Emilone’s Temptation Labyrinth – Chapter 54

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“It seems we’ve already reached a conclusion…”

He was an interesting man that was bound to entertain me.

In a voice that was almost a whisper, he spoke to me.

“I need you too, Saintess.”

“…”

“It seems Lady Saintess also needs me.”

The voice whispering in my ear felt sweet.

“It seems there’s no need to discuss it any further.”

It was a very simple conclusion.

* * *

Because it was truly so simple, it was short and sweet. Every country had a temple, so the groundwork was already laid. It was quite laughable that the only thing I had to move was myself.

“How simple. And there’s no need to feel guilty since we’re using each other.”

I tied my hair up and turned around. The bright light coming from the window lit up the interior of the drawing room.

Since Jessie and Reneben weren’t here, only the sound of my breathing reverberated quietly in the quiet room.

I wanted to enjoy this silence for a moment longer, but a knock on the door pulled me out of my thoughts. I took my butt off the chair and walked to the door.

It was not that difficult to leave the empire.

I just felt it was difficult because no Saint had ever done it before.

As I slowly opened the door, I saw a face I hadn’t seen in a long time.

“Chen, how have you been?” ^[1]

I stretched my arm toward Chen whom I hadn’t seen in a long time and the child who was now used to receiving affection came into my arms.

The kid was inwardly scarred after being abandoned by his parents during the 1st demon invasion, but now, he looked bright as if he had overcome everything.

The temple was filled with those who possessed divine power and other hired servants and maids, many of which were from orphanages, or held painful stories as orphans of wars.

Because of that, the people of the temple took good care of Chen even though he was technically an uninvited guest.

“So, I called you today because there is someone, I want to introduce you to.”

“Introduce?”

He looked nervous that I was sending him out of the temple, and I rubbed his round head with affection, telling him not to worry.

“It’s been disappointing not having any friends your age, right?”

Hearing my words, the kid’s eyes got bigger and bigger.

It had been a while since Chen entered the temple, but all his friends have been animals who go through the temple like it’s their house.

This was why I loved children’s innocence.

Just as I was thinking that and faintly smiling to myself, a knock sounded on the door.

At the same time, I heard the words ‘I’m coming in’ and a man walked in.

Apart from the people of the temple, the only person who could currently leave or enter the temple without permission was Prince Alois.

And yet, a man who was neither priest nor paladin and could come in as he wished…

“…”

“It has been a while.”

“Please show some manners. This is rude.”

Only the crown prince came to mind.

First, I left Prince Yuina in Chen’s hands and faced the crown prince.

Whenever I do this, I start feeling like a parental guardian…

“If you have nothing to say, please return to the Imperial Castle.”

In any case, I didn’t want to make Prince Yuina confront the Crown Prince, who was his blood relative.

Unless he brought me something of interest, the crown prince was an uncomfortable and annoying existence, just someone I didn’t like as a person.

“I thought the temple is open to anyone.”

“That might be so, but I doubt someone of Your Highness’s caliber does not know that invading the private space of the Saintess is a breach of etiquette…”

He raised his chin slightly and narrowed his eyes while sweeping his lips with his thumb and index finger.

Every single member of the imperial family was arrogant and rough. It was a confidence that came from knowing how important they were and what status they held.

“…Are you asking me to go back?”

“When I, of all people am in here, and Your Highness the Crown Prince asks me that after waltzing in here without regard, how am I to answer…hm?”

I spoke with a strange mix of polite and impolite speech.

I was letting it show that after the issues with Prince Yuina, my expectations for the imperial family had completely collapsed and turned into displeasure.

When I thought about it, I found myself ridiculous and I had to laugh.
There were many times when he treated me rudely and I just let it slide. It also meant that I looked so weak that the crown prince could be rude so many times.

From the very beginning, I should have dealt with it, and received the treatment I deserved.

Although it was a little upsetting, it was better to focus on the current situation than to worry about the past.

“The temple was not giving me a chance to meet you separately so… but I admit this might have been a little excessive.”

“This calls for an apology not an acknowledgement,” I replied.

Chen clung to my leg with confusion on his face. I was wearing a voluminous skirt, so the children were completely covered.

“S…Saintess,” the boy stammered.

The crown prince didn’t seem to care about the children either. When I blinked and prepared to receive an apology, the crown prince’s face was dyed with shame.

My mood lightened seeing a rare look on the crown prince’s face but when Chen suddenly called me with a cracked voice, I had to look back.

The crown prince, who must’ve sensed the presence of the children but never bothered to point it out, also glanced in their direction.

“…”

My eyes fell on Prince Yuina’s trembling figure. The moment I saw that, I ran out of the little patience I had.

“Your Highness, do you understand how rude your actions are today?”

“That’s why I…!”

“Our priests must have tried to stop you, but for you to barge into the room the Saintess is in without so much as a word…”

The priests who failed to stop the crown prince could also be held responsible, but if you really think about it, there’s no way a mere priest could stop this crown prince.

“How much longer must I play along with your antics?”

“…!”

The Crown Prince looked shocked.

“I think your words have gone too far.”

“…It seems Your Highness only thinks of yourself till the very end. Please think carefully about who exactly went too far from the very beginning till now.”

With that, I turned around and picked up the small Prince Yuina. I buried his face in my shoulder so that the crown prince couldn’t see him and covered his body with my sleeve.

Despite thinking it would be of no use, Prince Yuina sent me a letter, asking me to save him.

I failed to consider what Yuina might think when he saw the Crown Prince, who was treated completely differently despite being of the same blood.

While reproaching myself, I simply stared at the crown prince.

I wasn’t glaring at him, or getting angry, or reprimanding him. I just blandly stared at him.

For a second, he looked like he was about to withdraw but he soon burst into laughter.

It seems the crown prince had something he had to say to me, to the point of entering my receiving room without permission.

However, once we started talking to each other with barbed words, his original purpose was bound to change.

“Did you not know I was inside?”

“…”

“Since you came to see me, you must have known.”

I looked the crown prince up and down.

I planned to open up the temple’s hall in three days. In fact, as soon as he returned from the Imperial Palace, I sent out invitations.

Although opening the hall was unprecedented as no previous saint had done so, according to Reneben, it wasn’t a bad idea to hold a party at the temple.

“I would have seen you in three days anyway, but seeing as you’ve come all this way, I suppose you have something important to say…”

“…”

“I don’t consider it that important. I’ve had a chock full of nobles begging me not to leave the empire.”

Prince Yuina’s hand squeezed my dress tighter. His small hand was using so much strength that I regretted not being able to use Alois’ neck method to put him to sleep.

“Some of them are even pleading with me, telling me not to abandon the empire. But how can you talk about abandonment when I’ve not even been given a fraction of this empire in the first place…”

I found it ridiculous the more I spoke about it.

“To everyone who thinks I’m abandoning this country just because I’m leaving, there is one thing I’ve said.”

“…Saintess!”

“I am the Saintess indeed, but I am not the ‘Empire’s Saintess’. I have never abandoned any country. By that logic, every country but the empire are meagre countries forsaken by God.”

“…”

“Therefore, no one has given me a proper answer. As to why, they themselves know best.”

Aristocrats were selfish people who put their own greed first but they were also sovereigns who ruled over many from above. They were smart enough to understand the implications behind the word ‘abandoned.’

After all, if being forsaken or saved was decided by my hands, they would be wary of me.

“I want to look around many other countries. While I will not say that a Saint’s job is to capture demons and sacrifice oneself for the people, I will also not deny it. I wish to see the wider world and find those who need my help with my own eyes.”

Although I said I’d done nothing in the empire, I had built an orphanage, worked to create medical tools that the public could use and stabilized the tax rates.

I never felt that my efforts in accomplishing all of that was in vain.

“In addition, I plan to live in a place that respects me.”

An indecipherable emotion briefly flashed across the crown prince’s face. He pursed his lips and clenched his fists, and soon, he slammed his fist against the wall like his emotions were spiraling.

“Are you telling me to just watch you leave?!”

He used so much force that Chen hiccupped in surprise.

“All this time, I…!”

“Please calm down. The children are scared.”

No ordinary person could remain fine after hearing the enraged shout of a royal. I didn’t know if he was aware of it or not, but a tingling sensation swept over my body even if it was for just a moment.

“When Your Highness succeeds the throne, I may not be around.”

I could roughly guess why he was more desperate than others and I opened my mouth.

At my words, the crown prince’s angry face suddenly changed inexplicably.

Translator’s Corner:

^[1] One of the children that joined the temple in earlier chapters.

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