The Saintess Has Been Found
Even after that, my older sister Emperor Hailey always thought of me first. When I grew anxious about her relationship with Ariel, she severed ties with her closest friend for my sake. In the end I felt too guilty and told her to reconcile, but even after they made up, my sister never neglected me.
“Psyche, let’s eat.”
When we ate, my sister gave me all the meat and the best dishes. I was grateful, yet I wanted her to eat too, so I tried switching our bowls. But she firmly switched them back, and I had no choice but to eat exactly as she intended. I grew up wrapped in that gentle affection, and before long I had become taller than her. There were times I resented my height because it meant I could no longer receive as much of her cuteness, but after I realized I could help her—“Psyche, can you reach this for me?”—I came to like my height.
Living with my sister was true happiness for me, yet it also planted a secret I could never tell anyone: the way my heart kept pounding whenever I saw her. Books called that feeling love. Had I really fallen in love with my own sister—family, and the same gender?
The thought that she might recoil in disgust and cast me out if she ever learned the truth made me hide those emotions completely. It hurt to deceive her, but I had no choice. This heart could never be discovered.
Before the majestic radiance that turned the dark night sky as bright as noon, the Holy Knight Commander dropped the helmet he had been holding. The heavy thud of metal sinking into the mud rang out, yet no one turned their heads. Dozens of knights who had rushed from the tent stood transfixed, staring at my younger sister Psyche where she stood at the center of the light.
The white brilliance pouring from Psyche’s body was no ordinary glow. It was a sacred wave that purified every evil in the world. The forest darkness that had been rushing to devour us moments earlier had vanished without a trace, and the knights’ faces were etched with awe that surpassed mere reverence.
“Ahh… O God.”
Someone let out a moan and fell to their knees. The clank of armor followed as the knights one by one bent low to the muddy ground in reverence. The healer who had been treating me, the squires who had been roasting meat—none were exempt. To them, Psyche was no longer a pitiful, rain-soaked girl. She was the long-awaited savior the empire had sought through endless ages, the sole deliverer who would banish the Demon King’s shadow.
Psyche was still trembling, clutching my hand tightly. The light slowly faded, but its lingering presence ruled the entire forest. In a voice trembling with awe, the knight commander cried out.
“We found her… We have finally found her! The light of the empire—we greet the Saintess!”
Their eyes blazed with hope. From now on, Psyche would live as humanity’s sole beacon against the Demon King.
Psyche herself, however, was frightened and hiding behind my back. I took the hand of my hidden sister and asked, “Um… what happens now?”
The knight commander lifted his head and answered kindly. “We will first travel to the capital with the Saintess to have an audience with His Majesty the Emperor. His Majesty will decide everything after that.”
Psyche, who had been listening quietly, stepped forward. “What about you, Sister? You’re coming with us, right?”
I understood how she felt, but the imperial palace allowed entry only to those granted permission. Going together would likely be impossible.
“Well… that may be difficult.”
As expected, the commander looked troubled and carefully conveyed that it would not be possible.
“…Then I won’t go either. I absolutely refuse to go without my sister.”
At Psyche’s resolute declaration the knight commander’s face twisted in distress, but he could not defy the Saintess’s command. In the end I, too, was permitted to ride in the carriage to the capital as the Saintess’s ‘sole guardian.’
As expected, she really does have talent. I felt proud of my little sister.
The inside of the carriage bound for the capital was remarkably comfortable. Despite the rough roads, the ride barely shook. Outside, dozens of hoofbeats thundered against the earth, but the thick velvet curtains created a private world for just the two of us sisters.
Whenever the carriage jolted, Psyche pressed even deeper into my arms. She lay with her head on my lap, clutching my fingers as though they were a lifeline, and finally fell asleep. Her sleeping face looked strangely pale and uneasy. She frowned, breathing in short gasps as if something were chasing her in her dreams.
I gently brushed the hair from Psyche’s forehead. The knights’ voices drifted into the carriage—hopeful talk now that the Saintess had been found, about how they could surely defeat the Demon King. I quietly covered the sleeping child’s ears.
The journey to the capital lasted two weeks. At every estate where the carriage paused, people flooded the streets to welcome Psyche. I was glad she had become someone beloved by all, yet the thought of the burden she must feel kept my heart from being entirely light.
“Sister, did all these people really come out to see me?”
“Yes. It means you’re that important and that welcome.”
Whether she sensed my worry or not, Psyche smiled brightly. “Now I’ll make you happy, Sister.”
Seeing joy outweigh the burden on her face finally eased my mind.
When we finally reached the capital, Wales, the scene was nothing short of a human ocean. From the city gates all the way to the imperial palace, flower petals drifted like snow, and tens of thousands of people pressed so close the carriage could hardly advance.
“It’s the Saintess! The age of the Demon King is over!”
“The empire’s sun has risen again! The Saintess will protect us all!”
The cheers pierced the carriage walls and battered our eardrums. Some people beat the ground and wept in overwhelming emotion; others tried to break through the knights’ line to touch the carriage. I closed the curtains tightly and pulled Psyche into my arms, hoping the splendid uproar would not weigh on her.
“Sister, after we have our audience with His Majesty the Emperor… what will happen to us?”
I wasn’t sure. In the original novel, Psyche had been taken straight to the temple after being chosen as Saintess. With me here now, I could not predict the outcome.
“I don’t know either. But Psyche… we might have to be separated.”
“…Pardon?”
Psyche’s expression darkened in an instant. “I don’t want that… I don’t want to be apart from you, Sister.”
“…Yes. I don’t want to be apart either.”
I held her tightly. Soon the carriage stopped before the palace’s enormous main gate.
“You may descend now.”
The commander dismounted to escort us and offered his hand. Whether she truly did not see it or was pretending not to, Psyche climbed down by herself and reached out to me instead.
“Haha.”
The commander seemed to notice her feelings; he laughed softly and lowered his hand.
“Sister.”
Psyche stretched her hand farther, clearly asking me to take it.
“Thank you.”
I took her hand and stepped carefully from the carriage.
“Wow…”
The moment I descended, a gigantic gate loomed before us. Its sheer size and majesty overwhelmed me. When the commander knocked, the doors began to open slowly. Once they were fully open, rows of servants stood lined up inside. They all bowed their heads to Psyche at once.
Wow… my little sister has really succeeded.
Psyche seemed burdened by the sight and hid behind my back. I gave her hand a reassuring squeeze.
“Please follow me.”
The commander led the way. We walked through the imperial gardens and corridors until his steps finally halted.
“This is His Majesty the Emperor’s audience chamber. May we enter?”
We nodded when he asked if we were ready. He opened the door with care, and the audience chamber came into view.
It was so vast it felt wrong to call it a mere room, decorated with the luxurious interior I had imagined. In that enormous space a single woman sat alone upon the throne—Hailey Wales, the wise Emperor of the empire.
“You have traveled a long way. Thank you for your efforts.”
A dignified voice filled the chamber.
Emperor Hailey…
She had appeared in the original novel as well, only to meet a tragic end. A wise ruler who lived buried in state affairs, poisoned by rebels and taken from the world too soon. Because she had lived not for herself but for the empire, her fate had saddened me even more. The king who replaced her after driving her from the throne had been the very pinnacle of corruption.
For the sake of my ultimate goal—to kill the Demon King—such a ruler could not be allowed to rise. I must protect Emperor Hailey from that rebellion, I thought, and bowed my head to her.