[Adaline was a source of strength and support for Genevieve.]
[If Shane was her first savior, then Adaline is the one who helped her get back on her feet and find her footing.]
[There was no doubt who she trusted more.]
And it was precisely this support that she lost before her eyes.
Adaline died protecting her.
This loss left an indelible wound in Genevieve's heart. She could not forgive herself, and threw herself into her work, as if seeking punishment.
But even the work did not bring satisfaction.
[Although after Adaline's death, her purification abilities fully awakened, compared to the previous Saint, they seemed insignificant.]
She couldn't even imagine that Adaline would be in danger again. When Genevieve cried, lamenting that she was not strong enough, Adaline always answered with the same confidence that she would succeed.
[And when Adaline said it, it seemed like it would be so.]
[Genevieve tried her best to justify her faith.]
[And this has always been her driving force.]
---Genevieve's rooms were still in the same part of the palace where she had previously lived as a guest.
The location is not the best.
Currently, the palace was almost empty, but with the approach of the Winter Foundation Festival, invited guests were arriving, and it would soon be filled with people again.
[The Crown Prince considered giving the Saint a separate wing of the palace in honor of her wedding to her bodyguard, but her husband, Harrison, was horrified by the idea and it was abandoned.]
The Pope of the Church again and again begged to return the Saint back, but Edwin categorically refused.
Both attacks took place on the territory of the church, and now she herself could not dispute the argument: she should not be left in a place where her safety could not be guaranteed.
[So Genevieve temporarily left her main duties and began to adjust her schedule to the requirements of the Imperial Court.]
Despite the fact that the ball season had not yet begun, salons, tea parties and social meetings were often held in the warm halls.
Sometimes there are full-fledged receptions, among those who had enough time and money.
Today was just one of those evenings.
Since bodyguards are prohibited from attending balls while on duty, Edwin naturally became Genevieve's companion.
“You know, it’s quite a piquant feeling to accompany a married lady. Forbidden fruit, as they say." - he said with a grin.
"Don't be stupid." - Genevieve snapped dryly.
“By the way, since Adaline’s return, you’ve become sharp-tongued.”
"I? No way." - she laughed.
In five years, even that invisible wall that used to stand between them managed to disappear.
“If your husband wasn’t here, she could have come alone.”
“According to tradition, an unmarried sister is a companion at balls. But accompanying the princess in the presence of the Saint would sound absurd. And now you are the object of primary protection.”
"..."
Genevieve still hasn’t told Edwin about the black spell that Adaline has already told about.
But she was sure: [he had already dealt with the culprit, quietly, in his own way. So the score is settled.]
[Adaline said that Genevieve is capable of anything... But she has not yet proven it herself.]
“If you dress up like this...”
"..."
“No one will think that you are a Saint, Genevieve.”
Edwin smiled widely. Genevieve just blinked in response, not knowing how to react.
“You look like a real aristocrat.”
“Um...Thank you...” she muttered uncertainly.
[It was unclear whether this was a compliment or irony, but Genevieve decided not to look into it.]
[If you take Edwin's every line seriously, you'll go crazy.]
[She realized this in their second year of dating.]
“Ah, here they come. How dare they steal all the attention.” - he muttered.
Genevieve cocked her head.
The reason why she and Edwin came to this boring ball in the first place was because of these two.
After their wedding, the Duke and Duchess of Blanchard, Shane and Adaline, kept a low profile for a long time. But now, as if waiting for the right moment, they reappeared in society.
In addition to purely women's events, they appeared at all receptions, always together.
[It seems that Lady Adaline is investigating something.] Genevieve thought.
[Since Shane doesn't interfere, it means there's nothing dangerous.]
[They appeared every now and then at receptions with the Bertrand family, and did not miss a single ball in Delmez.]
[And thanks to this, in less than a month, Adaline's popularity again reached its former heights, like five years ago.]