The distance from the Rose Palace to the Sun Palace, where the king resided, was vast. That was precisely why Xeroth hadn’t driven Helia out of the Rose Palace but had built a new palace for Esna instead. Recalling her father, the former king Rigel, who had gone out of his way to establish the queen’s palace so far away, a faint smile crossed her lips.

He must have been quite afraid of Mother.

Rigel would vehemently deny it if he heard, but it was a distance difficult to explain without accounting for fear. His attempts to keep her hidden away to avoid any chance encounters were genuinely laughable. And what of forcing her into the Rose Palace under the guise of her missing her mother? At the time, she had found the distance comforting, but in retrospect, it stemmed from her fear of Rigel.

On her way to the Sun Palace, Helia thought of these trivial memories.

Dismissing the attendants who had followed her, she entered the audience chamber of the Sun Palace alone. A servant of the Sun Palace poured warm tea into her cup with impeccable manners, but Helia did not touch it. Soon, Xeroth appeared. Rising from her seat, Helia offered him a deep bow. Xeroth watched her as if it were only natural and slowly approached, slumping into the head seat.

“It has been a while, Sister.”

For a greeting after so long, his voice lacked warmth. Xeroth openly exuded irritation. Already frustrated by rumors of unrest among the nobles, Helia’s sudden visit only added to his annoyance. Helia, however, lifted her head without a care.

“It has indeed been a while, Your Majesty.”

“This is the first time since your engagement ceremony, right?“

“You’ve been far too busy, Your Majesty.“

“I’ve heard you’ve been doing well at the duke’s estate.”

A lie. Xeroth had likely felt relieved as if a thorn had been removed when Helia left for the Duke’s estate and hadn’t given her a second thought. It was apparent he assumed she would no longer be an obstacle. She would have treaded more carefully if he had been more intelligent and more cautious of her. Fortunately, Xeroth was not that clever.

“Whoever told you that must have been misinformed.”

Helia elegantly raised her teacup as she retorted. Only then did Xeroth react, straightening from his slouched posture.

“Were you not doing well?“

“Isn’t that why I’ve returned?”

Xeroth immediately frowned. He had already heard yesterday that Helia had suddenly arrived at the Rose Palace. But he had dismissed it as another of her whims, assuming she would soon return to the Duke’s estate. And yet, she had returned. Here?

This was unacceptable. After all the effort to send her away, how could she return? Yet Helia’s demeanor was resolute. A strong sense of unease washed over Xeroth.

But who was the Duke? A man desired by every woman in the kingdom. Moreover, it was a well-known secret that Helia and the Duke had shared a special bond since childhood. Still, Helia responded coldly and indifferently, as if she held no affection for him.

“He meddles in too many matters.“

“The duke, you mean?“

“Yes. Even if I try to buy something, he rushes in as if the world depended on it.”

It was apparent what sort of extravagance Helia must have indulged in. Perhaps the Duke had said something about it, and Helia, feeling indignant, had come all the way here. Xeroth tried to placate her gently.

“The Duke is a rigid man. He needs a woman like you to soften him.“

“No. I’ve already made my decision.“

“Sister—“

“Your Majesty, I wish to annul this engagement.”

Xeroth looked at her in disbelief. Yet, when Helia announced her intention to visit, he feared this might happen. His cousin had always been unpredictable, unaware of her position, and overconfident. It was why, despite her royal lineage, she was no real threat to him. Fortunately, her arrogance had kept her from vying for the throne.

“How can you say such a thing?”

Xeroth feigned regret, but Helia knew his lament wasn’t for her situation but for the potential loss of influence their marriage could bring. After all, this engagement had been his doing, forced upon her without regard for her wishes. Worse, he had dressed it up as though he were indulging her supposed obsession with the Duke as if he had no choice but to grant her this union for her own good. Helia found his shallow manipulations laughable now.

“It pains me, too, Your Majesty, that the partner you chose has led to this outcome.”

“Sister…“

“However, the Duke cannot handle me. A man without such mettle has no business marrying into royalty. Please reconsider your decision.”

Then again, who in this kingdom could handle her if the Duke of Effenberg could not? The imperial crown prince may stand a chance.

Even so, Helia’s expression made it clear she would not yield. Her golden eyes, reminiscent of the late king’s, radiated an unyielding resolve. Xeroth sighed deeply, waving his hand dismissively as if to shoo away his headache.

“Sister, must you always make things so difficult for me?“

“I can only apologize for being unable to aid Your Majesty.”

However, her face showed no sign of remorse. Xeroth glanced at her briefly. It was astonishing that she could maintain such a brazen expression even after causing this much trouble. He wanted to send her away immediately, refusing her outright, but with her resolute demeanor, it was impossible to force her.

Though he had been the one to push for it, Xeroth had never entirely believed that the engagement between Helia Bailey and Ruben Effenberg would go smoothly. Considering Helia’s temperament, he had always thought it wouldn’t be surprising if the Duke approached him one day asking to annul the engagement. Although the situation was the opposite of what he had imagined, Xeroth decided his initial assumption was still correct.

Xeroth gave her a look filled with disdain. But Helia remained undaunted. That very attitude likely drove the Duke of Effenberg to the edge of frustration. Xeroth couldn’t help but feel sympathy for him as a fellow man. After all, marrying a princess would make it hard to keep mistresses without constant scrutiny. Having to consider a wife’s watchful eye was a situation Xeroth, with his numerous mistresses, could hardly fathom. It might be better to take Helia back and rethink the arrangement for the Duke’s sake.

Letting out a heavy sigh, Xeroth finally relented.

“Fine. I’ll speak with the Duke. For now, return to the palace.“

“I am ever grateful for Your Majesty’s generosity,“ Helia responded, bowing her head in gratitude as though she had been waiting for his agreement. Rising gracefully, she exited the audience chamber without a backward glance.

***

At that very moment, Ruben was meeting with Lette in his study.

“Good day, brother.“

“Good day, Lette. Have you been well?“

“Thanks to you, yes. And you?”

Ruben gave a bitter smile before turning his gaze back to the window. He couldn’t even lie and say he had been well. The pallor of his face and his visibly gaunt features made the truth all too evident, and Lette didn’t press him for an answer.

A heavy silence settled between them. Lette had rushed to the Duke’s estate today after receiving an urgent summons from his messenger last night. She had no idea what had prompted such a sudden call, but she maintained a composed demeanor.

As Lette raised the teacup before her to take a sip, Ruben finally broke the silence, staring out the window.

“Lette.“

“Yes?“

“There’s a question I’ve avoided asking you for a long time. But now, I can no longer ignore it.”

Lette instinctively knew this question would strike at the heart of who she was. So, she didn’t encourage him to proceed. She knew she wouldn’t be able to answer.

“I told myself that avoiding the question was for your sake and for the memory of my late mentor. I believed that to question it would be a betrayal of the goddess and her saintess. I thought that was the right thing to do.“

“……“

“But now, I find that not asking has become the greater wrong. Even if it’s too late, I can’t help but seek the truth.“

“Brother…”

Her voice was soft and tinged with sorrow as she called out to him. Ruben hesitated, choosing his words carefully.

He knew the gravity of the question he was about to ask. Simply voicing it would make him a heretic—a blasphemer who doubted the goddess and the saintess. But at this point, not asking felt like an even greater sin.

“Lette. Are you truly the saintess?”

As expected.

Lette gently set her teacup back down, the surface of the untouched tea rippling slightly. For a moment, she was silent. She weighed her words carefully—what she could say, couldn’t, and must.

Ruben waited patiently, his expression one of quiet torment. At last, Lette spoke, her voice steady but carrying an edge of desperation.

“I cannot be anything but the saintess.”

Her gaze met Ruben’s directly, her blue eyes unwavering. Yet within them, there was a desperate plea. Why did her serene expression seem so heavy with anguish? Ruben’s eyes softened with sympathy as he looked at her.

Taking a deep breath, Lette continued, her voice now trembling slightly.

“You know this as well as I do, brother. Because I was the saintess, my family was destroyed. I lost my name, and my father lost his life. All of it was because I was the saintess.”

She knew all too well. To wield her as a tool, the late king had annihilated her family and shackled her with invisible chains. He had stripped her of the Klein name and taken her loved ones from her. To make her submit, to bind her to the royal family, they had used threats and fear.

Even so, she had remained silent and compliant for a straightforward reason: she had to protect what little was left. She couldn’t betray the sacrifice her father had made to save her life.

“That is why I must be the saintess, brother.”