The Saint is Not My Sister, The Real Saint is Me - Episode 45

The last thing I must do here is sever my ties with the people of Kotokoris—so that they will never again rely on the power of the Saint.

If they continue to depend on it, this land will wither away once more. They need to make an effort on their own to sustain it. They must develop that mindset.

“What!? Are you abandoning us!?”

“How long are you going to rely on the power of the Saint? The Saint will not always be here, you know?”

I am not immortal. One day, my lifespan will end, and I will die. When that time comes, what will you do if you remain this complacent?

“It’s time for you to be independent.”

Emil and I bear responsibility for spoiling them this much, which is why I am taking the time to formally cut ties.

“B-but, what should we do now…?”

“My subordinates will stay behind to teach you how to care for the land and grow crops. For the sake of your children and grandchildren, put in the effort yourselves.”

As the people, lost and confused, struggled to grasp the situation, Lord Rein addressed them in an exasperated tone.

“Your children… and grandchildren…!”

“If you feel even the slightest regret for how you neglected Yuna for your own benefit, then let her go. She came back to help this land despite the painful memories it holds for her. Consider her feelings.”

“…Yes.”

At last, the people, having given up, nodded weakly to Lord Rein’s words.

Normally, part of a Saint’s duties would be to oversee the land’s progress and ensure its care, but I don’t want to stay here any longer. That’s why I am entrusting the rest to Lord Rein’s subordinates and leaving ahead of them.

“Goodbye, everyone in Kotokoris. Do your best.”

“…Yes. We are truly sorry, Lady Yuna.”

“Alright.”

Their apology sounded more sincere than ever, so I accepted their sentiment.

Even if they had been deceived by Emil, the fact remains that they sacrificed me to keep Emil in good spirits. I cannot simply forgive them and move on.

“Yuna, are you okay?”

“Yes, I feel relieved now that I’ve finished everything I needed to do in Kotokoris. I can finally return to the Duke of Aina Clara’s estate.”

“Yeah.”

“I want to go home and rest as soon as possible.”

“I agree.”

Walking alongside Lord Rein in the town of Aqua feels strangely surreal.

I always hated walking through town with Emil. I feared the cold stares and harsh words, constantly trembling. But now, I am no longer afraid. As long as I am with Lord Rein—

Just looking at his profile makes my heart race. That’s because… I’ve fallen in love with him.

But even though I’ve realized my feelings, I have no idea what to do. I have no experience with love!

Having lived in my younger sister’s shadow, I rarely had opportunities to interact with men. I attended banquets hosted by the Baron of Kotokoris, but all the men there were only interested in Emil. No one even looked my way. Of course, I had no romantic experiences.

I once tried to love my former fiancé, Lord Luki, but in the end, I couldn’t. So Lord Rein is, without a doubt, my first love.

Honestly, I’m glad I never fell for that good-for-nothing, handsome-only Luki. That’s the one thing I can thank Emil for taking away from me.

Emil was always surrounded by admirers, but since our father carefully selected her fiancé, she never seriously dated anyone. I doubt she ever truly loved anyone other than herself.

Yet she still took Luki from me, even begging our father to let her marry him.

Emil cannot stand me getting close to anyone else. She wants everything that belongs to me. Even if she has to steal it—

“Lord Rein!”

“…Emil?”

The one who interrupted my pleasant walk with Lord Rein back to our lodging was none other than Emil—the very same Emil I had utterly crushed a week ago.

I thought she had finally quieted down, but… what does she want now? I must admit, her ability to recover quickly is impressive.

“Ah, I’m so glad! I’ve finally found you, Lord Rein!”

“…Huh?”

Emil greeted him with a bright, blooming smile, but Lord Rein responded with an expression as cold as ice.

Scary. His face is terrifying! He looks absolutely disgusted!

“I’ve been waiting all this time for my dear sister to finish restoring the land so that I could finally speak with you, Lord Rein.”

So that’s why she was quiet until now… Wait, what?

Since when did she want to talk to Lord Rein? She never cared about him before.

No way… Is she fixating on something of mine again?

Is she setting her sights on Lord Rein?

Is she planning… to take him away from me?

“No way!”

Instinctively, I stepped in front of Lord Rein, blocking Emil from reaching him.

“Dear sister, I simply wish to befriend Lord Rein. Please step aside.”

“No! Why do you want to get close to him!? You have Lord Luki, don’t you!?”

When Emil took Luki from me, I was hurt. But if she were to take Lord Rein—

I would be devastated. So much more than I ever was for Luki.