I Reject the villain’s ending.

Episode 50.

After the failed chase after Moringa, I rushed to see if there was another attack, but that’s what was happening inside the prison.

When the crown prince told her that Sierra had saved her life, she blinked at him and asked.

“I thought you didn’t like me?”

“…….”

“I didn’t think you’d hate me so much that you’d hurt yourself to save me, but thank you anyway, Your Highness.”

Sierra gave a small laugh, and Iros wanted to run to her and scream that she was lying, that it was me who protected you.

“Why are you smiling at him, why? It was… me who saved you.’

The crown prince’s knights exchanged glances at Iros, whose mood had sunk.

I was at a loss as to what to do, seeing my lord lying to me and the people watching.

At that moment, Iros, his expression calm, entered the cell first.

“Saint.”

Iros, why are you hurt like this, what kind of flesh-eating bastard took our child……!”

Sierra jumped to her feet and rushed to Iros, shouting at the knights who followed, asking if they had any medicine or bandages.

Iros took in Sierra’s concern and locked eyes with the crown prince behind her.

It was the crown prince who averted his eyes first.

“Now that the charges against me have been dropped, we should probably get back to the temple. Can you teleport us there?”

“Leo, do you think you can?”

“Yes. I’ve collected the coordinates of the temple.”

“Then send them to me now. Crown Prince, I’ll make a formal complaint at the temple about what happened today later, but thank you for saving my life.”

“Of course.”

The crown prince’s knights handed him the Sword of Iros and cast a teleportation spell.

A large magic circle formed beneath her feet, and with a small bow to the crown prince, Sierra returned to the temple with Iros.

Looking at the empty prison, the crown prince rubbed his face bitterly.

“I never thought I’d be such an ugly man.”

One by one, the knights watching him disappeared with magic. He was left alone in the rainy space.

* * *

Moringa appeared with one of his severed arms and flopped down in his chair.

“Phew. I’m back, and I didn’t kill the holy woman but don’t scold me, I have some news for you.”

“What is it?”

“You know, the guy stuck like a stick of gum next to the holy woman. He’s one of us, and I was confused for a moment when he used his holy power, but when we fought him, he was one of us.”

Moringa paused for a moment, then spoke again.

“What other half-man-half-horse could wield such a familiar power?”

The power to grab the scattered darkness. The power to grasp it and snap it in half.

It’s a power demons nor humans possess, only half-demons are born between them.

“He’s a freak, too. I wonder how he managed to get into the temple. If he lived there, he wouldn’t live long, as the divine power would constantly drain his life.”

“If he’s using the divine power himself, he won’t have much of a body left, won’t it normally be destroyed?”

“That’s what I’m saying. He probably won’t live another ten years, unless he gives up his holy power and leaves the temple.”

Moringa muttered bitterly, remembering Iros, who had fought to the end with his broken body to protect the Saint.

“You know best when shortening your lifespan, you fool.”

What a human.

After muttering that, Moringa closed his eyes.

* * *

I returned to the temple and immediately took out a potion to heal Iros.

“Ugh!”

“Hang in there, hang in there, huh? It hurts a lot.”

“Saint. Ah! There.”

“Here, here? Does it hurt here?”

“Ouch!”

Iros let out a muffled scream and clutched me tightly in my arms.

I didn’t know what to do as her white face turned bloodlessly blue and she cried out in pain.

Where the hell am I going to attack this pretty little girl, I’ve turned her into a rag!

“Hmph! Saintess, power, power!”

“Sorry!”

In a moment of anger, my hands overextended as I healed the wound.

Tears hung from the corners of his eyes and he bit down hard on his trembling lips.

I’m so sorry, I’m so sorry……. My sweet puppy.

“Pink, how did you get hurt like this, did the raiders go to you too, the crown prince said there was a raid on me, so they must have gone to you too?”

“…….”

Iros turned his head and averted his gaze at my question, a rare occurrence.

Sensing something was amiss, I called out to him.

“Pink?”

“The crown prince, the one who said he saved.”

“Why is that?”

“Do you believe it?”

“…….”

Why would you suddenly say this…….

“You don’t?”

“…….”

“Pink, answer me, I’m asking you if it’s me.”

Iros’s lashes fluttered as he clutched the bed sheets.

It looked so painful, I gently squeezed her cheeks and locked eyes with her, as if soothing a child.

“Pink, look into my eyes.”

“…….”

“If you don’t want to answer, at least make eye contact.”

Iros’s lips, which had been tightly closed, opened.

“You’ll know when I look you in the eye, just as I know what it’s like to look a saint, and you…….”

I know. Iros and I have been stuck together for nine years.

He wasn’t the only one who could tell what the other was thinking just by looking at him.

I can read him too.

In the briefest of glances, I read in his eyes…….

“What’s so wrong with you, my pink?”

“Look, you’re reading without permission again.”

Iros murmured his voice husky, and leaned his forehead against my shoulder.

“Saint, don’t laugh at the crown prince.”

“……?”

What the hell was that?

I yanked Iros out of my arms in disbelief.

I looked at his reddened eyes and flared nose as he snorted and blinked back tears.

“I know,” he said, “I know who he likes.”

“What?”

Favourite? Who am I?

A strange sound came out of my mouth as I began to believe the crown prince’s words.

I wondered what kind of absurdity this was, so I decided to listen.

“Didn’t you smile at the crown prince, who rarely smiles at other men?”

That’s because the crown prince saved my life, and I’m not exactly the kind of vassal who keeps a straight face to a benefactor.

“He also touched my arm and hand when we talked……. as if he didn’t like to be touched.”

I was just checking for wounds because there was blood.

I’m sorry if you hurt yourself trying to protect me.

“Besides, Crown Prince, aren’t you handsome?”

“He is, I admit.”

He nodded, then paused and met Iros’s eyes.

“I’m sorry, did I say that in my upbringing?”

“Look at that! You’re a saint after all……. black.”

Raising his head, Iros finally made eye contact with me and sobbed.

Then he shouted.

“You like the crown prince!”

You like him! You do! You do! You do! You do! …I hate him!

Iros’s voice echoed through the room, though there was a strange hallucination added at the end.

“I know you as well as you know me. No, I know you better. I’ve noticed.”

No. I don’t think so, Pink, I think you’ve got something wrong here.

“What are you talking about?”

“No, this crazy dangling is telling me that I like the crown prince?

Is he saying that?

What a load of bollocks. What a load of bollocks.

Who said she’s perceptive?! He’s almost blind!

“Pink, let me think for a moment. Where and how did you get it wrong to conclude that I like the crown prince?”

“It’s…….”

Thus began the tale of Iros’s internal delusions.

In it, I was a poor fairytale princess, the crown prince was a prince from a neighboring country, and Iros was a dwarf.

“Oh, no?”

I squeaked at him as he looked at me quizzically.

“Are you kidding me?! That delusion in your brain?! You think that makes sense?!”

“Are you sure it doesn’t?”

“How many times do you have to tell me it’s not, you pink shit puppy, I can’t believe I’m saying it.”

“Oh.”

“Do I look like someone you’d like?”

“I don’t think so.”

“Yeah!”

Iros blurted out, burying his face in his hands, half in disbelief, half in embarrassment.

“Haha. I’m glad you weren’t.”

“Why are you glad, that I’m not in love with the crown prince?”

I asked, teasingly, and Iros shot me a sour look.

“No, no, I don’t mean that in any particular way. Oh, yes. The crown prince…….”

Iros’s eyes widened as he remembered something.

“So the crown prince, the bird, the bastard.”

“Honorific.”

“The bastard.”

“Ugh.”

I’d given up trying to stop Iros now.

He’s been blatantly disliking the crown prince since the first time he saw him, and he’s only just begun to leave the palace gardens.

Iros hugged me tightly from behind, his cure complete, and purred adorably.

Long story short, Iros’ snitching time had begun.

“That grey-haired maid showed up and attacked me with a whip with this big blade and no real weapon, and tried to kill the priestess.”

“What?”

“So I tried to block it with my dagger, but it broke, and I blocked it with my whole body, and then towards the end, the crown prince came and blocked a few swings of the whip at her.”

Iros hugged me tightly and grunted.

“And while I was chasing after him, he went to the holy lady and lied to her, saying that he had protected her……!”

I was so furious, I didn’t know if I was going to jump up and down, or if I had some strength left in me now that I’d drunk the potion.

“I think it’s kind of cute that you’re saying, ‘Tsk, tsk, tsk, tsk, tsk.

Maybe it was because of the beanstalk, but Iros looked very cute talking for so long.

“So, the crown prince, the bird…….”

“Honorific.”

“Don’t trust that bastard, he’s very devious and untrustworthy.

“Okay, that’s the fifth time I’ve heard that.”

“Ah.”

Iros shrugged, embarrassed, and hugged him from behind.

He realized he was repeating himself.