>>Amber

This is all Lyal's fault

That ass! I pursed my lips.

This is all his fault!! All because he ran his mouth while running on my birthday. He didn't just ruin the supposed special day for me, he ruined everything!

"I am not Corvina," I snapped. "And I don't appreciate your accusations." I didn't want useless trouble so I tried to talk calmly

Ravioli's eyes gleamed with malicious delight. "Oh, but you look so much like her. It's uncanny. Are you sure you're not following in her footsteps?"

The other women closed in tighter, their laughter ringing in my ears. I felt trapped, the walls of their contempt closing around me. Desperation clawed at me as I searched for a way out. This was so stupid and I hated every second of it.

Why can't I leave Corvina behind! She's dead! She died with everyone else in that fire years ago!

I let out a sigh

Instead of succumbing to fear, I felt a surge of determination. I straightened my spine and took a deep breath, meeting their gazes head-on.

"Listen carefully," I said, my voice calm and clear. "I am not Corvina, and I refuse to be judged by your narrow-minded comparisons. You may find joy in belittling others, but it only reflects your own insecurities and pettiness." I shook my head at him in disapproval, "You all are projecting yourselves. I can't believe how far down you all are, you can't even leave a dead person alone."

The laughter ceased, replaced by stunned silence. Ravioli's smirk faltered, uncertainty flickering in her eyes.

"You speak of disgrace," I continued, stepping forward with confidence. "Yet, it is far more disgraceful to bully and demean someone based on unfounded rumors. If you truly held any dignity, you would not stoop to such behavior."

"You don't know anything," Thorn said

"Oh, I think I know enough."

"Shut your mouth, you im-"

"You should keep your mouth shut!" I cut her off, "I can't believe how nasty and ugly you all are."

"U-ugly?" Honey was left stunned, "You-" She tried to speak but I cut her off again.

"And if I were Corvina, I'd be the most unluckiest and stupid person to have people like you around me." I scoffed, "Or is it perhaps that all of you are actually jealous of Corvina? She had the highest standing amongst all of you," Honey's lip twitched, and so did Rize's eye, "She had better clothing, better servants, better everything. Is that why you're all bitter?" I shook my head at them, "You're all quite pathetic. I think it's good Corvina died. At least she doesn't have to put up with you sorry lot."

"Hey!" Thorn stepped forward, "She was the most pathetic of us all."

"Doesn't look like it with how you keep mentioning her, you like her so much she doesn't leave your mind at all."

"She comes to mind because of your sorry face," Rize said, "You look like that bitch."

"Oh?" I smirked, "That 'bitch' that you all are jealous of?"

"We're not jealous of her," Ravioli spat her words out.

"Then I don't see why you want to bully me because I look like her."

!!!

They were at a loss.

"Clearly, you want to show you're better than this 'Corvina' but you're actually showing how far beneath you all are." I scoffed, "I bet all the rumors about her were started by you lot too. Because not a single person had any proof." I looked at them with disdain, "It's just you and your never-ending jealousy."

"You talk as if you know her," Rize said

"You said, I look like her, that means she was prettier than all of you." I didn't mean what I said. I never liked how I looked but I never showed it. But once I said that line, all four of them got angry.

Almost as if they were jealous of my looks

"Oh My God!" I looked at them in disbelief, "You all were jealous of her looks?' It was unbelievable.

Especially to me. Why? Why would they be jealous of that? Or, was it me? I just hated myself too much to see what I looked like.

Rize's face got red in anger, and she raised her hand to slap me but I was ready to stop her.

Although before she could do anything, her eyes caught the sight of someone walking towards us and the color drained from her face.

She withdrew her hand and backed away

"Why did you stop?" I heard a vaguely familiar voice coming from behind me, "Go ahead, show what kind of people you actually are." I turned around to see who it was as the girls left the formed circle and moved to one side.

I never thought I'd see this person here.

"I-we, we weren't doing anything," Honey said as my eyes met with Prince Nevan's

"Oh, I heard everything." Nevan came and stopped right beside me, "I heard you all verbally assaulting her," He folded his arms.

"Your Highness," Thorn shook her head, "No, we were just, talking about Corvina! You were, we were friends with her, and she looks exactly like her!"

Nevan's stern expressions didn't change, "You all were friends with Corvina, and yet after her death, this is the way you remember her?" His eyes held disdain for the ladies as well, "I said, I heard everything." And all four of them saw how he was looking at him.

"Your highness," Ravioli tried to speak but Nevan didn't want to listen to excuses.

"And you dare try to slander the Saint?" He glared at them, making all of them go pale, "The accusation against her was proven wrong, did you not get the memo?"

"That," Honey pursed her lips, "We,"

"It was a public announcement that Saint Amber had nothing to do with Saint Illaris's coma. Unless you all live under a rock, there is no way you wouldn't know." The more he talked, the worse his gaze got, "Yet you all tried to assault the saint? Clearly, you did that on purpose."

"We, we are just messing around." Honey said, "We didn't mean anything bad."

"I'm sure you did," Prince Nevan paused, "How many times do I have to remind you, I heard everything. Right from the start." He shook his head in disappointment, "I think you all need punishment.'

"Yes?" Rize was the first one who looked horrified, "Punishment." And then the rest of them realized the gravity of the situation.

"Guards!!!" Prince Nevan's voice boomed through the hallways. And he only needed to say it once and everyone could hear the sound of armor moving in a distance.

"Your Highness," Thorn stepped forward, "We weren't doing anything bad." She looked at me, "We were just having a friendly banter with the saint!" Her eyes were wide open, pleading

"That's right," The rest of them tried to move towards me, "We were just messing around!" Their eyes were on me as they tried to get closer but I moved away.

I simply went and stood on the other side of Prince Nevan.

They all looked at me as five guards came jogging over to us. The girls were pleading to me with their eyes. I guess they're all dumb, last time wasn't enough to warn them.

Their dresses caught on fire out of nowhere when they were messing with me and they didn't even think about how that happened?

I rolled my eyes

They must have healed nicely, if they're here to try and bully me again.

I'm sure Illaris healed them. I kind of feel sorry for her. She had to deal with people like these. This is why I didn't want to win the stupid event and be the Saint for nobles.

The elite faction always comes for minor things, thinking it's their right.

It must have taken a toll on Illaris's health.

Come to think of it. Now that she's in a coma, Lyal tried to put his hands on me. That bastard!

"Saint Amber," Rize said, "Please," Her voice trembled as she begged, "Tell the prince we were just joking around!"

"Please!!" They rest chimed in.

"Saint Amber," Nevan looked at me, "Is that true?" His expressions were still stern but the way he looked at me was different from the way he looked at the other four.

I looked at him, "Oh no, your highness, they were bullying me." My words horrified them even more.

"N-no!" Honey said,

"Your highness, we were just," Rize tried to speak to him but then changed her direction to me, "I'm sorry if we offended you."

"Yes!" Thorn said, "We didn't mean to!"

"Please," Ravioli begged, "We- we were just messing around!"

These idiots must think that since I'm a commoner, they can do anything to me since I have no backing. They didn't even care that I am the Saint, the only effin hope they have to avoid an apocalypse

I looked at the man, "Prince Nevan, they've bullied me before too."

Well, I guess, I am in luck. Nevan seems serious about taking care of them.

"Well, that's a pretty big offense. Bullying the saint of the empire." The guards came and stood in a line behind Nevan and I

"No, no, no," Ravioli and the others started panicking badly, but Nevan didn't care.

"Guards, take them." He ordered

"Your highness!! Please,"

"Let me call my dad!"

"I want my lawyer!!"

Nevan didn't listen. He didn't need to. As the Crown Prince, no one except the King and the Queen can challenge his decision, "You four are being sentenced to four months in the dungeon for assaulting the saint," I smiled. It's a good thing I'm the Saint. I hold too much importance. It's nice. The guard went ahead and grabbed them, "And for defaming a noble by spreading false rumors about her."

"What?" They looked at him in horror

!!!

But I wasn't expecting him to stand up for Corvina

I looked at him in shock

"Guards, take them to the dungeon immediately and inform their families."

"Yes, sir!" They all bowed and began to drag the girls away

"If any family has something to say about my decision, tell them they are welcome to come and talk to me."

I couldn't take my eyes off Nevan

He just looked too damn cool. The Crown Prince was mostly out of the country. As the person who was going to inherit the throne he was often traveling to neighboring countries for international relations

I didn't see much of him and I heard the King wanted him away from the palace so he wouldn't get caught in the war between nobles and their scheming.

Nevan turned to look at me

!!!

I flinched and looked away shyly.

Oh, damn

I hope he didn't see me staring

"I apologize that you had to go through that," His voice softened and I slowly turned to look at him again.

"No," I smiled softly, "Thank you. The way you took care of them, I could never."

He passed me a brighter smile, "You remind me of a noblewoman."

!!!

I wasn't expecting him to say that, but of course, I would remind anyone of her. I was her, after all.

"Dare I say, it's Lady Corvina?"

He chuckled, "Yes, You must have heard other people if you already know. Well, it would be impossible not to hear it when you look exactly like her."

I let out a sigh, "It seems everyone hates her."

"She was a poor soul." He looked away, looking out the huge wall-sized window

???

What? My heart felt like someone had squeezed it.

"A poor soul?" No one had ever said that before, "Why would you say that, Your Highness?"