༺ I Don’t Need a Guillotine for My Revolution ༻
Written by – 카르카손
Translated by – Mara Sov
༺ Civil War Period – The Saint ༻
Saint Eris.
Her real name was Erisliste Lilianne De Francia.
A daughter of a mistress who became a royal consort after gaining the favor of the former King through her beauty and wit.
Little is known about her time in the Capital.
Rumors have it that she had frail health and was being cared for by the King, but she vanished alongside her mother when the King died at the beginning of the Civil War.
After her disappearance, she became the elusive Saint during the plague, operating mainly in the southern parts of the Kingdom to treat the sick.
She was the only royal who earned the respect of the common people due to her kindness and monstrous divine power, even then, she never proclaimed herself a Saint or boasted about her Royal lineage.
The only reason her lineage was revealed was because the Holy Church had failed in their attempts to make the Princess an official Saint of the Church, and because of her refusal, the Church then leaked her secret after tracking her down.
By being branded as a Witch by the Holy Church, and with her being a Royal, the mad Revolutionaries sent her to the guillotine with a maniac glee.
I only heard of this news through some documents, and I never met her in person.
So, I imagined her as a compassionate saint or a dignified princess……
“Ah, and that’s why the Knight’s tale became a legend.”
Eris concluded her story with a note from her harp and stood up, bowing in a theatrical manner like some third-rate bard.
Clap-Clap-Clap—Someone here was really into it……
……Sir Gaston, the stern and serious Knight was clapping while crying.
The shy and embarrassed demeanor she had when first asking to share our food was nowhere to be seen.
“Phew! All that show made me hungry!”
That’s what she said as Sir Gaston and François quickly sliced a piece of wild boar meat and served it to her.
François was Eris’s escort. Although he looked like a simple middle-aged man, both Sir Gaston and I could clearly see that he was a Knight.
Though I’m a bit doubtful whether Sir Gaston is taking this seriously……
With wide eyes, Eris settled down her harp, took both pieces of meat in her hands offered to her with a content smile.
“Thank you!”
……When did my Knight become this Princess’s servant?
Regardless of my discontentment, Eris began to eat, blowing on the meat in her hands and taking turns on bites.
When she first appeared, she was dressed in those suspicious clothes, but now she had taken off her veil and gloves, revealing her face and hands.
Her skin was pale.
While most noble ladies tend to have a skin tone similar to that, her’s was even beyond the normal. It was pale enough to misunderstand her as a ghost under the moonlight.
……And also, she eats a lot.
No, seriously, where is that food going?!
She seems to be in her mid-teens, but this girl already ate half of the boar by herself!
Sometimes, she would sing between her bites, playing her harp, and even dancing to a song or two, and the fact that she was quite skilled at this made it difficult to deny its enjoyment.
The image of a noble saint I had is thoroughly shattered now.
No matter how you look at this, she’s no saint, just a gluttonous bard.
As I poked the fire to pass the time, Eris spoke to me.
“Thank you so much! I can’t remember when was the last time I had such a delicious meal! You see, Uncle François is not very good at hunting, so……”
“Ahem.”
Looking at the embarrassed François, I tried to give him a hand.
“Hunting is usually the job of well, hunters, not Knights.”
“Ahaha, that’s true!”
“……Why were you avoiding us?”
“Ah, that’s simple! I thought you were a servant trying to take me as a private healer of some noble. So, I figured that if I avoided you for a few days, you’d give up! But guess what? I got soo hungry I was about to collapse!”
The offhand remark I made about the Knight’s job was simply laughed off.
And she made no attempt to hide the fact that I knew they were avoiding us.
She spoke so cheerfully that it almost felt wrong to press her about it.
All the conversations until now had been like this.
I honestly can’t tell if she’s just an airhead, or if she’s a master at diverting the topic from a conversation.
Surprisingly, I don’t feel the need to interrogate her.
“I’m sorry for the trouble we caused. Even if it was unintentionally.”
Eris smiled wryly as she uttered those words, and without realizing I found myself staring blankly at her.
Her long snow-white hair fluttered in the wind, turning slightly red in the firelight of the campfire, and shone silver under the moonlight.
Her eyebrows were just as white, but her pupils were deep purple, creating an illusion of looking at a very mystical creature rather than a person.
Her very presence was captivating, though I’m not sure if she’s aware of this or not.
While Eris herself is still young her appearance could be described more as ‘cute’ rather than ‘beautiful’, her charisma was completely different from simply being attracted to a beautiful woman.
It was a mixture of her exotic looks, her exuberance, and her peculiar behavior. Whether she was a saint or a witch, her presence alone could trick people into believing in this.
“Speaking of which, Isn’t it troublesome to wear this much clothing?”
“I’ve been sensitive to sunlight since birth. And it draws too much attention.”
The truth about her peculiar taste in clothes flowed out smoothly. We had identified ourselves as nobles, and Eris introduced herself as a simple traveler. Yet, Sir Gaston’s polite behavior towards Eris felt natural.
No one could mistake this girl as a commoner by the way she looked and her atmosphere.
I thought about what I could do next.
I had prepared many avenues to persuade the Princess to come back with us to the Marquisate.
But looking at Eris now, none of those would be likely to succeed.
Taking a light breath, I opened my mouth.
“Ms. Eris.”
“Yes, what is it?”
“Since you came to us, I take it that you’ve decided to listen to what I have to say?”
Eris fell silent, her expression became extremely subtle.
This was the first time since she had joined us that she seemed at a loss for words.
So, I made good use of this chance to tease her a bit.
“I truly hope you didn’t come here just because of the smell of the boar, right?”
“No……That’s exactly why I came.”
“……”
“Kidding! I was thinking you wouldn’t leave until I heard your words, so I was wondering If I should meet with you……And then that delicious smell……So I thought, ‘Why not?’ and that’s why. ”
So she lost the smell of the food after all!
Rubbing my forehead, I looked at Eris who was smiling innocently before saying.
“As I said, I’m the Acting Marquis of Lafayette, and I want to invite you as a guest to the Marquisate.”
“Is it because I can cure the plague?”
“I won’t deny it. Any lord would want such a person by their side, should they know what you can do.”
“Hmmm. What If I refuse?”
When Eris said this with a smile, François and Sir Gaston suddenly became tense.
“Why?”
“There are many sick people here.”
“Hmm, is there a reason as to why you are prioritizing this region? It seems you already treated quite a few here. And I’m sure there are a lot of sick people in the Marquisate as well.”
“……From what I’ve heard, the Marquisate of Lafayette is well-off thanks to you. On the other hand, when I first arrived here, this land was severely needing my help.”
It was a bit embarrassing hearing praise about my handling of affairs from her mouth, but I didn’t let it show and changed the subject.
“Are purely trying to help those in need? It’s just that then why don’t you go North? The people there are desperate for help.”
“……If I go North, then I’ll end up forced into the role of combat medic, whether I want it or not. I would also be compelled to treat only one side — either His Highness the First Prince or His Highness the Second Prince’s army — And help them kill the enemy.”
Eris spoke in a tone that was utterly calm as if she was explaining things to a child.
So that’s why she chose here. I didn’t expect this cunning from her.
“And for that reason, I do not wish to accept the proposal from Lafayette, who supports His Highness the First Prince……If I have the choice.”
“My Lord……”
Sir Gaston looked at me, perhaps wondering If I would be taking Eris by force.
I could do that, but she’s a Princess. Moreover, It’s clear to me that I wouldn’t be able to control her that well.
After thinking about it, I said,
“I’m sure there would be many who would covet you, even if it were not Lafayette. There are already people calling you a saint, aren’t they?”
Eris nodded without hesitation.
“The plague may be rampant now, but it will subside soon. When that happens, the nobility will chase after you. Do you plan on living as a fugitive? You don’t seem to have the skills to support that lifestyle.”
“Ugh, normally I could live off just by singing or playing music, you know? But now, because of the plague, it would be horrible of me to take something from them, and with the Marquis following me around……”
“So, If the nobility were to pursue you, you’d starve.”
Eris closed her mouth with an audible click.
Now that the conversation had reached this point, she seemed more like a girl her age, and I felt a little bit more relaxed.
“What If I became your sponsor instead?”
“Sponsor?”
“Yes. You have many talents, and it’s not uncommon for nobles to sponsor an artist. You will stay in the Marquisate as an artist, and when you leave, you’ll be under the protection of Lafayette. How about that? At least it would be easier for you to do as you want, rather than running away from the nobles.”
“What about the military service?”
“I assure you I won’t impose any military service on you. Formally, you’d be an artist I fancy. Of course, being under the protection of Lafayette, you would become famous eventually, not even putting your healing acts into consideration. But there should be almost no persecution from the other nobles, and you will have more opportunities to do good.”
Eris thought about it for a moment before turning her gaze towards Francois, who simply bowed to her.
“May I ask something, Your Lordship?”
“Of course.”
“As you know, I can heal the sick, but that’s not enough. If I have the freedom to act under your banner as you proposed, then you should provide funds for charitable activities, then there’s nothing more I could ask for.”
Eris paused for a second, before adding.
“But what do you want, My Lord? I don’t think you’re doing this just to have me as your exclusive healer. What do you gain from this?”
Eris’s wide purple eyes were so intense that it felt like they could see through any pretense.
Should I admit I know she’s a Princess? No, revealing such a deep-buried secret would only make her more wary.
At the end of the day, I’m not the Marquis yet. And if her secret leaked I won’t be able to protect her.
After much deliberation, I simply told her part of the truth.
“A wave of change is coming to the Kingdom, the nobility and royalty are blind to it. The commoners are being pushed to their limits, so there will come a time when they won’t sit back and accept this treatment anymore. And I, a Noble and Lord, think that being affiliated to someone like you, who can receive the love and support from the masses, will only stand to gain.”
“So, you’re trying to win over the people’s hearts through me?”
“Indeed. That’s why I won’t be restricting your freedom. Should you accept my proposal, I’ll support you with anything in my reach. Should you wish, I’ll help you start your healing activities in this area, as you hoped.”
“You’re being quite blunt.”
“Should I have spoken as If I was enlightened by the saint’s purity, and now will live the rest of my days doing charity?”
“No……That would have been rather suspicious, wouldn’t it?”
Eris chuckled at my words as she stood up.
Her actions made the snow-white hair ripple in waves, gleaming in the moonlight, as she gently lifted the hem of her robe in a polite bow.
“I gratefully accept your generous offer, Marquis of Lafayette.”
The girl who flawlessly bowed to me, slowly lifted her head, her purple eyes gleaming with mischief.
“I look forward to working with you, my dear patron.”
TL Note: Eris referred to Pierre as Marquis and not Acting Marquis or My Lord, I opted to leave as such.
But please keep in mind that the Actual Marquis is Pierre’s dad who is fighting the Civil War.
