Chapter 67: Leo shining (3)

“—… Huh?!”

Leo was startled and looked down at his own body. Of course, this was because the dark spirit had “consumed” the blood of the sacrificial pig. But then…

“Look, over there…! On the balcony!”

“Is that the current shrine maiden?”

“The moment she waved her arm, the sun shone!”

“Her stained clothes transformed into pure white in an instant. It’s like a scene straight out of the holy scriptures!”

The sight was reminiscent of the light spirit, who once descended upon a barren land and cleansed the stained clothes in an instant.

“Oh… no… This can’t be happening…”

Lena’s gaze grew distant for a moment. At the same time, a boy watching the girl standing on the balcony from below shouted out loudly.

“That person is the incarnation of the light spirit!”

It was Talim, a boy who had been wandering near the cathedral in search of a conscientious healer familiar with medicine. His excitement was evident as he passionately addressed the surrounding clerics and townspeople.

“That person…  The shrine maiden from Weitz is the holy maiden of light! She smiles kindly even in the harshest of trials, sees through ambition, and forgives our lowly sins. When in danger, she is protected by the spirit of light, and even now, she summons the sun! I saw it with my own eyes!”

With fevered passion, he recounted how the maiden had discovered the beauty of the forgotten lower town, how she had protected herself with mystical power when attacked, forgiven the assailants’ sins, and promised to use their skills to bring prosperity to the lower town.

“What?!”

“If that’s true, she really is the incarnation of the light spirit…”

“Look at the sky. The moment she appeared, the menacing clouds vanished, and a brilliant sun rose…”

The people, who had been listening intently, turned their eyes back and forth between the holy sunrise and the maiden standing above them. Standing in the dawn light, with loose strands of hair draping over her slender shoulders and her white robes billowing in the wind, she was an image of pure beauty, like a scene from the scriptures.

In the scene that seemed to recreate a passage from the holy scriptures, the gathered crowd collectively gasped in awe.

Moreover, this was the final day of the three-day festival. Even devout spirit worshippers were not immune to the influence of the festivities, and after facing unexpected severe weather, they were on edge and easily swayed.

Soon, Talim knelt down, gazing at the maiden in reverence. His enthusiasm quickly spread, and people began to kneel around him, like ripples expanding across a pond.

“Holy maiden of light!”

“Holy maiden of light, please bless us!”

“Holy maiden of light!”

The cries echoed throughout the area, building in volume until the words praising the maiden shook the cathedral.

“—“

Meanwhile, in the darkness beneath the veil of the spirit cloth, one person had turned completely pale.

(Someone, please tell me this is a dream…)

The emperor’s beloved, the leading candidate for the first empress, the humble saint. Even without these titles, she already had her hands full, but now, with the addition of the title ‘Savior of the Kingdom,’ she had now evolved into something worldwide with the title ‘Holy Maiden of Light.’

With the Elrand’s Contract Festival attended by shrine maidens, their attendants, guards, and tourists from across the nations, this was too much.

(Not just the Weitz Empire… not just Elrand… my identity has been exposed all over the world…!!)

It seemed nearly impossible for them to escape now. In retrospect, it might have been better to kiss the prince to defuse the situation and muddle things.

Lena collapsed to the ground, covering her face with her hands.

“What… what do I do…”

Meanwhile, even Leo, who stood stunned on the balcony, was visibly pale at the situation.

He realized that his series of actions seemed like a miracle to everyone, evident from the way they stared at him.

He thought that pointing to the sky in bad weather wouldn’t be a big deal, but he never imagined it would turn into this.

(I… I’m standing out, aren’t I?!)

He realized he had exposed himself to the world, and beads of sweat began to form on his brow. The unexpected turn of events left him afraid to even glance in Lena’s direction.

As he stood frozen, forgetting to breathe, voices called out to him.

“Leonora!”

“Shrine Maiden of Weitz!”

Albert and Safita approached, unable to conceal their excitement. Albert reached Leo first, standing beside him and smiling as his golden hair shimmered in the sunlight.

“What a miracle!”

“No, uh… it’s not, it’s not a miracle…”

Leo stammered, his mind racing to figure out how to escape the situation. But Albert, oblivious to Leo’s distress, looked down at the crowd below and spoke with wide eyes.

“Look, Leonora. Even the people of Elrand bow their heads in your honor. Haha, you are like the light spirit ruling the continent.”

“No, no… I don’t want any of that at all…!”

With a royal smile that seemed to say “Congratulations,” Leo shook his head vigorously. Then,

“Indeed, Shrine Maiden of Weitz,”

Safita, who had been standing on Leo’s other side, spoke in his soothing baritone. Leo turned to him, startled, as Safita nodded knowingly and smiled faintly.

“Your goal is not to be exalted to the heights of a spirit, but to stand alongside the man you love, isn’t it?”

“What?!”

Leo was shocked by Safita’s poetic words. But Safita, unaware of Leo’s surprise, gazed seriously into Leo’s eyes.

“Your simple, endearing wish to protect the warmth you’ve finally found, without fearing anyone—who can deny it? Let me repay your kindness by lending a hand in this time of need.”

“Wha… huh? Wha…?!”

As Leo stood utterly bewildered, Safitha turned to the crowd below and raised his robed right arm high.

“Listen, people of Elrand!”

His voice was youthful and filled with pride. Though he had long adhered to his teachings, his tone carried a passion and charm that captivated the listeners.

“This ceremony, the Covenant Festival, is now concluded… But listen closely. The ominous thunder earlier was proof that there was one among us who wished to weaken the power of the light spirit!”

The young ruler’s stern expression and tone made the people uneasy. But before the murmurs could spread, Safita raised his voice, capturing everyone’s attention.

“But! The skies now glow with fresh light, and the covenant between the light spirit and the land is without flaw. This is all thanks to one pure-hearted shrine maiden, who saw through the evil intent and thwarted the vile ambition at great personal risk!”

His storm-gray eyes locked onto the young maiden beside him, igniting the crowd’s excitement and anticipation.

Everyone held their breath as Safita took the maiden’s hand and held it high towards the heavens.

“The name of this shrine maiden is Leonora von Hakenberg. Hailing from the land of Weitz, she is as worthy as the emperor to stand beside him, beloved by the spirits, and the holy maiden of light!”

“Eh… what?!”

Before the girl could react, the crowd erupted in a roar.

“Whoa!”

“Holy maiden of light!”

“Long live Saint Leonora!”

“What… no, stop…!”

The scene was reminiscent of the spirit festival, but this time, there were even more people, more energy, and it was worldwide.

“Stop… please, stop!”

Leo was on the brink of panic. Sweat covered his entire body, and his mind went blank.

(Oh no, what do I do?! How do I escape?!)

With so much attention from people around the world, it seemed there was nowhere left for Leo and the others to hide.

Leo stood frozen, while Albert loosened his stern expression and nodded towards Safita.

“Thank you, Safita. This solidifies her position.”

“No, I merely stated the facts… besides, considering what we did to her, this is not enough.”

“That’s up to her to decide. If you are remorseful, she will forgive you—of course, I’ll also have a separate discussion with those clergy.”

“Because she is too kind,” Albert said, narrowing his eyes suspiciously. Safita nodded quietly in agreement.

His expression was no longer one of restraint, but full of inner resolve and accountability.

Albert shook his head and shifted his focus, turning to the girl standing there and gently calling out to her.

“Look, Leonora. This is your power.”

“Huh?! What…?”

“Regardless of rank or nation, you draw everyone’s attention. By tomorrow, your name will be known across the continent, alongside countless praises.”

Leo, who had been on the wanted list and now found himself celebrated worldwide, wasn’t thrilled about this development. Tears welled up in his purple eyes.

“No…! I don’t want this at all…!”

“Leonora…”

Albert was taken aback by the girl’s humility but soon smiled gently.

“Such selflessness, but… yes, that is who you are.”

“Huh?”

“If you could achieve a position where you wouldn’t be hurt by someone who speaks ill of your origin, then I’d be more than content. You’ve worked hard, Leonora. Thank you. From now on, I’ll stay by your side and protect you.”

“What!?”

Leonora found Albert’s words incomprehensible. She wasn’t sure if this was a new kind of trap, a highly compressed threat, or something else entirely.

(… No, that’s not it.)

Reflexively, Leonora almost became wary of Albert, but then suddenly realized.

(According to Lena, this man likes me…!)

That meant “being by your side” was not a metaphor for surveillance, and “protecting” her wasn’t a veiled threat; it was meant literally, in terms of shielding her.

(In other words, his smile isn’t due to enjoying an execution… and him casually wrapping his arm around me isn’t a threat to kill me if I run…)

Leonora had never thought of this before, but now she saw things from the premise that Albert held affection for her. The world seemed to flip upside down.

Even as Albert smiled and stepped back, then knelt down, Leonora could only stand there frozen in shock, beads of sweat forming.

“Leonora, this isn’t the place to say this, and I know you’re still young, but please, let me tell you this.”

(So… his talk of wanting to be by my side, of not letting go… is just like the strong emotions I feel for gold coins…)

When a miser tells gold coins they want them to stay, it’s just eccentricity. But when a man tells a woman that, society calls it something else.

“Leonora—perhaps not immediately, but someday… would you marry me?”

“——!?”

(Pr-proposal———!?)

Leonora finally understood Albert’s intentions and let out a silent scream. She tried to scream, but her throat seemed to burn.

“……, ……, ……!”

(Wow! What do I do? How do I respond?)

When Lena had pointed out the prince’s romantic interest, Leo had been skeptical, brushing it off with a light attitude. But now that she understood the depth of Albert’s feelings, he was in a complete panic.

To think someone would propose—risking three months’ salary! She hadn’t expected him to be that serious.

(It’s already hard enough to reject something offered for free…)

Leonora felt a pang of guilt as she tried to process her thoughts. Should she turn him down? Reject the prince’s earnest proposal?

(Wow… I can’t let him find out my true identity…)

This wasn’t like her situation with Kai; if Albert found out he had fallen for a man instead of a woman, it would be a great blow.

And this wasn’t just a fleeting romance. Albert was staking three months’ salary on his proposal.

It would be as shocking as if someone who worshiped gold coins discovered they were mere painted rocks instead.

(I can’t! I’d die!)

Leonora felt like she might vomit blood from guilt.

(What should I do… what should I do…)

Her mind was filled with uncertainty. The crowd whistled and cheered, Safita smiled encouragingly, and the prince looked up at her with a serious expression. There was no room for escape.

Leonora considered coming clean to the prince about her true identity and seeking his forgiveness.

But she didn’t want to leave him traumatized, especially after he’d put so much on the line. Yet, she couldn’t accept his romantic advances.

It was an impasse, a vicious cycle. She felt the warm morning sun on her cheek and grimaced.

“—I’m… sorry…”

Leonora forced herself to speak, the first words emerging as a small apology.

“I’m sorry. I… can’t… do it…”

The prince looked surprised as she shook her head, her shoulders trembling.

“Leonora…?”

“I’m sorry. I can’t marry you, Prince… Because…”

Leonora clenched her fists and pressed her lips together. She searched for the most honest way to express her thoughts.

Revealing the truth about the switch could hurt not just the prince but also Kai and the marquis couple.

But remaining silent and dismissing the proposal would be too dishonest.

“Because… um… I…”

Just as she stumbled over her words, hesitant to say “I” as it would betray her true identity, she heard a warm, husky voice in her mind.

“—Oh, you silly girl.”

Leonora looked up in surprise, meeting Albert’s concerned gaze. Behind him, she saw a beautiful woman with golden hair.

As she opened her mouth, the woman placed a finger on her lips.

“—Shh, only you can see me right now.”

Leonora blinked in confusion as the woman extended her hand and tapped Leonora’s forehead.

“Come on now, I told you to call for me when you’re in trouble.”

“You want to reject his proposal without revealing your true identity and then disappear?”

Seeing her situation understood, Leonora listened as the woman explained that she had overheard the conversation with Lena and had deduced Leonora’s intentions.

“It makes sense you’d use male speech, right? But that’s fine. Just as you’ve accepted me in whatever form, I accept you regardless of your gender. Though… I do prefer women to rough men.”

With a playful whisper, the woman winked.

“Leave it to me. I’m the spirit of gold, after all. Beautiful lies and deceits are my domain.”

“Leonora?”

Albert watched the girl standing before him, her face tear-streaked, then muttering “Al-sama” before falling silent.

He reached out a gentle hand to touch her cheek, and in that moment, an intense flash of light erupted overhead.