The setting is quite relaxed, so I hope you can enjoy reading it in a lighthearted way.
There is a brief scene that might evoke thoughts of abuse, so please be cautious if you are sensitive to such content. However, rest assured, everyone ends up happy in the end.
The book version was released on March 10th by Mag Garden!
* * *
"Edelene, I am grateful to you. But I can never love you."
* * *
On the night before our wedding, I was summoned to the study of my fiancé, His Majesty Yuri Makius.
He was the newly crowned king, a man of striking appearance. Yet, his expression was dark.
…Well, I had a hunch about the reason.
"Is it because the Saintess is coming?" I asked.
He nodded slowly.
"Yes. I must love the Saintess," he said, emphasizing each word.
…Love? That’s not something you usually say with such a stern face, but I decided not to comment on it. I could understand how he felt.
"I understand. I never expected you to love me over the Saintess, after all. The very idea of this marriage is strange to begin with," I sighed as I spoke.
In this country, it has been a tradition to summon a Saintess from another world.
They say that there’s a special magic that only someone from another world can wield, and it’s this magic that protects our country.
Thus, every time a new king ascends to the throne, a Saintess is summoned, adopted into a powerful noble family, and married off as the queen. That’s how it’s always been, and this time was supposed to be no different.
But then...
My father—the Marquis of the Holy House, Edelene—suddenly declared, "Edelene will be the queen!"
Originally, His Majesty Yuri was the seventh prince, barely in the line of succession, with his mother of low status and a weak position. My father offered to support him and elevate him to the throne, on the condition that I be made his queen.
When I first heard this, I thought it was ridiculous, but to my surprise, it worked. I had forgotten that my father had a genius for both politics and commerce...
However, this has brought unhappiness to me, to His Majesty, and to the Saintess who is yet to arrive.
Because for the girls who come from another world to unleash their power, there is one absolute condition:
The Saintess must be loved.
I don't know why, but that is the condition for the Saintess to wield her power.
Fortunately, the Saintesses that are summoned are all invariably young, cute, have the special trait of black hair which is highly valued in this country, and have great personalities. So, the past kings have all fallen for them immediately.
When the king and queen (meaning the Saintess) fall in love, the country’s defenses grow stronger, and everything ends happily ever after—or so the story goes. But think about it: if I were to be the queen in such a situation, I would be nothing but a hindrance.
When I confronted my father about it, all he said was, "It can’t be helped. The fortune-teller said it would be so," and that was the end of the conversation. For the first time in my life, I felt like clicking my tongue.
As I recalled this and started to get irritated, His Majesty spoke in a heavy tone.
"I feel sorry to place you in such a difficult position. You can hate me if you want. But no matter what, I want to protect this country."
His face was serious, and I couldn’t say anything in response. If His Majesty lost my father’s backing, he would be overthrown immediately, and my father was adamant that I must become queen.
Nevertheless, regardless of the circumstances, his feelings for his country are genuine.
The more the king and the Saintess love each other, the stronger the protection for the country becomes. Conversely, if there is a crack in their love, the country's defenses will weaken.
The previous king, Yuri’s father, initially had a good relationship with the Saintess for the first few years. However, as time passed, his inherent womanizing tendencies got the better of him.
He began to pursue the daughters of noble families and handmaidens one after another, fathering numerous princes and princesses. Yuri is one of those children.
Naturally, the former queen, who was the Saintess, was furious and lost her powers as a result. Because of that, our country has been under the constant threat of monsters for the past ten years.
So, it's no wonder that His Majesty Yuri, who is kinder and more serious than any of his brothers, is deeply troubled. After all, he too lost his mother to the monsters.
"Please don't worry about it. As I mentioned earlier, I completely understand. In return, I’ll live as I please," I said.
"Of course. I promise you won't be inconvenienced in your daily life."
And with that, our conversation was settled.
As a high-ranking noble, I never expected a marriage filled with love. If anything, it’s a relief that I won’t have to deal with the troublesome duties and roles. The Saintess can handle all that.
I have no magical powers or special abilities. As a useless decorative queen, I’ll just indulge in my hobbies—or rather, support them from the shadows.
* * *
Or so I thought, but what on earth is happening now?
In the room prepared for the Saintess's summoning, I found myself surrounded by a troubled-looking Yuri, along with equally troubled ministers and priests, all while I gazed down at a crying little girl.
Shivering on the summoning circle was a little girl, about five years old, with raggedly cut black hair. The Saintess was always young, but this is way too young, isn’t it?
When I turned to Yuri for an explanation, he looked like he had bitten into something sour.
"…Apparently, she is the Saintess of this term."
I then turned my gaze to the priest, demanding an explanation with my eyes. What is going on here!? The High Priest, sweating profusely, stepped forward.
"Well, it seems that due to the weakening of the country's power, the summoning didn’t go as smoothly as usual…"
He was subtly trying to avoid taking responsibility, but there’s something much more important to address!
"Can’t we send this child back to her original world?"
In the past, the Saintesses summoned were unusually adaptable, happily embracing the fact that they were summoned to another world. But this little girl is different. This is outright kidnapping.
"Unfortunately…"
The High Priest wiped his sweat as he spoke. I felt like clicking my tongue again.
"It seems she doesn’t even understand our language. And when I approach her, she becomes frightened."
As Yuri took a step closer, the Saintess flinched and trembled.
…Well, it's understandable. His Majesty Yuri is a tall, handsome man, much like the previous king. But to a five-year-old who’s been suddenly brought to an unfamiliar place, he must look terrifying.
Yuri spoke with a dark expression.
"She’s been like this since she arrived, crouching and refusing to move."
—It seems like we've hit a dead end.
It seems that, as the queen, I was called here as well.
I sighed and gazed at the Saintess in front of me.
She was trembling, hugging her body tightly. She wore an unusual outfit—a snug-fitting shirt and pants—and her wrists, peeking out from her sleeves, were remarkably thin.
“…Oh?”
At that moment, I noticed something.
Beyond her wrist, visible at the edge of her sleeve, was something purple on her arm.
As I stepped closer, the girl flinched again, curling up as if to protect herself.
…This reaction is far too extreme. It’s almost as if she thinks I’m going to hit her.
I slowly crouched down and spoke to her in the gentlest voice I could muster.
“…I’m sorry, but I need to take a quick look at your body.”
As I carefully lifted her shirt, my suspicions were confirmed. Her skin was covered in purple bruises—clearly the marks of someone who had been beaten.
I bit my lip hard.
How could anyone do something so cruel to such a young child?
Fury towards her unknown guardians boiled within me, but I forced it down for now. I moved away from her and looked at His Majesty.
“Your Majesty, I have a request. Could you please leave me alone with her for a while? Also, could you bring a soft blanket and my sketchbook?”
Yuri’s eyes narrowed, but then he seemed to remember something about my family background and nodded quickly.
“Alright, I’ll leave it to you. I’ll have the materials brought in. If you need anything else, just ask.”
“In that case, please also bring some warm soup and some sweets.”
He immediately carried out my requests, sending the worried ministers and priests out of the room, along with the maids, leaving just the two of us.
The girl was still trembling pitifully.
My heart ached at the sight, and I approached her slowly. I crouched down to her eye level to avoid scaring her and gently wrapped the soft blanket around her fragile body.
“…It’s okay, don’t be afraid. I won’t hit you.”
Then I moved a little away and sat down. Spreading out some paper on the floor, I began to draw with chalk, not paying attention to her.
The only sound in the room was the soft scratching of chalk, echoing in the warm light of the setting sun streaming through the large window. As if soothed by that quiet sound, the trembling of the girl’s body gradually subsided.
When I glanced over, I saw her peeking at my hands from within the blanket. I smiled at her, and she quickly looked away. …It seems the time is right.
“Would you like to see? I’m quite good at drawing, you know.”
I said this as I gently propped up the drawing to show her. Her eyes widened in surprise as she looked at it.
The drawing was a portrait of her.
I’ve always been good at drawing, and it’s a skill I often used to entertain my younger sisters.
“See? I think it turned out rather well, don’t you? It looks just like you.”
I placed the drawing in front of her. She didn’t say anything, but her eyes sparkled with interest. Now that I get a closer look, even at this young age, she’s quite a beautiful girl, just as one would expect of a Saintess.
Then, I pointed to my own face with my index finger.
"I'm Edelene. E-de-lene," I repeated my name several times, pointing to myself as I did so. It seemed she understood. I then pointed to the girl.
"And what’s your name?"
The girl hesitated for a moment before slowly opening her mouth.
"…Ai," she said in a voice as delicate as a bell. I smiled warmly.
"I see, your name is Ai. Nice to meet you, Ai. Let's be friends."
* * *
And so began our new life together—me, Saintess Ai, and even His Majesty.
0 Comments