Chapter 135

“Your Highness, Crown Princess! Are you truly feeling better now? Unless my eyes are deceiving me, your complexion looks so much brighter…!”

I hurried over in a fluster, making a fuss, and Delphinia smiled softly at the sight of me. Unlike her usual pale, weary expression, her face was radiant.

“As you can see… I’ve recovered. Like a miracle. It’s all thanks to Muriel.”

“I’m so, so glad!”

I sat beside her and clasped her hand tightly. She looked at me with an apologetic expression.

“I heard… you used an Elixir on me. Such a precious medicine. I don’t even know how to begin thanking you…”

“Please don’t worry about that! I’m just so happy that Your Highness is healthy again.”

“……”

She watched me beam and answered with a quiet smile. There was something luminous in her eyes—something deeply moved.

“…Muriel, you’re truly a good person. I… I hope someone like you finds happiness. Absolutely.”

“…!”

Why did those words strike so deep?

No—if I’m honest, I think I know why.

Because I want good people to be happy, too.

It’s easy to live with malice. Easy to harden yourself. That’s why I think people who choose kindness instead—who discipline themselves toward goodness—are incredible.

The world so often rewards the wicked, lets them thrive without consequence. Even so, I want to see stories—like something out of a fairy tale—where fortune finds the kind instead.

If Delphinia feels the same way, then I’m sure we can become close.

…But for some reason, I grew shy. I ducked my head and muttered under my breath.

“I hope you’ll be happy too… Your Highness.”

“…Call me Delphinia. Delphin is fine, too.”

I slowly lifted my head. Delphinia was watching me quietly, a warm smile resting on her lips.

I pressed my lips together, then finally whispered, my voice trembling,

“D-Delphin….”

“Yes, Muriel.”

My heart gave a sharp, electric thrum.

‘Ahhh, what do I do~!’

It felt like I’d suddenly gained an older sister. Is this what it’s like to become friends with your favorite idol?

I swallowed the scream rising up my throat and instead gave her the brightest smile I could manage.

Delphinia smiled back at me—gentle and affectionate, just like a real unnie.

I heard later that Cerulia had come to the Crown Princess’s palace as well.

True to form, prickly as ever, Cerulia hadn’t attended the banquet. She’d claimed dealing with people was exhausting.

She’d gone to bed early, only to hear the news about Delphinia the following morning. Apparently, she’d run all the way to the Crown Princess’s palace in a panic….

At the time, Delphinia still hadn’t regained consciousness, and it seemed Cerulia had sobbed her eyes out, terrified her sister-in-law might die.

‘I knew it. She’s actually kind.’

“There’s no such thing as a bad cat in this world….”

“Hm? What are you talking about all of a sudden?”

“Nothing.”

I answered Lycian with a small smile.

Mortified that she’d broken down crying in front of Delphinia, Cerulia had apparently locked herself in her chambers and refused to step out until the following evening.

It was only when the Empress suggested hosting a banquet to celebrate Delphinia’s recovery that she finally dragged herself out.

And of course, Lycian seized the opportunity to tease her relentlessly.

At last night’s imperial banquet, he’d nearly gotten himself killed.

Cerulia had looked ready to stab him with her fork in a fit of rage.

Thanks to the Empress’s deft mediation, disaster was avoided—no fork marks left on the back of Lycian’s hand.

I shot him a look and scolded him lightly.

“Lycian, stop teasing your little sister so much.”

He lifted one brow in protest.

“You wouldn’t know this, Muriel, but when Cerulia was little, she bullied me constantly.”

“You definitely started it. I can tell without even seeing it.”

“You don’t trust me? I was such a sweet older brother.”

I narrowed my eyes at the fox who lied as easily as breathing—just as the sound of approaching hoofbeats reached us.

Clatter, clatter!

And the rumble of wheels rolling over paved stone.

I turned my head toward the noise.

A carriage was racing along the road that led into the imperial palace.

‘They must be here.’

Today, we were heading to inspect the dungeon that had become mine.

Naturally, together with the Veratis Guild members.

It went without saying that bringing dungeon experts along would be a tremendous help.

‘I’m really glad I befriended them.’

Nodding to myself at the importance of networking, I looked up just as the carriage pulled to a stop before us.

Click.

The door opened, and four people stepped out in turn.

Dante, Rena, Camilla, and Mikhail.

As soon as our eyes met, Camilla beamed.

“Murielll~ have you been well? We only saw each other briefly at the engagement ceremony…. But somehow, you look even more tired than you did then…?”

“H-haha….”

I could only laugh awkwardly.

Why would I look tired? Because of Lycian, obviously.

As I squirmed, Mikhail added dryly,

“I’m relieved your life looks less miserable than we expected…. Though… in a different way, you look pretty miserable.”

“Hahaha….”

I genuinely had nothing to say.

I just wished they’d all pretend not to notice.

Otherwise, I might actually die of embarrassment.

“Well then, shall we head out immediately? I’m extremely curious what the deeper levels of that dungeon look like. We’ve never made it that far ourselves.”

Dante clapped his hands lightly, wrapping things up.

His eyes were practically blazing—bright enough to be called dazzling.

He looked thrilled at the thought of exploring the dungeon….

‘Terrifying.’

In any case, thanks to Lycian’s teleportation magic, we arrived comfortably at the coast of Vintzheim.

Whoooosh—

The sound of waves rolling onto the sandy shore filled the air.

I opened the Secret Door first and brought Ninabel out from my subspace.

“Hi, everyone~!”

“Oh my, Ninabel.”

The ever-sociable spirit happily greeted the guild members.

The part of her that resembled cheeks—if you could call them that—was flushed a soft pink.

‘Wait, where’s Nigel?’

Ninabel must have been thinking the same thing. She buzzed around Dante and asked,

“Where’s Nigel? Didn’t he come?”

“Nigel’s on a mission. Why, did you want to see him?”

“Yeah…!”

The droplet nodded eagerly. Dante chuckled and gently stroked her.

“I’ll let you see him later. For today, it’s just us going into the dungeon.”

“Okay!”

And so, we walked along the coast until we reached the dungeon entrance.

What awaited us before the grand, palace-shaped white structure was—

“Greetings to the Saintess!!”

An elite unit of the Holy Knights, lined up in perfect formation.

Through the slits of their silver helmets, their eyes gleamed as they stared at me.

‘Dozens of fanatics….’

T-terrifying.

I instinctively faltered, and the man standing at the very front stepped forward crisply and bowed.

“I am Roev Denian, Commander of the Holy Knights. We have been waiting to salute the exalted Saintess in person!”

I asked, my voice trembling,

“F-for how long…?”

His reply came, bright and vigorous.

“There is no need for Your Holiness to concern yourself with that. We are sturdy!”

“Excuse me? No, I—”

Don’t tell me they’d been waiting here since the day we cleared the dungeon? Camping out?

‘They’re out of their minds!’

Isn’t it normal to go home once the job’s done…?!

“To finally behold the Saintess in person—khh—words cannot express my emotion!”

Please don’t cry. And the rest of you in the back, too.

Meanwhile, Lycian was nodding as if he understood their feelings perfectly. Who even are you.

I couldn’t just let them go like that—it weighed on my conscience—so I handed out jars of raspberry jam.

“I made this myself….”

“The Saintess’s handmade jam…!!”

Commander Roev lifted a jar high into the air, tears shimmering in his eyes.

“I shall preserve this as a treasured family heirloom for generations!”

No, you’re supposed to eat it.

Ganesha was like this too—what is wrong with everyone?

After the Holy Knights carefully gathered up their raspberry jam and departed, we entered the dungeon.

Beyond the massive arched doors, a vast garden unfolded before us, lush with blue-green foliage.

‘Wow. This is insane.’

You could even see the sky!

How was this possible? Was the dungeon… operating on a similar principle to my subspace or the Hidden Shop?

At the end of a long, straight path stood a palace as white as snow.

Similar to the building by the shore—but even grander.

And between the paths ran shallow waterways.

Clear turquoise water shimmered under the light of the sky.

As I looked around in awe, the system displayed a notification.

Ddi-ring!

‘T-this is broken…!’

Normally, no one gives a conqueror perks like this.

This… was something only I could do.

‘Heh heh heh, everyone. I’ve become a cheat character again.’

At this rate, I’m almost afraid of how far my “status” is going to rise….