Prince, I Don’t Want To Be Killed by You This Time! -The Poor Lady Who Was Framed by the Saint, Avoids Being Skewered the Second Time! ~ - Chapter 23

Are you the one who rewound the time?

I observed the Crown Prince with these questions in my mind, but with each passing day, the Ulysses in my memory and the Crown Prince in front of me became more and more apart.

The current Crown Prince is a picture of a selfish prince.

He often talks to me and tries to keep me close as his bodyguard. But that doesn’t mean that he likes me.

In other words, the Crown Prince seemed to want to keep an eye on me.

The pages of the ancient magic book cut out and the Crown Prince who has changed.

I couldn’t shake off this feeling of uneasiness.

I realized that three months had passed since I started working as a royal palace magician.

And finally, that day had come.

It was a clear, sunny morning.

That morning in July, the beginning of a very summer-like day, when even the glare from the garden grass was too bright and painful for the eyes. The royal palace was in an uproar after receiving information from the Zefarm residence.

As I left the dormitory building and walked down the wide corridor of the crown prince’s private quarters, wearing my purple robe, I could hear the gossip of the ladies passing by.

“She’s coming to the palace as soon as she’s ready.”

“His Majesty seems to be very excited.”

(What’s going on?)

One possibility comes to mind, but I quickly dismiss it.

–It’s only been three months since I came to the palace. A little early, but how could it be?

When I entered the Crown Prince’s office in the dazzling morning sun, he said first thing without greeting me.

“It seems that a saint has appeared.”

(I knew it! She’s finally here. Earlier than expected…!)

I asked in a voice that was upset and strained.

“A saint is someone who can use healing magic, right?”

“That’s right. The Agency has already dispatched a person to confirm this –Last night, the Director General of the Agency officially recognized her as a saint.”

“Last night?”

I took my eyes off the crown prince and turned them towards the window. There is no way the saint could be there.

The marble floor echoed with the sound of the Crown Prince’s shoes and when I looked back to the front, the Crown Prince was right in front of me. He crossed his arms and said with a blank expression.

“Do you know who was recognized as a saint?”

“No, I don’t — “What kind of person is she?”

I asked back, trying to bite back the bullet and pretend I didn’t know. It’s a desperate attempt at good acting.

The crown prince lifted one end of his mouth in a grin and whispered,

“It’s Iris, daughter of the Marquis. I never thought I’d see a saint from one of the four great families.”

“That Iris…”

The Crown Prince moved slowly from the front to the side, peering at me. I felt like my whole body was being observed.

“You don’t seem too surprised. Everyone else is more surprised and flushed. After all, it’s been a hundred years since we’ve had a saint.”

“I’m surprised. I’m just too surprised to realize it. Because I had met Iris at the Magic Academy’s year-end concert. I remember her very well because she was a very beautiful young lady. The boys followed her like ants. No way, she’s the one?”

Trying to dismiss the crown prince question, I look at the blackboard by the wall. On the blackboard in the office, his schedule for the day was written.

His schedule for the afternoon, which was written in minute by minute, had been partially changed.

The saint was coming to the palace and the Crown Prince was to meet her at the entrance of the palace.

The Crown Prince stood next to me, looked up at the blackboard as well and said with deep emotion.

“I hear the surrounding nations have already been informed.”

“I’m sure our allies will send a storm of congratulatory letters.”

The Crown Prince snickered.

“I know they will, but how do they really feel about it? They’re probably gnashing their teeth in frustration.”

“Have you ever met the saint before, Your Highness?”

“Only a nod of the head, but never a word in close proximity. The Marquis of Zefarm was going to be taking her to evening parties from next month when she turns seventeen. I guess that won’t be necessary anymore.”

Then he wandered his gaze into the air and muttered with a somewhat lustrous expression.

“Iris Zefarm. With this hand, I will take the hand of the saint and I will finally welcome her to the royal palace.”

Finally?

It was as if he was finally welcoming the moment he had been waiting for so long.

(You’ve always wanted to take Iris’s hand…?)

The crown prince stretched his right hand a little bit in the air, as if he was thinking of that moment and he certainly looked happy.

The sun was shining strongly on the vast front yard of the Royal Palace.

The well-cut green grass was shining brightly and the fountains in the ponds here and there were spouting water at full blast to cool the air.

The court magicians wore robes as part of their uniform and it was very hot during the day. Because of the dark color, the robe absorbed the heat of the sun and the inside of the robe became a scorching hell like a sauna.

I envied Ulysses, who wore a thin shirt and a cool face.

The Director of the Royal Palace Magic Agency had already visited Iris of the Marquis family and officially recognized her as a saint.

In response to this, Iris was to move up to the royal palace and from today onwards, she was to reside in the Golden Palace, a corner of the royal palace.

All of the past saints were commoners, but they were welcomed into the royal palace in this way and were eventually given estates and mansions.

In order to welcome the saint, officials and nobles were all gathered in the front yard of the royal palace.

Eventually, the King appeared in the front yard and slowly walked up to stand next to the Crown Prince while holding his cane.

The King of the Kingdom of Leia, who ascended to the throne at the age of only four, looked nothing like the Crown Prince, but his eyes were very sharp and he always had a stern expression on his face, probably due to the heavy responsibility of carrying a country on his shoulders. Not only did he have white hair, but the beard under his nose was also white.

He always seemed to be oblivious of me and never even looked at me even when I was right next to the crown prince.

As I heard the rattle of carriage wheels in the distance, the musicians of the Kings Guard began to play powerfully.

The nobles gathered in the front yard straightened their backs and straightened their postures in unison, perhaps in response to the sound.

A carriage pulled by a white horse decorated with bird feathers and flowers came into view and my heart thumped loudly.

(I never thought I’d see this scene again and so near to the crown prince…!)

When the door of the carriage with the deep red ribbon was opened, Iris came out from inside wearing a pure white dress.

It was designed to show off her décolletage and the dress shone brightly, perhaps with small crystals scattered around her chest.

The surface of the dress was all lace and the slightest movement or breeze would cause it to sway softly, and the light red embroidery on the edges would move and be pleasing to the eye.

“The daughter of the Marquis, Iris Zeferm. –no, the Saint of Leia. You’re welcome.”

The King stood directly opposite the saint with a smile on his face that perhaps even those who had served the royal palace for many years had never seen before.

The crown prince holds out his right hand to the saint, who bends one knee in greeting and makes her stand up straight.

“Saint Iris. It is an honor for me as the Crown Prince to welcome you.”

“I, too, am honored to meet Your Highness here as a saint.”

“Let me guide you to the Golden Palace, where you will be living.”

“Thank you, Your Highness. I’m so happy to be shown around by Your Highness…!”

The saint blushes and looks up at the Crown Prince. Surrounded by knights of the Kings Guard and with a scarlet cloak draped over her shoulders, she slowly blinked her honey-colored eyes as though pressured by the imposing appearance of royalty.

The Crown Prince took the saint’s hand and started to walk in the direction of the royal palace buildings. As the Crown Prince and the Saint passed by, the nobles who were there to greet her, put their hands on their chests and bowed low.

The Crown Prince is now standing in the most glorious part of the palace and this world is truly his.

The saint looked up at the Crown Prince with rapt attention.

The Crown Prince proceeded to introduce the main buildings and their conversation did not stop as they walked.

“It’s hard to believe this is the first time we’ve met, Your Highness!”

The saint burst into laughter, and the crown prince put his hand on her back as they walked down the corridors of the royal palace.

Even from behind, I could see that the two of them were growing more and more fond of each other.

Eventually, when they stepped out into the vast royal garden, the Crown Prince and the Saint had already created their own world.

I, a Konoe Mage, followed them a little behind. The guards who were also following them seemed to be having a hard time finding something to look at, smiling wryly and scratching the back of their necks.

(It feels like I’m being punished…)

I could see the Crown Prince and the saint steadily falling in love right before my eyes.

To be honest, I don’t find the current crown prince, Ulysses, attractive in any way. He’s just an arrogant, ostentatious prince.

I would have refused him if he was like this. But still…

（I feel like throwing up sand. –I want to disappear from this place as soon as possible!)

That’s what I thought hundreds of times.