“……”
Gale could only tremble uncontrollably, unable to utter a single word.
Because I’d struck a nerve.
“Of course, I haven’t forgotten the Count’s generosity. If it weren’t for him, I wouldn’t be enjoying this luxurious life as a saintess. How could I possibly forget such grace?”
I whispered in a gentle voice, as if I’d never just threatened him, giving him just enough silence to think.
I’d swung the whip, so now it was time for the carrot.
To keep squeezing more, ahem, I mean, receiving donations from the Kiris family.
“It’s just that both the Count and you kept looking down on me, so I got a little upset. Sure, if it’s revealed that I’m a fake saintess, the Kiris family will be in hot water—but it’s not like I’d come out of it unscathed either, right? I’d be completely blacklisted in high society.”
“……”
“So, here’s the thing. I’m thinking of actually doing the saintess act properly, just like the Count wanted.”
“…What?”
Gale, who had been watching me warily, widened his eyes at my sudden change in attitude.
Now the momentum had completely shifted to me.
“You saw how the High Priest and the Captain of the Holy Knights were worried about me, didn’t you? If I put my mind to it, earning their trust is nothing.”
This was exactly why I had asked those two to act so emotionally earlier.
Because I knew Gale would trust Irik and Seth’s reactions more than mine.
“……”
As expected, Gale’s eyes started to waver—clearly unable to imagine that I could be deceiving him.
“You came here because of the spies, didn’t you?”
“……”
“I’m the one who reported Head Chef Kento’s embezzlement. The High Priest and Captain of the Holy Knights were the ones who investigated and arrested every last one of them.”
“Why would you do something like that! Now that they know, it’ll be impossible to plant new spies!”
“But in exchange, I gained their trust.”
I leaned in and whispered a sweet lie into his ear—one he couldn’t help but fall for.
“Even someone like me, with barely any divine power to speak of, gained their trust all because of that. The two of them don’t know the spies were planted by the Kiris family. If they did, you wouldn’t have even been let in here today.”
“…Ah.”
“If I just play the saintess part perfectly and keep their trust, there’ll be no need to plant more spies. I’ll become the spy myself.”
“……”
“So what do you think, Gale? Do I still look like the incompetent ‘Miss Kiris’ to you?”
A jab at him for continuing to call me ‘Miss Kiris’ in front of people at the Grand Temple—people who didn’t know I was a fake.
Only now did that idiot Gale seem to realize how dangerous that was. His eyes trembled with panic.
“So go back and tell the Count—stop trying to skim a few pennies by planting spies. I’ll become the real saintess of the Grand Temple and bring in money worth ten times more.”
Of course, that was a complete lie. And anyone who falls for it is a fool.
Who told them to be the villains first? They brought this on themselves.
“…I don’t know whether the Count will accept the Saintess’s proposal, but I’ll deliver the message.”
Crushed under my momentum, Gale stammered his reply. I leaned back into the sofa with a satisfied smile.
If the Kiris Count had even a hint of sense, he’d agree to my suggestion. If not, he’d probably come running to drag me out by the hair.
I just hoped he wouldn’t make the stupid choice.
* * *
“Will she be all right…?”
Seth asked with a sigh.
He and Irik were now standing at the entrance of the Grand Temple, having exited the drawing room.
They were stationed there to prevent the knights Gale had brought from entering.
Nearly ten knights, just to visit the temple?
“No matter how loyal a retainer he is to the Saintess’s father… bringing someone that rude…”
Seth, keeping his eyes on the knights, let out another worried sigh.
Irik, who knew even more than Seth, had a similarly hardened expression.
Ordell was already unloved by the Count—how much worse could it get when they were left alone?
He hadn’t just obeyed Ordell’s order to leave the room—half of it had been his own concern as well.
“Knight Victoria is guarding the drawing room entrance, right?”
“Of course. Though she hasn’t reached master level yet, so she likely can’t hear the conversation inside. The room is well soundproofed.”
“Would she be able to hear if someone shouted?”
“If it’s loud enough that a knight needs to intervene, she’ll hear it.”
At Seth’s confident reply, Irik nodded.
Ordell was the type to shout when she got angry—she’d be fine.
…But when was the last time she yelled?
She used to scream every other day.
He hadn’t heard that high-pitched voice, always angry and almost crying, in quite a while.
Recently, all his memories of her were filled with that calm, composed tone—one he’d rarely heard from her before.
“High Priest. Someone’s coming this way.”
Just as that strange realization sank in, Seth’s voice cut through his thoughts.
Two unfamiliar men were approaching from the far end of the garden.
Were they from the Kiris family, here with Gale?
Irik turned his cold gaze toward the Kiris knights.
But oddly, those knights were tense as well, as if wary of the newcomers.
So… they weren’t with Gale? Then who could they be?
It had been so long since anyone outside of the Kiris circle had visited the Grand Temple, Irik couldn’t even begin to guess.
“High Priest, it’s Duke Ruthe Sheary.”
At Seth’s urgent whisper, Irik’s eyes widened. The man matched the rumored appearance exactly.
Ruthe Sheary.
Duke of the western region of the Empire of Carnus, sole owner of the vast western mines.
Head of one of the Empire’s four ducal houses—despite having no royal blood in his veins, his power was overwhelming.
And now he had come to the Grand Temple?
In the eighteen years Irik had spent here, he’d never seen someone of that stature visit.
“You knew I was coming, huh? Lining up to greet me like this—I’m overwhelmed by the warm welcome.”
The man, Ruthe Sheary, had already approached and tilted his head slightly, standing at an angle.
His gaze swept over the people clustered at the entrance, brimming with quiet dominance.
It made everyone shrink back instinctively.
While the Kiris knights flailed about, belatedly realizing who he was, Irik and Seth quickly descended the stairs to greet him.
“Welcome to the Sun God’s Grand Temple. I am High Priest Irik Dert.”
“I am Captain Seth Noel.”
“Oh, the High Priest and the Captain themselves? Did you really know I was coming?”
Ruthe raised an eyebrow, as if genuinely surprised. Apparently, he hadn’t expected the two highest-ranking people to show up.
It was hard to justify anything to someone whose motives were unclear, so Irik simply went straight to the point.
“If we’d known the master of the west was coming, we would have prepared a proper welcome. Unfortunately, our foresight failed us today.”
A polite way of asking, Why are you here?
“Oh, so no prophetic powers after all?”
Instead of answering, Ruthe replied with a question of his own.
“…We have no such thing.”
“Pity. I was really hoping you might. How disappointing.”
His eyes drooped beneath his angled glasses, heavy with sincere regret.
It wasn’t sarcasm—he truly had been hoping for prophecy. Irik was briefly thrown off.
Only gods could see the future. Not even the chosen saintesses or saints could do that.
The idea that this man believed it was possible was… unexpected.
“I’ve come with important business. Lead me somewhere private, will you? What I have to say isn’t for public ears.”
Gone was the light tone from before—Ruthe’s face turned solemn, and with it came a gravity that subtly pressed down on Irik.
No wonder he was called one of the pillars of the Empire.
“Right this way.”
There was no reason to refuse—and truthfully, Irik was curious.
But just as he began to lead Ruthe inside—
“High Priest? Who is that?”
Ordell had appeared, walking alongside Gale, their conversation seemingly finished.
Irik’s gaze instinctively went to her face.
Whenever she was angry, the skin around her eyes would flush red. But now, her expression was completely calm.
As if nothing had happened.
Only after confirming Victoria’s composed face behind her did Irik finally feel a quiet sense of relief.
“This is Duke Ruthe Sheary. He has business with the Grand Temple.”
Assuming she’d know who he was, Irik didn’t add any further explanation.
“…Who?”
But for some reason, she looked blank. Irik tilted his head slightly.
Did she really not know who he was?
“He’s one of the four pillars of the Empire and master of the western lands.”
Just moments ago, her complexion had been fine—now, Ordell’s face turned deathly pale.