Chapter 1
Has anyone here ever kidnapped someone?
I havenât. Though I have been the one getting kidnapped.
Still, itâll probably be fine. At worst, Iâll just die.
Lying prone in the grass, I raised a pair of binoculars. Below the hill, a group approached in a cloud of dust. Above them, the imperial banner fluttered in the wind.
The targetâthe Second Princeâhad arrived.
âSaintess. From that angle⊠your backside is showing.â
âEyes down.â
âYes, maâam.â
Damn it. Iâm trying to focus here.
There were five carriages in total, all heading toward the monastery.
Lowering the binoculars, I pushed myself up and turned aroundâonly to lock eyes with Wolfgang.
The fox-like smile curling his eyes made my blood pressure spike instantly.
âDid you hear âeyes downâ through your ass?â
âIf I look down from here, all Iâll see is your ass anyway.â
âThen gouge your eyes out.â
Wolfgang Lichtenbrunn. The Commander of the Holy Knightsâand yet, not particularly devout. Werenât people in his position usually rigid, principled, and taciturn?
What was the use of good looks? If he fell into water, only his mouth would stay afloat. Then again, the fact that Iâm the Saintess already proves this order is doomed.
âReady?â
âYep.â
At Wolfgangâs reply, I turned. He was already holding the carriage door open, waiting for me.
That infuriating grin of hisâunable to hold back, I kicked him in the shin.
âOw.â
Not like it hurt much. What a faker.
âWhy do you keep grinning?â
âItâs my first time doing something this⊠improper since joining the order.â
âImproper? This is all part of the Goddessâs plan, you idiot.â
âYes, yes. Iâm well aware.â
Dropping the act in mere seconds, Wolfgang resumed his picture-perfect smile and escorted me forward.
Youâre dead after this is over, bastard.
I shot him a glare as I climbed into the carriage.
Not long after, the Saintessâs mad little army blocked the Princeâs procession.
âNeighâ!â
The horses reared to a halt, their cries echoing across the northern wasteland.
âWho dares obstruct His Highness the Princeâs journey?!â
The shout rang out from the commander of the knights escorting the Second Prince.
What was his name again? ToâTobi⊠whatever. Iâll ask Wolfgang later.
Right then, Wolfgang opened the carriage door for me. Even when our eyes met, he didnât smile. It felt oddly unfamiliar.
Ah, managing his image when thereâs an audience, is it?
Professional.
Not to be outdone, I straightened my posture and extended my hand. Then, the moment I stepped down from the carriageâ
âGah!â
âThe Saintess? Thatâs the Saintess?!â
Whispers bordering on shock erupted from all around. Nice reaction.
With a politicianâs practiced smile, I lifted my chin. I almost waved but decided against it.
Instead, I kept my lips tightly pressed and murmured to Wolfgang through clenched teeth, ventriloquizing:
âWhatâs his name again?â
âPardon? AhâTobias.â
Right. Tobias. That was it.
Wearing the most benevolent expression I could muster, I walked toward Tobias, Commander of the Imperial Third Knights.
His face looked as if heâd been struck by lightningâamusing, but not the time to laugh.
After a brief moment of shock, Tobias dismounted, dropped to one knee, and saluted.
âSaintess, what brings you here?â
âIâve come to personally escort His Highness, Prince Lothar.â
ââŠ!â
At my crisp reply, Tobiasâs eyes widened. The princeâs escort erupted into murmurs once more.
Understandable. The Second Prince had been utterly defeated in the political struggle and, through various circumstances, forced onto the path of priesthood.
For the Saintess herself to come and escort such a fallen figureâthere could hardly be a more dramatic reception.
Is the Archbishop backing the Second Prince? Is light finally shining upon his tumultuous life? They were probably thinking something along those lines.
âSilence!â
Tobias barked at the whispering knights before turning. He walked toward the central carriage among the five.
Ah, there he is.
Through the curtained window, Tobias leaned in and spoke quietly. Soon after, he turned back to me.
âHis Highness expresses his gratitude for such a grand welcome.â
Naturally he does. I maintained my smile.
As the atmosphere softened, Tobias continued:
âWill you be accompanying us to the monastery?â
Now, what would happen if I said yes?
Sorryâbut this is where the twist begins.
Softly narrowing my eyes, I replied:
âNo.â
ââŠ?!â
In that instant, the air shiftedâspecifically among the princeâs escort.
Ignoring them, I continued:
âThe protection of the Holy Knights will suffice. From this point on, His Highness will belong to the Order.â
In other words: you lot can all get lost.
Not a single one excluded.
Tobiasâs sharp gaze immediately shifted behind me, assessing the Holy Knightsâ forces. It looked like he might draw his sword at any moment.
âThat will not be possible.â
At his firm response, I barely suppressed a smile. Just as expected.
Deliberately, I drooped my brows and pulled out a parchment from my robes.
âWhy not?â
It was a document bearing the Archbishopâs seal, authorizing the Saintess to escort the Prince as a guide of the Temple.
âThe Archbishop himself has approved it. Surely the Imperial Court doesnât doubt the capabilities of the Holy Knights?â
For the recordâit was forged. The old Archbishop had no idea any of this was happening.
ââŠ.â
Unaware of that fact, Tobiasâs expression twisted. Mishandle this, and it could escalate into a conflict between the Imperial Court and the Templeâpolitics and religion colliding.
Well then, Tobias? What will you do?
This wasnât something a mere knight commander could resolve.
Just as I was eagerly waiting for his answerâ
âLet us not escalate this unnecessarily.â
A flat, even voice cut through the tension.
It sounded familiar enough to make me turn my head instinctively.
A tall figure came into view.
Ash-brown hair fluttered in the wind. Eyesânot bright, but deep, heavy green.
A man of refined, sculpted beauty, like a statue carved from solid wood, stepped out of the carriage.
Wow.
I almost whistled.
Beyond his unreal appearance, his height stood out. Even taller than his escort knights by a full head, his broad shoulders exuded an overwhelming presenceâeven without armor.
There was no need to question that aura.
The Empireâs Second Prince.
The man once known as the Sword of the Empire.
Lothar Eisenritt.
No one had expected him to be driven onto the path of priesthood as if exiled.
But what could he do?
He lost the political struggle. Surviving is already a win.
With measured steps, Lothar approached me.
His indifferent gaze lingered on my face longer than expected.
As the silence stretched, confusion began to rippleâ
Then he spoke, calmly:
âDo not worry, Saintess. How could I defy the Archbishopâs orders?â
Well, well. My brow nearly twitched.
On the surface, it sounded compliantâbut the nuance was clear: he acknowledged the Archbishopâs authority, not mine.
Not that it mattered. In this empire, the Saintessâs authority had long been a joke.
So I smiled brightly and replied:
âExactly. This way, please.â
Without another word, Lothar followed.
Left behind were the escort knights, suddenly stripped of the one they were meant to protect. Their bewildered gazes turned toward Tobias.
ââŠWeâre withdrawing.â
Leaving his conflicted voice behind, I continued forward with Lothar.
Standing like the dignified Commander of the Holy Knights, Wolfgang caught my eye and gave a quick wink.
Mission accomplishedâthat seemed to be the message.
If only.
The real game was just beginning.
Thud.
Once the carriage door shut, I sat across from him and quietly observed the large man inspecting the interior.
Messy hair. A scabbed lip.
Even the marks of hardship couldnât diminish his refined aura.
But what about whatâs inside?
I immediately cast the bait.
âYour Highness. Do you know where weâre headed?â
âTo Lumen Monastery.â
A short answerâbut correct.
Or rather, the original answer.
Then Lotharâs gaze liftedâto me.
ââŠAgain?â
Instinctively, I smiled.
But perhaps it wasnât the reaction he wanted.
He turned his head away and closed his eyes.
âŠWhat the hell?
Time passed.
Then, slowly opening his eyes, Lothar glanced out the window.
After a brief silence, his voice emergedâcold:
âWhat is this?â
A chilling gaze locked onto me.
âWeâve changed direction. What are you planning?â
Finally, an expression I could read.
What am I planning?
Inside the rattling carriage, I rose to my feet. Then I climbed onto his lap and grabbed his chin.
âLothar.â
The ripple in his eyes was satisfying.
âIâm planning to kidnap you⊠and marry you.â
ââŠWhat?â
For some reason, my blood was boiling. It really felt like I was doing something wicked.
Pressing my thumb against his stiff cheek, I continued:
âIf you donât want to die, cooperate. Before I carve a line across that handsome face.â
Goddess.
I think Iâve found my true calling.
