Chapter 54
The following day, before dawn even broke, the Kitagawa household began its final preparations for welcoming the Saint. Even the Second Daughter herself rose early, personally overseeing every detail to ensure perfection, which clearly showed how important this event was to her.
Tsukiyo, upon rising for her morning practice and hearing the commotion outside, couldn’t help but feel a pang of bitterness. She thought, even if she openly presented herself as the Crown Princess, she probably wouldn’t receive such treatment…
“Master,” she looked up and asked, “Was the Saint always so difficult to serve?”
Wakako paused for a moment before responding. “You can’t say she’s difficult, it’s just following the proper etiquette.”
“If it were purely about following etiquette, that would be fine,” Tsukiyo muttered, “But they’re being excessively meticulous, even replanting the flowers at the entrance to be white.”
“And the selection of guards… They’re just guards, is it really necessary to go to such lengths?”
When she brought up this matter, Wakako recalled the dream from last night. She could no longer distinguish whether it was a divine punishment or her own inner demons.
But one thing was clear.
“You’re wrong, Tsukiyo,” she bent down and patiently explained to the young Crown Princess, “Not just anyone can be a guard for the Saint. If they fail to protect her properly…”
Tsukiyo’s face darkened, unable to argue further.
Presumably, the Saint was seeking new guards from outside due to the incident of falling into the water. However, the cause of this incident had been well concealed, so the Second Daughter of the Kitagawa clan was unaware.
If it weren’t for Wakako’s timely rescue that day, the consequences would have been unpredictable.
Ultimately, the royal family was indebted to her.
The Saint entered the Kitagawa estate as the fourth bell rang. Of course, saying she “entered” isn’t quite accurate, as the Saint remained inside her carriage throughout, never showing her face.
Led by the Second Daughter, the Kitagawa clan members gathered in a large crowd along the path, bowing in the highest form of respect to the Saint. To show their sincerity, everyone had changed into brown attire, a color worn only by those who served the Saint.
“Stop.”
A gentle voice came from inside the carriage, and the servants immediately obeyed, bringing the carriage to a stop.
“As this is my first visit to the Kitagawa home, with everyone welcoming me so warmly, I should offer something in return.”
A fair hand lifted the curtain and gently tapped the window frame. The servants immediately understood, producing handfuls of white flower petals from somewhere, scattering them like a gentle rain.
These were…flowers seen only during the Saint’s processions for divine rituals. It was said they brought good fortune!
Servants were not qualified to witness the divine rituals, and even stepping into the sacred temple was a distant dream. This might be their only chance in their lifetime.
In an instant, the hundreds of servants of the Kitagawa household cast aside the instructions of their mistress and scrambled to grab the petals.
“I got one!”
“Me too!”
“Lady Saint…”
Witnessing this unexpected chaotic scene, the Second Daughter had a bad feeling. She hadn’t anticipated this. Would the Saint perceive the Kitagawa household as having lax rules and poor discipline?
Fortunately, she caught a glimpse of the Saint’s face through the curtain and saw no sign of displeasure.
In the end, almost every servant managed to obtain a petal. This sudden surprise filled them with overwhelming gratitude.
Some even burst into tears on the spot, kneeling before the carriage and repeatedly saying, “Thank you, Lady Saint! Thank you, Lady Saint!”
It turned out that even lowly servants were worthy of receiving good fortune bestowed by the divine…
Wakako stood beside the Second Daughter, all of this so close, yet so distant.
She had always known that the Saint was deeply revered, but seeing so many people gazing at Miki with such reverence, her heart felt like it was pricked by a thorn, causing an indescribable pain.
Wakako spent quite a while forcing down the emotions stirring within her before she finally managed to suppress them. Just then, the Saint stepped out of the carriage, smiling as she spoke:
“It has been many years since I last visited. Lady Kitagawa, would you be willing to show me around the estate? There’s no need for such a grand display.”
To build a relationship with the Saint was precisely the Second Daughter’s ultimate goal, so naturally, she agreed with delight. “Of course, I’ll have them all dismissed now.”
She also didn’t forget to include Wakako. “We’ll show you around together.”
The Second Daughter’s hand landed directly on Wakako’s forearm.
Ordinarily, Wakako disliked being touched by other Omegas, especially when the Second Daughter would deliberately act familiar with hidden intentions. She would usually avoid these gestures.
But this time, she didn’t. She suddenly wanted to see if the Saint would react…
But there was nothing, no reaction at all.
Miki’s gaze passed over the two of them, her expression unchanged. She continued to smile softly. “Then I’ll leave it to you both.”
Both.
She was no longer “Little Waka,” but someone insignificant, grouped together with others.
It felt as though a kitten had nipped at Wakako’s heart, leaving an irritating itch behind.
In the past, it would have been unimaginable for anyone to touch her so casually. Even if someone merely glanced her way for too long, Miki’s eyes would turn cold and threatening, making it clear that no one should dare covet anything that belonged to the Saint.
But now, faced with the Second Daughter’s touch, she was indifferent, as if she didn’t care at all.
A sense of loss swept over Wakako, and she walked ahead in silence, masking the emotions in her eyes.
She had always known that she and Miki would one day drift apart. But she had never imagined she would see such indifference in those once-familiar eyes, as if they were complete strangers.
Back at the Saionji Estate, Kyouka-mama used to tell her stories about the outside world and then sigh about human nature: “If you ask me, people are inherently pathetic,” she would say.
Pathetic.
Wakako felt these words fit her perfectly now.
It had been her decision to leave Miki. She had even agreed to marry Miki soon—her own choice, after all. She had long known that this meant she and Miki would become strangers. So why did she feel so miserable now?
Amidst the suppressed emotions, a faint but undeniable bitterness began to rise within her.
But Wakako hadn’t pushed Miki away willingly. If she could, she wanted to be by Miki’s side more than anyone else.
The pain of making that choice, the helplessness of growing apart, and the despair of being ignored—none of these were emotions she should have to bear.
Everything had been forced upon her… by God…
Wakako used to believe it was all her fault, that she, as a servant, had seduced her master. But now, she had an urge to blame everything on God.
Why did they have to force her like this?
Lost in her chaotic thoughts, the three of them entered the Kitagawa estate’s flower garden. Even though spring had not yet arrived, the flowers in the garden were blooming beautifully, a testament to the immense effort put into their care.
Usually, gardeners would be tending the area, but they had been cleared out in advance, leaving the space quiet and undisturbed.
As per tradition, the Saint could only walk barefoot, so the Second Daughter had thoughtfully arranged for thick cushions to be laid out.
She carefully maintained a balance, neither overly flattering nor lacking in respect, as she engaged in casual conversation with the Saint.
During the conversation, she naturally couldn’t help but bring up the matter of selecting new guards. Several times, she tried to steer the conversation toward deeper topics, like probing the situation within the royal palace. However, the Saint merely smiled and deftly redirected the conversation, giving nothing away.
The Second Daughter was a cunning merchant, but the Saint, born of noble lineage, was even more skilled. Every word they exchanged had layers of meaning, far beyond what appeared on the surface, requiring multiple turns of thought to grasp the true intentions behind them.
Wakako had never been good at such things.
Up ahead, several small insects had been attracted by the flowers, swirling in circles. Unable to join the conversation, Wakako walked ahead to shoo them away.
The Second Daughter was just about to resume her subtle inquiries when the Saint spoke first.
“In recent years, Lady Kitagawa’s business has certainly been growing larger and larger.”
“…” The Second Daughter paused, unsure of the Saint’s intent, and could only respond accordingly, “You flatter me. It’s just a small profit, nothing to boast about.”
“Is that so?” The Saint gave a knowing smile. “I, however, feel that Lady Kitagawa is quite well-connected.”
This clearly implied a deeper meaning.
The Second Daughter maintained her composure while carefully considering her response.
However, the Saint seemed uninterested in continuing the topic. When Wakako returned from chasing away the insects, she resumed her pleasant demeanor, praising the well-tended flowers in the garden.
The Second Daughter kept the conversation going, but her mind was preoccupied with trying to decipher the Saint’s earlier remark.
A merchant’s greatest fear is crossing unspoken boundaries. With the Kitagawa clan’s immense wealth, rivaled by few in the entire kingdom, they needed to tread even more carefully.
Well-connected… well-connected… Was the Saint subtly warning her, hinting that she had grown too close to certain people?
But to whom? The Second Daughter couldn’t think of anyone.
Suddenly, her gaze fell on the tall figure ahead, recalling how the Saint’s eyes had lingered somewhere for a moment when she stepped out of her carriage.
The Second Daughter was momentarily stunned as an incredible thought occurred to her.
Could it be… Wakako?
Just because she had briefly held Wakako’s arm, the Saint not only took it to heart but also issued a subtle warning?
Ten years ago, it had been the Saint who took Wakako away from the Second Daughter. While she couldn’t claim to fully understand their relationship, she could guess most of it.
Back then, everyone had believed the Saint was dead, including the Second Daughter. She had assumed that whatever had happened between them was part of the past, something buried with youth and long forgotten. Even now, watching them interact, there seemed to be nothing special—if anything, they appeared somewhat distant.
But what if it wasn’t just a thing of the past?
What if, even now, the Saint still felt something for Wakako…
The Second Daughter then realized that Wakako was about to marry Miki, a union she had even helped facilitate by introducing them.
In that case, wouldn’t she have already deeply offended the Saint? This wouldn’t do. Even if it was a belated attempt to rectify the situation, she had to find a way.
To confirm her suspicions, the Second Daughter probed, “The new guards were all personally selected by Wakako. She’s been extremely dedicated to this matter.”
Hearing this, Wakako lowered her head slightly, feeling embarrassed as if her little scheme had been exposed to Miki. She didn’t want Miki to see through her.
“Perhaps later, we could have Wakako bring those people for your review.”
The Saint replied noncommittally, “I’ll leave it to Lady Kitagawa’s arrangements.”
But a hint of a smile played on her lips.
The Second Daughter knew she had guessed correctly and narrowed her eyes slightly.
These two were truly bold. But what exactly did the Saint want her to do? Could it be that…?
Beneath the surface, undercurrents swirled, completely unnoticed by the oblivious Wakako.
She simply raised her eyes discreetly, noticing a strand of Miki’s now almost pure white hair falling across her cheek, feeling an inexplicable unease.
Yet, she couldn’t pinpoint its source.
