Chapter 9
“Kiss?”
“Yes. They said, ‘Since it starts with an S, we can just call it “Kiss”’.”
Mayble shrugged her shoulders.
Naming a horse after her own name? And daring to mirror the royal family’s name?
That was definitely bold—outrageously so.
Ren couldn’t help but laugh in disbelief, and Scarlet shook her head.
“We tried to stop her, but she was too stubborn. There was nothing we could do.”
“So that horse is basically like my sibling now?”
“…….”
“So I’m supposed to compete with it too?”
“Um…….”
Both Mayble and Scarlet stayed silent, clearly unsure how to answer.
Rix let out a small chuckle.
Once he started laughing, he couldn’t stop. He laughed so hard his stomach ached.
It had been a long time since he’d laughed so freely.
But as soon as the laughter faded, Rix remembered the moment when Ren had collapsed. His expression stiffened immediately.
Ren, sweating and shaking, had clutched his clothes, and even shed tears just before fainting. She probably hadn’t even realized what she’d done.
To an outsider, it might have seemed scandalous—daring to touch the crown prince—but Rix couldn’t bring himself to pull away from the trembling girl whispering “Please save me” in a tiny voice.
Every time Rix tried to get up and call for someone, Ren had shivered like a fragile baby bird fallen from its nest.
She didn’t even know who he was, yet burrowed into his arms, gripping his clothes like a lifeline.
Now, the same girl boldly gave a horse a name similar to her own, as if that past vulnerability had never existed.
She was deadly serious when shooting, utterly broken in front of fire.
What had happened in the space between those extremes?
Even Rix couldn’t put a name to this discomfort.
Ren’s plan to sneak away quietly had completely failed.
Rix had lent her a carriage—but it screamed, “I come from the royal palace!” It was adorned with gold, jewels, and countless treasures, drawing attention wherever it went.
Every time it passed, people knelt, even without knowing who was inside. Just the sight of the curtains barely pulled aside was maddening.
This was nothing like any ordinary life—playing the part of a princess, entirely by accident.
In contrast, it was Mayble who carried herself with confidence. Seeing Ren embarrassed, Mayble even tilted her head and said,
“You’ll need to get used to this by now!”
No. This attention was far too much.
But opening the doors revealed a second obstacle.
Ren had named Rix’s horse “Kiss.”
There was nowhere in the temple to keep a horse. It had to stay outside on the stairs, which meant Ren couldn’t enter either.
Hatasha had firmly explained that the temple had no stables. Priests didn’t need to keep horses because the palace always sent a carriage when they traveled.
But this was a horse Ren had personally taken responsibility for.
In the end, Ren even saw Hatasha sighing. She wanted nothing more than to disappear into a hole.
“Maybe you should return it to the prince for now,” Hatasha suggested.
Ren shook her head desperately.
Hatasha thought for a moment, then said,
“The temple has no stables. We can make a small one, but where will you keep it until then?”
Kiss seemed to sense her predicament, letting out a soft whinny.
Though it hurt her heart, Ren nodded at the horse.
“Sorry. I probably brought you along without thinking.”
She hugged Kiss’s head gently. The horse accepted the affection calmly.
“Then how about learning etiquette at the palace and some riding lessons too?”
That now-familiar voice came from behind.
Mayble, Scarlet, and Rix appeared, this time riding a brown horse.
Ren, holding Kiss, said,
“You don’t mean I’m going to take two horses at once, do you?!”
“What do you mean? I just mean I’ll watch over ‘Kiss’ for a while.”
He dismounted, cooing at Kiss as he laughed.
“Since it starts with an S, you named it Kiss?”
Ren felt a twinge in the back of her head.
“You didn’t even give it a proper name.”
“How important is a name? While we were thinking, the foal grew this big.”
Rix’s audacious reply left Ren flustered.
“Even though it was a nuisance!”
Ren pouted her lips.
“Still, it’s not so bad.”
She whispered to Pani, complaining that the owner hadn’t even named the horse, while she herself could only smile awkwardly.
“From tomorrow, come to my palace. I’ve already informed Countess Mapla—”
“Countess Mapla?!”
Ren gasped, covering her mouth. Rix frowned at the interruption.
“You know Countess Mapla?”
“Of course!”
In The Saint’s Dilemma, the male supporting character was the eldest son of Count Mapla!
Goosebumps ran down her arms. She knew she was in the world of The Saint’s Dilemma, but never had it felt so real.
If she was going to be educated by Countess Mapla, the male supporting character must still be young. How old was he?
Unable to contain her curiosity, Ren asked,
“Does Count Mapla have children?”
Rix answered as if it were obvious.
“The eldest is Victor, the second is Viol-”
“Victor?!”
Ren shouted in excitement for the first time.
Hatasha cleared her throat behind her. Having learned quickly how to react to attention after her burns, Ren clasped her hands and went silent—but inside, she was ecstatic.
It was the name of the male supporting character! That meant the heroine hadn’t appeared yet.
“How do you know Count Mapla? The royal family doesn’t know anything.”
“Well… he’s quite famous where I used to live.”
Though the male lead, the crown prince, was more popular, in Min-suji’s world, she would have swooned over the supporting male.
Ren smiled awkwardly, avoiding Rix’s gaze.
“And don’t forget the terms of my wager.”
Her excitement suddenly sank. Ren nodded obediently, and Rix gestured to Hatasha.
“I think the time has come.”
Hatasha frowned. The girl was still not officially announced as a saint, and having her wandering in Rix’s palace looked bad.
Yet time wouldn’t wait. Hatasha sighed and nodded. Ren, unaware of the unspoken tension, asked,
“Can I see Kiss tomorrow?”
She held the horse tightly with both hands.
“Yes.”
Rix gave permission in place of Hatasha.
“If you’re a saint, you should at least be able to ride. Right, old lady?”
It was a rhetorical question. Hatasha, staring at Rix, sighed and nodded. Ren grinned, ready to enjoy the moment, when
“But—”
Hatasha’s firm voice cut her happiness short.
“You must wear your saint uniform. You cannot lose the dignity of a saint.”
“With that ridiculously long dress?”
Hatasha didn’t think Ren’s objection deserved a reply.
At the same time, Rix handed the reins of the brown horse to Mayble and mounted Kiss. Ren, glancing between Hatasha and Rix, stomped her feet and called out behind him.
“Kiss is my horse now!”
Rix waved without looking back. Ren pouted, unsure if he had heard her.
It would take two weeks for Count Mapla to reach the capital.
So Ren spent the week continuously coming in and out of the palace, partly for stable construction, partly waiting for the count.
Officially, she was learning to ride.
After all, Kiss was hers now.
She could learn riding in a wide open space.
Riding required surprisingly delicate technique.
First, communication with the horse was crucial.
Fortunately, Ren and Kiss matched well. Perhaps Kiss had a lot of patience.
But a few obstacles remained.
For example, the saint’s extravagant, tattered uniforms (worth 10,000 gold each!) that appeared new every day, no matter how torn yesterday.
And the prince’s sharp warnings:
“You’ll break the horse’s spine sitting like that.”
Did the prince do nothing else?
Still, respecting Kiss’s spine, she moved her body as instructed.
Ren was not yet used to matching Kiss’s steps while sitting and standing.
Additionally, Kiss was too large for her legs to wrap fully.
Rix sighed.
“Starting from a foal might have been better for him.”
“It’s not ‘him,’ it’s Kiss!”
Why did he insist on calling a perfectly fine horse “him” or “that one”? Rix ignored her objections entirely.
“The reins are loose.”
“Ahhh!”
Luckily, clever Kiss stopped on its own. Ren gripped the loose reins firmly again.
Her palms developed calluses during the week of lessons.
Ren adjusted her breathing and posture, nudged Kiss’s side with her foot, and it began to walk slowly. Though the strength was weak, Kiss understood and moved.
It was strange—this muscular horse, after running fast, slowed down just for her. Ren felt apologetic.
Kiss hadn’t been like this when Rix led it.
Just then, from afar, Fernandez shouted,
“Saint!”
Turning, Ren saw Fernandez, Tina, and Pani holding warm cloaks, likely for the chilly night.
“It’s time to go back!” Fernandez called cheerfully. Her smile calmed Ren instantly.
“Okay!”
Ren pulled the reins and Kiss stopped.
She slowly guided the horse toward Fernandez. Kiss followed obediently, step by step, moving as if one with her.
Fernandez, Tina, and Pani’s cheeks were flushed from the cold. Their clothes were far too thin.
Kiss stopped by the stairs. To mount, Ren needed the steps. Before Count Mapla arrived, they’d have to remove the steps quickly. Thinking this, she released the reins.
Holding her long dress, she stepped onto the stairs.
At that moment, her foot caught on the dress.
