I Was Just an Ugly Girl, But in Another World They Call Me an Angel - 15 - The Fiancé Appears!? The Prince's Rampage and My Headache

Since then, the prince has come to see me for various reasons.

Whenever I decided to go for a walk, he would appear from somewhere; if I went to the library, he would somehow be there before me; and even in the place of prayer, he would show up, claiming he had “happened to pass by.”

…Is the prince bored?

That question crossed my mind, but I wasn’t bold enough to treat royalty casually, so I continued to navigate my days with a smile.

One day, Mr. Asphalt, who had been recuperating from an injury, returned to the palace as my knight protector.

“…I’m truly glad to see you back.”

“It is an honor, Saintess. From now on, I will protect you with my very life.”

His words genuinely pleased me. Finally, I felt I had a trustworthy ally by my side—someone I could rely on wholeheartedly.

Alright, now I can finally start my duties as a “Saintess” properly.

…Just as I was thinking that, it happened.

That day, while walking through the palace with Mr. Asphalt, Mary, and Henri, I spotted someone standing at the end of a long corridor.

With blue hair and matching eyes, she stood with an air of elegance. Holding a fan, she gracefully bowed her head.

I felt like I had seen her somewhere—no, heard of her—yes, the prince’s fiancée!

That’s right. I had heard during the initial explanation that the prince was engaged… I had completely forgotten!

The woman looked at me with eyes that were not cold but devoid of any openings, and introduced herself.

“Nice to meet you, Saintess. I am Lidia Ernest, the daughter of the Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Aristeria. And… I am also the prince’s fiancée.”

—Just as I thought!

I was taken aback internally, but after taking a breath, I opened my mouth.

“Um… what brings you here today?”

I spoke while maintaining eye contact, ensuring my voice didn’t tremble.

Even in this situation, I wouldn’t run away. Gathering courage deep within my chest, I faced her properly.

Lidia bowed politely and clearly stated, “I have recently heard rumors that the prince is infatuated with you, Saintess. It seems he is unable to focus on his duties. If I may be so bold—could you please refrain from engaging with the prince?”

…Here it comes. This is what they call a refined yet intense “warning.”

I hesitated for a moment.

But then I shook my head and faced her directly.

“That’s a misunderstanding. I have neither called the prince nor detained him.”

I spoke clearly, being careful not to raise my voice too much.

A fleeing attitude would only deepen the misunderstanding.

“Rather, I am somewhat troubled by it. So if you truly care for the prince, please have a proper discussion with him.”

Lidia’s eyes widened slightly.

Then—after a brief pause, she averted her gaze just a little and spoke.

“…So you are saying that the prince is acting foolishly on his own? That it is his responsibility to neglect me while being infatuated with you?”

Well, why are you asking me that…?!

While my mind was spinning, I managed a slight smile and replied.

“At the very least, I have done nothing. I hope you can believe that.”

Silence fell.

Lidia let out a small sigh and quietly bowed her head.

“…I apologize. It seems I was overly presumptuous. I sincerely apologize for my rudeness.”

With that, Lidia turned on her heel and walked away.

As I watched her retreating figure, I turned my face toward Mr. Asphalt.

“…The court feels like a battlefield even when it comes to romantic matters.”

“Please do not let your guard down, Saintess. Here, hearts and words are the true swords.”

Hmm.

Indeed, mornings in this other world are quite intense.