The next day.
The Crown Prince woke up early in the morning and headed to the restaurant.
They arrived around noon yesterday and worked tirelessly until late at night, but they only treated about a thousand patients.
There was no time to be lazy.
As the Crown Prince hurried to walk, the maids' conversation could be heard beyond the hallway window.
“I can’t believe I’m now under the same roof as the Saintess.”
“Me too! I was so nervous after seeing the Saintess right in front of me yesterday that I couldn’t even sleep.”
“Right? Oh, how each and every one of your appearances and demeanor is so sacred.”
“There’s no doubt that when the goddess chooses a Saintess, she looks at her appearance first.”
“But didn’t our Saintess look very tired? Her cheeks were so pale, she looked so tired.”
“Of course, it must have been hard. She visited all those sick people one by one. She even held their hands tightly while they were oozing pus and prayed for them.”
“They say she didn’t even flinch once at the foul stench. She really was an amazing person.”
“Of course, she is the daughter of a goddess.”
The Crown Prince, who had been quietly listening to the conversation of the maids who were endlessly praising Shayne, snorted.
'Even if the bean pod is covered, it is covered tightly.'
Well, he thought the same thing yesterday.
He was a little moved by Shayne's appearance of skipping meals to serve her patients, and he was impressed by the deep affection she had even for the servants she paid for her services.
And he thought of her from the past.
He greatly admired Shayne, who made the groundbreaking decision to reduce the average rent of 40%, or even 50%, to 20%, and who personally developed high-quality farming tools and fertilizers and distributed them to the people of the land for free, and who willingly extended a helping hand to any place in the country that was in need.
The past appearance of Shayne, who dared to impersonate a Saintess and instead of reflecting on her actions, boasted, "From now on, I'm going to live my life doing only what I want!", was forgotten.
Yes, he thought that was the original person, even though she changed after being offered as a sacrifice and coming back to life.
And he reflected.
It was a change that was understandable at first glance when he thought about the injustice she had to endure, but instead of understanding it, he had only pushed her forward without mercy.
Yeah, that was definitely the case.
Until those words came out of Shaynr's mouth.
“So, Your Highness, I mean the insurance you mentioned earlier.”
"insurance?"
“Oh, you asked me then why I was asking for life insurance money.”
“Oh, that.”
“Do you remember?”
“I know, but why are you suddenly bringing that up?”
“I thought maybe we should talk about that again.”
“...?”
“At that time, I laughed at the idea of money coming in after I died, but when I thought about it, I realized that I did have a family.”
“...”
“There are still members of the Duke’s household guarding the empty house, waiting for me to come.”
“So are you really asking for the death benefit?”
“Yes! And while we’re on the subject of money, can we also negotiate hazard pay? After meeting each of the patients today, I feel like I’m losing too much money by paying them a hundred gold coins a day.”
“...The Princess really has no answer.”
That conversation convinced the Crown Prince.
The righteous and kind Princess Veloce that he once knew probably died in the lion's den.
I worked in Delucia for five days straight, and only headed to the capital on the morning of the sixth day.
The sick people who had barely survived the brink of death came out to the village entrance to see me off.
“Go up carefully, Saintess!”
“We will never forget the grace of the Saintess who saved our lives!”
“I will live honestly and well so that the Saintess’s efforts will not be in vain!”
“Thank you, Saintess!”
Looking at that sight, even though my body was completely exhausted, my heart was filled with joy.
As if I were a true Saintess, I sat in the carriage, smiling and waving affectionately, and only after we had completely left the village did I lean back against the backrest.
'Oh, I'm tired.'
My body felt like it weighed a ton.
Knock knock, knock knock.
I slowly moved my eyelids and began to nod off.
Before I knew it, I had fallen into a deep sleep.
How much time has passed like that?
The Crown Prince shook me awake.
“Please get up, Princess. We have arrived at the temple.”
At that sound, my eyes opened with a start.
I'm in the same carriage as the Crown Prince, and I'm just falling asleep without thinking about anything.
'Did I drool at all...?'
I hastily caressed my lips.
Fortunately, there was no sign of hardened saliva.
I was relieved that I had saved what little face I had left, but when I saw the Crown Prince staring blankly, I spoke awkwardly.
“I’ve been working non-stop for almost a week now, so I’m feeling terrible. I think I’ll just sleep all day tomorrow.”
Yes, I had to do it. If I continued to suffer like this for one more day, I would die from overwork tomorrow.
However...?
“What are you talking about? We have an appointment at Harrington tomorrow.”
“Huh? We’re working tomorrow too?”
“Why are you asking such an obvious question? With disasters occurring all over the empire, how can we rest?”
I was shocked and opened my mouth wide at the Crown Prince's words, which were spoken as if they were reprimands.
“No, but how can you force people to work every day? Even the royal servants get two days off a week! Don’t you have even the minimum welfare?”
“Imperial servants receive an average of one gold coin for working a full month, but your salary is a whopping one hundred gold coins. And that’s not even a monthly salary, it’s a daily wage.”
“Oh, but even so, it’s too much for you to not give me any holidays at all!”
I was so flustered that I even stammered as I protested, but soon I shouted with a determined expression.
“Anyway, I absolutely can’t do that! Even now, I’m barely holding on, even though my body looks like it could collapse at any moment! Even if the sky falls, I’ll definitely rest in the temple tomorrow, so just know that!”
And then, without even thinking about picking up Delton, who was sleeping soundly at my feet, I ran away in a flash.
But as always, the Crown Prince didn't seem to listen to what I said.
“Saintess, His Highness has arrived.”
The next day, I burst out laughing at the words of the maid who came to me at dawn.
“What should I do? I’ve been working in Delusia for five straight days and I’m not feeling well. I’m sorry, but could you please tell His Highness that today’s schedule will be difficult?”
“Oh my, what should I do? I thought you were pushing yourself too hard with your imperfect body, and now you’ve gotten sick again.”
The maid clicked her tongue in regret.
“Understood. I will convey as you said, so Your Lady, don’t worry and rest in peace.”
I nodded coolly.
'Of course, of course. Even if you don't say so, I don't plan on leaving this room today.'
No matter what threats the Crown Prince made, I was determined to rest today.
But.
“What should I do, my lady? His Highness says he is too worried about your safety and cannot bear to return. He says he will be able to put his mind at ease if he can at least see your face...”
This guy is real!
It was something I did knowing full well that it would get me into trouble.
If you don't even allow me to meet you face to face for a moment and say hello, people will think it's strange.
But I could not grant the Crown Prince's request to meet him in person, knowing that once we met face to face, a tepid tug-of-war would begin.
“I am sorry, but I am in no condition to see His Highness. Please tell His Highness that I am truly sorry, but I ask that he return today.”
“Good job, hold on till the end! Never give in to that evil human!”
Delton, who was lying under my bed, cheered me on with a loud roar.
He also seemed to be very tired.
'Well, I can only pretend, but Delton has to actually use his powers, so it'll be harder.'
As I was clicking my tongue in frustration, the maid who had gone out and relayed my message came back.
As expected, with a troubled expression.
“Saintess, it seems His Highness will not change his mind. He will wait until you have recovered your strength, so please do not worry and just rest.”
It's funny, really.
'Who would care if you say that? Yeah, just wait as long as you want. I'll shine a light on you!'
The Crown Prince, who could not cross that threshold anyway, did not give me even the slightest annoyance.
I snorted and nodded roughly as I sent the maid away. Then I just shut my eyes tightly.
But unfortunately, the Crown Prince knew all too well how to get on my nerves, even from beyond the door.
Previous Next
The Crown Prince woke up early in the morning and headed to the restaurant.
They arrived around noon yesterday and worked tirelessly until late at night, but they only treated about a thousand patients.
There was no time to be lazy.
As the Crown Prince hurried to walk, the maids' conversation could be heard beyond the hallway window.
“I can’t believe I’m now under the same roof as the Saintess.”
“Me too! I was so nervous after seeing the Saintess right in front of me yesterday that I couldn’t even sleep.”
“Right? Oh, how each and every one of your appearances and demeanor is so sacred.”
“There’s no doubt that when the goddess chooses a Saintess, she looks at her appearance first.”
“But didn’t our Saintess look very tired? Her cheeks were so pale, she looked so tired.”
“Of course, it must have been hard. She visited all those sick people one by one. She even held their hands tightly while they were oozing pus and prayed for them.”
“They say she didn’t even flinch once at the foul stench. She really was an amazing person.”
“Of course, she is the daughter of a goddess.”
The Crown Prince, who had been quietly listening to the conversation of the maids who were endlessly praising Shayne, snorted.
'Even if the bean pod is covered, it is covered tightly.'
Well, he thought the same thing yesterday.
He was a little moved by Shayne's appearance of skipping meals to serve her patients, and he was impressed by the deep affection she had even for the servants she paid for her services.
And he thought of her from the past.
He greatly admired Shayne, who made the groundbreaking decision to reduce the average rent of 40%, or even 50%, to 20%, and who personally developed high-quality farming tools and fertilizers and distributed them to the people of the land for free, and who willingly extended a helping hand to any place in the country that was in need.
The past appearance of Shayne, who dared to impersonate a Saintess and instead of reflecting on her actions, boasted, "From now on, I'm going to live my life doing only what I want!", was forgotten.
Yes, he thought that was the original person, even though she changed after being offered as a sacrifice and coming back to life.
And he reflected.
It was a change that was understandable at first glance when he thought about the injustice she had to endure, but instead of understanding it, he had only pushed her forward without mercy.
Yeah, that was definitely the case.
Until those words came out of Shaynr's mouth.
“So, Your Highness, I mean the insurance you mentioned earlier.”
"insurance?"
“Oh, you asked me then why I was asking for life insurance money.”
“Oh, that.”
“Do you remember?”
“I know, but why are you suddenly bringing that up?”
“I thought maybe we should talk about that again.”
“...?”
“At that time, I laughed at the idea of money coming in after I died, but when I thought about it, I realized that I did have a family.”
“...”
“There are still members of the Duke’s household guarding the empty house, waiting for me to come.”
“So are you really asking for the death benefit?”
“Yes! And while we’re on the subject of money, can we also negotiate hazard pay? After meeting each of the patients today, I feel like I’m losing too much money by paying them a hundred gold coins a day.”
“...The Princess really has no answer.”
That conversation convinced the Crown Prince.
The righteous and kind Princess Veloce that he once knew probably died in the lion's den.
***
I worked in Delucia for five days straight, and only headed to the capital on the morning of the sixth day.
The sick people who had barely survived the brink of death came out to the village entrance to see me off.
“Go up carefully, Saintess!”
“We will never forget the grace of the Saintess who saved our lives!”
“I will live honestly and well so that the Saintess’s efforts will not be in vain!”
“Thank you, Saintess!”
Looking at that sight, even though my body was completely exhausted, my heart was filled with joy.
As if I were a true Saintess, I sat in the carriage, smiling and waving affectionately, and only after we had completely left the village did I lean back against the backrest.
'Oh, I'm tired.'
My body felt like it weighed a ton.
Knock knock, knock knock.
I slowly moved my eyelids and began to nod off.
Before I knew it, I had fallen into a deep sleep.
How much time has passed like that?
The Crown Prince shook me awake.
“Please get up, Princess. We have arrived at the temple.”
At that sound, my eyes opened with a start.
I'm in the same carriage as the Crown Prince, and I'm just falling asleep without thinking about anything.
'Did I drool at all...?'
I hastily caressed my lips.
Fortunately, there was no sign of hardened saliva.
I was relieved that I had saved what little face I had left, but when I saw the Crown Prince staring blankly, I spoke awkwardly.
“I’ve been working non-stop for almost a week now, so I’m feeling terrible. I think I’ll just sleep all day tomorrow.”
Yes, I had to do it. If I continued to suffer like this for one more day, I would die from overwork tomorrow.
However...?
“What are you talking about? We have an appointment at Harrington tomorrow.”
“Huh? We’re working tomorrow too?”
“Why are you asking such an obvious question? With disasters occurring all over the empire, how can we rest?”
I was shocked and opened my mouth wide at the Crown Prince's words, which were spoken as if they were reprimands.
“No, but how can you force people to work every day? Even the royal servants get two days off a week! Don’t you have even the minimum welfare?”
“Imperial servants receive an average of one gold coin for working a full month, but your salary is a whopping one hundred gold coins. And that’s not even a monthly salary, it’s a daily wage.”
“Oh, but even so, it’s too much for you to not give me any holidays at all!”
I was so flustered that I even stammered as I protested, but soon I shouted with a determined expression.
“Anyway, I absolutely can’t do that! Even now, I’m barely holding on, even though my body looks like it could collapse at any moment! Even if the sky falls, I’ll definitely rest in the temple tomorrow, so just know that!”
And then, without even thinking about picking up Delton, who was sleeping soundly at my feet, I ran away in a flash.
But as always, the Crown Prince didn't seem to listen to what I said.
“Saintess, His Highness has arrived.”
The next day, I burst out laughing at the words of the maid who came to me at dawn.
“What should I do? I’ve been working in Delusia for five straight days and I’m not feeling well. I’m sorry, but could you please tell His Highness that today’s schedule will be difficult?”
“Oh my, what should I do? I thought you were pushing yourself too hard with your imperfect body, and now you’ve gotten sick again.”
The maid clicked her tongue in regret.
“Understood. I will convey as you said, so Your Lady, don’t worry and rest in peace.”
I nodded coolly.
'Of course, of course. Even if you don't say so, I don't plan on leaving this room today.'
No matter what threats the Crown Prince made, I was determined to rest today.
But.
“What should I do, my lady? His Highness says he is too worried about your safety and cannot bear to return. He says he will be able to put his mind at ease if he can at least see your face...”
This guy is real!
It was something I did knowing full well that it would get me into trouble.
If you don't even allow me to meet you face to face for a moment and say hello, people will think it's strange.
But I could not grant the Crown Prince's request to meet him in person, knowing that once we met face to face, a tepid tug-of-war would begin.
“I am sorry, but I am in no condition to see His Highness. Please tell His Highness that I am truly sorry, but I ask that he return today.”
“Good job, hold on till the end! Never give in to that evil human!”
Delton, who was lying under my bed, cheered me on with a loud roar.
He also seemed to be very tired.
'Well, I can only pretend, but Delton has to actually use his powers, so it'll be harder.'
As I was clicking my tongue in frustration, the maid who had gone out and relayed my message came back.
As expected, with a troubled expression.
“Saintess, it seems His Highness will not change his mind. He will wait until you have recovered your strength, so please do not worry and just rest.”
It's funny, really.
'Who would care if you say that? Yeah, just wait as long as you want. I'll shine a light on you!'
The Crown Prince, who could not cross that threshold anyway, did not give me even the slightest annoyance.
I snorted and nodded roughly as I sent the maid away. Then I just shut my eyes tightly.
But unfortunately, the Crown Prince knew all too well how to get on my nerves, even from beyond the door.
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