Please Fall in Love with Me! – A Villainess on Her Second Loop, using 'Seduction' to Avoid Ruin! - Chapter 2.2

The Emperor furrowed his brows in suspicion.

A mere duke’s daughter addressing him directly was unheard of.

But this was an emergency.

And more than that—this was necessary for the Saintess.

I met His Majesty’s gaze head-on and declared firmly:

“Your Majesty, the Saintess has awakened.”

The grand hall erupted in startled murmurs.

“That light was the Saintess’ awakening? How could you possibly know that, Lady Kishtaria?!”

“W-well… that is…”

Think!

“Oh! Yes! I read it in an ancient manuscript from House Kishtaria! My great-grandfather—no, maybe my great-great-grandfather? He researched the legend of the Saintess extensively, and so I…”

That excuse was flimsy at best.

But I couldn’t think of anything else.

They would just have to believe it.

Cold sweat trickled down my back at my own poorly crafted explanation.

But given the circumstances, the Emperor chose not to press further.

“Someone! Immediately send word to the temple for confirmation!” he ordered sharply.

But we didn’t have time to wait for that report.

“Your Majesty,” I spoke quickly.

“Every citizen of the empire knows the famous line from the legend: ‘The one chosen by the Saintess shall be the next king, the savior of the world.’ However, few truly understand its full meaning. Many mistakenly believe that possessing the Saintess alone will grant them the throne. Please, issue a decree immediately.”

The Emperor’s frown deepened.

“What do you mean?”

“That belief is false, Your Majesty.”

I nodded firmly and began to summarize the full prophecy.

“What?!”

The Emperor’s eyes widened in shock, and a new wave of murmurs rippled through the hall.

“This is why, Your Majesty,” I continued.

“We must issue an official decree: Any who approach the Saintess without bearing the Knights of the Round’s mark, or any who force themselves upon her against her will, shall be punished severely.”

I knew that a single noblewoman’s words wouldn’t be instantly believed.

And in truth—a ruler should never trust so easily.

But—

“If you doubt my words, Your Majesty, then verify them with the temple. However, we cannot afford to waste time waiting for their response. If my claim proves false, I will accept death as my punishment. But please…”

This is for the Saintess.

Before I could plead further, the Emperor silenced me with a wave of his hand.

“To ensure the Saintess’ safety, you ask that I issue the decree first? Very well. I shall do so immediately.”

“…Huh?”

That was… surprisingly easy.

Too easy.

I blinked in shock at how effortlessly he had agreed.

As I stood there, dumbfounded, the Emperor turned toward the Prime Minister—Duke Wales—who had stepped forward.

“You heard the conversation. Issue the decree at once!”

“Yes, Your Majesty!”

Duke Wales and his subordinates hurriedly left the hall.

Then—

The Emperor called out once more:

“Gerald!”

“Yes, Father.”

Prince Gerald stepped forward, placing a hand over his heart in a formal salute.

“Lead the First and Second Knight Orders. Find the Saintess at once and ensure her safety!”

“Understood!”

The Emperor then turned toward Siegvard Ledda Argento.

“Lord Argento! As a Holy Knight, you shall accompany the First Knight Order.”

Siegvard’s amethyst eyes narrowed slightly before he responded with a calm,

“As you command.”

With all the necessary orders given, the Emperor turned his gaze back to me.

“And you, Lady Kishtaria,” he said, voice firm.

“Your knowledge may prove useful. Will you accompany them? I shall have a carriage prepared.”

“Yes, Your Majesty. I humbly accept—but if I may make one request?”

I executed a deep curtsy before shaking my head slightly.

“Time is of the essence. A carriage will only slow me down. One knight escorting me on horseback will suffice.”

Because no matter what, a carriage would hinder our mobility.

Technically, horseback riding was a common skill for noblewomen.

But keeping pace with a knight’s full-speed pursuit?

I wasn’t confident in that at all.

Not to mention—

It was Adelaide who had learned to ride.

Not me.

The Emperor gave a firm nod before turning his gaze back to Siegvard Ledda Argento.

“Very well. Lord Argento, I entrust Lady Kishtaria to your care.”

“Understood, Your Majesty.”

Siegvard looked straight at me, then extended his hand.

“Shall we, my lady?”

“Yes.”

For the sake of protecting the Saintess—

I placed my hand firmly in his.

District Nineteen of the imperial capital—Taylor Street—was in complete chaos.

A large crowd had gathered in front of Count Cristel’s estate.

Despite the sharp, authoritative orders of Wolf de Granat, Commander of the First Knight Order, telling them to disperse—

No one moved.

Prince Gerald furrowed his brows in deep confusion.

“Unbelievable… It was really Taylor Street?”

The knights of both the First and Second Orders exchanged uneasy glances.

Their discomfort was palpable.

The truth was—

Neither Prince Gerald, nor Commander Wolf, nor any of the knights actually believed me.

They had remained silent before the Emperor, but it was clear they had been highly skeptical of my claim.

And honestly—I didn’t blame them.

The knights were far more familiar with Adelaide’s bad reputation than the Emperor was.

However—

The sheer intensity of the light that had pierced the sky was undeniable.

If the Saintess had truly awakened, then securing her safety immediately was the highest priority.

So they had chosen not to debate the credibility of my claim at the palace.

Even before we left, I had told them:

“The light seemed to have originated from somewhere around Taylor Street in District Nineteen.”

But Prince Gerald had dismissed it outright.

“The western district is certain, but there’s no way you could determine the exact street just by looking from a distance.”

His words had been final, and at the time, no one had questioned him.

Yet now—here we were.

At Taylor Street.

Exactly where I had said we should be.