“Respected Goddess, please listen to the confession of your most devout believer. Please forgive my sins.”
Hailey gently pulled back a corner of the curtain and peeked at the visitor’s identity.
A middle-aged gentleman dressed in expensive clothes and wearing gold-rimmed glasses was kneeling on the pad.
Looking closely, his posture was extremely devout.
He was even stooped so low that his body was almost parallel to the ground.
Yet, for some reason, Hailey felt a trace of greed and expectation flickering in his eyes.
“Sinner Julian prays for your forgiveness for my Sin of Deception. It stemmed from my compassion for others, or perhaps from my expectations for myself.”
Julian Cobo appeared to be a relatively famous wealthy merchant in the Imperial Capital.
He was very generous with his money and often spent thousands of gold coins at the capital’s famous auction houses.
Furthermore, he had numerous business connections, and his peers referred to him as a Business Genius.
He seemed to have a hand in every industry.
“The shops under my command are required to pay me rent and a so-called harvest tax every month. However, if the rates are set too high, those people are unwilling to continue signing contracts. To address this, I had to lower the taxes slightly to appease the tenants who had other plans.This resulted in a significant reduction in my sources of wealth. Because of this, I was forced to…”
Judging solely from his prayer, this middle-aged gentleman seemed like nothing more than a devout believer.
However, the sin he confessed made her suspicious.
He sounded like a businessman concerned about his trade, or perhaps a kind old employer who would lower rent and taxes for others.
“I hired thugs from the black market to threaten the people in the residential areas into paying extra taxes. But in reality, this was money I should have received in the first place. I intentionally lowered the taxes for their shops and then secretly sent people to collect the extra amount. I gained a good reputation, and they gained a momentary breather.”
The man’s voice gradually shifted from devout to excited.
He even seemed faintly proud of his actions, which made Hailey, who was hiding, want to punch him.
He maintained the image of a hypocritical, illustrious philanthropist on the outside while being unable to part with the profits he had conceded.
Secretly, he used dirty methods to squeeze out every drop of value.
Whether it was “rightfully his” was merely his side of the story.
Even though she had just arrived in this world and did not know how the Empire operated or the rules regarding social wealth, if paying taxes really made it difficult for ordinary residents of the Imperial Capital to make a living, then it would be better to just live in a smaller city.
Idledra gently pinched the soft flesh on the back of Hailey’s hand, signaling for her to listen quietly.
After a round of “sincere” confession, the man finally revealed his true colors.
“Since the Goddess has no objections, then the things we have done have never crossed the line. Thank you, Goddess. But even so, I still feel a lingering guilt. Please, Goddess…”
“Sinner, do you know your guilt?”
Just as the gentleman was about to stand up, a sacred and majestic young woman’s voice suddenly echoed from in front of him.
He subconsciously looked around in disbelief but saw no one.
‘That shouldn’t be right. Today isn’t the scheduled time for the Saintess to visit the Confession Room. Besides, I should be the only one allowed in here… Who is playing a prank?’
His eyes suddenly turned fierce as he stared at the partition between the room and the Church.
It was as if he could see Hailey hiding behind the curtain.
“Sinner, how dare you offend the Messenger of the Goddess?”
But when his hand was about to reach for the curtain, Idledra’s majestic voice coldly interrupted his movement.
Immediately, his expression became tense and uneasy.
This voice… there was no mistaking it.
He had seen the public ceremonies at the Church and heard her speak before.
That young woman’s voice belonged to the Saintess of the Holy See!
This meant that everything he had just said had been heard by the Saintess.
Even if the Saintess was magnanimous, if this matter were to be leaked…
As one of the famous merchants in the Imperial Capital, many of his peers were waiting for a chance to take a bite out of him.
At a time like this, any slight leak would be disastrous.
A merchant’s reputation and credibility were the most precious garments in business socializing.
Once a blemish appeared, it could easily cause partnerships to break or even collapse.
Furthermore, behind the Saintess was the Holy See, an organization that even the King of the Empire feared.
Her prestige and influence were not something a mere merchant like him could compare to.
If she were to mention his deeds casually to his noble clients, the consequences would be unimaginable.
He couldn’t deal with her the way he dealt with commoners.
“Lady Saintess… oh no, Goddess above! How can this sinner obtain your forgiveness?”
‘If only I can keep her mouth shut… at worst, I’ll donate a large sum of money to the Church next time, or give a gift specifically in the Saintess’s name.’
It was just as Idledra had thought.
These hypocrites only developed a truly sincere faith in miracles when their own interests were genuinely threatened.
‘As expected, little Hailey’s silly appearance, where she can be tricked into telling the truth, is the cutest.’
‘Ugh… this place is so cramped. Her hair is almost touching my mouth. Wait, why is she smiling at me again? Is there something on my face?’
“If you wish to be forgiven for your sins… it is best to stop your hands as soon as possible. Otherwise, your sins shall be unforgivable.”
‘The Saintess is warning me to stop my operations immediately.
But if I do that, my losses — tsk, she has leverage over me now. I’ll just play along for now…’
“Yes, Julian will certainly follow the Goddess’s will and faithfully carry out your teachings. May you forgive me.”
Only when no more sound came from the other side of the partition did Julian stand up as if a heavy weight had been lifted.
He hurriedly left the Confession Room with a guilty conscience.
Idledra finally let out a sigh of relief and leaned back, lazily resting against Hailey’s arm.
‘Truly, when speaking to these old foxes, one doesn’t need to be too explicit. When they panic, they start seeking their own solutions. It’s just so tiring…’
“Hailey, come here. I used a bit too much strength while speaking just now. My stamina is exhausted…”
“What’s wrong? Why don’t we go out first — mmph!”
‘Why doesn’t this girl look at the situation? It’s so cramped and hot in here…’
Feeling her body weaken, Idledra simply wound herself around Hailey on the seat.
She took a bite out of Hailey’s smooth shoulder, slurping as she drew in mana.
“Good Hailey, just let me have a little snack first…”
‘Idledra always says that, but she’s never reasonable or forgiving. What a scheming, wicked person…’