The Cooking Princess - Chapter 97

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chloe couldn’t understand why Shurya had intentionally spread the fact that she was a ‘fake’ saint.

‘This was designated as such a major crisis in the original work that it would cause a huge scandal, yet she deliberately set it off.’

Chloe decided to first think about what Shurya could possibly gain from this.

But no matter how much she thought about it, there seemed to be nothing Shurya could gain.

‘If anything, she wouldn’t have to be careful about her actions from now on.’

Shurya had been aware that she was a fake saint all along, so she hadn’t done anything that would earn hostility from the Temple members…

Wait a moment.

Did she deliberately expose the fact that she was fake because she thought her movements weren’t free enough?

Chloe was startled by the realization that suddenly dawned on her.

“Huh?”

‘Wait a minute.’

Isn’t this the original story changing because the Merchant Prince is Eshir?

The Merchant Prince in the ‘original work’ was someone who only thought of his own interests and didn’t bother considering others.

To him, even if the Luzhiere Empire were to fall, it would be fine as long as he secured his own interests.

The original Merchant Prince was someone who would think it was fine as long as he could profit, even if the world was engulfed in war.

But Eshir, though his manner of speaking was blunt, wasn’t a miser who only chased after his own interests and wealth.

Rather, he was studying various magics because he felt sorry that other life magics were being neglected except for combat magic.

‘In the midst of that, I made an unusual proposal and he specifically got employed at the Garnet Estate.’

Since he was a candidate for Merchant Prince, he would have made tremendous money, yet he came all the way to the Garnet Estate saying he wanted to find other possibilities.

Anyway, unlike the original Merchant Prince, Eshir was the type who considered diversity and sometimes took bold challenges.

Shurya must have recognized Eshir’s tendencies and proposed something to him.

‘What kind of gambit are you trying to throw? Shurya.’

Chloe had consistently submitted audience requests to Shurya for several days, and after being rejected several times, she was finally able to meet Shurya.

Shurya, whom she met in the Saint’s Receiving Room, had an utterly haggard face.

However, contrary to that haggard complexion, her violet eyes were glowing strangely.

As soon as Shurya saw Chloe, she apologized first.

“Sorry. I was consistently rejecting all meetings across the board, so I only just saw your audience request.”

“No. Thank you for accepting it even now. Your face looks really bad… Are you sure you’re okay?”

“Of course. I actually feel refreshed.”

Shurya, who spoke affectionately, apologized to Chloe once again.

“Sorry. I didn’t get to explain to you beforehand.”

Shurya, who spoke so calmly, didn’t seem like someone whose identity as a ‘fake’ saint had been exposed to everyone.

Hearing that calm voice, Chloe finally felt relieved.

“So would it be rude if I asked whether you’re a fake… saint or a real saint? No, you don’t have to answer this.”

Chloe rambled incoherently.

As long as she knew her simply as a reincarnator, she had to at least pretend to be confused for now.

‘And with this question, I can tell whether she trusts me or not.’

Shurya herself said she simply forgot and didn’t tell her in advance, but she couldn’t believe that at face value.

Shurya hadn’t told Chloe in advance that rumors of her being a fake saint would spread.

And she had ignored Chloe’s contact after the rumors spread.

“I am indeed a fake saint. So contacting me at this time might not be good for you.”

At Shurya’s refreshing admission of being fake, Chloe ended up being dumbfounded.

“But you’re planning to restore your reputation soon, right? If this is indeed your scheme.”

Chloe responded as calmly as possible while watching Shurya’s reaction.

“What I’m aiming for is to reveal the Temple’s corruption to the whole world.”

At those words, Chloe didn’t know how to respond and just blinked her eyes.

Receiving Chloe’s gaze, Shurya smiled brightly.

“Even if I get dragged down in the process.”

“What?”

At the female protagonist’s shocking statement, Chloe genuinely felt dizzy.

“I’m prepared to be dragged down when I did this, so it would be safest for you not to be associated with me.”

At Shurya’s seemingly reckless words, Chloe’s mouth fell wide open.

‘The original female protagonist has really done it!’

“Of course, it’s not a self-destruction without a plan. I have insurance in place. If the insurance works well and I become Pope, it couldn’t be better.”

However, Shurya’s plan seemed unrealistic to Chloe’s ears.

‘In the first place, Shurya herself is a fake saint, so there’s no way they’d entrust the Pope position to her after she’s been exposed as fake.’

There would be talk of sending Shurya, who was talented enough in buff magic to pretend to be a saint, to the Magic Tower… Ah.

Only then did Chloe realize Shurya’s scheme.

She didn’t care whether she lost all authority as a saint and was sent to the Magic Tower, or succeeded in bringing down the Pope based on her previous foundation and ascended to the Pope position herself.

Either way, she could escape from being a ‘puppet’ of the Temple regardless of her own will.

If she had made a deal with Eshir, the Merchant Prince, Shurya herself wouldn’t be punished for her ‘fake’ pretense.

“W-wait. But you said it was for world peace. If you’re really a fake saint, how are you going to lead world peace after revealing that?”

Chloe made a valid point, and Shurya nodded obediently and answered.

“Perhaps keeping my mouth shut like this might be better for the future.”

In the current situation where the original story was destroyed, Chloe lost even the advantage of knowing the future, and unable to hide her confusion, she listened to Shurya’s words.

“But if things continue like this, we can’t stop the Temple’s corruption. It’s like carrying an inflammation that could burst at any time until the very end.”

She was right.

In the original work, 【The Fake Saint Wants to Live】, Shurya never revealed the truth that she was a fake saint until she married Shuel at the end.

Clearly, the Temple had set up Shurya as a fake to satisfy their greed because no saint had appeared for a long time, yet there was no judgment or atonement until the conclusion, leading to an unsatisfying ending.

‘There were no side stories after the conclusion either, so unsatisfying.’

“Then…?”

“We have to cut out the rotten parts of the Temple somehow.”

Having said that much, Shurya used her head.

‘This operation can only be completed with the solid support of Merchant Prince Eshir and the help of Chloe, who wields powerful influence abroad through various trades.’

If there wasn’t enough leeway, rather than attacking the Temple, she would have had to somehow check Claude, who was a more urgent fire.

But now, for once, the Merchant Prince, the Imperial Palace, and even the Garnet Family, the most influential among the great nobles, were on Shurya’s side.

It was safer to kill the Temple’s power at this point.

“Even though I revealed that I’m fake, if they don’t reform themselves, I’ll have to be prepared to strike down the Temple.”

‘A saint is trying to strike down the Temple! Is this really okay?’

At the fact that not even fragments of the original story remained, Chloe squeezed her eyes shut and pondered for a moment before speaking.

“Haven’t you considered that the Temple might side with Claude?”

“What could the Temple forces do by siding with Claude? A Temple that created a fake saint supporting an immoral bastard – there’s no self-destruction like that.”

Since it made perfect sense when she heard it, Chloe asked something else.

“The world peace you’re talking about needs a saint. You need a mediator that anyone can accept.”

“Such a person is certainly needed, but it’s not me, a fake saint.”

No matter how fake she was, Shurya had a very kind and altruistic nature.

The reason she chose to be pointed at as fake in the first place was ultimately for the altruistic reason of cutting out the rotten Temple.

Before Chloe, who thought this way, could add anything more, Shurya struck first.

“There’s someone more suitable for that role than me. Someone who invented the refrigerator and is called the savior of commoners, and who happens to be very close to me.”

Having added that, Shurya smiled mischievously and said to Chloe.

“You’ll help me, right? Chloe.”

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