INAS - Chapter 28

The next day.

Having spent the night wide awake, I woke up Delton, who was in the middle of a dream and left the room early.

“Why are you making such a fuss about going out so early in the morning? What do you want me to do when I haven’t even had breakfast?”

Delton, who was following me with half-closed eyes, let out a loud noise.

Delton, who usually wakes up around noon, seemed to be having a hard time getting up so early in the morning.

But now was not the time to give in to the lion's plight.

“Are you just talking about sleeping comfortably and eating? Starting today, we are going to carry out a large-scale fraud against this empire. Are you ready?”

“What’s the point of being nervous? I just have to do my job. And who’s to blame for me being so out of it in the morning?”

“Who is it because of? You’re not trying to say it’s my fault, are you?”

“Why not? Because of you, who would only wake up after the sun was high in the sky on a fake day, my daily routine got messed up. It’s all your fault!”

“What kind of nonsense are you talking about... How can someone like you, a prospective new believer, have your daily rhythm disrupted because of a mere human being? Please live with some initiative, Delton.”

I looked at Delton with pitiful eyes, shook my head, and started walking again.

As I left the temple's entrance, I noticed a crowd of people gathered in front of the main gate.

The temple family, including the Pope, as well as the Emperor and the Crown Prince.

'There really are a lot of them.'

As I quickly approached them, the Pope was the first to notice me and spoke to me with a worried expression.

“You’re here, Saintess. How are you? Your face still looks pale.”

“I’m not completely better yet, but I feel much better. Thank you for your concern, Your Holiness.”

“Hmm, the situation is so urgent and the Saintess’s will to visit the scene is so strong that I told you to do as you wish, but I am worried that using your holy power with your weak body might strain you. If you are still not feeling well, how about resting for a few more days?”

When the Pope made the suggestion with a worried face, the Emperor standing next to him jumped up and rebutted.

“What are you talking about! Your Holiness, you are worrying too much. Saintess is the daughter of a goddess, so how can she not even properly understand her own physical condition? She must have come forward because we think she can do everything.”

The Emperor had a hard time bearing the brunt of the resentment from the people of the empire during the week I was lying in bed.

Now that he finally had a chance to catch his breath, he was afraid that my heart would be shaken by the Pope's words.

'I told you, he's a person who really doesn't care.'

Even at the sight of my fresh eyes, he kept smiling brightly as if he was enjoying something so good.

'Oh, I really hate the sight of it.'

I turned my head sharply and smiled faintly only at the Pope.

“Although my body is not in perfect condition, I cannot leave the people of the empire alone forever. I will not force myself, so do not worry, Your Holiness.”

“This is truly embarrassing... Thank you, Saintess. I will not forget the sacrificial spirit of the Saintess.”

He spoke in his main voice, held my hand tightly, and bowed his head politely.

I held the Pope's hand tightly, then looked around and tilted my head when I felt something strange.

“But what about the carriage I’m going to ride in?”

“Oh, I think we should travel together in His Highness the Crown Prince’s carriage today. His Highness suggested that it would be too chaotic to have two such large carriages in the already chaotic disaster scene.”

“Yes? With His Highness the Crown Prince?”

I couldn't hide my astonishment at the Pope's explanation.

It's so uncomfortable just having that human accompanying me to every scene, and now I have to ride in a carriage with him too.

Even during my travels, it was clear that the Crown Prince was plotting to keep an eye on me.

'What am I worried about when I already have a leash around my neck?'

I glared at him with glaring eyes, but the Crown Prince just looked at me with indifferent eyes as if he didn't know what was wrong.

'Ugh, who should I blame? It's all my fault for being too conscientious.'

But giving in didn't make me feel any better, so I couldn't help but feel insincere as I approached the Crown Prince.

Squirm.

As he approached with a gait like that of a back-alley thug, the Crown Prince flinched in embarrassment and took a step back.

I felt a sense of triumph as I watched the man, who seemed like he wouldn't even blink an eye if you held a knife to his throat, back away.

'Yes, even though I'm tied to a leash, I'm not an easy slave.'

It was a really meaningless, insignificant feeling of victory, but thinking about it that way made me feel a little better.

But.

“Why is your face like that?”

This guy.

Was it my face or my momentum that surprised you?

Embarrassed, I blurted out the words with a helpless expression.

“What is my face?”

“It doesn’t seem to be in good shape. What’s really wrong this time?”

Hey, you're being too harsh!

I had originally planned to show up like this with that kind of reaction in mind, but when I actually heard what he said, I didn't feel very good.

“...That’s not it. I just don’t have makeup on.”

When I clenched my teeth and explained, the Crown Prince finally understood the situation and let out a short exclamation of “Ah.”

“I’m sorry. I never thought that just putting on makeup would make such a big difference in your complexion.”

This guy is real.

'Whose fault is it all!'

Isn't this just an attempt to properly carry out the national fraud you ordered?

Do you think it's easy to act like a Saintess with a body that has no holy power?

At that time, I was gritting my teeth at the insult that came without warning.

“Thump, thump, thump!”

Delton, who had been sitting at my feet and yawning, rolled on the floor with a comical laugh.

“He’s a guy who wouldn’t tell a lie even if a knife was put to his throat. He’s the most honest person I’ve ever seen... Bam!”

Delton, who was giggling and panting as if he was having a good time, rolled on the floor when I kicked him right in the groin.

“You, you! Did you just hit me? Even though I’m in the same boat as you, I’m a spirit that has lived for over a thousand years. How can you be so fearless...!”

He glared at me, getting angry and calling me a half-saintess, but he couldn't defeat me because my eyes were already rolling back.

Shake, shake, shake, shake. (Shut up, please, unless you want another slap, huh?)”

After checking Delton, who was nodding his head absentmindedly with his face turned pale, I turned my gaze back to the Crown Prince.

And then I clicked my chin.

Stop talking and just open the door.

The Crown Prince stared at me with dumbfounded eyes as if he realized what I meant.

But soon he opened the carriage door coolly and politely extended his hand.

'You make people your slaves in an instant and then pretend to have manners.'

Feeling displeased, I tightly grabbed the hand he extended to me.

Enough to crush your hand, with all your weight.

“...”

As I got on the carriage with a slight frown on one eye, I heard a soft sigh from behind.

Whatever.

After confirming that Delton was lying on the carriage floor, I quickly turned my gaze outside the window.

The only way I could rebel was to not even glance at the Crown Prince prince.

The Crown Prince prince stared at me for a while, then clicked his tongue and got into the carriage.

“I don’t understand why you treat me like a bad person when you were the one who did something wrong, Princess.”

“You don’t know, Your Highness. It’s only natural for a prisoner to resent the officer who captured him.”

When I spoke bluntly, a slight wrinkle appeared between the Crown Prince's eyebrows.

He looked at me with a stern gaze and sighed as if he didn't want to talk anymore.

“That’s enough. The Princess just has to fulfill her duties as a Saintess. Today, show the majesty of a Saintess. Make sure the people of the empire don’t tremble in fear anymore.”

Then he tapped the wall connected to the stable with his straight knuckles.

Soon, the coachman, having received the signal, started to drive the carriage, and those outside the window bowed deeply and shouted in one voice.

“Have a nice day, Saintess!”

That's how I raised the curtain on the great drama.

I felt like I was the boss of an underworld.

Previous            Next

Support Novellate!