Chapter 39

"Rane, Onii-san!"

While gazing at the particles of light ascending high into the sky, I heard Riene's voice.

Turning around, I saw Riene supporting Clarence as they walked over. It seemed he had also been caught up in the battle with the undead dragon, and he was struggling to walk.

Rane ran over to them and used healing and purification magic on Clarence.

"…I think this should be fine now."

Alecs, who had been surprised and then delighted to see Riene supporting Clarence instead of running to him, smiled.

He must have realized that his sister had fallen in love and grown while he was away.

Rane knew that Riene had feelings for Clarence, and Clarence likely felt the same. Though they had pretended to be engaged, it was up to them to decide what would happen to their relationship from now on.

(So I have to…)

Looking at her sister, Rane decided to speak up.

"Um, Alecs-san."

When she called out, he turned his gaze to her.

"What is it?"

Seeing herself reflected in Alecs' eyes made her heart skip a beat. She had never felt such excitement even when she was engaged to Aider. Placing her hands on her chest to calm herself, she took a deep breath.

"I, I have something I want to talk about."

As she said this, her hands trembled, but Alecs nodded.

"That's right. There are many things we need to discuss, but first, I need to give you a ring."

"A ring?"

Rane tilted her head in confusion.

"Since we're engaged, it's only natural to give you a ring, right?"

To Rane's puzzled expression, Alecs smiled gently.

In this country, many customs were brought by the saintess who was summoned generations ago.

Valentine's Day, where women give chocolate to the men they like, and Christmas, a day for lovers.

Engagement and wedding rings were also introduced by the saintess. Even in the small village where Rane grew up, there were now shops selling rings.

"Well, our engagement was a fake to protect us…"

Before Rane could finish, Alecs gently took her hand.

"Even if it's a fake engagement, it has been made public. I have no intention of breaking our engagement twice."

It was a typical Alecs response.

If she nodded, Rane would be able to be with the person she loved. Alecs would surely be kind to her, and she would be happy.

(But…)

If they were together, Rane would inevitably seek the same level of love. It would be too much to ask for that from someone who married her out of sympathy.

Moreover, because she loved him, she wanted Alecs to spend his life with someone he truly loved.

Not all love stories end like Riene and Clarence's.

Rane forced a smile and gently let go of his hand, feeling a pain in her chest as the warmth left her.

(This is for the best. I wish for Alecs' happiness.)

She tried to convince herself.

"Rane?"

But Alecs, who didn't expect her to act this way, caught her hand again.

"I'll be fine. Breaking an engagement is nothing to me."

She smiled to reassure him, not wanting him to worry.

"After all, I'm a saintess. I'm sure I'll find someone who will take me…"

"Is there someone you're already engaged to?"

Just as she was about to let go, Alecs tightened his grip.

Her heart skipped a beat at the serious look in his eyes.

"N-no, there isn't anyone."

She answered quickly, surprised by how close he was. Alecs seemed relieved.

"I see. That's good… If that's the case, there's no problem with giving you an engagement ring, right?"

"You don't have to go that far. I'll be fine. I don't want to cause you any trouble…"

Desperate to refuse his offer, Rane tried to pull her hand away, but Alecs pressed her palm to his cheek.

"Is it that you don't want me as a partner?"

At his pleading tone, she averted her gaze.

She was trying to refuse for Alecs' happiness, but she felt like she might accept.

So, she decided to be clear.

"No, but I like you, Alecs. That's why I can't take advantage of your kindness. You should be with someone you love."

Surprised by her sudden confession, Alecs' grip on her hand loosened, and she gently pulled away.

"That's why, don't worry about me. I can take care of myself."

"Rane, I'm sorry. I was being a bit too presumptuous."

Though it was painful to let go of her hand, he caught it again and apologized.

"Presumptuous?"

"Yes. I assumed you understood, and I didn't say it clearly."

"Alecs-san?"

Looking into his sweet, melting eyes made her heart skip a beat.

She had seen his strong-willed and serious eyes many times, but this was a side of him she had never seen before.

"From the moment I proposed to you, I was attracted to you. As I got to know you better, I was captivated by your strength and kindness. It's true that this engagement was for your safety. If you don't want it, you can break it. But the person I love is you. I want to continue this engagement."

"Wh-what…"

Unable to believe it at first, Rane blinked several times.

"You, you love me?"

"Yes, I love you."

"…Really?"

"Yes. I'll say it as many times as it takes for you to believe me. So, please don't say you'll marry someone else."

Alecs loved her.

His words slowly sank into her heart.

Riene and Clarence had been right when they said she would be happy with the engagement.

At the same time, she realized she had been making assumptions.

"I'm sorry. I thought you were going to marry me out of sympathy because I had been jilted twice."

"No, I should have explained it better, even if I was busy fighting dragons."

After they both apologized, they shared a smile.

"Even with my strong assumptions, you'll still have me?"

"Of course. I understand now that I didn't explain myself well enough. I won't make the same mistake again. Rane, I love you. Please accept the engagement ring."

"…Yes. If you want me, I'll be happy to."

Jumping into Alecs' arms, she was embraced tightly.

His warm, gentle arms. Thinking they were now hers filled her with indescribable happiness.

Looking up, she saw Riene and Clarence embracing as well.

It seemed things had worked out for them too.

Though it was unclear what would happen with their engagement, Riene's face suggested she wouldn't be leaving Clarence.

After that, Rane cast a purification spell over the entire town, which had been reduced to rubble.

This would eliminate the strong death aura that lingered in the land. It might take time, but the town would eventually be rebuilt.

Rane and Riene told Alecs and Clarence everything about the second prince and the neighboring king's schemes. When they mentioned that the two were trapped in a light cage, Clarence's expression turned serious.

"Given what they've done, my brother can't just be exiled from the royal family. He must be properly punished. Can you testify about this before my father… the king?"

"Of course, I will."

Rane nodded.

"Your awakening as a saintess must also be made public…"

"Don't worry. I have no intention of leaving Rane."

Alecs said, putting his arm around Rane, who smiled happily in his embrace.

No one could separate the hero and the saintess who had awakened her powers because of her feelings for him.

"More importantly, what do you plan to do, Clarence? The reason for your resignation as crown prince is no longer valid."

The second prince was responsible for the saintess' death.

Once this was revealed, there would be no reason for him to resign.

Clarence's expression hardened at Alecs' words.

"I plan to fulfill my responsibilities… my duties as the crown prince. It might cause Riene some trouble…"

"Onii-san, I want to live with Lord Clarence."

Seeing the two of them together, Alecs smiled warmly.

"If that's what you've decided, I won't object. But you're still my sister. If you need help, please let me know."

"Okay, Onii-san. Thank you."

Riene finally hugged her brother, who looked at her with the gentle eyes of a parent watching their child grow.

After that, the four of them crossed the border and returned to the kingdom, where they met up with the great mage Ryed, who had been maintaining a barrier to prevent the undead dragon's influence from spreading. Thanks to his teleportation magic, they were able to return to the castle.

Clarence requested an audience with the king, and the king, who had been waiting for the results of the dragon hunt, granted it immediately.

The hero Alecs and the crown prince Clarence, each with their fiancées, faced the king. In addition to the prime minister, several nobles were present, but the queen was not.

The fact that the dragon had been turned into an undead was already reported by Ryed. The king must have sensed the existence of a new saintess upon hearing that the undead dragon, which could only be defeated by a saintess, had been slain.

When Rane reported her awakening as a saintess, no one doubted it.

However, when they revealed the schemes of the second prince and the neighboring king, the audience chamber was in an uproar.

Even just communicating with the second prince and the neighboring king was a crime, but they had also cast a curse on the saintess and created the undead dragon. Furthermore, they had plotted to assassinate the crown prince Clarence and the hero Alecs.

When asked for evidence by a noble, the great mage Ryed, who had been standing at the back, stepped forward. Through his magic, the neighboring king and the second prince, trapped in a light cage, appeared before them.

"Your Majesty, permission to use the truth spell."

The king hesitated, especially since the neighboring king was also present. However, he granted permission in response to the surrounding voices insisting that the truth must be revealed.

Their confessions matched exactly what Rane had explained.

The two were imprisoned in the dungeon in their light cages, and the neighboring kingdom was informed of the king's crimes and the completion of the dragon hunt.

They would likely face the death penalty.

The queen, who was not present, was also involved to some extent and was confined to a remote location.

Clarence remained the crown prince and welcomed Riene as his official fiancée. She would live in the castle to receive education as a future queen.

Though they would no longer live together, as the future crown princess, she would become Rane's official sister-in-law.

Hiding her sadness, Rane smiled and sent her off, knowing their bond would not be severed.

Rane also had a debut as the new saintess to look forward to.

"Maybe we should invite your parents to the capital."

Riene suggested that Rane's parents live with them in the mansion, which had become lonely after Riene left. Rane agreed and decided to bring her parents to the capital.

Knowing they wouldn't believe it just from a letter, she simply invited them to live in the capital. When they saw Alecs introduced as her fiancé, they were stunned.

"Rane, is that…"

"Yes, it's Alecs. The hero Alecs who saved this world."

She answered her mother's trembling voice. After repeating the question several times, they finally believed it.

When Rane told them about her awakening as a saintess and Alecs' desire for them to live together in the mansion, her parents were overwhelmed.

"I'm sorry for causing so much trouble."

"It's fine. We were confused at first, but if you're happy, that's all that matters."

Her parents, who had been worried about her after she was betrayed by her fiancé and ostracized in the village, were overjoyed to see her happy.

They hugged her tightly.

"Alecs-sama, please take good care of our daughter."

Her father bowed, and Alecs responded, "Of course."

"Please call me Alecs. We're going to be a family."

Having lost his parents at a young age and raised his sister, Alecs smiled at Rane's parents.

"Isn't it wonderful to have such a wonderful son?"

Having been told about Alecs' past, her parents accepted him immediately.

His cherished sister had grown up and was starting a new life with the person she chose.

Now it was Alecs' turn to be happy.

* * *

I apologize for the length! There's just a little more to go. I hope you'll stay with me until the end.