Irene Decided to Die - Chapter 141
The woman’s voice was quite loud, drawing the attention of those around them. Everyone’s gaze sparkled with curiosity as they watched.
“No,” Burt responded without hesitation.
“Why not?”
“I need to attend to Lady Irene.”
At those words, the woman’s eyes grew red. She seemed to be under a significant misunderstanding, but before Irene could correct them, the woman had already run out of the hall.
“I apologize, Your Majesty.”
An elderly man nearby immediately stepped forward to offer an apology.
“Luna is still young and immature. Please forgive her.”
“I believe she’s past the age of immaturity,” Burt remarked.
“I’ll make sure to speak with her.”
“I’ll trust the chancellor one more time.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty.”
With the brief conversation over, Burt returned to selecting pieces of meat, intent on filling Irene’s plate once more.
“I can’t eat any more.”
She said, placing her plate down as if to prove her point.
“You haven’t eaten that much.”
“I’ve eaten plenty,” Irene insisted.
Seeing her set down the plate, Burt abandoned the meat he had been selecting.
“What kind of relationship do those two have?”
“Father and daughter.”
“No, I mean Burt and this Luna person.”
“Is that what you’re curious about?”
Burt stared directly at Irene, as if perplexed by her question.
Why is he looking at me like that? It’s perfectly natural to be curious.
While Irene tried to think of a response, she noticed Allen in the distance.
A paladin was approaching him, and their hurried steps seemed tense.
The paladin whispered something into Allen’s ear, and Allen immediately looked up, scanning the room until his gaze settled on Irene. He walked straight towards her.
“Lady Saintess, there’s a problem.”
At those words, Irene rose from her seat. It seemed like it was time to slip away from the welcome party.
“I’ll be heading back first. Please continue to enjoy yourselves.”
Irene said, excusing herself. As she tried to leave, Burt stood beside her.
“Is it alright for the king to leave?”
“It’s fine. They’ll enjoy themselves and disperse when the time comes.”
The three of them—Burt, Irene, and Allen—moved to Burt’s office.
“What’s the matter?”
Burt was the first to speak.
“It seems there’s trouble brewing in the capital,”
“What kind of trouble?”
Unlike usual, Allen seemed visibly anxious.
“High Priest Roxon has publicly declared that the goddess’s choice was a mistake.”
“High Priest Roxon?”
“We should summon Lady Grein and discuss this together,” Allen suggested.
“I’ll have her called immediately.”
Grein arrived at the office sooner than expected.
“What is this about?”.
Allen calmly explained the situation to her.
“What?”
Grein responded, disbelief clear in her expression.
“So you’re telling me Roxon has gone against the will of the goddess? Why?”
“We don’t know his reasons. However, what he is saying is this: the ominous mark is a sign of the demons. It’s unthinkable for someone bearing such a mark to be a Saintess. He claims it’s all the work of the demons.”
“The demons disappeared a long time ago!”
“Exactly. So it’s unlikely he’ll have any real evidence. But the problem is that he is a High Priest, and some people are beginning to waver, following his words.”
The days of rest were over. It was time to act again. Irene listened intently, her expression serious, as Allen continued.
“Additionally, he’s claiming that the current goddess is an imposter. He insists the true goddess is elsewhere and must be rescued.”
“He’s a devout follower of the goddess. How could he possibly say such things?”
“I don’t know. But we cannot leave High Priest Roxon unchecked after this.”
Allen spoke firmly.
“We must remove him from power and uncover the truth.”
Hearing Allen’s resolute stance, Irene asked,
“Do you doubt me?”
“I do not. Doubt is not faith. Demons cannot bring forth miracles like yours,” Allen replied confidently.
Having been by her side, Allen was more certain than ever. The Irene he knew was not a demon.
“Everything can be proven through miracles and divine power. But for High Priest Roxon to act this way, he must be convinced of something, don’t you think?”
“Perhaps he’s been brainwashed by heretics!” Grein quickly added.
“A High Priest?”
“Just because he’s a High Priest doesn’t make him infallible. And lately, Roxon hasn’t been able to hear the voice of the goddess. I haven’t heard it either, but my situation is better than his.”
Grein was in a better position than Roxon, whose divine power had barely manifested. At least Grein could still use her divine abilities without issue.
“Do many people know this?” Allen asked.
“No, only I do.”
“You’ve hidden it well.”
Allen remarked, his tone sharp with displeasure.
“He must have had no choice but to hide it. From a young age, Roxon was devoted entirely to the goddess. To suddenly be unable to hear her voice now must have been devastating for him.”
“So, has he gone mad?”
Allen asked, skeptical of Grein’s attempt to defend Roxon.
