The surprised cardinals’ gazes became entangled.

Bael was frozen in place, and Michael couldn’t hide his surprise either.

On the other hand, Charlie watched the situation she had caused with a bright expression.

Bael asked Charlie again.

“What did you just say……”

“I said yes.”

Before he could finish speaking, Charlie answered.

Bael’s eyes trembled as he looked at Charlie.

Charlie’s face was full of joy, as if she had predicted his reaction.

‘That can’t be……”

No matter how much guidance she received from Hector, she was just a country bumpkin who’s a Zero.

Even if she had noticed his plan, it didn’t matter.

Whatever she chose would be his victory.

“So you’re saying you’ll voluntarily stay in the Pope’s bedroom.”

Bael muttered.

The short follow-up was very irritating, but Charlie deliberately didn’t argue.

He must have thought she would obviously choose the Pareon Temple.

Charlie was a Zero and had come to the temple to avoid going to the imperial palace.

If she wanted to return to Hector, the Pope’s bedroom was even less likely.

But there was one fact Bael didn’t know,

That Charlie was a transmigrator.

And one who knew the original story.

“Did I stutter?”

Charlie didn’t back down and glared at Bael.

“Or are you lacking in comprehension?”

Bael’s lips twisted at Charlie’s sarcasm.

Phew–

Charlie sighed, sounding bothered, and explained,

“I’m saying this again because you seem to not understand, I want to continue staying in the Pope’s bedroom.”

“……!”

Bael couldn’t speak for a while. Then the twisted corners of his mouth turned up.

“Then can we take it to mean you’ll become the Pope’s wife?”

“Ah, you really don’t understand.”

Charlie said in an irritated tone.

“Is there a law that says you have to become the Pope’s wife if you stay in the Pope’s bedroom?”

A tense atmosphere circulated inside the Grand Temple’s conference room.

Michael and the cardinals watched the situation breathlessly, while Charlie and Bael just stared at each other silently.

‘The woman who saved Kieran and uncovered the Emperor’s spy……”

One cardinal hid a smile while stroking his white beard.

He was Daniel Houston, a neutral party and from a branch of the Wilkins family.

[Dear Cardinal Daniel Houston. I’m writing to you shamelessly with an urgent request. Although it’s related to the Hunt family……]

After Charlie came to the temple, Daniel had received a letter from Kieran.

She asked him to help Charlie.

But Daniel didn’t move.

It was separate from the fact that the Wilkins family had distanced themselves after Noel became the head of the family.

Because it didn’t make sense that a mere Zero had done all this.

So Daniel had dismissed it as just a coincidence.

But now, that thought had changed a little.

‘If Alexandra had seen this, she would have been very pleased.’

Daniel, composing his expression, broke the silence.

“Does the saintess have any other reasons for wanting to stay in the Espenon Temple?”

Charlie turned to look at Daniel.

He was an old gentleman with a kind impression, with protruding cheekbones and crescent-shaped eyes.

Daniel added,

“For example, if you like the view from the room……”

Ha ha–

Daniel laughed heartily.

His snow-white beard moving along his nose was full of mischief.

“Or if you like the bed.”

“Cardinal Daniel!”

A cardinal who couldn’t stand it anymore raised his voice in warning.

“Oh my, why are you getting angry?”

“This is no time for jokes.”

The cardinal gave a hint as if telling him to be careful.

Daniel lowered his shoulders but muttered loud enough for Charlie to hear,

“Jokes? Whatever the reason, it’s ultimately the saintess’s choice, isn’t it?”

[The saintess’s whereabouts are the saintess’s choice. Shouldn’t we follow the saintess’s opinion on where she should properly stay?]

Bael’s face darkened as he realized the flaw in his own words.

In fact, there was no need for the reason to be grand.

As Daniel said, even if she gave a reason like liking the view outside the window, it was Charlie’s choice.

‘Is he trying to help me?’

Charlie stared blankly at Daniel.

Daniel’s method wasn’t bad.

But it was only a temporary measure.

Charlie needed more than that.

“The reason I chose the Pope’s bedroom is……”

Everyone’s attention focused on Charlie.

Charlie, maintaining eye contact with Bael, pointed her index finger to the sky.

“There.”

“There?”

Subsequently, the cardinals’ heads were raised one after another.

But all that could be seen was the mural filling the ceiling.

What on earth could be the connection between the conference room ceiling and the Pope’s bedroom?

As people’s curiosity grew, Charlie smiled sweetly.

“God told me to stay in the Pope’s bedroom… That’s why.”

“……!”

“It’s a lie!”

An enraged Molech shouted, jumping up from his seat.

God’s revelation — at this unexpected statement, even Bael’s face contorted.

“You b*tch!”

B*tch?

Did he just curse at me?

Charlie’s eyebrows rose crookedly at the sudden insult.

“How dare a lowly Zero! Do you know where you are to speak so recklessly?!”

Molech looked down at Charlie.

Exactly as if he expected her to be intimidated and awed.

But Molech didn’t know.

“Hah… f*ck.”

That Charlie was actually a woman with a very dirty personality.

“W-what did you say?”

“This bastard must be crazy.”

Put yourself in others’ shoes. People only realize it’s about them when you give it back to them.

And according to the K-rule, the person with the louder voice wins.

“You’re the one cursing out of nowhere!!”

Charlie’s shout, unleashed with all her might, reverberated through the conference room, climbing the high temple walls.

“S-sister……”

Michael, sensing the gravity of the situation, called out, but it was impossible for Charlie, whose eyes had rolled back, to hear.

“Who do you think you are?”

Charlie stood up and pointed at Molech.

“What gives you the right to curse at a saintess who has received God’s protection, you bastard!”

“W-what is this……”

Molech, flustered instead, stammered.

“What else, it’s cursing at a bastard who’s eaten his manners along with his food.”

“……!”

Michael’s mouth fell open.

The cardinals and Daniel were also shocked.

“Why, you can curse but I can’t?”

Charlie briefly looked at Michael, then examined one by one those who had pounced on her, standing at the end.

“If you’re going to spout nonsense to someone’s face, you should have been prepared for the consequences.”

“……”

Their gazes were so fierce that the cardinals were busy avoiding Charlie’s eyes.

“And now, are you doubting me, the saintess?”

Finally, Charlie’s gaze stopped on Bael.

“Or are you disregarding God’s protection given to me?!”

* * *

“God’s revelation. God’s revelation.”

Ha ha ha–

In the Sun Palace’s drawing room.

Kaisis’s hearty laughter crossed over the chessboard.

“……”

It would have been better if he had gotten angry instead.

The area under Bael’s eyes sank palely as Kaisis seemed to enjoy it as if it were an amusing story.

Charlie’s words must surely be a lie. How could God give such a revelation?

But Bael couldn’t stop Charlie.

The reason saints were called God’s children was that they often heard God’s voice that others couldn’t hear, or received revelations during their awakening.

Clear evidence and records of this remained in the temple.

“It’s very interesting.”

Kaisis, his laughter subsiding, looked down at Bael, who was bowing his head in a worshiping posture.

“Isn’t it, Cardinal Bael?”

“……”

Not knowing how to answer, Bael mumbled incoherently.

“I heard the Hunt Knights visited yesterday.”

Miller answered.

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

A chess pawn twirled at Kaisis’s fingertips.

“Was the temple’s funding so insufficient that the saintess needed to receive aid from the Hunt family?”

“……!”

Bael’s eyes widened.

The temple’s only source of income was donations.

But after siding with the imperial family, not only the donations but even the believers decreased, leading the temple’s financial state to a serious condition.

So, as a kind of compensation, twice a year, the imperial family…

Separate from the bribes paid to the cardinals, they made large donations to the temple.

It was an amount equivalent to a year’s budget for an average territory, sufficient to maintain the temple.

But Bael had even touched that.

It was because his position became unstable after the previous Pope suddenly died and Michael became Pope.

Maintaining power required enormous wealth.

Bael’s head sank below his neck.

“H-how could that be, Your Majesty? We merely reduced the amount allocated to the Espenon Temple to ostracize the Pope.”

Miller inwardly lamented.

Kaisis already knew about Bael’s misconduct.

Moreover, his blue eyes that looked at Bael flashed a golden light.

Of course, Bael, in his worshiping posture, wouldn’t know this.

“Nothing is more unpleasant than when words ruin things by overstepping their bounds.”

The pawn in Kaisis’s hand crumbled.

Thud thud thud-

Bael shuddered slightly, feeling as if the falling debris was his future.

“I will make sure to warn them sternly so it never happens again.”

“Never again?”

At Kaisis’s cold voice, Bael swallowed dryly.

“Surely you’re not thinking of letting that priest live, Cardinal Bael.”

“N-no, I meant I would warn the other priests and cardinals in advance so they wouldn’t dare do it again.”

After staring at Bael for a moment, Kaisis rose from his seat.

“From now on, don’t move without my orders.”

* * *

Bael, having left the Sun Palace, gritted his teeth.

Michael doesn’t discuss false divine revelations.

From the beginning, Michael had ascended to the Pope’s position with a pure heart and firm faith.

But Charlie is different.

If Charlie were to misuse God’s revelation, the repercussions would be uncontrollable.

“Damn it.”

Not only did he let the saintess who appeared after 500 years slip away to the Hunt family, but he also handed over the powerful force of God’s revelation.

At this rate, the next to die after Molech would be himself.

‘I must kill that woman.’