28 – Mistaken Identity.
Elaine cautiously lifted her head.
From Noble mtl dot com
The blood flowing from the prince’s neck had suddenly stopped.
Whew-
Thank goodness.
From the smooth fabric that brushed against my cheek, I could feel a strange joy.
From the contact with my body.
Along with the warm body temperature, the refreshing scent of the dew-covered morning forest was vividly wafting over.
The restlessness had stopped without me realizing.
Now, there was no strength left.
My trembling hands and my legs, just like them, were swaying as if they could collapse at any moment.
So, this couldn’t be helped.
Truly exhausted, I really felt like I could fall over any moment.
So, in order not to fall, I had no choice but to tightly hold onto the broad back of the prince.
It was a shameful rationalization that even made me feel embarrassed.
This thrilling excitement that soared to the point of dizziness made me act boldly, surpassing even my sense of shame.
Thump! Thump! Thump!
It had been my racing heart ever since I first saw the prince at the Empress’s palace.
And now, being held in the prince’s arms, it was beyond being just a racing heart.
It was so astonishing that it didn’t burst, her heart was beating explosively and violently.
Each throb was so powerful that it felt like the ground was shaking.
Perhaps, it was even an excessive imagination to think that a giant from a myth was nearby, stomping its feet.
Being tightly trapped in the prince’s embrace, the scorching heat couldn’t escape anywhere, so I ended up sweating as well.
But even so, I didn’t dislike it one bit.
As long as I could stay like this, tightly embraced, it felt like there was nothing more to wish for.
I was truly surprised when he suddenly hugged me.
“Your Highness, I missed you so much…!”
Somehow, even my happy feelings were stirred.
I finally understood what it meant to have a relationship where you can understand each other’s hearts without saying a word.
I had heard from my mother when I was young that love was like that.
Of course, back then, I confidently declared that something that couldn’t even be achieved with magic couldn’t possibly be love.
But it turns out that it really is possible.
“I really missed you, Elaine.”
Somehow, I could vividly hear his heart pounding like an echo in the cliff.
By the way, this is really a big problem.
Thump! Thump! Thump!
Even now, the sound of my heartbeat was too loud.
What if the prince were to notice? I suddenly became afraid.
It would be really embarrassing if that happened.
I hurriedly recalled the number of dishes and teacups in the viscount’s collection.
I even tried to estimate the number of trees and flowers in the garden, but no matter how much I tried to think of something else, my heart, which had already crossed its limit, refused to calm down.
But they say that happiness comes after hardship.
That saying that always sounded so futile, it seems it wasn’t entirely wrong after all.
As if stepping on a bug, when the Empress insulted her, Elaine felt so helpless that she didn’t know what to do, just bowing her head like a fool.
Even if she knew how the Crown Prince felt.
Because of her low status, like a stamped mark, she could only reflect that way, feeling endless despair.
Perhaps the Crown Prince felt the same way.
That thought was too terrifying.
While the Empress drank soup and cut steak, Elaine had to silently chew on her miserable feelings.
She could bear being insulted herself.
But when the Empress insulted the Crown Prince, she couldn’t bear it anymore.
She was so angry.
So she glared at the Empress.
What does she know about the Crown Prince?
If she were the Empress, that would be a different story!
Recalling that moment, her anger was still so intense, so overwhelming.
Of course, looking back now, I don’t know where I found the courage.
To dare to talk back to the most noble woman in the Empire.
It could have been a situation where she could be immediately punished for insulting the aristocracy.
If the Crown Prince hadn’t appeared like a legendary hero, things could have gone really wrong.
Suddenly, a bright smile appeared on Elaine’s lips, pressed against the Crown Prince’s cheek.
It was because she remembered the embarrassing words he had confidently shouted.
– “Try touching my woman again, and I’ll really kill you.”
“My woman…”
Unconsciously, while still embracing her, I uttered those words.
Just thinking about it once made my body tingle all over.
I’m so happy that my mind keeps turning white.
I don’t know.
I don’t know anything.
Embarrassment and all that.
Now, I don’t even want to know.
Elaine tightened her grip on the Hwangja’s back even more.
I will never let go, not now, not ever.
But frighteningly, just as I had that thought, the happy moment came to an end.
“See you at the Hwangja Palace.”
As soon as those words came out of the Hwangja’s mouth, everything suddenly became blurry in front of me.
It felt as if I were looking at the scenery outside the water from beneath the surface of a lake.
The Hwangja, who was getting farther away under the blue sky.
The red-haired female warrior behind him.
The emperor, slowly getting closer, surrounded by countless planted flower trees in the palace.
Everyone was swaying like waterweed.
***
Thanks to Aku’s power, I managed to make Elaine transparent just in time.
And then, I waved my hand and sent her to the Imperial Palace.
Grentino will take care of her, so there is no need to worry.
Feeling the growing popularity, I cautiously turned around.
The Emperor and the Chief Priest were suddenly only ten steps away.
“I can’t believe this-“
But for some reason, the Chief Priest’s expression as he looked at me seemed strange.
Thump-
Moreover, he even kneeled in front of me and bowed submissively.
Did this guy suddenly go crazy?
“Oh… Great Aurora…”
In the end, he looked up at me with a face full of admiration and even shed tears, causing me to instinctively take a step back.
In my head, I couldn’t understand the situation at all.
Could it be that he saw Elaine?
But that couldn’t be possible.
When I saw the Chief Priest, I quickly hugged Elaine and turned my back slightly, so there was no way he could have seen her.
Although we weren’t far apart, it was definitely not close enough to see.
With the sunlight shining brightly like this, it was impossible to see the faint divine power emanating from Elaine’s hand.
In that case, he must be just crazy.
With that thought, I looked at the Emperor with that face.
Rolling his eyes, he sent a pleading look to the Emperor, asking him to explain what was going on.
But the Emperor, with a blank expression, simply turned away, indicating that he didn’t understand English.
In the end, he tried to ignore the courtier who started crying loudly.
First, he showed respect to the Emperor.
“Your Majesty, I greet you.”
“Ahem. Yes, Eos. Have you had your meal? Are you feeling well? Did you sleep well last night?”
Certainly, the atmosphere of the Emperor is strange.
Compared to before, his friendly attitude, which seems to have become a few times more harmful, is suspicious and very annoying.
Come to think of it, it seems to have been since that day when the Emperor stabbed his heart with a sword.
His attitude towards me has definitely changed.
Could it be because of that…?
The morning after his heart was stabbed, the Emperor came to the Imperial Palace.
When he suddenly looked down, I almost revealed my hidden dagger.
Thanks to Rak, who quickly hid it, I didn’t get caught revealing the fact that I had deciphered the Emperor.
Anyway, I managed to hide it well in the end.
The change in the Emperor’s attitude was due to another reason.
Although I am very curious about that reason, it was the courtier who was more urgent than the Emperor right now.
I couldn’t shake off the ominous feeling that this chubby man was about to cause a major accident.
“Oh, Aurora….”
As our eyes met, and the courtier looked at me, a shiver ran down my spine.
It was eyes that seemed clearer than the water flowing gently through the deep mountains.
Those clear, clear eyes that seemed to have nothing to hide.
They were no different from the extremists who would gladly sacrifice their own lives for the glory of God.
“….”
Finally, breaking the stagnant silence, the emperor began to mediate.
“Chugyegyeong, why are you behaving this way? There are many eyes watching, so sit down.”
At those words, the guards and court officials behind the emperor turned around with a smirk.
Each of them, making sure that their words did not leak to the soldiers and courtiers following behind them, gave a signal with their eyes, and about twenty people scattered in all directions.
The still prostrated Chugyegyeong could only lift his head and continue to stare at me without taking his eyes off.
“Your Majesty, I just felt it a moment ago.”
“What are you talking about? First, get up and speak.”
“I can’t. Sob. After hundreds of years, finally! The goddess has sent a saint for us fallen ones. How dare I get up from my seat? Saint, please lead us to the path of salvation!”
hehehehe….
Me, a saint….
What the….
I’m so shocked I can’t even speak properly.
Seeing his heavily wrinkled face sigh, the emperor seemed to have a similar sentiment as me.
***
The reason the emperor headed to the Prince’s Palace was to introduce Chugyegyeong Lergio, the key figure of the temple, to Eos.
It was a light move for the future.
And then, suddenly, I saw them.
The golden hair that shone brighter than gold itself, and the eyes that sparkled like blue gemstones, as if they had captured the sky.
Not too far away.
Elaine and Eos were holding hands affectionately, slowly making their way towards the Prince’s Palace.
Just looking at them made me smile, witnessing such a heartwarming scene.
But still, it was not yet the time for Elaine and the High Priest to meet.
The revelation of the Saint’s true identity had to wait until after marriage.
Only then could she not be taken away from the temple.
“Your Majesty, it seems the Goddess has expressed her displeasure to the unfaithful servants.”
“Ah… White Night, you say? The miraculous event that occurs every few hundred years, surely it must be Aurora’s way of watching over Mersen, isn’t it?”
“Who could it be? The adult who raised the White Night, following the will of the Goddess… I am so desperate to meet that person. But we still can’t find even a small clue…”
Fortunately, it seemed that the High Priest was too absorbed in his own muttering to notice Elaine.
After a moment of hesitation.
As I was about to take the High Priest somewhere else, I absentmindedly turned my head, only to find that Elaine had disappeared without a trace.
As expected.
With this, the speculation that had been going on was confirmed.
The fact that Elaine, who had clearly existed just moments ago, suddenly vanished.
Eos must have undoubtedly regained the powers of an elf.
It was undoubtedly Elaine who had healed her dying son’s heart with her own mistake.
The scattered puzzle pieces fell into place perfectly, finally forming a complete picture.
Of course, since that guy didn’t say a word, I couldn’t know the details, but it was clear that there was a reason he couldn’t speak.
Anyway, since everything was going well, I didn’t bother to force him to spill what my son didn’t want to say.
In the midst of the improved flow, I had stopped trying to investigate further, afraid that it might mix with negativity.
What I needed to do now was simply…
To build a justification to reinstate Eos as the Crown Prince.
With the participation of Viscount Bart, things had been going smoothly so far.
Of course, one thing I could be sure of was that…
There wouldn’t be many people in this vast empire who would support Eos’s reinstatement.
The first faces that came to mind were…
The Empress and Cervis, who would suffer the most if Eos were reinstated, and Duke Shlain.
Thinking of their faces still made my blood boil, now as much as ever.
If only I hadn’t fallen for their deception and committed adultery.
Maybe Weblea wouldn’t have fallen ill.
And my relationship with Eos wouldn’t have become so distant.
“Trash-like bastards.”
It was when I felt something strange that I unintentionally swore in anger.
The minister, who hadn’t stopped speaking for a moment, was suddenly silent.
“This… this can’t be…”
Regio started running, with an expression of disbelief on his face.
With his fat body stumbling unsteadily, his speed towards the prince only increased.
From Noble mtl dot com
It seemed like it was no ordinary day.
Curious about what was going on, the Emperor reflexively followed along.
Not a single breath was taken.
Ever since Eos detoxified me, my body has been getting stronger every day.
It was the result of the mana slowly filling up day by day, as if the past emptiness was being restored or as if there was no longer any sign of revival.
And then, it happened when I confronted Eos.
“……!”
The High Priest suddenly dropped to his knees. Towards his own son.
Honestly, it was a sight that made me doubt my eyes, but the temple had always been filled with strange people, so I let it go.
…But to call his own son a saint.
In the powerful religious organization that dominates the entire continent, the religion of the Goddess.
The High Priest, who holds the greatest power, right under the Pope.
He referred to the notorious degenerate prince who had caused countless evil acts for years, as a saint.
No matter how corrupt he was, it was unimaginable for the High Priest to have such delusions.
‘This bastard….’
It was so absurd that I almost blurted out vulgar curses that I used on the battlefield in the past.
My head nodded involuntarily.
No wonder the Goddess abandoned the temple.
What came to mind after a small sigh was nothing but belated regret that I should have called for a different High Priest, not Lergio.