<Episode 13>
A fierce glare emanated from the well-dressed, burly man.
Sensing instinctively that this was a fight not to get involved in, the people who'd exchanged greetings with me slipped away one by one. In an instant, the area around us emptied.
"You're hesitating quite a while. Is that part of your devotion too?"
Looking absurd at me for still not removing my hood, Theodore's sarcasm continued.
"I-I'll take it off."
It's fine, it's fine. I took a small deep breath. Theodore doesn't know me anyway. It'll be okay.
As I removed the hood, the light brown long hair I'd crammed inside poured out.
"I-I'm so sorry...!"
I bowed my head deeply, trying to appear as polite and servile as possible.
"Face up."
I slowly lifted my head. The moment I did, I gasped in shock.
'He's insanely handsome.'
Including everyone from my previous life, I'd never seen anyone this handsome. I desperately clung to my dizzying mind and examined Theodore's face.
He seemed used to such reactions and paid no mind. With a serious face, he simply stared at me quietly before suddenly asking.
"You. The saintess?"
"Pardon?!"
"From Demong. The fraudulent saintess who took over the gambling den."
How on earth did he figure it out? This mad blessed being was apparently born with insane intuition too.
As I shut my mouth in panic, Theodore took a step closer to me.
"It's you, right?"
The killing intent from his slightly twisted smirk was no joke.
'Showing this much killing intent—what kind of sage king is this? He's a tyrant...!'
He was much taller and bulkier than me, exuding tremendous pressure.
Earlier, I'd felt overwhelmed by the High Priestess's size when she approached, but compared to Theodore, she seemed small and cute.
"Wh-what are you saying? I-I don't."
Struggling not to stammer under the pressure, my words came out choppy. And in the end, I stuttered. Anyone would find it suspicious.
'I'm screwed.'
"Guess it is you?"
Theodore's grinning face rivaled the Grim Reaper. That mad intuitive man.
'Agatha's absence is killing me.'
All my plans so far had been executed confidently because I had a cheat key that could foresee them in advance.
Without knowing the opponent's intentions, it felt like fighting blindfolded.
'No. Pull yourself together.'
I clenched my fists tightly.
I'd have to face Theodore eventually anyway, and I wouldn't get divine help every time, whenever it was.
Because of his aura, our connection would keep breaking like this. I had to handle it well now. Otherwise, no chance in the future.
And no matter how much of a Theodore he was, he couldn't drag me away by force in broad daylight inside the Temple. That's why I'd come to seek refuge here.
At least for now, I was safe.
"Saintess. Not much for words?"
Theodore's smiling face looked rather pleased.
'He's definitely testing me. No way he's certain.'
My mind raced.
Theodore had just singled me out as suspicious. Hadn't he checked others' identities too?
He couldn't be sure I was the saintess.
'Yeah. Impossible.'
So for now, play dumb to his words.
I had no way to arrange a private meeting to persuade him 'I'll help you if I become saintess,' and no power for it anyway.
Even if a private meeting happened, I wasn't useful to Theodore yet.
To keep him from seeing me as worthless and killing me, I needed to become saintess and build influence.
Whatever I said now, he'd obviously think removing me was the cleanest option.
To survive... this was the only way. With resolve, I opened my mouth.
"-Saintess? Does Maria mean holy and beautiful? Kyaa. For such a beautiful lord to compliment me like that."
I twisted my body wildly.
"Maria is so happy."
I even used third person, cupping my cheeks with both hands.
"...What?"
"Aing. Staring so intently... Maria is shy, don't know, don't know."
Shame burned my face naturally. It must look flushed red—perfect for acting crazy.
I ground my teeth inwardly. Once this is all over, Temple or Emperor, I'll vanish somewhere unseen.
"Crazy... are you?"
Theodore muttered in an absurd voice.
The reason I chose this method was a vague recollection from the romance novel.
「Theodore felt disgust toward nobles who dressed their daughters like dolls from head to toe, paraded them before him like market goods, and asked 'Do you like her?'
Same when seeing women with eyes ablaze, desperate not to miss chances for status and handsome husbands.」
Theodore, blinded by imperial reform, was indifferent to other matters.
Those were future events in the novel. Naturally, Theodore was long enthroned. Yet the empress seat remained vacant. Because of his indifference.
With the empire's top seat empty, nobles eyed it greedily. Their persistence was endless; they never gave up.
'Theodore's impressive for ignoring and blocking that obsession.'
Without heirs, imperial factions would feel uneasy, so taking a few concubines for stability made sense, but he didn't.
Hard to pick noble houses uncolluded with the Temple.
With plans to topple the Temple—no, the entire Maelta Church—taking a Temple ally as consort complicated things. Nor could he bring commoners or fallen houses into the imperial family.
Of course, Theodore personally grew sick of women's advances, to the point of hatred.
Anyway, coquettish scheming women were exactly what Theodore despised.
"Ma-Maria might be crazy. Because the lord is too beautiful...! Kyaa, I said it. What to do."
I poured on the aegyo. Even as I spoke, I half-doubted inwardly.
Is aegyo... done like this?
Not knowing how, I wildly shook my head side to side. Looked totally like a lunatic.
'Look crazy, please.'
Embarrassment is momentary.
Maybe later face felony charges for fooling the emperor, but by then I'd be saintess. Could escape somehow.
"You... who sent you?"
As Theodore stared silently with furrowed brows, his aide behind him stepped forward.
"Viscount Humery? Or Baron Aquvere? No, we've checked every woman in those families down to eighth cousins... No such case. Who the hell. How'd you even know about the sudden Grand Temple visit?!"
"Ne?"
I widened my eyes and echoed. The aide kept yelling.
"Count Tiksiki maybe! That rat! Up to schemes again?"
The names all sounded a bit off.
Anyway, fortunate they misunderstood on their own. Whether noble lady or not, the topic shifted entirely. 'Saintess' vanished from our talk.
I smirked inwardly in triumph.
"Ne?! Ma-Maria doesn't know such things. I was just training at the Grand Temple... But if the lord chooses Maria, I'll quit devotion! Lady Agatha will understand my love too...!"
The aide looked horrified. Good. Anyone would see a girl gone mad over a handsome man.
"Let's go back. She's a weird creep. No telling what'll happen."
"...Isaac."
"Yes! Shall we return? I'll prepare the carriage outsi—"
"Shut your mouth."
Theodore commanded in a low voice. The aide, Isaac, clamped his mouth shut.
"You."
Theodore stepped closer, staring straight at me. The distance was too intimate.
Truly fortunate he was much taller. If even slightly shorter, his lips would surely touch my forehead or ear.
I averted my eyes subtly, feigning shyness.
'Too burdensome.'
Undoing my evasion, Theodore slowly bent at the waist.
His breath brushed my cheek. His deep eyes scanned me detail by detail. My body hair stood on end.
"What scheme is this?"
The aegyo tactic failed. One step from being exposed as saintess.
Chills from his voice. Recalled the novel's male lead witnessing his friend—the emperor—personally behead spies, bathe in their blood.
A friend, yet described as devilish.
"Sch-scheme? The lord giving me attention made me happy... Maria just..."
With nothing else, I unleashed full acting. My fingertips trembled.
But his next words let me relax a bit.
"Really Count Tiksiki? Or Viscount Humery?"
'No. Aegyo worked...!'
Succeeded in shifting from saintess suspect to gold-digger eyeing his seat.
Somehow make him think I'm totally crazy. Tension pounded my heart; cold sweat dripped.
"I-I... don't know. Maria's a commoner... Sorry..."
"If lying, your life won't end it."
At Theodore's word, the knight behind gripped his scabbard.
Hm. Misled him so far he now thinks I'm a noble's pawn.
This wasn't fixing with aegyo. Time to switch tactics.
"S-Sorry!"
I flattened myself on the floor abruptly. Who needs pride?
Such things never save your life.
"...What?"
Theodore uttered in absurdity, looking down at me.
