Chapter 4
Sinkester.
Our kingdom is the only Holy Kingdom on the continent of Elysium.
Every citizen is born with divine power, and among them, the royal family is born with far greater amounts.
Because Sinkester is a theocratic state, my older brother Erdan—who was born with immense divine power—serves as both Pope and King.
But unfairly enough, perhaps because I am destined to be the villainess, I, Charlotte, possess no divine power at all.
And so, driven by jealousy, I attempt to kill Aurora… only to be executed by Cedric.
“Aurora, why do you think I don’t have any divine power?”
“Huh? Well… that’s…”
When I asked out of the blue on our way to the altar, Aurora’s expression grew troubled.
I had asked out of pure curiosity, but she seemed to misunderstand, thinking I had been agonizing over this issue.
Her blue eyes wavered before she avoided my gaze.
“Perhaps it’s because His Majesty the King has so much divine power? It’s said that when one sibling possesses an overwhelming amount, another may have almost none.”
“So you’re saying it’s because of my brother?”
“Oh my goodness! You mustn’t say that!”
Aurora flailed her hands in alarm.
“If His Majesty hears that, he’ll be heartbroken! Do you know how much he loves you?”
“I know. That’s why he entrusted me with the important duty of managing the royal palace’s sacred relics.”
Originally, it had been the responsibility of Erdan, both Pope and King.
But to secure my position in the palace despite my lack of divine power, he assigned the role to me, even against the nobles’ opposition.
Of course, Aurora—the Saintess—also played a part by insisting I was qualified.
“Aurora, I’m grateful to you as well. I truly mean that.”
“Charlotte…”
Aurora looked briefly moved before taking my hand.
“You don’t have to thank me. I live in the temple outside the palace. Managing the temple’s relics alone is already exhausting. If you take charge of the palace relics too, that only helps me.”
“Are you really a saintess?”
“Even a saintess finds things difficult.”
“Well, at least your character is consistent.”
Just then—
As we walked down the corridor, a sudden chill ran through my entire body.
Aurora noticed it first.
Following her gaze, I saw a man in uniform.
Since his back was turned, I couldn’t see his face—only the emblem on his cloak.
A dense forest against a pitch-black background, flanked by two gray wolves, with a greatsword planted in the center.
It was the emblem of Blackwood, the eastern house of Blake.
There was only one person on the continent permitted to bear such a grim black insignia on formal attire.
I had no choice but to stop.
Sensing our presence, he slowly turned around.
As expected, it was Leonard, the Sixth Prince of Blake.
“……”
To be honest, he didn’t look like a mere extra.
His hair was as red as blood, his nose sharp, and his sleek jawline carried a hint of stubbornness.
Even through his cloak, one could tell how much he had trained in swordsmanship—
A broad, solid chest, a powerful build, and long legs extending beneath thick, muscular thighs.
But above all, what captivated me were his red eyes.
Those blood-colored eyes seemed detached, as if he had seen through everything in the world, yet they sent a chill straight to the bone.
Could a gaze be both mesmerizing and terrifying at once?
Caught in that contradiction, I could only stare in silence.
Then—
Having noticed us, he approached with firm, measured steps.
“Charlotte, pull yourself together.”
Aurora’s voice snapped me back to reality.
Straightening my posture, I lifted my chin with dignity.
He stopped just a step away and offered a polite bow.
“It is an honor to meet the beautiful princess of Sinkester and the holy Saintess of the Elysium continent.”
“……”
“Though I must say, meeting in a corridor is somewhat unfortunate. If I have interrupted your conversation, I ask for your forgiveness.”
Frankly, he didn’t seem particularly apologetic.
He merely tilted his head slightly and spoke stiffly. Even considering he was an imperial prince, his attitude felt rather arrogant.
Unfortunately, I suffered from a peculiar, incurable condition—I trembled in front of handsome men.
Scolding them boldly, grabbing them by the collar, or challenging them to a duel… all of that was completely impossible for me.
But unlike me, Aurora—whose protagonist energy was maxed out—remained firm.
“Your Highness, we have a question. Why are you here, in the ‘Corridor of Dawn’?”
“…What do you mean?”
“The Corridor of Dawn leads from His Majesty’s office to the palace altar. It is far from the guest palace where dignitaries stay. So why are you here?”
She was right.
The corridor we were walking through led to the Altar of Sacred Blood—
A highly important place that housed the sacred relic protecting Sinkester from invaders.
For a foreign prince to be here… was undeniably strange.
Snapping to my senses, I stepped beside Aurora and spoke.
“The Saintess is correct, Your Highness. If you had arrived at the palace, I should have received a report. However, I have received none.”
At my words, he tilted his head slightly.
“How curious. I arrived half a day ago.”
“Half a day ago? I received no such notice.”
“That would be because you postponed our meeting to change your dress.”
As his perfectly shaped brows dipped slightly, I became flustered.
“I apologize for postponing the meeting. But I truly was not informed of your arrival.”
“Then it must have been a delivery error. However, I have already presented myself to His Majesty.”
His polite and logical responses left me speechless.
But Aurora, unlike me, did not back down.
“Arriving half a day ago and being here are two different matters. I asked why you are here.”
“Because I got lost.”
“For half a day?”
“…Yes.”
Aurora still seemed suspicious. Crossing her arms, she twisted her lips.
At this rate, they’ll start arguing.
For the sake of Aurora’s reputation as a saintess—and to show my own generosity as a princess—I whispered quietly to her.
“Aurora, let’s just let this go for now.”
“Charlotte, you…”
Then I turned to Leonard with a gentle smile.
“Your Highness, since it is your first time here, it is understandable that you might lose your way. Our palace is quite beautiful—it’s easy to be distracted while walking.”
“It certainly is.”
“But joking that you were lost for half a day is a bit excessive, don’t you think? No matter how poor your sense of direction, you would have found knights or maids if you stepped outside.”
I smiled shyly and fluttered my fan, ignoring Aurora’s sharp glare beside me.
“…Indeed.”
Yet for some reason, the prince’s expression darkened slightly—as if he had been completely serious.
“It was meant as a joke.”
“Your Highness?”
“However, I did genuinely find it difficult to navigate this palace. So, would you kindly show me the way out?”
“Ah—ah! Yes. I will assign an attendant to guide you.”
I quickly ordered one of my attendants to escort him to the guest palace.
“Then I look forward to meeting you properly at the banquet.”
With that, the prince departed.
But why did I feel so uneasy?
Normally, handsome men only made me feel refreshed—not unsettled like this.
As I stood there, watching him grow smaller in the distance, Aurora jabbed me in the side.
“Stop staring.”
The door to the Rose Room—assigned to the Sixth Prince of Blake in the guest palace—swung open abruptly.
Wondering who would dare act so rudely, it turned out to be Leonard.
William, who had been sitting on the sofa reviewing a stack of documents, turned his head toward him.
“Have you returned, Your Highness?”
But upon closer inspection, the prince’s expression wasn’t very good.
A faint trace of displeasure lingered on his perfectly handsome face.
At this point, to be honest…
True to his heaven-given lack of direction, Leonard really had gotten lost.
