A Blend of Romance and Fantasy - Chapter 4

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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04.
Sincester.
Our kingdom is the one and only “Holy Kingdom” on the Elysium Continent.
Every citizen is born with sacred power, but the royal family is born with far greater amounts of it.
Since Sincester practiced theocratic rule, my older brother Erdan, who was born with abundant sacred power, served as both Pope and King.
But cruelly enough, I—Charlotte—apparently had no sacred power, as befitted a villainess.
That’s why I grew jealous of Aurora and attempted to kill her, only to be executed by Cedric.
“Aurora, in your opinion, why do you think I lack sacred power?”
“Eh? Well….”
The moment I asked so abruptly on our way to the Altar, Aurora’s expression clouded with reluctance.
I’d asked purely out of genuine curiosity, but Aurora seemed to think I was deeply troubled by this matter.
Her blue eyes wavered, and she averted her gaze from mine.
“Perhaps it’s because His Majesty possesses such abundant sacred power? It’s said that when one sibling has exceptionally strong power, the other has almost none.”
“So you’re saying it’s because of my brother?”
“Goodness! Don’t say such things!!”
Aurora startled and waved her hands dismissively.
“If His Majesty heard that, he’d weep bitterly! How much does he adore you?”
“I know that much. That’s why he entrusted me with such an important position—managing the sacred relics of the Royal Palace.”
Originally, this had been Erdan’s responsibility as both Pope and King.
But to solidify my standing in the Royal Palace despite lacking sacred power, he took on the nobles’ opposition and gave the position to me.
Of course, Aurora, being a saint, also played a role in pushing for my appointment, saying I was qualified.
“Aurora, I’m grateful to you as well. That’s sincere.”
“Charlotte….”
Aurora’s expression grew touched for a moment, and she took my hand.
“You don’t need to thank me for that. I live in the Holy Temple outside the palace, after all. Managing the sacred relics of the temple alone is taxing enough, so I’m delighted that you’re taking care of the Royal Palace’s relics.”
“Are you really a saint?”
“Even saints find things difficult.”
“Well, at least your character is consistent.”
That was when it happened.
As I walked through the corridor, a sudden chill swept across my entire body.
Aurora noticed it first.
Following the direction of her gaze, I spotted a man in military uniform.
Since he was turned away, what I could see wasn’t his face but the emblem on his cloak.
A dense forest against a pitch-black background, two ash-gray wolves on either side, and a great sword thrust defiantly through the center.
The emblem of Blackwood, the eastern house of Blake.
Only one person on the continent could wear such a sinister, dark emblem on their uniform, so I had no choice but to stop in my tracks.
Sensing our presence, he slowly turned around.
As expected, it was Leonard, the Sixth Prince of Blake.
“….”
He was, how should I put it—honestly, nothing like an extra character.
His hair was as red as blood, his nose bridge straight and sharp, and his angular jaw carried a stubborn set.
Moreover, the physique glimpsed between the folds of his cloak made it easy to imagine how rigorously he’d trained in swordplay.
A broad, muscular chest, powerful shoulders, and long legs stretching beneath thighs that seemed ready to burst from their confines.
But what truly captured my gaze was his eyes—those crimson eyes.
Those blood-red irises seemed detached, as though they comprehended all the world’s mysteries, yet they emanated a chill that froze one to the bone.
Could a gaze be both luminous and unsettling at once?
I stood transfixed, caught between conflicting emotions, unable to utter a word.
The moment he noticed us, he approached with deliberate footsteps.
“Charlotte, compose yourself.”
Aurora’s words jolted me back to awareness.
I straightened my posture and lifted my chin with dignity, shaking off my rigid stupor.
He came to a halt one step away and offered a respectful bow.
“The beautiful Princess of Sincester, the sacred Saintess of the Elysium Continent. I am truly honored to meet both of you.”
“….”
“Though I regret that the Corridor is such an unsuitable place for this encounter. I hope you’ll forgive me for interrupting your journey.”
To be honest, he didn’t look apologetic in the slightest.
He merely tilted his head and spoke with clipped precision. For an imperial prince, his demeanor was remarkably presumptuous.
Yet unfortunately, I suffered from a peculiar, incurable affliction: I trembled before handsome men.
Confronting such a man with bold retorts, seizing him by the collar, or challenging him to a duel—all such roles were utterly beyond my capability.
But unlike me, Aurora, whose heroine-like presence had reached maximum level, remained resolute.
“Your Highness, we find ourselves puzzled. Why are you in the Corridor of Dawn?”
“…What do you mean?”
“The Corridor of Dawn passes through His Majesty’s office and leads to the Altar within the Royal Palace. It is quite distant from the Guest Palace where distinguished visitors reside. We simply wonder how you came to be here.”
Indeed, the passage we were traversing now led to the Altar of Sacred Blood.
And that Altar of Sacred Blood was an extraordinarily important location—it housed the ‘sacred relic’ that protected Sincester from invaders.
For a foreign prince to be found in the corridor leading to such a place was decidedly suspicious.
My mind suddenly cleared, and I stepped forward beside Aurora.
“The Saintess is correct, Your Highness. Had you arrived at the Royal Palace, I would have received a report. Yet I received none.”
At my words, his head tilted slightly.
“How unfortunate—news travels slowly, it seems. I arrived half a day ago.”
“Half a day ago? I received no such notification.”
“That would be the case, since you mentioned needing to change your dress and postponed our meeting.”
As his finely drawn eyebrows drooped slightly, I felt myself falter.
“I apologize for postponing the meeting. But I truly received no word of your arrival.”
“Then it must have been a failure in communication. However, I did present myself to His Majesty.”
As his courteous and reasonable responses continued, I became even more tongue-tied.
But unlike me, Aurora refused to be intimidated and countered once more.
“Arriving half a day ago and being in this corridor are two separate matters, are they not? I asked why you are here.”
“I lost my way.”
“For half a day?”
“…Yes.”
Aurora still seemed to doubt the Sixth Prince. She crossed her arms and twisted her lips tightly.
‘At this rate, we’ll end up fighting.’
For the sake of my reputation as a saint and my friend Aurora’s standing, and to demonstrate the generosity befitting a princess, I whispered softly to Aurora.
“Aurora, let’s just move past this for now.”
“Charlotte, you….”
And I offered a bright smile before Leonard.
“Your Highness, since this is your first visit, I imagine you might have lost your way. Our Royal Palace is so beautiful that one’s gaze can easily be captivated while walking.”
“It certainly is beautiful.”
“But wasn’t the jest about losing your way for half a day a bit much? No matter how poor one’s sense of direction, there are always knights and attendants just outside.”
I laughed shyly and pulled out my fan, fluttering it. I ignored Aurora’s piercing gaze from beside me.
“…Yes.”
Yet for some reason, the Sixth Prince’s expression as he nodded didn’t look good. As if my words just now had been sincere.
“It was certainly meant as a joke to amuse.”
“Your Highness?”
“But to be honest, I did find it difficult to navigate this palace on my first visit. So, would you show me the way out?”
“Ah… Ah! Yes. I’ll have one of my attendants escort you.”
I quickly ordered one of my attendants to guide His Highness to the Guest Palace.
“Then, I hope we meet again at the formal banquet next time.”
The Sixth Prince soon withdrew from my presence.
But why did I feel so unsettled? Normally, I only feel refreshed in the presence of a handsome man—never this sense of unease.
As I stood there for a while, watching the handsome figure grow smaller, Aurora jabbed me in the ribs.
“Stop staring.”
* * *
The door to the Rose Room, assigned to Blake’s Sixth Prince in the Guest Palace where distinguished guests stay, burst open.
It was Leonard who dared to act so rudely.
William, who had been sitting on the sofa processing accumulated documents, turned his head toward him.
“Welcome back, Your Highness.”
Yet upon closer inspection, the Sixth Prince’s expression was not good.
A faint displeasure lingered across his beautifully sculpted face.
To be honest at this point… true to the nature of someone cursed with a poor sense of direction by the heavens, Leonard had indeed genuinely lost his way.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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