Chapter 55

“Your Majesty is still young, so is it really necessary to worry about an heir already?”

Normally, the saintess’ sudden interjection would have been unwelcome, but at that moment, it was a relief. Lehan agreed—it was true that he had just turned twenty and it wasn’t quite time to worry about heirs yet.

“However, the timing for imperial heirs is a little different from what ordinary people think.”

“Did you hear that, Edelis?”

“…Does it matter whether I hear it or not?”

“Of course it matters. Don’t you think so?”

Lehan, still holding Edelis’s hand, brushed his thumb gently across it. The strange sensation made her unsure of how to react.

“Then, what happens if there’s no heir?”

“…That would be a bit troublesome.”

“A bit? Isn’t ensuring an heir essential for the Imperial Family?”

“Exactly, which is why taking a concubine is the common solution.”

“A concubine…”

“Ah, of course, there’s also the option of abdication to a sibling or adopting someone from a collateral branch.”

At those words, Edelis’s expression darkened even more. The Grand Duchy of Raksid had no brothers to pass the throne to, due to the previous emperor’s endless assassination attempts. And all the other royal relatives—the collateral branches—had been executed when Lehan ascended the throne. That left only the option of taking a concubine.

“Each of these is just one possible solution. I’ve already declared I won’t take a concubine. And whether an heir will be born or not—well, we’ll have to wait and see.”

“That’s true.”

“If we keep trying, something’s bound to happen eventually.”

“Y-Yeah, I suppose.”

He emphasized the word trying, which made her a bit uncomfortable, but he wasn’t wrong. Even if he married a noblewoman instead of a royal, producing an heir would still be the greatest duty. Lehan then pulled Edelis’s hand closer and kissed the back of it.

“Lehan!”

She almost yelled at him, asking what he was doing in front of everyone, but then remembered—this had been her plan all along: to show affection in front of the saintess so that the saintess would give up on Lehan. When Edelis tried to pull her hand away, Lehan tightened his grip, thinking she was trying to withdraw.

But I wasn’t trying to pull away at all!

With no other choice, Edelis shifted slightly. They were sitting very close to each other, so she didn’t have to move much. She turned and kissed the back of Lehan’s hand, just as he had done to her.

Lehan looked surprised at Edelis’s uncharacteristic move, but then smiled, raising the corners of his mouth. Seeing Edelis’s face gradually redden, Lehan turned to the saintess and said, “I have something urgent to attend to. If you’ll excuse us.”

“Ah, yes. If it’s urgent, then of course.”

Then Lehan gave a slight tug to Edelis’s hand, signaling for her to stand.

“Me too? I’m going with you?”

“Of course. It’s something very urgent.”

“What on earth…”

If it were truly urgent, she would’ve heard about it in advance, either directly from Lehan or through a servant. But she hadn’t heard a thing.

“Don’t you think we should ease the council’s concerns?”

The issue wasn’t really about Lord Frache’s love life.

“But it’s broad daylight!”

“I don’t care whether it’s day or night. Come on.”

Edelis hesitated, unsure whether she should stand and follow him. But Lehan had already said his goodbyes and started leaving, so she decided to follow. After all, it would make more of an impact on the saintess this way.

“A lot of people saw us sitting together. So feel free to talk comfortably.”

Many people had seen Lord Frache and the saintess sitting with the emperor and empress, so there would be no suspicious rumors. Hopefully, the two would become closer.

“Well then, we’ll take our leave.”

Edelis gave a polite bow and followed Lehan back to the palace with light steps.

“…Do you think it’ll work?”

“Even if it doesn’t, there’s nothing more we can do.”

“But if it doesn’t… won’t the saintess keep clinging to you?”

“I don’t mind. She did help us, after all.”

“What if I say I don’t like it? It’s obvious she has feelings for you.”

That much was clear, and in the book, the saintess had actually become the empress. So Edelis couldn’t help but be wary.

“Since it made you uncomfortable, I want her to leave soon.”

“…I know we can’t just send her away since we owe her.”

“But actually, I’m glad she hasn’t left. I get to see this side of you.”

“Lehan!”

“If the saintess stays here forever, does that mean I’ll get to see your jealousy forever too?”

“Forever?!”

“If she ends up with Johannes, she’ll stay in the capital, right?”

“I guess so.”

“Then I suppose I’ll have to root for them.”

Lehan laughed heartily, and Edelis’s shoulders relaxed a bit.

“I was just going along with you earlier—did it help?”

“Of course it did!”

“I’m glad.”

Then Lehan walked her to the library. He said he had mountains of paperwork to get through after rearranging his schedule to accommodate all this. Before returning to his study, he left her with one more line that made her tense again.

“I did my part. Now you do yours.”

Smiling as he walked away, Edelis couldn’t pretend not to understand. The effort he mentioned was clearly about producing an heir, just as he had said in front of the saintess.

“…I know I have to, but…”

She opened a book, but not a single word registered. She couldn’t concentrate at all until Lehan came to fetch her. She hadn’t even turned one page. Two days later, she finally had a chance to speak with Lord Frache while he was escorting her.

“Lord Frache, how did it go?”

“…I’m not sure.”

“Nothing’s changed with the saintess?”

“Seems that way.”

“Hmm… was our last plan not effective?”

She couldn’t ask him directly if the saintess had given up on Lehan. Maybe something had gone wrong with the plan?

“No, I think we’ve gotten a little closer than before. But…”

“But?”

“It feels like I’ve hit a wall. Like we keep getting closer, and then suddenly… we can’t get any closer.”

Ah. That must be because the saintess still had feelings for Lehan. Still, wouldn’t most people prefer being a duchess over being the emperor’s concubine? Lehan was great—flawless, even—but Lord Frache was just as impressive. Then again, the saintess probably thought differently from most.

“Even after our last tea time?”

“Yes.”

“Hmm, Lord Frache. Do you still like the saintess?”

“Yes.”

He answered without a moment’s hesitation. Edelis, feeling that his heart hadn’t changed and encouraged by the apparent progress, decided to dig deeper—to come up with the perfect strategy.

“Lord Frache, maybe it’s time for a new plan.”

“Do you think there’s still a chance?”

“She hasn’t pushed you away, has she?”

“No.”

“If you feel like you’re one step away, then all you need to do is take that final step.”

“That’s… true.”

His eyes began to shine with growing trust in Edelis.

“They say women understand other women best. If I knew a little more, I could help you even more than before…”

“What would you like to know?”

“Hmm, maybe how you met, or how you fell for her? Or what she likes?”

“If it’s that kind of thing, I could talk for three days straight.”

“…Please summarize.”

[Memory of the First Meeting]

They first met not long after the Holy Empire’s delegation arrived. Since there had previously been an assassination attempt on the Empress, the entire delegation and their guards were being carefully observed. Among them was a woman he ran into multiple times. Every time they met, she smiled and greeted him politely.

A priest’s robe… but she doesn’t look like a boy. Is she that female priest everyone’s been talking about?

She was already the subject of many rumors, partly due to her beauty, but also because of the rare air she carried—something uncommon even among women. After a few days of seeing her multiple times a day, he began to subconsciously look around for her. Then, as Captain of the Imperial Guard, he volunteered to escort the delegation to the temple for worship. Technically, he didn’t have to go himself, but his curiosity about her pushed him to act.

There, after the service, he saw her caring for the children at the church’s orphanage with great sincerity. More so than any other priest. That was when he first felt drawn to her. But his feelings deepened when he learned that she was actually the Saintess of the Holy Empire.

For the highest-ranking person in the Holy Empire to be serving the lowest…

His admiration grew. He hadn’t intended to get close—she was supposed to leave after the wedding. But they began to meet more often and had deeper conversations. Their bond grew.

“Do you know that too, Saintess?”

“Of course! You and I really have a lot in common, Lord Frache.”

“Indeed, we do.”

He realized how many things they had in common. At first, he thought her role as Saintess suited her. But now, he thought it was a shame. If she weren’t the Saintess of the Holy Empire, she would’ve made the perfect duchess—no one else could compare. Once that thought took root, it became impossible to shake.

“If you’re okay with it… would you call me by my name?”

“…Johannes.”

“You can call me Johan.”

“Alright then, Johan.”

He was certain she felt something too. The way she smiled when calling his name radiated warmth. But she remained just out of reach.

“May I call you by name too?”

“I’m sorry… in my position as Saintess…”

“I understand, Saintess.”

“Thank you for understanding, Johan.”

Just a bit closer, and he could reach her. That’s how it felt—too late to turn back now. But why… why did she seem different only when she was around Lehan?