Taming the Evil Saintess

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The strange atmosphere between Albrecht and Cecilia was something even the oblivious Ophelia could sense.

Instantly, we made an estimate.

“…Looks like it’s successful?”

So it has led to this with just one attempt.

“Is this really happening?”

“See? You should call this sister the goddess of love.”

“…But it was Azar’s idea.”

“I was the one who executed it, you know?”

If Ophelia’s nose had risen even slightly more than before, was that a problem?

It was an outcome that nobody expected, not even Azar, the one who originally conceived it. In the end, we decided to call Cecilia directly to ask her about it.

“Hey, are you really dating Albrecht?”

“Y-yes, huh?!”

Cecilia’s eyes went wide at Ophelia’s blunt interrogation. Once she understood the meaning, her cheeks flushed.

“…W-what do you mean?”

“You understood perfectly. Are you dating the Sword Saint? How far did you go yesterday?”

“…No. I don’t think we’re dating…”

“I heard Emily saw you holding hands with Albrecht?”

“W-what?!”

Cecilia was flabbergasted, and Emily smacked her eagle-shaped Familiar perched on her shoulder.

It was like a spy proudly revealing the crime. It was a bizarre situation, but since Ophelia became the Pope, it turned into an unreasonable world where authority could make illegal actions legal.

“Just tell me in detail. What happened at the festival? Do you have any idea how hard we worked to give you two some cozy time?”

The ‘hard work’ she mentioned was just calling the Administrator to complain, but Ophelia took it as a point of pride. Cecilia trembled at her words.

“W-was it all calculated?”

“Of course! Who here doesn’t know you like Albrecht? If that weren’t the case, would I babble about a hot night that had no chance of happening?”

“How dare you play with someone else’s romantic feelings!”

Cecilia hid her face in shame. However, her emotions were not even considered by Ophelia.

Ophelia placed her hand firmly on Cecilia’s shoulder.

“So, what happened? Did anything occur during the fireworks?”

“…We just watched the festival. The food was great, and there was drink…”

“You drank, right? You guys got it on!”

Ophelia asked cheerfully, but Cecilia shook her head vigorously.

“…I didn’t drink.”

“Why not?”

“Sir Albrecht doesn’t drink. He believes that maintaining clarity of mind at all times is a knight’s virtue.”

“…Huh.”

“I-I was the only one who drank.”

Probably, to hide their embarrassment in a situation where they were together, she must have taken a few sips. Given Cecilia’s personality, that was definitely how it went.

Emily, who had been quietly listening, threw a bombshell.

“Then… you didn’t, like, have sex at the Spire? When a man and woman are locked in a closed space, isn’t that what usually happens?”

“S-s-sex?!”

Cecilia jumped at the sudden shout and immediately clamped her mouth shut as if she realized the slip.

She then shook her head vigorously. Even Cecilia, a dignified knight, became a total rookie when it came to topics like this, which was genuinely surprising.

Ophelia asked with a displeased expression.

“Then if you didn’t drink or have sex, what’s the deal with holding hands on the way back?”

“…Well, I, um, asked to hold hands because I was tipsy…”

“Just that?”

“I only asked him to hold my hand…”

“….”

At that, Emily tilted her head, clearly not understanding. Of course, I didn’t either.

“So you asked Sir Cecilia to hold your hand, and Albrecht held it?”

“Yes.”

“That’s it?”

“Yes…”

“And then?”

“Um, we just… parted ways normally?”

Azar let out a long sigh.

So Albrecht had merely granted Cecilia’s request, and beyond holding hands, he hadn’t acted like a lover at all. Should we consider him a gentleman or a fool? Ophelia, looking dumbfounded, smacked the Branch of the World Tree, or rather her stick.

“You should have just knocked her down!”

“I-I’m a proponent of premarital chastity!”

“Seriously, you think I haven’t been through that? Am I supposed to be weak now?”

Ophelia glared at Cecilia with fierce eyes and then sighed.

Cecilia wasn’t the one to blame here. Rather, for someone as stiff and timid as her, simply asking to hold hands must have been a tremendous act of courage.

“What on earth has Albrecht been doing all his life? With that face, he must have had plenty of women after him. Has he really lived without realizing anything?!”

It was something Ophelia would say, but I decided not to poke the bear.

“Anyway, it’s definitely true that Albrecht has feelings for you, Cecilia?”

“…I don’t know. He smiled often at the festival, but perhaps he was just enjoying the festival more than me…”

Hearing Cecilia’s words, our expert Azar nodded.

“It seems there’s nothing more we can draw from Cecilia. We’ll need to pay Albrecht a visit.”

“N-no, there’s no need to go that far…”

“If we suddenly approach Albrecht and ask what he thinks of Cecilia, won’t it be a bit suspicious?”

“I really don’t think that’s necessary…”

“That makes some sense. Then it’s probably better for Elliot and me, who have a somewhat good rapport with the Sword Saint, to go.”

“Can’t you hear me…?”

Before we knew it, this place had turned from a hearing to a strategy meeting.

Of course, not a single word of Cecilia’s opinion was taken into account.

*

Recently, Archery Master Erwin must have been feeling discomfort in the mundane daily life of the Imperial Palace. After all, wasn’t the Empire a potential enemy? Recently, even the Emperor had been concocting vile schemes with the aim of conquering the continent.

In such a situation, there wasn’t really any suitable place for outsiders, like the Elves, to go, and they were effectively confined to their lodgings.

It was the same for Lieutenant Wuzmund, who expressed his frustration because all correspondence to the Fairy King was being blocked.

“Seriously, those short-eared bastards are so cruel!”

“Don’t say that in front of Elliot. You might lose your ears.”

“…I-I know.”

Yawning widely, Erwin propped his chin on his hand. How much longer would this go on?

Now, only the Demon King’s Castle remained. Once Erwin took down the Demon King, he would have to return to the Great Forest.

As good as that was, lately he had developed a certain interest in the outside world. Wouldn’t it be nice to tag along with the Hero group and settle outside the Great Forest? He was thinking along those lines.

“Uh, Chief?”

“Speak. I’m listening.”

“A guest has arrived.”

“A guest? Is it that little brat Ophelia?”

Since their last romantic consultation at Eastern Port, she hadn’t shown up, but Erwin was confident he had at least shown Ophelia some virtue as an elder.

Contrary to his expectations, the guest wasn’t Ophelia.

But the reason for the visit was similar.

“…So, Albrecht, for some reason, it seems the Ice Warrior has an interest in you?”

“That is the case.”

It was a rare sight to see the Sword Saint Albrecht visibly hesitating.

“I was originally going to visit Azar, but he seems to be absent, so I came to find you, Erwin.”

“Uh-huh.”

Indeed. Erwin had stumbled onto a good topic.

This would surely serve as an excellent stimulus in their tedious daily lives.

“Alright. I’ll listen. By the way, this beautiful Elf before you is renowned enough to be called the goddess of Benheim, possessing both outstanding repute and a wealth of romantic experience.”

Wuzmund looked at Erwin as if he were seeing a ghost. Did that old Elf even have any concept of shame?

“…I will believe you.”

Albrecht nodded and began to recount his story.

Tales of the festival, Cecilia blushing from drinking, the request to hold hands. He even detailed the sensation of the hand he had reluctantly held.

By the time he finished his tale, Albrecht’s eyes were filled with a peculiar hesitation. It was an unexpectedly adorable side that didn’t fit his usual demeanor as the Sword Saint, almost making Erwin laugh aloud.

“So do you have feelings for Cecilia?”

“…I’m not sure. I respect her as a knight, and I think it’s very admirable what she has accomplished at her age. But I haven’t seen her as a woman until now.”

“And now?”

“…That’s…”

Seeing Albrecht unable to finish his sentence, Erwin propped his chin on his hand.

Wasn’t the answer practically right there? He simply lacked the experience to recognize his own feelings.

“Ah, youth is indeed youth.”

“…Does it look that way?”

“Yep.”

“Um, Erwin?”

“What?”

“Why do you look like that?”

“Look like what?”

It was only then that Erwin’s gaze turned to the full-length mirror beside him.

His face looked as if he had bitten into a bug.

Why? He was just giving advice on romance.

“….”

Erwin soon realized.

Listening to the romantic tales of someone beneath him hit him harder than he realized.

“Don’t worry about it. This sister always has this kind of expression.”

Erwin acknowledged that he had indeed grown old, and that throughout that time, he had no valuable romantic experience, twisting his face.

That’s right.

She was gradually stepping through the stages of being a spinster.

She was feeling a bit discomforted.