A Fortune-telling Princess - Chapter 177

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

“Yes, I have.”
Yet she spoke of divine revelations as though they were trivial matters.
“I received a revelation that day, which is why I sought out the children.”
“What kind of….”
Her visit that day had certainly been abrupt. So she had already received God’s revelation and acted upon it then?
Feeling all eyes converge upon me, I pressed my lips firmly together once more.
Then I regarded each person before me intently, one by one.
“Those who desecrate the name of God.”
“…!”
My expression transformed rapidly. The serene smile that had graced my face moments before vanished, replaced instantaneously by an icy mask.
Observing their bewilderment at this sudden shift, I laughed inwardly.
‘This is nothing.’
I did not earn my title as a great actress for nothing. I had spent a lifetime weeping one moment and laughing the next, shifting from rage to joyful play, all captured in real time.
What difficulty was there in donning whatever mask the moment demanded?
‘And the mask I need now….’
I had performed with precisely this expression when I once played a judge.
Yes, a judge. The perfect mask for dealing with the guilty.
“God has entrusted me with the disposal of such individuals.”
“W-What do you mean?”
“Disposal, you say…!”
“Desecrating God’s name! Who speaks of such things?”
As my gaze swept across their rigid faces, it lingered briefly in one direction.
There stood Priest Ghost Arena, her expression perpetually displeased, clicking her tongue in disapproval.
[Who else? You wretches.]
Her eyes blazed with fury.
[You rotten things.]
Had she possessed a corporeal form, she would have throttled them on the spot. After meeting her gaze for a moment, I continued.
“God spoke to me thus.”
[This bastard. This one…!]
“There are those who commit vile deeds under the guise of God’s name, He said. For instance….”
I paused briefly, fixing my stare upon one man.
“Embezzling the donations given by the faithful.”
Flinch!
One high priest’s expression visibly hardened under my gaze.
Struck a nerve, did I? Then why did you skim half of every donation meant for the Orphanage? Hmm?
[And this one-]
“Or child abuse.”
“Ugh!”
Another high priest’s eyes widened in shock.
‘Why? Are you guilty too?’
Demons possessing them, ghosts haunting them—such pathetic excuses. This man brought children here on these ridiculous pretexts and subjected them to horrific brutality.
[This guy’s completely insane. Whenever he’s in a bad mood, he takes it out on the kids. He’s worse than a dog… no, he’s beneath a dog.]
Are the children just stress-relief tools for him? The man’s deranged.
[This bastard is the real problem. Him!]
“And….”
Camilla paused, her gaze shifting toward the Cardinal.
Cardinal Stella flinched before Camilla had even finished speaking, as if struck by the weight of those eyes.
“There’s also the matter of someone who laid hands on young priests.”
“Gasp!”
“W-What!”
Everyone in the room gasped at this revelation.
Cardinal Stella’s complexion visibly hardened. It was painfully obvious how desperately she struggled to maintain her composure.
[That bastard preyed on young priests—]
Those who had recently shed their novice status became his targets.
He approached them while they were still brimming with joy at their ordination, summoning them under the guise of proper priestly education, then extended his vile hands toward them.
Four of them, unable to overcome their fear and shame, took their own lives.
The irony was that the one most enraged by their deaths was Cardinal Stella herself.
‘Suicide defies God’s will! They are the forsaken of God! Remove their filthy corpses from the Temple at once!’
The young priests’ bodies were never properly laid to rest.
‘You bastard.’
I will never let you off easy.
‘I’ll let you live.’
But I’ll make sure you experience torment and terror far worse than death. Just wait.
“What are you saying!”
Finally, the Pope could no longer contain himself and erupted.
How could someone being elevated to sainthood speak such nonsense!
“There are no such people in our Church…!”
“One last thing.”
Camilla’s gaze now fixed directly on the Pope.
“God’s forgiveness.”
“…!”
“Those who sold God’s name for money.”
The moment indulgences were mentioned, the Pope’s eyes wavered for the first time. He too attempted to maintain his composure, but it was clearly a struggle.
Camilla met the gaze of each person seated before her—no, each of these sinners.
Not one of them could hold her stare. They all averted their eyes as if struck by a hawk.
Now then, shall I render my judgment?
“God has spoken to me.”
They all held their breath simultaneously.
“He commanded me to capture every last one of those you have wronged and burn them alive in flames to atone for their sins.”
Having finished speaking, Camilla cast aside the mask of a judge and broke into a radiant smile. Then she posed one final question to them.
“Will I really receive the position of Saint?”
No one opened their mouth to answer.
Chapter. The Sword of Judgment
“Aah.”
The weather was truly beautiful. After spending so long indoors, I stepped outside and stretched, gazing up at the sky with a somewhat vacant expression.
The sky was so clear.
It was bluer and more beautiful than the sky I’d seen in that nameless Mountain Village I’d visited long ago for a photoshoot.
How could such a color exist? Even if I mixed every beautiful shade of blue paint imaginable, I doubt I could recreate it.
“Autumn has truly arrived.”
The wind had grown crisp enough to raise goosebumps on my skin. Just days ago, everyone had been complaining about the heat.
“I should change the Cafe menu soon.”
I’d need to develop new desserts instead of iced menu items like shaved ice.
In that other world, shaved ice sold well regardless of season, but people here weren’t accustomed to such things yet.
What would be good for autumn and winter menus?
[Aren’t you worried at all?]
[She’s always been pretty carefree.]
Priest Ghost Arena and Zeno, who had followed me outside, shook their heads simultaneously as they watched me stroll leisurely.
[But why are you speaking informally to me? You clearly look much younger than I am.]
[What’s the point of formality between the dead?]
[Well, that’s true.]
Despite having met only recently, Zeno and Arena had surprisingly good chemistry.
Arena had quite a prickly personality, yet Zeno was handling her far better than expected.
I suppose it made sense—both had spent an unusually long time as ghosts.
They were likely the oldest spirits in existence. There was clearly something that resonated between them.
[I already told you they’re in the middle of a meeting right now.]
Since arriving here with me, Arena had frequently visited the Temple and the Papal See to observe the situation there.
She reported back to me without fail, telling me what schemes they were plotting and what conversations they were having.
“Yes, it’s as expected.”
[What those idiots do is always predictable.]
Arena shook her head. Her brow furrowed sharply—she must have heard something troubling from yesterday’s meeting.
The Papal See was currently in absolute chaos. There was an enormous amount of talk about me.
The problem stemmed from what I had said to them. They were calling it blasphemy, pushing to brand me as a heretic.
[They’re just itching for a fight.]
“That’s right.”
Leading the charge were those who had confronted me directly.
Cardinal Stella in particular was even arguing that she should bring the Heresy Inquisitors to judge me.
The Heresy Inquisitors. It’s said that no one who’s been captured by them has ever returned alive.
“But as I said, this was already anticipated.”
[You shouldn’t underestimate them.]
They may be rotten, but the power they wield is not to be taken lightly.
Those with strong voices within The Cult might very well confirm Camilla as a heretic.
No matter how weakened divine authority had become, punishment for heresy remained severe. Long ago, all those branded as heretics were burned at the stake.
“That’s why I’m going to find it.”
[Find what?]
“What you mentioned before.”
[Ah…!]
Camilla smiled softly.
“I value my own life, you know. I don’t act without a plan.”
I wasn’t foolish enough to provoke those in power without thought. At the very least, I had confidence I wouldn’t be branded a heretic, which is why I dared to poke at them.
‘Honestly, it was so revolting I could barely contain myself.’
This wasn’t a den of criminals. How could those so-called superiors all conduct themselves like garbage?
Watching them flash innocent smiles while pretending to be virtuous made it absolutely impossible to keep my mouth shut.
‘Seeing their faces contort would have been so satisfying.’
Perhaps I went a bit too far, but I have no regrets.
“Anyway, let’s go find it.”
Let’s see if they can still call me a heretic after receiving that.
* * *
“She is not a saint!”
“That’s right! She dared to insult The Cult!”
“How dare she mock us with such absurdities!”
Those gathered at the Papal See had been debating the same topic for five days straight.
“It’s shameful even to speak of such things.”
“This is blasphemy!”
Led by Cardinal Stella, the prevailing argument was that everything Camilla had said was a lie. It was a common tactic used by heretics seeking to sow chaos in The Church.
In other words, Camilla herself was a heretic.
“Then what of that divine power?”
“Didn’t you all witness it? Are you suggesting that the divine power she displayed was also a deception?”
“That was certainly not an ability a heretic could perform.”
“It makes no sense to brand someone with such power as a heretic.”
“She saved children who were dying.”
Of course, not everyone agreed with that opinion. Those who had directly felt and witnessed the divine power Camilla displayed could not accept branding her a heretic.
“You’ve all surely heard what she was like in the past.”
Now they were even bringing up Camilla’s past conduct. At Cardinal Stella’s words, everyone could only fall silent.
It was a well-known fact that Camilla, as the daughter of a Noble House, had displayed insufficient conduct.
Her reputation had improved greatly now, but until recently, she had been called a troublemaker even her own family couldn’t handle.
“For such a person to suddenly be a saint? It makes no sense whatsoever.”

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————