Everyone Was Obsessed With Me After I Became the Youngest Princess Favourite - Chapter 147

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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“The Emperor?”
I tilted my head in confusion.
Raezl harbored an intense disdain for those in power—the Emperor of the Empire, kings of other realms—simply because they troubled him.
Particularly, it seemed he had endured considerable headaches during his time as High Priestess, which made him despise the Emperor even more.
“What sort of favor are you hoping to ask of the Emperor?”
“You were supposedly a first-class intelligence operative, and you don’t even know that?”
Raezl responded irritably to my question.
I stared at him blankly.
In my previous life, I hadn’t even known the mythology of the Sema War—something every child understood.
That wasn’t all. I had been ignorant of the Demon Worshippers who had once thrown the Empire into turmoil, and I’d barely gleaned any information about Bellus Duchy.
‘I had managed to learn somehow that Bianca had entered seclusion, but…’
I knew nothing of the reasons or details about others.
At the time, I had simply assumed Bellus’s information management was extraordinarily thorough, but now, when everything seemed suspicious, I could only conclude that someone had deliberately restricted and withheld information from me.
And knowing this full well, Raezl’s irritation made me feel somewhat hurt.
But the words that followed left me utterly speechless.
“The Emperor has been hoarding ancient relics in the Imperial Palace treasury?”
“Yes. Sacred artifacts included—items that rightfully belong under the Temple’s care. When I served as High Priestess, I requested their return countless times, but he slipped away like an eel each time, refusing me.”
I began to understand why Raezl despised the Emperor so intensely.
“With dangerous demonic artifacts among them, they shouldn’t be left unattended.”
“…Demonic artifacts? What are those?”
I asked sharply.
I couldn’t help but react with sensitivity.
Demons had not only torn my family apart but had filled my entire life with suffering—they were my eternal nemesis.
“Literally. Objects belonging to demons.”
Raezl explained simply, describing them as the antithesis of the sacred artifacts used by saints.
He added that the imperial family had long been obsessed with ancient relics, but the current Emperor’s fixation was pathological.
“Then does the Emperor possess a sacred artifact among his collection that might accelerate Diana’s awakening?”
“If the object I’m seeking is indeed in the Emperor’s possession. But I’m hesitant to mention it carelessly…”
The troubled expression on his face suggested he feared the Emperor might take notice if word got out.
Likely anticipating this very possibility, he had spent all this time wandering the Continent in silence, searching through ancient ruins.
“Great Sage, would it be possible for you to tell me a little about the sacred artifact you’re seeking?”
Raezl had revealed to me the truths the Temple had concealed all this time.
But regarding the sacred artifact he sought or the whereabouts of the ancient tome containing the curse’s details, he had disclosed nothing.
It could have been his usual sentiment—to set aside troublesome matters and live more peacefully—or perhaps he believed I wouldn’t be of help.
‘But waiting stretches on, year after year.’
In a sense, wasn’t I as closely connected to this matter as the saint or the demon themselves?
Moreover, hearing of the Emperor’s treasury brought something to mind.
“I might know something about it.”
Even though I hadn’t known the Emperor was collecting ancient relics.
Ashamed that my claim to be a first-class intelligence operative rang hollow, I added one more thing.
“I’m so curious what the Sacred Relic looks like.”
“Hmm.”
Perhaps because I was the one pressing him first—something I rarely did—Raezl wore a contemplative expression for a moment.
Then, as if reaching a momentous decision, he stood abruptly and retrieved a faded piece of paper from his desk.
“The original is kept in the Grand Temple. This is a copy I drew myself. If you tell anyone you’ve seen this drawing…”
“I absolutely won’t.”
I clenched both fists and wore a determined expression to convince him, and Raezl let out a helpless chuckle before handing me the paper.
As I gazed down at the paper, my eyes widened.
* * *
“I ordered extra care in the preparation today. Does it suit your palate?”
During the evening meal in the Dining Room, Father asked Raezl while enjoying his dinner.
Raezl stiffened and nodded awkwardly, saying, “Y-yes, it does.”
It was so unlike the usual Raezl, who was particular about his food, that I shot him a sharp look.
But surprisingly, Father…
“Oh, I’m so glad!”
He was delighted and didn’t notice anything amiss about Raezl at all.
Even Mother and Askart were too busy attending to my plate to pay attention to Raezl.
“By the way, Lia! I heard you went to that dessert shop alone today? You should have told me. We could have gone together.”
“Well, you seemed busy, so I went by myself. But I brought some back, so let’s share it for dessert.”
I had deliberately gone to Lueje while Askart was preoccupied, and now I felt a pang of guilt as I quickly appeased him.
Fortunately, Askart’s mood brightened quickly, and he nodded before resuming his task of cutting meat and transferring it to my bowl.
At that moment, Mother, who was adding vegetables to my plate as well, spoke up.
“Come to think of it, autumn will be here before long. Diana’s birthday isn’t far off either—shouldn’t we start thinking about what gift to give her?”
I paused mid-motion as I was bringing my fork to my mouth and looked directly at Raezl across from me.
He was looking at me too.
“It seems House Elrad has been paying special attention since you’ve come of age this time.”
Though there were certainly some questionable items mixed in, Mother murmured softly and smiled brightly.
“Since you and Diana are like sisters, we can’t just sit idle either.”
I felt puzzled by her words, which seemed to carry an undertone I couldn’t quite grasp, but this wasn’t the time to indulge in minor curiosities.
I had originally planned to broach the subject myself, but given the circumstances, it seemed best to get straight to the point.
“Mother, about Diana’s birthday…”
“Yes, tell me anything. By the way, I heard a Blue Diamond necklace is going up for auction next week.”
Mother asked cheerfully if it wouldn’t be pretty since it resembles Diana’s eye color, and I dropped a bombshell on my family.
“I’d like to go congratulate her in person.”
“What?”
“You mean you’re going to the Empire?”
“To meet Diana directly?”
As expected, my family was startled and peppered me with questions.
I nodded and glanced subtly at Raezl.
“Yes. The Grand Sage has already given his permission. He says it’s completely safe for me to meet Diana now.”
“Is that truly the case?”
Raezl answered faithfully, though his expression grew uncomfortable under my gaze.
“Yes. The illusions have all been dispelled, and there’s no need to worry about mana runaway anymore.”
This was the truth.
During the past hours of purification work, I had done more than simply break the illusions.
Even as unease gnawed at me, I had steadily claimed the demon’s mana seeping through the cracks of the shattered orb as my own.
When I had awakened after returning from death, I was startled by the vast, surging tide of mana in my heart now that the seal was broken.
Now, it had become difficult to even fathom its limits.
And through several experiments, I discovered that my mana remained remarkably stable even when I accumulated far more of it in my heart than during my previous runaway episodes.
To be more precise, the power contained within the demon’s soul stone never harmed or damaged me.
When I thought about it, all my previous runaway episodes had occurred when I was mentally weakened.
When I leaped from the attic of the Orphanage, resolved to meet death.
And when I bore the false accusation of the enemy’s child at the Duke’s Mansion.
In the first runaway, I lost consciousness immediately so my memories were hazy, but in the second, the fire manifested by mana runaway moved at my will.
Honestly, the irony was so absurd that a bitter laugh escaped me.
‘A power that might lead me to ruin is utterly obedient to me.’
In any case, what mattered was that even if Diana couldn’t control her holy power, there was no longer any need to worry about mana runaway occurring.
“That is fortunate, but….”
Father trailed off, his gaze fixed upon me.
His expression clearly showed he was far from reassured.
‘After all, we haven’t even uncovered why the Demon Worshippers kept me alive in the first place.’
Watching Father’s expression grow increasingly clouded, I smiled bitterly.
It was painfully obvious that he was blaming himself again, thinking my abduction was his fault.
But from the start, the eradication of the Demon Worshippers was a condition the Emperor had set in exchange for the Duchy’s independence, and….
‘In a way, it was always my fate.’
I was caught in that bittersweet moment, unable to speak the truth.
Raezl spoke in a stiff voice.
“There is nothing to worry about. Rather… being by the Saint’s side might… be even safer.”
‘Good heavens.’
I swallowed a sigh inwardly.
True to his origins as a former High Priestess, his lie was painfully awkward.
In truth, there was no guarantee I would be safe since Diana hadn’t awakened as a Saint yet.
‘Moreover, Raezl had consistently opposed my going to the Empire.’
The primary reason was the possibility that Diana’s identity as a Saint might be exposed before her awakening, putting her in danger, and the secondary reason was his concern that we couldn’t possibly fathom the demon’s true intentions.
Nine years ago, when the family declared that the Grand Duchess had been found, they were deeply worried that the Demon Worshippers might target me again.
So they took greater precautions with security and fortified our defenses thoroughly, yet they showed no movement whatsoever—disappointingly so.
And Raezl had been deeply unsettled by this phenomenon.
There had to be a reason why they bound not only the demon’s soul stone to me but also my very soul, yet we could not discern their purpose at all.
Ultimately, Raezl concluded that ancient texts containing information about demon seals and curses were our only hope.
And he had repeatedly insisted that it would be best to find these texts first, discern the demon’s intentions, and then act.
Yet even as I acknowledged the wisdom in his cautious approach, I found myself struggling to endure any longer.
The constant dread of when a demon might come for me, the torment of existing in an incomplete state with my soul fractured, and the relentless doubt gnawing at whether those I had trusted and followed were truly Demon Worshippers—it was all becoming unbearable.
Most of all, the ancient tale I had heard from Raezl so long ago refused to leave my mind.
‘Perhaps the reason Diana has never awakened until now is….’

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