While Lucan was saying goodbye to his friends, Maris, who was living in the capital, was smoothly building relationships.
"Good day, Saint Maris."
"Good morning, Saint Maris."
Early in the morning, on the school grounds of the academy in the capital, a group of female students greeted a noble lady.
"Good morning. It's another lovely day."
Receiving the greetings from the girls, Maris Rainsa smiled gracefully. Her radiant smile was like a celestial being descended to earth. It was so captivating that everyone was mesmerized.
"Saint Maris, you're beautiful as always..."
"As expected of the Saint. It's truly an honor to attend the same academy."
The girls who had received Maris's greetings blushed and sighed. Maris's beauty transcended age and gender. Although the female students, being daughters of nobles themselves, were confident in their appearance, they could only admire Maris without feeling any jealousy.
"Did you hear? Senior Jimo, a third-year student, proposed to Saint Maris but was turned down."
"What's new with that, this happen everyday."
"Yes, Saint Maris seems to be turning away many men, including the Crown Prince. I wonder if she has someone special in her heart?"
"She's the Saint, dedicated to God and her faith."
"Some have tried to confront Saint Maris, saying 'Don't toy with men's hearts'... but in the end, Saint Maris made fun of them and they couldn't say anything."
Recently, a group of girls had tried to confront Maris behind the school building, accusing her of playing with men's emotions. However, upon seeing Maris's pure and divine aura, they found themselves unable to utter the harsh words they had intended.
"Not only is she beautiful, but she excels in her studies as well... She must truly be a child of God's love."
The girls continued to praise Maris as they walked towards their classroom.
"Ah... Maris, you're just so beautiful..."
Meanwhile, a young man hidden in the shade of some bushes in the schoolyard sighed deeply. He had been watching Maris arrive for the past thirty minutes. The young man, with soft-looking dark hair, was Kai Tempest, the Crown Prince of the kingdom.
When Maris first enrolled at the academy, Kai had offered to escort her around the school. He wasn't trying to court her; he was simply hoping to establish a connection with a saintly woman as a royal.
Although he was captivated by her beauty, Kai was engaged to someone else. He had no intention of seeking a concubine and was resolute in this.
Kai, as the Crown Prince, held considerable power just below the king and was widely recognized as a handsome man. Despite being a saint, Maris was still just a woman.
Kai thought that if he spoke to her, she would blush and take his hand. However, what came from Maris were words of cold rejection.
"I refuse."
"Your Highness Prince Kai, correct?"
"Then it's true that your fiancée is my sister, Sarina? Isn't it inappropriate for you to kneel in front of me despite having a fiancée? This is disrespectful to both me and my sister."
"But what? Are you saying you would leave your fiancée? If so, you are someone who chases after beauty. And if you won't leave your fiancée, then it means you want me as your mistress. That's really disrespectful."
"It's not an exaggeration but the truth. I don't like people who cheat or try to cheat on their partner. Please respect yourself and my sister. Now, please excuse me."
For Kai, who had been pampered and adored since birth and later became the Crown Prince, this was a shocking experience. A woman who was not swayed by royal power or innate beauty.
He had never met someone who treated him so coldly.
If she could see beyond the title of Crown Prince and see the real me, she might understand my heart behind this sweet mask...?
Since then, Kai couldn't take his eyes off Maris. He began to think that if she would see him for who he really was and accept him, he wouldn't mind abandoning his fiancée, Sarina Rainsa.
"Oh, Maris... why must you be Maris..."
If only you were Sarina, he thought, he could have always been by her side as his fiancée, escorting her to classes.
"…Hey, this is it. We'll do it tomorrow."
"…Are you really going through with this? If it fails, it won't end well."
"...?"
Kai, hidden in the bushes, overheard a group of male students having a secretive conversation from a nearby shadow. They seemed unaware of his presence.
"We're just fallen nobles. Even if we graduate from the academy, we'll just end up living a life with no prospects."
"But... if we could capture the Saint, it would be a complete reversal. We'd have wealth and power at our command!"
"...!"
The Saint... Could these men be planning something against Maris!?
Kai's mind turned red with anger. He was about to rush out from his hiding place and deal with the intruders, but he hesitated at the last moment.
Wait... if I use these men, I might be able to get Maris's attention.
He planned to intervene when they attempted to assault Maris and rescue her. By doing so, he hoped to thaw Maris's cold heart and win her favor.
That's right... I'm not actually encouraging them. It's not my fault.
Kai had good intentions. He had no desire to stage a fake rescue. However, he was not going to miss this opportunity to act as hero.
Maris is my responsibility to protect... isn't she?
Kai turned his gaze away from the impending violence, biting his lip and lowering his head.