Hush Now, Saintess! - Chapter 130

Chapter 130

Translator: Yonnee

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Hestin steadied his throbbing shoulder and cast his gaze toward Roella, who was sitting by the café window.

‘Her Highness was so so curious that she…’

The last time the Saintess visited the Imperial Palace, it seemed the Imperial Consort had witnessed her and the Crown Prince together.

Since then, she had repeatedly come to Hestin, asking who the Saintess was, so he brushed it off by saying she had visited for a business matter.

‘But she went and befriended her after all.’

The Imperial Consort and the Saintess, friends? He couldn’t quite make sense of this relationship.

As Hestin shook his head and got into the carriage, Nikita waved a hand.

“Let’s keep today’s events a secret from my son, alright?”

“That might be difficult.”

“I’ll give you a bonus.”

“I am the Crown Prince’s aide.”

“I’ll give you a big bonus.”

“As his aide, I should respect his mother. Very well, I’ll keep it a secret.”

With Hestin’s swift change of loyalty, the carriage set off toward the palace.

* * *

Four days before the fountain’s completion ceremony, Hamelle contacted Roella, announcing that the fountain was finished.

‘I knew she was fast, but this is incredible.’

The speed was truly impressive.

Today, she planned to visit the completed fountain with Hildeon. Besides their cooperation to break the curse, they were both involved in the fountain and development project, making the ceremony important to him as well.

‘I should leave a bit early.’

Though she still had plenty of time before their meeting, she set out earlier than planned.

Hildeon had always been the one waiting for her, so she thought she’d wait for him this time.

Arriving half an hour early, she spotted a tall figure standing at the entrance to Vention.

‘No way, is that…?’

A man stood there.

Broad shoulders and a tall, solid frame.

Black hair and green eyes.

A striking beauty visible even from a distance.

There was no doubt—it was Hildeon.

‘Just how early did he get here?’

She quickly walked over to him.

“You’re here early, Your Highness.”

“Ah, Saintess.”

“Please, call me Roella.”

Since they would see each other often, addressing her as ‘Saintess’ felt too formal.

‘Besides, it makes me feel guilty every time I’m called that, since I’m not actually a real saintess.’

…Although, at this point, she felt a little resentful about it.

‘With all this, am I not practically a saintess already?’

Her reputation was improving, she hadn’t done anything bad, she was cleansing the world of its afflictions, and now she was even breaking the Crown Prince’s curse.

If that’s not a saintess, then what is?

‘Is this how the original Roella felt?’

As she grumbled to herself, Hildeon replied.

“You may address me as you wish, as well.”

Even more informally?

‘Is he suggesting I call him Hildeon?’

She imagined calling him by his name and immediately felt uncomfortable.

“I already feel quite comfortable with things as they are.”

“I see…”

His voice sounded faintly disappointed, though she figured it was just her imagination.

“Let’s go.”

“Yes.”

This was her third time visiting Vention.

The first was when she and Hildeon came to see the site, and the second was to check the fountain’s progress after Hamelle began working on it.

Now, today, she was seeing it completed.

‘This place looks new every time I come.’

Each visit revealed a different look. The building exteriors were now painted in various colors, the previously unpaved paths were neat, and wildflowers had been planted along the roadsides.

It was hard to believe that just recently this area had been abandoned. Today, it looked even more polished as decorations were being set up for the upcoming ceremony, and workers were bustling around preparing for the event.

“With everyone working so hard, I feel like I’m the only one relaxing,” she murmured.

“The temple is hosting the event. Your only role is to bring your presence,” Hildeon reassured her.

Simply attending and ‘gracing’ the event?

‘I feel like I’m being treated like royalty.’

She scratched her nose awkwardly and chuckled.

“Well, if that’s all…”

“Besides, most of the manpower is from your ducal household.”

“My father, he’s…?”

“Yes. You didn’t know?”

She actually didn’t.

“I believe it was mentioned in the High Priest’s announcement.”

“The part where he thanked the Imperial Family and the Dukedom for supporting the ceremony?”