Shi-en’s visits to I-an’s hospital room increased day by day.
Of course, that was not a crime.
Shi-en was, after all, a party to the incident. It couldn’t be said that her desire to check on him out of a wish to apologize was wrong.
However, every time the Imperial Princess visited I-an, she unknowingly dulled her presence like a criminal avoiding the light.
Not only Reto and Celin, who were known to be I-an’s closest friends, but even Delphine and Senior Elsi, who were influential nobles, couldn’t come to visit him. In that situation, the fact that she was using her power to meet I-an felt terribly embarrassing.
They all stood in front of the temple, blankly waiting for I-an.
When Celin leaned against the wall and sat down, staring at the ground, Reto would sigh and then hit her on the back of the head. Celin would inevitably get angry, while Seria, beside her, simply bit her nails with eyes that lacked any light.
Emma tried to go back and forth to the temple multiple times to bring food or potions. Still, upon hearing that one of the causes of I-an’s injury was drug overdose, she staggered back, possibly in shock.
Delphine often visited in silence, reporting the general situation to the priests before leaving. This was the calmest response, yet it made the priests treating I-an even more nervous.
As for Elsi, she stood watch in front of the temple, regardless of the rain or wind.
Sometimes, her younger brother Rufi would tap her shoulder, and meal time would be the only moment of rest. Apart from that brief moment, Elsi was always in front of the temple.
Moreover, they were not the only ones waiting for I-an.
Numerous people whom I-an had saved came to the temple to check on him.
Among all of them, the fact that only the Imperial Princess could meet I-an was a clear privilege.
Because of this, whenever Shi-en reached the temple, she would lower her head and quickly make her way. It was to avoid meeting their gaze.
She did not yet have the courage to face their feelings.
In fact, she could guess what feelings they harbored. However, once she faced it, there would be no room for her to visit I-an as she did now.
Even just a little, Shi-en wanted to have some time alone with I-an.
Though the reality was, he was in a coma, and she only spent time staring blankly at his sleeping face.
Still, today the Imperial Princess could arrive at the hospital room with a slightly cheerful heart for the first time in a while.
It was the day she finally obtained permission from the royal court to bring out sacred items.
When she brought up the ‘Blood Message,’ the royal court had suddenly cut off contact, but upon her pleading, they had provided a sacred item suitable for a sacrifice.
Although Shi-en managed to get the sacred item, she couldn’t hide her discomfort. After all, if she were the owner of the Blood Message, she would have had the status to freely access the royal court’s secrets.
It was a situation where they could afford to hand over one sacred item but were unnecessarily being difficult.
Yet, holding the sacred item lifted Shi-en’s spirits significantly.
Although it belonged to a lower class among the royal treasures, it was a treasure that could not be obtained for any amount of money.
A sacred item was an object imbued with divine power when the god descended upon the ground directly. Naturally, its value was immense, and when used by priests as a sacrifice, its worth multiplied several times.
No matter how serious I-an’s injuries were, with this sacred item, he could be saved at least twice.
Of course, this was only if the highest-ranking priest accompanied for the treatment, but it was irrelevant since the Academy had the Virgin Saint.
In fact, even the Virgin Saint welcomed the sacred item with a radiant smile as soon as she accepted it.
According to rumors, the Virgin Saint hadn’t smiled for a while, but seeing her beam with joy confirmed the value of the sacred item.
However, it didn’t take long for the smile that appeared on the Virgin Saint’s face to disappear.
Feeling a bit excited, Shi-en had hastily expressed her feelings for I-an after a long time.
“Is the temperature in this treatment room okay?”
“Yes, it always maintains the optimal temperature. Of course, there may be slight variations…”
“Then what about the humidity? Is there good ventilation?”
Initially smiling as she listened to the Imperial Princess, the Virgin Saint’s expression gradually hardened.
In truth, the Virgin Saint had been trying to be patient during this time.
No matter what anyone said, the main reason I-an sustained such severe injuries was the Imperial Princess.
Although I-an had taken risks, the Virgin Saint could never be angry at the man she loved; her only resentment was aimed squarely at the Imperial Princess.
Yet, despite that, the Virgin Saint held back her emotions.
It wasn’t the Imperial Princess’s fault. Ultimately, the criminal was the Dark Cult, and she had merely saved I-an’s life.
Although she felt some resentment, she couldn’t blame her more than that.
After all, Shi-en was a member of that great Imperial Court. No matter how high the position was in the Holy Kingdom, she wasn’t someone to be treated lightly.
However, recently the Virgin Saint’s patience was continually being tested.
A person who commits a crime could be forgiven.
However, someone who shamelessly pushes forward was utterly unforgivable.
Let alone, Shi-en would visit every day with a loving expression, gazing down at I-an.
She thought ignoring it would suffice. But even so, the Virgin Saint wasn’t magnanimous enough to overlook the situation where the man she loved was alone with an attractive woman.
Moreover, every time Shi-en looked away, she would shed tears, casting pitiful glances toward I-an.
At those moments, the Virgin Saint could hardly suppress the urge to choke back a sob.
It’s because of you.
To save you, the man I love got hurt. Not out of selfishness but solely due to that innocent desire to save you!
At least for that moment, the compassionate and altruistic Virgin Saint was nowhere to be found. Only a vicious woman, ready to lose the man she adored, remained.
Yet today, after giving a little nudge, this is what had become of it.
With a crack, the sound of a blood vessel bursting on the Virgin Saint’s forehead could be heard.
Nevertheless, the Imperial Princess, already distracted, kept rambling about her worries for I-an.
“And, I’ve been thinking since last time that the smell in the treatment room isn’t very good. It could use a more luxurious fragrance… No, I’ll personally bring high-quality fragrances from the royal court…”
“…Stop talking nonsense.”
That one snide remark made the Imperial Princess freeze.
Soon her startled eyes slowly turned to the Virgin Saint.
As if she couldn’t believe it, her eyes were filled with confusion.
The Virgin Saint of the Holy Kingdom, to the Imperial Princess of the Empire?
Of course, their statuses were somewhat similar. But because they were similar, there were also beings you couldn’t treat carelessly.
Especially when dealing with foreign dignitaries, it was even more so.
No one acted carelessly just because the order of precedence was similar. The only times that happened were two cases.
Either one was a bitter enemy, or one was so angry that they lost their reason.
The Virgin Saint appeared to be the latter.
Still, the voice that slipped through those enchanting lips was remarkably calm, leaving Shi-en with a dazed expression.
“What kind of face do you have to say such things? Don’t you know whose fault it is that I-an is hospitalized? You were utterly useless, and because you and your incompetent subordinates got involved, this is how it turned out… So what? You’re worried about Sir I-an?”
“Ah, um, w-well… S, Virgin Saint? I, I mean…”
In reality, Shi-en, who was naturally timid and tearful, couldn’t respond to the Virgin Saint’s anger.
Until now, she had pressured others using the authority and pretense of royalty, but being scolded by someone of equal status in such an unexpected situation was a first for her.
Yet, no matter how flustered Shi-en was, the Virgin Saint simply poured out emotions that had been bottled up.
Instead, she let out a sigh, brushing her bangs back with her left hand. Her light pink eyes held a sharp glimmer.
“Imperial Princess, let’s not make fools of ourselves… Let’s not play the role of a tragic heroine in front of I-an. Understand? You’re not a heroine but a villain who tormented I-an and threatened his family.”
Shi-en, now at a loss for words, couldn’t even breathe. Instead, there was a glimmer of moisture in her eyes.
The tearful traits she had hidden were now revealed.
Yet, even amidst that, a hint of doubt and distrust lingered in her gaze. No matter what, she couldn’t believe that the Virgin Saint would behave like this towards her; her foolish common sense and faith led her to doubt.
Facing that gaze, the Virgin Saint continued to brush her bangs back, flashing an irresistibly charming smile.
“…What? Is this the first time you’ve seen a Virgin Saint speak nothing but the truth?”
It was a statement that erased even the slightest hint of doubt from Shi-en.
Shi-en let out a hiccup.
With those slate-gray eyes filled with deep hatred and animosity, she felt an overwhelming urge to run away.
The Imperial Princess was afraid of the Virgin Saint.
Very much so.
But this was only the beginning.
