I Was Just an Ugly Girl, But in Another World They Call Me an Angel - 18 - Reunion of Awakening and the Stormy Prince

When I woke up, I found myself on a wide, soft bed in the royal palace.

Light filtered through the lace of the canopy, tickling the insides of my eyelids.

“—Saintess!”

As I slowly opened my eyes, I noticed Mary, who had been waiting nearby, leaning in with tears welling in her eyes.

“You’re awake! I’ll call for the kings right away… Oh, I’m so relieved. You’ve been asleep for a whole day…!”

She said this while shaking with sobs, her shoulders trembling.

Next to her, Henri was nodding vigorously, wiping his eyes.

It seemed they had been watching over me the entire time.

“Ah… I’m sorry. I worried you, didn’t I? I’m fine now.”

I said this, offering them a gentle smile.

I didn’t feel heavy, and my head was clear. Strangely enough, I felt refreshed.

Just as I was thinking this—

Bang!

The door burst open, and a figure rushed into the room.

“Kanako-samaaahhh!!”

Making a grand entrance was none other than Prince Kilfan. Behind him, I could see the king with a grave expression and Mr. Asphalt, who had rushed in with a desperate look on his face.

I instinctively reached out to call out to Mr. Asphalt—but—

The prince grabbed my hand sharply.

“I’m so glad you’re safe, Kanako-sama! When I heard you had collapsed, I thought…! My heart felt like it was going to burst! I couldn’t sleep a wink from worry!”

I responded to the prince, feeling a bit taken aback by his emotional outburst.

“Ah… thank you. Um, Mr. Asphalt…”

When I glanced over, the prince shot a glare at him.

“Hey, you! What were you doing while the Saintess was down? What is the purpose of your knightly guard?”

Under the sharp reprimand, Mr. Asphalt bowed his head silently, a deep furrow in his brow.

I hurriedly raised my voice.

“N-No, that’s not it! Mr. Asphalt and the others were protecting me properly! It was… my own reckless decision!”

At that, the prince turned back to me, a blissful smile spreading across his face.

“…Ah, how kind you are. To show compassion even to such a wretched and incompetent person… Truly, you are the true Saintess…!”

(…No, that’s not how you say it!?)

Just as I was about to protest, the king, who had been standing behind, finally spoke up.

“Kilfan, that’s enough. The Saintess still seems tired. We can talk later. …In any case, I’m glad you’ve awakened safely.”

“Indeed, as Father says. Now, Saintess, please take care of yourself. If you wish, I shall attend to you personally—”

“I’m fine. Prince, please return to your duties.”

I replied immediately, as softly as I could, but firmly.

The prince nodded, still looking enraptured.

“Worrying about my work too…! How incredibly kind of you. …Though it pains me to leave, I shall take my leave for now. If anything arises, I will come rushing back at any time.”

With that, he left the room alongside the king.

It was an entrance like a storm, and an exit just as tempestuous.

(…What on earth was that?)

Sighing, I raised my gaze and met Mr. Asphalt’s eyes, who was standing in the corner of the room.

His eyes held a complex mix of emotions that were beyond words.