I Once Thought I Had No Place, Being Married Off to An Enemy Nation as A Token of Apology but That Was Only for One Night - Chapter 19

It was decided that I would purify the Hexagram Hall of the Greifner territory. However, entering a Hexagram Hall requires the accompaniment of a Hexagram Lord. This meant that my true identity as the Saint of White Snow would inevitably be revealed to Ludwig. I had prepared myself for that outcome, but Frieda took a step forward.

“I have ordered the troops I brought to follow Ludwig’s commands. Please make use of them to protect this land,” she stated. “What? Reinforcements are a help, certainly, but I need to guide Imperial Highness Noel to the Hexagram Hall myself. I intended to have you take command of the rescue unit along with the troops I am currently reorganizing.” “No. Rather than me, who does not grasp the local situation, you as the Lord should be the one to lead them. I will accompany the Empress to the Hexagram Hall, so please take command of your troops.” “You will go to the Hexagram Hall?”

Ludwig appeared bewildered by the suggestion.

“Entry to a Hexagram Hall requires the presence of either the Emperor or a Hexagram Lord. There should be no issue with me going,” Frieda reasoned.

I realized then what she was doing. If Frieda accompanied me, my identity would not be exposed to Ludwig. As expected of Frieda, she is truly reliable. Furthermore, this allowed Ludwig to focus on commanding his soldiers, making it a logical proposal in every sense. Ludwig seemed to reach the same conclusion and gave a small nod.

“Very well. Frieda, I grant you permission to enter the Hexagram Hall. Please take Imperial Highness Noel and proceed with the purification.”

Ludwig made his decision and turned his gaze toward a female knight standing nearby.

“Irma, this is a vital mission. Can you guide them to the Hexagram Hall?” “It will not be a problem.”

Thus, Frieda and I headed toward the Greifner Hexagram Hall. Ludwig had assigned a female knight named Irma as our guide, allowing us to enter the castle without incident. She led us to a staircase at the furthest depths of the castle that descended into the basement.

“Please, follow me,” Irma said.

She began to descend the steep stairs. I followed behind her, with Frieda bringing up the rear to protect me. The only sound that echoed was the steady tapping of our footsteps.

“Is Imperial Highness Noel truly going to purify the Hexagram Hall alone?” Irma’s voice rang out through the stairwell. “Yes, that is the plan.” “You are quite exceptional, then.”

It was a compliment, but I felt a sudden weight in the air.

“My younger sister was not quite as exceptional as Her Highness, but she was a fine Saint. She worked so hard, hoping to one day save this country,” Irma continued.

Now I understood the source of the heavy atmosphere. She spoke of her sister’s hard work in the past tense. Even when protected by knights, a Saint is never entirely safe, which is why they learn self-defense. Nonetheless, it is not uncommon for Saints to suffer casualties. I assumed her sister had met with some misfortune.

“And yet,” Irma said, “my sister’s dream was utterly destroyed by a certain man.” “A certain man?” I started to ask. “Imperial Highness Noel!”

Suddenly, Frieda grabbed me from behind and pulled me back. At the same moment, Irma, who had been walking in front, spun around and drew the sword at her waist. Frieda also drew her blade to protect me.

“What is the meaning of this!” Frieda demanded. “Lady Frieda, do not move. No matter how strong you are, fighting while protecting the Empress on these narrow, unstable stairs would be a hassle, would it not?” “How dare you.”

Frieda choked back her words. It would indeed be difficult to fight in this cramped space, but that was only if she had to protect me at the same time. I had no intention of being a burden. As a Saint, I also have means of self-defense. I shifted my focus to the dagger concealed against my thigh beneath my skirt. However, I hoped combat would be a last resort.

“Tell me, why are you doing this?” I asked. “Do you truly not know?” “I can guess. It is because of my brother, is it not?”

A dream destroyed by a certain man. There was only one person Irma could be talking about.

“Exactly. My sister was toyed with by your brother and lost her powers as a Saint.”

She was a victim of the technical exchange. Irma was pointing her sword at me because I was related to the man who had hurt her sister.

“I am deeply sorry for what my brother did. As the sister of the Crown Prince, I offer my sincerest apologies.” “I do not need empty words! Tell me, why did you let your sister suffer such a fate? You are of the same blood. You must have known what kind of man your brother was!”

Ah, I finally understood the focus of her rage. She wasn’t angry just because I was the culprit’s sister. She was angry because she viewed me as an accomplice who failed to stop him.

“I am sorry. I know you may not believe me, but I knew nothing about it.” “What?”

As expected, anger bled into her expression.

“I knew that a technical exchange was taking place. However, I did not know a Saint had actually arrived, nor did I know she was meeting with my brother.” “Do you honestly expect that excuse to work?” “It is natural that you find it hard to believe. But it is the truth. I only learned what had happened on the day I was told I was being sent to the Rayvel Empire.”

As I spoke the truth, I heard Frieda gasp behind me.

“Imperial Highness Noel, were you truly unaware of the Crown Prince’s folly until then? You are siblings, are you not?” Frieda’s voice trembled slightly.

“I am an illegitimate child, and I was never recognized as family. My brother loathed me, and I had no way of knowing what he did in his daily life.” “That is unbelievable.”

It seemed Frieda could not comprehend such a dynamic. She had mentioned that this country prizes blood relations above all else.

“The Empire values family ties, does it not? But that was not the case in the Kingdom of Ashtar. At the very least, I was never loved by my family.” “I cannot believe you were treated in such a way.”

Frieda seemed genuinely shocked on my behalf. I felt grateful that she cared so much.

“Is that… is that really the truth?” Irma asked, looking half-skeptical.

“It is a fact. Investigate it yourself if you must. Or shall I prove it using a Saint’s Vow? I do not have much holy power to spare now, but I can perform it for you at a later date.”

The Saint’s Vow is a ritual magic used by Saints to swear an oath to the Goddess. It is not something to be used lightly, but I offered it to show my sincerity. That offer alone seemed to serve as proof that I was telling the truth.

“I was about to do something terrible to someone who is a victim just like my sister,” Irma murmured, slumping down onto the stairs. “I assumed Imperial Highness Noel was just like that Crown Prince, doing whatever she pleased. What have I done?”

She was clearly in shock. But I understood her feelings. My brother had pushed the responsibility onto me and fled, calling me an apology gift. In a sense, the burden of his actions had been transferred to me. Irma had tried to hold me accountable, only to find that I was a victim as well. As I thought about this, Frieda stepped forward to shield me.

“Irma, I am sorry for what happened to your sister. I understand why you would turn your resentment toward Empress Noel. We all felt the same way at first.”

Frieda showed empathy for Irma’s position, but her tone shifted immediately.

“However, Ludwig trusted you and assigned you as our guide.” “What are you saying?” Irma asked, sounding lost.

“Do you not understand? Think back to Ludwig at that moment.”

Now that she mentioned it, Ludwig had been a bit strange. He had called Irma by name and emphasized that this was a vital mission, even though she was just acting as a guide.

Ah, I see. Frieda was right. Ludwig knew Irma was the sister of that Saint, yet he chose her to guide me anyway. It wasn’t to give her a chance for revenge. It was because he believed that Irma, of all people, could swallow her private resentment for the sake of the country.

“And yet, you allowed yourself to be consumed by revenge and attempted to harm the Saint sent to save this territory. That act tramples upon Ludwig’s trust, the hopes of the knights protecting this land, and your sister’s own dreams. Therefore…”

Frieda slowly raised her sword. I couldn’t believe it. Was she going to execute her right here?

“Wait, Frieda!” I shouted.

But Frieda did not stop. “Die here,” she declared.

She swung her sword down, but a split second before it connected, I closed the distance and snatched the blade from her hand. Frieda stared at me in shock.

“What? How did you take my sword in an instant? How did you do that?” “Never mind that. I told you to stop, did I not?” “That is not ‘never mind’! Even a master knight would struggle to take a sword from me like that!” “Regardless, there will be no killing.” “But Irma abandoned her duty in the worst possible way! That can never be forgiven!”

I understood her point, but before I could respond, Irma spoke up in agreement with Frieda.

“Lady Frieda is right. Please, kill me.” “You have a firm resolve. Then I shall…” “No, you shall not!”

I delivered a sharp chop to Frieda’s forehead. A satisfying crack sounded, and Frieda let out a small whimper. She looked like a dejected puppy, shocked that I had struck her. I let out a sigh and gave her a new instruction.

“We will discuss this later. Do not mix up your priorities. The purification of the Hexagram Hall comes first. At this moment, you are my maid before you are a Hexagram Lord, are you not?” “Yes! I understand!”

Frieda cheered up instantly. She was almost too quick to change moods. I turned away from her and looked down at Irma, who was still sitting on the floor.

“You as well, do not do anything rash. Wait for an official judgment.” “Yes, I understand,” Irma replied meekly.

That should be enough to keep things stable for now. Frieda and I passed Irma and arrived before the teleportation circle that led to the Hexagram Hall.

“This is it. Imperial Highness Noel, are you ready?” “Yes, of course.”

I nodded firmly, and Frieda activated the m