Chapter 4
“I’m sorry, but this seems like a pointless argument. Being a saint isn’t something you can just quit whenever you want, and imagining me—not a saint—is meaningless,” Rasel said firmly.
Aiden tilted his head slightly.
“Isn’t it possible to imagine? The version of yourself you want to be.”
“I—”
“In your case, saint, it would be the version of yourself who isn’t a saint.”
Rasel was gradually becoming bewildered.
She couldn’t understand why he insisted on pushing this topic so persistently.
However, Aiden repeated his question.
“Then what is it you want most? If you could live without being a saint, what would you hope for?”
Rasel stopped herself from getting angry and hesitated.
It was a hopeless and empty thought. You can’t just quit being a saint. She had already attended the sanctification ceremony.
But if just imagining it could make it come true…
If such a dreamlike thing happened…
There were many choices in that dream: wealth, fame, beauty, knowledge.
Among them, Rasel could pick one and say clearly:
“I want to live with my family.”
“…”
“I don’t remember the time I lived with my family, so I want a new family. …If my parents who died in the earthquake could come back to life and live with me, that would be really wonderful.”
Her voice quietly revealed her painful sincerity.
Aiden stayed silent for a moment, then silently stood up.
“Ah.”
As Rasel tried to stand, he held out his hand to stop her.
“I understand well.”
“Pardon? Understand what…?”
“I’ll see you again next time.”
“Eh?”
Without receiving the saint’s blessing, Aiden turned his back and briskly left the reception room.
Rasel was flustered and stared after his back and the door he had exited.
“What on earth…?”
What was it that he expected from her by asking those questions? Rasel couldn’t know or understand any of it.
Thinking about it only gave her a headache.
The audience with the nobles continued until 10 PM.
Exhausted, Rasel collapsed into her room and fell asleep without even changing clothes, only to be woken at 5 AM.
“Ugh…”
Groggy and yawning, Rasel nearly dunked her head into the wash basin while washing her face.
After barely getting ready, she arrived at the reception room, but no one was there.
Since no one had arrived yet, Rasel yawned widely and slouched deep into the couch.
She stared blankly into space and slowly began to doze off.
How much time passed?
“…Huh.”
Had she nodded off? Rasel suddenly opened her eyes and frantically looked around. Luckily, only one person was in the room.
“Ah! Sorry…”
Reflexively apologizing, Rasel suddenly realized her visitor was still a child.
He looked older than her, but at about 13 or 14 years old—only about four years older than Rasel, who was ten.
He had black hair and red eyes, and despite looking pale, he was so pretty that one could mistake him for a girl.
It was obvious he would become handsome once fully grown.
His clothes were not a uniform but comfortable for activity, made of fine material with careful stitching—top quality.
That boy sat expressionlessly across from Rasel, staring at her intently.
From his face, Rasel easily recalled someone.
“He’s a dead ringer for Grand Duke Aiden, and those red eyes… Could it be…?”
“…Martin Reviers?”
“You know me.”
Rasel was surprised by his casual reply.
Martin Reviers.
In her past life, Rasel had met Grand Duke Avril.
He was a very strange and awkward person.
Martin had an equally strange life.
The year Rasel became a saint, Martin, who had been in a coma since childhood, woke up, and the previous Grand Duke Avril died.
Thus, Martin naturally became Grand Duke Avril.
After waking, about a year later, Martin began to donate huge sums to the Ederion Church quarterly.
But Rasel didn’t have good memories of Martin.
When High Priestess Matron ignored Rasel’s opinions, Martin would listen but nitpick and question everything.
“How does this event help spread the word of God Ederion?”
“Isn’t the mission of the church more than just charity for the poor? You don’t try to aim higher at all.”
Because of this, Rasel once nearly developed neurosis.
As an incompetent saint, she dared not challenge the church’s top donor.
…Yet that man was the only one who stayed by her side as she was dying.
With such a desperate look.
“…Why did he do that? No, better not think about that now. What’s important is…”
Why was this kid calmly entering her reception room now?
“Did you come to receive the blessing?”
“No. I don’t need it.”
Rasel asked just in case, but Martin answered coldly.
She was so flustered she was speechless. She tilted her head.
“Then why did you ask for an audience?”
“I didn’t.”
“…What?”
“I came in through the window.”
Martin casually pointed to the open window.
Rasel was utterly baffled.
“You do know you’re not supposed to do that, right?”
“I know, but since I couldn’t meet you today normally, I had no choice.”
“Then just come next time. Wait, why are you speaking so casually?”
“Then you speak casually too.”
Martin answered as if there was no problem, cutting off Rasel’s words.
She was beyond dumbfounded and on the verge of laughing. But she couldn’t treat him rudely.
He was the only son of Grand Duke Aiden Reviers, the heir who would inherit Avril.
“I’m sorry, but please leave. I have someone scheduled to meet.”
“If there was someone, wouldn’t they have come in already?”
Martin glanced at the door.
That was true. If the schedule was so packed that Martin couldn’t formally request an audience, the visitor would have arrived already.
But no one had come, and Rasel was dozing off while Martin secretly snuck in.
Something was strange.
“…Do you want me to ask the priests outside?”
As Rasel said that and stood, Martin quickly shook his head.
“The emperor is coming.”
“…The emperor?”
“Yeah. Taren Antegrad. And his son, Sheiria Antegrad, too.”
Rasel’s expression vanished.
Sheiria was coming.
The future crown prince.
The person she loved.
The person who betrayed her.
“Rasel.”
His face, smiling at her, was vivid in her memory.
She had fallen for his kindness, how he made time to see her despite being busy, how he listened to her incoherent stories and troubles.
And…
Now that I’ve possessed the real heroine, it’s time for a happy ending with the original male lead. Sheiria will be happy.
Rasel bit her lip tightly and clenched her fist.
She loved him.
She trusted him.
It was all a lie.
Why?
Why did the two people she loved most betray her together?
Bella could be excused because she believed in that ‘story.’ But Sheiria? Why?
Why, exactly?
At that moment, a soft warmth touched her cheek. Rasel flinched and looked up.
Martin had quietly approached and was stroking her cheek.
“Are you okay?”
“…I’m okay.”
Rasel gently shook her head and removed Martin’s hand. Martin’s expression stiffened for a moment but soon returned to neutral.
“So, what does the emperor coming have to do with you secretly visiting me?”
“It has nothing to do with me.”
Martin said coldly and decisively.
“But it has to do with you. The emperor is coming because of you…”
At that moment, a knocking came from the door.
“Saint, His Majesty the Emperor has arrived.”
Flustered, Rasel jumped up and glanced between the door and Martin, but Martin was already by the window, climbing onto the sill.
“Refuse.”
“Huh?”
“Refuse it.”
With only those words, Martin jumped out the window.
Luckily, it was the first floor, so it was okay, but Rasel had to receive the emperor in a flustered state as the door opened.
“Ah, um…”
“Please sit comfortably.”
The emperor, Taren Antegrad, said as he walked in, leaning on a golden staff, then plopped down on the couch opposite Rasel.
Taren was sixty years old but had already white hair and deep wrinkles.
He had dark, rough skin from years of battlefields, scarred all over.
His gaze was sharp enough to intimidate anyone.
Even Rasel was no exception.
Despite having met many people, Rasel had never seen such a fierce, almost murderous look in anyone’s eyes.
“I regret not being able to attend your sanctification ceremony. I was busy handling urgent matters that day.”
“It’s alright. I’ve already heard His Majesty’s kindness from the proxy.”
Rasel recited without inflection. Taren chuckled lightly.
“That’s a relief. I came to see the saint today with urgent business, having sent away everyone wishing for your blessing.”
“What is it? If there’s anything I can do, I will help with all my strength.”
Rasel smiled politely and replied.
The emperor stroked his long white beard thoughtfully.
“It’s something only a saint can do, but will you truly do it as you say?”
“If it’s something I can help with.”
Rasel answered warmly but firmly.
The emperor laughed heartily.
“Very well. I’ve decided to donate 40,000 gold—about five billion won—to the temple.”
Rasel almost opened her mouth in shock but held back.
40,000 gold could build a noble’s villa near the capital.
“That’s not all. I will personally fund rebuilding the grand cathedral that burned down recently.”
Rebuilding the cathedral with his private funds, an even greater sum than the donation, was a huge matter.
Realizing much depended on this conversation and her answer, Rasel stammered.
“If Your Majesty lends such great support, it is truly appreciated, but why…?”
“In exchange.”
The emperor gripped his staff tightly with his veiny, wrinkled hand and leaned forward slightly.
Feeling the pressure, Rasel instinctively leaned back.
“Marry my son.”
“…Excuse me?”
“In the distant future, you will become Crown Princess and one day the Empress.”
For a moment, Rasel’s mind went blank.
“…What…?”
“Marry Sheiria. Since he’s young now, you will be betrothed for the time being.”
The emperor said this commandingly, as if it were an order.
