17 - Near
The sitting chamber slowly returned to silence after Mariana's reluctant confession. Grand Duke Maximus still looked as though the concept of his daughter being the Saintess had physically struck him over the head.
Mariana sat slumped in her chair while Darelene calmly issued instructions to the maids. "Prepare a carriage," the Grand Duchess said. "A discreet one."
"Yes, Your Grace."
"And inform the gate guards that no Holy Knights are to enter the estate without my permission."
"Yes, Your Grace." The maids hurried away.
Mariana rested her chin on the table. "Mother... are we leaving immediately?"
"Soon," Darelene replied.
Mariana groaned softly. "I just escaped from there."
"Yes," Darelene said serenely. "And now you will return like a responsible Saintess."
Mariana dropped her forehead onto the table.
Maximus muttered weakly, "My daughter... the Saintess..."
---
Meanwhile, on the hill overlooking Forebros.
The wind moved softly through the grass as Zafiel stood with his hands folded behind his back.
From that height, the entire capital stretched beneath them-the Grand Basilica towering above the city, the markets bustling, and beyond it all, the sprawling Vernon estate.
Leonhard waited silently beside him. Zafiel's gaze lingered on the distant estate walls. "... interesting," he murmured.
Leonhard tilted his head slightly. "Your Imperial Highness?"
"The Saintess has returned home."
Leonhard did not ask how he knew.
Zafiel turned to him with an amused smile. "Leonhard."
"Yes, Your Highness."
"Go to the city inn."
Leonhard nodded once. "Our reservation?" he asked.
"Yes." Zafiel's smile deepened slightly. "Cancel it."
Leonhard paused. Then he nodded again without question. "As you wish."
With a faint ripple of aura, his figure vanished from the hill.
Zafiel remained where he stood, gazing toward the estate.
His eyes gleamed with quiet amusement. "Running away from the Church.
.." he murmured. "Mariana Cherustine la Vernon.
" The wind carried his soft chuckle across the hill.
---
Not long after.
Inside the Vernon estate gardens, Grand Duke Maximus was still attempting to recover from the Saintess revelation when the air beside them distorted again. Leonhard stepped forward from the ripple of space.
Maximus flinched. "I will never get used to that."
Leonhard bowed. "Your Imperial Highness."
Zafiel turned slightly. "The reservation?"
"Canceled."
Maximus blinked. "... reservation?"
Zafiel smiled politely at the Grand Duke. "I had initially planned to stay at an inn within the capital during my visit."
Maximus looked mildly horrified. "Your Imperial Highness, you are the Crown Prince of the Empire! Staying at an inn would be an insult to my household!"
Zafiel laughed lightly. "Yes, I realized that." He clasped his hands behind his back. "Therefore, if Your Excellency permits it, I would like to accept the hospitality of the Vernon estate instead."
Maximus immediately straightened. "Of course! It would be our honor!"
Darelene, who had just stepped back into the garden, paused when she heard that. Her eyes flickered briefly toward the Crown Prince.
Zafiel continued smoothly. "A guest room will suffice."
"Certainly," Maximus said quickly. "We have many suitable chambers."
Then Zafiel added casually, "If possible... I would prefer one near Grand Princess Mariana's quarters."
Silence.
Maximus blinked. Leonhard remained perfectly still. Darelene's eyes sharpened slightly.
"... near Mariana?" Maximus repeated.
Zafiel smiled pleasantly. "Yes."
Maximus scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "Well, that is... certainly possible..." He glanced toward Darelene.
The Grand Duchess had gone very still. Her gaze rested on the Crown Prince thoughtfully. Zafiel met her eyes calmly. Neither spoke for a moment.
Maximus, oblivious to the quiet tension, continued talking nervously. "The guest wing beside Mariana's chambers is usually reserved for visiting nobility... it should be suitable..."
But Darelene was no longer listening.
Her mind had drifted backward-years into the past. To a conversation in the Imperial Palace. To the elegant, sharp-eyed woman seated across from her. The Empress, who had the same features as her son, though she appeared quite aged thru the years.
Empress Lilith had smiled knowingly that day. "Our children would suit each other quite well, wouldn't they?"
Darelene had laughed lightly at the time. "Mariana is still very young."
"And Zafiel is already too clever for his age," Lilith had replied.
They had spoken half in jest, half in political calculation.
A potential engagement between the Crown Prince and the Vernon princess. An alliance that would strengthen both the Imperial throne and the Vernons. The arrangement had eventually been written down. A quiet agreement between two mothers.
But, Mariana had grown up. And so had the Crown Prince. And Mariana's reputation...
Darelene's gaze flickered briefly toward the estate windows where her daughter currently resided.
Mariana had always been... difficult. Rebellious. Sharp-tongued. And utterly uninterested in courtly expectations.
The rumors surrounding her behavior had not exactly improved over the years. Which was why Darelene had assumed that the Crown Prince would treat the engagement as nothing more than a political formality. A distant obligation, not something he would actively pursue.
Yet now, he was requesting a room beside Mariana's. Not across the estate. Not in the main guest wing. But near her.
Darelene studied his face carefully. Zafiel's smile was polite. But his eyes held unmistakable amusement. And curiosity. The kind one might feel toward an interesting puzzle.
Darelene's lips curved slightly. "... of course," she said calmly.
Maximus blinked. "Oh-good!"
She turned to a nearby servant. "Prepare the eastern guest suite."
"Yes, Your Grace."
Then she added, "The chamber adjacent to Mariana's wing."
The servant bowed and hurried away.
Maximus clapped his hands together in relief. "Excellent! Everything is settled!"
Leonhard glanced briefly at Zafiel.
The Crown Prince's expression had not changed.
But Leonhard had served him long enough to recognize the subtle gleam in his eyes. Zafiel folded his arms behind his back. From where he stood in the garden, he could see the upper floors of the estate. One particular window stood slightly open.
Mariana's room.
Somewhere inside that chamber, the runaway Saintess was likely complaining about her fate.
Zafiel smiled faintly. "Interesting indeed."
And inside the estate, Mariana suddenly shivered without knowing why. "... why do I feel like my problems just doubled?"