Unbeknownst to Me, I am Secretly Dating the Emperor - Chapter 84

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

Episode 84
“I’m so happy right now.”
In her first iteration, when Ibeta came of age, her prayer had been humble: “I’ll work myself to the bone—just let me have as much happiness as anyone else.”
That birthday prayer went unanswered, but Ibeta’s heart hadn’t changed much.
I pushed down a twinge of guilt and asked her.
“Is there anything you want? Something else you’d like to have?”
‘It’s not quite a reward, but…’
I wanted to give Ibeta something in return.
I was prepared to agree even if she asked me to sponsor the Poor Relief Institution for life.
After a moment’s thought, Ibeta answered.
“Well… if I’m greedy, I’m afraid I’ll be punished.”
Ibeta made the sign of the cross and whispered to me.
“The truth is, I never believed in the Minos Goddess. Strange, isn’t it, living my whole life in the Temple?”
‘A Saintess who was an unbeliever.’
It was something the original work had never touched on, not even once.
When I gasped, Ibeta elaborated.
“More precisely, it wasn’t that I didn’t believe—I didn’t want to believe. If I accepted that the Goddess existed, then all the misfortune I’ve witnessed and endured would just be trials sent by the Minos Goddess. And I didn’t have the energy to waste on blaming someone.”
In other words, she chose not to believe so she wouldn’t have to resent anyone.
“The Minos Goddess didn’t seem particularly merciful or just.”
Ibeta spoke freely in the Temple of the Minos Goddess.
“But because of my patrons, for the first time I wanted to believe the Goddess exists. You all felt like a gift sent to me by the Minos Goddess. As for what I want…”
Ibeta’s cheeks puffed out as she smiled radiantly, and she pressed her hands together.
“May the Divine Blessing of the Minos Goddess walk with you both in your futures.”
It was a short prayer, but it carried sincerity.
Ibeta’s genuine heart blessing me and Everett.
As her words of prayer ended, a sacred mark appeared on Ibeta’s forehead.
It was a pattern drawn in gentle light, as if the Goddess bestowed her blessing upon a cherished servant.
Ibeta, eyes closed, couldn’t see it, but I could see it clearly.
‘What is this?’
The mark grew brighter, expanded, and swept across the Central Courtyard of the Temple.
The vast pattern appeared only as light, but the moment that radiance touched me, all the fatigue that remained even after drinking the water Everett had given me vanished completely.
‘So this is the power of a Saintess.’
I understood instinctively.
In this moment, Ibeta was awakening as a Saintess.
The light that had illuminated the darkened Temple began to dim gradually.
And then Ibeta collapsed.
“Ibeta!”
I barely caught her as she fell.
Ibeta, with poor nutrition, was smaller and thinner than average, and even with my strength, I couldn’t hold her properly.
I carefully lowered Ibeta to the ground.
I was thinking of calling Everett.
I started to run toward the Temple building, then turned back to look at Ibeta lying peacefully as if asleep.
‘Ibeta’s awakening wasn’t caused by a Sacred Object.’
Including the original work, Ibeta had now awakened her Holy Power three times.
And there was a common thread to all three instances.
‘All three times, it happened right after she prayed to the Minos Goddess for something.’
Ibeta had confessed to me that she was an unbeliever.
Without faith in the Minos Goddess, her Divine Power couldn’t manifest—but the moment Ibeta reached toward the Goddess, the awakening finally occurred.
‘The first time, her heart must have been too light for such a powerful Divine Power to awaken—powerful enough to make her a true Saintess.’
Now, this third and final time.
‘Ibeta must have prayed with desperate regret in the face of death, longing fiercely for the Minos Goddess’s blessing to reach us.’
I was grateful for Ibeta’s heart.
And even more grateful that she awakened as a Saintess.
‘I’m sorry for being the kind of person who’s relieved her guilt has been lightened first.’
But my joy at Ibeta’s awakening was genuine.
It was a mercy.
That Ibeta’s fate hadn’t twisted too far out of course.
I ran forward with all my strength.
* * *
Edwin’s return to the Temple had been delayed because he’d been watching Lina, who seemed unusually anxious.
Just as Edwin, having confirmed that Lina was conversing with Ibeta in the Central Courtyard, had belatedly begun to invoke his Scroll—
he felt a powerful wave of energy enveloping the small Temple.
What’s more, the source of that wave was where Lina was.
The feeling wasn’t one of danger, but Edwin immediately ran toward where Lina was.
‘What in the world is happening?’
The moment he stepped out of the Temple’s entrance, he saw a brilliant light illuminating the night like day.
It was so dazzling that even Edwin couldn’t bear it and had to close his eyes.
Edwin paused while his eyes adjusted to the light.
Then he nearly collided with Nancy, who came running from the opposite direction.
Nancy had also reflexively closed her eyes as her vision suddenly brightened, so the collision almost happened.
“Are you all right?”
Sensing someone approaching, Edwin instinctively moved and caught Nancy, who had nearly been knocked away by his momentum.
Fortunately, the child seemed only startled, not hurt.
“Yes. I’m fine.”
Rather, she asked with exaggerated excitement, as if delighted to have run into Edwin.
“Did you see that too, Patron Uncle?”
“See what?”
Nancy puffed out her chest proudly as she spoke.
“Ibeta is a Saintess!”
“What?”
For a moment, Edwin thought he’d misheard.
But he was certain he’d heard correctly.
“Ibeta is a Saintess?”
In response to Edwin’s question, Nancy explained, her words tumbling over each other.
“I was sleeping, but I saw my sister in a dream. The Minos Goddess gave her a Divine Blessing.”
‘So that tremendous wave of power I felt was Divine Power.’
It wasn’t Divine Power meant for healing or blessing, but Divine Power itself, which was why he’d been slow to recognize it.
“And then she told us. That my sister is a Saintess.”
“We? Who’s we?”
After sorting through the child’s scattered account, Edwin reached the following conclusion:
The “we” Nancy spoke of referred to everyone who possessed even a trace of Divine Power.
Every one of them had shared the same dream.
A dream in which the Minos Goddess blessed Ibeta’s awakening.
The Minos Goddess had loudly announced the awakening of her beloved servant.
“Of all times.”
There would be festivals at every Temple of the Minos Goddess across the continent, and Edwin’s head ached.
He had resolved to purge the Temple of its corruption with this opportunity.
The Temple had lost much public trust by turning its back on the Empire during the long wars, but it still maintained the status of the Primary Faith.
The majority of the Empire’s people were believers.
Even without a Saintess, the Temple would have been a difficult opponent.
Yet Edwin was resolved that however long it took, he would root out the corrupt Temple.
He was confident he could do it, even if it required time.
But the appearance of a Saintess.
The playing field would be overturned.
‘The High Priest will be thrilled.’
Of all the damned timing.
The emergence of a Saintess or Saint was always a good card for the Temple.
Edwin harbored irreverent thoughts toward the statue of the Minos Goddess.
‘First, I need to secure the Saintess’s loyalty.’
Havelot, the high official, was coming to inspect the Temple.
The Saintess had been on friendly terms with them, but one could never be too careful.
‘She might choose to side with the Temple.’
If the Saintess went over to the Temple’s side, then there would be nothing he could do from that point on.
Edwin headed toward the Central Courtyard where Lina and Ibeta were, bringing Nancy along.
“Ed!”
Not long after, he met Lina, who had been coming to call for him.
She was panting from running all the way here.
“Ibeta has collapsed.”
In her panic and the darkness, she hadn’t noticed Nancy.
When Nancy heard that Ibeta had collapsed, her eyes welled with tears.
“Is my sister sick? Where is she?”
Lina, who had just noticed Nancy, quickly tried to soothe the child.
“I misspoke. She didn’t collapse—she just seems to be asleep.”
It wasn’t very effective, though.
“Siiiiister!”
Nancy began running in the direction Lina had come from.
The moment she found Ibeta, she clutched her arm and whimpered.
“Sister, are you in a lot of pain?”
“It’s just sleep. You’ll see, I’ll wake up soon. Will you wait a little so I can rest?”
As she repeated that it was merely sleep, Nancy’s tears finally subsided.
“Nancy?”
Ibeta’s eyes opened.

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