Chapter 36: Shadows Among the Saintess

Posing as a saint and heading to the Imperial City—only someone other than the Female Lead could orchestrate such an elaborate scheme. Unlike Lara, who was always jittery, Lady Elina V simply donned the common attire of a cleric and smiled serenely.

“Earlier, since we met as commoner knights, I could be casual. But once you’re known as Schomord Youngae, even His Majesty must be met with reverence.”

“B-but…”

“Aren’t you just caught up in my stubborn insistence, Youngae?”

It was a soft yet unmistakably coercive remark.

“He’ll recognize it as my trivial act of revenge as a saintess. He won’t blame powerless Youngae for being tangled up in my plan. Besides, His Majesty will lend his support if needed—so don’t worry.”

“Did Mikhail mention anything about me?”

“Not exactly—he spoke of Lord Raan, not Schomord Youngae.”

“P-please… you didn’t say I was a woman, did you?”

Cautiously asking, Lady Elina V nodded once and lowered her voice as if about to share a secret.

“I hear the Pope treasures Lord Raan dearly—even if his treatment of him remains a mystery.”

“Huh… I always assumed a saintess couldn’t lie, but you’re surprisingly good at it…”

Lara chuckled as if at a meaningless joke. This only deepened Lady Elina V’s smile.

“Remember, what I said is strictly a secret. It would be quite embarrassing otherwise.”

It was clearly a lie. Mikhail’s over-the-top fussing only muddled the true meaning of being ‘cherished.’

Still steeped in doubt, Lara sat silently until a Holy Knight approached belatedly to announce that messengers from the Royal Court had arrived—a group of bodyguard knights dispatched for a covert mission.

“Then off you go. May the blessing of God be with you.”

Lady Elina V whispered into Lara’s ear as they disguised themselves. With that, Lara climbed into the carriage bound for the Imperial City, her anxiety palpable.

Even without an engine-powered carriage, Lara’s body trembled. The knights exchanged worried glances, sensing something amiss with the saintess.

Those persistent, scrutinizing looks made her heart race. She feared being exposed along the way—after all, she wasn’t as bold as the Female Lead.

Before long, the carriage halted gently in front of the Imperial Palace. Fearing her white headscarf might flutter away in the wind, Lara clutched its edge and moved gracefully, finally gaining some privacy in the assigned room.

“Ugh… all of a sudden, my stomach feels off.”

Nervousness made her stomach rumble. After flitting between the luxurious sofa and shifting her weight, she wandered the room anxiously. Even though she didn’t really need the restroom, she decided it was best to note its location just in case.

Lara got up and opened the inner door. Inside lay a lone bed draped with a dark wine-colored curtain. Realizing it was connected directly to the bedroom made her cheeks burn.

At that moment, heavy footsteps echoed outside the door.

“Oh, what now!”

In a panic, Lara froze in the center of the room as the doorknob turned. When the door opened, a long shadow stretched across the marble floor.

Bathed in moonlight, a tall man entered. It was Pea. His chiseled face—exuding both softness and edge—finally stopped in Lara’s direction.

“I kept you waiting, didn’t I?”

In a low, mesmerizing tone, Lara gripped the hem of her skirt. Despite everything that had happened, her heart skipped a beat at his presence. He seemed so mysterious—could it be that she was already falling for him?

Though she recognized his warm expression, his cold gaze made him seem like a completely different person. Lost in thought, she stared blankly until she realized he was drawing near.

The tension tightened around her heart like a vice. Surely, he wouldn’t disappoint her the way another Female Lead might. Lara took a small step back, though her long legs quickly caught up with him.

Finally, his outstretched hand grasped the edge of her headscarf. Just the thought of his gaze made her heart flutter nervously. As the scarf slipped past her chin and grazed her cheek, Lara squeezed her eyes shut.

Her face was revealed as he neared—yet no sound emerged.

Slowly, Lara opened her eyes to look up at him. His slightly enlarged, icy-blue eyes shone like a frozen winter sea.

After a moment’s hesitation, he furrowed his brow and let go of the headscarf, letting it drift into the air.

As the white fringe floated away, she saw him turn his back. Watching Pea exit, Lara could only blink slowly at the suddenly closed door before her lips could part.

Suddenly, her eyes began to sting. Rubbing them with her hand, she noticed tears clinging to her skin and bit her lip hard.

Had she been so sure of herself? Though she knew he hardly cared for her, part of her had hoped he’d at least ask why she was there. She expected him to speak gently.

“I shouldn’t have come…”

A deep, miserable sadness gripped Lara. When her tears finally burst forth, she could no longer hold them back.

“Booohoo… sniff, sniff…”

Her cries, echoing like those of a heartbroken child, reached even the person who had just left.

“Why… did it have to be me…?”

Meanwhile, Karlahee was baffled by her presence. Even after leaving the room, his heart pounded fiercely. But it all paused when her crying reached him, leaving him momentarily stunned.

Karlahee instantly regretted having turned back. Standing outside the door, he wavered between checking on her and not—his frustration evident as he clenched his fists.

Finally, as if reaching a decision, he relaxed his fists and quickly left the area.

A voice, startlingly divine as if waking from a nap, echoed in her mind. Lara hurriedly tried to stifle her sobs, though it wasn’t easy. With tears threatening to spill over, she pressed her headscarf against her nose like a tissue.

“…I guess I’ll have to wash this and return it.”

“If my crying woke you, I’m sorry… it’s nothing. I just recalled a sorrowful memory from the past.”

“… sniff, sniff, sniff!”

The god tried to comfort her with murmurs as Lara’s tear ducts finally gave way.

“Sob… sniff…”

At that moment, Lara heard the sound of the door opening. Fearing he might have returned, she couldn’t bring herself to lift her head, unwilling to show such a pitiful sight.

With her face burning, Lara lowered her gaze and stifled her crying as a large, warm hand settled gently on her trembling shoulder.

“Why are you crying so sorrowfully?”

Struggling to control her sobs, Lara lifted her head to see Rahi—sporting a checkered shirt and familiar round glasses—kneeling before her. His quivering lips betrayed his embarrassment.

“I came in when I heard your cries… Lara, was that you? Why, why are you crying again?”

“Sniff!”

It was you. For a moment, the hope your presence sparked made her feel insignificant, and she burst into even more sorrowful tears.

Seeing her crying grow louder, Rahi didn’t know what to do. Gently, he slid his hand up to her shoulder, his long fingers wiping away her streaming tears.

“Who’s really at fault here? Is it because of that person who came and went earlier…?”

“… sniff, sniff.”

“Now, please, stop crying, okay?”

Rahi leaned in as if to embrace her, but then hesitated and withdrew his arm.

“… Didn’t you mention you had someone you liked?”

He worried that getting too close might be impolite.

Since she was his first true companion, Rahi wanted to treasure this bond. So he sat down, waiting patiently for her tears to subside.

“Could it be that I got dumped?”

Her tears flowed so abundantly that it seemed heartbreak was inevitable. Whether out of pity or his own aching heart, watching her made his own pulse burn with longing.

As Rahi quietly looked down at her, Lara shed her final tear. Rubbing her eyes, she whispered softly.

“That person… doesn’t care about someone like me at all… it’s just foolish… sob.”

When her suspicion proved true, Rahi was at a loss for words, struck by shock and uncertainty over how to console her.

As the shock gradually wore off, Rahi felt a deep pang of regret. Even before he entered the room as the Emperor, she had already been heartbroken—and he had been too oblivious to notice, leaving her to suffer alone.