The Talentless Wicked Prince Wants To Survive ~ The Only Way For Me, Reincarnated As The Punching Bag Third Prince In A Romance Smartphone RPG, To Live Is To Not Break Off My Engagement With The Duke’s Yandere Daughter Who’s Stronger Than The Heroine~ - Chapter 73: The Saint’s natural enemy was my most beloved fiancée

“Your countless insults toward my dear Haru-sama are worthy of death a thousand times.”

“Wh-What!?”

The tremendous pressure radiating from Sandra made not only Christia, but even me beside her, gasp for breath.

The air throughout the room we were in trembled, and the vibration cracked the window glass.

“S-Sandra…?”

“I don’t care whether you’re called a Saint or whatever. That doesn’t matter. I’ll tear that filthy mouth of yours apart right now.”

I cautiously looked up at Sandra’s face as she stood… w-what!?

Those endlessly deep sapphire eyes of hers were now glowing red like blood, and her pupils had become vertically slit, like those of a reptile.

W-what on earth was this…?

“S-someone… h-help!?”

“What’s wrong? Go ahead, call for a knight or anyone you like. But know that every last one of them will be drenched in blood… because of you.”

“Ah… aaah…”

Sandra curled her lips upward and took a step closer.

Christia, who had fallen from her chair, had a twisted expression of fear and crawled backward on the floor.

But…

“Fufu… a dead end.”

“Ahh…!?“

Reaching the edge of the wall, Christia was seized by Sandra’s right hand around her slender neck and lifted high into the air.

Even though Christia was light, could the not even one hundred forty centimeter tall Sandra really lift her so easily with just one hand?

“Guh… gah… ha…”

“Fufu. Just a little more strength, and crack, it’ll snap right off.”

Watching Christia struggle for breath, Sandra’s lips curled even higher… wait, this wasn’t the time for me to be standing here dumbfounded!

“S-Sandra! Please stop this right now!”

“Why should I? This woman mocked you, the supreme one, over and over in that match earlier, dragged you to a place like this, and then dared to say what must never be said. Should she not pay for those sins with her life?”

As if unable to understand my attempt to stop her, Sandra tilted her head slightly with a puzzled expression.

T-this was bad. My fiancée was seriously and dangerously bad news.

“I-I don’t mind! And besides, I’m sure the Saint must have had some reason for acting that way! R-right, Saint!?”

Holding Sandra back, I sought agreement from Christia, whose face had turned purple, and she nodded desperately.

“S-see! So let’s first just talk this through, no needless threats or anything!”

“…Be grateful to the supreme Haru-sama.”

“Gyaaaah!?”

Christia was tossed aside without care and crashed into the wall with a scream.

B-but seriously, what had gotten into Sandra…?

“Now then, since I went out of my way to spare you, explain what your intentions are.”

“Cough! Cough!”

“Can’t you speak?”

“Cough… aahhh!? I-I’ll talk! I’ll talk!”

Intimidated by Sandra, Christia prostrated herself on the floor in a perfectly graceful form, and in that posture confessed everything without hiding a thing.

First of all, in the Holy Kingdom, Christia was aligned with the Pope. As a Saint, however, she had to maintain the appearance of neutrality.

Having said that, it seemed like Lorenzo had repeatedly schemed to make use of her.

After consulting with the Pope, she planned to send a goodwill delegation to the Kingdom of Dehaubarz, and by leaking that information to Lorenzo in advance, deliberately set things up so that he would cause the “Saint’s Kidnapping Incident”.

She had the Holy Knight Carla accompany her, fully prepared to strike down Lorenzo.

And since the official purpose was goodwill toward the kingdom, she also intended to use this opportunity to secure allies within it. After all, two years from now, Christia was scheduled to study abroad at the Royal Academy.

Given that, it made sense to set her sights on Wilfred and me, who were both her age. But both of us, the “tainted prince” and the “talentless wicked prince”, had terrible reputations.

So Christia had decided to test us and see for herself what kind of people we were.

If we matched the rumors, she would avoid all involvement. If not, she’d try to form an alliance.

Still, even in forming an alliance, she wanted it to be on advantageous terms for her. She thus deliberately provoked me, trying to take the upper hand.

Wilfred? Unfortunately, he didn’t meet her standards.

“…A-and so, I never had any intention whatsoever of insulting Prince Harold. Rather, I truly hope that we can continue to build a good relationship from here on. It’s all true.”

Seeing Christia groveling so servilely, I couldn’t quite describe how I felt.

◇

“Fufu, I’m only joking. After all, Haru-sama has now gained the backing of the Holy Kingdom of Baltian and its Saint. I’ve no intention of ruining that. Besides… seeing that piece of trash getting carried away, thinking you might actually be interested in him, is just hilarious.”

“Y-yes! Exactly right!”

Right now, Christia was going all out to curry favor with Sandra.

Carla, who didn’t know what had happened between the two of them, had a rather awkward expression.

“A-ahem… But to think Lorenzo’s true identity was a vampire, I never would have imagined it. To have allowed such a being to run rampant within the Holy Kingdom is a grievous shame.”

Trying to change the mood somehow, Carla cleared her throat and brought up Lorenzo. Since I had memories of my previous life, I had naturally already known his true identity.

“There may still be other vampires lurking around like Lorenzo. Once we return to the Holy Kingdom, we’ll investigate thoroughly. And as for you, Prince Harold…”

“Of course, I’ve no intention of telling anyone about this.”

I pressed a finger to my lips in a shushing gesture and grinned.

“Thank you.”

“We are in your debt.”

Christia and Carla both bowed their heads.

Well then… that meant, quite by accident, that I’d just cleared Christia’s event from Engage Hazard.

The Saint wasn’t in a “romantic state” with me like in the game, but in a way, the result was even deeper than that.

And then…

“Everyone of the Kingdom of Dehaubarz, I’m deeply grateful for all your kindness.”

The day finally came for her return to the Holy Kingdom, and Christia gave a deep bow at the palace entrance.

Naturally, as hosts, Wilfred and I, along with Cardis, the foreign minister, and various officials, were all there to see her off.

“Christia… we’ll meet again, two years from now.”

“Yes…”

Wilfred knelt before Christia, gazing up at her with longing. The Saint, too, wore an expression faintly tinged with warmth. It was naturally all an act.

Well, maybe that was what it took to be a Saint.

“Prince Harold, truly, thank you for everything.”

“No, not at all…”

As if to escape from her conversation with Wilfred, Christia came over to me and took my hand… wait, what!?

“…Thank you for protecting me from both Lady Alexandra and Lorenzo. I will never forget your kindness, ever.”

She whispered hotly into my ear, her breath brushing it, and I froze stiffly on the spot.

I mean… What kind of ulterior motive was behind this? It was terrifying.

“Well then, farewell.”

Escorted by Carla, Christia boarded the carriage and departed the royal capital.

“…Haru-sama. What did the Saint say to you?”

“Huh!? N-no, it was nothing! She was just thanking me for everything that happened! That’s all, I swear!”

I hadn’t done anything wrong, yet Sandra’s voice was so chilling I thought I might freeze to death, and my own voice cracked in panic.