CH 161

It was true. If Damia hadn’t stopped Cesare, Louise wouldn’t be in this world now.

Lessid had never been close to his sister. Nevertheless, he knew that if she had died, he would have suffered with regret for a long time.

Because that’s the kind of relationship siblings had.

“I just did what I was supposed to do.”

Damia blushed. Lessid had clear likes and dislikes, and was not a person who easily liked others. So, even in the North he was recognized as someone with a feisty personality.

However, he seemed particularly kind to her. Sometimes listening to Lessid words made Damia feel like a good person.

“Anyway, Louise actually asked me to say hello.”

She was also deeply reflecting on herself a lot, Lessid added.

“It’s all in the past.”

Damia shook her head quietly. She didn’t understand her before, she couldn’t understand why Louise was so eager to tear her apart so badly.

But now she understood. The moment she saw Kael standing up for the Saint and blocking her view of her, Damia hated her to death.

Fortunately, she was mindful of the small difference that set Louise and herself apart. The fact that her own hatred of her saint was wrong.

‘There is nothing wrong with Callistea-nim.’

Although she hid her identity, Callistea didn’t treat her badly. Rather it was Kael who antagonized the situation and overprotected her by himself.

Of course, intelligently she knew this. But she was also a human being, and at that moment she felt a strong sense of inferiority and jealousy towards Callistea.

In order to protect herself, her self-consciousness harbored a hostility to those that made her miserable. And to justify her animosity she tried to find her faults.

The moment she realized this, Damia hated herself. And she suddenly realized. Perhaps Louise must have felt like this all along.

“Lessid-nim, I have something to tell you.”

Damia turned the topic around to hide her complicated feelings. Fortunately, Lessid didn’t notice anything and listened to her.

“What is it?”

“Perhaps… … Do you remember Kael Roysten?”

“Of course. The second son of the Roysten family, he recently joined the temple as a Paladin.”

How could I not know the boy who was her childhood friend and was too close to Dami? However, Lessid left out the latter part of the content and replied with an acceptable answer.

Damia lowered her voice and asked quietly,

“Kael Roysten was at the royal palace with Saint. Did you know?”

She actually thought the saint would be in the south. However, when she unexpectedly met her in the royal palace, she couldn’t help but be surprised.

“Ah, that is probably the High Temple’s intentions.”

After a moment’s thought, Lessid said what she had guessed.

“I heard that the saint was coming to the royal palace to improve the treatment of the priests dispatched to the South. She insists on giving them a better environment and supplies.”

What a ridiculous excuse.

Now that the voices of the High Temple had grown louder, the priests were receiving more support than ever before. In fact, the royal family was doing their best, since it was not possible to purify the southern pollution without holy power.

However, there was one thing to not be dismissed. Those who suffered the most in this situation were the common people of the South who were starving because their homes and farms were polluted.

However, rather than the poor people, the priests who went to “help” wanted to receive more support. This was not only against the doctrine, but it was a situation in which those who needed the least got it the most.

“So asking for support and supplies is just an excuse. Perhaps there is another reason for the saint to stay in the royal palace.”

“What is that?”

“She must be trying to put pressure on the royal family. Of course, that’s just my guess.”

It was then that Damia finally understood the meaning of his words.

“Ah, Teresa Dmitry… … Didn’t you mention she was a person named as a candidate for the Crown Princess’s position? So, in order to get the royal family to accept this request, the saint has deliberately stayed in the palace.”

It was a really sly tactic.

As she stays in the royal palace she speaks of the hardships of the priests who went to the South while emphasizing the sacrifice of the High Temple. So, the royal family, who has no choice but to depend on holy power, will feel a lot of pressure.

Naturally, it will be difficult for her to continue to oppose the claims of making Teresa Dmitry Crown Princess. And even if they tried to summon an opposition, it would be difficult for them to act openly because the saint is in the royal palace.

Obviously, Damia was quick to grasp the situation. Lessid laughed in admiration that her words quickly pinpointed the issue.

“You’re right. And if I’m to add one more thing, if they don’t accept the temple’s ‘request’ to make Miss Teresa the Crown Princess… … It’s kind of a threat to withdraw their support to the South.”

Oh, my.

Damia sighed silently. How did the noblest saint ever become a means to achieve such a worldly goal?

That day, Callistea, whom she encountered at her patronage, looked terribly gloomy. She was pretty, but her overly skinny body and her expressionless, bleak face didn’t make her look happy, even with empty words saying otherwise to be polite would sound ridiculous.

‘But why is she… … Didn’t she ask after my family? Why did she ask that?’