At the very moment when Leticia and Dietrian were sharing the happiness of becoming parents, a small commotion was occurring in the imperial palace.
“Your Highness, please calm down. If you two clash, we will all perish here.”
“There are not many intact palaces left. The Emperor and the other princes need a place to rest.”
Despite the retainers’ attempts to stop her, the princess glared coldly at Banessa without batting an eye.
“Say that again. What did you just say to me?”
“I said that the priests keep approaching us, and it makes us uncomfortable. I requested the imperial family to control them.”
“No, not that.”
The princess asked ominously. Banessa, as the same wings, smirked indifferently.
“I said that since Her Highness will soon return to the Principality, please endure until then.”
The princess’s expression became even more ferocious. Julia, standing beside him, rubbed her forehead as if she could not stop him. Banessa, ignoring Julia, pressed on.
“Since Her Highness will soon leave the empire, there is no need to prepare a palace for her. Am I wrong?”
This situation arose because of a conversation Banessa had overheard just a while ago. Shortly after Julia predicted that the empire would not give up on Leticia, Banessa saw retainers moving busily.
“Her Highness the Princess said she would build a new palace for the new saintess on the ruins of the collapsed palace. She said to make it more splendid than the Emperor’s palace because she is the benefactor who saved the empire from the fake.”
Building a palace for Leticia was fine. The problem was what came next. The retainers started saying very strange things.
“Of course, a splendid palace is necessary! There’s no way the saintess will return to the Principality, right?”
“Exactly. Why would our saintess go to such a weak country?”
“Speaking of which, doesn’t the saintess need a new husband?”
“Hmm. The current husband is too lacking compared to the saintess.”
“But isn’t the Principality a monogamous state? Will the saintess divorce?”
“Is there a need to go through the hassle of divorce? The Principality is the Principality, and the empire is the empire.”
A retainer scoffed.
“Josephina has three husbands and over ten concubines. Is it reasonable for the true saintess, Leticia, to be tied to one husband for life?”
At first, Banessa tried to endure it. After all, don’t people speak ill of their rulers behind their backs?
Since it wasn’t said in front of him, he thought it wouldn’t be right to interfere in their chatter.
However, things changed once divorce was mentioned. As a knight, he couldn’t tolerate an insult to his lord, and as someone who had witnessed the love between the two up close, he couldn’t accept it either.
Anger boiled within him. What had the empire ever done for the two of them to be so brazen? Banessa gritted his teeth and spoke.
“I must go see the princess and settle this.”
“Settle what? What settlement!”
“How dare they covet Her Highness when they did nothing while she suffered!”
Even as he raged, he knew deep down that he was being presumptuous.
The only one who could decide where Leticia would stay was Leticia herself.
No matter how much the Principality’s knights cherished Leticia, they couldn’t force her to return to the Principality.
Just, he desperately hoped Leticia would choose the Principality.
So he couldn’t tolerate the actions of the empire’s people even more. Imagining the nonsense he had just heard being spoken in front of Leticia or Dietrian made his blood boil.
Thus, he shook off Julia’s attempts to stop him and ran straight there.
Then he declared that Leticia would return to the Principality, so they should not even dream of keeping her!
As expected, the princess was furious at the notion that Leticia would leave the empire.
“The saintess will soon leave the empire? Did the saintess say that herself?”
“Not directly, but isn’t it obvious?”
“Unbelievable. What right do you have to speak of her whereabouts? As a knight? As a wing? Either way, it seems quite presumptuous for someone of your rank.”
“And isn’t Your Highness the same? Building a palace for Her Highness? Did you get her permission? Did she say she would stay in the empire?”
“Of course…!”
The princess, who had been shouting, was at a loss for words because she had not yet received permission.
“There you have it. I thought so. You remain idle when Her Highness needs help but unnecessarily jump ahead now.”
The princess gritted her teeth.
“I haven’t told her yet. But it’s not something to delay any longer. Just as important as she is to you, she is to us.”
“Is that so?”
“It’s not a matter to be sarcastic about. We hope the saintess chooses the empire, but even if she doesn’t, it’s unavoidable! Regardless of her choice, she is here in the empire now.”
The princess spoke coldly.
“Unless she leaves immediately, she will stay at least a few more days! Isn’t it right to assist her perfectly during that time? Is it proper for her to stay in a place where foreign envoys reside?”
This time, Banessa was at a loss for words. The princess’s words were entirely correct.
However, he couldn’t back down so easily now. It infuriated him that the empire desired his master even for a single day.
Sensing Banessa’s feelings, the princess quickly changed her strategy. Negotiation requires a balance of firmness and softness. Speaking in a gentle tone, she continued as if she hadn’t just been angry.
“Of course, I know how much the empire has wronged her. But we can’t reverse time. We must do what we can now.”
“…”
“Though it’s embarrassing to say this myself, the empire’s national power is currently stronger than the Principality’s. The empire is one of the wealthiest nations on the continent. We can do many things for the saintess.”
Banessa flinched.
“To make up for the past wrongs, we want to support her as much as possible. We have nothing but money, so we want to build her a palace. I hope you can understand, for the saintess’s sake.”
The princess’s tone was certainly kind, but Banessa’s expression only grew more troubled.
“The empire does have a lot of money…”
Knowing it was the truth, yet feeling worse for acknowledging it, he couldn’t argue further out of guilt for Leticia.
Despite his firm resolve to pave a flower-strewn path for the new queen, he realized he had received more from Leticia than he had given.
Julia’s expression also showed discomfort, perhaps sharing the same sentiment. The princess, a natural-born strategist, realized she had gained the upper hand and smiled broadly.
‘Good. Let’s wrap this up for today.’
Starting is half the battle. Having won the first round of this confrontation, she resolved to do everything in her power to ensure that Leticia would choose the empire. Smiling brightly, she made her decision.
“My desire isn’t entirely selfish. I just hope the saintess stays in the empire until the new palace is restored.”
In truth, she was just saying that. Even in the best-case scenario, it would take at least a month to restore the new palace.
During that time, she planned to use every resource the imperial treasury had to win over the new saintess’s heart.
‘This is the only chance.’
There was another reason the princess was in such a hurry.
Leticia was the wife of Prince Dietrian.
Although the couple had not been married for long and their bond might not be deep yet, time would change that.
If Leticia were to conceive a royal heir, the opportunity would be entirely lost.
The Principality would never give up Leticia, who carried a royal heir, and Leticia herself would want to stay where she felt most comfortable for her child’s sake.
This was the last chance to persuade Leticia to choose the empire. At that moment,
“Your Highness!”
Banessa, who had been reeling from the princess’s eloquent words and emitting a defeated aura, looked somewhere with a bright expression. The princess quickly turned to follow her gaze. Not far off, Leticia was approaching them.
The princess hurried over to her and slightly bowed her head. Then she put on the kindest smile she could muster and spoke.
“Saintess, you must be very tired after staying up all night. Why don’t you rest a bit more?”
Meanwhile, the princess closely observed Leticia’s complexion.
Although Banessa treated her like a leech sucking Leticia’s blood, which was somewhat true, it was also true that the princess genuinely worried about Leticia. She was simply concerned and cared about her.
This feeling grew stronger over time.
Was it the instinct of the wings?
It didn’t seem like that.
Unlike Calisto, she wasn’t deeply pained by every little wound Leticia suffered. As a fellow human, she felt sorry for Leticia’s life.
She wished Leticia would find happiness as much as she had suffered.
Ideally, she hoped Leticia would enjoy that happiness in the empire. Leticia spoke to the three wings.
“I have something important to tell everyone. I came here because I want to say it as soon as possible.”
Leticia seemed unusually flushed today.
Blushing and smiling shyly, she looked so lovely that the princess couldn’t help but smile back.
The tension she had built up with Banessa melted away.
At the same time, she thought that perhaps this pure side of Leticia was why the Prince’s wife was loved by everyone.
She began to understand the affection people had for Leticia and thought it would be nice if she could stay with them for a long time. Leticia then spoke.
