Please Fall in Love with Me! – A Villainess on Her Second Loop, using 'Seduction' to Avoid Ruin! - Chapter 2.4

“No, I-I don’t know what you’re talking about…”

“‘The one chosen by the Saint shall be the next king—the savior who will rescue the world.’ It’s a hopeful sentiment, but simply being chosen by the Saint doesn’t mean just anyone can become the emperor. There are proper conditions that must be met.”

“What!? C-Conditions!? I’ve never heard of such a thing…!”

“Upon encountering the Saint, the heavens first grant a sign to those who possess the qualities of a king and are worthy to stand alongside her. Anyone who does not bear this sign will never—can never—become the emperor.”

“T-That’s a lie! You’re making things up…!”

“Do you need proof? I’ll show you right away.”

“P-Proof…? How…?”

Can’t you hear those footsteps? They’ll be here any moment.

“Like this.”

The moment she let a faint smile grace her lips, Prince Gerald Aurelian Ledda Astrom, Lord Siegwald, and the knights led by the commander of the First Order burst into the room.

Now—the heroine and the capture targets have finally met.

“Hii…! Y-Your Highness!?”

Count Cristel let out a short, shrill cry and stumbled backward.

At that instant, a soft, pure white light enveloped the heroine’s body.

“…!?”

Immediately afterward, the same sacred light wrapped around Prince Gerald, Lord Siegwald, and the commander of the First Order. The glow gradually converged upon their left hands—when the light surrounding the Saint finally faded, an emblem depicting the Ring of Fate and the Holy Sword was engraved upon the backs of their hands.

Staring blankly at the crest, Prince Gerald muttered in disbelief.

“The Ring of Fate and the Holy Sword… Is this the mark of the Knights of the Round, the ones who protect the Saint? Have I been chosen by the heavens…?”

“What!? T-That can’t be…!”

Count Cristel, stricken with shock, collapsed weakly onto the floor.

“Do you understand now, Count Cristel?”

The count, visibly shaken, hung his head in silence, motionless.

Wait. Did he seriously think he could become the emperor? No, no—there’s no way a man with utterly no leadership skills, not even respected by his own daughter, could rule an entire nation. He really needs to wake up from his little fantasy.

As I sighed in exasperation, Prince Gerald knelt on one knee before the heroine, placing his left hand over his chest with the utmost reverence. Then, after a deep bow, he extended his hand toward her in an elegantly refined gesture.

“I am Prince Gerald Aurelian Ledda Astrom, First Prince. I wholeheartedly celebrate your awakening as the Saint. I will escort you to the imperial palace at once. Please rest assured—no matter the cost, I, Gerald, will protect you with my life.”

“……”

Though Prince Gerald gazed at the heroine with deep sincerity, she hesitated, her uneasy eyes wavering instead of reaching for his hand. Oh? Could this mean…?

Suppressing my inner excitement, I gently stroked the heroine’s back.

“Are you feeling anxious? If you’d like, you may stay at my estate.”

“Eh…?”

“Stand down, Lady Kishtaria! I will not allow such insolence!”

“My apologies. However, the Saint—Lady Fiona—has been through a terrifying ordeal. She needs time to recover.”

“Ugh… T-That may be true… B-But for her safety, she must…”

Prince Gerald bit his lip and fell silent, a bitter expression on his face. I get it—he doesn’t want to leave the Saint in the care of someone with a reputation as poor as mine.

But as far as I’m concerned, I can’t allow her to be taken straight to the palace.

Still embracing the heroine, I smiled sweetly. “Please, don’t worry, Your Highness.”

“The Kishtaria Ducal House is known for its elite knights—so skilled that even the imperial knight order is eager to recruit them. Our estate’s security is impeccable.”

“Ugh…”

Prince Gerald and the commander of the First Order averted their gazes awkwardly.

Oh, they should feel guilty. These two have tried—more than once—to secretly poach our knights. They wouldn’t want the Emperor or Duke Kishtaria to find out about their little transgressions, would they? So how about stepping back, Your Highness?

I had no intention of forcing the heroine to stay with me. If she had reached for Prince Gerald’s hand without hesitation, I would have given up. But since she hadn’t, I was determined to take her in.

After all, the Cristel family was already on the verge of financial ruin—they couldn’t even afford to repair their estate’s iron gates. No, to be honest, calling them “fallen” would be an understatement.

Count Cristel desperately wanted to marry his daughter off to a wealthy family to stay afloat, yet he was so financially strapped that he couldn’t even afford to educate her properly for such an arrangement.

On top of that, the count was a hopeless drunkard and gambler who neglected both his household and his daughter. The few remaining retainers from his father’s era were barely managing to keep things together.

So naturally, the heroine—though I dislike saying it this way—hadn’t received a proper noblewoman’s education. She lacked even the most basic aristocratic manners, was unfamiliar with high society etiquette, and had no idea how to conduct herself in the imperial court.

And yet, now she was the Saint—a revered existence, respected even by the Emperor himself, and soon to be showered with attention.

That, of course, meant it wouldn’t take long for people like Adelaide, who found this situation utterly intolerable, to emerge.