“Oh my goodness. His Highness Crown Prince Kyle being appointed as the crown prince is astonishing enough, but he is also a Sword Master, and on top of that, a member of the temple appeared! It has been a long time since the archbishop attended the founding ceremony!”

“Could it have been planned in advance? Otherwise, why would a temple align itself with His Highness Crown Prince Kyle?”

“Regardless, it seems that Prince Logan has fallen out of favor.”

“Fallen out of favor? Prince Logan is the epitome of legitimacy! Isn’t it His Highness Prince Kyle who is a little questionable in his background?”

“Be careful with your words. He is now His Highness the Crown Prince! And Crown Prince Kyle is also of noble lineage, connected to the Emperor!”

The founding ceremony, which was supposed to be festive, turned into chaos in an instant.

“Lady Rosiere! His Highness Kyle has been crowned crown prince!”

“My Lady, I have something I’m curious about. Can you spare me some time?”

Even the young ladies who were by my side clung to me, making a fuss.

I knew that Kyle would become the crown prince today, but I never thought it would be done in this manner.

And even after the emperor’s proclamation, Kyle showed no surprise at all. He simply accepted it as a matter of course.

An indescribable feeling of confusion enveloped me.

I wanted to congratulate Kyle for rising to the position of the crown prince, especially after enduring mistreatment from Titania and being harassed from all sides. But at the same time, I kept thinking about how he had kept the truth from me about his abilities as a Sword Master, and how he couldn’t take his eyes off of Sienna.

‘Vivian, what’s gotten into you?’ I chided myself. ‘Wasn’t this what you wanted all along?’

Wasn’t it fine as long as Kyle was happy?

If Kyle were to develop a deep relationship with Sienna, just like in the original story, it would be much easier for him to become emperor.

After all, a saint who hasn’t been seen in a hundred years would support him.

Kyle and I are not even dating, let alone engaged.

I wanted to congratulate Kyle on becoming the crown prince, but I ended up leaving the place, unable to escape the wicked thoughts that kept creeping into my mind.

***

Kyle felt a sense of astonishment.

It wasn’t that he was surprised by being appointed as the crown prince. That wasn’t surprising at all. After all, it was the result of his boldness in personally approaching the emperor.

The emperor was satisfied with Kyle, who had shown remarkable achievements as a Sword Master, and decided to give him an opportunity.

The position of the crown prince did not guarantee that he would become emperor unconditionally.

However, there was no better help than that title for Kyle, who stood in a political position inferior to Logan’s.

‘I didn’t expect that they would even provide the crown prince’s uniform.’

It was a rather meticulous and malicious gift.

The intention behind it was probably to make Logan and the Empress tremble with envy at seeing Kyle wearing the Crown Prince’s uniform.

Perhaps the emperor hoped that this incident would make Kyle realize the shortcomings and awaken to the things he lacked compared to Logan.

The emperor was not on Kyle’s side unconditionally. Kyle still had a lot to do to reach for the position of the emperor, which constantly caught his attention.

‘But what about the Saint?’

Kyle looked at the girl who remained with him after the two authorities disappeared.

Although many years had passed, Kyle immediately recognized who this girl was, the one who appeared as the Saint.

When he visited the workshop one day to have his sword fitted. Without a doubt, the little kid who treated Vivian when she collapsed from the heat was the same person.

At the same time, Sienna was the person Vivian had been searching for. After entering the academy, she stopped looking for her whereabouts.

Kyle subtly furrowed his brows.

It was hardly noticeable on the surface, so the people around him didn’t realize.

However, Sienna could tell that he was not in a good mood. Sienna opened her mouth towards Kyle, but was quickly interrupted.

“Greetings, Saint.”

Kyle’s half-siblings, Logan and Rosaline, walked toward Kyle and Sienna.

Prince Logan bowed to Sienna.

“Your visit is most welcome, Saint. I am Logan Vicent Ygritte, First Prince of the Ygritte Empire.”

“And I am Rosaline Elizabeth Ygritte, my Lady.”

Even Rosaline bent her knee slightly in a polite greeting, and Sienna had to return the favor.

“Thank you for the warm welcome. I am Sienna. I come from humble origins, so I don’t have a title.”

Then Logan burst into a loud laugh, as if he had heard something amusing.

“Haha, to think that the Saint comes from humble origins. But aren’t you the one who receives the love of the Divine? And why does your background matter?”

Logan raised the corner of his mouth mischievously as he looked towards Kyle.

“There are even those who have risen to the position of the crown prince despite their humble origins.”

“You are a lowly maidservant’s child, while I carry the noble lineage of the prestigious Graslyn Duchy, which has supported the empire for generations.”

And no one would overlook this fact. He was saying this to Kyle and other nobles.

In response to Logan’s provocation, Kyle smiled meaningfully.

“Isn’t it because His Majesty sees greater potential in me, Brother?”

“Kyle.”

“His Majesty is someone who distinguishes between merit and personal matters.”

As Kyle didn’t back down and responded, sharp gazes were exchanged between the two brothers.

When Kyle regained his momentum, Logan flinched, wondering if he had been foolish.

‘What if this guy suddenly swings his sword at me?’

Not only was Logan foolish, but he was also full of fear.

In the end, after a heated exchange of glances, it was Logan who was the first to back down.

Muttering the words as if he was chewing on them, Logan intentionally bumped into Kyle’s shoulder and passed by.

Although he had to feel inexplicably annoyed at Kyle’s solid shoulder.

“Ah…”

Left alone, Rosaline showed a conflicted expression. She wanted to build connections with the Saint, but she was afraid of Kyle, who had warned her last time.

“Logan, let’s go together!”

In the end, she also succumbed to fear and followed Logan.

Kyle clicked his tongue slightly as he watched Logan and Rosaline return to their faction.

‘It was nothing but bluffing from scared cowards.’

It was then that he heard a small chuckle.

“Cough.”

Kyle turned his head.

Their eyes met, and Sienna blushed in embarrassment.

“I’m sorry.”

Her face didn’t look sorry at all.

But whether the Saint was laughing at Logan or not was none of Kyle’s business. That was until Sienna mentioned the aura around Kyle’s body.

“Your aura surrounds Prince Logan like a hunting dog.”

Kyle’s expression showed quite a surprise.

Auras led by someone who had reached the level of Sword Master would simply feel oppressive to anyone who hadn’t mastered it.

That is, unless you intentionally put an aura on the blade with a blue or red glow.

However, Sienna not only noticed the fact that Kyle used aura but also ‘saw’ its movements.

‘A Saint, indeed.’

Kyle looked at Sienna with a newfound curiosity. Sienna gave a small smile.

“It’s been a while, Your Highness Crown Prince.”

“I met the Saint for the first time today.”

“You don’t have to hide it. There’s no reason to reprimand Your Highness Crown Prince for that time.”

Kyle raised an eyebrow.

She was referring to the way he’d treated Sienna in the past, but she hadn’t been a Saint then, and there was no one to testify to the events of that day.

However, it was true that there was something uncomfortable about it. There was something oddly uncomfortable about Sienna.

It was the same when he first encountered her the day Vivian collapsed from heatstroke, and it’s the same now.

‘I don’t want to escort her, but….’

When the Emperor disappeared with the Archbishop, he not only instructed Kyle to lead the event as the Crown Prince but also implied that he should escort the Saintess who came with the Archbishop.

At that moment, as if Sienna could read Kyle’s thoughts, she suddenly spoke.

“Don’t worry about the escort. I’m planning to go back right away.”

Sienna flipped the hood of the robe she was wearing back over her head again. Her pure white hair was hidden beneath the white robe.

“Then I’ll look forward to the day we meet again.”

With those words, Sienna walked out of the hall, accompanied by the priest who had come to escort her.

In the lingering feelings of uneasiness, like leftover scraps, Kyle tried to grab hold of her, but he was quickly trapped in the waves of nobles crowding around him.

***

I escaped from the crowded venue and headed towards the small garden located right behind it.

Since everyone was gathered at the banquet hall, there were very few people in the garden, making it peaceful.

“Phew.”

As I sat on a bench, feeling the refreshing night breeze, my mind gradually cleared. It was the sensation of the heat that had been burning in my head slowly subsiding.

I calmly reviewed the events that had unfolded before me up until now.

Since my intervention, the original story had already been greatly twisted. Kyle had escaped from Titania’s abuse and grown up at the Arene Academy.

And as a result, Kyle became a Sword Master earlier than in the original story and his status among the nobles had changed.

Perhaps even the major events that I know of in the future might be slightly altered. The war against the demons remains unresolved, so it will likely continue as it was.

‘But the relationship with Sienna……’