CH 129

The large and majestic carriage, befitting the one sent by the Emperor, started running fast as soon as I got on it.

“Earlier… It shouldn’t have seemed too strange.”

Inside the carriage, I covered my face with both hands. The romance books I had been reading avidly for a while didn’t seem to help my fluency in any way.

After hesitating, it ended in vain.

‘By the way, Cass said he’s coming tonight…’

My heart was beating fast.

I thought for a while and shook my head.

“Come to your senses and think about complicated things after going to the Imperial Palace.”

What to say when I see Cass in the evening, I wonder.

I repeated, wrapping my reddened cheeks with both hands.

[The God of Benevolence, Oman, recommends preparing a red rose and a whip for your bed tonight.]

[The God of Destruction, Ciel, whines to invite Kyle as well.]

[The God of Benevolence, Oman, kindly grants Ciel’s request.]

I looked at the chat window with blurry eyes. After completing the mission and the aftereffects disappearing, I will definitely get rid of his whip.

After a while, the carriage arrived inside the Imperial Palace. The official who had come to pick me up opened the carriage door. Kyle was at the door.

“…”

Kyle held out his hand to me without saying a word. I took his hand and got out of the carriage.

The number of knights and maids standing behind was higher than usual.

Is it my imagination that the atmosphere feels different from the usual?

“Blessings of the Eight Gods to Your Highness the Crown Prince.”

“Follow me.”

Kyle glanced at me, taking my hand and led the way.

“Your Highness?”

I looked up at him in bewilderment as he grabbed my hand and almost dragged me away.

[The God of Destruction, Ciel, loves Kyle’s strength.]

[The God of Knowledge, Hessed, points out Kyle’s rudeness.]

[The God of Destruction, Ciel, bites Hessed’s index finger.]

Kyle stopped his steps only when we reached the long corridor.

“Where are we going? I came because His Imperial Majesty the Emperor called for me, though.”

I stood and looked at him, then he stayed still in front of me. A shadow much longer than me stretched beside me. His tall stature and broad shoulders created a strange sense of intimidation.

“Ariel.”

He put his hand on my forehead for a moment and hardened my eyebrows.

“I’ll only ask you one thing.”

I looked at him with a puzzled expression and nodded my head.

“Yes. Anything.”

“Do you have any thoughts of becoming the crown princess?”

[The God of Love, Odyssey, drops the corn snacks he was eating in this sudden development.]

[The God of Benevolence, Oman, urges you to offer him the position of your concubine.]

[The God of Destruction, Ciel, looks at his pants and your eyes alternately, and looks at you, saying he won’t disappoint you.]

“Pardon?”

I looked at Kyle with a surprised expression at his sudden words. A strong force emanated from his red eyes.

I was dazed for a moment, but I regained my senses and opened my mouth.

“I… have none.”

[The God of Destruction, Ciel, whimpers and looks at you with sad eyes.]

Ciel, this can’t be helped.

Kyle’s red eyes widened slightly at my words.

He licked his lips in a low voice.

“The reason is?”

“There is no reason. I’m living a life that’s satisfying enough as a saintess now… More than anything…”

I looked into his eyes and said.

“It’s not like we like each other.”

At those words, his eyebrows twitched.

“Marriage is between people who love each other.”

[The God of Benevolence, Oman, cites compatibility as the first condition for marriage.]

[The God of Love, Odyssey, agrees.]

I pondered for a moment whether to turn off the oracle room.

“…”

“…”

A moment of silence passed.

Belatedly, Kyle licked his lips.

“I should have accepted that marriage proposal letter then. I can’t get it out of my head.”

His dark gaze was on me.

“Do you remember that it was you who wanted the position of Crown Princess in the first place?”

[The God of Destruction, Ciel, strongly agrees with Kyle.]

What he said wasn’t wrong.

Ariel before me liked Kyle, and she wanted to be the crown princess.

‘But that’s not me.’

I made up my mind and told him.

“That is me before. I’m different now.”

Although his gaze was intimidating, I calmly continued.

“And in the first place, I became a saintess for Your Highness’s political stability. Your Highness always thinks of my usefulness, and you don’t even like me enough to marry me.”

[The God of Knowledge, Hessed, loves your factual violence.]

[The God of Destruction, Ciel, weeps at your ruthlessness.]

I overcame a strange feeling of intimidation and kept looking straight at him.

He looked at me with dark red eyes and said.

“What if I like you enough to marry you?”

As he took a step closer, his breath was close by, as if it could reach me at any moment.

“Would you like to consider it more?”

Thump, thump, my heart was beating wildly.

‘No way, it can’t be.’

Right now, this man wasn’t confessing that he liked me, he was just asking me about my intentions by saying ‘if’.

“…Don’t be joking, Your Highness.”

I mustered up the courage to scold him. Looking at him with as calm eyes as possible.

The tip of his lips drew a muddy line.

“A joke.”

The end of that laugh was somehow bitter. He stretched his hands up.

“Yes, that sounds like a joke.”

[The God of Destruction, Ciel, continues to cry.]

“Did you see the knights and maids earlier?”

I didn’t know what to say, so I looked at him in confusion.

“His Imperial Majesty wants to appoint you as the crown princess.”

Only then did I know why he had been saying so all this time. It confirmed my will.

“Even if His Imperial Majesty openly presses you, you will open your eyes and confront him, so there is no need for me to accompany you.”

I let out a small sigh and smiled awkwardly.

“I thought Your Highness ate something wrong.”

For me to be the crown princess, that’s ridiculous.

[The God of Destruction, Ciel, interprets Kyle’s gaze, saying that he wasn’t joking.]

[The God of Knowledge, Hessed, says that Ciel can only interpret animal language, and interrupts him, telling you not to care.]

[The God of Destruction, Ciel, bites Hessed’s feet.]

[The God of Knowledge, Hessed, wasn’t hurt because he was wearing the sacred object ‘Steel Boots’.]

A small smile appeared on his lips, yet his eyes were cold. It seemed that he was under a lot of stress from the Emperor’s pressure to get married.

“Don’t worry. There won’t be any sudden and unintentional marriage.”

I said to him with a light smile.

Suddenly, a dark shadow shone in his red eyes.

“…”

I stared at him with a complicated expression, showing I couldn’t understand, then looked away.

I heard Kyle’s low voice.

“Be sure to tell His Imperial Majesty your intentions regarding the marriage, and then come to the training ground when it is over.”

After a while, he suddenly opened his mouth.

“Yes?”

He touched the handle of his sword.

“The sparring I asked for the other day, today is perfect for this.”

“…”

Those words reminded me of what happened at Lake Ares.

Dammit, it’s embarrassing to think about it again.

“Are you going to keep doing this?!”

Seeing me glancing at him, he smiled and stroked my hair.

“It’s a joke. Have a good audience and come back.”

He really has a knack for making a joke sound like it’s not a joke.

After a while. I arrived at the audience room.

“I’m greeting Your Imperial Majesty the Emperor.”

I greeted the Emperor with a modest bow.

“Ah, the Saintess is here. Was there anything inconvenient on your way here?”

When I raised my head, I saw the Emperor’s face. Fortunately, his complexion looked good. It seemed that his health had greatly improved.

“Yes. Your Imperial Majesty. I’m very happy to see Your Imperial Majesty in good spirits. Thank you very much for the gifts you sent me the other day.”

Recalling my bloated wallet, I said with a happy face.

“I heard that the Saintess healed me with holy power when I was unconscious. I should’ve given your gifts on my own, but please understand that my condition hasn’t yet recovered to that extent.”

“I just did what I could as a citizen of the Empire, and thank you for praising me excessively.”

With the etiquette in the book I had learned through Hessed’s blessing, I continued my audience with the Emperor without difficulty.

“Goodness, have you met Kyle?”

The Emperor’s words reminded me of the conversation I had with Kyle earlier.

The real reason why he called me today…

“Yes. I met him earlier.”

A smile formed on the Emperor’s lips at my words.

“Even though he’s my son, he resembles his mother and his looks are outstanding. Not to mention his abilities.”

[The God of Destruction, Ciel, strongly agrees with the Emperor’s words.]

[The God of Benevolence, Oman, says Kyle is superior in everything else.]

[The God of Love, Odyssey, agrees with Oman.]

[The God of Knowledge, Hessed, breaks down and agrees with Oman.]

[The God of Death, Kairos, blushes and nods his head.]

[The God of Art, Mond, agrees that he has no choice but to acknowledge that part.]

Crazy, what are you talking about now?

I barely managed to hold back my spirit, which was about to get lost in the unanswered conversation in front of me.

“I heard that you stayed in Kyle’s room when you stayed at the Imperial Palace for a few days. Well, even before that, rumors about you two had been circulating within the Empire.”

“Your Imperial Majesty, I swear nothing happened at that time…”

“Don’t misunderstand and listen, Saintess.”

The Emperor cut off my words and cleared his throat. And he spoke to me in a stern voice.

“I’m trying to promote Kyle and the Saintess’ national marriage.”

[The God of Destruction, Ciel, wags his tail at full speed with a handful of hope.]

[The God of Knowledge, Hessed, bites his nails with an anxious expression.]