Chapter 02
Even though he clearly had a gentle and warm impression, like a spring breeze, once his expression disappeared, he looked incredibly cold.
Was it really surprising enough to make his expression change so drastically?
“……You are saying that you want to quit being the Saintess.”
I nodded firmly.
Then I started pouring out the excuses I had thought of on the way here.
“After visiting my family this time, I came to think about many things. I realized that this position does not suit me.”
“…….”
“I was under a lot of stress because I kept trying to force myself into clothes that did not fit me, so I often became angry. Because of that, I ended up being rude to the High Priest and everyone at the temple.”
I folded my hands toward Ayrik and bowed my head.
“I apologize for everything I have done until now. If that is not enough, I will meet each and every person and apologize to them personally.”
Although I was not the one who had actually done those things, I could apologize as much as I wanted if it helped me escape the original story smoothly.
Compared to bowing my head in front of the police chief who was obsessed with performance records and treated his subordinates mercilessly, this was nothing.
“……This is such a sudden statement that I am rather confused.”
“I did not expect myself to say something like this either. But I will not change my mind again, so I hope you will understand my decision.”
“I am sorry, but I cannot accept the Saintess’s decision. Please reconsider your words.”
I did not expect him to accept it right away, but his reaction was much firmer than I expected.
“After all, I am not even the real Saintess, so I am not very useful, am I?”
“Saintess.”
“Ah, is it because of the donations coming from the Kyris family?”
As the Sun God’s power weakened, the number of believers at the Grand Temple of the Sun God decreased, and naturally, the donors disappeared as well.
Because of that, they were now almost entirely dependent on the donations sent by the Kyris family.
If I quit being the Saintess, those donations would also stop, so of course they would not be happy about it.
“Don’t worry about that. We can just keep my departure a secret. I cannot return to my family for the time being anyway.”
“It is not only because of the donations. And would that not be the same as deceiving the Kyris family?”
Why was he worried about that?
“People who believe that I am the real Saintess are being deceived too, aren’t they?”
Ayrik’s face hardened.
As if his heart had been pierced by a sharp awl.
“Rather than continuing to deceive good people because of me, wouldn’t it be more right to deceive the Kyris family, who put forward a fake Saintess for the sake of their family’s benefit?”
“…….”
“If you let me help, it will be more than possible. So please reconsider, High Priest.”
Despite my earnest request, Ayrik remained silent for a long time.
“Even so, it is not possible.”
His lips moved several times before he finally gave me an answer that I really did not want to hear.
“Do not think strange thoughts. The place where the Saintess must be is right here.”
Ayrik stood up, looked at me with a stiff expression, then left with the empty dishes.
Was he angry? Did he feel bad because I had hit the nail on the head too hard?
But what I said was not wrong.
“I thought he would let me go easily if I solved the biggest problem, which must be the donations.”
Wouldn’t it be better to get rid of a fake Saintess who caused nothing but trouble instead of being useful, and happily live off the money?
In the novel, Ayrik was a flexible person, so I naturally thought he would accept.
I never expected him to refuse.
“But that doesn’t mean I’m giving up.”
Who am I?
I am a detective from the violent crimes unit, the embodiment of persistence who would not even hesitate to go undercover to catch criminals.
Let’s see who wins, you or me.
After leaving the Saintess’s bedroom, Ayrik headed toward the dining room.
However, he had barely walked a few steps before his face twisted, and he leaned against the wall.
His gaze as he looked down at the tray in his hands was incredibly complicated.
Normally, this was not something he should have been doing.
However, because the maids and pages—the young servants working at the temple—were extremely afraid of Ordel, taking care of her small errands had become his responsibility.
Since accepting the existence of the fake Saintess was entirely his fault, Ayrik had always willingly taken care of her.
Perhaps she liked seeing him like that, because Ordel would smile with satisfaction and make him work even more like a servant.
But today…….
Today was different.
There had not been even the slightest trace of contempt in the way she looked at him.
Nor had there been the anxiety of someone who seemed afraid that she would be cast aside unless she stepped on others first.
Instead, her eyes had been filled with a confident light he had never seen before.
“What happened to her?”
It had only been a few days.
When she left the temple, she had climbed into the carriage with a face that clearly said she was sick and tired of a place like this.
Yet in just a few days, she had completely changed.
Did Count Kyris tell her to do this?
There was only one person who could make Ordel become like that.
Count Kyris.
Could this possibly be Count Kyris’s plan to test the Grand Temple?
“High Priest!”
Ayrik, who had been thinking with a serious expression, raised his head at the voice calling him.
His trusted subordinate and a high-ranking priest of the temple, Dietrich Warren, was approaching.
His face, which was usually smooth and sly like a snake, was stiff. It seemed he had heard that Ordel had returned earlier than expected.
“You’re doing this again……. I’ll carry it.”
Dietrich immediately took the tray from Ayrik.
He was one of the people who disliked Ordel for treating the High Priest like a servant.
Well, was there anyone in this temple who actually liked Ordel?
“High Priest, what happened to your clothes?”
Dietrich belatedly noticed that Ayrik’s clothes, which were supposed to be kept clean, were badly wrinkled, and his face stiffened.
“Did she grab you by the collar?!”
It certainly was easy to misunderstand.
“The Saintess collapsed as soon as she arrived, so they only became wrinkled because I supported her.”
To be precise, Ordel had clung to him, but she had not done it intentionally.
She had simply been desperate to survive.
Yes, that had to be it.
For some reason, Ayrik kept remembering Ordel’s touch, so he desperately pushed the thought away.
“……What? Who collapsed……?”
Dietrich’s eyes widened. His watery blue eyes shook violently as if he could not believe what he had heard.
“She seemed especially hungry today.”
Only then did Dietrich realize that all the bowls on the tray he had taken were completely empty.
It was the first time Ordel had ever cleaned out her dishes like this, despite always complaining about the temple’s food.
“She is not feeling well, so she will probably be more sensitive than usual. For the time being, make sure the pages do not come near the Saintess’s bedroom.”
At the order to protect the young children from Ordel, Dietrich nodded firmly.
“And one more thing. Keep an eye on the Saintess’s actions for the time being.”
Perhaps the unexpected order surprised him, because Dietrich’s eyes widened.
Ayrik had always left Ordel alone no matter what she did, even when she freely spent the temple’s money.
“I am not telling you to stop her. Just watch what she is doing. She is not particularly quick-witted, so she will not notice.”
“Uh, yes. Understood.”
Although he was puzzled, Dietrich did not refuse.
It was practically an order to spy on someone, but since he did not like the Saintess, he did not feel particularly uncomfortable about it.
Ayrik looked at Dietrich for a moment before turning his gaze toward the window.
The sun they worshiped was scattering its brilliant light across the entire land today as well.
How did God look upon him, who had accepted the existence of a fake Saintess, an act that was practically blasphemy, all for the sake of preserving the Grand Temple?
Even if God punished him, he would willingly accept it.
‘Rather than continuing to deceive good people because of me, wouldn’t it be more right to deceive the Kyris family, who put forward a fake Saintess for the sake of their family’s benefit?’
Those words from Ordel had pierced his heart like a thorn, because he was already suffering from intense guilt.
I would rather God punish me. Then I would no longer have to feel this pain.
As soon as Ayrik left, I began moving busily.
I had no intention of sitting quietly and waiting until he accepted.
There was only one goal for today.
Find the secret funds Ordel had hidden!
I carefully searched every corner of the room.
Under the bed, inside the desk drawers, even any double drawers that might be hidden……
After searching for who knows how long, I soon came to one conclusion instead of finding the secret funds I was looking for.
“This room is really luxurious.”
The room was spotless, without even a speck of dust, and there were extravagant ornaments decorated with jewels.
There was a huge bed large enough for five adults to lie down on, along with furniture that looked expensive at a glance.
This bedroom was extremely spacious for one person. It looked exactly like the room of a rich person.
“The Grand Temple of the Sun God shouldn’t have much money.”
Remembering the setting from the novel, I looked around the room with a troubled expression.
