Time-Limited Saintess, You’ve Been Caught by the Tyrant Once Again - Chapter 99

Chapter 50.1

The man with crimson eyes gazed at the woman dressed in white. Her snow-white skin and pale platinum-blonde hair seemed as though they would melt into the world and disappear. The only hint of color in her features was the soft green of her eyes—delicate, like new spring leaves.

She was breathtakingly beautiful.

The way her gaze shifted, the subtle rise and fall of her breath, her neatly folded hands, the elegant curve of her neck, the delicate glimpse of her nape—everything about her was mesmerizing.

And yet, there was one thing she lacked.

Any trace of warmth in her emotions.

Her expression was neither cold nor warm, as her indifferent eyes reflected the crimson sky.

From this vantage point, the sunset was a sight to behold—a sight that would leave anyone breathless. But there was no sign of such admiration in her gaze. It was as if she were melancholic, disinterested, or perhaps empty. She simply looked down at the city, the corners of her lips slightly turned down.

“Isn’t it beautiful, Your Majesty?”

The place they had come to for their excursion was a hill overlooking Asela, the capital of the Nicaea Empire.

The woman, who had been gazing at the sunset, finally spoke.

“Yes, it is.”

However, her voice carried no trace of admiration, joy, or delight.

The man, too, turned his gaze toward the horizon and thought.

The sky, ablaze in red, descended over Asela like a slow-burning fire. One of the three most breathtaking sights in Nicaea had been reduced to a simple, indifferent “beautiful.”

“The Empress doesn’t seem to feel that way.”

At the man’s twisted tone, the woman turned her head to look at him. In the past, she had shown fierce anger and hatred, but now, such emotions no longer existed. Her once-vibrant green eyes had been swallowed by the cold, merciless gaze of his crimson ones.

“Beauty is…”

She spoke softly.

“Your Majesty, what is beauty?”

“What?”

“Even as I look at that sunset, I feel nothing. I only know that I’m supposed to describe it as ‘beautiful’.”

The woman continued speaking.

“Is beauty something that is learned? That view is certainly beautiful. Sunsets are supposed to be beautiful, after all.”

“….”

“Should I be moved to tears, overwhelmed by its beauty?”

“Empress.”

“Beautiful things, hideous things… I’ve learned to recognize them, but now I’m not so sure.”

Lowering her gaze, she stepped past him and began descending the hill. The ladies-in-waiting, attendants, and knights who had followed her moved as well.

The man watched the woman’s retreating figure. For a fleeting moment, his eyes widened.

In that instant, a brutal truth struck him.

If a god existed, how could they be so cruel? A man and a woman incapable of perceiving beauty… how utterly twisted they were.

The man looked at the woman, his eyes filled with silent tears.

From sunset until darkness fell, he didn’t look away.

It was a day two years before the death of Saintess Elena.

̊ · : * ✧* : · ̊

Lately, Maynard had been looking dazed, lost in thought.

As he watched the crimson sunset, he narrowed his eyes against the bright sun.

The red sunset cast a bluish shadow over his face, while its scarlet glow tinged his blond hair with a fiery hue. Despite having removed the armor he always wore, his presence still felt heavy, perhaps because of his solemn expression and rigid, upright posture.

Dressed in simple black clothes and trousers, he looked younger than usual.

“Something on your mind?”

Erich’s voice broke the silence, and Maynard quietly turned around. He gazed at the distant silhouette of the imperial palace, barely visible in the haze.

“It’s nothing.”

Maynard answered quietly.

The quiet, stern knight couldn’t bring himself to trust the sinister priest.

“You’re looking toward the imperial palace.”

“….”

“Why, is Miss Ellin still on your mind?”

Sensing Maynard’s defensiveness, Erich wasted no time getting to the point. Maynard’s hand twitched slightly.

“Are you concerned about that commoner?”

“….”

When Maynard didn’t deny it, Erich smirked.

“Oh? Should we bring her here?”

His lips finally parted at Erich’s words.

“Bringing her here would be disgraceful. The only reason I care about her is because I fear she may suffer harm at the hands of that cruel emperor.”

“Haven’t you seen for yourself that she’s doing well?”

Even though Erich’s tone was gentle, Maynard didn’t respond.

Yes, Ellin seemed happy. She looked comfortable, even smiling at the princess. Strangely, she appeared more at ease with that cruel emperor than she ever did at the temple. For some reason, Maynard couldn’t shake the feeling of displeasure at the sight.

Nonetheless, he had no right to take away her happiness. Who was he to interfere? And why would he?

“Still, of all places, why did it have to be there…”

“….”

“We have to bring her back.”

A shadow fell over Erich’s face.

̊ · : * ✧* : · ̊

Arkan let out a low sigh, resting against the window as he gazed at the sky. For days, he had wrestled with his thoughts, only to smirk bitterly at the realization he had come to.

“Ha…”

He cursed under his breath, unable to shake the lingering image of the crimson-streaked sky from his mind.

His frail mother, holding him as she wept.

Yet, in some ways, he understood that she was anything but weak.

That was why she had never shown him love. If Marquis Kasmin’s words were true, then his mother must have known what love was. The red-eyed Normatian slave had trembled slightly, but at times, her gaze held an inscrutable hatred toward his father. The same hatred extended to his children.

Arkan and Harald bore a striking resemblance to the late king.

His mother used to speak of the fallen kingdom, back when she wandered barefoot through the green fields, singing. Now, those same meadows had been consumed by flames.

Love.

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