Chapter 1 - Chapter 1: They say I’m a late bride

Chapter 1: They say I’m a late bride

 

“Evelyn, we don’t need you anymore. Get out of this country immediately.”

 

It took me a few seconds to understand the meaning of those words

 

So I must have looked pretty dumb for a few seconds.

 

The first prince, Alex, who coldly told me, lifted the edge of his mouth in a grimace…… and my sister Mary, who linked arms with him, puffed up one side of her cheek as if to hold back a gush.

 

Seeing their stupid faces, I regained my expressionless face – but it didn’t seem to stop the beating of my heart.

 

I’ve been living in the Great Temple since I was five years old.

 

I never thought the day would come when I would be told these words in the Great Hall, a sacred space used only for large-scale ceremonies and rituals.

 

I managed to keep my voice from shaking as I asked His Highness.

 

“…What do you mean by asking me to leave?”

 

“I don’t know what that means— but you know it yourself, don’t you? Your magic is growing weaker by the day.”

 

“……”

 

At this point, I couldn’t help but fall silent.

 

Yes. I felt it myself.

 

(I used to be able to focus on prayer until sunset… These days, it’s hard to do that.)

 

A few hours before this, I feel like I’m out of oxygen – I’m so wobbly that I can’t even form a proper prayer position.

 

Perhaps because of my silence, His Highness Alex seemed to be getting more and more agitated.

 

“That means you are already losing your ability to be a Saint. And in your place, Mary will take over the role of the Saint. Is there any objection?”

 

“Mary?”

 

Originally, the Safka family, the birth family of Mary and me, is said to be a family that tends to produce women with holy powers.

 

But I’ve heard that Mary’s magic is not very strong by nature.

 

When I looked at her, I saw that Mary, who is my younger sister, deliberately hid behind His Highness Alex’s back as if she was frightened.

 

“You’re scaring me, sister. Don’t stare at me like that!”

 

“Stop it, Evelyn. You’re scaring Mary!”

 

“Alex-sama~ will you protect me from my terrifying sister..?”

 

“Of course I am. You’re the one I love!”

 

…I wondered if this was some sort of set-up in front of me.

 

I couldn’t even sigh anymore.

 

But since I’ve been living as a Saint for almost twenty-three years now, I have to ask what I need to ask.

 

“Mary, you’re going to protect this country as a Saint. Are you prepared for that?”

 

“…I’m not sure what Onesama is talking about.”

 

“That’s not good enough, Mary. You’re in a position of responsibility—”

 

“That’s enough, Evelyn.”

 

But my words were interrupted by His Highness Alex.

 

When I looked at him to see what he was thinking, his shoulders curled up and he looked down at me… as if he was looking at an insect.

 

“Her magic has weakened and she is late for marriage… What a pathetic woman that she can only be jealous of her superior sister.”

 

I exclaimed.

 

Because what His Highness Alex had said was so horrible.

 

It is true that the appropriate age for women in this country is between 15 and 18 years old.

 

(Late marriage… that’s because you broke off your engagement with me last year and got engaged to my sister, remember?)

 

It was by no means an amicable end to the engagement.

 

One day, I was suddenly summoned by His Highness Alex and went to his room, where I saw the two of them kissing each other.

 

And right then and there, he laughed and told me that he was breaking off our engagement.

 

I don’t think I’ve ever been so humiliated in my life.

 

(I’ve never even been touched.)

 

It was only a political engagement.

 

I know that, and it’s not like I had any special fondness for His Highness Alex.

 

But… It’s true that I was hurt.

 

The next thing I knew, I was being treated like a damaged goods by everyone around me.

 

It’s no wonder. The engagement between a prince and a saint has never been broken off in the history of the country.

 

Besides, as a member of the priesthood, the number of people who could ask me to marry them — whether they were willing to or not — was quite limited.

 

Basically, only royalty. It is also limited to unmarried people.

 

Even when things have been hard, I’ve managed to overcome them by striving for the role of a Saint.

 

Now that that role has been taken away from me, there is nothing left for me.

 

As if to drive me crazy, my sister Mary shouted hysterically.

 

“My poor Onesama…! I can’t believe she’s going to live alone and miserable from now on!”

 

“Mary’s so kind. I can’t believe she’d take pity on a sister like this.”

 

I no longer had the stomach to listen to the contrast between them.

 

“If you’ll excuse me.”

 

His Highness Alex and Mary seemed to still be saying something behind me, but I pretended not to hear them and left.

 

I think I’d better go back to my room… I have no personal items that look like personal items.

 

And a Saint does not receive any kind of wages. In other words, they’re penniless.

 

It seemed like a waste of time to go back, and I couldn’t stand the thought of running into those two again.

 

With that in mind, I left the hall and walked directly towards the entrance of the Great Temple.

 

To be more precise, I don’t think I had the ability to make a calm decision at this moment.

 

My thoughts were spinning in circles as if my head was overheated, the view in front of me was distorted, and it was forever — The words that were hurled at me reverberated.

 

(……[I don’t need you.], [Late Bride]……ka)

 

Unknowingly.

 

Tears were spilling out of my eyes.

 

When I finally noticed it, I hurriedly wiped it off with the sleeve of my dress.

 

(Good. No one saw me.)

 

It was fortunate that there were no priests in the hallway, as His Highness Alex had probably cleared the area.

 

I was worried that even the doorway was empty, but when I stepped out, I was greeted by a blue sky that seemed to say that my feelings were of no concern to anyone.

 

It made me laugh a little, but I couldn’t get a good laugh out of it.

 

(……So, what do I do now?)