T/N: Huge thanks to MissJohnnyLovely for sponsoring this chapter on Ko-Fi!
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This didn’t seem like the best solution, and I hesitated for a moment. But dealing with high-ranking nobles was surely easier than dealing with the Emperor…with that thought, I opened the door.
They could have just returned home or attended the celebration of the new queen’s coronation. Instead, they had gathered here in droves, and I shook my head at the sight.
“Alois, give me your hand for a second.”
“…?”
He obediently extended his hand, so I took it and pressed my lips firmly against his fingertips.
I could feel Alois stiffen in surprise, but I feigned ignorance and simply held his hand as I walked forward.
“Lady Saintess!”
“Lady Saintess, I am the Grand Duke of Ysogrenia. May I have a moment to speak—!”
“Lord Duke! I shall speak first! We have been waiting far too long for Her Holiness to appear!”
“Oh my, Your Excellency, Lord Marquis, what are you talking about? Surely you know that nation closest to the divine is my country, Herthea!”
Their chatter grew louder and louder, but I ignored them, and pulled Alois by the hand, leading him away from the crowd.
Using him as a shield, I positioned him in front of me and turned my body halfway to the side.
“Be quiet.”
“…!”
“…”
“…”
I glanced around at the now-silent group, thinking once again how convenient the title of ‘Saintess’ was.
Their eager faces were full of ambition, and it was too obvious why they were here.
“Albeit late, I extend my greetings to you all.”
“Lady Saintess!”
“I greet G-God’s grace! I am—.”
“Wait—.”
As soon as I offered a brief greeting, a chorus of voices erupted. The sight made me wonder where the usual refined manners of nobles had gone to, and I opened my mouth.
“Why have you all come to the Kingdom of Vermont?”
“Pardon? Ah, yes! We came to… witness Lady Saintess’ trial…”
“Our King wishes to meet Lady Saintess and…”
“Lady Saintess!”
Every other word was freaking, ‘Saintess, Saintess’. I shook my head and decided to end this nonsense in the simplest way possible. I grabbed Alois by the chin and pulled him closer to me.
Since people from multiple nations were present, I decided to give a memorable impression of Alois—this time in a good way, unlike the time I had humiliated the Emperor in front of the nobles.
“You told me to do as I pleased, didn’t you?”
I whispered softly, just loud enough for him to hear.
Alois’s eyes widened as I leaned closer and pressed a kiss at the corner of his lips.
“I don’t know what King wishes to see me or what absurd matter my help is needed for but.”
I spoke, with my breath brushing against his skin.
“Let it be known that unless they send someone as talented as Prince Alois Eseah to me, I won’t be going anywhere.”
Alois said with his own mouth that he wanted power and status.
With the title of ‘the Saintess’s lover,’ I imagine he could easily climb to the highest ranks of society and attain power beyond my imagination.
I gave a smile that one might call endearing, and moved my face away from Alois.
The faces of the nobles, stained with shock, was more than satisfying.
* * *
The nobles who had crowded into Vermont Kingdom easily retreated after that small performance.
They must have experienced quite the shock, seeing as they rushed off with messages for their respective kings.
Watching them scurry away was almost amusing.
As the last of them departed, Alois called out to me.
“…I’ll…start preparing for us to leave for another country.”
“What’s wrong? You look like someone who just got their first kiss stolen.”
“I was just surprised.”
“Hmm…?”
I boarded the carriage after Reneben, who had become very sleepy after overexerting his divine power.
“To think we have to leave already. I wanted to rest a little longer.”
“If we stay any longer, we will have to finish everything here before we leave.”
“…”
“Besides, the new king must learn how to govern this kingdom by herself. Your Holiness’ part was to do what no one else could do…defying the king’s orders and healing the people was enough.”
I rested my arms on the carriage windowsill and closed my eyes. My pink hair swayed in the wind due to the breeze from the moving carriage.
Alois was right. Reviving the economy, aiding the people, and establishing order—all of that was the new king’s job.
“If you interfere any further, you may end up having to take full responsibility.”
That would be exhausting. I still had too much to do to settle in one place.
“So, are we moving by sea again?”
“It’ll be tough, but please bear with it.”
“What about the flying machine being developed in Eseah Kingdom that you mentioned?”
“It is still a secret project, so bringing it all the way to Vermont Kingdom would be difficult.”
His explanation made sense, so I pouted slightly and turned back to face the front.
The carriage moved steadily toward the coastline.
Most of the royal family had been exiled, and the nobles had been replaced.
Even though the newly crowned queen wanted to see us off, I had firmly declined. We were now making our way to the coast in secret.
“Why did you refuse the nobles’ send-off?”
“…Because they have more to worry about?”
“A single day wouldn’t restart the suffering you’ve undone for the people, Lady Saintess.”
Alois’s matter-of-fact tone made me cross my legs in annoyance.
“Surely you’re not saying you don’t understand how much can be accomplished in just one day, right?”
I smirked, and Alois shook his head with a resigned smile before finally nodding in agreement.
Right at that moment…
Thud—!
“Reneben?!”
The monkeys began flailing and squirming frantically, and with a loud crash, the carriage tilted precariously.
I grabbed hold of Reneben, and Alois protected the both of us to prevent us from falling.
The carriage slammed into a tree and completely tipped over to the side. My breath hitched as the world tilted with it.
“We should get out quickly.”
Neither I, Alois, nor Reneben—who had just opened his eyes—understood what was happening, but we all remained exceptionally calm.
Everyone here knew that panicking would do no good in a situation like this.
Despite just waking up, Reneben’s eyes narrowed, and he quickly tried to figure out what was going on.
The monkeys tried to follow me out of the carriage, but I quickly tucked them away before climbing out.
It was still early in the morning.
The air was crisp, and we had just been about to prepare breakfast and warm our stomachs with some soup.
The scenery outside appeared bright and clear, with nothing particularly suspicious in sight. And just as I was about to assume nothing was wrong…
“…Ugh.”
Something brushed past my shoulder. Reneben was busy shielding the coachman and the horses and I initially thought it was nothing, but then I felt something sharp invade my body, and nausea surged through me.
“…Uuek!”
“Lady Emilone!”
“Lady Emilone!!”
Both Reneben and Alois turned their attention to me simultaneously.
A nauseating discomfort, starting from my shoulder, coursed through my entire body. I hadn’t eaten much that morning—just a simple dessert—but I found myself retching as I clutched my shoulder.
“What is this… ugh.”
The pain coursing through me felt eerily similar to when the blood of a demon had seeped into my body.
For ordinary people, consuming a demon’s blood meant at least fifteen days of agony. The same went for me as a Saintess—though I wouldn’t fall ill, I still experienced excruciating pain.
Just as I stepped back, clutching my shoulder and trying to figure out what was happening, something brushed past my ear.
“…Ugh!”
The overwhelming disgust made me grab my ear with my free hand, desperate to stop the sensation.
When I pulled my hand away, sticky blood stained my fingers.
“Arrows. Lady Emilone, be careful.”
Alois, initially shaken by my pained state, quickly regained his composure.
“…They’re coated with demon poison.”
Someone was targeting the Saintess. Whoever it was, they must be bold—or reckless. I turned my gaze in the direction the arrows had come from, determined to see their faces no matter what.
As if in response to my intention, another arrow came hurtling toward the center of my forehead, and suddenly, time seemed to slow.
This is what it means to underestimate a Saintess.
It wasn’t just divine favor that made people fear a Saint; my abilities were enough to instill terror.
My learning speed was unmatched, my reflexes and eyesight far superior to ordinary people, and my tolerance for pain exceeded that of most.
“Fools. Do they not know I’m the type of person to keep standing even after losing an arm?”
To me, the world moved slowly. I sliced through the arrow mid-air with a dagger, but to anyone else, my movements must have seemed incredibly fast.
“Whoever you are…”
Gripping the dagger tightly, I tilted my wrist and let out a sharp, bitter laugh.
“Let’s meet face-to-face, shall we?”
As if my words were a trigger, a barrage of arrows rained down upon us.
Startled, Alois grabbed me by the waist and leapt into the air with surprising force.
Being carried like a sack of grain, I bit my lower lip to stifle any reaction.
Holding my palm toward the sky, I curled my index finger inward and made a beckoning motion.
I poured all my frustration into that small gesture.
The arrows that had been hurtling toward where Alois and I had just been disintegrated into ash mid-flight.
“…Wow.”
Even though I had been the one to do it, I froze mid-gesture. I didn’t really think it would work.
“If you could do that this whole time, you could’ve done it earlier,” Alois muttered, half in exasperation.
“It doesn’t work just because I want it to. I can only do it when I have a certain feeling that it’ll work.”
Even though he had seen me use this ability before under the guise of ‘Divine Punishment’ when my lovely monkeys were still demons, his reaction felt as fresh as ever.
“Whoever they are, the fact that they are targeting Your Holiness makes them fools.”
“…Maybe it’s the Heretical Faction I keep hearing about.”
Advanced chapters available on Patreon~
- Emilone’s Temptation Labyrinth [Chapters 83 – 86] - March 16, 2025
- Emilone’s Temptation Labyrinth – Chapter 82 - March 4, 2025
- Emilone’s Temptation Labyrinth – Chapter 81 - March 4, 2025