Chapter 63

"……Ah……"

Oswald seemed unable to bear it any longer and cut the conversation short.

"Let's stop. Since we can only hypothesize, there's no point in discussing it now."

"…Lord Oswald?"

"Don't worry. I will find a way to break your contract magic, no matter what."

Then, Oswald, hiding his mouth with his hand, muttered softly.

"---If the royal family continues to harm you, I will oppose them all to protect you."

"…?"

The voice was so soft that even Charlotte couldn't hear it. When she tilted her head, Oswald lowered his eyes.

"It's nothing. Rather, I have something to tell you. While you were running away, I realized that I hadn't explained things adequately. The reason we kept our marriage secret was entirely due to my bloodline issues, and you are not at fault in any way."

At this explanation, Charlotte shook her head vigorously.

"No! Please don't worry. I think it was for the best that you kept it hidden, as it saved you from any trouble!"

"I want to correct your thinking on that."

Oswald sighed and said,

"No matter what anyone says, I will formally introduce you."

"Lord Oswald?"

"Doing so will likely calm down those who have shown an unusual interest in you since the ball."

He spoke with a slightly irritated tone. Charlotte's attention was probably due to her reputation as the cruel saint, he thought.

"Anyway, this will increase social opportunities. After apologizing for the runaway incident, we should ask Lord Hydmarie to handle the future arrangements."

(That's right! I need to apologize to Mr. Hydmarie, and also to Lady Irene.)

According to what Oswald had heard, he came to save Charlotte because Hydmarie had contacted him.

It was likely that Irene, who had transferred Charlotte, had told Hydmarie everything.

If Irene had remained silent, Oswald wouldn't have known about the incident, and Charlotte might have been killed by Randolph.

When she said this, Oswald nodded.

He told her that if he told Emile about Randolph's unfair deal with Irene, there might be a chance for Irene's redemption.

(Irene will be fine. Because Lord Oswald said he would 'do something'!)

Charlotte looked up at Oswald with sparkling eyes. Even from the side, Oswald was beautiful down to the tips of his eyelashes. And the thing that caught her eye differently from before was his well-shaped lips.

She couldn't help but be drawn to them, staring at his profile.

"Next is the adjustment with Ignatius. I've asked him to do a lot, so it's troublesome, but I need to repay the favor… …Charlotte?"

"Ah, um, Lord Oswald!!"

Charlotte fidgeted and asked him,

"May I ask a personal question…? Um, about the things that were changed due to the Randolph incident, do we need to revert them?"

"Changed things?"

Oswald looked puzzled, furrowing his brow, which was one of Charlotte's favorite expressions.

"Like, for example. Just an example, mind you… …the, the, my…"

"Your?"

"My…!!"

Gathering her courage, Charlotte forced out the words.

"My… divine power! Do we need to reseal it again…!!"

"………………"

After asking what had been on her mind, she let out a sigh.

Oswald stared at Charlotte in silence. She glanced up at him, feeling his intense gaze.

Their eyes met, and she quickly looked away.

Oswald, looking at Charlotte's blushing face, said,

"---…Are you really just trying to get me to kiss you?"

"Awa…!!"

His near-accurate observation made her shoulders jump.

When she proposed resealing her divine power at the ball, she had no ulterior motives.

However, this time, she couldn't deny that her question had impure intentions.

Feeling guilty for being seen through, Charlotte whimpered.

"I'm sorry! How did you find out? I'm so sorry!!"

"You were looking at my mouth too much. I couldn't miss it."

"But, but, during the unsealing and transfer of divine power, I was so focused that I barely remember it!!"

She covered her face with her hands and sobbed.

"But it's okay, it's fine… …In fact, if I had fully realized the kiss with Lord Oswald, I would have died on the spot, no matter how many lives I had…"

"Hey. What am I to you?"

Charlotte, feeling more positive, said,

"Thinking about it, I feel lucky that I don't have the memory of kissing Lord Oswald!!"

"…………"

She regained her composure, looked up, and said to Oswald with enthusiasm.

"But, what should we do? We need to reseal my divine power for the sake of the royal family!"

"……"

"Is there a way to reseal it without kissing, so Lord Oswald doesn't have to kiss me? In other words, the sealing array doesn't have to involve our tongues, right?"

"…………"

"Then, how about we use new magic to carve a new sealing array, even if it means using more power this time!"

"………………"

"Even in emergencies like this, if we need to unseal it, this way Lord Oswald won't have to kiss me unnecessarily, right?"

"…Charlotte"

"?"

Just as her name was called, Oswald's beautiful fingers caught her small chin.

Before she knew it, he tilted her head up, and their lips touched.

"――――……"

The kiss lasted only a few seconds.

After feeling the soft touch, Charlotte blinked. When Oswald pulled away, he looked slightly pouting, with his brows still furrowed.

"I never said I didn't want to kiss you."

"Fea… ……"

Oswald narrowed his eyes and pulled Charlotte closer.

"!!"

This time, he kissed her cheek.

He kissed the corner of her eye and gently brushed her side hair, then kissed her ear.

"O, Lord Oswald… nn…"

Oswald kissed her lips again and finally released her.

Looking down at the blushing Charlotte, he met her eyes and smiled contentedly.

"I like you."

"………………!?"

Oswald's smile was like a successful prank, a warm and affectionate expression.

He looked at Charlotte as if she were precious, and the gaze was more eloquent than words, making his feelings clear.

(No, no, this can't be! Such happiness can't happen in reality…!)

Yet, the sincere feelings he poured into her were more than she could handle.

(…Does Lord Oswald really… like me?)

Oswald must have sensed that she had realized his feelings. His lips, which had just parted, gently touched hers again.

"n… ……"

She tried to suppress a shudder. She didn't want to miss a single second, a single moment. Feeling the warmth of Oswald, her eyes welled up.

Oswald changed the angle and gave her gentle kisses. His hand caressed her hair, moved to her back, and held her tightly while kissing.

When he finally pulled away, it was with a lingering, reluctant touch.

"……"

Their gazes met, and he smiled tenderly.

Oswald gently stroked Charlotte's wet eyelashes with his thumb.

"…You're cute. My wife."

"…………"

The words seemed more like an unconscious whisper than a declaration to Charlotte.

Embarrassment, ticklishness, and overwhelming joy and happiness filled Charlotte's heart.

(What should I do? …I'm so happy, I love Lord Oswald so much, I might cry…!)

She would never forget the loving kisses and smiles from the person she loved.

No matter what magic was used, never again.

"---Well"

Oswald spoke, and she snapped back to reality.

"Let's reseal your divine power another day, not now. We're both exhausted, and we can probably fool the king for a day."

"Hiie, au…!?"

Indeed, there was no tongue contact. As Oswald said, it was a kiss unrelated to the resealing.

Understanding that it was a kiss to convey his feelings, she held her breath.

"Is that okay? Charlotte"

"…!!"

Asked, she nodded vigorously, not knowing why. Oswald laughed and patted her head.

"Good girl"

"～～～～……"

Then, Oswald stood up and said, "The butler is resting now. I'll prepare dinner, so you sit and rest."

"～～～～っ！ ――――っ、……～～～～っ！！"

Watching him walk away, Charlotte fell off the sofa and landed face down on the floor, shouting.

"……My husband… is too cool…!"

"Charlotte! Don't lie down on the floor just because I looked away for a second!!"

He shouted from near the door, but she couldn't get up. She was so overwhelmed by her love for him that she could barely breathe.

But when she calmed down a bit, she decided to get up and help him. After dinner, she planned to give him the ear ornament she had made and express her feelings.

(Give him the ear ornament, ask him to take care of himself, and then…!! Then, tell him how much I love him, a hundred times more than I could during my runaway…!!)

Her heart was still racing, so she sat up and, trying to reach him, closed her eyes tightly and shouted loudly.

"---Lord Oswald! I love you!! Forever and ever!!"

Oswald, who chuckled at her declaration, softly whispered, "I do too," but Charlotte didn't hear it.

She didn't know that Oswald, having decided to be open about his feelings, would show her his love through words and actions.

As a result, she would soon have days where she would be breathless from his affection.

~The End~

[Afterword]

Thank you for reading "Cruel Saint" to the end! I'm glad you made it this far.

Charlotte is a saint who finds the air delicious just because her crush is alive, but Oswald is somehow saved by her brightness.

So, the two of them plan to have fun no matter what happens.

They will live happily ever after.

Thank you for watching over Oswald and Charlotte!

[Book + Comic Information]

The original story in the book is set after the epilogue, where "Oswald, who has decided to be open about his romantic feelings, shows Charlotte his love through actions and words."

It's available in both print and e-book formats!

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