IFGO 03

Chapter 03

‘What kind of error is this?’

I carefully reached out and touched it, but my hand still passed right through.

I had possessed the body of a character from a novel, so what exactly was this game-like window supposed to be?

I stared at it with a serious expression when—

Knock, knock.

A knock came from the door.

“Come in.”

The door opened, and Annie entered. On the silver tray she carried were fresh fruits and cookies.

“Saintess, I brought you some snacks.”

Annie came in with snacks at the same time every day.

“Can you see this?”

I pointed at the window and asked.

Annie let out a small sigh and shook her head. As expected, it seemed that only I could see it.

“Our Saintess… You really need to get better soon.”

Apparently, Annie thought I was seeing things because I was sick.

“Since your body is so weak, it must be quite difficult for you to carry out your duties as the Saintess.”

After placing the tray on the table, Annie shrugged her shoulders.

‘That’s strange.’

I blinked and thought.

There was a peculiar tone hidden at the end of her voice.

Now that I heard Annie’s words, I remembered that for the past three days, all I had done was eat and read books. I hadn’t done anything else.

The real Saintess Camilla from the novel had been busy traveling to various temples, meeting priests, and frequently having audiences with the Emperor and Crown Prince.

‘Perhaps it’s because I’m not the real Saintess that I don’t have any official duties.’

The claim that my body was weak was probably just an excuse made up by the High Priest.

‘Since I wouldn’t be able to perform the duties expected of a true Saintess, they needed some kind of excuse to explain why I was confined inside the temple.’

They had placed a fake Saintess on the throne because no new Saintess had appeared after the previous Saintess passed away several years ago.

It was probably to prevent public unrest and maintain political stability.

While I was lost in thought, Annie’s voice brought me back.

“Um… But, Saintess.”

I glanced at Annie.

Her brown eyes were shining with a strange light.

“You remember how I told you that my younger brother was injured before? Well, I found out he has debts… so I think I need your help even more.”

My eyebrow twitched.

‘Why is she telling me this?’

Annie slightly lifted the corners of her lips before continuing.

“So, I’m sorry, but…”

“……”

“The allowance you give me every month, Saintess… Could you increase it a little?”

She laughed awkwardly, but her eyes looked exactly like the kind of people I had seen in my previous life.

People who looked down on me because I was an illegitimate child of a wealthy family, yet still tried to flatter me and use me whenever they needed something.

Naturally, my lips twisted.

‘Ha. Look at this.’

Of course, Ariel—the villainess in the novel—was indeed described as a villainess.

But she wasn’t the kind who plotted cleverly. She was more of an emotional villainess, the type who acted on feelings rather than intelligence.

To Annie, who had spent her entire life as a maid, enduring the whims of her masters, Ariel probably looked like an easy target.

That was why she dared to say something so ridiculous without hesitation.

‘But I’m not that Ariel.’

“Annie?”

At my voice, she answered with a sweet smile.

“Yes, Saintess.”

“Have I been giving you money until now?”

Annie, who had clearly expected me to say something like ‘Of course, take it’, raised one eyebrow at my sudden question.

“Um. Yes. You said you were worried about my brother and showed me your kindness… Why are you suddenly asking that?”

I crossed my legs while sitting in the chair.

Then I looked up at Annie leisurely.

“How much did I give you?”

“650 francs a month. I’m not asking for much. If you could just add 50 francs…”

Annie seemed to think I was asking because I didn’t want to give her money.

I stared at her without saying anything.

Gradually, the smile on Annie’s face began to stiffen awkwardly.

Ah.

Now I understood why Ariel’s bank account had no money.

‘A maid’s salary would be less than 200 francs at most, yet she was giving Annie 650 francs extra?’

And Annie was asking for even more.

“Seriously, what a pushover I was.”

Technically, I wasn’t talking about myself, but Ariel.

“Being taken advantage of by a maid… How disappointing.”

At my words, Annie’s lips twitched slightly.

After a moment, she opened her mouth with an awkward expression.

“You seem to be in a very bad mood today. Then please think about it a little more and tell me later.”

“No. Let’s settle this right now.”

I cut her off immediately.

“From now on, I won’t give you a single coin, Annie.”

Her eyes widened.

“Not only am I not increasing it, I’m saying I’m cutting off that so-called allowance entirely.”

Shock appeared in Annie’s eyes.

She clearly never expected me to say something like this.

“If you are the Saintess’s personal maid, you should already be receiving an adequate salary. Why are you asking me for money?”

“B-But!”

Her lips trembled.

“If you’re truly worried about your brother’s situation, bring him before me.”

A relaxed smile formed on my lips.

Annie stared at me as if she couldn’t believe what she was hearing.

“I heard the temple is short on workers for the stables. If your brother seems capable after I see him, I’ll consider hiring him.”

“Saintess!”

Annie shouted with her eyes wide open.

I knew that expression very well.

The shock someone felt when they realized that the person they thought was beneath them was actually above them.

I had seen countless people make that face in my previous life.

A bitter taste filled my mouth.

‘I thought it was strange how a maid acted so disrespectfully… She really saw me as an easy target.’

Ariel had been acting like a complete pushover.

“Saintess… I think you may have forgotten…”

After a moment, Annie spoke with trembling eyes.

“…You know that I know, don’t you?”

I frowned, wondering what she meant.

Then, at her next words, my expression hardened.

“You…”

Annie’s brown eyes shone with certainty and malice.

“…are fake.”

Only then did I realize the true meaning behind the strange contempt and ridicule hidden beneath Annie’s smiles until now.

The reason Ariel had given her 650 francs every month.

The reason she had paid her so much money.

It was all to silence Annie, who knew that Ariel was a fake Saintess.

‘Right.’

Ariel wasn’t the kind of person who would spend that much money out of compassion for a maid’s unfortunate circumstances.

‘She was simply too foolish to resist such a flimsy threat.’

I clicked my tongue internally.

“If I were to reveal that the Saintess is fake…”

Annie glared at me and began her threat.

“Go ahead.”

But my immediate reply cut her off.

“W-What?”

Her face showed even greater confusion than before.

Apparently, until now, whenever Annie threatened to expose her, Ariel had obediently tried to calm her down and increased the allowance.

At first, it must have been around 300 or 400 francs.

And now she was demanding 700 francs.

“Tell everyone.”

“If I reveal it, Saintess, you will…”

“Yes. If the truth comes out, I’ll probably be punished.”

I looked at her calmly.

“Most likely, I’ll be executed.”

Unlike the frightened expression Ariel must have shown before, Annie couldn’t believe how composed I was.

I continued while looking at her coldly.

The killing intent in my eyes made Annie’s shoulders tremble.

“Then what do you think will happen to the maid who hid the fact that the Saintess was fake while receiving 650 francs every month?”

“……!”

Annie’s eyes shook violently.

“I’m still half a noble. Even if I die, I’ll probably be given a proper death.”

“Saintess…”

“But a maid won’t be treated the same way.”

“……”

“Wouldn’t you end up envying me on the executioner’s platform, Annie?”

The confidence she had possessed moments ago—the belief that she could control me—was disappearing.

I uncrossed my legs, stood up, and faced her directly.

“Annie. If you knew I was fake, you should have exposed me immediately.”

Annie’s face turned pale as she stepped backward.

The corner of my lips curled.

“But you didn’t.”

“……”

“You boarded the same ship as me.”

“……”

“And you even risked your life.”

“……!”

Life.

Only then did Annie seem to realize the true danger of what she had done.