Chapter  5

— To the Royal Palace (4)

As soon as I entered the audience chamber, I saw the familiar crimson carpet and the golden throne.

Four people stood upon the raised platform.

The King.

The High Priest.

And…

Aquila.

Stella.

The moment my eyes met Aquila’s…

Her elegant auburn hair, soft as velvet…

Her brilliant emerald eyes…

A chill ran down my spine.

Old memories crashed into my mind like a storm.

In my first life…

That woman had branded me a heretic and burned me alive.

That had only been the beginning.

Our bitter, inescapable feud continued through life after life.

No matter how desperately I struggled to escape my fate…

I never once succeeded.

The memory of my body burning alive flooded back…

Followed by every painful death I’d ever endured.

Unable to bear her gaze…

I instinctively hid behind Phaeon’s leg.

…I promised myself I wouldn’t do this.

Even after countless regressions…

Some pain remained carved too deeply into my soul.

When I clutched his robe with trembling hands…

Phaeon looked back at me.

But he said nothing.

“We stand beneath Santora’s heavens.”

He bowed respectfully to the king.

“Welcome back, Sir Parsiel.”

The king smiled warmly.

“You’ve hardly had a chance to rest after the war ended before taking on another mission.”

“I’ve also heard you eliminated the remaining enemy forces on your way back.”

“As soon as the kingdom has stabilized, I’ll hold a victory celebration.”

“I expect you to attend.”

“You deserve to be honored.”

“There is no need.”

Phaeon’s reply was as calm as ever.

“I merely fulfilled the duty I owe to Lord Lux and to Santora.”

“Haha.”

“You’re as steadfast as ever.”

Seriously…

This man has absolutely no social skills.

In situations like this you’re supposed to smile, say thank you, and accept the reward!

While I sighed inwardly…

The king tilted his head.

“But…”

“Where is my granddaughter?”

“Ah…”

Phaeon awkwardly glanced behind him.

Taking a deep breath…

I released his robe and slowly stepped forward.

“…Asha’s here.”

I wanted to greet him properly using royal etiquette…

But I’d never been taught.

Doing it perfectly now would only seem suspicious.

The king stared at me.

For a moment…

He simply froze.

That had never happened in any of my previous lives.

He’d always frowned before immediately looking away.

Looks like getting cleaned up really worked.

“She looks exactly like her mother.”

The king sighed quietly.

“So much so that no further proof is even necessary.”

“Indeed.”

High Priest Bellus nodded.

“It’s like seeing Princess Beatrice as a child again.”

“Though…”

“She is much thinner.”

“So that shabby little thing is Sister Tris’s daughter?”

Stella muttered under her breath.

Aquila smiled faintly.

“Why wouldn’t I be happy?”

“It almost feels as though our departed sister has returned.”

Ugh.

I think I’m going to throw up.

I disliked both of them.

But if I had to choose…

I hated Aquila more.

Open hatred was easier.

Aquila’s methods were subtle.

Insidious.

The child I once was had never stood a chance against her.

“Do you know who I am?”

The king looked at me carefully.

Why do adults always ask children questions like that?

Fortunately…

I’d practiced for moments exactly like this.

Time to put my tearful acting to work.

“…Grandpa?”

“…!”

“You and Asha…”

“…have the same hair and eye colors.”

It was true.

He was a dignified, handsome man with white hair and turquoise eyes just like mine.

Now that I looked closely…

Even the shape of our eyes seemed similar.

“…Does Asha…”

“…really have a grandpa now?”

Tears welled in my eyes.

The king visibly flinched.

“Y-Yes…”

“I am your grandfather…”

He seemed unexpectedly flustered.

After a moment…

He continued.

“I am Ferdinand Ordo Entimos…”

“King of Santora.”

“And you are the daughter of Princess Beatrice Sirencium Entimos.”

“That means…”

“You are also a princess of this kingdom.”

“She’s not a princess yet.”

Stella muttered loudly enough for everyone to hear.

I ignored her.

“It feels like a dream…”

“So everything Lord Lux told Asha…”

“…was true…”

“What did Lord Lux tell you?!”

The king asked in shock.

“He came into Asha’s dream…”

“…a week ago.”

“What exactly did He say?”

Even Bellus leaned forward with curiosity shining behind his monocle.

“Lord Lux said…”

Since He’d already killed me nine times…

I figured I was entitled to exploit His name a little.

“‘Child who shall bring light…”

“‘Do not be afraid, for I have an important purpose for you.'”

“‘Soon…”

“‘My angel shall come to bring you to Me.'”

I took a slow breath.

Then delivered my fabricated divine revelation with as solemn and holy an expression as possible.

The entire audience chamber fell silent.

Everyone held their breath.

“K-High Priest Bellus!”

The king sprang from his throne.

“Did you tell anyone about the oracle?!”

“The one proclaiming that child…”

“…’the one who shall bring light to Santora!'”

“…No.”

Bellus shook his head.

“I informed only the three people present yesterday.”

“No one else.”

“…Remarkable.”

“A dream revelation…”

The king stared in disbelief.

“Such revelations have not appeared in even longer than divine oracles!”

His face filled with emotion.

He descended from the platform and approached me.

“So…”

“Lord Lux has not abandoned Santora after all.”

His voice trembled.

“W-Was there anything else He told you?”

“And…”

“He said…”

“…His most beloved angel…”

“…would protect Asha.”

With watery eyes…

I looked directly at Phaeon.

“Of course!”

The king exclaimed.

“Surely that means Sir Parsiel!”

“Who else could it be?”

“He is the one most beloved by Lord Lux.”

“Isn’t that right, Sir Parsiel?”

“…That…”

Phaeon had gone nearly pale.

“It’s true.”

“Mr. Angel punished the people who hurt Asha.”

“He took Asha away from that scary house.”

“He healed all my hurts…”

“And yesterday…”

“When Asha fell into the water…”

“…Mr. Angel saved me too!”

“Hurt you?!”

The king’s face darkened.

“What is all this, Sir Parsiel?!”

“…The commoners raising Her Highness abused her.”

“I confirmed the evidence personally.”

“I’ve brought them to the capital under arrest.”

“They’ll be sentenced in Juditium—”

“They dared abuse my granddaughter?!”

“And a Child of God at that?!”

The king exploded before Phaeon could even finish.

“I’ll have those wretches torn limb from limb!”

“And what is this about falling into the water?!”

“I thought you merely postponed today’s audience because the princess was tired!”

“…I chose not to report it immediately so as not to alarm Your Majesty.”

Phaeon answered evenly.

“While praying at the temple, Her Highness accidentally slipped into the sacred canal.”

“I rescued her immediately.”

“She suffered no lasting harm.”

“You should have reported such a serious incident at once!”

The king thundered.

King Ferdinand was deeply devout.

After he ascended the throne…

The number of temples throughout Santora had increased dramatically.

Even the kingdom’s grand prayer assemblies had expanded from once every season to once every month.

Yet…

Because he mistakenly believed my father might have been a mercenary from an enemy nation…

He had never fully trusted the oracle.

I didn’t expect him to become this angry.

Things are going even better than I’d hoped.

“This won’t do.”

The king declared firmly.

“For the time being…”

“Sir Parsiel shall personally serve as the princess’s bodyguard.”

“…That…”

Phaeon frowned.

For a brief moment…

Then his face returned to its usual expressionless calm.

“…I’m afraid I must refuse.”

…What did you just say, you bastard?!

“I am a priest.”

“My responsibilities lie with the temple.”

“The princess’s protection falls under the royal family’s authority.”

After I laid all that groundwork… this is how you repay me?!

I forgot all about maintaining my pitiful little act.

I glared at him in outrage.

He never once looked back at me.

“But you heard the oracle yourself!”

The king protested.

“It’s the first divine oracle in a hundred years!”

“…It may simply be a coincidence.”

A coincidence?!

A coincidence?!

I nearly cursed out loud.

“What nonsense!”

The king snapped.

“What kind of coincidence could possibly explain all of this?!”

“I believed you to be the kingdom’s most faithful servant.”

“I’m disappointed.”

“Even if it isn’t coincidence…”

Phaeon answered firmly.

“…There’s no reason to conclude that the oracle refers specifically to me.”

He was utterly immovable.

Just then…

Aquila, who had silently observed everything until now, finally spoke.

“Your Majesty.”

“Sir Parsiel is correct.”

“This is a matter for the Royal Knights.”

“He already shoulders countless responsibilities.”

“I’ll assign one of our finest knights to guard the princess.”

The king clicked his tongue regretfully.

But he no longer pressed the issue.

Instead…

He and Aquila began discussing my future security and attendants.

Meanwhile…

Stella glared at me furiously, still unable to accept how dramatically everything had changed.

I kept glaring at Phaeon.

But until the very end…

He never once met my eyes.

◇ ◆ ◇

“High Priest Bellus…”

Once they were alone in the corridor of Ratio Palace—the palace where the king conducted state affairs—Aquila finally spoke.

“Are you absolutely certain…”

“…you told no one about the oracle?”

“I understand that the child spent last night in the temple.”

Bellus looked at her calmly.

“You suspect that I informed Princess Anastasia about the oracle…”

“…and instructed her to pretend she’d received a divine dream?”

“…Who knows?”

Aquila answered softly.

“Only God could say.”

“I am merely the one who conveys His words.”

Bellus smiled gently.

“I believe in God.”

Aquila replied quietly.

“But…”

“I do not believe blindly in people.”

With that…

She turned away.

Her footsteps echoed crisply down the corridor.

Watching her leave…

Bellus slowly shook his head and sighed.

“…Princess Anastasia is going to have a difficult time.”

◇ ◆ ◇

“I am Conrad Mikhailov…”

“A knight of the Second Royal Order.”

“From today onward…”

“I’ll be serving as Your Highness’s temporary bodyguard.”

Inside the guest chamber of Icarus Palace—the smallest palace within Santora’s royal grounds—

A heavily built knight with dark brown hair introduced himself in an unhurried voice.

“Your Highness.”

Phaeon spoke flatly.

“I’ll take my leave now.”

He turned to leave.

I grabbed his robe with every ounce of strength I had.

“W-Wait!”

“…?”

“Please…”

“Just talk to Asha…”

“…for a little while.”

Seeing my tearful expression…

The newly assigned knight awkwardly excused himself and stepped outside.

Once we were alone…

Phaeon looked down at me.

“Your Highness.”

“The Royal Knights are not ordinary soldiers.”

“Only the kingdom’s finest earn admission.”

“Even if I am not present…”

“They will devote themselves to protecting you.”

“…But…”

“If it’s not Mr. Angel…”

“…I don’t want anyone else.”

It seemed assigning Phaeon as my bodyguard immediately had been impossible after all.

He was even more difficult to win over than I’d imagined.

But whoever this damned Royal Order sends will be nothing more than a glorified salary thief!

“I’m sorry…”

“But I’d also appreciate it if you stopped calling me that.”

“…Why?”

“Because I am not an angel.”

“And using that title for me is disrespectful toward Lord Lux.”

Coming from the man who committed something a thousand times more sacrilegious…

You’ve got some nerve.

“But…”

“Asha forgot…”

“…Mr. Angel’s name.”

“…Phaeon Parsiel.”

He answered after a pause.

“You may simply call me Sir Parsiel.”

“Par…”

“…Par-shi…”

“…Par…”

“…Shi…”

“…Pa…”

Partly because this child’s undernourished body genuinely struggled to pronounce difficult words…

And partly because I was doing it on purpose…

I stumbled over every syllable.

“…”

“It’s too hard!”

“…You may call me anything.”

“As long as it isn’t ‘angel.'”

Is that so?

Finally.

The moment I’d been waiting for.

I smiled sweetly.

“Then…”

“I’ll call you…”

“…Papa.”

“…!”