Chapter 3
He certainly had a soft and gentle demeanor like a spring breeze, but when his expression vanished, he looked incredibly cold.
Was what I said so shocking that it caused such a dramatic change in his expression?
“…You intend to, give up being the saint?”
I nodded my head vigorously.
Then I spouted all the excuses I had thought up on the way.
“I’ve been thinking a lot during my visit to the family house. This position isn’t suitable for me.”
“……”
“Trying to force myself into a role that doesn’t fit caused me a lot of stress, and I frequently lost my temper. That’s why I ended up being rude to you, High Priest, and everyone else at the temple.”
I clasped my hands and bowed deeply towards Airek.
“I apologize for all the actions I have committed thus far. If that’s not enough, I’m willing to apologize to each and every one of you, one by one.”
Although I hadn’t committed those acts, I was more than willing to apologize if it meant a smooth escape from the original plot.
If I could bow before a police chief who would blindly chase after performance figures, treating subordinates like rodents, then this was nothing.
“…This is so out of the blue, I’m taken aback.”
“I didn’t expect myself to be saying this either. But I won’t change my mind, so I hope you can understand my wishes.”
“I’m sorry, but I cannot accept Lady Saint’s decision. Please reconsider your words.”
I didn’t expect him to accept my proposal right away, but he was more adamant than I expected.
“I’m not a real saint anyway, so I’m not much use to you, am I?”
“Lady Saint.”
“Ah, is it because of the donations from the Kiris family?”
As the power of the Sun God weakened, the number of followers decreased, and naturally, the donors disappeared as well.
As a result, the Grand Temple is almost entirely reliant on donations from the Kiris family.
If I step down as the saint, the donations will likely stop as well, which isn’t something they would be happy about.
“Don’t worry about that. We can just keep my departure a secret. After all, I can’t return to the family for the time being anyway.”
“It’s not just about the donations, and doing so would be no different from deceiving the Kiris family.”
Why is he worried about that?
“Isn’t it the same as deceiving the people who believe I am the real saint?”
Airek’s face hardened.
As if his heart was being pierced by a sharp awl.
“Rather than continue to deceive good people because of me, wouldn’t it be more right to deceive the Kiris family, who put up a fake saint for their own gain?”
“……”
“If I help, it’s entirely possible. So please reconsider, your Holiness”
Despite my earnest request, Airek remained silent for a long time.
“Even so, it can’t be done.”
After pursing his lips a few times, he soon came up with an answer that I did not find at all pleasant.
“Don’t get any strange ideas. This is where the Lady Saint is supposed to be.”
Airek stood up, looked at me with a stony face, and then walked away with the empty dishes.
Was he angry? Did I hit the nail on the head and make him feel bad?
But I wasn’t wrong.
“I thought the biggest problem was the donations, and once that was taken care of, they would easily let me go.”
Wouldn’t it be better to dismiss a fake saint who is nothing but trouble and live comfortably just on donations?
In the novel, Airek was a flexible person, so I naturally thought he would accept. I didn’t expect him to refuse.
“But that doesn’t mean I’ll give up.”
Who am I? I’m a detective from the violent crime unit who wouldn’t hesitate to go undercover to catch criminals. I’m literally the embodiment of relentlessness.
Let’s see who wins, you or me.
* * *
After leaving the saint’s bedroom, Airek headed towards the dining hall.
However, he hadn’t walked far before his face fell and leaned against the wall.
He looked down at the tray in his hands, his gaze complicated.
Such tasks were originally not his responsibility.
However, because the maids and acolytes – the young servants at the temple – were so terrified of Ordell, these minor errands fell to him.
Accepting the existence of the fake saint was entirely his fault, so Airek always dutifully tended to her.
Perhaps pleased by his behavior, Ordell would smile contentedly and order him around even more like a servant.
‘But today—’
Today was unlike any other.
There was no disdain in the way she looked at him.
There was no anxiety as if she feared being cast out if she didn’t trample on others.
Instead, there was a confident shine in her eyes that he had never seen before.
“What happened?”
It had only been a few days.
When she left the temple, she boarded the carriage with a face that seemed she was utterly sick of this place, but in just a few days, she had completely changed.
‘Was it the Count Kiris’s doing?’
There was only one person who could change Ordell like that.
Count Kiris.
Could this be a test by Count Kiris to see the Grand Temple’s reaction?
“Your Holiness!”
Lost in thought with a grave expression, Airek looked up at the sound of someone’s calling.
Approaching him was Dietrich Warren, his confidant and a high-ranking cleric of the temple.
The sight of Dietrich’s usually smooth and sly face now set in a hardened expression suggested he had heard about Ordell’s earlier-than-expected return.
“Not again… Let me handle it.”
Dietrich promptly snatched the tray from Airek’s hands.
He was one of those who disliked Ordell for treating the Grand Temple’s high priest like a servant.
Well, who in the temple actually liked Ordell anyway?
“Your Holiness, why are your clothes like that?”
Dietrich frowned as he noticed Airek’s clothes, which were supposed to be smooth, were rumpled.
“Did she grab you by the collar?!”
It was certainly a misunderstanding that could easily be made.
“It got crumpled as I was helping the Lady Saint who had just collapsed upon arrival.”
To be precise, it was Ordell who had clung and dragged on him, but it wasn’t intentional.
It was just desperation to survive.
Yes, it must be.
Airek shook off the memory of Ordell’s touch that kept coming back to his mind.
“…Hm? She collapsed?”
Dietrich’s eyes widened in disbelief, his aquamarine eyes shaking vigorously.
“She was particularly hungry today.”
It was then that Dietrich finally realized that all the dishes on the tray he had snatched were empty.
It was the first time Ordell, who always complained about the temple’s food, had cleaned her plates so thoroughly.
“She’s not feeling well, so she’s probably more sensitive than usual. Make sure the acolytes don’t come near the Lady Saint’s bedroom for a while.”
Dietrich nodded vigorously at the instruction to protect the children from Ordell.
“And one more thing. Keep an eye on the Lady Saint’s actions for the time being.”
Dietrich’s eyes rounded in surprise at this unexpected order.
No matter what Ordell did, Airek used to let her do whatever she wanted, even if she sometimes misused the temple’s funds.
“It’s not to restrain her actions. Just watch what she does. She’s not the quickest to catch on, so she won’t notice.”
“Ah, yes. Understood.”
Despite his confusion, Dietrich did not refuse.
It was practically an order to monitor someone, but since he didn’t like the Lady Saint, it wasn’t particularly troublesome for him.
Looking at Dietrich, Airek turned his gaze out the window.
The sun they worshiped was still shining today, scattering its brilliant light across the land.
He wondered how the god they served viewed him for accepting the existence of a fake saint, a deed akin to blaspheming against the god, just for the survival of the Grand Temple.
He could receive divine punishment, but even then, he would accept it willingly since he was ridden with guilt.
‘Rather than continue to deceive good people because of me, wouldn’t it be more right to deceive the Kiris family, who put up a fake saint for their own gain?’
Ordell’s words struck his heart like thorns, making him feel so much guilt.
He would rather have god punish him, for then he would no longer feel such pain.
* * *
As soon as Airek left, I began to move busily.
I had no intention of sitting quietly and waiting until he agreed.
I have one goal for today.
To find the hidden slush fund of Ordell!
I searched every corner of the room intently.
Under the bed, inside the desk drawers, and even for any possible secret compartments that might be there—
I didn’t know how long time passed.
But instead of finding the hidden funds I was looking for, I soon came to one conclusion.
“This room is quite luxurious.”
The room was spotlessly clean, and extravagantly decorated with various jewels.
It also has a bed big enough for five adults to lie on and furniture that looked expensive at first glance.
The bedroom, which seemed far too large for one person, looked exactly like it would belong to a wealthy person.
“The Grand Temple of the Sun God is supposed to be out of money.”
Recalling the setting of the novel, I looked around the room with an anxious face.
SoundlessWind21’s Notes:
Thank you for reading!