The Saintess Returned to the Emperor’s Arms Chapter 142

You Are the Young Master

 

Kyle silently followed Riela.

 

Whenever he lagged behind, she would turn back to check on him, and before he knew it, he was walking right beside her.

 

Behind them trailed a large group of attendants.

 

Among them were knights who had just moments ago been threatening Kyle and the alliance members inside the banquet hall.

 

Kyle glanced at them, then asked Riela,

 

“Do you know who I am?”

 

“Hm? Of course. We’ve met before.”

 

At those words, Kyle’s heart dropped—

 

“On the balcony at the last banquet. The attendant, who was secretly slacking off. That was you, right?”

 

He soon let out a hollow laugh.

 

‘Well… at least she remembers me at all.’

 

As he looked at Riela walking beside him, his chest stirred.

 

So this is what it feels like… seeing her up close.

 

She was just about a hand shorter than him, with small, round shoulders.

 

Her flowing red hair carried a pleasant scent, and her eyes were still as intense as flames, yet warm.

 

Then, her soft red lips—ripe like they might burst if touched—moved gently as she spoke.

 

“I kept looking for you after that, but you were nowhere to be found. We only meet again today. Do you only get assigned here during big banquets?”

 

“You were looking for me?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Why were you looking for me?”

 

“Hmm… I wonder. Maybe you just stayed on my mind.”

 

“……”

 

“Maybe that’s why we ran into each other again today.”

 

When their eyes met again, Kyle realized this was dangerous.

 

If he looked any longer—if he saw that bright smile directed at him just once more—he might end up trapped here forever.

 

One day, he would definitely have Riela.

 

But that day was not today.

 

Right now, beyond the walls, the emperor’s hunt was still ongoing.

 

He didn’t have the luxury to linger.

 

“Thank you for bringing me out. I should be going now.”

 

“What? You’re leaving?”

 

“Yes. As you said, Your Majesty, I don’t belong to this palace.”

 

Kyle shut his eyes tightly as he said his farewell.

 

To think he had to run away from Riela, whom he had searched for so long.

 

“Ah…”

 

Just as it felt like his heart was being torn apart, Riela—who seemed about to nod and let him go—suddenly grabbed her forehead and staggered.

 

“What’s wrong? Are you alright?”

 

“I’m sorry… a headache. It’s a chronic issue.”

 

Groaning softly, Riela naturally reached out and lightly held Kyle’s arm, leaning on him.

 

The moment their shoulders touched, a shiver ran through his entire body.

 

The attendants, walking a few steps behind with their heads lowered, didn’t notice.

 

“I need some fresh air. I’m sorry, but before you leave, could you take a walk with me? I’ll pay you extra myself. Double.”

 

Her hand, which had been holding his arm, slipped away as if it had never been there.

 

But Kyle remained frozen, as if bound by chains.

 

The place where her hand had touched burned as if it had been seared by fire.

 

“Or triple?”

 

Riela smiled innocently.

 

Her smile blended into the distant sunset behind her.

 

“You must have many others you could ask.”

 

“I want to be comfortable. Those people are all His Majesty’s people.”

 

“With the disturbance in the banquet hall, wouldn’t it be dangerous to take a walk?”

 

It was his final warning to her.

 

I am dangerous to you—let me go.

 

If you keep holding onto me, even I don’t know what I might do to you.

 

“What’s happening in that hall has nothing to do with me.”

 

But every word she said weighed on Kyle’s heart.

 

Why couldn’t she feel at ease around “His Majesty’s people”?

 

Why did she say the war between the emperor and the alliance over her had nothing to do with her?

 

For a moment, a bitter shadow passed over her delicate face.

 

“Won’t you take a walk with me?”

 

He should have refused.

 

He should have escaped the palace immediately.

 

But he couldn’t.

 

And he didn’t want to.

 

Her hair fluttered in the autumn breeze.

 

Just holding back the urge to reach out and touch its softness took all his strength.

 

Kyle couldn’t bring himself to push her away.

 

* * *

 

“Ah—! I feel so much better now!”

 

After dismissing the attendants and knights to a distance, Riela entered the garden alone with Kyle and stretched as if refreshed.

 

Kyle deliberately followed a step behind her.

 

Just watching her gently swaying figure as she walked felt like a dream.

 

It was a moment he could hardly believe.

 

“Do you feel better now?”

 

“Yes!”

 

Riela answered brightly, but her face wasn’t entirely carefree or happy.

 

Kyle found himself worried about her.

 

He had long since forgotten that she was supposed to be his target—his enemy.

 

“What did you mean earlier?”

 

“Just… the usual kind of thing. Even if someone looks very happy, if you look closely inside, it can be completely different.”

 

For some reason, Kyle’s heart sank heavily at her words.

 

“Are you… not happy?”

 

Like a windmill turning in the breeze, Riela smoothly turned to face him.

 

The smile she forced carried a deep sense of exhaustion and loneliness.

 

“I don’t know anymore… what happiness even is.”

 

“I thought His Majesty the Emperor would go to war just to protect you.”

 

“His Majesty… has changed.”

 

Riela stopped walking and quietly steadied her breath, making sure Kyle wouldn’t notice.

 

Now… it was time to deny her emperor.

 

“In the name of protecting me, he is sacrificing too many people. I don’t even know anymore if what he’s protecting is me… or his own power. I’m afraid of him now.”

 

“Do you not love His Majesty?”

 

“Well…”

 

As Riela lowered her head weakly, anger flared inside Kyle.

 

Riela isn’t happy.

 

That greedy man who took her is making her suffer.

 

Then what should I do?

 

“Today… I suddenly miss my first love.”

 

“Your first love?”

 

“Yes. Actually… um…”

 

Unlike before, when she spoke so freely, Riela hesitated.

 

Only when Kyle saw her slightly blushing face did he realize—she was being shy, watching his reaction.

 

“You remind me a lot of my first love.”

 

“…!”

 

“He was a young noble boy I knew in a countryside village when we were little. We were both just kids back then. He was probably… about this tall.”

 

Riela pointed around her waist and smiled softly, lost in memory.

 

“That was probably the happiest time of my life. I liked him, and I loved being with him… I always counted the days until I could visit his house again.”

 

“……”

 

“I still think about it sometimes. I wonder about him… and I think, if I had stayed by his side back then, my life might have been very different…”

 

Lost in her thoughts, Riela suddenly covered her mouth when her eyes met Kyle’s.

 

“Oh! You must never tell anyone I said this. Especially not His Majesty… okay?”

 

That pure, innocent completely disarmed Kyle.

 

“I felt the same way.”

 

The confession slipped out before he could stop it.

 

Even though he should never reveal himself here.

 

“I also… waited for the days you would come.”

 

Kyle felt his chest tighten.

 

If only he had known she felt this way. If only he had known she had been waiting for him like this.

 

“I was wrong. Before you were taken by the emperor… I should have found you first.”

 

“What? What did you say? …Why are you suddenly like this? What are you talking about?”

 

Startled, Riela urged him on, yet waited gently for his answer.

 

Just like she had when they were children.

 

“I didn’t even know you were still waiting for me…”

 

“What do you—”

 

“I should have come to find you sooner.”

 

“No way…”

 

Riela’s eyes slowly widened.

 

“Don’t tell me… you’re Young Master Kyle?”

 

Kyle nodded.

 

* * *

 

“Young Master Kyle.”

 

“No. Just Kyle.”

 

“I can’t. If I don’t call you ‘young master,’ I’ll get scolded.”

 

“Who would scold you, Riela?”

 

“…Someone.”

 

Little Riela lowered her head with a troubled expression, unable to answer.

 

That night, Kyle had every servant in the mansion beaten.

 

Even though it was the order of a ten-year-old child, no one could defy the beloved youngest son of a count.

 

Kyle believed he had protected Riela’s peace that way.

 

To him, Riela was that kind of person— Someone who had saved him, and someone he had to save in return.

 

“Riela, take this. It’s a jeweled hair tie.”

 

“Young Master, I don’t need something like this…”

 

“No. You’re pretty, so you should wear pretty things. I’ll give you all the beautiful things in the world.”

 

Poor Riela.

 

Pitiful Riela.

 

To save her, young Kyle gave her everything valuable he had.

 

Riela restored Kyle’s strength—but without her, he became even more violent.

 

As his obsession with her grew stronger by the day, the concern of those around him deepened.

 

Then one day, they set off on what seemed like a distant trip by carriage.

 

Only after several days did Kyle realize—it wasn’t an ordinary trip.

 

“My dear, something is really wrong with Kyle. Even last night, he kept having terrifying nightmares… And the strange things happening around us lately…”

 

“Shh. It’s not Kyle who’s strange! It’s all because of that wicked girl!”

 

Late at night, Kyle woke up and overheard his parents’ secret conversation.

 

“He changed after meeting that child, didn’t he? Riela. Yes, it’s all because of that girl. What if… she’s a witch?”

 

“I don’t know. I…”

 

“That’s enough. We’ll never return to that village anyway. He’ll never meet that girl again.”

 

Never meet Riela again?

 

The next day.

 

Kyle refused to leave, standing his ground among his family as they packed their things.

 

“I’m not going! I said I’m not going!”

 

“Kyle! Stop being stubborn and get in the carriage. The royal palace has sent soldiers to capture us. We have to run!”

 

“I’m going to see Riela. I’m going back to the village—”

 

His furious father slapped him across the face.

 

“Fine. Then try going back on your own!”

 

And just like that, his family left him behind at the inn.

 

In truth, none of them intended to abandon him forever.

 

He was only ten years old—at most, they thought they would leave him alone for a night as punishment, and when they returned the next day, he would obediently follow them.

 

But Kyle thought differently.

 

To him, they were no longer family.

 

They were people who hurt him and pointed fingers at Riela, calling her a witch.

 

They were the ones standing between him and Riela.

 

‘I hate them all. I hope their carriage crashes and they all die.’

 

Kyle resented them until he fell into a deep sleep.

 

A day passed. Then another.

 

His family never returned.

 

And just like that, Kyle was left alone.

 

At such a young age, abandoned without understanding why, he struggled just to survive.

 

Around the time he realized he had the power to control others—

 

That he could use that power to avoid hunger and the cold—

 

Kyle finally returned to the village where he had once held hands with that girl from long ago.

 

But—

 

“That mercenary group left the village not long ago. This necklace is all that was recovered.”

 

The only thing Kyle could grasp was the blue necklace worn by the man who used to come and go from the estate with Riela.

 

* * *

 

“If only I had come just a little sooner…”

 

If not then, even just a few days earlier.

 

If he had come sooner, he could have saved her from suffering at the emperor’s side.

 

“Don’t joke.”

 

Riela looked at him and spoke.

 

“You’re really Young Master Kyle? How am I supposed to believe that?”

 

Kyle lifted his head.

 

The Riela in front of him looked just like she had when they were young.

 

Then why don’t you recognize me?

 

Instead of showing his hurt, Kyle took out something he had kept hidden close to his chest.

 

“…This.”

 

What he revealed was a necklace—a blue gem hanging from a silver chain.

 

“Will you believe me now?”

 

Kyle stepped closer and personally placed the necklace around her neck.

 

As he leaned in, almost embracing her, Riela stiffened as if caught by a beast.

 

“This is…”

 

She stared at the necklace hanging from her neck, her eyes frozen for a moment before she spoke.

 

At that moment, Kyle felt overwhelming anticipation.

 

Now she’ll finally be happy to see me again.

 

Just as he felt like he had reached heaven by finding her—

 

But Riela’s reaction was unexpectedly calm.

 

“…I see. You really are Young Master Kyle.”

 

Kyle took her hand.

 

Even that alone made him feel a powerful energy coursing through his body.

 

Was it Antu’s power? Or the strength of a soul finally made whole upon finding its other half?

 

“Come with me.”

 

Kyle confessed, staring at her intensely.

 

“You want me to run away from the palace? How?”

 

“I have a way. I have private soldiers waiting outside the palace. If we escape with them, it’ll be fine. As long as you’re by my side, I can deal with the emperor anytime. So trust me.”

 

“……”

 

“You’ve been waiting for me too. Come with me. You can be happy by my side. I’m not like that emperor who’s gone mad with ambition—”

 

—Smack!

 

Before he could finish, Riela yanked her hand away with a sharp sound and stepped back.

 

“You’re going to ‘deal with’ His Majesty?”

 

Her brows were stiff and straight.

 

Her eyes were filled with force, and the warmth had vanished from her red lips.

 

Completely different from before, Riela now looked cold as she glared at Kyle.

 

“Who said my beautiful man has gone mad with ambition?”

 

* * *