Chapter 34
“Your Highness, didn’t you say we should take our family’s carriage together?”
“I did. But the plan’s changed.”
When Ren smiled faintly, a tall, elegant horse stepped gracefully out of the shadows behind Rix—Kiss.
The sight of Kiss made the Mapla mother and daughter startle and step back in surprise.
Mabel came forward and handed the reins to Ren.
Ren stroked Kiss naturally, prompting Sophia to gasp.
“Is that… the Saintess’s horse?”
Ren nodded proudly.
“Handsome, isn’t he? Beautiful? Cute? Adorable?”
Her sparkling eyes seemed to demand an answer. The countess gave an awkward smile and nodded.
“And why exactly did you tell me to bring Kiss?”
When Rix scolded her, Ren only patted Kiss’s mane.
That was when he realized—she wasn’t looking at him.
His own expression stiffened in turn.
They spoke, but their eyes never met. She was deliberately avoiding him as much as possible.
His voice grew colder.
“If you’re going to treat the Crown Prince like a mere errand boy, you could at least take him away quickly.”
“Sorry. The stables aren’t completely built yet.”
She kept her gaze fixed on Kiss as she spoke, her tone anything but apologetic.
The countess carefully ventured a question.
“Weren’t you supposed to be riding with us in our carriage?”
Ren, still running her hand down Kiss’s neck, gave a bright smile.
“I just thought of something really fun.”
The three who didn’t understand tilted their heads.
Then Ren, without using the steps, placed one foot in the stirrup and swung up onto Kiss in a single smooth motion.
Sitting securely, she took a thin, long ribbon from her pocket—the same color as her eyes.
Holding the ribbon in her mouth, she swept her hair back. Her thick silver hair was gathered like a horse’s tail, and she wound it tightly with the ribbon.
A breeze blew—neither strong nor weak, just enough to lift one’s spirits. It carried her silver hair aloft as she grinned.
“I’m a bit…”
Viola, looking up at her, thought she seemed so free.
Rix, however, darkened.
That’s just like her, he thought—and it only made using her feel more troublesome.
Perhaps he’d picked up the wrong weapon from the start.
Ren’s smile was brighter than moonlight.
“…the type who can’t stand to lose.”
“Saintess!”
Before the countess could stop her, Ren dug in her heels.
Kiss reared up, forelegs cutting the air, and a gust of wind rushed past.
Viola, caught off guard, stumbled backward and twisted her ankle slightly, but Rix caught her before anyone noticed.
Her earlobes turning red, Viola murmured, “Thank you so—”
“See you at the palace!”
Her voice was drowned out by Ren’s parting words.
Rix’s gaze followed the departing Ren, and Viola swallowed her thanks, looking down.
Kiss ran as if he could read her heart, far faster than in any of their previous practice runs.
But Ren was no novice rider anymore; she kept her body low and moved as one with him.
Her first meeting with the Emperor and Hatasha’s words tangled in her mind.
Saintess Rena.
And The Saintess’s Dilemma.
The world Ren was in was unmistakably the same as the novel The Saintess’s Dilemma.
She’d concluded that from the combination of silver hair and blue eyes, the title “Saintess Fiora,” divine power, the Mapla countship, Victor’s existence—and the red hair said to belong only to members of the imperial family.
She had simply assumed the heroine hadn’t appeared yet.
“But the original story… ended.”
Ren bit her lip hard enough to bruise.
Then what am I?
A headache began to press at her temples.
Just then, a young woman suddenly darted out from an alley. Seeing the looming shadow rushing toward her, she let out a scream.
“Kyaa!”
“Careful!”
Ren yanked the reins short, pulling Kiss’s bit sharply. Kiss veered left, hooves striking the ground hard in protest at having his run cut short.
Ren patted his neck before leaping down.
The girl, trembling, was still sitting frozen on the ground. Up close, she looked very young.
“I’m so sorry. That must’ve scared you.”
Ren crouched to meet her eyes. Nearly trampled by a massive horse, the girl was too shocked to get up.
“Really, I’m sorry. I was in a hurry to get to the palace and—”
The girl nodded, eyes brimming with tears. When Ren finally helped her to her feet, she hiccuped and spoke in a thin voice.
“You’re… going to the palace?”
“Yes.”
“The palace is…”
Wiping her eyes with her sleeve, the girl pointed into the distance. Ren followed her finger.
There, gleaming like a cluster of stars, was a massive building.
“It’s that way.”
Ah. Right.
Ren slapped her forehead.
I don’t know the way.
Kiss snorted as if to agree.
I can’t be late!
She’d made such a cool exit—showing up late now would be humiliating.
She could feel the heat rise to her ears.
Thankfully, Kiss seemed to understand, picking up speed.
The forest path the girl had shown her wasn’t too rough, perfect for a fast run.
Voices and distant chatter grew louder as they approached.
Just a little further!
Ren nudged Kiss’s sides once more, and he snorted and surged forward.
“There it is!”
Her eyes widened. The palace stables the girl had described came into view.
At the sound of her raised voice, Kiss’s ears perked, and his hooves struck the ground with extra force.
As they neared the flickering lights of the stables, Ren cried out,
“Made it!”
Kiss skidded to a stop with a sharp whinny.
“Who goes there?!”
A gruff man approached, frowning. Ren quickly dismounted.
“These are the imperial palace stables, right?”
“They are, but who—Saintess?!”
The hostility in his voice vanished when he saw her in the dim light—silver hair, blue eyes. The one and only saintess.
He’d been too busy working to go to the square and see her, and now here she was before him.
“S-Saintess! In a place like this, why—”
“I don’t have time to explain! How do I get to the palace?”
“Well, that… uh—”
The stablemaster stammered, unable to think straight.
Then a familiar voice reached Ren’s ears.
“Saintess?”
A man leading a white horse approached, his tone a mix of curiosity and gentleness. Ren turned to see him.
“Victor!”
She never imagined she’d run into someone she knew here.
Overjoyed, she called out loudly.
Victor’s eyes asked, Why are you here?
Before he could speak, Ren grabbed him.
“You know the way to the palace?”
“The palace?”
“Yes! Where the ball’s being held!”
“Of course I do.”
“Then please take me there!”
“Understood.”
Even in such an odd situation, Victor remained calm. He handed his white horse and Kiss to the stablemaster.
“Is it far from here?”
“It’s a bit of a walk.”
“Has the ball started yet?”
“Not officially. His Majesty the Emperor suddenly felt unwell, so the start has been delayed.”
Thank goodness. Ren exhaled in relief.
Then it occurred to her—Victor was from the Mapla family. She gripped his arm urgently.
“Has your family already arrived?!”
“No. They had other matters, so I came ahead. Weren’t you going to ride in our carriage?”
Ren gave an awkward laugh.
“Well… things came up.”
She swallowed the rest.
As Victor led her onward, the sounds of music and voices grew nearer.
“Actually, my mother and sister are running late because their carriage had an accident.”
“What?!”
Victor, oddly unbothered, smiled faintly.
“The coachman tried to take a shortcut and got the carriage stuck. Luckily, no one was hurt, and Prince Rix is helping them.”
“I see…”
Ren wasn’t sure whether to call that fortunate or not, and nodded awkwardly.
“Oh? You’re the Saintess, aren’t you?”
A voice called from nearby, and both Ren and Victor stopped.
Victor bowed politely.
Even before the ball had begun, the stench of alcohol hit her. Ren frowned.
The boorish man was the youngest prince, Dominic.
He had a palace maid, marked by her navy head covering, tucked under his arm, and was staggering toward them.
