The Former Empress Roughly Hides Her Abilities - Chapter 97

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

【Chapter 97】

 

‘What, what did he say?’

 

Her heart felt like it would leap out of her mouth, and the gaze looking down at her sent chills down her spine.

 

Like the protagonist of a horror movie, her legs stiffened completely, and her tongue seemed to curl back so that not a single word would come out.

 

Yuna looked into the man’s pupils.

 

In those coldly frozen pupils that showed not a trace of emotion, she saw herself reflected.

 

The pitiful Shin Yuna.

 

The job-seeking Shin Yuna she thought she had left behind in Korea.

 

‘I hate this…!’

 

Just as Yuna shuddered.

 

“Being in a location outside your workplace despite the lunch break having ended constitutes neglect of duty.”

 

A bleak voice came from behind.

 

When she realized it was Rianel’s voice.

 

“…Huh?”

 

Yuna witnessed a dramatic change in the man.

 

Color returned to his corpse-flower-like pale complexion, and his rigidly hardened lips also relaxed naturally.

 

The chillingly frozen air also melted away in an instant.

 

“I was only speaking out of concern for the Saint.”

 

After that, the force pressing down on her shoulders loosened, and he lightly patted her shoulder a couple of times as if mimicking affection.

 

As Yuna wondered ‘Was I mistaken?’ in confusion at the suddenly relaxed atmosphere.

 

A low, sunken voice pierced into her ear.

 

“As you are the Empire’s precious treasure and a cleric who can convey God’s words, shouldn’t you naturally be careful with your words and actions?”

 

“…!”

 

“Isn’t that right?”

 

“Y-yes, of course. Absolutely.”

 

Yuna, realizing that this terror was not an illusion, hastily left saying she had urgent business to attend to.

 

She knew her appearance was unseemly, but she couldn’t help it.

 

She couldn’t bear this unpleasantness and fear.

 

“Hmm.”

 

Left alone, Asil took out his handkerchief.

 

As if something dirty had touched it, he vigorously scrubbed the hand that had grabbed Yuna’s shoulder.

 

Not satisfied with that, he pushed the handkerchief into a spot where he had scraped up some dirt from the ground with his shoe heel.

 

‘That’s better.’

 

Finally, as Asil straightened his attire.

 

“What are you doing there?”

 

“Just thinking about something.”

 

Rianel, who had arrived with long strides, saw the small mound of dirt sticking out slightly next to Asil’s shoe but pretended not to notice.

 

“Your meeting time with the Saint seemed excessively long.”

 

Asil’s eyes slowly widened as he confirmed the emotion attached to her protruding lips, then curved into circles.

 

“Are you perhaps jealous right now?”

 

“No.”

 

“That was a quick answer.”

 

“Absolutely not.”

 

Asil clicked his tongue.

 

“How dishonest of you.”

 

“No matter how you conclude that, my answer won’t change.”

 

She didn’t want to bicker with such talk on a promenade where anyone could come.

 

Rianel tried to turn around, but Asil smoothly moved to block her retreat.

 

“Is that so?”

 

In that position, with words whispered as if poured into her ear.

 

“I did.”

 

Rianel jumped in surprise and stepped back abruptly. Her ear tickled from the words that flowed in like breath.

 

“H-how can you say such things.”

 

Rianel covered her ear with one hand.

 

Seeing her reddened cheeks in the process, Asil couldn’t hold back and burst into laughter.

 

That expression was indeed the best.

 

That bare face that couldn’t maintain composure and simply revealed emotions as they were.

 

‘Because the emotions that appear on that face are entirely mine.’

 

Besides, it was true that he had been jealous.

 

“I’ve been jealous every day since the day you became Empress.”

 

How far you went with that bastard, how much of you the Emperor knows – he had cursed him while being jealous of such things every day.

 

“But when I heard rumors that the Emperor was treating you coldly, I was displeased yet also happy on the other hand.”

 

Asil calmly added that it was probably because he was a petty and pathetic man.

 

So.

 

“I would be happy if you were jealous too.”

 

I wish you would also feel restless toward me, be anxious and burn with worry.

 

‘Insecure attachment?’

 

Rianel momentarily had a thought that didn’t fit the situation.

 

She didn’t dislike Asil either.

 

When she saw him with the Saint, she had felt inexplicable anxiety too.

 

However, apart from her own emotions, she thought there was no meaning in restraining the other person.

 

‘Because it’s impossible to hold onto a heart that has left.’

 

Spending energy on impossible things was wasteful and unnecessary.

 

“If I told you never to speak with the Saint again, would you do so?”

 

Though she thought even such words were meaningless.

 

Asil grinned happily for some reason.

 

“Yes. Should I cover my eyes and walk around?”

 

“…That would be strange.”

 

And I’m strange for playing along with it too.

 

“Or you could just confine me entirely.”

 

“Ugh.”

 

Rianel was disgusted.

 

“You’re not even a criminal and don’t meet the requirements for detention, so why should that happen?”

 

Moreover, detention was only given to criminals with particularly bad offenses.

 

“Do you perhaps have a preference for liking prison?”

 

“Not that, but it would be nice if Master were my guard.”

 

Asil continued speaking nonchalantly.

 

“Because you would have to stay right by my side to monitor me.”

 

Confining someone requires more mental energy than one might think. The other person might escape, and you have to prevent accidents while they’re detained.

 

“You’d take care of my meals, treat me kindly, and look after me so I don’t die.”

 

Because you’re not someone who would starve a caught fish to death.

 

Unable to contain her absurdity, Rianel struck his back.

 

“Ow.”

 

Asil screamed and crouched down even though it didn’t really hurt.

 

“Let’s stop the unnecessary discussion and go inside.”

 

She had wasted time getting caught up in strange nonsense.

 

“Since re-examining the work the Deputy Bureau Director handled will likely take considerable time.”

 

How much Yuna had messed up the work. Just thinking about having to clean up that chaos made her head spin already.

 

“And.”

 

Rianel added.

 

“Please submit in writing later what conversation you had with the Saint.”

 

‘How annoying indeed.’

 

Standing tall for just a moment.

 

“…Right.”

 

Asil, who realized the meaning a beat late, followed her inside with a grin spreading across his face as he trudged along.

 

* * *

 

Yuna was in her room within the Temple.

 

Even though it was a safe space where no one would enter, her trembling wouldn’t stop.

 

‘What the hell, what was that!’

 

Yuna kept replaying that moment when she had faced Asil. That helpless moment when she had frozen like a mouse.

 

‘I must have heard wrong… no, no I didn’t.’

 

She wanted to think that way, but that chilling sensation that had pierced through her skin wasn’t a lie.

 

‘I’m screwed! Holy water doesn’t work on major characters!’

 

The brainwashing that worked well on others didn’t work on the essential characters from the original story.

 

This was also why Yuna had dealt with the Former Empress, who was the female protagonist, without brainwashing her.

 

‘Why did Asil of all characters have to notice it?’

 

Yuna ruffled her hair and then sat down.

 

‘No, maybe there’s still hope.’

 

If Asil hadn’t spoken with certain information but had just tested the waters once, she needed to plant information that would scatter his certainty.

 

‘To make contact with the sub-male lead, I need to return to the Special Tax Bureau again.’

 

She couldn’t ignore the Empress Dowager’s orders. That was the problem.

 

‘But heaven is on my side.’

 

Since the Empress Dowager’s birthday wasn’t far away, Yuna decided to utilize this opportunity.

 

‘I can make contact under the pretext of celebrating her birthday and give her a gift.’

 

No matter how much she disliked her, the Empress Dowager wasn’t foolish enough to show hostility after receiving a gift in a public setting.

 

‘Unless she wants to make an enemy of the Temple, she won’t be able to criticize me.’

 

Yuna planned to give the most outstanding gift at that birthday celebration.

 

‘If I make a show of having difficulty obtaining something befitting the Imperial Family’s dignity, won’t she soften her heart while pretending not to?’

 

The Imperial Family was trying to reduce expenses except for the minimum fixed expenditures. This was because the Imperial Family’s extravagance created a sense of alienation among commoners.

 

However, the Empress Dowager wasn’t without material desires either. When someone gave her something expensive at such times, she would accept it while pretending reluctance.

 

‘I’ll also raise my reputation while I’m at it.’

 

Delivering gifts also involved displaying wealth.

 

It was an opportunity to show that she was someone capable of investing such a large sum in another person’s birthday gift.

 

‘With that, I’ll become the most outstanding person at this ball.’

 

Yuna, who had no intention of living as a Saint for life, decided to establish her position in the social circle with this opportunity.

 

It would cost a lot of money in the process, but she didn’t care.

 

“God always sees through the sincerity of all believers.”

 

“However, since you still pursue gold over money, I’m not sure if your son will recover.”

 

“W-would this much gold be enough?”

 

“Of course. God will also be impressed by your devotion.”

 

Money could be obtained easily after all.

 

However, at the same time.

 

“I hope this birthday celebration will be more meaningful for Her Majesty the Empress Dowager… Isn’t there a good way? Something that would raise Her Majesty’s prestige while also helping the people of the Empire.”

 

She had no idea that Princess Tiren was currently utilizing this world’s greatest cheat key.

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