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Chapter 98
Do You Want to Save Her?
The silence surrounding them deepened.
Luigi’s face turned bright red at Diana’s insult.
“Princess Diana!”
Luigi glared at her sharply.
“At a time when you should be groveling to apologize, you dare behave like this?”
“I apologize for using violence,” Diana said flatly.
“But Lady Luigi, your behavior was inappropriate. The Duchess of Blanchet is not someone you can insult so carelessly.”
“And why not? I only stated the facts.”
Anger flared in Luigi’s green eyes.
“You must have lost your senses, siding with the Duchess of Blanchet like this. You’d better watch yourself, Princess. Don’t come crying to me later after defending a woman surrounded by vulgar rumors.”
“That’s my line,” Diana shot back. “Do you even know what kind of person that so-called ‘Saint’ you’re so proud of is?”
Luigi, who had recently boasted about being close friends with the Saint, raised her voice sharply.
“What’s wrong with the Saint of the Holy Kingdom?!”
“Are we even sure she’s a real Saint?” Diana scoffed.
“Our kingdom nearly suffered immense damage because of her.”
“That was all that woman, Miryu’s fault! The Royum Kingdom shouldn’t have been deceived by her in the first place. The Saint simply made a mistake—”
“Mistake or not, it doesn’t matter to our kingdom.”
The surrounding noble ladies widened their eyes in shock at Diana’s firm tone.
“Princess Diana, Lady Luigi—please, both of you calm down.”
“Princess Diana is insulting the Saint! As her friend and a devout follower of Atea, how can I overlook such a disgrace?”
Luigi’s sharp fury made the other noble ladies flinch, but Diana remained unshaken.
“What matters is that the Saint’s actions nearly brought disaster to the Royum Kingdom. She claimed a child existed when there was none.”
“The Saint never said she was pregnant—”
“Fine, let’s say she didn’t. But what about the stunt she pulled, pretending to heal a scar that Miryu herself said didn’t exist—with her so-called divine power?”
Luigi fell silent. That incident was still the subject of much controversy.
“That was all Miryu’s slander! When she fell from grace, she tried to drag the Saint down with her.”
“And yet that same woman wrote an apology letter to the Saint and then took her own life?”
There was no lie in Diana’s words.
This can’t go on.
Luigi screamed at her.
“So you’re saying it was justified to strike me? The issue here isn’t the Saint!”
“That’s—”
“Should I take your actions as an attack against me and my entire house? Does the name of the Royum royal family mean that little to you?”
Luigi sneered, studying Diana’s troubled face.
That wretch dared slap me?
As the only daughter of a count’s family, Luigi had never been struck—not even by her father. In the social world, no one dared cross her.
And I treated this border princess like royalty—
Luigi picked up her fan from the table and smirked at the silent Diana who looked down at her.
“You had such quick words earlier. Forgotten how to speak already? Go on, if you’ve got a mouth.”
“……”
“From now on, everything you say will be taken as the will of the Royum royal family. So think carefully before you speak.”
The noble ladies around them sided with Luigi. Not only were they her friends, but the situation seemed to favor her.
“Princess Diana was reckless. Even if she was angry, how could she resort to violence? That’s beneath noble blood.”
“She must’ve forgotten her manners after mixing with commoners.”
Luigi straightened her shoulders, encouraged by their words. She tapped Diana’s cheek lightly with her fan.
“Now, which part of my words did you find so offensive? Tell me again. Or would you rather strike me once more—”
That was when—
“Lady Luigi.”
Diana grabbed the fan hovering near her face and crushed it in her hand.
“My actions are mine alone, not the will of the Royum royal family.”
Crack— Luigi’s fan shattered completely in Diana’s grip. Luigi swallowed hard as she watched the fragments fall.
How is she that strong?
She knew Diana had once held a knight’s title.
So she really was a capable knight?
It wasn’t uncommon for noblewomen who failed in society to receive knightly titles as a formality. Luigi had thought Diana was one of them.
But Diana’s piercing orange eyes said otherwise.
“So stop twisting my actions into something representing the entire royal family.”
The raw hostility in her gaze made Luigi step back, trembling.
She—she’s terrifying!
It truly felt like she might kill her.
“Wh-what, are you going to use force on me again?”
“I merely wanted to correct your misunderstanding, Lady Luigi. I’ll, of course, compensate you for the fan that happened to break under my grip.”
Jingle, jingle—
One of the noble girls, sensing the danger, rang the bell on the table twice—the signal to summon the knights.
“That’s not the only thing you’ve done wrong, Princess.”
As soon as she felt protected, Luigi’s rage returned.
A border princess dares threaten me?
Even an imperial princess would’ve been scolded for slapping a noblewoman. Luigi crossed her arms confidently.
“If you want to apologize, do it properly. A princess who can’t control her temper and slaps a lady like me—what a disgrace.”
“What kind of reparation do you demand?”
“At the very least, a sincere apology that satisfies me.”
Diana frowned slightly. One of Luigi’s closest friends asked,
“Luigi, do you have something specific in mind?”
“Well, since the Princess insists it was her personal fault and not her kingdom’s, I’ll accept that. And because we’ve known each other for some time, I don’t want to demand something too cruel.”
Her green eyes gleamed wickedly.
“So—kneel before me and bow your head to apologize.”
“…What?”
Even Luigi’s dearest friend gasped. Bowing like that was something only slaves did before their masters.
“Lu-Luigi! You said you wanted to be generous—”
“And I am. I could’ve demanded much worse. This way, the Princess won’t need to involve her kingdom at all. Isn’t that merciful?”
“Well, when you put it that way…”
“And it’s not even in an official ballroom. She just has to apologize here and now, where she humiliated me. Then I’ll let it go. I’m actually being quite kind, don’t you think?”
But everyone knew what would happen—Luigi would spread the story, and Diana’s humiliation would echo throughout the entire social world.
Once that happens, she’ll be completely ruined.
No decent noble would want to associate with a royal who groveled like a servant.
Especially since Diana had already drawn criticism before—for defending Estelle Blanchet and getting involved in scandal.
That incident was smoothed over thanks to her knighthood… but now she doesn’t even have that anymore.
“Well? Don’t tell me you can’t even apologize properly.”
Luigi lifted her chin mockingly.
Diana bit her lip and looked down.
So it’s come to this after all.
She’d acted on emotion, yes—but she had expected this outcome.
Even so, it had to be done.
Her mother would’ve scolded her for not handling it more cleverly. Estelle might even feel guilty for Diana’s sake.
But knighthood or not, Diana was still a knight at heart.
She couldn’t stand by while the innocent Estelle was slandered. Even if she suffered for it, she had to defend her friend—and atone for the times she’d failed her before.
“…Understood. I acted rashly.”
With steady resolve, Diana knelt down. Luigi sneered.
“Straighten your back. That doesn’t look like a proper apology to me.”
Just then, the door slowly opened.
“Oh my.”
It wasn’t palace knights who entered—but the Saint herself, Stella, alongside Crown Prince Carlos.
“Lady Stella!”
“Luigi,” said the Saint gently. “Can you explain what’s happening here?”
“Princess Diana attacked me without reason and is now apologizing.”
Luigi pouted, pointing to her swollen cheek.
“You know how delicate I am, Saint. But she—who once held a knight’s title—struck me across the face! Do you know how much care I put into my skin?”
“Oh dear, that must’ve hurt terribly.”
The Saint took Luigi’s hand tenderly and healed her cheek with divine power. As the holy light faded, her skin looked flawless again.
“Her cheek—!”
“It’s even prettier than before! The Saint’s power is truly miraculous.”
The Saint smiled serenely at the fawning noble ladies.
“Feeling better now, Luigi?”
“Yes, of course. You really are amazing.”
Overwhelmed with gratitude, Luigi nodded—then suddenly glared at Diana.
“By the way, that Princess insulted you too! Do you know what she said?”
“What did she say?”
“She claimed you’re not even qualified to be a Saint! How dare she speak such blasphemy about the Holy Kingdom’s most sacred person—all to defend some lowly Duchess!”
The Saint’s benevolent face briefly stiffened before softening again. She patted Luigi’s shoulder kindly.
“So you got into this mess trying to defend me, Luigi?”
“Yes! I could bear insults to myself, but not to you. Thinking back, she should apologize to you properly as well.”
“But Luigi,” the Saint said softly, “as grateful as I am, please don’t push this any further.”
“Pardon?”
While Luigi faltered, the Saint continued calmly,
“If it’s alright with you, could you forgive Princess Diana here and now?”
“…Forgive her?”
“Yes. I don’t wish to see you dragged into strife because of me. Quarrels only wound the soul. Besides…”
The Saint turned to look at the kneeling Diana with a gentle smile.
“I caused the Royum Kingdom harm, even if unintentionally. So I can understand Princess Diana’s feelings.”
“But Saint! That was all that fool Miryu’s fault, not yours—”
“I’m not an ordinary person, remember? As a Saint, I must take responsibility even for what isn’t my fault.”
Prince Carlos asked quietly,
“Then, Stella, what do you wish to do?”
“I think we should ask Princess Diana.”
The Saint gracefully approached her and bowed her head.
“Princess Diana, was there a reason you used violence against Lady Luigi?”
“It was for personal reasons. So you need not forgive me, Saint.”
Luigi interjected sharply,
“Why are you changing your story? You did it because of the Duchess of Blanchet!”
At Estelle’s name, Diana flinched. Luigi smirked cruelly.
“Oh? Don’t tell me you don’t want the Duchess dragged into this?”
“This has nothing to do with her—it was my own conviction.”
“The way you’re denying it just makes you look guiltier.”
Luigi clapped her hands once.
“Don’t tell me the Duchess of Blanchet told you to slander the Saint?”
“She did not!”
“Then why are you so desperate to deny it? Anyone would find that suspicious, right, Saint—”
At that moment, the Saint swayed as if struck by pain.
“Stella!”
Prince Carlos caught her by the shoulders, alarmed. Her face had gone pale, her lips trembling.
“Why would the Duchess of Blanchet… push me…”
“You mean she did?”
“No… No, of course not. The Duchess and I are dearest friends.”
Tears welled in her eyes.
“Come to think of it, there was that time in the temple when she suddenly pushed me—ah, no, forget I said that. It was a misunderstanding we already cleared up.”
But the nobles around them were already listening intently.
“The Duchess… pushed the Saint?” the Crown Prince asked grimly.
One of the young noblewomen near Luigi swallowed nervously.
Wait—that was the incident where people thought the Saint had harmed the Duchess…
She remembered what she had actually seen—
It had been the Saint who shoved the Duchess, and the Duchess who had fallen, coughing blood.
“This won’t do,” said the Crown Prince coldly. “Princess of Royum, you’ll be taken to the imperial prison until the truth is uncovered.”
“Your Highness, isn’t that too harsh—”
“You are a guest of the Empire,” he said firmly. “And yet you have slandered a sacred guest of the imperial court. A full investigation is necessary.”
He turned to her.
“This is for the good of the Empire. You are not to blame for what comes next.”
“Because of me…”
The Saint murmured softly, hiding her face in the prince’s chest. Beneath his arm, her lips curved upward ever so slightly.
You should’ve disappeared when I gave you the chance.
Before the afternoon had even ended, news spread—
Princess Diana of Royum had been thrown into the imperial prison.
Johan turned to Estelle and asked,
“Do you want to save her?”
