The Saintess Returned to the Emperor’s Arms Chapter 139

A Splendid Finale

 

Now that most of the wedding preparations were finished, and aside from completing the portrait there were no major events left, Empress Riella had recently developed a new daily routine.

 

“Then I’ll be off, Your Majesty!”

 

“…Could you not go with such an excited face?”

 

“Oh come on. Are you sulking again?”

 

That routine was going to the barracks to see Priest Amelia.

 

“Do you still have that much to talk about?”

 

“Yes! There’s no end to it. Starting today, we’re even going to read the scriptures together.”

 

“I see… I can barely bring myself to go to work leaving you behind, yet you seem to walk away so lightly.”

 

Even though he was clearly being sarcastic, Riella just smiled brightly, completely unaffected.

 

Like a butterfly, she fluttered into Herhan’s arms and gave him a very light peck.

 

It was a quick, soft kiss—like a bird pecking at a blade of grass.

 

Herhan struggled, dissatisfied with just that, but before he could grab her, Riella slipped out of his arms.

 

“Riella. Still—no staying out overnight. Got it?”

 

Herhan called out toward her retreating figure.

 

Riella laughed playfully and quickened her steps, but just as she reached the front yard of the barracks, she bumped into someone.

 

“Ah!”

 

“Eek!”

 

They were small girls, about chest height to Riella.

 

“Your Majesty, are you alright? How dare you—! You insolent children, how dare you behave so carelessly—”

 

The guard immediately shouted, but Riella stepped in front of him.

 

It hadn’t even been a hard collision, and if anything, the smaller children would be the ones hurt.

 

“Are you okay?”

 

“Y-Your Majesty… we’re sorry!”

 

“I’m fine, so get up.”

 

Seeing the children lying flat on the ground, trembling as if even basic royal etiquette was too much for them, Riella smiled gently.

 

As she helped them up kindly, she recognized their faces.

 

“Dennis?”

 

“Uh… Y-Your Majesty remembers me?”

 

“Of course.”

 

After all, she was the one who had brought them here.

 

They were El’s younger sisters.

 

When she first brought them to the barracks residence, she had checked on them a few times, but after that, she had been too busy to properly look after them.

 

Feeling a bit sorry, she looked down at them, and the two young sisters shyly glanced at her.

 

They seemed both happy and proud that such a beautiful and great “Empress” remembered their names.

 

“How’s your leg? Has it gotten better?”

 

“It’s much better. Ah—no, it has recovered well, Your Majesty.”

 

At that moment, from afar, a woman with her hair tied up and wearing a gray apron came running over in a hurry.

 

Calling the children’s names as she ran, she froze pale upon seeing Riella and immediately bowed deeply.

 

“Y-Your Majesty!”

 

Riella helped her up and sent the children off to play at a distance.

 

Even when told she could relax, the woman couldn’t lift her head in front of Riella.

 

“Have you been well? I brought you here but haven’t been able to check on you since.”

 

“N-no, Your Majesty! How could you say such a thing? It’s more than enough that you forgave us, when we deserve punishment… You even gave me work, and took in my children…”

 

The children, who had been playing freely, ran back shouting, “Mother!” but looked startled seeing her in tears.

 

Their clear voices and bright eyes struck something deep in Riella’s heart.

 

She felt she had to protect that.

 

“Please don’t say that. Your brother is a great contributor, so the imperial family is simply treating you as you deserve.”

 

At those words, the children’s eyes lit up.

 

“Did you hear that? Our brother is an amazing hero!”

 

Only then did the woman raise her head, silently crying, mouthing the words—

 

‘Thank you. Truly, thank you, Your Majesty.’

 

* * *

 

El, reinstated at the Riota embassy, moved like a part in a machine— exactly as assigned, without emotion.

 

Since Greta’s execution, his main duty had been assisting the regent cabinet of Brenike.

 

He went to work in silence, did his tasks, and returned in silence.

 

He kept his distance from the embassy staff, always under the watch and protection of plainclothes knights placed nearby by the Emperor.

 

‘I should have died long ago.’

 

Seeing the Emperor’s declaration of war against those who coveted Riella—

 

and the results of it, like Loriel who never returned except as a cold corpse, and Greta who finally met her end at the execution platform—

 

El thought that way.

 

He should have been killed by the Emperor long ago.

 

He had dared to love Riella.

 

Even knowing the Emperor was in danger, he had stood by, and even tried to steal Riella away at that moment.

 

Though he had been threatened by the Alliance, his feelings for Riella had been real.

 

And yet, the Emperor had spared him for only one reason.

 

“I will make you exhaust your usefulness before killing you. You will be a useful card in protecting Riella.”

 

After that, El willingly thought about his own usefulness.

 

He even resolved to die while protecting her.

 

“El Weiss. Come with me.”

 

The knight who never spoke first suddenly called for him.

 

“By order of Her Majesty the Empress. Follow quietly.”

 

At the words *“Her Majesty’s order,”* El’s heart stirred faintly.

 

Was it another secret mission?

 

And even now, he found himself hoping to see her again— he really was insane.

 

Lowering his head, El followed silently.

 

But the people he met there were unexpected.

 

“El!”

 

“Brother!”

 

“…M-Mother? Dennis? Teril? How are you all here?”

 

He knew his family had been staying at the barracks residence about 30 minutes from the embassy, but meeting them had never been permitted.

 

Still, he had been grateful enough that the imperial family had taken them in.

 

He hadn’t even dared to hope for a reunion.

 

“Her Majesty allowed it! You’re on leave today, so we can spend time together! Brother, have you been well? I missed you so, so much!”

 

…Her Majesty, again.

 

Just how much more did she intend to make him indebted to her?

 

El squeezed his eyes shut and let out a heated breath.

 

His younger siblings clung to him, chattering nonstop, until they eventually ran off excitedly to see the lakeside palace where he worked.

 

His mother watched them go, then slowly spoke.

 

“I’m sorry, El. It feels like everything turned out this way because of me.”

 

“It’s not your fault.”

 

“No… I knew everything. I knew how dangerous your work was, and instead of saving you, I pushed you further into it. Even after your father met his end on the same path… I was just afraid of how we would survive, so I sent you down that road too.”

 

“It’s okay, Mother. His Majesty the Emperor has forgiven me for everything.”

 

It was a lie.

 

He said it only to reassure her, and his relieved mother clutched her chest, crying again.

 

“His Majesty the Emperor and Her Majesty the Empress… they are such warm people. I must repay their kindness while I’m still alive. I must do something…”

 

Lost in thought, she suddenly remembered something and spoke again.

 

“El. There are still your father’s belongings in the basement. Perhaps… they might be of help to Their Majesties.”

 

“I’ve already checked everything.”

 

“There’s a place you don’t know. On the left side of the basement floor, there should be a small hidden panel. If you open it…”

 

“…!”

 

After his family left, El immediately departed and headed home.

 

He had already searched the house thoroughly many times.

 

He had believed there was nothing left to find—

 

but in a corner of the basement, just as his mother said, there was a hidden space.

 

“In case someone might find it and bring harm, it was hidden carefully. I don’t know what’s inside… but your father guarded it closely until the day he died. It must be something important.”

 

‘This… this was here…!’

 

Pulling out a bundle of dusty documents from the hidden compartment, El let out a deep sigh.

 

At last— it felt like he had found his purpose.

 

* * *

 

“Your Majesty. El Weiss requests an audience with you.”

 

“What?”

 

Sitting at the head seat in his office, Herhan frowned, doubting what he had just heard.

 

“Did you inform him that I am in a meeting?”

 

“Yes. Even so, he says it is urgent.”

 

‘Still as insolent as ever.’

 

Herhan let out a sigh.

 

In truth, he had been discussing ways to summon Archbishop Ludovico to the imperial palace.

 

They had clear charges and evidence regarding him hiding Greta, but that alone wasn’t enough to confront him directly. The archbishop was not an easy opponent.

 

If they showed their intent too soon, he might destroy evidence or escape with the help of the Alliance.

 

Even so, there were two options.

 

Either seize him by force and drag him in immediately.

 

Or lure him in with a convincing excuse and trap him inside the palace.

 

The advisors were sharply divided between those two plans.

 

But the discussion had stalled, and Herhan had been about to end the meeting and get some rest.

 

“He says if it’s an important meeting, he will wait outside until it ends.”

 

“…Fine. Let him in.”

 

Herhan sat upright, his expression still stiff.

 

El entered right away.

 

Sweat on his forehead, flushed cheeks, and heavy breathing—

he really had rushed here.

 

“What is this?”

 

Without any explanation, El suddenly placed an old document in front of Herhan.

 

The paper was yellowed in places, making it hard to read clearly.

 

“You will understand if you look closely, Your Majesty.”

 

Even his answer was irritating.

 

*Let’s see how far your tricks go.*

 

With that thought, Herhan picked up the document.

 

But as he read it, he froze.

 

There was a reason El hadn’t explained what it was.

 

It was too massive to simply state in front of everyone.

 

“What is it, Your Majesty? What is that?”

 

Herhan didn’t answer.

 

Instead, he glared at El.

 

“Where did you get this?”

 

“It is a document my father hid. It is old, so there may be minor changes in the contents.”

 

A heavy silence filled the room.

 

Unable to hold back, Jes carefully spoke.

 

“Your Majesty… may I ask what it is?”

 

“It’s a list.”

 

“A list?”

 

Only a few people there realized what kind of list could shock the Emperor like that.

 

Jess widened his eyes, then let out a breath—

and finally met his lord’s gaze.

 

Herhan’s eyes gleamed.

 

“Going for a grand finale… might not be so bad.”

 

The meaning behind his muttered words was heavy.

 

Jess, the only one who understood, felt chills run down his spine.

 

“Jes.”

 

“Yes.”

 

“We should prepare a banquet. A very grand one.”

 

Herhan pushed the old document toward him.

 

“Summon everyone on this list to the palace. Including Archbishop Ludovico.”

 

* * *

 

The imperial palace began preparing a banquet that would shake the world.

 

“What kind of banquet is it this time?”

 

“I heard guests are coming from all over the world.”

 

“The imperial wedding hasn’t even happened yet. The palace is already full of foreign envoys—more guests are coming?”

 

“They say it’s a massive banquet, nothing like before. Even servants from regional estates are being called in!”

 

This banquet was on a scale large enough to excite not just the palace, but the entire empire and continent.

 

It was a grand event to present the new Empress—

the incarnation of Antu—to distinguished guests before the royal wedding.

 

Attendance was strictly limited to those invited by the imperial family, but the number was enormous.

 

From distant foreign royals to unknown nobles from remote regions.

 

Seeing the diverse guest list, palace staff admired it as the Emperor’s will to share Antu’s blessing with all people.

 

Among them, the most important guest was Archbishop Ludovico, the head of the central temple.

 

“Archbishop. It seems the imperial family has finally come to their senses. They know exactly who they must align with to become a true power.”

 

“Ahem! Don’t say such things. I am simply humbly answering the call of God Antu.”

 

Though he spoke modestly, Ludovico’s shoulders were lifted with pride.

 

The palace had already declared him the most important guest of the banquet.

 

They sent a luxurious escort to the central temple and personally brought him on the most auspicious day.

 

It was even said that during the banquet, the archbishop himself would officially recognize Empress Blinite.

 

*‘After getting rid of that princess, the Emperor has become quite generous. Or… is he planning to side with me?’*

 

Whether the Emperor was siding with him or he was siding with the Emperor—

 

strictly speaking, it was the latter.

 

But that didn’t matter to Ludovico.

 

“Archbishop Ludovico. Welcome.”

 

At this moment, in the center of the golden, flower-filled palace—

 

the Emperor at the peak of power, and the goddess who stood beside him, approached him first and greeted him politely.

 

“Your Majesty the Emperor. And Your Majesty Empress Blinite.”

 

“Yes, Archbishop.”

 

At the temple, he hadn’t even dared to touch her.

 

But today, Riella Blinite extended her hand to him first.

 

“I have been looking forward to seeing you again.”

 

At her greeting, Ludovico smiled broadly and laughed.

 

Not knowing that the crowd welcoming him— were hunters preparing the noose for him.

 

* * *