I Was Reincarnated as the Prince in a Villainess Story, so I’ll Use My Cheat Knowledge to Create a Noble Lady Harem and Make Them All Happy - 13

Chapter 13: The Future of the Chosen Saint

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The moment Valis saw Reina step into the bedroom, he felt his mind go completely blank. On the bed, still carrying the lingering warmth of the night before, Milia sat up with the blanket pulled around her. And before the door stood his fiancée, her cool blue eyes quietly fixed on them.

He tried to open his mouth, but no words came out.

“R-Reina… This is…”

He couldn’t even manage an excuse. Guilt burned through his reason, and more than anything, the realization that he had betrayed Reina’s feelings constricted his chest. But then, the next voice he heard was far too cheerful for the situation.

“Reina~! Good morning! I thought you’d come. …See?”

Beside him, Milia smiled brightly and flashed a peace sign at Reina.

“Eh…”

His thoughts couldn’t catch up. Valis looked back and forth between the two faces, feeling as if he were dreaming. Reina’s expression had been hard at first. But the sharpness softened, and in the next instant, she smiled gently.

“There’s no need to look so frightened, Your Highness.”

It was a kind, compassionate smile. Not the smile of a woman who had just caught her fiancé cheating.

“I am not angry. In fact, you were far more sincere than I had thought.”

Those words slowly warmed Valis’s heart. He had expected anger. To be blamed. To be rejected as despicable. But… She didn’t do any of that. Reina took a seat and began to speak in a calm voice.

“Rather, I must apologize for this matter. Though there was a purpose behind it, it resulted in deceiving you, Your Highness. I am truly sorry.”

Reina bowed her head solemnly as she offered her apology.

“This entire incident was a scheme planned between Milia and me. …Originally, we expected that the moment you returned to the estate, you would go straight to her.”

At that moment, Valis’s brows twitched slightly.

“However, you chose to prioritize your official duties, organizing your records before merely returning to your own chambers without going to her. …I was truly pleased by such restraint.”

Her voice was clear and direct. There was no sarcasm or pretense in it. She spoke as if offering proof of her trust. Unspoken emotion welled up in Valis’s chest. Yet even so, he couldn’t stop himself from asking.

“…Even then, why… Why did you give Milia to me?”

At his question, Reina lowered her gaze slightly, exchanged a brief look with Milia beside her, and began to speak quietly.

The House of Elfein was a prestigious noble family that followed a matrilineal line of succession.

For generations, its women had carried both the family’s intellect and responsibility, preserving its strength through marriages that brought in capable men from suitable lineages.

Normally, for Milia to inherit the house, she would have taken a knight of merit or someone from a count’s family or lower as her husband. But as the “Saint loved by the gods,” she possessed a power far too great.

“If that power were to be bound to a careless man, it could become a spark that ignites the kingdom itself.”

Power and bloodline. Whomever Milia bore a child with was a matter of grave political concern for both the royal family and the ducal house. Thus, three families—the Elfein Dukedom, the Agreia Marquisate, and the royal family—had held secret discussions.

The conclusion they ultimately reached was….

“That Milia would bear your child, and that the next heir of the ducal family would be born of it. You, who possess both merit and character, and whose bloodline poses no risk of political strife… Welcoming your lineage as Milia’s successor… That was the most peaceful and certain choice.”

Valis widened his eyes at those words. It was a future he had never imagined. Yet at the same time, he understood how carefully it had all been planned.

“Originally, we had intended to inform you in advance. However…”

Milia took over the words with a gentle smile, though her eyes carried a quiet resolve.

“Reina and I asked to handle it ourselves. We wanted to talk to you properly, just between us. Because I wanted you to understand, not through words, but in a way that truly reached you.”

Her eyes were serious. The explanation was reasonable enough, but more than that, it wasn’t because anyone had forced her. It wasn’t that she had become a pawn in some political marriage. It was her own will. Even so….

Valis had one last question he had to ask.

“…Are you truly all right with that, Milia? Even if I’m not a man who will love only you?”

For an instant, Milia’s expression darkened in surprise. Her eyes glistened faintly with moisture.

But soon after, she smiled again, bright and full of life as always.

“Fufu… In this whole kingdom, I think only you are worthy of me, Valis-kun!”

There was a faint glimmer of tears behind her smile, but it wasn’t sadness. It was the unwavering resolve of a “Saint” who sought to be wiser and stronger than anyone else.

Valis decided to meet that smile head-on.

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Some time later, Milia left the room to bathe and change. As silence settled once more, Reina slowly spoke.

“…You won’t ask me the same question you asked Milia?”

『Even if I’m not a man who will love only you.』

Reina spoke with an expression that seemed to say she already knew the answer. Valis thought for a moment, then gently shook his head.

“There’s no need to ask.”

At that answer, Reina smiled in quiet satisfaction. Valis still didn’t fully understand why Milia had chosen him. But in her final smile, he had felt a strong and unmistakable emotion. That Milia truly cared for him—of that, there was no doubt. And he also realized that this entire situation was likely the result of Reina understanding, supporting, and helping to fulfill Milia’s wish.

Reina was someone who could place another’s feelings above her own. And she could do it naturally, sincerely, without any pretense. Valis was now certain of that. For someone like him, who often became blind to his surroundings when fixated on something, a person like Reina was truly a stabilizing force.

“…You really are fit to be the mother of this kingdom.”

The words slipped out before he realized it. Reina blinked once, then curved her lips into a teasing smile.

“In that case, Your Highness must first make me a true mother, mustn’t you?”

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