Althea: The Legendary Saintess [Shoujo]

Regalus and Laila entered the room first, heading towards the bathroom and dressing room at the back. Following them, Siegfried and Althea stepped into the room.

Upon entering, Althea immediately stopped in front of a golden, gleaming painting hanging on the left wall.

"Your Highness, what is this painting? It looks like a map, but it seems slightly different from the map of this world. And is this material... gold?"

"Ah, this? I asked His Majesty about it a long time ago. He said it’s titled 'The World of Beginnings.' It’s uncertain whether this is true, as it’s just an oral tradition, and no one knows who painted it. I asked the headmaster when I first entered the academy, and he gave me the same answer. So, at least as far as the common knowledge of this world goes, it’s considered 'true.' As for the material... I thought it was gold too."

"Is it not?"

"To be honest, even that is uncertain. It’s definitely not gold. At least, it’s not any material known to me or His Majesty."

"A material unknown to even His Majesty...?"

As Althea murmured to herself, she looked at the painting again. At its center, where the principality would be on a modern map, a faint small door-like shape appeared.

"Ah!"

Althea reached out to touch the small door-like shape that had emerged on the painting.

Siegfried, who had heard Althea’s murmur, reflexively grabbed her other hand.

Almost simultaneously, as Althea's hand touched the doorknob-like shape on the painting, they both felt a sudden, powerful pull. The next moment, they found themselves standing in a meadow filled with small, beautiful flowers with white petals.

"Where are we...?" Siegfried murmured as he looked around.

"This must be... inside the door from the painting. I apologize, Your Highness. Because I held your hand, you were dragged in too."

Realizing he was still holding Althea’s left hand, Siegfried hurriedly let go.

"Oh, I’m sorry. I felt like I had to hold on, or you would disappear..."

'That’s right, it felt just like that time at the end of the long vacation, when she jumped into that 'hole' at the academy gates that I couldn’t see. I felt like if I let go, she would go off on her own again...'

"You felt you had to hold on? Do I still seem that reckless to you? I’m trying to be more cautious, you know."

Althea said, laughing softly.

As Siegfried watched her long, silvery hair flutter in the wind, Althea suddenly turned serious and looked around the flower field.

"Is this... another world? There’s sunlight, and the field is covered in chamomile flowers... Ah!"

Althea suddenly dashed off, and Siegfried hurried to follow.

Where Althea stopped—

—lay Ciel, in human form, surrounded by chamomile flowers.

Althea knelt beside Ciel and called out desperately, "Ciel! Ciel, I finally found you. Please, wake up! Open your eyes, Ciel!"

Responding to Althea’s call, Ciel slowly opened their eyes.

"Where... am I?"

As Ciel looked around, Althea, with tears in her eyes, embraced him tightly.

"I’m so glad... I was so worried when you suddenly disappeared. But the goddess told me. She said you were separated from your body and mind, and that I needed to find you. She said if I found your body and called out to you, you would wake up. So I..."

"I see... I was cursed by Philip..."

Ciel murmured, staring at his own hands.

"Why were you cursed?"

Reacting to the word 'curse,' Althea, with a pale face, asked, and Ciel began to recount what happened.

On the day of the martial arts tournament, after Philip's intrusion, he had chased after Philip as Philip disappeared with Althea’s hair. He fought to prevent the demon from taking it, both suffering severe injuries, and Ciel’s body was consumed by the curse. Losing consciousness, he wandered in darkness until he met the goddess of darkness, who separated his spirit from his body.

"Why did the goddess separate your spirit and body?"

Althea asked, and Ciel replied.

"The goddess said that if she tried to lift the curse that was consuming my spirit, my body would be too damaged to survive. When I said I didn’t want to be separated from you, she reassured me, saying that she would tell you to come find me. She also said that if left unchecked, the curse would affect those important to me. So, I chose to sleep here."

"Is the curse gone now? I don’t see any wounds on your body..."

"Probably."

Ciel's response to Siegfried’s question was somewhat ambiguous.

"Probably? If the curse isn't lifted, wouldn’t Althea be in danger too? We need to be sure—"

"It’s alright."

Althea said firmly, interrupting Siegfried’s concern.

"How can you say that so confidently?"

Althea lowered her gaze, hesitating at Siegfried's repeated question.

'Can I tell him about what the goddess said? Is it okay to reveal that I was chosen as the Maiden of the Dusk? What if he stops me, like my brother and Laila did...? No, His Highness will understand my feelings; he bears the weight of the nation...'

As Althea clutched the fabric near her chest, Ciel came closer, offering support.

"Althea, are you okay? About that 'mark'... I know. The goddess told me. She asked me to be your medium. She said that if I do my job well, you'll be safe. So, don’t worry. Just follow your heart. I’m on your side."

Ciel's soft, reassuring words brought a smile to Althea's face. She took a deep breath, looked up, and met Siegfried's eyes with determination.

"Your Highness, there's something I want to show you."

"Something you want to show me? Right now?"

"Yes."

Sensing the gravity in Althea's expression, Siegfried nodded. Althea began to loosen her collar, and Siegfried panicked.

'The person I've secretly loved for ten years is unbuttoning her collar in front of me... Is this a dream? Am I harboring such improper thoughts about Althea?'

"Wait, Althea! There’s a proper order to things, and I haven't even told you—"

With a serious and calm voice, Althea interrupted his flustered rambling.

"Order? What are you talking about? Siegfried, please, look at me!"

At Althea's earnest plea, Siegfried took a deep breath and slowly opened his eyes. What he saw made him question his own vision.

Engraved on Althea's chest was a 'mark' he recognized.

"Wh-what is that...?"

Siegfried’s voice trembled.

"Didn’t you read about it in the texts?"

Althea responded with an incredibly calm voice.

"I did, but that's not the point... What I want to know is, how did you get that 'mark'?"

'It's unbelievable... No, I don't want to believe it... because that mark...'

Siegfried slowly shifted his gaze from Althea's chest to her face. Her expression was filled with unwavering resolve.

"Is this why you can say 'it's okay' with such certainty?"

"Yes."

Althea began to recount the events of the night when a flash of light engulfed her. She lost consciousness and met the goddess, who advised her on finding Ciel. She explained how her brother were aware of this and opposed making it public. She deliberated whether it was appropriate to share such a story with the crown prince, but decided that honesty was necessary to seek his cooperation. She detailed everything from the night of the flash to the next day.

After listening to her story, Siegfried remained silent with his head down. Finally, he spoke.

"Althea... I agree with you."

"Eh?" Althea asked, thinking she had misheard.

"I agree with Regalus. You don’t need to sacrifice your life for this prayer."

Siegfried looked directly at Althea and firmly declared his stance. Althea, surprised that the crown prince would say such a thing, questioned him.

"Why? Why would you say that, Your Highness? If things continue as they are, the world—"

"The world...! No, you're right, Althea. It's not something the crown prince should say. But what about my feelings as a man? Must I always be the crown prince, even now?"

Siegfried, clutching his head, took a deep breath and continued.

"Althea, please listen to me as a man, not as the crown prince. I... I love you."