Chapter 50
Wakako once again awoke from a dream thick with oppressive tension.
But this time, she sensed something different about it.
Even in her dreams, she always maintained a posture of respect before God, bowing her head in silence, never uttering a word out of line. The wooden statue of the deity would simply stare at her, disdainful, refusing to exchange any words.
But today… today was different.
In the dream, her body moved against her will, crawling forward on her knees until she reached the foot of the statue, where she prostrated herself.
Four words echoed clearly in her ears: “Do you know your sin?”
Would God really lower themselves to speak to her? That didn’t seem like their way.
Wakako heard herself reply, “I know my sin.”
“What is your sin?”
“I shouldn’t have… with the Saint… ugh!”
Before she could finish, a sharp pain shot through her, forcing a cry from her lips. There was nothing visible around her, yet it felt as though an invisible whip had lashed brutally across the back of her thigh, delivering punishment.
Why does it hurt so much? No one but Miki has ever been able to hurt me…
“You do not know your sin.”
Wakako was stunned, unsure of what answer she was supposed to give. Wasn’t this what God wanted to hear? Or was there some other transgression she had committed?
She racked her brain, offering countless incorrect answers, enduring countless punishments, yet none seemed to satisfy God.
The statue remained veiled, its features obscured, yet somehow exuding an unexpected allure.
Allure?
Wakako’s heart skipped a beat. How could she use such a word to describe the untouchable deity?
Even after waking from the dream, a lingering sense of unease clung to her. What did God want to hear from her? What sin had she committed?
It was still early, the bells for morning prayers had not yet rung, but Wakako knew she couldn’t fall back asleep. She dragged her weary body out of bed, remembering to brew the medicine the doctor had prescribed.
The gentle bubbling of the small pot on the stove brought a semblance of peace to her troubled mind. Once it had cooled slightly, she drank the bitter medicine in one gulp.
Shortly after, Lin Lin, in the next room, also woke up. Having joined the squad later, she diligently practiced her fundamentals every morning. She yawned as she emerged. “Senior Sister, why don’t you get a bit more sleep?”
Wakako was already awake and had no desire to return to a dream where she would meet God again. Instead, she stood by, supervising Lin Lin’s practice, occasionally correcting her mistakes.
Gradually, Lin Lin’s movements with her weapon blurred before Wakako’s eyes, and before she knew it, she had drifted off to sleep, leaning against the wall.
“You still don’t know what you did wrong?” The voice that spoke wasn’t divine—it sounded familiar, like Miki, who had a habit of tugging on her sleeve and being unpredictable. “Why are you watching Lin Lin? Am I not enough for you to look at?”
Wakako was speechless. After a long pause, she answered, “She’s my junior sister…”
“So what? Did you leave me just to look at others?”
“I meet so many people in the palace every day. How could I possibly not see anyone else…”
“Are you even listening to me?”
Wakako wanted to say “no,” but the words caught in her throat.
The voice grew increasingly disappointed. “You weren’t like this when you begged me to add another finger…”
Enough.
Wakako tried to escape, but a hand held her firmly in place, preventing her from fleeing.
Until another voice called out, pulling her back to reality. “Senior Sister.”
It turned out to be Lin Lin. After finishing her practice, she noticed Wakako asleep and woke her, worried she might catch a cold.
Wakako wiped the sweat from her forehead, unsure if what she experienced was a divine punishment or a manifestation of her inner demons.
Lin Lin noticed her pale complexion. “Senior Sister, are you alright? If you are not feeling well, you should rest a bit more. We still have to meet with the Queen later.”
Her words reminded Wakako that she needed to bathe before meeting the Queen, so she went to freshen up.
This time, the meeting wasn’t in the study, but in the royal garden. This area was reserved for the royal family and one could only enter if summoned. Wakako had only been here once or twice before.
Deep within the garden, a few figures could be seen. Judging by the colors of their clothing, Wakako could guess who they were.
The Queen favored dark clothing in her leisure time, the Queen Consort preferred ornate accessories, the Crown Princess was the smallest in stature, and to the far right, the unmistakable white cloak…
Wakako’s steps faltered momentarily, but she continued forward, bowing respectfully as she and the others behind her greeted in unison:
“Greetings to Her Majesty the Queen, Her Majesty the Queen Consort… and the Saint.”
No one noticed the slight hesitation in her voice.
The Queen wasted no time with pleasantries and went straight to the point. “I believe Captain Hua has already informed you of the reason for this summons.”
Her gaze shifted to Wakako. “Lady Kitagawa, I want you to personally protect Tsukiyo.”
The Queen could see that Wakako was not in her best condition. She had visibly lost weight, her jawline more pronounced, a clear sign of insufficient rest. However, she didn’t comment on it.
There was no better candidate than Wakako, both in terms of skill and in considering the divine will. If God wanted her dead, there were countless ways to achieve that. She was kept alive only as leverage against the Saint.
As long as Wakako lived, Tsukiyo’s safety was assured.
Wakako lowered her head and spoke softly, “I will not fail.”
Tsukiyo moved closer, clinging to Wakako’s sleeve with a childlike dependency, and softly called, “Master.”
Despite her attempts to appear composed, the ten-year-old Crown Princess couldn’t completely mask the fear in her eyes.
Wakako gently patted her shoulder in reassurance. But then, she felt a cold gaze directed at her.
She instinctively searched for the source, her eyes finally landing on the figure in the white cloak.
But the Saint remained seated by the pavilion, her head bowed, seemingly oblivious to her surroundings.
Given the gravity of the situation, even though the Queen trusted them, she didn’t divulge all the details of the plan, only offering a general outline.
Alpha Squad of the mercenaries would be divided into two groups. Liu Siruo and Lin Lin would accompany Wakako, while Hua Yumu, Albert, and Carol would track the Crown Princess of the Eagle Kingdom.
Even though their strategy was to delay, they couldn’t just sit back and do nothing.
Hua Yumu came from a nomadic tribe. Growing up on the open plains with horses, cattle, and sheep, he became highly skilled at tracking lost animals. His abilities in reconnaissance and tracking were exceptional. Albert was a skilled archer, and before her injury, Carol was a strong close-combat fighter. Together, they were a well-suited team for tracking and assassination.
For the Crown Princess’s protection, Liu Siruo was skilled in disguise, and Lin Lin, being young and slender, was about the same height as Tsukiyo. With some clever disguises, their figures could easily look similar from behind. Since neither of them specialized in aggressive offense, they provided a good balance to Wakako’s strengths.
Omega Squad and Beta Squad also had their respective assignments. Tsukiyo had been raised within the palace and always wore armor on the battlefield, so few had seen her face. Deploying several decoy Crown Princesses to confuse the enemy was the ideal strategy.
“In the coming days, the ‘Crown Princesses’ will leave the palace and the capital,” the Queen announced. “You will blend in with them, heading in different directions.”
In truth, the Queen hadn’t initially planned to send Tsukiyo away. From her perspective, within the vast expanse of the royal city, surely there had to be a place where they could hide her safely.
Furthermore, the Eagle Kingdom hadn’t cultivated its own mercenary force, and their capabilities wouldn’t extend this far.
Even if they managed to infiltrate the capital of Mios, the Queen had a hundred ways to confuse them and keep Tsukiyo’s location hidden.
Her reasoning was sound, but the Saint offered a different perspective.
“Ruijun…” Miki sighed. “Think carefully. It won’t be that simple.”
Miki, born with noble blood as the Saint, had received divine favor from God, while Saburo had only gained a small measure of it by pleading for their mercy.
The Crown Princess of Mios was healthy, while the Crown Princess of the Eagle Kingdom was critically ill, unlikely to survive the winter.
In this game of power, although the two kingdoms seemed evenly matched, their resources were vastly different, even worlds apart.
And this disparity was exactly what God didn’t want. They sought a fair struggle between equals, where the stronger would prevail. There was no way they would allow Mios to win so easily.
Therefore, God would surely grant the Eagle Kingdom something else to level the playing field.
After careful consideration, the Queen agreed and made further preparations.
She gave further instructions to everyone, and after receiving their orders, Wakako and the others prepared to return and pack their belongings, ready to depart at a moment’s notice.
Just as Wakako was about to turn and leave, the Queen Consort, who had remained silent the entire time, suddenly spoke up: “Lady Kitagawa, please wait.”
She wore a polite smile on her face.
Everything that needed to be said had already been said. Even the Queen was puzzled by the Queen Consort’s sudden request, casting a questioning glance in her direction.
The Queen Consort maintained her flawless smile, seated gracefully on the marble bench surrounded by flowers, with a subtle air of melancholy. “It’s nothing important. I just wanted to ask Lady Kitagawa to take good care of Tsukiyo.”
A mother’s worry for her child traveling far from home was understandable, especially considering the Queen Consort’s deep affection for her daughter.
“Mother…”
Tsukiyo blushed, embarrassed by her mother’s public display of concern. Children of that age often tried to appear mature and independent, and she didn’t want to hear such sentiments. She quickly excused herself and ran off.
The Queen, having other matters to attend to, also prepared to leave as well. The others sensed that the Queen Consort wished to speak with Wakako privately and discreetly followed the Queen.
All except the Saint.
Dressed in her white cloak, the Saint had spoken little throughout the meeting, only occasionally adding a word or two behind the Queen, her presence so serene and pure that she seemed almost to blend in with the white roses in the garden.
She made no move to rise, and the Queen Consort seemed to welcome this arrangement.
“Lady Kitagawa,” she began, her voice gentle, “I bestowed the marriage between you and Miki, but I’ve always feared that I might have mismatched you two. Yet, I’ve heard from others that you get along well, which eases my mind.”
To those unaware of the true situation, having shared the battlefield and fought side-by-side with Miki, wouldn’t their bond appear strong?
“With the kingdom on the brink of great change, why not take this opportunity to settle down and proceed with the wedding?”
Then, the Queen Consort turned towards the Saint, a flicker of malice in her eyes.
“Miki, you are Lady Kitagawa’s former master, and coincidentally, you share the same name as her fiancée. Isn’t this a sign of fate?”
She could have addressed the Saint as “Lady Saint,” but she deliberately chose to highlight the identical pronunciation of their names.
The former concubine, knowing she would forever live in the shadow of the Saint’s brilliance, harbored a deep-seated jealousy. Over time, the envy had faded, but the resentment lingered.
Mil Miki, why did you have to stand so brilliantly beside my wife to save the Kingdom, while I’m stuck here in my chambers, drowning in my own sense of inadequacy?
I could overlook everything else, but why did you have to place my daughter in danger, leaving her to live in constant fear of assassination?
Tsukiyo is only ten years old, so bright, intelligent, and adorable. She deserves a bright future, not a tragic early death…
The Saint should also taste the bitterness of losing something dear.
The Queen Consort’s smile concealed a final, cruel blow. “Since there is such a fated connection, why not have the Saint herself officiate the wedding of Wakako and Miki…”
She savored each word.
“To. Officiate. The. Marriage.”
How would it feel, to watch the one you care for most become someone else’s spouse?
Wakako was stunned, caught off guard by the Queen Consort’s sudden proposal. She instinctively glanced at the Saint, but Miki remained impassive, her eyes downcast, her expression serene, radiating an almost unsettling air of benevolence.
She looked eerily similar to the figure in Wakako’s dreams, the statue with downcast eyes gazing upon her.
