Chapter 17

"Hey, Your Highness?"

Lane whispered with a trembling voice.

She might have seen him from a distance at the celebration held in the royal castle, but she never expected to meet someone of such high status here.

The prince looked disappointed as Lane, speechless, bowed her head deeply.

"If you reveal it so easily, you'll lose the chance to get closer to her."

He had wanted to become friends with her.

Confused by his teasing words, Lane was at a loss when Alek stepped in front of her.

Sheltered by his broad back, Lane, who didn't know what to do, felt relieved.

"Please don't tease Lane too much. I only managed to bring her here after pleading with her, even though we just met yesterday."

"Pleading... Alek did?"

Alek's words, defending Lane, seemed to shock the prince and the silver-haired young man. They looked back and forth between Lane and Alek.

"I thought she was a friend of Riene's."

They had apparently thought Lane was a friend of Alek's sister. Indeed, it was sudden to bring an unknown woman. It was natural to assume he had asked her to be a partner because his sister had suddenly been absent.

"No. The moment I met her, I knew she was the one, and I knelt down and pleaded with her."

Alek said even more surprising things.

"Alek-san!"

She couldn't help but pull on his arm and exclaim.

It wasn't entirely a lie, but saying such things made it sound like Alek had fallen in love with Lane at first sight. The prince, who had been laughing teasingly, suddenly became serious.

"...I see. Then we should also show our gratitude."

He said this and turned to Lane with a sincere expression.

"My name is Clarence. Please call me Clarence, not Your Highness."

"Huh?"

She thought it was disrespectful, but she couldn't refuse when he said it himself.

Flustered, she could only agree.

"My name is Noah, of the Fauz family. Please call me Noah."

The silver-haired young man said the same.

"Understood. Clarence-sama. Noah-sama."

To Lane, a commoner and a village girl, these were people she could hardly even see from a distance. Being asked to call them by their first names left her at a loss.

"Alek-san..."

She had no one else to rely on. She grabbed the hem of his dazzling tuxedo and looked up at him pleadingly. Alek smiled at Lane with a face so gentle that she felt like crying with relief.

"I'm here with you. So, there's nothing to worry about."

Alek was a hero and a protector of the weak. Seeing Lane's flustered state, he must have felt sorry for her and wanted to protect her. But his strong words dispelled all her worries.

"Thank you..."

She took his outstretched hand, and the warmth calmed her heart, allowing her to finally smile. Alek seemed relieved and gave Clarence and Noah a look that said, "How long are you going to stay?"

"I apologize for the sudden visit. But, it was nice to meet you."

Clarence, apparently understanding the meaning of his look, glanced at Noah and said,

"Lane, you'll likely be the star of the evening. It might be challenging, but I hope you enjoy it."

With that, they quickly left.

(Star? I thought the star of the evening was Ada and the Holy Maiden...)

Lane tilted her head, puzzled by his words. Alek put a hand on her shoulder and said, "Don't worry about it."

"More importantly, the celebration is about to start. Are you ready to punch Ada?"

"Of course not!"

She just wanted to say one thing to him.

Hitting the star of the evening would ruin the celebration. It would be unfair to the Holy Maiden, who surely knew nothing about it.

"Then I'll do it for you."

"No way!"

If the hero, who was marrying the Holy Maiden, hit the Sword Saint, it would be a huge problem.

She hurriedly pulled on his arm to stop him.

"I just want to say something to Ada. After that, I plan to forget about him."

She no longer had any romantic feelings or childhood affection, but it was a matter of closure. She hoped the Holy Maiden, who had become his wife, would understand.

"Understood. I'll watch over you."

"Thank you."

With him by her side, she felt incredibly reassured.

The celebration began.

The vast hall was filled with many people in their finest attire.

Everyone was dressed in colorful, elaborate dresses and adorned with numerous accessories, making Lane's already luxurious outfit seem a bit plain in comparison.

Outside, it was already dark, but the ceiling was illuminated by a large chandelier, making it dazzlingly bright.

The celebration was not only for the marriage of the Sword Saint Ada and the Holy Maiden Aki but also for the defeat of the Demon King and the promise of a thousand years of peace.

Thus, not only the Sword Saint and the Holy Maiden but also the hero Alek and the Great Mage, the wizard, were the stars of the evening.

This meant that Lane, as Alek's partner, found herself surrounded by many people.

(I wasn't told about this...)

Confused, she clung to Alek, and compliments like "adorable" and "charming" flew her way.

Ada and the Holy Maiden were also surrounded, and she hadn't seen them properly since entering the hall. At this rate, she wouldn't be able to speak to her childhood friend, whom she hadn't seen in five years, or his new wife, the Holy Maiden.

As she was getting anxious, the crowd suddenly parted.

Looking up, she saw Clarence and Noah walking towards her together.