*Thud.*
Schlus’s arm fell limply on the hospital bed.
With his eyes closed, Schlus was fast asleep.
Trie, looking down at his face, let out a big *sigh*.
“It’s my fault.”
“No, it’s not.”
“It’s all because I’m weak that this happened.”
Iris’s consolation was of no help at all.
Trie was already certain.
“I woke up this time. Because I’m weak, Schlus got hurt and almost died… I have to become stronger.”
“That’s the same for me. If I had been strong enough to defend myself—”
“No. Iris, you can do many things besides fight. I have nothing but fighting. If I’m not stronger than anyone else, then I’m worthless…”
*…*
With Trie’s bittersweet smile, Iris couldn’t respond.
For Trie in that state, any comforting words would clearly be poison.
“I need to go train. I won’t return until I’m strong enough to protect Schlus.”
“W-What? Just like that? If you go, at least tell Schlus!”
“No. If he wakes up and tries to hold me back, I definitely won’t be able to leave. So before he wakes up…”
Trie picked up a piece of paper, scribbled down something with a pen, folded it, and placed it on the table.
Leaving without a farewell, huh?
Did she even think about how it felt to be the one left behind?
Iris bit her lip in frustration.
“If a crisis arises that you can’t handle, call for me. I’ll let you know where I am whenever I move. It’ll be a secret from Schlus. Got it?”
“Understood…”
In a moment of carelessness, she felt the weight of a heavy responsibility.
Having to tell Schlus that she didn’t know where Trie was, despite knowing her location.
She absolutely hated this kind of thing, but since it was a request, there was nothing she could do.
“So where’s your first destination, then?”
“The first place I’ll go… I thought about it and decided to visit my old master. I’ve heard he’s hiding somewhere in the desert, so I’ll have to start by finding him.”
The desert.
A hot, dry land where it’s hard to find any signs of life.
Trie’s determination to train was starting to make a bit more sense to Iris.
She decided to dutifully see Trie off.
After all, she didn’t think stopping her would work anyway.
“I hope you come back stronger.”
“Yeah. I’ll be back soon.”
As Iris lifted her skirt to greet her, Trie knelt playfully and answered with a knight’s oath.
Then, carrying her longsword, Trie left the hospital room and never came back.
*…*
*…*
*…*
‘Should I have stopped her…?’
Flechette Mansion.
Iris leaned over her desk, tapping her fingers *tap tap*.
She was scared to meet Schlus again.
She was afraid to be questioned about Trie’s whereabouts.
No, what really scared her was having to lie to Schlus at that moment.
But even more than that—
*Ah. Why did I say that…?*
She regretted the confession she had accidentally blurted out to Schlus.
She must have been out of her mind back then.
She had been carefully maintaining balance until now.
While she secretly admired him, she was fine just watching from a distance.
So why, all of a sudden…?
“I must be really crazy…”
Still, she had clearly added that she wanted him to forget it.
It wasn’t something said in a sane state of mind, so please forget it.
The only consolation was that Schlus wasn’t the type to pick up on things easily.
He would probably think it was the elixir that had him under its spell.
Surely, he’d pretend he never heard it.
*Yeah. Let’s give up this time.*
She must be punished for coveting someone else’s.
Iris reflected on her past self and decided to give up on Schlus.
As a saintess, her role was to share love with many people.
That was the right path, after all.
With no distractions, devoutly…
*Thud thud.*
Just then, a knock echoed at the door.
“Yes?”
“Miss. His Excellency Schlus Hainkel wishes to see you.”
“Ah, um… I’ll be right there—”
“He is coming to your room now.”
“Excuse me?!”
Schlus was already coming?
Who opened the door?
‘Damn old man…!’
Letting out a *sigh*, Iris hurriedly took off her nightgown and began to change.
The dull sound of heavy shoes seemed to be getting closer.
Just as she tied her long hair tightly with a hair tie…
*Knock knock…*
“Come in.”
*….*
Immediately after the knock, the door opened.
Schlus Hainkel entered without saying a word, greeting with a nod, and slammed the door shut.
As Iris stole a glance at his face, her heart dropped.
She noticed a faint scar lingering at the corner of Schlus’s cheek.
“Is it appropriate to just drop by a lady’s room like this? Lacking in manners.”
“I couldn’t help it, it was urgent.”
“What could possibly be so urgent?”
Obvious.
He had come to ask if she knew Schlus’s whereabouts to stop Trie.
However, Iris had nothing to tell him right away.
She only knew that Trie was going somewhere in the desert but hadn’t been informed of the exact destination.
“The answer to the love confession is urgent.”
“Ah…!”
Iris was taken by surprise at his unexpected words.
The soundproofing here wasn’t very good.
She immediately tried to deploy the Recognition Interference Barrier, but it kept failing.
It wasn’t because she was flustered.
There was someone deliberately blocking the barrier’s deployment.
“What are you doing…?”
“What about you? Rummaging through someone else’s mind and then telling me to forget?”
*…*
She had nothing to say about that.
Keeping silent, she had to suppress the twitching of her lips.
Thinking that her one comment created a huge ripple in Schlus’s heart made her want to laugh.
“I want to propose a marriage, Iris.”
“Mar-marriage?! How can you joke like that to a saintess—”
“I’m not joking; I’m serious.”
“Ah. Ah! It was about the marriage with my niece that you mentioned before.”
“No, Iris, it’s a marriage with you.”
*…*
Iris tightly shut her mouth.
By now, the maids outside were probably eavesdropping, their ears pressed against the door.
Thinking that all these conversations might leak made her face burn red.
“What on earth are you thinking…?”
“This is the Flechette family mansion, isn’t it? If there are no spies inside, I don’t think I need to worry about the engagement leaking.”
“That’s not the issue…”
This man had no grasp of what the real problem was.
Of course, this conversation wouldn’t reach outside of the Flechette family.
But the problem was that everyone within the mansion would soon learn about her confession to Schlus.
If it even got into the ears of the elder old men, how would she live on with that embarrassment…?
“You can choose, Iris. Whether to live as a saintess forever or as my wife. Of course, choosing the latter doesn’t mean you have to give up your status as a saintess right away. We can keep our engagement a secret and get married when we want later.”
*…*
It was a sweet proposal.
Being given a choice like that made it clear what she should choose.
Naturally, it would be according to her desires…
“I—”
“I forgot to mention. I already have someone I’m promised to marry.”
“What? Who is it?”
“That’s difficult to say.”
*…*
Iris froze in place.
In disbelief, she glared at Schlus, who showed no sign of a change in expression.
He wasn’t joking.
Here to propose a marriage, and then he comes out with that?
That he’s already promised to someone else?
And that he can’t tell her the name?
“What on earth are you—”
*
She got rejected.
And quite decisively.
“Are you okay?”
“Ah, yes. I’m fine.”
I received an ice pack from a maid and pressed it to my swelling cheek.
I had gotten slapped hard enough to take quite a hit.
I didn’t realize Iris’s hands could be so strong.
Rubbing my stinging cheek, I had to leave the Flechette Mansion.
‘I messed up…’
I was too arrogant.
Who did I think I was, Casanova?
To boldly declare I was someone with an owner and yet think I could get a yes.
I really was the crazy one.
“Crazy bastard.”
*…*
As soon as I returned home and began explaining what happened, that was the first thing Emilia said.
It was such an accurate diagnosis that I had no rebuttal.
“Are you really crazy, brother? Do you have any intentions to woo her or not?”
“No, it wasn’t about wooing; it was about forming an alliance with the Flechette by marrying—”
“Enough excuses! To form an alliance, you have to seduce the saintess first!”
*…*
How had I found myself in a position where I was getting scolded by Emilia?
Before I knew it, I was sitting upright in front of Emilia, bowing my head.
“Then what if I go back now and say that the part about having a promised partner was a lie—”
“Wow. Did you seriously think that was a valid option? That’s just the worst.”
“What am I supposed to do then…?”
“You should earnestly court her. Don’t put yourself in a position of superiority with her confession; you should be more desperate.”
“I don’t think I can do that.”
“Why not?!”
“Because I don’t love Iris that much.”
*…*
Emilia slapped her forehead in exasperation.
Even as I spoke, I felt pathetic about myself.
There’s a full-grown man wanting to pull a woman he doesn’t love down from her saintly pedestal to make her his wife.
And he knows full well she truly cares for him.
Momentarily, I questioned if it was alright for a piece of trash like me to be alive.
“When did you decide to give up? I thought you liked the saintess.”
“Give up? I never liked her in the first place.”
“You seriously don’t have any feelings for the saintess?”
“I don’t… at least, I think so. Other than sexual desire.”
“Really? Ohh. I see… I was completely misunderstanding…”
Emilia seemed oddly pleased.
She kept fanning her face and stealing glances at me, and then she drew closer.
I ended up toppling onto the floor because Emilia pushed me.
“Then, brother… let’s do this.”
*…*
Emilia tucked her hair behind her ear and grabbed my cheeks, pulling her face close.
Her freshly tossed hair cascaded down, tickling my face, but there was no way to escape.
Emilia’s cute red lips brushed against my chin.
It seemed she’d missed her mark and kissed my chin instead.
Perhaps feeling embarrassed, Emilia’s face blushed brighter than before, and this time, she properly landed her lips on mine with a *chu* sound.
Receiving her tongue that flowed in, I tasted something sweet and bittersweet.
Just as I was about to savor that taste more, Emilia pulled back, breathing heavily.
Her expression looked a bit teary.
“Nothing more, nothing less… just love the saintess as much as you love me. From now on, that’s how much you’ll love her. How about it?”
*…*
It was a proposal that did nothing to resolve her situation.
If I did that, I wouldn’t be able to love Iris at all.
I don’t see her as a romantic partner.
