Chapter 4

"Are you okay? I'll heal you now."

"Huh?"

"――!"

I healed the fallen woman's injury with a prayer. The man who saw this was surprised and a sly smile appeared on his face.

"That's interesting. Are you a magician? Perfect. Come with me. I'll take good care of you."

"I refuse. She's in trouble, so please don't follow us any further."

"What? Are you telling me what to do?"

"I'm asking you. It's a bother."

"Tch, you're really pushing it! I'll show you what I do to women like you!"

"――!"

The man raised his right hand. I braced myself, closing my eyes.

"..."

"Amazing courage. You have."

"―Huh?"

I wasn't hit. Instead, I heard an unfamiliar male voice. I slowly opened my eyes...

"Hey, let go!"

"Hitting a woman is the lowest thing you can do."

A handsome man with silver hair was holding the thug's arm, stopping him. Thanks to him, I wasn't hit. The silver-haired man gripped the thug's arm even tighter.

"Ow, ow, ow!"

"If you continue to act recklessly in this country, I won't hold back."

"Damn, I get it, let me go!"

"Alright then."

The silver-haired man released his hand. The thug, breathing heavily, glared at him.

"You..."

"If you understand, get out. You won't get away with bad behavior in my country."

"My country...? Who are you?"

The silver-haired man drew his sword, showing it to the thug. The emblem of the Slorren Kingdom was engraved on it. Only that family is allowed to engrave the country's emblem, a rule common worldwide. I understood. He is...

"Can't be..."

"First Prince of the Slorren Kingdom, Acteur Slorren."

"Prince...!"

Of course, he was surprised. I was too. It's unheard of for a royal to be in the city without a guard. The fallen woman seemed to have realized it, as she wasn't surprised.

"If you understand, get out. Or else... I'll have to draw a sword I don't want to."

"Damn..."

The thug, intimidated by the royal, spat and fled. After that, I helped the fallen woman up, and she thanked us before going home. I never expected to encounter a royal like this. To avoid unnecessary trouble, I decided to leave the scene.

"Well, I'll be going then."

"That power earlier, it wasn't magic, was it?"

"――!"

He stopped me as I was about to leave. Did he notice? If he's from a neighboring country, he might have heard of the Holy Maiden.

"You're new here, right? From another place? Would you like to talk?"

"N-no, I have to go..."

"You're the Holy Maiden of Spark Kingdom, right?"

"..."

He knows.

"Right? I've seen you before. There's no one as beautiful as you, I wouldn't mistake you."

"..."

Being called beautiful felt good. But what should I do now that my identity is known? A Holy Maiden from a neighboring country being alone is suspicious.

"Why are you here? And alone?"

"That's..."

Should I tell him the truth? That I was exiled? As I was hesitating, an unexpected sound echoed.

Gurrr...

My stomach growled. I hadn't eaten anything since morning...

"..."

Embarrassing. To have my stomach growl in front of a prince. The worst.

"Since you're here, why don't we talk over a meal?"

"Huh?"

"It's a thank you for helping that woman."

"But I didn't help..."

"No, your brave action saved her. If you weren't there, I might not have made it in time. A Holy Maiden is not just about power, but also about heart. I respect that."

"..."

His natural compliments touched me. It's a rare experience. I've been thanked, but rarely praised for being amazing or wonderful. More often, I was scolded for not knowing basic etiquette. So, it felt genuinely good.

"A Holy Maiden alone here. Something must have happened."

"..."

"If you don't mind, I'd like to hear your story. I might not be able to help, but..."

"Why would you do that?"

We just met, and we have no connection.

"You helped one of my people. As a prince, isn't it my duty to repay that?"

"――!"

It felt like a shock to my heart. He's so different from the princes I know. As a Holy Maiden, I've interacted with many people. I can't read minds, but I can sense things from interactions.

This person... might be the most sincere I've ever met.

"Alright, I'll talk."

"Great. Let's go. If we're going to talk, the castle is better than here."

"Okay."

We headed to the castle. In the reception room, tea and snacks were prepared.

"Sorry, the chef is out, so this is all we have."

"No, thank you."

I knew this country was poor, but the royal family too? The castle's size is similar to Spark Kingdom's, but it seems there are far fewer people working here.

"Shall we start?"

"Right... I'm not sure if you'll believe me, but..."

I told my story. A true story that's hard to believe. As I spoke, I thought, who would believe such a story?

"That happened? That's terrible... That's how Spark Kingdom treats people..."

"Do you believe me?"

"Huh? Was it a lie?"

"No, it's the truth."

"Then I believe you. I don't think a Holy Maiden would lie to hurt someone, and I have confidence in my ability to read people. I don't think you're lying."

"..."

What is it about him? He's different from anyone I've met. Just talking to him calms me. Is it his tone? His manner? It's like being drawn into his aura...

"So, you have nowhere to go?"

"Yes."

"In that case, why don't you stay here for a while?"

"Really, is that okay?"

"Yes, and... I want you to."

The prince's expression became serious, and he bowed.

"Iliyas. To support the people, will you become this country's Holy Maiden?"

"――! What are you..."

"I know it's unfair to ask this of you in your current situation. But as a representative of this country, I'm asking! You know this country has been in a difficult situation since the war. People suffer from poverty, and I can't do anything about the spread of disease... It's frustrating."

"Prince..."

This country lacks proper doctors. The land is barren, making it hard to grow crops, and people are always hungry. Still...

"I want to do something for the people who love this country and stay. I need your help! If you have any wishes, I'll grant them all."

"All?"

"Yes, anything within my power! I'll give everything I have."

That's... not something a prince should say. I was taken aback. This is what a prince who truly cares for his country and people looks like. The princes I know might be fake.

"Alright."

"――! Really?"

"Yes. I am a Holy Maiden. If there's someone in need, I should help... That's my duty."

That's what I was taught. I prayed as I was told, fulfilling my duty. This might be the first time. I want to fulfill my duty on my own will.

"Thank you..."

"No, thank you."

Thanks to this, I realized something. I am a Holy Maiden. This fact hasn't changed. I can't leave someone in trouble, and if I'm unsure, I'll lend a hand. It's engraved in my soul.

I don't mind it. It seems I've been happy to pray and help others as a Holy Maiden.

"Please take care of me, Prince."

"Yes, please."

We shook hands. The encounter was coincidental, but perhaps it was meant to be. This encounter would greatly change my fate, though I didn't know it then.

But I had a feeling.

That this country, this city, would become a place where I would spend more time than my hometown.