Irene Decided to Die - Chapter 127
After finishing their tasks in the south, the pilgrimage group headed west. By now, the rumors about the Saintess had spread significantly, so there was nothing to hinder their movement.
They arrived at the palace more smoothly than ever before and were soon met by the welcoming party. Among them was an unexpected person.
“Lady Ramiel.”
“It has been a while.”
Ramiel greeted them with a smile.
“What brings you here?”
“I came with Sage.”
As she looked at Sage, he nodded in agreement.
“Ramiel said she wanted to meet the Saintess.”
“Me?”
Irene looked at Ramiel with a confused expression.
Irene didn’t have a good relationship with Ramiel. Not bad either, but they kept a distant relationship.
Then, when Ramiel was poisoned and collapsed, Irene was framed and imprisoned as the culprit. It was an awkward relationship to describe.
“We were both Saintess candidates. I thought we could become closer.”
Now? The unexpected behavior left her at a loss for words.
In place of the speechless Irene, Sir Allen spoke up.
“Lady Ramiel, I don’t mean to dismiss your intentions, but the positions are different now. Please show more respect.”
“I made a mistake! I’m sorry!”
Ramiel quickly bowed her head in apology.
Her flustered apology was awkward to witness. Imagine how it must have looked to others.
It was then that Irene realized Ramiel didn’t genuinely want to become closer.
‘Was she always like this?’
Though her mind had been quite clear, she didn’t seem to act this way before.
Glancing at Sage, she saw that he was calming Ramiel, who continued to apologize.
It was clear that the main character of the welcoming party for the Saintess had shifted. Allen seemed to notice this too and interjected between them.
“Since we’re tired, may we go to our quarters first?”
Only then did Sage turn his attention.
“I wasn’t considerate enough. I’ll show you to your quarters immediately.”
He then offered them a large palace. It was the best accommodation offered by a king so far, yet it felt unsettling.
“Why is Lady Ramiel here? I heard she hasn’t left the estate. And she’s too close to Sage. It’s odd in many ways.”
Lani had identified the key points.
“Indeed. It is strange, isn’t it?”
“Yes, should I try to find out more?”
“If you can.”
“Leave it to me!”
Leaving some tasks to Noah, Lani left with quick steps.
Now, she would gather information from other maids while exploring the palace. But that alone wasn’t enough.
“Burt.”
“Yes.”
“Can you find out what’s happening in the center?”
“That’s not difficult.”
Recently, contact with the spies at the temple had been spotty, but they hadn’t been planted only there. Gathering information from the surrounding areas should yield something.
“I can help too.”
Allen interjected as well.
After all, he was the leader of the Holy Knights. Having stayed at the central temple for a long time, he would likely have more informants inside than Burt.
“Then please do.”
“As much as you need.”
Thus, the two began gathering information from the center for Irene. As a result, they reached certain conclusions.
“There’s something strange about the atmosphere at the temple.”
“I hear weird rumors are circulating on the streets.”
“You mean those unbelievable rumors.”
In truth, they weren’t completely unbelievable. They were about a Saintess driven mad by revenge.
“You mean the story that the Saintess with the ominous symbol wishes for the world’s end. The hidden stories spread to make it quite convincing.”
The Saintess framed as a criminal, harboring hatred due to torture, and wishing for the world’s destruction.
There were various other pieces of information attached to it, all of them blasphemous.
“The Saintess would never do such a thing.”
“Do you truly believe that?”
Burt stared intently at Allen.
“Perhaps you thought so once, but now things have changed. That’s why I’ve remained silent about everything that has happened.”
“You’ve observed more closely than I expected.”
“She is an immensely important person to me.”
Burt felt strange at Allen’s resolute words. It was natural for a Holy Knight to hold the Saintess in high regard, yet why did it feel so bothersome?
Pressing down on his frustrating chest, Burt continued.
“The Saintess is important to me as well.”
“So it seems. I didn’t believe it at first, but it seems the king has changed as well.”
“Are you saying I have changed?”
“Don’t you think so?”
Allen asked with a serious expression.
‘I have changed.’
