Chapter 225: A Knight’s Advice
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 225: A Knight’s Advice
“I’m fine. I was just lost in thought for a moment…”
Because of Loik’s strict instructions, Cecilia—who shared the carriage with me—and even the Countess were checking on my condition every hour.
“Are you thinking about the Grand Duke again?”
In truth, my heart felt a bit heavy every time I recalled Loik standing there, staring blankly at the spot where we had parted until we became nothing more than a tiny speck in the distance.
The Countess fluttered her fan as if she found me hopeless.
“If the Grand Duchess is like this, I can’t imagine how the Grand Duke is managing to endure without you.”
I wonder. Is Loik doing well?
“Your Highness, shall we rest for a bit?”
Cecilia, sitting beside me, asked with a worried face.
“No, it’s fine. We’re almost there anyway.”
Finally, the gate appeared in the distance.
Thanks to our diligent pace, we were able to pass through the gate and arrive in Marhen before the sun had completely set. Our destination in Marhen was a villa belonging to the Blenheim family.
“My, the Grand Duke certainly put a lot of thought into this.”
The Countess let out a satisfied exclamation as she stepped inside. The villa had been impeccably prepared for a comfortable night’s stay.
‘This was the place Loik told me to go when he first told me to leave Blenheim, saying he’d give me a villa near the capital.’
I suddenly recalled the fresh-faced Loik from back then, whose face would turn beet-red whenever I said anything. He was quite cute then.
“Your Highness, please be careful.”
Duke Kyle suddenly appeared by my side, slightly blocking my path.
“There is a step below.”
I looked down and saw a tiny crack of a ledge at the villa entrance. Was it because I saved his life? Throughout the journey, Duke Kyle had been acting as if he were my personal guard.
“Your Highness, allow me to escort you.”
Tiern, glaring at Duke Kyle as if he wanted to kill him, quickly extended his hand from the other side.
I turned my head to see the Saintess just now stepping down from the carriage.
‘The Duke is completely ignoring Constine.’
During the trip, Duke Kyle had been indifferent toward her. Hadn't he come all the way to the North because of Constine? Even if he had found out she wasn't the real Saintess...
‘In the original story, he was such a straightforward, devoted man.’
Well, it wasn't my business. I had no desire to get involved and end up in some awkward love triangle.
‘I worked so hard to twist the original plot away from that.’
I entered the villa, accepting Tiern’s escort.
*
Ugh.
Constine clutched her chest as a wave of nausea surged. This was after eating the dinner prepared by the Grand Duke’s chef upon their arrival at the villa. She felt stifled, and as expected, she ended up retching most of what she had eaten. The anxiety weighing heavily on her heart made it impossible to digest anything.
‘I have to get the Grand Duchess’s forgiveness, somehow.’
To be honest, when she first arrived in the North, she had found the Grand Duchess simply insufferable. The arrogant attitude of the knights had also grated on her nerves. When she had been tricked by the Grand Duchess into performing the blessing ceremony, she felt like she would go mad with rage.
But looking back now, the Grand Duchess had been incredibly generous to her. In the reverse situation, Constine would have surely thrown a ‘fake saint’ to the monsters as bait.
Having faced the Dragon, Constine finally understood. That terrifyingly divine and pure energy.
‘She is the true Saintess, the one who possesses the Goddess’s protection.’
Only then did Constine begin to believe in the existence of the Goddess she had doubted her whole life. Having deceived the Goddess, she felt she wouldn't be able to close her eyes in peace even in death.
Originally, she had planned to seek out the Grand Duchess and apologize the very day they came down from the mountain. Now that she knew the truth, she believed that kneeling before her as soon as possible was the only way to receive even a shred of forgiveness.
However, that plan fell through because the Grand Duchess hadn't woken up all day. It was a relief, at least, that she was traveling to the capital with her.
‘I’ll look for a chance when we’re alone to speak up.’
But even that was far from easy. First of all, there were too many people around the Grand Duchess. The obnoxious Knight Captain and those knights who looked like bandits guarded her without leaving a single opening. Whenever the knights stepped away for a moment, Countess Asellino and the maid were stuck to her side. Even Duke Kyle was constantly hovering around her.
There were times during meals or breaks when the Grand Duchess would strike up a conversation. But in those moments, Constine’s mouth felt as if it were glued shut.
‘Why is the Grand Duchess leaving me alone when she knows everything?’
The uncertainty of the reason terrified her. Moreover, her crime was far too heavy to be settled with mere words of apology. What if she wasn't forgiven? What if she was told to stop acting as the Saintess immediately? What if she was demanded to confess the truth in front of everyone?
Even sitting still made her stomach churn. If the fact that she had deceived the entire Empire for ten years was revealed, would she be safe? She even considered trying to hold out and pretend she knew nothing until the end.
But…
‘I’m too scared!’
Every time she recalled the Grand Duchess standing her ground against the Dragon, her knees shook. Compared to that power, Constine’s holy power was nothing more than a speck of dust. The High Priest? A Sword Master? She was certain that none of them amounted to anything before the Grand Duchess.
‘What on earth was I thinking, acting so cocky?’
She wished there was such a thing as memory-erasing magic. If she couldn't cast it on the Grand Duchess, she felt like casting it on herself. Last night, she had a nightmare where the gaze of the Goddess she had seen at the Spring of Enlightenment stared intently at her. When she woke up, she was sobbing, her body drenched in sweat.
Constine realized instinctively that this nightmare would haunt her until she properly apologized and received forgiveness from the Grand Duchess.
‘I must confess my sins before we reach the Grand Temple.’
After spending the night at this villa and traveling for half a day tomorrow, they would be in the capital. She didn't have much time left.
‘I’ll go find her now.’
The night was dark, but it was perhaps a bit early for sleep. Constine began to climb the stairs toward the third floor, where the Grand Duchess’s bedroom was located.
Halfway up the stairs, she saw a knight guarding the bedroom through the balcony window. Constine hurriedly ducked her head.
It was happening again. Now that she was actually about to face her, she couldn't find the courage. What would she say if the knight asked for her business?
After hesitating for several moments, she finally gave up and was about to head back down the stairs when she saw him. Tiern, the Captain of Blenheim’s 9th Knight Division, was standing crookedly at the bottom of the second-floor stairs, glaring up at her.
“I…!”
“Follow me.”
Lowering his voice as if telling her not to cause a scene, he issued a chilling command.
Who does he think he is, giving me orders?
Yet, Constine found herself following him into the garden. Tiern suddenly stopped and turned to her, asking with a grim expression, “Why are you loitering around Her Highness?”
“L-loitering? I just got confused about which room was mine…!”
“You were so confused that you stared at Her Highness’s bedroom for over ten minutes?”
At those words, the tips of Constine’s ears turned red. She hadn't realized he had seen everything.
“I had something to say and was going to visit, but I hesitated because I thought it might be too late.”
“What do you have to say?”
Constine let out a hollow laugh. “You are truly rude. Do I really have to tell Sir Knight such things?”
Tiern then thrust a few sheets of paper toward her.
“…What is this?”
“Reports from the knights. Read them.”
[The Saintess lingered near Her Highness all morning. Caution advised.]
[During the break, the Saintess glanced at Her Highness approximately four and a half times.]
[The Saintess was spotted wandering around Her Highness’s carriage. Confirmed circumstances of her stopping to try and peer inside. Intensive surveillance required.]
There were dozens of pages with similar content. After reading the reports, Constine’s face flushed as if it were about to explode.
‘I thought I wasn't being obvious.’
“With this much evidence, don't I have the right to ask as Her Highness’s guard?” Tiern said, snatching the reports back grumpily.
But this wasn't a sin she could confess to someone else before the person involved. As Constine hesitated, unable to open her mouth, Tiern let out a long sigh and spoke as if reluctantly offering help.
“Just honestly ask for forgiveness.”
“It’s much better to do that than to cling to useless pride in front of her.”
His attitude suggested he knew exactly what Constine’s goal was without her having to say it. Surprised by the unexpected advice, Constine hesitated before asking, “Do you think Her Highness will forgive me?”
It was the first time she had voiced her true feelings. The knight before her had consistently disliked her from the very beginning. Ironically, that was why she felt she could get a blunt, honest answer from him.
Tiern started to speak, then paused and scratched his head.
“…I wouldn't know.”
“She’s the type to say she hates something if she hates it.”