Chapter 5

Iris, who had been switched with Mina and released from the prison, cleansed her body, put on a beautiful dress, and was led to a neatly prepared room.

The servants, who witnessed Iris walking gracefully through the palace, all looked at her with expressions of shock, as she was supposed to be executed as a villainess.

Iris walked without minding such gazes. Although her once stunning beauty had somewhat faded due to her emaciated state, her dignified posture remained unchanged.

"Milady Iris, His Majesty wishes to see you. What shall we do?"

In response to the high priest's question, Iris raised her face reluctantly.

"I'm sorry, but I seem to be quite tired from being in prison for so long. Would it be alright if I rested first?"

This was Iris's true feeling. Of course, there was also an intention to show her superiority by keeping the emperor waiting, but more than that, Iris, who had been in a narrow and dirty prison, had exhausted all her strength just by walking to bathe. She had no energy left to meet the emperor.

Seeing Iris's tired appearance, the high priest hurriedly bowed his head.

"I apologize for not considering this. I will inform His Majesty to postpone the meeting. Please rest well."

As the high priest left the room, Iris, who had reached her limit, threw herself onto the fluffy bed. She immediately fell into a deep sleep as her body sank into the mattress.

* * *

‘Things are going rather smoothly, aren’t they?’

Iris was startled by the rabbit that appeared again in her dream.

‘D-don’t scare me like that…’

‘I'm sorry. There was something I forgot to mention. I was waiting for you to fall asleep.’

The rabbit, with its twitching nose, turned its long ears in various directions.

‘I see. So it’s that prison, then?’

‘What are you talking about?’

‘Actually, there is another person I want to save besides you.’

‘Save?...’

The rabbit climbed onto Iris’s lap, pressing its forehead against her hand as if asking to be petted. As Iris petted the soft, smooth fur, the rabbit continued speaking.

‘If Mina had been a proper heroine, both you and this person would have been saved in the end. However, both of you ended up with a bad ending. All of this is due to that woman. Thanks to her, I had to take this form and alter the story. It’s quite a nuisance.’

‘I see…’

While complaining about Mina, the rabbit stretched out its body, enjoying the petting from Iris. Finally, it lay down completely, spreading its limbs. Realizing it was time to get to the point, the rabbit continued.

‘So, I want you to save this person. With the power of the saint, it should be easy. Make full use of the blessing I have given you.’

‘I don’t mind, but who is this person?’

‘You’ll know when you meet them. They should be in the deepest part of the prison where you were held. I can only say this much for now. Further intervention is difficult. Rather, how do you plan to take your revenge?’

‘Why do you sound so excited?’

Iris asked with a wry smile, as the rabbit’s ears perked up.

‘Mina has caused a lot of frustration. I’ve enjoyed the situation so far, but it’s far from over, isn’t it?’

The rabbit, moving its nose and mouth, showed its distinctive front teeth and looked up at Iris with an expectant gaze.

‘Of course. It’s more effective to drop someone from a higher place. Or, like what was done to me, to give them a slow and steady dose of despair. In any case, I won’t let them have an easy death by mere execution.’

‘I see. That’s the true saint I recognized. I look forward to it. However, don’t forget your role. It’s fine to yearn for revenge, but remember, you are a saint. Think about what that means. Ah... I’m getting sleepy now.’

‘Mr. Rabbit?’

Iris called out, but the rabbit, rubbing against her hand, fell asleep comfortably. Iris’s consciousness also faded into darkness.

* * *

When Iris woke up, the emperor himself had already prepared to visit her.

“Iris...”

Although the emperor had heard about her, he was momentarily taken aback by the sparkle in Iris’s ruby eyes. However, he quickly regained his composure and showed a smile as if addressing a beloved child.

“Please accept my apologies. Even though I was deceived by an impostor, it was wrong of me to doubt you, who have served Edgar for so long. I plan to make everything public and execute the villainess Mina. I hope you will continue to lend us your strength as a saint.”

Iris, while inwardly despising the emperor’s sudden change of heart, maintained her “saint” smile.

“I understand your feelings. I have no intention of blaming you, Your Majesty.”

“That’s great! I believed you would say that, being as thoughtful as you are! Then, once Edgar and Mina’s divorce is finalized, we will proceed with the engagement between Edgar and you.”

Iris, still smiling, replied to the emperor, who was beaming with joy.

“That won’t do.”

“Is that so? Then, immediately! ...What?”

“That won’t do, Your Majesty. Edgar and Mina are married out of love. Separating them now would be inhumane. They should be allowed to live happily ever after.”

Iris said this with a smile, as if singing.

“Iris...? Didn’t you have feelings for Edgar?”

At the emperor’s words, Iris felt an overwhelming sense of disgust.

Since her engagement was decided in her childhood, Iris had never once harbored feelings for any other man. However, this did not mean she had romantic feelings for Edgar. She had simply supported him as her designated fiancé and future partner, putting her heart into it.

If the emperor and likely Edgar believed that Iris had served Edgar out of romantic love, it was a humiliation to her.

The only one who understood Iris and supported her, the empress, had been killed in front of her. Iris, while etching the hatred for the loss of her loved ones in her mind, maintained her smile.

“The important thing is that they are already married. As a saint, I will not commit the act of separating two people who love each other. Please cancel their divorce.”

“But... If we don’t, Mina will remain the crown princess. We have already announced to the empire that Mina was an impostor. If we don’t sever her relationship with Edgar soon, the royal family’s prestige will be at stake, and we won’t be able to execute her.”

“Please cancel Mina’s execution. Although Mina deceived Your Majesty and killed the empress, the good deeds she performed as a saint have saved the empire. In recognition of her contributions, please lighten her sentence.”

The emperor was taken aback by Iris’s unexpected plea.

“Are you sure about this? Mina caused you to suffer terribly. What are you thinking?”

“I just want to fulfill the role given to me by the divine blessing. As a saint, I want to abandon my desires and hatred and do what is best for the empire.”

While maintaining her smile, Iris felt a sense of awe from the emperor.

“Your intentions are admirable. But, Iris, if we don’t, the royal family will be seen as keeping a criminal as the crown prince’s wife. They must be divorced...”

“Then, at least wait until Edgar’s heart is decided. He is a kind person and won’t be able to easily abandon Mina, whom he once loved.”

The emperor, recalling his spineless son, grumbled. Iris, seeing through everything, added:

“Edgar needs time to recover. There is plenty of time. Please consider the feelings of the two who were just married yesterday.”

“...You have a delicate heart. Indeed, it would be cruel to Edgar. As you say, I will postpone Mina’s divorce and execution for a while.”

Iris, grateful for the emperor’s words, smiled inwardly, pleased that things were going her way. She then remembered another task she needed to complete.

“By the way, is it true that there is no place in the empire where a saint is not allowed to enter?”

“Yes. A saint has the duty to travel throughout the empire. Is there somewhere you want to go?”

“Yes. The prison.”

“The prison! You just came out of there this morning! What are you going to do there!?”

Iris, undeterred by the emperor’s surprise, looked at him with a compassionate smile.

“Mina must be very hungry. I know how it feels to be locked up in there for a long time. I want to comfort her.”

The emperor, taken aback by Iris’s purity, was speechless.

“What a compassionate heart. You are truly a saint...”

Iris simply smiled in response to the emperor’s words of admiration.

* * *

“It’s been a while.”

Returning to the underground of the palace, where no sunlight reached, Iris called out to Mina, who was sitting on the ground.

“You...!! Are you satisfied now!?”

As soon as Mina saw Iris, she shouted through the bars. Ignoring Mina, Iris placed a basket in front of the bars.

“Your Majesty has pleaded for your reduced sentence. You probably don’t get much food in here, so I brought some bread. Here, eat as much as you like.”

“I don’t need it! What are you doing, mocking me!?”

Mina, with bloodshot eyes, glared at Iris, who had lost all her beauty.

“I just want to help you because I know the suffering of being in this prison. ...I’ll come again.”

As Iris showed a sad face, Mina paused for a moment. Then, she raised her voice again.

“What... What are you doing, pretending to be so pure! I won’t be fooled!”

Mina’s screams did not affect Iris’s unyielding smile.

* * *

“Well then. Where is the person Mr. Rabbit mentioned?”

Leaving Mina’s prison, Iris looked into the dim, winding underground passages to fulfill the promise she made in her dream with the rabbit. She noticed something glowing on the floor. Upon closer inspection, it looked like strange patterns, almost like the rabbit’s footprints.

As Iris moved, the light disappeared, and new light appeared, guiding her way. Realizing it was the rabbit’s guidance, Iris followed the footprints.

Deep in the prison, after navigating a maze-like passage, she saw a more robust cage. Inside the cage, made of thick iron bars, something was moving.

Iris, holding a lantern, saw a young man inside.

The young man, noticing Iris’s presence, looked up and met her gaze. At that moment, Iris felt a strange sensation, as if she had finally found a missing part of herself.

“Who are you?”

A straightforward voice reached Iris’s ears, a beautiful voice she had heard somewhere before.

“My name is Iris Tarancharan.”

As Iris introduced herself, the young man, seeing her ruby eyes, clapped his hands.

“Ah, I’ve heard the guards talking about you. You went from a villainess to a saint overnight and cleared your name. You were saved from execution. That’s good. But why are you here?”

The young man’s smile was gentle, and despite the dirty environment of the prison, his face exuded a sense of nobility. His green eyes, like emeralds, were particularly beautiful.

“I came to save you. Do you believe me?”

“...That’s quite an interesting story.”

The young man, standing up in the prison, approached Iris through the bars.

“Coincidentally, I came to this country to speak with the saint. I heard Mina had fallen and you were the true saint. Is that correct?”

“Yes, it is. I became the true saint by the will of the divine.”

“This is a very favorable situation for me. Mina wouldn’t listen to my story. I’m relieved that a saint who understands the situation is here.”

“Have you met Mina?”

“Yes. That’s why I ended up in this prison. She’s quite cunning. I was hoping to get out of this place soon. If you came to save me, will you let me out?”

The young man smiled softly at Iris.

“I intend to. However, I came here by the will of the divine. I don’t know who you are. Who are you?”

In response, the handsome young man, with a warm gaze, extended his hand, covered in a black glove, through the bars.

“My name is Mephisto Satanford, the eldest son of the Satanford Grand Duchy. Nice to meet you, Saint.”

Thank you for reading.

If you are interested in Satanford, please consider reading the short story "The Beautiful Countess Who Raised Her Hand to Be the Bride of the Hated Demon Grand Duke" for a light read.