The Former Empress Roughly Hides Her Abilities - Chapter 59
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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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【Chapter 59】
Fortunately, Rianel didn’t need to step forward.
“I heard His Majesty was receiving a report, so I hurried over. Has the meeting already begun?”
Following Duke Vincenheim, the State Minister.
“Why are you here—”
Even the Saint took her place in the empty space.
“I heard from the State Minister. You’re receiving a report about the incident?”
“That’s…”
The Emperor trailed off, as flustered as he was. The Saint smiled all the more deeply.
“How could I be left out of something like this? I’m also involved in the incident, and I’m someone who went to observe the atmosphere at the site.”
Unable to say he had been having a private audience to make advances on Rianel, the Emperor reluctantly agreed.
“I thought mentioning that matter might be emotionally burdensome for you.”
“Your Majesty, really.”
This time the Emperor stared at the Duke.
Unlike the Saint who came empty-handed, he was carrying an armful of document bundles.
“What’s that?”
“The incident report. The Special Tax Bureau did submit a well-organized report, but we can’t give a work report without documents, can we?”
A plausible justification. The Emperor couldn’t argue.
‘Mother…’
The cause of this mess was obvious.
The Emperor ground his teeth inwardly.
The Saint naturally claimed her seat and stared at the Emperor.
“So how far has the meeting progressed?”
Let me join in too, give me a three-line summary.
Rianel said.
“The work report hasn’t begun, and I was discussing violations of civil service integrity regulations.”
Why here?
While everyone was puzzled.
Rianel pointed to the jewelry box.
“While I’m grateful that Your Majesty commended my achievements, receiving valuables as a civil servant violates regulations.”
Especially since Imperial items were state assets purchased with taxes, she absolutely couldn’t accept them.
“Therefore, I will transfer these items to the Audit Office.”
While the Emperor, caught in an awkward situation, hesitated.
“Earrings…?”
The Saint’s voice echoed in the silence.
* * *
After Rianel and the State Minister left.
“How could you do this?”
Yuna burst with indignation.
‘When did you sweetly whisper that I was the only woman in this world for you.’
After the fire incident, he had been keeping his distance from her.
Now he was even giving earrings to another woman when she wasn’t looking?
“Didn’t I tell you? When times are bad like now, it’s better to be careful with your actions to avoid controversy. Wouldn’t it be good for you to exercise restraint at the Temple too?”
Of course, the Emperor wasn’t trying to distance himself from Yuna without reason.
“This is disappointing. My advice was out of concern for you.”
In principle, the Emperor’s words were valid.
The Pope had also said to stay at the Temple for a while and show herself as a Saint.
But the Holy Scripture, supposedly containing God’s words, was incredibly boring, and the doctrines were full of difficult language.
Moreover, the Prayer Room was cold, the chairs were hard, and volunteer work was horrible just to think about.
Yuna just wanted to enjoy herself.
Being revered and loved as a Saint.
‘That’s not wrong, is it?’
That’s human instinct, after all.
‘Besides, facing the Temple people is also awkward.’
If they used to only look up to her with admiration, now their gazes contained impure suspicion. She felt like one day they would drag her down, saying “Did you think you’d be a Saint forever?”
Since rumors were actually circulating within the Religious Order that the Saint’s Prophetic Power had declined, Yuna became even more anxious.
‘I need to become Empress quickly before being kicked out.’
To the highest seat next to the Emperor in the Empire.
‘Empress is a lifetime position. I just need to sit there once. Who would dare kick me out?’
Meanwhile, she had been anxious because the Emperor was avoiding her.
And now he had suddenly shown interest in another woman.
‘Of course, I’m not saying he shouldn’t even make eye contact with any woman in the world.’
The gift was the problem.
‘That was the same thing he first gave me!’
“You’re not thinking of abandoning me and switching to that woman, are you?”
“Of course not.”
The Emperor laughed, but there was fatigue mixed in.
“There’s a talented person who resembles the Former Empress, so I took notice. I needed an excuse to call her close, so I gave her a gift.”
The Emperor explained, but Yuna couldn’t properly hear his words.
The Former Empress.
‘Did he just confess that he was attracted to a woman who resembles his ex-wife?’
“Don’t tell me you’ve started missing the Former Empress?”
Are you doing this because you miss the time you spent with that dead woman, not me?
“Are you now missing the woman you killed?”
“…”
“Answer me!”
The Emperor remained silent.
Because the Saint was annoying.
‘If you’re going to take over the Princess’s business, just eat what’s already prepared.’
He couldn’t understand why she had unnecessarily shown pride and set up an oil cauldron, causing this mess.
And now she was whining for him to humor her, getting irritated and claiming he was trying to abandon her.
‘How troublesome.’
The Saint had been a good companion for romantic games.
She had a lovely appearance, laughed easily with just a little teasing, and humored him well.
Plus, the title of Saint wasn’t bad either.
Having a Saint by his side was equivalent to drawing the Temple into his faction.
But in the current situation, the Saint was no help at all.
The Emperor had been thinking of his deceased Empress lately.
‘My Empress was truly capable.’
The Former Empress had her flaws too.
True to being a scholar, she would nitpick everything the Emperor did, expounding on side effects and constantly objecting.
‘But when the Empress was alive, I never received this much criticism.’
Because she would clean up the Emperor’s messes and take the blame instead.
‘And she never once threw a tantrum.’
Though she was dry, she was a comfortable companion to have around.
‘But this one constantly throws tantrums, demanding confirmation of love at all hours.’
When her heart was generous, the petulant whining seemed endearing, but now it was irritating.
But she couldn’t say that.
She still needed the Saint, needed the Temple’s power.
‘That’s how imperial authority remains unshaken.’
“Why would I betray you?”
The Emperor soothed Yuna.
“Don’t worry. I’m simply coveting her as talent, nothing more.”
“Really?”
“Of course. Think about it. If I keep that woman close and treat her well, our wrongs become mistakes and our faults get buried in her halo, don’t they?”
We remain as rulers who properly honor talent.
Yuna blinked.
It sounded like an excuse, but also plausible.
‘Is that… so?’
The Emperor held Yuna and patted her back.
“Above all, you and I share secrets, don’t we?”
The secret of having poisoned the Former Empress together.
“The moment I abandon you, I too would fall with you, so how could I abandon you?”
‘That’s right.’
Yuna felt relieved.
‘We’ll fall together.’
Even without prophetic power, she knew.
If she fell to hell, he would be in the seat next to her.
‘That’s enough.’
* * *
Yuna sat in the Saint’s Room prepared inside the Temple.
Upon entering the private space where no one would disturb her, her mind became even more chaotic.
The source of her displeasure was Rianel.
‘At first I thought nothing of it.’
But listening to the Emperor’s words, she seemed to resemble the Former Empress.
Not just her way of speaking, but every glance and movement.
‘It’s unpleasant.’
It gave her chills too.
The Former Empress was the first person Yuna had killed in this world.
But it couldn’t be helped.
‘That woman was the protagonist.’
For someone like herself, who wasn’t part of this story, that was the only way to remain in this world.
Kill the characters and take their place.
‘If I’m going to take a place anyway, it’s right to steal the protagonist’s position.’
However, she felt no guilt.
‘They’re just characters in a book anyway.’
She had merely eliminated beings like story characters or game characters.
She hadn’t killed real people, so why should she feel guilty?
But the uneasiness wouldn’t go away.
‘Surely I won’t have it stolen from me again?’
My position.
That woman had refused the Emperor’s gift, but future events were unpredictable.
‘That rejection might have been an act.’
“Should I just eliminate her this time too?”
Words spoken carelessly.
Yuna looked around, confirmed no one was there, then sat back down in her chair.
Though spoken in anger, it didn’t sound bad.
‘Why else would they say the first strike wins?’
But how?
That woman was a civil servant and she was a cleric.
Their domains were completely separate, making it difficult to even create contact points, let alone interfere.
‘But isn’t there some way?’
While she was pondering deeply.
“Lady Violen needs holy water?”
“Yes. She says she’ll provide the donation as payment later, and asks if she might share in the Saint’s grace.”
A lower priest made his report.
Vanessa Violen.
She knew who that was. And she also knew who she was brainwashing with holy water.
“I’ll meet with her first.”
Perhaps this could be the variable that would turn the situation around.
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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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