Chapter 9

When the great doors of the banquet hall opened in two, the lavishly decorated interior came into view.

Even as she walked toward the King, she searched desperately for someone. Among the countless people, that person was nowhere to be seen.

She could not even think about the fact that she was walking under the attention of so many people.

Gathering up the expression tinged with disappointment, she stood before the King of the Helen Kingdom and slightly lowered her upper body in greeting.

“I greet you, Your Majesty, the sun of the Helen Kingdom. May God’s grace reach you.”

“Saintess of Melissa, welcome to the Helen Kingdom.”

“It is an honor to have been invited to His Highness the Crown Prince’s investiture ceremony. Truly.”

When she smiled softly, the King seemed quite pleased and let out a hearty laugh.

“Hahaha. Then let me congratulate you as well on becoming the Saintess of Melissa this time.”

“Oh my, thank you for your congratulations.”

The King seemed so pleased that she had come that he kept trying to continue the conversation.

“Um, Your Majesty. I will step back for a moment. I cannot keep taking the main place for too long.”

“Haha. It seems I failed to think of that and kept holding on to you.”

Smiling gently, she stepped aside.

Soon the Crown Prince would come up. Her role was to bestow a blessing upon him. That was all.

Just as she had expected, just as in her memory, the Crown Prince walked up the steps with measured strides.

The King spoke to him as he knelt on one knee before him.

“I hereby appoint Lord Pedro Helen as the Crown Prince of this Kingdom.”

The moment the King finished speaking, applause broke out at once.

“Saintess of Melissa.”

At the King’s voice, she slowly walked before the Crown Prince as she had done before and gave him a brief greeting.

“I am the Saintess of the Temple of Melissa, Shallen Melissa. May you become the shining sun of the future Helen Kingdom. And may God’s grace reach you, Your Highness the Crown Prince.”

As she placed a hand on his shoulder and bestowed a blessing, music began to flow.

And so the banquet began.

The Crown Prince stepped down from the dais at once. Only when he danced the first dance would the banquet truly begin.

She too was about to turn her head toward the King to step down from the dais, when a familiar scent drifted by and stole her gaze.

It was Kardin.

Her head turned along with him as he passed by her.

“I greet you, Your Majesty the King.”

“Haha. What a surprise, that you accepted the invitation.”

“Did you not threaten to marry me off to just anyone if I did not attend?”

A faint smile touched her lips as she looked at the two exchanging words with ease.

The King and the Grand Duke of the North.

The elder brother who inherited the throne, and the younger brother who received the title of Grand Duke.

Though there was a large age difference between them, she knew they were close.

That was why, despite the request for war support sent by the Temple of Melissa in the past, he had tried not to send him.

In her previous life, the royal family’s letter had reached the Grand Ducal territory long after the temple’s letter had already arrived.

That letter was even filled with concern for Kardin, saying it would be all right if he did not participate.

And yet this foolish man, even though he had been given a choice, had gone to that absurd war.

Distracted by the sight of the two, she missed the moment to give her greeting, and so she continued listening to their conversation.

“Ah, ah. My, Saintess of Melissa. I do apologize. I’ve kept you standing there.”

“No, it is all right.”

When she answered with a faint smile, the King caught hold of the Grand Duke’s arm and turned him to face her.

“Ah. Let me introduce you. Kardin Ferdian. The Grand Duke of Ferdian of this Kingdom, and my younger brother.”

“It is a pleasure to meet you, Grand Duke of Ferdian. May God’s grace reach you.”

She greeted him once more as though he were someone she was seeing for the first time.

“It is a pleasure to meet you as well, Saintess of Melissa.”

“Haha. The two of you standing here together, there is no finer handsome man and beautiful woman.”

“Your Majesty……”

“Saintess, what do you think of our Grand Duke?”

The King, both then and now, wore the face of someone who wanted him to marry.

That sight was so unchanged that the corners of her lips softened.

“He is truly handsome.”

“Oh ho. Is that how he appears to you, Saintess? Hahaha. Grand Duke, you……”

“Your Majesty. That is enough. Did I not come?”

So in your younger days, you were loved like this. Thank goodness. How grateful she was in this life to be able to see such a sight.

It was truly pleasant to watch them bicker so freely.

To excuse herself, she spoke to the King.

“Your Majesty, thank you once again for inviting me. Then I shall take my leave now. May God’s grace reach the Helen Kingdom.”

“Hahaha. Saintess, thank you for making the time to come. Please enjoy the banquet as well.”

“Yes. Thank you for your consideration.”

This time, she finally stepped down from the dais with measured steps.

Perhaps the Crown Prince’s first dance had already ended, because the nobles were one by one taking their partners’ hands and stepping into the center.

Once the weighty investiture ceremony was over, the sound of people laughing could be heard.

How nice. Only now did the sight enter her eyes, a sight she had been too nervous to see when she first came here.

How absurd, truly. The place where she had been raised was the Temple of Melissa, and yet she smiled more here.

Lost in other thoughts, she misplaced her step. It was just as she was about to fall forward.

“Ah.”

Someone from behind wrapped an arm around her waist.

“What are you thinking so deeply about?”

When she turned her head, he filled her eyes completely.

The music that had been flowing seemed to stop, and everyone else appeared in black and white.

It felt as if time had stopped. No, rather, she wished it would stop. So that she could look at him longer.

“Are you going to remain like this?”

At his voice, she straightened her posture, and the arm that had been around her waist slowly loosened.

“Ah, I’m sorry. And thank you again.”

“What were you thinking about so deeply?”

“Ah, I was thinking that this place is very peaceful……”

“It is rather amusing to hear someone from the temple say that. Is that place not more peaceful than anywhere else in this world?”

At his question, she turned her head and kept her gaze on the nobles dancing as she continued.

“I wonder.”

Was it because the time that had seemed to stop, the time in which only the two of them had color, had now come to an end, leaving her somewhat bitter?

She turned her head and called to him.

“Um, Grand Duke.”

Kardin looked at her quietly and answered:

“Please speak, Saintess.”

“Are you perhaps very busy right now?”

“Why do you ask?”

“……Because I like the sound of the music that is playing.”

He took in the sight of the nobles holding hands and dancing to the music.

If perhaps this meeting with him was the last, then today she would pour out her feelings for him and put them in order.

She held out her hand to him.

“If you are not very busy, would you grant me the honor of sharing this with you, Grand Duke?”

Kardin looked down at her small white hand, then turned it over so that the back of her hand faced upward.

“It would make for a better picture if I were the one making the request.”

She held the hand he placed beneath hers and smiled.

“So you have this side to you as well.”

“I truly do not know what sort of person you think I am, Saintess.”

A soft laugh.

“Mm, I think I’ll keep that a secret.”

At her answer, Kardin raised one brow and furrowed his expression, but she merely gave a little shrug.

And then they walked together toward the center.

Was he matching his steps to hers? It was different from the pace at which he usually walked. So he had this side to him too.

Ah, no. Thinking back on it, he had always been like that, and she simply had not known. His consideration.

I’m sorry, that I only understand your consideration now.

When she stood with him in the center, she could feel the gazes flying toward them from all directions.

“Are you uncomfortable?”

“Not at all.”