“Saintess, what are you doing right now?”

Marianne ran over to me with a flustered expression while I was diligently pulling weeds.

“What do you mean? I’m pulling weeds.”

“Please leave such menial tasks to me.”

“You have plenty of work to do too. Only the two of us live here, so shouldn’t I work as well?”

“Are you actually smiling right now? This is work that maids should be doing.”

When I grinned, Marianne grumbled with a dissatisfied expression.

“I’m fine. It’s been a while since I moved my body directly like this, so it feels good.”

Cleaning up the courtyard reminded me of my previous life. I vividly remembered participating in rural volunteer work during college and planting flowers in an oasis. Recalling the moments when I ate snacks with friends brought a natural smile to my lips.

At the same time, my heart sank heavily. It was a happy past I could never return to.

‘I heard they moved her to a place the deposed queens used to use. Wasn’t that place in ruins?’

I could guess information about where I had been moved through the whispered words of maids gossiping about me. A place the deposed queens had used.

No wonder it wasn’t maintained at all – there was a good reason for it.

For the past three years, I had worked hard for the empire, yet sending me to such a place could be called a complete dismissal of all my efforts.

Just in case, I didn’t attend dawn prayers, but no one came looking for me. Since it went exactly as I expected, I felt disturbed.

The reason I took such a bold action was thanks to Lady Radner’s recent performance.

‘It’s raining. Rain is coming!’

When she prayed, heavy rain suddenly poured down. Since only light drizzles had been falling lately, such thick raindrops falling was the first time in three months.

Having proven her power, the newly arrived saintess was immediately recognized as the Alpha Empire’s saintess, and the entire country was enthusiastic about the new saintess. The temple, including the high priest, also welcomed her warmly.

Since I was also a saintess, I expected to be introduced to her soon, but that wasn’t the case.

‘Won’t you introduce me to her?’

‘Now is not the time. I’ll introduce you next time.’

Even after a week passed, there was no sign of introducing me to the newly arrived saintess. Unable to bear it any longer, I asked the high priest, but he just brushed it off vaguely.

After that, my existence in the imperial palace became almost like an invisible person, so it seemed I was no longer recognized as a saintess by the people of the Alpha Empire.

‘How can we compare lowly status with noble status?’

I could tell that the words of people who mocked me in passing represented the thoughts of the imperial people.

Even the place where I had been staying had become the new saintess’s residence. No wonder they suddenly kicked me out to the detached palace – there was a reason for everything.

That’s why I was now temporarily setting aside my duties as a saintess and trying to improve the environment of the detached palace.

But life in the detached palace, which was practically ruins, was beyond imagination. Even if I pulled weeds every day, by tomorrow it would all be for nothing.

Bugs coming out was basic, and there was a rat party in the ceiling. I had to lose sleep at night because of the squeaking rats.

I had no choice but to ask the imperial palace to move my residence. When I said it was difficult to move and asked them to send at least minimal staff as maids who could clean, there was no response.

“I asked them to send more people, but still no news?”

“Yes. I conveyed the message, but I haven’t received an answer yet.”

I had asked them to at least fix the cracked walls, but there was no response. At this point, I could see they were deliberately neglecting me.

“If it’s hard, you can say you want to transfer to another department.”

Since it was too much for Marianne to work alone, I felt sorry for her. So it would be better for her to at least escape.

“If I leave, you’ll be left alone, Saintess.”

“Since a new saintess has appeared, my role will end soon.”

“Won’t they divide the roles?”

“No, they won’t.”

Looking at how their attitude toward me had changed so far, I could guess they were planning to pull me down from the saintess position soon. My role would no longer be needed.

“When did the new saintess’s holy power start manifesting?”

“They say three months ago.”

Three months ago was when my abilities as a saintess began to decline significantly. I didn’t know if it was a coincidence, but it felt like confirmation that my usefulness was no longer needed.

Though I hadn’t read the book, I could roughly guess what situation this was. I was the fake saintess, and Lady Radner was the real saintess, but Stella had accidentally stolen her holy power and now it was returning to its rightful place.

So it would only be a matter of time before the holy power remaining in me ran out.

A newly appeared saintess at the point when my holy power began to disappear. And the bad rumors spreading about me seemed to tell me what future awaited me.

I could tell my thoughts were correct even when walking through the corridors.

“Isn’t it ridiculous that someone whose holy power is declining is still revered as a saintess?”

“Living luxuriously will probably end now too.”

Some of the palace maids blatantly ignored me, speaking loudly enough for me to hear on purpose.

“I heard rumors lately that she’s been bullying the newly arrived saintess?”

“She seems unable to accept that someone has superior abilities to hers.”

Even malicious rumors about me began to spread. I had barely had any conversations with her, yet they said I was bullying her.

Such rumors were probably circulating because the real Stella had caused trouble before I possessed her body. Otherwise, there would be no reason for such malicious rumors to spread widely.

It seemed they thought my personality change after I possessed her was because I had been hiding my original personality.

Believing such false rumors meant that no one had ever truly treated me as a saintess from the beginning.

So I suffered for three years only to be kicked out when my fake identity was exposed? Wasn’t this too much? If this was going to happen, they shouldn’t have used me from the start!

My three years of hard work seemed forgotten in their minds, making me feel wronged. After finally letting me live a human life, what was this situation?

Since those three years of hardship felt wasted, I had absolutely no intention of being kicked out according to the original story. Why should I be kicked out for someone else’s benefit?

I planned to change my fate. I didn’t plan to make grand changes like forcing marriage with the crown prince. I planned to receive full compensation for my hardships and step down from the saintess position of my own will.

The compensation was naturally money. I had no intention of settling all my hardships with money that couldn’t even buy one new saintess robe.

I had to receive compensation and step down somehow.

The crown prince, who had been refusing to meet me, suddenly said he would make time for me. It was suspicious that the man who had been avoiding me with the excuse of being busy suddenly changed his mind, but it was a good opportunity for me anyway.

So when I met him, I planned to demand what I wanted and then say that my role as a saintess was now over.

* * *

“I greet Your Highness the Crown Prince.”

Going to the crown prince’s office, I politely greeted him. I planned to ask about his well-being and slowly demand what I wanted, but the atmosphere wasn’t right for that.

“Why don’t you stop your dirty scheming?”

The crown prince didn’t even acknowledge my greeting and immediately started being irritable. It was the first time I had seen him like this.

‘If there’s anything that makes you uncomfortable, please tell me anytime.’

When he occasionally came to see me before, he always treated me respectfully. He was polite and well-mannered, and tried to care about whether anything made me uncomfortable.

But not now. His polite demeanor had completely disappeared. His attitude was condescending like treating a subordinate, and his eyes and actions were arrogant.

As expected, the crown prince had been putting on an act for me all this time. Though I had expected this, seeing his changed appearance didn’t feel very pleasant.

He wore a kind mask in front of everyone, but now he was showing his true self only to me.

Though I was flustered, I answered him while maintaining as much courtesy as possible.

“I have never done such things.”

“Does denying it make it disappear? Do you know how many witnesses there are who saw you being rude to Lady Radner?”