Chapter 48
At that moment, a white, saintly carriage entered the temple grounds. The carriage passed me and stopped slightly ahead.
The door opened, and Leona descended, escorted by a knight.
Though her actions were graceful, something about her demeanor felt distasteful.
‘She’s always like this.’
Lost in thought, Leona didn’t head towards the temple but instead turned and approached me directly.
Her expression was haughty, revealing her disdain openly.
“Adeline, what brings you here? You still have business at the temple? Surely you don’t regret leaving, do you? How pitiful.”
As a noblewoman, she might have status, but to me, Leona was nothing more than a villain.
A villain who hurts me is, by definition, a bad person. Because the center of the world is me!
“You didn’t come here for me, so could you please leave?”
Leona visibly trembled with anger at my words.
‘Good. Show it all you want. Does that scare me? Anyway, every time I see her, I feel childish.’
Leona narrowed her eyes and glared at me.
“Growing up an orphan and showing such blatant ignorance. A lowly commoner dares to speak disrespectfully to a saint? You’ll regret it.”
“Yeah, yeah. It’s not that I intentionally speak informally to saints, but if respect doesn’t come from the heart, it won’t naturally emerge. I’m that way.”
I shot back at her just as fiercely.
“You, meeting with Prince Ilias? How did someone like you manage to win his favor? He isn’t the kind of person who would fall for someone like you.”
The sudden mention of Ilias left me stunned.
‘Huh? That sounded a bit strange. Is Leona… interested in the prince?’
Though I hadn’t seen her choices in the original story, Ilias was the male lead candidate with the highest number of comments.
‘Ilias was the male lead? Even if the flow is different, does my heart still follow the original?’
My head buzzed, overwhelmed by the confusion.
If my heart follows the original, then ultimately, Leona’s feelings for me will be murderous intent.
Despite my efforts to escape, I felt like I kept returning to the starting line.
My mood darkened further. Whether I appeared vulnerable or not, Leona grew bolder and declared triumphantly.
“You have no right to be near Prince Ilias. Leave immediately.”
“The one staying isn’t Lin—it’s me, so don’t get it twisted, Saintess Leona.”
The sudden voice of Ilias startled me, and I turned around.
“Prince Ilias!”
Meeting him was like finding a long-lost mother in a crowded amusement park.
‘He really is the male lead, right? This must be the male lead buff at work.’
Yet, I knew I wasn’t the female lead.
He approached me with a warm, reassuring smile.
“How did you end up here?”
“I was on my way to see Lin, but it’s nice to meet you a bit sooner like this. Fate seems to be on our side.”
His words sent shivers down my spine, but I didn’t show it. I simply shyly covered my face with my hands.
“Let’s go together, Lin.”
Though there were still tasks ahead, the flow of the story necessitated a positive response.
“Alright, As.”
When Ilias reached out his hand, I took it without hesitation.
Leona’s horrified expression was more than enough to bring me a sense of triumph.
—
As we climbed into his carriage, Ilias spoke seriously.
“I’ve told Father about Adelina. He wishes to meet you.”
It seemed like the Emperor intended to make his own decision after seeing me.
“I guess so. As his beloved son’s future wife, it’s natural that he would want to confirm for himself. Don’t worry. I’ll handle it.”
It appeared Ilias had been concerned about my displeasure, as relief settled on his expression. Soon after, a hint of guilt followed. He seemed genuinely sorry for not having gained his father’s immediate approval.
Since I had read the original story, I already knew the strained relationship between the Emperor and Ilias, and what the Emperor desired in a daughter-in-law.
‘A powerful noblewoman who can protect Ilias.’
I smiled at Ilias.
‘Father, I may not come from a powerful family, but I have enough strength to protect your son.’
Though I wanted to say it aloud, I couldn’t. I decided to express it subtly instead.
Since Ilias was facing me, I placed my hand over my chest and gave a trembling expression.
“I feel nervous thinking about meeting the Emperor. I have a bit of a delicate side.”
“Hahaha.”
Ilias laughed heartily for the first time in a while. Seeing his bright smile warmed my heart unexpectedly.
“How can such a delicate person propose marriage to a prince at first sight?”
“Selective delicacy, I suppose. Oh well.”
I glanced at him demurely.
“To go to the palace, I’ll need to prepare dresses and get everything ready.”
“Adelina’s usual demeanor is enough. Father will see you for who you truly are.”
Our gazes met and locked briefly in the air. His honest, glowing eyes made me feel a twinge of guilt for approaching him with hidden intentions.
—
Leona, unable to contain her intense anger, froze in place, trembling violently.
At that moment, a temple maid hurried toward us, glancing nervously around. Needing a target for her frustration, Leona called out to the maid.
“There! You! Come here.”
The terrified maid approached with a fearful expression.
“Do you not see me, the saint? How dare a commoner like you even step foot in the temple?”
The maid bowed deeply, pleading hastily.
“I’m sorry. Truly sorry. I was in a rush and didn’t notice the saint. I didn’t mean to offend you. Please, forgive me.”
“You think it’s acceptable to glance around aimlessly and miss me? You deliberately slighted me.”
“No, it really wasn’t intentional.”
“Or perhaps, what urgency does someone like you even have? Next time you try to excuse yourself, put more thought into it.”
“Saintess, I apologize. Actually, Lady Adelina sent me to find someone.”
Hearing my name angered Leona further.
“Adelina?”
“Yes.”
“Who did she ask you to find?”
“A priest. His name is Chris.”
“Chris?”
“Yes. He was recently promoted to full priesthood.”
“Chris?”
Leona tried to recall. She had met with all the recently promoted priests, but Chris’s name had not been mentioned.
Unsure if she had missed someone, she began recounting the ten priests she had met one by one.
Something didn’t sit right, and Leona turned back to the maid.
“How many full priests were appointed this year?”
“I believe there were ten.”
She was certain she had met all the priests.
“Is Chris among them?”
The maid shook her head with a troubled expression.
“No. There was no one named Chris among the newly appointed priests this time.”
Clearly, something was amiss.
Leona decided to search for Chris and headed toward the central temple’s priest management office.
—
When Leona suddenly appeared at the priest management office, all the priests stood up in shock and bowed their heads.
Since this office was a relatively minor position, it only housed middle-level and lower-level priests.
Seeing Leona was a rare occurrence for them, her visit was almost overwhelming to the staff.
“Saintess! What brings you here?”
Leona smiled gracefully and glanced around at the priests inside.
“I just stopped by for a brief visit to offer my support.”
The priests inside exchanged awed looks. They admired her presence, treating her like a goddess.
‘This is the normal reaction.’
A middle-level priest, trembling slightly, extended his hand to guide Leona to a seat.
“Please, sit here.”
“Thank you.”
As Leona settled into her seat, murmurs of admiration spread throughout the office. She savored their reactions, enjoying their adulation.
A priest brought tea and placed it before Leona. She took a sip while surveying the room.
“This is where all the information of our sect resides, isn’t it?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
“So, this is the heart of our sect. The most important information is held here. You priests are performing some of the most crucial tasks within our sect.”
The priests in the office shared their fourth wave of awe.
“Indeed, your words are true. Essentially, all the priests are gathered here.”
“Yes, all of them are here. Do you know all the priests then?”
The middle-level priest responded confidently.
“Of course. I know them all.”
Leona opened her eyes wide and stared intently at the middle-level priest seated before her.
“Priest, I’m looking for someone. Can you help me?”
“Certainly, Saintess. Leave it to me.”
“His name is Chris.”
“Chris? Do you know his surname?”
“No. I only know his first name. He became a priest not long ago.”
“That’s odd. I usually know all the priests, but I can’t recall him immediately. I’ll look through the records and get back to you by tomorrow.”
“Thank you, Priest. I’ll come back tomorrow.”
—
Gunner, after a long absence, made a sudden request for an audience with Emperor Aust.
The Emperor was curious about Gunner’s intentions for requesting an immediate audience. Normally, such sudden requests weren’t granted, but today, out of curiosity, he allowed it.
Gunner entered with a sly smile, bowing gracefully and giving a formal greeting.
“Emperor of the Empire, Your Majesty.”
“It’s been a while, Gunner, Earl of Waynes.”
“I apologize for not visiting sooner, Your Majesty.”
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