“Lady Saintess, leaving the Third Prince here like this… is it really all right? He is a prince, after all…”
Ignoring the irritable Third Prince in the queue, Idledra followed Hailey’s subtle hints.
She unhurriedly began to pray for everyone in the church and soothe their emotions, just as Hailey usually did.
Although everything seemed to be in order, the presence of a high-ranking noble who could threaten them at any moment made the people of the church restless.
“All right, the church has some matters to handle today. Everyone, please return tomorrow. My deepest apologies.”
Seeing the nervous expressions of the believers around her, Idledra realized that no one was in the right frame of mind for genuine prayer.
She waved her hand, signaling for everyone to leave first.
‘I guess we won’t get any peace today unless we deal with this annoying Third Prince,’ Idledra grumbled inwardly.
As expected, the people sat back for a moment in relief before quickly filing out.
Leo, who was holding Mary, waved goodbye to Hailey.
His eyes were filled with concern, silently warning them to be careful. Hailey nodded back to reassure them.
Soon, the environment became familiar again. The once orderly line had vanished, leaving only Third Prince Chris.
He stood there with a look of disdain, as if his presence were a natural right, staring at the “stupid commoners” who feared imperial authority.
‘What a bunch of cowards. As expected, only I am worthy of standing here. It’s a pity that Saintess is still so blind…’
In Chris’s eyes, these people only existed to serve the members of the Imperial Family, who represented the supreme power of the Empire.
He believed it was their blessing to serve the royals; otherwise, they wouldn’t have given up their spots so easily.
If his smugness were based on his own merit, it might be one thing, but it was clearly built on the two fierce-looking soldiers and the sharp weapons they carried.
That was the true deterrent of the Imperial Family backing him.
As for the man himself… Hailey watched the ridiculous sight of him entertaining his own delusions.
She began to wonder if every world was required to have a royal who was a total moron.
“Very well, Third Prince. Now that you are satisfied, you may come before the Goddess to pray. I only hope that the Goddess will not take offense because of this…”
Idledra gestured for him to step forward with a look of helpless disgust.
One of the soldiers tried to follow with his sword drawn, but Hailey stepped in and blocked him.
Though her legs were shaking uncontrollably, she remained firm.
“Sir, war and aggressive intent are not permitted before the Statue of the Goddess. Please step back.”
She had no choice. Since Idledra currently couldn’t see, Hailey was the only one who could stand up.
What if this idiot prince tried some absurd “mutually assured destruction” stunt? She had to be careful, extremely careful.
“You, stand down. They are just two girls… *Cough.* I am here to pray before the Goddess. How could there be any danger?”
Seeing the Third Prince’s overly confident smile, Hailey suddenly remembered Idledra when she was filled with black mana. *Heh. Whether there’s danger or not isn’t for you to decide. Good luck,* she thought.
The Third Prince tried to approach Idledra again, but Hailey blocked him with a cold face.
Annoyed, he initially wanted to push her aside, but he stopped himself when Idledra spoke up.
“Tch, I was merely trying to show the Imperial Family’s friendliness to the Lady Saintess. You’re quite the eyesore, little girl.”
“Prince Chris, if you are disrespectful to Miss Apostle again, I will have no choice but to ask you to leave.”
Despite his resentment, Chris had a mission to complete.
He suppressed his sense of humiliation and respectfully maintained his distance from Idledra.
Standing before the holy Statue of the Goddess, Chris felt a mix of awe and restless irritation.
He didn’t want to spend his time bowing here and there.
The Goddess was the faith of the Holy See, not the supreme faith of the entire Empire.
Although the influence of the Holy See was vast, the Empire had not reached the point of putting the Goddess above all else.
This was precisely why the Empire remained wary of the Holy See.
Compared to ethereal deities like the Goddess or the God of War, the Emperor believed more in tangible power and status.
He viewed gods as nothing more than psychological comfort.
*This time, I’m going to expose the true face of this so-called Saintess who’s always clinging to that rude girl. I’ll take the Holy See down a peg.*
He had blocked the surrounding crowds and made sure his men would chase back anyone who tried to slip away—all for this one plan.
*As long as I show these believers that their Saintess is an utterly useless fraud, everyone will praise me. They will celebrate my great feat, and even my brothers will…*
“Prince Chris, please kneel before the Statue of the Goddess, fold your hands, and listen to the whispers of the Goddess.”
Under Idledra’s step-by-step guidance, the Third Prince swallowed his pride for the sake of his plan and followed every instruction.
Even Hailey found it hard to believe the guy had this much perseverance.
“Very good, Prince Chris. Next, you must quietly repent for your sins before the Statue of the Goddess. Do not let go of your palms.”
Hailey was stunned. Even when she first became the Apostle, she hadn’t seen such complicated rules.
Where did Idledra learn these rituals?
“In the archives of the Holy See, there is a tenet recorded as an April Fool’s joke,” Idledra whispered playfully into Hailey’s ear, sharing the truth as a secret.
“It’s the ritual for ‘How to make even the Goddess burst out laughing.'”
Looking at the dead-serious Third Prince now, Hailey actually started to feel a bit sorry for him.
Finally, after being tortured by a series of tedious procedures that even regular members of the Holy See might not be able to endure, the Third Prince was panting for breath.
He nearly collapsed in front of the statue but forced himself to stay upright.
“Is that enough? I’ve done everything you asked. Now, is the Saintess willing to listen to my questions?”
*No matter how you answer, as long as I get the chance to ask, I can expose your true colors…*
“Hmm? What are you saying, Prince Chris? Haven’t you already prayed before the Statue of the Goddess? Surely, the Goddess has received your doubts.”
Facing the Third Prince’s urgent questioning, Idledra suddenly put on a very devout and gratified expression, as if she were “sincerely” happy for him for receiving some grand blessing.
“I am merely the Goddess’s representative in the mortal realm. You, however, have spoken to the Goddess personally. Is that not a much greater honor than speaking with me?”
Hailey finally realized it. This mischievous little girl was playing the Third Prince like a total fool.
“You—you dare toy with me? You Witch!”
The Third Prince finally realized he had been led in circles.
He pointed at Idledra and shouted in a rage, but his outburst quickly drew the ire of the remaining believers nearby.
First a Priest came to cause trouble, and now a Prince.
It was obvious they were cut from the same cloth.
“Ha, stop pretending. Do you dare say it? Julian Cobo… how did he die?” —