Chapter 27
Cordelia approached me easily and greeted me.
“I watched your investiture ceremony well. You’ve now officially become part of the Church of Elune.”
“Thank you, Lady Cordelia.”
When I met Cordelia up close, I barely managed to suppress a laugh that almost burst out.
Cordelia was wearing lavender earrings and a light green necklace.
The exact combination I had picked out for her last time.
“Have you awakened your divine power yet?”
Cordelia asked.
It was a similar question to our first meeting, but it felt different now.
Back then it had felt like, ‘Let’s see what you can do,’ but now she genuinely seemed curious.
At her question, the surroundings fell silent.
Everyone looked at me with curious eyes.
“It’s about time I said something.”
I lowered my gaze to hide my awkwardness and spoke.
“Yes, Lady Cordelia. I believe I possess the power of precognition.”
“Ohhh…!”
“So she is the Saint of prophecy!”
Gasps erupted from all around.
Cordelia looked at me with a thoughtful expression.
“Precognition. That’s a unique ability.”
“I still have much to learn, but yes.”
“Do you see anything when you look at me?”
Cordelia asked with a slightly haughty expression.
She looked like she was teasing me, but from up close I could tell her curiosity was genuine.
She was just nervous about hearing the answer.
“She looks like a child waiting for candy.”
I thought this internally, imagining her scolding me if she heard it.
But Cordelia, with her expectant light-brown eyes sparkling, really was quite cute.
Now what?
I had told Ian I hadn’t seen anything yet, but I couldn’t keep saying that forever.
As I was thinking, something suddenly caught my eye.
“That is…”
It was the bracelet on Cordelia’s wrist.
The bright, vivid gemstone looked completely out of place against her soft skin tone.
“Probably the work of the Aden Merchant Guild again.”
I had heard from Annette that the Aden Merchant Guild was famous for jewels.
Especially vividly colored gemstones, which were their trademark.
It seemed they were deliberately selling their signature products to Cordelia.
They were making a lot of money, and the Saint Cordelia was becoming their mascot. A win-win.
When I glanced sideways, I saw Aden standing next to Cordelia, watching me with wary eyes. His expression was openly hostile.
“What a so-called ‘flower of Rehat.’”
So much for being handsome, huh.
I turned away from Aden and looked back at Cordelia.
“Lady Cordelia. I think I’m getting a feeling right now.”
“Really?”
Cordelia’s eyes widened like a rabbit’s.
I nodded seriously.
“You will have good fortune when you surround yourself with light colors. For example, the pastel tones like your necklace and earrings.”
“Pastel tones?”
“Yes. You could say they are your lucky colors.”
“My lucky colors…!”
Cordelia repeated my words with a shocked expression.
“Yes. Especially! It would be best to avoid strong, vivid colors.”
“Oh… now that you mention it…”
As if something had come to mind, Cordelia blinked.
“Ever since I started wearing the accessories recommended by Lady Irene, people have been saying they suit me well. So this is the effect of my ‘lucky colors’…?”
Well, she simply looked better in them—that was true.
But I kept quiet and didn’t correct her.
“Oh my, really, Lady Cordelia. You look much healthier these days.”
“You seem more vibrant as well!”
People around her chimed in one by one.
I glanced toward Aden. His expression was steadily worsening.
He really couldn’t control his face at all. What a disgrace for a ‘flower.’
“I’ll keep that in mind, Irene. My ‘lucky colors.’”
Cordelia thanked me with a serious expression.
My conscience tingled a bit. The whole “lucky colors” thing had just been something I blurted out from a fortune site I once saw.
Now it sounded incredibly convincing coming from her.
“Lady Irene. Could you tell me my lucky color too?”
“Could you look at mine as well, if it’s not too much trouble?”
Requests started pouring in from all around.
The heated reaction made me break into a slight cold sweat.
“If you tell me your birth month and bring me a Korean magazine, I can do it all for you…”
I suddenly missed the magazines I used to flip through to kill time at hair salons.
Then, a familiar voice came from behind.
“A lucky color. Interesting.”
That voice…
With a bad premonition, I turned my head.
Before I knew it, everyone had lowered their heads.
“Your Majesty.”
“Your Majesty…!”
At the end of where everyone bowed, Rashid was walking toward us.
He was dressed completely differently from when we first met in priestly robes.
Luxurious clothing clearly marking him as the Emperor, followed by a large escort of knights.
I didn’t like his face, but I couldn’t show it.
I lowered my head politely.
“Greetings, Your Majesty.”
“Is this our second meeting? Where is the Saint’s betrothed?”
“He is speaking with His Eminence the Cardinal.”
“Hm.”
Rashid curled one corner of his lips upward.
He resembled Ian as a brother, but the feeling was very different.
Where Ian’s smirk was chilling, Rashid just looked obnoxious.
“Inadequate as a lover. Leaving his fiancée alone like this.”
“He is discussing matters with the Cardinal, but I believe he also wished to allow me to converse freely with others.”
Even as I spoke, I was slightly surprised at myself.
Why was I getting so defensive?
Rashid chuckled.
“Well, be that as it may. So, the new Saint possesses the power of precognition?”
“That is correct.”
I lowered my head again.
“Don’t tell me he’s going to ask about lucky colors too…”
Then I’ll just say rainbow.
Fortunately—or unfortunately—he did not ask anything so innocent.
“Can you foresee the fate of our Empire?”
I looked up at Rashid.
A smirking smile played on his lips.
Everyone was watching me with anticipation.
I lowered my head again.
“With respect, Your Majesty, my ability is still immature. I cannot see anything of such importance yet.”
“I see. A disappointment.”
“My apologies.”
I reflexively responded, then felt slightly annoyed.
Why the hell was I apologizing to this guy?
The Church of Elune was technically under the Empire, but not a strict master-servant relationship.
Even if he was the Emperor, barging into the cathedral like it was his backyard and interrogating the Saint like this was too much.
But I kept my head down out of habit.
“Very well. If the Empire is too grand a subject, I have overreached.”
“Not at all, Your Majesty.”
“Then how about this?”
Rashid smiled again.
“Do you think I will be remembered as a wise emperor in history?”
I fell silent.
Everyone held their breath, waiting for my answer.
“Hah.”
I laughed bitterly inwardly.
I didn’t have any real precognition ability, but I knew very well that he would not be a wise ruler.
Rashid, who ascended the throne as a child after his father’s early death, was far from a good monarch.
Taxation growing increasingly cruel, governance becoming less and less merciful.
Even in the original story, there were mentions of nobles worrying about the Empire’s excessive extravagance.
Everyone here probably knew that already.
But I couldn’t say the truth.
“That you will go down in history not as a wise king, but as a tyrant who will be decapitated by your younger brother…”
Of course I couldn’t say that.
Nor could I say something like:
“If you try harder, things will get better!”
That would also be impossible.
Rashid was petty. One wrong word and I’d be marked.
In the end, flattery was the only option, though I hated it.
“With respect, Your Majesty. If you continue righteous governance, you will receive praise from your people and poets alike.”
Rashid stroked his chin.
So he likes being praised by a Saint after all.
“Does that mean I am not currently governing righteously?”
I gave a dry laugh inside.
Now I understood.
He wasn’t here just to make an appearance.
He was testing how obedient I, the Saint and Ian’s fiancée, would be.
He wouldn’t leave until he got a satisfying answer.
I exhaled quietly and looked up at him.
As I met his gaze after keeping my head bowed, Rashid raised an eyebrow.
“A vision just came to me.”
“Oh? And what is it?”
I smiled faintly.
“Your Majesty will be remembered in history for a groundbreaking achievement.”
“Oh?”
Rashid looked intrigued.
His followers quickly began flattering him.
“Truly a magnificent prophecy!”
“A groundbreaking achievement! As expected of Your Majesty!”
“The children of the future will study your deeds in history books!”
I laughed inwardly.
Yes. That much is certainly true.
I hadn’t lied.
Rashid would indeed be recorded in history for a “first achievement.”
He would be the emperor who murdered his own father and relatives for the throne, and ultimately slaughtered his own brother and the citizens of the capital.
The first great evil deed.
