Chapter 28

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Chapter 28

There was no way he had been searching for a complete stranger for 2 years. Especially if it’s Bliss. This was more than a mere coincidence.

“You’re, you’re…!”

“Noona, don’t come close to me!”

My shoulders rose at the loud tone.

“Bliss? Frey, you’re talking about your childhood friend, right? Wasn’t it Blizzard?”

“No, but it’s admirable that you remember at all,” Frey said with amusement.

My rapidly pounding heartbeat began to slow down.

First, I decided to relax and calm myself. Even if I asked my questions slowly and steadily, Frey wasn’t going anywhere.

“You found Bliss? Have you known her for a while?” I asked cautiously.

“Yes. We’ve been friends since we were young.”

“…”

Since they were young? Now that I think about it, why is it that Lisandro knows this and I don’t…

This meant that it wasn’t true that Frey hadn’t met Bliss until after I became a saint.

It was suspicious though, since there wasn’t any reference that Bliss and Frey had been childhood friends.

Then who was Regina? I’d never heard this name anywhere, nor read it in the novel.

I looked at Frey. It was difficult to discern the thoughts behind that deep gaze.

“You’re going to tell me everything, right?” There was just one thing that was in my power to obtain: conviction that Frey wasn’t going to hide anything from me. My trust in Frey had always been unshakeable, even when I had been killed by Lisandro.

At my question, Frey smiled brightly and sweetly said, “Of course I will, Noona.”

“…”

“I’m ready to answer anything you’re curious about, and do anything that you wish of me.”

His voice was like the sweet temptation of the devil. I briefly closed my eyes to resist it, and then voiced my question.

“Who is Regina?”

“She…”

As soon as Frey opened his mouth to answer, there was a knock. Uta opened the door and entered the room.

“Princess, you have a visitor.”

“A visitor?” I echoed. I didn’t have any other friends and I never received any visitors except for Frey.

Of course, I had debuted in the social circles of high society, but because they wanted me to think highly of them, they treated me way too courteously to the point that I became anxious. Plus, there was this one really argumentative lady so I didn’t want to attend any of their high teas or parties. She didn’t really anger me, but it was annoying.

Life is meant to be lived alone anyway. It was the same for school life. Since it was announced that I was a saint when I enrolled, everyone treated me like someone to be respected rather than a friend. Even if everyone respected me, I had never been able to befriend anyone.

So, I had no friends.

Well, that was that. Right now, it was too difficult to properly have a conversation with Frey since there was a visitor looking for Lisandro.

I gave him a glance, silently telling him that we would talk later, and then I looked to Uta.

“Sir Verdo has come to visit you,” Uta said.

“Sir Verdo?”

“Yes.”

There was a brief moment of silence, so quiet it was almost like time stood still for a second.

At the sudden shift in the atmosphere, Uta’s expression became clearly anxious. She was likely wondering if she had done something wrong.

I whirled around to look at Frey.

“What’s wrong, Noona?” he asked.

Looking at his tranquil smile, the thinly masked rage in the air was definitely not from him. Frey was a kind person.

Lisandro must be angry, because his eyes were as hard as ice. The frosty atmosphere was thanks to my twin brother Lisandro. It was obvious and there was no way to miss it. Verdo had visited before, so I was used to the anger.

“Noona, should I go to meet him?”

“Why would you go to meet Sir Verdo?”

“As your one and only twin brother.”

He wasn’t wrong. But it wasn’t a reason why he should go greet my visitor instead of me.

I ignored him and rose from my seat. Lysandro’s presence prevented me from calling Sir Verdo here. If the three of us were to have a conversation, I’d feel sorry for Verdo.

The fact that Lysandro had asked to see Sir Verdo before me made me nervous. I didn’t know what he wanted. He already had a bad track record, I wasn’t about to leave him to meet with Sir Verdo in private.

Verdo had done absolutely nothing wrong. He was always looking out for me, a benevolent knight.

I was about to leave when Frey suddenly grabbed my hand. A shiver went up my arm from the place where his palm touched mine.

“What is it? Do you want to come with me?”

“Yes, Noona.”

He stood up from his seat without a moment of hesitation. I didn’t want him to be alone with Lysandro, so I would allow him to come with me.

“Noona, what about me?” Lysandro demanded.

“You’re too aggressive, so you can’t come.”

“Why are you taking him?” Lysandro pointed at Frey, obviously displeased.

“Look, because he’s calm.”

“Calm? He just–”

“Noona, please take Lysandro too,” Frey interrupted, still holding my hand.

Lysandro’s eyes widened with surprise at Frey’s suggestion.

Seeing Lysandro’s expression, Frey continued. “If I tell him to stay calm, Lysandro will listen to you and not cause any trouble. Right, Lysandro?”

“…Yeah,” Lysandro replied to Frey’s bright smile. His wide-eyed expression was filled with dubiousness, not understanding why Frey was trying to take him too.

“I’d feel bad if we left Lysandro by himself.”

“Frey, you’re too kind,” I praised him, gently touching his cheek. I suddenly felt more affectionate towards him. He put his own hand over the back of mine, and started rubbing his cheek against my palm like a cat.

Suddenly, his lips brushed my hand.

My fingers twitched with surprise. But it seemed like I was the only one who had noticed the touch, because Frey was still completely calm.

“Let go of her hand,” Lysandro interjected in a terrifying snarl.

“Okay.” Obediently Frey released my hand.

I felt uneasy at the way Frey had listened to Lysandro so readily.

“Bring Sir Verdo here, Uta.”

“Yes, Princess.”

Since Lysandro had said he would make any trouble, I was going to try trusting him just this once though.

While we were waiting, Lysandro had already crossed his legs, lifted his chin haughtily and raised his eyebrows in a crookedly arrogant expression. He looked like he was planning to plant his fist in Sir Verdo’s face as soon as it appeared.

“You should act a little kinder.”

“I don’t want to.”

“Do I have to keep him here, Frey?”

“Please understand your brother’s charm.”

“Yeah! You should understand!”

What charm, it’s more like ice.

With effort, I avoided looking at Lysandro and waited for Sir Verdo.

There was a knock, the door opened and Sir Verdo entered. I got up from my seat to greet him. “Welcome, Ver–”

“Why are you here?” Lysandro interrupted.

Hey, I hadn’t even finished my sentence.

As if he hadn’t heard his sister’s attempt at a greeting, Lysandro quickly moved forward and glared down at Sir Verdo threateningly.

“I have something to tell the saint. It has been a while. It’s good to see you,” Verdo addressed me.

“Likewise, Sir Verdo. You look–”

“I asked why you are here. Don’t waste time on formalities.”

Because Lysandro had interrupted me yet again, I was worried that it sounded like I was about to insult Sir Verdo. Well, it’s because I couldn’t finish my sentence. Because of Lysandro.

“Lysandro, back off.”

Lysandro was unmoving.

“No.”

“No? Fine. You stay there. Sir Verdo, please come here.”

“No!”

“I wasn’t telling you to do anything!

Frey had been sitting silently, but he got up and grasped Lysandro’s shoulder.

“If you push anymore, your sister will become angry.”

“…”

With just one sentence from Frey, Lysandro shut his mouth. Why was it that when I told him to stop, he didn’t listen to me in the slightest, but when Frey said it, he listened?

Even if he saw my furious expression, why was it that Frey’s single sentence touched Lysandro more?

Perhaps curious about the voice he was hearing for the first time, Sir Verdo tilted his head slightly and looked at Frey.

At once, his eyes widened slightly. He was probably shocked by his appearance. I understood why.

Afraid that Verdo might invoke Lysandro’s anger, I quickly grabbed Frey and hid him behind me.

It was rational of me to mistrust.

After all, there were more than just a couple people who had been bewitched by Frey’s looks and then never lived to see another day.

There was no way his wide shoulders could possibly be hidden by me, but Frey unresistingly allowed himself to be pulled behind me.

“I’m so sorry for Lysandro’s rudeness, Sir Verdo.”

“…It is nothing.”

Verdo was still polite and courteous regardless. He had been completely impassive, except for his slight shock upon seeing Frey.

“Shall we sit down?”

Verdo nodded. He sat down opposite us.

Uta arrived at just the right moment, set down refreshments, and left. A faint floral scent emanated from Verdo.

“Have you been well–”

“Get to the point.”

“…”

Whatever am I supposed to do with him? Should I chase him out right now?

My anger slowly began to bubble up at how Lysandro had interrupted me yet again. I wanted to strike him on the head. Why was he only interrupting me? I would rather him interrupt Verdo.

Letting out a sigh, I was trying to regain my composure when Frey wound a strand of my hair around his finger.

“Noona, look at me.”

“…?”

“I’m pretty, right?”

He must have gone crazy.

Why is he suddenly acting like this?

I wanted to say no, as irritated as I was, but since it was true I automatically nodded my head.

Frey smiled brightly, a halo almost appearing around him as his eyes crinkled.

“Do you feel better now?”

“Ah.”

“Lysandro’s only acting like this because he cares for you so much…”

He trailed off as he used his finger to gently tuck a strand of my hair behind my ear. “Don’t be too angry.”

Frey’s hand brushed my ear delicately. His face bore a carefree smile.

“…Saint?”

“Oh, yes. I apologize.”

Since I was just looking at Frey, Sir Verdo probably felt a bit uncomfortable. He awkwardly scratched his cheek.

“It’s alright. You seem very close. Although, I feel like I have never met him before…”

“He went on a voyage and has only just returned. We have actually been close since we were young.”

Frey proudly leaned his head against mine.

Without unbalancing Frey, I crammed two slices of peach into Lysandro’s mouth. He calmly began chewing.

Good, that walking disaster’s mouth was now sealed up. Taking advantage of this moment, I quickly opened my own mouth to speak.

“Anyway, what business have you come here for?”

To make sure that Lysandro wouldn’t interrupt again, I shoved two pieces of watermelon into his mouth this time.

“I heard the rumors and became worried.”

“I see. Well, it’s not anything to be concerned about.”

“Noona, what about me?”

The conversation had been going well but this time, Frey was the one interrupting. With a look that silently told him to shut up, I shoved a piece of peach into his mouth too.

“Still, I wasn’t sure, so I have decided to become your guard.”

“You don’t have to, Sir Verdo–”

“That’s ridiculous!” Lysandro suddenly yelled out.

“Ack! You’re disgusting!” The remnants of the fruit had sprayed out of his mouth. I glared at him resentfully as I shook away the pieces of fruit.

“S-sorry, Noona.”

He quickly tried to mollify me, blotting a bit of juice from my dress with a napkin.

“Ugh!”

His hasty behavior was pitiful. I wiped his mouth for him.

“Anyway, you are really going to become my guard, Sir Verdo? Just because of those rumors? Grand… I mean, has His Holiness commanded you to do this?”

This seemed excessive. It wasn’t even rumors about getting rid of the idle saints. It was just rumors insulting the saints because of their job alone.

“He said that even small rumors can spread and become a concern. So, it is important to counteract this. First, the reason that I came to you without contacting you first is because I wanted to come to you with this information directly, so I ask you to approach this with an open mind.”

He looked like he thought I might rebuke him for seeking him out.

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