Volume III

Chapter 4. Specializing in a National-Scale Deception

After Adelia left, the Saintess moved to her bedroom and collapsed into sleep. Though she had rested at noble mansions along the way, the imperial bed offered a different level of comfort.

Moreover, she felt tired after the battle of wits with Adelia.

The Saintess, after taking a good nap, only started preparing two hours before entering the banquet hall.

Unlike Adelia who was subjected to all sorts of grooming by maids when banquets were held, the Saintess’s preparation was simple. Light makeup and clean clothes were all she needed. Her only accessories were a circlet containing holy power and pearl decorations symbolizing the Saintess.

“Saintess, Her Highness the Crown Princess has sent a maid. Shall I let her in?”

After the Saintess finished her preparations, Adelia’s maid came.

The Saintess told her to let them in with a suspicious look. Soon the door opened and a woman in maid’s attire entered the room. She bowed while holding a jewelry box with both hands.

“Greetings, Saintess. I am Gina, Her Highness the Crown Princess’s maid.”

“Yes, what is it?”

“Her Highness asked me to deliver this to you.”

The maid handed the jewelry box to the Saintess. A small jewelry box with yellow freesias painted on a pure white background passed into the Saintess’s hands.

She immediately bowed and left the room.

The Saintess looked down at the jewelry box with a puzzled expression.

“I hope she hasn’t done anything to this?”

Still unable to let go of her suspicions, the Saintess narrowed her eyes and stared intently at the jewelry box.

After seeming to contemplate for a moment, she opened the lid.

“A pearl necklace? Why a pearl necklace?”

Inside was a pearl necklace and a letter.

The Saintess took out the letter and put the jewelry box on the table. She threw herself onto the sofa while opening the envelope.

The first line of the letter read:

[It’s not a pearl necklace, it’s a necklace made from concentrated Saintess power.]

The Saintess flinched.

Didn’t it seem like it was answering what she had just said out loud?

The Saintess looked around suspiciously. She was suspicious that something might be happening behind her back again.

Only after confirming no one was around did she read the rest of the letter.

[When I concentrated only the healing and purification abilities known as the Saintess’s power, white crystals formed. Once processed, they resembled pearls, so I crafted them into a necklace. As you use the power, the beads will shrink, so it might be wise to replace them with real pearls when that happens. Also, take the time to figure out how to use the power on your own. By the way, white magic is far more powerful and remarkable than you might expect.]

“How irresponsible. Would it kill her to explain the method?”

The Saintess grumbled while putting down the letter on the table. She turned her attention to the jewelry box. The necklace inside looked like it was made by stringing large pearls together. Even upon close inspection, it was difficult to tell whether they were real pearls or not.

The Saintess swallowed hard and touched the necklace in the box.

At that moment, the holy power inside her body reacted as if boiling. She felt a tingling and dangerous sensation like sparks flying from her fingertips.

“So this is white magic.”

The Saintess stood in front of the vanity with the necklace. When she put the necklace around her slender neck, her whole body seemed to tingle and vibrate.

The Saintess frowned and brought her hand to her neck. She slowly drew out the purified white magic and absorbed it into her body.

To use white magic as her own, she needed to get used to the power. Though she was drawing power from the necklace, practice was needed to use it naturally.

The Saintess tried to accept both holy power and white magic.

As if the holy power and white magic in her body were checking each other, they didn’t mix well. When she tried to use holy power, the white magic blocked it, and when she tried to use white magic, holy power interfered.

‘What if I end up unable to use either?’

Every time the two powers collided inside her body, pain increased in the Saintess’s body. The Saintess gritted her teeth and tried to mix the two powers.

But as time passed, holy power only depleted with no other changes.

Then, one sentence flashed through the Saintess’s mind.

[By the way, white magic is far more powerful and remarkable than you might expect.]

‘Could it be?’

The Saintess, half-believing, reversed the balance of power within her body—not allowing the coexistence of holy power and white magic, but giving white magic complete dominance.

When she pushed holy power as far into the corner as possible, white magic seized control of her body as if it had been waiting.

Comfort instead of pain.

The Saintess smiled at the warm energy gently spreading from her fingertips.

‘So this is white magic.’

Although it was a power derived solely from the healing and purification aspects of white magic, it was utterly incomparable to holy power.

A power holier, greater, and warmer—like the comforting embrace of a parent.

The Saintess clenched both fists.

“I need to practice a bit.”

* * *

“When will the Saintess come out?”

“I’ve been waiting all this time to see the Saintess.”

“I heard a rumor that the Saintess will announce something important today?”

As evening fell, the banquet hall regained its vitality. Everyone had been waiting since afternoon to meet the Saintess. Even though she delayed her entrance using fatigue as an excuse, she had to come out around this time.

As proof, the entrance where the imperial family would enter was bustling. The announcing servant cleared his throat, and maids quickly removed dust from the red carpet on the floor.

“His Majesty the Emperor, His Highness the Crown Prince, and Her Highness the Crown Princess are entering!”

The doors opened with the servant’s resounding voice.

The Emperor, always emanating the scent of a solemn and fearsome ruler, entered first. The Crown Prince couple followed behind the Emperor. They looked every bit the newlyweds as they entered with friendly escort.

They remained on the platform as usual without coming down. The nobles who had hoped they might come down since today’s banquet had a special purpose hung their heads dejectedly.

“When is the Saintess coming?”

“She’ll need time to adjust to the power.”

Accepting white magic was the Saintess’s role. If she understood the message left at the end of the letter well, she should be able to use the power soon.

‘If she can’t even do that, then that’s just the kind of person she is.’

This wasn’t a small play. This was a large-scale fraud targeting people of this continent. Even with a contract making it impossible to refuse, how could they do such a big task with someone who couldn’t even figure out how to use white magic on their own?

Adelia didn’t worry about the Saintess. When she showed no anxiety, Lucian quickly withdrew his interest as well.

“Your Highness just needs to do what I asked well.”

“Don’t worry about that. I just need to take you out when you pretend to collapse, right?”

Lucian nodded as she spoke.

Before entering the banquet hall, Adelia had made one request to Lucian.

— After the Saintess announces the divine prophecy, I’ll collapse. Then please take me out of the banquet hall.

‘I’d rather avoid troublesome things.’

Though it was a play staged out of necessity, dealing with people was too bothersome.

Usually people already clung to her at banquets, but after this incident, she didn’t even want to imagine how much more attention she would get.

Moreover, it was obvious that the religious fanatics from the Holy Kingdom would be desperate to approach her. So avoiding them was the best strategy.

Just then,

“The Saintess and the Holy Kingdom’s delegation are entering!”

A booming voice echoed through the banquet hall.

People who had been doing various things all turned their heads at once.

The Saintess and the delegation entered through the largest door in the center of the banquet hall. It was the same door other nobles used to enter.

The large doors opened smoothly, and the figures of those standing before it came into view.

“It’s the Saintess!”

The Saintess entered wearing pure white clothing with her face covered by a veil, followed by high priests and holy knights. Around her neck was the necklace Adelia had sent.

When they entered the banquet hall, it seemed to brighten everywhere. A group of white-clad people filled the brightly colored banquet hall.

“How monotonous.”

Adelia’s assessment was brief as she watched everything from the highest place.

Adelia raised the corner of her mouth in a faint sneer.

The Saintess walked forward steadily. People’s eyes moved with her every movement. She stopped walking not right below the platform, but slightly forward from the center of the banquet hall.

“I greet Your Majesty the Emperor of the Great Empire.”

“The star of the banquet has finally arrived.”

The Emperor spoke mockingly. He always hated staying long at banquets. He couldn’t have been pleased about a banquet held for the delegation.