Kays Translations
Just another Isekai Lover~
Chapter 447: Sending the Saint Back
Tauro, Aeris, and Ragune returned instantly to the Graunewald residence in the Royal Capital and hurried to the parlor, where Saint Matilda was waiting with an openly displeased expression.
“I apologize for keeping you waiting,” Tauro said.
Matilda immediately responded in a sharp voice.
“Who have you brought?”
“This is Aeris, one of our fellow adventurers and the daughter of Marquis Van Dyne, one of the kingdom’s most powerful high-ranking nobles.”
“A marquis’s daughter?”
Even Matilda rose from her chair at that introduction.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Lady Matilda.”
Aeris greeted her with impeccable courtesy, then carefully explained the situation.
A disturbance was probably already developing at the palace. If anything happened to the Saint, the alliance between the two kingdoms could collapse, and everyone in the room might be held responsible and severely punished.
Aeris spoke with such mature grace, beauty, and apparent sincerity that Matilda gradually found herself nodding.
“Very well. I shall return to the palace for Lady Aeris’s sake.”
Still sulking, Matilda nevertheless accepted the advice.
“Tauro, ask Count Graunewald to prepare a carriage,” Aeris said. “And make certain no one learns that the Saint is here. If the truth spreads now, the uproar will only grow.”
While the carriage was being prepared, Aeris remained with Matilda and kept her company.
Matilda quickly warmed to her and began speaking about her past.
She had originally been a commoner. After the Luwan royal family discovered that she was a Saint, she was placed with a viscount’s family and given extensive education and training. She was later transferred to a count’s household, then brought directly under royal protection.
Matilda traveled through the kingdom bestowing her Blessing and building a record of achievements. The royal family kept her existence closely controlled until they believed her reputation and accomplishments were sufficient, then announced her publicly.
A nationwide Saint craze followed, strengthening support for the royal family. Her visit to an allied kingdom was intended to extend that influence abroad. If the famous Prime Minister personally appraised Matilda and formally confirmed her identity, she would become internationally recognized and an enormously valuable diplomatic asset.
“Your Blessing…” Aeris murmured.
She seemed to have thoughts of her own about the subject, but merely tilted her head and allowed Matilda to continue.
“I intend to become famous as the Saint and marry a splendid prince. I’ve been searching for the ideal man, and I found a wonderful prince in this country. Prince Fleue is a half-elf, the same age as me, handsome, and kind. Do you not think we’re perfectly matched? He’s one of the few people worthy of standing beside the Saint.”
Matilda wore the dreamy expression of a girl in love as she imagined the prince.
Your Highness, run. Run for your life!
Tauro silently warned his friend. When he exchanged glances with Aeris, her strained smile showed that she had reached much the same conclusion.
The carriage soon arrived.
Aeris, Ragune, and Zion rode inside with Matilda as escorts. Tauro sat beside the coachman, while Ankh stood on the rear step. Together they set out for the royal palace.
As expected, the area around the palace was in turmoil.
Both the Royal Guard and the Kingdom Knights had mobilized in force.
The search had initially been conducted discreetly to prevent panic. However, after questioning members of Matilda’s party who had been left waiting near another gate, the searchers expanded their investigation around the palace grounds.
During that search, they encountered a suspicious group and a battle followed. The group appeared to belong to a foreign power attempting to kidnap the Saint during her unauthorized outing. After being captured, however, every member killed themselves, leaving no information behind.
The royal family then concluded that Matilda faced an immediate threat and began an open, large-scale search.
Into that commotion rolled a carriage bearing the Graunewald family crest.
Tauro sat beside the coachman with the royal-crested shortsword clearly visible, so the guards allowed the carriage through.
“This has become a far greater uproar than I expected,” Tauro said through the small window connecting the driver’s seat and the passenger compartment.
None of them had anticipated that an actual kidnapping group would appear.
The Royal Guard had heavily reinforced the palace gates. Once again, the royal crest on Tauro’s shortsword opened the way—but one of the guards called to him as the carriage approached.
“Lord Tauro? Is that you beside the coachman?”
Tauro recognized the man when he turned.
“It’s been a long time! Thank you again for your help during the incident at House Van Dyne.”
The man was one of the Royal Guard knights who had risked his life to protect Aeris during the crisis involving her family.
“Lord Tauro, may I inspect the carriage, merely as a precaution?” the knight asked seriously.
“Well… inside…”
Tauro hesitated. An honest answer would create an immediate disaster, but Aeris appeared at the window before he could finish.
“Thank you again for protecting me on that occasion, Sir Knight.”
“Lady Aeris! You have changed so much. You’ve become remarkably beautiful.”
“I apologize, but I have an urgent appointment with Prince Fleue. May we proceed?”
“Of course. Forgive the delay.”
The knight immediately cleared the way.
That was close. If Matilda had shown herself, we would have been surrounded and detained. No explanation would have saved us from a very long interrogation.
Cold sweat ran down Tauro’s back as he signaled the coachman to continue.
Inside the palace grounds, the silence contrasted sharply with the chaos beyond the gates. The extensive search had left the ordinarily immaculate palace somewhat disordered, and servants could be seen cleaning in several places, but few other people remained in sight.
When the carriage stopped, Tauro quickly helped Matilda down.
“Lady Matilda, please behave as though you never left the palace tonight.”
He bowed deeply from beside the coachman’s seat.
“I understand!” Matilda snapped before walking inside.
“I hope that prevents this from becoming an even larger disaster…”
Tauro released a long breath, then told the coachman to take them home.