The Saintess Returned to the Emperor’s Arms Chapter 111

Here. In front of you. Me.

 

Riella’s instinct recognized them first.

 

Thoughts like ‘Why are you here? How did you find me?’ came just a second too late.

 

“Riella. You’ve really become pretty.”

 

“Wow, really! You’re shining so much I almost didn’t recognize you! Riella! How long has it been?”

 

“You’ve been doing well, right?”

 

Cheerful voices, hearty laughter.

 

It felt like Riella’s feet were sinking into the ground.

 

In that single moment of facing them, Riella felt herself returning to the poor girl of her impoverished days.

 

“Hank….”

 

Her body stiffened.

 

That cold day when they turned their backs on her felt as fresh as if it were yesterday. And behind the familiar faces, stood a man she’d never seen before.

 

“And you are…?”

 

“Ah, no. I thought Hank was bluffing… I never imagined in my wildest dreams where we were actually going! Truly!”

 

Unlike the shameless mercenaries, the man was trembling in fear.

 

Through Ashion, she learned the full story. He was a gambler from a village who had followed Hank’s mercenary group to collect a debt.

 

“A debt?”

 

“Yes. He said, ‘Do you even know who my daughter is?’ and claimed he’d pay the whole debt in one go if I just came quietly….”

 

‘Me? His daughter?’

 

She couldn’t even laugh.

 

Well, there was a time she had believed that comradeship ran thicker than blood.

 

“How absurd. It’s admirable that you showed up on your own two feet in a place where you’re going to die, but you came with a tail attached to you as well.”

 

Before Riela could respond, a grinding noise came from Herhan’s clenched jaw.

 

He nodded and took a step forward.

 

“Asion.”

 

Just that one coldly spoken word was enough. Asion understood the command and roughly grabbed Hank’s group.

 

Hank flailed in protest as the knights dragged him away.

 

“W-wait! Hey! Let go of me! We still have so much to say to Riella—! Ri–Riella! Riella!”

 

Herhan’s body suddenly appeared in front of Riella.

 

As if to protect her from even the sight of their pitiful forms.

 

“Cut them down. Or just bury them. No—maybe it’d be better to tie them alive to a horse and drag them all the way back to the Empire.”

 

His broad shoulders and back stood firmly in front of her.

 

Behind that strong figure, Riella closed her eyes briefly. When she opened them again, she could see clearly where she stood.

 

She was no longer the girl who used to be lost and helpless.

 

She was the one and only lover of that strong man, the Empress who held the unwavering trust and admiration of her people.

 

“Your Majesty, I am fine.”

 

“I’m not.”

 

“Even so, please let me handle it my way.”

 

Riella held Herhan’s hand tightly as he stared at her, unable to shake off his anger and worry.

 

“It’s something I have to solve.”

 

Whether it meant yelling, crying, or ending it all—

 

“I can do it.”

 

At her resolute words, the tense lines on Herhan’s face finally softened.

 

Herhan sighed and nodded reluctantly.

 

“Captain Asion. Just a moment. Let them go.”

 

The first thing that caught Riella’s eye was a debt collector among them.

 

Riella took off one of her earrings and handed it to him.

 

“Will this be enough?”

 

“Yes?”

 

“For the debt.”

 

“Oh, yes! Yes, this is more than enough!”

 

Riela ordered the knights to release him.

 

The man, clutching the earring with both hands, bowed repeatedly before disappearing backward.

 

Now only these remain.

 

Hank, watching the man walk away, looked quite pleased.

 

“It’s been a while, everyone.”

 

“Yes! Riella!”

 

When she greeted them, the rest of the mercenaries sighed in relief, as if their lives had just been spared.

 

Riella held out the other earring to Hank.

 

“Here. Take this.”

 

“What is this, Riella?”

 

Hank glanced at one earring and continued.

 

“Hey, don’t get me wrong. We didn’t come for something like this.”

 

His speech was deliberately polite.

 

However, the corners of his lips that were curled up clearly revealed Hank’s true feelings.

 

That he had no intention of going away for something this small.

 

“Then what else do you need? Tell me what you want quickly. Our march is being delayed.”

 

‘Oh? Our march, huh?’

 

Hank pursed his wrinkled lips and narrowed his eyes.

 

“Riela. We’re family, aren’t we? It was fate that brought us together again. Let’s not rush things—we’ve got plenty of time to catch up. So, how have you been? I read about your great news in the papers.”

 

“……”

 

“But I am the one who raised you, right?”

 

“…….”

 

“You’ll invite me to your new home, won’t you?”

 

Hank rolled his eyes while slipping the earring—he had claimed he didn’t need—securely into his pocket.

 

‘How is it possible he hasn’t changed at all.’

 

Riella was speechless.

 

Then, she nodded.

 

Hank was right. This wasn’t the kind of relationship that could be ended by throwing a few harsh words at each other on the street

 

“Okay. I’ll invite you to the palace.”

 

The colleagues who had been half-believing and half-doubting the words that fell at the end of silence took on a triumphant expression.

 

At the same time, Asion raised his head in surprise, but Riella calmly ordered him.

 

“Captain Asion. Could you reorganize the formation to include them in the procession? I assume they have horses and can follow along.”

 

Ashion couldn’t answer easily. He looked at Riella, then glanced over her shoulder to gauge Herhan’s reaction.

 

Herhan couldn’t loosen his stiff expression until the very end.

 

* * *

 

That evening, Herhan stopped his march earlier than usual and established camp

 

The reason he changed his plans unexpectedly was because he wanted to give Riella a little more rest.

 

“Riella.”

 

Normally, during rest hours at the camp, Riela would be bustling around, energetically checking on the knights and attendants.

 

But today, Riella was so lost in thought that she didn’t even notice Herhan’s call, and she sat silently by the window.

 

‘Come to think of it, this is how you were at first.’

 

Herhan felt sad.

 

Seeing her exhausted figure brought back memories of when he first met her, who seemed like an empty shell.

 

‘You never spoke much. Just stared off into the distance with those sad eyes.’

 

In truth, Riella was someone who loved to chatter, a very endearing person.

 

Shy, but honest and lovable.

 

Herhan had to surrender countless times to finally see her true self.

 

“Ah…. Your Majesty. You’re here?”

 

And yet, those bastards had hurt her again.

 

Made her call out to him in such a weak voice.

 

That was the part that enraged him the most.

 

Not because they had once tried to assassinate him, nor because they were fools manipulated by Greta.

 

But because they were trying to drag Riella back into those painful days.

 

“I really can’t stand it. I’m so angry.”

 

“Yes?”

 

“They are a bunch of trash.”

 

Riella’s eyes widened at the sudden curse.

 

“And you—you gave something precious to such trash without even realizing it was valuable.”

 

Finally snapped out of her thoughts, Riella looked up, her expression brightening.

 

Herhan bent down and tucked a strand of hair behind Riella’s ear.

 

As his fingers gently touched her pale earlobe, Riela let out a soft chuckle, understanding his meaning.

 

“I guess I was careless with the imperial property. That was an expensive item.”

 

He was talking about the earrings she had given earlier to Hank and the debt collector.

 

“It’s not the price that matters.”

 

Herhan continued with an expression full of pain.

 

“It was yours. It touched you. That’s what makes it precious.”

 

“…….”

 

“This blanket, this teacup—it’s all the same. Because they hold traces of you, they’re all treasures.”

 

Riella’s eyes sparkled with deep emotion.

 

Her lips, which had been tightly pressed as if swallowing her thoughts, finally parted tenderly.

 

“Is that how Your Majesty sees things?”

 

“Isn’t that obvious?”

 

“Not everyone does. Most don’t. Hank threw away the very first gift I gave him right into the fire. I was eight, I think. I’ve just learned to sew and made a handkerchief.”

 

Herhan opened his eyes wide, but Riella just smiled painfully.

 

“It was a bit rough because it was my first time making it. The fabric was cheap. I remember getting scolded for making a rag that wasn’t worth any money.”

 

Herhan gritted his teeth.

 

The rage boiling inside him was almost unbearable, but he didn’t want to utter a single word about those people.

 

In some way, he hates what Riella hears, says, or thinks about those filthy people.

 

“Riela. Don’t look back now—just look ahead.”

 

“Look ahead?”

 

“Yes. Here. In front of you. Me.”

 

Herhan took Riella’s hand and placed it on his chest.

 

“The person who knows that you are a treasure is looking only at you right now.”

 

Her red eyes, previously trembling, now calmly met Herhan’s gaze.

 

The eyes that had regained stability amidst the silent exchange of glances finally sparkled with a clear light once again.

 

“You’re right. A very beautiful person is looking only at me.”

 

Finally, Riella smiled.

 

Not a forced smile, but a truly peaceful one.

 

“I must’ve been sulking during a time that should’ve been filled with happiness. Like a fool. Right?”

 

Instead of answering, Herhan kissed her.

 

The red eyes that had been sparkling with the sunset light soon closed beautifully and accepted Herhan’s breath.

 

Herhan hugged Riella and laid her down on the bed, and he also fell on top of Riella’s body.

 

His lips explored her body—the most precious treasure in the world—with tender kisses.

 

Her body had just been washed and had not yet been perfumed, and Herhan found the pure scent even sweeter.

 

“Your Majesty….”

 

Whenever Riela tried to speak, Herhan’s lips would rise from wherever they were and cover hers, silencing her again.

 

Then, Riella had no choice but to close her eyes tightly and accept his breath.

 

She knew it was Herhan’s trickery, and yet…

 

‘Don’t think about anything tonight, Riella.’

 

Herhan took Riella’s mind faster and stronger.

 

It was exactly as he intended.

 

So that all she could feel was his love.

 

So that no painful memory could ever hold her again.

 

* * *

 

The room, once glowing with the light of the setting sun, was now filled only with warm humidity and gentle moonlight.

 

Riella’s small shoulders rose and fell along with the soft breathing. She was sleeping soundly as if she had fainted.

 

Herhan, who had taken on Riella’s burden in her place, quietly rose after gazing at her angelic, peaceful face for a while.

 

“Those guys?”

 

“Ah, seriously. It’s unbearable to watch. It’s Lady Riella’s order, so I’m holding back.”

 

Asion, who had been waiting for his lord’s call, quickly began to grumble.

 

“They behave during the day because we’ve got guards on them, but the moment they unpacked at the camp, they started throwing a drunken party. It’d be one thing if it was just among themselves, but they gathered all the clueless attendants and started boasting about raising Empress Blinite, calling themselves practically her parents. It’s ridiculous!”

 

Only after spewing curses for a while did Asion remember he was standing before his lord, and came to his senses.

 

“Your Majesty, do we really have to take those bastards all the way to the imperial palace? We could just…. bury them somewhere quietly and tell Lady Riella they ran off.

 

“No.”

 

“Understood….”

 

Asion looked sullen at the firm answer.

 

He had spoken in anger, but he understood his lord’s true intent well.

 

That this was a burden Herhan wished to leave entirely to Riella—out of deep respect.

 

“Can you even imagine what Riella was like at eight years old?”

 

“Yes?”

 

“He must have been like an angel.”

 

What Herhan said at that time sounded a bit strange to Asion’s ears.

 

“That little pretty girl blinked and spoke. Is there anything more wonderful in the world?”

 

“Your Majesty, what are you saying—”

 

“But those bastards made a child like that cry over and over, and hurt her. Until I’ve scoured every filthy corner of their minds and seen every piece of Riella that I don’t yet know—I can’t. I can’t bury them. And killing them is even more unacceptable.”

 

‘What, was that the reason?’

 

Asion was speechless at the reasoning—unexpected, yet so very Herhan.

 

“But I suppose missing an arm or leg wouldn’t stop me from reading their memories. And it doesn’t seem like it would harm the remaining settlement between Riella and them.”

 

“Yes?”

 

“Just saying.”

 

Asion looked at Herhan in surprise, his eyes were filled with meaning.

 

“What can I do if Riella told me to leave them alone? Unless, of course, the thieves came in during the night and cut off their limbs one by one.”

 

“…….”

 

“Don’t you agree, Asion?”

 

Asion’s eyes sparkled.

 

Normally, he might have missed the hint—but this time, perhaps because his feelings matched his lord’s, he understood perfectly.

 

* * *