The Saintess's Intuition
Saintess Rielia. I still couldn't fathom the inner workings of this airheaded woman's mind. She kept claiming it was merely a "Saintess's intuition," but that was far too suspicious. I responded to Rielia with a touch of caution.
"Whatever do you mean? To suggest that High Priest Moot's curse was my doing..."
"Oh... is it not? If I misunderstood, I am truly sorry!"
A princess attempting to curse the highest priest in the royal palace. Regardless of the truth, merely speaking such words aloud could be deemed a grave offense. Was she really foolish enough not to realize that, or was she...
"Rielia. I cannot simply let that remark slide. Not only is it entirely untrue, but even as a mere rumor, it has the potential to cause immense trouble. Especially when coming from the mouth of the Saintess herself. To say something so terrifying based on a mere whim..."
"But that cursed doll... wasn't it acquired by the Roberts Merchant Guild just a few days ago? And since Princess Sera is currently overseeing the Roberts Merchant Guild... I naturally thought... But I suppose I was wrong?"
Even as she spoke, Rielia's expression remained bright and innocent. Like a puppy eager to please, she simply stared, mesmerized, at the mountain of desserts piled before her. Yet, I recognized this petite Saintess as the greatest threat I had encountered since arriving in this world.
"You seem remarkably well-informed about the whereabouts of cursed items."
"Yes, well, that is my job, after all. If a cursed item is on the move, it means it's bound to be used somewhere... which means I, the Saintess, will eventually be needed, right? I keep track of the items circulating in the market."
This woman was by no means a fool. I couldn't help but doubt how much of what she called "intuition" was actually just that. She was the type to wear a naive mask, never revealing her true intentions. Perhaps even this very conversation we were having was exactly what Rielia had intended.
"What is it you want, Rielia?"
Rielia's "intuition" was backed by solid evidence. If she were to take this story directly to Moot or make it public, she could easily spark a devastating scandal for me. The fact that she chose to reveal this to me instead meant she must want something.
Rielia looked startled, her eyes widening as she answered.
"W-what I want? Hmm... right now, I'm craving something refreshing. I've eaten far too much sweet cream. Maybe oranges, or lemons... Ah, a black tea with those aromas would be lovely too!"
"...I am not talking about desserts. I am asking about your intentions. Why bring this up to me, and not Moot, when you've deduced this much?"
"My intentions...?"
Rielia tilted her head, a teaspoon still held between her lips.
"Well... if I told Lord Moot, it would cause a massive conflict, wouldn't it? Since I already lifted the curse, I didn't see any reason for us to keep fighting... That's really all there is to it."
Watching Rielia blink her large, sky-blue eyes, I felt myself slipping into her pace once again. No hidden motives? Whether she was sincere or not, that in itself was terrifying. Honestly, I had never met anyone so exhausting to deal with. For someone like me, who could only rest easy once I had read my opponent's hand, she was practically my natural enemy.
I fell silent, momentarily lost for words. Meanwhile, Rielia kept stealing glances at me as she cautiously reached for a slice of shortcake sitting on the edge of the plate.
Honestly, I did not want her as an enemy. Even putting the matter of Moot aside, she struck me as the most troublesome person to have against me. If I wanted to avoid making her an enemy, the best course of action was to bring her over to my side. Ultimately, that aligned with my original goal anyway. To purify the Mistylia curse, I would eventually need Rielia's cooperation.
I called the Saintess's name in a quiet voice.
"Rielia."
"Y-Yes?!"
Startled, Rielia quickly pulled her hand back. Perhaps the Saintess had a history of being scolded for eating too many sweets. I offered her a gentle smile.
"I would like to be friends with you. I know your duties as the Saintess must keep you busy... but would you mind chatting with me like this from time to time?"
"E-Eh? F-Friends...? With a princess...? How could I ever... I am merely an ordinary Saintess who grew up in a poor monastery..."
An ordinary Saintess. I can't tell if she has a high or low opinion of herself. I delivered the decisive blow to the flustered Rielia.
"Whenever we meet, I will prepare sweet treats just like these. Plenty of them."
"I am lacking in many ways, but I look forward to our friendship!"
Rielia eagerly accepted my offer without a moment's hesitation. I had essentially bribed her with desserts... but her true intentions remained entirely shrouded in mystery. Thus, I decided it was still too early to let Rielia and Carmel meet. If Rielia were to carelessly expose my weaknesses like she did today, it would put me in a very dangerous position.
As she picked up a slice of apple pie with her fingers and began devouring it, Rielia looked up at me.
"But Princess, you aren't eating much. It's so delicious... Have you grown tired of them because you eat them so often? I'm so envious."
"Ah, no. It's not quite that..."
The cakes and pastries served in the royal palace were all baked by master chefs. Naturally, they tasted heavenly to me as well. However, those flavors were ultimately made of sugar, butter, and cream. If I ate them without restraint, my figure would inevitably suffer. And that was the one thing I absolutely refused to let happen. I would rather sacrifice the fleeting pleasure of my taste buds a hundred times over than lose the perfect appearance that complemented Carmel so beautifully. Summing up my thoughts in a single word, I replied to Rielia:
"I'll get fat."
"...Ah..."
Rielia, who had been basking in pure bliss, immediately set the apple pie back down on her plate. Her expression looked as if she had been abruptly dragged from a fluffy dream in the clouds and slammed back into cold reality.
Rielia and I conversed for about another hour after that. The topic of the curse never came up again. It was a battle of focus—me trying to pry out Rielia's true intentions, and Rielia trying to conquer her own desire for cake. In the end, we both failed spectacularly.
The only difference was our states of mind when we parted. Despite losing her battle against temptation, Rielia maintained a blissful expression the entire time. When I handed her a lavishly packed box of desserts to take with her, she looked absolutely ecstatic.
Unlike Rielia, I was left utterly drained, suffering from extreme mental exhaustion. It was the kind of fatigue that felt like pulling overtime for a week straight. The only harvest I reaped in exchange for this exhaustion was the confirmation that Rielia's obsession with cake was entirely genuine. That was something she couldn't possibly fake. Beyond that, I had gained almost nothing.
Well, perhaps we had grown a little closer—assuming her attitude was sincere, that is. To fully bring Rielia over to my side, I would have to arrange several more of these meetings. I might even need to consider visiting her monastery next time. I was already feeling exhausted just thinking about it.
But it was a necessary task. Given her divine power, mysterious intuition, and sharp insight, keeping her as a friend was far more advantageous than having her as an enemy. Of course, knowing it was necessary didn't make it any less taxing. I could feel the stress building up inside me. Matching wits with someone whose true thoughts were completely unreadable was far more draining than I had anticipated. In times like this, the best remedy was to look at Carmel's face. Without any particular business, I made my way to Carmel's chambers.
"...What is it?"
Carmel was still consumed by the hatred of the Mistylia curse. The moment I entered the room, she arched her brows in irritation. Ah, yes. This is it. This raw, undisguised hostility, this unembellished malice. It brought me a sense of comfort, as if I had finally returned home.
"What's with that creepy smile? Standing there without saying a word... Didn't you come here because you have something to say?"
"Fufu, I do love how honest you always are, Mother."
It was my genuine feeling, but Carmel merely snorted in response.
"Honest? Me?"
For Carmel, whose daily routine consisted of wearing a fake smile while plotting conspiracies, the word "honest" might not suit her at all. However, in the sense that she never hid the fact that she was plotting to ruin me, she was infinitely easier to deal with than Rielia.
"Well, it was just a passing thought. To be honest, I didn't come here today with any particular business."
"Then why are you here?"
"Because I missed your face and your voice, Mother."
And your body, too, of course. But I purposely left that part out. It was enough to enjoy that with my eyes in private. Hearing my words, Carmel opened her mouth to snap back, but quickly closed it. Her gaze swept over my face, searching for any hidden motive. But she found nothing. Because I was telling the absolute truth. Rielia's method is actually quite useful.
"Ha, is that so? That's your angle?"
Having failed to read me, Carmel tried a different approach. She took a few bold strides forward, stopping right in front of me. Locking her eyes onto mine, she leaned her face in close. Her breathtakingly beautiful face filled my vision, making my heart flutter slightly.
"I don't know what you're trying to dig up, but go ahead and try. I will never... Ngh...!"
Leaning her face so close was her mistake. All it took was a slight tilt of my head to press my lips against hers. It was a light kiss, barely more than a soft brush of our lips. But caught completely off guard by the sudden strike, Carmel hurriedly stumbled backward.