The Villainess Writes a Resignation letter

TVWRL Chapter 26

Chapter 26

“Do you think ordinary threats will work on Lady Adeline? She’s someone who used to threaten others like it was a piece of cake… Do we really stand a chance?”

“Still, let’s give it a try. When has our church ever lacked what it needed?”

“Let’s all go and persuade her, whether through reason or threats.”

In the end, the priests’ meeting concluded in a way that favored them. They would take in whatever was sweet and spit out the bitter. It was typical behavior for the Myaria Church.

* * *

“Welcome! Thank you for visiting the astrologer’s house today as well.”

Sarah straightened up and looked at the long line of people.

“Whoa!”

She couldn’t help but cover her mouth with her hand.
‘What is going on here? Did I come to the wrong place? Am I seeing things?’

She looked around, wondering if she was in the Myaria Church instead of the astrologer’s house, and pinched her cheek hard.

“Ouch!”

It hurt. And yes, this was indeed the astrologer’s house, her workplace.

‘Why on earth are all these priests lining up here?’

There seemed to be at least several dozen priests in line.
Moreover, they were all high-ranking priests, not the lower-level priests who had previously visited sporadically.

In disbelief at the scene, Sarah awkwardly bowed and entered the shop.

“Lady Adeline! Lady Adeline!”

“I’m not running away, so there’s no need to be out of breath.”

“Th-there are so many people outside…”

* * *

‘They probably want to check my divine power, right?’

My hand instinctively reached for the necklace. Ever since I used my divine power that day, I had felt it growing stronger.

I thought I might need to find another way since this necklace wouldn’t be enough, but I didn’t expect the priests to act so quickly.

‘If high-ranking priests want to find out, then?’

I could get caught right away. For now, I needed to avoid direct contact with them.
Even though touching it wouldn’t necessarily reveal anything immediately, it wouldn’t hurt to be cautious.

I steeled myself and prepared to engage in a religious war to protect my life.

“Sarah, please attend to the guests.”

“Yes, Miss.”

The high priest who had harshly rejected my resignation entered with a gentle expression.

“Welcome, esteemed customer.”

“It’s been a while, Lady Adeline.”

The priest sat down and looked around the shop.

“The atmosphere here is quite mystical.”

“Thank you. What brings you here today, priest?”

“I came to inquire about a way to retrieve someone from the church who has inadvertently left.”

It sounded like he was talking about me, but I thought that if I acted too serious and then denied it, it would be rather embarrassing.

“Hahaha.”

I forced an awkward smile and spoke innocently.

“This isn’t a place where you can change a person’s heart. It’s merely a place that suggests better methods. If you truly need that person, it might be quicker to find them directly and persuade them.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes.”

“Indeed, it would be best to persuade her in person, wouldn’t it?”

“That is correct.”

“Well then, it seems I’ve come to the right place. The person I mentioned who serves the goddess is none other than Lady Adeline.”

‘Wow, that was a direct approach. Usually, these people would clear their throats and beat around the bush.’

“Me? Hehe.”

I laughed heartily for a while, even pretending to shed a tear before looking straight at the priest.

“I left the church of my own accord, not by mistake. I am just an ordinary person now, not someone who serves the goddess.”

“Lady Adeline’s divine power is a force that should be used in the name of the goddess. You cannot use it as you wish.”

“That was just a temporary power that slipped out without my knowing.”

“I’ve never heard of anyone saving lives with temporary power.”

“Then I must be the first. There’s a first time for everything, isn’t there? The goddess may not wish for a child to be harmed. How could people like us, who are so insignificant, ever fully grasp the goddess’s heart? To think we could would be arrogance.”

“The goddess giving you strength at that time was a revelation to welcome a saintess into the church.”

“If the saintess had been there, that power would have gone to her. Don’t attach any meaning to the accident.”

Ding!

Had it been twenty minutes already? The bell rang.

“The consultation time is over. You can settle up over there. I expect a generous payment befitting your position, priest.”

I tried my best to appear as materialistic as possible. Considering the mental fatigue I was experiencing, I felt I deserved several gold coins.
However, the miserly priest pulled out silver coins, and at that moment, I responded with genuine surprise, not just acting.

“Oh my.”

The priest swiftly turned around and glared at me.
I simply shrugged my shoulders in response.

The next customer was yet another high-ranking priest.

He sat down in front of me with an arrogant expression, crossing his legs.

I quietly observed his demeanor.

“Is this an uncivilized place that doesn’t even serve its guests a cup of tea?”

“If you want tea, go to a tea house. This is the astrologer’s house. If that’s all you want, you can head out that way.”

“Hmph! You’re still as rude as ever. I thought you might have changed a bit after doing some good.”

“You’re just the same as ever, priest. No, you seem to have gotten worse. Coming here to provoke someone who’s minding their own business shows that people can change consistently, but not always for the better.”

He glared at me.

“I’ve been looking for you everywhere lately, and you’ve really become hard to find. You’ve become more arrogant.”

“I’ve never been particularly good, to begin with. And I never asked for your evaluation, priest.”

He leaned closer to the table and, in a low voice, threatened me.

“How long do you think this will last? If we prevent you from using the goddess’s power for personal gain, what do you think will happen?”

“What do you intend to stop if it’s not the goddess’s power?”

“Determining whether it’s the goddess’s power or not is our prerogative. Are you belittling the church?”

“I’m simply stating what isn’t true. Don’t conflate your opinion with that of the entire church. The goddess would be angry if you tarnish her name for personal gain.”

The priest’s face turned red with anger.

Thus, throughout the day, priests came to me, alternating between persuasion and threats.
I had to attend a charity event in the evening, but the mental fatigue was overwhelming, and I could no longer continue the consultations, so I closed early.

“This is quite an obstruction to my business.”

The constant back-and-forth of carrots and sticks, good cop and bad cop, push and pull had left my mind in a daze.

They had clearly come thoroughly prepared.

‘How can I return to the church I left, especially to a place where I might die?’

I realized I needed to come up with a new plan to escape the bothersome church. I thought it was over, but I didn’t expect to get entangled again.

Come to think of it, the saintess steps down after five years, but what happens to the other candidates who served alongside her? Do they leave together?

The term of the saintess was shorter than I had thought. It’s rare for people to be born with divine power, and using it continuously puts a lot of strain on their bodies.

Not only does the amount of divine power decrease, but also in the past, when the position of the saint was for life, saints often had short lives, leading the church to change the system. After that, retired saintess’ married into good families and lived happy lives.

As my headache worsened, I rubbed my temples and headed to the salon for some preparation. Today, I needed a massage.

After receiving my massage and refreshing my makeup, I put on the dress that Sarah had prepared for me. The blue dress, adorned with pearls, was as beautiful as the deep sea. Seeing my completed look in the mirror lifted my spirits.
Truly, beauty is the best.

* * *

The newspaper company held a charity event once a year, collecting donated items.

The proceeds were delivered to the poor, providing firewood, blankets, and preserved food to help them get through the winter.

The newspaper’s representative and his wife were commoners who had built their business from the ground up. Unlike the nobility, commoners and the poor had women who worked hard to survive.

The couple was a successful business duo, rare to see in the empire, and their media outlet held significant influence due to its monopoly.

They were excellent customers of mine, and we had dined together privately, which is probably why they wrote so many positive articles about me. Of course, the Marchioness Woody’s request also played a part.

“Adeline, thank you for coming.”

The lady took my hand and welcomed me warmly.

“Thank you for inviting me to such a meaningful event, madam.”

“You were wonderful this time. I’m so proud to call you my friend, Adeline.”

“Anyone present would have done the same. And my strength was only temporary. If you praise me too much, it makes me feel embarrassed. So please, stop writing those articles.”

As new guests continued to arrive, the lady looked flustered.

“Adeline, I’m just looking around. I’ll leave after saying my hellos.”

“Don’t mind me. You should hurry and act before someone else snatches up the good items.”

“Thank you.”

At the event, there were also Countess Hyacinth, Cordelia, and numerous high-ranking nobles led by Duke Crothos and Count WaynesPatreon.

I headed towards where Lady Hyacinth and Cordelia were.

We exchanged light pleasantries and began to look around at the items on display.

The method for bidding was to write down the amount for any items you liked and place it in a luxurious wooden box in front of the item.

The person who wrote the highest amount would receive the item, making it a sort of silent auction.
While browsing with Lady Hyacinth and Cordelia, I chose a few items that caught my eye and wrote down my bids to place in the box.

Suddenly, I sensed a stir in the atmosphere.

“The saintess has arrived.”

Whispers spread among the crowd.
Although it was a charity event for a good cause, it was the first time the saintess had come in person, so people looked surprised and cheered.

Leona, dressed in a holy white gown, greeted everyone with a bright smile.

“Thank you for the unexpected warm welcome. I wanted to join you for this good cause.”

Note:
Now you can read advanced chapters on Patreon.

PATREON

Comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

error: Content is protected.

Options

not work with dark mode
Reset