Chapter 38
While Clael was reuniting with and parting from his friends.
Reina, who was living in the royal capital, was steadily building her social network.
"Good day, Lady Reina."
"Good morning, Lady Reina."
Early morning. In the courtyard of the academy located in the royal capital.
A female student in uniform greeted a noble young lady.
"Good morning. It's another fine morning, isn't it?"
Receiving the greetings from the girls, Reina Laurel smiled gracefully.
Her radiant smile was like that of a heavenly angel descending to Earth.
So captivating that everyone who saw her couldn't look away.
"Lady Reina is beautiful again today......"
"As expected of the Saint... It's truly an honor to attend the same academy."
A female student blushed and sighed after receiving a greeting from Reina.
Reina's beauty possessed a universal appeal that transcended gender and age.
The girls attending the academy were noble daughters confident in their own looks, but none felt jealousy toward Reina.
"Hey, did you hear? That third-year, Mackenzie-senpai, confessed to Lady Reina and got rejected."
"Oh my, again? Isn't that the third one this month already?"
"Lady Reina... Including the crown prince, she seems to be turning down many men. I wonder if she has someone special in her heart?"
"She is the Saint, after all. She must be devoted to God and her faith."
"I heard some people who were thinking impure thoughts tried to call Lady Reina out... but in the end, they couldn't say anything to her."
The other day, a group of girls summoned Reina behind the school building and tried to confront her, saying, "Don't toy with men's feelings."
However, upon seeing Reina's face... her pure, divine aura overwhelmed them, and they swallowed the insults they were about to shout.
"Not only is she beautiful, but she's also academically outstanding... That must be what it means to be loved by God."
The girls chatted excitedly about Reina as they walked toward the classroom.
"Haa... Reina, you're so beautiful..."
Meanwhile, a young man sighed from the shadow of a bush in the courtyard.
He had been hiding there for thirty minutes, watching Reina as she arrived at school. He was a nobleman with soft-looking blond hair.
His name was Eric Seincle.
He was the son of the king and the crown prince of this country.
When Reina enrolled, Eric had offered to escort her around the school.
It wasn't because he was trying to court her.
Though he had indeed been captivated by the lovely Saint, Eric already had a fiancée.
He only offered to escort her to establish a connection between royalty and the Saint.
He never once considered taking her as a concubine. Absolutely not.
Eric was the crown prince, second only to the king, and was widely acknowledged as a handsome man.
Even if she was the Saint, she was still a woman.
If Eric spoke to her, she would surely blush and take his hand.
That's what he had believed... but what came from Reina's lips were cold words of rejection.
'I must decline.'
'You already have a fiancée, do you not? Don't you think it's disrespectful to approach another woman and offer to escort her?'
'This is something taught by the person who raised me. "You mustn't get close to a man who already has a fiancée. Especially not a prince—absolutely not."... And with that, I'll excuse myself.'
Born a prince and later crowned as the heir.
For Eric, who had been pampered and praised by everyone, it was the first shock of his life.
A woman who wasn't swayed by royal power. A woman who wasn't dazzled by natural beauty.
He had never met someone who treated him so coldly.
(Maybe... maybe she could see me not as the crown prince, but as who I really am. Maybe she could see the heart behind this handsome face...)
Ever since that thought crossed his mind, Eric had been unable to take his eyes off Reina.
If Reina would look at him—if she would become his—he wouldn't mind throwing away his fiancée, Carrot Laurel.
That's how he had begun to feel.
"Ah, Reina... Why must you be Reina..."
If only she were Carrot instead of Reina, he could have stayed by her side as her fiancé.
He could have walked beside her and escorted her to class.
"......Hey, you ready? Tomorrow's the day."
"......Are we really doing this? If we mess up, we're screwed."
"............?"
Though Eric was hiding behind the bush... he heard the voices of several male students whispering from another nearby shadow.
They didn't seem to notice Eric's presence among the trees.
"We're fallen nobles anyway. Even if we graduate from this academy, we'll just lead miserable lives."
"But... if we get the Saint, it's a total turnaround. Money and power—everything will be ours!"
"............!"
(The Saint... No way—are these guys planning to do something to Reina!?)
Eric almost shouted, but managed to suppress his voice.
For now, it was better to stay hidden and keep listening.
"We'll assault the Saint and take her chastity. She's so kind—once we take her first time, she'll do whatever we say."
"Just thinking about doing what I want with that body makes me drool."
"Damn it! Fine, let's do it... Don't worry, I got the drug from that shop in the back alley! With this, even the most chaste girl will spread her legs."
(These bastards... They really are planning to assault Reina!?)
Eric's mind turned blood red with rage.
He wanted to leap out from the trees right now and beat those degenerates to a pulp.
He was about to jump out in anger... but stopped himself at the last second.
(Wait... What if I use these guys to get Reina's attention?)
Catch them in the act as they try to assault Reina, and rescue her.
If he did that... he might be able to melt the frozen walls around Reina's heart.
(Yes... It's not like I incited them. I'm not the bad guy here.)
Eric had good intentions too. He wasn't trying to stage the whole thing.
But... he would overlook it for now, just to catch the criminals red-handed and ensure they were punished.
(I'll protect Reina... Isn't that right?)
Eric deliberately turned his eyes away from the thugs before him, bit his lip, and looked down.