After all, she was a fake saint, and her primary goal in taking on the mantle was to put a stop to the summoning. She would do her job because she’d been entrusted with control over the budget, but once things calmed down, she fully intended to return to her normal duties as a priestess. So Fiona thought it would be better for her future if the bombastic title of “saint” was kept away from public knowledge as much as possible.
Linus reacted to her whispered question with a troubled frown, then he gently patted her head. “This is a good opportunity. Besides, I can’t keep it a secret forever.”
“Oh, you’re right.”
It made sense when he said it out loud. Despite the ball being canceled, in addition to the king and the prime minister, others in the palace also knew that a saint had appeared. Fundamentally, the existence of a saint was something to celebrate, so there was nothing they could have done about the news leaking.
In short, this now boiled down to “Pretend to be a saint and be prepared for anything because it’s too late to escape stealthily.” Since she’d dragged Linus into her mess and didn’t want to cause him any more trouble, Fiona had no choice but to play the part of a saint to the hilt.
“I’ll be careful. And I’ll do my best.”
“Hmmm, I have a feeling you and I aren’t quite on the same page, Fiona. Regardless, don’t overdo it. No need for that.”
He narrowed his eyes at her newfound determination. That simple, beautiful movement caused a collective sigh of admiration to ripple from the people surrounding them at a distance. The village headman in charge of the lake led them to the sluice gate, and the droves followed them, lagging behind. Clearly, they were deeply invested in the problem. Either that or they had gathered to catch a glimpse of the arresting crown prince.
Whatever the reason, Fiona was currently a saint, and she needed to do her job properly.
“It’s this sluice gate.”
The man pointed at a sluice gate with a thick wooden plank inlaid on a stone foundation. Even from this distance, she could tell the wooden plank was rotting. She was glad the incredibly clear water made it so easy to see.
“The plank is old, but I can’t spot any other issues,” Fiona said. “Is that correct?”
She’d asked for the gate to be opened and shut to determine whether it functioned properly. When she saw it did, she realized replacing the plank was the only thing necessary to solve the problem.
“Indeed. Though it isn’t broken, the wood that dams the water is in bad shape.”
“Understood. I’ll have my staff arrange for an artisan posthaste. Better to have an expert deal with it in case they can discern issues we laymen can’t.”
As she listened closely to the village headman’s detailed request for the repairs, before she knew it, the crowd had swelled and clustered around them. Most people hardly ever had the chance to gaze upon the gorgeous crown prince, so it wasn’t like she didn’t understand their motivation.
Just as the thought ran through her mind, pushed by the crowd, a little boy fell and started crying. When she rushed over to check on him, she saw blood oozing from his cute, tiny knee.
“Please wait a moment.”
Fiona held her hand over his knee and focused intently. Healing magic was fundamental for the clergy. Any of its members could easily heal scratches.
When she visualized the wound healing, particles of magical light appeared and shone around the affected area. The bleeding stopped almost immediately, the wound closed, and the pain faded, too, judging by the fact the boy no longer cried.
“You’re fine now,” she assured.
The little boy nodded vigorously, and his eyes sparkled so brilliantly that no one would have thought he’d been crying until just seconds ago.
“Lady Saint, thank you so much. You really didn’t have to heal him.”
She was a little stumped by the village headman’s awe since any priest or priestess could take care of something as simple as a scratch. So perhaps his attitude had less to do with the healing than the fact that a saint herself took action.
In short, the power of the word “saint” proved to be distressing for an imposter.
“Since I’ve told you all you need to know about the problem with the sluice gate, if you have time after this, we would love to host you…”
Fiona had a hunch this was the same kind of hospitality people extended to her when she did her job as a priestess. She straightened her spine and smiled.
“Thank you for the kind offer, but I only came here today for the inspection, so I’ll be excusing myself now that it’s over.”
“Please, won’t you at least stay for lunch?”
The smile she had tempered in her role as clergy didn’t work on the village headman. She suspected the power of the saint was at play again. All the more reason she couldn’t give in and let herself be treated to a meal.
“I am the Saint of Cost Performance.”
“Cost…performance, you say?”
“While I appreciate the sentiment, as a saint who protects our national budget by eliminating waste, I must return immediately to the capital and my duties.”
“O-Oh…I see.”
“Waste degrades the power of the Saint of Cost Performance,” Linus added. “Of course, the saint herself isn’t the one who makes the judgment; the heavens do. I know it’s absurd that a meal offered with good intentions would weaken a saint. Regrettably, we must decline today.”
“I had no idea your circumstances were so complicated. I, too, apologize for my discourtesy then.”
While the village headman nodded in understanding of Linus’ explanation, the coach practically slid to a stop in front of them with perfect timing. Hastily saying goodbye, Fiona boarded the vehicle. Linus entered a moment later, and as soon as he sat down, it started moving.
Through the window, the view of the lake grew smaller and smaller until it disappeared. After some time on the road, she heard a soft sigh from the seat across hers.
“Care to tell me what put that expression on your face?” The voice sounded more worried than questioning, and its owner smiled gently at her.
“What sort of expression am I making?” she asked.
“I would describe it as ‘apologetic.’”
“Quite astute of you, Your Highness.”
“I better be, considering I’ve always been watching you, Fiona.”