Prim slowly opened her eyes.
With the maid’s help, she stood up.
The back of her head still throbbed a little, but it wasn’t a big deal anymore.
Memories from before she blacked out flooded back like a tide.
The silver giant… crystalline shards scattering through the sky… and the back of that green-haired man as he shattered a god with one punch.
—I have to keep him here!
She finally understood what her father had meant!
This man’s power exceeded her wildest imagination. If she could secure him with nothing more than a “marriage” alliance—as the kingdom’s knight commander—it would be all gain and no loss for the kingdom!
That thought instantly overrode everything else.
What disgust, what grievances over the engagement, what admiration for Julius—in the face of absolute strength and her father’s stern command, none of it mattered anymore.
As royalty, she had long been prepared for this, but only if the match was worthwhile!
Besides, marrying Abel meant joining the marquis family! And who was the head of the marquis family?
Her beloved Lord Julius, of course!
As the saying went, proximity breeds opportunity. She was confident that with her beauty, she could make that twenty-something, still-single young marquis fall for her!
Hmm? Wouldn’t that be unfair to Abel?
Come on! She was royalty, the exalted pearl of the kingdom.
Marrying her would already be the greatest honor of Abel’s life!
Did he dare to complain?
At the end of the day, he was just a subject of the kingdom!
Yes, yes, yes—this was the plan! Perfect!
She quickly straightened her appearance.
Her pink curls were a bit disheveled, her ornate gown covered in dust, but the princess’s poise had returned.
“Archbishop Sephilia,” Prim’s voice rang out clearly, interrupting the orange-haired archbishop’s conversation with Abel.
“May the blessings of the God of Chronos be with you. However, I must apologize—Sir Abel is our kingdom’s knight commander. Any follow-up matters should naturally be handled by the royal family.”
She stepped forward, each stride steady and composed.
Her gaze flicked over Abel before settling on Sephilia’s face.
The archbishop of the royal capital diocese, the church’s former saintess, was undeniably stunning, but for some reason, she always gave Prim an uneasy feeling.
Abel is a noble of our kingdom! He’s our kingdom’s knight commander, and my future husband—I won’t hand him over to you!!
Don’t even think about it!
Sephilia’s orange eyes narrowed slightly. “Knight commander? Your Highness, not long ago, I seem to recall hearing you speak rather lowly of this ‘commander.’”
Prim’s expression stiffened, but she had thick skin and immediately backpedaled.
“Ahem, that was due to some misunderstandings. Now that they’ve been cleared up—and after sharing the experience of fighting the flame giant together—we’ve already reconciled!”
“Oh?”
Sephilia narrowed her eyes further.
If Abel really was already the kingdom’s knight commander, that would make things tricky!
On the surface, royal authority and divine authority coexisted peacefully, but behind the scenes, conflicts were common.
Without sufficient reason, even she couldn’t take away someone who was now a high-ranking official of the kingdom!
Did I arrive too late?
But Sephilia wasn’t one to give up so easily. She turned to Prim and parted her red lips.
“Your Highness, you claim Sir Abel is the kingdom’s knight commander—but do you have any proof?”
As she spoke, she glanced at Abel’s attire, as if to say, Does your kingdom’s knight commander not even have a proper set of armor? Dressed in a traveler’s cloak? I don’t believe it!
Prim smiled faintly, grateful that she had brought her father’s appointment letter with her before leaving.
And so, the princess proudly thrust out her chest, her slender index and middle fingers pressed together as she retrieved a parchment sealed with golden wax from her rather deep cleavage and presented it to Sephilia.
She looked at Sephilia with the air of a victor. “Your Grace the Archbishop, if you don’t believe me, feel free to examine it. This is the appointment letter personally issued by my father! It holds the highest authority within the kingdom!”
That should be proof enough, right?
Trying to poach from our kingdom? Dream on!
Sephilia chuckled softly and took the appointment letter from Prim’s hand.
She examined it carefully for a moment, then—
Rip.
The parchment tore in half in her hands.
Another tear.
It became fragments.
“How dare you—!” Prim’s furious shout burst out.
“This is an official document bearing the royal seal! Sephilia, this is a provocation against royal authority!”
The scraps fluttered from Sephilia’s fingers.
She burst into laughter, her voice echoing through the ruins, laced with undisguised mockery.
“The kingdom’s knight commander?”
She stopped laughing, her orange eyes sharp as knives, staring straight at Prim.
“Your Highness, just two hours ago, at the arena entrance, that wasn’t what you said at all.”
She mimicked Prim’s haughty tone. “‘You can’t guarantee it—you’re just a commoner without even a title! Compared to the kingdom’s honor, your life is worth nothing!’—Shall I continue reciting? Shall I call over the knights who were present to testify?”
Prim’s face paled, but she held firm. “So, like I said, those were misunderstandings!”
“Misunderstandings?”
Sephilia stepped forward, glaring at Prim, her priestly robes billowing without wind.
“Can everything be brushed aside with a single ‘misunderstanding’? Is it that simple? You merely treated him like a dog! Your actions show no sincerity whatsoever.”
She turned to face Abel, her tone instantly softening like water.
She placed a hand on her chest and spoke with deep emotion.
“Sir Abel, the church is different from that decayed royal authority that divides people into ranks. In the eyes of the Goddess, all her children are equal. Your power is a gift bestowed by the Goddess—it should be used to uphold true justice, not to become some princess’s watchdog.”
Prim was starting to crack under the words, trembling with rage.
“Spouting righteousness and morality! You just want to drag him into the church to use as a pawn in your bid for the papacy! Sephilia, who doesn’t know about your schemes!”
“At least,” Sephilia’s eyes flickered as she gazed at Abel’s face, “I don’t hide behind grandiose excuses. Rumors of Sephilia’s ambitions are common knowledge—I make no secret of my desire for the next papal seat. But what about you, Your Highness?”
“Do you truly care for Sir Abel in your heart? Or is it all surface-level, with something entirely different underneath?”
“You…”
Those words struck right at Prim’s weak point—she really did think that way.
Seeing the change in Prim’s expression, Sephilia thought to herself, Naive! How could a greenhouse flower like you ever win at power plays against me?
Gazing at the princess’s defeated expression, Sephilia felt a surge of psychological satisfaction. She turned her attention back to Abel.
“Sir Abel, have you ever accepted the kingdom’s appointment?”
Prim interjected. “He is a noble of the kingdom—he has a duty to the kingdom’s affairs…”
“I’m asking Sir Abel, not you, Your Highness!”
At that, both women’s gazes fixed on Abel. At that moment, Abel was yawning, looking half-asleep…
“Sorry…”