This hall was a sacred space, intended only for major ceremonies and rituals. I’d never imagined the day would come when I would hear such cruel words here, of all places.
As I continued to wail, Alex, though taken aback at my behavior, cupped both hands around his mouth and shouted at the top of his lungs, determined to be the loudest in the room.
“Just listen, won’t you?! Actually, you will listen, whether you want to or not!”
Perhaps all of us ought to have been ashamed of making such an earsplitting ruckus in a place meant for peace and tranquility, but...it was just us three here at the moment, so there was no one around to object, at least.
“Evelyn! Admit it! Surely you’ve noticed!” the prince insisted, still shouting. “Your magic weakens by the day!”
“Urk!”
I gritted my teeth at his merciless accusation—which happened to be true. I could vaguely sense it, myself.
I used to be able to focus on my prayers until sunset, I thought. But lately, that’s been difficult...
Now I felt faint a few hours before the end of my prayer sessions and too dizzy to even steady myself in the proper posture of devotion.
Prince Alex looked more confident now, probably because he’d at last managed to silence me.
“That’s right! You’re already losing your abilities!” he said. “Therefore, Mary will take your place as the saint! You have no objections, I trust?”
“What?! Mary?!”
Mary and I were both daughters of House Safka, famed for producing girls with holy powers; she was my half sister—my father’s daughter by another wife—and ten years younger than me. With her large eyes, rosy cheeks, and plump cherry-red lips, I had to admit she was quite a pretty girl. But I recalled Mary herself mentioning the magic she’d been born with wasn’t anything to write home about...
I looked up to find her cowering behind Prince Alex in a rather theatrical display.
“You’re frightening me, sister!” she said. “Pray don’t glare at me so!”
“Stop at once, Evelyn!” the prince commanded. “You’re scaring Mary!”
“Oh, Alex! Won’t you protect me from my terrifying sister?”
“Of course! Anything for you, my beloved!”
Mary squealed. “My prince! I love you! I love you so much!”
I’m sorry, what? Was this a comedy show? A skit? It was so stupid that I had no choice but to regain some of my composure. Also, my throat hurt.
Either way, I had served faithfully as the saint for twenty-three years, so there was a question I simply had to ask.
“Mary,” I said, rubbing my aching throat. “From now on, it will be your duty to protect this country as the saint. Are you prepared for all that entails?”
“What?” Mary asked. “I have no idea what you mean, sister.”
“And that worries me! The position involves serious responsibilities, and you’re—”
“Enough, Evelyn!” Prince Alex interrupted. I looked over to see him with his shoulders thrown back dramatically. He was looking down at me as though I were some sort of insect. “Your magic’s grown weak, you’re too old to marry... Have you really sunk so low that all you have left is jealousy for your sister’s talent? Pathetic.”
Hey...!
I was struck speechless. Prince Alex’s words were far too cruel.
It was true that the marriageable age for young women in this country went from fifteen to eighteen years old or so. At twenty-eight, I had, indeed, long since missed my window of opportunity, even if it pained me to admit it. But as the saint, I was only permitted to get engaged, not to marry. And, without a successor, I’d had to remain single.
That wasn’t the only issue either.
This jerk is all up on his high horse when he’s the one who broke our engagement off while having an affair with Mary!
Ours hadn’t been an amicable split. Last year, Prince Alex had summoned me to his room—where I’d found the two of them locked in what was clearly a passionate kiss. Then, while laughing at me, he’d called off our engagement. It was the most humiliated I’d ever felt in my entire life.
He’s never even touched me. Not once.
Ours had been a political arrangement, after all. I’d known that, naturally, and I’d never harbored any feelings toward the prince in the first place, but still! After that day, everyone began to walk on eggshells around me. I mean, of course they did. Never before in the history of this country had an engagement between a prince and the saint been dissolved.
And since I was the saint, there were very few people who could propose to me, inclinations to do so aside. Basically, only members of the royal family were eligible—and only unmarried ones.
Until now, I’d braved every hardship by dedicating myself to my role as the saint, but...
If that’s taken from me too, what am I to do with my life?
As if to rub salt into my gaping wound, Mary shouted hysterically, “Oh, my poor sister! What a wretched life she will live now, all alone!”
“How considerate you are, Mary,” Prince Alex said. “Pathetic as your sister is, you still feel for her.”
I couldn’t bear to keep listening to their comedy skit any longer.
“Ah. Yes, of course,” I said. “Well then, I shall take my leave...”
The two of them were still saying something behind my back, but I pretended not to hear and trudged out of there dejectedly. For a moment, I considered returning to my chambers, but...I had no personal belongings to fetch. And the role of saint was completely unpaid.
In other words, I was flat broke.
Going back to my chambers seemed like a waste of time, and I couldn’t bear the thought of running into those two again. So I decided to leave the great hall and head straight for the basilica’s entrance.
To be precise, I think I’d lost all capacity for rational thought at that moment. My head felt searing hot, my thoughts were spinning in useless circles, my eyesight was blurry, and the prince’s hurtful words were echoing over and over in my brain.
I’m no longer needed, he said. I’m too old to marry, he said...
Boo-hoo-hoo. Before I knew it, tears were spilling from my eyes. When I finally noticed, I hurriedly wiped them away with my sleeve.
No one saw, right? Good.
I wasn’t sure whether Prince Alex had dismissed everyone else, but there wasn’t a single priest in sight in the corridors—which, honestly, was a blessing in disguise. The fact there wasn’t anyone at the entrance either made me a little nervous, but when I timidly stepped outside, a brilliantly clear blue sky spread out before me. It was as if reality were telling me that my woes were completely irrelevant.
It was a little amusing, but I couldn’t manage a laugh.
Um... Now what?