Chapter 14 Part 7

But Hyle… whether he knew my concerns or not, was persistently clinging to the idea of me using him.

“At least I’d be more helpful than Entrie.”

Glancing at Entrie on my shoulder, Hyle immediately uttered something ridiculous.

No… are you seriously jealous of a bird right now?

Peep!? Peep!

Entrie seemed equally incredulous, frowning and showing irritation.

“If you’re caught, it won’t be easy to get away with it. You’re no longer just a marquis but the head of the family. You’re in a position of leading an entire house.”

“I know, it’s a position with heavy responsibility.”

Despite my serious tone, Hyle nodded immediately.

How can someone who claims to understand say so easily that he’ll come along…

“If you understand…!”

“But Rosiel, my responsibility isn’t limited to just the family. You hold the largest share of my responsibility.”

“…What are you talking about? I’ve never held such a share…”

Whether he heard my words or not, Hyle whispered that he had a better plan.

“Instead of trying to sneak in, just walk in confidently.”

“What? If we just walk in, we won’t be able to reach the Cardinal’s office. I heard even priests aren’t allowed to freely enter that area.”

If it were simply a matter of opening the door and walking in, I wouldn’t have made such elaborate plans!

Despite my cold response, Hyle continued with a still composed face, as if there was no problem.

“Rosiel, you need to be aware of your position. You’re not a priest. You’re the Holy Maiden. One who appeared after ten years. The direct representative of the goddess, chosen by her.”

“…Well, even so, the question is whether the temple actually regards me as that great.”

“There’s no place in this land you can’t go, Rosiel. Sometimes it might be good to bring out your former arrogant self.”

Hyle’s words sounded quite plausible, almost like a devil whispering.

This… is strangely convincing. Looking at it now, maybe the rigid one wasn’t Hyle but me.

In fact, my designation as the Holy Maiden was known to all priests in the temple, even if others might not know.

Given that everyone knows, who could stop me from going where I please? So, be confident, like before?

I can do that.

After all, I’ve adapted most perfectly and for the longest time to the life of Rosiel Laté, the villainess.

“Rosiel, I’ve heard the Cardinal is out on external duties. He’ll be back by morning, so we need to hurry.”

“It won’t take long. This is the perfect night to look at the blueprints.”

At Hyle’s words, I straightened my shoulders that had been hunched while hiding, lifted my head high, and straightened my bent back.

“You’re right, Hyle. Since they made me the Holy Maiden without my permission, I should receive treatment befitting my position.”

“What a quick learner our Holy Maiden is. …Though your tone doesn’t quite match.”

“What?”

I thought I just heard something irritating.

When I sharply turned my head, Hyle was wearing a subtle smile as if nothing had happened.

“Shall we go, Holy Maiden?”

“Still… don’t call me Holy Maiden. It sounds really awkward.”

“I’ll try not to.”

With Hyle in tow, I headed straight for the temple entrance.

The priests who saw me approach whispered among themselves briefly before quickly approaching and bowing.

“Lady Rosiel, what brings you here?”

“Just wanted to look around the temple. As the Holy Maiden, I feel like I don’t know much about the temple. And this is Marquis Feros, whom I’ve asked to guide me through the temple.”

Have I ever been this brazen in my life?

With an expression of unmatched arrogance, I looked down on the priests and confidently announced that I had come for a ‘tour,’ while neatly introducing Hyle behind me.

It was a perfect, flawless ‘reason for visiting.’

“If you understand, move aside.”

“Ah, y-yes…!”

Hearing Hyle’s chilling words, the priests’ eyes shook with uncertainty before they gradually cleared the path.

Thanks to that, we safely entered the temple, but… there was no way to avoid the stares that followed us from everywhere.

“It might be easy at the entrance, but it won’t be as we go deeper. Many still don’t accept you as the Holy Maiden. Especially the high-ranking clerics.”

Those who value tradition always seem to occupy the highest positions wherever you go.

So when something new rolls in, they criticize it unconditionally.

It seems the temple was no exception to this rule.

No matter how much they dislike it, to think they wouldn’t acknowledge someone personally chosen by the goddess they serve…

They must be quite stubborn. I don’t really want to meet them.

“It is strange to suddenly believe that Laté’s bloodline has become the Holy Maiden overnight. So I understand, but… what do we do?”

“You need to overwhelmingly prove that you’re the Holy Maiden.”

“And how exactly do I do that? You know I still can’t handle holy power.”

A somewhat meaningful sigh was heard.

It was a moment when I became uneasy about Hyle’s next response.

“Rosiel, can you act a little?”

“…Act?”

In the end, I ended up deceiving every priest we met by pretending Hyle’s holy power was my own, forcing them to bow their heads.

Fortunately, my holy power was originally received from Hyle, so there wasn’t much difference—a silver lining in an unfortunate situation.

That’s how we were able to quickly reach the Cardinal’s office.

Thanks to Hyle, we safely navigated through what had been complex obstacles, but…

“I never want to do that again…!”

If I had to do something like that one more time, I’d surely die of shame.

To act so arrogantly with such a haughty face using power that wasn’t even mine!

At least when I was the villainess, my arrogance was backed by actual ability, so there was nothing to be ashamed of!

While I leaned against the wall with a complex expression, Hyle searched the Cardinal’s office.

“Rosiel, I found it. It was inside a locked safe.”

After hearing drawers being searched here and there, I finally heard Hyle say he’d found it.

“How did you open a locked safe?”

“I know all the lock combinations used in the temple anyway. It’s an area managed by House Feros.”

The padlock hanging from Hyle’s fingertips was conspicuously open.

Although most of the authority has been taken by the Imperial House now, it seemed that many aspects remained the same as before, given that the temple was originally under Feros’s management.

“Raphla, examine the blueprints carefully. You mustn’t forget, understand?”

After receiving the blueprints from him, I immediately summoned Raphla and had her store them in her bright yellow eyes.

Now I could retrieve the blueprints through Raphla’s eyes whenever I wanted.

“Hyle, come here.”

With our business concluded, all that remained was to safely return home.

Of course, the priests might find it strange if we didn’t leave through the entrance… but that wasn’t our concern anymore.

Hyle looked at my outstretched hand with a tilted head of curiosity.

His black hair swayed gently with the movement of his head.

“I’m going to warp.”

“Ah.”

Upon hearing my brief explanation, Hyle let out a small sound of realization and promptly grabbed my hand.

After confirming that his hand was in mine, I immediately activated the teleportation spell.

Hyle, who had been silently watching the glittering white pattern inscribed beneath our feet, suddenly looked at me with eyes that suggested he’d forgotten something important.

“By the way… Rosiel, where are we going right now?”

Hyle’s green eyes trembled anxiously as he asked the question.

Hmm, I was wondering why he didn’t ask about our destination, but he finally did.

“The basement of my house.”

“What?”

After my concise answer, I heard him start to say “Wait,” but it was immediately buried in bright white light.

This marked the second time I had kidnapped Hyle.