V. A Vow of Love Amid Change

There were noble ladies gathered at an outdoor table, chatting with smiles on their faces. They were all wearing expensive dresses, each worth enough to easily buy a mansion, flaunting their vanity and bursting into giggles.

A woman who had been making arrogant chin gestures to the maid serving her looked at Maria’s neck and asked.

“Maria, the necklace you’re wearing is so pretty… is it new?”

Maria smiled shyly, stroked the blue pendant with her hand, and answered.

“Yes. It’s specially ordered from a jeweler famous for a work called ‘Verdi’s Tears.’ You really have an eye for these things. Your taste is different.”

“My goodness, really? I heard that jeweler has a waiting list of at least a year! I looked into it last year and gave up. How did you manage it?”

“I asked His Highness the Crown Prince, and he arranged it for me.”

At those words, the noble ladies sat up straight to examine her necklace and let out exaggerated exclamations.

“Wow… I’m so envious, Maria.”

Maria flipped her flowing hair back ostentatiously and raised her head.

“How is it? Does it suit me well?”

“Yes! It looks even prettier because it’s similar to your eye color.”

“He personally chose this diamond color. I think he has an extraordinary sense.”

“……”

A momentary silence fell. Similar families and similar environments. They were all bound by the framework of friendship, but inside, they were competing with jealousy toward each other.

“His Highness must think very specially of you……”

Unable to completely hide her bitterness, one woman slightly frowned and sighed. None of the noble ladies in this gathering were indifferent to Lexion. And Maria, who was getting closer to the position of crown princess, was receiving both envy and jealousy.

“I’m actually worried about that.”

Maria smiled bitterly with a dark expression.

“Father is telling me to return home soon, but His Highness won’t let me go……”

It was boasting disguised as a concern. The noble ladies clearly saw through Maria’s intentions, but not wanting to be marked by the future Crown Princess, they pretended not to notice and played along.

“But you can’t go against His Highness’s wishes.”

“Yes, if His Highness wants you by his side, it’s right for you to stay in the imperial palace.”

“I suppose so…? Her Majesty the Empress also thinks very highly of me, so we have tea time together every day. Even if Father feels disappointed, there’s nothing I can do.”

“Her Majesty the Empress?”

“Yes, she and I share the same hobby. She was so happy that we have similar ears for music.”

“My goodness… it seems she already considers you as a potential daughter-in-law.”

“I’m overwhelmed by such undeserved love.”

Maria showed an irritating smile. A woman who envied her asked a question with a naive face, as if genuinely curious.

“But what about the Saintess? I heard His Highness spends most of his time with her. Aren’t you concerned, Maria?”

“……”

Maria’s expression, which had been radiant as if she were the happiest person in the world, darkened. However, that momentary displeasure disappeared instantly.

“Not at all. I trust His Highness. He firmly assured me that he only needs her as a Guardian and has no other feelings for her.”

“Even so, isn’t His Highness’s care for the Saintess somewhat unusual? Father said that since the Saintess arrived, His Highness couldn’t concentrate on meetings and often smiled.”

“What are you trying to say?”

Maria, finally failing to maintain her composure, asked with a cold gaze.

“Are you suggesting that His Highness has fallen for such an object?”

When the sharp gaze turned toward her, the woman was startled and backed down.

“No! I was just worried that you might be concerned… I was concerned for you! I wanted to say there’s no need for that at all!”

Maria scrutinized her face as if giving a warning before speaking.

“Her Majesty the Empress mentioned she was displeased by those rumors. So it would be best not to wag your tongue carelessly. I’m advising you as a friend, so take it to heart.”

The woman quickly nodded at the cold warning from a friend who would surely soon rise to a noble position in the imperial palace, before which she would have to bow her head.

“Yes, yes! Maria, I’m sorry if I upset you.”

“……”

Maria elegantly raised her teacup. Though the clear tea that touched her tongue tasted bitter like her mood, she didn’t show any sign of it, as frowning would be against proper etiquette.

She already knew the fact that Lexion felt something close to affection for the Saintess. Just because she loved him didn’t mean she had become a foolish woman who denied reality.

It’s a man’s instinct to be drawn to a beautiful woman. Moreover, wasn’t she a Saintess who appeared only once in several hundred years? Since she even stabilized his special ability, it would be strange if feelings didn’t sprout.

‘I was upset at first but……’

She was the person who knew Lexion best. He was greedy, but not so dull-witted as to throw everything away for a mere curiosity.

Maria thought of that pitiful woman and sneered.

‘What can you possibly do?’

She had heard that Lexion, who had been practically living in the annex for a while, seemed to have lost interest and hadn’t visited the Saintess for days.

Just that level of interest. Just that level of attraction. Nothing more.

* * *

When the door opened, Estelle reflexively turned her head, but upon seeing Laura’s face, she showed a strangely disappointed expression.

“Are you waiting for someone?”

“Waiting? Why would I!”

Estelle burst out angrily as if struck at a vital point. Laura looked at her curiously, placed the tray on the bedside table, and let out an “Ah” of exclamation.

“Miss, are you perhaps waiting for His Highness the Crown Prince?”

“What nonsense.”

Estelle’s face contorted, but her ears turned slightly red.

“Well, His Highness hasn’t visited once since you woke up, right?”

Even though you deny it so much…… Laura sent her a pleased look and spoke in a consoling voice.

“Don’t feel too disappointed. Well… he must be busy.”

“Laura, I’m not, I tell you!”

“Still, your condition has improved a lot. Your wounds have healed and your complexion has returned. Here, take your medicine and get some more rest.”

Estelle glared at Laura with narrowed eyes, then took the medicine she offered and swallowed it.

“Then I’ll be going. Call me if you need anything.”

Laura extinguished all the candles that had been lighting the room so Estelle could sleep comfortably, then closed the door and left.

As darkness and silence descended, Estelle lay in bed and pulled the blanket up to her neck.

“I really wasn’t……”

She muttered quietly. It wasn’t that she was waiting for Lexion, but rather anxiety about the sudden quietness from someone who had been annoyingly tormenting her every day. She was only afraid of this peace, like the calm before a storm. Although she felt like she could live now that she wasn’t sharing space with him, it was truly unfair.

‘Why would I be crazy enough to wait for him?’

As she was pouring out her complaints, her eyelids grew heavy and blinked. Whether the prescribed medicine contained sleeping pills or not, she quickly became drowsy as if intoxicated. As her mind floated, her body gradually relaxed.

How much time had passed? Estelle, who had unknowingly fallen into a deep sleep, woke up to a subtle presence. An insistent gaze she could feel even with her eyes closed. She could tell without seeing directly.

‘…Lexion?’

Her mind cleared as if splashed with cold water. Suddenly in the middle of the night like this? Estelle desperately pretended to be asleep while her eyelids trembled, fearing he might do something perverted again.

“……”

Time seemed to pass as slowly as a turtle. Whether it was because she was holding her breath or because her body was extremely tense, she even felt dizzy.

‘Is this a new form of torture……’

Lexion stood silently, just looking down at her. He didn’t speak to her or crawl into bed like last time.

‘What a crazy person, watching someone sleep like a voyeur…!’

The heavy silence continued relentlessly, but he showed no sign of leaving.

‘How long will this go on……’

Estelle fidgeted with her hands under the blanket. If she didn’t do that, she felt like her whole body would cramp.

“Miss Estelle.”

At his low voice calling her, she almost answered reflexively, but barely managed to stop the words from escaping her lips.

“Are you asleep?”

“……”

Lexion’s Adam’s apple bobbed at her adorable reaction of pretending not to know despite being obviously caught.

“I heard you waited for me a lot. Were you disappointed that I neglected you during that time?”

Ah… damn it, Laura. Estelle was certain that she had conveyed something strange.

She wanted to immediately grab onto his words and deny them, but chose to ignore them instead, fearing that all her efforts of pretending to be asleep would be in vain. It would also be embarrassing to react now.

“I needed time to organize my thoughts on what to do with Miss Estelle. I was surprised at myself for being so indecisive and inconsistent, which is a first for me. Miss Estelle has quite a talent for surprising people in many ways.”