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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 34
Chapter Title: My Sister, the Saintess
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I became timid in a heartbeat.
“Did I perhaps do something wrong to the Temple…?”
“You did nothing wrong.”
Menelik suddenly stroked my head.
I grumbled, sullen.
“Look, it’s fine if you want to be nice and it’s fine if you don’t, but could you please just pick one?”
I don’t know how I’m supposed to react!
How could he be so similar to Winter, even down to the way he switches between sweet and sour!
A languid smile graced Menelik’s lips.
…Maybe Kivrin forgave him too easily.
My foul mood returned, and I was digging into my ice cream when the priests appeared, having finished their morning prayers.
The other priests simply greeted us and passed by, but Zenon leaned in to whisper to me.
“I think you are a good person, Your Grace. I will pray for your safe return to your domain.”
Then, glancing nervously at Menelik, he scurried away.
What did he mean?
I looked up at Menelik.
He took the ice cream bowl from my hands and explained.
“For now, it’s better for you to meet the Pope while knowing as little as possible. The Pope’s eyes can see through to the truth. If you show any sign of hiding even the smallest thing, he won’t let you go easily.”
“I understand. But I can still eat more ice cream…!”
“I know, that’s why I took it.”
“…”
And so, my dessert time came to an end.
Even after I was in the carriage, I remained sulking. Menelik let out a dry laugh.
“Why do you look more hurt now that I’ve taken your ice cream than when I lied about you being a bother?”
Food is a serious matter!
Soon, the carriage entered the capital. From there, it was a short ride to the Grand Temple.
I clutched my locket necklace as if it were a lifeline.
Ugh, I think I’m going to be sick…
I dawdled as much as I could while getting out of the carriage.
I heard someone with a short temper snap.
“What kind of lunatic is blocking the Saintess’s path? Get out of the way!”
“Eek! My apologies!”
Zenon, who had gotten out first and was waiting, hastily stepped back.
Then my sister, her arms crossed, came into view.
Her name was Muria Christine Mayol.
She was four years older than me and possessed some memories of her past life.
In , her role was that of the heroine, a refreshingly ruthless villainess.
Seeing me, my sister clicked her tongue and swept back a lock of her golden hair.
Dressed from head to toe in the capital’s latest fashions, she could have passed for royalty.
Still, in front of Menelik, my sister managed something resembling decorum.
“It has been a while, Your Grace. I was in disbelief when I heard the news, but I never imagined you would truly accompany my sister. I thought I would never see you here again.”
Just as I thought. There wasn’t a hint of welcome in her voice.
The other priests were the same.
I realized the area was far too quiet.
The atmosphere in the Grand Temple was not just cold, but frozen solid, like the dead of winter.
Of course, Menelik paid it no mind and pointed to the luggage carriage.
“Good to see you too. That’s a gift for the Saintess.”
“…You must be very tired. Have you eaten? While I may have devoted myself to the Temple because I couldn’t hide my innate abilities, I want to take this opportunity to make it clear that I hold no personal grudge against the Nectarian family…”
My sister’s face immediately brightened as she began to sweet-talk him.
It wasn’t surprising. In the novel, she hated the Nectarian family, but she was also well aware of their immense wealth.
In the story, her only plan was to make a killing as the Saintess and then flee the country.
She did develop a slight sense of responsibility after getting involved with the male lead, but that was about it.
My sister, who had neither faith nor a spirit of sacrifice, had even refused the position of Pope.
She had opted to be the Saintess, a role that was relatively easier to quit, and used her divine power only when she felt like it.
At first, public opinion had condemned her behavior.
But from the beginning, my sister was too versatile to be confined to the role of a ‘Saintess who heals others with divine power.’
A broken character who could perfectly fill the roles of DPS, tank, and healer all at once doesn’t even exist in games…
What’s more, she had only a single weakness, and a skill that occasionally activated allowed her to see the future.
Simply by holding the title of Saintess, my sister had elevated the Temple’s prestige to the heavens.
And, of course, she was beautiful enough for the male lead to fall for her at first sight.
Because of this, the prevailing theory among readers was that the author had made her personality awful as a last-minute attempt to balance her broken abilities.
“Ah, this isn’t the time for this. May I borrow my sister for a moment?”
My sister grabbed my arm, likely assuming Menelik would naturally permit it.
I didn’t even need to resist; Menelik spoke.
“I’m afraid not.”
“…Pardon?”
“I said no. So, take your hand off her.”
“…”
My sister was visibly flustered.
Not even the Pope could stop her, so this must have been the first time she’d been treated this way.
Instead of exuding killing intent, Menelik spoke slowly, as if reasoning with a child.
“I don’t like repeating myself. And I’d rather not lay a hand on the Saintess.”
“…”
My sister flinched and let go of my arm.
Only then did Menelik smile.
“I have no intention of letting anyone be alone with my daughter-in-law. I hope you’ll keep that in mind.”
“B-But I’m her older sister.”
“You don’t think I came here without knowing that, do you?”
His voice was languid, lacking its usual dignity.
But there was no room for negotiation.
My sister sighed.
“Very well. I will show you to your rooms. Please follow me.”
I looked up at Menelik, deeply moved.
I thought I was going to be dragged away!
“How is it? Reassuring to have a guardian, isn’t it?”
“…”
Though moved, I couldn’t bring myself to readily say yes. Seeing my hesitation, Menelik muttered.
“…I seem to have momentarily forgotten my behavior from yesterday. I’ll go back to quietly reflecting on my actions.”
Menelik fell silent.
My sister led us to a separate annex.
It was clearly a new construction, and the interior was filled with countless luxuries that had no religious significance whatsoever.
“Not even the old man—I mean, His Holiness the Pope—can enter this building without my permission. For the record, it’s in my name, too.”
My sister said proudly.
In the center of the hall stood a statue of the god, the only thing related to the Temple.
It was a life-sized replica of the god’s true form, standing at a towering 190 centimeters.
Its pink hair was sculpted with delicate precision, each strand visible, and its round forehead and eyebrows were perfect.
The muscles of its exposed arms and the veins on the back of its hands were so realistic that it wouldn’t have been surprising if it had started moving.
What is this? It’s unsettling.
Disgusting.
I wish it would break.
…Huh? Why am I thinking this?
Startled by my own thoughts, I stumbled back and bumped into Menelik.
“Hm?”
My sister chuckled.
“Isn’t it magnificent? He’s even more handsome in person.”
Not at all.
I suppressed the urge to voice my contrary opinion and asked.
“You’ve seen him in person?”
“A long time ago. I can’t see him now even if I wanted to. He’s asleep, conserving his power. It’ll be a few years before he wakes up.”
“…”
A god that needs to conserve power.
That’s a far cry from being omnipotent, isn’t it?
Regardless of my cynical thoughts, my sister continued.
“If this were installed in the main square, people would flock to it. There’s a reason the proportion of female priests is skyrocketing, you know.”
My heart pounded.
Not from excitement, anticipation, or burgeoning faith, but from sheer anger.
It seemed that something had been wrong with me since yesterday.
I fiddled with my locket to calm myself. When that wasn’t enough, I grabbed Menelik’s hand with my free one.
Even though I had suddenly latched onto him for support, he merely twitched an eyebrow and didn’t ask why.
My sister showed us to our rooms, then leaned against the doorframe.
“His Holiness is currently in prayer. He will come to appraise you himself at sunset.”
I finally managed to push the thoughts of the statue away.
“Appraise me?”
“Since you’re getting along so well with the Young Lord… he wants to check whether you’re an ordinary person, just in case. You didn’t expect to just exchange pleasantries, did you?”
When she called Kivrin ‘the Young Lord,’ my sister made no effort to hide her discomfort.
Like the other priests, she considered Kivrin an ominous being.
“Well, no, but…”
“I hear snakes always travel in pairs. The old fogeys are obsessed with that kind of superstition and myth.”
…So, I’m being suspected of being a snake, just like Kivrin?
I was so dumbfounded my mouth fell open.
I had seen the phrase, ‘snakes always travel in pairs,’ a few times in the novel.
But I never imagined I would get entangled in it myself.
