‘They say knowing too much can hurt you.’

If it wasn’t something she needed to know, it didn’t matter if Adelia hid it. Rather, she absolutely declined getting involved in her plans after hearing them.

The Saintess picked up the pen placed beside her and filled in her name on the contract.

The name ‘Belle Edith,’ the Saintess’s real name, was neatly written in black on the white paper.

Before dropping their blood for the final step, the Saintess opened her mouth.

“One last question.”

“You’re quite curious. What is it?”

“Later, when it’s revealed that you’re a white mage. What will you do?”

“I’ll spread rumors that it was God’s arrangement to protect the key until it met the Saintess. Since white magic is a special ability, people tend to believe whatever you attach to it.”

Adelia explained while shrugging her shoulders.

Breaking the connection between Adelia and the white mage was just an illusion.

An illusion to prevent those targeting the white mage from threatening the imperial family until preparations were complete.

‘That person’s actions are becoming more aggressive. The guild is fine, but the palace isn’t very solid right now.’

Actually, since fixing the guild’s defense formation, attacks had been continuing at weekly intervals. Though not major hits, even flies become annoying if they buzz all day long.

While the guild’s defensive magic wouldn’t be easily breached, the palace was different.

Security made of solid people rather than solid magic. Even the defensive magic in the Princess’s palace was made by the palace’s grand mage, not Adelia.

Once all the main palaces’ defense formations were changed and revenge progressed to some extent, it wouldn’t matter if the truth was revealed. By then, they could just attach a suitable excuse for obtaining white magic. They would prepare so that the imperial family wouldn’t be harmed even if it became known that the Crown Princess was a white mage.

‘This is why having a definite god is good.’

There were clear traces of god here. Holy power, divine prophecies, holy relics. Thanks to this, people’s faith was extraordinary.

Most people believed anything said to be God’s will. Of course, if someone with no connection to God spoke of God’s will, they would be promptly arrested for blasphemy.

But the person Adelia now held in her hand was the Saintess. The Saintess who was called closest to God.

Only the imperial family wouldn’t believe in a play that even the Saintess participated in.

“No more questions?”

“Yeah…… This really feels like making a deal with the devil.”

Isn’t the devil’s whisper said to be sweet? To the Saintess, Adelia’s proposal was sweeter than sugar coating.

Looking at the contract carefully, the benefits the Saintess would gain were considerable, and there were almost no unfair parts. If the situation weren’t like this, she would have thought it was a legitimate contract.

‘Wouldn’t that be right? A deal with the devil.’

Was Adelia ever an easy person? Of course, the contract contained far more benefits for Adelia and the Empire. The Saintess only thought it was fair because she didn’t know about the dark channels or matters related to the guild’s top secrets.

Adelia, who would never reveal the truth, silently smiled and tapped the contract.

Finally, they dropped their blood and the contract was complete. The contract that shone brightly before disappearing meant it had been successfully concluded.

“Now we’re in the same boat.”

“I did the right thing, right?”

“You had no choice. It was either die or make a contract with me.”

“Stop saying scary things.”

The Saintess glared while wrapping her arms around herself.

It meant she wouldn’t let go of her suspicions until the end.

To Adelia’s eyes, she looked like a hamster being wary of its surroundings to avoid losing its food.

“Ah, and. I’ll collapse at today’s banquet. When that happens, pretend to heal me.”

“Alright.”

“I’ll be going now. See you at the banquet later.”

“Please just go.”

The Saintess waved her hand while lying down on the bed, looking exhausted. She hadn’t even recovered from the fatigue of her long journey, and after meeting Adelia, she felt tired enough to melt.

Adelia rose from her seat while chuckling. Having achieved her goal, she had no reason to stay.

When she opened the door and left, the high priests waiting outside rushed into the room.

The Saintess was already sitting on the sofa again with her dignified appearance.

“Saintess!”

“Are you uncomfortable anywhere?”

“Did anything happen?”

The high priests hovered around the Saintess with worried faces like dogs with separation anxiety.

The Saintess soothed them with a gentle smile.

“Nothing happened. It was a good time.”

“Of course it was very productive, wasn’t it, Saintess?”

“Indeed, Your Highness Crown Princess.”

The Saintess and Adelia smiled at each other. One hundred percent fake smiles.

Now that she thought about it, they had very similar personalities. The only small difference was that the Saintess was a bit more direct, and Adelia was a bit more cunning.

‘No wonder I felt somewhat uncomfortable when I first saw her.’

Was it hatred for her own kind?

Adelia looked at the Saintess with a faint sneer.

Seeing the Saintess’s expression with her lips slightly trembling, she seemed quite tired.

“Then rest well until the banquet.”

“Yes, goodbye.”

The Saintess stood up and bowed. It was both a polite greeting and a request for her to leave quickly.

Adelia responded with a light nod.

“Shall we go, wife?”

Lucian, standing beside her, held out his hand as he spoke.

Since their honeymoon, Lucian occasionally called Adelia ‘wife.’

Since they were married, the title wasn’t wrong, and she preferred being called ‘wife’ over ‘Your Highness,’ so she didn’t say anything.

Adelia placed her hand on Lucian’s outstretched hand. Such escort had become natural now.

“It’s been a while.”

“Only about an hour has passed.”

“After doing so much, it feels like it’s been a while. His Majesty is in his office, right?”

“Yes, he’s waiting for you. How did the conversation go?”

“Very successful. We made the most ideal contract I could think of.”

Adelia spoke while clenching her fist proudly. She chattered about what happened with the Saintess, blocking out surrounding sounds.

Though she couldn’t talk about the transmigration, she could share everything else. After sharing many secrets over several months, Lucian had become increasingly comfortable.

“You seem to like the Saintess. You made the contract more lenient than expected.”

“Well….. I suppose so.”

Before meeting the Saintess, she had harbored doubts about her, perhaps because they were both transmigrators. 

However, after meeting and speaking with her directly, she couldn’t help but feel a strange sense of kinship—precisely because they shared the same unique fate.

‘Having gone through the same experiences, the same pain, and having the same goals, are we close to being comrades?’

Unable to answer straightforwardly, Adelia changed the subject oddly.

“By the way, about the first items to trade with the Holy Kingdom. I thought of this during our honeymoon……”

Adelia kept chattering without stopping until they reached the Emperor’s office. Lucian silently nodded and listened attentively to her words.

* * *

“Not bad.”

“I think so too.”

The Emperor nodded approvingly after reading the copy of the contract.

The Emperor’s ‘not bad’ meant very good.

Naturally, it was satisfactory since it included all the conditions the Emperor had set, plus additional items that would benefit Adelia while also pleasing the Emperor.

“So, you’re using this banquet?”

“Yes. As I mentioned before, I’ve coordinated with the Saintess.”

She had already finished explaining everything to the Emperor and Lucian. They also agreed to participate in Adelia’s plan since they didn’t want the palace to be threatened.

After a brief report to the Emperor, Adelia returned to her palace led by her maids.

“Sister!”

“Princess? Why are you here?”

Her momentary despair at having to go through that difficult and tiring grooming again quickly brightened when she saw Ariana eating snacks in her room.

Not minding her flowing dress and accessories, Adelia strode into the room.

Ariana welcomed her with a cute giggle.

“I heard you met the Saintess. I want to meet her too, but Dad and big brother are against it……”

“Ah, that’s understandable.”

The two people who knew she was a fake saintess wouldn’t let Ariana meet her.

It was unthinkable to show the precious princess to a saintess whose true nature they didn’t know.

“Can’t I meet the saintess too?”

She was the only one in the imperial family, who had no faith whatsoever, to hold a small amount of religious faith. Though she didn’t pray daily or seek God, she couldn’t stay still out of curiosity about the saintess who appeared after hundreds of years.

Ariana looked at Adelia eagerly with sparkling eyes.

She had long since figured out that Adelia was weak to these desperate and earnest looks.

“You thought I’d give in if you looked at me like that?”

Adelia frowned firmly while placing her hands on her hips. Ariana pouted and hung her head low. Her plump cheeks that poked out beside her lowered head wiggled cutely.

“Hmph……”

“Really….. When would be good? Since she’s leaving in a week, I think once on the last day would be fine.”

“Wow, sister is the best!”

It wasn’t an unreasonable request, and she had built a somewhat friendly relationship with the Saintess….

In the end, Adelia couldn’t win against Ariana.