¡°You¡¯re all¡­ alive..¡±


    ¡°Hey hey, don¡¯t just kill us off too easy. Well, can¡¯t say I blame you, after all those past aristocrats who picked you up. Hell, we even had to gamble during that time the slums got closed down.¡±


    ¡°Getting picked up for their looks like you aside, all other opportunities in the slums requires dirt work. We had to work all our assess off to become adventurers. Gahahahaha¡±


    ¡°¡­Hey, if you¡¯ve been feeling guilty for us the entire time.¡±


    The mage woman held Shin¡¯s hand tightly. The sound of Shin¡¯s nose sniffling can be heard by the prince and the others across the mirror.


    ¡°Then you don¡¯t need to suffer about it anymore.¡±


    ¡°Although Lord Duke was at lost regarding his daughter¡¯s selfish actions, it seems that now he had given proper thoughts to these recent matters.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, now we can all be fools together again!!¡±


    ¡°Everyone¡­¡±


    The spectacle projected was certainly heartwarming and yet those who were watching it from afar couldn¡¯t maintain their composure at the sight of it. After all, the main reason why Shin wanted to ruin Chloe was due to his grudges. The arrival of his old friends may have just uprooted all of that.


    Now that he had been reunited with them, if Shin were to decide to go with his old friends, the entourage of the prince would be able to accomplish their goals no longer.


    ¡°Damn it, suddenly appearing out of nowhere like that, what are you all, Chloe¡¯s pawns?¡±


    Seemingly blind at his transgression of suddenly arriving and stealing Locke¡¯s cookies without a word, Dai who threw a fit looked nothing but a small fish to eyes of the prince. In fact, the angrier he gets, the more he looked like a thug.


    ¡°Noope, although we are a concerned party in her well-being, Milady should know nothing about us at all, I think. Well if we have to introduce ourselves¡­ then right now we are the new party members of Glinda the Twin Blades. I¡¯m Lucky, the thief.¡±


    ¡°Likewise, Kisara, the mage. Although not as great as milady, I can do healing magic to a certain extent.¡±


    ¡°Sam, the warrior, here, best regards. All of us including that Locke over there, joined together to explore the dungeon here in search of magic crystals.¡±


    The three of them pointed their fingers at Locke, who was eating the left scraps of the cookies baked for him. Chloe smiled at him blushingly while hiding her lower face behind a food tray. The prince knew for sure that the man must have told her flattery again.


    Dai, who saw them like that, seized Shin and whispered close to his ears.


    ¡°Hey, what are you gonna do about that? That woman was clearly head over heels for Locke, even your friends are her ally too. Can you even continue the plan like this?¡±


    ¡°Well..¡±


    Overwhelmed by the successions happening in front of him had robbed Shin of the calmness to make decisions. Dai who seeing him like that, suddenly headed towards the three adventurers.


    ¡°Alright, I get it. Then how about this? I¡¯ll go with all of you then.¡±


    ¡°Haa? What the hell are you on about?¡±


    ¡°I need to send this woman to the convent fast or she won¡¯t be able to reflect on her actions properly. So I figured, I should just help you all to hasten that.¡±


    Dai declared seemingly convinced that he had a great idea. Chloe and Locke stared at him in flabbergasted.


    Shin hastily put a stop to his mouth.


    ¡°Again, making decisions on your own! How do you suppose we explain these to his highness, sir?¡±


    ¡°Just tell him as it is. Racking my head was never my thing anyway. Whether Chloe is still the same hopeless woman, or she had turned over a new leaf¡­ since you¡¯re useless, I¡¯ll make sure of that instead.¡±

 CH 45

    Observation Report 3


    The recorded footage stops there. The mirror projection then turns to real-time footage of Grace Church¡¯s attic.


    ¡®Why did it stop there? Was that all?¡¯


    ¡°Locke was doubtful, sir. Sir Dai, who had just arrived, knew something he shouldn¡¯t have known beforehand. Locke suggested surveillance, so I had to take off the brooch to avoid being found out.¡±


    ¡®That muscle head acting on his own¡­, So? What happened afterward?¡¯


    ¡°Milady confirmed everything Dai had said and told everyone that everything that happened here is all reported to the capital through letters¡­ The mistress had declared that they will continue to hire milady as Chaco either way.¡±


    (That Chloe? Covering up for Shin and revealing all her circumstances of her own accord!?)


    For Leddorio¡¯s entourage, the chance of that happening is as rare as the heavens itself, flipping over. The recent happenings have solidified the fact that Chloe does not look at Shin as a love interest no matter how much she favored him. However, they couldn¡¯t believe that Chloe would go out of her own way to save Shin, the one responsible for leaking information about things anything happening within her circumference.


    Even Darck, shook his head in utter disbelief.


    ¡®Unbelievable, that wench¡­. She had been pushing all the responsibilities to all the havocs that she caused to either me or Shin ever since childhood.¡¯


    ¡®But even if it¡¯s Chloe, she couldn¡¯t possibly stay oblivious about the surveillance after everything that happened.¡¯


    ¡°About that, sir¡­ Lady had known about the surveillance ever since the beginning. Although, she initially thought that it was his father who ordered it.¡±


    ¡®Is that true!?¡¯


    Leddorio had ridiculed her so much before, even concluding that the lady wouldn¡¯t have known about the surveillance, not even in her wildest dreams; he previously thought. This new revelation made the prince feel like he had been completely deceived, but it also made sense to him why the lady has been hiding her true nature.


    Shin added that the Sereknight Duke had been sending letters to her, but Darck, only frantically shook his head in response, saying that he had zero knowledge of it.


    At any rate, the circumstances, according to the butler, were that Dai forcefully joined Locke¡¯s party, and they are all currently challenging the dungeon. Locke was having reservations about taking Chloe¡¯s lunch because it will only end up compared to Momo¡¯s cooking, but when he still reached out to take some, the party complained.


    Lastly, in regards to Dai¡¯s independent decision to join the monitoring personnel to directly observe her, Chloe herself didn¡¯t pay it any mind.


    ¡°That¡¯s as far as the recent happenings, sir.¡±


    Momo suddenly grabbed the brooch from the prince and talked to Shin in the mirror. The butler cannot see them, so he only noticed her attendance after hearing her voice.


    ¡°Huh..? Lady Momo!?¡±


    ¡®I¡¯m terribly sorry for having you put on such a difficult task for my sake. Even though I¡¯m fully aware of how harsh it would¡¯ve been for you given that being by her side had tormented you all this time.¡¯


    ¡°I am fine, Lady Momo. Besides, I met my former comrades again anyway.¡±


    ¡®You don¡¯t need to push yourself. I will free you out of there soon so hold on a little longer for me, okay?¡¯


    Her awfully intimate tone to the young butler had raised the eyebrows of Prince Leddorio. Although he is aware that she is just the same with everyone else, Shin was still the exclusive butler of Chloe. The thought that perhaps the two had gotten so much closer while Chloe was harassing the lady had given the prince feelings he couldn¡¯t describe.


    Momo then turned her gaze to all the gentlemen in the room and with a sense of danger clearly present in her face, she turned to speak.


    ¡®Everyone, listen, please. I participated in today¡¯s observation for the first time, but the situation looks far graver than I previously thought. It is incredibly dangerous for those who had sinister hearts to be exposed to places with especially thick miasma, just like this advanced-level dungeon.


    As things are, now that Chloe had been possessed by a devil, her sacred powers, as well as her own ego will fall, soon giving rise to full-fledged witch.¡®

 CH 46

    Dai Nable ¨C Seeking Knighthood


    My name is Dai, General Orlen Nable¡¯s son, and aims to be the sword of the first prince, his highness Leddorio, when he ascends to the throne in the future. My father has always been my pride since childhood, and becoming a man as strong and reliable as him was my goal. I¡¯ve spent countless days and nights swinging my own sword in the training halls to achieve that.


    I was in such a hurry to reach adulthood to be able to stand on my foot, but then my father had told me; No matter how many times you swing that sword, that cannot be called strength. Educate yourself first.


    Yet, I hated studying so much. The main duty of knights is to protect the wellbeing of their lords, what¡¯s the use of improving my head for that?


    I wondered just why my own father won¡¯t acknowledge my efforts.


    In my attempt to rebel against him, I often skipped my classes and put more and more time to my swordsmanship.


    One day, while I was training as usual, I saw the soldiers gathering and heard them whispering amongst themselves.


    ¡°That guy, getting ahead of himself just because he was the son of the general.¡±


    ¡°Directly invited by the knighthood, he says? With that such influential parents, the captain couldn¡¯t have possibly refused.¡±


    ¡°He was certainly skilled for sure, but his head on the other hand..¡±


    It was shocking. Whether it be the assumption that I used my connection, or how I was ridiculed for my foolishness, I never thought that being the son of the general, something I had been proud of my entire life, would ever shackle me down.


    I beat them all down during our practice matches to prove otherwise. Be it how I used my connections or my dumbness, it would be better to prove them wrong using my strength.  If anyone has any more complaints, try beating me then.


    Before long, I became known for being unparalleled within the entire kingdom, and soon became the close associate of his highness Leddorio, expected to be his knight in the future. Likely due to the closeness of our age, I was instructed to attend the royal academy with him which was troublesome, but I was told that I could compensate for my low grades by excelling at something else.


    Much of the students ridicule me for being a muscle head but in reality, each and every single one of them are the fools. They just got big heads above their shoulders.


    Sei, who was the foster brother of his highness, said that those who have been blessed with great looks are just that envied upon by others. He talks as if we¡¯re the same thing but he¡¯s just a creepy lady killer. Although he was far better of than others.


    Before long, I had a fated meeting within the academy.


    At that time I skipped the classes and was taking a nap on the school lawn when I heard a scream coming from the school building followed by scraps of something falling to my face. When I picked them up and put them close, they smelled savory.


    ¡°Cookies?¡±


    ¡°Kyaa! I¡¯m sorry, were you hurt, sir?¡±


    I heard a voice as pleasant as the sound of the wind chimes. When I raised my head to look where it came from, I saw a lady who unbelievable jumped from the third floor towards a tree slowly climbing down. She had fluffy peach-colored hair and lovely candy-like pair of eyes. I was taken aback.


    At that moment, one of her hands slipped and she fell from the tree. Though it was rather close to the ground, I figured it was still within dangerous height to I hurriedly caught her to save her from the fall.


    (So light! Also, she smells great¡­)


    ¡°That¡¯s my line. You¡¯re quite the tomboy aren¡¯t you?¡±


    As I laughed after saying it, the lady¡¯s cheek blushed in embarrassment. Suddenly my heart began to throb, resounding with so much noise.


    ¡°This cookie. Did you make it?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­ but my classmate said I was being impertinent and threw it out of the window¡­  I am a commoner after all.¡±


    ¡°The hell is that!?¡±


    When I turned my glare towards the window she came from, I saw several female students seemingly assessing the situation hiding out of the window in panic. Their mischievous acts made my body flare up in anger.


    ¡°Hey, can I eat this cookie?¡±


    ¡°Huh? But it fell to the ground, sir¡­¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I knew it would taste good. Not even our chef can make cookies this delicious.¡±


    As a nobility like me scavenge a food that already fell on the ground, the lady stared with her eyes open wide and started giggling afterward. Her voice and the sound of her laugh melted my heart, together with the dirt-ridden cookies.


    ¡°If you¡¯re fine with that, I could bake you some any time.¡±


    ¡°Are you serious!? Then, take them to the training hall. I¡¯m always there practicing my sword.¡±


    That was the fated meeting between Momo and I.

 CH 47

    Dai Nable 2 ¨C The Angelic Lady


    Since then, Momo always comes to the training hall after class to bring snacks and cheer me on. Unfortunately, she was in a different class to mine and we have no other opportunities of meeting each other other than school days.


    While I was thinking that, Momo looked at me seemingly puzzled.


    ¡°Academy is not only a place to study. Sir Dai should participate in school events too.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go as his highness¡¯ escort, but I¡¯ll just take a nap during my free time. It¡¯ll probably be boring anyway.¡±


    ¡°I wonder about that. It would be a loss to not enjoy such events since you had to enroll. But that¡¯s too bad. I was sure that this year¡¯s school festival would be much more fun together with sir Dai.¡±


    ¡°F-Fine, it can¡¯t be helped. I¡¯ll go around with you during my breaks.¡±


    ¡°R-Really! That makes me happy!¡±


    She took me by the arms with a million-dollar smile on her face. I suddenly felt my face heating up. At this point, I have no other choice but to acknowledge it, don¡¯t I?


    What about the difference in social status? I don¡¯t care about those kinds of things. The reason why Momo came to the capital was to have her talents acknowledged anyway.


    That being said, it¡¯s not that simple. Momo¡¯s talent was her awakened sacred powers which is something that would gather the attention of the royal family to her. Currently, Chloe, the fiancee of Prince Leddorio, is the one recognized as the temporary saintess. Although his highness is much more attracted to Momo, who is much more likely to be the real thing.


    Of course, Momo¡¯s brazen attitude towards everyone brought by her naivety is what makes her so attractive. I didn¡¯t find it odd that his highness also fell in love with her.


    ¡°Hey, Do you like his highness, Momo?¡±


    ¡°Huh¡­.why?¡±


    Because I was at a loss what to do about that, I asked Momo frankly about it instead. Being roundabout was never my thing, after all, although, the lady was clearly bothered by my sudden question.


    ¡°Lady Chloe was making quite the rucks, you know? She kept saying that there¡¯s an undesirable pest coiling around her fiancee.¡±


    ¡°..I¡¯m troubled about that too, sir. Her followers kept threatening me and there are many times when my personal belongings either go missing or are broken apart. They probably couldn¡¯t stand having someone like me get close to his highness.¡±


    Seeing Momo in low spirits just made me want to beat all them to pulp. Of course, violence against women is unbecoming of a knight, but the same thing goes for Chloe.


    Not only is she the temporary Saintess recognized by the holy church, but she is also the future queen as well. Going mad with jealousy and using her followers to threaten others is unbecoming of her position.


    Treacherous and unruly ladies like her are the type that I despise the most.


    ¡°Is it really such a great sin for a commoner to get along with a royalty?¡±


    ¡°As if! Although there¡¯s a hopeless disparity in social standings when it comes to the noble society, you¡¯re still both students right now. Didn¡¯t you also said that it would be a loss not to enjoy the academy to the fullest?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­right, sir. Besides, there¡¯s no way I would become an aristocrat anyway, so Lady Chloe is overreacting.¡±


    Momo smiled to dispel the lingering cloudy ambiance, but on the contrary, I got worried even more. If his highness were to truly choose Momo instead and have her designated as the true saintess, the royal family wouldn¡¯t be able to ignore her any more, that would make her unable to refuse the prince any longer.


    ¡°What¡¯s that Momo? What happened to your arm!?¡±


    After hearing about Momo falling from the stairs, I rushed towards the clinic. There, I saw her lying in the bed bandaged as well as his highness, Leddorio who was close to her.


    ¡°It was Chloe¡­ she ordered her followers to do this.¡±


    ¡°Wha!?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that right, Momo?¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir. I recognized the faces of those who pushed me off the stairs.¡±


    ¡°Let go of me. As if Momo would ever lie. Or is it that the older brother is trying to protect his cute little sister?¡±


    Darck outright punched me but his weak fists are insignificant, because Momo experienced far worse. However, when I saw Darck biting his lip in anger so much that they bled, I knew that he must¡¯ve found Chloe¡¯s actions unforgivable too.


    His highness watched over us with a fully determined look on his face.


    ¡°For now, we have to gather evidence. We will condemn that villainous woman later.¡±


    After that, Chloe, the personification of evil itself, had been safely annulled from the prince and thrown out of the capital. However, that did not dispel Momo¡¯s worries. Consequently, that was also the day we decided to let Momo decide who she wants to be with on her own.


    Momo will immediately put an end to this problem soon, and after she picks me, I will protect her with all my life forever.

 CH 48

    Dai Nable ~ Shattered Perception


    All those who have given their hearts to Momo including me gathered in Prince Leddorio¡¯s room. There, we observed Chloe¡¯s circumstances through the footages that Shin recorded.


    However, knowing that treacherous woman, she¡¯ll likely stay blind to her sins and nurture her grudge against Chloe with deep hatred, a sentiment shared by all of us.


    However, we were all largely betrayed by what we saw.


    Chloe, now free from the shackles of both the position of the saintess and queen candidate became more proactive than ever. Although Shin may have been with her during that time, a lady like her was able to fight against bandits with a crossbow and boldly traverse a mountain.


    When they found a lodging deep within the mountains, not only did she bow her head to plead for assistance, she also took difficult responsibilities. Hell, she even knew how to fabricate her smile against its unruly patrons.


    Just who on earth is this woman. Is this really the Chloe Sereknight we knew?  Although she is clearly hiding her own nature in front of other people, but she still spoke of her regret in her past actions when left alone together with Shin. Not only that, she also seemed to sincerely desire to be helpful to other people unrelated to her.


    But what surprised me even more was how she assertively tried to learn how to cook. And this time, not in antagonism against Momo, and nor to look better in the eyes of Shin or the prince either. How should I describe it? She is just genuinely trying to enjoy herself.


    ¡°Huh, no! They are entirely different! That wench is the entire opposite of Momo.¡±


    As her figure started to overlap with my memories of Momo¡¯s whenever she comes to bring me snacks, I furiously shook my head to remove those thoughts.


    Why would I even think that they¡¯re alike?


    Chloe was doing all of this for atonement. But, I see¡­ that means she really is reflecting on her actions. She doesn¡¯t seem to have lingering affections towards his highness, nor does she seem to bear a grudge unlike what Momo said.


    If that¡¯s the case, shouldn¡¯t I just forgive her by now?


    If that¡¯s the case, then watching footages from a far and jeering her actions isn¡¯t enough. I¡¯m stupid, so I cannot really tell for sure unless I see her up close. Besides, I¡¯m also a little curious about Chloe¡¯s cooking with that Locke guy even praising her and all. Granted, I still think that Momo¡¯s cooking would be far better though.


    While I was thinking about those things, Duke Sereknight sent Darck to our house. We were told to forge this weak-minded¡¯s guts to shape and open his eyes.


    ¡°I tried to cancel my engagement to Sheila on my own.¡±


    Darck timidly said so in our sparring during my father¡¯s absence. Both Sei and I heard the same thing during our last observation meeting.


    The possibility of Momo becoming prince Leddorio¡¯s fianc¨¦e being high, so the Duke cannot allow his son have an illicit feelings towards his adopted daughter. Not to mention, they were dealing with Whitey House, the same house that the current queen came from.


    ¡°After what happened with Chloe, I was told not to cause further problems to the house. I just wanted to be honest to my feelings towards Momo¡­ and I couldn¡¯t accept being compared to that younger sister of mine for that.¡±


    (You said that you liked seeing me straightforwardly working my hardest, right? Momo.)


    Racking my brains ain¡¯t really my thing, and the only thing that I can do right now is to hastily remove the source of her worries and be acknowledged as a dependable man.


    With that in mind, I told my mother that I will be challenging an advanced-level dungeon, and after packing my things headed to  Iris Mountain.


    I have two objectives. First, to reveal the true nature of Chloe to the Grace Lodging House in order to send her to the Nansonia Convent as fast as possible. Secondly, to make certain of the man called Locke, who was Momo¡¯s childhood friend.


    I went on to provoke the two right after I put my foot on the lodging house. The old Chloe who lived in the capital would have flown in rage and reveal her true nature. However, I was only beaten up by the patrons of the lodging, initiated by the lodging mistress herself.


    That¡¯s what I had previously thought but Shin who had been suddenly reunited with his old friends seemed to be completely out of spirit.  Even Locke didn¡¯t show any significant reaction to my revelations of Chloe¡¯s identity and even openly accepted her.


    I can¡¯t comprehend what¡¯s happening.


    Don¡¯t tell me both Shin and Locke were enticed by Chloe? Did both of them just throw their feelings for Momo away? Unbelievable.


    To make certain of all of that, I joined Locke¡¯s party¨C or rather, I followed them on my own accord.

 CH 49

    Dai Nable ~ Oblivious to the world


    ¡°As expected of an advance level dungeons, these monsters ain¡¯t kidding at all. It makes me fired up!¡±


    ¡°He followed us again, what¡¯s with this guy?¡±


    The mage called Kisara complains but her words go past my ears. If one were to ask about nobilities with excellent mage lineage, House Whitey, the margrave house that the queen came from, comes to mind first.


    Although Kisara may be commoner-born, she was still able to improve her magic proficiency in a considerably short period of time.


    Of course, her magic alone wouldn¡¯t be enough to conquer this dungeon with ease, but with the help of Lucky, the thief, and Sam, the Warrior; the three of them are working together to support Locke in order to achieve that.


    By noon, we took a lunch inside the barrier that Kisara herself put up. Locke had the lunch box that Chloe handed to him before. The relaxed face he had as he took it out overlapps with mine whenever I received Momo¡¯s baked snacks.


    ¡°Oh, milady has gotten even better, hasn¡¯t she?¡±


    ¡°Power of love, I guess? There was none to praise her before after all.¡±


    ¡°She really has changed, hasn¡¯t she. How should I put it, like a maiden in love?¡±


    ¡°Stop with the tease, you fools.¡±


    While Locke was looking away, I sneakily took one of the sandwiches in the lunch box. As I gobbled it down, I tasted the crushed egg filling which was flavored with some kind of salty seasoning. At any rate, It¡¯s a taste that I never had before in my entire life.


    ¡°Ah! You bastard, again! I was saving that for the last!¡±


    ¡°Why are you so moved about an evil witch¡¯s cooking? That wench used her followers to harass Momo, you know?¡±


    ¡°You already told me that before.¡±


    ¡°No, you don¡¯t understand. Are you just gonna turn a blind eye to the harassment of your precious childhood friend? Your feelings about Momo must be just as shallow then.¡±


    I said so, trying to provoke him but his face suddenly went expressionless, and then started stuffing the remaining sandwiches into his mouth. His mouth was too full to complain and when I gave him a surprised look, he gave me a ridiculing glance in return.


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t she thrown out of the capital to atone for that? She is already abiding by the punishment given to her by the royal family and the sacred church, so there¡¯s no need for us to do anything anymore. Pushing someone already down out of your own sense of justice is just for your own personal satisfaction.¡±


    ¡°What!? Momo is currently being terrorized by the thought of that woman plotting revenge, you know? Shouldn¡¯t all evils be thoroughly and completely crushed?¡±


    Lucky was about to steal one of the sandwiches but Locke blocked his attempt.


    ¡°Sir Dai, do you not feel anything whenever you eat one of milady¡¯s lunches?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Hearing that, I lightly grasped my arms relaxed them back to try to feel anything. I noticed that my fatigue were thoroughly erased. This place has miasma far thicker than anything outside of the dungeon, not to mention, we didn¡¯t really come out unscathed of all monsters we fought. How could we possibly recover so easy over a short break time?


    ¡°They were ridden with sacred magic, not to mention, a considerably stronger one. Being able to give blessing through food is a feat only head priests can do, or maybe even only the Saintess.¡±


    ¡°I guess that¡¯s to be expected of the former queen candidate.¡±


    ¡°Sacred magic is a power that came out of the first saintess¡¯ prayers. No matter how much those with evil hearts try to learn them, they wouldn¡¯t be able to use it at all. Surely, you know what I¡¯m trying to say.¡±


    Sam kept pushing the truth that I didn¡¯t want to recognize. Chloe, the sinner, was using the same sacred powers as the ever sweet and pure, Momo. It means that Chloe was no longer the same villainous lady that she was before.


    Leaving me who was in daze after hearing everything, Lucky turned to Locke next.


    ¡°¡­By the way, Locke didn¡¯t seem so surprised when he heard everything about milady. Did you figured it out from the beginning?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. She may be trying to hide it but she always had this slightly complicated look on her face whenever she talks about Momo. Besides, the siblinghood between her and Shin felt a little unnatural. I feel bad for her but I was too curious and looked her up.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not trying to be like this guy but you sure forgave her easily. She¡¯s the one behind the harassment of your precious childhood friend after all.¡±


    Locke stopped in his tracks and his eyebrows furrowed as he turned his glance upwards. I knew it, there¡¯s no way he wasn¡¯t mad about it. That much is obvious, we are talking about a person who harassed the one he had been in love with for a very long time. There¡¯s no way anyone could possibly just let it slide.


    ¡°I was not by her side by then so I don¡¯t have the right to feel that way. I only heard about it, and I know many cases of people who let their feelings get ahead of them, only to face ruin in the end, and Chloe was likely the same.¡±


    Locke smoothly pulled his sword out of scabbard. His blade was pointed at my direction. I was taken aback at first but after looking behind, there was a monster crawling in the ceiling of the cave.


    Since when did that appear!?


    ¡°So as for how Chaco is right now, I will watch over her and make certain of everything with my own eyes.¡±


    Groaning aloud, this time it was Sam who brandished his spear. The bodies he missed were all pierced by Lucky¡¯s knife and turned to cinders by Kisara¡¯s flame magic.


    I was completely behind. When we conquered a middle-class dungeon, I was able to rout all the small fries and put on the airs of a knight, not knowing that the elation I felt getting praised by Momo each time was something born out of my obliviousness to how wide the world was.


    There are a great number of individuals far stronger than I was. I know that now.


    ¡°Damn it!!!¡±


    The sword I swung out of desperation pierced through the body of a monster and got stuck against the wall. After failing to pull it out for some time, a different monster started going after me. Abandoning the sword, I tried to run away from it.


    Suddenly I heard a sound similar to a hair being cut behind me.


    Looking back, I saw the monsters split into two pieces, and beside it was Locke, who silently put his twin blades back into their sheathes.


    Yet again, I was saved by this guy.


    (How the hell is he this strong? What¡¯s the difference between him and me¡­ tell me, father!)


    ¡°Excellent swordsmanship alone cannot be called a strength. You must put some time into learning too.¡±


    I suddenly remembered the words of my father. When Locke was separated from Momo, he went from an adopted son of an earl to an adventurer and consequently built up experiences. On the other hand, I saw no one else but myself.


    I knocked down everyone in my surroundings that didn¡¯t recognize my strength, all while trying to fool myself that I didn¡¯t do it out of my own personal satisfaction.


    I knew from the start that Chloe wasn¡¯t such a bad person. But the fixation that the Chloe that Momo feared and his highness had shunned away was her real nature, couldn¡¯t be fixed so easily.


    ¡°Hey, are you alright?¡±


    Locke was waving his hand in front of me. I firmly took it and yelled.


    ¡°You¡¯re a pretty decent guy ain¡¯t cha! You¡¯re much better than I previously thought!¡±


    ¡°Haa?¡±


    ¡°Confirm it with your own eyes, eh?.. That¡¯s right, I¡¯m also here for the same thing!¡±


    ¡°What on earth is this guy saying?¡±


    ¡°Who knows?¡±


    All of them looked at each other¡¯s eyes. Ignoring Locke who had a mystified look on his face, my entire body was suddenly wrapped by feelings of excitement on my new ¡°discoveries¡±


    Yeah, I only managed to translate two yesterday so I decided to put them up today instead. I¡¯ll take a break tomorrow but if I didn¡¯t update on Saturday, the next will likely be released on Monday.


    Anyway, that conclude¡¯s Dai¡¯s perspective chapters.

 CH 50

    The Legend of the Witch


    The prince found the words that came out of Momo¡¯s mouth in her first participation quite impossible to believe.


    She had just said that Chloe Sereknight will become a witch soon.


    While it is certainly true that her personality was of the worst kind, the prince thought that the word ¡°witch¡± is far too heavy of a word to describe her, considering how the word is related to the legend of the saintess spread within the entire kingdom.


    ¡°Whenever malevolent wind brews within the kingdom, a sacred lady shall descend from the heavens. The saint shall dispel all evil and seal the witch.¡±  This is the legend of the saintess passed through the entire Coloflare Kingdom for generations.¡±


    ¡°Everyone in the kingdom knows about that, even children.¡±


    ¡°Right, I read a drawing book about it in the past too.¡±


    ¡°Oh, we saw a play with that theme yesterday, didn¡¯t we?


    Sei casually drops the news about the date he had together with Momo earning the surrounding glares. Nodding in affirmation to him, Momo then took a single book out of a bookshelf after.


    ¡°Just what is a witch? Are they the ones responsible for scattering the miasma throughout the land? The answer to those questions is in this passage, sir.  ¡®For the wind that brings forth beasts be appeased, two ladies chosen by gods prays as they confront the evil. Yet, with her heart tainted by malice, one succumbs to temptations and surrenders herself to the darkness. After generations,, the lady drowning in malice is called the witch, and the other to seal her away, the saint.''¡±


    ¡°What!?¡±


    ¡°¡­..¡±


    There are two saintess¨C or rather, according to the passage, the witch who is told to bring forth disasters to the kingdom is formerly, a saintess herself. Leddorio who only heard about this for the first time couldn¡¯t hide his astonishment. Keith, on the other hand said nothing, but merely traced the passage within the forbidden book Momo held with his his fingers. However, the language written was so ancient that they look incomprehensible strings that cannot be deciphered immediately.


    ¡°Is that really true?¡±


    ¡°I think so,  sir. Doesn¡¯t this resemble the first saintess¡¯ circumstances? I looked up the history of Coloflare Kingdom. The first saintess only became the fiancee of the crown prince after she devoted her efforts to the kingdom, but during her nomination, ladies with high sacred power were gathered throughout the country from which two were chosen. In other words, although it was done with the purpose of purifying the miasma, they were intent on choosing a queen from the start.¡±


    ¡°In the end, the two chosen saintess fought for the favor of the prince, and the one overcame with evil intentions became the witch¡­. True, it does bear similarity.¡±


    The prince thought that the reason Momo had been so anxious was after coming to know this story. But even so, Chloe was far from the capital and far from bearing resentful, Leddorio thought that the lady was even repenting for her previous actions. That being the case, he thought that maybe these were unnecessary worries.


    He told Momo just that but, Momo only shook her head in reply, and with a face ridden with grief, she said;


    ¡°Haven¡¯t you felt something odd with Lady Chloe, sir? Like for example, she seemed to be a completely different person than before?¡±

 CH 51

    Suspicions


    ¡°Rather, that¡¯s how I have ever felt since we started the observation. Although she is clearly Chloe by appearance, it felt as though her personality was entirely replaced with somebody else¡¯s¡­ Wait, don¡¯t tell me¡­¡±


    The mystery that the prince found so puzzling a moment ago suddenly made perfect sense to him. She¡¯s a different person, that¡¯s the thought that immediately comes to mind upon seeing Chloe.


    She became so straightforward, modest, and sincere. She also acknowledged her mistakes and her recent behaviors were worthy of the title of a saintess.


    If that¡¯s the case, who have they been observing up to now? What happened to the Chloe that they knew?


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to believe it but¡­, Lady Chloe may have been possessed, and the one that currently has her body right now is¡ªthe same witch.¡±


    ¡°Impossible! How could something so ancient and sealed many years ago even possibly take over my younger sister¡¯s body!?¡±


    Although she¡¯s a sibling he had distanced himself from, Darck still couldn¡¯t help but be disturbed by the thought of her body being taken over by something else.  But even so, he didn¡¯t find the idea insane considering how Chloe had become so unbelievably reasonable in recently. He had convinced himself that she was just acting, and all of them also agreed that they were nothing but deceit.


    ¡°Strong feelings attract the witch, sir. Particularly the same kind of dark inner thoughts.¡±


    And so concludes Momo, closing the book she held. The entire room fell silent. They were so surprised by what they just heard and couldn¡¯t find the right words to react. Only Keith, who had been watching over them while leaning on the bookshelf was able to move as he stood up.


    ¡°It¡¯s obvious. If Chloe were to be certainly a witch, I will defeat her. There¡¯s no other choice than that, is there?¡±


    ¡°To confirm that, we have to examine the sacred powers that she emits¡­ Miss Momo, are you going to Iris Mountain to help with that? The monsters within the circumference of that dungeon are considerably strong, you know? From what I heard of, Miss Momo had only conquered intermediate-level dungeons thus far, hasn¡¯t she?


    The prince thought that he could not possibly allow sending Momo to such a dangerous place. Still, the main role of the saintess is to purify the miasma within the kingdom. Momo couldn¡¯t possibly do her duty in a safe place while confronting the witch who was a miasma personified.


    ¡°I will convince the head priest to resume the dungeon conquering. For now, we will focus on intermediate dungeons first¡­¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll help you convince him then.¡±


    ¡°Do your best~¡±


    Sei and Darck followed suit but Keith only oversees them as they leave. He had mountains of things to do now that he had become the crown prince. Leddorio thought that although his younger brother seems so carefree, the feat of a prince having defeated the witch together with the saintess would earn the backing of the populace. Such a thing would inevitably give rise to another battle for succession of the throne.


    He can play the disinterested spectator for as long as he wants, thought the Leddorio.

 CH 52

    Prince¡¯s Denunciation


    In order to ascertain the possibility that Chloe had become a witch, Momo had to raise her adventurer level. Prince Leddorio went to the head priest to ask for permission to do just that but..


    ¡°We cannot allow it, highness. Lady Momo¡¯s sacred mana are in decline. It goes to show how much performing ascetic practices haphazardly could affect¨C¡°


    ¡°Her sacred mana are declining? What are you talking about?¡±


    All of the priests who saw the sacred mana she emitted at the Saintess Attestation Ceremony had all recognized that she was the true saintess. The dazzling radiance she had displayed made it clear that there¡¯s no other saintess save for her.


    ¡°I do not doubt the lady¡¯s position, highness. However, sacred mana is born from a heart of purity. Some circumstances can affect its potency.¡±


    ¡°What? Are you implying that Momo had been sullied?¡±


    ¡°I would never dare! It¡¯s just that recently, she¡¯s not making as much effort in her practices so¡­¡±


    Momo¡¯s face grew stiff at the seemingly tenuous reply of the head priest. The ascetic practices in the sacred church are strict. After all, it¡¯s so severe that it helped Chloe, who had lived her entire life as an aristocrat, to get used to her newly attained responsibilities at the lodging house.


    However, the prince just could not make himself believe that Momo was more negligent than Chloe in her church duties. On the contrary, the prince considered her to be working harder due to the added responsibility of becoming the prince¡¯s queen candidate weighing on her shoulder.


    ¡°Enough. I can¡¯t rely on you all inept fools. It¡¯s exactly because you keep Momo holed up in this place that others barely notice her worth. We¡¯ll be warming up in the intermediate dungeon in order to sharpen our sense again.¡±


    ¡°You must not, highness! It is far too dangerous! If something were to happen to the saintess¨C¡°


    ¡°I will be protecting her myself. I will not let any beasts touch even a single strand of her hair, so save your complaints.¡±


    ¡°We cannot allow putting his highness at risk either!¡±


    As the prince lost his patience to the rigidity of the head priest, he resorted to using his last resort, instead.


    ¡°Head priest¡­, it has recently come to my ears that the church had used the orphanage as a hotbed for prostitutions.¡±


    ¡°What is this sudden¡­¡±


    ¡°Do you really think I wouldn¡¯t know? When Chloe sent a request for a replacement of a sacred stone, you refused it on the grounds of one of your banished specialists being there.¡±


    ¡°B-But highness, that¡¯s¡­ While it is true that something of that sort happened in the past, it is exactly because of such incident that the sacred church had banished Masrat Grace¡­¡±


    As the head priest flusteredly attempted to make an excuse, a loud crashing sound reverberated in the church hall. He was scared silent of the prince who hit the table with such vigor.


    ¡°Because of your pesky politics, the barrier within the advanced level dungeon had grown weaker, allowing the stronger monster to pass through. There¡¯s no one else who can purify that dungeon other than Momo, the true saintess. We have no other choice but to go in order to clean up after your messes!


    If you consider Priest Grace¡¯s issue to be of importance, so much more than the kingdom¡¯s risks itself, why don¡¯t we review the case of his transgressions then? Completely and thoroughly with all the witnesses, victims and all!¡±


    ¡°¡ª!? P-Please wait, highness! Very well, I will acknowledge it. Masrat Grace is innocent and his expulsion from the church is invalid. The ones who commit such improper and foolish acts are those related to the head priest at that time. Due to their fear of being crushed, they used him as a scapegoat.¡±


    Although the royal family who shares the same bed with the church would also inevitably be affected, the prince couldn¡¯t care less now that he¡¯s been disinherited.


    ¡°I care not for the honor of priest grace. Chloe is far more important of a matter than that. I am sure that the head priest is aware of the circumstances of the ancient witch, right? Right now, Chloe, stripped of her queen candidacy and saintess position, resides in a lodging close to the advanced level dungeon. Momo had decided that it¡¯s far too dangerous to let that continue, and put a stop to that as fast as we possibly can.¡±


    Prince Leddorio embraced the shoulders of Momo as the head priest looks at them at loss for words.


    (Momo¡­ I will protect you no matter what. I¡¯ll make them see that your ascent is the first saintess¡¯ second coming.)

 CH 53

    Irregularities in the Dungeon


    Currently, Prince Leddorio¡¯s party is working hard to increase their adventurer level in an intermediate dungeon within the House Whitey¡¯s territories. They have to sharpen their skills in order to become capable of exploring advanced-level dungeons as fast as possible.


    Incidentally, all the dungeons within the territory of House Sereknight have all been purified by Chloe herself. The ones on House Bruno on the other hand were done by Momo herself, leaving the beginner-level dungeons the only explorable ones left.


    ¡°Still, it is quite surprising that the Margrave allowed us to explore the dungeons in his territories even though Darck, who refused the marriage proposal with his daughter, came with us.¡±


    ¡°¡­..¡±


    ¡°He did whole-heartedly bow saying that he did it out of confusion. He is still currently under house arrest though, so today is just in the performance of his duty, so to speak. Isn¡¯t that right, Darck?¡±


    ¡°¡­..¡±


    As the prince turned his glance towards Darck who was lagging behind, the young ducal heir¡¯s head hung low while his fist gripped tightly.


    Darck himself doesn¡¯t consider Shiela as a bad marriage partner. Still, Chloe ridiculed his former fiancee for her plumpy figure, and further added that even though she would never call such an unsightly lady as her sister-in-law, Shiela matched Darck, a mistress¡¯ son, perfectly well.


    Hearing that made Darck wonder just how such a vile woman could possibly be chosen as the Saintess, however, he soon discovered that the personality isn¡¯t a necessary factor in determining a saintess candidate, only the quantity of sacred mana.


    ¡°N-No! My feelings are definitely¡­¡±


    ¡°Darck, do you plan to drag this down further?¡±


    Darck grabbed the shoulders of Momo who was about to heal the injuries he sustained moments ago. As the prince put a stop on him, the young ducal heir bit his lip in frustration and obediently presented his injured arm. The utmost priority of the prince¡¯s party is to raise their level to allow themselves to face Chloe who had become a witch. Still, that¡¯s only within the realms of possibility, and the party had no idea just how strong the ancient witch would be if that were to be true.


    The only thing they know is that Momo¡¯s words holds true, nothing more.


    Momo¡¯s hand immediately glowed as she touched the injured arm of Darck but its light slowly grew dimmer in time. The spell didn¡¯t seem to work well as the lady repeatedly cock her head in puzzlement. The prince was reminded by what the head priest said about the lady¡¯s negligence in her ascetic duties but he immediately shook off those thoughts.


    He thought that there¡¯s no possible way Momo wouldn¡¯t be able do the same sacred magic that Chloe used. After all, Momo has a far more devoted, pure, and blessed heart than his ever vain former fiancee.


    ¡°..I¡¯m sorry, sir. It looks like I¡¯m not in a good shape.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind. Momo¡¯s sincerity alone is enough to make me better.¡±


    Seeing Momo¡¯s shoulders drooping low, Darck desperately put on a tough front to comfort her, while Sei stealthily handed him a potion to help him.


    Still, the prince felt like they were faring much worse time compared to the same intermediate dungeon they conquered during their school days. He thought that perhaps Dai¡¯s absence was that much of a huge loss to their party¡¯s strength.


    (That muscle-headed fool, just carefreely walking to an advanced dungeon by himself. What the hell is he even thinking?)


    Unfortunately, their party members will decrease further due to a reason nobody saw coming, not even the prince.

 CH 54

    The 2nd Prince¡¯s Fianc¨¦e


    When Leddorio returned to the royal castle, he stumbled upon Prince Keith in his academy uniform. Behind him was a lady that stroke the prince familiarity; it was the fiancee of his younger brother, Canaria Riqum


    ¡°Welcome back, brother.¡±


    ¡°It has been a long time, your royal highness, Leddorio. I believe we last met during our engagement ceremony?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    Canaria was a ducal lady from the neighboring kingdom, Corundum. The two of them have gotten along well ever since they were arranged for future marriage. Furthermore, they were still able to deepen their relationship through correspondence even when apart from one another.  Although the 1st prince couldn¡¯t fathom how anyone would just obediently accept their arranged partner without question, he thought that perhaps his case was just the extreme one, considering that his partner was Chloe.


    ¡°¡­Nice to meet you, Lady Canaria, I am Momo Palette and¨C¡°


    ¡°Oh my, you must be the lady then, I have been wanting to meet you for a while.¡±


    As Momo greeted the lady, Canaria¡¯s face turned brighter and held both of her hands. Momo who had always followed her own pace was bewildered by her assertiveness.


    ¡°I-Is that so, lady. I suppose I am quite well-known.¡±


    ¡°But of course! Miss Momo, are you also curious about what happened to the academy after you left for temporary absence? I had Prince Keith tell me all about it when he guided me earlier.¡±


    Leddorio was slightly suspicious of the lady who acted seemingly like a person who had finally been reunited with her old friend. He couldn¡¯t help but wonder just how did his younger brother described Momo to his fiancee, but more than that¨C


    ¡°Keith, what gives the sudden visit of the Riqum lady? We are merely on the season of the Advent Festival. It¡¯s not so much of an event that would warrant the visit of a foreign princess.¡±


    ¡°Good grief, brother. Have you forgotten? My proclamation as the new crown princess shall be announced to the populace as well.¡±


    ¡°Huh!?¡±


    Taken aback by the words of Keith, Momo turned her gaze back to the 1st prince.


    ¡°Sir Yellow will be the crown prince!? I-I was told by Sir Leddorio that it was only a temporary¨C¡°


    ¡°Oh, Lady Momo. Did brother not tell you about it? Because he had rescinded his engagement at such a special time when the miasma is unusually thicker, not only did it cause the first prince faction to fall apart, it also further increased the anxiety of the people. The royal family had to show them that it is still firm and stable in spite of all that.¡±


    The Advent Festival was a national event that celebrates the supposed advent of the first saintess to this world. During that day, the saintess designated by the church will perform the ceremony for the event that is also held from various places throughout the kingdom. The royal academy holds dance parties during such times.


    As the saintess, Chloe would have to leave the royal academy before, making it the perfect chance for other ladies to get closer to the 1st prince. To this, the prince kept his eyes together and only danced with Momo the entire time.


    Being told to return as fast as possible, Chloe grew even more jealous upon hearing what happened.


    ¡°With that being said, Lady Momo. You have to perform the ceremony for this year.¡±


    ¡°Uhm¡­but..¡±


    The first prince had lost the struggle for succession; now she also has to perform the advent festival¡¯s ceremonies. Momo who was having trouble articulating these new pieces of information turned her gaze towards the first prince. Realizing the lady¡¯s request for help from her gaze, Leddorio put himself between the two of them.


    ¡°Keith, your temporary proclamation as the crown prince aside, Momo needs to prioritize dungeon conquering to prepare herself for the resurrection of the witch. It¡¯s just something Chloe did before, just tell the church to pick a substitute for her.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re being selfish again brother, the populace wouldn¡¯t be satisfied with that.¡±


    ¡°Whether they like it or not, leaving the thickening of miasma as-is will soon put the capital at risk. Momo would have to go to get used to purification, of course, with me, Darck and Sei included.¡±


    His actual intention was to spoil the same ceremony that will also proclaim his younger brother as the crown prince, but Leddorio was able to find himself a sound reason to help himself with.


    To this, Prince Keith only took out a folded paper in one of his pockets. The prince felt that it looked familiar, which it would be because it was a paper published by the academy¡¯s newspaper club.


    ¡°Well, while I would very much like to let you do as you please brother, I must have you leave Sei behind to me. There¡¯s a risk to the House Bruno, or rather, the country¡¯s entire diplomacy that he has to attend to.¡±

 CH 55

    Betrayal


    ¡°Diplomatic Risk? What are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°First, there¡¯s the trade relationship with House Walter of Sei¡¯s fiancee, a wealthy mercantile viscount house to consider. To put it simply, it¡¯s a house with connections to various countries. Secondly, Minister Bruno¡¯s prime responsibility is diplomacy¡­ so there¡¯s the problem with his son picking a fight with the said domestic household with international connections.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s not like Darck, so he couldn¡¯t have possibly offended his former fiancee¡¯s house. Besides, Sei is the 2nd son so he¡¯s not the one to inherit his father¡¯s position. Not to mention, he told me that he settled his matters peacefully.¡±


    As Leddorio turned the newspaper his younger brother handed to him, he read the headline; ¡°Former Fiancee¡¯s Current Affairs ¨C The Light and Shade of the Saintess¡¯ Followers.¡± It was followed by the stories House Bruno¡¯s circumstances, Leddorio¡¯s fall from grace, and lastly, Darck¡¯s reformations.


    (No, more than that¡ª)


    The main issue for the prince was what the article written about Chloe. As far as he is concerned, Chloe condemnation had her labeled as the False Saintess who brought the Saintess to harm out of her jealousy. However, the article wrote about her latest affairs in a positive note.


    The author responsible for the article was¨C


    ¡°Chaco Brown.¡±


    Momo grasped the edge newspaper tightly with a complicated expression written all over her face. The prince thought that the lady must have found it unbelievable how her former friend had sided with the one who harmed her in the past. The prince considered that perhaps Chloe was secretly connected to the writer, but there¡¯s no possible way she could have used that connection without Shin¡¯s notice.


    But more than anything, the fact that someone within the observation party had leaked these all had concerned the prince even more.


    ¡°Keith! This was your doing!¡±


    ¡°Lady Chloe¡¯s denunciation is over, brother. Thus, I believe that we must judge how she decides to atone for her sins with impartiality.¡±


    ¡°Impartiality? Even though they were clearly pretensions?¡±


    ¡°Is that what you think, brother? Sacred mana never lies. We have both seen her use such high levels of sacred magic. I find it rather doubtful whether she truly harbors a heart as wicked as you assume.¡±


    Suddenly, the words of his younger brother reminded him of the poor condition of Momo¡¯s sacred mana during their last dungeon exploration. Feeling as though his younger brother had indirectly insulted her, blood rose to the prince¡¯s head.


    ¡°Bastard, are you implying that Momo is lying!?¡±


    ¡°Sir Benny, please calm down!¡±


    Momo flusteredly caught him by the arms to stop him. Likewise, Prince Keith was being calmed down by his fianc¨¦e.


    ¡°I merely told him the truth though, but alright, if that¡¯s what Canaria says.¡±


    There¡¯s no one else to catch the eyes of his younger brother other than his fiancee, Canaria. The 2nd prince did not show any reaction at all to the smiles that Momo had shown him. Although Leddorio feels pity towards Keith for not having realized Momo¡¯s charms, he felt just as grateful for not having to face him as a rival in love as well.


    ¡°At any rate, we must go to Iris Mountain to confirm whether that¡¯s true or not. Rather than having to put up with such ceremonial rites, I¡¯d rather just spend our time for raising our level instead. If it¡¯s about the greetings and whatnots, just leave all those to Sei.¡±


    ¡°Haa¡­ fine, brother. Just to add, the substitute saintess shall be Chaco Brown instead. You may be in a considerably bad temper with her but, you have to let this one slide, brother.¡±


    What is there to let slide when you were the one who told her to write that, or so Leddorio thought, but either way, although he found it problematic, the lady in question merely who wrote an article positive of Chloe despite being Momo¡¯s friend.


    Incidentally, the royal academy had always been hand-in-hand with the sacred church in cultivating the next saintess. It was instrumental in letting Momo enroll in the royal academy, and allowing female students to take a specialized class in order to receive treatments as acolytes. Although they will never become a Saintess themselves, they are able to perform like one as part of the festival.


    ¡°Then, I¡¯ll be borrowing Sei. But if ever he changed his allegiance to me after the ceremony, do not condemn him for that brother.¡±


    ¡°Hmmph, say wahtever you want. House Bruno may be in your political faction, but there¡¯s no possible way that guy would ever betray Momo. He¡¯ll return to us right after the Advent Festival.¡±


    Leddorio seemingly spat out to Keith who had obtained a much more despicable mouth to him after replacing him as the crown prince. Although Sei is a womanizer who made a lot of ladies shed tears, he said before that Momo is the only one he would never make cry for him. Although Leddorio doesn¡¯t plan on yielding to his foster brother, those words that Sei had told him only shows how serious he was towards the lady.


    And yet, as if laughing at the 1st prince¡¯s trust, Sei never returned, even after the festival had ended.

 CH 56

    Sei Bruno Part 1: Forbidden Love


    I am Sei Bruno, the 2nd son Marquess Alan Bruno, also the minister to the right. Although this may sound like me bragging, I was blessed not only with the looks, academic skills, and pedigree. On top of it, being the 2nd son of the house has freed me from the responsibility of an heir. This meant that not only can I obtain anything I wanted, I can also lead a carefree life devoid of responsibility. I could have been the happiest man in the world but the fate had other plans.


    All ladies paid careful attention to me and ever since childhood, I had lived my days aware of the shower of yearning gazes coming from all my surroundings. Yet, I came to realize that no man in this world is blessed with everything.


    The heavens has decided that in order to compensate for the blessings I received, my first love was a trial by fire.


    The woman I fell in love for the first time was none other than the fiancee of my older brother, the heir of the house.


    She was Masumi Sereknight, the younger sister of Marquess Blakia Sereknight, also the minister to the right, with a considerably large age gap. Born during the last years of the previous marquess, she was a lady raised showered by love, something clearly shown by her carefree temperament and warm smile. A lady with a nigh unbelievable kindness in her heart.


    She had immediately captivated me when I was young, and was the one to let me savor the pain of an unrequited love.


    My older brother, Soma Bruno, was 10 years older than me. A boorish man whose only redeeming feature is his diligence. A comparison between us in both looks and capability will result in his utter defeat. If I wanted to take any of his personal belongings, he would easily yield with a bitter smile.


    But even as the innocent child as I am, I immediately knew that the lovely lady next to him, his fianc¨¦e is the only thing he will never yield. That was obvious enough, Lady Masumi was the woman who captured his heart. If he had easily given her to me just because I asked for her hand, I would¡¯ve been severely disappointed with him too.


    Still, Lady Masumi had never seen me as a man. For me, that¡¯s the hardest pill to swallow. I did not mind if she doesn¡¯t see me as a love interest but at the very least, I wanted her to be conscious of me as a man.


    And yet, Lady Masumi enters my room alone care freely, and when she once told me that she would like to read me a book next to me to help me sleep, I wanted to doubt my ears. She completely treats me as her sibling, nothing more.


    The lady who was the youngest child was extremely delighted at the thought of obtaining a younger sibling through marriage.


    Unbelievable.


    She had thoroughly crushed my pride as a man into smithereens.


    After their marriage, I have distanced myself away from the House Bruno. The figure of her smiling dearly at my older brother, and he who ogles her just as much; they are both spectacles that I did not wish to see. I didn¡¯t want to see my brother flaunting the happiness he obtained despite being wholly inferior to me.


    I didn¡¯t want to be reminded of my ugly self.


    Still, I wanted to be free with my feelings. They are feelings I wouldn¡¯t put into words, hence, I wanted to stay loving her as I always had. Lady Masumi is the only lady I will ever love.


    However, a man from the Marquess House Bruno is not allowed to remain a bachelor, even if he was a only second son and sure enough, my fianc¨¦e had been chosen and arranged. The lady came from a generations old mercantile noble house, Lady Missouri Walter, from Viscount House Walter. She was a beautiful lady with dazzling sky-colored hair and a pair of eyes, but because I already have given my heart to someone else, none of those have impressed me at all. Both well-behaved and obedient, a combination that made her as boring as a doll. But perhaps she was the most suitable partner for me, an indispensable pawn used for political marriage.


    ¡°This engagement is only something our parents have decided. I will never love you.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡±


    ¡°I already have a woman I love. Although she will never look my way¡­ I still¨C¡°


    ¡°Certainly, sir.¡±


    Even after hearing that I have fallen for someone else, the lady¡¯s facial expression didn¡¯t even move an inch. Just the thought that what awaits my future is marriage riddled with expressionless masks makes me depressed.


    When I was approaching my marriageable age, I kept the company of all the women who approached me. There are days where I invite them to my room, and sometimes I stop over their houses, which of course, had earned the ire of my father. Even my older brother and Lady Masumi had disagreeable faces as they offered countless advice. The only one to accept everything without faltering was my fianc¨¦e, Lady Missouri.


    I am the second son. All the affairs of the country and all the matters of House Bruno is something for my older to think about, not me.


    The only lady I ever yearned for had been obtained by my older brother, and the only recompense I got was nothing short of a doll.


    All ladies left are naive women who easily swallow sweet words.


    They are boring¡­


    Everyone else left is boring¡­


    Having enrolled, I continued to spend my monochromatic days, and as per usual, teased a lady that I crossed paths with, only this time, I was met with a momentary glance and ignored.


    It was the first time it had ever happened, and although the fresh experience considerably stung, perhaps the lady thought she was not the one I greeted. I kept hitting on her afterward, and when I became a little too persistent, I received a slap in return.


    ¡°If you keep doing that to everyone, the lady you have truly fallen with will not look your way, you know!?¡±


    It hurt so much, but at the same time, my interest in the lady deepened further.


    That Lady was Momo Palette.


    Later, I discovered that even his highness Leddorio was attracted to her as well. He was my foster brother and his fiancee, Chloe Sereknight, was the niece of Lady Masumi.


    It appears that his highness was severely put off by his fiancee¡¯ vain personality and was instead attracted to the fresh commoner-like behavior of Lady Momo.


    I hated Lady Chloe. Her appearance clearly shows her blood relation to Lady Masumi and yet her attitude is a total opposite. Rather, the more the looks of the two paralleled with each other, the more it felt like she¡¯s polluting her image.


    Prince Leddorio had expressed displeasure in Chloe¡¯s designation as the temporary Saintess and I am in the same thought. The only ones who deserve the title of a Saint are those who are similar to Lady Masumi.


    This made me remember that she will become a mother soon which turned my mood sullen.

 CH 57

    Sei Bruno 2 ~ Unrequited Love


    ¡°Did something happen, sir Sei? You don¡¯t seem to look well.¡±


    ¡°Ah, no, nothing at all. It¡¯s just my sister-in-law is about to give birth so I¡¯m a little worried.¡±


    ¡°Oh, congratulations then, sir. I hope her delivery goes well.¡±


    ¡°Thank you¡­¡±


    Even though Momo talked to me out of worry, I could only offer absentminded replies. After gazing at me for a little while, Lady Momo spoke again.


    ¡°and here I thought Sir Sei was a whimsical person.¡±


    ¡°What is it lady? So sudden.¡±


    ¡°The person that Sir Sei truly loves is his sister-in-law, isn¡¯t she?¡±


    ¡°!?¡±


    Having the secret that I have never told anyone being found out so suddenly left me severely astounded. Although I did mention this to Missouri, I never mentioned a name at all. I inadvertently caught Lady Momo by the shoulders frightening her, but I had lost the leeway for consideration.


    ¡°How¡­did you know?¡±


    ¡®Shut up¡­¡¯


    ¡®It is true that there¡¯s no doubting how fine of a gentleman you are. Don¡¯t you think that it¡¯s you whom Aunt wanted to marry? She was only forced to compromise due to age diff¨C¡®


    ¡®Shut your mouth!!¡¯


    Driven by rage, I yelled with a roar scaring all the surrounding ladies. I took Lady Momo by the hand and escaped from the place. That¡¯s right, escape is the word. All because those despicable ideas that Lady Chloe uttered existed within my heart.


    -That Lady Masumi would be a waste on my older brother.


    ¡°Sir Sei sure is earnest.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not such a beautiful individual. This is an improper love; feelings that cannot be told my whole life. I already have someone arranged for me to marry.¡±


    ¡°You fell in love with her so it cannot be helped, sir.¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    ¡°Sir Benny also spoke about such nobility issues and other bothersome things but, when it comes to your feelings, no one can take the reins of your heart, sir.¡±


    So Lady Momo is close enough to call his highness by his given name¡­ or so my inner thoughts flew off somewhere else.


    Still, the her words of acceptance to my forbidden feelings had saved me. Although such a thing cannot be done so easily done in reality, perhaps, all this time I was waiting for someone¡¯s affirmation.


    During that time, Lady Missouri had arranged a tea party with me and Lady Masumi out of consideration. Lady Momo was able to notice my feelings without so much a word, so I thought that surely my behavior was enough for Lady Missouri to notice my feelings.


    However, for some reason, I thought that she was being meddlesome. Lady Masumi on the other hand, was angry at me. She had always scolded me about my lifestyle and indifference to Lady Missouri but this time she also talked about my association with Lady Momo.


    ¡°His Highness Leddorio is too preoccupied with Miss Palette and is neglecting his fiancee, Lady Chloe. I heard that you¡¯re quite close with the miss recently too. That¡¯s not a good thing.¡±


    ¡°I respectfully disagree, sister-in-law.¡±


    Being called sister-in-law for the first time widened Lady Masumi¡¯s eyes in surprise. I always had a reservation in referring to her as a sister but having called her that myself, even I was surprised.


    My meeting with Lady Momo has changed my way of thinking. That rather than spending my life chasing after fleeting affection from ladies I do not love, I should pursue my love for a lone person, instead. Even if that love doesn¡¯t get reciprocated.¡±


    ¡°And that person is Lady Palette? Why are you infatuated with her as well! Just what about Lady Missouri are you dissatisfied? She is such a fine lady!¡±


    Her scolding figure is starting to resonate with Lady Chloe¡¯s. Right, this person is Lady Chloe¡¯s aunt. As I became more conscious of that fact, something within me turned cold.


    ¡°Be more affectionate with your arranged partner? That¡¯s quite cruel of you, sis. Don¡¯t you think that trying to maintain a sour relationship is much more unfair?¡±


    ¡°There are things that you can start building after marriage. What¡¯s important is making efforts to support each other.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­ in other words, if Sis didn¡¯t put the same efforts, she wouldn¡¯t have seen older brother as a husband.¡±


    ¡°Sei!!¡±


    A thumping sound reverberated as Lady Masumi struck the table with both of her hands, standing up. Her jet-black pair of eyes were moist with tears as she caressed her abdomen to suppress her agitation. Normally, I would¡¯ve paid more consideration to her feelings and pregnancy¡­ but mysteriously, I felt no such feelings at all.


    ¡°What on earth happened to you? You weren¡¯t like this before. You used to be so gentle¡­ why¨C¡°


    ¡°I do not want to hear that from you, sis. Lady Momo understood me.¡±


    Leaving behind Lady Masumi in tears with those words, I interrupted the tea party and left the place. I headed to Lady Missouri in order to warn her to never arrange a meeting with her for me anymore.


    At the same time, I noticed how my feelings have now inclined towards Lady Momo instead. His highness Leddorio is likely to gather evidence against Lady Chloe for harming her and use them to condemn her soon. The engagement of the two will likely be canceled as a result.


    If that were to happen, he is likely to name Lady Momo as a fiancee candidate instead. I have fallen into a forbidden love yet again. But now, I cannot lie to myself anymore. Even though I know that she wouldn¡¯t choose me in the end, I cannot hold another woman¡¯s hand while I carry these feelings in my heart.


    He told me that think it over with or face disinheritance from father but, I would rather leave the house than give up on Lady Momo.


    ¡°¡­I see.¡±


    Missouri, who heard about my feelings for the last time, only silently gave her nod as usual. Like a puppet in strings that follows all my demands quietly. Although her absolute compliance and her attitude had irritated me before, only now, I¡¯m quite thankful for it.


    ¡°Very well. However, my agreement alone would not be enough to cancel the engagement, sir. I believe we both must prepare for it from both sides. Likely, Sir Sei wouldn¡¯t be disowned just for this, so until you properly convince your father, I believe it would be better to keep our engagement for the time being.¡±


    She doesn¡¯t even try to stop me but only states our current situation as is. Even after being told of my will to cancel the engagement, she remained calm and composed.


    Although it feels too late to say this but, she¡¯s rather horrifying.


    ¡°But this means that you¡¯ll cooperate right?¡±


    ¡°If that is truly what Sir Sei wishes¡­ however I have one condition.¡±


    Suddenly, the ambiance that clad her body had changed. The Missouri that was reflected in my eyes right now looked like an entirely different individual compared to how she was a moment ago¨C That¡¯s right, it¡¯s the same with Lady Chloe; It was like she was replaced with somebody else.


    ¡°Until all parties are in complete agreement, Sir Sei must never see me as a woman. Can you promise that, sir?¡±

 CH 58

    Sei Bruno Part 3~ The Business Partners


    ¡°First, we must assess our current situation. In the first place, the reason why we were made to be engage with each other was in order to strengthen our alliance against other countries. The same thing could be said to the 2nd prince¡¯s fianc¨¦e, but in House Walter¡¯s case, it¡¯s more on the side of trade relationships.¡±


    Putting aside the idle behavior she always had until now, Missouri turned over the pages of the book she took with her briskly. Although we are engaged men and women alone together in the same room, she didn¡¯t have any seductive appeals at all.


    ¡°The 2nd prince fianc¨¦e¡­ The Corundum Kingdom huh? If I¡¯m not mistaken, that¡¯s the country with the mythical beasts called dragons, right. Furthermore, it¡¯s the main producer of crystals.¡±


    ¡°That would be the main aim of the Coloflare Kingdom for the engagement, but for the side of the Corundum Kingdom, I presume it would be for national defense. The strength of our saintess¡¯ barrier is far sturdier than any barrier put up by magic.¡±


    The surroundings of that country are always broiled in military engagements. If it becomes a full-scale war, there¡¯s a high chance that our kingdom, that Lady Momo, would get entangled in their troubles. However, according to what Missouri had said, the kingdom through House Walter has been expanding its influence through diplomacy and trade to use that to prevent conflicts.


    ¡°Those are the circumstances involving our engagement.¡±


    ¡°Then are you saying that in order to prevent a situation where Lady Momo is sent to the Corundum Kingdom for military campaigns, this engagement must happen?¡±


    ¡°Not necessarily, sir.¡±


    Missouri thought that if House Walter is given an official position with sufficient authority, there would be no need for this marriage to happen anymore. War is still just a matter of possibility and will not just suddenly happen. However, if they only decide to take the necessary steps after things start developing, there¡¯s a chance that they will end up too late to respond.


    ¡°That¡¯s why first we have achieve things in the financial sector first, and while we¡¯re at it, pass a law that allows us to respond quickly during emergency situations. The two of us might be fianc¨¦e on the surface for now, but let¡¯s treat each other as business partners from now on.¡±


    ¡°A-Alright..¡±


    I reflexively clasped the hands she held out to me. The main condition for her agreement in the cancellation of our engagement was for me to never see her as a woman until it is revoked. Even without that, I have never really treated her as the opposite sex either way. Unlike playing around with other ladies, having the same kind of relationship with your arranged engagement partner may be seen as pre-marital intercourse, which would be problematic. Still, I do things like kissing the back of her hand, praising her as lip service, as well as sending her letters. I asked her whether I should stop doing those but she replied that I should just think of her as a friend of the same gender.


    (Come to think of it, I wonder what Lady Missouri thought of me.)


    Suddenly, her feelings which I have never considered up until now became interesting. I declared from the very start that I would never fall in love with her and that this is nothing but a mere political marriage. Lady Missouri took all of those and accepted them without offering so much a complaint. I¡¯ve always thought that it was due to her not having a sense of self but, now the same lady was helping me to prepare plans to nullify our engagement. All for the sake of the man who not only made light of her but also fooled around with other women despite being her fianc¨¦e.


    ¡°Having hurt her so much¡­ maybe she sees me as the worst kind fo man.¡±


    As those words leak from my mouth, Lady Missouri turned her face away from the paper and glancing at me, let out a sigh. Her gestures were seemingly saying that how it¡¯s already too late for me to consider that.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to be considerate of me, sir. Didn¡¯t you promise to not treat me as a lady?¡±


    ¡°¡­So this much isn¡¯t allowed too?¡±


    ¡°Sir is not the kind to be considerate with his mere school mate of the same gender, is he? Let¡¯s move on from this topic and let me pour you a tea instead. These tea leaves were procured from Corundum Kingdom and are awaiting permit for importation.¡±


    Missouri, who already put up her business face on, felt rather anti-climactic. Even if our engagement were to be annulled, her behavior towards me will likely stay the same. On the contrary, we might be able to build an even better relationship after having moved on from that matter. Perhaps Lady Missouri was not the one bound by our engagement but rather only myself. As such bitter thoughts came to me, the taste of the tea spread within my mouth at the same time.


    ¡°¡­It has a really odd flavor to it. Tasting it for the first time wasn¡¯t so bad at all too.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it? It can recover both stamina and mana at the same time. It has the same efficacy as a potion concocted by an excellent mage. They call it the dragon¡¯s excrement.¡±


    ¡°Bu-!! *cough* *cough*¡±


    ¡°fufufu~ were you surprised, sir? Well the trade name was chosen to create a lasting impact, but in actuality, it¡¯s a herb nourished using the said excrement as fertilizer¡­ fu~ the excrement of a dragon dismantled in soil producing nitric acid, also called Draconium¡­ it¡¯s a material recently discovered and is now used as¡­ fufufu¡°


    Missouri was barely able to bear her quivering in laughter at the sight of me throwing up the tea. The figure of her laughing is something I have never seen ever since our first meeting. As I took away the cup of tea from her hand to prevent it from spilling, she vacantly stared at me in response.


    ¡°Hey, You can actually laugh adorably if you wanted.¡±


    ¡°¡ªDo you really intend to annul this engagement or not?¡±


    Her response was not cute at all.


    ¡ô¡¡¡ó¡¡¡ô¡¡¡ó¡¡¡ô


    Misouri is still currently studying at the academy but she was endeavoring an academic pursuit that would let her become a diplomat that supports the minister to the left. Rather, even if we did get married, the path she had chosen was to support my older brother together with me as husband and wife. I thought that she was quite an obstinate person but, apparently, she realized that she is more suited to formulating plans after having cooperated with me in cancellation of our engagement.


    ¡°I have always liked playing mischief on people in the past¡­. and upon success, loved seeing their surprised faces. Trade business has always been a game of deception in the first place, the same could be said to diplomacy.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s an unexpected side of you¡­ Frankly speaking, I¡¯ve always thought of you as a doll without a will of its own.¡±


    ¡°Fufu, I fooled you, didn¡¯t I?¡±


    From then on, Missouri frequented my room under the pretext of fulfilling her obligations as my fiancee. Although I don¡¯t coax her with words nor do we come into contact with one another, we can treat each other more friendly than we did before.


    My family saw these developments as favorable and welcomed them and still firmly opposed the cancellation of engagement. Even more so, after Darck¡¯s mess happened which had made things more complicated.


    ¡°Leddorio no longer had a fianc¨¦ next to him and will likely not have one until Lady Momo decides, which is problematic. Now that Prince Yellow¡¯s position as the crown prince had stabilized, I am being pressured to cut my ties with the first prince.¡±


    ¡°About that, Sir Sei.  The school newspaper had written¡­¡±


    The newspaper she handed to me had all of the details about our observation of Chloe densely written into it. The tone was sympathetic of Chloe. It also finishes by saying that a large portion of the student body not seeing Lady Momo favorably, being a lady who comes into contact with only influential gentlemen.


    ¡°The author is Chaco Brown!? Unbelievable.. isn¡¯t she Momo¡¯s best friend? Did she got bribed by his highness Yello or something?¡±


    From how I remember it, she was also another lady who couldn¡¯t be swayed by words. To describe it more precisely, she puts on a fake smile while talking to me and thereby draws a line.  It¡¯s probably her disposition as a journalist. However, I¡¯ve seen the two of them together, and seemed quite friendly with each other. I didn¡¯t expect to be the kind of person who would write an unfavorable article about her best friend.


    ¡°It is basically that with her engagement canceled in result, and her condemnation due to the harm she caused, now over, we must look into her circumstances in a different light.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you think the same. That Lady Momo had enticed all of us on purpose?¡±


    ¡°Who knows? They do not relate to me so I quite frankly do not care, sir.¡±


    She brushed it off as unrelated to her. Although it would a problem for her to consider having engaged to me, right now, we are currently working together in order to cancel the said engagement. If that were to be safely done without issues, she would become of no relation to Momo in its truest sense. The one that should think about these matters carefully is none other than me.


    ¡°Well then, Sir Sei. As a chance to show how much you truly love Lady Momo, you will have to participate in the Advent Festival.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Is this one of Prince Yello¡¯s orders?¡±


    We are currently trying to make certain of our doubts regarding Lady Chloe becoming a witch and raising our adventurer levels through conquering other dungeons. Although her participation in the Advent Festival as the saintess is important, if the awakening of the witch is as close as Lady Momo had previously said, that cannot be left alone too.


    ¡°Apparently, His Highness Leddorio had agreed to it as well. Hence, Lady Momo and the others will be conquering dungeons at that day while Sir Sei would need to act as his highness¡¯ representative.¡±


    ¡°Wha¨C? Haa, I guess that can¡¯t be helped.¡±


    ¡°Fufufu, our House Walter was the one entrusted with the preparation of the ceremonial rites, you know? I will be able to introduce the imported goods from Corundum Kingdom at the same time. I will be wearing the dress from their latest fashion trends in the party so would sir please take me to a dance by then?¡±


    ¡°¡­.You seem to be having fun.¡±


    As I tease her for being too ahead of her spirits regarding the advent festival, she replied with a full smile instead.


    ¡°Of course sir, it¡¯s my last dance party as your fianc¨¦e after all.¡±


    Whether she was truly happy or regretful of it. Even someone like me who had vast expertise in love couldn¡¯t determine.

 CH 59

    On the day of the Advent Festival, I met with Missouri at the front of the statue fountain of the first saintess. Many people seemed to have chosen this place for their meetings and as a result, the plaza was crowded by a great number of people. Even the stalls that took it as a business opportunity had quite the customer traffic.


    The chosen Saintess representative was above the wooden stage built by the sacred church. She was wearing a loose sacred robe and offering a prayer. The brown ponytail she had stood out from the veil she worn on her head.


    I was told that the one performing the role of the Saintess today was Chaco Brown. As one would have expected, the academy newspaper that she released had apparently angered Prince Leddorio. Thus, Prince Yello had suggested having the lady attend in Lady Momo¡¯s place, considering that she wouldn¡¯t be able to attend the festival and perform her duty.


    Well, Advent Festival is just a mere annual event held for the festivity of the populace and offers no help in averting the real crisis. This is probably the reason why they deemed that a substitute would be fine, which is also the same for my role as his highness¡¯ representative today.


    ¡°Thank you for waiting, Sir Sei.¡±


    As I watch over the ceremony from a far, I saw Missouri wearing her academy uniform, running towards me.  Because I was always with his highness and Lady Momo during my academy days, I have never spent a single time with Missouri at the academy. Never would I have expected that I would be attending the advent festival with Missouri in this attire.


    ¡°Lady Chaco looks quite seductive today, don¡¯t you think? Do you want to see her up close?¡±


    ¡°Not interested.¡±


    Whether it was the one performing at the festival ceremony, or the one to spend the whole festival with, both would have been better with Lady Momo. Last year, we only had a few moment to spend together at the same festival. I wonder if the she is currently in the dungeon with his highness and Dai. Trying to console myself, I tried to change Lady Missouri¡¯s figure to that of Lady Momo with my mental image instead.


    When the evening came, all the aristocrats headed towards the reception hall of the castle. The festival¡¯s dance party starts at night. Seeing the figure of Lady Missouri who changed her attire to a dress had left me astounded. The lady has been wearing clothing with low skin exposure and colder color tones giving her the impression of maturity.  However, tonight she was wearing a light pink dress that reminds me of Lady Momo¡¯s hair. Her back and shoulders are boldly exposed, and her skirt spread widely like a blooming flower. Yet, she didn¡¯t look childish at all which I presume is largely thanks to the accent brought by the accessories within it.


    Corundum Kingdom is known for its jewelry and the lady of the House Ricum must¡¯ve been the perfect walking advertisement to showcase them.


    ¡°Lady Canaria¡¯s dress looks wonderful, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Missouri muttered as she watched the Prince Yello and his fiancee hand in hand, dancing in the middle of the reception hall. If only Lady Momo was the one wearing them or so I thought, but I asked Missouri for a dance without showing that on the surface.


    ¡°Thank you for the flattery sir. I am also quite hoping to hear the impression of other gentlemen other than yourself too.¡±


    Her response was truly not cute at all and yet her words caught my attention. Did she just said all the gentlemen other than me?


    ¡°Have you forgotten, sir? We will be canceling our engagement soon so I must find a new prospective partner. That being said, you are free to go wherever you wish after the first dance, sir.¡±


    My face crumpled at the cold gaze she had. So her unusually seductive attire was to fish for other men¡­ No, I don¡¯t really have any right to call her out on it. The one who placed the cancellation of our engagement on the table was me.


    However, I feel like that¡¯s a little early. We are currently still both engaged with each other, after all.


    ¡°I did tell sir that this is his chance to show his love for Lady Momo, didn¡¯t I. All of the nobilities attending this party are all aware that our engagement is falling off.¡±


    ¡°What¡­!?¡±


    As she slipped out of my bewildered grasps, Missouri was immediately surrounded by countless gentlemen who offered their hands to her. As I reflexively reached out to her disappearing figure, I was also consequently swarmed by countless ladies obstructing me.


    ¡°Sir Sei, would you please dance with me?¡±


    ¡°No sir, please dance with me instead!¡±


    ¡°So that Lady from House Walter was just brought by a forced engagement! Sir¡¯s earnestness in attempting to pursue a forbidden love nonetheless is wonderful.¡±


    ¡°Even if you were to end up alone, I will always be on your side, sir Sei!¡±


    The ladies all quarrel in an attempt to take the seat of my next prospective partner for their own, endeavoring themselves in such selfish rambles. They try to pose themselves as having understood me and yet they flock to my side with the assumption that my love will fail. They all make me vomit in disgust.


    ¡°It appears that all of you are quite well aware of the circumstances regarding our house.¡±


    ¡°The academy newspaper has written all about it, sir. As well as the assumption of who Lady Momo might pick.¡±


    ¡°All the male students were betting on whether your engagement will stop or continue, sir. They are quite awful, aren¡¯t they?¡±


    The ladies are trying to curry my favor by buttering me up through tattling. However, I was utterly shocked by what they said and was at loss for words. All those who reside in the academy take our romance with Lady Momo as a mere laughing matter, and of all things, even had the gall to use it for betting.


    Seething in anger, I retreated towards the table to calm my nerves down, and with a perfect timing, one of the waiting staff handed me a drink. The bubbles on its surface tells me clearly that it¡¯s an alcoholic drink, but a glass alone wouldn¡¯t be enough to make me drunk so I gulped it all down in one swoop.


    (I need to leave this stupid banquet fast.)


    Prince Keith was publicly declared as the new crown prince in the middle of the party and although the entire venue was engulfed in excitement, not a single person looked for the 2nd prince¡¯s presence. That being the case, there¡¯s no need for me to act as his representative anymore.


    ¡°Well if it wasn¡¯t the son of the minister to the left. You sure are drinking yourself so bad.¡±


    Fool, this much alcohol is just like water to me.


    ¡°Still, that¡¯s quite a shame. From I talked to the lady from the House Walter but she¡¯s quite a knowledgeable person. An immensely beautiful one to add. Are you truly sure about canceling the engagement?


    Nothing will change between us even if we¡¯re no longer engaged. She¡¯s an excellent business partner after all.


    ¡°I disagree. You see, my son has always had his eyes on her¡­ so he¡¯s gotten quite motivated seeing this as a chance to waltz in.¡±


    Has Missouri always been that popular? I would understand if it¡¯s Lady Momo but, that doll¡­ though she¡¯s less of a one recently. As I turned my eyes towards her, Lady Missouri was dancing with one of the gentlemen with such a dazzling smile on her face. The man who danced with her had quite the dull face and sported a disheveled hair in his head, just like that guy loitering around lady Chloe who claimed himself as¡ª


    ¡°¡­.!!!¡±


    The world surrounding me shook and my entire body felt flaming hot. What on earth is happening¡­ the surroundings is making so much clamor it¡¯s starting to feel irritating.


    ¡°Sir Sei, what¡¯s the matter? If you feel unwell I¡­ Oh,¡±


    I can hear Missouri¡¯s voice from a distance, and yet I can feel her slender fingers in my grasp. I didn¡¯t know how but it appears I was already in my room with her. Missouri laid me down on the bed and loosen up my chest. The way she goes about it looking professionally was irritating. Preventing her from trying to leave, I pulled her arms towards me but her appearance made me catch my breath.


    ¡°Please refrain from showing such behavior to anyone else.¡±


    It was Lady Masumi. I felt horrible for pulling her towards me thinking she was Missouri. Wait, so it would¡¯ve been fine if it was Missouri?  I¡¯m trying to annul my engagement with her and her main condition was exactly not to see her as a woman.


    ¡°If you fell for her, it can¡¯t be helped.¡±


    Lady Masumi¡¯s hair color had turned from black to pink and her appearance changed to that of Lady Momo. So it was really you, Lady Momo. I¡¯ve always dreamt of holding you within these very arms like this. I want to make you mine alone. As long as you¡¯re with me, I don¡¯t need anything else¡­


    ¡°Sir Sei.¡±


    Raising her head, this time she was Missouri again. She had tears in her eyes and was seemingly gazing at me in appeal.


    (Just who are you really¡­?)


    My head is too dizzy. The hair of the lady within my grasp kept on changing. How strange. I must¡¯ve been really drunk. It can¡¯t be helped. Besides, this fragrance is¡­


    ¡°Am I not enough, sir?¡±


    ¡°Do I not have any appeal at all?¡±


    ¡°Am I really just a dull woman?¡±


    ¡°Whether it¡¯s Sir Sei who loved Lady Masumi, the Sir Sei who loved Lady Momo, the Sir Sei who played around with other ladies, and even the Sir Sei who would never love me. I have always been yearning for sir, all this time.¡±


    ¡°But even I get hurt, sir. I am not just a doll, I¡¯m a woman. I am just a woman who fell in love with you¡­¡±


    As I heard the lady¡¯s voice, my body wrapped around hers. My hands started moving by instinct alone and my consciousness faded.


    The next day, I woke up caressing my head which was still fuzzy. As I faintly turned my gaze around the room, my face slowly turned pale. Reluctantly, I tried to make sense of the situation.


    I¡­am not wearing a single piece of clothing.  All the clothes that I shed were scattered all around the bed and alongside them was a fairy-like pink colored dress.


    (What happened last night!?)


    Everything after the first dance was hazy. If I recall correctly, I was outraged by the articles of the newspaper club who wrote as they pleased, as well as the students who made fun of our romance. I remember receiving an alcoholic drink to calm myself down. Other than that, I remember smelling something¡­


    ¡°Ngh¡­¡±


    The lump of bed sheet next to me moved which startled me. Last night¡­ with this person.. I¡­


    From the gap within the folds of the bed sheet, a dazzling sky colored hair peeked through.


    I honestly still think Sei need to fall off from a cliff to be somewhat deserving of Missouri. She¡¯s too good for him.


    Anyway, that¡¯s the last of Sei perspective chapters.

 CH 60

    The original plan was for Sei, who has been relieved of his duties as a representative, to meet the prince¡¯s party in front of a lodging house close to the dungeon in Whitey territory. However, no matter how long they waited for him, he never came for them. He should be arriving anytime soon if he rode a horse at noon the day after the festival and yet..


    ¡°Maybe something happened¡­¡±


    Momo held her hands closely around her chest seemingly worried for him, but the prince was only thinking that the dungeon is far more dangerous than the capital. Their current party consist of him, Momo and Darck. Although Sei doesn¡¯t fight on the frontlines, he excels at providing party supports such as supplementing information, creating maps, item management, finding opponent¡¯s weak points, among others. He¡¯s a necessary member that provides the party¡¯s complex needs. He is also able to calculate the damage that his party member sustains and provide a necessary amount of recovery item accordingly, but now that he¡¯s absent, pushing through with complete reliance on Momo¡¯s degrading power was difficult.


    ¡°It must be Keith; that fool must have done something to force him to stay.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s rude¡­ I would prefer if you stop making such false accusations, brother.¡±


    Surprised by the sudden greeting, when Leddorio turned around, he found the subject of their conversation leaning at the door of the lodging house.


    ¡°Keith, you wretch! Since when have you been there?¡±


    ¡°Just now. I came here to tell you that Sei cannot come in his stead.¡±


    ¡°Is Sir Sei safe!?¡±


    Unpleasantly turning his face away at Momo¡¯s sudden approach, the 2nd prince retreats away and keeps his distance from the lady.


    ¡°He is safe. He chose to stay at the capital to show his sincerity as a man.¡±


    ¡°Just what is Sei doing in the capital?¡±


    ¡°Preparing for marriage.¡±


    The words that Prince Keith uttered with an indifferent tone were incomprehensible to Leddorio for a moment.


    ¡°¡­.What!?¡±


    ¡°Prince Yello, whose marriage is so important that prevented Sei from coming here?¡±


    ¡°As I said, he¡¯s preparing for his own marriage. To his fiancee, Lady Missouri, of course.¡±


    Leddorio¡¯s party members widened their eyes in utter surprise. The 2nd prince said that Sei will marry his fianc¨¦e, and although Leddorio can see that happening, he still found it strange why he only decided to do it now of all times. He began to wonder just what happened to Sei while they were gone.


    ¡°You¡¯re half-correct. But I¡¯ll tell you the details at the observation session.¡±


    ¡°You had them carry the magic mirror right from the capital!?¡±


    ¡°Of course not.  You do realize that¡¯s our mother¡¯s dowry, right? This territory is our mother¡¯s homeland too and they had another one, so I only borrowed it. Well then, shall we start the observation now?¡±

 CH 61

    ¡°Take care, Locke. Here¡¯s your lunch box.¡±


    ¡°Alright. I¡¯m heading out, Chaco.¡±


    Locke was about to head out to the dungeon while Chloe was handing him her prepared lunch box as usual. The other party members who saw the two whistled in tease.


    ¡°How passionate~¡±


    ¡°You both suit each other.¡±


    ¡°You guys, really¡­¡±


    As Locke tried to complain, Dai, who forcefully joined their exploration, barged between him and Chloe.


    Kisara complains but as Dai said, the three of them are only employees of the House Sereknight, much worse, they originated in slums. They do not have the social standing to talk back towards a son of a general.


    ¡°Stop it, Kisara. I apologize for making you wait, dear customer.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s how it should be. Sinners should just obediently serve¡­¡±


    Dai was about to take the lunch box from Chloe with such a proud expression in his face, but before that happens, the lady presents her hand to him.


    ¡°That¡¯s 650 colors, sir.¡±


    ¡°Wha.. You¡¯re charging for this?¡±


    ¡°All the ingredients of the lunch box came from the wallet of the Grace couple. I am nothing but a mere employee, sir. May I ask for the payment now, dear customer?¡±


    ¡°W-well how about Locke then? Is that some kind of tribute or something?¡±


    ¡°But of course, he is exploring the dungeon due to my request, sir.  Naturally, I would provide him lunch, at the very least. I didn¡¯t request your participation so¡­ Mhm?¡±


    Dai was gritting his teeth in anger but Chloe interrupted her own words after findind a new wound around his cheek.


    ¡°Sir Dai, you¡¯re hurt¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t touch me, your villainy might infect me!¡±


    Dai warded off Chloe¡¯s hand in a flash, but Shin ran towards Chloe¡¯s side, unable to watch the scene any longer.


    ¡°He¡¯s acting like a child, milady.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s enough. Stop playing around and just go already! Look, I made your share myself so just go.¡±


    That¡¯s when the lodging mistress came and pushed a wrappings towards Dai¡¯s hands.


    ¡°Auntie, this is for Chloe¡¯s atonement¡­¡±


    ¡°Good men don¡¯t make fuss and straight-forwardly say their gratitude. If you don¡¯t like it just share it with everyone else. Good grief, you keep on stayin¡¯ here and you ain¡¯t gonna accomplish anything. Chaco, just make this little man¡¯s share from now on too, alright?¡±


    ¡°L-Little man?¡±


    Dai turned bright red upon being treated as a child while Chloe only gave him a fleeting glance.


    ¡°W-Who in their right mind would¡­ Y-You fool!¡±


    Dai desperately tried to jeer as he glanced alternately between the wrappings in his hand and Chloe, but upon noticing Locke¡¯s party who was about to leave him behind, he hurriedly followed suit. The patrons of the lodging house could only pleasantly watch his retreating figure. The impolite brat who suddenly came out of the capital had seemingly become part of the ordinary day-to-day spectacles in this place.


    ¡°That fool, he¡¯s gotten completely caught in their pace.¡±


    ¡°What¡­ even sir Dai¡­¡±


    ¡°That fool is just being a glutton as always. Once he tastes Lady Momo¡¯s cooking that she made with love, he¡¯ll come back to us soon enough.¡±


    Leddorio couldn¡¯t hide his annoyance while Momo was visibly shaken in bewilderment. Darck was trying to console them with words but none of them reached their ears.

 CH 62

    The 2nd Prince¡¯s Visit


    Prince Leddorio thought that such days would keep on continuing afterward but his expectation was greatly betrayed by the next developments.


    The door of the lodging house¡¯s bar section opened reverberating a creaking sound. The person who appeared at the bar¡¯s doorstep had immediately and completely changed the entire establishment¡¯s ambiance. There are those who widened their eyes, paralyzed due to surprise. Another one dropped the glass of water that he was holding. But among them, there are few who immediately knelt down on the spot. The others who didn¡¯t originate from the Coloflare Kingdom only stared in puzzlement at such irregularity.


    ¡°Your highness, Yello..¡±


    The visitor of the lodging house clad in royal attire which didn¡¯t suit the venue was none other than the 2nd prince of the kingdom, Yello Keith Coloflare, himself.


    Chloe who was at the kitchen sink still holding a bubbly plate gazed at the prince in awe. She only came to sense after being called by her fake name which also consequently prompted her to break the plate she was holding.  At one moment, she was at a loss whether to prostrate herself to the royalty or tend to the broken pieces of the plate, but Prince Yello, walked straight forward to the panicking lady, without so much a hesitation, in spite of only coming to this place at the very first time.


    ¡°Your highness, I apologize for having to welcome you in such a state¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. The fault is mine for coming without notice. That aside, there¡¯s an urgent matter that I need your assistance immediately, Chaco Brown.¡±


    ¡°My assistance, sir?¡±


    But those kinds of things do not matter to him, so Leddorio, went to his main concern and along with his group, sent a reproachful gaze towards the problem.


    ¡®Hey, what is this about? Why would you have to meet Chloe!? How many days did you waste traveling to the Iris Mountains?¡¯


    ¡®You¡¯re about to see the answer to those questions, brother.¡¯


    Even Leddorio¡¯s threatening behavior didn¡¯t concern him at all. Much to his dismay, the 2nd prince kept his eyes on the mirror with such an irritating grin on his face. Reflected in the mirror was the 2nd prince showing the contents of a royal document to Shin and the others.


    .


    ¡°Chaco Brown. You are hereby ordered to participate in the Advent Festival as Saintess Momo¡¯s substitute.¨C or so it says, and it does not allow refusal. Look, it has his majesty and the pope¡¯s signature¨C the 1st prince signed around here too.¡±


    ¡®!!!¡¯


    Leddorio¡¯s jaw dropped, recalling the previous document that he had signed. He had signed that document prior to returning to the dungeon, that¡¯s for sure. Prince Keith thinking that the signature of the first one to complain was needed, had completely cajoled him into signing, which the prince didn¡¯t think of before he did.


    (But, still! That document states Chaco Brown, not Chloe Sereknight!)


    ¡°Is there any problem? You are Chaco Brown, am I wrong?¡±


    Chloe was still entirely confused as to what was truly happening. Shin, in attempt to help his mistress, talked in her place.


    ¡°Your highness, what do you plan on doing. Milady¡­ Would she even be allowed to return to the capital?¡±


    ¡°Stand back, Shin. I did not give you permission to talk.¡±


    ¨CBut Prince Yello¡¯s assertion had completely shut him down.

 CH 63

    The Saintess Substitute


    ¡°It seemed that Lady Momo prefers to prioritize conquering dungeon. Still, we cannot really leave her responsibilities empty, can we? You participated in the advent festival as the temporary saintess before so I merely thought that you would be the most suitable to fill that position.¡±


    Prince Yello lowered his voice, whispering to Chloe to keep the surrounding from listening. Although Shin, as well as those who were watching the recording obviously caught wind of it. Chloe was taken aback for a moment but pondered on the idea. Even Chloe noticed that the miasma is thickening, so she thought that Momo might have put her entire priority into purifying it.


    ¡°Would it really be alright, sir? I am not the real Chaco Brown¨C¡°


    ¡°I¡¯ll explain all the complicated matters when we arrive at the capital. Besides, sister needs a sacred stone, doesn¡¯t she? I believe it would be easier for you to negotiate directly with the Pope too.¡±


    In the face of Yello, smiling with the entirety of his face, Chloe could only give up and breathe a sigh.


    ¡°¡­His highness truly knows everything, doesn¡¯t he?¡±


    ¡°You should have realized that considering that I came all the way here. So does that mean that you¡¯ll come?¡±


    ¡°¡­Haa¡­ very well, sir. I will accept this duty as part of my atonement.¡±


    ¡®That¡¯s nothing but sophistry! Like I¡¯d allow that!!¡±


    Leddorio who wasn¡¯t satisfied at the exchange between the two flared up towards the 2nd prince, but his hateful younger brother only replied back with complete ease.


    ¡®Wasn¡¯t it brother who suggested for the Saintess¡¯ substitute? I believe your reasoning behind it is considerably flawed and forceful too.¡¯


    ¡®Even if that¡¯s the case, how did it develop towards allowing Chloe to return to the capital!? That wench is currently under suspicion of being a witch.¡¯


    ¡®About that, brother.¡¯


    Saying so, Prince Yellow turned his glance towards Momo immediately turning cold. Momo withered in response, looking as though she had been pierced by something.


    ¡°The suspicions of being a witch was merely entirely that lady¡¯s conjecture, isn¡¯t it? As for the possibilities, I cannot completely deny that¡­ which is exactly why I thought Lady Chloe should just prove herself otherwise, right in front of the entire populace.¡±


    ¡°Prove otherwise, you say?¡±


    Within the screen was the figure of Chloe who was explaining her return to the capital to both the Mistress and Priest Grace.


    ¡°I will return immediately after the Advent Festival. If I managed to secure a sacred stone, Locke and the others wouldn¡¯t need to go through such a danger too¡­¡±


    ¡°They are adventurers, so I wonder about that? Well, I¡¯ll tell them that you¡¯ll come back, so make sure you return safely.¡±


    ¡°I will, ma¡¯am¡­ If possible, I would also like to clear Father Grace¡¯s false charges though.¡±


    ¡°Little lass ain¡¯t got no responsibility to do that. First, you oughta prioritize your safety.¡±


    ¡°Understood, father¡­! I¡¯ll be going now~¡±


    After Father Grace lightly tapped the lady¡¯s head, Chloe bowed with her eyes moist with tears. Afterwards, Shin and Chloe followed Prince Yello who was already outside of the lodging house. Chloe anxiously looked around her surroundings. Although the barrier was faulty too, now they would have to descend the mountain, leaving outside the barrier entirely.


    ¡°Uhm, highness¡­ I believe that it will take a couple of days to reach the capital from here. Did you perhaps¨C¡°


    ¡°Yup, I did. Isn¡¯t that obvious?¡±


    Right after Yello answered Chloe¡¯s question, the surrounding trees greatly swayed. A great shadow engulfed their entire surroundings. Shin who was wary, glanced towards the sky and put Chloe behind him with his sword drawn.


    ¡°A-A monster!? So they have broken out of the dungeon¡­¡±


    ¡°Calm down, Shin. That¡¯s a mythical beast, not a monster.¡±


    The creature, with its large wings spread entirely, was flying around the sky and before long, descends in front of the three of them. Prince Keith, without the slightest signs of fear, approached it and affectionately caressed the tip of its nose.


    ¡°That¡¯s right¡­ This is the birthday gift that my beloved fiancee, Canaria, had sent to me from her own home country. The mythical beast, a dragon.¡±

 CH 64

    At the Dragon¡¯s Back


    Dragon, a mythical creature that is only endemic within the circumference of the Corundum Kingdom. The Coloflare Kingdom, on the other hand, sat way too far from those lands, and only a limited people within its entirety had ever seen one. However, Leddorio was acquainted with the dragon that appeared within the mirror¡¯s reflection. This sky dragon named Citrin was a gift given by Canaria to Prince Keith on one of his birthdays. It is well-known within the kingdom.


    The dragon was not a mere gift to deepen their relationship; it signifies that the entirety of Corundum Kingdom supports the 2nd prince, leaving Leddorio completely in awe.


    ¡°Come. We¡¯ll be riding this one way to the capital.¡±


    ¡°I-Is it safe, highness? Wouldn¡¯t it resist and throw us off¡­?¡±


    ¡°Citrin is a good child. It¡¯s properly trained too, look.¡±


    At Keith¡¯s signal, the dragon braced its tail upwards to the sky. Chloe reflexively closed her eyes tight, thinking it would strike her with it but, contrary to her fears, it merely gently caressed her head. She stared in such a wonder as the dragon put its tail away and guided by the prince, rode behind the dragon¡¯s back. Shin hurriedly followed suit.


    (Did I just compare her to Momo? That¡¯s impossible. The two of them are far too different. She should be the complete opposite¡­)


    In direct contrast to Chloe who looked adorably childish, Momo glared daggers at her reflection with such animosity.


    ¡°Mo¡­Momo?¡±


    ¡°What is it, sir?¡±


    Momo turned her glance towards him with her usual smile, but far from being relieved, his nerves turned cold in shock. He found the sight of her glaring with such hatred behind her eyes really hard to believe¡­ Nay, the lady had been harassed by Chloe before so that was more natural.


    The prince told himself that and yet¡­


    Momo giggled as she replied.


    The ancient sacred rainbow bird was a legend that was obviously known to the prince. It was a creature enveloped by purifying rainbow hues of light, which also descended to the world at the advent of the first saintess.


    However, the prince felt odd at her sudden mention of it.


    (It felt as though Momo was¨C)


    ¡°Like she was trying to emphasize that Chloe is a false saint, right?¡±


    Those words that completely resonated with his inner thoughts made the prince shift his glance to where it came from.


    There, Prince Keith was leaning behind the wall, seemingly amusing himself as he watched them, and then it dawned on Leddorio.


    Just as they were observing Chloe, so did the 2nd prince chose to observe the observers instead.


    The sudden thought of this made him break out in cold sweat.

 CH 65

    The distance that would take several days for horses was easily traversed by the flying dragon. Just like that, Chloe had already arrived at the capital, but seeing the people who were waiting for her had left the lady in another surprise.


    ¡°You are¡­¡±


    ¡°It appears that her ladyship does remember my face. Does she not, Lady Chloe Sereknight of the Sereknight Ducal House?¡±


    ¡°I-I do¡­ I often see you tag along with Lady Momo after all.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s an honor, lady.¡±


    The lady who stood and was all smiles as she greeted her was Chaco Brown, herself. Chloe who falsified her identity using her name was at the height of awkwardness in meeting her in the flesh. However, Chaco kept mum about it and only took the lady by the hand and towards the Church.


    ¡°You do not need to become so tense, lady. I am already aware of the particulars.¡±


    Chaco took Chloe further inside without answering her question. The priests whom they crossed paths with were startled at the sight of her but neither Chaco nor Keith paid them any mind. As the four reached their destination, they entered the waiting room and closed the door behind them. What awaited them inside the room was the saintess dress that has been prepared for the Advent Festival.


    ¡°Lady Chloe. You will have to wear this during the¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry!!¡±


    Chaco who turned towards Chloe and spoke was interrupted by her sudden apology. All the others in the waiting room stared in puzzlement at the two.


    ¡°Please raise your head. Her ladyship has done nothing that requires an apology.¡±


    ¡°No. Until recently, I have done various cruel things towards Lady Momo; things that do not deserve forgiveness. It¡¯s only natural that I should be scorned as the false saint.¡±


    ¡°Her ladyship looks to be regretful from the bottom of her heart but¡­ is the reason for her apology to be specifically addressed to me, due to Lady Momo being the saintess that will save our kingdom?¡±


    Chaco seemed so distant to her own question while Chloe shook her head in response.


    ¡°Because the miss is lady Momo¡¯s dear friend.¡±


    ¡°Wha-!¡±


    Chaco swallowed her breathe seemingly finding an oddity within the lady¡¯s response. Then she headed towards a bag that was casually left on the floor and after taking a bundle of newspapers from it, she presented them to Chloe, who hesitantly accepted it.


    Turning the pages as she read them, the contents had painted the lady¡¯s face with surprise. Shin took a peek at the newspaper and read that it was an article that detailed Chloe¡¯s footprints after the denunciation, as well as what came of the saintess afterward.


    Prince Yello who has been fascinatedly watching the lady¡¯s behavior began to speak.


    ¡°Sister¡­.No, Lady Chloe. I believe that you are aware that you are being observed, are you not?¡±


    ¡°Uhm, yes, highness¡­ At first, I was convinced that it was my father who was behind it, but Dai¡¯s arrival had given me a different idea. Although, I do not think that ¡°he¡± needed to mind my circumstances after having banished me away.¡±


    ¡®Naturally. Who would spend an ounce of care towards someone like you?¡±


    Chloe¡¯s unlovable response had elicited a new barrage of words from the first prince. However, neither Darck nor Momo knew how to respond to it. The only one who did, however, was the 2nd prince who immediately burst out in laughter, earning Leddorio¡¯s glare.


    Prince Keith within the screen, on the other hand, didn¡¯t refute Lady Chloe¡¯s words.


    ¡°Well, that is not something that rests on his will alone. After all, not only are you formerly the temporary saintess, you are also the former queen candidate. But because that punishment was something handed with the pressure of the sacred church, it cannot be easily overturned¡­ You understand this, right?¡±


    ¡°It is as his highness says.¡±


    ¡°Which is exactly why as part of your atonement, I will have you perform at the Advent Festival at once, as Chaco Brown, of course.¡±


    ¡° Hu¡ª¡® huuuuh!?¡¯ ¡°


    Chloe and Momo¡¯s exclamation had overlapped.

 CH 66

    Chloe¡¯s Secret


    ¡®What do you mean!? Chloe will perform as my substitute at the advent festival as Chaco? What is this about!?¡®


    Momo, who looked as though all the strands of hair in her body stood up in bewilderment, turned her attention towards the 2nd prince and came close to grab him. Keith, who smoothly evaded her sudden approach, answered her question, although indifferently.


    ¡®You heard it. Because the Saintess is busying herself in the dungeon, the sinner will have to come to pray at the Advent Festival in her place. I don¡¯t see any problems with that, though?¡®


    ¡®There are, and loads of them! In the first place, you¡¯re having her perform under the pretense of the false name she used? Wouldn¡¯t that be a deception to the populace?¡®


    Leddorio protests in agreement with Leddorio, which at a perfect timing, overlapped with Chloe¡¯s own protests.


    ¡°Highness Yello, I am a sinner. I already secretly came back to the capital, if I perform the rites as falsely as Lady Chaco, I¡ª¡°


    ¡°Just call me Chaco. Aren¡¯t we close friends?¡±


    ¡°But I¡¯m¡­huh?¡±


    As Chloe noticed Chaco using a much more frank tone, she stared at the lady, puzzled. After stopping Shin who was about to call Chloe out on her impertinence, Chloe gave a bewildered glance towards the 2nd prince.


    In response, Keith took out two pages of royal documents from his pocket. The first page was the same document he had expressed earlier denoting Chloe¡¯s participation in the festival while assuming Chaco Brown¡¯s identity, but the second one was¡ª


    ¡®What¡ª!?¡¯


    This time, it was Leddorio¡¯s turn to rise from his seat. A sinner being given permission to use a false name is already unprecedented, but they had even completely shun the 1st prince out of the issue and arbitrarily decreed it without his knowledge. Furthermore, according to the 2nd prince, the document had already passed through the directive of the king¡¯s office. Leddorio pressed closer to his younger brother but he only received a nonchalant reply in return.


    ¡°After all, somebody, had put on a pressure to ensure that a lady will not be able to do anything under her own name. So we had to come before the prime minister, who had to make a special exception. Do you understand what I¡¯m getting at? We had to clean up after someone¡¯s unnecessary interference that he made just to satisfy his stupid revenge.¡±


    ¡°Stupid revenge, you say?¡±


    Even as the two brothers aggressively argue against each other to her side, Momo maintained her focus on the mirror.  But as the reflection starts to show the two ladies driving the other two young men outside for Chloe to change her clothes, Momo turned towards the arguing brothers and yelled.


    ¡®Sir Benny and Sir Keith! I can¡¯t hear the conversation well so please be silent!¡¯


    ¡®Mo¡­Momo? What¡¯s the matter?¡¯


    ¡®¡­I don¡¯t recall giving you permission to call me Keith, though?¡¯


    After closing the door behind them, Chloe and Chaco resumed their conversation. Shin placed the magical brooch near the gap of the door to help it receive the contents of their conversation well, but parts of it remained incomprehensible.


    ¡°Lady¨C, is it really alright for you to through such extent just for my sake? Also, I remember you calling me ______ earlier¡±


    ¡°Yup, at first I was kinda surprised when I heard about you from _______, it just didn¡¯t make sense to me. I mean ____ suddenly became odd and used my name. But when I finally talked to you and when you called me _____, I finally understood.  You are not the ____ that I knew. But when you think about it _____ ______, _____ after all.¡±


    ¡°Will you still forgive me, Chaco?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s none for me to forgive, you know. That would be unreasonable. Besides, I don¡¯t think _____ thought of me as ______ anyway. My ______ with ______ is as good as over. So from my perspective, ________ is just someone giving her all to make the most of her desperate situation¡­ It¡¯s you we¡¯re talking about after all.¡±


    Even after raising the volume, the prince could hear the crucial parts of their conversation as nothing but vocal scribbles. As he frustratingly try to strain his ears to eavesdrop on their conversation once more, he heard Momo suddenly whispering¡ª,


    ¡°I knew it¡­ Chloe is a ______¡±

 CH 67

    Advent Festival


    As the surrounding people moved around preoccupied with the preparations for the advent festival, Chloe who had finished changing had finally shown herself. She was donning the Saintess clothing earlier and had the same brown-haired pony tail as Chaco. These along with the veil she wore would effectively deceive far onlookers.


    ¡°You have to wear this.¡°


    Prince Keith was shown in the reflection throwing something towards Shin. It was a magical bracelet with a magic stone within it.


    ¡°Your highness, what could this be?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a cognisance-interference magical item. Your hair and eye color stand out too much.¡±


    When Shin obediently wore the bracelet, the eyes of the ladies widened in surprise. Prince Leddorio couldn¡¯t see what was going on in the mirror but he figured that there was a drastic change in his appearance.


    ¡°Now, make your way. This is your greatest stage presented by a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!¡±


    The capital was full of people who were enjoying the festival and the stage that was prepared for the saintess was more crowded. Chloe rose to that stage and danced within the tune of the resounding church music as she offered prayers.


    ¡°So this year would be Brown Newspaper Company¡¯s lass.¡±


    ¡°Hmm? But if I recall, the true saintess that they found was supposed to be the one performing this year, though?¡±


    ¡°That aside, the dance of the saintess must have required quite the severe practice. Look, the dancing was the same as last year¡¯s.¡±


    The surrounding onlookers didn¡¯t even have the slightest idea that the one performing was the same temporary saintess that had been banished. Still, some people did doubtfully turned their heads towards Chaco Brown who kept hanging around with the innocent look on her face.


    ¡°Now, why don¡¯t you hurry up and distribute these newspapers..¡±


    ¡°Lady Chaco, wouldn¡¯t you need to disguise yourself as¡ª huh? Isn¡¯t that¡­¡±


    Shin, who was attending Chaco, seemingly saw some familiar faces within the crowds of people. There was one among them who stood tall and had long blue hair who took along with him, a lady with sky-colored hair as they strolled around the festival stalls.


    ¡®¡­what on earth is he doing?¡±


    ¡®Sei¡­ You said I¡¯m the only one, and yet you¡¯re having a date with Missouri!¡®


    Momo said as her whole body trembled. Leddorio wondered if the lady was frustrated upon seeing Sei spend time with his fiance. He considered that perhaps Momo had already chosen Sei. But if the feelings of the two were truly mutual, Sei would have discarded his fiancee in accordance with Momo¡¯s wishes.


    The fact that Sei stated that the cancellation of his engagement was proceeding smoothly, and then abruptly getting married afterwards, just didn¡¯t made any sense with the first prince.


    ¡°How pathetic¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t say that brother. After all, he was there as your substitute because you left the capital.¡±


    His younger brother, the main perpetrator behind dragging Chloe towards the capital was becoming more impudent so Leddorio stared daggers at him instead.

 CH 68

    The Villainess¡¯ Repentance


    As Chloe wholeheartedly danced, the previously scattered populace started to gather towards the stage. Some of them could be seen talking to each other while pointing their fingers towards the lady at the stage. They stood there bewildered, holding the newspaper that Chaco and her subordinates had distributed a while ago.


    Having finished her dance, Chloe now turned her attention the entire crowd, and after a moment of pause, took off her wig and veil. The crowd¡¯s voices of surprise had engulfed the surrounding at once. Whether it brought by the unexpectedness of the banished villainess¡¯s return and performance instead of Chaco Brown, or the fact that her hair had been cut short like a sinner, Leddorio couldn¡¯t tell.


    However, the lady, not minding the surrounding clamor, vehemently bowed towards the crown then began speaking.


    ¡°Citizens of Coloflare. The reason why I came here undertaking the role of the Saintess¡¯ substitute, was part of my atonement for the transgressions I have committed towards Lady Momo, the True Saintess. Due to the foolishness brought by my jealousy of the lady, who was a dear classmate to his highness Leddorio, not only have I held her in contempt, I have persecuted the Lady Momo on the basis of her birthplace. While some of the things done to her are in no direct relation to me, there is no doubting that I, who held the authority, not only as of the queen candidate but also as the saintess, have feigned blindness in front of such acts. It is only right that I, who is neither suited to be the queen, nor deserving of the title of the Saintess, to face the consequences of my sins.


    However¡­., if the time were to come for this kingdom to face great peril, I would gladly offer my strength in its aid. That of which, brings us to this moment where the miasma had began to spread within our kingdom, effectively preventing Saintess Momo from participating to this very festival. For that reason, his royal highness, Prince Keith, had decided that my foolish self, who had performed at the last year¡¯s festival as the temporary saintess, will be the one most suitable to perform the duty in her stead as part of my atonement. Thus, I am truly grateful to Lady Momo¡¯s dearest friend, who is also the one supposed to perform in her stead, Lady Chaco, for her cooperation in this undertaking.¡±


    The populace under normal circumstances would have never expected such humility coming from the lady. They were left in so much awe to what they saw that they had forgotten that they had been lied and deceived. Still, there are still Momo¡¯s adherents among them who were making a scene. They threw stones and all voiced their frustration particularly at Chaco Brown, whose betrayal was apparent to them. However, none of their efforts were able to make it pass through the protective barrier erected around the stage. The same goes for all their jeers that failed to hamper Chloe whose speaking voice retained its clarity despite the noise. Leddorio suspects that perhaps that was due to the lady¡¯s own sacred magic.


    ¡°Oh beloved, Saintess, the First, the maiden who protects our entire kingdom from harm, if her holiness decrees my sins to be atonable, then I plead to you a chance for me to do so. At the furthest end of my atonement, I shall pledge to dedicate the entirety of my strength in support of the royal family and the kingdom¡¯s populace. If her holiness were to acknowledge my sins forgiven¡ª¡°


    It was a single rainbow that emerged above the castle¡¯s skies situated right behind the lady. For the Coloflare Kingdom, the significance of the rainbow lies in its relation to the miracle of the legendary sacred rainbow bird¡ª to put it simply, it¡¯s something taken as a good omen.


    ¡°Ah¡­. her holiness, Saintess the First. You have heard my plead! I offer to her holiness my gratitude. I pledge upon my atonement, the dedication of the entirety of my being in contribution to this kingdom¡¯s bright future.¡±


    As Chloe grandiosely raised her hands appealing to something within the skies. The crowds were completely overwhelmed by her figure. No one can blame them. An emergence of a rainbow at a such miraculous timing; from the eyes of the onlookers, Chloe had already been forgiven by the first saintess.


    She was very much far from the Momo¡¯s assertion of becoming a witch.

 CH 69

    The Negotiations With The Pope


    The crowds that gathered within the circumference of the stage were split at the approaching sound of someone clapping. The one to leisurely walk along the path made was none other than, Yello, the 2nd prince. Behind him, followed was the Pope, who was showing signs of bewilderment as he walked.


    ¡°Chloe Sereknight. You have admirably reflected on your sins and was able to regain your lost pure heart. Looks like the sincerity you have shown had moved the heart of the Saintess, the first.¡±


    ¡°I am not worthy of those words, highness.¡±


    Chloe hurriedly descended from the stage and was about to prostrate to the ground but Keith stopped her, and turned his attention to the pope behind him instead.


    ¡°How about that, his holiness? The heavens answered the lady¡¯s prayers with a miracle. I believe we can consider her sins absolved.¡±


    ¡°But¡­ your highness.¡±


    ¡°Prince Yello, highness. I am greatly thankful for the thought, but there is a due process for everything. Furthermore, I, myself, do not wish to return to the capital until I have settled my responsibilities.¡±


    ¡°You mean to say that you will still head towards Nansonia after this.¡±


    ¡°Yes, your highness. For that to happen, the Grace Church that took care of me must first be supplemented with a sacred stone to re-establish a barrier for their safety.¡±


    That¡¯s where Chloe raised the issue of Priest Grace having not received any protection from the sacred church due to being expelled from it. The pope was considerably flustered, which is likely because the newspapers that Chaco Brown and her group had spread within the surroundings had a written article about it. Nevertheless, Prince Keith put on a fa?ade of surprise.


    ¡°His holiness, I do not wish to meddle with the affairs of something that happened several decades ago. But do you not think that perhaps, Lady Sereknight who had been banished, meeting Masrat Grace, was something that had been orchestrated by the heavens itself. I would even go as far as to say that their very meeting was what had prompted her towards reformation. If that were to be the case, I believe that it is only proper that Priest Grace¡¯s honor must be restored and for the kingdom to recognize his chapel that sat near an advanced level dungeon, as an official place of worship.¡±


    ¡°H-However¡­ the decree regarding the treatment of Masrat Grace is beyond my¡ª¡°


    ¡°Hmm? That¡¯s odd. I believe I recall you recognizing Priest Grace¡¯s charges to be false when my older brother, Leddorio had revealed the church¡¯s dark history. By the way, I happened to have this recording right here you see¡­¡±


    Yello had brought out the same magic brooch that had seen use thus far. The sacred church believes in the supremacy of the sacred mana and normally sees magic and magical items as heresy, but the revelation of the same item that had been used in Chloe¡¯s condemnation had turned the pope pale.


    On one hand, Chloe did not expect Leddorio¡¯s name to be brought up in these circumstances.


    ¡°Did his highness Leddorio make a move for Priest Grace¡¯s honor?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Although he always brings his foolishness with him as he chases after Lady Momo¡¯s tail, there are times where he does consider the well-being of the people. It¡¯s fair to say that while he is quite rotten, he is still a bonafide prince.¡±


    ¡®What did you mean by that!?¡¯


    ¡®How harsh, even though I complimented you.¡¯


    Prince Keith¡¯s bitter tongue which failed to absolve him of his previous ill words only made the face of Leddorio turn sour even more. In actuality, the prince was merely aiming to get permission to explore a dungeon with Momo from the pope that day and the aforementioned topic was just the suitable means to threaten, or in his words, to persuade. He had done nothing of the sort that deserves the lady¡¯s favorable impression. Still, he felt odd receiving the ladies¡¯ words of gratitude, although much of it might be due to Momo, who has been giving him the reproachful look the entire time.


    And with all of that, at the appearance of a rainbow above the royal castle, Chloe¡¯s absolution from her sins and Priest Grace¡¯s innocence, have both been officially recognized. Rather, there was no other choice than to do so thanks to the grand joyous cheers of the crowd.

 CH 70

    The Role of a Saintess


    ¡°Well, isn¡¯t that quite touching? After all, the earnest prayer of the lady who has repented for her sins has resulted in such a miracle.¡±


    Prince Keith said so with a triumphant face. Leddorio was just about to open his mouth to answer him but suddenly..


    ¡°What do you mean miracle? That¡¯s just a natural phenomenon, nothing more. That rainbow would¡¯ve still appeared on its own regardless of who was praying there at that time! You¡¯re all moved by such a banished sinner with just that.? That¡¯s strange! You¡¯re all acting strange!¡±


    ¡°Stop, Momo!¡±


    Momo, who was clearly in disarray, was about to charge right towards the 2nd prince, but Leddorio had stopped her thinking how that could¡¯ve turned out worse for her. Momo had always acted with huge disregard to social hierarchy not knowing any better, but even Darck was put off by her actions.


    But Prince Keith, as if expecting this to happen, only looked at her in disgust.


    ¡°Just so you know, rainbows hold a very significant meaning for the Coloflare Kingdom. They were the colors of the sacred power that the Saintess, the first, used when she purified the lands of the kingdom, as well as in sealing the witch. This is the reason why rainbows that appear during special days such as the Advent Festival are called the ¡°Blessings of the Saintess.¡± It¡¯s not as simple as something that can be singled out as an inevitable natural phenomenon or such scientific whatnots.¡±


    Momo¡¯s hot-headedness had seemingly vanished, and now look rather cold as the lady turned pale, much like the pope from earlier.


    ¡°Aristocrats? No, this is something that you would easily hear about even if you reside in the most secluded slums. After all, whenever the Sacred Church does a feeding program, they are always accompanied with tales about the saintess. Rather, you are the chosen saintess of this generation. You should have already known this by reading the ancient texts of the Sacred Church¡¯s index¡­, unless, you just arbitrarily went your way there.¡±


    Momo¡¯s body was trembling. Leddorio noticed that Keith¡¯s words were meant to torment her on purpose. Harming the saintess is tantamount to making enemies of the entire sacred church. However, based on what Leddorio saw in the footage, the Pope is now being led by the nose. The first prince put himself in front of the shivering lady and spread his arms wide, an attempt to shield her from further rebuke.


    ¡°Stop it already! Are you implying that Momo is just lying!? If that¡¯s the case, we would¡¯ve known about it immediately.¡±


    ¡°Well, she had not lied, yes. I confirmed that with the pope earlier, after all. But still, such words only come from nonbelievers, or at least, they are not the line of thought you¡¯d expect from someone who practiced asceticism ostentatiously. I¡¯m not saying that everyone is earnest in their belief in a transcended being, but people cling to their faith in hopes of salvation.


    Displaying absolute authority while providing the lies that the populace wants; that¡¯s the role of the Saintess.


    Now, to get back on the topic, you, despite being its duly appointed saintess, had just denied the miracle of the very saint that the church adheres to, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    Keith said. All smiles had disappeared from his face, and his eyes narrowed. He had such an overwhelming pressure that even Leddorio inadvertently stepped back. Momo¡¯s cold sweat had now fully revealed themselves; she looked as though she would faint at any moment.


    The one to break the tension in the atmosphere was Darck¡¯s words.


    ¡°Oh, the scene had changed. Look everyone!¡±


    As everyone turned their attention towards the mirror, the pressure that Keith had been emitting had vanished. Although Momo sat in resignation, she still couldn¡¯t focus at all due to the glare she felt behind her back.


    This time, Leddorio was now truly having second thoughts. Chloe, who had been appointed as a substitute for the festival, had shown to be such a devout adherent, and due to the miracle of the saintess, although he doubts that it was set up, had captured the hearts of the people.


    He had always thought that Momo was a deeply devout believer. That was exactly the reason why he believed that she had been chosen as the Saintess. However, he didn¡¯t expect that the lady would eventually come to deny the miracle of the first saintess as nothing but an inevitable natural phenomenon, herself.

 CH 71

    Canaria¡¯s Scheme


    The ceremonies were now over. Chloe, for the first time in a while, was now clad in a dress more suitable for social gatherings. By the time she arrived at the assembly, the sun had already hidden, and numerous dance melodies had come gone. The lady was wearing the brown wig she wore before, and Shin too was wearing his cognizance-interference bracelet. The aristocrats who do not attend the festival for the mass and holds a party of their own had yet to realize that the two of them are in the capital. That was when Keith, accompanied by his fianc¨¦e, Canaria, came to Chloe, to which she responded with an appropriate greeting.


    ¡°Your highness, Prince Keith, I am deeply grateful for your consideration of inviting me to this gathering.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t mind it. Today is the day of the advent, so you can stop with such stiff decorums. Anyway, I want to introduce my fiancee, is that okay?¡±


    ¡°Huh¡­.?¡±


    Chloe inclined her head in puzzlement to what the 2nd prince had said. Leddorio thought that the Ricum lady comes to visit when he and Chloe were still engaged, and there¡¯s no way the two have not met yet. Whichever the case, Keith only smiled at her gestures and beckoned Canaria to introduce herself.


    ¡°Well, I thought that this would be the first time that you will meet her.¡±


    ¡°It has been quite a while, Lady Sereknight. The brown hair suits you quite well if I may, and it¡¯s a pleasure to meet you, _______.¡±


    Canaria came close to Chloe¡¯s ears and whispered something to which her eyes widened in surprise. Her words didn¡¯t registered with Leddorio though.


    ¡°You too¡­!?¡±


    ¡°Yup. Honestly, I wanted to help you right away when you came to your senses¡­, but because I was in a different country, I couldn¡¯t just readily and easily intervene so I had asked for Sir Keith¡¯s assistance instead.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­ that makes a lot of sense. No wonder Prince Yello seemed a little different too.¡±


    ¡®What? I don¡¯t follow.¡¯


    ¡®Ladies have their own circumstances, brother.¡¯


    The prince was dying of curiosity to understand their vague conversation. He turned his glance towards Momo hoping that a lady like her could interpret for him, but she was immersed in her own world muttering, Her too? What is happening? Canaria is just a background character who doesn¡¯t even appear, and such things.


    He could hardly hear her words already but his instincts seemingly rejected to even attempt to understand the meaning behind them even more.


    The most mystery herself, Canaria, asked for both Keith and Chloe¡¯s permission to take Shin for a dance. Leddorio thought that perhaps the fact that Chloe was being observed through Shin was something that even the Ricum lady was aware and considerate of.


    ¡°Mr. Shin, could you please lend me some of your time after this? There¡¯s a person who would love to meet you..¡±


    ¡°¡­meet me, lady?¡±


    Canaria had a scheming smile on her face, clearly disregarding the young butler¡¯s bewilderment. Suddenly, right at the ending of the playing melody, the entire surrounding went uproar.


    ¡°It appears that someone fainted after drinking too much. Do not worry mister, there should be medic on standby to help him.  Now, while everyone¡¯s eyes are peeled off¡ª¡°


    Led on by Canaria, Shin who didn¡¯t have the slightest idea what was going on were taken towards a person who looked like an envoy from a foreign kingdom. A long beautifully flowing long hair and deep-colored pair of eyes; the sight of the person immediately made the young butler catch his breath.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter Canaria? It¡¯s quite unlike you to be in such a high spirit. But If I may, it would be better to keep your infidelity to a minimum, or Lord Keith will shed tears.¡±


    ¡°Goodness, your highness. This person is Chloe Sereknight¡¯s exclusive butler, you know? Now then, Shin, you may take the bracelet off.¡±


    ¡°Erm¡­ but.¡±


    ¡°It is fine.¡±


    ¡°I do not have a parent, sir. I had been abandoned in the slums as an infant, and it was Lady Chloe who picked me up. For now, as for convenience¡¯s sake, I have taken up the name of the House Sereknight¡¯s head butler.¡±


    ¡°Is that so¡­¡±


    The crown prince of the neighboring kingdom merely put his hands to caress Shin¡¯s head head leaving him unable to react to his profound gestures. After seemingly whispering something to Canaria, the crown prince had left the hall.


    It was just then when they met together with Chloe, who came to personally greet the king and the queen. Although informally, the royal couple apologized to the lady and looked rather thoroughly ashamed. Seeing his parents bow their heads towards Chloe because of his doing had turned Leddorio bright red in both disgrace and humiliation.


    Because of that, the outstanding revelation of Shin¡¯s identity had slipped past from his mind immediately.

 CH 72

    Return to Iris Mountain


    After doing all her necessary greetings, Chloe and Shin rode at the back of a dragon en route towards Iris Mountain. They also brought the sacred stone that the church had granted them with them.


    ¡°Are you sure about this? There¡¯s no need for you to spend time in the convent. There¡¯s hardly anyone that will condemn you for your sins save for brother Leddorio and his group.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not true, highness. Even the populace are watching over me in settling my responsibilities. Besides, I have already decided before that I shall be the one to settle the miasma problem within the mountain.¡±


    ¡°You sure are stubborn about this. Well, you may do whatever you please. Besides, the miasma doesn¡¯t seem to be the only thing you have set your eyes on anyway.¡±


    ¡°Y-Your highness!¡±


    With the beet red, Chloe, and heartily laughing Yello on its back, the dragon steadily flew and before long, arrived at Nansonia Mountain. They came across Locke and his party who were on their way towards the dungeon as well as the Grace couple and some of its patrons, who watched as the adventurers leave at the lodging¡¯s entrance.


    ¡°Sorry, Locke¡­ I went so far as asking for your help on something so troublesome, and yet I ended up relying upon Prince Yello in the end.¡±


    ¡°Stupid. An apology is the last thing you should be saying at times like this. Besides, it wouldn¡¯t hurt to have a spare sacred stone or two.¡±


    ¡°T¡­Thank you.¡±


    As Locke flicked her forehead, Chloe looks up to the adventurer with upturned eyes, to which he replied with a broad grin. They were able to obtain a magic crystal too so the conversation headed towards refining one into a sacred stone.  As all of them headed towards the Church, Dai, who didn¡¯t have the slightest idea what was happening, yelled from the furthest back.


    ¡°P-Prince Yello!? I just saw Chloe and Shin alighting from a dragon before¡­ just what is happening, sir? What about the observation?¡±


    ¡°Oh¨C Well, brother and the others were busy and didn¡¯t have time for it, so I was able to take Lady Chloe to the capital and return briefly. Rather, Dai, just how long do you plan on staying here? Are you still not satisfied with what you¡¯ve seen so far?¡±


    ¡°Not that sir¡­, it¡¯s just¡­ these guys are pretty cool soo¡­¡±


    Soon enough, the refining of the sacred stone inside the church has started. The sacred stone they got from the capital was put on the ground and used as a sample product. Surrounding it was several magic crystals that Locke¡¯s party was able to obtain from the dungeon.


    ¡°Chaco, sorry bout I gotta borrow your sacred power while refining this.¡±


    ¡°Alright, father. The barrier outside was nearing its limits too so I will erect one while we¡¯re at it.¡±


    Chloe nonchalantly said as she raised her hands towards the sky. Suddenly, the surrounding air resounded as if it was strung. The onlookers stared at the surrounding with surprise.


    ¡°You have gotten even better, milady.  But wouldn¡¯t you have to keep this up while using your sacred power in refining a sacred stone?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll just have to put up with it until we finish making one.¡±


    Replying with a smile to ease their worries, Chloe and Priest Grace have started their refinement work.


    Refining is done by the priest, or in this case priestess, and the specialist through charging up the magic crystals obtained from the dungeon with their sacred mana. As the two of them closed their eyes and put their hands on the magic crystals laid on an octagram, black sparkles of light have wrapped around their surroundings. Leddorio was familiar with this scenery. The same phenomenon happened when Chloe touched a magic crystal during the True Saintess trial which he witnessed. The colors of sacred mana are individually unique, and it doesn¡¯t have any significant meaning on its own. That being said, darkish-colored sacred mana could still affect a Saintess¡¯ image.


    As they charged the magic stone with sacred mana, they began to rose from the ground and started circling the surrounding of the two. At the clap of Priest Grace, the magic crystals crumbled to pieces and a dazzling stone revealed itself inside them which then fell to the ground.


    ¡°Well, we¡¯re done.¡±


    ¡°Good work mila..dy? Be careful!¡±


    Shin who called out to her caught Chloe who was about to faint to the ground.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine¡­ I just staggered a little.¡±


    ¡°You had just performed at the capital¡­ please do not push yourself so hard.¡±


    That was when the mistress who was held back from overlooking the transfer of the sacred stone comes to the church.


    ¡°Hey, Listen! We¡¯re having a feast to celebrate today so hurry up and eat before they get cold! And you, Chaco, you have already worked so hard so just leave all the clean up to my husband and rest for today already!¡±

 CH 73

    Clandestine Meeting


    The lodging-house has begun their feast celebrating Locke¡¯s party¡¯s successful gathering of the magic crystals. Dai got drank immediately and was naked down to the waist. He was having an arm wrestling with Sam while Kisara overlooked them with disdain. Because Chloe will be resting for the night and stayed inside her room, Shin had cut the footage there.


    The succeeding footage shown was Shin¡¯s lone conversation with the 2nd prince.


    ¡°Are you leaving now, sir?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I have things to do.¡±


    Prince Keith was affectionately caressing Citrin¡¯s head as he looked upwards. Leddorio thought that the unspecified things to do that he talked about was likely coming to his party to show these footages.


    ¡°Are you not taking Sir Dai along, highness?¡±


    ¡°Yup, he doesn¡¯t seem to feel like coming back anyway¡­ and from what I can see, he¡¯s fallen deep too.¡±


    ¡°Huh! ¡­. Do you mean to Kisara, sir!?¡±


    Shin momentarily wondered just who the prince was referring to but his voice croaked in surprise to his own conclusion. The footage recorded so far had only shown several scenes of the two quarrelling inside the bar. Leddorio also thought that Kisara does not fit Dai¡¯s preference of pure women that begets protection like Momo.


    ¡°A son of a general together with a maid from a different house? Not to mention, Kisara originated from the slums. I believe this would only create problems, sir.¡±


    ¡°Dai isn¡¯t the type of person to mind such things. I mean, even Momo was just a commoner before becoming the saintess. Besides, Dai really hates being bound by something. Even if they try to pressure him otherwise, he¡¯ll just end up leaving his house.¡±


    ¡°¡­.I see.¡±


    Leddorio thought that Shin must be having mixed feelings upon knowing that his former love rival have developed feelings for his close friend instead. On the otherhand, Prince Yello merely chuckled at the butler¡¯s fatigued voice and straddled at the back of Citrin.


    The two people in question was Chloe and Locke. They stood on a place considerably lit by the barrier¡¯s light and were having conversation. Shin operated the brooch in order to increase the recording volume.


    ¡°You should be resting a little more. You still look pale, you know?¡±


    ¡°I already recovered a considerable part of mana I used to erect the barrier, but thanks for worrying about¡­ someone like me.¡±


    Chloe meekly smiled towards him while Locke was scratching his cheek in embarrassment.


    ¡°I can help you get a carriage anytime but¡­ are you leaving soon?¡±


    ¡°Yes. That¡¯s the main reason why I left the capital after all. I¡¯ll leave right after I finish my preparations.¡±


    Chloe had left the procurement of carriage entirely to Locke. Leddorio thought that she will likely head towards the Nansonia convent in a day or two. As Locke¡¯s green unkempt hair was roused by the wind, his eyebrows lowered seemingly in regret.


    ¡°Knowing you, you¡¯ll probably get through it easily no matter how harsh. After that, when you come back to aristocracy¡­, although it might not be on the level of a prince, there¡¯s probably a high ranking noble fiancee waiting for you already¡­¡±


    ¡°I guess so.¡±


    Chloe answered with one word without so much a thought. Locke¡¯s eyes wavered but they still wondered elsewhere.


    ¡°If¡­ you were to lose your place again, just come back and be this bar¡¯s poster girl again.  I¡¯m sure boss and even mistress will always be here waiting.¡±


    ¡°Locke¡­.¡±


    Chloe and Locke¡¯s eyes met. Leddorio, who watched as the scene unfolded, couldn¡¯t figure out where the irritation he feels stems. It shouldn¡¯t matter to him whoever Chloe falls in love with. After all, they are no longer related to each other. Has the lady truly fallen in love with Locke? Did Chloe truly think of this boorish man better than him that she fell for him instead? As such similar thoughts began to surface in his mind, his irritation kept growing even more.


    ¡®Is my little sister¡­ thinking of discarding her status and following this adventurer instead?¡¯


    ¡®Who knows? However, the lady had been burdened by so much responsibilities thus far, and I¡¯m thinking of giving her more leniency after her atonement. I mean, she¡¯s still young so she should be allowed to experience love.¡¯


    ¡±I¡¯m still too young! Am I even not allowed to experience love before I end up being wed politically?¡±


    Suddenly, Leddorio remembered the complaint he had to Chloe regarding Momo. Normally he would be find odd how his little brother knew that, but he knew it¡¯s far too late for him to try figuring Keith out. All this time, the 2nd prince had been looking at the entirety of the picture, while him, on the other hand, averted his eyes away from many things, pretending not to notice.

 CH 74

    Momo¡¯s Determination


    ¡°Let¡¯s go inside. We¡¯ll catch cold if we keep staying here.¡±


    Locke said in a cheerful tone and turned towards the lodging house. He purposefully did so in order to drive away the sweet atmosphere surrounding them.


    As he walked towards the building, he dropped something towards the ground. It was something large enough to cover the upper half of a man¡¯s face; a white colored¡ª


    ¡°Locke, you dropped this. Uh, mask¡­¡±


    ¡°Huh¡­? Oh shi¡ª!!¡±


    As Chloe picked up the mask and handed it to him, Locke turned terribly flustered.


    ¡®That mask!!!¡¯


    This time it was Momo who reacted to the item that Locke had. Her eyes turned wide in surprise, and her body shivered as she fixedly stared at the mirror.


    ¡®Momo, what¡¯s the matter? What is that mask?¡¯


    ¡®No no, you have to be kidding¡­ When I first heard about it, I thought it was silly¡­ I mean¡­,¡¯


    Leddorio¡¯s considerate voice didn¡¯t even reach her. Unrelated to them, Locke who received the mask from Chloe merely scratched his head awkwardly.


    ¡°Did you find that Mask along with the magic crystals in the dungeon?¡±


    ¡°No, this was a family heirloom given to me by the House Glinda.  I didn¡¯t become an heir of the house but they gave this to me saying that if I wanted to become an adventurer, I might as well do it as a member of House Glinda instead¡­ You know about Corundum being the home of the dragons right? House Glinda apparently received a blessing from a legendary dragon, and this was the proof of that.¡±


    ¡°Mhm.¡±


    ¡°¡­.Well, I don¡¯t know if that¡¯s true or not though. I mean, it could be cursed for all I know.¡±


    ¡°This item is called Fairy¡¯s Mask, and it does have the blessing of some supernatural being. I cannot determine whether it was truly by a dragon or not at my level but¡­ it¡¯s not cursed so you can rest assured. Your agility will increase upon wearing it, and it also increases your jumping altitude. As it says in the name, this mask was a handicraft of a fairy. As a result, your hair will also be smooth, silky, and sparkly upon wearing it.¡±


    ¡°Buhahahahaha¡­., the heck is that? I don¡¯t need it!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t say that. How about you try it just once?¡±


    ¡°No, stop that.¡±


    Chloe jokingly closes into Locke trying to have him wear the mask. The two of them looked like two couples playing around from afar. Shin couldn¡¯t figure out whether he should just watch over them or come to interfere. The screen was shaking and Leddorio thought that perhaps the hesitation of Shin, who came to a halt, was the reason for it.


    On the other hand, Momo turned her gaze away from the two¡¯s reflection and was grumbling while vigorously scratching her head.


    ¡°No, this has to be a lie. I refuse to believe that a mob who stops appearing after the game¡¯s intro is the secret capture target. You have to be joking! Viscount Glinda was a dreamy gentleman with dazzling rainbow-colored hair and a pair of gentle emerald eyes. I mean who would believe that the mysterious hero who only thought of me and always comes to my aid when I¡¯m in pinch was this mob with ruffled darkish¡­ green? green¡­ ¡°


    ¡®We can just meet up with Dai in there. Sei? I don¡¯t care about him. I can clear the dungeon alone even without his help. Rather, I am going to, right now.¡¯


    Momo¡¯s gait staggered as she headed towards the room¡¯s door. Leddorio hurriedly caught her by the shoulders. He can clearly tell that Momo is not her usual self.


    ¡®Let go of me!!¡¯


    Leddorio felt his body numbing as if he was electrified, and was left astounded. He felt the sensation similar to the shock brought by the protection of a barrier put up by sacred magic. Momo turned her gaze on her hands and smiled in satisfaction.


    ¡®Look, I can use it well, can¡¯t I? This is sacred magic¡­ I mean, I¡¯m the chosen one after all. Not Chloe, Me! We might have had similar circumstances but you cannot possibly overturn the role of a villainess and heroine. Momo is the heroine, and Chloe is the Villainess. That is absolute!


    ¡­.Locke, you¡¯re quite cruel, aren¡¯t you? Why didn¡¯t you tell me you were Viscount Glinda? Why do you choose to get along with a witch when you already have me? Fufu, but I¡¯ll forgive you, Locke. You were just deceived, after all. Once I properly seal that witch, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll come to your senses.¡¯


    Suddenly, Leddorio¡¯s nerves turned cold. Momo, who had given up on the idea of leaving, giggled as she clung to the mirror. Leddorio and Darck were so utterly shocked by the terrific expressions she had that both of them couldn¡¯t even approach the lady.


    Prince Keith, undaunted, merely spoke as if he was stating the obvious.


    ¡°She¡¯s like a witch.¡±

 CH 75

    Darck Sereknight Part 1 : Siblings of Mutual Hate


    My name is Darck Sereknight. I am the eldest son of one of the Coloflare Kingdom¡¯s ministers, Duke Blakia Sereknight. However, because my mother is a mistress, I am merely adopted. Still, it is undeniable that I was born before the legitimate child of the house, Chloe, and after the duchess died, the Duke took my mother as his second wife. Chloe may perhaps see us as a pair of burglars who suddenly came and took her place from her which is understandable given the circumstances.


    However, that doesn¡¯t necessarily mean that we would curl ourselves up in shame, so I desperately worked hard in order to be deserving of being recognized as the son of the duke. I worked hard in both studies and military arts, most particularly, archery, which is a talent that is characteristic of the House Sereknight and has been passed down throughout generations. When it comes to the bow, not a single person can match my skills in the capital, something that has been praised by my father who called me his pride and joy.


    However, only when it comes to my relationship with Chloe do I stumbled. Whenever I failed in my efforts, Chloe always emphasize how it relates to me being a mere mistress¡¯ child. But whenever I succeeded, she still gave me a gaze full of disdain. At first, I tried to explain to her many times how I had been adopted and how my mother is now recognized as a full-fledged aristocrat but she replied with words of scorn such as, but you¡¯re still a mistress¡¯ son, right?, You¡¯re still a commoner-born regardless, among others. I gave up after growing tired of hearing such responses and besides, I do not want someone like her as my younger sister either.


    At any rate, Chloe just hated anything in the world that could be associated with me. The first of all being my mother, who, despite being already recognized as a legal wife, still endured the servant treatment from her, whom she also never called as a mother, not even once. I heard about that one day where my mother once made baked cookies for her, but Chloe merely gave them a fleeting gaze and threw them in the bin afterward. I fought the urge to hit her for that.


    Another case was the fiancee that had been decided as my future partner by the time I was born. She was from the Margrave House Whitey; a lady that is slightly older than me by the name of Shiela. However, she was a lady with a plumpy physique which earned Chloe¡¯s ire. She went as far as scornfully saying that having to welcome her to our proud house and call refer to her as sister-in-law in the future is one of her greatest shames. Although I was not especially fond of the lady,  on the contrary, I felt sympathy for Shiela for being forced to refer to someone like Chloe as ¡°sister-in-law¡± in the future.


    Even my tutor was not safe from the brunt of Chloe¡¯s attacks. She was Viscount Magenta, a wise and gentle lady who always carried a pleasant fragrance around her. She had always persevered in strongly encouraging me to have confidence in myself and at times, even embraced me in comfort. Although her efforts in trying to mend my relationship with Chloe were unnecessary, her gentleness that brought to such meddlesome actions is something I cannot truly hate. However, Chloe, merely spat at her, calling her revolting, and she always made sure to intrude and bother us on the times of Viscountess¡¯ Magenta¡¯s visits.


    I remember one time where the Viscountess handed me perfume to give to Chloe as a present. Chloe was mourning the death of her pet at that time, and the Viscountess thought this could be the ideal time to repair our relationship. I told her that it may be too early for her to receive a perfume because she was still young but the viscountess said that ladies of her age are finding ways to stand out from others so I took the gift, not able to refuse any longer. Although I do not believe that this would end our disagreements, the perfume was the same kind that the viscountess used, so I thought of taking it instead if Chloe did not like it. However, Chloe¡¯s actions was far beyond my expectations.


    ¡°Disgusting!!¡±


    Chloe threw the perfume bottle out of the carriage window towards a riverside that goes through the slums. I was initially thinking of handing it to her by the time we got home but because she noticed the smell and asked me about it, I told her that Viscountess Magenta gave it to me to hand over to her. I thought that she would just flatly refuse, even refusing to touch it but her unexpected reaction made me flare up in anger and knocked her down. Ignoring Chloe who cried, as a result, I told the coachman to stop the carriage and forcibly dragged her out.


    ¡°Milord!?¡±


    ¡°Give the bin back.¡±


    ¡°What are you saying? It had already sunk to the bottom of the river!!¡±


    ¡°Then you¡¯ll have to pick it all up, glass fragments and all. Wouldn¡¯t those be dangerous for people who will be crossing that river?¡±


    ¡°I refuse. Why would I go to such a filthy river that no sane person would even use?¡±


    I slapped her the second time to which she cried loudly, and while she was throwing a fit, I returned to the carriage and left her behind. I told the coachman who timidly awaited orders that he should ignore her and leave, then called out to the butler head who was standing right beside Chloe.


    ¡°Purpleton, you may leave too.¡±


    ¡°Please go ahead, milord. I will be waiting here beside milady.¡±


    The head butler told the coachman to report to my father what had transpired here. She took Chloe with him and headed towards the river afterwards. After going home, I was hit by my father multiple times and was told to return to my room and reflect on my actions. I appealed to him about Chloe¡¯s high-handedness but I do not know for sure if he listened. In the end, my tutor, Viscountess Magenta was replaced by another one.


    Later that day, it appears that Chloe inquired to father as to what kind of place was the slums and joined him in his inspections. She returned with a shabby-looking child who was older than me and called himself Shin. Upon being educated by the head butler, he was soon attached to Chloe as his personal butler. I felt pity for him for having to attend to my selfish younger sister¡¯s whims. A little later after that, some employees who also originated from the slum area had been attached to me too. There were three of them and one was a woman. I was specially instructed to not tell Chloe anything about them and I relished the thought of holding on to a secret that was purposely hidden from her but because the three of them would have to train for self-defense, they hardly returned to the mansion and barely had time to interact with me.


    I felt pity for him for having to attend to my selfish younger sister¡¯s whims.


    Still, it is undeniable that I was born before the legitimate child of the house, Chloe, and after the duchess died, the Duke took my

 CH 76

    Darck Sereknight Part 2 ¨C Familiar Fragrance


    Anyhow, Chloe was just stubbornly competitive and rivaled me in many things not limited to studies alone. She also took up archery and learned at the same time as me, but because her feminine and lighter physique was making it hard for her, there were many times she lost her patience with it. As a result, she received a modified lightweight crossbow instead. She was likely driven by her pride, not wanting to get behind a mere mistress¡¯ child. This is probably why she was so delighted in being recognized as the temporary saintess and becoming the crown prince¡¯s fiancee.


    She always blabbermouthed about all the things that his highness, Leddorio did, even though I never asked her about it. She also made sure to decorate herself from head to two when it comes to social parties and when the pet he had given to her as a present had died, she was severely depressed that she lost all appetite. I found it strange how a fiancee that was merely arranged for her would make so much energetic. However, I knew that his highness was slowly getting tired of her prideful boasts as well as her malicious gossips regarding other people. This is highly evident as the prince would always leave each party without sparing a glance at her when his social duties are over. Not to mention, all the presents he received from her were handed to his associate, Sei, for him to handle instead. She doesn¡¯t even realize that the more she sticks to his highness like glue, the further the crown prince¡¯s heart distances from her. Still, I thought that she was merely reaping what she sewed and felt satisfied thanks to all my past grudges against her.


    Soon after Chloe enrolled in the royal academy, they managed to find another saintess candidate. She was a commoner-born lady called Momo, who was highly oblivious to the rules of the noble society, earning her the animosity of many people, but her unfaltering boldness and carefree attitude brought with her fresh winds to such a closed and strict community as the royal academy which also increased her devotees all the same. Before long, even his highness, Leddorio, had taken interest in her which naturally earned the jealousy of my younger sister. Not only did I became the receiving end of Chloe¡¯s endless complaints and disparagements of the lady called Momo, I was also made to taste the burnt confectionaries that she made in opposition to her, and forced to escort her to the parties that the prince had stood her up.


    Although I was pulled into something so troublesome, I couldn¡¯t help but sympathize with the prince¡¯s feelings. Even if she matches him in social pedigree, nobody would ever want to get married to a lady with such a crude heart. Even I thought that if I¡¯m going to have a sister, I¡¯d rather have someone like Lady Momo instead. I didn¡¯t wish to be born as a noble¡¯s mistress¡¯ child.


    ¡°So you were that Momo Palette. My sister must have been quite bothersome.¡±


    One day, I called out to Lady Momo myself. I apologized for the things that Chloe had done but she humbly told me that I had nothing to apologize for. I noticed an academy textbook with its pages torn to shreds to where she stood. Just from that, I immediately knew who the ringleader was. By the next day, I turned over the textbook I used last year to Momo for her own to use instead.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for the trouble, sir¡­¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t use that anymore anyway, and you can just consider this as an atonement for the troubles that my sister has caused.¡±


    Although Lady Momo was feeling ashamed at first, she later received it and profusely bowed her head before walking away. On the next day, she gave me wrappings with cookies inside them as gratitude. They must¡¯ve been the baked confectionaries that Chloe was trying to match. Upon taking a bite on one of them, although they were much simpler in taste, they were far superior to the cookies that my younger sister made me taste.


    ¡°I initially thought that Sir Darck was a far scarier person.¡±


    From then on, I began to talk to Momo more and more to clean up after the things that Chloe had done. As I was sharing my share of grievances about Chloe, I soon revealed the circumstances of my birth to her as well.


    ¡°I do not think of Sir Darck as repulsive at all. No one in this world can choose the circumstances that they would be born into.¡±


    ¡°Still, it is true that I had intruded in her rightful place.¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, it should be your father who was the main cause of all this that Lady Chloe should object to! It¡¯s unfair to vent all her frustrations to her brother who had no choice about this.¡±


    Lady Momo is truly someone who does not know what she should fear. However, because she said the words that I hid deep within my heart, I felt lighter afterwards. As I pleasantly gazed at her who kept voicing all sorts of complaints, she gave me a surprised look afterwards and took something out of her own pocket.


    ¡°By the way, I remembered that today is Sir Darck¡¯s birthday so I prepared a gift.¡±


    ¡°Hmm? Have I told you about it before?¡±


    ¡°No, sir. Uhm, I heard Lady Chloe talking about it. She said that because Sir Darck hated having birthday parties, he had them stop preparing one.¡±


    To be precise, what I hated was the fact that Chloe would always throw a tantrum whenever I hold my own party and ask for her own to be much grander. I just had them stop preparing one instead to save me the trouble. For that woman, this is the day of the child born out of his father¡¯s mistress, a rather unpleasant day. Although my house was held back, I still felt happy about my friends who would greet me without minding such circumstances.


    ¡°This is¡­.. a perfume?¡±


    ¡°I found it on a shop and wanted Sir Darck to see it. It would be great if it matches your liking, sir.¡±


    It was a woman¡¯s perfume but the bottle¡¯s elaborate design was familiar. The ducal house had received gifts such as s and perfumes that will not be opened and only serves as interior design. I thought of using the bottle in the same way but decided to try smelling the fragrance. The distinct sweet smell that it emitted was far lighter than I thought but its gentle fragrance was oddly calming. I knew this smell. It was the smell that I had always yearned for and will never forget. It was the same perfume that Viscountess Magenta had used. I remember sparingly telling Momo about her while I was sharing my grievances but I am sure that I didn¡¯t tell her about her fragrance. There¡¯s no way Lady Momo would know that beforehand.


    (Is this, coincidence?)


    As I was surrounded by such a nostalgic smell, I saw the lady leaving with such an enigmatic smile. She was like a younger sister but felt much more precious than my actual one. When she told me how she was an only child and how she felt envious of Chloe who had an older brother like me, I felt so ecstatic. However, later on, I came to realize that it wasn¡¯t enough. I wanted to spend all my days with her by my side. I want her to greet me on all my upcoming birthdays. I wanted her to look at me as a man.   Before I realized it, my affection for lady Momo grew more and had far surpassed that of a sibling one.


    I wanted her to look at me as a man.

 CH 77

    After Chloe had been condemned and banished, the talks about House Sereknight adopting Momo into the family had resurfaced. After returning to the house, I immediately went to father to talk about it, but he responded with a grim-looking face. Which was understandable given that all the desperate efforts that he had spent into making his daughter the next queen, as well as Chloe¡¯s foolish endeavors, herself, all amounted to nothing. Still, the Ducal House should regain its stability after welcoming Momo as its own.


    The only thing on my mind is that, by doing that, the two of us will become officially siblings. Of course, that still feels like a dream come true, but now I¡¯m having second thoughts after realizing my true feelings.


    ¡°Be glad, mother. That evil witch has been banished from the capital.¡±


    Walking along the premises of the house knowing that you have gotten read of its most annoying nuisance truly gives a refreshing feeling. I approached my mother Clara, who despite having become the duchess, is still baking cookies in the kitchen on her own accord. My mother only gave me a fleeting gaze and immediately turned her attention towards the oven.


    ¡°Are you so elated in driving your younger sister away?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean, mother? The only sister I recognize is the one that is about to come to this house. I¡¯m sure mother would also¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s enough!¡±


    My mother struck the table interrupting me mid-sentence. Why does she have such a melancholic expression despite being on the receiving end of Chloe¡¯s ill words and harsh treatments? Why won¡¯t she celebrate with me in driving her away?


    ¡°Lady Yona had asked me to take care of Lady Chloe before she passed. Now I don¡¯t have any face to show her and neither to her highness, the queen.¡±


    Lady Yona was Chloe¡¯s mother and father¡¯s previous wife. As her words implied, Lady Yona¡¯s house had taken guardianship of her when she was determined to be accepted as the second wife allowing her to become a full-fledged aristocrat. But they should¡¯ve not had a single interaction, so I¡¯m sure she was just using her name. Still, why would the queen be brought up? When I asked her, my mother only said that she is not permitted to talk about it until permitted by the queen herself.


    Still, didn¡¯t Lady Yona and my mother had a bad relationship?  As I was flustered by my mother¡¯s lamentation, I noticed and pointed to her that the cookies had been burnt, which she took out of the oven in a rough manner.


    ¡°Now that it has come to this, we have no choice but to take Miss Momo in. That lady is a victim, in a way too. But Darck, I¡¯m begging you, please do not do anything foolish too.¡±


    ¡°Of course not, mother. I¡¯m not as foolish as Chloe.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m talking about his highness, Leddorio.¡±


    My mother¡¯s words unnecessarily implied that his highness is a fool. Flustered, I took a glance within our surroundings to make sure no one had heard her. She may be my mother and the current duchess, but her words were too foul. As I was about to complain to her about it, my mother merely pushed the burnt cookies towards me which was puzzling.


    ¡°Mother, please stop. These are no longer edible.¡±


    ¡°You were able to eat Lady Chloe¡¯s baking, didn¡¯t you? You should be fine. After all, I was the one who taught her.¡±


    My hands that were about to shove away the plates immediately stopped. What did she just say just now? Did she just say that Chloe studied baking from her? That cannot possibly be right. Chloe despises the two of us.


    ¡°Indeed, our relationship was far from that of a daughter and a mother, but although she was rather difficult to understand, I know that our relationship had slightly changed over time. Lady Chloe is awkward with her feelings. As she fought with the fear of having her place stolen away by these sudden home invaders, she still tried to communicate with us in her own way. At that time when his highness Leddorio was deeply engrossed with Miss Momo, Lady Chloe approached me to help her in making the prince turn her way. She told me that she wanted to make better cookies than her.¡±


    Chloe? The same ever-arrogant Chloe who never acknowledged mother? The motive might¡¯ve been questionable, but that same Chloe relied on mother of her own accord? No way, Chloe said at that time that she had learned how to bake from a maid. Perhaps from her perspective, she only did it not as a pupil who bows asking for tutelage but rather as a mistress who asks for her employer¡¯s aid. Regardless, I cannot just put a blind eye to all things she had done.


    During our observation conference, I spoke bitterly of Chloe as I watched over her circumstances. All of which, is just my way of venting my annoyance. I do not wish for a younger sister at all. In truth, I did not want to have Momo as my younger sister either. Judging from my mother¡¯s circumstances, it¡¯s likely that she¡¯ll get ostracized within the ducal house too. I must protect her from that.


    As I pondered about that, I was notified that a letter from Lady Shiela of House Whitey arrived. She said that she had found the book she was looking for and will send it over. Although she wasn¡¯t a bad marriage partner, just seeing her favorable attitude makes me feel painful guilt. I¡¯m being unfaithful despite having a fiancee.  Although I¡¯m aware that the marriage between his highness Leddorio and Momo is emphasized, she had yet to specifically pick a partner among us. This makes it hard to give up on my feelings. I cannot be having an engagement with another lady while being burdened by such thoughts.  With that in mind, I took a single page out and wrote a response to Lady Shiela.


    After that, it brought forth so many problems that I was entrusted to General Shogun¡¯s house and was put under immense reformation as result. The waves of problem that it caused had soon reached his highness Leddorio too, robbing him of his succession right. He spat his grievances lumping me in the same category as Chloe. However, I can no longer see Lady Momo as a sister. No, it was impossible to do so from the very beginning. Even if I have to compete with his highness himself, I can never throw these feelings away.


    However, I was told to take responsibility for my actions. Margrave Whitey had also let everything slide which allowed the engagement to continue in the end.


    After that, Momo spoke about the possibility of Chloe becoming a witch which made sense to me. As per her wishes, we had to spend our days honing our skills by capturing intermediate dungeons.


    Then suddenly, one day, I was contacted by Margrave Whitey to secretly come to their manor.


    But one day, I was contacted by Margrave Whitey to secretly come to

 CH 78

    On that exact day, I stormed towards the reception hall and met Margrave Whitey and his daughter Shiela, whom I both have not met in several days. Shiela was looking as healthy as ever and yet still looked considerably worn out. Although it made me feel even guiltier knowing what I have done recently, I thought that it would be more unfortunate to put a lady with a good disposition as Shiela, through a loveless marriage.


    ¡°Excuse me, lord¡­.¡±


    ¡°Do not talk yet. We do not know who is listening¡­. do it Shiela.¡±


    ¡°Yes, father.¡±


    As instructed by her father, Shiela puts up a barrier around the room. It wasn¡¯t made out of sacred mana but rather that of a magic stone. House Whitey¡¯s domain is the only one that specializes in the magic within the entire Coloflare Kingdom. Their fief provides the know-how in using magic as well as creating magic tools to its people. Hence, this degree of use should be a trivial thing for the daughter of the house.


    ¡°Now then, it seems to me that you might end up wreaking havoc again adducing your philosophies on love as a reason. Even the Saintess is just a human who makes misjudgments. Don¡¯t you think that putting a stop to such mistakes would show her your love the most?¡±


    ¡°W-Wreacking havoc!? Not at all, sir! If we leave such a witch alone, it would put the kingdom at great risk! Which is exactly why Momo will¡­¡±


    ¡°You fool! Have you forgotten that the lady you call as a witch is your one and only younger sister!?¡±


    ¡°M-My younger sister is Momo and no one else. As long as my beloved adorable sister remains by my side, I do not need anything else. I will not love anyone else¡­¡±


    Margrave Whitey deeply sighs, while Shiela only kept her eyes on me, listening to my words without saying anything. Behind her was a similar mirror to the one installed in Prince Leddorio¡¯s room, which reflected both her back figure and my pale face. Margrave Whitey crumpled his eyebrows for a moment, and after seemingly coming to a decision, he spoke again.


    ¡°For goodness sake, you have never even met him, yet, you spoke the same words nevertheless¡­ The blood never lies; you are very much like your father.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    I was not able to comprehend what he was talking about immediately. My father was none other than Blackia Sereknight, and my mother was a former maid of the house. I was born from the two of them¡­; was I?


    ¡°Your true father was Blackia¡¯s older brother, Volk, whom despite having a fianc¨¦e, laid his hand on a maid. He frequently visited his fiancee¡¯s house in order to apologize and plead for the cancellation of his engagement. The noble house that was subjected to shame protested to the House Sereknight and asked for them to take him home. That¡¯s when Heath, who was coincidentally visited the House Sereknight, said that he would take Volk¡¯s fiancee for his own and suggested that the two were to be forgiven. Of course, he promised that marriage filled with love to Volk¡¯s fiancee.


    This incident had been discussed by House Whitey and House Sereknight with the royal family several times. Although the matrimony with the margrave house was beneficial to the royal family due to their advancements in the field of magic, it elicited the ire of the sacred church at the same time. Still, as the influence of diplomacy is growing stronger, there was a need to reform the views of the kingdom on magic. That¡¯s when Heath proposed conditions to wipe the incident regarding Volk¡¯s engagement clean, and for his new marriage to be allowed. When Volk becomes the lord of the house, his child that was about to be born shall be wed to either the royal family or the margrave house depending on its gender. If the baby born was a boy, it shall be wed to the House Whitey; if it was a girl, it shall be wed to his son, instead.


    Volk, who was overjoyed by this, head off to hold the ceremonies with Clara immediately. But on that day, the weather was rough enough to hamper the visibility the surroundings. He was told to give it a rest because the road was too muddy but he brushed them off and still drove a carriage himself leading to an accident that resulted in his death. Just as rash as he ever was, he bequeathed his lover and the son she carried and passed away. Considering the end result, perhaps his younger brother becoming the lord of the house was better for the benefit of the ducal house and the country itself in the end.¡±


    As the Margrave said that, he placed a single picture on the table. It was the picture of the Margrave in his youth, my father, a man who looked just like me¡­.and, his majesty!?


    ¡°Uhm¡­ about what Lord Margrave said about House Whitey discussing with the royal family, the person called Heath who kept on resurfacing earlier, and Volk¡¯s fiancee. Do you mean¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. We are all in the same academic year and we looked for a private place to spend our time. As you may have surmised, Heath is his majesty himself, Flareon Heath Coloflare, and the fiancee I was referring to was my younger sister, the queen herself, Neju Whitey Coloflare.¡±


    Whaat!?


    So father was actually my uncle and my real father had rejected his engagement and laid his hands on a maid!? So my engagement with Shiela was the consequences of that. If that¡¯s the case, then was his highness Leddorio and Chloe¡¯s engagement also the same thing? All these sudden revelations are coming one after another that I can¡¯t even follow them all. All the times I had spent studying was of no help at all.


    All I understood is that my father was unthinkably stupid, and as if having passed it on me, I ended up doing something similar to him. I can¡¯t believe it¡­


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, why did father took my mother as his mistress? Because of that, we shrunk to ourselves in shame.¡±


    ¡°I also think that Blackia¡¯s methods were poorly done. That man is quite obstinate so he is rather overly fixated on many things. He may have thought that the one who should be inheriting the house should carry the eldest son, Volk¡¯s blood. He consulted that with his wife Yona and thus took you as his son; all to ensure that you¡¯ll be the one to inherit the house.


    The one who suggested that Blackia should marry Clara and take her as his second wife was Lady Yona herself. She always had a weak body and she knew that she would not live that long. Still, she pitied Clara¡¯s circumstances, likely considered preventing the mother to be separated from her own child. For that, she even went to her own house and begged them to take guardianship of Clara after her death. Of course, she must be having complicated feelings regarding all of these circumstances. After all, she had also failed to conceive a son, and considering Volk¡¯s former fiancee, the current queen, who gave two healthy sons, she likely feared that Chloe might end up taking all the brunt of that blame after her death.¡±


    We were not father and son; that was far shocking than the circumstances of my birth being more than just a mere mistress¡¯ son. Father took the two of us, not out of love, but out of responsibilities¡­ I understood why the queen must¡¯ve thought that it was not the time to reveal all of this. Having only recently graduated and becoming full-fledged adults; our heads would be too cramped with many things. I cannot see a younger child receiving such an outlandish story well either.


    Still, I do know that my father had raised me as his own son. He had always told me that I will be the one to succeed the house, putting his actual daughter on the side. The gratitude and responsibility out of that is something I must never forget.


    ¡°Are you satisfied?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­ But, still, a sinful existence such as mine does not fit Lady Shiela. She should be wed to someone much more¡­¡±


    I was about to agree to Margrave¡¯s word but changed my mind. Even if this is a promise between my real father and them, I still disagree with sacrificing a lady¡¯s life in order to cover up for a man¡¯s foolish actions. Margrave who heard that only muttered, good grief, and placed his hand on his daughter¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°I can¡¯t do anything further than this. Accompany him as much as you want.¡±


    ¡°Yes, father.¡±


    And so the Margrave left the room, leaving the two of us.

 CH 79

    Darck Sereknight Part 5 ¨C Her Actual Appearance


    ¡°Would you like me to refill your tea, sir?¡±


    Shiela leisurely refills the tea container with a pot of hot water. Watching her lengthy side profile could be describe as soothing. Although, I do not specifically think of Shiela as anything other than being my fianc¨¦e but, I¡¯m always reminded by Chloe¡¯s severe remarks which makes me feel shameful to her.


    ¡°I apologize, Shiela, for going through all of this because of my family¡¯s selfishness¡­, You do not really need to sacrifice your own life and happiness just to abide by their arrangements. There¡¯s no merit whatsoever in marrying me. Not only do I have the blood of such a troublesome man flowing in my veins, but I¡¯m also a mere mistress¡¯ child; And more than anything, I¡¯m also that Chloe¡¯s older brother. I¡¯m sure you have been also hurt by her plenty.¡±


    Shiela has always made sure to match my preference. Whether her hobbies, her preference for tea, and everything else. This personality of hers, along with her thoughtfulness, manifests themselves even in our letter correspondence. I thought that we could¡¯ve been good friends; which is exactly why I didn¡¯t want to hurt her.


    ¡°I do not mind them, sir.¡±


    ¡°¡­.huh?¡±


    ¡°I do look like this after all, so did I expect Lady Chloe to treat me in that manner. I was merely told things I expected to hear so they do not bother me in the least, sir. Rather, wasn¡¯t it Sir Darck who felt hurt by them, instead?¡±


    ¡°¡­.¡±


    Shiela drank the tea without sugar or any sort of condiment. The smile on her face remained still. She then took a single cookie out of the two pieces in her cake platter. We have been in this room for quite some time now, which made me wonder whether that would be enough for her. In comparison, I have as many as ten of them in my platter¨CNo, this is not the time to look away from reality.


    ¡°That may have been true. I¡¯m just way too tired of having Chloe hurt the people I cared about. I¡¯d rather stay alone than cause those ladies sorrow. It¡¯s just Momo who I¡­¡±


    ¡°You said ¡®those¡¯, sir. Does this mean there are others than your mother?¡±


    Shiela interrupted me right after I mentioned Momo¡¯s name and put her attention to other things instead. I felt my old wounds reopening. It was the bitter memories that solidified my antagonism towards Chloe.


    ¡°Y-Yeah¡­ although she is no longer with the ducal house, when I was ten years old, Viscountess Majenta was hired as my tutor. Chloe who didn¡¯t like the idea of that drove her away.¡±


    ¡°Sir Darck, were you not aware of what became of the Viscountess?¡±


    After I talked about the person who could be said to be my first love, Shiela profoundly replied instead. What became of her? Does she know something about her too?


    ¡°¡­.No, I figured that she returned to the House Majenta.¡±


    ¡°¡­She had been divorced right after she was fired from your house, sir. As of this moment, she is still spending her days in the Nansonia Convent.¡±


    ¡°Huh¡­What!?¡±


    My blood rose to my head and I reflexively stood up. That Chloe; she event went that far!? Although being sent to the same place was her just desserts, Chloe¡¯s severe cruelty made my blood boil.


    ¡°Why is she in that place!? Just what was the viscountess sent there for?¡±


    ¡°Her ladyship has tutored more prior to her commitment to the House Sereknight. It is said that she had forced obscene conducts to the youths previously under her tutelage.¡±


    Shiela calmly replied to my sudden outburst. It felt as though time itself had stopped¡­, nay, it was so unexpected that it halted my thinking for a moment. What was she saying? She forcefully performed obscenities? And with juveniles? I can¡¯t believe it. That¡¯s impossible!


    ¡°Do not insult the Viscountess! She did nothing of sort to me at all!¡±


    ¡°Is that really true, sir? Does nothing of sort come to mind? Not a single skin contact? Not a kiss, nor even a hug?¡±


    ¡°I¡­.¡±


    ¡°I remember your birthday two years prior, sir. The letter you sent to me had a very strange fragrance to it so I had it investigated. We found a component of a drug that is prone to cause dependency. Although the timing is mismatched and she may no longer be responsible this time, it is said that Viscountess Magenta was also caught using perfumes laced with narcotics in order to make young individuals do her bidding.¡±


    ¡°Narcotics!?¡±


    No way¡­ the gentle viscountess..? That can¡¯t be! Wait, if that¡¯s the case, then how did Momo obtain that perfume? She gave that to me on my birthday saying that she found it in one of the stores in the capital¡­


    ¡°So that was the case. I cannot tell its effects for certain, but I believe it would be better to have its contents investigated to be sure. I shall report this matter to my aunt, so could sir Darck please hand the perfume over to me? I do not recommend its continued use, sir.¡±


    ¡°¡­.Alright.¡±


    As Shiela gave me a look of concern, my reflection in the mirror could only pathetically nod to her in agreement. The precious memories I held unto crumbled apart only leaving me disturbed. After giving it a second thought, much of the Viscountess¡¯ approaches do bear a semblance of being suggestive. Although they were salvation for someone like me, who felt isolated, I may have been almost dragged to such a dangerous place unaware of the nature of her actions.


    Now it¡¯s clear to me why Chloe gave the viscountess such a disgusted look.


    ¡°Lady Chloe tried to protect you in her own way, sir.¡±


    ¡°A parasite like me who stole her rightful place?¡±


    ¡°That does not change the fact that you are her only older brother.¡±


    Her one and only brother, huh? That¡¯s true. By consanguinity, she may be my cousin, but we have become siblings now. She may be awkward, ill-tempered, and impatient. Not to mention, she also had quite a terrible mouth to hers. Still, does that provide reason enough to seal her as a witch? The two of us merely failed to see eye-to-eye as siblings. Would it really be fine to seal her and never ever meet her again without even giving both of us a chance to talk it out?


    ¡°Did Chloe really become a witch? I find it hard to believe that Momo would lie but¡­ I just¡­ don¡¯t know what to believe in anymore.¡±


    ¡°I believe you are fine as is, sir. As long as you have ¡°noticed¡± something, I¡¯m sure that would eventually lead to a change.¡±


    After saying that, Shiela took the remaining cookie out of her platter and washed them down with tea, then she stood up carrying the emptied kettle saying that she will get some hot water.


    ¡°I am the same as your sister, sir. Although my engagement with you was also brought by my parents, the desire to protect and support you was of my own volition. I merely did what I wanted to do, in my own way.¡±


    ¡°Why would someone as blessed as you go as far for someone like me¡­, is it out of sympathy?¡±


    ¡°No, it was out of interest, sir. I thought that I wanted to get to know you better. Although I may know your circumstances through reading information about you, only you alone know what burdens your heart. That¡¯s why I tried to think of a way for me to understand your pain¨C so I chose to bear my own little wounds, just so I would understand what such pain truly feels like.¡±


    Sheila turned her back at me as she said such vague words. For a moment, her front appearance flashed within the mirror¡¯s reflection.


    ¡°Huh!?¡±


    What was that just now? Shiela was the queen¡¯s niece and is the close cousin of both his highnesses, Leddorio and Yello. I always thought that she resembled the two of them but¡­ the lady reflected in the mirror was entirely unknown to me. She looked like a graceful princess who was as white as the snows themselves. The fianc¨¦e I had was a pitiful girl most described by others as shameful due to her outward appearance.


    What did she say earlier? She bore herself her own wound just so she could understand mine?


    Wait, this is House Whitey, a territory classified as a magic specialization zone and Shiela was the daughter of the lord of the house. Using magic on herself should be trivial for her even without the use of magical tools. That¡¯s right, she can use them with ease, even something like say¨C a perception interference magic.


    ¡°What the hell. I was also a fool all along. I was blind to it all.¡±


    My whole body trembled with intense self-mockery. At any rate, I knew what I had to do. When things are properly settled, I need to talk not only with Chloe but with that lady too


    MV: I re-edited the previous two chapters and made some slight corrections which are slight misunderstandings due to terms I¡¯m not familiar with. (My lack of interest in the character is also partly to blame.) At any rate,  I apologize for such mistakes. Please give them a re-read if it¡¯s to your liking.


    This is the final part of Darck¡¯s Povs.

 CH 80

    Three days have passed since Chloe and Shin had left the lodging house. To chase after them, it will still take several more days coming from House Whitey. By the time Momo had caught up to them, they would¡¯ve already arrived at the convent.


    ¡°Are you really chasing after Chloe?¡±


    ¡°That is wrong sir. The Chloe you see is just an empty vessel now. The witch that is controlling that body is within the advanced level dungeon. Although, I¡¯m worried considering she holds Sir Shin hostage, surely her reign towards that body will be gone after we defeat her there.¡±


    Momo explains Chloe¡¯s situation as though it was already an established fact, this, however, doesn¡¯t sit perfectly with Leddorio and the others. They thought that an existence such as a witch should be far more sinister. Although, if she raised this issue before the condemnation, they would¡¯ve likely believed her flatly.


    ¡°¡­.Hmm?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Darck?¡±


    ¡°Nothing, highness¡­¡±


    As Momo distanced herself from the mirror, Darck felt like he had seen a dark shadow floating across, which made him rub his eyes in doubt.


    ¡°Whichever the case, what¡¯s certain is that we need to get there as fast as possible. Keith, we¡¯ll be borrowing Citrin.¡±


    ¡°Why? I won¡¯t lend him though.¡±


    If they rode a flying dragon, a week of travel should end in just one flight. Considering that, Leddorio hoped to borrow the dragon of his younger brother but because he was immediately refused, he scowled at him.


    ¡°Were you not even listening? This is an emergency!¡±


    ¡°Does brother even understand what it means to challenge the dungeon of your own accord? What if you needlessly provoke the dungeon and the monsters overflow to the outside? It would be even worse if there¡¯s a witch which would¡¯ve required an army. Besides, aren¡¯t you hated by Citrin? How are you supposed to ride him?¡±


    Keith argues, looking at him like he was a fool. He wanted to yell at him for it, but he knew that his brother was right and couldn¡¯t find the words to respond. In actuality, he immediately requested the dispatch of troops after hearing about the witch from Momo, but the king refused him citing the need for the festival¡¯s security as the main reason. But more than anything, the ¡°witch¡± that they were referring to was already in the capital at that time.


    ¡°We don¡¯t need it, sir.¡±


    As he grits his teeth in frustration, Momo came in front of him. Her face was devoid of expression. It looked as though all the irritation, bewilderment, and everything else she had expressed that day were all blown out of the picture.


    ¡°A saintess¡­ A ¡®true saintess¡¯ would have no need to rely on other countries¡¯ cryptids for transportation. It¡¯s just that, I may need everyone support though¡­¡±


    ¡°Is that true, Momo? Then how?¡±


    ¡°By using this, sir.¡±


    Saying that she took out four pieces of fluffy feathers of different colors; red, blue, orange, black, and purple.


    ¡°What are those feathers?¡±


    ¡°These are the proofs of our friendship. Does everyone remember the moment where all your troubles were resolved?¡±


    Leddorio recalled that moment. It was that time where he met Momo and got fascinated by her. Before he even realized it, he had revealed to her the contents of his own heart. He wished to remain by her side forever and resolved himself to protect her. At that exact moment, he saw a single feather falling from the sky out of nowhere. He thought, it was merely brought out by his delusion, but it appears that Momo held on to it, waiting for this moment all this time.

 CH 81

    Leaving their lodging house, Momo carved something on the ground using a fallen tree branch. First was the outer circle, then it was followed by a star inside which completes the pentagram magic circle. She placed each feather at each point of the star that meets the circle.


    ¡°In the name of the Saintess, show us the way. Shine like the sun, Fill like the sea, Burn as the fire, Sink as the Darkness, and Encroach as the Poison¡­ With all these five souls, heed my call.¡±


    The crystal ball inside the magical circle starts floating as Momo invokes her spell. It wasn¡¯t a sacred spell but a summoning incantation. A saintess¡¯ occupation is more closely leaning towards that of a priest, and it¡¯s rare for them to use magic of different fields at the same time. Leddorio wondered why Momo had to do just that.


    ¡°Looks like there¡¯s some sort of secret behind those feathers. There¡¯s a depiction in which the Saintess, the first, appears to have used common magic, which was the Sacred Bird Summoning. Miss Momo may be amplifying her magic with the aid of magic crystal but, as rotten as she is, she is still a saintess, I guess.¡±

 CH 82

    Spreading its wings, the sacred bird pierces through the night sky like a blazing meteor. Its destination was the Iris Mountains.  It was crossing a distance faster than what should¡¯ve taken a week, which naturally, puts a lot of burden on those who ride it. Sure enough, Leddorio desperately clung to the bird to trying to not get shaken off. Albeit, with a lot of struggle, he was able to reach where Momo was soon enough. Her pink hair fluttering in the winds was more dazzling than usual, thanks to the light that the scared bird gives off, but Leddorio knew that this was not the time to be entranced.


    ¡°Mo¡­Momo. Are you¡­ alright?¡±


    ¡°I should be the one asking Sir Benny. Please do not look below.¡±


    Her words made him reflexively look under which he immediately regretted. The world around him was spinning.


    ¡°Buh¡­.¡±


    ¡°Jeez, I told you, sir. It will take a little more time so please bear with it until then. If sir were to release his lunch here, it would put your good looks to shame. That would put me off, you know?¡±


    ¡°Guh¡­¡±


    He wanted to put his hands to seal his mouth and prevent him from spilling but if he let go of them, he might end up falling. The first prince chose to brush his face to the body of the bird instead, and desperately bear his sickness.


    (What¡­ Has Momo always been the kind of girl to say these kinds of things? I am well aware of her unreserved speaking from the start. That¡¯s what attracted me in the first place. It should, still now¡­)


    He was trying to persuade himself, but he knew that this reasoning had already broken down. The current Momo is now expressionless, indifferent, and was a lady of no emotions at all. She was far from the girl he knew whose smile was warm, gentle and made him feel at peace. Leddorio began to wonder just when it started. When did this lady in front of him start changing?


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Before we arrive there, should we continue from earlier for refreshment?¡±


    ¡°¡­what?¡±


    The lady who smiled as she presented him the crystal ball was back to the usual Momo. Leddorio had hoped so much for that smile to return earlier but for some reason, he could feel nothing but unease.


    ¡°The observation, sir, although, she is not ¡°Chloe¡± anymore. During her denunciation, you used the magical brooch on a crystal ball to show everyone the evidence of her harassment. We may not have a mirror but it should still be possible to hear them with this.¡±


    As his hand hovered to the brooch, the prince hesitated to even touch it. He felt as though something is resounding within his head. Whether this was just brought by the rough wind due to their speed, or his brain trying to warn him of something on its own, the first prince couldn¡¯t tell for sure.


    ¡°Sir Benny.¡±


    Momo called out to him once more. It resounded like a gentle rebuke of a mother to her son who committed a childish blunder.  Suddenly, the ringing in his head stopped at once. He felt ashamed of himself for even thinking of doubting Momo a moment ago.


    (What kind of foolishness am I even thinking? Momo is the ¡°True Saintess¡±. Didn¡¯t I swore to myself to believe in her no matter what?)


    The prince buried all of his unease thus far within himself. He took off the brooch in one hand and handed it over to Momo for her to use.

 CH 83

    On the morning of her day of departure, Chloe was lamenting her farewell with the people of the lodging house. Lucky¡¯s party, like Shin, will all join her as her personal escort. Dai, too, likely because of Kisara, was trying to come with them but was flatly refused.


    ¡°I believe that Sir Dai should return to the capital for now. His highness and Miss Momo might be worried.¡±


    ¡°But¡­ it was finally starting to get more interesting being here.¡±


    ¡°Does sir Dai even remember for what reason he came here? If that¡¯s what you want then sir should stay here for now because Miss Momo will likely come here soon.¡±


    Chloe said, seemingly having seen through Momo and Leddorio¡¯s motives. But in actuality, she likely guessed that the Sacred Church should be sending the Momo there soon based on how the miasma had thickened but, Leddorio felt her timing too spectacular to brush off. Contrary to his surprise, however, Momo remained calm as usual.


    ¡®Fufu¡­ so she knew. She really was the same.¡¯


    ¡®Hm? What do you mean, Momo?¡¯


    ¡®Nothing, sir¡­ I¡¯m thinking that perhaps the witch inside the dungeon was able to feel the presence of the Saintess.¡¯


    Leddorio remembered the ancient book saying that the witch was formerly a saintess too which is perhaps the reason why she would be able to sense Momo coming. Still, no matter how descriptive it was written, it was still a book of ages. He wondered just where Momo¡¯s conviction is coming from. Was this perhaps, due to one of her abilities as a Saintess too? Leddorio¡¯s train of thought was suddenly cut off by the sound of Chloe¡¯s voice calling out to Locke.


    ¡°Locke, what do you plan to do from now on¡­.?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m thinking of returning to the Corundum Kingdom. I already know Momo¡¯s circumstances anyway.¡±|


    ¡°Don¡¯t you want to meet her?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ she did seem well off according to Dai. Although I feel happy for her, being engaged with a prince and all but, I still need to sort my feelings out before I meet her.¡±


    Locke said while having a complicated look on his face. Although he had a good ambiance when with Chloe, Leddorio thought that perhaps, his feelings for Momo were more special. Suddenly, the prince felt like he heard a low voice saying, ¡®Fufu¡­ Locke, I won¡¯t let you get away, you know?¡¯, but he brushed it off thinking that the wind is just making him hear things.


    ¡°Locke, I am grateful for having met you. I will treasure all of the moments of the days I spent here.¡±


    ¡°What, you¡¯re exaggerating¡­ but I feel the same, Chaco.¡±


    ¡°I guess I don¡¯t really need to use that false name anymore, do I? Hey, would you mind, calling me by my real name for the last time?¡±


    Chloe was acting nonchalant as she said that but, her voice was slightly trembling. Her last wish; a mix of both sugary sweetness and loneliness. Chloe made a slight moan. Locke caressed her head roughly, her hair now disheveled and all over the place.


    ¡°Bye¡­ Chloe.¡±


    The moment Locke said that Leddorio¡¯s vision was filled with red. At the same time, he heard a screeching sound as the sacred bird bellowed loud. Momo turned around, looking at him, annoyed.


    ¡®Sir Benny, please do not pluck off its feathers.¡¯


    ¡®Oh¡­ sorry about that.¡¯


    It was subconscious. Leddorio apologize, caressing the area where he plucked the feathers off. However, he felt as though he saw the color of Momo¡¯s eyes blood red. Was it just his imagination? He wasn¡¯t sure.

 CH 84

    The sacred bird that Leddorio and Momo rode on circled around the skies of Iris Mountain. Below them, Grace Lodging House that Chloe and Shin spend their days in was visible.


    ¡°We¡¯ll be entering the advanced level dungeon like this.¡±


    ¡°Without any sort of preparations at all!? Shouldn¡¯t we drop by the lodging house first? You might even meet Locke there.¡±


    He was feeling conflicted about it but Leddorio thought that she may give it a second thought upon mentioning Locke so he did. However, Momo merely chuckled, looking down on the mountain¡¯s summit.


    ¡°I don¡¯t need to meet him now, sir. More than that, I need to do something about the witch first.¡±


    Momo was hell-bent on exploring the dungeon even if she had to do it alone as if she was being spurred into it by something. Leddorio grasped his fists tightly. He couldn¡¯t get a clue what was going on with her mind but, the lady¡¯s protection rests on him. After all, her powers may seem to have returned but it didn¡¯t change the fact that she is a frail lady.


    After getting off the sacred bird, they came towards the dungeon¡¯s entrance. As Momo was about to put her first step into the dungeon, countless soldiers from the surrounding came rushing towards them.


    ¡°Please wait, Prince Leddorio! Lady Saintess!¡±


    ¡°How are you guy here? Where did you come from?¡±


    ¡°We came here right after the Advent Festival to protect this place under Prince Yello¡¯s orders. We were told that there¡¯s a possibility that monsters could leak out of the dungeon at any given time. There are also priest on standby, sir.¡±


    (What? Father said that the kingdom didn¡¯t have any soldiers to spare¡­ Damn you, Keith.)


    The situation was already developing unbeknownst to him. Leddorio grits his teeth realizing that nothing was expected of him. While they were talking, Momo dispelled the barrier and kept on advancing towards the inner depths of the dungeon without even looking back.


    ¡°Momo, wait! You, go to the Grace Lodging House and tell Dai about all this immediately. Put up a new barrier too. You got that!?¡±


    ¡°Your highness, you must have your escorts¡­¡±


    ¡°Hmph, I bet that Keith, the rascal, wouldn¡¯t think much of sacrificing me to the dungeon. He likely can¡¯t afford to lose even a single more soldier now. At any rate, Momo¡¯s in danger so I need to follow her immediately.¡±


    Leddorio inadvertently spoke in a sulky tone. The soldier had a sullen and his eyebrows knitted, then he took a pouch from his waist and handed it over to the prince.


    ¡°If his highness will it, but at the very least, please take items with you, sir. We will be following you soon.¡±


    ¡°¡­Sorry.¡±


    Yello was the crown prince now and no longer him. Still, Leddorio lamented on failing to take his position into account. Due to Yello¡¯s reports on his course of action, countless soldiers and priests are now on standby at the mouth of a dungeon. Guessing that Dai would take more time before arriving here, the prince spoke;


    ¡°I won¡¯t be able to catch up to Momo if I keep waiting here for more. All of you must join up with Dai.¡±


    Having been blessed by a priest with a divine spell, Leddorio entered the dungeon. He couldn¡¯t allow Momo to enter such a dangerous place alone.


    Something about it makes him uneasy.

 CH 85

    Leddorio walks onwards within the darkness of the cave fully relying on a lantern for illumination. He wanted to use an illumination spell but he want to conserve magical power to use for marking magic for tracking of those who followed suit, as well for attack spells of later use.


    He was using a magic item, ¡®Child Dragon¡¯s Eyes¡¯, in order to track Momo through her magical power. It was an extremely rare item that he got from the kingdom¡¯s treasury, which eclipses the detection of a normal magic stone by a remarkable margin. It was also because of this item that Citrin hated him.


    Although Momo¡¯s sacred mana was said to be on the decline, her magical power is unmistakably increasing. It was to the point that she might as well name herself as a magician rather than a priestess. Even so, the powers that Momo had regained were still different from that of common magic. Sacred magic is just a generic term for the blessings gained from a supernatural being such as a god.


    (So the question lies in who¡¯s blessing it was but¡ª)


    ¡®Still, there¡¯s hardly any presence of monsters at all.¡¯


    As he followed Momo¡¯s footsteps, the prince wandered from a cave of mud walls to a hall of checkered patterned walls. Opening a door leads to a room that looked exactly the same and if he wasn¡¯t following Momo¡¯s magical powers, he would¡¯ve unmistakably lost himself within the dungeon and never be able to leave. He thought that Locke¡¯s description of being inside the belly of a monster was an apt description for the place.


    Still, the prince hasn¡¯t encountered a single monster thus far. He considered that perhaps it was because Momo was purifying them on the way. They had a difficult time in the intermediate dungeons so he couldn¡¯t make sense as to why Momo was suddenly capable on her own within an advanced one. He could chalk it up as her having awakened as the real saintess but, remembering her facial expression dismisses that idea for him. On the contrary, the way she looked and the expressions on her face was just like¡ª


    ¡°She¡¯s like a witch.¡±


    ¡®What the hell am I thinking!? That can¡¯t be possible!¡±


    Leddorio desperately shook the words of his younger brother from his head. There¡¯s no way the same lady, who embraced him upon realizing his burden and solitude, would be a witch. As the prince told himself that, Leddorio remembered Momo during his first meeting with her.


    It was the day of the school entrance ceremony. He saw a lady sprawled under the shade of the tree, barefooted, and decided to approach her to call her out on it. That was how it all started.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I was lost so I was waiting for someone to pass by but, it felt so great so I ended up falling asleep.¡±


    Chloe knit her eyebrows saying that she was disgraceful, but Leddorio felt envious of her uninhibited behavior. From then on, the lady started greeting Leddorio whenever they meet without any concern. At first, he was merely replying to her apathetically but before he even knew it, he began to greet her himself. After revealing to her the depths of his heart that he kept from everyone else, Leddorio began to realize that he had already given her his heart.


    ¡°Sir must have been alone pouring all his effort all this time. Your efforts shouldn¡¯t be disregarded as ¡®something to be expected¡¯, sir! Having no one to understand you like that; normally, you would¡¯ve been lonely and in pain. That¡¯s just unbearable!¡±


    ¡°Sir must have truly wanted to get along with his younger brother, doesn¡¯t he? After all, he¡¯s such a smart and gentle younger brother who thought of his brother well. If I am sir, I would¡¯ve been proud of him.¡±


    ¡°I was just thinking that being a prince was actually far more serious than everyone else think. You¡¯re not even allowed to be with the one you love¡­ But sir said that we¡¯re all equals while we are still at the academy before, right? Right now, I feel¡­ the same way too.¡±


    (Momo¡­ You are not a witch at all. Just like this lantern that illuminates the caverns of this cave, you gave light to my heart. You have given me salvation.)


    The magical power detected by the magic tool was getting closer and closer. Leddorio noticed the miasma growing thicker as he advanced and somehow managed to fight the dizziness caused by it. He stopped at the place that indicated Momo¡¯s location. Now at the final door, what lay behind was what seemed like a limestone cavern. The prince could see magic crystals from one place to another. He figured that perhaps this was the place that Locke and his party arrived at.


    He can hear Momo¡¯s voice coming from deep within. As he ran in the direction of the source, he saw Momo alone in a place surrounded by even more magic crystal, seemingly speaking to something else.


    He called out to her but there was no response. Getting closer, he was finally able to see what lay in front of the lady.


    It was a large crystal¨C and a lady was encased, trapped within.

 CH 86

    The lady encased within the crystal had long glossy black hair just like Chloe. Her mesmerizing eyes were sealed by her eyelids and she looked as though she was merely sleeping. Leddorio felt like it would be too hasty to conclude her death because the lady looked like she could wake up at any moment.


    ¡®M-Momo¡­ who is she?¡¯


    As Leddorio called upon her once more with a shaky voice, Momo finally turned her attention to him. She gave him a dazzling smile just as she used to before.


    ¡®It¡¯s Saintess Yolda, sir¡¯


    A saintess? Leddorio found it puzzling why a saintess would be in such a state, or which generation of Saintess was the lady in the first place? At the very least, Leddorio was sure that she couldn¡¯t be his ancestor, Saintess, the first. After all, the first Saintess was welcome by the royal family as a queen.


    (Wait, didn¡¯t Momo said before that the Witch was in the dungeon? If the first witch was formerly a Saintess, then this woman named Yolda is¡ª)


    ¡®It was you wasn¡¯t it? The one who has been calling me all this time.¡¯


    Leddorio¡¯s train of thought was interrupted by Momo¡¯s monologue. She approached the lady encased in eyes and talked once more.


    ¡®Could you please stop with the silent treatment already? The ¡°True Saintess¡±, No, The True Heroine herself, Momo, went so far just come here.¡¯


    ¡®Heroine¡­.?¡¯


    Leddorio reacted to the word that didn¡¯t make sense to him. Momo gave him a side glance momentarily, but her gaze return to the crystal almost immediately.


    ¡®There¡¯s a lot of things I want to ask you, you know? For one, why didn¡¯t Chloe become a witch? She should¡¯ve been soiled by those bandits and sink into despair, making her succumb to curses and hatred. That¡¯s where you¡¯re supposed to lend her a hand, right?¡¯


    ¡®What did you just say¡­!!?¡¯


    Leddorio¡¯s voice leaked out after hearing something he couldn¡¯t possibly let slide. According to Momo, Chloe¡¯s downfall towards witchery will start after getting assaulted by mountain bandits. However, that premise was already foiled, since Shin and Chloe were able to repel those bandits successfully.


    ¡®If Chloe doesn¡¯t become a witch. Locke¡ª Count Glinda wouldn¡¯t have any opportunities to save me. Now the scenario¡¯s gotten all messed up. In the first place, aren¡¯t you frustrated at all? The Kingdom had thrown you away and sealed you in such a place and your hated Cherrie Blossom, is now being esteemed highly so much. They¡¯ve turned you into some kind of villain while she was enjoying her happy ending with the prince and even hailed as the Saintess.


    Isn¡¯t that frustrating!? After all, when Chloe became a witch, that¡¯s exactly what you said. If that¡¯s the case, then stop sleeping so comfortably in such a place and make that villainess a witch already, Yolda Moon!¡¯


    Momo ranted as she kept striking the crystal. Leddorio who has been dumbfounded thus far came to his senses and held her back from both arms. Striking the crystal had made her adorably small hands turn red.


    ¡®Stop it! Isn¡¯t she the ancient witch!? What are you gonna do if the seal were to break apart?¡¯


    ¡®But Chloe; she¡¯s the one at fault here! She¡¯s supposed to be the villain and yet she hasn¡¯t even come here! She won¡¯t become a witch so I didn¡¯t have a choice but to help her become one.¡¯


    ¡®Didn¡¯t you said that she had already been controlled by the witch? That¡¯s what you said before, right? You¡¯re speaking as if¡ª you want her to become a witch, yourself.¡¯


    The end of his sentence was said in a lower volume. Leddorio just didn¡¯t want to believe it. He doesn¡¯t want to believe that Momo would say such things. Momo was the kind of lady to feel sadness for the sufferings of others. She wasn¡¯t the kind of person to wish misfortune to her rival.


    As Leddorio looked at her with a pleading gaze hoping she reaffirms that belief, Momo¡¯s mouth warped around the edge. With her back against the crystal and a devilish smile on her face, Momo turned her gaze towards the heavens.


    ¡®Well, I¡¯m the heroine and she¡¯s the villainess after all.¡¯

 CH 87

    ¡®We¡¯re just like the first generation of Saintesses. Two saints fighting for the love of the lone prince. The winner is the saint and the loser becomes the witch. Quite easy to understand, right? It¡¯s just that, in my case, my victory was already guaranteed. Chloe would certainly be condemned, and I will seal her away with the power of the love of the prince who chose me. It was that kind of game.¡¯


    His brain understand her words but refuses to make sense of them.


    (What the hell is this woman saying? Game? Our meeting, saving me, enduring all those torments; Are all those things, just some kind of game to her?)


    The more he grits his teeth to the unfolding truth, the more his head turns cold. What the hell has he been doing all this time? What True Saintess? He just found Chloe so irritating that he had forced his pure lady ideals on Momo, who looked to be his former fiancee¡¯s total opposite. Now, many men had been captivated by her, and he had lost the throne succession. What a laughable story. It¡¯s so ridiculous that he couldn¡¯t even laugh. In fact, he couldn¡¯t feel anything, not even anger.


    ¡®If that¡¯s the case¡­ You wench had Chloe, no, all of us completely fooled.¡¯


    ¡®Don¡¯t make me the bad guy so suddenly. She had indeed harassed me, you know? Even you, know that, don¡¯t you? It may be her role but the deeds of women who¡¯ve gone mad due to jealousy are pretty nasty stuff, aren¡¯t they? Every time I see her downfall, I just think that it serves her right.¡¯


    Momo¡¯s words just didn¡¯t make sense to Leddorio. The downfall that she spoke about should only refer to Chloe¡¯s condemnation. However, Momo talked as if she had seen her downfall numerous times. Still, those kinds of things do not matter to Leddorio anymore.


    ¡®You talked about a prince choosing you earlier, right? That doesn¡¯t refer to me, does it? As I thought, you really liked Locke, huh?¡¯


    He put his hands on his sword so that he could brandish it at any moment. Leddorio already knows that he was used, but he still doesn¡¯t know Momo¡¯s motives. She was way too friendly with everyone for her aim to become a queen, just like Saintess, the first. Including Leddorio, everyone had stopped at becoming ¡® a good friend¡¯ to her. However, his probing had only made the lady¡¯s face warped in displeasure.


    ¡®You¡¯ve gotta be joking. I don¡¯t like him, he¡¯s not even a good-looking man.¡¯


    But, or so Leddorio tried to argue back, but his words were overwhelmed by surprise. Momo¡¯s eyes had turned pure red. It was a sickening hue much unlike the redness in his eyes. As the ¡°Child Dragon¡¯s eyes¡± detected her magical power rising giving out a warning sound, Momo merely emitted a smile.


    ¡®Now, these idle talks stops here. Wake up, Witch Yolda. Rise and devour the soul of your only ally, Chloe Sereknight!¡¯


    ¡®Stop, Momo!!¡¯


    ¡®I will show you all just who the saintess, the true heroine here is!¡¯


    The surrounding magic crystal reacted to her voice, giving out red brilliance. Then, a cracking sound reverberated, which after a moment, was followed by the crystal completely shattering into pieces.

 CH 88

    ¡®¡ªSir, Sir Benny! Please open your eyes!!¡¯


    When he came to his senses, Dai helped Leddorio to get up. The prince guessed that the reason her cheeks hurt so much was likely because Dai hit him considerably strongly to wake him up. The prince thought that he went too far, regardless of how close the two of them are.


    ¡®¡­What happened?¡¯


    ¡®That¡¯s something for me to ask, sir.¡¯


    He lost consciousness. It was likely that Dai and the knight order used the magical markings that he left behind on their tracks to come here. However, the scene that unfolded in front of them was far too hellish.


    The whole cavern was covered by hair as black as Chloe¡¯s, which wriggled around as though they were living things. The knights who somehow managed to move forward were bound by them, unable to move.


    At the centermost of the area was a black-haired woman with red eyes letting out high-pitched laughter.


    ¡®What is that, sir? What kind of monster is that?¡¯


    ¡®That¡¯s Momo.¡¯


    ¡®Huh?¡¯


    Dai turned his glance from Momo to Leddorio with such a look of disbelief on his face. The prince felt the same way. They were not surprised by the fact that they were manipulated. After all, both of them knew that women are more or less calculating beings. What they found unbelievable was how a Saintess formally recognized by the Sacred Church had become a witch.


    (¡­No, Momo said it herself that a Saintess¡¯ can become a witch. Although she was referring to Chloe and not herself.)


    ¡®She¡­ was the witch all this time. Momo broke the seal of the ancient witch, Yolda, and became like that afterward.¡¯


    ¡®Oh¡­¡¯


    Dai looked to be surprised but didn¡¯t seem as hurt as the prince thought he would be. He felt as though the son of the general was expecting this to happen.


    ¡®You don¡¯t seem as shocked. The woman you love had become such a monster.¡¯


    ¡®Well, I did say that frail woman that makes one want to protect them are my type. But even my mother, who was said to be a meek lady, now reigns over my father. Even elder sis, who¡¯s strong enough to punch me around, was a goddess from her fiancee¡¯s perspective. I guess if you truly love someone, you ¡®oughta embrace her everything, including becoming a witch.¡¯


    Dai was speaking as though he had just come up with that realization. This was coming from a man who didn¡¯t find any interest in anything that wouldn¡¯t fill his stomach like love before he met Momo. Leddorio thought that he suddenly matured so much after coming to the lodging house and meeting Chloe.


    ¡®¡­So you say that, but your true reason you¡¯re not as concerned is that you turned to Kisara now.¡¯


    ¡®Well¡­ ahahaha~¡¯


    Dai embarrassingly scratched his head having been found out. Just some time ago, he was much like Leddorio and Dai; worshipping Momo like she was an angel. The prince felt aggravating how he went ahead and got his own happiness.


    (I hope you get dumped, you damn traitor!)


    The prince hatefully glared at him but, Dai didn¡¯t pay him any mind and merely ascertained their current situation.


    ¡®This place is out of reach of those hairs but, we have to do something about those if we want to move closer.¡¯


    Dai pointed towards the knights who were fighting the oncoming assault of black hair. The hairs that had been cut dissolve into miasma, spreading within the surrounding. The places teeming with miasma give birth to monsters and interferes with the knights who were trying to fight the witch.


    Some of them fell to the miasma, some were captured by the hair, while others sustain injuries in their battle with the newly born monsters. If this keeps up, they face the danger of total annihilation.


    (Was it, my fault¡­? Because I was not able to discern things well enough? Of all things, I was pushing the actual witch as the ¡°real saintess?¡±)


    Leddorio stands up, grasping the handle of his sword tightly. He couldn¡¯t afford to let their selfish whims of the past cause more casualties. However, as Leddorio determined himself to go towards Momo, Dai hurriedly stopped him in his tracks.


    ¡®Where are you going, sir? If Sir Benny dies, what do you think would happen to our country?¡¯


    ¡®There is still Keith. You know him, he probably has some sort of plan in place considering he let this happen.¡¯


    ¡®If that¡¯s the case, that¡¯s all the more reason for us not to die here. If I let you die in vain, my father would kill me afterwards.¡¯


    ¡®Let me go! I have to settle this with Momo! If I don¡¯t stop her myself¡ª¡®


    The prince was reaching his hand towards Momo as he was being restrained. He finally understands what Chloe meant by ¡®settlement¡¯ in spite of being forgiven. His desire for punishment will not stop even if the god themselves forgives him.


    (I didn¡¯t expect that there would come a day where I agree with her. Chloe, I don¡¯t know whether I¡¯ll make it out of this alive, but if I do, let me bow my head in apology to you even at least once.)


    Leddorio freed himself from Dai¡¯s grasp and charged forward, readying his sword with a self-deprecating smile on his face. He was able to mow down the crowd of monsters in a flash for a moment but was immediately bound by the wriggling black hairs from all limbs.


    When he thought that he had done everything he could, he was suddenly thrown away and fell to the ground. There was no single monster, nor a spec of black hair to assault him. At the corner of his vision, the only thing he saw was Dai, hurriedly rushing to his aide.


    ¡®Who¡­?¡¯

 CH 89

    The one who protected Leddorio from Momo and the monster¡¯s assault was a man who wielded dual blades. His smooth rainbow-colored hair rustled with the wind, while the white mask he wore concealed his identity.


    (No¡­ who is he really?)


    While Leddorio was taken aback by the mysterious man¡¯s sudden appearance, Dai cut through the pursuing black hairs and caught up to him. He recognized the man confronting the witch.


    ¡®So you came, Locke.¡¯


    ¡®Wha- Who¡¯s that? I do not go by that name. I am none other than the knight of the Corundum Kingdom, Count Glinda.¡¯


    The flustered man tried to gloss it over but unfortunately for him, Dai was a person who cannot read the mood.


    ¡®What¡¯s with that weird tone? Also, don¡¯t you only wear that mask when there are strong opponents you wouldn¡¯t be able to beat, normally? Besides, look¡ª¡°


    Dai¡¯s finger pointed towards a large red dog mowing down monsters as it slips through the gaps of the hair; the monster called Garm.


    ¡®¡ªisn¡¯t that your pet, Melamphus?¡¯


    ¡®Oh jeez, damn it all!¡¯


    Locke¡­, or Count Glinda, as he called himself, crumpled his own hair but they immediately returned to how silky they once were. Leddorio thought this straight and silky hair does give a different impression compared to Locke¡¯s usual unkempt hair.


    ¡®Even though I went out of my way coming here like this because Momo and the Prince Leddorio was here¡­ All of that for nothing.¡¯


    ¡®So you are Locke? Why bother hiding your identity?¡¯


    As Leddorio rose and stood up, he called out to Locke in a slightly thorny tone. Leddorio already knew his circumstances. He also knew the ability of the mask through the footage that he watched observing Chloe, but he chose to pretend not to know.


    ¡®Why you say¡­ You and Momo are already engaged. It would be a little bad for a childhood friend to just suddenly pop up out of nowhere, right?¡¯


    Leddorio thought that he was being too self-conscious initially but, Momo was attracted to Locke in that appearance. On the contrary, if Locke suddenly appeared like a normal childhood friend without minding too much to change his appearance, the prince thought it wouldn¡¯t have caused any problem.


    ¡®We are not engaged yet, and I lost the throne because of that. Momo didn¡¯t particularly favor anyone¡­either, and in the end, she became a witch so¡­, it¡¯s a whole mess.¡¯


    ¡®What?¡¯


    Locke examined the witch. A lady in the midst of the sea of hair and ridiculing laugh of monsters. The prince thought that the young man likely didn¡¯t expect that she was the same childhood friend that he had always yearned for.


    ¡°Locke¡­..¡±


    ¡®Ugh.¡¯


    An ominous voice invaded and suddenly reverberated within his mind making Locke stop his ears.


    ¡®You¡­. are you Momo?¡¯


    ¡®That¡¯s right, I¡¯m your mooost beloved childhood friend that you always yearned for. And yet, you just easily forgive Chloe, the one who tormented me and even fell for her. Aren¡¯t you cruel? Why didn¡¯t you tell me beforehand that the House Glinda have adopted you?¡¯


    ¡®Who fell for who? I know that she had done terrible things to you. But she was already condemned by this prince, not to mention, Chloe has already reflected enough. That¡¯s why I even helped her to go to the convent to atone for her sins, didn¡¯t I?¡¯


    Locke was evading the assaulting hair and cutting them down at outstanding speed while he argued with Momo at the same time. He far exceeded the spawning rate of the monsters and before long, was able to clean them all up without leaving a single one behind. Of course, he also had the help of Melamphus, Leddorio, Dai, and the knight order.


    ¡®How naive! Locke is too naive on Chloe, even though she¡¯s my enemy! If it¡¯s Count Glinda, he would mercilessly cut the witch down without hesitation for the sake of me, his beloved. I knew it! There¡¯s no way Locke was the count! Someone like you who gets easily deceived by Villainess? This is exactly why mob characters are not popular. Count Glinda was far good-looking than Leddorio and the others, and he¡¯s the hero that I deserve!¡¯


    As Momo spat her complaints, more atrocious monsters spawn each time she crumples her own hair. Leddorio turned his gaze towards Locke. He was paralyzed by the assault of her selfishly assumed rebuttals. Although Leddorio didn¡¯t have a good impression of Locke due to being Momo¡¯s childhood friend and receiving Chloe¡¯s favor, he felt slightly sympathetic toward him having realized Momo¡¯s real self.


    But before, Locke gripped the handle of the sword that he was about to let go of once again.


    ¡®¡­Then let me ask you the same. Can you really say that you¡¯re Momo?¡¯

 CH 90

    ¡®What¡­ are you trying to say? Of course, I¡¯m Momo.¡¯


    Momo shook her head seemingly finding Locke¡¯s question unbelievable. Leddorio couldn¡¯t blame Locke though. The Momo in front of him now had blood-red pair of eyes that gave of fiery brilliance. Her now black hair, spread around wriggling from one place to another. She looked totally different from the lady with the fluffy pink hair and dazzling eyes that she was before.


    However, Locke¡¯s question had a different meaning to what the prince was thinking.


    ¡®The body was Momo¡¯s, that¡¯s for sure. How about this? Do you remember the time we snitched food, got found out, and were grounded for it? You tried to go outside through the window, climbed down the tree, and slipped, right? If I hadn¡¯t saved you from the fall back then, you would¡¯ve ended up pretty badly.¡¯


    ¡®W-What about that?¡¯


    ¡®There are also times where you saved me instead. Like that time where I ate too much of Himemomo flower¡¯s berries and nearly died so you nursed me for three days and nights. You said that its flowers have a small content of toxins, so you got angry at me for making you worry. You ignored me for a while because of that but you immediately forgave me when I apologized.¡¯


    ¡®Huh? Himemomo flower? That¡¯s the ingredient that raises favorability rat¡ª *cough¡¯


    ¡®¡ªStill, I am older and I was a pretty good older brother at that, wasn¡¯t I? When you were still five, we used to sleep together and there were times that you were too scared to go to the toilet alone so I had to come with you¡­ Right, there were also times where I had to take the blame for your bed wett¡ª¡®


    Seething in rage at Locke who has seemingly entered an endless talk about childhood nostalgia, Momo tried to attack her with her hair. Naturally, Locke was able to avoid them without so much effort. Momo¡¯s facial countenance turned from lifeless into beet red.


    ¡®How could you talk about things like that with Count Glinda¡¯s appearance!? I have already forgotten those kinds of things!!¡¯


    ¡®Mhm¡­ ¡°Forgotten¡±, huh?¡¯


    Locke¡¯s emerald eyes narrowed behind his mask. Momo flinched like a rabbit being stared down by a snake. Leddorio thought that she must have never received such a cold stare from her childhood friend. She fumbled her mouth trying to make excuses.


    ¡®W-Well¡­ that¡¯s waay back during childhood after all. I would have naturally forgotten about those things. I do remember you saving me from falling from a tree. I carved my name on that memorable tree on the day I got escorted to the capital, after all.¡¯


    Momo turned her upper body to the side, seemingly proud of what she said. Locke¡¯s eyebrows furrowed, inclining his head to one side; He looked as though he has made certain of something.


    ¡®That¡¯s a different tree. The tree that you fall off from was deemed dangerous and got cut off immediately.¡¯


    ¡®You¡¯ve got to be kidding! Then what does the line ¡°I will have to part with the trees from our home today¡­ Leaving through the window and climbing down from trees have now turned into pleasant memories.¡± even mean, then!?¡¯


    ¡®Like I¡¯d know. You said it yourself, didn¡¯t you? At any rate, now I¡¯m completely sure. Momo becoming ¡®someone else¡¯ did not only happen recently. It started three years ago, the day you awakened your saintess powers.¡¯

 CH 91

    3 years ago, during the time divine power assessment was being performed throughout the kingdom, all the young daughters of the Palette Village were gathered by the church. Upon getting called in, Momo entered the church looking slightly frightened. That day, the church building gave such a tremendous brilliance that spurred Locke to come rushing, worried about what happened inside. What welcomed him was the sight of Momo, dazzling like a divine being, looking so full of confidence in herself.


    ¡®I should¡¯ve noticed at that time. She talked like a different person and was suddenly able to comfortably read ancient books that even priests would find hard to read. Everyone said that it was thanks to her awakening of divine powers, and although we soon ended up separating without so much a protest¡­, something about her kept bothering my mind.¡¯


    Locke¡¯s emerald eyes bore sadness behind the mask, gazing upon Momo. Yet, they looked to be resolving themselves to accept a severely harsh reality certain to come.


    ¡®Just, who are you really? Where did my childhood friend go?¡¯


    ¡®You¡¯re really cruel Locke¡­ I already told you before that I am Momo. It¡¯s just that I remembered my past life.¡¯


    (Past life?)


    Dai tilted his head in puzzlement, while Leddorio¡¯s eye opened wide in surprise. When people die, they are guided towards a stratum where the Saintess, the first, resides. That was the belief of this country, or rather, the very doctrine of the Sacred Church. However, the prince did hear about other countries do believe in what they call a ¡®cycle of rebirth, in which, a concept of being reborn anew exists.


    (Did she just say memories of her past life!? A ¡®true saintess¡¯ of the sacred church, denying its very doctrine?)


    There are folk tales meant to scare children within the Coloflare Kingdom, such as the souls of evil people being sent towards the advanced dungeon to wonder there forever, among others; hence, the concept of the cycle of rebirth isn¡¯t entirely unacceptable to the populace.


    (Also, because miasma gives birth to the monsters, one can also say that monsters were scoundrels in their past life. Still, did the Saintess, the first, really pick a woman like this as her successor?)


    ¡®I don¡¯t really know about past lives or whatever but, what happened to the memories before the awakening then? If you really insist that you are Momo, then go ahead and try remembering them then. The previous Momo is the only ¡®Momo¡¯ for me.¡¯


    ¡®Like I care. That airhead country girl has already disappeared a long time ago! I¡¯m the only Momo there is now, so just accept me!¡¯


    Momo¡¯s voice reverberated throughout the magic crystal caverns. It was then followed by a brief silence. Locke closed his eyes and stood still for a moment, but before long, poised himself to face her once more.


    ¡®¡­Alright, I¡¯ll accept it.¡¯


    ¡®That¡¯s right. You should have obediently accepted me from the sta¡­¡¯


    Saying so, Locke pointed his sword towards Momo with a face full of sorrow.


    ¡®Locke¡­? What are you¡­¡¯


    ¡®I guess you wouldn¡¯t know about that. It¡¯s a promise between Momo and me, alone. I kept averting my eyes from it, not wanting to face the truth but, now¡­ I was finally able to resolve myself.¡¯


    Momo shook her head looking like she found the whole thing unbelievable. The surrounding black hair twisted like living creatures and moved to protect their owner.


    ¡®Witch¡­ I will be the one to cut you down myself!¡¯


    ¡®Stop right theree¡ª!¡¯


    Right as Locke was about to start attacking, a voice of restraint resounded. It was followed by a pure white brilliance piercing through the cavern. Because of it, all the soldiers who had been caught by Momo¡¯s hair and other monsters were set free and able to barely escape with their lives.


    (Wasn¡¯t that Darck¡¯s union magic, Magic Arrow!? But that just now was sacred power, also that voice¡­ Don¡¯t tell me¡­)


    For Leddorio, a month had already passed since he last heard her voice directly. Still, it didn¡¯t feel such a long time ago to the prince. After all, he does hear her voice, albeit indirectly, every week.


    A tremendous crashing sound was followed by the destruction of the cavern¡¯s entrance. A lone carriage rode through the path paved by the magic arrow earlier. The one to descend from the carriage pulled by the winged white horse was none other than Chloe Sereknight.

 CH 92

    Turning the time back a little; after having confirmed that Momo and Leddorio had already flown away riding the sacred bird, Yello turned towards Darck and spoke.


    ¡®Darck, I remember that you were given a mythical beast by your fiancee just like me, were you not?¡¯


    ¡®H-How did his highness¡­  Uhm, yes, compared to other places within the country, Whitey frontier has a higher chance of giving birth to such creatures due to the effects of miasma compared to other places. The ¡®Pegasus that Shiela showed me was one of such creatures. However, I will only have that creature after our marriage, so for now, I can only take it for a ride whenever I visit here.¡¯


    ¡®You borrow it in advance then. It will become yours sooner or later anyway, and we really need it right now.¡¯


    ¡®Huh!?¡¯


    Darck raised his voice in protest but hurriedly stopped himself by covering his mouth.


    ¡®Wouldn¡¯t that be severely shameless of me to do, sir? I already almost annulled my engagement with her due to my own childishness.¡¯


    ¡®Oh¡­ Looks like you have the flexibility to contemplate your actions now.¡¯


    (Saying that, but shrewdly taking the Pegasus away alone was the kind of man, the Darck I¡¯ve heard about though.)


    Yello¡¯s eyes narrowing with cynicism made Darck falter. Although he wanted time to prepare himself, unfortunately, they are out of it now. That¡¯s when the two of them heard a whine of a horse.


    Turning towards the source, he saw a lady pulling the reigns of a white horse with wings on its back. Standing next to the Pegasus, her hair, eyes, and the color of her skin don¡¯t lose to it, an alluring lady of pure white.


    She looked very much like the queen and could be said to be Keith and Leddorio¡¯s older sister, although they were cousins.


    ¡®Shiela!¡¯


    ¡®Sir Darck, it may be improper of me but I heard your conversation earlier. Feel free to borrow ¡®Byakuya¡¯ any time you want.¡¯


    ¡®H-However¡­¡¯


    Shiela had become such a stunning beauty that one would easily forget her previous plumpy physique. She was almost a completely different person but Darck didn¡¯t look to be much surprised. Rather, his surprise was the fact that Shiela didn¡¯t reproach him for shamelessness, and merely lent the mythical creature to him like it was the most obvious thing to do.


    But as if having read the young man¡¯s thoughts, Shiela inclined her head to the side and gave out a pleasant giggle.


    ¡®Please do not misunderstand, sir. I am merely lending you Byakuya to help make sure that you will be able to save your sister.¡¯


    ¡®For Chloe?¡¯


    ¡®Didn¡¯t we talked about this before, sir?¡¯


    Yello compared her face to that of the queen¡¯s. Only a limited number of people know Shiela¡¯s real appearance. Not even Leddorio, nor his most beloved Fiancee, who seems to know everything, knew about it.  But even though he was surprised seeing how much Shiela closely resembled his mother during her youth, Keith had vaguely that she was fooling the surrounding¡¯s eyes. He was able to observe how the flow of the magical power wrapping her entire body looked unnaturally distorted.


    ¡®Shiela, were you done?¡¯


    ¡®Yes, highness. I was found out.¡¯


    Shiela giggled and sent a side glance to Darck, whose body stiffened as though he was petrified. His cousin, who always looked nonchalant to him, somehow looked indescribably scary. Although it made him concerned about what¡¯s to come, that¡¯s something to think about once all the pressing issues are fixed and all the dust has settled.


    Prince Keith ordered Darck to go to the Nansonia region and catch up to Chloe¡¯s carriage.


    ¡®Shiela, I¡¯m sorry for troubling you¡­ I will repay this debt someday.¡¯


    ¡®Don¡¯t be so reserved, sir. I hope the fortune smiles on your journey.¡¯


    Darck straddled on the back of Byakuya. After caressing the pegasus¡¯ wing. Shiela stepped back and stared right at him. Darck was about to open his mouth seemingly about to say something, but he kept it shut and galloped towards the direction that the sacred bird had flown to.


    ¡®Did something like¡­ happened between you, a little before? Good grief, Shiela would be such a waste on Darck.¡¯


    ¡®Fufu¡­ now, now, highness. We adults should just strictly guide him so that Sir Darck would never dare to think of committing any foolishness ever again. We¡¯ll make him such a splendid gentleman that no person would ever call him a waste.¡¯


    Huh? Keith turned his eyes towards Shiela but the lady was in her usual gentle smile. It reminded him of something; a smile characteristic of royalty whenever they perfectly hide their true feelings.


    (Darck¡­ looks like your rough days are just about to start.)

 CH 93

    Situm, the largest city of the Nansonia Region that sits at the foot of the Iris Mountains. It took an entire day for Chloe¡¯s carriage to arrive there descending from the Grace Lodging house. Previously, they were able to travel back-and-forth on errands by borrowing a magical item from Locke, but having returned it to him now, the travel takes an ample time more.


    ¡®We haven¡¯t spent much time here but, I guess we¡¯ll have to say farewell to this city too. I wish I could¡¯ve taken more detour around.¡¯


    ¡®Lady, if you keep looking around too much, we¡¯ll attract attention. This city doesn¡¯t have a very good public order.¡¯


    Chloe currently donned a religious habit and wore a wimple, covering her hair. Although she may not mind it, revealing her short hair would¡¯ve attracted too much attention. Upon Kisara¡¯s instructions, she reluctantly returned to the carriage and began packing the things they bought. From the servant¡¯s perspective, the lady being obediently complying like this was nigh unbelievable. They could only assume that she really had grown along her journey.


    ¡®So you were here, Chloe¡¯


    ¡®¡­.Brother Darck!?¡¯


    Somebody called out to Chloe; it was none other than her older brother, Darck. As if his being here instead of the capital was not surprising enough, Chloe found even more surprise in realizing that the white horse with him is a Pegasus.


    ¡®With Byakuya here with you, does this mean that there was a change in regards to your relationship with Lady Shiela?¡¯


    Darck felt discomfort in his younger sister¡¯s wording. The change she was talking about was not referring to the possibility that Darck and Shiela¡¯s marriage was already settled, and the Pegasus, officially handed over to him. He concluded that perhaps, Chloe was likely made aware by Prince Keith about his previous attempt to undo his engagement with the young lady.


    ¡®I only borrowed it. I am here under the orders of his highness, Yello to promptly make certain of something.¡¯


    ¡®A-Anyhow, it¡¯s standing out too much so let us return to the lodging for the time being.¡¯


    Putting a blanket over Byakuya¡¯s wings to hide them, Lucky lead Darck to the lodging to escape public¡¯s eyes.


    ¡ô¡¡¡ó¡¡¡ô¡¡¡ó¡¡¡ô


    The whole group was in the 2nd room they borrowed; they gathered in the room meant for the three men of the group: Shin, Lucky, and Sam. Darck was led to the sofa and sat down, but because he was not saying anything, Chloe had no choice but to take the initiative.


    ¡®Then, pray tell, brother Darck. What did his highness specifically order you to do?¡¯


    ¡®He wanted me to do a hand games with you.¡¯


    ¡®Haa!? The heck¡¯s that?¡¯


    The one who hysterically raised his voice was not Chloe, but Sam. Lucky and Kisara hurriedly went to his flanks and sealed his mouth. Darck wondered whether those who took pride in their physical strength and are sports-oriented are often unable to read the mood, considering Dai much like him in that regard.


    ¡°Hand games are those with songs, you know? The one where you go ¡®double this, double that, double-double this that¡¯ and sorts.¡¯


    ¡®¡±Herb Picking¡±, and ¡°Forest of the Himemomo Flower¡±, were played quite a lot, weren¡¯t they? I was taught ¡°Nansonia 10,000 Shaku¡± at the Grace lodging house too.¡¯


    ¡®No, I knew what they are. What I¡¯m trying to ask was¡­¡¯


    ¡ªwhy would Darck go out of his way riding Pegasus here just to do that, or so Sam was seemingly trying to say with his stabbing gaze. Darck cleared his throat, seemingly finding it hard to pick the words to explain even more, but Chloe already knew what he was trying to do.


    ¡®What brother is requesting from me is to perform the ¡°Sacred Lady¡¯s Count,¡± isn¡¯t he?¡¯


    ¡®You¡¯re quick on the uptake¡­ Then, you already know what his highness is thinking, right?¡¯


    The sacred church had intentionally popularized a hand game song among the children. The ¡®Sacred Lady¡¯s Count, is something all the children of the entire kingdom knew about from the highest aristocracy down to the poorest slums. Thus, it is often said that those who cannot sing it are those possessed by evil.


    ¡®If that¡¯s the case, wouldn¡¯t hymnal songs be better? After all, Lady was formerly the temporary saintess.¡¯


    ¡®No, the church had been rotting from the inside. Prince Yello likely knew that hymnal songs¡¯ effectiveness has already dwindled with time.¡¯


    Shin was the one to answer Kisara¡¯s question. He likely concluded that in consideration of the internal situation of the church that Priest Grace revealed to them before. Even without that, Shin had seen the self-satisfied faces of the aristocrats who kept him as their plaything every time they are thanked for their contributions to the church manifold of times. He realized by then that the church was not the kind of place that would save the people who are suffering.


    ¡®Very well, I will do it. I just need to sing it, don¡¯t I?¡¯


    Chloe asked as they moved the table away, making their sofa face each other. She pretended not to notice the bow and arrows placed right behind Darck¡¯s sofa.


    ¡®Yeah, I guess it¡¯s been a while since we last did it together. Do you still remember it?¡¯


    ¡®¡±Forest of the Himemomo Flower¡± right? They were all good memories; the scars at the back of my hand that remained and all.¡¯


    Due to Viscountess Majenta¡¯s meddling, the two of them were forced to play hand games with each other. Of course, the two of them hated each other so much, so they ended up scratching each other with their overgrown nails. For Chloe, those were just distant memories of the past now.


    Darck still has so many things that he wanted to tell and ask his younger sister about,m but facing his younger sister now, he decided to put his priority on fulfilling Prince Yello¡¯s orders first, instead.


    The surroundings servants watched over their lords as the siblings clap each other¡¯s hands while Chloe sang.


    One ~ Mr. Sun shone bright red


    Two ~ like an orange split open


    The Saintess sings with the flowers


    The Golden Light overflows


    Four ~ the meadows at dusk


    Five ~ the green I saw sometime


    The stars in Lady Saintess¡¯ eyes


    I come for them from the ocean blue


    Do not cry ¨C Oh purple borderline


    For the witch laughs in the darkness.


    The two kept clapping each other¡¯s hand, matching the rhythm of the song until it ended. Darck leaks out a sigh. He did not doubt Momo¡¯s words but he didn¡¯t want to believe in them either. Just thinking about what could¡¯ve happen if Chloe was not able to sing the song made him shudder to himself. After all, the crown prince ordered him to shoot his own sister if that happens.


    ¡®Have I cleared the doubts of turning into a witch, brother?¡¯


    She said seemingly unaware of his brother¡¯s trouble¡­ or not, it was the opposite. As Darck expected, he still couldn¡¯t like this younger sister of his, who kept smiling like she knew everything from the very start.

 CH 94

    The surrounding servants clamored at the mention of the word ¡®witch¡¯. They did hear that Chloe had been banished from the capital for her sins, but the suspicion of becoming a witch is on an entirely different scale to that of a mere sinner. The witch is an existence that stood next to the Saintess in myths, a being that gave birth to monsters and put the entire kingdom in danger.


    ¡®I will go straight to the point. What did his highness order brother to do?¡¯


    ¡®He told me to confirm it myself whether you have become a witch or not. If you become a witch ¡ª or its adherent, I will have to shoot you down with this bow. You don¡¯t seem to be either.¡¯


    Dark flatly said something outrageous as he picked up the bow and arrow. However, his hands were trembling. He felt so relieved that he do not need to kill his younger sister with his own hands that his own strength had left him.


    ¡®Furthermore, he ordered that when the doubts are cleared, I am to promptly to take you to the advanced dungeon. The one who tried to convince us that you had become a witch is in there.¡¯


    ¡®It was Miss Momo, wasn¡¯t she?¡¯


    Darck grimaced at Chloe¡¯s abrupt answer. He in the past wouldn¡¯t stand having his beloved insulted. However, Chloe was not a witch contrary to what Momo insisted. He may not like Chloe but she was his younger sister, still; it was clear to him who he should believe.


    ¡®You really see through everything that to the point of unsettling.¡¯


    ¡®Unfortunately, there are things that even I cannot discern through. First and foremost of all would be his highness, Prince Yellow, though.¡¯


    And so, the whole party had the entire carriage pulled by Byakuya and left the Situm City, but the two siblings wasn¡¯t able to have a single proper conversation up to the point that they left the lodging house. The two of them still have mixed feelings towards each other and it¡¯ll take more time before they are properly reconciled.


    Although it would take a whole day to climb back to Iris Mountain, it only takes a moment with a Pegasus. Just shortly after, the carriage had already arrived at the entrance of the advanced dungeon. Numerous clergymen and elite soldiers were on standby near it. Keith was alongside them, who took his flying dragon, Citrin, with him.


    ¡®Your highness, Yello!¡¯


    ¡®Hello, Lady Chloe. I apologize for the trouble of having made you return here. But I presume, you already know what I need you to do, right?¡¯


    Chloe who descended the carriage promptly went to Yello¡¯s side and knelt. No one knew just what the young prince plan had in store for the lady hidden behind his provoking self-satisfied face.


    ¡®I do understand, highness¡­ but I find it unbelievable. Why would the true saintess, Momo become¡­¡¯


    ¡®Is it that strange, though? Saintesses are fully capable of becoming a witch. I¡¯m sure you know that as well..


    I don¡¯t¡­ even want to spend a single effort to understand that person but, if I were to be forced to rationalize her, she likely needed a witch to achieve her goals. But because you who is supposed to become one had gone differently, she likely had no choice but to become one herself.¡¯


    Chloe¡¯s eyes widened, she hanged her head low, just like on the day of her condemnation.


    ¡®Was it¡­ my fault, highness¡­after all?¡¯


    ¡®If this is a world inside a game, it probably is. Your role was to harass the heroine, become resentful after being banished, and turn into a stronger adversity for the sake of beautifying the happy ending. You were not supposed to reflect on your actions and change your ways. Doing that would¡¯ve lead towards the world¡¯s failure, which makes you responsible for the great sin of going against the will of the creator.¡¯


    Chloe¡¯s hunched back trembled at Yello¡¯s seemingly reproachful words. She feared what kind of verdict would follow next. On the other hand, the words ¡®creator¡¯, ¡®game¡¯ and such terminlogies had perplexed Darck and the other retainers.


    ¡®In other words, doesn¡¯t this mean that the world is not like that at all?¡¯


    ¡®¡­..huh?¡¯


    Chloe raised her face, taken aback by his sudden shift into a humorous tone. The crown prince looked to be merrily observing her actions.


    ¡®Brother Leddorio and the others were already in love with Momo during your condemnation. This was contrary to what she needed from them at this stage, which is for their relationship to remain friendship at best. There¡¯s also the fact that Shin came with you as your escort. Although it was brought by older brother¡¯s stupid schemes, you were originally supposed to be thrown away alone in the mountains, but he was there to protect you, instead. Of course, your struggles against your own fate made the greatest influence on the end result. However, you were not alone. All of these people have their own hearts and wills to follow and they are choosing their own futures. Regardless of whether their ends coincide with some particular game or not.¡¯


    Saying that, Yello extended his hand towards Chloe with an introspected look on his face and helped her stand. Chloe felt something solid inside her hand and after opening it slowly, she saw Leddorio¡¯s magical brooch, the very same thing that lead to her downfall.


    ¡®By my name as the crown prince of Coloflare Kingdom, I, Yello Keith Coloflare, hereby orders Chloe Sereknight. Seal the witch that holed herself within the Iris Mountain¡¯s dungeon. However, I shall leave the method to do so in your own judgment. Use your game knowledge, this world¡¯s knowledge, and the memories of your past life to their fullest to fulfill it.¡¯

 CH 95

    Leddorio couldn¡¯t believe the spectacle in front of him. Amid their battle against the witch, a carriage being pulled by a pegasus, burst through a hole in the cavern walls following an explosion. The one to descend such a carriage was Chloe, clad in divine radiance. He knew that it was because of the sacred magic ¡°blessing,¡± but to the prince¡¯s eyes, it was like a glimpse of a divine myth turned reality.


    ¡®I would like to know the current situation, sir. Are there any wounded?¡¯


    ¡®Y-Yes, lady. We have suffered injuries, but no one suffered fatal wounds. Furthermore, our injuries have been healed by Lady Chloe¡¯s sacred magic!¡¯


    ¡®Alright¡­, please go around and cover for us.¡¯


    After giving instructions to the knight order, Chloe, still wearing her nun attire, approached Leddorio. It has been an entire month since the prince came face-to-face with her. The last was during her denunciation in which the lady unseemly begged with tears. Now, she looked like an entirely different person, but it would be rash to conclude her as a witch for that, just as Momo previously asserted.


    ¡®It has been a while, your highness, Leddorio.¡¯


    ¡®¡­right.¡¯


    Chloe approached him and lightly bowed, but that¡¯s the only response Leddorio could muster. There are many things he wants to tell her, but none of those words would come out. More than anything, he felt as though he had no right to say either.


    But Chloe didn¡¯t pay his troubles any mind and rushed towards Locke, who looked dumbstruck.


    A sharp sound resounded within the magic crystal caverns. Locke caressed his cheek looking flabbergasted. Even the one he faced earlier, Momo, was dumbfounded to the series of development and Chloe¡¯s sudden appearance.


    ¡®You can¡¯t do that, Locke! Haven¡¯t you been longing to see her all this time? Why would you even consider killing her¡­, I¡¯m disappointed in you.¡¯


    ¡®W-Wait a second! How do you recognize me in this appearance!?¡¯


    Chloe remembered the young man being strangely evasive about it before. Although the mask did certainly change his hair, giving him a different aura, it didn¡¯t do so much to change his clothes. But even if it did, Chloe had already seen the mask he was wearing, before. It may have been strange how she confidently deduced his identity without hesitation, despite only seeing it for the first time though.


    ¡®Well, it¡¯s that, you know? Erm¡­ the power of love, I guess?¡¯


    ¡®What are you saying? Don¡¯t make things up!¡¯


    Trying to escape from Locke¡¯s doubtful stare, Chloe faced Momo, who now turned into a witch.


    ¡®A-Anyhow. I was able to hear everything from the brooch I received from Prince Yello. Locke¡­ you don¡¯t really want to fight against Momo, do you? Momo is the woman you wanted to be happy more than anyone else in the world, after all. That¡¯s how you have been able to work yourself to the bone and earned the strength you have right now.


    ¡­I¡¯m sure you that you found me just as unforgivable for having harassed her, but you believed that I have changed and watched over me all this time. Having abandoned by everyone else, it wouldn¡¯t have been strange for me to desire revenge, but you have saved me with just that, that¡¯s why ¡­¡¯


    ¡®¡­¡­.Chloe?¡¯


    ¡®That¡¯s why for you, I will save your most precious person¨C Momo, myself!¡¯

 CH 96

    Her figure looked both like a holy saint and a female knight at the same time. Locke looked in awe at Chloe who just declared that she would save Momo. He thought he has no other choice to but to kill her now that she had turned into a witch.


    ¡®Can she still¡­ be saved? She said that Momo had already disappeared so¡­¡¯


    ¡®That¡¯s just her own selfish assumption, isn¡¯t it? Well, she did gain another life¡¯s worth of memories, after all. It wouldn¡¯t be that strange if she completely forgot who she previously were after that. However, it¡¯s not as though they have been completely lost. Like say for example, she still remembers how to bake as she did before¡­¡¯


    Having heard that, Leddorio remembered the refreshment confectioneries that Momo always gave him and their simplistic taste. He recalled Momo saying that it was her mother from her hometown that told her how to bake them. Using the fruits and flowers picked from the nearby forest, garnish them with salt, and kneading them; it was the traditional formula passed down from her family, she added.


    She also looked considerably used to playing with children in the orphanage every time she comes there to give them baked treats. Although she may have lied every time she spoke about missing her days in their village, it¡¯s very likely that her body still remembered its lifestyle.


    ¡®It¡¯s very likely that Momo just prioritized the memories that would be helpful to the ¡°game¡±.  I mean, even I wasn¡¯t able to completely remember my previous memories as Chloe.¡¯


    ¡®Huh!?¡¯


    Everyone was shocked by her outstanding words, but it made sense to them. The mystery behind Chloe, who suddenly became like a different person after her denunciation, has remained unsolved all this time. Perhaps, the exact reason for that is that just like Momo, Chloe was¡ª


    ¡®You were a reincarnator too¡­ I knew it.¡¯


    The lovely countenance of the witch that faced Chloe warped in hatred. Her black hairs wriggled in the ground once more as if signifying a threat.


    ¡®I guess I am. I only remembered things during the denunciation though.¡¯


    ¡®That¡¯s cheating!! A villainess abandoning her role and capturing the hidden capture target instead!? Give me back all the efforts I wasted!!¡¯


    Chloe¡¯s face slightly cramped at Momo sudden unreasonable accusations.


    ¡®I remembered my memories from my past life so isn¡¯t it obvious that I would avoid turning into a witch? Besides, the hidden capture target is Locke. Even if you don¡¯t stay faithful to such a difficult route, you would¡¯ve ended up meeting him again had you returned to your village.¡¯


    ¡®Well, I didn¡¯t know the true identity of Viscount Glinda! I wasn¡¯t able to make it to the game¡¯s ending where he reveals his face! That¡¯s why I was trying so hard to meet the conditions for his appearance! You already knew the hidden route¡¯s ending so that¡¯s unfair!!!¡¯


    Leddorio couldn¡¯t understand what she was saying but it¡¯s clear that she¡¯s just spewing selfish words. Still, not a single one of them was able to say anything to Momo¡¯s threatening glare. After all, even if anyone tries to convince her that this world is not a game, she is very unlikely to listen. Momo looked awfully convinced that the world is moving with her as its centerpiece no matter what.


    Chloe, who came to such a deep sigh, has decided to just match her words with Momo¡¯s game talks.


    ¡®I did play the hidden route but, I was only able to reach the point where Momo chases after the Count. I wasn¡¯t able to reach the true ending that comes after. ¡®


    ¡®You¡¯re lying!! Then how did you knew that Locke was Count Glinda!? Even the information on the net was too convoluted that only those who cleared knew about his identity.¡¯


    As the two women bickered at each other, the person in concern, Locke himself, was completely left out. As far as he is concerned, the ¡°Count Glinda¡± that the two of them were talking about seems to be completely different to him. Although, he was also intent on hiding his identity every time he shows himself to Momo, much like how they described him.


    ¡®Locke, you told me before that no matter how much Momo¡¯s mother wrote to her, she never replied, right?¡¯


    ¡®Y-Yeah¡­ Her last one was from three months ago saying that she was too busy with school works.¡¯


    Chloe who has been at yelling contest with Momo, suddenly talked to Locke making him come to his senses. Although slightly bewildered, he affirmed her question. She then turned back and faced anew Momo like nothing happened and began to carefully explain why.


    ¡®The evidence that Locke was the count was narrated in the game, and of course, not in the hidden route, itself. You would have to read the letters sent to you every day off and reply to each of them. You should be able to read the story about Locke being adopted by the Count around the 3rd month.¡¯

 CH 97

    Momo became noticeably flustered after hearing Chloe¡¯s explanation.


    ¡®Letters¡­.? What the heck. Reading the letters from mother skips a weekend, right? Not to mention, the contents are all about calfs being born, a neighbor old lady straining her back, and all other complete nonsenses. How am I supposed to waste an entire weekend without any sort of development at all for that? What kind of otome game is this? This is game is just bad; a shit game!¡¯


    Now coming to the point of spitting such insufferable remarks, Leddorio and the others stopped their ears. She may have become a witch but it was hard to see the lady they have completely fallen in love with becoming like that. However, as puzzling as it was to the prince, Chloe was seemingly being somewhat sympathetic of the lady.


    ¡®Well¡­ that may be true. The game might be as bad as you say. However, this world is different, this a merely reality that happened to resemble it. Momo has her own life to live; she has her own precious family to care about. But you only made of light of them¡­ just as Chloe did.¡¯


    Chloe talked as if she was mocking her own self. She shifted her gaze towards Darck who has been watching them the entire time. Leddorio thought that her gaze looked as though she was looking back on the things that she has done in the past.


    ¡®She neglected interacting with others, merely using them as a piece to her means; all of it, ultimately leading to this situation. What you have done thus far was just the same thing.¡¯


    ¡®You¡¯re lying! I don¡¯t believe you! This is a game world, and I¡¯m its heroine! The only reason why things didn¡¯t turn out well¡­ was because of you, Chloe. It¡¯s really your fault, after all. I went out of my way to awakening this witch. I¡¯m going to give you all these curses and resentments, so do your duty as the last boss!!¡¯


    Momo was enveloped by her black hair with its tip turning as sharp as spears. They came rushing in, aiming at where Chloe was. The lady was within hairs breathe of being pierced when Locke immediately closed in and carried her away, avoiding all of them.


    ¡®That was closee¡­, hey, what are you planning to do about that?  There¡¯s still a chance of saving her, right?¡¯


    ¡®It¡¯s not completely impossible¡­ but I would need everyone¡¯s cooperation¡­¡¯


    Chloe blushed, being within Locke¡¯s arms. Leddorio remembered that the lady was not accustomed to men so well. He couldn¡¯t help but feel irritated seeing Chloe become conscious of Locke as a man. Thinking about it, he had always disliked him for coming to the lady¡¯s life. He didn¡¯t merely hate him for being a hindrance to their plan, but rather due to the hazy feelings in his chest that he, himself, couldn¡¯t explain.


    But he was not alone in not find it amusing.


    ¡®Hiiiiiiii~! Getting princess carried by Count Glinda! Even though I¡¯m the heroine!! Why is it the villainess, instead!?¡¯


    Her sharp hair stabs the cavern walls in succession. One could only wonder whether Momo was seriously trying to kill Chloe. Fortunately, nobody has died yet, but if she ever manages to kill even one, there would be no saving her, no matter how much anyone defends her actions.


    Locke was jumping around evading her assaults one after another. Before long, he landed close to where Leddorio was. At that moment, Chloe threw a small pouch for Leddorio to catch; inside of it was a rock-solid object and a folded paper.


    ¡®H-Hey.¡¯


    ¡®The preparation for our strategy is written there. Please cooperate with us, highness.¡¯


    Leaving him with those words, Chloe immediately moved away carried by Locke. He wanted to call out to her but he noticed Momo¡¯s assault approaching and hastily dodged them. He began casting a spell as he traced the blade of his sword, turning it bright red with magic.


    ¡®Momo, stop it. You¡¯re not a saintess anymore, neither a heroine!!¡¯


    ¡®What, you talk as if this is none of your business!! Didn¡¯t you wished for Chloe¡¯s ruin for having harassed me as well!? You even sent Shin to her side to make her helpless before you finish her off. Just so you know, the game didn¡¯t go that far. That was a hundred percent your own will!¡¯


    Momo¡¯s word stopped the prince from cutting down the approaching hairs. During that time, he was so caught up in wanting to bring retribution to the one who harmed his beloved; the complete opposite of now, in which he was trying to wake Momo up to put a stop to her misplaced grudge. It made the prince question his actions.


    (Do I have the right to sneer at Momo? What have I done to be in the position to look down at Momo and Chloe in disdain? Even though the one who¡¯ truly unsightly, the one who should really feel shameful is me for not trying to look at them properly?)


    ¡®Watch out, highness!!¡¯


    Coming to his sense due to Chloe¡¯s call, Leddorio¡¯s blade had been completely entangled by the hair and was being pulled towards the swarm of monsters.


    However, his body refuses to move.


    Leddorio could do nothing but watch them as they raised their voice, coming to his rescue.


    At that moment, a terrific crushing sound reverberated blowing all the monsters way.

 CH 98

    ¡®What!? Coming one after another, just what is it this time!?¡¯


    Staggering after taking a brunt of the blast herself, Momo turned around after regaining her posture. One could only think that anyone capable of withstanding such a powerful blast without so much a scratch on them may no longer be considerable as human.


    Her gaze headed towards the carriage that Chloe rode with. The surrounding people could only look in awe as another lady shows herself within the carriage.


    It was Sei¡¯s fianc¨¦e, Lady Missouri. Her presence alone wouldn¡¯t have been as surprising, save for the fact that not only was she wearing a wedding gown, she also carried a long and narrow cylinder-like weapon resting on her shoulders. The blast earlier seemed to be its doing.


    ¡®How does it feel? How does an attack outside of the reality of this ¡°game¡± you spoke of taste like? You did not see this coming right? I am quite the ¡®Villainess¡¯ too.¡¯


    ¡®Do¡­Don¡¯t make fun of me! That was Magic Launcher just now, right!? That¡¯s Leddorio and Sei¡¯s combination skill! How can you use it!?¡¯


    Momo had completely thrown away the respect towards royalties out of the window. Perhaps, the world that she came from is akin to a domain of the gods who oversee this world. But even if you disregard that, her manner of speech itself reeks of childishness. Leddorio and the others compared her to an angel but, perhaps a sprite or an imp would be much more appropriate.


    As Momo indignantly gazed upon Missouri, a man suddenly shows himself behind her. Wearing a white tuxedo, the man got off the carriage ahead of the lady and escorted her down. He was none other than¡ª


    ¡®¡¯Sei!!¡¯


    ¡®My apologies for coming late, highness.¡¯


    His dreamy refined greeting used to be supplemented by high-pitched yells from the surrounding ladies within the academy. In such a dangerous dungeon, however, their bride-and-groom attires looked to be completely out of place.


    ¡®What have you been doing? What¡¯s with that attire?¡¯


    ¡®My apologies, sir. We were suddenly called by Sir Keith while we were looking into wedding ensembles.¡¯


    ¡®We are getting married, highness.¡¯


    As Sei awkwardly explained, Missouri took him by the arms and supplemented for him. Their reasons aside, Missouri looked considerably similar to Momo after untying her usual braided hair and putting on a makeup. Although it was clear that she did it on purpose, Sei could only see it as nothing short of harassment. Momo, realizing this severely snarl at Sei with so much vigor.


    ¡®How cruel of you, Sei! You said I would be your only one after Lady Masumi! Didn¡¯t you promise that you wouldn¡¯t do anything that would make me cry? How could you switch so easily to Missouri? Was the love you professed to me that shallow?¡¯


    ¡®Lady Momo¡­ this might come off as an excuse now but, I was seriously in love with you. Even after knowing that you are a villainous lady who played all of us around the nose, I can still feel the urge within me to win your heart. However¡­ I made a bet with Missouri. Although I still feel dissatisfied with the fact that I was led to a trap, it was true that my naivety has made me negligent. It speaks of my complete defeat¡­ so I have to accept the result.¡¯


    Although Sei hung his head low, looking mortified, he kept holding the hand of the bridal Missouri which only nullified any possible persuasive power.


    Missouri was slightly taller than Momo and her chest had more volume. If you look at the couple closely, her stature suits Sei more in comparison to Momo¡¯s petite build. Missouri¡¯s face, previously ridiculed for being as emotionless as a doll, now looks filled with happiness. It looked as though the things between the couple would go well for as long as she can keep holding Sei by the reigns.


    ¡®You were asking how I was able to use the combination skill, right. It is more apt to say that you just couldn¡¯t use it in the ¡°game,¡± but can possibly be used freely by everyone else, you know? The same goes with the combination skill of Darck and Chloe, ¡°Purify Arrow¡±, after all. Ah, by the way, this launcher was remodeled with so much effort using the latest magical technology of the Corundum Kingdom. That¡¯s why even I was able to use it freely.¡¯


    Missouri proudly explains as she was being supported by Sei. A new swarm of monsters was threatening them so she readied the launcher for the second time. The lady fired the launcher in the same outfit one would use in cutting a wedding cake; a completely surreal spectacle for the surrounding to see. She looked ecstatic in doing so.


    ¡®Ah, this feels like it could turn into a habit. Sir Sei, may I ask of you to take responsibility for this as well?¡¯


    The lady in bridal gown says so as she looked up to the future husband behind her. The smile on the face of Sei could only cramp in response.

 CH 99

    Leddorio was vaguely able to understand Keith¡¯s intention of specifically bringing the couple here; A provocation towards the witch¡ª or more specifically, towards Momo. It¡¯s a tit-for-tat retaliation of a display for the witch who bewitched the gentlemen who were to shoulder kingdom for the next generation; an apt form of retribution.


    ¡®But what of it? Doesn¡¯t it just pointlessly make her angrier? Chloe and Momo may have the knowledge of that ¡°game¡± they talked about, but our situation is different. Momo was chosen as the ¡°true saintess.¡± Her strength as a witch likely differs from that of Chloe, who had become one in the game.)


    Following Sei and Missouri, all the servants of the House Sereknight got off the carriage one after another starting from Shin. Dai was about to rush to their side after spotting Kisara but¡ª


    ¡®Kisara!¡¯


    ¡®Hey, are you trying to neglect your duty as my escort? I¡¯m sure that woman is fully capable of fighting in an advanced-level dungeon herself.¡¯


    He was being led by the urge to protect the woman he love with his very hands. Although the woman in question, Kisara, only gave him momentary gazes, pretending to have nothing to do with it.


    ¡®No, highness. Lucky and Sam shall be the ones to guard you. Kisara, have Dai come towards here immediately!¡¯


    ¡®Milady, that¡¯s too cruel!¡¯


    Still carried by Locke, Chloe was able to get close to Kisara. The adventurer sulked in protest, but in response, the lady only gave her a pouch similar to the one she had previously given to Leddorio earlier.


    ¡®Please. This is also part of our strategy.¡¯


    ¡®¡­Understood, lady. Hey! You! Hurry up and come here already!¡¯


    Dai was all smiles as he came towards Kisara, who has been waving her staff at him. Lucky and Sam left their place towards where Leddorio was as replacement escorts.


    ¡®Ugh¡­ every single one of you, flirting amongst yourselves! Disregarding the main heroine like this, you¡¯re all strange! I can¡¯t put up with this shitty game anymore!!¡¯


    Momos¡¯ body gave off miasma which gave birth to another massive swarm of monsters. It¡¯s such a repulsive spectacle for everyone around, no matter how many times they see it with their own eyes.


    ¡®Aqua Wall!¡¯


    At that moment, Kisara raised her staff in the air and created a wall of water between them and Momo. It was a common magic for a magician with the level of 5. Normally, it wouldn¡¯t have been consequential for monsters within the advanced level dungeon but¡ª


    ¡®W-What? What¡¯s happening to you all?¡¯


    The monsters that were born from Momo¡¯s hair hesitate from approaching the water wall. Even Melamphus, Locke¡¯s monster partner, avoided the splash of water and kept his distance. Momo thought that such a low level magic couldn¡¯t possibly block her hair and attacked it, but all the strands that touched the water wall turned back to pink and lost their vigor.


    ¡®What is happening? The miasma¡­ is being purified.¡¯


    ¡®Ah, that¡¯s a water from the onsen.¡¯


    Chloe, who instructed Shin to come to her, muttered on the other side of the water wall. Before Momo even realized it, all of them now circled her, surrounding her from all sides.


    ¡®Onsen!?¡¯


    ¡®That¡¯s right. It appears that the hot spring in Iris Mountain has a certain component that all monsters seem to avoid. It seems to be a useful replacement for holy water, so I fetched some and took them with me. After all, you only need a single drop of water to create water magic.


    As Chloe asserted, the water wall do seem to have a distinct smell with it; a smell comparable to a rotten egg. Aqua wall is principally used as a defense against fire-based attacks, but the difference in water source could give it all sorts of effects. Lucky and Sam were able to easily repel the monsters that have been stalling them before. Leddorio was about to join them preparing his blade, but because succeeding Chloe¡¯s words piqued his interest, he turned his attention towards her, instead.


    ¡®Why are you turning red, Locke? Fufufu, jeez, what are you trying to remember now, you leche¡ª kyaa!¡¯


    Chloe, clinging to Locke all this time, seems to have unusually angered him with her pointless chatter, making the young man to throw her off. Of course, it was in anticipation that Shin, who was nearby, would be able to catch the lady.


    ¡®Hey! That was dangerous!¡¯


    ¡®Shut up! Do you even have the leeway to be teasing right now!?¡¯


    Locke who yelled at Chloe looked visibly red behind his mask as pointed out by Chloe earlier. Leddorio suspects that something had happened between them outside the observation so he shifted his attention to Shin instead. The butler waved his hands in front of his face in denial, a response that only puzzle the prince further.

 CH 100

    Momo flew into a severe rage, warping her face like a brute in sheer anger. The grief and the melancholic expression she had shown listening to Leddorio¡¯s and everyone elses¡¯ circumstances, as well as her angelic smile that pierced their hearts, were all acting. This would be the very first time they will see her sentiments without filters.


    ¡®Shin! You¡¯re going to betray me as well!? Chloe treated you like her plaything, you know!? I know you very well! I know just how much you want to take revenge on that woman! Wouldn¡¯t you like to turn both her heart and body to shreds before you throw her at the very pits of hell!? Very well, Shin! I¡¯ll make those wishes come true. After all, I am the true Saintess. So come, let¡¯s defeat the real witch together, alright!?¡¯


    Shin, who turned around to face Momo, put his mistress down and urged her behind him.


    ¡®Shin!! Just how long do you plan to remain that woman¡¯s pet!? You love me, don¡¯t you?¡¯


    ¡®Yes¡­ You may have cajoled me, but that doesn¡¯t change the fact that you saved me as well. You were the one who made me human¡­ You were the one who taught me how to love.¡¯


    ¡®Shin¡­.¡¯


    Shin drew the sword in his waist, not even turning a glance towards Chloe who anxiously called his name. Convinced that the butler was about to betray his mistress, Momo had a triumphant smile on her face.


    ¡®Which is exactly why I want to save you. Back then, I got so caught up in my revenge that I almost did something that could never be undone. I believe that the one who put a stop to all that was your image, even if that was nothing but a mere pretense.¡¯


    Chloe eyes widened gazing upon Shin. The butler turned his sword towards Momo, who shook her head unable to accept what he said.


    ¡®What are you talking about¡­? The one you should be cutting down is right behind you, right?.¡¯


    ¡®The Miss Momo that I loved would never wish for me to hurt Chloe. That¡¯s the only thing I will choose to believe in, no matter what kind of person you truly are. Miss Momo, thank you for crying for my sake¡­ I loved you.¡¯


    Tears flew down his cheeks, followed by words seemingly signifying goodbye. Chloe softly pulled the young butler¡¯s sleeves.


    ¡®Are you sure,¡­Shin?¡¯


    ¡®Of course. If it would lead to Miss Momo¡¯s happiness. Milady, let¡¯s save her together for sure.¡¯


    ¡®Of course, that¡¯s the plan.¡¯


    Shin wiped his tears and smiled at Chloe. Momo was dumbfounded for a moment but suddenly raised an ear-piercing yell.


    ¡®Shin! That¡¯s the line from your bad end!! Why!? Even though you all say you love me!! You¡¯re all liars, liars, liars!!¡¯


    As she went full hysterical, Momo scattered feathers of different colors to the ground. Different pentagrams emerged, summoning the sacred bird.


    The surrounding people all raised their guards, save from Chloe who looked visibly startled.


    ¡®What is that?¡¯


    ¡®It¡¯s the sacred bird. Momo rode that to the Iris Mountain.¡¯


    Leddorio answered her but omitted the fact that he rode alongside Momo to the mountain. Chloe muttered ¡®You¡¯ve got to be kidding, isn¡¯t that too grotesque?¡¯ in response, a sentiment that surrounding agreed with all their hearts.


    However, right after being summoned, the sacred bird suddenly turned odd. Its feathers rapidly fell off and started slowly disappearing. Before long, even the five pentagrams had disappeared, leaving Momo restless.


    ¡®Why!? Why is this happening!?¡¯


    ¡®The feathers symbolize your bond with them; A proof of trust. Now that they¡¯ve disappeared, it means that no one believes in you anymore.¡¯


    ¡®¡­.¡¯


    ¡®Will you accept it now? Right now, you can no longer call yourself the ¡®True Saintess¡¯ anymore.¡¯


    As Chloe admonished her, Momo went silent for a moment, raised her head. Her eyes looked blank and hardly expressed emotions but her lips alone warped upwards.


    She was smiling.


    ¡®Fufu¡­.ahahahahaha! Haaah, how stupid. I guess there¡¯s no choice. Fine, I accept it. I am a witch. I¡¯ve become one so there¡¯s no point in denying it anymore! There¡¯s nothing like this in the game but I¡¯m sure this is a bad end too. I guess there¡¯s no other choice but to reset.¡¯


    ¡®You¡¯re still saying that? This is reality; there¡¯s no such thing as a reset butto¡­¡¯


    Chloe, feeling repulsive, was about to reproach her but she stopped herself. Everyone found her sudden halt suspicious and looked at her but the lady was restraining her mouth, looking completely pale.


    (Is there something like that!? That reset button or whatever?)


    Leddorio and the others do not completely understand what that was but they knew that it meant Momo had a trump card to escape her fate.


    ¡®Looks like you remember it now. That¡¯s right, even if there¡¯s no reset button, that game has an function that forcibly resets everything;


    The ¡®Salvation of Darkness¡¯ ending.¡¯

 CH 101

    The ambiance of the surrounding took a sudden turn. Momo, who couldn¡¯t hide her irritation to the succeeding irregularities anymore, now looked assured of her victory. In comparison, Chloe trembled and her face turned completely pale.


    ¡®W-What¡¯s the matter¡­ Chloe? What does ¡®Salvation of Darkness¡¯ means?¡¯


    ¡®Brother, get the knights to the carriage immediately! Then make Byakuya retreat, hurry!¡¯


    Not even answering Leddorio¡¯s question, Chloe turned her attention towards Darck and raised her voice. The young duke heir who had been speechless the entire time, thoughl bewildered, followed his sister¡¯s words and had all the knights transfer towards the carriage¡¯s direction.


    Momo didn¡¯t pay any attention to the flurried movements of the knights but instead, merely danced around, and nonchalantly sang..


    ¡ª One ¨C The redness of blood


    ¡®Guagh! What¡¯s with this repulsive voice?¡¯


    ¡®It stirs up¡­ my head!!¡¯


    The knights who couldn¡¯t reach the carriage crouched down holding their heads. Although Prince Leddorio and the others didn¡¯t suffer as much as them, they still stopped their ears with their hands, looking perturbed.


    ¡ª Two ¨C Like head split opened


    At the sound of a splash, Kisara¡¯s aqua wall bursted. Although they didn¡¯t expect it to work against Momo in the first place, it meant that her miasma now was able to overpower the wall¡¯s purifying capability that previously was able to keep the monsters of the advanced dungeon at bay.


    ¡®Just what on earth is happening?¡­ Besides, this song¡­ is this ¡®The Sacred Maiden¡¯s Count?¡±


    ¡®No, Momo wouldn¡¯t be able to sing it now that she had turned into a witch. This one is said to be the ¡°The Fallen Maiden¡¯s Count¡± and¡­¡¯


    ¡ªThe witch dances with the devils


    ¡®There¡¯s no time! Kisara, put up a protective magic barrier!¡¯


    ¡®But lady, this can¡¯t be cast all at once, you know!?¡¯


    Or so complains the mage but she still followed Chloe¡¯s instructions and casts protective barriers one after another. Thinking that it would take too long, even Leddorio, who already read the plan inside the small pouch, couldn¡¯t help but interject.


    ¡®Oi, Chloe! This would be over if you just put up a sacred barrier yourself, there¡¯s no need to go to such tedious¡­¡¯


    ¡®I can¡¯t, highness. The Momo now can easily tear my barrier apart.¡¯


    ¡ªThe golden power overflows


    Right at the moment of Chloe¡¯s rebuttal, a tremendous shockwave roared throughout the surrounding with Momo as its epicenter. Leddorio and the others didn¡¯t take any significant damage thanks to the monstrously big shield that Sam held up to protect them, but due to the assault of the black hairs and the monster carcasses that were flown away, they couldn¡¯t say the same for others.


    ¡®Are you alright, everyone¨C!?¡¯


    With eyes only half-opened, Leddorio tried to make certain of the situation on Chloe¡¯s side, but she saw the lady thrown against the wall, about to be pierced by Momo¡¯s hairs.¡¯


    ¡®Look ou¨C(No, I can¡¯t make it!!)¡¯


    The prince was about to climb over Sam¡¯s body and the towering shield but Lucky stopped him. Chloe wanted to evade the oncoming attack but the pain in her body had sealed her movements away. Not even the hands of Shin, who was the closest to her, could reach the lady.


    At that moment where time felt close to moving still, the one who was able to protect Chloe by thrusting her away from the attacks¡¯ direction was the adventurer who obtained the blessing of a neighboring country¡¯s protector, Lock, also known as Count Glinda.


    The blades of hair pierced through his stomach.


    ¡®Gu.haa..¡¯


    ¡®Locke¨C!!¡¯


    Chloe¡¯s scream resounded. Melamphus came to his side quickly and tore away the hairs that looked alive on their own. Locke¡¯s silky rainbow-colored hair turned back into its original ruffled state with a slight poof. The attack earlier hit him in the face as well, which shattered the white mask.


    Within the gaps of his hand that held his stomach, miasma and blood began to spilled out making the young man fall on his knees.


    ¡®That¡¯s one¡­¡¯


    The witch muttered gleefully as if she was merrily counting the quest requirements that she fulfilled.

 CH 102

    ¡®Locke¡­. Locke!! Hang in there, I¡¯ll heal you right away!¡¯


    Laying Locke flat on the ground, Chloe, whose voice seemed to be on the verge of crying, tore his clothes to reveal his wounds. She needs to touch the wound directly for her divine magic to take effect much easier. Leddorio couldn¡¯t exactly tell from the distance, but the way he sees it, it¡¯s not the blood but the amount of miasma that was beyond normal.


    ¡®She really did it¡­ That girl, weren¡¯t they childhood friends?¡¯


    ¡®Didn¡¯t you hear that the one inside is a different person? For that bitch, all the humans in the whole world are nothing but game pawns.¡¯


    Lucky and Sam exchanged words with anger. These people see Locke as both an ally and a friend. They couldn¡¯t possibly keep their composure seeing him gravely wounded.


    However, as Chloe attempts to heal his wounds, Momo only sneered at the fallen young man.


    ¡®Serves you right¡­ that¡¯s because you chose to ally yourselves with the villain. Now¡­ the next one¡­ would be you, you slave bitch!!¡¯


    The target Momo chose for her next assault was Kisara. This kingdom doesn¡¯t have slavery. Only on the surface though. There are still those like Shin, who suffered miserable treatment nonetheless. But Kisara was not the same; she didn¡¯t even have the slightest complaints in her employment to the House Sereknight. But from Momo¡¯s perspective, all servants are nothing but slaves.


    ¡ªFour ¨C the revelry at dusk


    ¡®S-Shield!¡¯


    Kisara hurriedly deployed magical barriers to protect herself but the hair still pierced through it like glass. Everyone thought that she will suffer the same fate as Locke but, betraying their expectation, Dai immediately jumped between her and the witch, cutting down all the approaching hairs.


    ¡®Dai¡­..!¡¯


    ¡®Haha, sorry Momo. Can¡¯t have you murder someone.¡¯


    ¡®W-What do you think you¡¯re doing! I told you to not move from your place!¡¯


    Although successfully protected, Kisara¡¯s voice still trembled. Rather, her entire body shook in sheer fear. Dai who realized this turned his head over her and tried to put on a cool facade.¡¯


    ¡®Isn¡¯t it obvious for men to protect the women they fell in love with?¡¯


    ¡®¡­Would you stop it already, you muscle-brain!¡¯


    ¡ªFive ¨C the sacrifice I saw sometime


    The hairs that spread through their entire surrounding attacked them from all sides. Dai tried to fight them off with his blade alone but he was soon overwhelmed and swallowed by the attacks, letting out a small shriek. As the hairs pulled back from their assault, the aftermath revealed Kisara, and Dai, who was now soaked in blood.


    Dai¡¯s right arm was severed up to the elbow and massively bled. Kisara immediately put up an Aqua wall to defend themselves beforehand but it wasn¡¯t able to protect them from everything.


    ¡®You, your arm! Hang on, milady would fix that up with sacred magic imme¡­¡¯


    ¡®She can¡¯t. She has to tend to Locke¡¯s wounds first. I only lost an arm, don¡¯t worry about it.¡¯


    Dai was putting on a tough act but his whole face was drenched in sweat and his smile was crooked. He didn¡¯t want to look lame in front of the woman he loves. Leddorio was in awe of his immense fortitude.


    ¡®Stupid!! This is not the time to be stubborn!¡¯


    ¡®Besides¡­ I haven¡¯t¡­ apologized to Lady Chloe yet¡­ I grabbed her by the hair¡­ with the same arm. Even you hated me for that, can you forgive me with this now?¡¯


    Holding up his arm that was severed from elbows down, Dai asked Kisara pleadingly. The mage who has been watching him with narrowed eyes exuded a deep sigh and pointed her wand at his severed arm.


    ¡®Uagh!!¡­ Hot!?


    ¡®Jeez, talk about troublesome!! For your information, I¡¯m not a clergy. So I can only clean the wound up the magician¡¯s way.¡¯


    They will have it healed with sacred magic later but, for now, she¡¯ll make do with stop-gap measures by burning the wound to stop the bleeding. Dai desperately grits his teeth trying to bear through the pain but his flowing tears soon mix with the sweat on his face.


    ¡®Ugu¡­ You can use healing magic, couldn¡¯t you!? Be a little more gentle!¡¯


    ¡®I said I cleaned it up, didn¡¯t I? Or would you rather have the miasma eat it from the inside!? If you want someone gentler, why don¡¯t you just cuddle up to that Lady Saintess over there?¡¯


    ¡®Ouch, that hurts!¡­ What a woman.¡¯


    Dai covered his wound to avoid the poking wand of the magician but he soon realized that the pain and the burning sensation were gone. Kisara had likely used healing magic on him.


    Dai¡¯s mouth slackens to her not-so-honest attitude.


    ¡®¡­Jeez, not cute at all.¡¯


    ¡®Well of course. I am older than you. I don¡¯t fancy myself with younger boys, little man.¡¯


    As Kisara smiled at him looking completely unperturbed by his snide remark, even the ever-optimistic Dai¡¯s huge frame shrank in dejection.

 CH 103

    While everyone else is desperately trying to endure the fierce attacks, Chloe was earnestly focusing on trying to heal Locke. The sacred magic, ¡°blessing¡±, was able to somewhat purify the miasma but then it would be better to just focus on purification entirely. These dark pathos are the proof of Momo¡¯s obsessions. Even if the person herself said that she didn¡¯t love Locke, the man was clearly still a special existence to her.


    ¡®Uu¡­ gu¡­, Please Locke¡­ open your eyes.¡¯


    ¡®Lady, we won¡¯t last any longer!¡¯


    ¡®I know that¡­.!¡¯


    Chloe immediately put up a barrier the moment Locke pushed her away but, they were not able to shield him from everything as she said earlier. Shin stood in front of his mistress, warding off any hairs that manages to pierce through the barrier but he was already on his rough breathing.


    Chloe whose face was now drenched in tears, put her hands together in an odd hand sign while crouching.


    ¡®Please, don¡¯t take Locke yet! I¡¯ll make up for my sins no matter how much you want me to¡­ I¡¯ll do anything for you to help me¡­ I don¡¯t need anything else¡­ Please, I beg of you. As long as you help him, I don¡¯t mind if it¡¯s a god or the devi¡ª that hurts!¡¯


    Chloe¡¯s pleading which sounded like muttered nonsense was suddenly put to a stop. She suddenly held her head, seemingly assaulted by a sudden headache. Leddorio could only wonder whether a devil has truly answered her wishes, which would give them two witches and make their situation hopeless entirely.


    Before long, Chloe removed her hands from her head and sealed her ears instead. Her eyes seemingly widened in utter surprise.


    ¡®Huh!? With that Locke can be¡­ alright. I will save him!¡¯


    Nobody knew who she was talking to as the lady gazed towards the heavens. Right as she declared to save Locke, her entire body began emitting a glow.


    (This is¡­ This light is similar to Momo¡¯s during Selection Ceremony¡­!? No, it even exceeds that¡­)


    Leddorio thought that the color of Chloe¡¯s soul should¡¯ve been black as shown by her mana. However, her entire body began successively emitting glows of different colors as if she had turned into a magic crystal, herself.


    ¡®Milady, just what is happening¡­?¡¯


    ¡®It¡¯s alright, Shin¡­ Everything¡¯s fine now.¡¯


    Chloe who managed to regain her composure put Locke¡¯s head, now turned blue and not moving an inch, on her knees. Then she opened his mouth slightly, she inhaled deeply and covered his lips.


    ¡®!!¡¯


    Leddorio¡¯s feet subconsciously slipped out of the shadow of Sam¡¯s towering shield. However, not a single attack from Momo welcomed him. The witch was just like him, taken aback by what just happened to Chloe¡¯s body.


    ¡®W-What? What is happening??¡¯


    As everyone watched over the lady, the light that enveloped Chloe¡¯s body slowly grew dim. After shrinking to the point where it only covered the outlines of her body, Locke¡¯s body suddenly hugely jolted.


    ¡®Locke!!¡¯


    ¡®*Cough* Haa¡­ Haa¡­ What? Chloe, why are you crying¡­?¡¯


    ¡®Thank goodness¡­ uwaa! I¡¯m really really¡­ grateful Locke¡ª!¡¯


    ¡®Ugh! Stop clinging to me! Don¡¯t fondle my body!! I¡¯m fine already so just wipe your dripping nose, here!!¡¯


    Chloe was crying her heart out as she tried to reassess Locke¡¯s wounds. Locke, who turned entirely red, tore her off him and pushed her towards Shin. As the lady wiped her nose with the handkerchief given to her, Shin asked his mistress.


    ¡®Lady, what was that light just now? To think that you were able to resuscitate Locke from such a state.¡¯


    ¡®You see¡­ that was the sacred magic, ¡°Goddess¡¯ Blessing¡¯


    Blessing of the goddess!?


    A magic unheard of that could only be described as miracle brought by the gods. Such miracles do exist though. After all, there¡¯s a small lady here who awakened her powers as the ¡°True Saintess,¡± thanks to the same miracle.


    ¡®What¡¯s with that¡­¡±Goddess¡¯ Blessing,¡± you say!? There¡¯s nothing like that in the plot¡­ No, there¡¯s no sacred magic like that at all. Why would a villainess be able to use a spell that not even the first saintess was able to use?¡¯


    ¡®She couldn¡¯t use it when she was still a human. Now that she has been revered by countless people for hundreds of years, she had become the goddess of this country, herself, didn¡¯t she?¡¯


    The power of a god and the lady who can bring it forth¨C this only leads to a single answer. There is only one individual who can hear the voice of the Saintess, the first, and wield miraculous power.


    ¡®You are the ¡°True Saintess¡±¡­.? So now that I¡¯ve become a witch, Cherry, who turned her back on me, had chosen the Villainess of all people, instead¡­.!?¡¯

 CH 104

    Chloe becoming ¡°True Saintess¡±¡ªFor Leddorio and the others who couldn¡¯t even accept her designation as the ¡®Interim-Saintess,¡¯ that was completely hard to believe. However, because she is the only one capable of stopping Momo, who had fallen into becoming a witch, they have no other choice but to recognize that.


    Chloe Sereknight¡¯ has truly become the Saintess.


    However, the person herself shook her head and denied that.


    ¡°No, the ¡°True Saintess¡± is you, Momo. That fact can never be overturned. I was only momentarily lent this power to turn you back into one.¡¯


    ¡®Fufufuahahaha, so that¡¯s what it was! Witch Chloe was certainly strong, but it would still be odd for you to be able to use such an overpowered move. If it was the Saintess, the first, who did that, then it does make sense.¡¯


    Momo twisted into huge laughter seemingly amused. Blocking his ears to shield himself from the odd sensation that seemingly rocked their minds, Leddorio yelled towards Momo.


    ¡®What is this all about!?¡¯


    ¡®The Salvation of Darkness end¡ª when everyone is annihilated on the last battle, the game screen turns black and the staff rolls starts flowing together with the BGM. Then it would lead right back to the prologue without so much an explanation. Everything would turn right back to the moment where the young girl in the Palette Village awakens her power. Do you know what that means? The world just ended, so the time would turn back.¡¯


    Half of what Momo said was ambiguous to the prince, and even the ones he did understand far exceeded the confines of his imaginations.


    ¡®The end of the world? Turning back time? Ridiculous, there¡¯s no way that the world will end just because everyone here died.¡¯


    The only thing possible that is remotely close to that is Momo annihilating everyone on the surface after overcoming this battle. However, the lady has yet to show such intentions. She was merely in the belief that some sort of supernatural power would be triggered by killing all of them here.


    ¡®Now that I know who he is, I don¡¯t need Count Glinda anymore. This time, I will truly become the ¡°True Saintess¡±, No, the true heroine who will fall in love with dreamy gentlemen. I can just ruin Chloe before she regains her memories and become an obstacle. Now that I think about it, Canaria too was quite an eyesore. Well, such failures will be reset anyway. It would be great to start everything from scratch! Fufufu.¡¯


    Seeing Momo, with blood-red eyes, narrating her daydreams, sent shivers to Leddorio¡¯s spine. The ¡°Reset Button¡± that she talked about was a concept that allows someone to redo everything from scratch. It¡¯s something that everyone desires whenever they fail. However, if she ever obtains such a thing, the three years¡¯ worth of memories and emotions that everyone had will be erased and repeated, just for the sole purpose of fulfilling her desires, as if they were nothing but characters with roles to fill.


    It only reminded the Prince that Momo, in fact, does not see them as humans. She only sees them as game pawns that she could throw away when they don¡¯t act according to her will.


    ¡®You¡¯ve got to be kidding¡­ This is a reality that all of us are living in. Don¡¯t think that everything will go accordingly to that ¡°Game¡± of yours.¡¯


    Leddorio clench his fist as she glared at Momo, but Chloe on the other hand didn¡¯t dismiss Momo¡¯s words as complete utter nonsense.


    ¡®That¡¯s right, this is not a world of a ¡°game.¡± Rather, it¡¯s exactly because it¡¯s real that you cannot tell what will happen. Even if killing us really leads to nothing, Momo would have to carry the burden of having killed people in her entire life. But that only depends on whether we can stop her or not¡­¡¯


    Chloe also looked at Momo with passionate eyes, but in comparison her words were timid. Leddorio was about to rebuke her feeble words for someone who was entrusted with a task by the Saintess, the first, herself, but before he was able to do so¨C


    ¡®Isn¡¯t that not exactly the reason milady is here?¡¯

 CH 105

    Shin¡¯s words made Chloe anxiously look up to him.


    ¡®Please get a grip, lady. The mistress that I know is not such a weak-hearted individual. She would say ¡®A mere country girl; I could easily crush one or two like mere flies,¡¯ and laugh loudly as per usual.¡¯


    ¡®¡­.that¡¯s a dark history, jeez.¡¯


    As Shin nonchalantly reveals one of her dark pasts in the academy, Chloe blushed and covered her face with her hands in sheer embarrassment.


    ¡®Uhm, *cough* She¡¯s my childhood friend, so I would be troubled if you crush her, though.¡¯


    ¡®Locke! That was just back in the academy and¡­¡¯


    ¡®I know, silly. Don¡¯t worry, Momo hasn¡¯t killed anyone yet, and we won¡¯t let her either. Isn¡¯t that right?¡¯


    ¡®That¡¯s right, there¡¯s no problem at all.¡¯


    Everyone nodded in agreement to Locke¡¯s words. The one to raise the loudest voice of affirmation amongst them was Dai. Locke himself was on the verge of dying earlier, and even Dai just had his arm severed. Both of them were just putting on false courage. Kisara, who was next to Dai, could only sigh with a complex look on her face as she watched them put up a tough act.


    ¡®I would like to do everything if that¡¯s truly possible, but if I will only be forced to repeat my foolishness, I¡¯d rather not. I will be outgrowing my past foolish self who only kept running away while placing the blame on others.¡¯


    ¡®Brother¡­¡¯


    Darck sullenly discarded his emptied arrow quiver. All the hairs that came close to him were all intercepted by the ¡°Purifying Arrows¡± that Chloe blessed with her divine magic. While Darck¡¯s individual skill as a bowman was great, he was aware that it was largely his younger sister¡¯s support that made him survive, something that gave him complicated feelings.


    ¡®But we¡¯re about to reach our limit here. Please keep in mind that we only have one more chance left.¡¯


    ¡®Sir Sei¡­ isn¡¯t that ¡°Devil¡¯s Shield¡±?¡¯


    Sei and the others didn¡¯t take damage either due to the shield he held shielding Missouri behind him. ¡°Devil¡¯s Shield.¡± was said to be an item that rarely dropped within the advanced-level dungeon. While it was a considerably strong defensive item, it had a curse that bounds itself to the user upon being used.


    ¡®It¡¯s an item rare enough to be a national treasure so I didn¡¯t want to use it unless I have to but¡­ we¡¯re in a dire situation after all. Besides, the effects do not take effect if you¡¯re already under the effect of a much higher one.


    ¡®Curse¡­¡¯


    Sei says with a wry smile as he caressed the ring in his ringer. Leddorio thought that perhaps that does fall under the category of curses. He also noticed Missouri standing next to Sei, pleasantly gazing at the same ring on her finger. The prince concluded that women truly show their most frightening side when love is involved. He realized that perhaps the witch in the legends was not so much a far oddity to humans than he previously thought.


    ¡®Thank you¡­ I will definitely save Momo. Highness, your orders!¡¯


    ¡®Huh? Yeah¡­¡¯


    Chloe suddenly turned towards him which made Leddorio flustered. He was trying to formulate the words to talk to her but the lady was able to recover her spirits before he was able to do so and asked for his instructions. Chloe may have formulated the plan, but the commander was still Leddorio, having the highest rank of a prince.¡¯


    ¡®T-The plan shall commence! To your positions, immediately!¡¯


    ¡®By your will!¡¯


    Previously blown away by Momo¡¯s attack before, they all sprang to action once more at the 1st prince¡¯s command.

 CH 106

    Momo did not just lay in the wait as the group encouraged Chloe. She opted to increase her magical powers in order to perfect the ¡°Fallen Lady¡¯s Count¡± that was held at an impasse for the lack of it.


    Magical power and sacred power at two sides of the same coin. While sacred powers are obtained from the love of God, magical power¡¯s object of reverence is one¡¯s own self. I am the God, and anyone who opposes me is God¡¯s enemy¡ª this belief is precisely the true nature of the Momo¡¯s power, now that she had lost the Saintess¡¯ love.


    Momo¡¯s red lips spew curses one after another.


    ¡ª One ¨C The redness of blood


    ¡ª Two ¨C Like head split opened


    The witch dances with the devils


    And the golden power overflows


    ¡ªFour ¨C the revelry at dusk


    ¡ªFive ¨C the sacrifice I saw sometime


    The moon within the eyes of the witch


    Shall come from you from deepest pit.


    Overcome them oh, purple horizon


    The saintess writhes in the darkness within


    Her words are so repulsive that all of them who surrounded Momo in all directions fell to their knees unable to move.


    Leddorio strugglingly raised his head but the spectacle that welcomed him was so unbelievable that it made him scream. The space itself is warping¡ªNo, upon closer look, they were several mouths of space distortions that bore their teeth naked as they laughed. Those very mouths laughed jarringly as they slowly ate the space around them, even the light itself, making them hardly visible.


    ¡®What, one earth¡­¡¯


    ¡®Unbelievable, is she really able to destroy the world and turn back time?¡¯


    ¡®Lady¡­¡¯


    ¡®Don¡¯t worry. Everyone stay where you are and don¡¯t move!¡¯


    Calming everyone around, Chloe stood up and raised her hands in the air.


    ¡®Sacred Magic, ¡°Barrier¡±¡®


    Having invoked that, an octagram magic circle appeared at Momo¡¯s foothold. At the barrier¡¯s establishment, the ominous mouths writhed in pain, vomiting out the space that they had previously eaten before dissipating away. They eventually left behind a pink-haired small girl who had a puzzled look on her face.


    ¡®Wh-What!? How!? I, the ¡°True Saintess¡±, have become a witch so there¡¯s no way Chloe could possibly win against me. Chloe should always be on the level of ¡°Interim-Saintess¡± regardless of her efforts, she¡¯s the villainess!¡±


    ¡®That¡¯s true. I wouldn¡¯t have been able to defeat alone no matter how much I tried. But look at your feet.¡¯


    As Momo gave her a closer look, each head of the octagram points towards a sacred stone. They were the spares that Chloe got from the Sacred Church after attending the Advent Festival in the capital. Chloe¡¯s plan was to put a sacred stone at each of the designated places at the same time in order to entrap Momo inside the magic circle.


    ¡®The game did not use sacred stones in the last boss battle, but I¡¯ll have to use them to compensate for my lack of sacred powers. Although, I was slightly worried that you already got wind of the plan¡­¡¯


    ¡®Damn it, stop screwing with me!! Let me out. Let me out of here!!¡¯


    With her eyes dyed blood-red by her evil aura, Momo spat abusive words as she kept striking the barrier that sealed her inside. Momo has knowledge of this world from playing the game. As Chloe said before, even if she had a plan to outsmart the game¡¯s plot, there was still a good chance that Momo will see through it. Leddorio thought that perhaps, that¡¯s exactly the reason why Keith went to so much to provoke her. Just so that Momo would be blindsided by her own anger.


    (Still, that¡¯s a bet that almost led to casualties, you know. Keith, you cur, are you saying that you¡¯re fine with no matter how many casualties it will take?)


    Leddorio could only think bitterly of his younger brother who was on standby outside of the cave. However, his provocation of Momo certainly had an immediate effect. After all, not just the sacred stones, she also failed to notice having used up all the magic crystals surrounding her. These magic crystals themselves serve to amplify the depravity of the fallen maiden while consequently weakening the saint¡¯s sacred powers.


    ¡®Momo Palette. The witch that resides within you shall be sealed by myself.¡¯


    ¡®Wha-!? That¡¯s Momo¡¯s line in the game! How is that cheap heroine act of a villainess gonna be of help to you? You¡¯re not gonna tell me you¡¯ll defeat me with the powers of love, aren¡¯t you?¡¯


    Her hair may have returned to its pink color but her impudence remains the same. As Leddorio previously concluded, the personality of Momo that he and the others got to know of was nothing but a mere pretense to follow the game¡¯s plot.


    Momo was still relentless in her violent tantrums inside the barrier but Chloe only gave her a narrowing gaze. She approached the barrier with her fingers outstretched. Suddenly, Momo began to shriek in pain.


    ¡®No. Love alone cannot save anyone.¡¯

 CH 107

    Momo gave warmth to those who had darkness in their hearts. At the very least, that¡¯s what they thought of her before coming to this dungeon. For them, Momo¡¯s love was their salvation. However, Chloe¡¯s words contradicted that.


    ¡®What are you talking about? Those guys are¡­ it hurts!!¡¯


    ¡®It¡¯s true that you were the reason why they were able to stand up, but that¡¯s not because of your love. Their respective fiances exceed yours, as far as love is concerned. Even I¡­ although it led to my ruin.¡¯


    Chloe kept on talking with her fingers pointing at her. Momo was still crying in pain within the barrier. Unable to bear it anymore, Leddorio was about to tell them to stop, but the space in Momo¡¯s surroundings starts to get warped again, revealing those ominous teeth. The sheer sight of them makes the prince fumble over his words. The barrier was just sealing her power, and the curse is still on the verge of activating itself.


    Chloe looked around at the restlessness of Leddorio and the others.


    ¡®There¡¯s no need to worry, this is sacred magic so it wouldn¡¯t hurt her so much. The spell ¡°Goddess Whip¡± should feel just about the same as a parent¡¯s spanking.¡¯


    ¡®Spa¡­ I mean, she seems to be suffering though.¡¯


    ¡®What children truly fears is the thought of being scolded, they will be the same regardless of how light the spank is.¡¯


    Dai who interjected seems to be in much more pain as he carried his severed arm, but he shook his head, finding Chloe¡¯s explanation acceptable.


    ¡®It hurts, it hurtss! I¡¯m sorry, please let forgive me.. moom!¡¯


    Seeing as Momo had finally started crying, Chloe brought her hands down. The fiery gaze in her eyes shows that her anger had not yet subsided. The figure of the two of them facing each other like this reminded Leddorio of Chloe¡¯s denunciation in the past. The only difference from that time is that everyone here knows that Chloe isn¡¯t tormenting her.


    ¡®I will not forgive you. A mere plebeian dares to be overly familiar with his highness, and lead him astray¡­ Have you any idea how much I endured just to become his bride-to-be? Game heroine this, villainess that¡­ Stop messing around!¡¯


    Chloe spat at her as if she had returned from her previous self, then abruptly tore the wimple off her head. It revealed her now short hair, something that Leddorio was not used to seeing which made him swallow his breath.


    ¡®I won¡¯t forgive you. All the hardwork that Locke spent as Count Glinda as well as his feelings for his beloved Momo; you trampled all over that. The world and the hearts of the people are not yours to play around with!¡¯


    These were the cries of Chloe¡¯s heart. The seven years¡¯ worth of love for Leddorio as his fiancee, as well as developing feelings for Locke after having been banished. These two sentiments inside her both do not forgive Momo. But this is a game¡­ and I¡¯m the heroine¡ª was Momo¡¯s only response. Her red pair of eyes glimmered in crimson as she sobbed.


    Chloe¡¯s closed her stern eyes let out a deep sigh.


    After a moment of silence where only Momo¡¯s sobbing sound remained, the ambiance that surrounded Chloe as she opened her eyes once more had suddenly changed.


    ¡®But I guess that¡¯s true¡­ if it¡¯s Momo ¡°of the game¡±, then perhaps I can forgive her.¡¯


    ¡®Chlo¡­e?¡¯


    The anger that gushed forth from Chloe earlier had calmed down, her face now relaxed into a smile. She did not react to Leddorio¡¯s perplexed appeal but rather merely watched over the still crying witch.


    ¡®I¡¯ve thought about this but, did Momo who was ever so kind, kill Chloe? It did say that she sealed the ¡°witch¡± in the ¡°game¡±, but there was no explicit mention as to what happened to Chloe afterward. Perhaps, Momo had secretly let her get away? I guess there¡¯s room for those kinds of ideas.¡¯


    ¡®Huh¡­ Momo let Chloe escape? Is that even¡­¡¯


    ¡®If Momo¡¯s greatest strength is ¡®love¡¯, then perhaps she would¡¯ve killed her. However, love is not salvation. What truly saves people is the power of ¡®compassion.¡¯


    Chloe entered the barrier approaching Momo, step by step. Momo could only draw back out of sheer indescribable fear. It was far easier to tell what Chloe was thinking when she was vissibly angry.


    ¡®Are¡­ you not angry?¡¯


    ¡®Why would I? No adult would seriously get angry at a mere child¡¯s mischiefs.¡¯


    She could be having violent emotions rampaging within her heart but none of it is escaping towards the surface. Momo couldn¡¯t help but check herself but Chloe inclined her head and gave her a puzzled look.


    A children¡¯s mischief¡ª that was how she explained it. Although Momo¡¯s body had the age of seventeen, she is in no way a child. However, giving her that label had allowed Chloe to save Momo, whom she found utterly unforgivable.


    ¡®You are still young after all. So I guess it¡¯s natural for you to not be able to find the distinction between game and reality. However, I believe it would be hard for you to keep living like this¡­ so I will help you with that.


    Chloe hugged Momo, who was paralyzed in fear and caressed her head. The brilliance that her body gave off was slowly flowing towards Momo from those same hands.


    ¡®Momo Palette. In the name of Cherry Blossom Coloflare, I will bestow you ¡°forgiveness¡±. This is where your ¡°game¡± ends.¡¯

 CH 108

    ¡®u¡­gua..¡¯


    With Chloe¡¯s hands still pressed against her forehead, Momo¡¯s pair of eyes began spilling tears. She looked terribly frightened but nobody could tell what she is seeing.


    ¡®What¡­is this¡­? No, I won¡¯t believe it. I¡¯m already ¡ª¡ª, you say? Noo!¡¯


    Momo began struggling around but Chloe held her tight, never letting her go. She doesn¡¯t even turn her attention to the laughing spatial mouths that appeared inside the barrier.


    ¡®Don¡¯t worry, there¡¯s nothing to be scared of. I just need to get rid of the unnecessary noises in order to turn you back to who you were.¡¯


    ¡®Noo, it¡¯s fading¡­. I¡¯m¡­. fading away¡­!¡¯


    Momo was screaming but from the eyes of the surrounding, nothing is happening to her body at all. The only thing they see is the dreadful look on her face. Chloe began gently caressing her head like a child.


    ¡®Sacred Magic ¡°Oblivion¡±, ¡ª Forget everything and sleep.¡¯


    Followed by Chloe¡¯s words, the octagram on the ground shone raising a pillar of rainbow light that pierced towards the ceiling. The tremendous sound that it made was followed by an earth-shattering sound which was followed by tremor and signs of cavern¡¯s collapse.


    ¡®This is dangerous, it¡¯s falling apart!¡¯


    ¡®She went crazy after all.¡¯


    ¡®This isn¡¯t the time to be so carefree! Darck, what of the knight order?¡¯


    ¡®Right after our plan succeeded, I had them ride the carriage and leave. Chloe already cast sacred magic on Byakuya and the carriage so they should¡¯ve already left the place by now.¡¯


    After affirming Darck¡¯s words with a nod, Leddorio tried to call out to Chloe who was still inside the barrier but there was no response. The lady lost her consciousness still hugging Momo who was remained just as motionless. She may have supplemented herself with the help of sacred stones but the magic she used was still within the territory of the gods. It wouldn¡¯t be strange for her to use up all her sacred mana for that.


    ¡®Everyone, take shelter inside the barrier!¡¯


    ¡®Huh!? Can the barrier protect us, sir?¡¯


    ¡®No, rubbles will just pass through it, but I¡¯ll use a protective magic ¡°shield¡±, above.¡¯


    Kisara can also use common magic but she had already used up her mana before. Only Leddorio who had a spare to do it due to having the leeway of being protected by Sam and Lucky.


    Everyone crowded together inside the barrier with the crown prince in the center. Its protective capability aside, the Shield¡¯s circumference is too small. They jampacked together so that others would not bulge out of it. The entire area was buried by the wreckage. If Leddorio¡¯s magic doesn¡¯t last until the rescue finds the rainbow pillar of light, they might end up buried for good.


    ¡®My apologies, highness. We¡¯ve already used up all the recovery items.¡¯


    ¡®Don¡¯t worry. If I used ¡°Young Dragon¡¯s Eyes,¡± I can fully recover my mana. That should allow me to last for a while.¡¯


    ¡®So that forehead ornament had that kind of function other than magic detector, highness¡ª Wait a moment, sir. By ¡°use,¡± do you happen to mean, ¡°consume¡± it as an item? A national treasure?¡¯


    ¡®We¡¯re in an emergency situation.¡¯


    Not paying Darck¡¯s surprise any mind, he took off the ornament from his hand, threw it to the ground, and broke its jewel with his sword. The crystalized mana disintegrated and wrapped themselves around Leddorio¡¯s body. His crimson pair of eyes glimmered in red as a result.


    At that moment, he saw something sparkling within Chloe¡¯s chest. As far as Leddorio recalls, the lady also received a magical brooch from Keith, which means that the flashing light was¡ª


    ¡®She¡¯s being contacted by Keith! We need to pour mana into that brooch.¡¯


    Stopping his words, he realized that he needed to touch the lady¡¯s unconscious body in order to take off the brooch. However, Leddorio¡¯s hands are fully occupied in casting the protective barrier. Kisara had lost all her energy and not even his older brother Dai, nor the other ladies can reach her.


    (Then, should the other men¡­? No, I can¡¯t allow that.)


    While Leddorio was hesitating, there was one who without so much a hesitation, placed his hand in her chest to take the brooch off. While Leddorio was taken aback by his nonchalant behavior, Shin just casually operated the brooch to turn it into a transceiver.


    ¡®This is Shin Purpleton. His highness, Leddorio has his hands full so I will be acting as his representative.¡¯


    ¡®O-Oi, Shin! You cur! did you just touch h¡ª¡¯


    ¡®Is there any problem? I believe his highness had already permitted me to touch mistress¡¯ body before.¡¯


    To take revenge for Momo¡¯s harassment, he ordered Shin to ensure that Chloe would become dependent on him, even if to do it by way of fait accompli. Being reminded of that had turned Leddorio completely pale. He may have not known, but he could¡¯ve turned her into a witch himself by having driven her to despair just then. It reminded him of just how severely blinded he was at that time.

 CH 109

    Shin¡¯s revelations have made Leddorio earn the disdainful look of Locke.


    ¡®Urgh, you¡¯re the lowest of the low. Going that far against your former fiance is just¡­¡¯


    ¡®Shut up! Is this the time to talk about thi¡­ argh!¡¯


    As if sensing the turbulence between their exchanges, Melamphus bit the leg of the former crown prince. Although it didn¡¯t do any damage no more than a puppy would, at its original size, it would¡¯ve torn the former crown prince to shreds.


    ¡°You seem busy?¡±


    ¡®No, please do not mind them, sir. We are currently buried at the bottom of the pillar of light. Prince Leddorio is bearing the rubbles through his protective magic but he likely wouldn¡¯t last for long.¡¯


    ¡°We can see the barrier¡¯s light from where we are but it looks like it would take quite the effort to dig them up. I thought of getting Citrin¡¯s help but he might overdo it and end up crushing all of you as a result¡ªHuh? What? You¡¯re gonna do something about it?¡¯


    The voice of the young prince slowly sounded distant from the brooch, Shin thought that the prince turned his attention to the brooch again but the one to return to the conversation was a senior man¡¯s voice.


    ¡®It¡¯s been a while, Shin.¡¯


    ¡®Huh? Oh, Lord Steward?¡¯


    ¡®It¡¯s master!?¡¯


    Lemis Purpleton, the Lord Steward of the House Sereknight was also the one in charge of Shin and his friend¡¯s guardianship. As for why such a man is currently at a dungeon a considerable distance away from his official post, the 2nd prince explains;


    ¡°In preparation for the decisive battle, I asked Duke Sereknight and Margrave Whitey for permission to take him with me. However, in consideration that Momo would be too wary if there¡¯s an old man completely unrelated in your ranks, I had him standby here instead.¡±


    ¡®Wouldn¡¯t have everything went smoother if he was with us from the beginning?¡¯


    ¡°I would¡¯ve done that if we¡¯re allowed to kill Momo. At any rate, you all did a great job. It seems that sir Lemis here shall do something about the wreckages.¡±


    Keith nonchalantly talked about it but that¡¯s one of the two things that Chloe wanted to avoid; the other is allowing the lady to taint her hands with murder. Although they did manage to spare her life and render her powerless, Leddorio didn¡¯t expect that it would be that difficult.


    Whichever the case, the Lord Steward called Lewis will do something about his burden.


    ¡°Your highness, could you please strengthen your protective magic with all your remaining mana? If it fails to bear with this, there might be casualties.¡±


    ¡®Wait for a second, just what are you going to do!?¡¯


    A terrific thunderous roar; Leddorio could almost feel his feet yielding from the pressure. If it weren¡¯t for his subordinates¡¯ support,  the barrier would¡¯ve fallen. With just that, all the cavern¡¯s ruins were cleared away revealing above him, the welcoming clear blue sky.


    The first one to peak at the gaping hole overhead above was his younger brother, Keith, accompanied by a senior man in butler attire, carrying a broad sword above his shoulder. Its blade was still clad in thunderous mana, which shows where the old man called Lewis could have originated from.


    (Come to think about it, I heard about him from Chloe before. She said that the current Lord Steward of House Sereknight was formerly, the queen¡ªmy mother¡¯s personal attendant. )


    ¡®Brother, that¡¯s quite the amusing posture, isn¡¯t it?¡¯


    His younger brother¡¯s sudden tease had made Leddorio realize the position he was in. He subconsciously ended up holding Chloe to protect her from the impact. Meanwhile, Locke was in Momo¡¯s side. For some reason, this has given the prince a sense of triumph.


    (Triumph of what? Ridiculous.)


    Letting go of Chloe from his grasps, the prince turned his attention around to confirm everyone¡¯s safety. Although his posture did crumble, his protective magic was able to keep everyone safe. The sense of relief upon realizing that had freed the prince from all the tension of his body; He fell in tire right next to the former ducal lady.

 CH 110

    The pair of unconscious ladies were carried to the Grace Lodging House. The church in the city of Situm at the foot of the mountain had expressed its intentions to take care of the two but for the saintess-turned-witch and the sinner who purified her; they couldn¡¯t be certain as to what the church would do after handing them over.


    Prince Keith ended up refusing their request citing the havoc they caused in the dungeon having the possibility of causing a monster spill over, as well as the probability of the witch not being completely sealed, as his two principal reasons. In this regard, the king himself has already completely entrusted the matter to the crown prince beforehand, though the dungeon has been completely destroyed with all the rubbles.


    Keith who returned to the capital ahead of them had asked for his older brother to report to him if any of the two wakes up. He also left several escorts to him.


    ¡®They¡¯ll be quite busy from now on, so use this as your chance to talk things over.¡¯


    Whether that was his younger brother¡¯s consideration or meddlesomeness, Leddorio couldn¡¯t find the words to respond either way. The livelihood at the lodging house was far too uncomfortable for the higher aristocrats who were used to the capital¡¯s life. For the prince, this was largely thanks to Sacred Church¡¯s repulsion towards the use of magic tools, as well as the profound gaze of the priest and the lodging mistress towards the one responsible for having Chloe banished away.


    It took three days before Chloe regained consciousness. The capital who received the report through a light signal, their family¡¯s carriages began arriving one after another. All of them were greatly in debted to the House whitey, who lent them several Pegasus¡¯s for this matter.


    Moving out of the same room where Momo was sleeping, Chloe who seemingly still had troubles getting up and was still bedridden as she had a private conversation with her family. At times, Leddorio overheard her stepmother, Clara Sereknight¡¯s sobbing voice but, it didn¡¯t seem to be a sorrowful one, atleast.


    After their families had their private conversations with them, the only ones left in the lodging house were those who were in the front line of the battle. Momo still didn¡¯t wake up a week after Dai sent off his family who was the last to remain, the party gathered at the lodging¡¯s cafeteria.


    ¡®Still, you really got terribly done in, Dai. But well, their son returning with one arm missing after leaving the house for a long time; It was not that hard to understand.¡¯


    ¡®My mother¡¯s tears hurted more than my father¡¯s fist though. But still, I did it to protect the woman I love so was it so wrong to be proud of it?¡¯


    ¡®The reason why your parent got angry was not that but rather your intention to marry Kisara¡­ She is our employee, you know?¡¯


    Holding his face who got completely beaten to a pulp, Dai complains.


    ¡®So what if she¡¯s a commoner? Even Momo was one.¡¯


    ¡®There¡¯s quite a large difference between a commoner who was proclaimed as a saintess and a slum dweller who received employment from a ducal house. In the first place, didn¡¯t you get rejected?¡¯


    ¡®Well, that¡¯s because I¡¯m still inexperienced. I just need to become a much stronger man to earn her recognition, right? Like a one-armed man who mows down the battlefield¡­ but Kisara, that woman, she apparently asked for that old man, Lemis¡¯ help for my rehabilitation after returning to the capital.


    Kisara¡¯s behavior aside, she does seem to feel responsible for Dai¡¯s and expressed her intention to help him in doing things that would be hard to do with one arm. Dai who didn¡¯t want to show his pathetic side refused her assistance on all things other than eating. Still, her sour face as she fed him was far from the affectionate manner that he wanted to see. Dai who could understand how the lady feels due to having a mother who was formerly a house employee herself could only watch them with a complicated expression in his face.

 CH 111

    ¡®With this guy who suffered the most in that battle looking so optimistic, we shouldn¡¯t keep worrying ourselves for so long and look onwards. Darck, has your mother made up with Chloe?¡¯


    ¡®Yeah, they have already been in touch with each other when she helped Chloe make the sweets too¡­ so in the end, I was the only one with his head in the clouds.  When father visited, he also apologized to us for having given us such bitter feelings in keeping mum of the family¡¯s circumstances. Still, the one who was unjust to Shiela was me alone, so I had to make up to her all by myself¡­¡¯


    Darck resolves himself with such a steadfast face. As for currying the favor of his fiancee, there are numerous things to do such as writing her letters, sending her souvenirs, and taking her to dates. Just like a lover. However, Dai and Sei both couldn¡¯t understand just what he was worried about in that regard.


    ¡®But it sure is surprising. To think that Lady Shiela was actually that beautiful. Why would she go so far as to guise herself to look plumper? If she had kept the beautiful she was, you wouldn¡¯t have¡­¡¯


    ¡®People have their circumstances, Dai. Particularly, Dark has that matter with Chloe too, maybe he was just not used to such strict-looking beauties. Maybe that¡¯s what¡¯s been worrying him.¡¯


    ¡®T-That¡¯s not it¡­ she¡¯s the partner that has been determined for me before I was even born. I wouldn¡¯t have minded however she looked. It¡¯s just that as a parent-and-son, causing troubles for the House Whitey, I wanted to earnestly pay for both me and my biological father¡¯s transgressions but¡­ a date, is not so much of a punishment, is it?¡¯


    While he was truly trying to make amends, referring to his relationship with Shiela as a punishment was still quite rude in itself. Darck himself didn¡¯t seem dissatisfied with it nor was he reluctant to progressing their relationship either¨Dthough that may take time.


    That¡¯s when Leddorio shows his face to them.


    ¡®So you three were here. Was Missouri with Chloe too?¡¯


    ¡®She returned along with Dai¡¯s parents. Lady Chloe has recovered enough to walk around after all.¡¯


    ¡®Sei, will you be fine with not returning with her?¡¯


    ¡®I was told to stay and wait for here for Miss Momo to wake up. She likely¡­wants to forcibly make me get over here.¡¯


    Sei said with a wry smile as he played around the ring he wore in his ring finger. The four of them have been at a lost as to how they should treat Momo when she wakes up. They couldn¡¯t determine in themselves as to whether they should vent their grudges to her, or just treat her as if nothing happened in the past.


    Although they feel aggravated, it is true that Momo¡¯s words have saved them. Not to mention, it is an indisputable fact that they did had feelings for her, something they developed at their own accord and couldn¡¯t fault the miss with.


    ¡®Come to think of it, do you know where is Chloe? I have to ask her something.¡¯


    ¡®Shin was in front of lady Momo¡¯s room so perhaps she was in there too.¡¯


    ¡®What?¡¯


    The thought that the prince still feels suspicious that the ducal lady would harm Momo made his retainers bewildered, but his concern didn¡¯t lie there.


    ¡®Wasn¡¯t that guy in Momo¡¯s room too? What are they doing that needs to be guarded by Shin!?¡¯


    ¡®That guy? Does his highness refer to Locke? Don¡¯t tell me¡­ No, they wouldn¡¯t do something like that right next to Momo.¡¯


    ¡®They are practically alone in that room!!¡¯


    While Dark was flabbergasted at getting yelled at, the prince merely smacked his lips and stormed out of the cafeteria. Chloe¡¯s circumstances previously went past his ears during the observation, but now that he could no longer watch over her, impatience has grown in the first prince¡¯s heart.

 CH 112

    Because the royal family had reserved the entire lodge, Leddorio breezes through the stairs without bumping into anyone. His destination was the room where Momo was sleeping. At its door was Shin, who, just as Sei said before, was guarding the door. The prince glared daggers at him, threatening the young man.


    ¡®Shin, move aside.¡¯


    ¡®With all due respect, highness. None of the ladies in this room are your fianc¨¦e.¡¯


    That was true. Leddorio had already previously annulled his engagement with Chloe. While he was to welcome Momo as a bride upon having her adopted by House Sereknight, Darck¡¯s impulsive actions had put a dampen to that plan. All of this resulted in him bereaved of the crown prince¡¯s seat, but he now knew that Momo never had any plans to marry him in the first place. The lady was just playing the uncertain maiden in order to arrive at her desired route.


    However, the man in front of him was in a similar circumstances.


    ¡®Do you have any right to put on airs as like your Chloe¡¯s knight? Even though you betrayed her?¡¯


    ¡®That¡¯s¡­¡¯


    Leddorio wanted to mock himself at his scum¡¯s reasoning. The one who ordered Shin to do so was him. Whether the young butler has the inclination to do that or not, he couldn¡¯t have been able to go against the order of the crown prince himself. Neither could he refute the prince¡¯s blame of him for switching sides.


    Although Leddorio was considerably irritated at Locke, he didn¡¯t feel as opposed to the idea of Shin having touched Chloe at that time. He even ordered him to lay his hands on his mistress. Even if he did proceed with the order, the young prince likely wouldn¡¯t have thought worse of him afterward.


    It was likely because the previous Chloe referred to Shin as her pet¡ª like a vain aristocrat who toys around with her servant as though they were slaves. However, Leddorio who looked at Chloe with such disdain, likewise, saw Shin as nothing but a tool.


    (And this man has seen through that. He did pull out of the plan because of Momo but as far as he is concerned, all aristocrats are his enemies.)


    But seeing Shin touch Chloe¡¯s body during the decisive battle had left the prince hugely perturbed. That was because he felt as though the master-and-servant were so close that they could nonchalantly touch each other, despite the lady¡¯s unconsciousness.


    Leddorio could no longer feel the same hatred radiating from Shin as he did before. Although he did reunite with his lifelong separated comrades, he felt that what reconciled the butler¡¯s yield was something more previous than that. Prince Leddorio asked once more attempting to pick the butler¡¯s previous bitter feelings.


    ¡®What happened to your revenge?¡¯


    ¡®I had been persuaded by milady; she said that doing so would¡¯ve saddened Miss Momo. Her ladyship truly intends to shoulder the burden of her sins. Regardless of whether she was no longer the same person she was before or not¡­ she was just terribly soft-hearted.¡¯


    ¡®And you¡¯re telling me, you were moved by that?¡¯


    ¡®The Chloe Sereknight who tormented me is no more.. hence there is no reason to seek revenge any longer. My current wish is just to support her lady ship who wishes to shoulder different person¡¯s sins.¡¯


    Shin was now completely enamored by his mistress but the question lies in whether the duke would allow him to continue his servitude¡ªNay, the current Chloe would likely cover up for him, thought Leddorio. However, referring to the previous Chloe as a ¡°different person¡± still surprised him. It is true that the former ducal lady¡¯s personality took a sudden turn after being condemned. While Leddorio doesn¡¯t know anything about previous life¡¯s memories and whatnot, a person changing to this degree after being filled with new memories may indeed be apt to be treated as a different personality.


    In Momo¡¯s case, the personality that had her previous life¡¯s memories had won and completely took over her body, pushing the previous one to her innermost core, or so it seems. If the same thing applies to Chloe then¡ª


    ¡®I came here to inquire about Chloe before banishment¡ª or ¡°Villainess¡± as Momo called her. I wish to ask the person herself whether that personality has truly disappeared or not.¡¯


    ¡®!!¡¯


    ¡®If she hadn¡¯t borrowed the power of Saintess, the first, she wouldn¡¯t have been able to tear Momo¡¯s previous life¡¯s memories away. If her previous personality will never resurface again, there¡¯s no meaning to asking for her atonement anymore.¡¯


    The prince¡¯s words had made Shin look down with meek expression on his face. Leddorio didn¡¯t have any intentions of having someone atone for the sins of ¡°another person.¡± However, finding a proof for that would be an absurd thing to do and frankly speaking, Leddorio didn¡¯t truly care about that either. He was just searching for a reason to be able to forgive Chloe.


    ¡®That¡¯s how it is, I wish to hear it directly from Chloe herself. Will you move now?¡¯


    ¡®Does it have to be now, sir?¡¯


    Leddorio¡¯s reasoning might have satisfied Shin, but he still chooses to put his loyalty to his mistress as a priority. The prince could only wonder what could¡¯ve happened if Chloe recalled her memories much earlier and repaired her relationship with her servant, but worrying about such things at this point in time would not lead to anything fruitful.


    As he suppresses his growing irritation, he realized that the stalemate would not progress by smoothing things over and gave up on trying to do so.


    ¡®With Momo still asleep, the two of them are as good as alone. What are you trying to pull with being complicit by keeping others out?¡¯


    ¡®Nothing will happen, sir. I can make certain of what¡¯s happening inside¡ª with this¡¯


    Having realized that the prince¡¯s true intention was to impede the two¡¯s flirting, Shin handed something to the prince with a look of disdain; A magical brooch was left in Leddorio¡¯s palm.


    It was the same brooch he used to keep tabs on Chloe¡¯s circumstances after she was banished. Leddorio handed his brooch to Momo which ultimately got thrown away and crushed by the debris. The other one was given to Chloe by Keith. The one handed to him by Shin was the brooch the butler had been wearing all this time.


    ¡®The other brooch was currently in milady¡¯s hands. She wouldn¡¯t do anything that would cause unnecessary doubts, sir. I will be recording their conversation so if his highness is so curious about it he could just listen to it after¡ª¡¯


    Before Shin even finished talking, Leddorio switched the brooch on and put it near his ears. From the other side, he could hear Locke and Chloe¡¯s conversations.

 CH 113

    ¡°¡­How is it?¡±


    ¡°Not good. It¡¯s nothing but sand now. I think it can only save a person from death once. I mean, it had a considerably powerful purifying potency, so it was able to do that much.¡±


    ¡°Haa, are you serious? I broke the mask too so I guess I¡¯d be terribly scolded for this.¡±


    ¡°Fufu, but you know, it¡¯s thanks to this that ¡®Goddess Blessing¡¯ made it in time. It seems that resurrecting the dead is impossible even for a goddess, so I guess turning back time is a form of alternative means to do so.¡±


    The two were just exchanging idle talks but the peaceful ambiance that they shared was conveyed through the other brooch¡ªbut then Locke suddenly turned it into a serious talk.


    ¡°But hey, I can¡¯t really feel any more grateful enough to you. Thanks, for forgiving Momo.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. Locke, you know what? Women can turn into both a saintess, and a witch for the man they love.¡±


    ¡°What the hell, isn¡¯t that scary?¡±


    ¡°Well, just listen. The reason I was able to forgive Momo was because Locke desired that¡­ The one who forgave me, who saved me, was you. That¡¯s why in order to repay that, I am willing to do everything.¡±


    Leddorio swallowed his saliva. It wasn¡¯t so hard for the him to figure out the meaning behind her words. After all, he heard the same thing from Chloe in the past. ¡®I¡¯ll show Sir Benny that I can do everything for his sake.¡¯¡ªhe recalls, but as far as Leddorio was concerned, her actions afterward was for hers alone and not his.


    (But this is different from before¡­ Right now, Chloe would truly do anything that Locke wishes for. Don¡¯t tell me¡­ that cur, is he truly planning to go for that!?)


    Leddorio was so flustered that he pretended to not notice Shin¡¯s cold gaze right next to him. He only sharpened his senses in order to not miss even a single syllable from the conversation.


    After an intermediate pause, Locke¡¯s exasperated breathe could be heard.


    ¡°Hey, you shouldn¡¯t say things like ¡®doing everything¡¯ for a guy so lightly. Besides, aren¡¯t we the ones who should be repaying you?¡±


    ¡°That wasn¡¯t much¡­ compared to the things I did to Momo.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, then I do have a request. You said that you¡¯ll do everything, right?¡±


    Locke¡¯s teasing tone prompted an ¡®On the second thought, make it within possible means¡¯ response from Chloe, which was followed by a burst of laughter. Although the volume of their conversation can hardly be articulated from the other side of the door without the help of the brooch, but it seems that a loud laugh is different.


    ¡°It¡¯s not something so hard to do. I mean, you¡¯ve already forgiven Momo so there¡¯s someone else I want you to forgive, while I¡¯m at it.¡±


    ¡°What, if it¡¯s that, then consider it done¡ªbut, I¡¯ve already talked with Shin and brother, although, it might take more time for our family to move forward. Was there someone else? Ah, are you talking about a lodging patron¡¯s sexual harassment?¡±


    ¡°¡­I¡¯m talking about yourself.¡±


    Locke¡¯s reply made the Lady close her mouth. The lady was visibly shaken and seemingly struggling to respond, but the young adventurer kept on talking.


    ¡°I mean, you always talk about yourself in self-depreciation, and when you argued with Momo about the game or whatever, while you insisted on this world being reality, you seemed to have agreed on being a villainess.


    The truth is that¡­ You hate ¡°Chloe Sereknight¡±, yourself, more than anyone else.¡±


    ¡®¡­¡­..¡¯


    A heavy silence. Leddorio could only hear the their breathing. But before long, Chloe deeply exhaled and let out a seemingly worn-out laugh.


    ¡°Goodness, Locke. You really see through everything. I mean, you were able to see through the Chaco disguise too. I guess bad deeds just always come to light eventually.¡±


    Chloe jested, talking as though she was a person playing the role of a villainess in grand stage. Locke didn¡¯t offer so much a reaction. The ducal lady then cleared her throat, and began to spit defiantly.


    ¡®Of course, I hate her. I loathe her so much. Isn¡¯t it a given that a woman like her would meet her ruin?¡¯

 CH 114

    ¡°I hate the Chloe who incessantly picked a quarrel with Momo and severely harassed her!


    I hate Chloe who made my brother suffer through all those years!


    I hate Chloe who ridiculed Sir Sei¡¯s, forbidden love.


    I hate Chloe who wished for the country¡¯s ruin after being thrown away by his highness!|


    I hate Chloe who treated Shin as her plaything! I hate her! I loathe her so much!!


    That¡¯s why it was so exhilarating to beat her as the game¡¯s last boss. I thought that she got what she deserved.


    Hey, I did great, didn¡¯t I? I didn¡¯t even asked to be reincarnated into such garbage of a person, but because I would be on a crash-course towards becoming a witch, I had no other choice but to take over. The vain and selfish Chloe who bullied Momo is no longer here! After all, I am a completely different person from her!


    ¡ªI needed to think that way, else I would¡¯ve gone crazy. Even though I knew that I can never escape from the truth that I am Chloe, that I¡¯ve made everyone suffer.


    ¡­What should I have done? Never loved by anyone else, but hated by everyone all the same. Maybe if I recalled my memories much earlier¡ª wouldn¡¯t things have gone better if I didn¡¯t exist in the first place? I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t know how I could ever forgive myself.¡±


    Those were the innermost feelings of Chloe that she never even showed in the mirror¡¯s projection. The darkness within the lady who obediently accepted the judgment and banishment, something she hid behind her cheerful appearance. However, her words pushed Leddorio within his thoughts. Momo should have completely taken over her previous self upon recovering her past life memories. Chloe should¡¯ve been the same and yet, her self-cognition seems to have split as though the two personalities mixed.


    ¡°Chloe, you already suffered enough. There¡¯s no need to hurt yourself any more than this.¡±


    ¡°I knew you¡¯d say that. Locke is kind after all¡­, but I¡¯m not so kind to remain silent after seeing those who are precious to me suffer.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just the same. It¡¯s exactly because such a person is crying and suffering in front of me that I can¡¯t leave her alone.¡±


    Locke¡¯s words overlapped with the sound of sniffling. Chloe is crying. She has been cursing herself, hurting herself in the process.


    ¡°Huh? But¡­ isn¡¯t Momo your precious person?¡±


    ¡°Of course, she is precious. But she¡¯s not the only one I want to be happy. You deserve happiness just as her.¡±


    Chloe¡¯s weeping stopped. Although she is still sobbing at times, Leddorio could tell that the lady is probing Locke¡¯s responses. This is the same kind of exchange he observed while ridding above the sacred bird; the sound of Locke patting Chloe¡¯s head.


    ¡°Look, Chloe. There¡¯s no infallible person in this world. So stop thinking that your life is over just for making a mistake or two. From what I can tell, you¡¯re a good person¡­ so stop worrying about such things. Don¡¯t give up on your happiness.¡±


    ¡°Sniffle, what is my happiness?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ that¡¯s something for you to figure out.¡±


    Locke¡¯s response was so blunt that it made Chloe chuckle.


    ¡°¡­But well, if you ever find the path that would lead you towards one, I¡¯ll help you then. If there¡¯s anyone who still dare to insist that you¡¯re a villainess, I won¡¯t show them any mercy no matter who they are.¡±


    ¡®Fufu¡­ Thank you. Locke is really a kind person. Would it really be fine for a villainess like me to be happy?¡¯


    Chloe¡¯s happiness; the whispers of the lady in a self-deprecating tone have spurred Leddorio into thinking about the one thing he wanted to avoid the most. If it¡¯s a woman¡¯s happiness, marriage always comes to mind. However, not only was the lady¡¯s engagement with the prince broken, she was banished too. A defective article like her by noble¡¯s standards will not receive any marriage proposals, but only among the aristocrats.


    The recent month has made the lady get used to the commoner¡¯s way of life. Although her past memories have played in that part, considering how bold she can walk about in such a filthy lodging, Leddorio thought that she¡¯ll likely adapt in any circumstances.


    But the man currently sitting beside her smile brimming with life was¡ª


    ¡®Since you called yourself one yourself, you must be fully prepared, right?¡¯


    ¡®Huh? Does that include me too? Huh? Wait, so suddenly¡­ kyahahaha, that tickles! Noo, don¡¯t lick me there¡­¡¯


    (¡ª¡ªHuh!?)


    Chloe¡¯s groans overlapping with the sound of slurping had thrown all the prince¡¯s thoughts away. Leddorio promptly extended his hands towards Shin right next to him, as if it was the most natural thing in the world.


    ¡®Sword.¡¯


    ¡®Highness, that just now was¡­¡¯


    ¡®Hand over your sword.¡¯


    The calm side of his brain knows how strange his conjectures are. But at that moment, everything just went blank to him. Although he was sure he heard someone warning him about being scolded by someone, Leddorio poured his mana towards his sword and brandished it towards the door,


    A loud crashing sound.


    ¡®Whoah, what the!?¡¯


    ¡®T-That startled me.¡¯


    At the other side of the door were Chloe and Locke sitting at two chairs as Momo slept in her bed interposed between them. There was Chloe, her eyelids inflamed, with a red puppy in her arms, licking her face incessantly.

 CH 115

    Leddorio could only blankly stare at the spectacle in front of him. Momo was still asleep in the bed between where Locke and Chloe were sitting. A red puppy was jumping about as it licked Chloe¡¯s cheeks. None of the things he feared were happening on the other side of the door.


    ¡®What are you doing highness, my sacred mana has not fully recovered yet so I won¡¯t be able to repair that door. Please just knock, next time.¡¯


    Chloe¡¯s extremely appropriate words, has in turn, made the prince red in embarrassment. His mind that came to his senses now had to deal with the thought of how pathetic he was for destroying a door out of a misunderstanding.


    ¡®¡­What¡¯s that?¡¯


    ¡®It¡¯s Melamphus, sir. Hasn¡¯t his highness seen much of him in the last battle? Although, now he had turned into such a cute puppy.¡¯


    ¡®I know that! What I¡¯m asking is why a monster, Garm, inside the lodging¡¯s rooms!? Isn¡¯t that Locke¡¯s pet? Why does it look so attached to you!?¡¯


    Melamphus who was still in Chloe¡¯s arms bore his fangs and started growling at the prince. Although he knew his conjecture was wrong, Locke¡¯s subordinate fawning over Chloe was seemingly a reflection of its master¡¯s feelings. It just didn¡¯t sit well with him.


    ¡®It¡¯s true that he should be outside in his dog house. But recently, too many customers are coming to the lodging house, making him agitated. That being the case, the mistress allowed him to be with us instead, as his parents.¡¯


    ¡®As his parents¡­!?¡¯


    ¡®¡­Chloe, your wording. We had her name Melamphus, so that it wouldn¡¯t attack others whenever I¡¯m not here.¡¯


    Locke also gave the ¡®Red Dragon¡¯s Collar¡¯ to the lodging mistress, which was what truly allowed them to keep the monster as a pet. However, Leddorio was not interested in reason. He was more taken aback by the unexpected misjudgment that Chloe did.


    ¡®You named it!? Are you insane? You are under suspicions of being a witch, you know!? Making contracts with monster is something typical of witches! Shin, why did I not receive any report of this!?¡¯


    ¡®My apologies, sir. By the time I became aware of it, the contract has already been made. Fortunately, the actual master in the contract was Locke, and milady merely suggested him the name so-¡®


    Despite being yelled at, Shin¡¯s facial expression didn¡¯t crumbled and merely answered back, but it only fueled the fire even more.


    ¡®Do you think that kind of logic will work to a monster!? By having two masters instead of one, as far as Garm is concerned, they are his¡­ hi¡­ hi¡­¡¯


    Leddorio just couldn¡¯t accept what had happened but he could only barely suppress his irritation. Chloe had a tiresome look as she watched her angered former-fianc¨¦e (Though, he sounded like he was laughing.) She stood up and handed Melamphus to Locke. She couldn¡¯t just keep sitting and let a prince stand for so long either.


    ¡®So that¡¯s what it was¡­ The reason why his highness went out of his way to eavesdrop on a conversation already being recorded was because he is still worried that I am a witch. While it does make me sad that the suspicion was not entirely cleared yet, it is true that my foolishness has caused all these so I shall obediently accept his words.¡¯


    ¡®N-No. You misunderstood me!¡¯


    Chloe obediently bowed her head making Leddorio flustered. Although he was just as surprised in seeing her apologize, something that he never saw her doing back in the capital, if the lady¡¯s feelings towards him remains to be based on guilt, nothing will ever move forward.


    ¡®Chloe, it¡¯s me who wishes to apologize. I¡­ was wrong. I one-sidedly believed Momo¡¯s words, condemned, and banished my former fiancee, without even hearing her side.¡¯


    Leddorio was regretted the condemnation. Although he couldn¡¯t forgive her for harassing Momo at that time, it was true that his personal retaliation to his neglected fianc¨¦e played a factor too. She has to be the ¡°Villain¡±¡ª Momo was not the only one who convinced herself with that belief. The lady¡¯s label that had continued for several years as well as his mountain of pride made him obstinately resist recognizing Chloe¡¯s changes in the face of her strange behaviors.


    ¡®Chloe was not wron¡ª¡¯


    ¡®What??¡¯


    His embarassment was overwhelmed by his feelings of guilt. However, the person he wanted to convey those feelings to, was looking at him with stern.

 CH 116

    ¡®That¡¯s not good, highness. A prince shouldn¡¯t be apologizing so easily. Besides, the condemnation was just. I caused harm towards the lady designated by the church as the ¡®True Saintess.¡¯ There was no mistake in that.¡¯


    ¡®H-However, we were only deceived by Momo. She put on a facade of purity and used us to¡­¡¯


    ¡®Whatever her objectives may be, they do not justify my harassment. Tormenting others must not be allowed, absolutely! While I may have been formerly your fianc¨¦e, that is still something you must never compromise. What his highness should be doing right now is to make sure if I have truly reflected on my actions, is that not true, sir?¡¯


    Certainly, that was the main purpose of Leddorio at that time. However, his personal feelings got mixed into his actions too much, not to mention, Momo was just playing the act of a victim. So Leddorio concluded that these facts have made the previous condemnation unjust¡ªbut only in hindsight, as Chloe claims.


    Having his apology stubbornly refused, Leddorio was about to raise his voice out of irritation but, Locke put a dampen on it with an explosion of laughter.


    ¡®Buhahahahaha! Just give it up, Mr.Prince. This one right here is hell of a stubborn one. Just let her do her own thing until she¡¯s satisfied.¡¯


    ¡®Don¡¯t act like you know anything! You¡¯re acting like you¡¯re Chloe¡¯s ally but you¡¯re still choosing Momo in the end, right!? Chloe, this guy was protecting Momo and not you from the debris, you know!?¡¯


    Whether it was out of his lack of respect for a prince like him, or how Locke was seemingly implying how he fully understood Chloe despite only knowing her for a month; Leddorio couldn¡¯t exactly tell why he lashed out at his intrusion. Yet, he impulsively ended up talking about the last moments of the decisive battle in retaliation.


    However, far from being disillusioned with the man, Chloe only leak a small sigh and replied.


    ¡®¡­What about that, highness? Locke protecting Momo is just as obvious as people breathing. Rather, what were the others doing!? Where was the true love that they bragged of that made them abandon their fianc¨¦es?¡¯


    ¡®Don¡¯t say that. I covered Momo because there was a momentary need to do so, due to Prince Leddorio¡¯s barrier being too compact. We were all trying not let anyone stick out of it. Even his highness was doing the same for you, after all.¡¯


    As the Prince was thinking of the unfairness of being scolded himself, Chloe suddenly turned towards him which made his heart pound. Her gaze was devoid of seduction and fawning like before. Just a genuine look of surprise.


    ¡®Oh my, was that true!? His highness did that¡­?¡¯


    ¡®W-Well, yeah¡­¡¯


    Leddorio was feeling slightly embarrassed now that it was brought to the table but, he was so curious of the lady¡¯s reaction so he mumblingly affirmed Locke¡¯s words. The lady gazed at him for a moment and then bowed her head down.


    ¡®I¡­ have caused his highness such troubles. I apologize for making you feel obliged, and hindering you from protecting Momo instead.¡¯


    ¡®You¡¯re wrong!!¡¯


    It¡¯s not like he wanted to see her triumphant face like as she did in the past. However, Leddorio thought that he could do with some words of gratitude instead. If he were to be greedier, he¡¯d like to see an adorable response¡­, but the expectation was too far from reality that it made him inadvertently yell.


    It was at that moment when¡­


    ¡®Uu¡­mhm¡­¡¯


    ¡ªthey noticed Momo moving about in her bed, knitting her face, and slowly opening her eyelids.


    ¡±¡¯!!!¡±


    ¡®Shin, tell brother and the others in the Cafeteria that Momo has woken up!!¡¯

 CH 117

    ¡® ¡® Momo!! ¡® ¡®


    ¡®Did Miss Momo regain consciousness!?¡¯


    As the group of men scrambled in front of the room, Chloe gestured her finger close to her lips to make them silent.


    Momo sat up on her bed, gazing into the open air with her half-opened eyes.


    ¡®Momo, can you recognize me? Pull yourself together!¡¯


    ¡®Hn¡­nnn.¡¯


    Locke waved his hand in front of her face which caught Momo¡¯s eyes. As the young adventurer entered her field of vision, the lady twinkled her eyes. As her vision finally regained its focus, Momo¡¯s eyes opened wide. That was when the tears began to spill.


    ¡®Locke¡­?¡¯


    ¡®Momo!!!¡¯


    ¡®Fuaah~! I slept so well!¡¯


    Their desperate calls to her name were answered by a carefree yawn. But this behavior of Momo made Locke¡¯s eyes teary. Chloe merely watched over them, petting Melamphus above her knee with a complex expression on her face.


    ¡®You¡¯re¡­ back to normal¡­ Really¡­thank god¡­¡¯


    ¡®Wha-whatcha cryin¡¯ for, Locke? Besides, you rascal! Since when did ya get to become so big? You surprised me, ya know?¡¯


    (¨C!!??)


    Suddenly hearing such an unknown voice, bewildered, Leddorio and the others¡¯ attention surveyed the entire room for the source. Leddorio found the voice so puzzling. It felt so terribly familiar to him, yet his mind was seemingly wanting to just brush it off.


    Locke cast his face downwards, his tears dripping towards the bed while Momo petted his head like a child. That¡¯s when the lady noticed the gaze of the several men, she turned her eyes towards them and the sight of them made her in awe.


    ¡®Whoa, each and every one of em lookin¡¯ like some kind of actor! Who the heck are these guys!? Wait, I get it. Y¡¯all are some kind of performer group, ain¡¯t cha? Hate to say it but our remote of a village ain¡¯t gonna yield you some customers¡¯, ain¡¯t that right?¡¯


    The words that kept spilling out of her lovely lips were exactly that of a country bum. They were not mistaken in assuming that the voice they heard earlier was from Momo, herself. The gap brought by her pleasant-sounding voice had made Leddorio and the others paralyzed. They were shocked in realizing that a designated saintess had turned into a witch, but this development was also far outside the confines of their imagination that they couldn¡¯t figure out how to react.


    But they were not alone. Even Chloe who had the game¡¯s knowledge and played the game from Momo¡¯s perspective was just as bewildered. She stealthily whispered into Locke¡¯s ears.


    ¡®Hey, did Momo talk like this in your village too? You didn¡¯t have that kind of accent, though?¡¯


    ¡®I was forcefully corrected in the Count¡¯s house. But then again, even in the village, we were raised by the chieftain who had many opportunities to interact with outsiders, as well as a priest who got sent from the capital. Oh, Momo¡¯s mother originated from the city too. But well, she got absurdly spoiled by the old folks of the village so¡­¡¯


    As Chloe examined the lady, Momo was holding her growling stomach nonchalantly saying¡ª ¡®I¡¯m starvin-, ain¡¯t we eatin¡¯ yet?¡® to Shin.


    ¡®T-That reminds me, during the game¡¯s first scene in the village, it showed Momo talking to Locke and the others but the entire thing was a monologue. She entered the academy after an entire year and was able to speak grammatically there. I see¡­ the pope must have really worked his hardest to correct her for an entire year.¡¯


    Chloe came to understanding on her own. As the inexplicable ambiance filled the air, Momo was told what happened entirely thus far.


    ¡®Hieee! I got possessed by a bad gal and seduced Sir Prince and the others!? And for three years? Damn it, what the heck!? I¡­ I¡¯ve done hella bad¡­uhh¡­.¡¯


    ¡®Momo!!¡¯


    The lady lost consciousness and reverted to laying in her bed. The men who were her adherents previously had seemingly turned into living corpses. Dai just lost consciousness, foaming in his mouth. Sei was just like one of the church¡¯s reliefs, a figure who bids farewell to angels, although nobody knows to whose goodbyes he was bidding. Dai who has been watching over Momo silently all this time was already unconscious; a bubble in his nose. Lastly, Shin who has been attending to Momo earlier, upon closer observation, had distant eyes.


    Meanwhile, Leddorio¡­ was just having a terrible headache. Although Momo, who now lost her memories of her past life, was just as he imagined her to be, as far as personality is concerned, her verbal tone makes his ears reject recognizing the lady as an opposite sex. He couldn¡¯t help but doubt whether he would¡¯ve fallen for her just as he did were she like this from the start. Just thinking about that gives him migraines.


    ¡®Is it that shocking? Even though I got rebuked so much for having a crude heart to discriminate based on a person¡¯s origin.¡¯


    ¡®No, this was too much. Do Lady Chloe really feel nothing seeing her like that?¡¯


    Sei who came to his sense from his farewell pose, asked Chloe while wiping his tears.


    ¡®Well¡­ I mean there¡¯s gotta be one savior who speaks like this right? Like one who can deal with anything without losing composure-¡®


    ¡®She just lost consciousness, though.¡¯


    With a tiresome look on his face, Leddorio took his hand off from caressing his temple and shook his head.

 CH 118

    Three days have passed since Momo woke up.


    Locke descended to the Situm City to receive letters from the capital addressed to Momo. Which reminded Leddorio of the magical tool that the young man lends to Shin for transport. It also had a green feather within it upon closer look. Apparently, it was something that Locke obtained before even realizing it; a feather with mysterious powers. That¡¯s why when he got adopted by a foreign noble, he had it custom-made into a magic tool. It was unmistakably the main responsible for allowing Momo to summon the sacred bird.


    The feathers lost their effect when Momo lost their trust. It dawned on the prince the reason why Locke was still able to use the magical tool. It shows just how different the caliber of a man Locke was, compared to them.


    (But if that¡¯s the case¡­ what will become of Chloe¡¯s feelings?)


    Slipping through Dai¡¯s, who was building a new door with several wooden planks from scratch; Passing through Sei, who prostrated himself at the Church¡¯s reliefs; Turning a fleeting glance towards Dai who has been drinking himself since noon in the cafeteria; Leddorio¡¯s footsteps led him towards the lodging¡¯s second floor. As always, Shin was in front of the door like a gatekeeper, which means that Chloe is in the room.


    ¡®Are you planning to break another door, sir? The mistress already scolded you so sternly and yet you never learn.¡¯


    ¡®It doesn¡¯t even have one, right now. I just want to check on them.¡¯


    ¡®Oh my, Prince Leddorio.¡¯


    At that moment, his eyes met with Chloe who was about to leave. He wasn¡¯t able to hide his discomposure due to suddenly seeing her close but, Chloe didn¡¯t pay him any mind and only glanced over the room. Momo was on the bed, reading the letters from their hometown that she received during her time in the academy. After reading one line after another carefully, she re-reads the same letter again from scratch.


    ¡®If she reads so carefully like that, it¡¯ll be night time before she finishes.¡¯


    ¡®I guess that explains the weekend skips. But, that¡¯s just who Momo is. She should¡¯ve been a girl who treasures her family and hometown more than anything else.¡¯


    The gentle smile that Chloe had towards the lady was not the kind to emit towards a love rival. Watching the side profile of her gaze filled with affection, the prince could hear his heart noisily pound. He needed to keep the talk going, but before he manages to, Chloe talked to him again.


    ¡®Which reminds me, has his highness talked to Momo yet? For some reason, brother and the others have been acting strange ever since.¡¯


    ¡®W-well¡­ not yet.¡¯


    Even though she was such a sweet child- or so Chloe muttered, inclining her head, but the prince could only vaguely evade her question. While he did try to talk to Momo after, she was too fearful, apologizing over and over in confusion¡­ in her previous odd verbal tone.


    ¡®


    (Well, I guess commoners would usually act like that¡­)


    Whenever Momo speaks, his close associates keep their distance with a zombified face. As selfish as it was, even though they were deceived, they still wanted to keep their memories of her as beautiful as they were, or so it seems. Dai, who had gotten over her already, said that he would¡¯ve gotten along with her as friends with a bitter smile on his face. Shin, who seemingly felt guilty for retreating once, made progress, now conversant with her.


    Leddorio¡­ on the other hand, surprisingly was not as shocked as they were. Hearing her countryside tone gives him a headache, and while it also tore off all the remaining attachments that he had of her, the thought of the how the Momo, whom he fell in love with, completely disappearing, didn¡¯t make his heart ache as he thought it would.


    (Does that mean, it wasn¡¯t so much of true love at all? In the first place, just what is true love? Momo and Chloe both kept their secrets, and it was something as absurd as remembering their past lives, and this reality, being a game or whatever. Now I can¡¯t even tell which is real or not.)


    If everything becomes questionable, then perhaps there¡¯s no use in glossing over every detail. But despite knowing that, Leddorio couldn¡¯t help but become curious. Why is it that only when he realized¡­ does he begin to be perplexed by these mysterious feelings in his chest?


    ¡®Milady, Prince Yellow had arrived. He wishes to personally talk to you alone.¡¯


    Shin, who came from the hallway, called upon the lady.

 CH 119

    In the round table installed outside the lodging house, Chloe sat, perplexed. Her downcast gaze points towards the odd pattern that Prince Keith illustrated, spanning the entire table. As she turned her attention towards the one responsible, the prince just sat in front of her nonchalantly drinking his tea.


    ¡®Uhm¡­¡¯


    ¡®Oh, right. I almost forgot.¡¯


    As Chloe timidly broke the ice, Keith let out a little chuckle and snapped his finger. At that moment, the pattern above the table shone brightly which soon enveloped the two. They could hear voices of surprise coming from inside the lodge.


    ¡®!?¡¯


    ¡®We can¡¯t be sure who¡¯s listening after all. I can¡¯t have my guards retreat, so this is the most appropriate way to talk about confidential things while under observation.¡¯


    ¡®Oh, was it a magic circle, sir? This is sacred magic ¡® silence¡¯, isn¡¯t it?¡¯


    Keith¡¯s voice can be heard by Chloe who was close to the table but, the surrounding could only see the two of them open and close their mouth without making any sounds. They were likely being bugged judging from the voices raised inside the lodging house, and the spell could even protect against taht.


    ¡®I¡¯m pretty poor at learning offensive magic, unlike brother. This is the one I specialize in. Now that all the hindrances are gone, let¡¯s get back to the main topic.¡¯


    Keith lowered the tone of his voice which sent shivers to Chloe¡¯s spine. The way he talked made it seem that the things he¡¯s about to say will not be good news, as far as Chloe is concerned.


    ¡®I heard about the reports. Momo had lost her three years¡¯ worth of memories, is that right?¡¯


    ¡®¡­That¡¯s how it came to be but, put to be more precise, all of the memories that relate to her past life¡¯s consciousness were erased. She¨C Miss Momo refused the part of her that lived in this world. She put herself in a vessel of a ¡®player¡¯, which prove to be quite fortunate, because I was able to erase her personality alone. If the two personalities had merged well, it might¡¯ve ended up with her consciousness reverting to that of a baby.¡¯


    Although, if her personality has stayed the same way as it was, she likely wouldn¡¯t have become a witch, or so Chloe thought. The lady who has been casting her eyes down the entire time wavered to continue but, soon enough she hesitatingly asked.


    ¡®Uhm¡­ So what would be Miss Momo¡¯s treatment, sir?¡¯


    ¡®Do you even need to ask? She was responsible for cajoling the young nobility who will shoulder the kingdom for the next generation and had one of their fiancees banished from the capital. On top of it, she became a witch and bared her fangs at the kingdom. She must take responsibility for the things she did.¡¯


    ¡®¡±She¡± was not the one who did it, sir!¡¯


    ¡®What of it? Past life memories and whatnots do not serve as a viable excuse. You of all people should know that. Besides, the Sacred Church would not stay silent on this. The scandal of their proclaimed ¡®Saintess¡¯ turning into a witch; do you think that they would let something like that happen? They¡¯ll jump at nipping it from the bud¡¯


    Keith¡¯s assertion had made Chloe pale. She was trying to think of any methods that could save the miss. The crown prince thought that the lady was far too soft on the woman responsible for her ruin.


    ¡®To be specific, how do you suppose they would do it, sir?¡¯


    ¡®Hmm, maybe by making it out that you, the one who sealed her away, was the ¡®True Saintess¡¯ from the very beginning? Rather, that kind of talk has been making rounds already. One of the priests that were present there has spread that you were able to use sacred magic that only gods should be capable of.¡¯


    ¡®Momo is the ¡®True Saintess¡¯! Even Saintess, the first said the same so there¡¯s no mistake on that part. I was just used as an means to bring back the original Momo¡­ And to prove that point, I no longer have the same power I used back then.¡¯


    Keith also received reports about that. The report stated that the power that caused the caverns to collapse was the true power of the original Momo, something that her past life personality was a lid on. Although the two of them were slowly recovering the sacred mana that they used up on that day, they still cannot use it several times a day.


    ¡®Even if you say that the fact that you can hear Saintess, the first¡¯s voice alone makes you a Saintess, sufficient enough to declare worthy of veneration.¡¯


    He cynically implies that the Church will not let her go but the lady without any signs of being flustered, merely shook her head.


    ¡®I do not have the right to be a Saintess, sir.


    After all, I¡¯m¡­ the ancient witch herself, Yolda Moon.¡¯

 CH 120

    The table was conquered by Silence. But it was not brought by Keith¡¯s magic. The prince was just struggling to find the words to respond.


    ¡®Lady Chloe, did I¡­ just mishear that? Do you mean that you¡¯re a descendant of the House Moon?¡¯


    ¡®Oh, that reminds me, mother¡¯s house was House Moonlight. It bears a resemblance, doesn¡¯t it? I see¡­ but you did not mishear me, sir. I am Yolda Moon¡¯s reincarnation.¡¯


    The prince couldn¡¯t sense the ploy to deceive from the lady¡¯s words. Sensing that it was not a moment that could be flushed with a joke, he could only caress his temples.


    ¡®You know what, Lady Chloe. That cannot be used as an excuse, whether that¡¯s true or not. The doctrine of the church does not include reincarnations. Even I am barely accepting these kinds of talks on the precedence of all of you ladies being formerly from another world¡­


    Besides, wasn¡¯t Yolda the one who made contact with Momo and guided her towards the crystal that she had been sealed in? That¡¯s what my brother said.¡¯


    ¡®That was just an empty vessel, sir. It is likely that Miss Momo only based the details of turning into a witch from her game knowledge, that the internal voice in the game was that of Yolda. Although the Yolda voice that called upon Chloe in the game was her own anyway, so I guess she was not totally mistaken.


    ¡­Also, I don¡¯t know if I should say this but¡­¡¯


    Chloe began to lower the volume of her voice. Although it was meaningless because of the sacred magic, silent, it was because she judged the gravity of what she¡¯s about to say.


    ¡®The one who made Yolda reincarnate into Chloe was, the first saintess, herself; Cherry Blossom.¡¯


    To be more precise, She sent Yolda¡¯s soul to the other world and had her live her life as a Japanese, and was also responsible for taking her soul back to reincarnate here, or so Chloe explained.


    It was a revelation that could overturn the entire doctrine of the Sacred Church, something Keith regretted learning about. Of all people, the ancestor of the royal family, the saintess, and savior of the kingdom, was the one responsible for reincarnating the witch that she sealed herself. If he was to be honest, this is not a matter that he should be shouldering alone. He wanted to consult Canaria about it, but while she is his fianc¨¦e, she is still considered an outsider at the moment, so the crown prince was at a loss as to what he should do.


    ¡®Please be assured, sir. There¡¯s no way that the Holy Saintess will send someone dangerous at large, won¡¯t she? She only told me a fragment of everything. As expected, a mix of three personalities of different lives would make my head burst after all.¡¯


    ¡®Why did Saintess, The First, do such a thing?¡¯


    ¡®According to Cherry, she wanted to start things all over again. The two of them were best friends and good love rivals from the start. Cherry herself had always regretted what they had become. That¡¯s why in order to give Yolda salvation, and a chance to redeem herself, she sent ¡®Beloved Child¡¯, Momo, as a representation of herself.


    Her miscalculation was pulling by pulling a soul from another world, several more would be taken along. As well as how the various future probabilities of this world exist as a game.¡¯


    Chloe calls the first saintess ¡®Cherry¡¯, but for some reason, it didn¡¯t feel blasphemous to the prince. He felt as though the lady was referring to her old friend. She said that she does not have memories of her but, Keith thought that perhaps Yolda and Chloe are truly one of the same.


    ¡®That¡¯s who Canaria and Momo had their past life memories then? Don¡¯t you¡­ resent her for acting selfishly on her own?¡¯


    ¡®It is selfish as you said, but as for grudges, the royal family and the sacred church are more to blame. But that¡¯s for Yolda to consider. I am Chloe Sereknight, after all.¡¯


    Chloe chose not to talk about the truths hidden under the sacred legend, but histories just repeat themselves. Keith can form conjectures based on that.


    Chloe brought down the cup she was drinking back to its saucer plate. Her gaze began to probe the prince.


    ¡®Back on the topic, sir. If you reveal that I am Yolda Moon¡­¡¯


    ¡®Yeah, there would be no mistake. On top of being treated like a crazy woman, you¡¯ll be locked up. In the first place, there would be a doubt as to why the Sacred Church¡¯s doctrine does not include having past lives? This is considering that its very first saintess had the capability to do so, you know? It is very likely that the church fears the influential power of someone claiming to be Yolda¡¯s reincarnation appearing the most. Going out of your way to reveal is too dangerous. Just when the kingdom finally started accepting your atonement.¡¯


    ¡®Nggg¡¯


    Chloe¡¯s head sinks to the table, stirring up her short hair in frustration. Keith noticed how different she was now compared to how she was back in the capital. It is likely that even though she didn¡¯t have her memories, the first saintess telling her about the truth of ancient times may not change her personality but has affected her disposition.


    Chloe¡¯s intention to reveal her true identity was to make Momo¡¯s rampage, a legitimate act of sealing a witch, hence reducing the gravity of her crimes.


    ¡®Why would you go so far to save Lady Momo? Sense of camaraderie to fellow reincarnator? Or was it feelings of attachment to the game¡¯s heroine? Nobody will condemn you for abandoning her, you know?¡¯


    ¡®There¡¯s also those but¡­ if something happens to Momo, Locke will come to save her. If that happens the two will hide their whereabouts, right?¡¯


    Chloe¡¯s reply while averting her eyes had sent the stupefied prince in a fit of laughter.


    ¡®Ahahahahahaha, well you wouldn¡¯t like that, won¡¯t you? I see, so it would be better if you¡¯re the one who saved her instead.¡¯


    ¡®Muu¡­ is that bad?¡¯


    ¡®Isn¡¯t that fine? If that¡¯s what you really want. Pupu¡­ Brother is in quite a predicament, isn¡¯t he?¡¯


    Chloe inclined her head to the sudden mention of Leddorio¡¯s name but Keith didn¡¯t pay her any mind and suppressed his laughter.


    ¡®Whichever the case, I¡¯m grateful to you for sealing the witch and protecting the kingdom from harm. As the crown prince, I want to answer to your wish as much as I can.¡¯


    Chloe¡¯s eyes opened wide. After saying this much, Keith expects that the Lady would no longer wish for any kind of destruction to the royal family. Did he go this far because the lady was a reincarnator like his fiancee? No, he was merciless towards, Momo.


    ¡®At the very least, I now understand that you¡¯re not my enemy after all.¡¯


    ¡®¡­It may be too early to decide that, sir. If you¡¯re going that far, then there¡¯s something I want to ask you too.


    Prince Yello, just what is your aim? Is it something that you will not achieve without the seat of the crown prince? From the way I see it, it felt as though you purposely allowed Lady Momo to do things freely and even incited her to become a witch.¡¯


    The prince responded to her vigilant gaze with a chuckle, as he raised his cup from its saucer.


    ¡®You do have the right to know, I guess. Sure, I¡¯ll tell you my circumstances. After that, I want you to decide what you want to do.

 CH 121

    I am the 2nd prince of the Coloflare Royal Family, Yello Keith Coloflare. Those who are close to me call me Keith. I am three years younger than my older brother, the 1st prince, but because of the different political factions for the succession of the throne, we have been estranged from one another as siblings.


    My subordinates are always stirring me up telling me that I¡¯m the superior one, but as I grew up, I came to realize that things were not that simple. Coloflare has two ministers. The one who governs the internal affairs of the kingdom was the minister to the right, from the first prince faction. The minister to the left was the one who governs the country¡¯s diplomacy and those who have connections with the neighboring influential powers, are trying to back me up through him.


    Presently, the unifying power of the royal family has dwindled and if left alone, it is likely that the country will become a puppet state in the near future. Flustered, the royal family clung to the kingdom¡¯s state religion, the Sacred Church. In consideration of the increasing density of the miasma in recent years, they aimed to have the designated saintess ward it off as the first prince¡¯s fiancee in order to seize political strength.


    As for me, I hated being in the position of being swayed by these surrounding agendas. Although I cannot say that we get along, I love and respect my older brother. The main reason why I am studying was also in order to be able to support his reign, and stealing the throne from him is the last thing I¡¯ll ever do.


    Why do we even have to fight for the throne? Why aren¡¯t we allowed to get along as siblings?


    Even though his cold glare each time we pass by each other pains me, I still haven¡¯t given up dreaming that one day we will arrive at a future where we can embrace each other as siblings.


    ¡ô ¡ó ¡ô ¡ó ¡ô


    I was ten years old when my engagement partner was decided. She was a ducal lady from our neighboring country, the Corundum Kingdom. That was good and all, but I was shocked upon knowing that I will be sent towards their kingdom once my older brother ascends to the throne.


    ¡®Why!? Why can¡¯t be by Brother Leddorio¡¯s side? Why is that!?¡¯


    ¡®Keith, We need you to become the bridge that would strengthen the two kingdom¡¯s alliances.¡¯


    That¡¯s what mother told me, but I knew that no matter whichever of us becomes the crown prince, the kingdom would be in danger as long as the factional dispute splits the aristocrats. As long as I remain in the kingdom, the 2nd prince faction will keep backing me and throw the country in disarray. Despite the minister to the left¡¯s efforts to hold them off, the people close to me are still all whispers, trying to incite me to aim for the throne.


    ¡®They¡¯re making the fool out of highness, don¡¯t they? They want wed you to one of their retainers and not to the Corundum¡¯s royal family¡­ They¡¯re treating us like we¡¯re vassal state.¡¯


    ¡®That¡¯s going too far. I heard that they are also currently under a succession conflict which left the royal family in pieces. Not to mention, they do not have a princess that suits my age either. Besides, House Riqum is also of the royal bloodline.¡¯


    The one chosen to become my fianc¨¦e was the ducal lady of the House Ricum, a close relative of the royal family. Her mother is the present king¡¯s younger sister making her position suitable to be wed to a foreign kingdom¡¯s royal family. However, the disheartening part is that I will have to pledge allegiance to their royal family upon going there. Even though this development will bring merits to our kingdom, I do not wish to bow my head towards any country other than my kingdom, nor personages other than my older brother.


    With such somber feelings, I was to welcome the lady who crossed the national borders for our engagement. Escorted by their crown prince, Prince Safir, as well as the lady¡¯s father, Duke Ricum, Canaria makes her appearance before me.


    At first glance, I thought ¡®what a beautiful person.¡¯ I already knew how she looked from the portraits, but illustration do not bring justice to her charm. I thought she has the same amber hair comparable to that of a ripened barley as mine, but her dazzling blonde hair was shimmering like gold. Although her eye color was different from her hair, something that is seldom seen in this country, they were like a pair of blue jewels. She truly fitted the image of a princess from the ¡°Kingdom of Jewels.¡±¡®


    However, perhaps brought by the anxiety of her first visit to a foreign country, her facial countenance was bad and her eyes swam around. Witnessing her nervousness, which looked more like confusion, I cut my self-introduction short. Telling her that I¡¯ll walk her around, I took the lady to the castle¡¯s courtyard.


    ¡±I took you with me of my own accord because you didn¡¯t look so well , but are you alright?¡¯


    ¡®Ah, No¡­ Please do not mind me, sir. I just didn¡¯t expect that I would end up meeting the real deal so¡­¡¯


    ¡®¡­Do you perhaps, feel unwilling to this engagement?¡¯


    The real deal she says but surely she had been sent reports of my personal history too. It appears that the engagement hasn¡¯t hit the lady all this time but, I wonder if she feels reluctant to marry a foreign prince now.


    ¡®No, Not at all, sir! Being wed to Keit¡­ Prince Yello was my dream, sir.¡¯


    ¡®I-Is that so? Thank you¡­. I guess?¡¯


    Wasn¡¯t she about to call me Keith, earlier? Well, I wouldn¡¯t feel opposed to letting such an adorable fianc¨¦e do so, but if that¡¯s truly how she feels, her behavior earlier does not make any sense. As I feel suspicious of the lady, the person herself was mumbling, seemingly trying to make sense of the situation.


    ¡®Huh¡­? He really is Keith of the ¡°Rainbow Crystal,¡± isn¡¯t he? He doesn¡¯t have a secret route, nor is he capturable in the fan discs. He was my favourite¡­ What does this mean? So right now the Coloflare Kingdom is¡­¡¯


    ¡®Uhm, Lady Canaria?¡¯


    ¡®Wha!? Pardon my rudeness, Keit¨C Prince Yello.¡¯


    ¡®Keith is fine. May I call you Canaria too? Anyway, if you truly do not dislike this engagement, then what are you so anxious about?¡¯


    I caressed her hair to reassure the lady but, Canaria seemingly shrank back. It was not due to fear but merely a reflexive reaction towards the person she admires.


    ¡®Did it show on my face, sir?¡¯


    ¡®That¡¯s why I brought you here. If you¡¯re being mindful of the public gaze, we should be able to get to the gazebo after a little walk. We can talk about it there.¡¯


    Both my older brother and I are trained in magic due to being blood-related to the House Whitey. Although I¡¯m still 10 years old, considering our current situation, I should start to prioritize learning magic that would be convenient to me. While thinking that, I took Canaria by her hand and led her to the gazebo. It was my first time holding a hand of a lady close to my age, so I checked up on the lady at times and saw her down casted face slightly reddened. The feeling of wanting to protect her within me grew stronger.


    However, upon taking a seat on the gazebo¡¯s bench. The words the came out of the lady spoke after a moment of rest was so absurd that it threw all those feelings away.


    ¡®Sir Keith, if I told you that this world is a game¡­, would you believe me?¡¯

 CH 122

    Ever since Canaria Riqum became aware of her surroundings, she already had a few memories of her past life. She was a person from another world, born and raised in a civilization far different from those of this world. A life exposed to so many stories thanks to ¡°Science¡± that developed in that world instead of magic.


    One of such stories is a love story where Coloflare Kingdom was the setting. It was something they called ¡°Otome Game¡±


    ¡®I couldn¡¯t believe it when I was told that I will be engaged to Sir Keith. But every time a piece of information regarding the neighboring kingdom comes, my hazy memories become even more clearer, and having met you just now had confirmed it, sir.¡¯


    ¡®That this world is a game?¡¯


    It¡¯s hard to believe her on the spot. After all, Coloflare Kingdom didn¡¯t have a concept of past lives, (which largely has to do with religious circumstances.) Either way for someone who simply reincarnated into a world of a story, Canaria¡¯s reaction looked terribly afraid. Was she supposed to die later on in that story?


    ¡®By the way, what kind of role did Canaria have in this ¡°game?¡±¡®


    ¡®I do not appear in the story. It was only written that Sir Keith will be married to a ¡°princess of the neighboring kingdom.¡± Ah, but I was quite envious of her! After all, Sir Keith couldn¡¯t be captured in the game, so I was left with no choice but to take Prince Leddorio¡¯s route and wait for your scenes. I was truly envious of the lady for being able to marry sir Keith! But now that would be me, I¡¯m soo happy!¡¯


    I couldn¡¯t do anything but a nod to Canaria¡¯s sudden talkativeness. Considering how she looked as if she was about to die earlier, this must mean that she truly liked those ¡®games¡¯ a lot. It appears that I was her favorite¡­ but I feel conflicted because it did not refer to me of today.


    ¡®Canaria, if this was really a ¡®game¡¯ world, wouldn¡¯t that be fun to you? What were you so afraid of earlier?¡¯


    Interrupting her seemingly endless talks halfway, she suddenly stopped moving for a moment, then dropped her shoulders. I ended up making her remember unpleasant things, but her love talks were clearly leading to the derailment of the topic.


    ¡®I¡¯m sorry sir¡­ I¡¯m a complete bystander in that game. But the thing is, the suspicion of this world being that of a game started in the Corundum Kingdom.¡¯


    It appears that Canaria didn¡¯t only play a single game in her past life. There was another story where the keywords ¡®Corrundum Kingdom¡¯, ¡®Duke Riqum,¡¯ and ¡®Order of the Dragonknights¡¯ in its plot which is a completely different story to the one with Coloflare Kingdom.


    [The demonic hands of the empire that swallowed the country in its circumference has finally reached the Corrundum Kingdom. With the Princess who bore the blood of the Saintess, kidnapped by the empire, the main protagonist who got his home village destroyed, swore to avenge and rebuild his country. He shall lead the dragon knights, blessed by the dragon god, and save the kidnapped princess.]


    Or so was the game¡¯s story.


    ¡®If this is truly the world of the game, then the Corundum Kingdom will be destroyed by the empire soon.


    Of course, there were some disparities to the reality, sir. First and foremost of all was that our country doesn¡¯t have a saintess. I¡¯ve looked in our history books as well but there was not a single mention of a Saintess. The heroine was a princess named after an ancient saintess too so it makes me feel relieved that the game was different on that part.


    But then¡­ Coloflare Kingdom exists in this world at the same time. A young lady awakening as a Saintess and being wed to a prince of Coloflare Kigndom was also the setting of another game¡­ was this a coincidence, sir?¡¯


    ¡®¡­In short, is this what you¡¯re trying to say? A saintess will awaken in the Coloflare Kingdom, who will be wed to the prince, to Brother Leddorio, and their descendant will be wed to the Corrundum royal family? Which explains why the princess in the future was able to use Saintess¡¯ powers?¡¯


    As I asked for her confirmation, Canaria nodded and told me her theory. The game¡¯s Duke Riqum was serving the heroine princess. Fed up with his scoldings, the princess complains to the protagonist at one time;


    ¡®The old man says that I have the same royal blood as him. He said that I¡¯m like his grandchild so he couldn¡¯t leave alone; even though that¡¯s something of several decades ago.¡¯


    Then there¡¯s the antagonist, the emperor who talked about the Saintesses in this manner;


    ¡®I¡¯ve waited for this all this day; the day where my empire obtains the descendant of the saintess who appeared a hundred years ago!¡¯


    A hundred years after a Saintess appeared in the Coloflare kingdom, the Corrundum kingdom will be destroyed. Canaria thinks that this is the future that those games suggest.


    ¡®Mhm, but even so, it doesn¡¯t make any sense. Why did the empire specifically desire a saintess from the Corundum royal family? After all, the one with legend and bloodline of the saintess is Coloflare¡¯s royal family, right? Shouldn¡¯t they just kidnap the saintess who appeared a century ago?¡¯


    ¡®I do not know the details but there should be a reason for that. Besides, the Coloflare kingdom had already fallen by then.¡¯


    But only in the game, sir¡ª Canaria added with a sullen face. Although she talked about it in the past tense, even though nothing happened presently yet.


    However, now I understand her anxiety. The game that she had only played in the past had turned into a probable future ruin. An aristocratic lady like her does not have any means to stop it either.


    (Even then, that¡¯s a hundred years in the future and most of us are already dead by then so there¡¯s no use in worrying about it.)


    Perhaps because my thoughts were reflected in my face, a self-deprecating smile surfaced on her face.


    ¡®It¡¯s quite hard to believe such a story, isn¡¯t it?¡¯


    ¡®It¡¯s not that¡­ You don¡¯t look like you were lying either.¡¯


    ¡®Even if I¡¯m not, sir must¡¯ve concluded that they were just delusions.¡¯


    ¡®No¡­ well¡­¡¯


    As I flusteredly tried to cover up my inner thoughts, Canaria merely giggled. Her facial expression has a tinge of resignation in it, which made me bite my lips in regret.


    ¡®It¡¯s fine, sir. I already knew that talking about this to someone else would make them think that I¡¯d lost my mind. After all, we¡¯re talking about past lives, and this world is a game. Even I would be taken aback in the same situation.¡¯


    Canaria said with a smile but there were tears in her eyes. I was flustered; I ended up making a lady cry.


    ¡®Don¡¯t cry, Canaria¡­ This world is not a game. There¡¯s nothing to worry about.¡¯


    ¡®How can you say for sure, sir? Our lives would be over after a century! For what reason¡­ was I reincarnated here? To such a world with a promised ruined? With all my memories intact? What should I do, sir?¡¯


    Now her tears were flowing. Ahh, I have really made her cry. These are the feelings that she had carried and kept to herself all this time but I ended up making them explode.


    At a loss, I looked for any methods to stop a ladies¡¯ tear within my memories. I suddenly recalled a single piece of advice about it, but I forgot where it came from.


    ¡®Eek!¡¯


    ¡®Have you settled down?¡¯


    ¡®Y-Y-Y-Yes, sir! I ended up showing you something unsightly, sir.¡¯


    Canaria jolted up after having her eyelids kissed, nodding several times in apology; her face completely in the red. Regretfully remembering that the advice was supposed to be a joke, I licked my salty lips and gave the lady a handkerchief in self-shame.


    ¡®Hey, Canaria, would you like to play a game with me?¡¯


    ¡®A¡­game, sir?¡¯


    ¡®That¡¯s right. The time limit would be¡­ hmm, I guess, next year, at Canaria¡¯s birthday. Within that timeframe, I¡¯ll prove to you that this world isn¡¯t a game. How about that?¡¯


    As I proposed that, the strength in the lady¡¯s hand, holding the handkerchief, has returned. She had just stopped crying and was still red, but the lady was seemingly regaining her composure. Probing my face with her upturned eyes, Canaria tried to make certain of my words.


    ¡®A hundred years may have been impossible, but a single year, sir? How are you going to prove that?¡¯


    ¡®Well, I just have to convince you. If this is truly a world of a game, then the ruin of both countries is certain no matter what we do. However, if that¡¯s not the case, then the future can be changed. Is that wrong?¡¯


    Canaria watched as I proudly asserted that. Her eyes were clouded in doubt, while I struggle with the impulse to hold her.


    ¡®¡­.Incidentally, if Sir Keith were to win¡­?¡¯


    At Canaria¡¯s inquiry, I took her by the hand and whispered close to her ears.


    ¡®Then¡­ you¡¯ll have to kiss me.¡¯


    Tapping my lips and smiling deviously, she let out a strange voice and sat down. I was pulled by her, still holding her hand. The face of the lady whose embers had finally let up was blushing yet again, gasping as she held her chest.


    ¡®Are you alright, Canaria?¡¯


    ¡®Haa¡­ Keith is such an angel¡­¡¯


    She responded with a strange groan, but, apparently, her legs seemed to have given away. As I held back from making her admit defeat early, we decided that the outcome will be determined on her next birthday. By doing that, Canaria would stop worrying about the two country¡¯s ruins, because she will be thinking of me the whole time, for an entire year, at least.

 CH 123

    That was how the game of proving whether this game was someone¡¯s creation or not, between Canaria and I had started. I am to prove to her that this world is a reality, while Canaria will prepare proof that this world is that of a game. So I had her put all the information between the two games together and send them to me later on.


    In actuality, I didn¡¯t really care whether the world was a reality or that of a game. The ones to make a distinction between these two are either the god himself, or perhaps the otherworlders. There¡¯s no use in going around and pondering my thoughts about things out of my reach. The only thing that royalties such as us must consider is to make the country richer and to prevent making its citizen starve¨C at least according to my tutors.


    But still, the main reason why I made the bet of proving that this world was not a game was because being seen as an imaginary character by her was amusing. That¡¯s right, even if I am truly just a piece in someone¡¯s storyboard.


    Just recalling her face flustered in red after telling her that she¡¯ll have to kiss me, makes my lips slacken.


    ¡ô ¡ó ¡ô ¡ó ¡ô


    After several days, a parcel from the Corundum Kingdom has arrived. It was the information regarding the two games that I asked of Canaria. I had her write it in Corrundum¡¯s language to help my study too, so the servants wouldn¡¯t understand them even if they took a peek. I went straight to reading them with the assistance of a dictionary in hand.


    ¡®¡­..¡¯


    After reading for a while, I sorted out my thoughts. This game with Coloflare Kingdom as its stage, with a love story as its body, was seemingly thoughtlessly trampling on this kingdom¡¯s secret. Although they were not so secure as to prevent foreign spies from completely finding them out, it was still my first time discovering things that you will only find out in the forbidden books, such as the Saintess, the first¡¯s name. However, I¡¯m at a loss as to how should I confirm their veracity. If I ask father about this, he¡¯ll certainly ask where I got the information from. I cannot possibly just blurt out that this was a game, and I got it from that game¡¯s strategy. I guess Canaria must¡¯ve pondered about this in the past as well.


    That aside, I need to come up with a method to prove to her that this was not a world of a game. However, she¡¯s highly unlikely to listen to my words alone, so I might need to gather several people¡¯s opinions.


    ¡ô ¡ó ¡ô ¡ó ¡ô


    First, I tried asking the person who gave me advice on how to stop a lady¡¯s tears.


    ¡®Sei, do you happen to know what to do about a girl who is seemingly convinced that you¡¯re just a major character of a story?¡¯


    ¡®What¡¯s that about sir? That¡¯s way out of the blue.¡¯


    Omitting the keywords, ¡®game¡¯ and ¡®past lives, I merely illustrated it in a way of consulting about story¡¯s contents being uncannily similar to the events within one¡¯s surroundings.


    ¡®In other words, the lady was fearing that it was a prophetic record, isn¡¯t it?¡¯


    ¡®Prophetic¡­ well, I guess that¡¯s true. Either way, the story had a tragic end so she was anxious that it¡¯ll happen.¡¯


    ¡®Then first, you shouldn¡¯t deny her words and board on it.¡¯


    Ah, but I ended up denying it immediately though. I mean, she¡¯s talking about our country¡¯s destruction, you know?


    ¡®The most important in hearing a girl¡¯s troubles is not advice but sympathy. No matter how outlandish her stories are, for the lady, they were severely serious matters. You must not ridicule them for that. Once you let her vent her frustrations, just hold her and tell her that you are there for her, and that¡¯s a win.¡¯


    I wasn¡¯t asking about how to make a lady fall¡­ Wait, I wonder if this will work? I only needed to make her agree after all.


    ¡®Incidentally, if I prove to her that we¡¯re not in a story world?¡¯


    ¡®I wouldn¡¯t advise you to break a lady¡¯s dreams, sir.¡¯


    ¡­This guy¡¯s no good.


    By the way, the game seems to have written about Sei being troubled by forbidden love, but that doesn¡¯t seem to be the case. I mean, he¡¯s just foolishly sending his kisses over the ladies making a racket at a distance.


    Pulling myself together, I traversed the hallway that leads to the first prince¡¯s room. My brother should be studying under scholars of different fields around this time. That was when I met him and his fiancee, together in the hallways. His eyebrows knitted upon noticing me, which makes me sad even though I know that it was not out of hate.


    ¡®It¡¯s been a while, brother.¡¯


    ¡®¡­How unusual. You don¡¯t often come to this place.¡¯


    ¡®There¡¯s something I wish to consult brother about.¡¯


    As the eyes of my brother and her fiancee met, the lady retreated back to where her servant stood. She had glossy black hair and her face was hidden behind her folding fan, but I already knew that she was a terrific beauty. Her servant does not lose face either, his amethyst-colored hair and eyes were something that felt rather familiar.


    Whichever the case, I already know about them.


    ¡®Make it brief.¡¯


    ¡®Okay, erm¡­ If brother were to be told that we are living in the world of a game, how do you suppose will you deny it?¡¯


    ¡®¡­pu-¡®


    The one who almost burst into laughter was Lady Chloe, whose shoulders were trembling behind her folding fan. On the contrary, my brother¡¯s frown was increasingly looking more displeased.


    ¡®My, I guess Prince Yello is quite the idealist, isn¡¯t he? Kukuku¡­¡¯


    ¡®No, it¡¯s not me but Canaria¡­¡¯


    ¡®Oh my, that blue-eyed lady fianc¨¦e of yours? I happen to have the courtesy of receiving her greeting yesterday. She was just like a doll, but I guess she must¡¯ve been in the age to fantasize about those sorts of plays underneath, fufufu.¡¯


    Implicitly asserting childishness has made me sullen. That¡¯s exactly why you¡¯re a ¡°Villainess¡± inside the game! Oops, being too influenced by the game would make me unable to refute Lady Chloe¡¯s words.


    ¡®How foolish, it would be a waste of time to attend to such things so just ignore them.¡¯


    ¡®I completely agree, ohohoho.¡¯


    Brother spat a one-liner and left, followed by Lady Chloe¡¯s loud laughter. Well, I would¡¯ve thought the same thing before, but now I wanted to refute her argumentatively.


    Suddenly, I noticed the son of General Nable, Dai, whose eyes sparkled as he came close.


    ¡®Huh, wasn¡¯t Dai brother¡¯s escort?¡¯


    ¡®My father made me, in order to gain experience because I wouldn¡¯t settle down in the house, and his highness Leddorio had just instructed me to attend to you, sir.¡¯


    Dai was a year younger than my older brother. In other words, he was the same age as Lady Chloe. However, his height is already close to that of an adult. His masculine look is quite popular with the ladies, isn¡¯t it? Although he¡¯s a muscle brain, I should consult him, just in case.


    ¡®¡­Dai, if someone told you that this is the world of a game.¡¯


    ¡®¡­That¡¯d be cool, right? Was it a heroic tale where you beat the bad guys to a pulp?¡¯


    ¡®Well, yeah¡­ but the kingdom would have been ruined before that so¡­¡¯


    ¡®Then I¡¯ll beat them before that.¡¯


    ¡®Look, that¡¯s only in the story. Nobody really knows if it¡¯ll happen in reality, you know?¡¯


    ¡®My father has always said that the army is there in case something happens. Even I, want to get stronger so that I could protect my precious people when the time arrives.¡¯


    As Dai heartily smiles, I could only reply in affirmation and leave afterward. Reality or not doesn¡¯t really matter to him. He¡¯s always prepared for war. If I approach Canaria in the same assertiveness as him, would she be submissive too? No, Dai is a capture target. Having finished the game herself, she¡¯d play someone as simple as Dai within the palm of her hand.


    ¡ô ¡ó ¡ô ¡ó ¡ô


    I talked to the group of gentlemen, who are coincidentally, capture targets too, but none of their ideas are likely to convince Canaria so, I tried talking to the ladies group instead. That¡¯s why I invited Sei¡¯s sister-in-law Lady Masumi, for tea.


    ¡®Good day, Duchess Bruno.¡¯


    ¡®Well if it isn¡¯t his highness, Yello. Good day.¡¯


    Her smile, as dazzling as the sun itself, looked awfully similar to Lady Chloe¡¯s earlier, but their ambiances were completely different from one another. This sister-in-law of his was Sei¡¯s first love¡­ perhaps, it was because he is so popular, that he was attracted to someone he shouldn¡¯t be, instead.


    ¡®To think that the small prince in the past would smoothly invite me for a tea, how very moving.¡¯


    ¡®Please stop talking like you¡¯re my auntie. Doesn¡¯t Sei hate that kind of talking too?¡¯


    Lady Masumi has severely pampered Sei ever since marrying his older brother, Soma. It¡¯s very likely that she doesn¡¯t even notice how much it tramples on Sei¡¯s pride, as a man who fell in love with her¡ªis what I think, but having the game¡¯s knowledge could blindside you to a single angle.


    ¡®My, once his highness, Leddorio, marries Chloe, we will truly be relatives, you know? Even sister-in-law said that it will be House Moonlight¡¯s dearest wish once fulfilled, during the time she was alive.¡¯


    ¡®House Moonlight¡­ If I recall correctly, that was the house of the minister to the right¡¯s wife, wasn¡¯t it? What does she mean by dearest wish?¡¯


    ¡®Oh my, looks like I spoke too much. Fufufu, that just means that it would be a terribly joyous development.¡¯


    I feel like she¡¯s glossing it over but, thinking about how we¡¯ll become relatives after the marriage made me remember the other game that Canaria spoke of. The Duke Riqum who was the relative of the princess; The princess was a descendant of my brother, while the duke was mine¡¯s, making the both of them relatives. If that¡¯s the case, the future will change if it doesn¡¯t take the Leddorio route¡ªor not, it couldn¡¯t be that simple. The romantic circumstances of the Saintess and the invasion of the empire are two separate problems.


    ¡®Speaking of marriages, I believe Prince Keith was also engaged to the ducal lady of the Corundum kingdom, wasn¡¯t he? Considering she was a high nobility from a different country, the difference in sense of values must be troubling, you then.¡¯


    ¡®I guess that¡¯s true. It¡¯s my first time encountering the thought that people could be reborn to someone anew after death.¡¯


    ¡®My¡­ in our kingdom, there¡¯s the thought about monsters originating from scoundrels¡­ Mhm, I see, that kind of thought would make each life quite like a tribulation, wouldn¡¯t it?¡¯


    Life as a tribulation? I didn¡¯t think about that. A trial brought by the gods huh¡­ it¡¯s certainly becoming more like a game. I consulted Lady Masumi just as I did my brother and the others, but more concretely. From how we talked about so far, she seems to have quite an interest in the mass novels that were quite the trend in the capital. Perhaps, she¡¯ll take it as nothing but worries of a daydreaming lady, and laugh it off. But Lady Masumi merely took a sip of her tea, and after having finished my explanation, only silently brought the cup down.


    ¡®Is that so, an otherworld¡­ Certainly, if a person who has read something like that were to come to this world, it can¡¯t be helped for them to think that way. But your highness, do you think that this world is just a creation?¡¯


    ¡®Mhm, I guess it wouldn¡¯t matter to me. After all, I do not have such past life memories, and I¡¯ve only been here ever since I was born. So that¡¯s the only thing that matters.¡¯


    I know that I should haphazardly think of gods or what the world is all about, as a noble, but this was just me being honest. Lady Masumi merely nodded and smile, then asked another question.


    ¡®Then¡­ what would his highness do if you receive a bad divination?¡¯


    ¡®I¡¯ll take it as advice. If it¡¯s something unchangeable, I wouldn¡¯t pay it any mind. After all, if you¡¯re suddenly told ¡°You going to die someday¡±, there¡¯s nothing you can do about it either?¡¯


    ¡®Fufufu, Prince Yello is soo mature.¡¯


    Lady Masumi¡¯s expression had become similar to Lady Chloe¡¯s. Granted that they would look similar, considering they were relatives, but I was referring to the seemingly malicious ambiance behind their smile.


    ¡®Everyone will surely die. But even so, the bloodline will keep getting carried over, and even if the houses crumble, the people will remain. However¡­ if this country perishes, there will come a time where it will be forgotten, and things that we inherited will disappear.


    I also feel fear towards the thought of death, highness. But not the perish of the flesh, but on the idea that there¡¯s nothing next. That everything eventually amounts to nothing at all.¡¯


    Masumi¡¯s talk about life and death was so interesting that I could only nod as I listen to her words. She was born in the last years of the previous Duke Sereknight, and thus, was considerably affectionately spoiled, which is probably the reason for her gentle personality. But she was not stupid, and unexpectedly, have such profound thoughts in her mind.


    Death of the flesh, and death of identity, huh? The religious doctrine about the world after death was in a way, practically, a notion of immorality. But if that¡¯s the case, then perhaps those who reincarnated like Canaria with memories of her previous otherworld life, in-tact, could be called immortal in a way. It¡¯s precisely because of the presence of her ego from the otherworld that she couldn¡¯t throw away the doubt of being inside of a world of a game. Was she about to live her life from the standpoint of having given up, thinking that everything was nothing but a game anyway?


    ¡®Canaria sure is living her life bothersomely. She is fretting about things that will happen after her death¡­ even though this world is nothing but a mere story to her.¡¯


    ¡®Doesn¡¯t that speak of how kind Lady Canaria is? After all, it¡¯s about the ruin of the kingdom and the death of the people from a story; which is a predetermined course. But even so, she feared the destruction of an imaginary kingdom like her own death and laments her heart over its fate. She must¡¯ve considerably loved that story that much then.¡¯


    ¡®¡­¡­¡¯


    Lady Masumi¡¯s profound words have made me put the teacup down to its saucer. It made a sound due to me almost having dropped it.


    I see. What Canaria fears is not being within the world of the game from her previous life¡¯s memories. Such a thing does not really matter to her.


    What I should¡¯ve told my fianc¨¦e, who summoned all her courage to tell me all about it, was¡ª

 CH 124

    Being called to the neighboring kingdom of Corundum on Canaria¡¯s birthday, I went there with my two associates, Soma and Sand. Souma is the eldest son of the minister to the right, the one who manages domestic affairs. Sand, on the other hand, was a teacher that my mother picked, who will come with me as an escort.


    After greeting the crown prince of Corundum, Prince Safir, I was guided towards the party¡¯s venue where Canaria stood waiting, clad in her violet dress. What should I do? She¡¯s looking even more lovable.


    ¡®Canaria, happy birthday. This is an especially cultivated bellflower, would you accept it?¡¯


    ¡®Wow! It¡¯s so beautiful. A rainbow-colored one¡­ I guess when it comes to the Coloflare Kingdom, it has to be rainbow.¡¯


    Canaria was entranced by the bouquet I gave to her, but that does not conclude my presents to her.


    ¡®Also, here¡¯s a ribbon, woven from monster silkworm¡¯s silk. I hope you like it.¡¯


    ¡®Monster silkworm!? That¡¯s an enemy that appears in the dungeon of¡­ So that was the main material for magical ribbon.¡¯


    ¡®Fufu, are you surprised? We took their eggs and cultivated them. May I?¡¯


    Before she even replies, I undid Canaria¡¯s hair and tied it with the ribbon. I wanted to give her one with my hair¡¯s color originally, but it would be hard to distinguish an amber-colored ribbon from her blonde-colored hair. Hence, I just had it made with my brother¡¯s red color, whom I respect so well.


    The magic item, ¡®magical ribbon¡¯, appears in both of the games. It has a magical resistance in the one with Coloflare as its settings, while it could be used as a weapon in the other. This is more likely brought by the efficiency gap due to differing generations, rather than cultural differences between the two countries.


    ¡®It suits you well, but it feels like it was handpicked by brother instead which is a little vexing.¡¯


    ¡®T-Thank you, sir¡­ I am happy to receive anything as long as it¡¯s from Sir Keith. I will treasure it very much.¡¯


    Canaria¡¯s blushing smile was so irresistible that It made me grasp her hand tightly. Don¡¯t be impatient, me. The party has just started. As we greeted the guests while holding each other¡¯s hands, the surrounding watched us with pleasant smiles on their faces.


    After greeting the general attendees, I beckoned to lady that I wanted to go to a place bereaved of the crowds. Understanding my intentions, Canaria¡¯s facial expression stiffened for a moment, then she nodded and took me to the castle¡¯s courtyard. After getting her permission ahead of time, I drew a magic circle on the bench in front of the fountain, and cast the magic, ¡°silent.¡±


    ¡®So Canaria¡­ about the promise we had last year¡­¡¯


    ¡®Ah, yes, sir! I¡¯ve gathered all the events within our kingdom related to the game ever since. First, the House Glinda of the hidden capture target in Coloflare¡¯s game does exist in our kingdom. They are blessed by the kingdom¡¯s guardian, Green Dragon, and had led the dragon knights for generations¡­ but the only son of the current Count has passed away, and the Countess has been bedridden ever since. At this rate, there¡¯s a possibility that the house may fall.¡¯


    ¡®This means that the game¡¯s Count Glinda is not Sir Harald?¡¯


    ¡®Yes¡­ Besides, the Corundum game¡¯s protagonist who leads the dragon knights was not from the House Glinda either. I¡¯m sure that the Count will be adopting an orphan and the family¡¯s divine protection and status will be passed to another house.¡¯


    ¡®Is that so.¡¯


    Judging from the information she sent, Canaria may have finished the game in her past life but there are several scenes that she doesn¡¯t remember. First of all, would be the scene in which the identity of Count Glinda is revealed. Apparently, not only was the hidden route¡¯s condition too complicated, the count¡¯s identity is still practically a mystery even after clearing it. The route concludes with the heroine chasing after the Count.


    But if Sir Harald was supposed to live, does he have any point of contact with a country girl from a neighboring kingdom? Like for example; coincidentally studying abroad at the same time as the lady who awakened her Saintess powers will be attending the royal academy? If that¡¯s the case, it would be strange that the game had never touched that subject. From the way Canaria explained it, the Count has done so much for the heroine so they should at least have a close relationship¡­ but well, I guess I should put aside the count¡¯s identity for now.


    After our pleasant talk continued for a while, I took a deep breath. As Canaria looked at me, puzzled, I resolved myself and began talking.


    ¡®I guess it¡¯s my turn now¡­ As for evidence that this world is not that of a game¡­¡¯


    ¡®¡­Yes?¡¯


    ¡®Unfortunately, I couldn¡¯t find one.¡¯


    ¡®¡­.Wha?¡¯


    As Canaria prepared herself for any kind of evidence I will showcase, I only gave her a smile in return.


    ¡®After all, it¡¯s exactly as you said. Everything was going exactly as you¡¯ve told me. I also verified the information you gave regarding the game¡¯s capture targets within this whole year, but there were no discrepancies at all. The reason being? Because this is a world of a game¡­ isn¡¯t that right?¡¯


    ¡®B-But, sir Keith promised that he¡¯ll prove that this is reality¡­ that¡¯s exactly why I¡­¡¯


    ¡®Yup, I worked hard, but it was impossible, so I¡¯m sorry.¡¯


    Her widened eyes shook with despair. As if to prevent others from seeing through her feelings, she casts her eyes downwards and muttered  with a trembling voice.


    ¡®Then¡­ then, what of the two countries¡¯ future?¡¯


    ¡®I don¡¯t care. I¡¯m just a game¡¯s character, after all. If the gods decided their eventual destruction, then it can¡¯t be helped, right? I cannot possibly go against the predetermined fate.¡¯


    ¡®It can¡¯t be helped, you say¡­!? Does Sir Keith not care at all about the people a hundred years in the future? Does his descendants¡¯ suffering do not matter to sir at all!?¡¯


    She had the same tears in her eyes at that time but I was not flustered anymore. I grabbed her by the shoulders so to prevent her from escaping.


    ¡®You¡¯re very kind, Canaria¡­ If you¡¯re that worried about the ruin of our descendant¡¯s generation, why don¡¯t we escape then?¡¯


    ¡®Huh?¡­ Escape? Escape where?¡¯


    ¡®Any place where the empire¡¯s hand would not reach; a country far far away. The game¡¯s settings only involve the surrounding countries, right? But the world spans wider¡­ although that¡¯s quite weird as far as the game¡¯s plot is concerned.¡¯


    Don¡¯t worry. I don¡¯t have a crucial role in the game either. So it would not have any effect on the game¡¯s scenario whether I leave or not. The game¡¯s Duke Riqum had a blood relation to a royal family, but it did not specifically state which country¡¯s royal family it is. In actuality, the ducal house had always been relatives of the Corundum royal family even without my blood, right? You have a younger sibling too, right? Then, just let them succeed the¡ª¡¯


    My insistence was put to a stop by dry sound. My cheek is stinging. Canaria glared at me, tears in her eyes, as she held back her right hand.


    ¡®I have misjudged you, sir. A royalty like you, thinking of running away, abandoning both Coloflare and the Corundum Kingdom!? Didn¡¯t you work your hardest all this time to lend your strength to your brother in leading the country?¡¯


    ¡®All those efforts will always be strained, forever seen by the surroundings as my intention to usurp the throne; a wasted effort. Besides, the country will fall after a hundred years. Wasn¡¯t it you who told me that?¡¯


    ¡®That may be true¡­ but I never wished to hear such things from Sir Keith!¡¯


    ¡®Is that so? However, the Yello Keith Cololfare that you knew was weak to pressure; a character that is always swayed by his surroundings. I am aware of that side of my personality too.


    But I guess, I wouldn¡¯t want to be hated by my fianc¨¦e, so why don¡¯t you tell me, Canaria? How should I act to become the Keith that you love? After all, I¡¯m just an imagined character. Anything I do contrary to the game¡¯s scenario must be decided by you who lived in the same territory as our creator.¡¯


    I inclined my head to the side, under the pretense of innocence. Canaria could no longer hold back her spilling tears. My stubborn and bitter method is poking my conscience, but Canaria would forever swim in her anxiety unless she comes to the recognition, herself.


    ¡®My apologies, Sir Keith¡­¡¯


    ¡®What¡¯s the matter, Canaria? What are you apologizing for?¡¯


    ¡®This is reality, sir¡­ It may have been just a game to me in my previous life, but right now¡­ I am a higher nobility who shoulders the burden of the Corundum Kingdom. I will not escape even if it faces ruin¡­ No, I do not want to escape. After all, I love this country.¡¯


    Canaria¡¯s eyes were inflamed due to crying so much but now they were cleared of uneasiness. That¡¯s right, Canaria is no longer a person from another world. The reality should be here and nothing else, as far as the lady is concerned.


    ¡®Furthermore, I also wish to apologize for the rudeness of treating you as a character a year ago. The fears and anxieties have clouded my eyesight, sir¡­ I have failed to see you for who you really are.¡¯


    ¡®It¡¯s alright, as long as you understand now. By the way, Canaria, do you still remember the promise regarding our little game?¡¯


    ¡®Yes? ¡­Ah,¡¯


    As I kissed the fingers that wiped her tears, Canaria became as red as an apple. This is bad, she¡¯s so adorable that I want to eat her whole. Holding back my impulses, I mischievously whispered close to the flustered lady¡¯s ear.


    ¡®Or perhaps, you can only see me as an imaginary creation?¡¯


    ¡®Hie¡ªnot at all¡­ it¡¯s just that¡­ I do not wish for us to get ahead of ourselves, and leave brother-in-law behind.¡¯


    Having my own family¡¯s love circumstances leaked gives me quite a sour feeling. Although, even without the game knowledge, I can already see how those two would end up¡­ mainly because of Lady Chloe¡¯s behaviors.


    ¡®Then, can I get a kiss on a cheek, then? For some reason, it has been stinging for quite a while, you see.¡¯


    ¡®Hie¡ª M-My apologies, sir! I ended up slapping you with all my strength¡­ T-then, if you would allow me.¡¯


    Feeling apologetic, the lady came close to my cheek, but I promptly faced her direction before she made contact.


    Everything  ended with the other side of my cheek swelling too, but I was successfully able to get my cherished desire. By the way, although people do not approach that place, we still have our escorts with us, so from my escort, Sand¡¯s perspective, Canaria looked as though she suddenly went hysterical on me. I did quite a bad thing¡­


    Although it¡¯s just a hypothesis, the evidence of this world not being that of a game had already been there from the start. I concluded that it was in fact, the opposite.


    ¡®The opposite¡­ sir?¡¯


    ¡®That¡¯s right. This is not a world that came out of a game. On the contrary, a human of this world, with all the information of this world that they know, made it into a game on the other side. To put it simply, it¡¯s another case of a people crossing between the worlds.¡¯


    ¡®So a future person from this world, had traversed to the otherworld¡¯s past? I kind of feel confused, sir.¡¯


    ¡®That¡¯s the territory of souls, so perhaps time may not be a one-way route in there. Not to mention, we¡¯re talking about otherworlds too, so the space and time could¡¯ve been twisted. At the very least, rather than two overlapping game worlds, it¡¯s more convincing that the two games were made with this world as its base model.¡¯


    The game that Canaria played in her past life were only man-made. Hence, their events might not be certain and are likely just a future possibility. In the first place, there were many different endings, which in reality, would represent life¡¯s infinite choices. This means that the future it foretells isn¡¯t fixed. Like I¡¯d stand for it even if it was.


    On the day of my return to my country, I tightly grasped the hands of Canaria who came to see me off.


    ¡®Canaria, I love it all too. I swear in my honor as the 2nd prince of Coloflare Kingdom, I swear to love and protect both countries, my fianc¨¦e, as well as everything that follows in the future¡­ Even if that tantamount to firing an arrow at the god¡¯s feet.¡¯


    ¡®S-Sir Keith¡­¡¯


    ¡®¡ªwould you reconsider falling in love with me again if I said that?¡¯


    Canaria, who stared at me blankly for a moment, turned beet red and shook her eyes in denial.


    ¡®Goodness, was Sir Keith the kind of gentleman to pull such mischiefs? I almost took it seriously, sir!¡¯


    ¡®But I am serious. Of course, I do not have the strength that would allow me to face the empire for now. That¡¯s why, in order to protect those that I hold dear, I will obtain strength and knowledge¡­ and I would need your help to achieve that.


    As I pulled away from fooling around, Canaria¡¯s eyes stared in wonder for a moment, but happily nodded soon enough. What the lady truly wished for was not to deny the fate, nor to accept and be swayed by its waves. She wished for someone who will believe the fate, but fight it alongside her nonetheless. Although the worries will likely stay for a hundred years, I am excited.


    After all, fighting alongside a princess, isn¡¯t that what being a story¡¯s protagonist is like? Canaria said that the heroine is about to appear but as far as I¡¯m concerned, she¡¯s the heroine.


    That¡¯s how the second part of our game had started.

 CH 125

    ¡®Hey, Sand¡­ when do you think will the kingdom fall?¡¯


    As I fiddled around the feather pen that Canaria gave me on my 11th birthday, I asked Sand out of the blue. The tutor-cum-escort, could only give an unpleasant look as a response to my disturbing question.


    I wanted to invite Canaria to my birthday this year but because of the turbulence in their kingdom, she could only send a gift together with an apology. Apparently, the first princess that has been long gone missing due to the succession conflict was found living as a commoner in a city. It put the entire Corundum Kingdom in an uproar, and the official ceremony to welcome her as a royal family member had overlapped with my birthday.


    This feather pen was not a normal writing pen; it had a magic stone placed between the feather and the tip. I was told that rather than dipping in ink, it should be stabbed into a fruit or vegetable with high magical potency, that¡¯s why there¡¯s currently a ¡°Hell Squash¡±, a vegetable cultivated from the seeds of the monster, ¡®Jack o Lantern¡¯, placed right above my table. Although Coloflare kingdom is at least two to three steps behind the Corundum Kingdom when it comes to the cultivation of magic tools, we¡¯re quite confident when it comes to the method of selective breeding¡­ though that may sound like a desperate excuse. Nevertheless, the effectiveness of this pen still shows the gap between the two country¡¯s capabilities.


    ¡®What about it, highness? Why ask about something so ominous?¡¯


    ¡®Well, as one of the royalties, myself, I thought that it wouldn¡¯t be so bad to stop with the optimism and consider all sorts of possibilities.¡¯


    ¡®That¡¯s a wonderful thought, highness, but the populace pays attention to your words down to each syllable. Please refrain from saying such things in public. As for your question, sir¡­ our kingdom¡¯s destruction, is it? Just for argument¡¯s sake, sir, what do you suppose are the three components of a war?¡¯


    The mention of a conflict reminded me of the game that Canaria talked about. As of this moment, there are no traces of the empire¡¯s invasion yet. However, it¡¯s not as if they are fools who suddenly decided to invade after a hundred years. They must still have undergone preparations.


    Three components of war, huh?¡­ I guess the reason to fight¡­ and an objective?


    ¡®The things that came to mind are massacre, plunder, and domination, I guess?¡¯


    ¡®Those are methods, sir, not objectives. In the first place, even if you expand your territories, if you can¡¯t properly govern your domain well, it will lead to revolt. The first one is trade and resources, in other words, ¡®economy.¡¯ Secondly, is to gain advantageous agreements, or ¡®diplomacy¡¯. Lastly, a ¡®national defense¡¯ against an invader. These are the three principal components of war.¡¯


    ¡®But, those things could also be called as components of peace, don¡¯t they? If you make your kingdom richer, form alliances with other kingdoms, and build a sizable army, no invasions or domestic conflicts will happen. A country cannot possibly fall in peace¡­ right?¡¯


    Sand nodded to my question in satisfaction. But it was not because my answer was correct, he was satisfied that I didn¡¯t just obediently accept his words without sparing a thought.


    ¡®That¡¯s not necessarily true at all times, sir. While it may do prevent a conflict, not all invasions come as obvious as people taking up arms to battle. There are methods like slowly distorting a country¡¯s shape from the inside for decades or even centuries while keeping it looking peaceful on the surface.¡¯


    The mention of a century gave me a mini-heart attack. Because of the threat of the monsters, the Coloflare kingdom was never subjected to a foreign invasion, which convinced me that the kingdom is firm. But I wonder if that¡¯s really true.


    ¡®How do our kingdom¡¯s defenses look in Sand¡¯s personal opinion?¡¯


    ¡®If I were, to be honest, it is rather dangerous to put all the burden to a single saintess. Although the sacred barrier puts all the evil things at bay, humans and flying beasts can still pass through. We are also far behind in common magic aside from the House Whitey. On top of it, the belief that the Saintess will protect the country from all peril has led to calls to reducing the military budget¡­ a complacency brought by peace.¡¯


    ¡®The god of our kingdom is the Saintess, the first, after all.¡¯


    ¡®A person recognized by the first saintess awakening will have the same right-to-speak as that of a royalty¡­ that¡¯s quite a fearsome thing.¡¯


    Sand who seemingly spat his words out had no respect to the Saintess nor the Sacred Church. He is a merchant that my mother took from the House Whitey, so he has a bias when it comes to common magic. Apparently, he is in a seniority relationship with the lord steward of House Sereknight, Lemis. (Although Sir Lewis looked like an ordinary old man to me, he was apparently the guardian of Shin who is also proficient at swordsmanship, according to the game data.)


    Putting the kingdom¡¯s entire fate to a Saintess, huh?¡ª I guess the kingdom might indeed fall if that rings true. The reason why the kingdom has not been invaded was not because of the saintess. It¡¯s just that the Corundum Kingdom is an obstacle geographically, and they¡¯re the ones taking up the skirmishes with the empire.


    But if the aforementioned slow invasion has already started¡­ what could be a definitive blow that would lead to the kingdom¡¯s destruction?


    Having finished writing the letter, I¡¯ve spilled wax on the paper and pressed it with my signet ring. Then after chanting the word ¡®pumpkin¡¯, the letter transformed into a yellow bird. This is the real capability of the magical pen; it turns the letter that it wrote to into a bird who will fly towards the owner of the other pair of the pen. The main difference with the messenger birds is that it does not need feed, rest, and neither will the bird be burdened by a heavy parcel, rather, it would be the parcel itself that will fly towards the destination. The other person will only need to invoke the little bird¡¯s name to turn it back into a letter.


    [As for the password, sir. It¡¯s similar to a pet anyway, so please give it an adorable name instead.]


    That was written in the letter in the same container as the feather pen, so after deciding on the password, or rather, the name of the little bird, I wrote it in my letter of gratitude. Although it may seem too simple, the pen sources its magical power from a hell squash, hence ¡®Pumpkin¡¯. Canaria¡¯s bird on the other hand is named ¡®Honey.¡¯ With this, I can now exchange correspondence with the lady to my heart¡¯s content. Either way, exchanging letters through normal means would be dangerous, considering that the contents could leak state secrets.


    I opened the window and released Pumpkin towards the sky. The sight of the bird slowly disappearing over the horizon had sent me back into my thoughts.


    The fact that the Coloflare Kingdom burdens its fate unto a single saintess was quite a shock. Moreso considering that this does not apply solely to national defense alone. The royal family¡¯s declining power has forced itself to rely on the church to maintain its influence, which would make the church¡¯s influence grow stronger.


    I could hardly believe Canaria¡¯s speculation about the kingdom a hundred years in the future, but the more I investigate the more I feel anxious. Countries that are so caught up with their ancient traditions are left over by the times and get swallowed by large countries as a result. It¡¯s something not related to the game; a historical precedence.


    That¡¯s why I need to dig deeper and deeper into this. The kingdom, the sacred church, each and everyone¡¯s motives,¡­. in order to preserve the country¡¯s shape for decades and centuries and allow our descendants to succeed it.


    (But right now, the thing I want to know the most is how Canaria is doing. Ah, I want to meet her soon.)


    The two of us couldn¡¯t meet so casually due to two of our differing nations; my brother, who not only could meet his fianc¨¦e at will, but would also enjoy his school life together with his fated, is starting to look a little hateful.

 CH 126

    [My dearest fiancee, his highness, the 2nd Prince, Yello Keith Coloflare,


    I have been investigating the empire¡¯s movements in the Corundum Kingdom since then. Although an investigation of a mere 12-to-13-year-old lady might not offer as much significance, I have chanced upon several suspicions.


    The inheritance conflict several decades ago, the different factions have several members with connections to foreign powers. While the retainers themselves are from Corundum people, if even the most shallow ties are considered, everyone becomes a target of suspicion. One of the capture targets being a long lost survivor of the royal family was likely as I mentioned above.


    I have also heard about the empire¡¯s consecutive purchases of plot lands in the Corundum Kingdom. Of course, these transactions were not done in the name of the empire, but rather in a wealthy individual¡¯s capacity¡­, but they were deliberately done in territories of nobles that have cooperative relationships with the empire. The mere thought of their invasion progressing smoothly as I write this terrifies me, sir.


    The criterion for their purchases are either mountains or desolated countryside, or simply, places that people do not frequent. However, those places will become extraterritoriality upon foreign purchases and pose a risk of being used as invasion points.


    Lastly, there¡¯s a new religion that is spreading in the Corundum Kingdom recently. As you may be aware, our kingdom¡¯s protection lies on the whims of our deity, and the ones that received its blessing were not the royal family nor a temple, but rather a family that serves as the knight commander for generations. While it does protect our kingdom, its influential strength as a national religion is rather weak, which allowed the entry of a new faith.


    After looking into it, the new religion appears to have been founded in the empire. While the empire is in the region where there are still legends about dragons, not only does it not revere the dragon god, it forbids the practice of faith in its country. Does Sir Keith also feel some sort of ulterior motive in how a religion founded in such a place seems to have spread here?


    ¡­That¡¯s what caught my suspicions sir, but in the end, everything will be treated as my needless anxieties. If sir Keith also notices some suspicious movements on his side, please exercise caution.


    ¡®Your fiancee, Canaria Riqum.]


    ¡ô¡¡¡ó¡¡¡ô¡¡¡ó¡¡¡ô


    It was a letter that was formerly a yellow bird called ¡®Honey¡¯ that flew all the way from the neighbor kingdom. I threw the letter into the flames after reading it. While it felt rather sacrilegious to burn the letters of my fiancee, its confidential content have prevented me from keeping it. Besides, the letter was written in Coloflare¡¯s tongue; it would¡¯ve been grave if someone were to read it.


    Now as for Canaria¡¯s reports, our kingdom was not totally free of such concerns either. It¡¯s also possible that my retainers are under the patronage of the empire. In actuality, we¡¯ve received countless invitations for trade agreements from the empire, and I¡¯ve heard opinions that push for such possibilities too. Furthermore, they came from the 2nd prince faction, who pushes for my coronation as the crown prince.


    The 2nd prince faction uses the minister to the left as a medium, places emphasis on diplomacy, and seeks to open the gates of the kingdom. It also pushes for the increase of magic tools importation and the improvement of the labor conditions of magicians and practically, things that are in conflict with the church¡¯s interest, hence, their support from the believers is hopelessly low. It¡¯s also because of them that I¡¯m prudent to interact with my older brother, which is incredibly vexing.


    I¡¯ve never thought about the problems of having our lands purchased by foreigners. While I do not believe that the lords who own these territories will allow such purchases, one cannot possibly be certain when money starts doing the talk.


    While there¡¯s a possibility that their reason for specifically aiming for mountains is likely to secure the river sources, magic alone reduces the significance of water sources. But as for other natural resources, particularly, lands rich in magicules enough to be designated as magical sources; they would¡¯ve aimed for volcanoes for magic crystals, and forests for magical herbs to use as potion ingredients. Even the living things in such places have a higher chance of giving birth to rare beasts, so they need to be considered too.


    When it comes to religion in our kingdom, there¡¯s no fool that would attempt to propagate their fate behind the watchful eye of the church. After all, even the common magic was treated as heresy a couple of generations ago, and even now, are not given a favorable look. Not to mention, there are still believers who find me and my brother hateful for having a mother that came from House Whitey. Rather than calling such people fearless, they show that the sacred church¡¯s influence is still enormous.


    But still, a religion founded in the empire, huh? If that dictatorship specifically allowed it, then it¡¯s highly likely that Canaria¡¯s suspicions are well-founded. But why did they desire a saintess after a hundred years?


    If Coloflare Kingdom were to fall, the church will likely crumble, making the sacred magic unusable. There would be no point in trying to take ahold of a saintess¡¯ descendants. Was the faith propagated after the princess was wed in the Corundum Kingdom? But even then, they did destroy the Corundum kingdom too anyway so¡­ Mhm, let¡¯s put the things that we don¡¯t know for sure on the side for now.


    ¡ô¡¡¡ó¡¡¡ô¡¡¡ó¡¡¡ô


    A mere eleven-year-old child could not possibly come up with a way to stop these invasions no matter how much they rack their brains. And even if they do come up with something, nobody¡¯s going to take it seriously either. That¡¯s why I decided to just think of anything that I could do within my means, which was to look for a trustworthy retainer and make them my own.


    It would be nice if I could find a talented subordinate though. I would want each one for the three components of war that Sand talked about earlier. In regards to ¡®Diplomacy¡¯, the head of the 2nd prince faction and the minister-to-the-left, Duke Bruno would be suitable. While he is still sitting on the fence as far as politics are concerned, I think he is unexpectedly stubborn on things that he does not want to yield. As for ¡®Economics¡ª¡¯


    After several days, I headed towards the harbor, overlooking a large ship unloading its cargo. The ship is Corundum Kingdom¡¯s trading vessel. All the magic stones that the Coloflare Kingdom uses are imported from its neighbor. If possible, I would like for the country to have an independent source of energy too though. Which reminds me; wasn¡¯t the sacred stones used for the capital¡¯s barrier made from the advanced dungeon¡¯s magic crystals? That¡¯s too risky though.


    ¡®Well if it isn¡¯t his highness, Prince Yello. I didn¡¯t expect that his highness would trouble himself to go to a place like this.¡¯


    As I turned my attention to the one who called me out, Viscount Walter was walking towards me. House Walter has been a mercantile house for generations, only became a noble house by buying their court rank generations ago. They still continued their business afterward and proactively expanded the range of their trade. Criticized for money-mongering, they have protected their rank as the number one mercantile house of the kingdom. In other words, when it comes to specialists in¡¯ economics, it¡¯s them who reigns on the top.


    ¡®I was thinking that you are busy too. Besides, I¡¯ve been wanting to meet you personally for a long time. My fiancee¡¯s birthday is drawing near too¡­¡¯


    ¡®Hahahaha, well most unusual things of foreign origins can all be found here, after all! Not to mention, I have a daughter who could help you when it comes to that, sir.¡¯


    ¡ªAs we talked about such things, I asked him some questions as he guided me around.


    ¡®The secret to making a profit, sir? That would be to not create any enemies. If you get too envious of others¡¯ success and seek to hog all the profits to yourself, you¡¯ll eventually lead each other to ruin. The secret is for both of you to profit together.¡¯


    ¡®Profiting together¡­¡¯


    Thump!


    The sudden explosive sound has thrown all my thoughts into orbit. A ship over the sea¡¯s horizon with a black skull flag was aiming its cannons in our direction.


    ¡®A-A Pirate!?¡¯


    ¡®They do appear sometimes, sir. Well, a trading vessel is a floating mountain of treasure¡­, but still, they¡¯re nothing but a mere band of thugs.¡¯


    As the protective magic deflected the cannon shell fired by the ship, the soldiers immediately poised to return fire with magic cannons. The magic soldiers who came from House Whitey, was likewise, casting their fire magic, concentrating all the fire power to the pirate ship.


    ¡®Gyaaaaaaaa!¡¯


    ¡®Run to the seas!¡¯


    The people who reduced themselves to sea bandits lived in an environment that left them with no other way of making a living. Although they might be able to fight with magic tools to a certain extent, our number is still overwhelming high.


    ¡®D-Damn it! Using magic is cheating!¡¯


    ¡®Just how anarchic are the countries you lot came from?¡¯


    The pirates who jumped to the sea in an attempt to flee were arrested one after another. I was surprised to see someone among them close to my age. No, just how old is he, really? He¡¯s way too skinny and bones, his eyes are caved in with a severe shade underneath.


    ¡®You even forced life of piracy on a kid as young as this? Just how shameless are you all?¡¯


    ¡®That kid came on his own! When he heard that we¡¯re coming to Coloflare Kingdom, he said that he¡¯d tag along, even with a pirate ship.¡¯


    ¡®Please, I don¡¯t have money so I¡¯ll just pay with my body¡­ please let me buy some!¡¯


    Suddenly being grabbed by the shoulder, I inadvertently shivered. Although I couldn¡¯t see them clearly as they hide behind his chestnut-colored hair, his pair of eyes were unmistakably vivid yellow. Even with such disparity in circumstances, our eye colors were the same.


    ¡®Get away from his highness, you brat!!¡¯


    ¡®I can¡¯t hold it anymore¡­ I need it, please sell me some! I¡¯ll do anything!¡¯


    ¡®Sell? Sell what?¡¯


    Now torn away from and me and pressed down by my escorts, I peered into the young pirate¡¯s face. A stow-away on a pirate ship, what did he yearn for so much that would make him voluntarily put himself into such a dangerous situation? So much that he¡¯d do anything to obtain it. I don¡¯t know why, but this young buy whom I just met is piquing my interest.


    ¡®Himemomobana¡­ this country has some, right?¡¯


    ¡®Highness, this brat is¡­ a magic herb addict!¡¯


    ¡®Huh?¡­. What do you mean ¡®magic herbs¡¯?¡¯


    My question was buried by the curious onlookers who swarmed to what looked like an apprehension drama. The young stow-away was taken away together with the sound of the soldier¡¯s footsteps.


    ¡®Himemomobana; it¡¯s flower was the main ingredient of the confectionaries that the heroine baked in the Coloflare Kingdom game. They were also sold in candied and salted form in the city¡¯s confectionery shops, and their use increases the favorability of the capture targets. A herb that grows in the heroine¡¯s hometown, or so I¡¯m told but¡ª


    ¡®Looks like this was no ordinary romance game either, Canaria.¡¯


    As the pirate ship sunk to the bottom of the seas, I muttered to myself as I watched the smokes rise to the skies.

 CH 127

    ¡®And then? What happened afterward, highness?¡¯


    Sitting on a bench at the Corundum Royal Castle¡¯s garden, Canaria who had beckoned forward.  In her hair was an amethyst hairpin, which is reminiscent of the Corundum royal family.


    In the end, I decided to give her a jewelry craft for her birthday gift, which isn¡¯t exactly the best idea for a princess of a country known for its mineral reserves. Nevertheless, women are beings enamored by dazzling things, and even though the main material was not sourced from our country, our country¡¯s cultural designs should make up for it. Sure enough, the lady loved it. Although the red ribbon she wore already made her golden hair shimmer, the purple jewel also matched it quite well. Still, I want to give her a gift that features my own colors next year.


    ¡®Well, I  inquired about him to the harbor jail after a few days but the boy was no longer there. The herb poisoning has made him too weak, so he was moved to the second house of House Walters for treatment.¡¯


    I was able to attend Canaria¡¯s birthday this year too, so I was able to tell her in detail just like I did last year.


    ¡ô ¡ó ¡ô ¡ó ¡ô


    Being led to the House Walter¡¯s 2nd residence, I arrived at the front door of the room where the boy was resting at. What awaited on the other side of the door, was a bizarre spectacle. The boy was bound on all fours, groaning, attended by a lady with braided sky-colored hair wearing black-rimmed glasses. She was the only daughter of the Count, Missouri.


    ¡®What happened to him?¡¯


    ¡®He is hallucinating due to the after-effects of the magic herbs. He was out of control and harming himself so we had him restrained.¡¯


    As Missouri explained, I responded with the same question I had during my harbor observation.


    ¡®What¡¯s a magic drugs? Is it different from a magic potion?¡¯


    ¡®I guess the Coloflare Kingdom would not be familiar with the term. It¡¯s created through wounding an unripe fruit of a magically-potent plant and drying out its sap into a powder. It will have the fruit¡¯s magical effect and can be manufactured without requiring the abilities of a potion doctor. The effect will vary depending on the plant and as for Himemomobana¡ª¡¯


    ¡®It¡¯s hallucinogenic, right?¡¯


    ¡®Not only that, it will make them revere the person who gave them the powder as a their ¡°princess¡±, turning them into faithful slaves that wouldn¡¯t give their own lives a second thought. It has a high addictiveness, and its withdrawal symptoms is an unbearable desire to take suicide.¡¯


    Missouri explained as she read the books, ¡°Coloflare Kingdom Botany,¡± and ¡°World¡¯s Botanical Encyclopedia,¡± right next to the bed. For the favourability item to have such fearsome effects, wasn¡¯t the heroine basically just brainwashing the capture targets through drug dependence? Just imagining my older brother becoming as thin as him with the same vacant eyes made me shiver. It¡¯s way too unpleasant.


    ¡®Why would they leave such a dangerous plant unattended? They also use it to make candies, right?¡¯


    ¡®The flowers themselves are not as dangerous, highness. While the salted and candied petals have a slight fascination effect, it¡¯s only momentarily, sir. The fruit themselves are not edible, but they are used to make processed goods in the territories where they grow wildly. But to think that they will be used as a magic drug¡­¡¯


    These magic drugs that are not common in our country are not necessarily poisonous. They were apparently, originally used as pain relievers. However, its high dependability and the addictions are taken advantage of by gangs to make money in foreign countries.


    ¡®I guess there wouldn¡¯t much to use when it comes to wild ones.¡¯


    ¡®A slight difference in climate conditions would largely decrease its potency in cultivation, but¡­¡¯


    ¡®gugua¡­ princess~!¡¯


    The yelling voice of the boy cut off our conversation. Lady Missouri immediately made him swallow a potion. It would take time to take him off from the drug¡¯s dependency, and there are cases where it can have lifelong after-effects. What a fearsome thing.


    As the boy¡¯s breathing grew calmer, his eyes slowly opened. As I entered his line of sight, the boy¡¯s facial expression grew into a wide smile.


    ¡®Princess!!¡¯


    ¡®Who are you calling a princess.¡¯


    ¡®Highness, you are dealing with a patient.¡¯


    Oops, my foot reflexively¡­


    The boy who was stupefied for a while soon realized he was being bound, and examined the entire room suspiciously.


    ¡®Where am I!?¡¯


    ¡®Looks like you¡¯ve regained consciousness. This is Count Walter¡¯s manor, Coloflare Kingdom. You came here to our country for a Himemomobana, right?¡¯


    ¡®Coloflare Kingdom¡­?¡¯


    Looks like he doesn¡¯t remember what happened in the harbor. I decided to just explain to him how we met in a simple manner.


    ¡®Can I ask you something? Who are you? How did you end up here?¡¯


    ¡®¡­I¡¯m John. I was born on a small island within the empire¡¯s territory. We were very poor so I was made to serve an aristocratic house ever since I was little. The lord-of-the-house made me swallow a medicine called ¡®princess¡¯. It made me feel great and allowed me to work tirelessly. It even made me happily take everything that was done to me, thinking that it was the ¡®princess¡¯ love.¡¯


    As John was about to puke, Missouri took the basket near her feet and handed it to him. She will make a very good wife, judging from how fast she responded to his symptoms.


    ¡±Princess¡¯, you say? Was your lord a woman?¡¯


    ¡®N-No, he was a vulgar middle-aged priest. He drank and smoked cigarettes all year round and smelled just as horribly¡­ and yet¡­ just the thought of losing his love as a punishment, makes me want to die¡­ That¡¯s just ridiculous!¡¯


    ¡®Suicidal thoughts are also one of the withdrawal symptoms. He gave you the drugs whenever he tormented you, and it obeying him give your body pleasure.¡¯


    ¡®I see¡­ After I was discarded, wandered from one noble to another wanting another dose. I begged them saying that I¡¯ll do anything for it, but ¡®princess¡¯ is incredibly expensive, and when I heard that the ingredients can only be found at the Coloflare Kingdom, I hitched on a pirate ship in exchange for doing their chores.¡¯


    Ugh, this is definitely not a game for girls¡­ It¡¯s too nasty.


    However, being played around by aristocrats resembled Shin¡¯s case. Don¡¯t tell me¡­ Was he also made dependent on a magic drug? Lady Chloe wouldn¡¯t be using something like that, would she? If the Corundum Kingdom found out that the missing royalty survivor that they¡¯ve been trying to find was played around with, using drugs, the alliance would fly off the window. I need to stop these drugs from circulating, for the sake of my marriage with Canaria too.


    But, I see¡­ John was from the empire, himself. The magic drug called ¡®Princess¡¯ was made from the Himemomobana plant that can only be found in our kingdom. Now Canaria¡¯s concerns had ceased from just needless anxiety.


    ¡ô ¡ó ¡ô ¡ó ¡ô


    ¡®That¡¯s about it, I guess.¡¯


    ¡®Huh? But Keith is just eleven, right? Is it fine to talk to him about such immoral things?¡¯


    Canaria muttered to herself with such a serious look on her face, but the game data she sent might have obscured them, but it had that kind of vibe. Although, I was only able to understand their meaning after gaining more knowledge about it. Also, I¡¯m about to become twelve soon.


    ¡®Neither of the game had magic drugs as an item, right?¡¯


    ¡®No, sir, none at all! However, if you use psychede- magic drugs, it might be possible to weaken a country before attacking it.¡¯


    ¡®Well, it makes people crazy, suicidal, and it furthermore, it also shaves off both physical and mental health. The effect is magic in nature too so dispel would not work either. Although magical potions will somehow allow them to pull through, I wonder if there¡¯s anything that could heal them right from the root cause.¡¯


    I haven¡¯t heard of any news about mysterious drugs circulating within the capital for now, but because our kingdom has the main ingredients, it wouldn¡¯t be strange for anyone to try to manufacture and sell them here. I already proposed to my father to regulate its cultivation, but I want to prepare a response when a case of addiction arises.


    ¡®¡­I think it¡¯ll work out somehow, sir.¡¯


    ¡®Huh? Really?¡¯


    Canaria nodded, then she took me to a small research room inside the castle. In there were royal apothecaries compound medicines and examine their compositions. The lady called out to one of them and brought them a small bundle of medicinal plants.


    ¡®Sir Keith, do you know about ¡®status disorders?''¡±


    ¡±Status¡¯, is your personal information that you could examine in the adventurer guilds, right? Like levels, hp, and mp.¡¯


    ¡®That¡¯s right. Even if you were poisoned, you could immediately heal it on the spot so it¡¯s barely seen in the status, right?  The game of the Coloflare Kingdom had poison but they are resolved during events and battle sequences so they don¡¯t appear on status either. The game¡¯s focus was the romance, after all.


    However, the Corundum Kingdom one is mainly an action game, so it has status disorders. But of course, they have recovery items for it too. Although, we are a hundred years in the past so we likely wouldn¡¯t find one for now.¡¯


    Which is the purpose of these herbs, huh? They smell poisonous.


    ¡®This herb was cultivated with dragon excrements for fertilizer. It hasn¡¯t met approvals yet, but it was being confirmed to be effective towards all ailments and not just to a specific one.¡¯


    ¡®So it can erase the status ailment itself. That¡¯s amazing, we¡¯ll test it. Does it have to be fertilized with dragon excrement?¡¯


    ¡®Unfortunately, sir. The medicinal plant itself is normal, although, we shouldn¡¯t have any troubles with supplies because dragons dwell within our kingdom.¡¯


    A few of the countries surrounding the Coloflare kingdom coexist with dragons. Perhaps the reason why our kingdom has none has to do with the environment. We were able to borrow some under the pretext of clinical studies but, I want us to be able to produce ones on our own.


    ¡®Dragon¡¯s sure are nice.¡¯


    ¡®Sir Keith, do you like dragons? Sir is a boy, after all, fufu.¡¯


    Canaria who was two years older said and giggled, so I sealed her mischievous lips with a kiss.


    Now then, I¡¯ll test it right away after coming home, so I bid my farewell to Canaria behind me, who was still beet red and panicking, and returned to my country.


    ¡ô ¡ó ¡ô ¡ó ¡ô


    A month after, I contacted House Walter and went there to meet John. Lady Missouri was the one to welcome my arrival.


    ¡®How¡¯s his condition?¡¯


    ¡®I was surprised, sir. Just a few days after drinking the herbal decoction, he completely recovered without any after-effects. What was that, sir?¡¯


    ¡®Confidential¡­ is what I want to say, but because I owe the Count House, I¡¯ll tell you about it later on. Give ma a full report on his progress later, alright?¡¯


    I opened the door as I said that and right after planting my feet on the floor, John walked towards my direction and knelt, placing his lips on the back of my hand.


    ¡®I waited for your arrival, princess.¡¯


    ¡®Lady Missouri, he doesn¡¯t seem cured though?¡¯


    ¡®No, sir¡­ John, apparently, wants to serve his highness. He¡¯s already cured of the effects but because of the perverse conditioning of the empire¡¯s nobles, he has a fixation on the word ¡®princess¡¯, instead of ¡®lord.¡±


    I would need to correct that one fast! But before that, if he wants to serve me, I need him to get adopted by a noble. Not only was he a pirate underling, he technically illegally entered the country, after all. I guess I¡¯ll just say that I picked him in the slums like Shin, and create a new family registry from scratch.


    After beckoning him to stand, confirming his facial features anew made me widen my eyes in surprise. The corners of Lady Missouri¡¯s mouth also raised at my recognition of him.


    ¡®That¡¯s quite surprising, I did think that we are close in age and height.¡¯


    ¡®True, he looks just like you, save for the color of his hair, sir.¡¯


    Now cured of the status ailment (drug dependence), John who had now recovered his weight through eating healthily looked eerily similar to me. I couldn¡¯t tell when I first met him because his eyes caved in and he was skin and bones. Although he still looked haggard and had the same menial look on his face much like before.


    ¡®John, how old are you?¡¯


    ¡®I just turned fourteen this year, sir.¡¯


    So he¡¯s two years older¡­ His circumstances likely stunt his growth. Fourteen, so he is as old as Lady Chloe, as well as the game¡¯s heroine¡ª


    (Hmm? So there¡¯s only a year left before the game starts!)


    The game¡¯s prologue is set a year before the start of the academic year, so I don¡¯t have the time for leisure. I tried asking Jonh if he doesn¡¯t mind becoming an aristocrat, telling him that there¡¯s something I need him to do. I was about to give up thinking he¡¯d refuse but.


    ¡®I am deeply indebted to the princess and the Count House. I shall make it happen, even if I put my life on the line!¡¯


    ¡®Wait, is he really cured? Hey¡­¡¯


    After that, John was included in the second prince¡¯s faction. He was adopted by House Brian who had no successor and was severely drilled with aristocrats¡¯ education. I ordered to have him instilled the right conduct and refinement in a short time, enough to allow him to attend the royal academy.


    He will be my way of checking the activities of the heroine and her capture targets when the ¡®game¡¯ starts,¡¯ something impossible for me to do being two years younger.

 CH 128

    And so on my 12th birthday, the gift that came from Canaria was a yellow-colored dragon. The populace who saw a dragon for the very first time in their lives clamored throughout the country, and it became a popular topic for a long time.


    ¡­Yeah, Canaria really got me beat for this one. Well, I did say that I liked dragons, but I sure didn¡¯t expect that a well-trained dragon would just suddenly pop out as a gift for my birthday. I wanted to give her at least a kiss or so in order to show my appreciation, but much like before, she couldn¡¯t attend this time either. Apparently, she caught cold after accompanying Countess Glinda to the sacred lake in order to pray for a baby.


    [I had him trained everyday to ensure that he will listen to Sir Keith. Please give him an adorable name, sir.]


    I do not know what kind of training the dragon received, but it does behave well when I pat its head and give it food. However, any other caretaker would still need to use ¡®Red Dragon¡¯s Bracelet.¡¯ I guess I would need to put up a quest in the guild to secure some spares.


    ¡®I already knew what kind of gift I will give Canaria to her next birthday after seeing you. ¡®Citrin,¡¯ that will be your name.¡¯


    ¡ô ¡ó ¡ô ¡ó ¡ô


    One day, my brother and I were summoned to the throne room to be entrusted national treasures by our father. We both already have our fianc¨¦es, not to mention, my brother is also about to attend the royal academy, so it is meant to signify our positions as candidates to the throne. I was to receive one as well because there was no concrete declaration for the crown prince yet, but if brother is able to get through with his education smoothly, he¡¯ll be declared the crown prince.


    We were presented several of the kingdom¡¯s national treasures and were told to pick the one we like. My father picked a choker during his time. Brother picked a forehead ornament with a green jewel in the middle, dazzling like a third eye. It was apparently called ¡®Child Dragon¡¯s Eye.¡¯


    I was at loss what to pick but before long decided on a red-jeweled hair ornament. This item called ¡®Elf¡¯s Precious Jewel¡¯ was apparently the item that I picked in the game that Canaria played, so I thought of picking something different to see what would happen but after hearing about its effect, I decided to pick it anyway.


    After having entrusted our respective national treasures, we were to attend a castle conference next. Royalties are treated as adult much earlier even than aristocrats. We were likely made to attend the conference to get a feel of the politics and see what kind of policies we could come up with.


    After observing the conference, I was asked for my piece, so I told them everything that happened in the harbour, from how a drug-dependent patient(though I told them that he died,) of the empire came to our country looking for Himemomobana, about the manufacturing of magic drugs in other countries, and lastly, how the cultivation and exportation of plant should be regulated.


    Their reactions were quite mixed. Himemomobana is a popular plant among the commoners, more particularly used in cooking, and there were a lot of opposition stating that we cannot afford to have their livelihood wither away like that.


    On the other hand, amongst those who supported my idea, minister-to-the-right, the leader of first prince faction, was quite unexpected. He said that an essential oil made of the plant was regulated before for having a strong fascination effect. I did not know that. Although the plant doesn¡¯t have much of an effect when readily eaten fresh, it can have various effects depending on how its processed. I guess rather than just simply banning it outright, we must first consider a prohibition¡¯s ramifications on all sides.


    ¡®You¡¯ve been zealously working hard rather lately, aren¡¯t you?¡¯


    After the conference, I was walking the hallways when my brother¡¯s voice made me halt. He was seldom the first one to strike a conversation so it surprised me.


    ¡®I guess so. I want to learn faster to be able to support the kingdom as fast as possible, and I need to study a lot for that.¡¯


    ¡®While that attitude is splendid, there are jabbering fools who would spread that as you aiming for the throne, you know?¡¯


    ¡®Huh? Me? Then their eyes might as well be useless, I would recommend brother to fire those people.¡¯


    ¡®I¡¯m talking about the 2nd prince faction who backs you.¡¯


    That might be true¡­. I kept on poking my head to various things that piqued my interest so the reactions of the faction is quite varied. Some are overjoyed thinking that I am finally interested in overcoming my brother and aiming for the throne, while some others who wishes to make a puppet out of me see it as excessive and unnecessary knowledge for their personal goals. Same faction they may be but they aren¡¯t entirely rock-solid.


    ¡®This is growing even more severe ever since you got a dragon from your fianc¨¦e. Even if you do not wish for it yourself, it may prove hard for you to control if your surroundings arbitrarily makes a clamor on their own. You best be careful.¡¯


    ¡®I will keep your advice in mind.¡¯


    Brother is unusually talkative today. But because they were not mere idle talks, I just obediently nodded to his words.


    ¡®For goodness¡¯ sake¡­ even the populace is frolicking around just because of a single dragon. Corrundum Kingdom must be amusing themselves seeing this festivities thinking that we¡¯re such pathetic fools.¡¯


    ¡®Canaria isn¡¯t that kind of a lady!¡¯


    Brother¡¯s excessive words made me raise my voice at him for the very first time. Just because his engagement is not going well doesn¡¯t mean the same is going on with mine. I am happy to be engaged with Canaria and I will not allow anyone to deny me that, not even my brother.


    ¡®You¡¯ve become quite devoted for a marriage your country fixed up for you. Those fools must be pretty convinced that you¡¯re easy to incite seeing as you¡¯re this childish.¡¯


    I was about to retort in anger but I stopped myself for a moment to think. Perhaps, it would be much better to let them think so. That way, their guards would be much lower. I raised the matter of regulating Himemomobana wanting to improve the situation a little but a half-baked movements would only be met with vigilance.


    ¡®I guess you¡¯re right. You should be the crown prince, brother.¡¯


    Not minding brother¡¯s suspicious look on his face, I merely gave him an childish smile in return.


    ¡ô ¡ó ¡ô ¡ó ¡ô


    Like a child, (which I am,) there are limits to what I can do. As for now, the most important to do is gather information and run simulations of their possibilities inside my head.


    Leddorio Route, the route of the main lead of the game, would possibly lead to a future of shared ruin for both kingdoms. If that¡¯s the case, the future could be avoided by shifting towards other routes. But would it really be that simple? Just to test it out, I tried to imagine which enemies would each respective routes make.


    The main antagonist of romance games would be the love rivals of the main character or also called as the Villainess. It would Lady Chloe if the heroine tries to capture my brother but, she was also the villainess in Shin¡¯s route. Well, she is his mistress¡­ and tha person would rather die than have her favourite thing stolen from her.


    The ending Shin¡¯s Route was for him to revert to his true standing, in other words, he will return to his true home country, Corrundum Kingdom, as it¡¯s 6th prince. If that were to happen, our kingdom would lose its saintess. In a way, it could even be the official history of the Corrundum game. The combination of Corrundum¡¯s Royal and Saintess¡¯ Blood¡­ that¡¯s exactly what Shin¡¯s route will lead to.


    The next would be Darck¡¯s Route. His fianc¨¦e is my cousin, Shiela Whitey, when captured, will lead to the cancellation of their engagement. My uncle would probably not sit that one idly. After all, that would be the recreation of the mistakes of Darck¡¯s real father. (Although that¡¯s as far as the game information reveals, a closely-guarded secret that I cannot consult the person themselves about.)


    But that being said, Uncle Roulette¡¯s is my mother¡¯s older brother and is also in a cordial friendship with my father. I cannot see him betraying the royal family. Shiela is also the type to lend her hand if you manages to convince her properly, so she¡¯s quite weak as an antagonist. Rather than her, the problem would likely be Lady Chloe¡­


    Sei¡¯s fiancee is Lady Missouri who helped me very much recently. House Walter is well reputed thanks to their foreign trade, so there¡¯s a high possibility of them being close to the empire. Furthermore, the Count is highly mercantile-minded, and he likely would not easily forget anyone who causes them harm. I am personally indebted to them so I do not want our relationship to be frictitious as much as possible.


    Dai, doesn¡¯t have a fiancee. The only thing that comes close as a detterent would be the trial set by her older sister for the heroine.


    That¡¯s when I realized something. In every route, it all ends with Lady Chloe turning into a witch and being defeated as the last boss. To be much more accurate, as the two of them squable for the Saintess¡¯ seat, Lady Chloe who persecuted and harassed the heroine will face ruin regardless of the circumstances, and as she drowned herself with jealousy and despair, will answer the call of the ancient witch.


    I already know the circumstances of the Saintess and Witch from Canaria so putting that aside, as long as the Heroine becomes the Saintess, it doesn¡¯t matter who she ends up with; Lady Chloe will still face ruin in the end. The heroine¡¯s sacred power will raise depending on the romantic events, so the only thing that could prevent her from being a witch is either a normal ending or a bad ending. But it¡¯s still the heroine who decides which kind of ending she will pursue¡­.


    ¡®It really is unpleasant, isn¡¯t it? A single woman¡¯s romance troubles holding the fate of the entire world?¡­Ah, wasn¡¯t it the Saintess, the first, who made it that way? Humph¡¯


    ¡°Oi, don¡¯t be feastin¡¯ on my food.¡±


    ¡®Oops, sorry about that, Citrin.¡¯


    Standing at the cage specifically made for raising dragons, I bit into an apple, lost in thought. The dragon sticks out its tongue so I threw one right into it. ¡®The national treasure, ¡°Elf¡¯s Precious Jewel,¡± allows you to converse with all living things. While I heard that Sei should be able to negotiate with enemies upon honing his skills as a merchant, it would still be convenient to have something like this for opponents like monsters or mythical beasts where a language barrier would be an obstacle.


    ¡®If that¡¯s the case, Lady Chloe becoming a witch might really be the key to everything. When she faces ruin, (Although I don¡¯t know how that connects to the kingdom¡¯s destruction,) House Sereknight is unlikely to become an enemy given that they¡¯ll take in the heroine afterward. Not to mention, they¡¯d lost face after Darck¡¯s father¡¯s recklessness.¡¯


    ¡°Would you stop blabberin¡¯ already? What would you do if somebody hears you?¡±


    ¡®Oops¡¯


    Reminded by Citrin, I hastily casted the spell ¡®Silence¡¯ in my surroundings. He¡¯s quite badmouthed but he¡¯s a good child. As expected of a pet that came from Canaria. To think that my brother could only see a lady as wonderful as her as a partner fixed by the two countries, what a pitiful man he was. But I guess, it¡¯s kinda understandable given that his fianc¨¦e is that Lady Chloe¡­


    However, she should still have allies despite of it all. Like for example, Aunt Masumi. She¡¯s the youngest child and at a far age gap to her older brother, the minister to the right, so perhaps even the problematic children such as Chloe and Darck would look adorable in her eyes. As I read the game data book that I disguised as Corundum Dictionary,¡¯ I remembered the tea time I had with Lady Masumi.


    ¡°My, once his highness, Leddorio, marries Chloe, we will truly be relatives, you know? Even sister-in-law said that it will be House Moonlight¡¯s dearest wish once fulfilled, during the time she was alive.¡±


    ¡®¡­House Moonlight¡¯s dearest wish, huh?¡¯


    Come to think of it, I asked her about that numerous times before but she always skillfully glosses it over, and the idea before long was buried by daily troubles. What had her house entrusted to Lady Chloe¡¯s mother? What¡¯s the relation of the marriage between brother and Chloe to the House Moonlight?


    ¡®Moonlight¡­. Moon?¡¯


    As I whispered, tracing the words written on the game data with my fingers, I came to a stop at a certain person¡¯s name. The line that my finger stopped at was regarding the Saintess Myth. There, the real name of the other ancient saintess, the one who turned into a witch was written.


    ¡®Yolda Moon.¡¯


    Was this a coincidence? If my conjecture is spot on, then Lady Chloe might have the blood of the ancient witch in her veins. Perhaps that¡¯s explain her disposition to become the next witch. No, wait, wouldn¡¯t it be too simple for them to be ancestors just because of the similar sounding names? Why has no one else traced that connection for over a hundred years?


    (Rather, now that I think about it, the real name of the witch is never included in any literatures. I only found out about it with unworldly means.)


    According to Canaria, the name of the saintess and the witch when they were humans didn¡¯t come out in the game either. The player would only found out about it through 3rd party mediums called as fan books or novelizations. However, there should still be some who knew about it. House Moonlight, and the King, are clearly two of those people. Perhaps, it was orally instructed to thoroughly not keep it in public records.


    At any rate, it was the greatest wish of the witches descedants to have someone with their blood be wed to the royal family. Whether that is for revenge, or to make sure that a saintess would come out of their family this time for sure, I do not know.


    ¡®However, if everything develops accordingly to the game¡­¡¯


    As I glanced towards the sky thinking about the future to come, I fumbled over my words. The sky was clear since earlier but a part of it started swirling with ashen colored clouds. The skies over the horizon suddenly shone bright.


    ¡®Wha? A lightning!?¡¯


    ¡°¡ªSo she has awakened?¡±


    I yelled in suprise to which Citrin muttered his words. At the same time, the terrific sound reverberated throughout the skies and then I realized that it turned back to its clear skies. Citrin¡¯s words piqued was so curious that I asked him immediately.


    ¡®Hey, what do you mean by awakened? And who awakened?¡¯


    ¡°The sacred maiden.¡±


    The dragon yawns and went back to sleep leaving those words for an answer.


    So she has arrived. The lady who holds the key to the kingdom¡¯s impending doom. Is she really a Saintess, or perhaps¡­..


    MV: These chapters are long and it¡¯s my thesis defense month so I¡¯ve got no time to edit it. I¡¯ll just put it up as they are and hopefully, I¡¯ll get the motivation to do them later, because otherwise, it would take a lot more time to update.

 CH 129

    The palace was all talks about the new saintess candidate from the rural region, but because I already knew about her beforehand, I could only hear their bickering as noises. Instead, I used the national treasure, Elf¡¯s Jewel that allows me to talk to all living things to gather all rumors circulating about House Moonlight instead. I¡¯m also curious about the matter regarding the saintess, but I cannot really just live without short notice, and I hardly have any person I can trust too.


    From what Canaria said in her letters, there was huge progress regarding the Corrundum Kingdom¡¯s circumstances. They¡¯ve put import controls to Coloflare Kingdom¡¯s Himemomobana plant, and after investigating the magic drug, ¡®princess¡¯, they found out that the drug was being distributed of the aforementioned religion in the empire to their adherents. Thus, they were able to catch them all in one swoop. Just the thought that the new religion formed by the empire is spreading such illegal drugs is terrifying, but that makes one for ruin¡¯s preventions.


    By the way, the only thing forbidden from being used is the magic drugs made from the unripe fruit of the plant. The flowers are harmless when used, particularly the ones pickled in alcohol makes a pretty useful use for married couples¡­ or so it said. House Glinda also purchased the herbal wine from the Coloflare Kingdom saying that if it still doesn¡¯t bless them with a child, they¡¯ll give up and adopt one instead.


    I wonder if it¡¯s alright for me to know these private matters of our neighbor? But then again, with the countess losing her son and the house not having any successors, the one they¡¯ll adopt would most likely be Count Glinda from the game. Canaria didn¡¯t know his identity in the game and I could tell how excited she was writing about him from the letter which made me a little upset.


    ¡ô ¡ó ¡ô ¡ó ¡ô


    Several months later, as I bring the jeweler that Count Walter introduced to me a while ago, into the castle, I lead him towards one of the castle¡¯s receptions room. On the way, we stumbled upon Lady Chloe, and Shin who was accompanying her on the side.


    ¡®It¡¯s been a while, Sister Chloe.¡¯


    ¡®Goodness, Prince Yello. Good day to you.¡¯


    Lady Chloe looked pleased with being called sister. Even I thought that it might a little early to call her that, and if brother was with her, he¡¯d likely be terribly sullen.


    ¡®What about that gentleman next to you, highness? Is he alone? That doesn¡¯t look like a large business transaction. What kind of commodities does he handle?¡¯


    ¡®He is running a jewelry business in the capital, sis. I was looking to shop for Canaria¡¯s birthday present, he brought this year¡¯s trendy jewels with him.¡¯


    ¡®Oh my, a jeweler!? How wonderful! I would very much like to join you in this endeavor!¡¯


    Lady Chloe¡¯s eyes glimmered and selfishly tagged along without even hearing my reply first. This impudence on her part is one of the things that displeases my brother¡­ but apparently, he¡¯s attracted by the heroine¡¯s daringness and lack of sense of distance so maybe it¡¯s a case-by-case basis.


    ¡®Prince Keith also used this shop¡¯s service last year, didn¡¯t he? What did you send to Lady Canaria at that time, sir?¡¯


    ¡®Last year it was an amethyst hairpin. This time I was thinking of sending Citrine earrings.¡¯


    The lady asked while I was looking at the samples and catalogs so I picked a sample up and answered her back. Although yellow-colored hair accessories will fade out from her blonde hair, a piercing would make her features shine.


    Lady Chloe raised her face from the catalog and had a look of disbelief on her face.


    ¡®Goodness, sir. An earing? Canaria is just thirteen, sir. In our kingdom, a lady not of age having a piercing in her body is not very well looked upon, are they?¡¯


    Lady Chloe¡¯s words needed to be taken into account. The young ladies of the nobilities attend the royal academy through the sacred church and are all treated as acolytes until they graduate. She¡¯s saying that sending a gift to such ladies that would require them to pierce their bodies is senseless.


    ¡®But doesn¡¯t that only commonly applies to the lady attendees of the royal academy? Canaria is a ducal lady of Corundum Kingdom, you know? Besides, I¡¯m merely sending it as a present.¡¯


    ¡®Even so, it is still a little early to send such a jewel to a twelve-to-thirteen-year-old. That is to say, even if the said kingdom is also called the land of jewels. Even I, only received teddy bears for the last two years.¡¯


    She wouldn¡¯t say who it is from but it¡¯s likely from brother and the one who picked the gift is probably Sei too.


    ¡®Huh? Two consecutive teddy bears? You received the same kind of commodities for two consecutive years?¡¯


    ¡®Y-you¡¯re mistaken! Last year, I received one with a red ribbon. This time it was black. That¡¯s right, it symbolizes the color of our hair. I¡¯m very certain that Sir Benny must have given me a teddy bear so as to not make me lonely. However, he was likely feeling jealous of the stuffed today because I was taking care of it so earnestly so he bought it a partner instead. That has to be his reason!¡¯


    Uh yeah, that¡¯s quite a very positive way of looking at it. That¡¯s when my eyes met Shin¡¯s who was standing right next to the door. This is a very good opportunity so I decided to ask him what I have been curious about.


    ¡®By the way, I heard that Shin was hired by numerous aristocrats before being picked up by Lady Chloe in the slums. Did they ever put you up through medicine with severe side effects or after-effects at that time?¡¯


    ¡®Hohoho, there is no need to worry, highness. Ensuring a pet¡¯s well-being is part of the responsibilities of a pet owner. I make sure to personally perform sacred magic on him every single night so as to keep his beautiful body perfect without so much a scratch!¡¯


    Her words of expression were rather disgusting¡­ I shouldn¡¯t have asked, good grief. Taking my eyes off Lady Chloe, Shin¡¯s expressionless face had a shadow cast on it. A need to cast sacred magic every night? If brother were to hear about this¡­


    ¡®What are you all doing?¡¯


    With perfect timing, the person I was just thinking of appeared himself and my body froze even though I have nothing to be guilty about. Lady Chloe on the other hand had not even a single fragment of unrest, and merely excitedly ran towards brother with such a bright look on her face, bringing the catalog with her.


    ¡®Prince Yellow is looking for a present to send Lady Canaria, I was just lending him my hand as his sister-in-law. Sir Benny, I would like to have this one for myself.¡¯


    ¡®You¡¯re birthday is already done. If you want it, buy it yourself. You, too Keith, don¡¯t get too intimate with him so much.¡¯


    Brother¡¯s face clearly grimaced just from having her call him by his nickname. This way of speaking was not born out of jealousy either, but Lady Chloe who managed to spin his words her way, blushed, looking very pleased.


    ¡®Do not be so cold. We are future siblings-in-law.¡¯


    ¡®I wonder about that¡­ Things might end up different before you even noticed. You should have heard the rumors too, right?¡¯


    Being reminded of the rumors regarding the newly found saintess candidate made Lady Chloe¡¯s smile cramped. He knew how full of jealousy the lady was and he purposely provoked her. He had unwillingly bore with her so far but he likely went for the attack this time because his display of displeasure is not going anywhere.


    As if feeling refreshed after having expressed his sarcasm, my brother left the room, with his fiancee watching him leave with trembling shoulders. The lady was fuming, and soon enough, I heard the sound of her fan hitting the floor. I guess she cannot gloss that over in front of me.


    ¡®How displeasing!! Good day to you, Prince Yello.¡¯


    ¡®Ah, a moment, please! Sis, I have something to show you.¡¯


    Lady Chloe was about to leave with heavy footsteps but I stopped her halfway. I instructed Sando to take the birdcage to me. Inside was a bird with unusual colors, yellow feathers but a mix of red and blue in its wings.


    ¡®Oh my, a present for me? I already have Shin as a pet though?¡¯


    ¡®That¡¯s what I thought, but if that¡¯s the case, could you please just send this to your relatives in House Moonlight instead?¡¯


    Being told that it was not for her just after having refused had changed her mood instantly. She¡¯s quite interesting if you looked at her objectively. Although my brother can¡¯t stand her.


    ¡®So you¡¯re asking me, your future sister-in-law, to do you errands?¡¯


    ¡®Now now, I was meaning to send a message. That if sister and brother were to get married, I would be connected to the ducal house, so I was trying to get along with them while I¡¯m at it. I¡¯m sure my ever gentle and kind sister-in-law, will grant the wish of his most adorable younger brother, right?¡¯


    I picked up her folding fan on the ground and told her pleasing words with upturned eyes. At that moment, Lady Chloe¡¯s mood was instantly overturned.


    ¡®O-Oh my¡­, since when did you become so skillful with your words, goodness. I guess it can¡¯t be helped. It¡¯s the request of my one and only brother-in-law, I shall lend you my assistance.¡¯


    She¡¯s acting like she¡¯s doing a huge favor for sending a single birdcage. However, I only replied with a smile not letting those thoughts on the surface.


    ¡®As expected of my sister-in-law, how very generous! Then as for the message, please write;


    ¡°I deeply wish that the house¡¯s oldest and greatest wish will be fulfilled, from the bottom of my heart.¡±¡®


    ¡ô ¡ó ¡ô ¡ó ¡ô


    Several days later, I was invited to the manor of House Moonlight. I was told to do so incognito, so I only took Sand with me and rode a crestless carriage.


    The one who led us to the reception room of the manor was the young ducal lord, Vlad. Looks like he was sent to entertain my company to stall for the lord of the house, so he sat ahead and began talking to us.


    ¡®It was his highness who sent the birdcage in this room, right? My father was full of praise for them being well-trained, sir.¡¯


    ¡®It¡¯s good to hear that he liked them.¡¯


    ¡®Although, Lady Chloe looked so patronizing in bringing it here though. That young girl used to be so adorable before House Sereknight adopted that child of mistress. Madame Yona¡¯s personal maid was the one to take guardianship of him so I sparingly accepted him, but I just cannot bear the thought of a mere commoner tainting the name of House Moonlight.¡¯


    I see, so Lady Chloe got the ¡®Mistress¡¯ Child¡¯ remarks like this. The Ducal House also sent several house employees to them so she likely took a bad influence from them. Also, you¡¯re not the one who picked him up, you cur.


    ¡®Not to mention, that illegitimate mongrel took up a pig for a fianc¨¦e, himself. Talk about a well-matched!¡¯


    ¡®Ohh, by the way, the pig fianc¨¦e you were referring to. Could that be my cousin, Shiela Whitey from the margrave house?¡¯


    ¡®¡­.Huh?¡¯


    ¡®Am I correct? The illegitimate mongrel that you were speaking about is Darck Sereknight, so his fiancee would be the niece of my mother, Neju, in other words, Shiela, the niece of the queen, herself.¡¯


    Having my relative spoken ill of, I couldn¡¯t help but put pressure on the young ducal lord who became flustered. He said that they were just figure-of-speech. Well, how about that?


    Meanwhile, the Duke arrived in the reception room and looked bewildered at the complex ambiance of the room.


    ¡®Greetings, highness, I would like to apologize for the troubles that¡­ Vlad, what are you doing!?¡¯


    ¡®Uhm, well¡­ I was thinking of entertaining him until you arrived so.¡¯


    ¡®Well, it was quite entertaining indeed, Duke. Your son praised the bird I sent for being disciplined, unlike him.¡¯


    ¡®!! Vlad, just leave.¡¯


    Now that he had been forcefully expelled by the Duke who turned pale, and with Sand and other servants on stand by outside, the room suddenly went silent.


    ¡®My apologies, highness!! Please forgive my son¡¯s impudence¡­¡¯


    ¡®I do not mind. Let¡¯s just go straight to the topic¡­ but before that.¡¯


    ¡®!?¡¯


    At the snap of my fingers, the two of us were enveloped by a pillar of light. The duke who was looking around restless turned her gaze upwards, amazed. Before he even realized it, a black magic circle appeared.


    ¡®H-Highness¡­ what is this!?¡¯


    ¡®Sorry about that, I¡¯ll take it off after we¡¯re done talking.¡¯


    As I said that, an ant queen sits at the top of my pointed finger. That¡¯s right, the black magic circle was composed of her ants. While Vlad was running his mouth with worthless things, I took out a bag with ants in it, and using the ¡®Elf¡¯s Precious Jewel,¡¯ I asked the ant queen for a favor to have her ants form a formation of Silent¡¯s magic circle. They could be stepped on and when on the ground so I had to do this instead.


    ¡®Dear me, very well done. As expected of the lineage of House Whitey.¡¯


    ¡®Nobody can hear us right now so the duke can spare me with his flattery. The duke himself also summoned me here to talk about confidential things, didn¡¯t he?¡¯


    I took an informal vocal tone in order to beckon him to talk without reservations. The duke withdrew his forced smile, beckoned me to sit, and sat down himself.


    The lord of Moonlight Ducal House, the house with the largest contribution to the sacred church when it comes to both missionary work and donations. Their family motto is to ¡®To devote; to give; and to love, just like the saintess.¡¯ His son¡¯s noncompliance of the motto aside, with such a saintly lord of the house and the slow accumulation of his achievements, the house has been elevated to ducal status a single generation ago.


    (Comparatively, House Moonlight has not produced a queen nor a saintess. I¡¯ve always thought of that as a mystery but¡­¡¯


    After drinking the tea to clear the bad taste of earlier, I gave the ant queen a single spoonful of sugar on a platter as her labor, that was when the Duke interjected.


    ¡®I called upon his highness here in order to confirm something. I will jump straight to the topic, sir; how much does his highness know?¡¯


    ¡®Hmm, well. I wouldn¡¯t say that I know everything, but I¡¯d say fairly decent.¡¯


    ¡®¡­The secret of House Moonlight is not written in records, and within the royal family, should only be told to the crown prince. I heard that his majesty prioritizes the first prince but, don¡¯t tell me his majesty is now leaning towards Prince Keith?¡¯


    The duke was being suspicious but it¡¯s not like I could just flatly say that, I cheated the info out of Canaria¡¯s game cheat sheet~ or something, so I kept it, mum. Bluff is crucial here.


    ¡®Duke, the reason why I had to go through this roundabout way is because of the information I got that the House Moonlight is in contact with the empire¡¯s men. I am under the impression that the empire is planning to invade its circumference soon. The stronghold of our country, the Coloflare Kingdom is the sacred church, and I know that in order to break it, one must go through the House Moonlight who holds the highest influence.¡¯


    ¡®Hahaha¡­, his highness seems to be quite fond of strategic stories in his young age. It is true that merchants from the empire have been coming-and-going, and there are times where they jest about making deals with the empire, all of which I refused, of course. Our ducal house is a devoted follower of the sacred church, after all.¡¯


    The duke replied in jest and laughed it off. However, there¡¯s something I¡¯ve been curious about ever since guessing that Yolda Moon came from House Moonlight.


    ¡®Your ancestor¡­, was made the villain. Do you not resent the church at all?¡¯


    ¡®This might seem complicated to his highness, but the kingdom needs authority. It is important to take political measures that ensure that the people won¡¯t starve and that they¡¯ll live comfortable lives, but there will always be inevitable, but those alone would lead to inevitable national crises. In those moments, the country needs an absolute existence that would keep the populace at ease.¡¯


    ¡®At ease¡­ and you¡¯re saying that¡¯s the Saintess.¡¯


    ¡®As his highness said, House Moon went on the receiving end of persecution after Yolda dyed her hands with evil. To the point that the house was forced to change its name and to demote into a barony. However, the one who protected the House Moonlight and shielded it from the implications was the same person who faced Yolda, the Saintess, herself. Of course, we have had complex feelings about it, but if we did take the matter into our hands, we¡¯ll just prove to them that we¡¯re a house of villains.¡¯


    The House Moonlight who received grace from the Saintess swallowed their grudges and exhausted their efforts for the kingdom. But was it because of the witch ancestry that they never produced a saintess and queen candidates?


    ¡®I heard about it from Lady Masumi. That Lady Chloe and my brother¡¯s betrothal would be the Ducal Houses¡¯ greatest wish fulfilled.¡¯


    ¡®I guess that¡¯s true¡­ Chloe has always been a hard worker ever since she was little. Blackia may be strict but she never broke down and answered expectations. If she were to become the queen and the saintess¡­ our loss honor will be restored which would surely make out ancestors happy.¡¯


    Lady Chloe¡¯s reputation, even with the exception of my relatives, was quite the opposite among our generations. While she may be just putting up a facade to deceive the adults, it is also true that she won¡¯t be able to do her Saintess ascetic practices without putting any effort into them.


    While it is just an amusing story here, knowing her eventual fate in the game does not make me emit a smile at all.


    ¡®What if¡­ What if that were to be overturned?¡¯


    ¡®¡­Highness?¡¯


    ¡®The duke knows about her too, right? The rumors about the new saintess candidates as well as my brother¡¯s discord with Lady Chloe. It would be alright if they made it to marriage as they were, there¡¯s still a chance otherwise.¡¯


    The duke swallowed his breath. Looks like he was able to guess my concern. He likely couldn¡¯t brush it off as a childish concern, considering the light that descended from the sky at that time.


    ¡®That can¡¯t be¡­ Even if that¡¯s the case, Lady Chloe still have all the rights to become the queen even if she isn¡¯t the saintess. When it comes down to it, both of them can become a queen too.¡¯


    ¡®If that happens, who will be the consort? As the duke mentioned earlier, the existence of the Saintess is authority itself. Even if she is a commoner, she cannot be treated lightly once the church designates her as the true saintess. This situation¡­ would just repeat the saintess myth for a second time.¡¯


    Chloe will become a witch, just as Yolda did. I didn¡¯t put those into words, but the suggestion of that possibility has made the duke grimace.


    ¡®¡­What does his highness wish of me?¡¯


    ¡®I will pray that nothing of such happens but, I wish to implore to the Duke that he does not sell his loyalty over to the empire.¡¯


    Breaking off the engagement, stripped of her Saintess recognition, and banished off the capital; all leading to despair and witchery. The fall of Chloe whose veins flow with Moonlight¡¯s, will make the ducal house disappointed and distrustful of both the royal family and the sacred church. They condemn them for how having rewarded their hundreds of years of servitude with such mistreatment. However, they will not let their sentiments on the surface, and join hands with the empire under the surface, allowing it to send its personnel within.


    That¡¯s right, weapons do not need to be involved in destroying a country. It only needs those who hold enough influence to lead its fate to destruction. Without anyone realizing its slow and eventual decay.


    ¡®I will protect the ducal house so as to not lead to that. You are essential to this kingdom¡¯s continuance sir.¡¯


    Vlad may be problematic, but this house lord holds the kingdom¡¯s fate within the game¡¯s timeframe. You could say that he is the most centerpiece out of all those who do not appear in the game.


    ¡®Haha¡­ his highness is thinking too much of me. My sentiments alone do not have a large effect on the circumstances. The same goes for you. I¡¯m aware that this may sound impertinent, but the second prince¡¯s faction is at a disadvantage as of now. Not to mention, you¡¯re too young. Both of your convincing power and unifying strength false short to that of the first prince.¡¯


    ¡®¡­.¡¯


    ¡®We¡¯re both powerless, you and me.¡¯


    That¡¯s right¡­ the duke and I, alone, cannot evade the worst that is to come.


    ¡®For now, that is? Right?¡¯


    ¡®¡­.?¡¯


    ¡®I still have a chance at obtaining power myself. If it¡¯s to make you not despair at the royal family, and for your continued support of the sacred church, I¡­ will aim for the crown¡­ earnestly.¡¯


    For a moment, my brother¡¯s face come to mind which I brushed off. In the game, I hated being selfishly put on the palanquin of the crown prince, or rather even now. I do not wish to be the tool of the second prince faction. However, I am still a prince of the Coloflare Kingdom. In order to prevent the eventual ruin of the kingdom after a hundred years, I need to make a choice.


    ¡®¡­.The degree of your concern is painted on your face, highness. When it comes down to it, we will cut off our ties with Chloe in order to protect the house. Do you¡­ have the resolve to fight your brother head on?¡¯


    ¡®I do. If the first prince were¡­ to make light of the House Moon¡¯s lineage, and Lady Chloe turns into a witch, then I, Prince Yello Keith Coloflare, shall kick my brother off his pedestal and claim the throne for myself.¡¯


    For now, I can only pray that such a time would not come to pass.

 CH 130

    [My dearest fiancee, his highness, the 2nd prince, Yello Keith Coloflare.


    Thank you for your wonderful birthday present. While it pains me that we¡¯re both busy and hardly have time to meet with one another, I am aware that it means crucial events are happening to both of our countries at the moment. Coloflare Kingdom¡¯s game is about to start very soon, so we must brace ourselves and welcome the oncoming fateful day.


    Speaking of welcomes, I heard that Count Glinda welcomed a child in his home. It was apparently a boy he found in the outskirts of the Coloflare Kingdom who looked just like his lost child, Sir Harald. His name is Locke; yes, there was also a character like that in the game. My apologies, sir. I have not written about him in the data I sent to you. He was a mob character from the player¡¯s village that one would exchange a few lines with, in the prologue, before the game¡¯s opening sequence. I have completely forgotten about him and only remembered him after being told, but there was indeed a mention about him being adopted by a neighboring country¡¯s aristocrats in the heroine¡¯s letters.


    I mean, nobody would¡¯ve expect such a character who never even appeared in the story to be the hidden capture target! Thinking about it, he was indeed the who¡¯ve been with the heroine since childhood and was a gentle person who always worried about the heroine¡¯s livelihood in the capital. I do understand the logic behind his character in working hard to obtain both social standing and strength in order to help the heroine.


    The first princess¡¯ partner is much more romantic than the two commoner childhood friends. This was also a recent news but, the first princess whose life is being threatened due to the succession conflict was confessed to by his school friend from Keuk village. He has been in love with the princess all this time and proposed to her the other day.


    While they might not be able to get approval for their love so easily due to the different in social status, love plays that involves couples who overcome obstacles to be together was quite the trend recently so they were very well received.


    While the two of us are arranged by both of our countries, my happiness in being wed to you trumps over any exciting stories. I¡¯m not saying this just because sir is my favourite character in the game, okay?


    I will make sure to visit Sir Keith¡¯s birthday this year. If he has a present he would like in mind, please do tell me about it.


    Your fiancee, Canaria Riqum.]


    ¡ô¡¡¡ó¡¡¡ô¡¡¡ó¡¡¡ô


    I have put my request in my reply to Canaria¡¯s adorable letter without hesitation. It will by my 13th Birthday. It has been quite some time ever since she last visited the Coloflare Kingdom.


    Canaria who is already fourteen year old this year has slightly grown out of her innocence, and looks to be much more like a lady now, which makes me both excited and anxious at the same time. Wouldn¡¯t I be ill-suited to stand next to such an adorable fiancee? Do she still have the same childishness within?


    ¡®It has been a while, Prince Yello. I wish to greet you a happy birthday.¡¯


    ¡®Thank you, Lady Riqum.¡¯


    We are in official grounds so we both greet each other formally, but when the feast started, she stealthily whispered close to my ears.¡¯


    ¡®You¡¯ve grown taller, haven¡¯t you sir? You might be taller than me now.¡¯


    ¡®But not enough. I want to be as tall as my brother.¡¯


    ¡®Fufufu, Prince Leddorio is quite tall after all. The royal academy is conducting their dungeon capture training camp right now, are they not?¡¯


    ¡®That¡¯s right, they conducted it yesterday so he is not attending today. I did receive a birthday card¡­ the dance is about to start, let¡¯s go, Canaria.¡¯


    I took Canaria by the hand and led her to the center of the hall and dance to the tune. I have been dancing with other ladies in the parties held by my associate, so for today I feel like flaunting her as much as I can. She is my wonderful fiancee, who could become the next queen of this kingdom.


    Amid our dance, Chloe and Shin dancing together caught the corner of my vision. Darck used to escort her because of my brother¡¯s constant absence, but sir Darck is also in his 2nd academic year so he¡¯s attending the training camp too. When the song tunr ended, Chloe¡¯s pair came approaching us.


    ¡®Good day to you, Prince Yello. I wish to greet you a happy birthday.¡¯


    ¡®Thank you, sister-in-law.¡¯


    ¡®It has been a long while too, Lady Riqum. It¡¯s great to see that you¡¯re as adorable as always.¡¯


    ¡®T-Thank you. Lady Sele¡ªSereknight is looking very pretty too¡­¡¯


    Canaria bit her tongue out of sheer nervousness. Lady Chloe merely hid her lips behind her folding fan seemingly scoffing underneath. It¡¯s just one mistake, let her off. It was cute anyway! By the way, she¡¯s likely not nervous out of fear from Lady Chloe, but rather the excitement of having met the game¡¯s characters.


    ¡®Hohoho, please do not be so shy. We will be sister-in-laws soon, after all. Anyway, hasn¡¯t his highness look more grown up? He looks so much of a prince now.¡¯


    ¡®Even if you say that, I¡¯ve always been a prince, sister. In what manner have you always seen me as?¡¯


    ¡®Of course, ¡®the prince¡¯s little brother.¡±


    Well, for Lady Chloe, my brother is the only prince after all. But while I was about to sigh thinking that, Canaria embraced me by the arm and said;


    ¡®Of course, but in my perspective, Sir Keith is the prince, so I only see Prince Leddorio as ¡°the prince¡¯s brother.¡±¡®


    ¡®My, so he lets you call him by the nickname? It¡¯s good to see that you¡¯re getting along¡­ however, I see that you still haven¡¯t done it.¡¯


    ¡®?¡¯


    Lady Chloe who took a momentous glance to Canaria¡¯s ears said, this time with a clearly provocative smile. Why is she going gungho on someone who¡¯s not even her love rival? Is my brother¡¯s absence bothering her so much?


    ¡®Well, I wish you best of luck. I¡¯ll be going now.¡¯


    Saying so, Lady Chloe called Shin towards her side. Canaria deeply exhales.


    ¡®Good work, Canaria. Thank you for answering back for my sake.¡¯


    ¡®No no, not at all, sir. But even so, as expected of a villainess, she¡¯s a transcendent beauty up close. She¡¯s just fifteen, sir, fifteen! In comparison, I just started growing around there!¡¯


    Not minding my worry, the lady has completely entered her player mode. She¡¯s making such questionable movements with her hands seemingly expressing the size of her chest, so I stopped her. We¡¯re in public, Canaria¡­


    ¡®There¡¯s no need to be envious. If you look too grown, I would look even more of a child in comparison. That would make me anxious. I would rather have you wait for me to catch up first.¡¯


    ¡®A-Ahahaha, that might be impossible, but if that¡¯s what Sir Keith wants. By the way, Lady Chloe spoke about having not done something yet, what does she mean?¡¯


    ¡®Oh yeah, I¡¯ll tell you about that so should we leave this place?¡¯


    After I smiled at her and held her hand, Canaria¡¯s bewildered facial expression blushed.


    ¡ô¡¡¡ó¡¡¡ô¡¡¡ó¡¡¡ô


    ¡®So this is, Sir Keith¡¯s room.¡¯


    Canaria who came to his fiancee¡¯s room for the very first time was looking around, brimming with curiousity. I took her to my room because I wanted to show her something. Refusing the help of my servants in changing my clothes, I had them on standby outside the room instead. Canaria sat in my bed waiting. Is she not even thinking of the reason why a man would bring the woman he liked in her room at all?


    ¡®Thank you for waiting.¡¯


    ¡®Woooah!¡¯


    After changing my clothes in a different room and opening the door, Canaria stood up with excited voice. Her hands were joined together with such sparkles in her eyes. What I¡¯m currently wearing right now is the same school uniform of the royal academy that my brother is attending. On top of it, I was also wearing a glasses.


    ¡®Sir Keith in his school uniform! Furthermore, he even has glasses! How precious! Sir Keith has a lot of appearance in Leddorio route, but because the heroine will be attending ascetic practices for her third year there¡¯s hardly any opportunities to see him.¡¯


    ¡®It¡¯s good to see that you liked it. You¡¯re free to look as much as you like. Ah, would you like to wear one too?¡¯


    When I took out a girl¡¯s uniform from the same bag, Canaria who came to her sense inclined her head in wonder.


    ¡®¡­Why do sir Keith have a pair of school uniform?¡¯


    ¡®I prepared this for the time John enters the academy. The game is about to start soon and my methods will change depending on how the heroine moves so, I need to be able to see the whole picture clearly¡­ Ah, the girl¡¯s uniform was Missouri¡¯s.¡¯


    She didn¡¯t say whether she¡¯d like to wear it or not but I left the room immediately telling her to call me when she¡¯s done. By doing this, she¡¯ll have no choice but to put it on. She¡¯s easily the type to easily get swayed so I knew how to lead her around like that. Ah¡­ I already feel like a filthy adult at thirteen. Would she hate this side of me?


    After a while, she called out to me telling she¡¯s done changing so I returned to the room. Two figures of the two of us standing next to the dresser mirror is something nobody else would likely see. The me who had yet to enroll, and the foreigner Canaria, wearing our royal academy¡¯s uniform. After inadvertently holding her tight, I heard a small groan within my arms.


    ¡®You¡¯re really really adorable, Canaria! Just transfer to the royal academy!¡¯


    ¡®I-I would very much like to do so but, I was entrusted to be both the first princess¡¯ and Countess Glinda¡¯s company. If I study abroad, the two of them would be lonely.¡¯


    ¡®I see, she¡¯s your school friend too after all. That¡¯s too bad. Oh right, did you bring the birthday gift that I gave you?¡¯


    When I told her that I would like to do the piercing for her, my fianc¨¦e¡¯s eyes swam away. As I thought, this involves wounding her body so I didn¡¯t really expect her to just say yes obediently.


    ¡®Sir Keith wants to do the piercing, right? Well, I did do it in my past life so I¡¯m not scared, but it would be the first time for this body so I can¡¯t help but get nervous¡­ Uhm, can¡¯t I just do it on my own, sir?¡¯


    ¡®I want to do it myself. Is that a no?¡¯


    When I said so inclining my head and with an upturned eyes, her shoulders trembled and her eyes was casted downward.


    ¡®Hmph, I cannot possibly refuse if Keith pleads to me like that.¡¯


    ¡®I already prepared all the medicinal care we need right here. I also practiced my magic control for this day.¡¯


    ¡®Seeing as sir is completely prepared, would you even take no for an answer¡­?¡¯


    Muttering her grumbles, Canaria took off her shoes and laid on the bed.


    ¡®A-Alright. His highness is really fine with this as his birthday present, right? That being the case, I¡¯ll just resolve myself.¡¯


    ¡®Canaria?¡¯


    ¡®P-Please do it instantly! ¡­..and gentle, if possible¡­¡¯


    Having the woman you like in your room, laying on your bed, with her eyes shut tight, yielding herself to you. What am I gonna do with this situation? Nothing but ear piercing, of course.


    Climbing on the same bed with disinfected needles and the ice that I brought along, Canaria slighlty opened her eyes and saw me hanging over, whispering how precious, before closing her eyes again.


    ¡®Canaria? Did you faint? Hey¡­ Oh well.¡¯


    If her body stiffened too much, I¡¯ll end up being too conscious of it which will make it hard to do. After doing it fast, disinfecting the wound and sitting upright on the bed, I saw the dress that Canaria took off on the chair. I put it on a hanger to not let it wrinkle.


    The lady who still remained asleep have made me restless, so I caressed her head and began talking on my own.


    ¡®Canaria, there¡¯s something I realized when I talked to Duke Moonlight. Why would an empire who doesn¡¯t believe in gods would want something like a Saintess and founded their own religion?


    The answer is ¡®authority.¡¯ Corundum Kingdom¡¯s is weak on the power of faith. Coloflare Kingdom¡¯s may be corrupted, but it can rely on a Saintess. To crush them both, they would to spread a religion that could be easily withdrawn, and a way to undermine our ¡®authority.¡¯


    The entry of the foreign powers in Coloflare Kingdom out of House Moonlight¡¯s betrayal will lead to the collapse of the sacred church. With the spread of the magic drugs through the new religion, the ¡®authority¡¯ of the Corundum Kingdom that is barely held together by the blood of the Saintess, were, in the end, stolen by the empire too. That¡¯s the two reasons that led to the two kingdom¡¯s ruin.


    If that¡¯s the case, then what could the two of us who lived a hundred years in the past, do? The game is about to start soon. Should I prevent my brother from cancelling his engagement to Chloe? Should I be hearing the troubles of these capture targets and resolve them on my own?


    The truth is, there are so many things we could try doing. However, we are still younger by them, and we still lack experiences. It would look like a child that thinks that he knows everything. It¡¯s exactly because the girl was in the same age as them, attending in the same school, that she was able to forcefully open the corner of their hearts that they¡¯d never show to anyone. I am powerless after all. Perhaps, this is one of those ¡°game¡± correction that you spoke off.


    That¡¯s why instead of stirring things up in the surface, I thought that perhaps patching things up underneath would go better which is why I had John attend the academy. By receiving reports of the heroine¡¯s activities from him, I will know what to do after figuring out which route she¡¯ll go for. For now, I will let the game move accordingly to its plot.


    However, I guess I¡¯ll have no other choice but to become the crown prince. Not only to prevent the Ducal house from colluding with the empire but also to know this country¡¯s shadows. If that happens¡­ If that were to come true, I would have to have you become the queen of this country¡­ would you still follow me?¡¯


    Canaria eyes opened in a snap. Still laying in the bed, she giggled then reached for my cheeks with her hand.


    ¡®Please don¡¯t look so anxious, sir. The two of us are engaged.¡¯


    ¡®But, I will end up dragging you in my own problems.¡¯


    ¡®It was originally my kingdom¡¯s problem. If Coloflare kingdom can keep it away, then I will help you, sir.


    Besides, although this is in regards to the game, sir Leddorio is a terribly pure, delicate and lonely individual. Standing above people comes with dirtying one¡¯s own hand, that person is too clean. I believe that Sir Keith is more suitable than him.¡¯


    Canaria¡¯s fingers got wet. I must be crying. Sacrificing my sister-in-law, kicking my brother off, and getting my fiancee involved in the process; even so, I must ensure the kingdom¡¯s survival at all cost. How very bitter¡­ being at the top of a country is just dark and lonely.


    ¡®Will you still, stay by my side?¡¯


    ¡®I am Sir Keith¡¯s woman.¡¯


    Canaria smiled caressing her slightly bloodied ears. Her unbearable beauty filled me with fervor which made me hold her tight.


    ¡ô ¡ó ¡ô ¡ó ¡ô


    To match it up with the Heroine¡¯s enrollment, I had John attend the school as Baron Brian¡¯s son. Different hair and eye color would stand out in this country too much so I had him dye his hair yellow. After doing that, he looked surprisingly like me even more. Just in case, I had him wear glasses. If he were to be approached for it, he can just said that it was just a coincidental similarity.


    Why would we need to look a like? Because there are times were I would need to switch with him and invade the school on my own. I need to see the heroine with my own eyes, and I have some business with the sacred church too. The royal family have magic tools to prevent recognition, but the Sacred Church who works hand in hand with the royal family is regulating the use of magic tools through license. So it would be limited to just a simple disguise.


    What kind of choices will the heroine make? I would very much like her to just return to her village without picking anyone but, my older brother also has some plans on his own. Sorry to him but, I¡¯m quite desperate out here so I¡¯ll have him tag along with mine.


    Now then, It¡¯s game start now.

 CH 131

    My name is John Brian, the eldest son of Brian Baron House which belongs to the 2nd prince faction. This year, I enrolled in the same year as Lady Chloe Sereknight, the fianc¨¦e of the first prince. The job class assigned to me by the adventurer¡¯s guild is thief, and right now I¡¯m considering joining the newspaper club¡ªor so is my position right now.


    Changing places with John at times, I infiltrate the royal academy to directly check whether the scenario is following the game. The reason why John was assigned the thief class was likely the reflection of his personal history in stowing with a pirate ship. Besides, his current tenure involves information gathering.


    The reason why I had him join the newspaper club was so that I would not be under suspicion even if I move around with a magic tool, as well as to get a closer look at the heroine through the helper character, ¡®Chaco Brown.¡¯


    From John¡¯s reports and my personal inspection, the heroine identified herself as Momo Palette. She is a saintess candidate from Palette Village, the same village that Count Glinda adopted his son from. She was a petite girl with fluffy pink hair and a dazzling pair of eyes like that of an adorable small animal. While I initially found how she was able to attract my brother surprising, it was not so much anymore seeing as though she was Lady Chloe¡¯s total opposite.


    As of the moment, she is equally close to each one of the capture targets but, she doesn¡¯t treat any of them especially. She even paired with the teacher in her orientation after all, but that¡¯s probably how it is in the beginning.


    On that particular day when I changed places with John, the results of the exams were put up. The names of the top twenty students were listed in a row and the surrounding students crowded it. Lady Chloe was top 8th, while Lady Momo was top 15th. She¡¯s working quite hard for a new enrollee. John was below top 20th but that can¡¯t be helped because he was a foreigner a few years ago.


    ¡®Darck was the top, huh? Mhm. Well, he¡¯s a pathetic mistress¡¯ child, so I guess he should at least do well in his studies, right?¡¯


    I thought I heard a displeased voice but it was Vlad. What the hell is he doing?


    ¡®Look Chloe, your earnest brother took the top spot, minister-to-the-right must be proud, isn¡¯t he? You, on the other hand, are in 8th place huh? Nothing special, I guess.¡¯


    ¡®¡­.Why don¡¯t you mind your own business before worrying about others, Vlad? I heard that you were on the red this term too. You¡¯ll end up making your father cry.¡¯


    ¡®Don¡¯t be so angsty. You¡¯ll be wed to the first prince so you don¡¯t need to study that hard, right? But not him, the guy has to inherit the dukedom. Having such an embarrassing lineage on one¡¯s back sure is quite pitiful, wouldn¡¯t you think so?¡¯


    I already knew he was terrible from our first meeting but Vlad is just too stupid. This guy will be the next head of House Moonlight? No way, he¡¯d make me too anxious. I heard that the duke is renovating the religious institution that he donates to and is in a cordial relationship with, just in case Chloe gets exiled but, this guy needs to be put in there for correction more than the lady.


    Dark clenches his fists in silence while Chloe is staring daggers like she¡¯s about to kill a person. As the situation is nearing its critical point, I couldn¡¯t bear it any longer and shot the whole scene with my magic camera.


    ¡®Wha, what are you doing!?¡¯


    ¡®Sir Moonlight, come here for a minute.¡¯


    ¡®Oi, what the heck!? Unhand me, you impertinent brat!¡¯


    While everyone was flinching from the camera flash, I took Vlad by the arms towards the building¡¯s shade. The sudden intrusion has shaved the two Sereknight siblings of their anger and replaced them with bewilderment.


    ¡®What are you doing, damn it!? Who do you think I am? A mere lower noble like you¡­¡¯


    ¡®It¡¯s you who should realize who you¡¯re speaking to.¡¯


    ¡®Wha!? Sir¡­ ouch!!¡¯


    After taking off my glasses and glaring at him, Vlad¡¯s lunging resentful appearance had turned ghost pale. He almost blurted out my identity so I stomped on his foot to keep him silent.


    ¡®Don¡¯t clamor too much. Hasn¡¯t your father told you that as well?¡¯


    ¡®Why are you here, sir¡­?¡¯


    ¡®I came here to observe the young lords of the 2nd prince faction. With their parents behind them at gatherings, I wouldn¡¯t be able to see their real sentiments¡­  I had House Brian cooperate with me for that.¡¯


    Putting my glasses back on, I glossed it over with an arbitrary excuse. Now that he knows that we change places often, he likely won¡¯t do anything to John either.


    ¡®However, for the 2nd prince himself to do it personally¡­. Ah, if you would like, I am willing to lend assistance.¡¯


    ¡®Your house is ¡®still¡¯ with the first prince faction, right?¡¯


    ¡®No no, sir. From what I can see, his highness Leddorio is too unstable. Well, the cause is principally Lady Chloe though. Their relationship has gone so worse that I wouldn¡¯t find strange if he¡¯d gladly throw his succession rights just to cut his ties with her.¡¯


    ¡®Just don¡¯t do anything unnecessary, please.¡¯


    No matter how you look at it, it¡¯s not so simple that you can pin all the blames on Lady Chloe alone. But it is true that my older brother is feeling cornered psychologically. That was the game¡¯s settings as well as the pressure of the intensifying succession conflict due to my retainers sensing that I¡¯m aiming for the crown prince¡¯s seat. I already knew that this would happen when I chose this path.


    Switching with John, I returned to the castle where Canaria¡¯s letter was waiting for me. Locke has safely met the Corundum Kingdom¡¯s guardian, or rather, it seems that it was quite infatuated with him. The House Glinda obtained its blessing and whether it¡¯s the result of that or not, the Countess managed to conceive a child.


    That being the case, if the born child were to be a man, Locke would be relieved from the succession. But one could say that it would give him more freedom. After all, Count Glinda was an adventurer who always save the heroine in pinch within the game.


    [Incidentally, the heroine is about to participate in her first Advent Festival, isn¡¯t she? Looks like I will be able to take some time off for that but would sir Keith like to stroll around with me? Although, I am aware that intruding with such a frivolous motive is not an excellent thing to do¡­]


    Canaria¡¯s last request was as good as granted, considering that we seldom meet anyway. Although we cannot readily meet due to each of our own country¡¯s circumstances, once I become the crown prince, it would be important for her to get a feel of the Coloflare Kingdom¡¯s affairs directly. (Although one can also say that I just want to take her out on a date.)


    When I headed to my brother to tell him about my fianc¨¦e¡¯s visit, Lady Chloe was just about to invite him as well.


    ¡®Sir Benny, I will be dancing the Saintess¡¯ dance this year too. Would you like to tour around with me in my free time?¡¯


    ¡®Sorry but I¡¯ll be preoccupied with my council duties on the day of the Advent Festival. I will be busy until the dance party at noon so I cannot go with you. Now that I think about it, Keith¡¯s fianc¨¦e will be visiting too. Chloe, you should guide her around instead.¡¯


    ¡®Whaaaaaaat!?¡¯


    An impromptu nomination and I couldn¡¯t help but raise my voice in protest. Lady Chloe was dreadfully staring daggers at me, but we¡¯re just both dissatisfied, just so you know.


    ¡®B-But, I couldn¡¯t possibly intrude on their seldom moments together¡­¡¯


    ¡®Intrude? Since when have you had such a considerate character? I¡¯m saying that you need to deepen your relationship as future sisters-in-law.¡¯


    ¡®I¡­ hng, very well.¡¯


    ¡­This brother of mine, just used Canaria as a pretext to get rid of Chloe. I see, if that¡¯s how you want to play, I won¡¯t hold back too. If you hate your fiancee that much, then feel free to do as you wish then.


    ¡ô¡¡¡ó¡¡¡ô¡¡¡ó¡¡¡ô


    ¡®¡­that¡¯s how it is. Sister will be with us for a while, is that okay?¡¯


    ¡®Hohohoho. It¡¯s Sir Benny¡¯s personal request of me after all, but I will have to excuse myself during the ceremony. If you feel like I¡¯m intruding too much, feel free to tell me about it.¡¯


    ¡®A,hahahaha¡­ please treat me well.¡¯


    With this, we ended up going around the stalls with Lady Chloe in tow. Currently, Lady Chloe was in her school uniform, while Canaria was clad in a nimble one-piece dress. By the way, it was ruled that the non-student royalty who visits must be greeted in school uniform so that they will be easily recognizable. Lady Chloe was reluctantly made the guide but she was unexpectedly very helpful in introducing us to shops and commodities in an easily understandable manner.


    ¡®This area is frequented by commoners but do the stall commodities suit Lady Chloe¡¯s taste?¡¯


    ¡®The foods in these kinds of stalls are enjoyed by the ambiance and not by taste and quality. To be perfectly honest, they are not good at all, but by showing up and getting acquainted with people, you¡¯ll be able to make use of them in other circumstances, right? You can just ignore the stalls that are no good anyway.¡¯


    ¡­.or so she says but, Lady Chloe steadily goes beneath the stalls. Which means all the stalls around here are no good.


    ¡®Ah, that hot dog looks delicious.¡¯


    ¡®A hot dog? Wouldn¡¯t you be able to eat those any time you want? You¡¯ve gone so far as to visit, if you eat non-domestic specialties, you¡¯ll be full before you know it, you know?¡¯


    ¡®Then, what about those frozen fruit salad¡­¡¯


    ¡®Please wait, that stall was put up by the sacred church. They do not use common magic so the ice that they use is natural. You¡¯ll get a stomach upset if you¡¯re not used to them.¡¯


    ¡®Then, the skewer¡­.¡¯


    ¡®A student¡¯s stall is it. The meat is burnt, and the sauce will make your hand too sticky, let¡¯s pass on that one.¡¯


    She keeps on finding faults with every single thing. Nearly losing my patience, I whispered close to her ear.


    ¡®Sister, do you wish for me to report to brother that you properly guided us?¡¯


    ¡®Of course, fear not, I already checked all the recommended shops.¡¯


    Hohoho, or so she laughs, pointing at the corner where there was a growing queue line.


    ¡®That was the shop put up by a popular crepe shop near the castle.  You can freely pick from deserts to accompaniments, and they have an especially delightful juice and ice cream which is recommended for¡­couples.¡¯


    Finding her explanation slowly becoming inarticulate, I turned my glance to where the lady¡¯s eyes are fixed at. There, I saw the figures of my brother handing over the crepe he got from the shopkeeper to Lady Momo. Uwaaaa!


    Sendinga signal to Canaria, we both took Lady Chloe, who was petrified, from both of her arms and hurriedly dragged her out of the place. What the hell is he doing in front of his fiancee!? Well, he might¡¯ve not noticed her but didn¡¯t he just say that he was busy?


    ¡®Uhm, Sir Keith, I¡¯ll explain it just in case but, that was the scene where his highness Leddorio helps Lady Momo who got separated from Chaco. It¡¯s in the general route too so it does not mean that she had chosen his highness¡­¡¯


    ¡®And being seen by sister like that is accordingly to the game?¡¯


    ¡®Ah, yes. The two of them will separate from one another after that, then Lady Chloe will give her a piece of her mind afterward.¡¯


    Uwaa¡­ Huh? Now that we separated her from them, wouldn¡¯t that go against the plot? Well, this should be fine. Lady Chloe who recovered from her paralysis expressionlessly borrowed the bow and arrow from the target shop and shoots them at the target without so much a word, but because she was not blessed with the House Sereknights talent in archery, her arrows just fly out to all sorts of directions.


    The two of us just ate the dried fruits we bought nearby, not being able to call out to her in that state.


    ¡®Sorry, Canaria¡­ Just when you finally visited, I ended up having you experience such a suffocating feeling.¡¯


    ¡®Not at all, sir. Walking around the stalls together with Sir Keith, guided by the Villainess herself. Those are experiences far more precious than the happening with Miss Momo.¡¯


    ¡®Canaria sure is optimistic¡­ while I¡¯m here anxious, thinking that sister could possibly call out to the darkness at any moment.¡¯


    ¡®Fufu, but I do understand how Lady Chloe feels.¡¯


    Huh? When I turned towards her, Lady Chloe was breathing roughly, preparing the bow while glaring at the target. Scary¡­. Just who is she fighting with? Canaria on the other hand watched over her with such a complex expression on her face.


    ¡®I have stood next to Prince Leddorio as Momo Palette once. Keith being my stan aside, ¡°Momo¡± was treated by his highness kindly and as time went by, grew attracted to one another. That was a very pleasant experience.


    However, seeing the two of them objectively right next to Lady Chloe¡­ the thought that such a scene could unfold with Sir Keith instead¡­ feels quite painful.¡¯


    As Canaria casts her eyes downwards, I held her hand tightly. I am sure that I would never love any woman other than her. If it was me, I would definitely not make my fiancee feel anxious.


    However, I¡¯m aware that my brother would just reject that kind of thinking. I cannot respect my brother the same way I do before. My brother is a human too, he¡¯s frail and there are parts of that fall behind in comparison to mine. I have come to accept that as a reality, and not just as knowledge brought by the game.


    That was when Shin came to inform her that she has to go, so that¡¯s where we separated ways with Lady Chloe.


    ¡®The castle will have a dance party soon so feel free to wander around by yourselves until then¡­. Also, please tell Sir Benny that¡¯


    ¡®Of course, I will tell him that we were able to enjoy ourselves thanks to Lady Chloe.¡¯


    ¡®Fufu, it¡¯s good that you understand.¡¯


    Lady Chloe was elatedly about to take out her folding fan but upon realizing that she dropped it at that moment, her facial expression returned to a stern one. After saying ¡®Good day to you both.¡¯ in a cold tone, she left with Shin in tow.


    ¡®Saintess¡¯ Dance huh, Lady Chloe will be dancing for her 2nd year, Lady Momo will be picked to do it by a third. I don¡¯t think I can watch it next year, should I watch now?¡¯


    Canaria seemingly shows interest as she watched Lady Chloe¡¯s retreating back. Unfortunately for her, I won¡¯t miss the chance for us to be alone.


    ¡®Canaria, there¡¯s a place I want to take you too though.¡¯


    ¡ô¡¡¡ó¡¡¡ô¡¡¡ó¡¡¡ô


    ¡®Whoa, so this is how it is inside the Sacred Church. It made me excited during the capture target¡¯s events!¡¯


    Lady Canaria raised her voice out of sheer excited but when I beckoned her to keep it down, she hastily halted her mouth and nodded twice. The two of us are currently invading the church¡¯s premises wearing wimple and habit dresses. Everyone else is too busy with the advent festival so there was no one to stop our bold entry.


    ¡®It suits sir Keith too well. I can¡¯t even compare.¡¯


    ¡®That¡¯s not true at all. It fits Canaria well too.¡¯


    I¡¯m a man and Canaria¡¯s eye color does not match with her hair. We need to do everything for us to not stand out. If we wear convent clothes and wimple over our hair, it would likely be hard to recognize us as the 2nd prince and his fiancee. But well I put on light make-up just to be sure.


    ¡®This is what I wanted to show you.¡¯


    ¡®Wow, isn¡¯t this the archives that the heroine escapes to when she¡¯s being tormented?¡¯


    According to the data that Canaria sent, the heroine who has gotten along with each capture target to a certain degree will get entangled with troubles due to the envy of the other female students. They¡¯ll press on her saying that she¡¯s getting too overfamiliar with the gentlemen and the only place she escapes to is this archive room. This is where she¡¯ll read the forbidden records and come to realize the truth regarding the Saintess.


    ¡®I heard the details roughly from you but, I still wanted to confirm things personally. I tried to stealthily go here and read them when I switched places with John but, I can¡¯t understand them at all. Only the priests can understand the ancient language and the classes that teach them only accept female students.¡¯


    ¡®So these are the forbidden books. I only knew it as something that the heroine will read out loud in the game but¡­ oh my,¡¯


    Canaria¡¯s head inclined as she turned over the pages. I thought that she saw something interesting within but I couldn¡¯t read anything at all.


    ¡®What¡¯s the matter, Canaria?¡¯


    ¡®Sir Keith, I can read this. It¡¯s Japanese. It¡¯s a language used in my previous life¡¯s world.¡¯


    ¡®What!?¡¯


    The ancient language is a language in the otherworld!? Is that coincidence? Or was the ancestor of our kingdom an otherworlder too? Are we actually truly in a game world? The mystery grows deeper even more, but it appears that this is not the time to be speculative.


    The archive¡¯s door made a creaking sound as it opened and we both froze in shock. Someone is coming. It was impossible to completely hide behind the bookshelves with such small books. We need to do something to destruct him.


    ¡®Sir Keith? What are¡­ ngu-¡®


    ¡®Is anyone here? Hell¡ªkyaa!?¡¯


    The intruder spots us inside and I could hear her catching her breath in shock. Well anybody would be surprised to see such passionate kissing in an archive room that nobody approaches. Which reminds me, both of us are currently in nun clothing; that just makes it twice the trouble.


    ¡®I-I¡¯m sorry for disturbing you!¡¯


    The girl hastily left the room in a hasty pitter-patter. Right after the sound of a closing door, I feel like I heard someone whisper ¡®Whose fanservice is that!?1A Japanese net joke that doesn¡¯t translate well in English, I put fanservice instead so that the next lines would be understandable. After letting the lips of stiffened Canaria go, she gasped for a breath and protested with teary eyes.


    ¡®Wha, w-w-w-w-w-what do you think you¡¯re doing so suddenly, sir!? We¡¯re in the sacred church, you know?¡¯


    ¡®Don¡¯t worry, she just us as  saw two girls fooling around.¡¯


    ¡®That¡¯s not the problem here, sir! Jeez, sir Keith is too mischievous!¡¯


    Canaria kept on poking at me with her finger completely in the red. She¡¯s cute but¡­ it hurts. By the time that she regained her composure, her gaze went towards the door.


    ¡®That was, Miss Momo, just now¡­ wasn¡¯t she? I saw her pinkish hair for a moment.¡¯


    It¡¯s not as though pink-colored hair is rare within the Coloflare Kingdom, but in the game, the only ones with pink hair other than the heroine are her mother and the first saintess. (That was also the first time I knew her hair color.) At any rate, that voice I heard was certainly that of the Momo Palette I know.


    ¡®Looks like she didn¡¯t focus on anyone this year. Is it because this is the season to raise her status, just like in the game as Canaria said?¡¯


    ¡®Uhm, I didn¡¯t pay attention due to confusion earlier but, did she say ¡°fanservice¡±2what I was referring to. earlier, sir?¡¯


    She took off her wimple and fanned her flushed face, looking up. Canaria was hesitating to continue for a moment, but when I urged her, she dropped an explosive revelation.


    ¡®It¡¯s possible the Miss Momo, is a reincarnator just like me.¡¯


    ¡®

 CH 132

    After that, by the time we left the Sacred Church, not only was Lady Chloe¡¯s dance over, the dance party had already started. The sun had already set and the concluding fireworks were fired towards the sky.


    ¡®Waa, to think that I would be able to watch fireworks even after reincarnating.¡¯


    ¡®Ah, we¡¯ve really done it. What kind of excuse should I tell brother later.¡¯


    In the end, Canaria¡¯s greeting to my parents was made abrupt, and she had to return to her country without even meeting my older brother. However, my older brother never asked about her either.  It looks like he doesn¡¯t particularly mind anything as long as he can avoid his fianc¨¦e.


    As for the reason why we ended up being late, it¡¯s not like we committed blasphemies within the archive that would elicit divine retribution. We just had large amounts of forbidden books reproduced using copy magic and store them in the magic bag that Canaria brought with her. Yep, it would be really bad if that were to be found out.


    And now, the game has entered its 2nd year. This is the part where the younger brother of the crown prince, Yello, will have many appearances. In other words, my point of contact with the heroine will increase, however¡ª


    [¡®I¡¯m Momo Palette, sir. I¡¯ve heard a lot of things about you from your older brother. He said a brother that he takes pride in.¡¯]


    [Really? Brother sure is reserved, he¡¯s never told me those kinds of things.]


    ¡®Really? Brother sure is reserved, he¡¯s never told me those kinds of things. (Although I know that he only said that in self-depreciation due to his full-blown inferiority complex.)¡¯


    [¡®Fufu, he must have been embarrassed. He can¡¯t really be honest due to his position¡­ Ah, but he¡¯s actually a very gentle person, you know?¡¯]


    [Looks like you earnestly look after him even though you only just met. I feel assured knowing that my brother has a friend like you.]


    ¡®Looks like you earnestly look after him even though you only just met. I feel assured knowing that my brother has a friend like you. (I don¡¯t need you to tell me that though)¡¯


    [¡®Sir Benny¡­ I mean, his highness Leddorio has always been helpful to me too, sir. That¡¯s why, I want to be next to him and lend him my strength¡­ Nothing more.¡¯]


    [If brother allowed it, you may call him Benny. You can also call me Keith too. I also¡­ want to support him by his side too. However, I will be leaving this country soon¡­ when that time comes, I hope that you¡¯ll support him by his side instead.]


    ¡®¡­¡­¡­¡­.¡¯


    ¡®Sir Yello?¡¯


    (No no no, that¡¯s unreasonable. Give me a break.)


    But if I make a different reaction to the game, the irregularities will just increase. I don¡¯t know whether that will lead to good or bad things so I¡¯m trying to act out the character lines as much as I can, but the way Lady Momo is intent in delivering her lines according to the game¡¯s scenario feel rather shallow than natural due to her lineage. Brother, are you really okay with this kind of woman?


    Well, I had Canaria revealed to me the similarity of this world to a game as well as the possibility of heroine being a reincarnator too, so I can see her without filters, but even so.


    ¡®Jeez, what the heck is happening? Is this some kind of bug? I don¡¯t see any yellow feathers either.¡¯


    The lady mutters in small voice which makes me even more certain that she¡¯s also a reincarnator. Starting from brother, all of the capture targets are awfully convinced that Lady Momo is a delicate and pure lady¡­. but seeing her now, she¡¯s actually rather shameless. Although she¡¯s indeed tends to be dreamy.


    For her, much like in the game, the royal academy is just a stage where she can enjoy bargaining love with such good-looking gentlemen; she is only acting out the role of the protagonist. Watching her move fast from one place to another when an event overlaps was quite impressing even. The game is likely everything to her, and she doesn¡¯t even have the slightest interest in the reality that lies underneath. It will be highly unlikely to turn her into an ally.


    As I barely bear with her, trying to not make my smile cramp, a fluffy yellow feather began falling from the sky. Lady Momo catches it with sparkles in her eyes.


    ¡®I did it!, Yellow feather, get!.., huh?¡¯


    Realizing that the feather was followed by the sound of flapping wings, she looked up to the sky and saw several yellow-colored bird flying. Astonished, before she realized, we have been surrounded by several birds. Seeing such several bright-yellow birds moving about in the sky is actually quite fearsome, aren¡¯t they?


    ¡®W-What the hell is this? There¡¯s no scenario like this at all. What on earth is happening!?¡¯


    ¡®Ah, I just remembered that I have a business to attend so I¡¯ll go now. Bye bye!¡¯


    ¡®Huh, wai¡ª, Sir Keith!¡¯


    Flustered, Lady Momo tried to call out to me, but the large flock of yellow birds kept her in check making her scream. Like hell I¡¯d stop to look, I didn¡¯t even allow you to call me by my name.


    When I lost sight of Lady Momo, I invoked the name ¡®Honey¡¯, the yellow birds came flying to my hand transforming into envelopes one after another. They were originally Canaria¡¯s letters and now that they¡¯ve reverted back, the feathers must¡¯ve disappeared leaving Lady Momo confused.


    I put those bundles of letters in my pocket, and returned to my room as if nothing happened and opened them there.


    The first one was a report in regards to the circumstances of House Glinda. The countess gave birth to a pair of twins, a boy and a girl, so the inheritance problem was solve. Still, Locke was the one who received the guardian¡¯s divine protection, so he is now undergoing procedures to officially become Corrundum Kingdom¡¯s citizen.


    Locke had endured the rigorous training of the dragon knights. The guardian had recognized his potential from the very start, which is why it gave him its divine protection. He apparently became stronger. He had already completed several requests as an adventurer and the name Count Glinda has been earning a recognition within their neighborhood. He will likely step foot on the Coloflare kingdom¡¯s soil soon enough.


    Apparently, he had a couple of opportunities to talk with Canaria. He wanted to grow stronger to meet the childhood friend that had been separated from him and sent to the capital. It was exactly the same motive as the Count Glinda in the game. If that¡¯s the case, I wonder if Lady Momo will deviate from the Leddorio route and go for the hidden route instead? If so, she¡¯ll stop her relationship with everyone at friendship and ignore everyone¡¯s approaches near the end. She¡¯s definitely not thinking of the future at all.


    The 2nd letter is the blue print of magic brooch. On last year¡¯s birthday, I received a prototype model of a magic item that has a recording function. It was an item that appears in the game too, and we had it made with Corrundum Kingdom¡¯s technology using that as a reference.


    The harassment to Lady Momo under Lady Chloe¡¯s name is growing even more severe each day. It won¡¯t be long until my older brother requests the development of the magic brooch to the court mages. That¡¯s where this blue print will slip into. The recorded data will be sent to my brother¡¯s brooch, but as an extention, they will also be sent to my brooch as the base unit.


    ¡­which reminds me, our country security is too baggy. While the sacred magic is strong against evil beings, it doesn¡¯t have anything against people¡¯s evil intentions. The real threat here isn¡¯t monsters but humans, you know?


    The third letter was regarding the translation of the forbidden books in the Sacred Church¡¯s archive. The  ancient language was the same as the one used in Canaria¡¯s world so I had her translate in in Coloflarean language. I¡¯m sure the reason why Momo is able to read through them easily was because she¡¯s a reincarnator too.


    [For the wind that brings forth beasts be appeased, two ladies chosen by gods prays as they confront the evil. Yet, with her heart tainted by malice, one succumbs to temptations and surrenders herself to the darkness. After generations,, the lady drowning in malice is called the witch, and the other to seal her away, the saint.]


    That¡¯s how the first translated paragraph reads. Initially, I was already surprised hearing from Canaria that originally, there were two saintess. However, now that I¡¯ve confirmed that, a new question comes to mind.


    According to the passage, the saintess suddenly appeared in the era of the thickening miasma and sealed the witch. With her achievements recognized, she was wed to the crown prince of that time. The historical book was more detailed, saying it is the sacred church who chooses the saintess from the selection of ladies with high sacred powers that they gathered. The current ¡®Interim-Saintess¡¯ also applies to that.


    However, the current deity of our country is Saintess, the first, and the Sacred Church designates her as the one to worship. If that¡¯s the case, who was the ¡®god¡¯ mentioned in the book that chose the two original saintess? What did the Sacred Church at that time believed in? Reading the remaining translations, it¡¯s all about the first saintess¡¯ achievements, sacred magic¡¯s compendium, the method to see through evil using a play song, as well as what became of the saintess after becoming a queen.


    (The truth behind the legend will only be told to the crown prince, huh?)


    Now I need to become the crown prince even more.


    Compared to his increasing intimacy towards Momo, my brother¡¯s relationship with Lady Chloe is growing worse. Once he comes to know the lady¡¯s lineage of Witch Yolda, he¡¯ll likely gleefully use that as an excuse to cancel the engagement. That¡¯s just how detestable Lady Chloe had become to my older brother.


    From my perspective, both are to blame. Chloe who vents all the frustration brought by his fiancee¡¯s cold neglect to Momo, as well as my brother who pins all the blame to his fianc¨¦e. Both of them are refusing to compromise which bereaves them of the chance to understand each other. However, their mountainous prides will definitely not recognize their own faults¡­ What a pair of stubborn individuals.


    haa¡­ I guess there¡¯s no other choice, so I¡¯ll have to shoulder the troublesome works. Feel free to dance the way you like in the stage that you built on your own.


    Having finished reading them and compiling all the ones to be disposed of, my hands went towards the last letter. The contents were her personal sentiments, something that should be disregarded if unreasonable according to her.


    [It is possible that Miss Momo is a reincarnator. Judging from what I heard from Locke about the timing of her change of behavior, it¡¯s possible that there are some others who will remember their past life memories in the midst of the game.


    Like for example, Lady Chloe could also regain her past life memories, just like me.]


    ¡ô¡¡¡ó¡¡¡ô¡¡¡ó¡¡¡ô


    ¡°Chloe Sereknight, I will have your engagement with me rescinded!¡±


    Hearing my brother¡¯s voice of condemnation from the brooch, it made me remember Canaria¡¯s letter in the past. [If she were to have recovered her memories, then perhaps we could help her now.]¨DHowever, that didn¡¯t happen. Even if it did, Lady Momo is unlikely to be understanding, and there¡¯s hardly anything you can do now that the scenario had advanced this far.


    (I¡¯m sorry, Canaria.)


    Thanks to my knowledge, I¡¯m not concerned on Lady Chloe¡¯s chance of becoming a witch. What worries me is the huge changes that it would cause to the influential powers within the country, but with the help of Duke Moonlight, we were able to contain the waves to some degree. My brother doesn¡¯t realize this but there were a lot of factional switches among the lower nobles.


    With this condemnation, I have confirmed that we will proceed towards the hidden route, so I had presented to the minister to the right of the correctional facility within his territory, and the talks smoothly headed towards that direction.


    ¨D¨DHowever, the capture targets objected to that. They said that the punishment would be too lenient. Well, that¡¯s true but we finally had the sacred church to accept that too, and now you¡¯re interfering based on your personnel feelings. My brother¡¯s years of pent up frustration was likely the reason why he wanted to totally crush her now that he can. In the end, she was sent to the Nansonia region instead, as per the original story.


    ¡°The more you push her to such extreme circumstances, the more she will resent me in return. Your highness should not underestimate the grudge of a woman.¡°


    Lady Momo¡¯s helpless sounding voice had poured a clamor water to the surrounding to clamoring flames. This ¡®dialogue¡¯ of her was accordingly to the game¡¯s plot. This way, her anxiety would hit the mark; Chloe would awaken as a witch and plot her revenge against Momo and the others, or so was the game¡¯s foreshadowing. My brother and the other capture targets were supposed to make light of it, telling her that there¡¯s nothing for her to worry about. Even stating that they will protect her in case from anything.


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, let¡¯s keep observing her. If Chloe were to show any signs of unrest, she will be cut down imeediately. As for the one to do that; Shin, I¡¯ll leave that to you.¡¯


    ¡®Huh?¡¯


    My brother¡¯s lines that runs contrary the game plot not only surprised Shin and Momo, but me as well. There¡¯s nothing wrong with the continued observation in itself. One could say that it¡¯s a natural treatment if you consider the chance of her escaping midway. However, I didn¡¯t expect that the responsibility for that will fall towards her personal attendant, Shin.


    It was unexpected for one of the capture targets to exit right here. After wards, Lady Chloe will be assaulted by the bandits and will come to curse on the world itself, becoming a witch. Incidentally, I had the Nansonia Region¡¯s public order improve by dispatching additional soldiers there but, it would be hard to pinpoint at which point of their travel in the mountains will their convoy be attacked by the bandits. If one were to consider that, perhaps this idea of brother may actually go to a favourable direction¡­ Although he¡¯s the one who banished her himself.


    That¡¯s how the absurd observation meeting started. The changes in Chloe¡¯s personality after leaving the capital, (which to be more precised, had started during her condemnation), had left my brother and the others confused.


    ¡®Canaria, it might actually be possible¡­ to fulfill your request.¡¯


    With my hands on the crystal ball amplified with magic power, my lone chuckle reverberates within the room.

 CH 133

    A little while after Chloe Sereknight¡¯s condemnation, that is to say, after the graduation ceremony of the academy, I enrolled as a freshman. Still, because I have switched places with John a couple of times before, I¡¯m already well acquainted with the academy premises.


    The royalties are guaranteed to join the academy¡¯s student council in their first year unless they are incredibly inept. For two years, my brother and Lady Chloe led the student council respectively. Originally, Momo was supposed to be elected as a president in the all-friendship route where she doesn¡¯t pick anyone so this change in development was surprising. Still, knowing Lady Chloe, she will just likely use her authority within the academy out of convenience in her harassment of Lady Momo.


    While I was thinking that within the student council room, the club president of the newspaper club, Chaco Brown, came to interview me. Beside her was her assistant, John, who is also her cameraman.


    ¡®His highness, the 2nd prince, congratulations on your admission. Thank you for allowing our interview.¡¯


    ¡®Thanks. I¡¯m in your care.¡¯


    I greeted them while I and John pretended to not know each other. Then the innocuous question-and-answer commenced. Some were about the admiration of the male students towards me for having a dragon as a pet. Then there was that about how my popularity amongst the female student was so huge that they already made their fan clubs. Then we talked about the graduation of the entire capture targets, as well as Dai¡¯s consistent skipping of school.


    As we calmly talked about such things, Lady Chaco¡¯s ambiance suddenly changed.


    ¡®By the way, Prince Yello. My camera right there is John Brian, who has been my partner since my academy admission¡­ This may come off as presumptuous, but doesn¡¯t his highness also think that you both look alike?¡¯


    ¡®Yeah, I know about him. House Brian belongs to the 2nd prince faction after all. His introduction to society has led to such rumors. Some say that with such uncanny similarities, he should pose as a body double.¡¯


    There¡¯s a considerable gap when it comes to height now though. Although I am just about to grow from here, I cannot possibly continue to pretend to be two years older, so I stopped infiltrating the academy after a while.


    ¡®I wonder about that, sir. During our first year, he stands close to me watching my friend¡¯s love story unfold but he forgets about it the next day. I believe he has a bad memory.¡¯


    ¡®Huh? Is that tr¡­?¡¯


    Speaking of Chaco¡¯s friend, she likely refers to Lady Momo. I was particularly careful when it comes to her relationship developments, and I always made sure to tell John what happened so that he wouldn¡¯t be suspected strangely. I was about to ask John about it out of reflex who was then became flustered, only muttering ¡®your highness¡¯ in response. I was taken aback. She got me. Lady Chaco calmly drank the tea as if to hide the complacent smile that she had underneath while observing me the entire time.


    ¡®We¡¯ve been accompanying each other for two years, highness. Even if you try not to stand out, I will still notice the difference, whether I like it or not. I still have a lot of questions sir, may I continue. I¡¯m particularly interested in covering his highness¡¯ pet dragon.¡¯


    ¡®Haa¡­ alright, then. We¡¯re already at it anyway, and you came with perfect timing. I¡¯ll prepare a tea time inside the castle.¡¯


    Alright!¡ªor so Lady Chaco stood with sparkles in her eyes. Looks like she¡¯s been waiting for my admission just for this moment. The other members of the student council had vacant looks on their faces, having no idea what just happened. Lady Chaco must have understood the special circumstances behind it and did not pursue the topic anymore. I¡¯m really grateful for her consideration. If possible, I¡¯d like to make her my ally too.


    ¡ô ¡ó ¡ô ¡ó ¡ô


    Now, the ¡°Dragon¡¯s Forest¡± inside the castle courtyard, (that¡¯s what they¡¯ve started calling it since my twelfth birthday), was where we had our tea party. There was a magic circle drawn at the ground in front of the cage and the table set was situated above it. Seeing the tea party attendees, Citrin snorted and howled at me.


    ¡®Oi, Keith, you cur. You already have someone as adorable as Canaria and yet you had the audacity to dally with other females in front of me.¡¯


    ¡®That¡¯s not it at all! Also, I already reported this to Canaria.¡¯


    The tea party participants were respectively, Lady Missouri, Shiela, and Dai¡¯s elder sister, Rinji, who is also known as Viscountess Apple. Excluding Lady Chaco, all of them are the rival characters of each capture target. Lady Momo chose the hidden route so I was left with patching things up with others too, not just House Moonlight, which is why I called them all here.


    ¡®So this was the rumored dragon¡­ Although it¡¯s rather strange to do tea parties in front of his cage, it¡¯s surprisingly much more sanitary than I expected. There¡¯s hardly any smell too.¡¯


    ¡®Well, Dragon¡¯s waste products are something that our country desperately needs too. They are always immediately retrieved by our biologist and magic scholars before it even gets dirty.¡¯


    ¡®I heard that the cultivation of the medicinal plants we used before is proceeding well. Although we had no choice but to rely on importing at first, looks like we would be producing them domestically in no time!¡¯


    After our peaceful idle talks continued for a while, Lady Chaco formally introduces herself.


    ¡®I am greatly honored as a commoner to have been invited to a tea party gathering of higher nobles such as yourselves. If you would allow me to go straight to the point, I wish to ask his highness, Keith for the reason why he had to infiltrate the academy two years ago.


    While I am perfectly aware that it is related to the royal succession, it looked to me as though his highness did it in his individual capacity without borrowing the power of his political faction.¡¯


    ¡®¡­I am also curious about that as well. I feel as though his highness is particularly especially vigilant when it comes to the empire.¡¯


    She was then followed by Lady Missouri. I wanted to keep pretending to be an obedient younger brother to brother Leddorio, but they probably found my behavior suspicious, considering it was not entirely unrelated to them.


    ¡®I called everyone precisely because there¡¯s something I need to ask in regards to that. Although, you might find it hard to believe. Ah, by the way, you will not be able to record this so that would be fruitless.¡¯


    Lady Chaco who was about to operate her magic tool sighed in resignation.


    I talked to them about Canaria¡¯s confession about her past life and everything that happened afterward. The entire story sounds way too out of this world, so I don¡¯t expect them to believe me entirely. However, unexpectedly, the party of girls listened to me until the end.


    ¡®I see¡­ a ¡°game¡± world huh. And we¡¯re supposedly its villainesses?¡¯


    ¡®Bu-ahahahah! That foolish brother of mine, is a love interest, much like his highness Leddorio!? Oh, that is way too strange!¡¯


    ¡®Countess Apple, Sir Dai was popular enough to have established fan clubs in the academy, you know?¡¯


    ¡®¡­..¡¯


    In the midst of their varied reactions, only Lady Chaco kept her silence. I told them that if things are left as is, my brother and the others will discard their engagement, which will eventually lead to the country losing its saintess and all the things that will follow suit. I added that in order to prevent that from happening, I need them to promptly sober up their fianc¨¦es and restore things back to the way they should be.


    ¡®This is the game information regarding each of the capture targets. I believe this would be a helpful reference in how to take their hearts back from the heroine, Lady Momo Palette.¡¯


    ¡®Let us take a look.¡¯


    The first one to reach for my documents was Lady Missouri. Mistress Rinji initially looked at Dai¡¯s data in amusement, but her facial expression slowly turned to a serious one. It looks like she realized that not only did the document see-through Dai¡¯s speech-and-conduct, but even her own, which was what likely convinced her to take it seriously.


    ¡®Highness, this document has information on the level of national secrecy. Frankly speaking, I believe this to be beyond my capacity, so please dispose of the papers down to the last page after we¡¯re done reading it.¡¯


    ¡®Yeah, that¡¯s what I was planning to do. Even so, I didn¡¯t expect that Lady Chaco would believe me. You are a daughter of a newspaper company president; I was convinced that you¡¯d treat such an unrealistic story as mere delusions.¡¯


    ¡®Uhm, no¡­¡¯


    After thanking her for having taken this matter more seriously than expected, Lady Chaco was flustered, and only waved her hand in denial.¡¯


    ¡®I mean, his highness, Yello had it investigated for several years to verify Lady Canaria¡¯s words, right? I was also already aware that his highness is carrying something severe in his back when I saw through John¡¯s identity.


    ¡­Besides, there¡¯s that with Momo too. That girl¡­, when she had just enrolled, she seemed like a country bumpkin with no confidence in herself¡­ She looked so considerably happy in having made friends with me, but now she doesn¡¯t even look me in the eye whenever we come across one another. Now, having realized that it was because I¡¯m that ¡°game¡¯s¡± supporting character, everything started to make sense.¡¯


    Lady Chaco smiled with her eyes cast down, but there was no strength behind her eyes. She must¡¯ve felt considerably shocked in how the person she thought of as a friend only used her as a disposable chess piece.


    When I handed the papers to Shiela, she only stared at them for a moment and refused to read the contents.


    ¡®I am fine, highness. I¡¯m not so simple enough to believe that such papers can decide what lies inside a person¡¯s heart. If I get too fixated with that, my sincerity will not come across.¡¯


    ¡®Do you have the leisure to say that? I heard that Dai was considering breaking off your engagement.¡¯


    I was really surprised when I heard about that from my mother. Margrave Whitey sent us a letter of complaint. This is an act of having illicit love towards the fianc¨¦e of the first prince who was also designated as a saintess, it¡¯s a kind of development that differs even from the game too. I know that Darck is not the kind to make this kind of foolish move, so I could only wonder as to what has made him impatient.


    ¡®Darck has currently let blood rise up to his head. Once he regains his composure, he will likely be able to reflect on his actions reasonably. We had the talks about the cancellation of engagement stalled until then, so there is no need to worry.¡¯


    Saying so, Shiela elegantly drinks her tea. However, perhaps because she can no longer calm her nerves, her ambiance is different from before. It felt so stern and prickly; it reminded me of the same pressure I felt when I stood in front of my mother.


    ¡®By the way, your highness, I now understand the importance of House Moonlight¡¯s position in regards to protecting the authority of the Sacred Church. However, if his highness intends to welcome the duke in his faction, there is something I need his highness to keep in mind.¡¯


    ¡®Huh? What is it?¡¯


    ¡®The truth is, they placed an order of miasma-resistant magical robes to our house. The Sacred Church has a particularly negative view on the manufacturing and development of magic tools, so the urgency must¡¯ve have forced them to make compromises.


    While that is fine on their own, the production of magic robes requires the wool of plant sheep, ¡°Barometz1Some kind of weird plant monster with a sheep growing on the top. You be the judge.


    .¡± However, compared to the cultivated monsters and monster plants, cultivating Baromets in domestic lands would make its magic potency not any different from ordinary wool, furthermore, because of its carnivorous nature, accidents will increase. With that being the case, the only other choice is to directly collect the wool in the dungeon, but that would lead to more labor expenses¡­¡¯


    ¡®Right, which will make it even more expensive.¡¯


    The domestically produced magic robes are high-class items that only nobles can afford. In exchange, their quality and durability are higher and are popular among the mages. If only possible, I would have them mass-produced for the knights and the soldiers too though.


    ¡®And it was, sir! Our territory was previously developing magic bags but, they made us switch to magic robe production instead, instructing us to conquer a dangerous dungeon saying that we both have our fair share of troubles when it comes to miasma.


    And yet, the House Moonlight who was entrusted by the church for the selection of magic items a few years ago had suddenly arbitrarily decided to import cheaper products of the empire instead.¡¯


    The House Moonlight did that? What on earth, this is the first time I¡¯ve heard of that. No, wait, he did say that the merchants of the empire visit a lot. He said told me back then that he refused their talks of switching sides but¡­ did he still make a magic robe transaction with them?


    Lady Missouri who was well-informed when it comes to trade, knitted her eyebrows.


    ¡®That is terrible. I am aware that Coloflare Kingdom has to rely on imports when it comes to magic tools, but for the kingdom itself to cancel the productions that they ordered. That is too unfair. Protecting the country¡¯s domestic industry is also related to national defense. Why on earth would the ducal house do such a deplorable deed?¡¯


    ¡®Indeed, may I offer an opinion from my perspective as a daughter of a newspaper company president?¡¯


    Lady Chaco raised her hand and when I urged her to speak, she took out her notes and started explaining as she turned its pages.


    ¡®The sizeable contributions of House Moonlight elevated them to the status of a duke but, they still cannot interfere when it comes to politics. If we base it on Prince Yello¡¯s data, while they also wish to redeem themselves from having a witch ancestry, they are likely in a hurry to solidify their honor outside of Lady Chloe and the first prince¡¯s marriage.


    The point is that in the utilization of tax, they seem to want to achieve the merit of pointing out the unprofitability of producing high-class items en mass.¡¯


    ¡®That¡¯s the height of stupidity¡­, you cannot put profitability in the same place as that of protecting one¡¯s country. Procuring cheaper products doesn¡¯t necessarily equate to a better transaction.¡¯


    Shiela¡¯s body unusually trembles in anger. Seeing her eyes open wide gave me some form of discomfort; then it suddenly dawned on me. She may have gained weight but the size of her eyes should remain normal. It¡¯s biologically impossible for her pupils to widen horizontally like this. When Shiela noticed my gaze, she subdued her anger, spread her folding fan, and warned me of the rudeness of staring at a lady¡¯s face for long. It looks like it¡¯s not something for me to meddle with.


    Mistress Rinji whose appetite is as strong as Dai, inclined her head while as she reached for the baked sweets in the platter.


    ¡®I am not very familiar with governance but¡­ does this mean that they did not pay the cancellation fee?¡¯


    ¡®No, they paid their first batch of orders but they asked to create a buffer production at the same time saying that the initial batch would still not be enough. It was to cut the production delay. Then all of a sudden, they said that they don¡¯t need it anymore, so a large number of products that were not officially ordered were left rotting in the inventory. When I protested, that foolish¡­, pardon my words, the young duke said and I quoted, ¡®Like we¡¯d spend the national tax on something so expensive! If a woman whose only interest is ornamenting themselves has time to butt in governance, she should just spend such crucial time in polishing herself instead!¡¯


    Huh? Even Vlad was involved in the trade with the empire? Not only that, he is placing importance, not on the materials crucial in battling the miasma nor the craftsmanship involved, but rather the noble ladies¡¯ ornamentation? Why would you let such a stupid person roam free, duke!?


    I guess I was too hasty in deciding to protect them¡­ while I was lamenting the merits and demerits of my action, Shiela¡¯s eyes narrowed between the gaps of her folding fan and stared me down. I guess her unchanging friendly smile was a means to hide the irregularities of her pupils.


    ¡®Please do not misunderstand, highness. I¡¯m saying that you do need to be fixated on their politics in order to prevent the estrangement of House Moonlight. Their greatest wish is to restore their honor that had been damaged by the ancient witch after all.


    I understand the importance that the prince places on the ducal house as a countermeasure against the empire. Hence, I am merely imploring you to only take actions after making certain of different perspectives.¡¯


    ¡®Alright, thank you for the warning. I¡¯ll bear that in mind¡­ also, the kingdom will be buying the stockpile of magical robes.


    ¡®Please do, highness. If we carelessly treat our craftsmen, they might end up refusing to help when the country needs them the most.¡¯


    A kingdom¡¯s peace is maintained under the pillars of economics, diplomacy, and national defense. I was so close to forgetting what Sand had told me before. One cannot be too fixated on any of them. Those who stand at the top must consider a lot of things at the same time.


    Having concluded that, the thought of having to raise the issue to the duke makes me heavy-spirited. For the time being, I need to tie Vlad up first.

 CH 134

    Now at the reception room of the House Moonlight¡¯s manor, the duke and I sat facing each other. At the most corner of the room was the same bird cage with a yellow bird in it, the exact same thing I sent to the house as a gift.


    ¡®To think that this bird has that kind of ability¡­¡¯


    ¡®It was more of the ¡®Elf¡¯s Precious Jewel¡¯, rather than the bird though.¡¯


    This bird doesn¡¯t have the capability to mimic people¡¯s words like parrots. After all, it would have been bad if the bird were to have memorized dangerous conversations and just randomly spoke them.


    But that¡¯s where my ¡®favor¡® comes. So that when it sees the signal of the flying birds and insects outside, it will speak ¡®The 2nd prince will be visiting soon,¡¯ and nothing else. Once the duke gives his affirmation, those animals would then convey his words to me thereafter.


    The game was already past the condemnation phase, and it is now a race against time; there¡¯s no time to go through every single step of making appointments.


    ¡®But still, I was quite surprised to hear that the duke had slighted the domestic industry in favor of cheaper alternatives. I was sure that earnestly serving the kingdom¡¯s interest is one of the house¡¯s precepts.¡¯


    ¡®We¡¯re talking about spending the precious tax of the people for expensive provisions, highness. I would naturally be opposed to such. Forgive me for my words, but the House Moonlight has never been negligent in its service of the church ever since it had assumed its name.


    It is true that limiting the domestic production of the kingdom will greatly inconvenience the people. However, please consider that the opposition towards the use of magic tools has only relaxed in recent years. Even the mere importation of magic crystals was opposed in the past.¡¯


    In other words, he is saying that the choice of the kingdom when it comes to the purchase of the magic tools largely reflects the sentiments of the sacred church. If they would be hard-pressed to buy them, they¡¯d rather import and purchase the cheaper ones. The sacred church¡¯s allergy to common magic is just that severe.


    ¡®And the reason why you involved your son in such transactions?¡¯


    ¡®He needs to gain experience being the one to succeed the house in the future. Supporting the sacred church is the core mission of the Moonlight Ducal House. As such, we are to live modesty, abstain from extravagance, and extend our hands to those in need. We try to instill these beliefs to our children at a very young age.¡¯


    ¡®It might be the fault of us, royals, as well as that of the sacred church, in turning the ducal house in that direction though.¡¯


    While austerity is a virtue, it should be done voluntarily and not be forced upon the citizens. Most especially, those who choose to do so in service of their country. But I wonder if the duke is aware of his son¡¯s indifference to moderation. By the time I had started attending the academy and inquired about his grades, apparently, he was a problem for having many failing marks. However, he can be estimated highly depending on who you ask, or as Vlad himself said, ¡®While there are times that I get harassed out of jealousy, those who are capable of understanding will understand..¡¯


    ¡®You seem to be confident in that regard, duke, but do you really believe so? Rather, I didn¡¯t know you have more than one son. Perhaps, it wouldn¡¯t be good to be obstinate in making Vlad your successor.¡¯


    ¡®His younger sibling is still too young and it would be too early to teach him about territorial management and governance. Also, Vlad is known to be particularly pious amongst the Sacred Church. He even accompanied Chloe in her ascetic practice when they were young.¡¯


    Hmm, so he practiced asceticism with Lady Chloe¡­ Looks like she got along with Vlad instead of Darck. Well as the atmosphere in the House Sereknight is quite strained due to various circumstances, she likely found it more peaceful to be with the relatives of her mother. Although, she completely ended up being badly influenced by them.


    ¡®As a royalty, I should find it admirable of the duke to exhaust his effort in supporting the sacred church, which is our national religion. But Duke, it is also the Sacred Church who kept you in chains. I do understand your need to strengthen your influence. However, allowing policies that go against the times to intervene in politics will do nothing but harm.


    With the emergence of a new saintess and in concern to the treatment of Lady Chloe, I believe that it is time for the Sacred Church to reborn anew.¡¯


    ¡®Is that so. Reforming a state religion with honorable routes would prove to be difficult, even for royalty, sir. If you would be kind as to listen to my advice, his highness must first know the whole truth in order to change the church from within.¡¯


    ¡®And for that, I would need his majesty to anoint me as the crown prince¡­ is what you¡¯re saying, right?¡¯


    Looks like the time for that has come. Now that I think about it, my brother has had no new engagement ever since he had broken off his previous one. While Lady Momo is the most probable candidate, being the designated saintess herself, not only is she not a proper aristocrat, there is still no telling as to who she desires to get married with. This might be the perfect chance to challenge his position.


    But really, how strange it is. The reason why the adoption talks of the lady were delayed was due to the troubles Darck caused by voicing his intention to break his engagement. While he was in love with the lady, he was just about to accept her as his younger sister. I wonder just what had made the young lord act so rashly.


    While he did not particularly voice his intention to make a move on the lady my brother favors, the act of breaking off his engagement is synonymous with a declaration of his decision. It is not made public yet but, if Darck were to cause a problem right after his younger sister, the responsibility will fall to the minister to the right, instead. Did Lady Momo intend for that to happen? However, the game did not have this kind of development. On the contrary, wouldn¡¯t it be rather unfavorable to her?


    ¡®Well if it isn¡¯t Prince Yello, if only his highness had informed me of his arrival, I would¡¯ve offered him the appropriate reception.¡¯


    ¡®No, your consideration is not needed. I am about to leave.¡¯


    Leaving the manor after bidding goodbye to the duke, the young lord, which was just the subject earlier, had come rushing towards me. No matter how you slice it, I can¡¯t help but doubt the high estimations for this man¡­ were they involved with the Sacred Church? With such a lack of character and ability, perhaps it would be easier for them to make him do their bidding. The duke really needs to reconsider his successor.


    ¡®Chloe¡¯s case was rather regretful, sir. Well, we were indeed acquainted for quite some time, but her failure to answer to the expectations of the church was very much to be expected for Darck¡¯s younger sister.¡¯


    ¡®¡­¡­.¡¯


    Vlad kept following me as he kept his mouth running unnecessarily. And I was just told of their good relations earlier, now he¡¯s talking about her like this¡­ Well, the lady was indeed, punished for harming the saintess, so his attempt at saving himself to avoid sharing her troubles is understandable.


    I was intent on ignoring him and going about my way, but his next words put a stop to my feet.


    ¡®I mean, Darck was being the fool that he is; having illicit feelings towards the fiancee candidate of the crown prince. But then again, while the lady is the Saintess, she is still a commoner; which is in a way, truly a befitting partner to an illegitimate child.¡¯


    ¡®¡­ Wait a moment, how do you know about that?¡¯


    I heard that Shiela was barely able to convince Darck not to make public of his intention to break the engagement. Did anyone amongst the tea party attendees leak the information, like say, Lady Chaco¡¯s people? No, she swore to not disclose anything without permission due to the uncertainties of the situation. Besides, while Vlad was favorably accepted by the Sacred Church, he looks down on commoners.


    ¡®I happen to stumble upon Darck within the castle and had a conversation with him. While only in law, he is still a relative of mine after all. That man is so heartless. He not only found the fact that his younger sister¡¯s position was stolen by a commoner a delightful thing, he even went as far as to say that she was more worthy of it than Chloe.


    While that just speaks of how much he hates Chloe, he spoke about how honored he felt in becoming the saintess¡¯ older brother, and how the crown prince must be ¡®the happiest man in the world.¡¯ It felt as though he was trying to persuade himself, so¡­ I couldn¡¯t help but tease him and asked if he had fallen for the lady.¡¯


    Huh, so the one who made Darck self-aware was¡­ Uwaa~


    ¡®Then he was enraged, and said that I shouldn¡¯t soil the lady¡¯s honor with my worthless imaginations, so I replied that I must have hit the mark, then.


    ¡®¡­So you induced him.¡¯


    ¡®But of course, I was not serious with that, you know? It was just my usual jests, something he should be perfectly aware of. But to think that he would make an enemy out of the first prince himself¡­¡¯


    That¡¯s right. He is absolutely not the type to be responsible for such foolishness. No matter how he felt, he would¡¯ve pulled back, burying his feelings for the lady that my brother had chosen. It was just Vlad¡¯s usual silly spite, but with Lady Momo at the receiving end of his venom, Darck likely lost the capability to reason with himself.


    The same fault lies with Lady Momo for not being clear with her heart. Vlad didn¡¯t make such rash jests in Leddorio route, and if it was Darck¡¯s route, he would¡¯ve been bold, having recognized his feelings, in protecting the lady. On other routes, both of them would be unrelated.


    (Was¡­ this brought about by my doing?)


    Vlad whose silhouette doesn¡¯t even show in the game had derailed it from its usual course. No, this wasn¡¯t necessarily my fault, but it is true that Vlad was making these unnecessary actions in an attempt to cur my favor because I involved myself with the House Moonlight. This was unexpected, and I can¡¯t help but feel responsible¡­


    I heaved a deep sigh. Placing a smile on my face, I grabbed Vlad by the shoulders.¡¯


    ¡®Vlad, I¡¯ve thought of a task that only you alone could ever do. Are you willing to take it?¡¯


    ¡®Of course! By all means!¡¯


    ¡®Your father has invested in one of the correctional institutions within the Sereknight territory, which just opened recently. Won¡¯t you try to test the living conditions there? For three years at least.¡¯


    ¡®¡­.huh?¡¯


    ¡ô ¡ó ¡ô ¡ó ¡ô


    Perhaps due to my bugging of the second observation assembly when I was feeling horrible due to Vlad¡¯s matters, the contents felt far too worse. Was my brother always been this stupid? Or was it that I just glorified him too much? I heard that he felt rather pressured by his younger brother¡¯s unconditional trust in the game but, who would¡¯ve thought that he is the kind to berate his former fiancee in such a childish manner.


    Lady Chloe was already condemned and en route to her banishment. Yet he still spoke of his desire to give her further despair and completely crush her accordingly. It had completely turned into his personal grudge. Although I do not think he was serious in wanting to execute her, I didn¡¯t expect that he found her so irritating that he would disparage her at her most critical moment. I can¡¯t completely fault him because she persecuted his beloved, but my brother had neglected Lady Chloe even before he met Lady Momo. While he may have fallen in love with her eventually, I thought that he originally only thought of her in order to get rid of his former fiancee.


    ¡®Fufu, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter,¡± huh?¡­ Well, congratulations for getting rid of her obsession, just as you wished for, brother.¡¯


    Though I can only hear them, the thrilling sudden transformation of Lady Chloe was as expected, likely due to having remembered her past life¡¯s memories just like Canaria. Now working for a lodging deep within the mountains, I can feel some sort of fate in her choosing of ¡®Chaco Brown,¡¯ as her false name.


    Perhaps, we might be able to avoid the witch route.


    ¡®Ah, I really can¡¯t tell everything just from the sound, next time I will be participating personally.


    ¡­But still, my brother and the others are surely a bunch of children. Aside from Vlad, who¡¯s been stupid from the start, do love truly make men this foolish?¡¯


    But my love for Canaria has made me grow so much. I wonder just where the difference lies. Maybe, Lady Momo is the kind of lady to transform men into hopeless creatures.


    Anyhow, now that the situation is in utter chaos, I need to have the strength to put things into order. Brother will go to meet Momo tomorrow. I shall make use of that opportunity to make a move for myself.

 CH 135

    On that day where my brother went to the sacred church to meet Lady Momo, first thing in the morning, I was kneeling in front of the throne. My mother, who sensed my unusual ambiance, furrowed her eyebrows.


    ¡®What do ask of me, son?¡¯


    ¡®I seek the truth, father.¡¯


    Still kneeling, I paused for a moment of breath, then continued talking.


    ¡®I need the true history of the Coloflare Kingdom, father; what is the Sacred Church?; the saintesses?; the witches? I want to know the whole truth behind this country.¡¯


    ¡®Yello, you must be aware then, as to what knowing that shall mean?¡¯


    ¡®Of course, father.¡¯


    Slowly standing up, I turned my gaze to my father¡ª Flareon, the Coloflare Kingdom King.


    ¡®Your majesty, please appoint me as the crown prince.¡¯


    Hearing my words, my father paused for a moment to think, then exchanged looks with the queen.


    ¡®We cannot afford to be overheard. Follow me.¡¯


    ¡ô ¡ó ¡ô ¡ó ¡ô


    The curtain behind the throne was rolled up, revealing a door whose keyhole was a magic stone. My father took off his choker and placed its jewel to the magic stone where the key should be placed, then the door opened on its own.


    ¡®This is a room that is only available to the crown princes for generations. Right now, it can only be accessed through my choker.¡¯


    So that was the meaning behind the selection of national treasures. On the other side of the door is a stair that leads to the underground. Another door awaits on the furthest end and what lay behind it was a confined room with a magic circle drawn on the ground.


    ¡®Father, isn¡¯t this magic circle¡­!?¡¯


    ¡®Perfect for a confidential conversation, is it not? Sit down, son¡­, this will be a long talk.¡¯


    Father dragged a table and two single-seater sofas inside the magic circle. The room had a cupboard, refrigerator, and a magic stove, all complete, which made me guess that perhaps, the room is often used for complicated talks. As I sat down on the sofa nervous, my father was grinding something in the sink. This burnt-smelling aroma¡­


    ¡®Coffee, father?¡¯


    ¡®So you knew. The capital is not accustomed to the taste yet, but it¡¯s something the visitors from the south brought with them. It is helpful whenever I need to stay up late in my work. I do not know whether it will suit your taste but¡­ you can put milk and sugar if you like.¡¯


    ¡®I am no longer a child, father¡­ Uergh.¡¯


    I¡¯ve heard of its bitterness from Lady Chloe through the observation conference of my brother. I drank it straight thinking that showing a childish palate would deprive me of the credibility for the succeeding conversation but¡­, what the hell is this? Dirt? After turning my eyes towards my father, he was barely holding back his laughter.


    ¡®Do not push yourself. It takes time to get used to. Now then¡ª before I talk about the secrets of the royal family, I need to ask you first. Yello, just how far do you know?¡¯


    Having been called by my first name, I straightened my posture and spoke of the recent events while obscuring the game elements.


    ¡®When I heard of the empire¡¯s movements within the Corundum Kingdom from my fianc¨¦e, I felt as though, they are inconspicuously making a move in our kingdom too. The sacred church seems to have complete confidence in the saintess¡¯ capability to maintain stability, but sacred magic is not perfect. The danger that our kingdom faces is no longer limited to the miasma and monsters alone.


    I thoroughly examined whether the Saintess truly has the strength to protect our kingdom for eternity. That was when I got information from the house that has made the highest contribution to the church, House Moonlight, that the empire has made contact with them. As well as how the sacred church changed the purchase of magic robes from domestic production, to the empire¡¯s cheaper alternatives.


    Finding their relationship with the church odd, I got curious as to why such a house, in spite of having the highest contribution to the sacred church, has produced neither a queen nor an ¡®interim-saintess.¡¯ I thought that perhaps, they were the descendants of the ancient witch. That led me to the hypothesis that the unfair treatment they continue to receive could possibly make them turn over towards the empire against us, instead.¡¯


    I kept on talking as I put milk and sugar into my coffee, trying to appear natural. My father just drank sipped his black coffee.


    ¡®So that is the reason why you have viewed the empire as a problem since before. While they have not made any conspicuous movements, for now, they are eerily indirectly involved with the exportation of Himemomobana.


    Did you read about the witch from the books of the sacred church?¡¯


    ¡®There were some points of the myth written in those books that bothered me, father. The sacred church refuses to accept the use of common magic while putting absolutism towards the sacred magic, but the description of the sacred bird summoning of the first saintess, as well as her sealing method of the witch, closely resembles that of common magic. It also suggests the existence of a god before the saintess.¡¯


    That¡¯s what I want to know. Just what exactly is my country, the Coloflare Kingdom. As I said that, my father brought his cup back to its saucer and folded his arms.


    ¡®What is the Saintess to you?¡¯


    ¡®Coloflare Kingdom¡¯s Deity¡ªor someone that the kingdom conforms to. To put it in simplest terms, she is the ¡®authority¡¯. I think of authority as something that provides the greatest impact on the economy, diplomacy, and national defense. Although, recently, it¡¯s looking rather shaky in that regard.¡¯


    ¡®Shakey, you say?¡¯


    ¡®The main cause of the engagement dispute of my brother and Lady Chloe was the love affairs of the ¡°True Saintess,¡± recognized by the sacred church. She had hopelessly allured not only brother, but even his associates, one after another, making the hearts of the retainers, not only the House Moonlight, grow distant to the royal family. Do we still suppose to stand fine regardless, so long as we have the saintess?


    Placing the spoon in the saucer after mixing the condiments, I took a single sip. It was more palatable than before so I was able to drink it somehow. As frustrating as it is, my palate is still that of a child.


    I cannot just readily speak doubt about the saintess even as a royalty. I know the authority of the Saintess, the first, being our deity herself, but having blind belief could avert one¡¯s gaze from the truth. If you think carefully of Lady Momo¡¯s words, they are all questionable in nature.


    ¡®Yello, you meant to say that, Momo Palette is a villainous woman rather than a saintess.¡¯


    ¡®We must put aside which is evil for now, father. I heard about it from my fianc¨¦e, the Riqum ducal lady, but I assume that father is aware that the first princess of the Corundum Kingdom, her highness, Juliet, was proposed to by her childhood friend, Romeo. However, recently, a relative of the young man was discovered to be a believer of the new faith and is propagating the faith, asking for funds to procure the magic drugs, ¡®princess,¡¯ and was in debt. Due to that, some are voicing concerns that the young man only approached the first princess for money.¡¯


    It was the same romantic circumstances of the first princess that Canaria talked about earlier in her letters, being more romantic than Locke¡¯s crossing of borders for the sake of being able to support Lady Momo. My fiancee was quite shocked about it. I only thought that perhaps the concerns were well-founded. The main problem is that it will be a marriage between a royalty and a commoner.


    ¡®What does that have to do with our kingdom?¡¯


    ¡®Momo Palette is a commoner, father. If our first prince were to have been known to awaken his true love to a commoner and married her, that will send waves towards our neighbor, the Corrundum Kingdom. They will send a message that one can overcome the difference in social status for as long as they have love in their arms.¡¯


    ¡®Did you not just speak of the authority of our kingdom¡¯s saintess? It is also indispensable for Momo Palette to be adopted by an aristocrat before being welcomed by the royal family. The circumstances between the two cases are different.¡¯


    Father was right. There is likely no connection between the two things happening to both countries. However, the two unrelated incidents can become connected through speculative minds.


    ¡®The particulars of the engagement are also attracting attention from the other countries. The first prince, the primary crown prince candidate, married a commoner-born saintess. That would not be such a problematic thing to our kingdom.


    But how would that look from the Corundum Kingdom¡¯s perspective? A future king marrying a commoner lady; The wish of the first princess had come true in their neighboring ally. She will likely use it as convenient precedence.¡¯


    There are growing sentiments that perhaps, the sins of Romeo¡¯s relative are entirely unrelated to him and that the betrothal of the two is fine so long as they are happy. That may have been true if you view Princess Juliet in her individual capacity and not in her authority as a princess.


    However, being so quick as to set aside the authority that has protected them ever since, just speaks of their shallow attachment to their kingdom. Handing over their princess to a commoner that is likely under the influence of the empire without even considering what has been protecting them; what impression would that make in fifty or a hundred years? The Coloflare Kingdom wouldn¡¯t be able to wash its hands of it either.


    ¡®A prince is still a human. They also hurt all the same; they also fall in love, right?¡¯


    The person who audaciously speaks of such things is the ¡°authority¡± of our kingdom. Speaking of royalties in their individual capacity; the lady is saying that the country may be damned, for the sake of love. How do I suppose a lady like her will save my kingdom?


    ¡®Your majesty, our old methods of protecting our kingdom are nearly reaching their limits. I desire the strength that would render me capable of stopping these waves, at once.¡¯


    As I appeal to him with a grave face, my father looked back at me without saying anything and leaked a sigh. The sorrowful ambiance that he emits makes me confident that he will accept my request.


    ¡®¡­You have grown, Keith. You are truly, no longer a mere child.


    Yello, do you love this country? Do you wish to avert its dissolution?¡¯


    ¡®O-of course. This is the country I was born in, there is no way I would not love¡­it.¡¯


    My assertation had grown weaker at the furthest end. My father¡¯s eyes are probing my resolve. However, his eyes were cast down, without even the slightest hint of bewilderment.


    ¡®Would you still think the same after hearing this story¡­ Very well, I shall tell you then; the darkness of the royal family.¡¯

 CH 136

    A long time ago, the Coloflare region was a desolate land where monsters are rampant. The dungeons that appear from time to time were unlike today; they are pits of miasma, and are often called ¡®scabs of hell.¡¯


    The only humans who live in such a place are those with resistance to miasma, or those who can use magic to protect themselves from it. Nevertheless, when the density of the miasma of the land reaches far above the habitable, its dwellers had resorted to primitive efforts.


    That is, to worship the monsters as ¡®gods¡¯, and to offer them people with high magical power as sacrifices.


    Those who are born with high resistance to miasma¡ªwhich is most oftentimes, of the female gender¡ªare able to retain their consciousness to a certain degree even after being eaten by the monsters. They will then control the horde, making them return to the scabs of hell that they came from. However, they, who have turned into monsters themselves, could not retain their sanity for long and are often times, killed by their companions before they completely lose themselves.


    That¡¯s what ¡®coexisting with monsters¡¯ meant for the dwellers of the land at that time.


    But before long, settlers from the outside world, and there began the huge reformation of the region, and soon enough the founding of the kingdom. The settlers were at peace with the original inhabitants and began creating a magic system that was unique to the land itself. The people that would be offered to the monsters were then revered as ¡®God-Children¡¯, and become something that would purify the lands of its miasma.


    However, the establishment of such a thing did not come through an easy path. The godchildren were made to absorb the miasma in their bodies, harming their hearts and minds, making them susceptible to the temptation of darkness. They fall prey and become monsters one after another before they even achieve strength the strength to purify it.


    The king at that time thought that the main cause of that was the peculiar belief of this region in worshipping the monsters as gods. Thus, he overrides it with a different one. The king began gathering young girls with high magical prowess throughout the country. The one to purify the lands shall become the crown princess and as the foundation of a new belief¡ªis to be worshiped as the kingdom¡¯s guardian after death.


    The secret arts of the Coloflare Kingdom require both a tremendous magical power as well as a special body constitution; a talent is required in order to use them all. However, the person to successfully do so shall become a god, and by giving her blessings to her adherents, they will be able to use them through piety and discipline. It soon gave birth to the concept of ¡®sacred power¡¯ and ¡®sacred magic¡¯.


    After going through all sorts of trials, two ladies remained. The first one was the then, top fiancee candidate of the crown prince, the ducal lady of House Moon, Yolda. The other one was Cherry, a girl who came from the Blossom Village, a village known to have produced godchildren for generations. The king decided to have both of them be wed to his son instead, and so Yolda Moon was called ¡®The Priestess of the light¡¯, while Cherry, on the other hand, was then called, ¡®The Priestess of the Darkness;¡¯ they are to perform the purification as a pair.


    The Priestess of darkness is to absorb the miasma to her body, while the Priestess of the light was to purify it. Cherry would then be the one to carry the heavier burden, but because the king could not afford to put the ducal lady in danger, both of them agreed to the arrangement.


    However, this has resulted in the crown prince being concerned about Cherry more. In order to prevent her sacrifice and to welcome her as his queen, the prince kept vehemently opposing the purification rituals. As a result, Yolda began suspecting that the two of them are conspiring together to her ruin; her heart and body tainted by the miasma, became that of evil itself.


    The power of darkness born from the hearts of a human cannot be completely erased. Having no other choice, Cherry imprisoned Yolda through ¡°Crystallization¡±, sealing here thereafter.


    The royal family recorded it as such; Cherry was the ¡®Saintess¡¯, Yolanda was the ¡®witch¡¯, the allies who helped in the rituals were called ¡®Sacred Rainbow Bird¡¯, in accordance to the different colors of their magic. Cherry who had become the queen was deified as the First Saintess, and the Sacred Church was formed to manage the sacred magic.


    Yolda¡¯s relatives were indicted for having given birth to a witch, but Cherry put a stop to it using her authority as the Saintess, and through changing their names, had them protected from further harm. This was the origin of the House Moonlight.


    The first pope of the Sacred Church was the younger brother of the crown prince. He was to propagate it and make the faith of the Saintess as a god, absolute throughout the land. By doing that, he has further raised the dignity of the royal family.


    However, the long flow of time had distorted everything, even the intentions of the predecessors. While the pope is still designated by their predecessors, unlike the royal family¡¯s single-family rule, they are entrusted to different people for each generation. The ¡®scabs of the hell¡¯ became the conquerable dungeons they are today, which is largely thanks to the increasing numbers of priests who can use sacred magic as well as the development of barriers. Before long, the Sacred Church¡¯s connection to the royal family grew thinner, and after becoming an independent political power, were able to seize the heart of the populace and became the central figure of the country.


    ¡°Saintesses¡± were not resistant to changes of time either. ¡°Godchildren¡± or people with the same power as Cherry are born no longer; and so, under the leadership of the Sacred Church, ¡®Interim-Saintesses¡¯, were made, which are chosen through its strict ascetic disciplines. Because the miasma no longer grew in density, there was no longer anything for the Saintesses to devote themselves to purifying, and has since then, lost their obligations as human sacrifices.


    The present ¡®Interim-Saintess¡¯ are needed, not for their purifying capability, but as a tool of ¡®authority¡¯ for the royal family. Because of that, the nobilities are in a scurry to send their noble daughters to the Sacred Church and were made to attend the royal academy to become priestesses.


    It was said that the reason for the recent growing density of the miasma was because the seal of the witch is becoming undone, and accordingly, a ¡®True Saintess,¡¯ will be awakened to answer it. Perhaps, the time has truly come for history to repeat itself.


    ¡ô ¡ó ¡ô ¡ó ¡ô


    My eyes were cast down towards the whirling white, the milk in my cup of coffee. I went for my seconds because of the long story, but I grew fond of the aftertaste it leaves behind, so this time I tried it without sugar.


    ¡®So that was our true history¡­¡¯


    ¡®That¡¯s likely not all, but that¡¯s how it is told.¡¯


    The underlying circumstances that the game data that Canaria gave to me conforms with the legends told by the church, but as father said, the explanation was too loose and there¡¯s likely a lot of information omitted.


    ¡®So the ¡®sacred bird¡¯ was just a metaphor for the saintess¡¯ helpers, and was not a summonable being?¡¯


    ¡®No, apparently the research and development of sacred magic have continued until the death of the first saintess. It wouldn¡¯t be strange if they inserted in something like that for the next generations of saintess to use. I heard that a red feather had appeared to Leddorio. That is likely for meeting the requirements of the ¡®Sacred Bird Summoning¡¯ written in the ancient texts.¡¯


    Saintess, the first¡ªThe magic of the godchildren and the sacred magic are different from one another. Father said that perhaps while ¡®Interim-Saintesses¡¯ can only use Sacred Magic, a ¡®True Saintess¡¯ is likely able to use magic that only the Saintess, the first is capable of.


    ¡®You don¡¯t seem as surprised as I expected you to be.¡¯


    ¡®That¡¯s just how it is when it comes to mythologies, father. However¡­ I still can¡¯t believe that Yolda turned into a witch just because of her love affairs. I do not know their circumstances, but wasn¡¯t she a ducal lady raised as a crown prince¡¯s fianc¨¦e candidate?¡¯


    Well, there are cases like Chloe¡¯s too. Still, it may have been the king who decided on the duties of the godchildren, but it was still possible for her to become the ¡®Priestess-of-Darkness¡¯ instead. She wouldn¡¯t have become the established candidate if she didn¡¯t have that much resolve. Was it really the prince¡¯s choosing of Cherry that made Yolda jealous, making her succumb to her suspicions and fall into witchery?


    Over the past years, I ended up developing this habit of looking into people¡¯s perspectives just to see the circumstances underneath. Ultimately, the king granted the wish of his son and picked Cherry as the crown princess. Which means that Yolda has fallen into witchery for those who found it convenient to have her do so.


    ¡®The only thing that we can do is to make conjectures based on the story that was passed unto us.¡¯


    ¡®Is that truly the case? His majesty said before that ¡®history repeats itself, and strangely enough, the ducal lady and fiancee of the crown prince had become an ¡®Interim-Saintess,¡¯ while a commoner-born young girl was recognized as a ¡®True Saintess.¡¯ The situation uncannily resembles that of the past¡­ Does his majesty plan to¡­¡¯


    I bit my lips, afraid to continue my words further.


    Does father, intend to sacrifice Chloe just as Yolda was.


    If the circumstances developed as they were in the game, that will definitely come true. Nobody would look back on her as the lady who brought ruin to herself by harming the ¡®True Saintess.¡¯ Even his father, the minister-to-the-right, will have no choice but to accept what was regardless of his feelings.


    But that was not up to her. It was a predetermined fate that was set in stone the moment she had become a saintess candidate.


    ¡®Keith.¡¯


    The gentle voice of my father made me jolt in surprise. Father straight gaze gave me a cold sweat.


    ¡®Chloe is not related to you. You can still turn back and pretend to not have heard anything.¡¯


    ¡®Fa¡­ther¡­?¡¯


    ¡®I will wait for a day¡­ until then, resolve yourself in becoming the crown prince. I will tentatively tell that to everyone in the next council. However, if you do not have what it takes to shoulder it, forget everything.¡¯


    Saying so, father brought his cup to the sink to wash it, then he refilled my cup anew and left the room. The door locks itself automatically and made a ticking sound as it closed.


    Encased within a deafening silence, I was reaching for milk to put into my coffee but I stopped my hands.


    ¡®¡­so bitter.¡¯


    A burdened voice escapes my mouth.


    Vouivre/TL: 2 more Keith perspectives, then back to main story.

 CH 137

    Since then, I don¡¯t remember clearly how I got back to my room.


    The next thing I knew, I ran out of magical power and vomited everything I ate the hell¡¯s pumpkin that I gorged out and used as an interior design. It¡¯s not as though the coffee did not sit well with my body.


    ¡®Guaa¡­ haa, haa.¡¯


    The truth of the Coloflare Kingdom¡¯s history was more normal than I thought it would be. The story about its founding is something you can find in every country, and it doesn¡¯t differ that much from what was written in the forbidden books. However, the heavy feeling that invaded my stomach, as though they were stuffed with stones, persistently remained after hearing it.


    ¡®¡­.What should I do? What would you have me do?¡¯


    The problem doesn¡¯t lie in the past. I merely discovered that blood-smeared traditions of the past were still being continued as they were, only changed in name.


    Saintesses are naught but a sacrifice.


    The first one is to absorb the miasma for herself, and upon failing to bear it, shall fall into witchery and be disposed of. The second one was only an accomplice to that end.


    My father knew it. He knew it and yet, he decided to sacrifice Chloe nonetheless. But that is unlikely to happen now given that the lady recovered her past life memories. What now then? Their roles will only be reversed. Lady Chloe will just be the saintess instead and Lady Momo, be the witch.


    A wretched place like this that sacrifices the lives of young girls in order to keep its peace does not have the right to claim righteous. A wretched country like this should just¡ª


    ¡®It¡¯s hopeless!!¡¯


    I can¡¯t do it. What¡¯s the point of revealing something so far-rooted to anyone at this point in time? The Sacred Church would not allow anyone to threaten the very meaning of their existence either, even if it¡¯s the crown prince. The authority that the royal family had created for the sacred church had now eaten it by the whole.


    Besides, even if the saintess, it¡¯s very symbol of that authority, were to destroy the sacred church itself, then what? Who would benefit from such a thing? Only those who seek the kingdom¡¯s dissolution. The kingdom¡¯s loss of one of its very pillars will just result to even more sacrifices. It won¡¯t be possible to rebuild the country¡¯s system in just a short span of time.


    Ah, this is so difficult. I shouldn¡¯t have asked for it. For either one between Lady Chloe and Lady Momo to have to fall into witchery. While I do not particularly like either of them, that doesn¡¯t mean I would be willing to push them off to ruin. The density of the miasma until now was just enough for the previous interim-saintesses to purify so there hasn¡¯t been any problem so before. However, now that it satisfies the requirement, history will just repeat itself.


    Can I take everything in as the crown prince? Including the weight of this sin? Father did say that I can just forget about it. In the first place, the two of them are just brother¡¯s fiancee candidates, and brother was originally the one to be the crown prince too, according to the game.


    ¡®If I was the brother¡­ what would he choose?¡¯


    What would he think upon learning the truth behind saintesses? Considering his fastidiousness, would he not forgive the royal family¡¯s darkness and destroy the church? Or perhaps, he would just use it as a just cause in getting read of Lady Chloe.


    But if he does that, it would definitely estrange the House Moonlight. They are nearing their limits. The only reason why father does not view them as a problem is that he has the capability to suppress them even if they revolt¡­ but not everything leads to violence. There is a way to destroy a foe from the inside with protracted subversive activities that are so discreet they escape notice.


    I cannot leave this to my brother. He is a simpleton who only sees the world¡¯s surface beauty, blind to its underneath.


    Canaria¡­


    The face of my beloved fiancee came to mind. I was reminded her letter, pleading to assist Chloe where she to recover her memories¡­ I shook my head of my na?ve thoughts.


    ¡®No. I decided to do this. I need to determine myself in becoming the crown prince.¡¯


    Whether it is Lady Chloe who reformed herself or Lady Momo who was chosen by the Saintess, the first, I need to be able to shoulder whatever is to become. It feels heavy¡­ It feels as I was being crushed by a hundred years worth of darkness. I wiped my involuntary tears and swallowed the weeping to come.


    (Help me¡­ Could anyone please¡­ notice¡­)


    As my consciousness grew faint, I saw a phantom of peach-colored hair swaying in the air. As I called out to her, the name that came out of my mouth was not Lady Momo, but rather of my fiancee¡ª


    ¡®Your highness!!!¡¯


    When I opened my eyes, Sando held me in his arms and was the one to wake me up. It looks like I ended up fainting and sleeping on the ground. By the time I noticed, sunlight was already dazzling through my room¡¯s window.


    ¡®Ah, sorry¡­ looks like I ended up sleeping.¡¯


    ¡®Please do cease making me worry. My heart almost stopped. If you do not feel well, you may just sleep on the bed after getting a change of¡ª¡¯


    ¡®No, I have to meet father. Can you prepare my bath?¡¯


    Entering the bathroom, a horrible countenance was reflected in the mirror. Perhaps, I should apply the makeup I aptly learned for intruding in the church¡¯s halls. Concealer supposedly hides eyebags, don¡¯t they?¡¯


    ¡ô¡¡¡ó¡¡¡ô¡¡¡ó¡¡¡ô


    As the Advent Festival draws near, making both the academy and the church busy themselves, I used the spare times of the student council¡¯s preparation to polishing my plans within the newspaper clubroom. The rustles about to happen from now onwards are not included within the confines of the game.


    Shiela contacted me to leave the matters of Darck to the House Whitey. Apparently, Darck was exposed to a Himemomobana perfume by his previous lady tutor, and judging from the smell of his letters, it¡¯s likely that he had fallen under the same situation right now.


    Which reminds me, the minister-to-the-right spoke of having regulated Himemomobana essential oils before, didn¡¯t he? Was that the main ingredient of the perfume? According to the game, he had a quarrel with Chloe concerning Viscountess Majenta, but upon knowing the details now, it can no longer be singlehandedly blamed on Chloe¡¯s temper.


    Shiela was considering the possibility of his perfume being illegal and is tracing its sales route. It was probably the one Momo bought for him on his birthday. However, I cannot be solely fixated on my game knowledge. I will just entrust this case to Shiela¡­ and try to test Darck, myself, when he discovers the truth. I need to know whether he can properly face his younger sister or whether he can truly recognize her change.


    Recently, Lady Missouri had changed and is becoming more vibrant with her expressions. Vaguely, or rather clearly, she seems to have taken the impression from Lady Momo.


    ¡®I used the game information that his highness gave me as a reference.¡¯


    In the game¡¯s Sei Route, they will antagonize the House Walter, and it will declare that the cancellation of their engagement would result in the house giving up its court rank and rescinding its assistance in the country¡¯s diplomacy. Lady Momo opposes this and insists that they just recognize Sei¡¯s efforts in moving away from his turbulent lifestyle and attempt to lead a sincere life. In order to show Sei¡¯s sincerity, they challenged Lady Missouri to a business contest on Advent Festival. If they win, Momo will be able to marry Sei and become business partners with the Count House. If they lose, or if Sei were to pursue a relationship with another lady within their contest¡¯s time frame, the two of them can no longer meet and Sei will be wed to Lady Missouri.


    The main reason why such an absurd logic was accepted was because she was the saintess. Even without the use of magical charms, she can still put her ¡®authority¡¯ to work.


    Lady Missouri¡¯s plan was a clandestine attack with the help of incorporating many components of Sei¡¯s route. Lady Momo, who reached an all-friendship status in an attempt to go to the hidden route, likely wouldn¡¯t have expected that Sei¡¯s route was still progressing under her nose. However, can the lady really win the bet in such a short amount of time?


    ¡®I will settle everything in the Advent Festival, sir; by using this.¡¯


    She says as she put a bottle on the table, widening my eyes in surprise. It was the same as the Himemomobana alcoholic beverage that Count Glinda bought as a souvenir. It¡¯s a product used by people who have difficulty conceiving children due to infertility and other problems. Its effects are strong charm, hallucinations, and aphrodisiac¡­ It may have no side effects and wears off easily, but for such a thing to still be legal; What a degenerate age to live in.


    ¡®Aren¡¯t you rushing things too much? I don¡¯t think he will be satisfied with such a forceful means.¡¯


    ¡®For the time being, I can win the wager. If Sir Sei wasn¡¯t so hot-headed, he would notice it so easily.¡¯


    ¡®Hey¡­ I¡¯ve been thinking about this for a while but¡­ what¡¯s so good about Sei?¡¯


    It may be a political marriage, but after having made fool of to such a degree, I would think be better to just cancel it. Of course, I¡¯m only saying this without taking the kingdom¡¯s circumstances into account.


    ¡®It would be his face, I guess.¡¯


    ¡®Huh¡­ Only his appearance then?¡¯


    ¡®The most important part of the trade is bluffing¡­ and first impressions. Doesn¡¯t appearance play a huge factor in choosing products to purchase? In that regard, Sir Sei would be the best advertising material.¡¯


    Sei called Lady Missouri a ¡®doll¡¯, but the lady considers him as an article of commerce. The two might be unexpectedly fit for one another. At any rate, Sei stepped on the tail of a sleeping beast that he should¡¯ve not woken up. He only reaps what he sows though.


    I¡¯m assuming that the final battle would also be in the advanced level dungeon in the Iris Mountains, just like in the game. Mistress Rinji¡¯s husband, Count Earl, who is also the knight commander, was assisting us. His subordinates of the knighthood were already sent to Situm City and to conceal themselves within.


    I told the members that I spoke to about the game that I will be making Lady Chloe the saintess, considering her past experience as the heroine in playing the game herself. I didn¡¯t tell them anything concerning Momo, but perhaps Lady Chaco was already having an idea, being her best friend in the past.


    ¡®Highness, are you alright? You look unsteady.¡¯


    ¡®I¡¯m fine. We¡¯re in critical moments so I need to do better. Rather, Lady Chaco, reinstating Lady Chloe as the saintess would inevitably affect Lady Momo as well¡­ You¡¯re fine with that, right?¡¯


    ¡®Well, it does give me mixed feelings, sir. It may have been an act on her part, but we¡¯ve had quite the considerable fellowship.


    Which reminds me, sir; do you know the story about the ¡°devil of the caverns?¡¯


    Hearing the word ¡°devil¡± made me think that she realized Lady Momo¡¯s fall into witchery, but it seemed to be unrelated.


    ¡®The story says that if you light up a fire inside a pitch-black, people will see the figure of a devil within. However, it is not real but merely their shadows projected on the wall. I heard from father that we journalists have the role to start these fires and show those shadows to people.¡¯


    ¡®¡­You mean to say that those written in the newspaper are not true?¡¯


    But the things I¡¯m planning to disseminate are true though.


    ¡®It means that for as long as you¡¯re human, you¡¯re bound to mix your agenda to the information you disseminate. Like leading a popular belief by only showing the convenient bits of information; or to put it harshly, impression manipulation.¡¯


    ¡®Well, I guess journalism has that facet too.¡¯


    ¡®However, there are still people who are able to doubt these mediums of information. They turn their attentions behind and see the real devil themselves. There will always be those kinds of people. Just like in your case, sir.¡¯


    Lady Chaco¡¯s gaze drops from my face towards my arm, but I quickly hid them behind my back before she does. The lady reverts her gaze to the manuscript as if nothing happened.


    ¡®I do not know what you are thinking of sir, but it would trouble the people if you were to fall. Please do not underestimate us too much.¡¯


    ¡®I am not¡­ But, thank you.¡¯


    I was meaning to hide it. I could only reply with a forced smile to her perception. I cannot let my brother and the others found out until the day, not even to Canaria either.


    (I can smear my hands with evil for the sake of my kingdom, but Canaria¡­ only you, I do not wish to get hated at least. It looks like my cowardice was never fixed in the end.)


    Canaria will be staying in the kingdom just before the start of the advent festival. I in the past would¡¯ve rejoiced at the thought of meeting her again, but now I wonder whether I can still maintain my smile in front of those jewel eyes. Although not plan-related, that has been troubling me for a while.

 CH 139

    The world is not just the game that Chloe and Momo knew about; it also connects to the history of an entirely different game. Prince Yello and Canaria, the other reincarnator, were moving to prevent the two countries¡¯ future ruin.


    For Chloe, who already got her hands full trying to avoid her own downfall, it was quite a shocking revelation; she was speechless from start to end.


    Their surroundings had already grown dark during the long, long storytelling. A long thin pole was erected near the round table they sat in, which hung a lantern as makeshift lighting. Prince Yello¡¯s close aide, Sando, made a clattering sound as he pushed the serving cart to refill their teas, replenish the cake stand, sandwiches, and other snacks.


    ¡®Thank you Sando. This cookie looks quite simple but it tastes quite delicious for something served in a lodging house deep within the mountains.¡¯


    ¡®This was something Miss Momo had baked. She asked me to serve it to the both of you, sir.¡¯


    Because he wouldn¡¯t be heard within the magic circle, Yello bend his head over outside, asking Sando to which the attendant responded. Hearing his response made Chloe¡¯s eyes widen in surprise.


    ¡®Really!? This is my first time tasting it; I didn¡¯t think it would be this good¡­ I-I¡¯m utterly beat.¡¯


    ¡®She cannot possibly procure a Himemomobana here so it¡¯s likely different to the one brother and the others tasted.¡¯


    Yello was giggling to himself, but after Sando left the place together with the serving cart, he turned back his attention to the table with a serious look on his face.


    ¡®¡ªbasically, that¡¯s what happened in the background so far. Was there anything you didn¡¯t understand?¡¯


    ¡®Uhm, I was thinking whether the occasional interlude bragging about your fiancee was necessary, sir.¡¯


    She already knew they were out of place but she¡¯ll point it out anyway. She thought that the story would end with just the details about making allies with the House Moonlight, and the revelation of the truth behind the royal family. Prince Yello shook his head and responded as if he was stating the obvious.


    ¡®Isn¡¯t that the most important part? The reason why I was able to go to such lengths was because of her love after all.¡¯


    ¡®Haaa¡­ is that so? By the way, after hearing his highness¡¯ story, I realized that there¡¯s something I¡¯ve forgotten since my memories returned. Certainly, from what I remember, the language within the forbidden books of the sacred church was Japanese¡­ Does this mean that either the native inhabitants or the settler were of Japanese descent, which is to say, an otherworlder too?¡¯


    That solves the mystery as to why Momo was able to smoothly read the old books. (On the contrary, she would find it harder to learn this world¡¯s language; although she likely glossed it over by playing the country-hick as a pretext.) But this only shows the possibility that the ancient Coloflare Region had been under the intervention of an otherworlder.


    ¡®We are not sure about that yet, and this is not the right time to just reveal everything either. Our kingdom has done something cruel, and while its repentance would look good on the surface, other countries could use that as a just cause for an invasion.


    Still, the things that we cannot depend on the ¡®Saintess¡¯, will likely increase further from now on. So I¡¯m planning to take the steps in order to free ourselves from that myth.¡¯


    ¡®¡­.Looking at it with my past memories, and perspective as a former Japanese, it¡¯s making me feel conflicted, sir. I do not know which age he or she came from but, I find it hard to believe that my ancestors would assist in such wickedness, sir.¡¯


    ¡®How do you plainly assert it as ¡®wicked¡¯? Does your world have only have infallible god-like beings?¡¯


    Huh? As Chloe raised her downcasted eyes, Yello pulled back his smile and stared at her. She felt as felt pressure from him preventing her to avert her eyes.


    ¡®If this is a game world, the otherworld would be the divine territory in away, but I already know that¡¯s not the case at all.


    From what Canaria told me, the Japanese people are for better or for worse, highly adaptive and easily influenced. So if they¡¯re going to this land their final abode, they¡¯d make leverage off their knowledge while looking for their affinity with the existing culture.


    Ever since Lady Chloe¡¯s memories have returned, has this country struck any Japanese impression to you? We¡¯re talking about a history long, long ago; an age where the people didn¡¯t have the means to write until the Japanese taught them. Their influences have already long disappeared; melted like sugar.¡¯


    Yello put a sugar cube in his tea and stirred the cup to melt it. For whatever reason, it attracted the attention of Chloe; she turned her gaze at the moon reflected in the surface of her own cup. The villainess of the game; the first witch; the darkness of the royal family; her fellow countrymen¡¯s relation with the ancient people; no matter how much she tries to trace them, Chloe remains bound within the confines of her roots. However, Yello remonstrated her, saying that this is no longer the time to worry about such things.


    ¡®Don¡¯t you think that it would be of arrogance to weigh the ancient customs with today¡¯s standards and call them ¡®evil¡¯?¡¯


    ¡®That may be true for ¡®history¡¯ and ¡®myths¡¯, sir. But they have caused you suffering, highness; even now.¡¯


    After catching a breath, Chloe took a sip of her tea, swallowing the moon reflected in it.

 CH 140

    ¡®After all, the reason why either Lady Momo or I must become a witch was in following an ancient tradition, right?¡¯


    Although circumstances of ancient times might have needed that, making human sacrifices at this day and age would be beyond ridiculous. Chloe narrowed her eyes and spoke with a resentful tone on purpose, but Yello didn¡¯t deny her words.


    ¡®I was short of time after all. The plan was to promptly restore your honor and have you seal Lady Momo as a witch, but you, borrowing Saintess¡¯ the first¡¯s strength, and returning Lady Momo to normal without letting her kill anyone, was an unexpected fortune.¡¯


    ¡®Unexpected fortune¡­ you say that quite lightly, sir. Telling a villainess like me to suddenly do a saintess; his highness and Cherry asks for the impossible.¡¯


    ¡®Well, it was a good fortune. After all, even if I would not get judged for it, I was fully intent on carrying the burden of turning a blind eye on Lady Momo¡¯s witchery and eventual death for life. Everything worked out in the end, though.¡¯


    As the prince spoke of carrying such a heavy burden like nothing, Chloe, who had been stuffing her cheeks with sandwiches, lightly choked. Perhaps aware of how difficult it was to react to what he just said, Yello did not reproach her lack of manners. He just swore in himself to never do such a thing ever again.¡¯


    ¡®The Sacred Church zealous regard for this systematic sacrifice does not conform to the present day. Even if it was made with forefront technology or knowledge from the otherworld, it will still be left behind by the times after hundreds of years.¡¯


    ¡®Is reformation of the Church, his highness¡¯ objective?¡¯


    According to what Chloe heard from him, Sacred Church was an organization made by the royal family. However, now that it managed to take its roots throughout the whole country, it wouldn¡¯t be a simple matter to transform something that has now become synonymous with the ¡®Saintess¡¯, who is akin to a god.


    However, having its ¡°True Saintess¡±, Lady Momo turned witch, and together with her divine power, was driven away by Chloe, the Sacred Church was put into turmoil. Although there likely won¡¯t be any problems related to miasma anytime soon, the time has come to question the nature of this country¡¯s ¡°authority.¡±


    ¡®Traditions are important, that much is certain. However, it is also important to match with the times by looking into the current affairs of the world. I know that it¡¯s not something so simply done. But the only thing we can do is to lay the groundwork for years, or decades, in order to change everything one step at a time; as daunting as it proves to be.¡¯


    ¡®Uhm¡­ are you sure you¡¯re just fifteen, sir? Could you perhaps actually be a reincarnator of a politician who lived considerably long?¡¯


    As Keith heaved a sigh while crumpling his eyebrows, Chloe who was supposed to be older than him felt him much more aged. His ambiance was far too different than that of the game, or before she was banished. The corners of his eyes raised, seemingly irritated at the Lady¡¯s question.


    ¡®Well, I had to grow faster to cover up for someone¡¯s lacking!¡¯


    ¡®Ah, that¡¯s true. My apologies, sir.¡¯


    ¡®Fufu¡­ but I¡¯m still powerless. Right now, I still can¡¯t get rid of the Sacred Church¡¯s pus. Forceful means would naturally be met with opposition and would lead to considerable bloodshed. I would need a lot of time and manpower, as well as people willing to help in realizing that.¡¯


    Yello¡¯s vexing prudence could be ridiculed as ¡®indecisiveness¡¯ or ¡®cowardice¡¯. He lacked the decisiveness of his older brother Leddorio, in crushing injustices without so much hesitation. However, what saved the condemned and banished Lady Chloe, was exactly Yello¡¯s refusal to paint everything as evil. As for which would be the right approach; Chloe cannot unconditionally decide.


    ¡®So then¡­ what does sir Yello requires of me?¡¯


    ¡®Huh? Nothing at all. Why not do what you want?¡¯


    Lady Chloe who was bracing herself to be asked for cooperation was flatly and anticlimactically denied.

 CH 141

    ¡®Do you mean it, sir? Do you really not require me to do anything at all? Earlier, you said¡­¡¯


    Keith just mentioned the need for both time and effort to change the country, which according to him, also requires a lot of allies.


    ¡®If you wish to help, I would be grateful. Frankly speaking, we¡¯re in dire need of people that make me want to borrow even the help of a witch. But sure enough, you¡¯ve heard of your father, the minister to the right, wanting to leave his post in order to take responsibility after you were condemned right? As well as my father desperately trying to stop him from doing so. After all, if we don¡¯t have the flexibility to turn a blind eye on even the tiniest blunders, we would have no one left.¡¯


    ¡®Then all the more¡­¡¯


    ¡ªwould her assistance be needed, or so Chloe was about to say, but Keith raised his hand, beckoning her to halt her words.


    ¡®However, Lady Chloe, not only did you seal the witch and reverted the miasma levels to normal, you also created a gaping hole in the defense of the corrupted sacred church, the kingdom¡¯s problem for the longest time. It¡¯s all thanks to you that the chance to reform it has come.


    You¡¯ve done enough, lady. The only thing a crown prince such as myself should offer you is a chance to live your life freely as repayment for your efforts.¡¯


    ¡®But would the others accept that, sir?¡¯


    Prince Yello spoke of gratitude and rewards but Chloe knew that it would not be so easy for him to let her go. Chloe¡¯s influential power as a saintess is precisely what both the royal family and the sacred church desperately crave right now. Although there won¡¯t likely be any repeat to dangers such as the last decisive battle, just having the presence of saintess in their side would make them the ¡®authority¡¯ in the kingdom.


    ¡®If we exhaust you any further than this, Yolda¡¯s dearest friend, Saintess, the first, would truly abandon the royal family this time. It¡¯s clear what would be the correct choice if you consider the future. Not to mention, we can¡¯t remain desperately clinging to a single woman, too. This time, we need to make things happen through our very hands.


    ¡®Is¡­that so¡­ Very well, sir.¡¯


    Witch Yolda¡¯s soul rests in Chloe¡¯s body. The confession she had earlier was heard and taken seriously more than she expected. If the royal family kept on using her for their means, it may revive the witch¡¯s hatred anew and threaten the kingdom¡¯s peace again.


    (That might be true. Perhaps, as a ¡°witch¡±, that might be the case. But in truth, both Yolda and Chloe¡­)


    ¡®Uhm, Lady Chloe? You seem to be brooding over it, but are you not misunderstanding something? It¡¯s not like we¡¯re just discarding you because you¡¯ve had your use.¡¯


    As Chloe cast her eyes down and grasped her skirt tight, she heard a carefree voice pass over her head. As the lady. As she raised her face, flushed in embarrassment in having seen through, she saw the prince smiling wryly at her.


    ¡®I did say that I will give you freedom, right? Ever since I started observing you, I have decided to grant whatever you wish for after the ordeal was successfully overcome.


    You may leave the country if you wish, but I would be grateful if you choose to stay. Whichever choice you take, I will be behind it.¡¯


    ¡®My wish, sir¡­? No matter what it is, and no matter how many?¡¯


    ¡®Why don¡¯t you speak the things that come to your mind, right now? Do you wish to take revenge against my older brother and the others? Or perhaps, do you wish to be wed to anyone in particular? Anything. But of course, if you wish for something that would endanger the kingdom, I will regard you as my enemy.¡¯


    Prince Yellow merrily said that with a smile on his face but his eyes were pierced through Chloe without a hint of negligence behind them. Seeing the prince transform into a monarch during the times she had not seen him made Lady Chloe deeply moved. But if you look at it a different way, all of them who indulged themselves in their love tragedy drama while placing him on the sidelines, would look pale to him in comparison.


    That was when Shin who grew worried about his mistress¡¯ prolonged absence had shown up. It was quite late; and Yello also needed to promptly make his return to the capital. Having told Chloe that he will come back for tomorrow, Shin led Chloe back to the lodging house.


    As she turned her eyes to the night sky, she saw a flying dragon seemingly traversing the moon and the stars.


    ¡®Wish¡­ My wish¡­¡¯

 CH 142

    The next afternoon, Just as he promised, Yello descended into the Iris Mountains riding a large coach pulled by two pegasi. The coach was not alone, several others also followed after it.


    ¡®Who did he take with him this time?¡¯


    ¡®The minister-to-the-right came to see his daughter off, but you brother and the others will be returning to the capital with me. Lady Chloe will be departing to the Nansonia Convent after all.¡¯


    Looking plenty surprised, Leddorio turned his attention to Lady Chloe, who affirmed Yello¡¯s words with a nod.


    ¡®Momo had already roughly recovered after all. But I was truly surprised: I didn¡¯t expect her to want to come with me too.¡¯


    Yello asked the miss just like he did with Chloe. The young lady voiced her desire to come in recompense for the troubles she had caused.


    ¡®Ah may not ¡®member anythin¡¯, but that ain¡¯t change the fact that Ah did it. Don¡¯t worry. Imma do these ascetic practices an¡¯ git so strong Ah ain¡¯t gun¡¯ be possessed any more. You mun watch me!¡¯1


    Momo declares throwing her fist in the air, but she is probably imagining a different kind of self-discipline. Chloe only wryly smiles at her and gently pats her disheveled short hair.


    ¡®It would be reassuring for me to go with someone I know; but is this really fine, sir? For two ladies designated as saintesses to go atone in the convent together?¡¯


    ¡®That would drastically down further the trust towards the Sacred Church, I guess. But that gives the opportunity for drastic changes too. I¡¯ll hasten the pace so as to grant your wish before you come back.¡¯


    The contents of the strictly confidential conversation that they have, which even warranted the prevention of tapping devices, were still unknown to Leddorio. As for Chloe¡¯s wish, he had a vague idea about it but was still in the need to sort his heart out before he recognizes it himself. The last conversation they had before Momo woke up was really his last chance.


    The luggage including the additional purchases that they had was carried towards the coach en route to the convent. It was momentarily postponed due to Momo¡¯s fall into witchery, but the plan still remains the same.


    On the other hand, Locke had apparently returned to the Corundum Kingdom ahead of them. Leddorio wondered for a moment whether Locke truly didn¡¯t feel the need in himself to see the two ladies off, but he realized that the man will probably visit the convent anyway, which to him was slightly off-putting. The young prince still feels quite conflicted for the man, and he doesn¡¯t have any idea in himself how he should think of him.


    ¡®Pastor, Mistress, I¡¯ve been in your care. May I still stop by when I return?¡¯


    ¡®I¡¯m not sure. There¡¯s no dungeon anymore, so this might be the right time to close it off.¡¯


    ¡®You stupid husband! At least, try to keep it up until she returns! ¡ªYou can come whenever. I felt like we got a daughter, so it was quite fun.¡¯


    As the lodging mistress held Chloe tightly, the young lady¡¯s eyes got teary. Bowing her head again, Chloe soon realized her father¡¯s stare. She wiped the tears and faced her father anew with the corner of her eyes raised.


    ¡®I will be heading off, father.¡¯


    ¡®Yeah.¡¯


    ¡®Father.¡¯


    ¡®What is it?¡¯


    ¡®Was I¡­ a ¡°disgraceful daughter¡°?¡¯


    The duke¡¯s eyes opened wide. His mouth then moved, only whispering in low breathe: Who dared to say that¡ª? But as he noticed his daughter¡¯s gaze, seemingly intent on preventing him from looking away, the duke merely stubbornly closed his eyes. Maybe, the duke did not say it in this reality. It was just a line in the game; a future possibility, something as close as a single misstep away.


    I may not remember anything, but that doesn¡¯t change the fact that I did it. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m gonna do these ascetic practices and get so strong I won¡¯t be possessed anymore. Just watch me.

 CH 143

    The Duke, who only closed his eyes for a moment, put his hand over Chloe¡¯s head.


    ¡°It is I who should be ashamed of how I treated you two. You are my¡­ You are both Yona and my pride. You¡¯ve done well, Chloe.¡¯


    ¡®¡­.¡¯


    Chloe cast her eyes down and lent on the chest of his father. The duke did not embrace his child in the same tenderness as the lodging mistress did. However, he held his daughter¡¯s trembling shoulders firm and bid his goodbye to the daughter who shall part with him for a while.


    ¡®I shall write letters, father.¡¯


    ¡®Of course, be well.¡¯


    The precepts of convents are harsh and strict. While it allows the inhabitants themselves to send gifts and letters to the outside, they are on the otherhand, strictly forbidden to be on the receiving end.


    Now, the lady was exchanging words of goodbye to those who will be returning to the capital, which will soon include Leddorio, who upon realizing this, felt restless and fidgety. He couldn¡¯t find which words to part his former fianc¨¦e with. The latter¡¯s behavior in the lodging house was too normal,(which is to say, she treats people normally, as opposed to her previous self, which is to mention, a different individual) and on the contrary, it made it more difficult for him to approach her.


    ¡®Sir Leddorio, I wish to take this opportunity to wholeheartedly apologize for all the troubles I had caused.¡¯


    Suddenly, the lady called out to him without so much a warning, putting the prince¡¯s heart on the struggle to break free from his chest. Chloe was already standing in front of him before he even noticed, and he could almost find himself scolding her for the lady¡¯s abruptness.


    ¡®I don¡¯t particularly mind, anymore. So¡ª¡¯


    ¡®Of course, you don¡¯t. We are no longer fiancees after all.¡¯


    As the prince struggled to speak the end of his second sentence, the interrupting words of the lady had struck his heart. The one who ended their engagement was Leddorio, himself; even if Chloe was the principal cause, and even if, it managed to stand on the consent of the sacred church. Still,


    (That¡¯s not something to mention with such a smile!)


    ¡®When I return to the capital, I hope that we would be able to form a much more favorable relationship this time around. I bid you well, sir.¡¯


    ¡®Well, Ah guess we hafta go now. Be well, all uh yous.¡¯


    Bowing her head lightly once more, Chloe smiled wryly as she pulled Momo, who was still waving her hands to the gentlemen to the very end, and headed to the coach where Shin awaits them both.


    The engagement of the lady and the prince which lasted for seven years could not be called short. Leddorio spent most of those seven years wishing to severe it. Yet, Lady Chloe cut off her distorted feelings of him so sudden and abrupt, felt to the prince too arbitrary, and could hardly find himself any joy in it.


    ¡®Now then, we must part to the capital too. I need you brother, as well as the others, to the mountainous of things for me there.¡¯


    Keith, his younger brother, cut off his sentimental moment, as he played around with a single envelope.


    ¡®What is that envelope? What are you planning to have us do?¡¯


    ¡®Well, I need your cooperation to fulfill Lady Chloe¡¯s wish. And in this envelope, lies the very wish list.¡¯


    The gentlemen swallowed a breath and showered all their attention towards the lone envelope. The younger prince was all cheerful; devious smile plastered on his face from ear to ear.

 CH 144

    Three months have passed since then,


    The ¡°True Saintess¡± designated by the church had turned into a witch but was saved by the miracle of the ¡°Other Saintess¡±: This was the information that the Brown Papers have disseminated throughout the country.


    It was published in the form of an exclusive interview with the crown prince, in which attached, a picture of a letter sent to him by the ¡°other saintess.¡±


    Written were the shocking accounts of the oracle communicated by the First Saintess, to the aforementioned unnamed saintess. It states that the ancient witch harbors a deep grudge towards the kingdom, and thus beckons the hearts of the new saintesses to succumb to evil; The purer their hearts, the more susceptible they will be to temptations.


    In order to prevent such tragedies from happening again, the Saintess, the first, declared to the other saintess that it would prove dangerous to choose new saintesses among the living.


    She dictated that; The witch must be revered in the same manner as they revere her, and implores her followers to appease the witch¡¯s anger through the offering of prayers.


    She further explained that the two of them were formerly close friends, and even though the sorrowful gears of fate had torn them apart from one another, the first saintess does not wish to continue their conflicts to the afterlife. She declared that the two of them shall be performing the duties of the saintess from now on, and beckons her beloved children to protect the kingdom, and overcome its challenges altogether, taking each other¡¯s hands.


    Of course, there were some among the sacred church who did not accept the oracle as true.


    However, His Majesty, the king, upon receiving the report of the crown prince, had acknowledged it as the ¡®Will of the First¡¯ and furthermore, the eldest son of the House Sereknight had recognized his younger sister¡¯s handwriting in the paper. It was then spread that the ¡°other saintess¡±, who saved the ¡°True Saintess,¡± was none other than, Chloe Sereknight, who proved to have atoned for her sins at the late Advent Festival.


    Furthermore, the royal family had disclosed the name of the first saintess to be Cherry Blossom, and the name of the witch to be Yolda Moon. The people thus discovered that the main reason behind the devoted service of the House Moonlight to the Sacred Church generations after generations was in order to repent for the tragedy caused by their ancestors. At the same time, they welcomed the idea that it was the right moment for the Sacred Church to take new breathes of fresh air.


    Because of this, the obstinate conservative leaders within the church were pushed to the sidelines, and the sacred church, with the help royal family, will be proactively reforming its organization. The pope may sit at the top of the organization, but the saintess, alone, was revered.


    ¡°Saintess¡± hitherto, became a title to be given to people with high divine power, who have wholeheartedly devoted their lives to the country. In other words, it became a post mortem title, making them a subject of worship akin to a god after death. It needs not to be mentioned that males who accomplish such feats are referred to as Saint.


    Now, the priestesses who are chosen in the same manner as the ¡®Saintesses¡¯ of the past, shall now assume the post of a ¡°Holy Chancellor.¡± They are to act as the bridge between the royal family and the sacred church; a post that will require them to submit reports and request to that effect, and shall also act as the Pope¡¯s representative. They are also to act as diplomats in times such as the propagation of the faith to the other countries are being done, and in such times, the ¡°Holy Vice-Chancellor, shall be responsible in domestic affairs as their substitute. That¡¯s right, just like in Saintess¡¯ the first¡¯s time, it¡¯s a position that requires a pair.

 CH 145

    There¡¯s a reason why the royal family is in a rush to the effect the reforms. On the underside of the Saintess¡¯ fall to witchery, the advanced-level dungeon had disappeared which allowed the miasma level¡¯s return to normal. Such a development may sound well, but has in actuality, not exactly been as pleasing, as far as the kingdom is concerned. For the country, with spontaneous dungeon appearances becoming a integral part of their lives, the loss of a dangerous dungeon proved to them, quite the unconsidered drawbacks.


    Most particularly of all, the sacred stones, an indispensable material in the erecting of barriers, principally used in the royal capital¡¯s defense, are only created through magic crystals, a material that can only found in the advanced-level dungeon. Furthermore, the adventurers, who seek such a dungeon in hopes of finding hidden treasures and to measure their strengths, have now lost a place to go. It is worth a mention, in the case of the use of barriers that had hitherto been monopolized by the sacred church, that the proposal of the use of magical stones has been recommended as of late, which also gave rise to the issue of magicians raising their price.


    The defeat of the bad, bad witch, does not conclude with just a simple happily ever after.


    As per Crown Prince, Yello, in his opinion of such matters;


    He stated that the miasmas are present in all countries, only differing in density. The increased levels in forests would lead to births of cryptids, and in mountains, the formulation of magic stones. He concludes that as long as monster¡¯s attacks and the miasma¡¯s effects on human body managed, everything would work out as they should be.


    The example that he presented was that of the empire¡¯s, which is to say, the case of the low-priced magical robes that the kingdom has imported from the empire, which, in the latter¡¯s lacking of Baromets, were made from the dungeon monster, ¡°Underworld¡¯s Spider,¡± as a substitute. While people may be predisposed to think that these spiders can be found easily anywhere, going to intermediate dungeons to fight with multitudes of monsters in procuring tens of thousands of materials would require both time and labor. In the first place, the empire was never heard to have had any dungeon within the confines of its territories.


    ¡®Then, where do you suppose does the empire procure such materials? In the underworld, they do.¡¯


    Hell¨D it¡¯s a term commonly attached to plants and animals found in dungeons. The same goes for the aforementioned ¡®Hell¡¯s Spider,¡¯ as well as the Kodomo Dragon, in which Leddorio¡¯s national treasure ¡®Kodomo Dragon¡¯s Eye1Apparently Kodomo Dragon, is REALLY Kodomo Dragon, in reference to Komodo Dragons and not ×Ó¹©¥É¥é¥´¥ó; something I have considered before since it was written in Katakana and child dragons are called as ×Ó¸o.¡® was taken from, which is also known for its other name, ¡®Hell¡¯s Lizard.¡¯


    According to Yello, the rifts in dimensions that lead to the monster¡¯s world are commonly called ¡°Hell¡± or ¡°Underworld¡± in foreign kingdoms; Dungeons, he says, are the pathways to such a place.


    ¡®In my inquiries of my father, his majesty, the king, the dungeons were also previously called ¡°Scabs of the Underworld¡± in our olden days. Perhaps, it was due to the church¡¯s notions that they are now presently overlooked.


    This brings me to the point; In consideration of our country¡¯s economy and national defense, and in what manner shall we control the miasma; perhaps we should be following the empire¡¯s example.¡¯


    ¡®The empire¡¯s example, highness? Do you mean to say¡ª¡¯


    ¡®Yes. We must bridge our country to the underworld.¡¯


    His outlandish proposal made the conference clamor. It will be dangerous, no doubt; they questioned what the prince planned to do if this leads to an influx of monsters there to here. However, judging from the prince¡¯s response, their reaction seems to be as he expected.


    ¡®Is it so much surprising? Dungeons and the Underworld; there¡¯s not much difference to expect, save from the different names. On the contrary, by intentionally creating a pathway to the underworld, we will be able to prevent the spontaneous emergence of irregular dungeons and suppress miasma too.¡¯


    ¡®But sir, no matter easy you speak of the change in terminologies, it does not stand the same for the people¡¯s fears. Where do you intend to place such a dangerous thing?¡¯


    In this kingdom, the idea of the dungeon¡¯s synonymity with the underworld is still vague. Aside from the association of items with relation to monsters, and the latter¡¯s dwelling place, there is no other consideration to mind. It¡¯s a peaceful way of thinking nurtured by the hundred years of being under the protection of the saintesses and barriers. Now with the introduction of a foreign world, they cower at the thought of its menace threatening their doorsteps.


    ¡®You have a point, sir. We may have to reconsider their re-education in regards to that matter. As for the question, sir; I am considering the advanced-level dungeon in the Iris Mountains for now. It has also a volcano, which we may perhaps, be able to seal, crater, and all, if we connect it to the underworld.


    The peace and order of that place have always been bad. In that regard, perhaps, they are not so unfamiliar with the prospect of dangers.¡¯


    ¡®The Nansonia, region, is it then, sir. Certainly, it is quite known for its severe environs, and I heard that the likelihood of any nobilities wanting to visit such a place is practically nil. The harshness of the convent that the two saintesses chose to discipline themselves is known too.¡¯


    ¡®In that part, I am already on the verge of investing in a long-term project. The person who will be in charge will be given the title of Archduke and shall be responsible for the Nansonia region¡¯s reforms. Although, the official conference of title shall be considered way into the future.¡¯


    Just like that, the gaze of the crown prince lead all the cabinet and minister¡¯s towards the person in concern, Prince Leddorio, himself.

 CH 146

    Thus, presently, Leddorio strode within the castle halls, carrying within his arms piles of documents so mountainous that he could almost find his strength surrendering to their weight. After all, reforms are not so easy as to be leisurely carried out by a whim. It was followed by varying proposals such as tackling the almost cultural corruption of the sacred church, inclusion of common magic to the curriculums, revision of existing trade agreements, and many others, almost to no end.


    But if Leddorio were ever shows any sign of grumbles to this, it will be readily meet with Yello¡¯s rebuke, insisting that the older brother had it way better and that his younger brother carried the heavier burden, being the crown prince and all. His younger brother¡¯s impertinence grew more and more, much to his dismay.


    It was also decided that the conference of the Nansonia Archduchy to Prince Leddorio shall be after Prince Yello¡¯s ascension to the throne. As previously mentioned, his principal project would be to build a gateway to the underworld. It will go hand in hand with the reformation of the regional convent towards an establishment that nurtures clergy with potent divine power. The persons who shall be entrusted with the undertaking were Masrat Grace and his wife, Adelaide; which shows how much Chloe¡¯s observation has affected these large reforms.


    However, the present King, Flareon, the 8th, is expected to continue his reign for a long time. Until then, the two princes were to do nothing but a pile of simple tasks, for the royal castle¡¯s manpower was not as rich as to push them to someone else.


    (Still, isn¡¯t this too much?)


    Leddorio, walked the hallways tiptoeing the balance of the documents, his field of vision obstructed by them.


    It was Duke Sereknight, who most recently, added documents to his burden. A person was walking next to him which hails from his second wife, Clara¡¯s adoptive house, which is also a relative to the House Moonlight. The recent engagement debacle seems to have pushed the duke further towards the older age, making him committed to retirement, but with domestic affairs of the kingdom becoming so timid that he could scarcely call himself a minister, the senior was not allowed to decrease its human resources any further and was forced to nurture his next successor as he perform his post with his assistance.


    In the two¡¯s conversation, Leddorio overheard the Duke referring to Shin as a son who had crossed to the neighbor kingdom. One of Chloe¡¯s wishes was for Shin to be officially adopted by House Moonlight, which was granted to her. This also involves an underlying circumstances of the Corrundum Kingdom, which stems from the identification of Shin, as their 6th prince, Amethyster, who was thought to have died of unknown cause twenty years ago. The verification was done by his highness, Crown Prince Saphir, during the last Advent Festival. The neighbor has plead for the recognition and welcoming of its missing 6th prince, but Shin refused, stating that there¡¯s no point behind the recognition now.


    Nevertheless, his mistress, Lady Chloe, conveyed a wish for him to stay at Corrundum Kingdom as a special envoy. To that effect, he cannot go as an attendant but as a nobleman himself, which his mistress intends to remedy by having the duchy welcome him as its own.


    This lead to the following argument between the mistress and the servant.


    ¡®Lady, have I served my purpose to you and worthy no longer?¡¯


    ¡®That¡¯s not it, Shin. I need you to do something there for me. Besides, I truly wish to be siblings with you. Do you dislike it?¡¯


    With such a response, Shin was reluctantly convinced to have himself adopted by the duchy, and headed to the neighboring country as an envoy. Leddorio could not help but feel suspicion in the intention of Shin, who maintained his relationship with his mistress despite his hatred of the nobilities, which was formed way before the their meeting. He was assaulted with the thought of whether the former butler is likely intending to turn his previous order of fait accompli from a farce to reality. But then, he thought, the two are formally siblings now. Regardless of his motives, the chance of betrothal is nil.


    As for the lady¡¯s blood-related older sibling, Leddorio saw his silhoutte in the corridor that overlooks the courtyard.

 CH 147

    Dark and Shiela sat on a bench in the courtyard. At first glance, the two looked to be quite intimate with one another, but upon a closer inspection, Darck was seemingly hanging his head low and holding his stomach.


    ¡®Sir Darck, are you unwell? You look quite poorly If I may say so. If you like I could prepare you a herbal drink, sir. I was recently made aware by Sir Sei about the effectiveness of boiled herbs from Palette Village.¡¯


    ¡®¡­No, I¡¯m alright.¡¯


    Darck feebly shakes his head. Mentioning Sei, whom he could never get along with, or anything related to Momo, his past romance, was likely a taboo topic for him.


    It was decided that after his marriage with Shiela, the young lord will be adopted by House Whitey, and that their firstborn son would be adopted by House Sereknight instead. Additionally, he was to assist the new minister that would replace the Duke upon his retirement; In other words, the young lord currently has no career path.


    ¡®Is there anything bothering you, sir? If so, please do share it with your family and not keep it within yourself. Didn¡¯t his majesty say so as well? Of course, I shall offer my assistance as your fianc¨¦e too.¡¯


    ¡®It¡¯s not so much of a bother but¡­ I was just, wondering if I deserve to be let off like this.¡¯


    The young lord seems to be suffering from stomach problems due to stress.


    The environment that revolves around him had largely changed. Most especially his reputation could be said to have been overturned. Up until now, he has been pitied by his surrounding concerning his discord with his younger sister, and the well-rounded appearance of his fianc¨¦e. But with the conclusion of his younger sister¡¯s atonement, as well as the revelation of his fianc¨¦e¡¯s unexpectedly agreeable features, the young lord was now being judged by the rumors based on the rampage he caused on his own engagement annulment debacle.


    While the incident practically deposed him from the duchy¡¯s inheritance, his ill repute was born from a different sentiment. Society questioned how could a man like him fall for the wiles of a mere plebeian when surrounded with beautiful ladies, the likes of his younger sister and his fianc¨¦e. They concluded that perhaps it was his lowborn blood at play; quite the self-convenient reasoning they came up with.


    ¡®It¡¯s not just about my mother; there is also the sins of my father that have not been made public yet. How could a man like me be worthy of you.¡¯


    ¡®It was the royal family and not the two houses who arranged this betrothal, sir. Do please, ignore their ramblings.¡¯


    ¡®That¡¯s what I¡¯m saying¡­ For an agreement of such importance, I¡­urgh¡¯


    ¡®Sir Darck? What are you hiding?¡¯


    Shiela rose him to his feet and felt him around the waist to which a couple of envelopes fell out. When she was about to open them, Darck hurriedly beckoned her to stop.


    ¡®Stop it, there could be something sharp inside!¡¯


    ¡®That would make for quite the childish prank, sir. Would you look at that, it came from Sir Vlad. Considering how he previously informed me how he worries for my future husband seeing as my expanding weight could quite possibly crush him, now he is claiming that Sir Darck is not worthy of my companionship, of all things? Hohoho, looks like he is still quite the immature man he is; how truly comical. Were these the nonsensical gibberishes that weary your mind, sir?¡¯


    ¡®But¡­ I did hurt you.¡¯


    Vlad who faintly passes as Darck¡¯s relative, was for some reason, being made to imitate a monk¡¯s discipline in the Sereknight duchy. He is under the instruction of the duchy¡¯s lord steward, the same person who created the huge gaping hole in the advanced-level dungeon. He was likely able to send those letters at the gaps of his tutelage. The House Moonlight was now apparently considering the younger second son for the inheritance, making it such a wonder, just what severe blunders the young lord has committed to that end.


    ¡®How unnerving¡­ Both of you are truly siblings. You hurt your own selves in asking for forgiveness; how truly alike.¡¯


    ¡®A-Are you talking about me and Chloe!?¡¯


    ¡®Just how many worries do you plan to burden your parents, sir Darck? Is that what is being expected of you, sir? To be unhappy? Or was it to bring happiness to your family this time around.


    Have you even¡­ entertained the idea of making me happy as your wife, sir?¡¯


    Darck caught a breath as Shiela drew near. He took off his glasses and wiped his face with his sleeves. He held Shiela with his trembling shoulders; layers of weep seemingly on the verge of escaping him.


    ¡®I was wrong¡­ Sorry, Shiela.¡¯


    ¡®This problem is no longer your own, sir. Think positively in the fulfillment of your younger sister¡¯s wishes.¡¯


    Darck who had always been diffidently keeping his distance from Shiela, now lean his entirety over her shoulder. It was quite picturesque from afar and garnered the envious sentiments and stares of those passing by. Perhaps the young lord¡¯s sorrows didn¡¯t look to be so pitiful from the outside.

 CH 148

    Leddorio, who had just left the drawing-room, climbed a staircase to deliver documents. Because they were slightly obstructing his vision, he took each of the steps of the stairs with grave attention as he could easily lose his footing.


    ¡®Prince Leddorio, may I offer my assistance?¡¯


    Shifting the stack slightly to make certain of who called out to him, there was Knight Commander Apple, Dai¡¯s brother-in-law, saluting him before the stairs.


    ¡®No, Knight Commander, I can hold unto it just fine.¡¯


    ¡®I am on my break, sir. Not to mention, I also have a business upstairs.¡¯


    ¡®Is that so? Then I will take you up on your word, but only till we get past the stairs.¡¯


    ¡®By your will, sir.¡¯


    The stacks of files that he carried with great pains were so easily carried by the officer. He felt as though his pride as a man was somehow slighted, but there is no mistake that the stack was far too much, which itself, is a testament to the royal castle¡¯s severe lack of labor. He was convinced that the first prince faction was disposed of when Yello became the crown prince, but on the contrary, he felt as though it was the 2nd prince¡¯s faction whose numbers diminished instead.


    ¡®Which reminds me, sir, how is Dai of recent?¡¯


    ¡®According to my wife, he was apparently told of a magic potion research that allows the regrowth of limbs and is headed there.¡¯


    ¡®R-regrowth of limbs, sir? That is quite¡­ the outlandish idea.¡¯


    The prince recollected that the son of the general previously went to the Corrundum Kingdom with Locke and his group in search of better prosthetics arms, but he suspects that the man¡¯s true aim is to pursue Kisara, who is now Shin¡¯s subordinate. Apparently, Dai¡¯s absence is pushing his older sister, Rinji, to inherit the house, something the latter is very unhappy about.


    ¡®It¡¯s because mother-in-law is worrying about him, but I daresay, it brings much better prospects than prosthetic arms, which takes time to handle, and I would much rather have him return faster too.¡¯


    ¡®I guess that is true. It was his dream to become a knight to be able to protect those dear to him anyway.¡¯


    Momo and Chloe; the relation of the gentlemen to the two ladies have left a huge change in their environs. Darck, who previously closed his heart from his family, is now working towards mending their affairs. Sei, whose philandering habit was severe, is now under the reigns of his wife, Missouri. Only Dai amongst them is able to enjoy his freedom, but the young lord¡¯s mental state underwent a severe change.


    Each of them was ever so slightly moving forward as they come face to face with their own demons.


    (But what about me?)


    After falling in love with Momo and discarding Chloe, the prince was pushed off the royal succession. He knew that those were not the sole reason for his downfall, and there is still no telling to him what could¡¯ve happened if he did end up marrying the ducal lady either. It was all a predetermined course in the game, as he was told¡ªa pure absurdity to him.


    ¡®I can handle it from here, knight commander. I have caused you troubles.¡¯


    ¡®Not at all, sir. Please be careful.¡¯


    ¡®I will, phew. Right, we were talking about the regrowth of limbs previously, weren¡¯t we? That¡¯s quite a curious topic. Was that also Corrundum Kingdom¡¯s initiative, sir?¡¯


    ¡®No, sir. It was suggested to him by Count Glinda, to be precise, the adopted one who named himself as such in the guild registry.¡¯


    Just hearing the name mentioned rocked the prince slightly. As he recalls, it was not only the combined influence of the changed Chloe and his younger brother¡¯s clandestine endeavors that stirred up everything; the adventurer also had a hand on it, even without his own knowing. Be it in being Momo¡¯s childhood friend or the goodwill he gave towards Chloe; one or the other had largely contributed to the kingdom¡¯s relief, something he still cannot bring himself to acknowledge.


    After separating from the officer, Leddorio arrived at the door of the crown prince¡¯s office. Realizing that he could not knock with both of his hands occupied, he entertained the idea of calling out to his younger brother instead.


    ¡®Keith, are you there? Open the door.¡¯


    ¡®Well if it isn¡¯t his highness, Leddorio. I shall open it for you, sir, give me a moment.¡¯


    Sando peeked through the door, opened it, and led him inside. In the room¡¯s table was a stack of paper¡ªnot losing in proportion to the ones Leddorio brought with him¡ªburying his brother behind it. He caught a whiff of the smell of coffee upon entering the room, which reminded him of his temporary stay at the Grace Lodgings.


    ¡®Brother, please do stop calling me like that in front of others. Also, just hire a secretary already.¡¯


    Keith, whom he had known to have sweet tooth, was sipping a black coffee. Their usual exchange will normally end with his younger brother¡¯s impertinence, but noticing the dark shade underneath his younger brother¡¯s eyes threw him off the mood for verbal squabbles. The crown prince is still due for very taxing labors.


    ¡®I can¡¯t find anyone as trustworthy as Darck or Sei.¡¯


    ¡®It is still dangerous for the first prince to tip in his toes trying to balance a stack of documents. Alright, I¡¯ll introduce you to several prospects while I¡¯m at it, you go and meet them, brother.¡¯


    After saying that, Leddorio placed the document accordingly to instructions. He was then given another stack of documents¡ªeven more than he previously carried¡ª to be delivered to the minister-to-the-right. He slightly lamented parting with the knight commander earlier, but he could not allow himself borrow the officer¡¯s goodwill and disturb him from his duties.


    ¡®Come to think of it, have you met with Lady Chloe already, brother?¡¯


    ¡®No. Has she returned?¡¯


    ¡®That she has, although you likely won¡¯t meet her a lot with her busy schedule. She is your colleague, brother, why not pay her a visit?¡¯


    Chloe was appointed as the Holy Chancellor after her return from Nansonia Convent. The position, which could be said to be the new form of the saintesses, was not a mere puppet of the royal family and sacred church as it was before. She is now serving the country in governance as the Saintess, the first¡¯s mouthpiece.


    Prince Yello said that this was one of Chloe¡¯s wishes too. After all, the lady truly hears the voice of the saintess. Not even the sacred church could say anything to the direct request from the being synonymous to being the deity of the kingdom¡ªNay, they likely have so much to say, thought Leddorio, but Yello had the newspaper company publish it throughout the country before they could air any grievances.


    ¡®Chloe, a colleague? That feels quite odd somehow.¡¯


    ¡®Well, you¡¯ve been engaged for quite a while. How about ¡®comrades¡¯ then? Since you fought battles together.¡¯


    Leddorio responded to his younger brother¡¯s banter with a bitter smile. He carried the mountains of documents in his arms and left the room after. Because Sando closed the door immediately after his departure, the mutterings of the crown prince had escaped his ears.


    ¡®Brother should just recognize it already. Or else, he will never be able to move forward.¡¯

 CH 149

    (Chloe is back in the castle now.)


    The knowledge of that considerably shook Leddorio to his core. He heard that Chloe passed her time in the convent without any issues, but that the lady had to stay at the church to adjust to her new post as the holy chancellor.


    Perhaps it was due his fixation to that idea that finding the person herself on the balcony that he happened to pass by immediately brought the prince¡¯s feet to a halt. She was dressed in unfamiliar clothes with an overtop robe similar to the one Darck was wearing. It gave a different air of stern compared to that of the royal academy uniform and wore contrary to the lively expression painted on her face.


    ¡®Oh, it¡¯s that wretch!¡¯


    It was then that he also noticed Locke standing next to her which made him grind his teeth. The young adventurer returned to the Corundum Kingdom, but he has since then visited the Nansonia Convent to check the two saintesses¡¯ affairs. Not wanting to be found by the two, who now moved from the balcony to sit on the stairs that lead to the floor below, Leddorio found himself hiding behind a pillar to clandestinely make certain of their affairs.


    ¡®Was that really fine? The witch will be worshipped together with the saintess, right? Isn¡¯t that basically being exploited to allow them to get away with everything?¡¯


    ¡®In the world that I came from, we appease spirits that died with resentment by worshiping them as gods. Well, even though her ego did not take over, this is also what she wished for, thinking that it¡¯s about time for her to retire from the role of the villainess.¡¯


    Chloe spoke to Locke with calmness in her voice. The ducal lady¡¯s softly flowing black hair had grown longer during the time Leddorio had not seen her. It trapped the prince¡¯s eyes so much that he barely stopped the documents in his arms from being blown by the gentle breeze.


    ¡®What about ¡®Chloe?¡¯ Do you feel like forgiving ¡®her¡¯ now?¡¯


    ¡®¡­I wonder about that. Whenever I look back into it, the harassments that ¡®Chloe¡¯ did to Momo were truly pointless. None of those would¡¯ve landed her any closer to his highness¡¯ heart anyway. I still hate that side of me, even now.¡¯


    The sight of the lady burying herself in her knees gave Leddorio indescribable feelings. Her words made sense to him, but looking back, the lady had always acted as though she had given up on him since her denunciation. It annoyed him somehow for sure, but he doesn¡¯t know if she only abandoned her feelings after remembering the details from a game that differs from their reality.


    (She didn¡¯t give up for repentance, did she?)


    There is no fault in the feelings she had for him¡ªthat¡¯s what the prince had been meaning to tell the ducal lady, but he always finds himself fumbling over his words in thinking how it paints him as though he doesn¡¯t want her to give up her feelings.


    Locke gently caressed the hair of the lady who hid her face.


    ¡®Well, how should I put this, she doesn¡¯t mind it at all. I mean the mess she made was more serious anyway. When I last visited her, apparently she even broke the head of the saintess statue and got scolded for it.¡¯


    ¡®What the heck!? Did she do it again!? Why did I even take the fall for her then? Jeez.¡¯


    ¡®Ain¡¯t that right? It did make her better in restoration magic though. Anyway, if she is fine with it, there¡¯s no need for you to worry about it anymore. I¡¯m not gonna say anything about it either anyway.


    ¡®That¡¯s quite a long time, isn¡¯t it. There are also procedures needed to be taken for her to become the vice-chancellor so it probably includes the preparation time for that too.¡¯


    As Chloe was selected to be the Holy Chancellor, Momo was the primary candidate to be her aide, which is a matter of course since she was chosen as the ¡®True Saintess¡¯. However, because she turned into a witch¡ªalthough temporarily¡ªthere was a huge exemption made to that end. It could be said that the royal family¡¯s advocacy for ¡®two saintesses¡¯ is working in the right direction.


    ¡®So Momo is doing well right?¡¯


    ¡®Yeah, or rather,¡¯


    ¡®Hmm?¡¯


    As Chloe urged Locke, who suddenly found it hard to articulate himself, the man hesitatingly spoke while scratching his head.


    ¡®She seems to have fallen in love with someone else.


    ¡®Huh? To who!?¡¯


    ¡®¡­To Director Grace.¡¯


    Unexpectedly, to the priest, or so Leddorio thought. The clergyman was now the director of the Nansonia Convent. Momo, who has lost her past-life memories, seems to have fancied the robust parson, more than the gorgeous-looking ¡®capture targets.¡¯ Leddorio doesn¡¯t have feelings for the young miss anymore, but that doesn¡¯t prevent him from being surprised.


    ¡®Well, that was quite unexpected but, what¡¯s with that complicated face? Didn¡¯t you say that you would accept whoever she chooses?¡¯


    ¡®I did say that I prioritize her happiness, but not that. Besides, the boss ain¡¯t no good. He is married already and the age difference is too much.¡¯


    ¡®Oh, but the mistress did say that the director was quite popular in his youth. Just let her be, we¡¯re still young. Let us fall in love.¡¯


    Locke gazed at Chloe who pleasantly giggled at herself with a look of reproach.


    ¡®You seem pretty amused about it.¡¯


    ¡®Non, not at all. Fufu. Hey, Locke¡­ you told me that not just Momo, you wish for me to be happy too, right?¡¯


    ¡®Well, yeah.¡¯


    ¡®If you keep in believing in me, I might just work towards loving myself. After all, wouldn¡¯t it be quite presumptuous to make him fall for you when you don¡¯t even love yourself?¡¯


    ¡®Yeah¡­ Yeah?¡¯


    Chloe¡¯s ambiance took a sudden turn as Lock found himself lost in the conversation. He bewilderedly received the unannounced visit of the lady¡¯s head to his shoulder.


    The gentle words that followed were carried by the wind so distinct that they reached Leddorio¡¯s ears very clear.


    ¡®I love you, Locke. My happiness lies wherever you are.¡¯

 CH 150

    The passing breeze glid through the stack of papers Leddorio secured in his arms, giving out a flapping sound. For a moment, Locke was stupefied, merely voicing a dumbfounded groan.


    ¡®Huh?¡¯


    ¡®You told me to think about my own happiness, right? And that you¡¯ll root for me. Then, Locke wouldn¡¯t see any problems if I love him, right?¡¯


    ¡®Well, uhm¡­, why me though? You¡¯re so beautiful you could easily find and pick a better man.¡¯


    Locke replied with obstinate laughter, clearly flustered.


    ¡®Fufu, it makes me happy to hear that. But if I can pick men with no problems, wouldn¡¯t it be fine if I just choose you instead?


    To tell you the truth, I originally didn¡¯t plan on confessing. After all, you cherish and treasure Momo so much and I can never make away with the fact that I harassed her.


    ¡­But then¡­ you¡¯re way too softy that it made me greedy, Locke. It¡¯s scary to think that I might have another unrequited love, but that¡¯s exactly why I don¡¯t want to give up even more. I will not lose to Momo this time.¡¯


    ¡®Wai- Close, you¡¯re too close¡­!¡¯


    ¡®I love you Locke. I love you so much. So, while that girl is looking away, I¡¯ll make you fall for me.¡¯


    ¡®Chlo¡ª¡¯


    Chloe bend over Locke so much that Leddorio could barely see her silhouette anymore. The stacks of paper that he was carrying were betraying his surveillance. He could make certain of his notions by taking a single step forward, but his feet seem surrendered themselves to the ground without any resistance. As he watched their shadows stretching over the floor, only the sound of his heartbeat and breathing registered in his ears.


    It was a short moment of pause, yet felt to him like an eternity. Chloe¡¯s mischievous laughter covered the sound of Locke¡¯s deep breathes for air.


    ¡®Now, I have a point lead.¡¯


    ¡®Y-Y-You!¡­¡­Uargh!?!¡¯


    Locke¡¯s foot betrayed him as he tried to stand and fell down the stairs. One of the shadows disappeared together with crashing sounds.


    ¡®Locke!? Locke¡ª!!¡¯


    Chloe hurriedly descends. There was no one in the balcony anymore and Leddorio¡¯s feet were freed from their chains. He took a deep breather. He only noticed by then that he was subconsciously suppressing it, which made his heart palpitation severe.


    Taking a peek to the lower ground, there was Locke with his staggering gait, heading for the castle gate. The steams rising from his head can be seen no matter the distance. Chloe was at the foot of the stairs, cheerfully waving her hands to see him off.


    (Which reminds me, Momo was pushed down the stairs too.)


    The thought of the two heroes from Palette Village subjected to the same treatment gave the prince an incomprehensible laugh.


    ¡®How foolish, aha¡­hahahaha ua!? Ah, now you¡¯ve done it.¡¯


    He shook at his loosened grip as his body weakened. The mountains of paper freed, scattered in random directions. Suddenly, he was struck by pangs of emptiness.


    ¡®The fool is me. Eavesdropping in a place like this¡­¡¯


    As a lamenting sigh leaked from his mouth, Leddorio remembered that he¡¯s got no time to be idling around. He rushed to pick all the papers back but as he bend over them, Chloe was just about to return to the upper ground and noticed him. Seemingly in good mood, the lady¡¯s lips slackened; her cheeks burned hot red.


    ¡®Oh my, Prince Leddorio. What are you doing here, sir?¡¯


    ¡®What, indeed.¡¯


    ¡®Huh?¡¯


    ¡®Ah, no. I was about to deliver this to minister-to-the-right but I ended up dropping them.¡¯


    He was worried whether she¡¯ll find suspicious his act of subjecting the bundle of documents to the balcony¡¯s strong breeze, but the lady didn¡¯t bother taking any hints from the wind and merely leaned over to pick the scattered papers with him.


    ¡®Allow me to help you, sir. I will carry half of them.¡¯


    ¡®Unnecessary. I don¡¯t need a woman¡¯s hand for this.¡¯


    ¡®If you let the wind carry them further like this, you¡¯ll have a hard time recovering them, sir. I also have a business with my father so the arrangement will save us the trouble. Do not mind it, please.¡¯


    Whether Chloe¡¯s words were out of her consideration, or just making her purpose clear, the prince was in doubt. After all, the usual Chloe would have Shin gather them, carried them all towards the upper room, then implicitly demand a return for ¡®her¡¯ achievements. She had always hated exhausting an effort to pick up things a little more than anything.


    ¡®Sorry to trouble you then, I¡¯ll have a tea prepared on the terrace for you in return.¡¯


    ¡®There is no need to trouble yourself, sir. We are no longer engaged, after all. Besides, I have taken my fill of leisure, and I need to be resuming my work.¡¯


    She answered with a light stride in her steps, almost skipping, which made the prince lose his words. Having Chloe next to him should¡¯ve been normal, yet he had a feeling that there was something fundamentally different about her. It was not due to the change in personality, nor the lady having recovered her past life memories¡ª that he was certain.


    A glance at her glossy skin, her dampened rosy lips, made bitter feelings excessively leak out from his very core.


    Why? Why is she¡ª


    ¡®Are you fine with this?¡¯


    ¡®What do you mean, sir?¡¯


    ¡®I was thoroughly convinced that you¡¯d abandon this country to chase after that man¡ª that you would pursue Locke.¡¯


    The dam of accumulating hazy feelings within the innermost part of his heart broke towards Chloe before he even noticed.

 CH 151

    However, the answer that came from the ducal lady made him stare blankly in surprise.


    ¡®Does his highness wishes to make away with me that much? This time, not just from the capital, but from the kingdom altogether.¡¯


    ¡®¡­.Huh?¡¯


    ¡®Think about it, sir. I have so far only been able to conquer superfluous dungeons, all of which, were under the supervision of the academy and adventurer¡¯s guild¡ªA noble lady with no survival skills at all, so to speak. How could I possibly do well by myself in places with severe public order?


    I¡¯ve realized that I can¡¯t do anything without Shin¡¯s assistance, something that has become more evident to me during my quest for atonement. If I chase Locke as I am, I will only be dependent on him, and I don¡¯t want that.


    I want to become a woman Locke can rely on and entrust his back to. So if I were to leave, I would only do so after I¡¯ve made proper preparations.¡¯


    Leddorio was quite taken aback by the continuous words of the lady, but he felt relief at the thought that she won¡¯t leave. Although he couldn¡¯t quite understand why Chloe fell for him, at the very least, he¡¯ll still meet her more frequently as her co-worker compared to Locke, who only visits the kingdom occasionally.


    That makes him happy, however¨D


    ¡®How very kind of you. I did not expect that you¡¯ll refuse your only escape route and present yourself for the kingdom¡¯s use in a silver platter. There¡¯s no possible way you don¡¯t think anything of us who did you harm. Kei¨Dthe crown prince must¡¯ve offered to grant you any wish, right? Has it not occurred to you to pursue vengeance?¡¯


    He just wanted to ask her whether she was satisfied with everything, but he inadvertently laced his words with thorns. Leddorio wondered why he could only ever speak in this manner. He wanted to take a more favorable tone with her, but he could not reform a habit with several years of backing. Perhaps due to getting used to him, Chloe did not show any sign of surprise but merely muttered denial and turn her gaze upwards.


    ¡®If it were right before my condemnation, I may have chosen that, sir. However, the false charges did not strip me of my nobility. Besides, even though I was indeed attacked by the bandits in Iris Mountains, it¡¯s not like you were the one who instigated it.¡¯


    ¡®That may be true¡­ but I did scheme to ruin you completely out of sheer hatred.¡¯


    When Leddorio tried to apologize to her for his arbitrary condemnation of the lady, Chloe only got angry at him for setting a bad example to others instead. She insisted that it was reasonable because she did harass Momo. But what of the things after that? Together with his associates, the prince pleasantly watched all the hardships of his former fianc¨¦e like it¡¯s some sort of spectacle. That cannot be called a just punishment; it was just something out of their personal grudges.


    ¡®Well, I did hear about that from his highness, the crown prince. He said that even though the remarks were made in private company, they were not something that a prince should be considering against a helpless person.¡¯


    The lady heard it all from Keith who witnessed everything happen. Back then, Leddorio plotted to push the ducal lady to the depths of despair and did not have the slightest bit of concern whether the Lady learns the truth later on. But now, Leddorio felt ashamed at having the most unseemly parts of his heart revealed.


    ¡®But sir, if people are punished from the scheming and planning stages, I would have not been let off with just condemnation and banishment. After all, I would¡¯ve committed a lot of worse things if Shin hadn¡¯t deceived and stopped me secretly.¡¯


    ¡®¡­What else were you planning on doing back then?¡¯


    ¡®They all ended in mere attempts, sir. Let¡¯s just say that we¡¯re equal in that regard and brush them off.¡¯


    Chloe placed her forefinger in her lips with a mischievous smile on her face, making it impossible for the prince to press for more details. Whether she refuses to say more out of consideration, or that the contents make her hesitate; whichever the case, Chloe made it clear that she does not intend to reproach him.


    ¡®Still, you should be a little¨Dnay, reproach me to your heart¡¯s content. The two of us have never opened up against each other during our 7 years of engagement. I am regretting that now.¡¯


    What leaked out from Leddorio¡¯s mouth were sentiments that rose from the innermost corner of his heart which he forcibly suppressed countless times before. Chloe¡¯s eyes widened in surprise at the bared feelings of the prince that she heard for the very first time.


    ¡®I¡¯ve been having this impression for a while highness, but do you seek a punishment from me, sir?¡¯


    ¡®Is that bad? I have dignity too. Besides, weren¡¯t you the one who spoke about settling responsibilities before..¡¯


    ¡®I did say that¡­ and come to think of it, his highness, Yello said something about this before. He told me that forgiving each and everything like a saintly being, on the contrary, could make other people miserable.¡¯


    (Keith, you cur! Saying miserable is too overboard! It¡¯s just that my feelings will remain unsettled if I were to be forgiven just like that.)


    ¡®But, I¡¯m not trying to do that at all. I just thought that while I¡¯m at it, I might as well give the characters of my beloved game their happy endings. That may be impossible for a villainess like myself, but even so, causing others sorrow for my benefit would just leave me bitter aftertaste.¡¯


    Chloe¡¯s awkward excuses astonished Leddorio for a moment, but hearing game terminologies one after another gradually crumpled his eyebrows.


    Leddorio never said anything about it, but he always thought that unlike before, Chloe had become a true saintess since she remembered her past life memories. The prince thought that her refusal to condemn their malice and her ready acceptance of them came from pure sentiments. He certainly didn¡¯t expect them to root from her love of the ¡°game.¡±


    His discerning eye was off to the very end, he thought.


    ¡®¡­Wasn¡¯t this reality? You even audaciously claimed that to Momo before.¡¯


    ¡®Alright, I¡¯ll admit it! People seem to misunderstand me, but I¡¯m not a saint or anything like that at all, sir. I¡¯m just an ota¨Da fangirl from another world. I¡¯m not trying to imply that ¡°Revenge takes you nowhere,¡± or anything of that grandeur.


    But still, I want to give them a chance to start over, just as I was given.¡¯


    The lady claims that she is not trying to be a saint or any of that sort, but Leddorio thought her to be naive.


    Starting over¨Drebuilding broken things into their new forms. For Chloe, even if Leddorio and the others were just game characters who pushed her to the path of ruin, their futures are not settled. All is well as long as they grow and reflect just as she did; She wants to see that happen.


    ¡®If you¡¯re satisfied with that, I won¡¯t talk about revenge anymore. How about wanting to do something for you as a comrade who served our country. Is there anything we can do for you?¡¯


    ¡®Sir Leddorio?¡¯


    ¡®Benny is fine. Chloe, I¡­ want to make you happy.¡¯


    Chloe¡¯s feet halted. Leddorio repaid her surprised pair of eyes with his earnest ones. He thought that even if those eyes revolve around a different man, there shouldn¡¯t be anything wrong with wishing her to be happy.


    (But then, that sounded like.)


    Leddorio spoke those words while overwhelmed by his feelings, but now his cheeks reddened at the realization of what they can mean. The two of them were presently carrying documents in their arms. The prince thought that he could¡¯ve spoken while they were empty-handed, but then, doing so in their spare time would¡¯ve created an incomprehensible ambiance.


    After blinking her eyelashes twice or thrice, Chloe chuckled and smiled at him.


    ¡®If it¡¯s that, then you¡¯ve already given me something, sir.¡¯

 Epilogue

    Chloe replied that Leddorio had already done something for her happiness, but the prince had no idea of any. He wondered whether the ducal lady meant that his sentiments alone contributed to that end already.


    His mouth was left gaping open, and before he even managed to ask the lady, she merely shove the stack of documents split in half.


    ¡®I¡¯m talking about this, sir.¡¯


    ¡®Huh? You mean these reform proposal documents of the crown prince?¡¯


    Leddorio inclined his head to the side, wondering what correlation do they have, but Chloe merely enthusiastically nodded in response.


    ¡®That¡¯s it, sir! The crown prince has exhausted severe efforts in converting the role of the Saintess to a civil position of a ¡®Holy Chancellor¡¯


    First of all, he is solving the miasma problem by constructing a gate to the underworld in the Nansonia region. Next, he suggested expanding the common magic curriculum outside of the House Whitey to fill the deficiencies of sacred magic. He also strengthened the kingdom¡¯s partnership with the Corundum Kingdom through trade. By doing these, he would lessen the kingdom¡¯s overall dependency on Saintesses for its protection.


    Of course, the holy chancellor also has new responsibilities that it didn¡¯t have as a saintess. It does not only need to reform the church, but it is also responsible for propagating the faith to our neighbors. Or perhaps, it would be more apt to say that diplomacy was added to its responsibilities. As it is an undertaking that now requires performance both domestically and externally, it will not be able to do its job alone, which made it be paired with an adjutant.¡¯


    For a moment, Leddorio was lost in Chloe¡¯s sudden explanations, but as he turned his attention to the stack of papers in his arms, he suddenly came to an understanding. Perhaps, the workload he had been suffering from as of recent are¡ª


    ¡®Are all these your doing!?¡¯


    ¡®Most tenets were consulted to his highness, the crown prince, my father, and the other ministers, but principally, yes, sir.


    His highness, Prince Safir has provided a manor to Shin for us to use as a base of operation. Of course, that was also done for the improvement of his relationship with his long-separated family, as well as the other aristocrats.


    The missionary work required of me is to keep the empire¡¯s new faith in restraint and to spread the use of sacred magic. However, I believe I can also make a contribution to our exports through advertising by using baromets robes as the first. In this regard, I have already enlisted the cooperation of Sir Sei and his wife.


    I would have liked Sir Dai to continue his tenure as his high¡ª, Sir Benny¡¯s guard but not only has he lost an arm, there¡¯s also no telling his return. I was thinking he would prove to be useful to Sir Benny, given that the public order in Nansonia Region is quite poor. It is quite unfortunate, sir.¡¯


    Her explanation made Leddorio understand just what Keith meant in saying that he needed Leddorio¡¯s cooperation. True enough, they were things that were required in fulfillment of Chloe¡¯s wishes.


    ¡®Did you¡­ wish for me to become Nansonia¡¯s archduke.¡¯


    ¡®That region requires forceful persistence in creating reforms, as opposed to the crown prince¡¯s cautious implementations. I believe it will be a fruitious endeavor to sir Benny. The appointed abbess shouldn¡¯t be a stranger to his highness too.¡¯


    Realizing that her words play a jest on his role in the ducal lady¡¯s post condemnation observation, Leddorio bit his lip. It¡¯s a region with both severe climate and public order¡ªa demotion, above factors, considered¡ªbut given his history of harassing the lady by limiting her employment prospects, he thought himself more than willing to receive retribution for it.


    ¡®But regardless of the position of holy chancellor¡¯s nonrequirement of court rank, wouldn¡¯t it be in the ducal house¡¯s best interest to just have you inherit it. They would need to wait for Darck¡¯s child no longer that way.¡¯


    House Sereknight has disinherited Darck and gave the succession rights to his first child with Lady Shiela instead. While Chloe and Darck will be holding up the house till the child¡¯s adulthood, they are only permitted to do so as an agent and/or representative.


    Suddenly the earlier sight of Darck holding his stomach with a pallid face resurfaced in Leddorio¡¯s mind. While Darck¡¯s situation seems to be quite fortunate to the prince, the young master of House Sereknight looks to be battling some inner self-conflicts.


    ¡®The position requires single women, sir. You can have a lover, be a widow, or be divorced, but your tenure shall end upon marriage. Not to mention, taking over the house requires me to take a husband for myself, and I would not be able to frequently leave it when devoted to its affairs.


    Well, the wait for my brother¡¯s child is more of a stalling measure really, sir. After all, dearest sister-in-law consulted me that brother Darck must be feeling so cornered, he could easily decide to leave on a journey the moment she fails to keep her eyes on him. Looks like the marriage might not be coming any time soon. Don¡¯t you think so, sir?¡¯


    Lady Chloe cheerfully laughs, wondering whether obtaining happiness through his younger sister¡¯s means proved to be too humiliating for the young master¡¯s liking. Leddorio, on the other hand, was busily sorting his thoughts on the keywords that he heard.


    Lessening the dependency on the Saintess; the Saintess¡¯ new role as a diplomat; the base of operations in the Corundum Kingdom; the requirement of a groom to take over the ducal house; the lady¡¯s desire to freely and frequently leave it; the stalling measure of Darck¡¯s son¡ª the combination of all these words gives Leddorio a bad premonition.


    ¡®Chloe, what do you need stalling for?


    ¡®Sir? I am referring to my pressing need to get married, of course. After all, I am no longer engaged with you, my atonement is already finished, and I have already returned to the ducal house. I heard that there were mountains of wedding proposals waiting.


    But I¡­ I wish to chase after Locke, sir. That¡¯s why I will marry no one.¡¯


    Her boldly fired declaration had left the prince¡¯s mouth gaping open in sheer astonishment. He knew the circumstances. The lady had just confessed to Locke and would likely not see the foreign adventurer anytime soon. He even relished at the assertion that she will not desert her country.


    ¡®I thought you had no plans on leaving!?¡¯


    ¡®Not now, sir. I did say that I would need to prepare and pass things over, didn¡¯t I?


    I am the Interim-Saintess, and a lady of a ducal house, sir. It may not look like so, but I have many ties of obligations. It may have been different if I have remained a banished criminal, but remaining that way would leave me vulnerable to the kingdom¡¯s whims.


    If it comes to that, I decided that I¡¯d rather lawfully leave the country with some of my connections intact.¡¯


    Which is to say, the lady¡¯s desire to leave remains still.


    She will remain for a while, but all the lady¡¯s thoughts now concern Locke with no room for other men. Leddorio thought his expectations were wasted.


    (No, expectations? Of what? I¡¯m not really¡­not really¡­)


    As Leddorio combated the thoughts in his head, Chloe mistook his silence as reproach for her desire to leave the country.


    ¡®Sir Benny, I love the Coloflare Kingdom. It may be riddled with mountains of problems right now, but it is still the country where I was born. I cannot ever abandon it. I still mean to perform my role as one of its functional gears.¡¯


    ¡®¡­.Chloe.¡¯


    ¡®But that¡¯s as far as it goes, sir. As a woman, I still desire to chase after my own happiness. I am sure my avarice isn¡¯t much of a stranger to Sir Benny, is it?¡¯


    The lady giggling with such a devilish smile on her face gave Leddorio a headache. The stack of documents being split in half should have lightened his burden but now he felt them even heavier than before for some reason. All of these papers are akin to symbolizing the ducal lady¡¯s love for the young adventurer, and now he is exhausting his everything towards its fulfillment.


    ¡®¡­You¡¯re quite the wicked woman. To use me like this.¡¯


    ¡®Fufufu. To think that the time when Sir Benny would tell me that he wants to make me happy. I daresay, I am quite moved, sir. The previously shunned villain and her united front with the hero, in overcoming a greater evil(or heroine), and afterward, their joint service of the kingdom. On top of it all, the hero¡¯s devoted support to the villain¡¯s quest for love. That sounds so exciting, doesn¡¯t it, sir?¡¯


    ¡®Wait, you¡¯re saying as if I¡­¡¯


    ¡®To recompense sir¡¯s offer of invaluable friendship, I will certainly shoot Locke¡¯s heart mine!¡¯


    Chloe enthusiastically declares, not minding Leddorio¡¯s mumbles. Perhaps due to realizing his intimacy, or due to otherwise maybe, the lady spoke with a deep emphasis on the word ¡®friendship¡¯ in the face of the seemingly unpleasantly warped facial expression of the prince.


    ¡®Sir Benny¡¯s short-lived romance with Momo is quite unfortunate, but I¡¯m sure you will find yourself a pleasant encounter soon.¡¯


    ¡®Mind your own business!¡¯


    ¡®Oh, do not be so sour, sir. When your fated sweet heart dawns on you, I will surely repay your unbridled support with blessings from my very heart and soul so¡­let us work our hardest, the both of us.¡¯


    Unaware of the prince¡¯s struggle to respond, the smile Chloe radiated on Leddorio struck him to the very core.


    He fell to his knees and remained planted to the ground. The throbbing pain in his chest grew ever severe and painful as he struggled to breathe.


    (What the hell. What is this empty sense of loss in my chest? I¡¯ve never felt this severe when I fell for Momo¡ª


    When I fell for Momo!?)


    That was when the prince noticed them for the very first time.


    ¡®Huh? What happened, sir!?¡¯


    Chloe raised her voice in utter shock.


    The flood gates within the prince¡¯s eyes opened up without his permission. He held the documents to his chest with one hand, while his other hand wipes his tears to prevent them from spilling to the paper. They did not make any sense to him. He was helpless in the face of the overwhelming feelings resurfacing in his chest. He grits his teeth tightly to resist the urge to scream.


    The realization was far too late.


    The same goes for random fits of irritation that he deemed inconsequential, as well as the sense of danger in seeing her intimate interactions with another man that accompanied it.


    The same goes for his forgiveness of Chloe, as well as his desire for her pardon.


    (Why? Why did I only realize it now? Someone! Please tell me this is just a joke. Not when everything is over! This is too late¡­ is this¡­ is this your revenge, Chloe!?)


    The timing of the ducal lady¡¯s recovery of her past life memories after her condemnation now almost seemed like spite to him.


    Of course, the ducal lady hadn¡¯t the slightest intention of taking revenge. The punishment they received for their transgression was so mild it couldn¡¯t even pass for lawful karma. At any rate, Leddorio now had an idea of what kind of pain and despair did he previously caused towards her. Chloe would not have likely been able to bear it without the recovery of her past life memories, or turning into a witch, or any similar altering of personality.


    ¡®Sir Benny, do you feel unwell?¡¯


    ¡®I¡¯m fine. It just felt a little like my chest was being hollowed out from the inside.¡¯


    ¡®That sounds serious, sir! Let me soothe it with sacred magic¡­¡¯


    ¡®It¡¯s fine. This cannot be fixed with magic.¡¯


    Leddorio¡¯s strange behavior and Chloe who is worrying for him. If she was doing everything on purpose, it would be an act of splendid revenge, but the prince knows that the lady was truly worried about him as a friend.


    Yes, a mere ¡®friend¡¯.


    Obsession, dependence, despair, and resentment¡ªall of which strong enough to turn the Chloe into a witch. It was because she was able to turn these feelings into ¡®friendship¡¯ that she was able to forgive each one of them.


    For the ducal lady, there is now a precise borderline that separates Locke from all other men including Leddorio. But the prince thought it natural. After all, there¡¯s no possible way that she would fall in love again with the man who has pushed her towards ruin.


    He knew he just reaped what he had sowed, and yet, intense regret and selfish lingering affections assaulted him nonetheless.


    (Maybe I would¡¯ve been better off if you were truly villainous¡­ but to think that I would cherish you this much only after losing you¡ªwhat a cruel joke. Now I have to ensure that you¡¯ll be bound to another man while yearning for you all the same.


    If only¡­ If only I¡­)


    If he only could stop caring about anything.


    If only he could throw all these documents away and shatter Chloe¡¯s dreams, love, friendship, and all. If he could just bare his unsightly and disgusting heart to the surface again.


    ¡®¡­Sir Benny?¡¯


    Chloe peered into his face due to his unresponsiveness. He saw the reflection of a warped figure of a wretched man within its surface.


    (¡ªAs if!!!)


    Leddorio forcefully held down his rampaging impulses. His pride refuses to allow him to trample over Chloe¡¯s childish and willful heart once more.


    He merely replied that nothing was amiss, turned his head, and walked away, before soon arriving to knock at the door to the minister-to-the-right¡¯s office. As they entered the room, Chloe took a step ahead of him to discuss something with her father, which he thought the lady must have done to cover his swollen eyelids. Leddorio placed the stack of documents above a table, then turned his attention to the parent and child¡¯s affairs. They were still frugal with their words as usual, but unlike before, he could feel a warm atmosphere enveloping the two.


    A person could mend the mistakes they made, but they could never turn things to the way they were before. Chloe is now freed from her past and is chasing a new love and bright future as she charges forward.


    Everything was the result of his choices. There¡¯s nothing Leddorio can do about it anymore.


    ¡®Sir Benny!¡¯


    Leddorio who was already about to leave the room suddenly heard a call from Chloe. He turned around and saw the lady promptly bowing her head.


    ¡®It was nice to talk to you today, sir. Let¡¯s be good friends from today onwards.¡¯


    ¡®I see.¡¯


    Perhaps the lady found so many pleasant things in that idea, but Leddorio still chose to be friends with her, regardless of the bitter feelings welling up within him. He forcefully put his facial muscles to work in order to respond with a smile but ended up with cramped one.


    If that¡¯s how things will be, at the very least, he¡¯ll pay his last tribute to his feelings, in a manner very much like him, just like the old times.


    ¡®Chloe, I am aware of just how terrible you are with the bow. I do not know whether you¡¯ll be successful or not, but you may struggle with your sorry bow with all your might.¡¯


    Even if it makes him sound like a sore loser.


    Her obsidian eyes as beautiful as the night itself went wide, then dazzlingly flickered.


    ¡®Those words may very well be your greatest gift to me, sir! You better watch my work, Sir Benny!¡¯


    Uttering her defiant words, the way his former fianc¨¦e shone upon him were almost odiously beautiful.


    Welp, that¡¯s it. I don¡¯t think I will be translating the extra chapters nor Chloe¡¯s perspective. I still love the work very much, although I have my fair share of contempt for some parts of it, but we can never fully agree with what we read, really. I did not mind that. It was mostly trouble-free to translate though, save for the parts when it becomes too vague for me to understand. But I have to admit, I took my liberty of using the opportunity to work on my writing skills, which is the main reason for varying quality. (My apologies if they were quite a pain to read lol.)


    I¡¯m gonna be looking for my next work now, although I¡¯m not sure if it will still be a villainess-themed one. If you have any series to suggest, feel free to mention them¡ªthat is, if you don¡¯t mind my sluggish and inconsistent pace lol.