Heh heh heh… vile emotions are no match for a pure heart. It seems even I, a 29-year-old, have been bested.

"…Lady Alteria truly does love you, His Highness Yumanova."

As I grinned, watching the villainess leave, the Saintess murmured with a sigh. No, that's not it. Allie is just kind. And maybe a little… competitive?

"I'm sorry, Ilmiese. But you saw it too, didn't you? That's the kind of person I'm engaged to. She may be my fiancée, but there are no feelings between us whatsoever. My feelings lie only with you. Won't you please tell me how you feel?"

Wow, even after being put through a scene like that, my royal brother is still pressing her to reveal her true feelings. Keep at it, Prince. You've earned a little respect from me.

"…I am sorry, Your Highness. I am the Saintess. I cannot possibly give you an answer here and now by my own decision."

"Why? I just want to know how you feel."

"Then I shall tell you. I cannot return your feelings in equal measure."

"It doesn't have to be the same right now. If we're together, you'll eventually feel the same."

"I…"

This is just going around in circles.

My brother seems determined to make the Saintess say she wants him, no matter what, and the Saintess is completely terrified after what happened with Lady Garnet earlier. She would never say anything that implies she's fond of my brother. Besides, even if he were to force an answer out of the Saint here and now, I don't think it would go well. If he forces it, it will leave an invisible scar, just like it did for Father and Mother. Well, Father hasn't even noticed that scar, but still.

Besides, Lady Ilmiese personality seems a little different from the Saintess in the game. Even after being pressed this far by the prince, she isn't saying anything to lead him on, nor is she acting sweet or spoiled. The Saintess in the game, even if she was targeting other love interests, would probably be thinking about keeping the prince on the back burner, but there's been no sign of that at all.

As for the villainess, Lady Garnet, she's true to her original to an almost sickening degree. No, wait, she's several times more powerful than in the game.

The villainess in Beyond the Saintess' Prayer certainly didn't treat her servants like people and looked down on lower-ranking nobles, so her personality was a complete mess, but she only tormented the heroine because she was in love with my royal brother.

There were times you could tell her jealousy was completely over the top. That's why I used to watch, thinking the love interest, the crown prince, was so hopeless, but this world's Lady Garnet makes me doubt if she's even genuinely in love with my royal brother. It's like she's seriously only got her eyes on the throne of Queen. To be precise, the power and money that come with being Queen.

Well, to be honest, since I'm not a fan of either the game's heroine or the villainess, I had no intention of siding with or opposing either of them. I was just thinking, "Do whatever you want." But after seeing her attitude earlier, I really don't want to call that Lady Garnet "sister-in-law." After all, she picked a fight with my Allie.

Thinking it might be best to watch how things play out for a bit, I decided to throw the Saintess a lifeline.

"Perhaps you should withdraw for today, royal brother. In such a chaotic scene, the Saintess can hardly collect her thoughts, and it's not as if you'll never see each other again."

When I said that, my royal brother glared at me, perhaps out of frustration at being unable to get a favorable reply from the Saintess.

"You're noisy! Stay out of this, Yumanova!"

"You're lacking composure, royal brother. If you're so determined to make the Saintess give you an answer, then why don't you face me instead?"

"Huh? What are you talking about…"

"I'm telling you to calm down. In a state where you can't even consider the other person's feelings, I doubt your rational mind is working. I could beat you easily right now."

As I smoothly rose from my chair, Brian handed me two swords. They were training swords, their edges blunted.

The ladies-in-waiting quickly pulled Allie and the Saintess back, while the servants cleared the desk.

The servants' exceptionally efficient movements made it clear they had all been anticipating this. Just what you'd expect from a nation of muscleheads. Everything gets solved with force in the end. Haha, an empty laugh escapes me. But it can't be helped right now.

"What will it be? Your blood must be rushing. Moving your body should help you cool off a bit."

I pointed one of the swords at my brother. His eyes widened, and at first, he didn't seem to understand what I was saying. But the moment he sensed my ploy and reached for the sword…

"Please stop, Your Highness Lenanino, Your Highness Yumanova! I'm sorry, I'm so sorry! It's my fault for being so indecisive! Honestly, Your Highness Lenanino, your face is exactly my type. A perfect match. A real catch. But it's impossible! With a scary fiancée like that, and all those annoying nobles, I can't just deflect things the way Lady Alteria can! I don't admire Your Highness Lenanino enough to try that hard, and I don't like that high-and-mighty prince act of yours, either! So I absolutely refuse to be Queen!"

"So if you understand, please give up on meeeeee~!" she screamed, and then… she ran away.

——Huh?

Those of us left behind were frozen, unable to move.

Whoosh~ A wind seemed to blow from nowhere, passing between my royal brother and me.

I slowly turn my eyes to my royal brother. Ah, he's completely spaced out. Yeah, of course. Right. Even a handsome man looks pathetic like this.

He'd probably hate it if I reached out to him now. It would be kinder to just leave him be for a while.

I returned the purposeless sword to Brian and went over to Allie. I reached out my hand to Allie, who was being shielded by Miss Chiffone.

"Sorry. The tea party turned into this. We should probably head back for today. I'll walk you out."

"Ah, okay. Please."

Allie, too, was so shocked that she had completely reverted to her casual way of speaking with me.

Ignoring the silent plea from the servants——'Eh, are you really leaving? What are we supposed to do about this? We're not bold enough to act hereeeee~'——I walked briskly away.

The only ones who looked a little relieved as they followed behind us were Brian and Miss Chiffone.

Sorry, I'm leaving the rest to you. I won't let your loyalty go to waste. Well, good luck~. I sent a cheer to the servants we were leaving behind in my heart.

And so, the four of us left my royal brother behind and departed from the garden.

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