“Well then, shall we test it? I should try it once before I go. I can’t show an inexperienced appearance in front of His Majesty and His Highness.”

Adelia pushed back her chair and stood up.

She stretched her arms to loosen up her body. Then she strengthened the defensive magic hanging in the room. A meticulous and dense defensive magic surrounded the room as though not to allow even a single strand of magic.

“Shall we give it a try?”

Adelia brought her hands together to her chest. Closing her eyes gently, she began to gather power in her clasped hands.

In her tightly closed eyes, a world as black as the universe unfolded. As she calmed her mind and took a deep breath, colors gathered from all directions. Like the Milky Way flowing in the dark universe, a shimmering golden energy flowed like water in her darkened vision. It held a subtle shimmer of color, as if gold dust had been dissolved in thin oil.

She reached into the elegant energy and scooped out a handful of power, creating a golden bead. She pushed aside the golden energy moving freely inside the bead as if purifying it. After carefully peeling off one layer at a time, what remained was a small silver bead.

“So this is it.”

Adelia raised the corners of her mouth. When she opened her eyes and spread her hands, there was the silver bead she had seen earlier.

It resembled a pearl about the size of a fingernail, but it shimmered with a more mysterious silver color, exuding sacredness.

Adelia held it between her thumb and index finger and held it up to the sunlight. The densely packed power moved very slightly.

Perhaps because it was her first time making it, power that hadn’t been fully contained was flowing out.

“If you filter and filter white magic, something similar to holy power comes out.”

It was a crystal made by extracting and condensing only the healing and purification abilities from white magic. At a glance, it seemed similar to holy power, but a more powerful and precise force could be felt.

This was also the identity of the silver energy that occasionally flowed out when using too much power.

This was the power of the saintess.

“I wondered what this was used for, so this is how it’s used.”

It wasn’t that Adelia hadn’t known about its existence from the beginning. She just hadn’t used it because it was an inefficient method.

This small bead contains the same amount of white magic as a fist-sized white magic stone. Moreover, since it can do nothing but healing and purification, it was a useless existence for Adelia who needed various types of magic.

“With just this, I could be a saintess too. Ah, right. I am the saintess, aren’t I?”

Adelia nodded with a hollow laugh.

Even Adelia, who didn’t handle holy power, could feel how special this power was, so how accurately would the clergy sense it? They might rush over shouting ‘Saintess!’ as soon as they saw it.

Then Adelia suddenly frowned.

“Then how was the current saintess recognized as a saintess?”

The power of the saintess is with her now, so how did someone else become the saintess?

Adelia tilted her head at the sudden question that arose.

There must be evidence for someone to be recognized as a saintess, but a fake saintess couldn’t possibly have such evidence.

“Surely they wouldn’t make someone a saintess just because they claimed to have received a divine revelation.”

Adelia rolled her eyes intently at the curiosity that was surging up. But soon she blinked slowly and let out a deep sigh.

“What’s the use of worrying about it? It’ll only make my head more complicated.”

Adelia quickly abandoned her concerns. Worrying without benefit or efficiency was a waste of time.

She removed the defensive magic surrounding the room. As the completely sealed space opened up, cool air flowed in, and the chirping of birds could be heard.

She crossed the room and pulled the long bell rope next to the bed.

As the clear, tinkling bell sound rang out, maids knocked on the door.

“Your Highness, did you call?”

“I need to meet with His Majesty the Emperor and His Highness the Crown Prince, so let’s prepare.”

The blue eyes beneath her silver hair curved prettily.

* * *

“I greet Your Highness the Crown Princess.”

“I heard His Majesty and His Highness are inside. Could you please inform them that I’ve arrived?”

Arriving in front of the Emperor’s office, Adelia spoke to the aide with a kind smile.

Since he had always welcomed Adelia’s visits, she believed he would let her in quickly today as well.

However, the response she received only irritated Adelia.

“I’m sorry, but they’re in a very important meeting right now and have ordered not to let anyone in.”

“A meeting? What kind of meeting is it that you can’t even relay that I’ve arrived?”

“It’s a meeting related to the Holy Kingdom’s delegation. It’s a political and diplomatic meeting.”

“And?”

Adelia planted her leg at an angle and crossed her arms. Her eyes were smiling in crescents, but the pupils nestled in those narrow slits were so cold it made one’s body tremble.

The aide raised his eyebrows and tactlessly babbled on unnecessarily.

“Your Highness, since women like you aren’t interested in politics, you might not understand, but it’s rare for the saintess to visit the empire. Therefore, this meeting is very important. And today, the meeting is going smoothly without any loud voices, so Your Highness’s help isn’t needed.”

Though he was pretending to be kind, he couldn’t hide the subtly contemptuous tone in his voice.

He seemed to think of himself as a mannerly gentleman giving a kind explanation to a woman who didn’t know better, his face full of self-satisfaction.

Unable to bear the sight, Adelia revealed the cynicism she had been hiding. There was no need for pretense in front of a man who would soon lose his head.

She twisted up one corner of her mouth, which had dropped straight down.

“Don’t misunderstand. I have never visited His Majesty’s office carelessly.”

“Pardon?”

The aide tilted his head with round eyes.

Adelia raised her chin and looked at him with cold eyes. Sensing her gaze, the aide silently swallowed.

“Do you think I would waste my precious time coming here every day for no reason if I wasn’t going to get hurt? Are you looking down on me? Not only trying to teach me, but also ignoring me.”

“That… That’s not what I…”

“Such a person is not needed in the imperial palace. You will be severely punished for insulting the imperial family.”

“Your Highness!”

The aide was startled and immediately prostrated himself on the floor, bowing deeply. It was the crime of being arrogant, deceived by Adelia’s innocent face.

Adelia coldly looked down at him once, then flicked her chin. The knights behind her grabbed his arms and dragged him away. He kept pleading his innocence, but Adelia paid no heed.

“Tsk, who does he think he’s looking down on.”

Adelia dusted off her hands and pouted. People were already starting to look down on her because she was acting kindly. The punishment of the aide would serve as a good example.

At that moment, a familiar voice was heard from behind.

“You’ve developed quite a decisiveness, my wife.”

“Your Highness…?”

Adelia asked with round eyes. Lucian, who had come out so quietly that she hadn’t sensed his presence, was leaning against the door, looking at her.

He cast a brief glance at the aide being dragged away, then approached Adelia.

Adelia raised her head to meet his eyes.

“How much did you hear?”

“I heard from when you asked to relay that you had arrived. I just came out now.”

“If you heard everything, you could have opened the door. I just wasted time dealing with that person.”

“I was curious about what you’ll do, so I watched for a bit. Come in. The meeting is almost over.”

Lucian opened the office door and gestured. Adelia looked at him with narrowed eyes, then turned her head sharply.

The first thing she could see through the open door was the Emperor sitting languidly. He was propping his chin, looking towards the door with raised eyebrows, seemingly interested.

“I greet Your Majesty the Emperor.”

Adelia placed her hand on her chest, slightly lifted her skirt, and bowed. It was perfect imperial etiquette, as if measured with a ruler.

The Emperor silently nodded lightly in response to her greeting.

Only after greeting the Emperor did the people participating in the meeting come into view.

Adelia quickly scanned their faces. Duke Odor, the head of the imperial faction and prime minister; Sir Deon, said to be the strongest after the imperial family; Marquis Arbor, who had many connections with foreign countries; and Knox, the head of the Shadows, said to have the most information.

It was packed with the Emperor’s people.

‘No need to make a bad impression.’

Adelia quickly smiled, her blue eyes almost disappearing into crescents. The Emperor’s people all had tremendous influence among the nobles. They were people she would encounter at least once while living here.

As Adelia showed goodwill first, Duke Odor, who had the highest rank among them, stood up.

“We greet Your Highness the Crown Princess.”

He greeted her with perfect etiquette. By bowing deeply at the waist, he showed his respect for Adelia.

When the highest-ranking person showed courtesy first, the others followed suit in greeting her.

Adelia responded to their greetings with a kind smile and a nod. She turned to the Emperor and asked in a gentle voice.

“Did I interrupt the meeting?”

“It was almost over. What brings you here at this time?”

“I found what I mentioned yesterday. I wanted to show it to Your Majesty quickly, so I came early.”