The Heroines Who Framed Me Are Clinging to Me

Chapter 8 - Disqualified Saint

The Demon King was dead. And with him, the traitorous hero from another world had also been beheaded.

The continent had been freed from the terror that had gripped it for decades.

Naturally, the people rejoiced.

Festivals were held daily, couples formed, and celebrations abounded. With the fear of being captured by the Demon King gone, travel between cities increased. Trade flourished, even in the once-isolated frontier towns.

People, buoyed by the newfound peace, spent money freely, increasing the demand for luxury goods, and the economy grew.

It was a time when everything seemed bright and extravagant.

In later years, this era would be known as the \'Era of the Bubble,\' a period marked by excess and unsustainable growth.

But that was years away.

For now, everything was still vibrant and flourishing.

◆

The day after Lloyd was sold at the auction, the atmosphere was tense in the grand conference room of the Holy Constantine Cathedral.

A meeting presided over by Saint Aria was being held, and today, the mood was particularly unsettling.

"It\'s... it\'s dangerous. We have to find him. If we don\'t... the Demon King will..."

At the center of the room, Saint Aria mumbled in a trembling voice.

A murmur spread among the gathered clergy. Despite their devout appearance, most of the high priests were middle-aged men, stern and intimidating, which made Aria feel small.

"Saint, your voice is too soft. Please speak more clearly."

"I-I’m sorry. The thing is... in the prophecy I received... we must find him..."

"What are you talking about?"

High Priest Julius, who was in charge of the cathedral, spoke coldly.

Aria was afraid of Julius.

In truth, she was intimidated by all high-ranking men. Despite being revered as a saint by everyone, she still felt small in the presence of powerful figures, especially those who seemed menacing.

At times like this, she couldn’t help but think of him.

The one man who had always treated her kindly, unlike the others.

\'...Lee Han.\'

As his name crossed her mind, Aria quickly shook her head.

She couldn’t allow herself to think of him.

She had been told that Lee Han was a bad person, that his kindness was just a way to manipulate her. She had been warned not to be swayed by his words.

But...

But, on the day of his execution, he had...

"Say something, Saint. Don’t stay silent. Unlike you, we cannot hear the prophecies."

His insistence made Aria want to cry.

He knew. She had recited the prophecy countless times. She had warned them that the seed of the Demon King was sprouting and that a child bearing the mark of the hero would appear at the auction!

She understood why he was being so harsh.

It was a subtle way of undermining her authority.

It was envy and jealousy. The priests didn’t use harsh words, but they were masters of cutting down others in a roundabout way.

"At yesterday’s auction, we should have found the child with the hero’s mark... If we don’t, the Demon King will become stronger... and the continent will..."

"Haha, how can the Demon King be a threat when we have the beloved Saint with us? Isn’t that right?"

Another mocking tone.

"Hahahaha!"

"Indeed. As long as we have the Saint, what need is there to worry about the Demon King?"

Now, all thirteen archbishops in the room burst into laughter.

They were wary of Aria.

And they had every reason to be.

After the Demon King was defeated, Aria had been elevated to the status of a saint, the first in a hundred years.

As the embodiment of \'good\' against the \'evil\' of the Demon King, she had drawn countless followers to the Deus Church.

Pilgrimages to see the Saint at the Holy Constantine Empire’s cathedral were constant.

The church, which had suffered from a lack of faith due to its failure to deal with the Demon King, suddenly found itself in a golden age.

The number of followers quickly surpassed half the continent’s population.

Donations poured in, filling warehouses to the brim.

The Deus Church was enjoying an unprecedented revival.

All thanks to Saint Aria.

Items she touched became \'holy relics.\'

Water she drank became \'holy water.\' In fact, even the wells that supplied that water were deemed holy.

The Saint’s Guardian Knights, a force dedicated solely to protecting her, had become the largest organization within the cathedral.

At this point, Aria stood even above the High Priest in the eyes of the common people.

But within the Holy Constantine Empire and the cathedral, the High Priest still held the highest authority. The cathedral was a political entity, and the power structure established by its leaders was solid.

This was why the archbishops were wary of Aria.

"I... I’m insignificant. We must find the boy with the hero’s mark. If we don’t..."

"Saint."

"...Yes."

High Priest Julius let out a deep sigh.

His gaze was as though he were reprimanding a child.

He remained silent, allowing the tension in the room to build.

The silence and the sharp gazes of the archbishops felt like needles piercing Aria.

It was an obvious attack.

She hated this feeling.

Lee Han.

What would it be like if Lee Han were here?

Lee Han was clever.

He could easily outwit the archbishops in any verbal battle.

The conversations they used to have echoed in her mind.

‘If the Demon King is gone, your popularity will rise. But that’s when you need to be careful.’

‘Why?’

‘Look, the core of power in the cathedral lies with the High Priest. The archbishops handle the day-to-day affairs. There are thirteen archbishops and the High Priest. That’s the power structure.’

‘...Okay.’

‘But now, you’ve suddenly become a saint. They’ll act happy on the surface, but do you think they’ll really leave you alone?’

‘...Why wouldn’t they? I helped defeat the Demon King... No, we defeated him together. Shouldn’t I be rewarded?’

‘This is why people from other worlds are so naive. Listen, everyone will praise you. You’ll quickly become the most supported figure in the cathedral.’

‘...Okay.’

‘So, don’t you think they’ll be envious or jealous? I’m certain they’ll try to tear you down. They’ll try to control you. You need to be prepared.’

‘How...?’

‘Dominate them. Rule over those cunning, old foxes.’

‘B-but... I’m not good at that...’

‘Get a grip. There are no exceptions. In politics, the weak are devoured.’

Lee Han was always right.

For now, the common people worshiped Aria as a saint, so the clergy couldn’t treat her too harshly.

‘...But if my popularity ever wanes.’

They would surely come after her like wolves.

Or perhaps they would handle it more elegantly.

Like accusing her of being a witch...

"Th-that\'s... that\'s why..."

But her mouth wouldn’t move.

She had always relied on Lee Han for things like this.

Without him, she could only be flustered and lower her head.

— Tsk tsk, the Saint is really hopeless.

Even the archbishops didn’t hesitate to mutter complaints in her presence, but she could only flinch and fail to respond.

They had completely subdued her.

"In fact, the reason we couldn’t secure more boys was because Princess Aina of the Empire and Claire of the Harold Trading Company were also involved. It’s not something to blame us for."

High Priest Julius pounded the table with his fist.

Thud, thud, thud.

"Eek."

Aria flinched, hunching her shoulders.

Julius continued.

"Saint, you’re acquainted with the other two heroes, aren’t you? You need to speak with them."

She needed to fight back.

She needed to get a grip.

Aria clenched her fists.

She tensed and relaxed them several times before finally lowering her hands.

"I-I’m sorry. I’ll try to find him."

"Remember, if by any chance the hero’s mark falls into the hands of the Blood Cult..."

Julius stared at Aria as he finished his sentence.

"The continent is doomed."

Aria bowed her head.

She was lacking, inadequate.

Since Lee Han’s death, that was all she could see in herself.

◇

After the meeting ended, Aria staggered back to her quarters.

The largest bedroom in the cathedral.

It had been prepared specifically for the Saint. It wasn’t overly lavish, but it was supremely elegant and grand.

A room where simplicity was a form of beauty.

Aria collapsed onto the bed.

The soft covers wrapped around her. It was undoubtedly a plush and comfortable bed, yet for some reason, Aria could never sleep well in it.

"If only things were like they were back then..."

She missed the rough bedding they had laid out on the ground when they were hunting the Demon King, the lumpy makeshift bed in the tent Lee Han would set up for her.

— Clench.

Aria gripped the blanket tightly.

She was struggling.

She felt lonely.

She was in pain.

Everything was supposed to be better now that the Demon King was dead.

But she was more miserable than she had ever been while they were fighting the Demon King.

The three heroes had been torn apart.

And Lee Han...

"......."

Aria bit her lip.

Whenever she thought of his name, her mind became clouded.

She remembered him silently setting up the tent, smiling as he remarked how fortunate it was that the ground was level today.

She remembered his gentle concern, warning her to stay vigilant even after the Demon King was defeated.

She remembered the way he had rushed to save her whenever she was in danger, always the strong protector.

In her memories, Lee Han was undoubtedly...

A good person.

Lee Han.

When she first received the prophecy that he had been resurrected, she had felt a flicker of happiness. But she had quickly forced herself to deny it.

"There was... there was evidence."

There had been clear evidence.

Evidence that one of the hero’s party had been in league with the Demon King.

Aria squeezed her eyes shut.

And shook her head.

‘I can’t... I mustn’t believe it.’

Even the three heroes, despite their strained relations, had agreed to come together and decide what to do if they found the reincarnated Lee Han.

There were only nine years left until the Demon King’s resurrection.

How would she navigate the coming years?

Aria felt utterly lost.

...It had always been Lee Han who had guided her.

"...I need to stay strong."

He was a bad person.

Aria repeated it to herself once more.

But.

Every time she did, one image would appear in her mind.

The execution ground.

The crowd of spectators.

And Lee Han, bound at the neck.

The sharp blade of the guillotine.

And...

The look on Lee Han’s face just before his death...

The emptiness.

The deep sense of betrayal.

The expression of someone who had given up everything.

...The profound emptiness.

That smile.

If that smile had been genuine...

Then what had she done?

How could she ever atone for it?

"...Ah."

Tears streamed down Aria’s cheeks.

She couldn’t even begin to imagine how she might apologize to Lee Han. And if—if by some terrible chance he had fallen into the hands of the Blood Cult...

"No... that can’t happen..."

The Blood Cult was the most malicious of the heretical sects, notorious for sacrificing people to summon demonic beings.

Aria pulled the blanket over her head.

All that could be heard beneath the blanket was the sound of her soft sobs.