Chapter 6: The Prince’s Gambit
A Provocative Smile
They say you can’t spit on a smiling face?
Wrong.
‘I want to punch that smug grin right off.’
Things just got complicated.
Not factoring in Prince Theo on the way to the academy was a clear mistake on my part.
In the last cycle, how much time did that guy waste?
A Tense Exchange
“Look, my hand’s getting a bit awkward just hanging here.”
I took the prince’s offered hand and shook it lightly.
“My apologies. I was lost in thought for a moment.”
“Hahaha! In front of me, a prince? That’s some guts, befitting the kingdom’s greatest hero!”
Even a toddler could tell his words were laced with intent to undermine me.
With that single remark, I’m painted as an arrogant upstart who disrespects the empire’s prince.
The problem is, it’s hard to counter without confirming people’s suspicions.
Plus, I’m a nobody—a serf who rose to nobility through a sword.
If I step out of line here, they’ll point fingers, saying my lowborn blood can’t be hidden.
This time, I’ll have to bow my head.
After all, I’ll win in the end.
“My apologies. Meeting two noble figures in one day made me slip up.”
“No matter. If people didn’t make mistakes, they’d be monsters, not humans, haha!”
The Prince’s Charm
The prince brushed it off modestly and turned to Saintess Isidora.
“Look at me, prattling on in front of the saintess! My apologies, Saintess. Will you forgive my rudeness?”
“Rudeness? I didn’t feel any, so there’s no need to apologize.”
“I’m relieved to hear that. I’m Theodosius, but you can call me Theo.”
“I’m Isidora, a humble servant. Nice to meet you, Theo.”
The two exchanged greetings.
This isn’t good.
His motives for approaching her are painfully obvious.
He’s clearly trying to pull the saintess to his side.
She’s the perfect card to flip the half-lost succession game, isn’t she?
I’ve already had my fill of Theo’s political schemes in the last cycle.
If he gets the saintess as an ally, this cycle’s outcome is as good as decided.
A Dangerous Proposal
“Saintess, may I ask what happened here? The crowd piqued my curiosity.”
“Oh, we were discussing my future arrangements.”
“Arrangements? Was there some trouble?”
Isidora glanced at me.
I have no idea what this flower-brained saintess might say.
She rolled her eyes and continued.
“Yes… The place I was supposed to stay at ran into some issues, so we were talking it over.”
“Oh… And what’s your relationship with the hero?”
“We met briefly on the road. He saved me from a bandit attack.”
The prince glanced at me and flashed a bright smile.
Then he turned back to the saintess.
“Is that so? That must’ve been tough. It’s a shame that the kingdom still has so many desperate, savage people.”
“It’s due to the shortcomings of clerics like me. Though the gods say nothing, they surely watch over them.”
“Your words bring me relief. But about the lodging issue… If it’s alright, may I have the honor of hosting you?”
Cutting the Flow
This has to be stopped.
If I don’t interrupt now, the saintess will be swept away by the prince before I can blink.
For the battles ahead, I can’t let that happen.
I learned the hard way last cycle how much time it takes to win back someone swayed by the prince.
“Your Highness.”
Theo turned to me, still wearing that bright smile, though he couldn’t fully hide the irritation beneath it.
The saintess looked at me with a puzzled expression.
“Oh, my apologies for ignoring you. I keep making mistakes today. What is it?”
“The saintess will be staying with me.”
Theo’s smile didn’t waver, but the saintess’s confusion deepened.
“Is that so? She didn’t seem to think that.”
“I haven’t mentioned where I’m staying yet.”
The prince tilted his chin, as if daring me to continue, likely weighing his cards against mine.
I took a breath and answered calmly.
“I’m heading to the Temple of Dreams.”
“…The Temple of Dreams?”
“Yes. All Temples of Dreams are like home to me. You know how I got to where I am.”
Orphe’s Leverage
Orphe, the hero who drew the holy sword after a divine vision in a dream.
The story of a serf freed by fame, not wealth, was well-known even in the empire.
Thanks to that, the Temple of Dreams granted me the title of ‘Guardian Knight,’ riding on my coattails.
It’s a win-win: I get the temple’s backing, and they get a walking billboard for their faith.
“True, and the saintess serves the God of Dreams as well.”
“Exactly. She’d feel more at ease in a temple than a stranger’s home.”
The prince gave a wry smile.
“Well, they don’t call you a hero for nothing. Quite the prize.”
“Such praise is too much for a mere commoner. Just a petty trick I could muster.”
“Don’t sell yourself short. You’re a pillar of the kingdom, aren’t you?”
The prince patted my shoulder lightly.
If he truly saw me as a kingdom loyalist, he wouldn’t act like this.
By flaunting familiarity, he’s sowing doubts among kingdom folk.
Since he’s lost the saintess for now, he’s taking a jab at me instead.
A light but annoying move—effective if it works, no loss if it doesn’t.
The prince mounted his horse again.
A graceful, effortless motion.
“I’ve taken too much of your time. Farewell, Hero! And Saintess, I hope to see you at the academy!”
He turned his horse and rode through the crowd.
His entrance and exit were like a storm.
His demeanor didn’t show it, but that’s how it felt to me.
I turned to Saintess Isidora.
“Saintess, I didn’t get a chance to say earlier, but as I mentioned, I’m heading to the Temple of Dreams.”
I pointed to the guard post.
“I’ll handle some business quickly, so please wait a moment.”
A Missed Opportunity
Orphe left those words and headed to the guard post where the coachman had gone earlier.
Why didn’t I think of the temple?
Is there a better place for me than a temple?
Why did Bishop Dominic recommend staying at a trading post of all places?
When there’s a perfectly good temple?
‘Guess I can’t understand that wandering, cursed nomad’s mindset.’
It’s a miracle he didn’t suggest sleeping under the stars for the memories.
Knowing that guy, he’d totally do it.
Impressions of the Prince
That aside, my first meeting with Third Prince Theo was quite striking.
The quintessential prince on a white horse.
Seeing him in person, the novel’s relentless descriptions of his looks were no exaggeration.
He was disgustingly handsome.
His armor and golden hair gleamed so brightly it hurt my eyes.
And that smile—charmingly irresistible.
If I were an ordinary girl who didn’t know the novel’s plot, I’d have followed him in a daze.
[The God of Affection strongly agrees with your opinion.]
As expected from a romance novel junkie, she’s been buzzing nonstop since Theo appeared.
Guess she was moved seeing him in person?
[The God of Beauty says he’s all looks and nothing else.]
But the God of Beauty seemed unimpressed, reacting coolly.
Normally, they’d bombard me with praise for any handsome guy.
Being a showbiz novel writer, they at least acknowledged his face.
And fair enough—that face could make it as an idol.
It’s the kind of face that could feed three generations just by existing.
[The God of Beauty says if they had to choose, Orphe’s better.]
[The God of Affection disagrees with the God of Beauty.]
[The God of Jealousy wishes both would fight over them.]
…Do your nonsense elsewhere.
If you’re going to bicker, do it among yourselves—why send me every notification?
Whoever they pick, I don’t care.
I’ll look out for Orphe since I got the oracle, but that’s it.
The Third Prince is a bit worrying, but knowing the rough plot, it’s not a huge issue.
Political Concerns
‘Still, thinking about all the dirty political schemes ahead doesn’t exactly put me at ease.’
In the novel, he was such a troublesome figure that Orphe burned down a dormitory and assassinated him, didn’t he?
No, it’s been six months since I got possessed—my memory of the novel’s getting hazy.
Most novel protagonists in my shoes would’ve jotted down the plot in a secret notebook right after arriving.
Honestly, I only skimmed the novel, so even if I’d written it down, I’d probably remember half at best.
Plus, getting swept up in prayers, saintess duties, and all that chaos left me no time to think about it.
Orphe’s Return
“Took a while.”
This guy. He was all polite when people were around, but now that they’re gone, he’s back to casual speech.
What a charmless jerk.
But what can I do?
We’re both victims of this isekai kidnapping.
Guess I, who knows his deal, should cut him some slack.
I gave a gentle smile toward the approaching Orphe.
“Shall we go?”
‘Let’s go.’
“Hm.”
Orphe quietly walked ahead.
“Wait, slow down a bit!”
‘Showing off those long legs?’
I hurried after him with small steps.