Taming the Evil Saintess

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Azar de Elbrecht was observing the incidents occurring in the Imperial Palace from a safe distance. Being a Count from a minor lordship in the Auriga Desert, he had no justification for getting involved in the Empire’s major affairs, and stepping into troublesome matters was not in line with his temperament.

Thus, Azar spent his time in the residence provided to him, oiling the leather on the newly received iron axe from Olmen, while playing with Blackie, who had transformed into a cat and was purring contentedly.

A late evening brought an unexpected guest into Azar’s peaceful life.

“Hey, open the door.”

Hearing the urgent voice of Saint Ophelia Meredein, Azar unlatched it. Ophelia, having rushed over, was panting on the other side of the entrance. Azar frowned.

“Saint, what’s the matter? At this late hour.”

“I have something to discuss.”

“Discuss?”

“About relationships between men and women.”

Ophelia had a bad habit. She tended to think that what she knew was also known by others, and this time was no different. She omitted the subject in her question, and rather than ask her directly, the taciturn Azar guessed the matter through his own contemplation.

‘The Saint is asking about a relationship, it seems her bond with Elliot has become a bit awkward.’

That was a reasonable assumption. However, it was also a misjudgment.

“Come in. This might take a while.”

“Sure!”

Ophelia entered the room with a bright smile. Was it common for a married woman to step over another man’s threshold at such a time? Azar pondered briefly whether he should reprimand her for it but decided against it, recalling her fierce personality.

Settling at the round table inside the room with Blackie resting on her lap as a cushion, Ophelia cleared her throat and began to speak.

“Um, Azar, you were a married man once, right?”

“Yes.”

“I thought you might be knowledgeable about this sort of thing.”

“You came to the right place.”

Azar nodded. Although he had failed to protect Aria and found himself a widower, ironically, he was the one with the most experience among the heroes.

A newcomer seeking relationship advice was a piece of cake for Azar.

“So, Saint. What issue brings you here?”

“I told you. It’s about relationships between men and women. To explain roughly… um, it’s about infatuation, I think? I’m not sure.”

“Do elaborate.”

“Well, on the girl’s side, she has feelings, but on the boy’s side, things are rather ambiguous.”

“Ambiguous?”

Azar furrowed his brow. Hadn’t Elliot repeatedly shown his affection through his actions? Had something transpired without his knowledge?

“Umm… to put it simply… the girl is showing her affection continuously, but the boy seems indifferent, busy with something else. The girl must be feeling quite frustrated.”

“…”

While Ophelia was talking about Cecilia and Albrecht, Azar had no idea about it.

At the same time, Azar’s gaze shifted to Ophelia’s lower abdomen. Though it wasn’t noticeable yet, in a month or two, her belly would start to swell.

He had sensed for some time that Ophelia was carrying new life. Albrecht, who accompanied her, had zero experience with relationships, so he wouldn’t have known. As for Azar, he was a veteran in this regard. Ophelia’s excuses held no water.

In short, Azar quickly understood that the relationship between the pregnant Ophelia and Elliot had soured.

It was easy to surmise why Elliot had become lukewarm toward Ophelia. It wasn’t that he had lost interest in love. This was just a cute dilemma for a newlywed. Thinking this, Azar smiled gently.

“Most likely, the man is concerned about how to treat the woman.”

“…What do you mean?”

“She’s carrying his child. Soon to be a father, and his wife is now a lifelong partner, so it’s natural for him to be worried about how to maintain their relationship going forward. It’s a common issue. And it’s one that time will fix without much fuss.”

“…Huh?”

Ophelia blinked in surprise.

Azar chuckled softly and continued.

“Saint, the fact that you’re pregnant is not something for a hero to shy away from. He will likely be happy about it internally, though he might find it hard to express. Being unable to face his wife is all part of that inner turmoil. In time, Elliot will approach you first. You just have to wait.”

“…”

“If that’s bothersome… it might be good for you to open up your feelings first. There’s no man who wouldn’t indulge the whims of his wife carrying his child.”

Ophelia’s mouth fell open.

However, it seemed she wanted to say something but couldn’t find the right words, so she closed her mouth firmly.

Azar judged that her reaction stemmed from the innocent and tender feelings typical of her age.

That fierce Saint would soon become a decent wife and mother. Azar felt a new sensation as he spoke again.

“Don’t worry. When I was with Aria….”

“Wh-what are you talking about?”

Before Azar could finish, Ophelia abruptly stood up, causing Blackie, who had been lounging on her soft thighs, to tumble to the floor with an annoyed meow.

But more loudly than that, Ophelia shrieked.

“Kyah! What nonsense are you spouting! Wh-who’s pregnant!”

Ophelia picked up the axe resting on the table and swung it at Azar’s temple with all her might.

*

It took quite some time for the misunderstanding to clear up.

With a bruise on his forehead, Azar realized that Ophelia’s dilemma wasn’t about him. Simultaneously, he also understood that her pregnancy was still a secret.

“…Well. I spoke too rudely. My apologies.”

Still clutching his throbbing head, Azar said. Ophelia, with her hands properly gathered beneath her knees, pulled Blackie closer and pointed to her belly, nodding.

“…Well, I guess I didn’t say enough…”

Only after being struck did Ophelia realize her mistake, her face flushed with embarrassment. She looked up at Azar shyly.

“Um, but, was it obvious that I was pregnant?”

“…”

Was she worried about that?

Azar couldn’t fathom why she would want to hide it, but it was their decision, so he decided to respect it. He waved his hand dismissively in response.

“It would be hard to notice for a while. I plan to keep it a secret too, so there’s no need to worry.”

“Well, that’s a relief…”

Ophelia finally seemed reassured and sighed in relief. In sync, Blackie mewled softly.

“Um…”

An awkward silence lingered, and after some thought, Azar spoke.

“So, who were you talking about when it comes to relationships?”

“Cecilia and Albrecht, those two.”

“Hmm?”

“It seems Cecilia has feelings for him. But Albrecht appears unresponsive, possibly due to being busy.”

Azar rifled through his memories.

Having spent considerable time with the three famed warriors of the continent, he recalled that Cecilia Ethelgarand had shown particular interest in Albrecht compared to him.

She had comforted Albrecht after he killed Aaron in the Ice Palace and seemed quite worried when he had left to pursue the Hell Duke, restless late into the night.

It was astonishing to realize this now, having heard Ophelia’s words.

“…That makes sense.”

Azar comprehended.

He didn’t feel the need for the Saint to step in and connect them.

“So, what am I supposed to suggest?”

“Well, it’s simple. Lady Cecilia just needs to be recognized as a woman by Albrecht.”

“Don’t make it sound like something easy.”

“…Who do you think I am, an Archmage?”

Azar narrowed his eyes.

Upon hearing Emily’s name, Ophelia smiled wryly and scratched her cheek.

“It’s a simple matter. Lady Cecilia just needs to take a more proactive approach.”

“…You mean the girl should take initiative? Doesn’t that look bad?”

“Not at all. Men are always drawn to assertive women.”

“Was that the case with Aria too?”

“Aria did put a lot of effort into sharing gifts. She would help remove anything stuck in my hair or flash a cute, cheerful smile over dinner. After returning from a monster hunt, she’d prepare warm wet towels.”

“…”

“Why do you ask that?”

“Nothing… It just sounds typical.”

“Typical?”

Azar replied, and Ophelia displayed a peculiar expression as she spoke.

“Well… now that I think about it, Elliot and I only have memories of fighting…”

“…”

It was clear that these two were irregulars.

“Everyone experiences love in different ways, just like the stars in the sky.”

Azar did his best to soften the statement.

“So, how can Cecilia be more proactive?”

“I just told you. Lady Cecilia needs to take the lead.”

“How does she go about that?”

“Didn’t you say there’s a command center?”

Azar was growing increasingly frustrated with the mundane life in the Imperial Palace.

At just the right moment, the Saint had come with an interesting case, so there was no reason to refuse.

“Count me in.”

“Yay!”

Ophelia rejoiced.

Golden Lion Azar had joined the team.