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Chapter: 14
Shieta’s sudden coming out as a princess left Rasita staring blankly for a long time, as if he couldn’t comprehend what he had just heard.
“Wait… so… you’re saying you’re the Princess?”
In a truly bewildered voice, Rasita asked Shieta to confirm whether she really was a princess.
“Yup! Maybe you were asking because you were thinking of kidnapping me or something. But I knew you weren’t! Sorry for lying!”
Even knowing Rasita’s pupils were trembling, Shieta finally…
“You’re the one who caught the legendary blue tiger all by yourself… Princess Shieta?”
“Hmm? Yep.”
She acknowledged her identity so casually.
The boy’s mouth fell open at her unbelievably nonchalant answer.
“W-why is the Princess in a place like this…?”
But before Rasita could say anything else, Shieta grabbed his hand and spoke cheerfully.
“There’s no one around my age at the palace. I thought it would be the same at the temple…”
Her innocent voice paused for a moment mid-chatter, completely untainted.
“And there you are!”
It was full of nothing but goodwill toward Rasita.
He simply couldn’t understand her.
If she were just some ordinary noble girl… maybe he could have dismissed her kindness as mere naivety.
But…
She was the princess, at the very pinnacle of power in this empire.
Legitimacy?
Needless to say.
Her mother had been a wise and respected ruler of the empire, and her father governed this vast temple as the Pope.
If she had merely been born into that position, maybe she could be excused for being naive. But…
‘Princess Shieta was almost poisoned.’
It had been an empire-wide scandal, and even Rasita, who had been out of the loop, already knew about the attempt on her life in the Kingdom of Romansia.
‘And yet… she can still like people this much.’
Unlike other princesses who had grown up sheltered, Shieta, though only six years old, had already faced many hardships.
There were assassins inside the princess’ own palace who had tried to betray and kill her.
And then, she had barely survived an attempt on her life orchestrated by those who wanted to poison her.
Even if she wanted to stay naive, life had forced her to mature.
Yet, the Shieta Rasita saw before him…
“Then, let’s go play! What should we play?”
Her face was entirely clear, brimming with nothing but goodwill toward Rasita.
He couldn’t refuse.
Hesitating, Rasita brought up the only game he knew.
“C-Chess… do you know it?”
Cautiously, he asked.
“Chess?”
Her beautiful silver hair tilted in curiosity.
“I’ve heard of it.”
Had she played it before, or just heard about it?
Reading Rasita’s puzzled expression, Shieta smiled brightly.
“Yeah, I studied it. I’ve heard of it, but never played!”
“Ah…”
To salvage the suddenly awkward mood, Rasita hurriedly took out a hidden chessboard and explained the rules to her.
‘I must not go against the wishes of the Princess.’
And within just a few minutes…
Rasita realized something obvious yet remarkable.
‘…She’s brilliant.’
Yes.
Shieta’s intellect was seriously exceptional.
Even if she didn’t realize it herself, her extraordinary talent showed even in a simple game.
Why?
Because even though it was her first time playing chess…
She captured Rasita’s king using only the two knights.
Out of all the chess pieces, she had moved only two and still won.
It sounded like a joke, but it was true.
‘Then…’
Rasita could not understand the depth of her goodwill.
He had nothing that could benefit Shieta through his position…
And she already knew that.
“See you next time, Rasita!”
Caught up in the small girl’s cheerful pace, he accompanied her as she walked away, even waving his hand.
Only long after she disappeared did he finally… feel a sense of dissonance.
Wait a moment.
Had he even told Shieta his name?
It was an entirely natural question… but before he could resolve it properly, he noticed a familiar flash of white.
“Your Holiness, the Pope.”
Rasita immediately bowed respectfully.
And then…
The same low voice he had always heard echoed beside him.
“I see…”
Something he had never heard before.
“You’ve been associating with a commoner.”
Full of displeasure.
Shieta was dumbfounded.
As soon as she saw the Pope, she had tried to catch his attention just to slip away unnoticed.
And instead, he deliberately grabbed her hand and appeared in front of Rasita.
“…Associating with a commoner?”
Ridiculous.
‘I was just having fun with the main character…’
Her carefully built goodwill was about to be destroyed because of her father.
What kind of enemies had her parents made to interfere with Shieta’s life like this?
While Shieta struggled to hide her shock, Rasita, the main character, bowed his head in cold sweat.
‘He’s openly treating me like a commoner…’
…That was why he had tried to leave the moment he saw the Pope.
Bad timing.
Even in the original story, Rosiate had been difficult enough.
If the priests in the original story… had ignored Rasita, the source of their power, then…
It was impossible that Vicente, the Pope of this temple and Shieta’s father, wouldn’t get involved.
‘Dad orchestrated Rasita’s isolation… unbelievable.’
If Vicente had survived Rosiate’s schemes and retained his position,
Then in the imperial side, the final boss would have been Rosiate,
And in the temple, the final boss would have been Vicente.
On her mother’s side, she was an enemy to the heroine.
On her father’s side, an enemy to the main character.
‘Wow!’
The daughter of the protagonists’ ultimate foes!
‘Why did I have to be born like this?’
Seeing Rasita’s face go pale at the Pope’s words, Shieta inwardly sighed.
At this rate, Rasita might end up being “punished” for daring to associate with her.
Who would want to get close to someone that being friendly with means punishment?
If left unchecked, Rasita could later ally with the heroine… and attack Shieta.
‘That cannot happen!’
From Shieta’s perspective, she would not accept the role of a naive little princess.
So she said:
“Appa.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
The Pope, still calm, responded.
“Is he good at healing?”
“…Excuse me?”
The Pope hesitated at the unexpected question.
Shieta seized the moment, continuing with childlike innocence:
“They’re all nobles. But if he’s the only commoner… isn’t his healing super strong? I want to bring him into the royal family.”
Her blunt statement clearly irked the priests.
But Vicente, their representative, remained perfectly calm.
“You are indeed perceptive, Your Highness.”
Without changing his expression, he acknowledged Shieta’s remark.
“But, Your Highness…”
Her father, the Pope Vicente, showed a momentary sign of reluctance.
“He’s taking care of many important matters here at the temple.”
He said “important matters,” but it was clear he wanted Shieta to back off.
Certainly, stepping back here might have been the wiser choice if she wanted to work with Vicente.
But…
“You choose.”
Shieta deliberately turned to Rasita.
“Do you want to do good work without recognition?”
Or, if given the choice…
“Or… do you want to heal me comfortably right by my side?”
She judged that holding onto the main character coin was the better choice.
