The Tragedy of The Villainess

*Seria's POV (first pov)*

***

'… If there's anything urgent, he'll contact me, won't he?'

With that thought in mind, I crumbled the letter I wrote. It seemed that Linon flinched.

I unfolded the letter again, sealed it well, and handed it to Linon.

"Send this letter to the temple."

"Yes! Grand Duchess."

Linon answered in a firm voice, and then, perhaps unable to resist his curiosity, he asked.

"What kind of letter is it? May I ask why it's wrinkled?"

"It's a letter saying that I won't leave Lina alone."

"What?"

The temple always trembled in fear of what I would do to Lina. But Lina had once shamed me at Duke Howard's party, so I could use that to my advantage.

"The temple will be scared and call Lina back."

I deliberately damaged the letter in an attempt to pretend to be inflamed with anger and contempt.

"What are you going to do after driving the Saintess out of the capital?"

"Linon."

"Yes, Grand Duchess."

"The mermaid was returned safely to the sea, and I saved your face and Berge. So…. Shouldn't you give me a little help?"

I deliberately added more gruesome wordplay to try to create a tense atmosphere. But Linon just blinked and suddenly fell to his knees.

Thanks to that, it was me who panicked.

"What is it?"

"Grand Duchess."

"……?"

"Mermaids do not betray their saviors. I am half mermaid myself…I will be loyal to the Grand Duchess for the rest of my life, just as I told His Highness so. I will do so to the best of my ability."

"No…Okay, so get up."

"It's true."

"I understand."

As I was about to leave my seat, Linon finally stood up. Is he trying to ventilate the slightly heavier atmosphere? Linon put his hands on his cheeks and his eyes lit up.

"Actually, I've long suspected that since God couldn't be here, He sent the Grand Duchess down to Berg!"

'I think I understand a little bit why Bibi wouldn't leave Linon alone.'

I remembered the signs of flattery. Then I picked up a quill pen and scribbled it on a blank paper and showed it to Linon.

Linon tilted his head.

"What is it?"

"It is a sign of flattery and loyalty I learned before."

From the next day on, Linon wrote "^^7" at the end of every document he sent me. 🥰

***

Some time later.

As usual, dozens of gossips consumed and disappeared in the imperial social circles where rumors always abound.

This time, in particular, there was a lot of fresh gossip, with the full-fledged arrival of the Saintess. Of course, there was constant talk about Seria, who was announced as the new Saint.

It was at the great celebration that happened the other day.

Seria Berg was recognized as a Saint because the sacred power she possessed exceeded the categories described in the oracle.

But it was not merely this that caused the capital to be in an uproar.

It was because the Grand Duke of Berg promised a huge response.

"What do you mean they're going to show us a purification ceremony in commemoration of the Grand Duchess being declared a Saint?"

"I thought the rules of defeat had been completely broken!"

One nobleman was angry, but no one voiced sympathy. Because…

"It doesn't matter, does it?"

"No. Berg paid for everything."

"That's the best thing."

The nobles looked at their hands if they had made a promise. Each one was wearing a ring. This ring was a gift to several hundred nobles in the name of the Grand Duke of Berg.

"What in the world?"

"How did they process the magic crystal like this?"

"From what I hear, it was developed by a wizard in Berg."

"That's quite a distance, and yet it's amazing."

Transportation magic originally existed. However, the cost to use it was very high. Even in the high temple, they hardly used it.

This magic crystal ring was different. Since it only required the insertion of a processed crystal ball, it was considerably more economical than its enormous price.

Who could not be enthralled by this tremendous means of transportation?

In addition to receiving this precious ring as gifts, there were about a hundred people invited to the Berg today. Even though not everyone was invited here, they arbitrarily played roulette in Berg, but they were still proud of the feeling of being chosen.

"The scale of Berg is truly extraordinary."

"Of course. Isn't it the empire's only grand dukedom?"

Thanks to the magic crystal ring, Seria was able to travel in an instant to Berg where purification had not yet taken place. As a result, there were no shrewd nobles. Even the nobles who would normally have said it was dangerous, joined in, thinking it was nothing more than a curious spectacle, when they heard that the Knights of the Berg would be protecting them. As a result, Berg was crowded with people. The hired hands setting up cabanas were busy.

***

"I really can't eat anymore."

I pushed away the fork that Lesche offered me. My stomach was about to burst. For nearly an hour, Lesche had been feeding me something. Lesche looked dissatisfied, even though I seemed to have eaten twice as much as I normally do.

Lesche stared at me with his cheek resting on the back of his other hand. He frowned.

"You're going to cleanse the whole village, and what if you happen to collapse again?"

"It's no big deal."

"Eat one more."

"It's really the last one."

I ended up eating one steak for the last time. Lesche put what was left in his mouth and chewed it, but didn't take his eyes off me. I clamped my mouth shut, meaning I wouldn't eat it anymore.

The preparation was over.

I went out with a heavier stomach than usual.

It was an interesting sight to see the nobles, who were not knights, dressed in constellation armors. They all held silver tree branches in their hands as if they were lifelines. Some even wore them on their heads like flower crowns. It was good that I, Stern, was there, but they looked scared.

I looked around slowly.

Linon asked.

"What are you going to do after you have driven the Saintess out of the capital?"

Present among these hundred nobles in this place were Lina's slaves. It was said that they were chosen at random, but they were not.

There was a young and handsome Count who helped Lina open the shop, a Marquis who saved Lina from the water, a Young Master who passed on his magic knowledge to Lina, a knight who had a crush on Lina and would fly his body to cover the wine that Seria poured on Lina….

Of course, the two Princes were also here.

Prince Milam, the first prince of the Glick Empire. And then there was Prince Jun.

Virtually all the slaves, with the exception of Kalis, were sent rings and invitations.

It was dangerous to visit Lina's would-be slaves one by one, because of the method of using divine power. Nissos had once vomited blood. If all the people I visited collapsed and vomited blood, I would be condemned as a witch. It was natural to be suspicious.

So the way I thought of it was this. To call all Lina's slaves at once and purify them as a group.

It cost me a fortune, but that was okay. I'm confident that once I start selling the magic crystals that Chloe and her assistants studied so diligently in earnest, I'll be able to recover my money in less than a month.

"Hello, everyone."

"……."

At my words, the buzzing aristocrats looked at me with a mixture of interest and curiosity.

I looked around at them with a relaxed smile. There were many of them.

'Cassius didn't come?'

I wondered. Why would he refuse to come when even the Princes couldn't refuse?

Cassius was too unlucky, but I really did send the invitation after worrying about it until the last minute. I was strangely worried since he didn't respond, but he wouldn't come when I was going to save him. I wondered if I should save him…

In any case, I couldn't go and kidnap the heir to the Marquis of Kellyden, and now I didn't have time.

After brief introductions, we also heard a short congratulatory speech from a high priest who had been invited especially for today.

I stood in front of the crowd and smiled brightly. The nobles in the very front seemed frightened.

"Before I get started, I would like to say something in advance. My divine power is very strong."

"……."

"It is so powerful that you may experience ringing in your ears."

"……."

"Those with strong tinnitus are not clean-minded. So visit the temple often and do your best to pray."

"……?"

The high-ranking priests who were called here served as witnesses. They'll prove what I was about to create and show them was pure divine power.

It was a place where it was legal to evoke immense sacred power. Among the Knights of the Berg who surrounded the nobles gathered in the center, were also Abigail, Alliot, and Linon, who had been prearranged.

Okay.

I turned to the altar with the pre-prepared Stern insignia. It was not the one that was present in the Berg prayer room, but it was specially lent to me by the High Temple.

I knelt down and gathered my sacred power.

My long green hair fluttered with the sacred power that exploded in a poof. The Stern formal attire I wore also fluttered wildly.

At the same time, screams rang out behind me.

"Ahhhhh!"

"Arghhh!"

"Prince!"

"Count!"

"This way! This way!"

I couldn't hear them well because of the mixture of sounds. I had to make sure to show them that I was purifying the Magi, which was swirling with magical energy, so the divine power, which I had been more careful than usual, continued to blow strong winds despite my withdrawal.

I looked back, sweeping my hair behind my ears. And then…

"…Huh?"

I was greatly surprised for a moment. It was a man standing far, far away, quite a distance from the nobles gathered here.

…It was Kalis.

'Why? Why is Kalis here?'

I barely strengthened my eyes, which were almost shaking. Kalis shouldn't be here. Berg didn't send him a ring or an invitation. I thought he would have followed Lina to the High temple.

His dark blonde hair shone in the sun. Kalis's dark eyes were fixed on me. Of course, my eyes could not leave his, either.

Kalis was….

He was normal. He was perfectly fine.

After learning that the Sacred Power from the circlet had an effect on Lina's slaves, I knew that Kalis might die if exposed to it.

However, Kalis did not spit out blood nor did he spit out the demonic shadow.

I just couldn't take my eyes off him and slowly bit my lip. But I was the first to avert my gaze. I vaguely saw Kalis turn away at the end of my vision.

***

With unsteady steps, Kalis climbed into Haneton's carriage. The moment he sat down on the seat. With a shriek, Kalis vomited something black.

"Marquis? Marquis!"

The aide was startled and jumped up.

"Um, what is that…!"

The black mold moved slowly and soon disappeared as if the water had dried up. Magi? But why is it in the Marquis's body? The Haneton aide turned to Kalis with a shudder.

"Marquis!"

The aide was about to faint.

Blood was gushing out of Kalis's body. Red blood flowed out as he coughed and coughed.

The aide hurriedly removed the jacket that Kalis was wearing. His whole body was a mess. His body was filled with wounds that looked like they had just been cut, and there was bright red blood everywhere.

"I need a doctor…doctor…!"

The aide, who urgently opened the carriage door, was grabbed by Kalis.

"Marquis?"

"…Shut your mouth."

Kalis fell straight down and fainted. The luxury carriage was stained with red blood all over.