"Wow, Ai, you're really good at drawing! And you're so smart, too. Don’t you think so, Your Majesty?"
I praised Ai enthusiastically as I looked at the picture of an apple she had drawn, along with the letters written below it. She shyly fidgeted in response.
"…Yes, it’s indeed well done," said Yuri, who was sitting next to me, with a somewhat perplexed expression.
We were now in Ai's room, helping her with her studies.
"Your Majesty, in moments like this, you should praise her more enthusiastically. Come on, try again!"
I dared to nudge him with my elbow, and he cleared his throat.
"Well… it’s much better than what I could do when I was five."
His awkward attempt at praise made me chuckle, and His Majesty frowned.
"Was that not good?"
"No, it was perfectly fine. It suits you, Your Majesty."
When I looked over, I noticed Ai was also smiling slightly, albeit shyly. Though she still wasn’t speaking much, she seemed to understand what we were saying. That alone was enough.
I spent every day with Ai.
We ate meals together, I taught her letters and words, we bathed together, and at night, I held her close as we slept. At first, she always looked at me with fear, but eventually, she must have realized she was safe. Like a flower bud blossoming, she grew healthier and cuter with each passing day.
Her hair regained its luster, and her eyes began to sparkle with life.
At the same time, His Majesty Yuri started joining us more often during his breaks from his duties, sharing tea with us.
"At first, I was furious with those irresponsible priests, but perhaps this has turned out for the best," I said to His Majesty as I looked at Ai’s healing wounds.
"Indeed. Regardless of the reason, no child should have to stay with a parent who beats them. If her parents were here, I would have cut them down on the spot," His Majesty said, his eyes flashing with anger. I nodded deeply in agreement.
"I would have thrown them into a horde of monsters."
Oh, that might have been a bit thoughtless of me. I quickly glanced at Ai, who was looking at us with a concerned expression.
"…I’m sorry for speaking ill of your parents."
"I apologize as well. It was not appropriate to say in front of you."
Seeing both me and His Majesty flustered, Ai smiled softly and shook her head. Then, she threw her small body into my arms. Feeling the warmth of her embrace, I almost started crying.
I whispered gently to Ai.
"…Ai, I want you to remember this. Even if it’s your own parents, anyone who hurts you is a bad person. You were born to be loved. Not just you—all children are born to be loved. So never think you were at fault. You are a wonderful child."
I gently stroked Ai's head as she clung tightly to me.
It didn’t matter that she was the Saintess; all I wanted was to make her happy. That was my only thought.
* * *
In the meantime, small changes were happening in the country. The monsters that had been observed all over the place began to gradually disappear.
It was Yuri, his eyes shining with excitement, who informed me of this.
"Ai, this must be thanks to you. Your power as the Saintess is protecting our country."
Ai tilted her head in confusion. She seemed unaware of her own influence.
"Well, that must mean Your Majesty’s love has reached Ai! They say the more a Saintess is loved, the more her power manifests."
I patted Ai on the head, and although she didn’t fully understand, she smiled happily. Seeing this, Yuri spoke in a soft voice.
"…No, I believe it’s your love that has reached her."
"Mine?"
Now it was my turn to tilt my head in confusion. Yuri explained.
"The more a Saintess is loved, the more her power is unleashed. But that love isn’t limited to romantic love between a man and a woman. I believe the care and affection you have shown Ai have been her greatest support."
"Oh, is that so?"
I looked at Ai with wide eyes, and she looked back at me with the same surprised expression. If my love for Ai is what’s empowering her… that’s truly a wonderful thing.
"Hey, Ai… would you like to truly become our child? To be the child of me and His Majesty Yuri?"
Both Ai and Yuri widened their eyes in surprise at my words.
"I’ve been thinking about it for a while. Even though our marriage is just a formality… that’s precisely why I think we could protect you. And if, in the future, you wanted to marry His Majesty, I could have you adopted into a noble family, and I would step aside…"
"No, absolutely not. I will not marry her. Ai is just a child," Yuri said, shaking his head vigorously, and Ai also shook her head just as frantically beside him. The synchronized movement made them look like a parent and child, and I couldn’t help but burst out laughing.
"Yes, if His Majesty had expressed a desire to marry Ai, I might have lost all respect for you."
"And what do you think I am…?" Yuri muttered, pressing his hand to his forehead, while Ai and I laughed.
At that moment, the sound of hurried footsteps echoed down the hallway, and a group of knights burst into the room in a panic.
"Your Majesty! There’s trouble! A mysterious summoning circle has suddenly appeared in the summoning chamber! It has a sinister aura—it could be a monster!"
"What? I’m on my way! Gather the knights!"
With his sword at his side, Yuri dashed out of the room. Watching him go, I quickly turned around, intending to move Ai to a safe place.
But Ai, sensing something, straightened her posture and then bolted out of the room, chasing after His Majesty.
"Ai! Wait! It's dangerous over there!"
I chased after her.
* * *
The summoning chamber was engulfed in a dark, malevolent miasma unlike anything I had ever seen. The very air was thick with a nauseating, murky aura. As soon as I entered the room, I instinctively covered my nose. The knights inside were all grimacing in discomfort.
"Ai!? Why are you here!?"
It was His Majesty’s voice. I looked over and saw Ai clutching His Majesty’s clothes with a worried expression as he stood in front of a large, black vortex.
"Ai! It's dangerous! Come over here!"
I reached out to grab Ai's arm and pull her away when suddenly, a strange high-pitched sound echoed through the room, and the space around us warped. A pale, ghostly hand reached out from the vortex.
In an instant, I wrapped my arms around Ai, shielding her with my body. No matter what happened, I had to protect her from the monster!
"Protect Edelene and Ai! Don’t let them get hurt!"
His Majesty’s roar echoed through the chamber. The knights immediately formed a protective circle around me and Ai. Then, right before our eyes, a figure slowly emerged from the vortex—not a monster, but a human.
"M-Mama…?"
Ai murmured softly from within my arms.
"What?"
I looked up at the figure emerging from the vortex.
It was a pair—a man and a woman. They looked older than me and were wearing the same strange clothing as Ai. However, their eyes were bloodshot, and they exuded a menacing, desperate aura.
As I stared in shock, the pair seemed to notice Ai.
"Ai, you little brat! Where the hell have you been!?"
"Yeah! Because of you, we got caught by the police! If we don’t get out of here, we’re going to be arrested. Let’s go, now!"
They shouted angrily as they moved towards us.
"—That’s far enough. If you dare lay a hand on our Saintess, I won’t hesitate to strike you down," His Majesty declared, unsheathing his sword with a swift, shining motion and blocking their path.
"Who the hell are you? What’s with that weird outfit…? We’ll call the police!"
"That child is ours! Give her back, now!"
But His Majesty remained unfazed, glaring at them coldly. The woman, taken aback, called out to Ai.
"Ai! Come here! Let’s go home with Mommy! We’ve got some delicious cake waiting for you at home!"
Ai trembled and clung tightly to me. I shouted at them.
"Be quiet! You have no right to call yourselves her parents! Ai is our child now!"
"Who do you think you are, acting so high and mighty…! You’re nothing but a kidnapper! Ai, stop being stubborn and come home now!"
My blood boiled with anger. Unable to contain myself, I handed Ai to a knight and marched straight up to the woman. I shouted at her:
"Call me a kidnapper if you like! I will spoil Ai, love her, and make her as happy as she can be, so don’t you dare interfere! Now, get out of here!"
With all my strength, I pushed the woman with both hands. If they came from the vortex, then they can go right back into it!
"Ah!"
Just as I had hoped, the woman lost her balance and tumbled backward, sinking into the vortex.
"You…!"
The man beside her tried to punch me, but before he could land a blow, His Majesty struck him squarely in the stomach with a powerful fist. With a graceful spinning kick, he sent the man flying into the vortex as well.
His Majesty shouted, "Ai! What do you want to do? Do you want to become our child? Or would you prefer to return to your world?"
Ai was crying. Through her tears, she shouted with all her small might.
"I… I want Edelene to be my mom! And I want His Majesty to be my dad!"
The moment Ai cried out, the vortex exploded with a loud bang and then dispersed into nothingness. The people who claimed to be Ai's parents vanished as well. All that remained were the people of this country and Ai.
"Ai!"
I immediately rushed to Ai and wrapped her small body in a tight embrace. Ai clung to me desperately, and His Majesty gently stroked her head.
"Ai… I'm sorry for asking you such a difficult question. But in return, we will treasure you. We'll make you many times happier than your real parents ever could."
Ai nodded as she continued to cry, then slowly, but with determination, she moved from my embrace to hug His Majesty as well.
As I watched them with a smile, His Majesty turned to me.
"Edelene… would you, along with me, become Ai's parent?"
"Of course. I am, after all, your wife, even if only in name. I will do my best to fulfill that role."
But His Majesty hesitated at my words. Oh? Was that not the answer he was hoping for?
"Well… about that… I was thinking… maybe we could stop pretending…?"
"What?"
I looked at him in surprise, and His Majesty's face flushed a deep red.
"I know it sounds selfish… but I want us to be a real couple, a married couple bound by love."
His Majesty, who was usually so composed, was now blushing all the way to his ears.
Understanding the meaning behind his words, a warm feeling slowly spread through my chest. Unable to hold back, I smiled.
"Of course—Yuri."
Ai watched us with a beaming smile.
Ai, my dear little Saintess.
Thanks to the love she received from His Majesty and me, she would eventually grow into the strongest Saintess in history.
She would bring peace to the country and even heal the heart of the previous Saintess. Her journey would continue for years to come, alongside me, His Majesty, and a much younger brother who harbored a secret crush on his unrelated elder sister—woven into the fabric of this country’s future.
[The End]
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