Youngest on Top - Chapter 126

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 126

“…Your Highness, the Crown Prince.”

The Princess bowed her head to Shuri with a stiffly composed expression.

“It is truly an honor that Your Highness the Crown Prince would grace my salon with his presence.”

Shuri was not close with Grizelda Princess, his half-sister.
In fact, he was not on good terms with any of the princesses or princes.

‘That’s why I thought we wouldn’t run into each other here.’

Even as the Princess greeted him, Shuri’s gaze remained fixed on me.
My cheeks burned, but I forced myself to stare straight ahead.

‘A stranger, a stranger, someone I barely know…’

The Princess composed herself as if nothing was amiss and spoke to me.

“…Sacred Maiden Saelika. The Crown Prince says he’s curious about your opinion. Why did you cause such a commotion?”
“Did I cause a commotion?”

As I tilted my head, the Princess furrowed her brow.

“Ha, you loudly proclaimed that today’s sculpture is a fake, and now you ask what I mean?”
“That wasn’t me.”
“What?”
“It was this person here who overheard my words and deliberately caused a commotion by loudly proclaiming it.”

I gestured toward Countess Sorotan, who flinched.
I smiled brightly.

“Ah, were you the Princess’s maidservant?”
“…!”

The Princess’s face turned crimson.
Unable to find words to respond, she changed the subject.

“So, it’s true that you said this statue is a fake. You’re not denying it.”
“There’s no need to deny the truth.”
“Sacred Maiden Saelika. I’m offering you an opportunity.”

The Princess lifted her chin as she spoke.
Though she carried herself with an air of dominance, her eyes betrayed a certain unease as she glanced toward Shuri.

She didn’t know how he would react, and she had no desire to create unnecessary conflict.
It wasn’t that she was trying to make a good impression on him.

‘Shuri frightens her.’

But as a Princess, I couldn’t afford to back down first.
Everyone in this hall knew the Princess had deliberately ignored me.
If I changed my stance now, the Princess’s dignity would become laughable.

‘So she’s planning to have me bow first, then pretend to yield gracefully and end this situation?’

That wouldn’t be entirely unfavorable for me either.
A Sacred Maiden newly arrived at the Imperial Palace with weak standing in the capital wouldn’t want to create unnecessary strife.

But.

‘Why should I?’

Enrik: That rebellious streak of hers.
Kailros: If you tell her to play nice, she absolutely won’t. That’s my sister.

Tell an angel not to cause trouble, and she’ll only want to cause more.
I smiled wickedly.

“An opportunity? Ah, you mean the opportunity to reveal the truth that the statue is a fake?”
“Sacred Maiden Saelika.”
“You wouldn’t even let me speak before. How magnanimous and gracious of you.”

The Princess’s face darkened.
She had even received praise for being magnanimous and gracious—so why this reaction?

Enrik: Is that supposed to be a compliment?
Enrik: You rejected my outstretched hand and slapped me repeatedly.

‘Then don’t throw the first punch.’

Kailros: Right, that insignificant creature who dared to provoke my brother is entirely at fault.
Enrik: …What does that make me then?

While the Princess remained silent, watching Shuri’s expression carefully.
Zabelina, the Sacred Maiden of Haruanus Temple, stepped forward.

“Sacred Maiden Saelika, let me tell you before you make a mistake. We obtained this statue for Her Highness the Princess.”
“From Haruanus Temple?”
“Until fifty years ago, the academic world was divided on the identity of the three angels carved by Libtan.”

Enrik: What’s there to be divided about?

“But the controversy ended with various discoveries. The three angels carved by Libtan are—.”

Enrik: Yeah, me and my brothers.

“Angels who follow our Lord Haruanus.”

Enrik: Ugh.

“…Angels who follow Haruanus?”

Enrik: Though he didn’t capture my appearance correctly at all.
Kailros: It can’t even be said to resemble my form.
Enrik: Is that why you’re mistaken—because it’s so ugly?
Enrik: Being a counterfeit, it’s even uglier than the original.

Zabelina explained proudly.

“This noble bearing belongs to the Healing Angel, Lord Makaranita! This strength belongs to the Judgment Angel, Lord Lemnus!”

Enrik: What? Noble? Makaranita?
Enrik: Lemnus is strong?
Enrik: Didn’t he get a nosebleed from getting beaten by you?

‘Me? I’ve never done such a thing.’

Kailros: It wasn’t just a nosebleed, though. You gave him a double nosebleed and broke his teeth clean off.

‘How embarrassing.’

Enrik: …You really are something.

“And finally, this magnificent beauty is Syriender!”

Enrik: Isn’t that the sculpture your oldest brother carved?
Enrik: If he found out he was mistaken for Syriender, all hell would break loose.
Kailros: It won’t cause an uproar.
Kailros: He simply won’t be able to see Syriender’s face anymore.

“Oh, indeed…!”
“The texts say that even the sun closed its eyes before the beauty of the angel who descended from heaven.”
“Now that I see the sculpture carved in that image, I understand why.”

The crowd gasped in admiration.

‘No, that’s not Syriender.’

The angel who descended back then wasn’t Syriender in the first place.
More than anything—.

‘Syriender is ugly.’

Emboldened by the crowd’s enthusiasm, Zabelina spoke with even greater confidence.

“Do you understand? The Three Angels sculpture is practically a relic of our Haruanus Temple. We know it best.”
“…Then that means the Haruanus Temple has guaranteed that this ‘Three Angels sculpture’ is authentic?”
“That’s right.”

Seeing my displeased expression, Zabelina became even more confident.

“Well then, I’ll pretend not to notice if you change your story to ‘I never said it was fake.’ You’re still just a child, after all.”

Zabelina spoke loudly, as if ensuring everyone else could hear her.
That I was merely a child who could never stand on equal ground with the other Sacred Maidens.

I let out a soft laugh.

“That’s what I should be saying.”
“Pardon?”
“If you change your mind now and cancel your endorsement, I’ll pretend I never heard it.”

Zabelina called out to me sharply, “Sacred Maiden Saelika!”
But soon after, she smiled with an enigmatic expression and spoke.

“Shall we make a wager?”
“A wager?”
“Let’s bet on whether this statue is genuine or a forgery. Whoever wins gets whatever they desire from the loser.”
“What is it you desire?”

Zabelina grinned wickedly.

“How about Artemeia’s Trainee Priest?”
“A Trainee Priest?”
“The one beside you—Priest Ilay, isn’t it? An exceptional priest requires an exceptional Sacred Maiden to guide him forward.”
“….”
“Not a child who needs to be cared for.”

Zabelina’s gaze swept up and down my form.
Such a look meant nothing to me.
Compared to her words about taking Ilay away.

“You’re wagering people as if they were objects to be exchanged.”

At my words, Zabelina burst into laughter. “Pfft…!”

“My, how provincial. Truly befitting a temple from the eastern backwater, isolated for decades without any connections to other temples.”
“….”
“Or perhaps it’s because you’re a commoner that you think so narrowly?”

Zabelina tilted her head and continued speaking.

“If the Sacred Maiden Saelika wins, I’ll give you any priest you desire from our Haruanus Temple. How does that sound?”
“That won’t be necessary.”

At my words, Zabelina’s eyes widened in surprise. “My goodness?”
Then she let out a soft laugh, as if understanding something.

“It seems the Sacred Maiden Saelika hasn’t obtained her second wings yet, has she?”

This meant she hadn’t undergone her second awakening.
Unlike ordinary priests, the Sacred Maiden undergoes multiple awakenings, and the abilities she can use vary depending on the degree of awakening.

Opening a sacred domain.
Transforming the nature of holy power.
All such abilities can only be used after the second awakening.

In other words, converting another temple’s priest into one’s own requires completing the second awakening.

“Giving you our trainee priests would be pointless since she can’t convert them into Artemeia’s priests anyway.”

That’s not it.

“I never imagined she hadn’t undergone her second awakening. I completed mine long ago.”

Zabelina approached with a confident smile.
More precisely, toward Ilay.

“Wouldn’t a Sacred Maiden like me be helpful to such an exceptional priest? And—”

Zabelina glanced at Shuri standing beside me.
She smiled sweetly.

“To the noble one who rules the empire as well.”

Shuri’s gaze turned toward Zabelina.
Zabelina smiled more deeply, with allure.

Normally, one couldn’t hide their fear of Shuri.
Yet Zabelina met his eyes without wavering, her smile unwavering.

‘It seems she has some resistance to curses.’

So that’s why she carries herself with such confidence.
Zabelina was quite skilled.

Shuri couldn’t tear his gaze away from Zabelina, intrigued by the young woman who met his eyes directly and smiled.

I opened my mouth as I observed the two of them.

“I’m fine with a wager. But what I want is something different.”
“Well, of course. You can’t very well claim a person.”
“What I want is the brooch that the Princess possesses.”
“My brooch?”

The Princess echoed my words.

“Yes. The wooden brooch with the red gemstone.”
“Why would you…? I barely wear that—it’s quite old…”

It was a brooch passed down through the imperial family for generations, so it held history, but it possessed no special power—merely an ordinary piece.
Compared to the other ornaments the Princess owned, it was utterly unremarkable.

‘—That’s what she believes.’

Which worked perfectly in my favor.

The Princess was momentarily flustered at the sudden proposal to wager her own possession, but she soon nodded.
She judged that owing a debt to the Haruanus Temple was acceptable.

‘After all, she must believe I have no chance of winning.’

Zabelina asked as if confirming.

“Is that sufficient?”
“No!”

I had initially planned to ask only for the brooch, but I quickly shook my head.

If they’re thinking “Is that all?” over there, and I answer “Yes, that’s enough,” I’d be a fool.
I need to extract as much as I possibly can!

“I’ll also take the Mermaid’s Tears and the Essence of Takalif.”
“….”
“And the Petals of Beratten and the Eyes of Atelis too.”
“….”
“You have all of those at the Haruanus Temple, right?”

Zabelina stared at me with an incredulous expression.
What. What am I doing. Why.
You’re the one who asked if that would be enough.

“Our Ilay is far superior to such things.”
“…Well, fine. The winner’s already decided anyway.”

Enrik: What’s she so confident about?
Enrik: I’m starting to wonder if she actually carved up those Haruanus bastards.
Kailros: That explains why she’s so ugly too.
Kailros: If anything, this feels like a flattering portrayal.

“Well then, prove to me that this statue is a fake.”

Zabelina chuckled and spoke.

“For your information, I have overwhelming evidence that the statue is genuine. Expert appraisals, historical documents to back it up….”
“….”
“So I’ll graciously give you the first chance to present your case. Once I speak, no one will listen to you anymore.”

What is she saying.
Just as I was about to shrug my shoulders and open my mouth.

“Do we really need to settle this amusing wager right here, right now?”

Shuri, who had been silent until then, stepped forward.

* * *

Zabelina furrowed her brow.

‘Could it be that the Crown Prince is trying to rescue Saelika from this predicament?’

To prevent the wager from proceeding?
Yet the words that followed from the Crown Prince’s lips diverged from Zabelina’s expectations.

“The Libtain sculpture has been drawing considerable attention from all quarters. I believe it would be better to determine its authenticity on a grander stage.”
“You’re referring to the banquet this weekend, Your Highness.”
“Indeed.”

Zabelina felt a smile of vindication bloom within her heart.
The banquet held this weekend.
Those words meant—.

‘He’s saying we should settle this before the Emperor himself.’

It was an entirely different matter from being humiliated in a salon.

‘Does the Crown Prince also disapprove of Saelika?’

It was only natural that Zabelina would emerge victorious from the wager.
Should the wager be brought before the Emperor, not only would Saelika face utter disgrace, but the Artemisia Temple itself would be thoroughly shamed.
Perhaps they would never receive an invitation to the Imperial Palace again.

Zabelina lifted her gaze to regard the Crown Prince.
A beautiful face brimming with the dignity of a ruler gazed upon her.

‘Ah….’

This was no ordinary gaze.
How could eyes like that possibly lack emotion?
Eyes that held something within them, whispering countless words.
Eyes that seemed to draw one in completely….

‘Now that I think about it, it was the same when our eyes met earlier.’

The Crown Prince could not tear his gaze away from her as she smiled.

‘And now His Highness has taken my side…!’

Zabelina exhaled a trembling breath.
And she offered the Crown Prince a deep smile.

* * *

“Are you sure you’re alright?”

Dolores asked me with a worried expression.

“I’ve heard about the Three Angel statues as well. I know how much effort the Haruanus Temple put into preparing them as a gift for the Princess.”
“….”
“I don’t doubt the Sacred Maiden Saelika, but realistically, there’s a possibility that it could be a counterfeit….”

Dolores swallowed her words, her face clouded with concern.

“Thank you for worrying. But I’m fine.”

Dolores, who had been quietly observing me, soon smiled.

“You’re right. I don’t think the Sacred Maiden Saelika would have wagered without reason. It must certainly be a counterfeit.”

I nodded and parted ways with Dolores, saying I had matters to attend to.
Though truthfully, I didn’t have any pressing business.

“Do you have some business to attend to?”

It was because Shuri, who was following behind me, seemed to have business with me.

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