The Executed Saint Reincarnates as a Princess and is Loved by Her Older Brothers - Episode 52

“Welcome, Your Highness!”

When Angela visited the library building accompanied by the knights, the librarians on duty, rigid with tension, bent at the waist at a right angle to bow.

“I-I didn’t really think you would actually come…!”

They must have sent out a notice, but it seems they really didn’t expect the princess to visit.

I wonder if Lord Nathan and Lady Hortense are not coming here?

From the librarians’ flustered behavior, it seems that the royal family of the Kingdom of Koryu rarely shows up at the library building.

The librarians, who apparently had not met the noble in a long time, were bowing repeatedly with great humility.

This place hasn’t changed from the past… no, it feels even more desolate than before…

While being shown around the interior, Angela secretly frowned.

I have visited here many times since my previous life, but it seems that the collection of books has not increased since then.

Rather, the air felt stagnant, the atmosphere dark and oppressive, giving the impression that management was lacking.

Even deep within this palace… the cracks are spreading…?

I can’t quite put it into words, but I felt that this country is missing something crucial right now.

I couldn’t shake the feeling that, with the irreplaceable and crucial part lost and unable to fill the void, decay and collapse were gradually spreading.

Despite her heart being troubled by the ominous atmosphere, Angela nodded cheerfully at the librarians’ conversation.

However, when she reached the innermost bookshelf, Angela suddenly raised her eyebrows.

“Where is this…?”

At first glance, it seemed like a dead end, but there was just enough space between the bookshelves for a person to pass through.

The thing blocking the space was an old door. Angela recognized the single blackened board, as if ink had been poured over it.

“No way…”

“Ah! There!”

The librarian spoke in a flustered voice. Quickly, they stood between Angela and the door, spreading their arms to block the way.

“I apologize. This is a restricted area. Even members of the imperial family are not permitted to enter. Please forgive us.”

“Forbidden room…”

In the library wing of the Sapphire Empire, there was also a sealed forbidden room. When Angela was five years old, a female teacher sternly scolded her, saying she must not go near it.

Do such forbidden rooms exist in the palaces of every country?

Though the countries are different, the heavy black color of the door and the distorted shape of the hinges are so similar that they could be called identical.

What on earth is in this room…?

Although my heart is drawn to it, I can’t force it.

Angela, though reluctantly, obediently followed the librarian.

After receiving a full tour and explanation from the librarian, we were allowed to browse the books freely.

Angela had someone fetch a book she was interested in, opened it on the reading stand, and read.

The characters used in the kingdom and the empire are different, but since I have memories of my previous life, it’s not a problem.

The librarians were surprised and said, “Your Highness, have you also mastered the script of the Coral Kingdom?” and praised, “What an intelligent and diligent scholar you are!” but it was embarrassing since it wasn’t the result of my efforts.

So, when I humbly said, “No, it’s nothing special,” they responded with, “How humble and wonderful…” It made me even more embarrassed.

Lost in reading a book, after a while.

Angela suddenly looked up and felt a strange sense of discomfort.

The surroundings are unusually quiet.

Of course, since this is the library building, it is customary to maintain silence. The librarians are also working carefully to avoid making noise, and the princess’s guards are suppressing their presence more than usual.

However, the guards are always on high alert, protecting Angela without a moment’s hesitation. Not even the sound of their breathing or the rustle of their clothes can be heard.

“Huh!?”

Standing up and looking around, Angela was astonished.

“W-What’s wrong?!”

The knights of the guard had all fallen to the floor, one on top of the other.

There are no external injuries. I can feel the pulse and the heartbeat. It seems like they are just deeply asleep, and I could hear their peaceful breathing.

“Everyone! Are you okay?!”

Angela’s bodyguards are all elite knights handpicked by her three brothers for her sake. Napping during their duties is out of the question.

“What on earth happened?”

Not just the guards. The librarians had also all lost consciousness.

The only one conscious in this place is Angela.

Angela couldn’t help but gasp because a faint light was seeping from the very back of the tower.

Beyond the door, which is as pitch-black as a new, a distorted hinge creaks, and a mysterious light seeps out.

“The forbidden room… is calling…?”

I don’t know why I thought that.

However, Angela felt as if she were being summoned by something contained in the forbidden room—more precisely, by something contained within the forbidden room.

“What’s happening…?”

Before my eyes, a mysterious scene that seems almost magical is unfolding.

Magic… it shouldn’t exist in this world…

In this world, magic is not ingrained in everyday life.

There are no people called magicians, nor are there convenient magical tools in circulation. There are no psychics, and supernatural phenomena are impossible… or so it should be…

So, what about the saint?

How can you say that no other supernatural powers exist when there is a saint with healing powers?