SNBF 13

Chapter 13

A well-built man dressed in luxurious clothes shot a vicious glare in my direction.

As if instinctively realizing this was not a fight they should get involved in, the people who had been exchanging greetings with me slowly slipped away. In an instant, the area was empty.

“You hesitate for quite a while. Is that part of your training?”

Perhaps baffled that I still hadn’t removed my hood, Theodore continued to sneer.

“I-I’ll take it off.”

It’s fine. It’s fine. I took a small, steadying breath. Theodore doesn’t know me anyway. It’ll be fine.

When I removed my hood, the long, bright wheat-colored hair that I had crammed inside spilled down.

“I-I’m so sorry…!”

I bowed my head deeply, trying to appear as polite and servile as possible.

“Raise your face.”

Slowly, I lifted my head—and gasped.

He’s insanely handsome.

Including everyone I’d seen in my past life, I had never met anyone this good-looking. I struggled to keep my dizzying mind steady as I studied Theodore’s face.

He seemed used to such reactions and paid no attention. He simply stared at me seriously before abruptly asking,

“You. A saint?”

“Pardon?!”

“From Demong. The swindler saint who took over a gambling den.”

How on earth did he figure that out? That lunatic blessed from birth must have been born with razor-sharp instincts too.

While I stood there stunned and speechless, Theodore took a step toward me.

“It’s you, isn’t it?”

The faint twist of his lips carried a killing intent that was no joke.

What kind of wise ruler gives off this kind of murderous aura? He’s a tyrant…!

He was much taller than me and broad-shouldered, overwhelmingly imposing.

Even when the High Priest had walked toward me earlier, I’d felt intimidated by her build—but compared to Theodore, she was small and almost cute.

“W-what are you… s-saying.”

Trying not to stammer under the pressure, my words came out chopped and broken. And in the end, I stuttered anyway. Anyone would find that suspicious.

I’m doomed.

“Then I’m right?”

The way Theodore grinned was comparable to the Grim Reaper. What a man with monstrous intuition.

I miss Agatha.

All the plans I’d carried out so far had been done confidently because I had a cheat key that let me see ahead.

Now, not knowing the opponent’s thoughts felt like fighting blindfolded.

No. Get a grip.

I clenched my fists.

Whenever I faced Theodore, whenever that might be, I wouldn’t be able to rely on divine help. His energy kept severing the connection. I had to handle this well now. Otherwise, I’d have no chance in the future either.

And no matter who he was, even Theodore couldn’t drag me away by force inside the temple in broad daylight. That was precisely why I had sought refuge here.

At least for now, I was safe.

“Saint. Are you the silent type?”

Theodore’s smiling face looked rather entertained.

He’s definitely testing me. He can’t be certain.

My mind raced.

He had simply pointed out someone he found suspicious. Hadn’t he been checking other people’s identities earlier too?

He couldn’t possibly be sure I was the saint.

Right. It’s impossible.

So for now, I had to feign ignorance.

I had no way to secure a private audience to persuade him—“If I become the saint, I’ll help you”—nor did I have the power to do so. Even if I could speak with him alone, I was of no use to him yet.

To avoid being seen as a disposable card and killed, I had to rise to the position of saint and build influence.

Right now, no matter what I said, he would surely think eliminating me was the cleanest solution.

If I wanted to survive… this was the only way.

With grim resolve, I opened my mouth.

“—A saint? Does Maria mean holy and beautiful? Kyaa! For someone so beautiful to praise me like that!”

I suddenly twisted my body shyly.

“Maria is so happy.”

I even referred to myself in the third person and cupped my cheeks with both hands.

“…What?”

“Eek. Staring at me so passionately… Maria is shy. I don’t know, I don’t know.”

My face burned with shame. From the outside, it must have looked bright red—perfect for pretending to be crazy.

I ground my teeth inwardly. Once this is all over, temple or emperor, I’m disappearing somewhere no one can ever find me.

“Are you… insane?”

Theodore muttered in disbelief.

The reason I chose this method was because a passage from the romance novel came faintly to mind:

“Theodore felt disgust toward the nobles who dressed their daughters up like dolls and presented them before him like goods in a marketplace, asking, ‘Do you like her?’
He felt the same when he saw women with fire in their eyes, eager not to miss the chance for status and a handsome husband.”

Theodore was so obsessed with reforming the empire that he was indifferent to everything else.

In the novel’s timeline—set in the future—he had long ascended the throne. Yet the position of empress remained vacant. Because he simply didn’t care.

With the seat beside the emperor empty, nobles constantly eyed it. None of them ever gave up.

It’s impressive he ignored and blocked all that persistence.

Without an heir, the imperial faction would feel uneasy; for the stability of imperial power, he could have taken a few concubines—but he didn’t.

It was difficult to distinguish noble families not colluding with the temple.

Since he intended to overturn the temple—no, the Maelta religion itself—taking a spouse tied to the temple would complicate matters. Yet he couldn’t bring a commoner or a fallen house into the imperial family either.

Of course, Theodore personally had grown weary to the point of disgust from excessive advances by women.

In any case, women who acted cute and schemed were exactly the type Theodore despised.

“M-Maria might be crazy. The gentleman is just too beautiful…! Kyaa, I said it. What should I do?”

I poured on the cutesy act. Even as I spoke, I wasn’t sure.

Is this… how you act cute?

Not knowing what to do, I shook my head side to side recklessly. I probably looked truly insane.

Look insane. Please.

Embarrassment is temporary.

Later, I might be treated as a criminal for deceiving the emperor—but by then, I’d already be the saint. I’d find a way out.

“You, you… Who sent you?”

As Theodore stared at me silently with a slight frown, the aide standing behind him stepped forward.

“Viscount Hermery? Or Baron Aquiverre? No, I’ve checked every woman from those families down to their distant relatives and avoided them… There was no one like this. Who are you? How did you find out about the Grand Temple visit that was only just decided?”

“Pardon?”

I widened my eyes as the aide continued shouting.

“Was it Count Chishiki? That rat! Did he scheme again?”

All the names sounded strange.

Still, it was fortunate they misunderstood on their own. Whether I was a noble lady or not, the conversation had completely shifted in that direction. The word “saint” disappeared from our exchange.

I smiled inwardly.

“What?! M-Maria doesn’t know anything. I was just training at the Grand Temple… But if the gentleman chooses Maria, I’ll stop my training! Lady Agatha will understand my love…!”

The aide looked horrified. Good. I must look like a deranged girl blinded by a handsome man.

“Let’s return at once. She’s a suspicious lunatic. Who knows what might happen.”

“…Isaac.”

“Yes! Shall we return? I’ll have the carriage prepared out—”

“Be quiet.”

Theodore ordered in a low voice. Isaac’s mouth snapped shut.

“You.”

Theodore stepped closer, staring directly at me. The distance became far too close.

Thankfully, he was much taller than me. If he were any shorter, his lips would have brushed my forehead or ear—or somewhere—given how close he stood.

Feigning shyness, I averted my eyes.

This is too much pressure.

As if that weren’t enough, Theodore slowly bent down.

His breath brushed my cheek. His deep eyes examined me carefully, piece by piece. It felt like every hair on my body stood on end.

“What kind of trick is this?”

The cute act wasn’t working. I was on the verge of being exposed as the saint.

His voice sent chills down my spine. I recalled a monologue from the novel’s male lead who had witnessed the emperor after personally beheading spies, drenched in blood.

A friend—but described as looking like a demon.

“T-Trick? I was just happy the gentleman looked at me… Maria just…”

With nothing else to do, I poured my entire soul into the act. My fingertips trembled.

But his next words gave me slight relief.

“Is it really Count Chishiki? Or perhaps Viscount Hermery?”

It worked…!

From being suspected as the saint to being suspected as a pesky woman aiming for his side—I had succeeded.

I just had to make him fully believe I was insane. My heart pounded, cold sweat dripping.

“I-I… I don’t know. Maria is a commoner… I’m sorry…”

“If you’re lying, it won’t end with just your life.”

At Theodore’s words, the knight behind him gripped his sword hilt.

Hmm. I’d gone from causing a misunderstanding to being seen as a noble’s pawn.

This wouldn’t be solved with cuteness.

Time to switch tactics.

“I-I’m sorry!”

Without hesitation, I threw myself flat onto the ground. What pride could I possibly have?

That kind of thing would never save my life.

“…What?”

Looking down at me, Theodore let out a baffled voice.