Gale just trembled uncontrollably, unable to say a word.
Because I had struck a nerve.
"Of course, I haven't forgotten the Count's grace. If it weren't for him, I wouldn't be enjoying this luxurious life as a saintess. How could I ever forget that favor?"
Giving him time to think, I whispered in a gentle voice, as if I had never threatened him.
Since I had wielded the whip, now it was time for the carrot.
To keep leech—ahem, I mean, to keep receiving donations from the House of Kiris.
"It's just that... the Count and you both keep looking down on me, and that made me a little angry. Sure, if it came out that I'm a fake saintess, it would be bad for the Count's family, but I wouldn't come out of it unscathed either, would I? I'd be completely ruined in high society."
"..."
"So here's the thing. I've decided to properly play the role of the saintess, just as the Count wants."
"...What?"
Gale's eyes widened at my sudden change in attitude, suspicious.
The momentum had completely shifted in my favor now.
"You saw how the High Priest and the Head Paladin were concerned about me, right? If I put my mind to it, earning their trust will be a piece of cake."
The reason I asked those two to overreact earlier.
Was precisely for this.
Gale would trust the reactions of Iric and Seth more than mine.
"..."
As expected, Gale's eyes began to waver, still unable to believe I was deceiving him.
"You're here because of the spies, aren't you?"
"..."
"I was the one who reported Chef Kento's embezzlement. The High Priest and the Head Paladin investigated and rooted out all the spies."
"Why would you do such a thing! Now that the High Priest and Paladin know, it'll be difficult to plant new spies!"
"But in return, I earned their trust."
I whispered a sweet lie into his ear—one he had no choice but to believe.
"Even someone like me with barely a trace of holy power was able to gain their trust because of that. They never found out that the spies were planted by the Kiris family. If they had, they wouldn't have let you through the gates today."
"…Ah."
"If I can perfectly play the role of the saintess while holding their trust, there's no longer any need to plant spies here. I'll become the spy myself."
"..."
"So, Gale. Do I still look like the incompetent 'Miss Kiris' to you?"
That was a rebuke for calling me "Miss Kiris" instead of "Saintess" in front of the people at the High Temple—people who didn't know I was a fraud.
Realizing just how dangerous that had been, the idiot Gale's eyes trembled.
"So go back and tell the Count. Stop planting spies just to skim some petty cash. I'll become the real saintess of the High Temple and earn him ten times that amount."
Of course, that was a lie. And anyone who falls for it is a fool.
Who told him to play dirty first? This is just karma.
"…I don't know if the Count will accept your proposal, Saintess, but… I'll report it to him."
Crushed under the full weight of my momentum, Gale replied hesitantly. I smiled contentedly and leaned back comfortably on the sofa.
If the Count of Kiris is smart, he'll take my deal. If not, he'll come storming in to grab me by the hair.
I just hope he doesn't make the stupid choice.
"Will she be alright…?"
Seth asked with a sigh.
Iric and Seth, who had just come out of the drawing room, were now standing at the entrance to the High Temple.
To keep the knights brought by Baron Gale from entering.
He had brought nearly ten knights with him on the way here.
"Even if he is a vassal under the Saintess's father… bringing in someone that rude…"
Seth sighed with concern as he kept his guard up against the knights.
Even Iric, who knew more than anyone else, had a stiff expression on his face.
Ordell, who wasn't even favored by the Count, might face far worse rudeness when left alone with him.
He had refused Ordell's earlier command to leave the room not only because she had ordered him to stay, but also, half of it was his own will.
"...Sir Victoria is standing guard in front of the drawing room, correct?"
"Of course. She's not at Master level yet, so she likely can't hear the conversation inside. The room is soundproofed quite well."
"Would she at least be able to hear any loud noises?"
"If it's loud enough for a knight to need to intervene, yes."
At Seth's firm reply, Iric nodded.
Ordell was someone who never held back when angry—she would scream if it came to that. She'd be fine.
...But when was the last time she actually screamed?
She used to raise her voice nearly every day.
It had been quite a while since he heard that high-pitched voice that used to sound like she was crying whenever she got angry.
Lately, what filled his memories instead were calm, composed, and soft tones—ones he hardly ever heard from her before.
"High Priest. Someone is coming this way."
Just as he was feeling oddly conflicted by this new realization, Seth's voice broke through.
Two unfamiliar men were approaching from the far end of the garden.
Could they be more members of the Kiris family who had come with Gale?
Iric looked coldly at the approaching Kiris knights.
But strangely, they, too, looked wary.
Were they unrelated to Gale? Then who were they?
It had been so long since anyone outside the Kiris circle visited that he couldn't even guess.
"High Priest, it's Duke Lute Sheary."
At Seth's urgent whisper, Iric's eyes widened. The man's appearance exactly matched the rumors.
Lute Sheary.
The Duke governing the western region of Karnus—the only empire on the continent—and master of the vast western mines.
He was the head of one of the empire's four ducal houses and the only one without imperial blood, yet still wielded overwhelming power.
And that very man had come to the High Temple?
In the 18 years Iric had lived here, no one of this level had ever visited before.
"You must have known I was coming. Standing here lined up to greet me like this—I'm overwhelmed by the warm welcome."
The man who had approached before they noticed, Duke Lute Sheary, stood slightly tilted and tilted his head.
His piercing gaze scanned every person gathered at the entrance.
It carried an intimidating weight, enough to make people instinctively shrink back.
While the Kiris knights scrambled, realizing who he was, Iric and Seth quickly descended the steps to greet the Duke.
"Welcome to the High Temple of the Sun God. I am High Priest Iric Derth."
"I am Paladin Commander Seth Noel."
"Oh? Both the High Priest and the Commander? You really did know I was coming."
Lute raised an eyebrow, seemingly surprised that the two highest-ranking figures of the temple were the ones greeting him.
Since it felt awkward to explain everything to someone whose motives were still unclear, Iric chose to get straight to the point.
"If we had known the Lord of the West was visiting, we would've prepared a proper welcome. Unfortunately, we lack the foresight and had no way of predicting today's events."
A refined way of asking: Why are you here?
"Oh? Then you don't have any powers of prophecy?"
Rather than answering the question, Lute responded with one of his own.
"...No, we do not."
"A shame. I was truly hoping you might. How disappointing."
His eyes, visible just beyond the rim of his tilted glasses, drooped in genuine disappointment.
It wasn't sarcasm—he genuinely seemed let down, and that caught Iric off guard.
Prophecy was a divine domain reserved for gods alone.
How could mere humans hope to glimpse the future?
Even saintesses and saints, chosen by the gods themselves, could not predict the future.
The fact that he had truly believed they could was astonishing.
"I came here on important business. Please take me somewhere more private. It's not something I can discuss with too many ears around."
As if he had never been joking a moment ago, Lute Sheary's expression suddenly turned serious.
The weight of the atmosphere shifted accordingly, subtly pressing down on Iric.
As expected of the man called one of the Empire's pillars—his presence was no joke.
"This way, please."
With no reason to refuse—and curiosity bubbling within—Iric was just about to lead him inside when—
"High Priest? Who is that?"
Ordell appeared with Gale in tow, the conversation apparently finished.
Iric instinctively checked her face first.
Whenever she got angry, her eyes would turn red as if she'd been crying—but now, her complexion was calm and composed.
As if nothing had happened.
Only after confirming the similarly composed expression of Victoria, standing behind her, did Iric secretly breathe a sigh of relief.
"This is Duke Lute Sheary. He's come to the temple on business."
Iric didn't add more, assuming Ordell would already know who Lute Sheary was.
"…Who did you say?"
But her blank expression made Iric tilt his head in confusion.
Could she not know who the Duke was?
"He's one of the four pillars upholding the Empire—and the ruler of the West."
Ordell, who had seemed perfectly fine just moments ago, suddenly went pale.