Chapter 260: Saintess Stands Her Ground

That makes sense.

Just as Qiu Nuoya was pondering this, the garden suddenly erupted into commotion.

Apparently, the lightning released by the Divine Sword had struck some kind of defensive barrier. Three guards came rushing toward them in a panic.

"Prince Dorian, what on earth happened here...?"

"I-It’s an intruder! I was attacked! Seize that man immediately!"

Prince Dorian pointed at Warren and shouted at the guards.

"Your Highness, the Hero merely proved himself as you instructed. He did not attack you. And as you can see, you have not even been injured..."

"Shut up, you old hag! I was attacked, and that fact will not change! He pointed a sword at a member of the royal family! How could such an act ever be forgiven!?"

In an instant, the atmosphere froze for an entirely different reason.

"Who exactly are you calling an ’old hag’...?"

It was as though flames were blazing behind Lady Sherria, whose expression had gone completely blank. Talking about a woman’s age was a sensitive subject to begin with, and hurling an insult like that at her was beyond rude.

"What’s wrong with calling an old hag an old hag!? You’re more than ten years older than me! No matter how hard you try to make yourself look younger, an old hag is still an old hag!"

"So that is how you have always thought of me, Prince Dorian..."

"Of course! The moment my elder brother became unavailable, you switched to the next prince without a second thought! It’s been nothing but a nuisance for me! An old hag should know her place and retire from being a Saintess already! You disgusting old hag!"

Just how many times was this prince planning to call her an old hag?

On top of that, Lady Sherria had elven blood in her veins, and she still looked like she was in her twenties. To put it bluntly, she was extraordinarily beautiful. Calling someone like her an old hag was an absurd display of ingratitude.

With those insults, Qiu Nuoya’s opinion of Prince Dorian had plummeted beyond repair.

At this point, even Prince Lucien seemed like the better option.

"I never intended to simply switch my affections to you, Prince Dorian. I am here because the Queen herself repeatedly insisted that I come. If you dislike me so much, then why not do as your elder brother did and simply break off our engagement?"

"That is..."

For some reason, the prince faltered, unable to finish his sentence.

The Saintess’s smile vanished, and she lowered her head. Tears began to trickle down her cheeks as she spoke.

"I am a Saintess who serves the gods. I will never allow myself to become a tool in the struggle for the throne!"

She’s absolutely right.

When it came to this matter, Lady Sherria was nothing but a victim.

She had most likely been chosen as a potential queen and engaged to a prince because of her exceptional aptitude as a Saintess. Yet her engagement had been casually broken off, only for the royal family to push another prince onto her as an alternative. She was simply a poor woman being tossed around at the royal family’s whim.

Of course she would be hurt when her own fiancé spoke to her with not even the slightest trace of affection.

"I never wished for this engagement, but neither am I in a position to ask for it to be dissolved. So, if you feel the same way I do, Prince Dorian, please do not hesitate to declare the end of our engagement. I will accept your words, return to the Church, and devote the rest of my life to the gods."

The prince ground his teeth and fell silent, unable to find a response.

Perhaps, as the second prince, Dorian was captivated by the prospect of claiming the throne, a prize that seemed almost within his grasp yet remained just out of reach. Even after Lady Sherria had said all that, he still could not bring himself to declare their engagement over.

"Guards, I sincerely apologize for the trouble. These people are my guests, whom I invited here myself. They are not intruders. Also, it appears that Prince Dorian is unable to stand on his own, so please escort him back to his chambers."

With that, Lady Sherria turned her back on Prince Dorian.

It was a clear declaration of her rejection.

The prince looked as though he wanted to say something, but in the end, he remained silent and allowed the guards to carry him away.

"I’m terribly sorry you had to witness such an unpleasant scene."

Lady Sherria, who had been facing away from them, wiped away her tears and turned around with a smile as she offered her apologies.

Yet there was a hint of sorrow in her expression, and Qiu Nuoya felt a pang in his chest.

"We’re fine, but what about you, Lady Sherria...?"

"Hehe, I always knew things would eventually come to this. I am a Saintess whom no one truly desires. In that case, I shall live as I please. I never wanted to marry a man in the first place. My body and soul belong with the gods, and I should devote myself entirely to them."

Lady Sherria looked directly at Qiu Nuoya and smiled.

"I have you to thank for helping me see things this way, Qiu Nuoya."

But what did he even do?

"Hehe, you were the one who said, ’I want to live my life freely, putting myself first and living for my own sake.’ Until now, I had never been allowed to live that way. No, to be more precise, I had never even questioned it. I believed that, as a Saintess, there was a certain way I was supposed to behave, and I forced myself to live up to those expectations. After my engagement to the prince was arranged, the responsibility of becoming queen was added to my burdens. I eventually realized that I had been acting like a puppet, playing the role of the ideal Saintess."

Lady Sherria’s smile deepened as she continued.

"But then, just a moment ago, you asked, ’Is there any reason a Saintess can’t also be the Hero?’ Those words opened my eyes even further."