“… … .”

For a moment, there was a chilling silence in the audience room. Damia, the person he had been so excited to meet, was in front of him, but Heinrich couldn’t smile, nevermind speak.

‘Oh my God, why now… … !’

Heinrich saw— Damia’s shoulders as she had entered the room were stiff.

She must have heard what Akkard had just said. Unconsciously, Heinrich covered his mouth with his hand. And he turned to the frozen Akkard, speaking with his eyes,

What are you doing?

But It was the same with Akkard, who couldn’t say anything. He quickly turned his head to check Damia’s expression. He didn’t know how desperate his gestures were.

Since she was from the north, Damia’s face was particularly white and looked like a wax figure. Her complexion was pale, and even more so because her expression had disappeared.

Damia’s red lips, which opened silently, could be seen trembling slightly. It was her habit, he knew since she did it before she cried in bed.

So Akkard was convinced tears would flow. The moment he thought so, his body reflexively stood up from his seat. As if he was going to run towards her at any moment.

“… … I’m honored to meet your Highness, Crown Prince.”

Fortunately, before that, Damia, curtsied to Heinrich. Her voice was surprisingly calm.

The moment he heard this, Akkard’s reason awoke as if he had been dowsed in cold water. This was the audience room for the Crown Prince. And Heinrich was watching him from behind.

But to the point of forgetting all this in a moment, he was genuinely perplexed and embarrassed.

“My name is Damia, the eldest daughter of Count Primula. Thank you very much for giving me this opportunity to be present.”

Her voice, as she greeted him in accordance with the royal court etiquette, was thin as if it would disappear at any moment. But she didn’t tremble or cry at all.

“Er… … A pleasure to meet you, Lady Damia.”

Fortunately, Heinrich, who came to his senses before Akkard, acknowledged and greeted her. Flustered, he hurriedly pointed to the chair prepared for her in advance.

“Come and take a seat.”

“Thank you for your consideration.”

Damia, who walked gracefully without a sound, sat down on a chair. Only then, did Heinrich, upon seeing her face properly, internally marveled,

‘Indeed.’

She was an unforgettably beautiful woman with a strong atmosphere. If one judged her only by her face, she seemed like an invencible woman who could never be hurt. Rather, it would seem more believable with such beauty that she used her charm to make men cry.

But Heinrich, who was quick-witted by rolling in politics since childhood, immediately noticed—

Her softly shining eyelids had been slightly trembling from before, and her thick lips were pressed too tightly, as thin as a crescent moon. As if she was trying to hold back tears with all her might.

***

Today was the worst day of Damia’s life.

While waiting to be called upon, an unexpected face, which she encountered at the garden, horrified her.

“Dami? Is that you?”

Looking at her with surprise, Kael’s face was as beautiful as before. No, he seemed to have gotten even more wonderful.

The steady paladin training gave his slender body strong muscles. Because of this, his gentle impression became much more masculine and sharp.

“… … Kael.”

Damia stared at him in awe. The face she had longed for even in her dreams was in front of her. It was so familiar, but that’s why it was an even more devoted first love.

“Why are you in the palace? I thought you were at the High Temple… … .”

As Damia asked, stuttering involuntarily, Kael’s gray eyes widened.

“Didn’t you receive my letter, Dami?”

“Letter?”

“I wrote that I was going to be escorting the Saint to the capital.”

Ugh. The content of the letter made her so bitter she didn’t even read the last part.

Fortunately, Kael seemed to think, “I guess the letter got lost.” In fact, all his nerves were focused elsewhere.

“I’m sorry for sharing a private conversation, Miss Callistea. I unexpectedly met a friend from my hometown.”

Kael bowed his head to the woman in the black robe, who had been holding on to Damia this whole time. Only then did Damia, who regained her reason, recognize her name.

Callistea.

“You are… … the Saint?”