Such affectionate eyes. Two years ago, it was an expression that he had only seen once in a while in front of that slave bastard. A softened expression that only appeared when she trusted the other person, even a little.
'What's the difference between me and that guy John?'
John is a little more disciplined than Shion, but that's it. In the end, both he and John are equally crazy.
No. In terms of making his subordinates act, he is more oppressive and dark than Shion.
Shion glared at John in terrible jealousy. To his absurdity, John had the same expression on his face. It was as much jealousy as it was disgust and contempt.
'Why? I have everything I want. What am I missing?'
"Since Odette seems to have left the parish, let's talk about that damn thing first. Margrave Kleist. Purification. What on earth does that mean?"
John wanted to 'have a talk', but his words and actions did not match.
As soon as he said that, he struck Shion hard in the stomach.
***
After finishing her conversation with Rolf, Charlotte headed straight to the banquet hall.
'I was worried that Raphael might weigh in on Odette's revival.'
Fortunately, Raphael left a note in Charlotte's room before entering the High Priests' meeting.
The note said that he thought Odette was a fraud and that he trusted Charlotte.
Rather than believe the resurrection play, he seemed to have decided to believe Charlotte's claim that 'Odette was secretly alive'.
'Well, she guessed he must have insisted that his subordinates push Charlotte, but...'
It would have been burdensome to reverse an order to his people just hours after giving it.
Anyway, it's either Charlotte or Odette. If the odds are even, she guesses he'll take a gamble and go with the original choice.
'The conversation with Rolf went well. Raphael also decided to push me. Not bad.'
It's unpleasant to have been hit once, but can't you just return the favor?
It was the moment when Charlotte, shaking off her previous mood, stepped into the banquet hall.
"Come on in, Charlotte."
Charlotte found herself facing Odette, who was seated at the head of a long table.
"... Why are you here?"
Charlotte, frozen in place, asked sharply.
It was a place for the Eucharist, prepared with utmost care in the cathedral for Charlotte, who had suffered all day.
Only those who had been personally invited by Charlotte in advance were allowed to enter.
"The assistant priest just came by. He said that the meeting of the High Priests has been going on for a long time. So he told us to enjoy the Bucharist among ourselves first."
"Today, the Great Hall is a place for communion where only those I have permitted can enter. I have no, I invited you, have I, Odette?"
"What can I do? The assistant priest thinks I am a Saintess, superior to you. He seems to think you can't possibly reject me."
Odette snickered as she said that. Charlotte's expression hardened even more.
Even if it is a place that requires an invitation, if the level is too high, you can enter without an invitation.
As the Emperor is in the empire, so the Pope is in the cathedral.
So, it seems that the assistant priests regarded Odette almost as highly as the Pope.
The evidence of this was the fact that Odette was sitting in the seat of honor that had originally belonged to Charlotte.
Charlotte's light blue eyes scanned the table. Her seat had been moved. Right next to the head table, where Odette was sitting.
Everything in Odette's room, from the tablecloth, silverware, food, wine glasses, silver candlesticks, cutlery, and plates, was a notch above Charlotte's.
Besides, silverware was something that only the Emperor would bring out when invited. It was annoying, but Charlotte forced herself to smile.
'It's okay. I'm only going to show off for a little while anyway.'
The reason why the High Priests cannot come to the banquet dinner that they have prepared so grandly is that the meeting of the High Priests is running long.
'And the longer the meeting goes on, the better it is for me.'
If the meeting had continued in the direction of believing in Odette's miracle, there would be no reason for the meeting to be this long. This means that High Priest Raphael is presenting the suspicion of a 'fraud' very persuasively.
The fact that it's this long means that most of the Popes and High Priests are leaning more toward the idea that it's a fraud.
'The cathedral and Odette were polar opposites from the beginning. The Pope must have been secretly unhappy with Odette's miracle.'
This means that Odette will only be able to speak for a very short time before the High Priests' meeting ends.
"I plan to stay here for a while. Everyone has been so welcoming, so I feel bad about going straight back to the Count's residence."
Odette placed her index finger on the rim of her wine glass and slowly traced a circle around the mouth, laughing mockingly at Charlotte.
'How can she look down on others like that?'
Charlotte also decided to respond to provocation with provocation.
"Oh my, Odette. Did you intend to return to the Count's house? After all the treatment you received in your past life?"
She made no secret of the fact that she had memories of her past life, or that she knew everything about Odette's past actions.
"Do you want to get your tongue cut out again? Well, you were a quiet person in your last life, so you were cuter than this one."
Charlotte smiled faintly, revealing her cute dimples. However, the content was overly gruesome compared to her lovely appearance.
"Thank you for the compliment, Charlotte. You are cuter in this life. Especially your cute little purification."
'You're an A-class person in this life?'
Odette's words contained such implications.
Odette's turquoise eyes shone as if observing Charlotte.
"..."
Charlotte had no choice but to keep her mouth shut. For a moment, those words stung her, as they were proof that she was a fake Purifier.
It's like not even finding the original investment.
"I think the conversation is settled, so I'll eat first. I'm so hungry after being resurrected after two years."
Odette smiled as if mocking Charlotte, picked up her knife, and cut the steak.
The only sound that echoed through the large restaurant was the slicing of meat. The fresco of the World Tree painted on the high ceiling, looked down on the two people.
"Resurrection...?"
Charlotte snorted at the word, which was funny.
"Is resurrection a frequent event? We met before you were resurrected. In that short time, you died and were resurrected again?"
"Yeah. Resurrection is my hobby."
Charlotte burst out laughing at Odette's shameless words.
"You seem to have come this far by believing in a past life. What's so great about that? Your memories end here. You died around this time."
Odette put the steak in her mouth, not really paying attention to what Charlotte had to say.
"You got a status window in this life, right? Are you acting like this because you're so arrogant because of that status window?"
Charlotte let out a clear laugh.
"Do you know why there is a status window in this world? It's because there is a main character in this world. And that main character is me."
Odette, who had swallowed her steak, burst into laughter at those words. Charlotte couldn't help but misunderstand the laughter.
'You don't seem to believe that I'm the main character?'
Charlotte didn't know that this world was now a game that Han Soo-wan had played hundreds of times.
Charlotte walked over to where Odette was sitting.
Charlotte in her pure white priest's cassock and Odette in her black habit. This contrasting appearance symbolizes the fate of the two.
Charlotte, who lives a holy and light-filled life, and Odette, who lives a life tainted by death.
Charlotte, standing next to Odette, picked up the glass of water that was on the tablecloth and tipped it over Odette's head.
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