The Former Empress Roughly Hides Her Abilities - Chapter 140

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

【Chapter 140】

Before bringing up the main topic, Rianel requested a private audience with the Princess.

Upon entering the room prepared in the Princess Palace, Rianel first drew back all the curtains before taking a seat.

The curtains had no soundproofing effect, and this was to detect in advance if anyone was eavesdropping on their conversation.

Although the Princess had recently begun involving herself in the Empire’s political affairs, she was still at the stage of taking her first steps.

Her support base was weak, and having lived as an ‘invisible Princess’ for so long, people’s loyalty to her was also uncertain.

The Empress Dowager also wasn’t openly supporting the Princess, so even the maids didn’t back her.

‘No one in the Princess Palace can be trusted except Tiren.’

Tiren initially thought Rianel was just being cautious, but became puzzled when she showed excessive vigilance.

“You said you’d discuss something beneficial to the Imperial Family, so why are you being so guarded?”

Rianel glanced once more beyond the window while lowering her voice.

“Because it’s such a dangerous plan.”

Above all, her true purpose in proposing this agenda wasn’t to benefit the Imperial Family.

“The main objective is to dismantle the Temple and weaken the Emperor’s authority to create a foundation for Your Highness to ascend to the throne.”

Knowing that Rianel wasn’t someone who spouted lies, Tiren reflexively straightened her posture.

Even knowing no one was listening, her voice naturally lowered.

“Is it because the Empire could return to an era of theocracy?”

Most ancient empires were theocratic states.

However, that system was too prone to corruption and made it difficult to raise objections.

The ruler’s will became God’s will, and those who opposed it were branded as heretics and traitors.

External knowledge was blocked, and the nation stagnated. Such countries often collapsed due to internal reform movements or fell to foreign powers wielding new innovations.

“No.”

Rianel drew a firm line.

What she envisioned wasn’t theocracy. It was the founding of a new national church that would incorporate the Temple as a subsidiary organization of the Empire.

That was the core of establishing the National Church.

“In this case, the Emperor, as the Empire’s ruler, wouldn’t become God’s representative but the leader of the newly established religious order.”

There was no need to create complex new doctrines or build new facilities.

They could take over the existing management system and simply replace the leadership.

To put it in terms of analogy, it was close to acquiring the Temple’s religious business through a hostile takeover.

“In the process, the income previously monopolized by the Temple could be returned to the national treasury.”

The Princess was steadily learning the knowledge necessary to become the Empire’s ruler from the tutor assigned by the Empress Dowager.

However, what she heard from Rianel had a different quality.

It was unfamiliar, and therefore made her listen more intently.

“The Temple’s income… do you mean donation offerings?”

“That’s correct.”

While the Temple owned considerable real estate, the core of its continuous income was indeed donations.

Among these, the most notable was the tithe.

“In fact, the tithe has characteristics very similar to taxes.”

“Is that so?”

The Princess stopped taking notes and looked up.

“Isn’t it a structure where the burden increases in direct proportion to income?”

The difference would be that taxes are mandatory while tithes are voluntary.

And recently, the Temple had been in turmoil because of this tithe.

Cardinal Janor was publicly raising issues about the Temple’s corruption.

Of course, he didn’t mention extreme matters like human experimentation, but continued his criticism focusing on the sale of indulgences and simony.

Wealthy nobles and merchants bought clerical positions with money to expand their influence.

Outwardly it was about gaining honor, but the real purpose was money.

Branch churches established in each region collected tithes.

That money was supposed to be used for operating the branches, maintaining local communities, and supporting the priests who conducted masses.

But reality was different.

The Empire was vast, and bishops in each region managed the branches like feudal lords, taking most of the tithe profits for themselves.

“Do you think it’s appropriate for religious orders or individuals to manage those tithes, Your Highness?”

Could money collected for donations, which was also part of the income that people earned through their sweat, be called entirely the private property of the religious order?

The public also harbored the same doubts, which made them even more opposed to the Temple’s embezzlement.

Their discontent was approaching a critical point.

Only then did the Princess, grasping Rianel’s intention, widen her eyes.

“Then…”

“Now is the right time for the Imperial Family to step forward. By declaring the founding of a national church to correct the Temple’s abuses, we can secure political and moral legitimacy.”

If they seized a well-functioning organization, the Imperial Family would become greedy plunderers.

But if they stepped forward to ‘manage better’ an already fractured organization, this would become justified reform.

While the Princess diligently took notes of Rianel’s words, she also raised questions.

“But… I think there’s a risk that the Imperial Family could become another symbol of corruption following the Temple.”

Because the money that the privileged used to pay the Pope to become clergy would now go to the Imperial Family instead.

Tiren wasn’t someone who blindly accepted others’ knowledge.

She was growing into someone who knew how to raise counterarguments.

However, since she hadn’t completely shed her timid nature yet, she trailed off her words.

She was worried it might appear as if she was directly contradicting Rianel’s opinion.

“That’s a sound judgment.”

“…Pardon?”

The Princess’s mouth fell slightly open at the unexpected agreement.

“The purpose of establishing the National Church is to weaken the Temple’s power, not to found a new religion.”

Religion could be founded through power, but maintaining it was difficult.

Moreover, the existing management—the Temple side—wouldn’t stand idly by.

They would fight to the end claiming their rights, and the Empire’s citizens would weigh which was more moral between the National Church and the existing church.

‘And they’d probably conclude there’s not much difference.’

It would be difficult for either side to gain a clear advantage.

“But in the process, we can separate the Temple from His Majesty the Emperor’s power base, thereby reducing His Majesty’s political influence.”

That’s why the Princess shouldn’t stand at the center of it.

What Rianel wanted was a picture where the Emperor took on this task directly.

“This is morally very right. So shouldn’t His Majesty the Emperor step forward personally?”

The Emperor had always left dirty work to others.

This was due to his tendency to dislike being criticized and avoid taking responsibility.

But at the same time, he was someone with strong desires for honor and recognition.

Taking the lead to drive out the corrupt Temple.

‘There’s no other cause that would satisfy his desires more than this.’

Rianel knew the Emperor well, so she was confident he would step to the forefront.

Though it was something the Imperial Family was doing, the Princess wouldn’t be the one criticized for it.

‘When regimes change, policies with bad public opinion are blamed on the predecessor’s mistakes.’

The Emperor had also used this method to paint Ensilen as a villain and claim only the successful policies among hers for his own reputation.

The thought of returning exactly what he had done to her felt satisfying.

‘Screw you, Emperor.’

Anyway, that was that.

Tiren remained silent.

It wasn’t because she didn’t understand Rianel’s words.

Rather, her words were so clear and logical that she was concerned about something else.

‘Can I really persuade my brother?’

She knew the justification Rianel laid out was meant to persuade the Emperor, but she worried whether she could properly fulfill her expectations.

She also had hesitations about whether it was right to bring down the Emperor, who she had once regarded as her idol.

‘But I must become Emperor.’

Tiren coldly faced the reality that her chances of becoming Emperor would increase as much as the Temple crumbled.

‘The Empress Dowager said so.’

That it was the Temple that drove Sister-in-law to her death.

So she must grow her power in the shadows and prepare to fight.

As new religions increased, the Temple’s authority would weaken, so establishing a National Church was necessary.

And.

‘It would be better for bringing down my brother too.’

It would be easier to deal with him after he lost the Temple as his supporting force.

Tiren took a short breath, then stared at Rianel.

‘She really does resemble her.’

Sister-in-law.

Recently, Tiren had been suspecting Rianel’s identity.

Because of the Emperor’s persistent gaze toward Rianel, and how the Empress Dowager’s attitude toward her had changed.

‘Of course, I can’t be certain yet.’

You could be Sister-in-law, or you could be a stranger who resembles her remarkably.

Even if it were the latter, one thing was clear.

This was a game set up by someone who reminded her of you.

“I’ll do it.”

If Tiren became Emperor following her plan, it would mean bringing down the Temple that killed you.

This would be the completion of revenge, and also a way to cherish the warmth you gave in a different manner.

‘If this is the path for that.’

What couldn’t she do?

Tiren steeled her resolve.

* * *

Yuna’s daily routine was the same.

Eating, sleeping, opening her eyes again.

It was no different from her days as ‘job-seeking student Shin Yuna’ when all employment attempts failed and she was holed up in her room.

If there was a difference, it was that there were no nagging parents or a younger sibling looking at her with disdain.

Instead, maids who watched her mood would bring meals at set times, silently tidy the room, then disappear.

This was a change that occurred after Maid Linda’s death.

The maids felt fear toward the absolute being who could kill people without punishment, and desperately tried to stay out of her sight.

“….”

So Yuna’s daily life was quiet, and today was supposed to be the same.

Until the Emperor came to visit.

“A, a National Church, you say?”

Yuna threw off her blanket and quickly sat up.

Her disheveled hair and pajamas revealed that she hadn’t been taking care of herself.

Yuna hadn’t been paying attention to what was happening outside lately. She was that mentally overwhelmed and had no peace of mind.

But to understand the Emperor’s sudden words, she rolled her bloodshot eyes frantically.

“I don’t mean to deny the existing religious order’s rights. I’m just saying the Imperial Family will reclaim authority to manage the temples built within the Empire.”

But the religious order’s headquarters was in the Imperial Capital, and the Pope also resided there.

Most of the religious order’s core supporters were also in the Empire.

Naturally, the place that guaranteed Yuna’s position as Saint the most was also the Empire.

‘But if a National Church is created, then I won’t be a Saint or anything anymore?’

Yuna’s heart sank.

Though Yuna was poor at studying, she was sensitive to the flow of power, so she tensed up and hunched her shoulders.

“Don’t misunderstand.”

The Emperor continued soothingly while stroking Yuna’s hair.

“Your rights and those of other priests will remain intact.”

Only the income the Pope had monopolized and the authority to establish branch churches would belong to the Emperor.

The reason the Empire’s nobles wanted to become clergy was simple.

Money.

Specifically, the tithes collected by branch churches established in each region.

“I plan to bundle the right to collect those tithes with state-owned land and sell them.”

Yuna pressed her temples and drank the water a maid brought to get her sluggish mind working.

As her thirst subsided, Yuna’s mind began to turn slowly.

“So… you’re saying you’ll sell collection rights?”

Though she had said it herself, it was such an absurd statement that Yuna’s voice cracked.

“In the past, the state sold tax collection rights. Individuals who bought them collected taxes instead and earned profits. This is no different.”

Since proper investment would guarantee fixed annual returns, people wanting to buy these rights would overflow.

Moreover, since the Imperial Family would hold the authority to distribute them.

Those who purchased tithe collection rights would pledge loyalty to the Imperial Family to avoid having their rights taken away.

“And you’ll become the Saint of the new religion.”

Though you’d have to become Empress first, of course.

“Come to think of it.”

The Emperor mentioned his original purpose for visiting Yuna, as if just remembering.

“Do you still have no intention of handing over the soul detection stone?”

He had made a proposal to guarantee the Empress position in exchange for giving it up.

“That’s…”

Yuna couldn’t continue her words.

Yuna’s reason for hesitating was one thing.

She felt that the moment she handed over the detection stone, all the useful cards she had would be gone.

But she couldn’t voice that anxiety.

Because she didn’t want to admit that she was such a worthless existence.

As Yuna remained silent with her head down, the Emperor held out a document bundle.

“Let me show you some materials that might help your decision.”

It was a record investigating and organizing the dirty experiments being conducted inside the Temple.

Written by Logan, it didn’t accurately grasp the full scale of the Temple’s human experiments or all the victims.

But just the fact that such experiments existed was enough to make the Temple fall into ruin.

That material had been passed from Logan to Rianel to Duke Vincenheim, and the Duke had handed it to the Emperor.

And now those documents were in Yuna’s hands.

“Unfortunately, you don’t have much time.”

Soon the victims Rianel rescued would come forward to expose the damage they suffered from the Temple.

The Temple’s downfall was a predetermined sequence.

The Emperor planned to cut off the Temple before that filth splashed on him.

Establishing the National Church was a preparatory process for this.

“If you don’t make a decision by the set deadline, others will decide your fate.”

The Emperor’s voice was gentle, but there was no room to escape.

“So choose.”

Whether to fall with the Temple, or escape.

Truly facing a dead-end choice.

Yuna bit her lower lip hard.

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