The Saint Disappeared with Her Memories — Her Broken Engagement Decided the Kingdom’s Destiny - Chapter 40

The incident orchestrated by the temple in collusion with the royal family prompted the nobles to rise up.

King Eric seemed to have intended to use the temple, but that proved to be a fatal choice for him. When the truth came to light, the majority of noble houses rebelled against the royal family, successfully exposing King Eric’s misdeeds and winning the citizens to their side.

The noble houses requested support from our Association.

The representative who came was Viscount Lucius, whom I’d known from before. He came seeking our cooperation; to join forces and overthrow the royal family.

However, the Association decided to refuse.

“My apologies, but the Association does not involve itself in political conflicts,” Jamel stated, appearing at the negotiation table to decline the request. He carefully explained our position and managed to settle the discussion amicably. The nobles understood our principles and withdrew.

While the conflict between the royal family and the nobles intensified, the Association focused solely on healing the wounded, regardless of their allegiance.

Whether they were soldiers of the royal faction or the noble faction, we treated them without discrimination. That was the Association’s principle: to avoid being drawn into political disputes and simply help those in need. That was our mission.

The conflict ended quickly.

The noble faction achieved a complete victory, and a new system was established. I heard that King Eric and Queen Elise were captured and sentenced to execution. The temple’s elder sages met the same fate.

The kingdom was reborn anew, and peace arrived.

Finally, peace came to the Association as well. Although the new government also requested our cooperation, we decided to remain independent and continue our activities without aligning with the kingdom. Our scope of work expanded steadily, growing to the point where we established branches in neighboring countries.

We made sure to stay completely uninvolved in national politics, continuing our work as an independent organization. That was the path we had chosen.

With the kingdom’s situation stabilized and peace restored to the Association, my own heart was in turmoil.

Until then, I had been too busy with work to spare any time to examine my own feelings. From the establishment of the Association to the series of political upheavals, I had always been driven by something.

But it was precisely because I finally had some breathing room that I became aware of it, my feelings for Alexis.

The time I spent working and interacting with him had increased. During that rampage incident, Alexis had saved me. The moment I put myself in danger to protect the citizens, he rushed to my aid. Remembering that moment made me incredibly happy, and my heart would race.

I knew nothing of love. During my time as a saintess, I had no room to even think about romance, and after founding the Association, I was too busy to confront my own emotions. I was troubled, unsure of what to do about these feelings.

Unable to keep these emotions bottled up, one day I ended up confessing everything.

“Alexis, um… I have something to tell you.”

“What is it?”

When we were alone in the office, I mustered my courage and spoke up.

“I… about you…”

The words wouldn’t come out. My heart was pounding fiercely. But I had come this far, I couldn’t stop now.

“I’ve started seeing you as a man!”

It must have been sudden for Alexis. Being told something like that out of the blue, he might have been taken aback. I regretted it immediately after speaking. Why had I been so abrupt? I should have kept these feelings to myself and never revealed them.

“Noella.”

He called my name gently, while I was still filled with regret.

“Your feelings make me very happy. And I, too, see you as a woman.”

“Alexis…!”

His gentle eyes gazed at me.

“You’re not the only one feeling this way. When I’m with you, my heart feels at ease, and I want to protect you. If that’s what love is, then I feel the same way you do.”

I was overjoyed. I never knew such happiness was possible.

After that, our relationship deepened.

We confirmed our feelings for each other and spent more time together. Even our brief conversations during work breaks carried a warmth that hadn’t been there before. Having him by my side became a source of strength as I tackled my duties at the Association.

“Lady Noella, congratulations!”

Our companions celebrated with us. Emily clapped her hands happily, while Nadine smiled broadly and cheered, “Do your best!” Jamel offered warm words, saying, “You two are well-suited.” Anctuan, true to his merchant nature, laughed and said, “Let me prepare a congratulatory gift next time.”

“Thank you, everyone.”

Receiving their support for my relationship with Alexis, I felt newly determined to give it my all.

As a leader of the Association, and as a woman.

This happiness was something I could never have imagined during my time as a saintess. The saintess who vanished along with her memories is gone. In her place, there is me—choosing my own path to walk, and walking it alongside the people I hold dear.

This was my new beginning.

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