How To Survive As a Villain on the Verge of Death

“I greet Her Highness, the Princess. God bless you.”

It seemed that this old man was the high priest.

“I am sorry that this old man should have gone out to meet the princess himself. As you can see, believers flock to receive blessings ahead of the festival.”

The high priest broke into a cold sweat and started making excuses. She looked back at the 10 or so visitors who filled the main building. Even including the priests standing at the entrance, the number was less than fifteen. Now, it seemed that the high priest left Eve to the other priests and was hiding there using the followers as an excuse. The high priest was still looking at Eve with fearful eyes as if she were a demon. It must have happened to Eve on a regular basis.

So she talked with a kind smile.

“Nice to meet you, High Commissioner. I asked to see you because I have something to tell you in person.”

“What could it be…?”

“Wait a minute. Bring it this way.”

As she beckoned, the attendants from the imperial palace moved the jewel box into the main building. The high priest opened his eyes wide at the jewels coming out of the box.

Seeing that, she pointed to the box and said in a calm voice.

“I want to donate all the jewels here to the temple.”

“You mean all of this?”

The high priest confirmed her words with a trembling voice.

“You want to donate all that to our temple?”

“Yes that’s it.”

The High Priestess looked at her blankly with his wrinkled eyelids raised. He didn’t seem to understand what he was just hearing. Even the chief priest who came with them, as well as the visitors who were watching them from around, looked at them in disbelief.

‘It’s unbelievable.’

Eve donating her stuff… Eve was never one to give her things to others. She did not give out one of her common ornaments to anyone. Even though she piled up a mountain of jewels, she always tried to rob others.

Naturally, her biggest victim was Sorel, the heroine.

She scanned the jewels in the box with her eyes.

‘I took out Sorel’s things in advance, so it’ll be fine.’

As soon as she realized her situation after waking up there, she had ordered her ladies-in-waiting to pick out and put away the jewels and trinkets that Eve had brought from Sorel, no, that she had stolen. Those things had to be returned when she met Sorel one day.

She pointed to the jewels in the box and smiled benevolently.

“It’s something I’ve been using for a long time, but they are still very valuable, so I hope you accept it.”

She trembled with modesty in a gentle voice, but the jewels that filled the box all shone brilliantly.

The high priest’s eyes were so unbelievable.

“You mean you really donate these things?”

“In fact, that’s it.”

She stroked the box and said in a voice filled with deep remorse.

“These are the jewels of my memories. Before I get married, I want to change for the people of the Empire. Please use them for the poor who are suffering from the severe cold.”

Upon hearing her words, the two priests made even more strange expressions. It seemed that the people in front of her were confused as to whether or not she was the real Princess Eve.

“Are there any problems?”

“Oh, no. Princess”

The high priest came to his senses and extended his thanks.

“It is a very merciful decision. This old man doesn’t know what to do to pay back this…”

“If you don’t mind, can I ask you a favor?”

She asked, interrupting the high priest’s words. The high priest flinched and raised his head. An expression of ‘yes’ crossed his wrinkled face.

“Say anything. If I can help, I’ll be happy to do so.”

“I want to take the flowers of the sacred tree.”

“The flowers of the sacred tree?”

The sacred tree was a sacred tree called the blessing of the Gods. The flower that bloomed from that tree was a rare treasure that could only be touched with the permission of the high priest.

The high priest showed a slightly puzzled look. He seemed confused as to why the notorious princess asked for a sacred flower.

“I’m sorry, Princess. The flower of the sacred tree is such that even this old man cannot carelessly pick it…”

The high priest blurted out his words as if he was embarrassed. Was he saying he couldn’t give it to her?

‘I can’t do without that flower.’

She asked again with a worried heart.

“Is this too much of a request?”

At that word, the high priest flinched as if struck by lightning.

“Oh, no, Princess. Of course I have to give it to you.”

The high priest hurriedly bowed his head and apologized. A drop of cold sweat ran down his wrinkled forehead.

She asked because she was worried that it might be too difficult a request. It seemed that he interpreted it as ‘How dare you refuse my request?’

‘Well, it’s not worth being embarrassed like that.’

Eve was a child who cursed and threw teacups at ministers who were the same age as her grandfather. Originally, she had a carefree personality, but thanks to the Emperor protecting her while she was cheap, her personality got worse day by day.

‘Anyway, Eve’s notoriety is helpful at times like this.’

The old High Priestess grabbed the shoulders of the chief priest who was a few steps away.

“The sacred tree is at the center of the garden. You can take whatever you like. The chief priest will guide you.”

The High Priest seemed to want to hand her over to the chief priest and run away as soon as possible, and the face of the chief priest who took over me suddenly turned pale.

“This is it, Princess. Let me guide you.”

That how she ended following him toward the center of the temple.

* * *

The Great Hall boasted an enormous scale, befitting the headquarters of the Imperial Temple. On her way to the central garden, she passed through three gates and passed two minor temples. It was when she walked for a long time and went deep into the temple that…

“Ah…”

In the middle of the snow-covered garden of the Great Temple, she saw a white tree standing in white snow.

That was the Holy Tree. The tree of the God that was at the center of the great Temple.

She was about to step into the flower bed, but the priest next to her was startled and stepped forward.

“Ah, now, please wait a moment, Princess. I’ll call someone right now to clean it up.”

She looked up and saw that the white snow was piled up on the square flower bed where the sacred tree was planted. She passed him and stepped into the flower bed without hesitation.

“It’s okay.”

As she stepped onto the white snow field, cold snowflakes stepped on her shoes. The chill that permeated her body and the snowflakes that wet her shoes didn’t matter at that moment. What mattered was the person who would go there right now.

She stepped over the snow and reached for the tree.

“Wow, princess, your gloves…!”

Nell pulled out her glove in amazement as Eve caught the flower with her bare hands.

“It’s fine.”

Without hesitation, she picked off the white flower that bloomed between the branches. She heard Nell gasping for breath behind her.

Regardless of the gasping, she brushed her eyes from the flower petals with the back of her hand. The sweet scent of flowers wafted through the white snowflakes falling from the sky. Three flowers in full bloom and one bud with white petals were picked and tied with a thin ribbon, and a pretty bouquet was made.

‘Should this be enough?’

She wrapped the little bouquet carefully so as not to damage it and turned around. Outside the flower bed, Nell and the priest were looking at her with faces as if they had seen a ghost.

She asked with a friendly smile.

“Hey, where is the eastern chapel?”

Now she had to fulfill her real purpose for coming here. And that was meeting the Grand Duke.

* * *

The setting sun dyed the cold marble corridor red. It was already evening when they entered the eastern area of the Great Hall.

She walked carefully through the hallway, stepping on the crimson-stained flagstones. With every step he took, an uneasy swaying shadow flickered across the wall.

‘It must have been around here.’

She walked to the end of the hallway, remembering what she had read in the book. She thought she wouldn’t have to search for it because she knew where the Grand Duke was coming from, but it was difficult to find her way because the Great Hall was so wide.

“I… Princess, where are you going?”

Nell asked very carefully.

“I have a place to stop by.”

A large garden appeared in front of her after a few steps, as if she had found the right path. That was the eastern garden of the Great Hall.

‘Is anyone there?’

As mentioned in the book, she was going to hang around there and wait, but she wondered if the moment had already passed by.

As she turned around the corner with such worries, she saw a group of people walking from the other side. She was amazed at the clothes they were wearing.

It was the military uniform worn by the knights of the Grand Duke. So it was clear that it was the Grand Duke and his entourage.

The Grand Duke and his party seemed to be trying to get out by walking through the corridor. So she urgently called him.

“His Highness the Grand Duke!”

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Translator Note:

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