Chapter 98

‘I couldn’t believe that the Pope had been excommunicated.’

“Then, what about the Pope?”

“Since Your Majesty commanded me to guard His Holiness, I have brought him to the palace.”

“Tell me as soon as he regains consciousness.”

“Understood.”

After the knight saluted and left, only the two of them, who were flustered, remained in the room.

“The Pope… can be excommunicated?”

“I’ve never heard of such a case.”

“Me neither. I thought it was a lifelong position until death, but for him to be suddenly excommunicated…”

“He went to see the Saintess and this happened, so I can guess the reason.”

“…Let’s wait for the Pope to wake up for now.”

Lehan nodded, agreeing with her opinion. But as if he didn’t care about their thoughts, the chamberlain’s voice was heard from outside.

“Your, Your Majesty!”

“What is it?”

“The Saintess has come to visit!”

Edelis was just as flustered by the chamberlain’s voice. She had planned to figure out the situation and then think of a way to deal with it, but the Saintess had appeared without giving her any time to do so.

“W-what should we do?”

The Saintess was basically a divine messenger who used divine power. And when an epidemic spread through the empire, she provided medicine to heal the people. But it was also a fact that she had tried to hire someone to murder the Empress. 

Although Lehan had said he trusted Edelis, he still had memories of the Saintess, so he couldn’t fully trust her. However, there was a clear witness, ‘Berman Pasis,’ and Johannes Frache, who would back up his testimony. And the Empress, Edelis, herself. It was impossible for all of them to be lying. In other words, the only conclusion was that what he had believed all this time was wrong. So it was right to think that the current Saintess was a different person from the Saintess he had known before. 

A trial had not even been brought against her, and she was the first Saintess to appear in several hundred years and had come to heal the empire, so he couldn’t just kill her recklessly.

“…Just come to my side.”

Although he couldn’t do this or that, the one thing that was clear was that he had to protect Edelis. Edelis stood by his side as Lehan told her. Only then did Lehan feel a little relieved, and he told the chamberlain to let the Saintess in. As the servants opened the door, the Saintess came in and let out a chuckle at the tense atmosphere inside.

“Hello, Your Majesty?”

“…Yes. What is it?”

“Something came up for His Holiness the Pope, so he was unable to come.”

“I heard.”

“The Pope was scheduled to have an audience, so I came in his place…”

The Saintess’s eyes turned to Lehan and Edelis, who was standing a step behind him.

“I didn’t expect to find the Empress here.”

“It’s not strange for the Empress to be with the Emperor.”

“Of course.”

The Saintess’s eyes sharply scanned their figures. Lehan was holding the scabbard with his left hand, and his thumb was slightly pushing up the sword from the scabbard, ready to draw the sword at any time. And he had his right arm bent as if to hide Edelis behind him, but his right hand was also ready to grab and pull out the sword at a moment’s notice.

‘He’s practically holding the sword…’

It was obvious that Lehan, the Emperor, would have been cold to Edelis, the Empress, because of the memories she had implanted in him from the book. But in the dining room before, he had chosen the Empress over the Saintess herself, and now, what had happened while she was away, Edelis was standing behind Lehan and glaring at her condescendingly.

‘Ugh, if only she was one step closer.’

She would have killed the Empress right away. She had even brought the book just in case, to overwrite his memory immediately, but now it seemed that if she tried to kill Edelis, she would be stabbed to death by Lehan’s sword before she could even kill her.

‘How did my Keirhan become like this?’

It was all because of the Empress, Edelis. What did she do to make Keirhan, who should only love her, so hostile to her? The more she thought about it, the more her anger surged. She wanted to kill Edelis right now, but it was time to be patient.

“What happened to the Pope?”

“He is no longer able to perform his duties as Pope.”

The Saintess shrugged. It wasn’t a lie. She just didn’t feel the need to add that she herself was the one who had taken his divine power so he couldn’t perform his duties.

“Until someone else becomes Pope, I have temporarily taken over his duties.”

“Someone else?”

“Yes, I’m not sure who it will be yet.”

Even though she said this, it was obvious that it would be Lorenz, who was closest to her. If he became Pope, she would be able to move much more easily. It would be much more comfortable just knowing she wouldn’t have to worry about who might stab her in the back.

“So, what were you going to discuss with His Holiness the Pope?”

Lehan couldn’t answer the Saintess’s question. It was obvious. He couldn’t discuss with the Saintess herself what to do with her. Furthermore, he couldn’t say that he was going to discuss it with the Pope. The Pope had already been excommunicated, so he was no different from a commoner.

“Nothing important. I only meant to extend some courtesy, since it has been some time since he last visited.”

“Is that so? I thought you had already discussed that when you had an audience right after you arrived.”

“We only had a general conversation, not a detailed one. I didn’t expect this to happen.”

The Saintess knew that the Pope had talked with the Emperor and Empress for a considerable amount of time. But she couldn’t show that she knew. It would be an admission that she had eyes and ears planted in the Imperial Palace.

“Hmm, or since we have some time, how about having some tea?”

“No. I’ll pass.”

At Edelis’s sharp refusal, the Saintess clicked her tongue. The Saintess had to somehow get the Empress outside, but Edelis wasn’t a fool and was being very wary of the Saintess. It would have only taken a moment. It would have been a matter of just being separated from Keirhan for a very short time. Since this was the Emerald Palace where the Empress was originally supposed to die, she could have just killed her on the way to the tea party and overwritten the memories.

‘I should have just killed her before.’

She tried to be perfect, but she just made things complicated. The Saintess barely managed to hold back a sigh. The assassins under Lorenz’s command were supposed to be ready tonight anyway, so she didn’t have to do anything herself.

‘Should I try once anyway?’

Divine power itself didn’t have the ability to kill. Its purpose was basically to heal and support. So the Saintess was about to wrap a sword she had hidden in her pocket with divine power and cast a spell on herself to enhance her physical abilities.

“Stop.”

“…What are you doing?”

“You’re the one.”

Before she could even wrap the sword with divine power, Edelis pulled out the sword that was hanging on Lehan’s waist and pointed it at the Saintess’s throat. A drop of red blood formed on the Saintess’s skin where the tip of the sword touched, and it soon began to trickle down.

“Why are you suddenly using divine power here?”

“What are you talking about…”

“I can see the divine power leaking out, so it looks like you didn’t want to get caught.”

Edelis withdrew the sword she was pointing at the Saintess’s throat and sliced off her long, flowing sleeve. The dagger the Saintess was holding in her hand was revealed.

“Don’t you know that weapons are not allowed in the Imperial Palace?”

“…Hah. I will be going now.”

“Bringing a weapon into the Imperial Palace without permission is an act of treason. But you’re a member of the Holy Empire, so… is this a declaration of war?”

“How annoying.”

The Saintess calmly dropped the sword she was holding on the floor. And a light flashed from her other hand, and Lehan’s condition suddenly became strange. Lehan, who had been glaring at the Saintess, looked around and glanced out the window, looking visibly flustered.

“Lehan? What’s wrong?”

“What’s going on?”

“Well, the Empress suddenly swung a sword at me.”

“Are you trying to play a game now?”

“…Imprison the Saintess in the palace.”

“On what grounds are you doing that?”

“Since you brought a weapon in and declared war, it’s not strange to take you as a prisoner.”

“A weapon? I never did that.”

“What is that at your feet?”

“That’s something the Empress brought with her.”

Edelis let out a sneer at the Saintess’s shameless lie. Lehan saw it too, but he strangely kept looking around as if he was gathering information. Like someone who had no idea what was going on.

“Do you think that lie will work?”

“If there’s no basis, I will take my leave. This is unpleasant.”

“…”

“Take your leave? Didn’t you hear that you’re going to be imprisoned?”

“Imprisoning me for no reason when I came to help the empire? The Holy Empire will officially object to this.”

The Saintess, on the contrary, turned around, feigning anger. Edelis tried to threaten the Saintess with the sword she was holding, but Lehan grabbed the hand that held the sword.

“Edelis, just a moment.”

“But, Lehan!”

“…Just a moment.”

The Saintess half-turned and looked at the confused Lehan and Edelis, let out a deep sigh, and gracefully walked out. She decided to go back and badger Lorenz to make sure he killed Edelis.

“You’re just going to let her go?”

“…What happened?”

“What are you talking about? She brought a weapon in, probably tried to kill me, and got caught. What more do you need to know?”

Edelis shouted at him in anger, but Lehan still looked flustered.

“Why… don’t I remember the Saintess coming here?”

“What do you mean?”

“I remember sleeping last night. But I have no memory of waking up this morning, of the Saintess coming here, or of you at all.”

“…”

Edelis’s mouth fell open at Lehan’s shocking words. Since Lehan hadn’t seen it, the Saintess could claim that ‘the Empress was being unreasonable and trying to kill her.’ In this absurd situation, Edelis replayed what she had seen. And she came to one conclusion.

“…She brought the book.”

Edelis immediately tried to go out the door to catch the Saintess, but Lehan held her back.

“Let go! I’m going to take the book, who knows when she’ll bring it out again!”

“Wait, Edelis!”

“Let go!”

“Are you going to go out like that?!”

When Lehan shouted, Edelis was startled and looked down at herself. She was holding his sword in the hand he was holding. The Empress wandering around the palace with a sword, looking for the Saintess to threaten her and take the book. It wasn’t a good choice, since it wouldn’t end just by taking the book. 

If she followed the Saintess now and beheaded her, she would definitely not lose Lehan to her. But after that, she would have to endure immense condemnation from the Holy Empire and the surrounding nations. It wouldn’t matter if it was just her, but she couldn’t cause such trouble for Lehan and the empire. When she thought that far, the strength left her hand, and the sword she was holding fell to the floor with a clang.

“Then, then what should I do! Do I have to keep trembling in fear that the Saintess might kill me?”

It was a good thing she saw the dagger she had beforehand, or it could have been dangerous. Lehan had said he would protect her, but as the Emperor, Lehan couldn’t just focus on protecting her. Could she really trust the guards? She had almost been killed by her guard, Berman Pasis, before.

“Do I have to just watch you, who might lose your memory again at any time?”

Once was enough. She didn’t want to experience it twice. If Lehan were to look at her with those cold eyes again, she felt like she would fall apart.

“What if the Saintess succeeds? Then what will happen to me?”

She would surely lose everything, Lehan and her own life. Edelis shouted, filled with resentment. And Lehan hugged her and patted her back.

“I will immediately bring an emergency trial tomorrow.”

“…A trial?”

“Yes. We’ll put Berman Pasis on the stand as a witness. And prove that the Saintess is the one behind him.”

Then we can hang the Saintess on the gallows. Lehan whispered in Edelis’s ear.