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Chapter 8
That’s right.
Before attending Leandros’s birthday banquet, I had hastily sent Wendy with a letter to the duke, requesting that he prepare poison.
Since the family already intended to poison me, my sudden request wouldn’t have been difficult to grant. And because the duke himself had interest in the matter, he surely obliged.
Perhaps he thought, If she fails, then so be it.
But knowing that I was the cause must have fueled his rage all the more.
“Did your conscience strike you at last? Did you dare defy the great will of the family by drinking the poison yourself instead?”
His scolding rang sharp—reminding me that our family’s sole mission was to counterbalance both the Imperial Palace and the Holy Temple.
But I only smiled.
He pressed further.
“The council convened an emergency meeting over this. For years they endured the scandal of your reputation as the ‘villainess,’ but now they question whether your conduct should be tolerated at all. What do you have to say for yourself?”
Once, I would have begged for forgiveness, fearing exile from the family.
But not anymore.
“I did nothing wrong.”
I will never beg for life from those who want me dead.
Maintaining my smile, I stepped closer to his desk.
“Father—no, my lord duke. There is something I want.”
“Speak.”
He caught the glint of desire in my eyes and stilled, waiting.
“I hope you’re not about to tell me that you suddenly wish to chase after some gilded prince.”
“I want the Holy Temple.”
“…What did you say?”
His mask of composure shattered. For once, the duke forgot his dignity and stared openly at me.
“I despise the way fools look down on me—the daughter of Aphrodita—just because I lack divine power. I want to crush their arrogance beneath my heel.”
The corner of his mouth twitched.
“For such a petty reason?”
“How dare you call it petty!”
My hand slammed against his desk with a crack.
“Do you expect me to stand idle while insignificant vermin mock the blood of Aphrodita?”
My words rang with unshaken conviction.
“The temple may be waning, but no authority weighs heavier upon nobles and commoners alike than the name of God. The moment I seize the rights granted under that name—”
I drew a slow, steady breath, lowering my voice to a calm but deadly tone.
“—Aphrodita will control both the nobility and the temple. Power surpassing even the crown will rest in our hands.”
His expression remained stern, yet he did not interrupt. Perhaps, at last, he saw reason in my words.
“The council believes your sudden bond with Leandros is nothing but a distraction—that you’ve been lured toward the temple by infatuation.”
“The council’s opinion matters little to me. If you, my lord father, grant your approval, then what right do those senile relics have to oppose you?”
A faint smirk tugged at his lips.
“And if you fail? If our family’s reputation crumbles?”
“Then cast me aside. Call me the wicked daughter who brought shame to Aphrodita. Strike my name from the family register, and let the crown punish me as they see fit.”
“If you are erased from the register, you will fall from noble to commoner. Do you accept that risk?”
“Wouldn’t such a gamble be fitting, for something as grand as seizing the temple itself?”
“…And yet—”
How long will he prattle on?
My body, still weak from illness, protested with every moment I remained standing. I had no patience for false concerns.
“Are you worried for me? Then don’t be.”
I set a hand upon my breast and smiled coldly.
“I’ve already witnessed how this family disposes of anything that threatens it.”
His brow furrowed at the memory I invoked—an unpleasant truth best left unspoken.
“Yes, I am greedy,” I admitted softly. “But I am not a fool.”
“…That much is clear. You’ve always been quick-witted. I admired that.”
Though irritation lingered, his anger eased.
“Do you have a plan?”
“I must first set foot within the temple. To do that, I need someone influential on my side.”
“And that is why you drank poison in his stead? Do you truly believe he will never betray you? That such a man is worth destroying your body for?”
His suspicion was endless—suffocating.
“Of course.”
“You think he will usher you into the temple despite your lack of divine power?”
“Yes.”
The single word hung between us like drawn steel.
We stared each other down, neither yielding. The air thickened with tension, until at last the duke broke the silence.
After our conversation, I returned to my chambers. The weight of exhaustion collapsed my body, and I nearly stumbled, saved only by Wendy rushing to catch me.
“Are you all right, my lady?”
“I only need rest.”
“You’ve overexerted yourself. And Sir Leandros barging in without thought! Then the duke—summoning you straight to his study when you’d barely risen from bed! It’s unforgivable.”
I waved her words away. “It’s the burden of fame. I’ll endure.”
She fetched tea, but I refused it with a shake of my head. Her worry deepened.
“Was the duke very angry?”
“No. He wasn’t.”
I remembered his final words.
“Then prove it within one week.”
Time, granted by a man not known for mercy.
“If you show me results, I will personally silence the council.”
If Leandros cooperated, my deception of the family would proceed without a hitch.
“Truly?” Wendy blinked in disbelief.
“Yes.”
I had no intention of confiding further. Instead, I feigned weariness, forcing her to change the subject.
“And… Sir Leandros? Did you resolve things with him?”
At her question, I recalled the look in his eyes—the flicker of determination that replaced his hesitation when I made my request.
“He said… he would try.”
“…Try?”
“Yes. In exchange for drinking the poison in his stead, he promised to grant me what I wished. And when I asked, his answer was just that—he would try.”
A smile curved my lips at the memory.
Wendy frowned. “Not even a promise? That sounds like he was stalling, my lady.”
“You think so?”
She nodded fiercely. Just like the duke had.
“Prepare yourself to persuade him.”
I remembered tossing those words over my shoulder before leaving the duke’s study. The look on his face had been priceless.
Let them all doubt me. Let them sneer. They all asked the same question:
How could someone with no divine power ever wield influence in the temple?
That was my problem to solve—and I would.
“Summon the treasurer,” I ordered.
“The treasurer? But you’ve only just recovered! Shouldn’t you rest instead?”
“There’s urgent spending to be done. Fetch him.”
Though clearly bewildered, Wendy did not press further.
And a few days later, the capital quaked with news—news I had hoped for.
At the second prince’s birthday banquet, an assassination attempt had unfolded.
The prince’s life was spared only because Lady Aphrodita drank the poisoned wine in his place. She now hovered between life and death.
The city buzzed with endless chatter.
“How fortunate the prince hadn’t drunk yet!”
“And to think, the villainous lady saved him!”
At first, people pitied me. But when rumors spread that the prince and I were on poor terms, their pity twisted into scorn.
“She must have stolen the cup out of greed and suffered for it.”
“Fitting, for the infamous villainess.”
“She lives still? Then surely it is only thanks to the prince.”
Thus, tongues wagged endlessly, condemning what they did not understand.
Until the temple made its announcement.
A new candidate for sainthood.
And among the names…
Lady Aphrodita.
The capital reeled.
The temple might have faded from its former glory, but it was still the sanctuary of the divine. To see my name proclaimed within its walls left nobles and commoners alike speechless.
Confusion spread like wildfire. Disbelief could not be hidden.
“What is the meaning of this?”
And among the most bewildered was none other than the young lady already hailed as the temple’s saintly candidate.
