The Executed Saint Reincarnates as a Princess and is Loved by Her Older Brothers - Episode 16

The priests serving in the temple were cold towards Lionel, but unbelievably, they were even cruel to Juliet.

It seems that they don’t like the fact that, unlike all the previous saints who were born into noble families, only Juliet comes from a commoner background.

In fact, the previous saint was said to have come from a prestigious marquis family and was of noble status, naturally attracting people’s admiration and respect.

The previous saints had strong family ties, a high sense of pride, and was difficult to deal with, and on top of that, the marquis’s private soldiers were always watching closely, making the temple priests feel constrained.

However, Juliet is not of noble birth, and she has no backing or even a family to support her.

To her, the priests treated her coldly, as if they were venting the frustrations they had accumulated during the time of the previous saintess.

Because Juliet does not resist, their attitude, which has become increasingly arrogant, is getting worse and worse.

“Jill… are you okay?”

“Yeah, Lil. Don’t worry.”

No matter how much she was mocked; Juliet never held a grudge against anyone. She didn’t even utter a single complaint.

Is there really such a pure and innocent person in this world? My young heart is struck by this thought.

Jill is a saint…

It’s not because I was officially recognized by the temple.

For Lionel, Juliet was indeed a sacred being. A pure and kind girl, so innocent that just being with her felt like cleansing the heart.

No matter how much she was mistreated, Juliet’s worth never changed.

No matter how much she was belittled, her brilliance never dimmed.

Juliet possessed a special ability that only saints have—the power of healing.

No matter how deep the wound or how difficult the disease that makes doctors give up, it is said that this power can heal them, but it cannot be used without any cost.

There is a backlash when healing powers are activated. The more severe the illness, the more serious the injury, the greater the backlash will return to the healer.

The people to be treated were decided by the temple, but on the days when Juliet healed the severely injured, her face always turned pale, and it was evident that she was enduring the gnawing pain that tormented her body. She desperately tried to maintain her composure so that Lionel and the others wouldn’t notice.

“Jill, don’t push yourself too hard anymore.”

Every time Juliet used her healing powers at the cost of her own well-being, Lionel’s heart ached.

Juliet is suffering instead of saving others.

Even so, the patients hardly even thank Juliet. They are dissatisfied because they were extorted a large sum of money under the pretext of donations to the temple.

The temple that is supposed to venerate the saint does not protect Juliet. The priests, who are supposed to be holy men, only use her.

Considering Juliet’s power as a means to make money, they are embezzling even the funds provided by the royal family to maintain her saintly dignity, fulfilling their filthy personal greed.

What the hell is this country? It’s rotten…!

Lionel hated it with all his heart.

“This is just too sad for you!”

Even the arrogant royalty and the greedy priests have no sense of propriety towards the saintess.

Lionel thought that it was okay to abandon such a corrupt temple and ungrateful people.

I can’t stand by and watch Juliet continue to be exploited by them.

“You will never have to walk such a thorny path!”

When Lionel poured out his heart, Juliet’s purple eyes sparkled charmingly.

“Thank you, Lil.”

Thanking him for being angry on her behalf, Juliet looked Lionel straight in the eye.

“Thorns… are you talking about roses?”

Lionel’s ice-blue eyes widened and froze.

“Then, I don’t mind at all. I like roses.”

Juliet was a girl who laughed and said she liked flowers rather than being afraid of the pain from the thorns.

“……”

In Lionel’s eyes, which had lost their words, the flower-shaped bruise carved on Juliet’s shoulder was reflected.

A mark of the saint in the shape of a rose──a sign called “stigmata.”

From that moment on, Lionel made up his mind.

I want to walk the thorny path she walks, together with her.

Lionel is ultimately a shadowed figure. He doesn’t even know if the day will come when he can leave this temple. The day when he can live in a place bathed in light may never come in his lifetime.

Even so, I want to support Juliet with this hand.

I want to remove as many of the malicious thorns spreading in her path as possible.

I want to protect Jill. I want to be of help to Jill.

Lionel thought so from the bottom of his heart.

In the kingdom named “Coral Coral,” it was not any member of the royal family who embodied that name.

Juliet was the only one who remained pure and beautiful, like coral, no matter how much she was tossed by the rough waves.