Part Two, Section Two: “The International Saints Conference”
Chapter Sixty-one
Well then, as the break was coming to an end, let’s return to the conference room a bit early. After asking Philip and the others to take care of things going forward, I said goodbye to them and headed back to the meeting room. Despite the tense discussion about the mysterious disappearances, my steps were light, perhaps thanks to everyone making it a relaxing atmosphere.
“Ms. Philia, you’re just in time. I’ve compiled the budget for devil countermeasures into this document, so I was planning to head to the conference room to discuss it and also greet everyone.”
“Your Highness Reinhardt! Thank you for your hard work…!”
The one who stopped me in the hallway was Reinhardt, the first prince of Parnacota. It seemed that the prince, in addition to handing me the draft budget, had the intention of greeting the saints from other countries. The one who had been putting the most effort into ensuring the success of the Saint Summit was undoubtedly Prince Reinhardt. From arranging personnel to taking the lead in preparing accommodations for the saints and their escorts, he displayed proactive leadership while being in command…
Prince Oswald told me the other day that if the late saint Elizabeth was still alive, she would have gladly cooperated, and that was likely why Prince Reinhardt, who was once her fiancé, continued her will.
Elizabeth must still be alive in Prince Reinhardt’s heart.
“How is the conference going? Are you able to have a meaningful exchange of information?”
“Of course. The areas focused on differ by country, so it will be useful for future reference.”
“That’s good to hear. If it’s meaningful for you, Ms. Philia, then it connects directly to the prosperity of Parnacota itself. It’s something to be happy about for all of us.”
Prince Reinhardt held me in high regard as a saint. If it was meaningful for me, it meant prosperity for Parnacota. I thought it was exaggerated, but I was honored he had such high expectations.
Speaking of which, Prince Reinhardt proposed to me before, but… since then, various things had come up, and it hadn’t been the right time. So, I had kept him waiting.
I feel I should give him an answer soon but…
“By the way, I heard that you are the person who decided on the date for the Saint Summit, Your Highness. It doesn’t seem particularly auspicious on the calendar, but is there something special about that day?”
“Haha, as expected of you. Most people wouldn’t pay attention to such details. You’re right, for such an auspicious day with the saints gathering, we should have chosen a good date on the calendar. I overlooked that.”
I see. So there was no special intention behind choosing today. I thought too much assuming Prince Reinhardt would mind whether the day was good or not on the calendar…
I was a little embarrassed for overthinking it.
“My apologies, I asked something strange. I’ve always been particular about small details, so I’m often told that I’m worrying about petty things. I think I need to fix that but…”
“No, Ms. Philia, your speculation is correct. The reason I chose this day for the Saint Summit is personal, and it revolves around none other than myself.”
“Eh? Personal?! Yours…?”
I was genuinely surprised. The person I know as Prince Reinhardt was far from someone who would involve personal feelings. I felt an affinity with his stance of rationally judging everything and wishing for the nation’s peace and security, similar to my own convictions as a saint.
“Today was supposed to be the day I married Elizabeth. It was scheduled to take place in the cathedral that everyone would visit after the Summit…”
“…!? I-I’m sorry. I did something so insensitive, prying into your heart.”
What a thoughtless thing for me to say. I had no idea that today was the day of Prince Reinhardt’s wedding with Elizabeth, his late fiancée.
“Don’t worry about it. I feel like I did something unlike myself. I thought that if I could fill this day with another event, something in my heart might change…”
With a slightly lonely expression, Prince Reinhardt confessed that he chose this event for today because he wanted to change something inside himself. I couldn’t imagine one could forget a precious promise with someone that way, but losing Elizabeth must have been that much of a shock for the prince.
“Your Highness Reinhardt, you won’t change. The sorrow of losing Ms. Elizabeth can’t be filled by any other event… because Ms. Elizabeth is still in your heart.”
“Yes… You’re right. Liz… Elizabeth still seems to be in my heart… But it’s strange. For some reason, I feel relieved that my feelings for her haven’t faded.”
Placing a hand over his heart, Prince Reinhardt answered with a quiet smile. In a way, the possibility of forgetting memories might be a fear in itself. Certainly, overcoming sorrow was important, but… I also believe that cherishing the past was equally crucial.
“Regarding the matter of my proposing to you before, Ms. Philia…”
“Y-Yes. Sorry. I don’t forget that but had trouble giving you an answer―”
“No, no, I don’t intend to rush you, especially during such a crisis. Take your time to think it over when things settle down.”
Looked like Prince Reinhardt had no intention of rushing a conclusion regarding proposing to me earlier. That was understandable. Given the imminent crisis with the approach of the Demon Realm, it was not the time to be thinking about marriage.
“What concerned me was whether you might have someone in your heart already…”
“S-Someone in my heart…?”
His Highness Oswald?
When I heard Prince Reinhardt’s question, for some reason Prince Oswald’s face popped into my mind.
W-Why? It’s so embarrassing but…
“Um, well, how do I put this, it’s like someone just appeared in my mind, yeah…”
“There’s someone? Looks like I should brace myself for rejection.”
“Y-Your Highness Reinhardt…?”
“Well then, Ms. Philia. Please take care of my younger brother.”
While observing my expression with interest, he smiled again and escorted me into the conference room, opening the door for me.
Take care of his brother… uh, did I say something aloud?
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