《She Was Supposed to Be a Decoration Saint, but She Seems to Have Awakened to Her True Power》 CH 1 Chapter 1: Decorative Saint ¡°Marianne-sama, please accept this bouquet. Although it is nothing compared to your beauty¡­¡± The girl in Saint¡¯s white robe smiled vaguely at the bouquet of crimson roses offered to her. ¡°Well, I am not Marianne-sama, my name is Sylphia¡­¡± Immediately the knight¡¯s gaze, which had been watching Sylphia with rapt attention, turns cold. ¡°Huh? You are not Marianne-sama?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m the substitute for Marianne-sama.¡± ¡°What, no wonder you¡¯re such a shabby girl. Give this to Marianne-sama. I¡¯m Curtis from the Order. Tell her I¡¯ll be back.¡± ¡°Yes, I understand.¡± Without looking at Sylphia¡¯s bowed head, the knight who introduced himself as Curtis walked away. There was no time to be hurt by his rude words. This was an everyday occurrence, and Sylphia was used to it. She took the bouquet of flowers that Curtis had brought and went to the altar in the center of the temple. The altar is filled with other gifts for Marianne, such as jewelry, dresses, hair ornaments, perfumes, etc. Since Marianne became a saint, the weather has been mild and the nobles have been blessed by the spirits, which has enriched their pockets. On either side of the altar, red and blue patterns were painted. This is a temple, and Marianne is the Saint who presides over this temple. However, Marianne is rarely seen in the temple. Sylphia held a bouquet of roses in her hands, walked to the red-patterned wall, and bowed. She then walked to the blue-patterned wall and bowed as well. Returning to the center, he placed a bouquet of roses on the altar and knelt with folded hands. ¡°To Valtis-sama, the spirit of the earth, and Titia-sama, the spirit of the sky, I respectfully offer this bouquet. Look at the color of the bright red roses. And the fragrance. We give thanks to the sky that sends down rain of blessings to the earth where plants take root.¡± Sylphia utters a poor prayer. In truth, there should have been a more dignified and ancient prayer. But Sylphia, not the saint, knows nothing of it. Sylphia Harvest was a decorative Saint. While Marianne, the actual saint, was not in the temple, it would not be good if no one was there, so she was stationed there in her saintly garb to receive gifts and so on. And the reason why Marianne is away from the temple is¡ª ¡°Sylphia! Let me see what you have for me today!¡± A figure appeared at the entrance of the temple and called Sylphia in a sharp, piercing voice. ¡°Y-Yes, Marianne-sama.¡± Sylphia rushes to greet her. Marianne, the true master of the temple, strode up to the altar and took a glance at the offerings. Marianne walked up to the altar and glanced at the offerings. ¡°Well, there are some nice things here today.¡± She selected some jewelry and a dress and gave them to the lady-in-waiting who was accompanying her. ¡°The roses are nice, but I don¡¯t need that many.¡± ¡°This is from Curtis-sama of the Order. He said he¡¯ll be back.¡± ¡°Yes. That¡¯s a new name. I wonder what he¡¯ll buy me. I¡¯m looking forward to it, fufufu.¡± Marianne raises a shapely eyebrow and smiles as she holds the card in front of her. Then she grabs Sylphia by the collar and glares at her menacingly. ¡°You don¡¯t really think you¡¯re a saint, do you? I am the real saint. You¡¯re just a fake saint for decoration.¡± ¡°Y-Yes. Of course I am.¡± Long fingernails dig into her throat. Sylphia groans in pain, and then Marianne pushes her away with a sly grin. Sylphia slumps to the floor and manages to stand up, leaning on the altar. ¡°The carriage is ready now, Marianne.¡± A man calls out to Marianne from behind. Sylphia remembers him as the man who had given Marianne a gift before, just as Curtis had. He was the third son of a marquis named Cedric, who had given her a gold necklace. Marianne, wearing the tiara and jewels from the altar, turned to Cedric. ¡°Does it look good on me?¡± ¡°You must be one hell of a Saint to make man compete with you like that.¡± This was precisely the reason why Sylphia Harvest was dressed as a decorated Saint. Marianne, the saint, is engaged to Antonio, the first prince. But Antonio dotes Marianne and is willing to do anything she asks. Many nobles thought selling flattery to Marianne would help them in the future. Sylphia protects the temple and prays in place of Marianne while Marianne, who is supposed to be the real saint, enjoys reminiscing about her last days as a bachelorette.¡± ¡°Marianne-sama, there¡¯s a gift left¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want it!¡± Sylphia shouted, and Marianne made a gesture with her hand as if to ward her off, then walked out of the temple, while leaning on Cedric. What was left on the altar were handmade cookies brought by the children of the orphanage for the saint. ¡°They look delicious¡­¡± Her stomach rumbles. Sylphia, who is forbidden to leave the temple, has not eaten since last night. Grabbing a bag of cookies, Sylphia walked to the red-patterned wall. Touching one hand to the wall, she takes out a cookie with the other hand and puts it in her mouth. Sugar is too precious to use, but the dried grapes gave it a hint of sweetness. And the smell of burnt wheat and milk. And a little butter. Sylphia prays that the innocent thoughts of the children will be conveyed to the spirits. The same is repeated on the blue patterned wall, and Sylphia puts her hands together when she has finished all the biscuits. ¡°Thank you for the food.¡± The empty altar is cleansed and covered with a new cloth. Will the children¡¯s thoughts be heard? According to the legend, spirits work on human beings through those whom they recognize as Saint. On the other hand, the gibberish prayers of Sylphia, a decorative saint, may not reach them. A few generations ago, Sylphia¡¯s own family, the Harvests, also produced a saint. But their superficial prayers drew the wrath of the spirits, and they were no longer produced saints. (I wonder if it¡¯s OK, I hope the spirits don¡¯t get angry because of me¡­) Incidentally, if a major natural disaster occurred during Marianne¡¯s absence, Sylphia would be executed as a false saint for angering the spirits. That was the rule. (¡­I¡¯d better pray a lot so as not to offend the spirits.) Prayer begins with purification. Sylphia, having switched her mind, took out a broom and a rag, and scrubbed the temple from top to bottom. CH 2 Chapter 2: The Second Prince By the time Sylphia had finished cleaning the temple, night had fallen outside the window. The moonlight shining through the lighted windows was mysterious and glittered on the marble walls and floors of the temple. Sylphia loved moments like this. The gifts to Marianne were all beautiful and Sylphia sighed at how wonderful the world was from which they came. It was also a joy to meet people who truly appreciated the spirits, without any ulterior motives toward the saint. Sometimes Sylphia even gets to enjoy some fine sweets. And there is another reason why she likes her position as a decorative Saint. ¡°Sylphia.¡± In the darkness of the night, Sylphia¡¯s heart jumps out of her chest at the sound of a voice softly calling her name. ¡°Lute-sama.¡± ¡°I brought you something to eat. Are you all right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± As she answered, a candle was lit in the moonlight. Gold hair shines in the flickering flame. There stands Lute Gimlet, the brother of Marianne¡¯s fianc¨¦, First Prince Antonio Gimlet, and the second prince of the land. As Lute turns around, a servant holds out a basket to him. The smell of a delicious soup wafts from its contents. Sylphia¡¯s stomach growls again. Sylphia was not allowed to eat. Since Marianne, the mistress of the temple, is not in the temple, no food was sent to her. She was also not allowed to leave the temple. That was Antonio¡¯s instruction. She manages to survive because many of the gifts she receives include food, but Lute, out of pity, sometimes brings her food like this. ¡°I¡¯m sorry about my Brother.¡± ¡°No, don¡¯t worry, Lute-sama. That¡¯s a rule, too.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know how much longer we can keep up this nonsense¡­¡± Lute sighs. Sylphia takes Marianne¡¯s place as she enjoys her affair. This has been going on for about three years now. Antonio pretends to forgive Marianne¡¯s affair, but he tries to get rid of his pent-up resentment by locking Sylphia away and abusing her. Antonio knows the risks to the public if Marianne¡¯s behavior comes to light. That is why Sylphia is there. And when a great misfortune occurs and it is seen as the wrath of the spirits, the blame will be placed on the ¡°false saint¡± Sylphia and not Marianne, who was in the temple because a non-saint prayed to the spirits. And the main reason was¡­ ¡°But because of that role, my family will not fall¡­¡± Antonio promised to support the Harvest family if they accepted the role of decoration to conceal Marianne¡¯s absence. ¡°Lute-sama, if you¡¯ll excuse me¡­¡± Holding the basket in her hand, Sylphia took half of the food on the red patterned wall and the other half on the blue patterned wall. Neither steaming soup nor bread with cheese can be made without the earth and sky. Perhaps it is because she continues to stay in the temple and think about the spirits that she gradually becomes more familiar with them and feels closer to them. Sometimes she feels like they are right next to her. If she were to tell Antonio or Marianne this, they would probably laugh at her and say that she had finally lost her mind. ¡°Thank you for the food. It was very delicious.¡± ¡°Good. I¡¯ll bring food again tomorrow.¡± Lute, who lowered his eyebrows and smiled apologetically, made her heart ache. (I¡¯ll be able to see Lute-sama again, so it won¡¯t be too hard for me.) ¡°Since you¡¯ve been here, the temple has been getting more and more gifts. Of course, some of them are for Marianne¡­ But merchants and farmers who have never been to the temple before also come to see you. They listen to your stories and are more grateful to the spirits than ever before because you tell them how wonderful the world is.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a blessing, isn¡¯t it?¡± Sylphia beamed. She had no one to talk to, and she wanted someone to listen to her. It¡¯s honestly nice to hear. Lute-sama. My family, the Harvest family, used to be a saint-born family, just like Marianne-sama¡¯s family, the Honeydales. However, my ancestors failed to pray, which angered the spirits, and there was a famine that year. Then my family was deprived of the role of saint.¡± The Harvest family, having lost their title as saints, had no other merit and quickly fell into decline. ¡°So I am happy to be involved with the temple again. I will pray hard, even if I¡¯m just a decoration until Marianne-sama comes. I will pray hard for this country. Sylphia smiled at him, and Lute smiled back. CH 3 Chapter 3: Advent of the Spirit Sylphia was eating that day, nestled between the red and blue patterned walls. Nowadays, when people around the temple notice that Sylphia has not been out, they sometimes bring her food, which makes her much happier than when she is hungry and unattended at the Harvest house. Just before noon, Curtis showed up again and left a red rose. ¡°You again?¡± Sylphia was wondering how to explain the situation to him when he left. She knew Marianne preferred dresses and jewelry and would never accept this rose, but she couldn¡¯t bring myself to tell Curtis that. She remembered Lute¡¯s face as he said, ¡°How long are you going to keep doing this nonsense?¡± Still, Sylphia prayed as hard as she could. ¡°Thank you, Valtis-sama, Titia-sama and all the spirits. And for Antonio-sama and Marianne-sama¡­¡± Lute may not agree with her, but that doesn¡¯t change the fact that she has been given a chance. If she completes this task, the Harvest family could be restored. After finishing her meal and cleaning up, Sylphia turned his head. Somehow, she feels like she¡¯s being called. (Is it my imagination, or are the walls darker than usual?) The red and blue colors are becoming more brilliant. Sylphia moves closer to the wall and gently touches the red pattern. Her vision blinks as if sparkling light particles are flying. (I don¡¯t know why¡­ Suddenly, I feel sleepy¡­) Her body falls to the ground as she rests her cheek against the wall. At the same time, her consciousness sinks deeper. *** [Sylphia, Sylphia! Wake up!] [Wake up is not the right word, Valtis, because this is the other side of the world, so for Sylphia it¡¯s a dream.] [I don¡¯t understand what Titia says, it¡¯s too difficult! Anyway, I want to talk to Sylphia!] Two voices were heard in her ear. One cheerful and bright, the other calm and clear. Sylphia doesn¡¯t know what they¡¯re talking about, but she understands that her name is being called. (No, wait, these are the names I know¡­). Valtis and Titia¡­the voices call each other. The names of the spirits to whom Sylphia is praying. As soon as he realized it, Sylphia opened her eyes with a jerk. It is pitch black. Sylphia was sitting in the darkness, and a red-haired boy and a blue-haired girl were floating in front of her. The clothes they wear resemble Sylphia¡¯s sacred robe, the hem of which flutters as if blown by the wind. Their irises were deep red and blue, respectively, and featured the same pattern as that of the temple walls. ¡°Valtis-sama. Titia-sama¡­¡± [That¡¯s right. Sylphia. I called you here] Titia¡¯s words made Sylphia turn pale. There was only one thing on her mind. ¡°Finally, the wrath of the spirits! Is it execution?! Please don¡¯t let there be a famine! I¡¯ll take the punishment myself, so that others won¡¯t be inconvenience¡ª [Sylphia, thank you for everything. We recognize you as a true Saint and have decided to give you power.] ¡°What?!¡± Sylphia, who was prepared to get down on her knees, receives an unexpected word of thanks. Valtis raises his fist in the air and makes an impassioned speech to Sylphia, who looks up at him with a gaping mouth. [An honest prayer without formalities! An attitude that tries to connect spirits and people! And above all, the offerings are delicious!] [I concur, it is important.] ¡°The offerings¡­¡± [You ate it while praying for us to receive it, didn¡¯t you? We have always been grateful to Sylphia for praying for us so that we would know what good we have done with our blessings.] [In the last hundred years, offerings have not been made.] ¡°Eh?¡± Sylphia exclaimed at the unexpected words of the Spirit. ¡°But the temple has been under the supervision of the Honeydale family for 100 years.¡± [¡­?] Valtis nodded, tilted his head and Titia shrugged her shoulders. [Honeydale Who?] ¡°Yes, the Saint of our time is Marianne Honeydale-sama.¡± [What? Who is?] Before Sylphia was given the role of decorator, Marianne was supposed to pray. And before Marianne, members of the House of Honeydale have cleaned the temple and served as saints for generations. Yet neither Valtis nor Titia knew them. Sylphia shuddered at the feeling of cold sweat running down her back. Valtis dangled his feet in the air, unconcerned. [The saint is Sylphia. I don¡¯t know anyone named Marianne. We give power to Sylphia] ¡°That¡¯s not the case¡­¡± The saint is supposed to be Marianne. That¡¯s why she¡¯s engaged to the Crown Prince. ¡°And I don¡¯t even know the text of the prayer.¡± [People speak different languages and lie. It doesn¡¯t matter what language you speak. Don¡¯t worry about that.] Titia nodded. [Only what you wish for is important. Just as you prayed before]. ¡°Just like I¡¯ve always prayed¡­¡± [If our bond with Sylphia becomes stronger, we may be able to appear in the human world, so please take good care of us!] ¡°W-Wait a minute, please¡­¡± Once again, she felt a tugging sensation. Before she can stop it, Valtis and Titia are moving away into the darkness. A light comes from behind. When she awoke, Sylphia was lying in the center of the temple. She should have been leaning against the wall unconscious, but before she knew it, she had moved. ¡°¡­A dream¡­ Isn¡¯t it¡­?¡± Her heart skips a beat. She feels the spirit even more than before the dream. She can¡¯t describe it, but she feels like something invisible is surrounding her and giving her strength. (Is it a delusion? Or¡­) She couldn¡¯t believe it herself. Sylphia closes her eyes tightly and then fearfully holds out her hand to the rose that Curtis left behind. ¡°¡ªBlessing of the spirits.¡± At that moment, a gust of wind blew through the temple. When it stopped, Sylphia looked up. The roses spread their tendrils vigorously and covered the temple, and countless flowers bloomed as if to bless Sylphia. CH 4 Chapter 4: Confusion The first to discover the rose-covered temple were the children of the orphanage, who often came to visit.¡± ¡°Wow! Sylphia-sama, what is this? There are so many flowers!¡± ¡°There are so many flowers!¡± ¡°Fufu, I wonder. Maybe its blessing from the spirits~¡± ¡°Sylphia-sama, you always say that. I wonder if I can do it too if I pray.¡± ¡°I want to do it!¡± ¡°Yes, you can.¡± Sylphia laughed at the children whose eyes lit up. (I understand. I know. They¡¯re right.) The spirits also said. Prayer has no form. This power is the result of Sylphia¡¯s sincerity in communicating with them. Then these children can communicate with the spirits. (Valtis-sama and Titia-sama said they did not know Marianne-sama, but there must be some mistake. If Marianne-sama prays with all her heart, her feelings will be conveyed.) When Marianne-sama prays with all her heart, her thoughts will be transmitted. Sylphia was convinced that was the case and a sigh of relief escapes her. Sylphia folds the roses one by one and gives them to the children. ¡°Take good care of this rose and thank the spirits and pray.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± ¡°Thank you, Sylphia-sama!¡± Sylphia smiled as she saw the children holding the roses with joy. The children must have spread the story, because that day the number of visitors to the temple increased, and Sylphia gave out roses to everyone. The roses did not run out even after the distribution until nightfall, and everyone was pleased with the miracle of the spirit. (The spirits became familiar to everyone.) Although the sheer power of the spirits was a bit overwhelming, Valtis and Titia were right: Sylphia should just go on with her life as before. She should be thankful to the spirits, be grateful for their blessings, and pray for them every day. As she passed these things on to the people, the relationship between human beings and spirits would become better. That¡¯s what she thought. *** ¡°Hey, what¡¯s this?!¡± ¡°?!¡± Sylphia turns around when she hears a frantic voice. At the entrance to the temple, where the darkness of the night lingered, Marianne was screaming. Her reddish face shows her fury, and Sylphia reflexively backs away. Perhaps not pleased with Sylphia¡¯s stance, Marianne walked up to her and pulled Sylphia¡¯s hair as hard as she could. ¡°It hurts! Marianne-sama¡­!¡± ¡°What the hell is this?! There¡¯s a rumor in the capital that you¡¯re the Saint! Tell me, who helped you! You couldn¡¯t have done this on your own!¡± Marianne¡¯s flashing eyes and the expression on her face as she screamed caused great fear in Sylphia. ¡°T-This is¡­ The blessing of the spirits, yes! Marianne-sama, even Marianne-sama, if you pray to the spirits¡ª¡± ¡°You¡¯re still saying that¡­!¡± The words of the desperate attempts to explain only made Marilianne even more agitated. Marianne¡¯s hand struck Sylphia on the cheek, her beautifully coiffed hair disorder and her eyes bloodshot, and she mounted Sylphia, who was lying on the floor. ¡°To go against me means to go against Antonio-sama. Execution for false saints, didn¡¯t I tell you that?!¡± Sylphia screamed as the long nails dug into her thin neck. ¡°Please don¡¯t!¡± She stretched out her arms as if struggling. A moment later, a whirlwind swept through the temple, shaking the rose leaves. The weight that should have covered it was gone, along with the sound of the leaves rustling against each other. |Ugh¡­¡± ¡°Marianne-sama!¡± Marianne is blown from the center of the room to the blue patterned wall. Marianne looked at Sylphia, who rushed to her. ¡°Thank God you¡¯re not hurt¡­¡± ¡°You pushed me, didn¡¯t you?!¡± ¡°No, I didn¡¯t! It was the wind¡­¡± ¡°How can people fly in the wind?! You did it!¡± Sylphia realized that no matter how she tried to explain, she could not reach Marianne. Instead, the more she tried to talk, the angrier Marianne became, and then¡ª A shiver runs down her spine. Sylphia took a small breath as she looked up at the blue-patterned wall behind Marianne as she stood up. That gust of wind was made from Sylphia¡¯s wish. It was a mistake to think that life would go on as usual. The power of the spirit is too strong for Sylphia to control anymore. (If things go on like this, I will hurt Marianne-sama. That¡¯s the last thing she wanted to do. It¡¯s not right to hurt people in the name of a spirit. ¡°It¡¯s too late to be so pathetic now!¡± Marianne, apparently mistaken for her pale expression, kicks Sylphia, who hangs her head, and leaves the temple shouting. ¡°Let me show you what happens when you disobey the Saint. You will be executed! She leaves behind such an ultimatum. CH 5 Chapter 5: Lute¡¯s Encouragement That night, when Lute came to visit, Sylphia involuntarily jumped into his arms. ¡°Sylphia?!¡± Lute was shocked, but the sight of Sylphia¡¯s tears took his breath away. Lute had heard the rumors in the Royal Capital that Sylphia was the saint. That¡¯s why he came to the temple, because he feared Marianne might become violent. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Is it Marianne?¡± ¡°No.¡± Sylphia shook her head and choked up as she described what had happened during the day. She had a dream in which the spirits appeared to her. In the dream she was told that she would be given the power of Saint. She woke up and turned a bouquet of roses into a lush vine, which spread the rumor that Sylphia was the Saint and almost hurt Marianne. ¡°What should I do?¡± ¡°¡­Sylphia.¡± He sensed Sylphia¡¯s uneasiness and was trying to cheer her up. Lute¡¯s quiet voice falls. She looked up to see Lute¡¯s brow furrowed, his eyes painfully narrowed, nonetheless putting a smile on his mouth. ¡°I think Sylphia deserves to be both happy and naturally afraid. Because your power can help people or, as you feared, hurt them. But¡ª¡± Lute took Sylphia¡¯s hand. Sylphia is startled and tries to pull away, but he holds her hands in a solemn manner. ¡°I believe you and I am glad you are the Saint. Because you will not be addicted to your power and misuse it.¡± ¡°Lute-sama¡­¡± ¡°Are you worried?¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± All her life she has been told that she¡¯s not a Saint. Relieved that everything would remain as it was, but Sylphia was surprised by the power she had used against Marianne. ¡°If you¡¯re worried, why don¡¯t you stop praying? Maybe then the power will weaken.¡± ¡± !!¡± Sylphia¡¯s eyes widened at the sudden suggestion. But at the same time, Lute¡¯s opinion was reasonable. If praying for the spirits¡¯ approval, then stop praying for them. Then Sylphia will be a normal girl again. ¡°Originally, it came out of Antonio¡¯s selfishness. I don¡¯t want to burden you any more. Besides, Antonio is getting tired of it. He is about to ask Marianne to marry him.¡± ¡°Antonio-sama is¡­¡± When Marianne officially becomes Antonio¡¯s consort, it will mean that Marianne will return to the temple and assume her duties as a Saint. ¡°If that happens, you will be free. There will be no more praying in the temple.¡± Lute is saying that Marianne will take care of the rest and Sylphia can stop praying. ¡°Lute-sama¡­ I¡¯m sorry.¡± Sylphia smiles at Lute, who nods his head. (I¡¯m glad you have my best interest at heart.) She couldn¡¯t tell him that out loud, so she whispered it in her heart. From Lute¡¯s point of view, Sylphia¡¯s power must be what she desired in her heart. If she can make the roses grow, it will be easier to plow the fields, draw water, grow crops, and feed the animals. It will be easier to turn the windmills and grind the flour, to enrich people¡¯s lives and win people¡¯s hearts, as Sylphia hoped for. He is willing to give up all those interests to take care of a girl named Sylphia. Sylphia closes her eyes. She remembers the spirits she saw in the darkness. The sense of a presence watching over her that she had temporarily lost in the turmoil returns. She thought Valtis and Titia might be worried about Sylphia now. Sylphia¡¯s eyes opened once again, and an unshakable determination appeared in them. ¡°Lute-sama. I¡¯ve made up my mind. If I¡¯m the real Saint, I still want to help others, and I want to be a connection between spirits and people.¡± Valtis and Titia also said that if she did so, they could appear in the human world one day. She doesn¡¯t want to break the bond that has been formed between them and the people who held the roses in their hands laughed happily as the spirits are really watching over them. Lute nodded. ¡°Then I will support you, Sylphia.¡± ¡°Thank you. ¡­I¡¯m sorry for my weakness¡­¡± Lute stroked Sylphia¡¯s head reassuringly as her shoulders sagged. ¡°!?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry¡­ That¡¯s what you say a lot.¡± (I-It doesn¡¯t include patting in the head right?!) She turns her head to hide her red face and clutches the hem of her robe with both hands as it wrinkles. Whether Lute knows the reason for Sylphia¡¯s reaction or not, he looks at Sylphia with a happy smile on her face. CH 6 Chapter 6: The Power of Saint The next day, Lute and Sylphia, along with some guards, visited a village. It was Sylphia¡¯s first trip in three years. At the temple, sunlight streamed through the windows and the wind rustled through the trees, but the feeling of stepping on the earth and basking in the sunlight of the trees was exceptional. Surprisingly, she wasn¡¯t afraid to go back on her words, perhaps because Lute was standing next to her. It was Sylphia who offered to visit the village. She remembered that an old man who had visited the temple in the past had worriedly told her that something was wrong with the fields. Once a month, when he came to the capital to sell his crops, the old man always visited the temple to pray. In her concern for the old man, Sylphia also prayed to the spirits to make the fields better. Now that she has the power of the spirits, she should be able to help them. ¡°Hello!¡± ¡°Oh, Sylphia-sama.¡± ¡°I am so glad you came. Thank you very much.¡± Sylphia was welcomed by the villagers. The old man¡¯s hut was decorated with roses that Sylphia had given away in a handmade bowl, which he must have gotten from somewhere. They may have been given to him by someone else who had come to the Royal Capital. ¡°Are you Sylphia-sama¡¯s bodyguard? You are indeed a gallant figure, aren¡¯t you? ¡°Please, keep Sylphia-sama safe, she is the Saint. ¡°The villagers seem to think that Lute is one of the guards, and they talk to him smilingly. Lute also joined in the conversation and responded, ¡°Yes, I will protect Sylphia-sama.¡± (He is much higher in rank than me!) Sylphia¡¯s back was sweating, but she couldn¡¯t reveal Lute¡¯s identity. ¡°C-Can you show me the fields right now?!¡± ¡°Of course. This way.¡± She said in a panic, but Lute noticed her intention and let out a wry smile. ¡°You don¡¯t have to be so careful with me, you know.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± Of course, she doesn¡¯t think Lute would be offended by that. But the thought of having to deal with him makes her feel guilty. Under the old man¡¯s guidance, Lute and Sylphia walk deeper into the village. Not far from the place where the huts are gathered, there is a cultivated area with fields. But the fields were lifeless. The planted seeds were sprouting, but they were somewhat limp and shriveled as if they were hunched over, lacking the vigor to grow in the future. ¡°This is¡­¡± ¡°The crop has been bad for some time, but this year it is especially bad. It will die without blooming.¡± Sylphia looked closely. There was a kind of black haze over the entire field. It was a sickening haze. ¡°Lute-sama¡­ Do you see anything like a black haze?¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t¡­¡± She asked only Lute secretly so as not to frighten the villagers, and he shook his head. Then the haze is only visible to Sylphia. The further you go across the field, the denser the haze becomes. Ahead of them was a magnificent mansion surrounded on all sides by walls. ¡°What is that building?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the house of the Lord. I think¡­ His name was Barak.¡± ¡°Barak?¡± Sylphia murmurs a familiar name in return and immediately remembers the sender of the bouquet of roses Sylphia grew, Curtis Barak. The lord must be Curtis¡¯ father or a relative. (I feel a black haze seeping out from the mansion¡­) If it is the lord¡¯s house, they can¡¯t go near it easily. Rather than that, Sylphia needs to help the fields now. She had never prayed outside the temple. She doesn¡¯t know if she¡¯ll have the same strength away from the temple as she did yesterday. But Sylphia felt the presence of the spirits, just as she had in the temple. (Lute-sama believed in me.) Sylphia closes her eyes and prays that the mist will be cleared away and the fields will be restored to their original state. (May they receive the blessings of the spirits and become better.) Gradually, a warm power flows from within her. Sylphia reached out her hand. At that moment, light flooded from her whole body, shining brightly. Sylphia, with her eyes closed, does not notice the change in her, but the people around her gasp. ¡°Give me blessing, O Spirit¡ª¡± A gust of wind blows from behind her. The wind dances happily across the field, dispersing the black haze. After the haze disappeared, the buds, which had seemed to be crushed, sprouted new leaves. It¡¯s not just that. Seeds sprout here and there in the field, buds grow and grow quickly, as if to make up for the delays they¡¯ve made. The villagers cheer. ¡°Thank you, Sylphia-sama!¡± ¡°Sylphia-sama is the Saint, and has performed a miracle!¡± ¡°Yes. I saw it clearly. We will follow Sylphia-sama¡¯s example and pray to the spirits!¡± ¡°It is the power of the spirits. I am glad that I could be of help to you all.¡± Sylphia smiled with relief at having fulfilled her first major role. Though, the praise heaped upon her is humorous. For Sylphia, this is not her own power, but the power of the spirits. (I was able to take the first step toward becoming a bridge between spirits and people.) If more people believe in spirits and pray in this way, it will be a better place for Valtis and Titia to materialize in the world. (But¡­) Sylphia looked out over the fields with one uneasy feeling in her heart. The black haze was blown away by the wind with the blessing of the spirits, but it still lingered around the house that belonged to Barak. (I wonder what this black haze is¡­) Sylphia clenched her fists, feeling uneasy. Lute looks at her with concern. ¡°Lute-sama¡­ I have a favor to ask you. Can you take me to another village? Maybe the same thing is happening in other places¡­¡± ¡°Yes, I understand.¡± Lute nods and Sylphia finally smiles. ¡°Thank you, Lute-sama.¡± The black haze was terrifying, but there was one good thing: Sylphia¡¯s power could dispel it. Then she would be able to help people in need. And if Sylphia used her power, the presence of the spirits would become known to all. Then there will be more prayers for the spirits. ¡°Lute-sama. when Marianne-sama returns to the temple and I am no longer needed.¡± No, I believe you. The temple will need their real saint¡ª¡± ¡°Saint can be either. Rather, I believe that I and Marianne-sama can be both.¡± Sylphia looked at Lute. It was a gaze with a strong will that showed what she had to do and the path she had to take. ¡°Not as a Saint, but as a commoner. I would like to go around the country and tell people about the spirits so that I can be of service to them.¡± ¡°¡­I see. It¡¯s just like you.¡± Lute, who was trying to persuade her to stay in the temple, suddenly loosened his mouth and relaxed his shoulders. Sylphia gazes dazzlingly at Lute. (When Marianne-sama returns, my role as a decorative Saint will end. Once I leave the temple, I will have to say goodbye to Lute-sama¡­ But if my actions will be of any use to the country then¡­) Sylphia believed that this would be a way to repay the debt to Lute, the second prince. CH 7 Chapter 7: At That Time Saint and the First Prince At that time Marianne and Antonio were in the hall of the court. Marianne told him that she should have new dresses, jewelry and furniture for the wedding. He called the merchants, who filled the hall with their wares, and Marianne bought what she liked. ¡°I only have Antonio-sama, you know that, don¡¯t you?¡± Antonio¡¯s cheeks loosened sloppily at her bewitching smile. When he brought up the subject of marriage, he was afraid that she would dodge it like she had in the past, but he was elated when Marianne nodded her head, as if she had been waiting for him. ¡°Yes, I know. I¡¯m the only one who can marry you.¡± Antonio silently accepted all these matters. He understands that Marianne¡¯s goal is his status and money, and she only loves herself. But that¡¯s fine. Antonio also wanted Marianne¡¯s good looks and the title of a saint. Whoever becomes king must have a Saint as his consort. That was the law of the land. ¡°Besides, I did not play with the nobles because I wanted to, but to find allies in case Antonio-sama becomes king.¡± ¡°I know that too, my beautiful Marianne.¡± ¡°Then let me tell you that you have a traitor in your midst.¡± ¡°W-What?¡± Marianne¡¯s red lips quirked up in a grin. ¡°It¡¯s Lute-sama. He was the only one who didn¡¯t fall for me¡­ He looked at me not as a Saint but as something disgusting.¡± ¡°Lute? He¡¯s always been like that¡­ He doesn¡¯t talk much, I don¡¯t know what he¡¯s thinking. But he¡¯s not the type to mess with me.¡± Antonio was aware of Lute¡¯s inner workings. The hedonistic Antonio and the serious Lute had clashed with each other in their childhood. Although they hardly speak to each other now, Lute was concerned about Sylphia, whom Antonio had placed in the temple as a substitute for Marianne, and was asked several times to improve her treatment. However, he must have given up after receiving a curt rebuff. Nothing has been said since. ¡°But Lute-sama is crazy about Sylphia.¡± ¡°Sylphia?¡± ¡°Yes. He visits the temple in the middle of the night when no one else is there. I think Sylphia tricked people by claiming herself the saint with the help of Lute-sama.¡± Marianne¡¯s words made Antonio¡¯s face tense: he already knew about the rumors about Sylphia and the roses, and about Marianne¡¯s late night visit when she pushed Sylphia because she was upset. He thought that Lute¡¯s devotion to Sylphia was due to his natural seriousness. But if he is that close to Sylphia, his aim is obvious. If he pretended that Sylphia was the Saint and married her, he would be crowned king. ¡°I never thought he was thinking of such a thing¡­¡± ¡°So you see, Master Antonio¡­¡± Marianne, who did not want the others to hear her, almost leaned over to Antonio as if to rub against him. The unprecedented aggressive attitude of Marianne made Antonio smile. Marianne pressed her voluptuous body against his and whispered venom in the Crown Prince¡¯s ear. ¡°Let¡¯s execute Sylphia. She pushed me and almost injured me.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ that¡¯s right. Hehe, If you pretend to be the Saint and lay a hand on the real Saint, you¡¯re guilty as charged.¡± Antonio laughed. Without Sylphia, Lute¡¯s plan would collapse. Then he can slowly decide what to do with him when he becomes king. When he withdrew from Marianne, he spread out his hands and this time he deliberately uttered a theatrical shout. ¡°Then let us quickly make the preparations for the wedding and return to the temple. The people will be happy to have such a beautiful woman as you as a saint!¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯ve had enough of the dress. The rest is jewelry and¡­ perfume and¡­¡± After painting out Sylphia¡¯s future, Marianne continues with her purchases, giggling with dark amusement. ¡°Come on! show me your wares. Let¡¯s see what you have, something worthy of a Saint!¡± ¡°Saint-sama¡­? Was the Saint replaced?¡± The merchant asks curiously. Antonio hugs Marianne¡¯s shoulder and smiles. ¡°This Marianne is the real Saint. The Saint you see in the temple is a fake Saint.¡± ¡°A fake Saint?¡± ¡°Yes, she is. Soon it will become clear.¡± ¡°¡­¡± The merchant looked down in a hurry, almost showing a disconcerting look on his face. The other party is the crown prince and his fianc¨¦e. The conversation from before was not clear, but there was no doubt that the wedding was a big profitable business. The merchant was still inwardly nodding his head, while quietly shoving Sylphia¡¯s rose in his pocket to avoid detection. (How could she be a fake Saint? She didn¡¯t look like such a person¡­) He frequently went to the temple to pray for the success of his business, even though his motivation was selfish. Sylphia, the woman who answered his prayers, praised his products, that once mocked, saying, ¡°There are such beautiful things in the world.¡± After several visits, he was so impressed by the purity that came from her heart that he vowed never to do anything evil, even if he could profit from it. (It would certainly be damning if she really is¡­. I doubt that she is the saint.) ¡°Hey! Don¡¯t just stand there, bring out the goods!¡± ¡°Yes, yes. I¡¯m here.¡± The merchant flinched at Marianne¡¯s harsh tone and hurriedly took out the box of jewels. Deep in his heart, he fears for Sylphia¡¯s safety. CH 8 Chapter 8: Blood for Blood The king¡¯s head was in his hands. Sweat was pouring out of his body and he felt dizzy. He also felt a tingling sensation in his body from an old wound. He looks at the two men in front of him with displeasure and wonders why he is in this mess. Strictly speaking, two spirits and two pillars. *** It all started a few hours ago. Antonio and Marianne, in a good mood, came up to him, shoulder to shoulder. ¡°We would like to have a formal wedding ceremony.¡± The king had no objection. The king¡¯s wife was also a Honeydale, and the royal family had no reason to resist the close-knit Honeydale family. It was only a few generations after the Harvests had been expelled from the saints¡¯ election ceremony that they realized the Honeydales had potential and integrated their bloodline with them. Anyway, it was a good thing that Marianne was ready for it. The king immediately gave his permission for the marriage. ¡°Father, there is one more thing for which I must ask your permission.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Sylphia, who is now in the temple, is pretending to be the saint and trying to confuse this country. I ask for your permission to execute her. For a moment, the king was in a state of shock. But both Antonio and Marianne look at him with confident, triumphant eyes. ¡°Executing the Saint?¡± ¡°She is no Saint, Your Majesty. As Antonio-sama said, Sylphia is a fake saint.¡± The King¡¯s brow furrowed. He had heard that a girl from the disqualified House of Harvest had been sent to serve Marianne and pardon her. There were rumors that the girl had performed a miracle and had awakened to the power of the saint. To be honest, he doesn¡¯t care if it¡¯s true or not: since the Honeydale family monopolized the saint¡¯s position, saint has already become their nominal title. He have no objection to Sylphia, or even to replacing Marianne, but execution is not a gentle thing to do. ¡°She performed miracles, didn¡¯t she? The people will not allow it, will they?¡± ¡°That¡¯s exactly what she wants. If we don¡¯t execute her before she gains more influence, the land will be divided between Marianne and Sylphia, the two saints.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ But executing her is not the way to go.¡± ¡°Father.¡± The king was still reluctant, but Antonio approached him, looking into his face. ¡°Lute is already under the spell of that false saint. He might try to kill me and Marianne and take the throne.¡± ¡°!¡± The king¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°I know Father really likes Lute better than me. He wanted Lute to take the throne, didn¡¯t he? He was so good at getting on Father¡¯s good side.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not the case¡­¡± ¡°But Father decided to give the throne to me, the crown prince, so that the country would not be in turmoil. I¡¯m sure he won¡¯t change his mind now.¡± ¡°O-Of course not¡­¡± The king replied in a shaky voice. Lute said nothing as he decided that Antonio, the first prince, should be the Crown Prince. Antonio was a sulky boy, and there were fears, as mentioned earlier, there were fears that the country would be divided. The king believes that he made a decision to protect the country. He wanted to believe that it was the right decision. ¡°The only way to save Father¡¯s sweet Lute is to execute Sylphia. Lute will give up once she is gone.¡± ¡± ¡­¡± ¡°You understand, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡± ¡­I understand¡­¡± The king nodded weakly. ¡°We will execute the false Saint who broke our covenant and tried to mislead the nation. And Marianne will become the only Saint. Dramatic, isn¡¯t it? Soon the people will forget all about Sylphia.¡± ¡°If Sylphia can do it, why can¡¯t I? I will win the hearts and minds of the people!¡± Antonio and Marianne give each other a satisfied smile and leave the room. The king feels guilty about the girl he barely knows, but he tells himself it¡¯s for the good of all. He did this for the right reasons. Sylphia¡¯s sacrifice is the only way to protect what they have built over the years. (For the good of the country. The House of Harvest has defied the Crown and destroyed itself. The country and the lute will not be sacrificed for the woman of such a house). But the problems were not over. A short time later, Lute arrived with Sylphia, just in time for Antonio and Marianne. Lute said, while shielding Sylphia behind him, who for some reason let out a frightened sound as soon as she saw him. ¡°Father, this is Sylphia, the true Saint. I have seen it with my own eyes. She has worked miracles with the help of the spirits.¡± Little did he know that this would bring displeasure to his father. CH 9 Chapter 9: Manifestation of the Spirits When Lute took her to an audience with the king, Sylphia involuntarily screamed, even though she knew it was rude to do so. It was the same black haze he had seen in the village he had visited earlier that morning. The same thing was sticking to the King¡¯s office and even to the King himself as if it had been smeared with black ink. Lute did not seem to see the black haze after all, and stepped forward to protect Sylphia, but he was puzzled, not knowing what had startled Sylphia. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Sylphia?¡± ¡°It¡¯s black, there¡¯s a haze¡­¡± ¡°Black? Was that what you said in the field?¡± Lute squinted at Sylphia, who nodded, but there was nothing unusual in the room from his point of view. But Sylphia shivers and trembles, frightened by the eerie presence. Seeing this, Lute understood. With the help of the spirits, she might be able to blow away the haze again. In that case, Sylphia is afraid that the king and Lute will be harmed. But of course, the king does not sense the tension. Rather, Lute¡¯s attitude of concern for Sylphia seemed to confirm the lies infused with Antonio. ¡°What are you talking about? Are you trying to mislead the nation as Antonio said, you false saint?!¡± ¡°Father! Sylphia is the true¡ª¡± What are you doing, get this girl!¡± ¡°!¡± The soldiers rush to obey the king¡¯s order. Lute hides Sylphia behind his back and stands in front of the soldiers. ¡°Stop, men!¡± ¡°Lute-sama, please step down!¡± ¡°Lute-sama¡­!¡± The soldiers¡¯ swords can be seen through the obstructed view. (I want to protect Lute-sama!) At that moment, Sylphia¡¯s heart cried out. As if in response to the cry of Sylphia¡¯s heart, a gust of wind blew through the room. As if the wind itself were a shield, it pushes the soldiers toward the door and throws them out. The door slams shut with a loud BANG! ¡°Ah¡­!?¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, Sylphia, they¡¯re not hurt.¡± Just as Lute said, from the other side of the door, ¡°What¡¯s going on?!¡± ¡°What happened!¡± but no one seems to have been hurt. More importantly, a strange scene was unfolding inside the room. The wind that had driven the soldiers away was swirling in place, and the air was gradually glowing. From the center of the wind, a red-haired boy and a blue-haired girl appeared. Both of them could be described as children in appearance, but they are only as tall as you can hold them in your hands. Moreover, they were floating in the air. They were clearly not human. ¡°Valtis-sama, Titia-sama¡­!!!¡± [Sylphia!] [You¡¯ve finally did it.] ¡°Wa-Wha!¡± Valtis sees Sylphia and immediately jumps into the air and into her arms. Sylphia breathes a sigh of relief as she stretches out her hand to catch him. Before long, the black haze that had surrounded them is gone, blown away when Valtis and Titia appear. [Thanks to Sylphia, more people are praying for us] [It¡¯s been a while since the last time I had a shabba? air] [Valtis, watch your language.] The same boisterous Valtis and calm Titia that she had met before. Sylphia smiles as she hears their voices once again. [Anyways¡ª] Titia folded her arms and looked around. Lute and the king¡¯s eyes are on them. They can finally see the spirits. [Not a very pleasant situation, I see.] ¡°No way¡­ Is it really a spirit?¡± [That¡¯s right. Sylphia is the Saint we acknowledge.] [Sylphia makes our power stronger. We can also bring blessings to this land.] ¡°¡­Saint¡­Not Marianne?¡± The king muttered in dismay, and Valtis and Titia both tilted their heads. [Who is that?] [I don¡¯t know.] ¡°!¡± At the words of the spirits, the king nodded his head. He realized that no matter how hard he tried, Marianne could never become Saint. Sylphia used the power of the spirits to make the roses grow and, according to Lute¡¯s report, revive the dying fields. The hearts of the people are sure to turn to Sylphia. And if they were to turn against Sylphia, the royal family would lose the support of the people. The king¡¯s prediction was correct. However, the king still underestimated Sylphia. The story of the rose had already spread among the residents of the Royal Capital, and Sylphia had followers among the merchants, and the story of Sylphia¡¯s saving of the fields was gradually passed on by the villagers to the neighboring countryside. The ¡°miracle of the saints¡± spread so quickly thanks to the work of Sylphia, who was present every day with the worshipers in the temple and prayed for them herself. The king rose from his chair and went over to Sylphia. He takes Sylphia¡¯s hand and kneels down. ¡°Father?¡± ¡°Your Majesty, what are you¡­!¡± ¡°Sylphia, please¡ª¡± The king, his aged face wrinkled, let out a groans of anguish. ¡°Marry Antonio.¡± CH 10 Chapter 10: The Other Side ¡°What are you talking about, Father!¡± It was Lute, not Sylphia, who became enraged. Valtis and Titia are still floating in the air and nodding their heads. ¡°In order to become king, you must have a saint as consort¡­. And since Marianne cannot become a saint, there cannot be any mistakes.¡± ¡°Your Majesty¡­¡± Sylphia was at a loss for an answer. Sylphia didn¡¯t think much of the title ¡°saint¡± and thought that it would be enough if Marianne could communicate with the spirits. She told herself that she would leave Lute when her role as a decorative saint was over. And that was that. ¡°The Honeydale family will forfeit its properties, and the Harvest family will be restored. Sylphia, you can be queen. Then the country will not be divided. You have the blessing of the spirits. Go around the land and tell the people about the spirits.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± She has been hoping for the restoration of the Harvest family and be the bridge to the spirits. (But to do so, I must marry Antonio-sama?) An unexpected turn of events leaves her completely dumbfounded. Is it right to marry someone you don¡¯t love just because she is a Saint? To sincerely pray to the spirits next to Antonio? ¡°Father! That¡¯s not the only reason, is it?!¡± Lute¡¯s voice again broke through the confusion of her thoughts. ¡°I¡¯d always wondered; Sylphia had told me of many gifts brought to the temple, but she¡¯d rarely seen them in person because Marianne took them away before she could offer them; the nobles make expensive gifts to Marianne, not to the spirits!¡± ¡± Lute¡­¡± ¡°How did Marianne become so powerful? And though they know of Sylphia¡¯s prayers, the spirits say they know nothing of Marianne.¡± It was a question Sylphia had asked herself: why bring a gift to the temple if it was a gift for Marianne, the saint and later queen? ¡°The House of Honeydale is not interested in fulfilling the role of saint. Aren¡¯t they? The money and goods they brought in as donations, like Marianne, they kept in their own pockets. And the royal family¡ª¡± Lute gritted his teeth. ¡°The royal family took their share of the gold and recognized only those of the House of Honeydale as saints¡­. Isn¡¯t that why Sylphia¡¯s family fell?¡± ¡°Oh, my God.¡± Sylphia shook her head in disbelief. Could it be that the Kings and the Honeydales had joined forces to bring down the Harvest family? So for a hundred years, Valtis and Titia had not seen a human being. Sylphia turns pale and the king clicks his tongue. ¡°You are trying to destroy the Honeydale family and restore the Harvests family, because without the saint, the embezzled gold will not come to the royal family, because unlike Marianne, you can get as much money as you want with Sylphia, who has the power of a real spirit¡­¡± ¡°No! For the country! For the prosperity of the country¡­ and by extension for the spirits!¡± It was the moment the king said that. A black mist leaks from his mouth as he speaks. ¡°!¡± This time Lute could see it too, and a shiver ran down his spine, wondering if that was what had scared Sylphia. The Honeydales ¡­ are to blame. They were the ones who set up the Harvest family. The royal family needed money at that time. We couldn¡¯t let the Honeysdales monopolize it. ¡­ Then we were at their mercy.¡± The king is probably unaware of this. The mist spilled out of his mouth and dripped down every time he insisted that the royal family was not to blame. Gradually, the black haze filled the room ¨C just as it did earlier when Sylphia and the others entered the room. [Oh no, we just exorcized him.] Valtis¡¯ voice made Sylphia turn around. Valtis and Titia did not seem surprised and were staring at the king unconcernedly. ¡°Valtis-sama, this is¡­¡± [This is a bit of a bummer, a miasma is¡­ Let¡¯s see¡­ Titia, please explain] [The blessings of the spirits come from believing in them and communicating with them. But harmful miasma is the opposite.] ¡°The opposite¡­?¡± [It is born from a heart that betrays the spirits and neglects them while claiming to be for them. Because of this, we are cut off from the human world.] (Don¡¯t tell me that Valtis-sama and Titia-sam were in the dark space when I met them in a dream because¡­) Sylphia shivers. Valtis moves in front of the king and raises his arms. A gust of wind blew the king¡¯s body to the side. The king¡¯s head hits the wall and he screams ¡°Goho!!!¡± and his eyes turn white. The black mist had dissipated. But unless the king changes his mind and speaks the right words, the black fog will continue to grow. [The attitude of being conceited and belittling those who should be grateful also undermines others. The miasma that has spilled over is also undermining the country. No one wants to be in a place where they feel bad. That goes for plants and animals, too]. Valtis shrugged at the king who fainted. [He has a lot of miasma in his heart. If he doesn¡¯t change his mind, he won¡¯t be around much longer]. CH 11 Chapter 11: The Saint¡¯s Declaration Marianne was in a good mood. The thought of executing the deceiving woman who had tried to pass herself off as Saint, even though she was just a decoration, made her excited. To her, the title of ¡°Saint,¡± tied to the temple and her fianc¨¦, was just a distraction.The only good thing is that she receives numerous gifts and Antonio stands by her side so she can indulge in as many luxuries as she wants. However, the money that Antonio was allowed to spend was originally given to the royal family by the House of Honeydale. Each territory is notified that the money is necessary to worship the spirits and pray for their blessings. Or they take offerings from the faithful. This is how the Honeydales made their fortune. After the fall of the unruly House Harvest, they have repeatedly intermarried with the Crown Prince and slipped money to the politically inept Royal Family. Without the House of Honeydale, there would be no royal family. Some of the clever lords know this and give directly to the House of Honeydale. In this way, the House of Honeydale becomes increasingly wealthy. (Fufufu¡­ Finally, even executions are at my disposal.) When she tries to call Sylphia, she finds that she is traveling with Prince Lute when she should have remained in the temple. It is obvious that Sylphia is getting stronger. The truth is that at this time Lute and Sylphia saved the village and had an audience with the king, but Marianne did not know that. ¡°Antonio-sama, I¡¯ll tell the people how sinful Sylphia has done.¡± Marianne accompanied Antonio to the capital. They took up a position in the square, the most prosperous part of the boulevard, where a market was being held, and began to call people in. ¡°Come on! Listen, everyone! You are looking at the Saint. Sylphia in the temple is a fake! I¡¯m the real Saint.¡± The people in the square stopped and looked at the beautiful woman who suddenly appeared. She is wearing a gorgeous dress, her hair and fingers are adorned with accessories, and her face is covered with thick makeup. Her beauty, with its power and presence, made people realize that Marilianne was no ordinary woman. However, people reacted badly. (She doesn¡¯t look like a Saint?) (Even if Sylphia-sama is a fake, I think she is more of a Saint-sama.) (Sylphia-sama did a miracle, didn¡¯t she? I heard from a man in that village that he saved a dying field¡­) Marianne raised her eyebrows at the people of the Royal Capital who did not applaud her. She had been pampered just for being Marianne Honeydale, and she did not understand the relationship that Sylphia had developed with the people. She also believes that the miracles of Sylphia must be some kind of a sham, since she refuses to believe in spirits and thinks that the position of Saint is just a title to elevate herself. ¡°What, you people! Can¡¯t you listen to me! Sylphia is a fake Saint and she is going to be executed for impersonating the Saint!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Antonio also raised his voice. Antonio, who had no idea that the king had already recognized Sylphia as Saint and had planned him to marry Sylphia. He was anxious to give Marianne the people¡¯s attention . ¡°I am the Crown Prince, Antonio Gimlet! In the name of the Crown Prince, I declare. This Marianne is the real saint and the Sylphia in the temple is a fake! The false saint will be executed!¡± The unexpected word ¡°execution¡± caused a stir among the people. Even those who watched in a huffy mood begin to realize that this is no joke. ¡°Oh my god! I¡¯m from Maldec village. Our fields are dying and we were hoping to be healed by Saint¡¯s help, but what should we do?!¡± ¡°Me too! I¡¯m going to go to the temple now¡ª¡± ¡°I told you I¡¯m a Saint! I¡¯m more qualified to be a saint than that woman!¡± The crowd went quiet on the occasion of Marianne¡¯s screeching, as if water had been poured over their heads. What is included in the gaze is confusion and distrust. (Sylphia, you¡¯re flattering even these people!) Marianne felt her stomach churn, but she knew that if she showed it on her face, people would leave. She understood that much. Then she would have to convince them that she was more suitable for the saint than Sylphia. Marianne thought that the hearts of the people were not important. If they saw the beautiful Marianne praying for them, they would soon change their minds. When she told the king that she would win the hearts of the people more than Sylphia, she meant it. ¡°Very well, I¡¯ll come and pray for you later. What village is it?¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s the village of Mal ¡­¡± The man in the traveler¡¯s outfit stops talking as he is about to say it, his mouth slurring as he wonders if he should tell Marianne the name of the village. Marianne¡¯s smile twitched in his attitude. (As long as Sylphia is not executed, they will continue to cling to her!) Marianne¡¯s face was about to distort with anger, but she managed to put on a gentler smile and took his hands. ¡°I feel sorry for you who are being deceived¡­ Sylphia¡¯s roses are prepared by another person. She¡¯s just trying to take advantage of you.¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± ¡°I will show you the proof. We are going to the temple now.¡± If Sylphia is not in the temple, she¡¯ll say she¡¯s escaped. If she is in the temple, she will order her execution on the spot. If she gets violent, as she did last night, that will be proof that Sylphia is not worthy of being a saint. Marianne¡¯s smile widens even more as she puts her own behavior in the background. CH 12 Chapter 12: Marianne¡¯s Comeback Marianne returns to the temple in a good mood and is greeted by an exhausted king and his soldiers, Lute and Sylphia, standing close together. The king turned his head and refused to make eye contact with Marianne. Despite her discomfort, Marianne still believed that the King intended to execute Sylphia. ¡°Now that his Majesty the King is here, it will make things easier.¡± The king, Antonio, Lute and Sylphia herself knew that Sylphia was a decoration. The real Saint had returned to the temple. All she have to do is to stand tall. Sylphia¡¯s place is no longer there. In fact, Sylphia looks pale with a fearful look at Marianne. Sylphia could clearly see the miasma that clung to Marianne. It covered her entire body, almost obscuring even Marianne¡¯s face. Marianne mistook her fear of the miasma as fear that her position was in danger. (But it¡¯s too late to be afraid and reflect on yourself.) Marianne smiles triumphantly. ¡°Sylphia, you¡¯re out of here. Take off that robe. It was too good for you.¡± When Sylphia takes off her robe and becomes a simple girl again. That is when Sylphia will be executed for impersonating the saint. But what Sylphia says in her frightened state is much more unexpected than Marianne could have imagined. ¡°No, um¡­ it seems I am the true Saint¡­¡± The people around her felt as if they could hear the air freeze. A few seconds of silence. ¡°What?¡± Marilianne¡¯s voice, which sounded as if it was being squeezed out of her, was filled with anger and was cold to the point of being frightening. The others could see the hatred that surged through Marianne¡¯s body. ¡°The spirits¡­ Valtis-sama and Titia-sama have acknowledged that I am the Saint.¡± Marilianne gives a distorted laugh to the murmuring surroundings. ¡°Are you still talking like that? You are my substitute and you¡¯re so brazen to take my place¡­¡± ¡°Please, listen to me, Marianne-sama. If Marianne-sama admits her sins, she will surely be forgiven¡­¡± Sylphia¡¯s words were sincerely concerned about Marianne, but to Marianne they sounded like an insult. ¡°Sin, what sin?!¡± ¡°Please, Marianne-sama! Please believe in the spirits! If you don¡¯t, you¡¯ll be¡ª¡± ¡°Who do you think I am!¡± She raises her arm and slaps Sylphia on the cheek. It doesn¡¯t stop there, the temple echoing again and again with a dry clang. ¡°Stop it, Marianne!¡± ¡°Let go of me!¡± Lute rushes in and holds Marianne down while Marianne is grabbing Sylphia by the hair and trying to pull her down. Sylphia¡¯s cheeks were swollen and she continued to tearfully appeal to Marianne, who struggled with Lute. ¡°Marianne-sama¡­ There are so many beautiful things in the world. But when we forget to appreciate them, they become deceiving. Please realize it, before it¡¯s too late!¡± ¡°I¡¯ve had enough of your sermons!¡± Marianne exclaims, her hair a mess and her eyes bloodshot. ¡°You pretended to be a Saint, insulted the real Saint, misled people, and once raised your hand against me, the Saint! Now, Your Majesty¡ª¡± Marianne looked at the king. But the King just stared at Marianne with a hopeless look on his face. Marianne did not understand what he meant. Only a few hours ago they had agreed that Sylphia would be executed. (Lute-sama must have said something¡­) The king is no longer of any use. Marianne turned on Antonio with a fury of hatred. Antonio wanted to run away at the sight of his fiancee, but the people they had brought with them would not allow it. They are now watching with bated breath to see what happens next. What had been done here would spread throughout the royal capital. He did not want to execute Sylphia anymore, but he cannot say that he forgives Sylphia now. That would be admitting that they were wrong¡­ Antonio, caught between a rock and a hard place, stopped to think. ¡°Antonio-sama!¡± ¡°W-We hereby declare the execution of the false Saint Sylphia!¡± ¡°!¡± Marianne¡¯s angry voice makes Antonio raise his voice as well. Sylphia crumples to the ground. Lute hugs Sylphia¡¯s shoulder, who is shedding tears, but a somber look appears on his face as well. The king looked up at the ceiling as if his soul had flown away and muttered, ¡°It¡¯s all over.¡± (What in the world is this?). Marianne¡¯s high pitched laugh echoes at the pitiful sight of Lute and Sylphia. Antonio, however, senses something ominous in the King¡¯s inexplicable attitude. After all, ever since Sylphia had made the roses grow, all the wheels have been turning. (No way, she really is¡ª) As if in response to Antonio¡¯s fears. A gust of wind blows. A childish voice arrives, drowning in the wind. [Titia, I didn¡¯t understand it because it was too difficult.] [Valtis, you should study human language a little more¡­] And then, after the wind died down, a strange shape appeared.