I stared blankly down at the square that had become as quiet as a mouse.
It was a complete silence, with not a single sound of breathing, let alone a single word.
But that only lasted for a moment.
“Oh, it’s a miracle! It’s the Saintess’s miracle!”
The crowd began to stir as soon as someone shouted.
“That’s right, it’s a miracle! Saintess Veloce performed a miracle!”
“Oh my God, I never thought I would be able to witness with my own eyes the miracles of a Saintess I had only heard of through rumors. This will be the pride of my life!”
“Yes, it is a source of pride. I will leave this miracle to future generations, and to future generations after that.”
They were so excited that they finally cheered and called out my name.
“Long live Saintess Veloce!”
“Long live our Saintess!”
Looking at them like that, I just smiled gently.
As the atmosphere was heating up, someone raised a question.
“But what was the revelation that Saintess Melina received? Why did you call such a perfectly normal Saintess a fake?”
“That’s right. Because of that revelation or something, Saintess Veloce had to take a retest.”
“Aren’t you the one who failed to fulfill your role as a Saintess properly?”
Those who had been muttering in displeasure eventually went so far as to demand an explanation from Melina.
“Saintess Melina, reveal why you framed Saintess Veloce!”
“Tell me why you were unable to exert your power!”
Melina, frightened by the hostile atmosphere, stepped back hesitantly, still kneeling.
But soon after, she bumped into something and was unable to move.
“Eek!”
Melina turned her head hurriedly and shook her shoulders in shock at the sight of something blocking her retreat.
That's understandable because its true identity is...
'Yeah, it's me.'
I smiled brightly and soon whispered softly enough for only Melina to hear.
“Yes, who’s the winner now?”
“You, you...!”
Melina shuddered and pointed her finger at me.
His expression seemed to indicate that she had sensed something, but I just shrugged.
“Still, you will feel less wronged. At least you will die at the hands of the legitimate heir.”
When I turned back what Melina had said to me, her face turned as red as a rotten tomato.
'I wonder if anyone would say I'm a piece of trash.'
As I was picking on her and making fun of her, Melina, unable to contain her anger, ran towards me roughly.
“You sly bitch! What kind of trick did you use? You obviously have no ability, so how could you...!”
The Emperor was terrified and shouted at the sight of her grabbing me by the collar and going wild like a madwoman.
“What are you knights doing! Arrest Saintess Melina immediately! You will be punished for framing Saintess BlVeloce with false revelations!”
“Yes, Your Majesty!”
At the Emperor's command, five or six knights rushed at Melina at once.
“Hey, don’t you let go of this? Who dares to touch someone’s body! I’m the Saintess of the empire! I’m the daughter of the goddess! Don’t let go of this hand right now!”
The sight of Melina being held captive by the knights and thrashing around like a pig was truly comical.
But it was more fun and enjoyable than any famous play.
I had to grit my teeth to keep myself from bursting out laughing and holding my stomach.
On that day, the disasters across the country were eradicated.
Rather than entering a lull like before, it literally disappeared completely as if it had evaporated.
I had a gut feeling.
The disaster that had plagued the empire for 13 years was finally over.
From this day forward, the Empire will never again suffer calamity.
Because I felt that the power of the holy relic was protecting all things.
And there was one more piece of good news.
The Pope, who had been unconscious after falling down the stairs while going to verify Melina, finally woke up.
I went straight to the Pope.
Just as the temple attendant guarding the door was about to announce my arrival, the Pope's angry voice was heard from beyond the door.
“What on earth are you talking about! His Majesty arbitrarily elevated an unverified woman to the position of Holy See! Since when did the imperial family have the power to appoint Saintesses?”
“Of course, we said no, but the situation was so dire, and His Majesty was confident that he would guarantee it...”
“Ha, His Majesty, how can you vouch for that woman! If she is not a Saintess, how can you even step down from the throne?”
“...I am ashamed, Your Holiness.”
“Ha... So you’re saying that he kicked out Saintess Veloce because of that woman?”
“How dare we kick her out? She is a Saintess officially appointed by the temple. How could we just kick her out? However...”
"But?"
“The constellation was divided into two, and a joint saintly system was established.”
“Huh, a joint constellation system! Splitting the constellation in two is unprecedented in the history of the Empire! What on earth is His Majesty thinking! Does His Majesty even have a brain in his head?”
The Pope's voice, panting and shouting, was filled with deep anger.
'Well done, Your Holiness!'
I was a fervent supporter of the Pope.
Even without that, I was quite dissatisfied with the Emperor, who had arbitrarily elevated Melina to the rank of Saintess, and since I had not been able to properly protest for fear of being accused of being jealous, I was seething inside.
But how satisfying it is for the Pope to come out and criticize him so harshly.
'More! More, Your Holiness!'
But unlike me, the temple attendant seemed to want to end this situation quickly.
He was anxious that the Pope's wrath would worsen, so he reported it urgently.
“Your Holiness, Saint Veloce requests an audience.”
Hey, I was just having fun.
I glanced at the attendant with displeasure, but then heard the Pope's permission and reluctantly walked inside.
“Your Holiness, I came to see you after hearing the news that you had awakened.”
“You have come at a good time. Come closer, Saintess.”
I quickly approached the Pope and asked with a worried expression.
“How are you doing?”
“I am fine. But the Saintess must have been very distressed. How could you have endured such humiliation, the re-examination?”
The Pope held my hands tightly and spoke as if he was upset. Those warm words made me feel like my frozen heart was melting away like snow.
“I’m okay too. The goddess is always looking after me.”
It was something I always said in front of the Pope, but this time I meant it.
The meaning of the holy relic is the will of the goddess.
Because it was definitely a goddess who saved me from a corner.
When I smiled brightly, the Pope let out a deep sigh as if he felt sorry.
“No, that won’t work. I have to see that woman right away.”
“No, Your Holiness!”
I quickly stopped the Pope from getting out of bed.
“You have only just regained consciousness. It is too dangerous to move. You have been lying down for over a month.”
But the Pope was firm.
“No, I have to go now. I have something to ask that lady.”
“What on earth are you going to ask...”
I made a puzzled expression, but the Pope seemed not to have any intention of answering and just struggled to get up.
In the end, unable to break his stubbornness, I had no choice but to accompany him on the outing.
Finally, when we arrived at the imperial palace and got out of the carriage, the Emperor, who had been waiting to greet them upon hearing the news, came running out of breath.
“You’re here, Your Holiness. I heard you just came to your senses a little while ago. Why don’t you rest a little longer?”
Seeing him bowing down without even making eye contact with the Pope, it seemed that he was aware of his own mistakes.
But the Pope ignored his greeting and only asked with a cold expression.
“Where is that woman named Melina?”
“That... First, I locked her in the room she was using...”
“Please guide me.”
“Yes, yes, Your Holiness.”
The Emperor bowed his head and guided us straight to Melina's room.
“This is it, Your Holiness.”
At the Emperor's words, the pope threw open the door without even knocking.
Melina, who was pacing around the room, biting her fingernails as if she was anxious, opened her eyes wide when she saw the Pope and quickly lowered her head.
“I, I greet you, Your Holiness.”
The crown of her head, sunk deep into the floor, was shaking violently.
The Pope, who had been looking at her with narrowed eyes, soon took a step forward.
Then he placed his hand on her still trembling head and quietly closed his eyes.
As if exploring something.
How much time has passed like that?
He took his hand away and opened his trembling lips to speak.
“This woman has no divine power.”
“Huh? She don’t have the power, so...”
“The Saintess is not the daughter of a goddess.”
For a moment, silence fell.
The Emperor and the imperial attendants behind him exchanged glances with their mouths wide open.
The only ones who weren't flustered were the Pope, me, and the Crown Prince.
The Emperor, who seemed to be greatly shocked by the Pope's remarks and gaped, came to his senses belatedly and hurriedly protested.
“Ha, but Your Holiness! This woman clearly bore the mark of the goddess. There are more than a few who have seen the mark of the goddess on her forehead!”
The Pope, who had been quietly watching Melina, asked in a flat voice at the Emperor's words.
“Who is behind you?”
"Yes, yes?"
“Who pushed me down the stairs to stop you from being a Saintess and lend you your strength?”
There was dark anger in the Pope's eyes as he stared at Melina.
It was a complete silence, with not a single sound of breathing, let alone a single word.
But that only lasted for a moment.
“Oh, it’s a miracle! It’s the Saintess’s miracle!”
The crowd began to stir as soon as someone shouted.
“That’s right, it’s a miracle! Saintess Veloce performed a miracle!”
“Oh my God, I never thought I would be able to witness with my own eyes the miracles of a Saintess I had only heard of through rumors. This will be the pride of my life!”
“Yes, it is a source of pride. I will leave this miracle to future generations, and to future generations after that.”
They were so excited that they finally cheered and called out my name.
“Long live Saintess Veloce!”
“Long live our Saintess!”
Looking at them like that, I just smiled gently.
As the atmosphere was heating up, someone raised a question.
“But what was the revelation that Saintess Melina received? Why did you call such a perfectly normal Saintess a fake?”
“That’s right. Because of that revelation or something, Saintess Veloce had to take a retest.”
“Aren’t you the one who failed to fulfill your role as a Saintess properly?”
Those who had been muttering in displeasure eventually went so far as to demand an explanation from Melina.
“Saintess Melina, reveal why you framed Saintess Veloce!”
“Tell me why you were unable to exert your power!”
Melina, frightened by the hostile atmosphere, stepped back hesitantly, still kneeling.
But soon after, she bumped into something and was unable to move.
“Eek!”
Melina turned her head hurriedly and shook her shoulders in shock at the sight of something blocking her retreat.
That's understandable because its true identity is...
'Yeah, it's me.'
I smiled brightly and soon whispered softly enough for only Melina to hear.
“Yes, who’s the winner now?”
“You, you...!”
Melina shuddered and pointed her finger at me.
His expression seemed to indicate that she had sensed something, but I just shrugged.
“Still, you will feel less wronged. At least you will die at the hands of the legitimate heir.”
When I turned back what Melina had said to me, her face turned as red as a rotten tomato.
'I wonder if anyone would say I'm a piece of trash.'
As I was picking on her and making fun of her, Melina, unable to contain her anger, ran towards me roughly.
“You sly bitch! What kind of trick did you use? You obviously have no ability, so how could you...!”
The Emperor was terrified and shouted at the sight of her grabbing me by the collar and going wild like a madwoman.
“What are you knights doing! Arrest Saintess Melina immediately! You will be punished for framing Saintess BlVeloce with false revelations!”
“Yes, Your Majesty!”
At the Emperor's command, five or six knights rushed at Melina at once.
“Hey, don’t you let go of this? Who dares to touch someone’s body! I’m the Saintess of the empire! I’m the daughter of the goddess! Don’t let go of this hand right now!”
The sight of Melina being held captive by the knights and thrashing around like a pig was truly comical.
But it was more fun and enjoyable than any famous play.
I had to grit my teeth to keep myself from bursting out laughing and holding my stomach.
***
On that day, the disasters across the country were eradicated.
Rather than entering a lull like before, it literally disappeared completely as if it had evaporated.
I had a gut feeling.
The disaster that had plagued the empire for 13 years was finally over.
From this day forward, the Empire will never again suffer calamity.
Because I felt that the power of the holy relic was protecting all things.
And there was one more piece of good news.
The Pope, who had been unconscious after falling down the stairs while going to verify Melina, finally woke up.
I went straight to the Pope.
Just as the temple attendant guarding the door was about to announce my arrival, the Pope's angry voice was heard from beyond the door.
“What on earth are you talking about! His Majesty arbitrarily elevated an unverified woman to the position of Holy See! Since when did the imperial family have the power to appoint Saintesses?”
“Of course, we said no, but the situation was so dire, and His Majesty was confident that he would guarantee it...”
“Ha, His Majesty, how can you vouch for that woman! If she is not a Saintess, how can you even step down from the throne?”
“...I am ashamed, Your Holiness.”
“Ha... So you’re saying that he kicked out Saintess Veloce because of that woman?”
“How dare we kick her out? She is a Saintess officially appointed by the temple. How could we just kick her out? However...”
"But?"
“The constellation was divided into two, and a joint saintly system was established.”
“Huh, a joint constellation system! Splitting the constellation in two is unprecedented in the history of the Empire! What on earth is His Majesty thinking! Does His Majesty even have a brain in his head?”
The Pope's voice, panting and shouting, was filled with deep anger.
'Well done, Your Holiness!'
I was a fervent supporter of the Pope.
Even without that, I was quite dissatisfied with the Emperor, who had arbitrarily elevated Melina to the rank of Saintess, and since I had not been able to properly protest for fear of being accused of being jealous, I was seething inside.
But how satisfying it is for the Pope to come out and criticize him so harshly.
'More! More, Your Holiness!'
But unlike me, the temple attendant seemed to want to end this situation quickly.
He was anxious that the Pope's wrath would worsen, so he reported it urgently.
“Your Holiness, Saint Veloce requests an audience.”
Hey, I was just having fun.
I glanced at the attendant with displeasure, but then heard the Pope's permission and reluctantly walked inside.
“Your Holiness, I came to see you after hearing the news that you had awakened.”
“You have come at a good time. Come closer, Saintess.”
I quickly approached the Pope and asked with a worried expression.
“How are you doing?”
“I am fine. But the Saintess must have been very distressed. How could you have endured such humiliation, the re-examination?”
The Pope held my hands tightly and spoke as if he was upset. Those warm words made me feel like my frozen heart was melting away like snow.
“I’m okay too. The goddess is always looking after me.”
It was something I always said in front of the Pope, but this time I meant it.
The meaning of the holy relic is the will of the goddess.
Because it was definitely a goddess who saved me from a corner.
When I smiled brightly, the Pope let out a deep sigh as if he felt sorry.
“No, that won’t work. I have to see that woman right away.”
“No, Your Holiness!”
I quickly stopped the Pope from getting out of bed.
“You have only just regained consciousness. It is too dangerous to move. You have been lying down for over a month.”
But the Pope was firm.
“No, I have to go now. I have something to ask that lady.”
“What on earth are you going to ask...”
I made a puzzled expression, but the Pope seemed not to have any intention of answering and just struggled to get up.
In the end, unable to break his stubbornness, I had no choice but to accompany him on the outing.
Finally, when we arrived at the imperial palace and got out of the carriage, the Emperor, who had been waiting to greet them upon hearing the news, came running out of breath.
“You’re here, Your Holiness. I heard you just came to your senses a little while ago. Why don’t you rest a little longer?”
Seeing him bowing down without even making eye contact with the Pope, it seemed that he was aware of his own mistakes.
But the Pope ignored his greeting and only asked with a cold expression.
“Where is that woman named Melina?”
“That... First, I locked her in the room she was using...”
“Please guide me.”
“Yes, yes, Your Holiness.”
The Emperor bowed his head and guided us straight to Melina's room.
“This is it, Your Holiness.”
At the Emperor's words, the pope threw open the door without even knocking.
Melina, who was pacing around the room, biting her fingernails as if she was anxious, opened her eyes wide when she saw the Pope and quickly lowered her head.
“I, I greet you, Your Holiness.”
The crown of her head, sunk deep into the floor, was shaking violently.
The Pope, who had been looking at her with narrowed eyes, soon took a step forward.
Then he placed his hand on her still trembling head and quietly closed his eyes.
As if exploring something.
How much time has passed like that?
He took his hand away and opened his trembling lips to speak.
“This woman has no divine power.”
“Huh? She don’t have the power, so...”
“The Saintess is not the daughter of a goddess.”
For a moment, silence fell.
The Emperor and the imperial attendants behind him exchanged glances with their mouths wide open.
The only ones who weren't flustered were the Pope, me, and the Crown Prince.
The Emperor, who seemed to be greatly shocked by the Pope's remarks and gaped, came to his senses belatedly and hurriedly protested.
“Ha, but Your Holiness! This woman clearly bore the mark of the goddess. There are more than a few who have seen the mark of the goddess on her forehead!”
The Pope, who had been quietly watching Melina, asked in a flat voice at the Emperor's words.
“Who is behind you?”
"Yes, yes?"
“Who pushed me down the stairs to stop you from being a Saintess and lend you your strength?”
There was dark anger in the Pope's eyes as he stared at Melina.
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