A few days later, I prepared to return to Arcadia.

The priests, with whom I had become acquainted, urged me to stay longer, but knowing that the chances of connecting with Gined were slim, there was no reason to stay.

Since I hadn’t brought much luggage when I came to the Holy Kingdom, the carriage was light on the way back as well.

‘As soon as I return, I need to find a way to meet Iscallion.’

The fact that my last hope was a minor filled me with a sense of futility.

As I was contemplating whether it was less unethical to choose between a priest and a minor, I heard a voice calling me from behind.

“Lady.”

It was Gined.

He was dressed in the same simple priestly robe with no adornments, just like when we first met, with his hair neatly tied.

Even the terrible design of the priestly robe looked like a work of art on him.

I tried my best not to blatantly scan his physique.

‘Pure thoughts, pure thoughts…’

“May the blessing of light be upon you. I heard you are leaving.”

“Yes. I have many postponed tasks to attend to.”

“As the future Crown Princess, you can’t stay in a foreign land for long.”

“Haha, yes…”

Of course, even if I returned to the capital, there wasn’t much to do.

Even though I was the future Crown Princess, the Crown Prince didn’t care at all about what I did.

“If you don’t mind, could you spare some time?”

It was an unexpected proposal. Since there was no reason to refuse, I readily agreed.

“Of course.”

Gined led me to a small walking path.

I dismissed the maids, so it was just the two of us on the path.

Walking alongside a handsome man was pleasant, but I didn’t have high expectations. It was probably just about the silver.

Sure enough, the conversation that followed was exactly what I expected.

“I received word that the silver you promised will arrive by next month. Thanks to you, my subordinates will be at less risk of injury. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. If you need further assistance, please don’t hesitate to ask.”

“I’ve already imposed enough. I cannot pass on my burdens to others.”

His persistently rigid response made me laugh involuntarily.

Gined looked at me with a puzzled expression.

Afraid he might misunderstand my laughter, I hurriedly explained.

“As I’ve heard, Sir Roengreen, you are indeed a very upright person. It’s fascinating how you match the rumors exactly. Oh, I don’t mean it in a bad way. I’ve only heard good things about you.”

Suddenly, Gined stopped walking. He then looked at me with utmost seriousness.

“I have a confession to make.”

‘A confession? Could it be a love confession? No, this suddenly?’

I had no idea when he had fallen for me, but if it was true, there was no reason to refuse. It was something to welcome with open arms.

Even if it was a bit early, what did it matter? As long as the world was saved.

I was ready to love a man like Gined anytime.

Biting my lips to keep them from spreading into a grin, I pretended to fiddle with my hair.

“What is it…?”

I asked shyly, and Gined hesitated for a moment.

Judging by his hesitation, it was clear my guess was right.

“I’ve heard rumors about you, Lady. Having met you in person, I can see they were all baseless. I apologize for hastily judging you without knowing you, being swayed by preconceived notions.”

“Pardon?”

No way.

‘Did he call me all the way here just to confess this?’

I felt completely deflated. But that wasn’t the main issue.

I recalled all the embarrassing antics I had pulled, following the Crown Prince around like a duckling. It was inevitable that rumors would spread.

But I hadn’t expected those rumors to reach Gined’s ears.

I was too ashamed to lift my face.

Right after his confession, he went further, getting angry on my behalf.

“But I don’t understand. Why do you let others slander you so freely? At least from what I’ve seen, you are not greedy, lazy, or reckless.”

Greedy, lazy, and reckless.

I knew my reputation wasn’t good, but hearing it from someone else left a bitter taste.

Since it’s from Gined, even that must have been a toned-down version.

“Thank you for your honesty. But actually…”

What is conscience?

I knew it was to my advantage to let him continue his misunderstanding. However, faced with his guilt-ridden, clear eyes, I couldn’t help but confess.

With almost no chance of things working out with him, it didn’t sit well with me to let him blame himself over unnecessary emotions.

“I don’t know exactly what rumors you’ve heard, but they’re probably all true. In fact, they might have been downplayed out of fear of repercussions.”

“Pardon?”

“Haha, I’ve been really immature. Just think of it as a very long adolescent life. Now that I’ve come to my senses, I’ll focus on atoning for my past sins.”

“Lady, what are you…”

“Then I’ll be off now. My maids are waiting for me. May the blessing of light always be with you, Sir Roengreen!”

Before Gined could finish his sentence, I bid him farewell and practically fled the scene. Then I left for the capital, vowing never to come near this place again.

***

I quickly cut into my steak and put it in my mouth.

After nearly two months of only eating vegetables, tasting meat made my eyes roll back in pleasure. I wanted to tear into it whole, but since I was dining with my parents, I restrained myself.

“How was your stay in the Holy Kingdom?”

My mother asked.

“It wasn’t bad. The priests were kind to me.”

“I heard you were highly praised by the priests. I’m relieved that you finally seem to have settled your mind.”

My father praised me.

Though my parents didn’t show it, I knew I had caused them a lot of worry, and I felt a renewed sense of guilt.

I decided never to reveal that my trip to the Holy Kingdom was motivated by a man.

“I’m an adult now. I’ll strive to ensure I don’t bring dishonor to our family.”

“When did our daughter become so mature…”

My mother, overwhelmed with emotion, dabbed her eyes with a handkerchief.

“So, when do you plan to visit the palace?”

“The palace…?”

“The Crown Prince has inquired about you several times. Out of courtesy, you should show your face soon.”

As soon as the word ‘Crown Prince’ was mentioned, I lost my appetite.

Noticing my reaction, my father asked cautiously.

“You seem troubled. Have you fallen out with the Crown Prince? Is that why you went to the Holy Kingdom?”

“No, it’s not that.”

“Feel free to speak honestly. If that rascal has been mistreating you again… I’ll deal with him myself!”

Recalling the past events, my father’s voice grew agitated.

In my younger days, unable to control my emotions, the Crown Prince used to torment me childishly.

He would spill drinks to ruin my clothes, trip me, pinch me painfully to make me cry—those were the mild things.

‘He even made me wear a maid’s outfit under the guise of career exploration and locked me in a dark storage room under the pretense of playing hide and seek.’

The incident had left such a mark that I developed the habit of keeping a lamp on while sleeping.

My father was so outraged that he confronted the Emperor directly.

It was I who stopped my parents from canceling the engagement in their fury.

‘I should have broken off the engagement back then!’

I kicked away a golden opportunity with my own feet.

If I had the power to turn back time like Enril, I would go back and knock some sense into my past self.

Anyway, because of the Crown Prince’s atrocious behavior, my parents still harbored ill feelings toward him. The Crown Prince’s belated attempts to act kind to me were all because of that.

“It’s all in the past. Don’t worry. I’ll visit the palace when I have time.”

Contrary to my words, I planned to delay my visit as much as possible.

Even if the Crown Prince showed interest in me, it was all a facade. His lack of communication while I was in the Holy Kingdom was proof enough.

After having dinner and tea, it was already night.

Back in my room, I changed clothes by myself and sprawled on the bed.

Now, I didn’t have to transcribe scriptures until late at night or visit the prayer room at dawn, so my time was entirely my own.

Knock, knock.

Someone knocked on the door.

At this hour, there was only one person who would come to see me.

“Come in.”

As soon as I gave permission, a girl around my age entered. She was Seren, the maid who had served me since childhood.

“Oh, my lady. Are you going to sleep already?”

“Yes. I’m tired.”

“The journey must have been long. Let me give you a massage.”

Seren and I were similar in age and tastes, so we were more like friends. We were almost always together, unless there was a special reason.

However, she hadn’t accompanied me to the Holy Kingdom this time, purely by her choice.

She had fallen for a young knight and didn’t want to be away from the estate for long.

“I heard from the other maids that the Commander of the Sephiroth Holy Knights is very handsome?”

Seren subtly brought up the topic while massaging my calves.