I had been staring at Sieghart with flushed cheeks and unusually heated eyes, when my vision was suddenly blocked. Rainil’s cold voice came from right above my head.

“Sieghart. Change back to your original form. Right now.”

“…O-okay.”

(Ehhhh—)

Apparently it was Rainil’s hand covering my eyes. When it moved away, the boy who had stolen my heart was gone—replaced by the usual stoic, mature, sexy handsome man.

(Hauu…)

But once stolen, a maiden’s heart doesn’t get returned just because the thief changes appearance. The moment our eyes met—Sieghart looking slightly bewildered—my face turned boiled-octopus red in an instant.

Cool. Embarrassing. Yet I want to keep looking. …I want him to look at me. But being looked at is embarrassing too.

My heart started sprinting at full speed with this brand-new feeling.

As I panicked not knowing what to do, Oswald’s voice came from behind.

“Ah… yeah. Big brother, my condolences?”

“Shut it. My heart is extremely narrow right now. If you don’t want me lashing out, use that overly paranoid brain of yours to think about the future like a spinning hamster. In other words, shut up and stay quiet, my dear crown prince.”

(Hyo!?)

The icy bass rumbling behind me made my overheated body shiver instantly.

I timidly turned. Rainil met my gaze with a perfectly innocent smile, as if nothing had happened.

“Well then, Nagi. You’ve had a long day. We’re about to have a complicated discussion with His Highness, so go back to your room and rest. Ah, I’ll have Soleil escort you again. We’re delaying the public announcement that you’re the Saintess, so don’t tell anyone—not even her.”

…Not even Soleil.

She’s been so kind to me; keeping secrets from her feels bad. But telling her something she has to keep secret and saying “It’s a secret!” might be unkind too.

As an apprentice knight, she probably has confidentiality duties. Not burdening her with the stress of keeping a secret is probably better for both of us.

I nodded obediently. Soleil was called immediately. She’d been training—changed from her stiff uniform into simple, high-neck athletic wear that looked easy to move in.

She hadn’t been told about Prince Oswald yet. The moment she entered and saw him, she jumped, then snapped a sharp salute.

“Mage Knight Order apprentice Soleil Barrel! Reporting as ordered!”

“Ah, so you’re the rumored stamina monster apprentice. I’ve been wanting to see what kind of girl you were—didn’t expect someone so small. Surprised me.”

Oswald answered her tense greeting casually. Clearly not expecting the prince to speak to her, Soleil froze even stiffer.

(Stamina monster…?)

His wording bothered me a little, but Oswald continued smiling.

“Yeah, yeah. Isaac, I’m really glad there’s a girl Nagi’s age. If you’re looking out for her, she must be a good one.”

“She’s an extremely talented individual. Good personality, guts too. Her only flaw is being a bit reckless, but that’ll improve with experience.”

Soleil’s eyes sparkled every time Isaac praised her. Adorable.

Oswald nodded understandingly and smiled at Soleil. She stiffened again like a startled kitten. I swear I saw an imaginary puffed tail behind her.

“Listen, Soleil. This girl here—Nagi—was rescued by the order. Turns out she’s Vice-Captain Rainil’s real little sister.”

“…Haaai?”

Soleil’s voice cracked. She stared at me blankly. Oswald continued,

“An incredible coincidence, but when she was a baby, the Nordahl group targeted her for her high mana aptitude and kidnapped her from the convent. The vice-captain searched for her five whole years. I think their reunion was fate.”

(A bit dramatic there, Your Highness. Look—honest Soleil’s eyes are tearing up from emotion! Is she the type who falls for scams!?)

I felt incredibly awkward.

“But the reason they were separated is… complicated. Things might get messy from here. There are people who’d find it very inconvenient if it became known Nagi is the vice-captain’s full-blood sister.”

That’s why, Oswald looked seriously at Soleil.

“Soleil. Until things calm down, I want you to stay by Nagi’s side and protect her. Even if Sieghart is exceptional, he’s a man. He can handle outside threats, but inside matters are trickier. I’d like you to assist as her bodyguard and support. What do you say?”

“M-me…?”

At Soleil’s hoarse voice, Isaac added,

“Soleil, I’d like to order the same, but I want you to decide for yourself. Nagi is Rainil’s precious little sister. Raised in Nordahl, she’ll face many difficulties living in the outside world. As her friend and an aspiring knight of our country, I want you to protect and guide her.”

(Ah… even Isaac-san… You don’t have to fill the moat like that…!)

With the near-top-of-the-country Oswald and her admired muscle-boss Isaac saying this, a mere apprentice like Soleil can’t possibly say no.

(Friends… aren’t something you become because your boss asks…)

I really wanted to be actual friends with Soleil, so this made me sad. As I wilted, Sieghart sighed and spoke.

“Soleil. I alone am enough to guard Nagi. I’m not incompetent enough to fail protecting one person.”

He continued calmly,

“It’s weird this conversation is even happening with an apprentice like you. If you don’t want to, say no. His Highness and the captain are wrong for trying to burden an apprentice with responsibility just because it’s convenient.”

Rainil nodded.

“I appreciate their consideration, but Sieghart is right this time. Nagi is more important to me than anyone, but I don’t want to twist a promising young girl’s life for my sake.”

Isaac drooped sadly.

“I didn’t order her…”

Sieghart cut him off.

“Soleil joined because she admires you, Captain. She can’t refuse your ‘request.’ Think about your influence a little.”

Oswald tilted his head exaggeratedly.

“I only asked her too?”

“That’s why yours is worse—you know your position and still do it. Our order is mostly ‘feel with muscles, not head’ types. If you treat us like refined palace schemers, you’ll regret it someday.”

Oswald muttered “muscles…” after Rainil’s sharp dismissal.

(Ah… right. Soleil was super hyped talking about Isaac-san’s muscles too…)

For some reason I suddenly sympathized more with Oswald, who seemed mildly freaked out by the order’s ecosystem.

Trained muscles never betray their owner, maybe. But most people in the world can’t reach that level.

Oswald cleared his throat dramatically and faced me again.

“My apologies. Um… I have one request. For the near future, could we treat you as ‘an orphan girl who was almost killed by the fake Saintess, rescued by the Mage Knight Order, and adopted by her long-lost brother’? In other words, call you Baroness Nagi Sheringham instead of Saintess Nagi… is that okay?”

“YES, GLADLY!”

I answered so fast I leaned forward. Being called “Lady” is still iffy, but way better than “Saintess.”

Oswald looked stunned for a second, then burst out laughing.

“Eh, what? You hate being called Saintess that much?”

“It’s not hate—it’s so embarrassing I can’t stand it. I don’t have that pure a heart. Working for free ‘for the good of the world’ is absolutely impossible. Also, I’m telling you now: I will never marry into royalty. Please remember that.”

I declared with a straight face, but for some reason Oswald’s smile grew even happier.

“Oh? The Saintess doesn’t want to become royalty?”

“For a commoner-raised orphan, marrying royalty is nothing but torture or punishment. Hard pass. And I categorically refuse unpaid labor, so when I do Saintess work, please pay me properly.”

First impressions are important. Since I’m meeting the crown prince—the top guy in the palace—I have to state my demands clearly.

Yet Oswald just stared blankly, then looked silently at Rainil.

“Your Highness. I plan to act as Nagi’s agent and negotiate a written contract for her Saintess compensation later.”

“Saintess… work…”

In this world, if a Saintess seriously wanted, she could probably swap the crown prince’s fiancée. But normal Saintesses don’t do that. Normal Saintesses have normal morals and common sense.

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