INST 10

Chapter 10

While the lion and I were plotting together, the carriage, which had been racing at high speed, gradually slowed down before coming to a complete halt.

“We must have arrived.”

After giving the lion a heads-up, I quickly smoothed down my clothes.

What a sight—checking my appearance before walking right into the temple, and all while impersonating a faux saint.

Just as I was mocking myself, the driver’s voice drifted in from outside the carriage.

“We have arrived at the Grand Temple, Princess. Shall I open the door?”

“Please do.”

I answered readily.

Inside, however, my nerves were burning up with tension.

Understandably so, seeing as I was attempting to pull off a massive deception right under the Pope’s nose.

No matter how much I was relying on the lion’s help, there was no way I could feel at ease.

I took several deep breaths to shake off the nervous edge.

Yet that effort proved completely useless the moment someone appeared.

“Y-Your Holiness.”

Faced with the Pope standing right outside the main entrance, my jaw dropped.

Why on earth is the Pope out here?

He hadn’t shown his face at a single official event in the thirteen years since the 28th Saint passed away.

Rumors had run wild—some claimed he was suffering from an incurable disease, others that his face had been horribly disfigured by a goddess’s curse, and a few even whispered that he had died alongside the Saint.

And yet, he’s personally coming out to greet us?

I wasn’t the only one dumbfounded; the Emperor, who had arrived in a separate carriage, hurried over with wide, saucer-like eyes.

“Your Holiness, to think you’ve come all this way out here!”

Yet the Pope paid the Emperor no mind whatsoever, gazing only at me with a trembling look in his eyes.

“Welcome, Princess Velloce.”

“It’s been a long time, Your Holiness. I heard rumors that your health hasn’t been well; how are you feeling?”

“It is only natural for an old body to develop a few squeaks and groans. I am quite all right.”

He smiled benevolently and asked with cautious care.

“By the way… I understand you have received the revelation of the Goddess Hedel?”

“That is correct.”

Hearing my unhesitating reply, the lion let out a snort of amusement, but I kept my smile firmly in place.

Right. Conscience? Never heard of it.

Oblivious to my inner thoughts, the Pope simply looked profoundly moved.

“Oh, to think a woman has received the Goddess’s revelation after no less than thirteen years. I truly thought we would never see the day again…”

You thought we would never see it again?

I tilted my head in confusion.

The lineage of the Saint was a proud institution spanning over two thousand years, dating back to the very founding of Catallon.

While there had been a recent vacancy, nobody had ever imagined that the line of Saints would be severed entirely.

So why would he think such a thing?

Was he simply shaken by a thirteen-year absence, or had he received some kind of prophecy by virtue of being a man of the cloth?

It was right as I was pondering this that the Pope grabbed hold of my hands tightly, his eyes growing misty—only to spot the lion beside me and widen his eyes in rare astonishment.

“Could this person possibly be…”

“Yes, the proxy of the Goddess.”

“Oh, I have heard much about you, but this is my first time seeing you in the flesh.”

Perhaps feeling puffed up by the Pope’s look of awe, the lion proudly stuck his chin out.

Such a show-off.

Knowing all too well how simple and pathetic the reality hidden beneath that terrifying exterior actually was, I found the whole thing hilarious.

While I was stifling a chuckle, the Pope carefully broke the silence.

“It is certainly a cause for celebration that the Princess has returned with the Goddess’s emissary. However, as the Princess is well aware, verification is required before ascending to the seat of the Saint.”

“Yes, I am aware.”

“It is a set procedure, so I sincerely hope you take no offense.”

“Of course not, Your Holiness.”

I smiled as if it were no big deal.

My insides might have been trembling with anxiety, but facing a fraud of this magnitude, showing any weakness would surely invite immediate suspicion.

Seemingly reassured by my attitude, the Pope nodded a couple of times before promptly escorting me into the temple.

Upon arriving at the mass hall shortly after, the Pope issued a solemn directive.

“The Saint-to-be, offer your respects to the Goddess Hedel.”

Draped in a white veil, I knelt down before the altar.

Flanking the scene, the Emperor and scores of clergy members lined up to hold their places.

Amidst the deeply reverent atmosphere, the Pope stood before me with a tense expression, sprinkling holy water from a chalice and murmuring a prayer.

“O revered Goddess, this humble servant welcomes the woman who carries out your will. I pray you accept her as your daughter and deliver Catallon and its people from the agony of disaster.”

Just as the Pope’s words drew to a close, I discreetly nudged the lion sitting right beside me in the ribs.

At that exact moment, a light as pure and clear as crystal washed over my body.

Simultaneously, a low murmur slipped past the Pope’s lips.

“Ah…”

That reaction—hanging somewhere between pure awe and a sigh—sent a sudden surge of anxiety welling up inside me.

What? Don’t tell me the mark didn’t appear? I saw the light spill out, so I thought it worked.

I desperately wanted to check for myself, but the mark always manifested right on the forehead.

Without a mirror, there was simply no way to verify it with my own eyes.

And I certainly can’t just ask out loud. This is driving me crazy.

Just as I was nervously digging my nails into the soft skin beneath my fingertips, someone intervened.

Standing a few paces away and watching the scene unfold, the Emperor eagerly blurted out,

“How is it, Your Holiness? Is Princess Velloce truly the return of the Saint?”

Today of all days, the man was certainly proving useful in more ways than one.

Just as I was marveling anew at the Emperor’s utility,

the Pope pulled the corners of his trembling lips into a smile and nodded.

“It is the mark of the Goddess.”

“Th-Then…”

“Yes, she is the woman sent by the Goddess Hedel. She is our Saint.”

“Ah!”

“It has been a full thirteen years—thirteen long years!”

“At last, the Goddess has bestowed a Saint upon us once more.”

Exclamations burst out from all around.

“I knew it! I always had an extraordinary feeling about the Princess whenever I saw her, and there was a reason after all!”

The Emperor practically crawled over in his haste, staring at me with teary eyes.

“Thank you, O Goddess. Thank you for taking Catallon back into your embrace.”

The Pope dropped to his knees before the grand statue of the Goddess, bowing his head repeatedly.

And as for me…

“Good job. All those years eating moss in a cave for a thousand years finally paid off.”

“Yeah, well, you did a great job slapping a thick layer of shamelessness over your face, too.”

The lion and I whispered to each other, quietly celebrating our very first successful scam.

Right after the Saint verification concluded, I headed straight to the room assigned to me.

Both the Emperor and the Pope, utterly thrilled by the long-awaited appearance of the Saint, had proposed a grand luncheon, but I turned them down.

Maybe it’s because I practically came back from the dead, or maybe it’s because I’ve suddenly become a Saint against my will, but I am exceptionally exhausted today.

As I rubbed my stiff neck while walking down the corridor, the temple maid leading the way suddenly brought her steps to a halt in front of a set of double doors.

“This is the room the Saint will be using from now on. All the past Saints have used this very room.”

With that, she pushed the door open with an immensely proud expression.

Just how magnificent could this room possibly be?

Curiosity getting the better of me, I poked my head out and peered past the doorway…

…It’s white.

Wallpaper, floors, furniture, bedding, and even the curtains—everything was overwhelmingly white, the kind of room that could drive someone perfectly sane to madness.

I get that white is the color that immediately comes to mind when you think of a Saint, but did they really have to make the entire room like this?

Whether she understood my internal meltdown or not, the maid spoke with unabated confidence.

“It is a room with exceptionally wonderful sunlight. There are no chilly drafts in the winter, either. The furniture and bedding are all of the highest grade. I am certain you will find it satisfactory, but should there be any inconveniences whatsoever, please let me know at once. I shall rectify them…”

“First of all, please change the wallpaper and the tiles, and swap out the furniture for unfinished natural wood. Wooden candleholders are a fire hazard, so let’s replace those with brass ones, and I’d like another single sofa right over there. Oh, and also…”

“W-Wait a moment, Saint. You have rather too many complaints…!”

Hastily running over to the desk to grab a sheet of paper, the maid began scribbling down my demands at a frantic pace.

It wasn’t until a full ten minutes had passed that her hurried dictation finally came to an end.

Phew, gasp. “Are you finished now, Saint?”

“Yes, well. I suppose that should do it for now.”

Actually, I still had a few more things I wanted to change, but since I wasn’t planning on living here forever, I figured I’d stop there.

“As you said, it really is a room with fantastic lighting. I genuinely love it.”

“Ah, yes… you do?”

At my smiling remark, she nodded with a rather dubious expression.

After demanding I change literally everything from top to bottom!

Her thoughts were written all over her face, but what could she do?

She was the one who had told me to let her know whenever I found anything inconvenient.

Watching me beam with a smile that somehow made her look terrified, the maid slapped her hands together as if she had just remembered something crucial.

“Ah, the desserts you requested have been prepared ahead of time on the table.”

“Thank you. You’ve worked hard.”

“Oh, it’s nothing. It is an honor… to be able to serve the Saint.”

Was that sincere?

She seemed to hesitate just a little bit when she said “honor,” didn’t she?

Wearing an expression that strongly suggested she foresaw a less-than-peaceful future ahead, I decided not to press the matter further.

“Right then, I’ll be counting on you.”

“Yes, Saint. Then I shall return to escort you when it is time for the banquet.”

With a polite bow, the moment she stepped out of the room—

Thud! Thud!

A loud, chaotic commotion echoed through the space.

W-What on earth.