Chapter 37

"Here comes the Holy Maiden..."

"That's the one who..."

"...captured Prince Leonhardt's heart..."

Whispers brushed past Cordelia's ears as she arrived at the palace.

Just like the ball where she first met Leonhardt, she was observed and talked about by the nobles. However, there was a difference from those days.

Fear, respect, and calculated praise.

The reaction to her, once mocked and pitied, was now completely opposite.

(Thinking back, I've come a long way...)

Just two months ago, she was the laughingstock as a lady who had her engagement broken off four times. But now, the situation surrounding Cordelia had completely changed.

"The Holy Maiden of the Lion"

Cordelia, who tamed a holy beast, was welcomed as the reincarnation of the holy maiden blessed by the first king, who was a lion.

(Calling me a holy maiden... I can't help but feel embarrassed...)

Cordelia looked into the distance. It was incredibly embarrassing, but it was too late to deny it. She couldn't reveal that the holy beast was actually Leonhardt, and the current situation, even if it was to eliminate Zaid, was due to her own actions.

On that day, Cordelia, accompanied by a golden lion and wielding a holy sword, caused a series of events that could only be called miracles. People revered the lion and Cordelia as a holy beast and a holy maiden, who could control powerful flames that even dozens of current mages could barely handle with a single roar.

Thanks to this, it became easier for her engagement to Prince Leonhardt to be recognized, which was a relief.

(Though I created this situation myself, the change in people's attitudes was quite dramatic...)

People who had mocked her for her broken engagements now fawned over her as if they had forgotten the past. In the streets, the theory that "Cordelia's four broken engagements were due to the holy beast's power working to ensure she would eventually be united with Prince Leonhardt, the future crown prince," was whispered with great conviction, leaving Cordelia with no choice but to smile wryly.

(And my excessive treatment as a holy maiden is also to divert attention from Zaid's misdeeds...)

Zaid was dead and excluded from the royal family, but his misdeeds couldn't be erased. The fact that he, then the crown prince, had involved many people in his jealousy and tried to destroy the aqueduct, a key part of the new canal, was an embarrassing scandal for the royal family. If left unchecked, it would hinder Leonhardt's reign as the next king. By promoting Cordelia as a holy maiden, they aimed to divert the public's attention.

(My treatment as a holy maiden is also part of the political strategy, but it still feels a bit unsettling...)

However, accepting Leonhardt's proposal and eventually becoming the queen meant that she needed the ability to handle such political maneuvering and to accept both the good and the bad. She had been doing her best to govern her earldom, but standing at the top of a nation required a level of responsibility and ability that was incomparable.

(It's a heavy burden...)

Honestly, she was still full of anxiety, but—

"Cordelia!"

"Your Highness, why are you here?"

"I finished my work early. Today was the first day in a long time that I could see you."

Though he said it lightly, Leonhardt, as the crown prince, had been swamped with work. This was the first time they had met face-to-face since the incident with Zaid.

"Your Highness, I appreciate your feelings, but please take care of yourself. I don't want you to overwork yourself."

"For you, this is not an unreasonable request."

...He said it with a bright smile.

"Then, Cordelia, let me carry you right away."

"...Your Highness, sometimes I don't understand what you mean."

"Your right leg still hurts, doesn't it?"

"It's fine. The pain is almost gone, and it doesn't bother me."

"I'm worried about it."

"It doesn't affect my walking."

"But if it hurts, it hurts, right?"

Cordelia averted her gaze. She was acting as if she was fully recovered, but it did hurt when she walked. And Leonhardt, who noticed even the smallest details about her, was no exception.

"Even if you can walk on your own, I want to support you. ...Whether the pain is in your heart or your body, I want to ease it and see more of your smile. That's my wish."

Cordelia thought he was being unfair. Acknowledging her strength and telling her it was okay to be weak...

(I end up relying on him and getting spoiled...)

She had decided to support Leonhardt as his queen, but this was the opposite of what she intended.

Feeling both happy and embarrassed, Cordelia was internally conflicted when Leonhardt took her hand.

"If you don't want to be carried, I can change into a lion in a hidden place and let you ride on my back—"

"Please stay in human form."

Cordelia answered immediately. Riding Leonhardt in his lion form in the palace would be like promoting the "Holy Maiden" image. She was already struggling with the title "Holy Maiden," so this was a situation to avoid.

As Leonhardt extended his arms, Cordelia entrusted herself to him, and her body floated in the air. With his arms around her waist and knees, and his beautiful face close to hers, this position was...

(...This is a princess carry, isn't it?)

The moment she realized it, she felt incredibly embarrassed, but it was too late. As Leonhardt carried her, a whisper fell into her ear.

"The title 'Holy Maiden'—I don't think it's something to be embarrassed about."

"...No matter how you look at it, it's an inappropriate title for me."

"You seem to have a low self-evaluation, influenced by your parents... Your intelligence, kindness, and concern for the country are things to be praised and recognized. And besides..."

"Besides?"

"Thanks to you becoming the 'Holy Maiden,' we were able to stop my brother's tyranny, and now I can openly carry and spoil you. Thinking about it, I'm truly grateful from the bottom of my heart that you became the 'Holy Maiden.'"

Leonhardt's amber eyes melted like honey. Seeing him smile so genuinely, Cordelia couldn't help but smile back.

(Though I know I'm not suited to be a 'Holy Maiden'...)

If it could help her support him, the title "Holy Maiden" didn't seem so bad.

She was unsure if she had the qualifications to be called a holy maiden or if she could be a good queen, but—

(With Prince Leonhardt, everything will be alright.)

Believing this, the "Holy Maiden of the Lion" smiled.