“Oh, Your Highness, about to go out with Lady Leia?”
“Have a good time, Eric, Leia!”
Several days after Duke Algrene’s arrest, Eric and I were headed for the palace gate when Johann called out to us. Lingsha was with him.
My job as a bodyguard was to end the day the revocation of rights went into effect. Until then, Eric accompanied me on my saintly duties just as usual. At first, when he told me that it was so he could observe me, I was a nervous wreck. But now, oddly enough, I felt stronger when he was with me.
“Duke Algrene has finally begun his confession. We’re getting rather close now, aren’t we?” Johann said.
“Indeed. The revocation of rights is at our doorstep.”
Algrene had kept his silence for a while, but once he was stripped of his title, he resigned himself to his fate and began his official confession. Now we could put all our focus into the revocation of rights.
Having said that, two of the Big Four had already been stripped of their titles. The only two dukes who remained were Lord Philip’s father, Duke Gilbert, and Duke Merhide. As a result, the effects of the reform would be much smaller than originally expected, but it would still change the laws for the first time since Elshaid’s founding.
It was no exaggeration to say the wheels of history were turning.
“So, Eric, is your dream gonna come true now?”
“No, Lingsha. My dream is just beginning.”
✦ ✦ ✦
“Your Highness, I am more than capable of handling monsters of that caliber on my own.”
While I erected barriers as part of my saintly duties, Eric was destroying a fair number of monsters beside me. If an outsider saw us, they wouldn’t know which of us was the bodyguard. No matter how many times I told him not to, Eric still protected me.
“I’ve been a bit out of shape recently. If I don’t move my body, I’ll put on weight. You wouldn’t like that, would you?”
“I’d rather you be fat than hurt.”
“Oh, I’ll be fine. I won’t get hurt, and even if I do, I have a saint here to heal me.”
With a swing of his sword, blood gushed out of another monster as it died. He had annihilated so many in the blink of an eye. I was always impressed by the carefree nature of his swordplay.
Wiping the blood off his sword, Eric took on a formal tone and said, “Leia, I have three things to tell you today.”
“Really, Your Highness?”
What could it be? If he had something to tell me, why didn’t he just do it back at his study?
“The first thing I have to tell you is what is to become of Jill Westoria. We are going to send her to a convent, as per her wishes. She should be able to leave the dungeon after a while.”
“Is that so? Well, that’s wonderful news. Thank you for your clemency.”
“It’s Dale you should thank. He reawakened the fragments of good she still had in her soul.”
Truth be told, I never wanted Jill to be punished. But there was no telling what would have happened to her if the prince hadn’t intervened. Even if she was spared an execution, she might have spent decades rotting in that dungeon.
“She said she wanted to find herself while serving God and to start over.”
“I’m surprised to hear how gentle she’s become. It’s like she’s a whole different person.”
It felt like a miracle; I had given up hope that Jill would apologize. I wouldn’t put all the blame on Catherine’s lies, but I felt that Jill’s mother had sinned the most.
“Now, the second thing I want to tell you: From this case, I have judged you to be a perfect saint, Leia. Starting tomorrow, you will no longer be under my observation.”
“Huh?”
“I’ve known for quite some time now that you are a gifted saint. I just thought I should tell you that before you resigned as my bodyguard.”
Now all my reasons for being near Prince Eric were gone. I was going to miss him. It was the unbridled truth. All of my life’s most joyful moments were with him.
“And lastly, the third thing I want to tell you—”
“Yes?”
The last thing. He told me about Jill’s fate and that I had earned his respect as a saint, what could he possibly have left to tell me?
Eric turned to face me directly. He closed his eyes for a moment, then he looked straight into mine. It might have been my imagination, but he looked nervous.
“Leia Westoria, will you marry me?”
“Uhh? What?!”
I was astounded. It was the last thing I ever expected him to say.
My heart was beating so fast that it felt like it was going to burst. Just the feel of his gaze on me made my blood burn so hot that I felt like I would melt.
What should I do? I’m making the most dreadful expression right now, I just know it.
I couldn’t decide how to answer him. Yet my lips moved on their own.
“Yes…I’d love to marry you.”
“Thank you… Actually, I was a little scared that you’d turn me down.”
Before I realized where I was, I had just said yes to Eric’s proposal. But I had no reason to say no.
Does this mean I’m Eric’s fiancée now? My heart is pounding—but in a good way. My veins are pumping pure joy!
It was no exaggeration to say our first meeting was a disaster. Eric jumped to the conclusion that I was a terrible saint. He came at me, and I thought he was terribly ill-mannered. I couldn’t deny that fact.
But the more I got to know this man, the more I realized just how purehearted and devoted he was. My forgiveness wasn’t enough for him. He took responsibility for his actions and made amends by watching me hard at work as a saint. He respected me more than anyone ever had.
“This time, I want you to be the judge of whether or not I’m worthy of kingship. I want your approval, Leia, more than anyone else.”
“And I will watch over you always, if you’ll let me stay by your side.”
Our feelings for each other now known, Prince Eric threw his arms around me. I could feel his love through the embrace. I knew then that no matter what came our way, I would never leave Eric’s side.
I had no fear, no matter what obstacles lay in our path. As I quietly took in my prince’s warmth, my mind danced with visions of the path we would walk together in the future.