CH 67

Cattleya’s POV

“Everyone, please put away your weapons, I’m afraid I might cry.”

Black hair, black dress, black eyes.

A single deep red corsage against black.

A beauty that makes you shudder.

That is Hilda Mahler, the daughter of the Venomous Spider.

“Hilda Mahler, what are you here for?” Vivian-sama said.

“I’ve come to save Duke Pottinger’s Faction, Vivian-sama,” Hilda-sama said.

“Save it? What are you talking about?” Vivian-sama asked.

“If you do something terrible to Cattleya-sama, even that good-natured saint candidate will go to Duke Pottinger’s residence and declare a holy war then and there,” Hilda-sama said.

Grave snorted hatefully. “Ridiculous, that baker’s girl doesn’t have the guts to declare a holy war,” he said.

“Why do you think that, Grave?” Hilda said.

“Of course, the former saint, Maria-sama, declared a holy war only once against the Demon King’s army, so it’s not something that can be used so many times,” Grave said. “And this faction has the cardinals right beneath our noises, it’s all within our expectations.”

“And yet Bianca-sama has declared a holy war several times,” Hilda-sama said.

“If that’s exactly what they want, then they’ll use that holy war to get rid of the saint,” Grave said.

“Besides, that baker’s daughter isn’t a saint. That flash and healing must be thanks to House Albright’s magic tools and potions. She’s a made-up saint,” Deborah-sama said.

Hilda looked down at her with pitiful eyes.

“That’s evidence from your investigation, is it?” Hilda-sama said.

“… We haven’t conducted it yet, but it’s decided,” Deborah-sama said.

“Yet you can still call yourself an intelligence agent, I’m impressed,” Hilda-sama said.

Deborah blushed and visibly glared at Hilda.

“So, Deborah-sama, Grave, assume the saint candidate really can use Light magic and could declare a holy war since the Temple likes her so much, what will you do then?” Hilda-sama said.

“Tha-That’s impossible, she’s a fake,” Deborah-sama said.

“Indeed, that can’t happen,” Grave said.

“What do you think, Vivian-sama?”

Vivian-sama sent a worried look at Grave and Deborah.

“I-I don’t know, but I trust my subordinates.”

Hilda shook her head.

“Right now, House Mahler definitely has proof that Makoto Kimball can use Light magic,” Hilda said. “She has reconnected severed legs and neutralized lethal poison. This skill has earned her tremendous trust in the Great Temple. She is no mere baker’s daughter.”

“You’re lying!!”

“Our maid and knights have both been healed by her,” Hilda said.

“Well, it’s unnatural to heal members of a hostile faction,” Vivian-sama said.

“She’s quite good-natured, that girl,” Hilda said.

Vivian-sama has greasy sweat on her forehead.

“So, there is a very real possibility that a holy war may be waged against you,” Hilda said.

“Yes, that would be quite dangerous, Vivian-sama,” I said.

“A holy war by the Temple Knights against the military might of House Pottinger will be…” Vivian-sama said.

“Now, you’ve just taken down the symbol of your military strength, haven’t you?” Hilda said. “How are you going to fight with other force’s strength after banishing House Pickering? Grave, your head of secret operations, is an idiot, and Deborah, who is in charge of intelligence, is also trash, and now House Pickering has been banished, how can you hope to fight a holy war against the Temple Knights?”

Vivian-sama lowered her head and made a gloomy face.

However, I didn’t think that the quality of Vivian-sama’s attendants was so bad.

I didn’t back it up with reality, and I was moving on with such wishful thinking.

“Wh-What do you think I should do, Hilda?”

“If you’re going to ask me for advice, bow your head to the Pickerings and ask for forgiveness, and then fire your idiot and throw out the trash.”

“Bowing down to former subordinates is not something that Duke Pottinger should do, with our aspirations to be royalty…”

“The moment James-okina died, your path to royalty ended there, Vivian-sama.”

“What are you saying, Hilda?!!”

Hilda ignored Vivian-sama’s excitement and sat down beside Onii-sama.

“What do you want to do? The Venomous Spider’s House Mahler family will listen to your wishes.”

“Wh-Why so?” Onii-sama said.

“I want to be friends with a knight who can throw himself on the ground and beg for the sake of his imouto-san,” Hilda-sama said.

“I… I want to protect Vivian-sama! I won’t let her bow her head in humility, I’m a knight, my mission is to protect my master!”

“There you have it, Vivian-sama.”

“Mi-Michael… understood, stand up, I’ll forgive you.”

Onii-sama got up.

“But I can’t forgive Cattleya,” Vivian-sama said.

“She will be given to House Mahler as a reward for saving House Pottinger family from a crisis,” Grave said.

“Ah, you can’t do that,” Onii-sama protested.

“You should thank me for saving you from ruin, Vivian-sama,” Hilda-sama said.

“Hilda, is that any way to speak to the Faction Head?” Vivian-sama said.

Hilda-sama smile at that.

“House Mahler family is about to leave Duke Pottinger’s Faction.”

“Huh, what, what are you talking about?”

“It’s our last service,” Hilda said. “We’ve already given up on you. You have made House Wilkinson, who has Margot, escape to the Royalist Faction by your heavy-handed use of your sycophant Deborah, and you have let her escape by your heavy-handed use of this idiot Grave, this is the limit of the Duke’s daughter Vivian Pottinger-sama.”

“Hilda!! Kisama, You’re talking too much!”

“Shut up, Grave, or I’ll kill you.”

A black and intimidating bloodlust came out of Hilda-sama and attacked Grave.

The pale-faced Grave backed away.

Hilda-sama approached me and put her hand on my shoulder.

Is it perfume? It smells sweet and good.

“Cattleya, you must serve House Mahler.”

“I’m grateful for the offer, but I’m,” I started.

“I will join the Saint’s Faction with you as a gift.”

“”What!!”””

Hilda-sama snuggled up to me.

“There is no future for a stupid faction that can’t use its people,” Hilda-sama said. “She’ll call in her shadow forces as soon as possible. I’m looking forward to our little duel.”

Oh, this person is…

The same as Curtis-sama. There is a difference between frontline combat and shadow warfare, but is she a secret combat maniac who wants to fight a strong enemy?

“Understood, I’ll serve you temporarily,” I said.

“You’re a fool, it’s for the rest of your life, you can’t easily escape from the Venomous Spider’s web,” Hilda-sama said.

My heart thumps a little, and my cheeks get hot.

Somehow, she is an attractive person.

My new master.