Clea walked confidently towards the light and stood in front of the people.

It wasn’t the first time the temple had held a public confession.

In the past, it had been done a few times by emperors who had committed sins, or as a kind of showmanship.

But this time, it was bound to draw more attention than ever before.

She was the woman involved in a scandal with none other than Crown Prince Admund.

Moreover, a woman suspected of possibly becoming the crown princess.

“She really showed up. I honestly thought she wouldn’t appear.”

“That’s right. Isn’t she shameless? If she were truly repenting for her sins against Lady Aria, she should be receiving punishment, not making this kind of confession.”

“She’ll probably give up in a few days anyway. How could she endure for a week with that personality? Honestly, it’s none other than that Clea Odoi.”

The young ladies following Aria began to slander her as if by agreement.

They were trying to tarnish her reputation so that no one would consider her a candidate for crown princess.

However, despite their persistent efforts, people were still fixated on Clea.

“Is she an angel?”

“How can there be someone so beautiful?”

“Huh, I can’t believe it. She’s completely different from the rumors I’ve heard.”

Before encountering Clea, people had imagined her to be a terribly wicked villainess.

So even if she stood for confession, they thought she would seem out of place due to her uniquely villainous aura.

But the Clea that entered people’s eyes seemed far from a villainess.

‘Everyone looks as if they’ve seen something amazing.’

Clea smiled.

Objectively speaking, she was aware that her appearance was beautiful.

However, since she had never particularly wanted to mingle with people, she always showed a stiff and rigid expression.

The rigid expression helped keep people at a distance.

So this time, she decided to try smiling.

It was to change people’s perception of her, even if just a little.

“Aren’t people quite simple?”

“What do you mean?”

Hayden, who had appeared belatedly from behind, spoke to her.

Clea asked without taking her eyes off the crowd that had come to see her.

Hayden stood beside her and said,

“How easily they change based solely on what they see before their eyes.”

Clea didn’t bother to answer.

Seeing her neither affirm nor deny, Hayden headed to his position with the corners of his mouth raised.

Clea also knelt down in her place as she watched Hayden move away.

Kneeling and putting her hands together in prayer was the preparatory posture signaling the start of the confession.

Hayden saw her posture and announced to the people.

“We will now begin the confession prayer of the penitent Clea. I hope she will be able to continue her prayer of repentance until the seventh day, when the primordial god forgave human sins.”

With those words, her confession began.

Everyone was looking at her.

Although it might have felt like being on display, Clea didn’t feel particularly affected by their gazes.

There was only one person she was thinking of in this moment.

Admund.

‘I pray he will be safe.’

* * *

As the confession began, the believers also retreated from their places.

The confession was like a kind of sacred ritual.

In principle, no one except the one offering the prayer could approach closely.

“Metropolitan Bishop, it’s not too late even now.”

When a confession was held, bishops from various regions gathered.

All the gathered bishops were looking at Hayden.

“I don’t know what you mean.”

“How can someone who should know everything say they don’t understand?”

Hayden gave a bitter smile.

In reality, he knew exactly what they were talking about.

That’s precisely why he was pretending not to know.

‘Those who should have thrown away their attachments to the secular world are showing such interest in it.’

The condition for becoming a believer of the diocese was to abandon interest in the secular world.

No matter what happened, their job was to focus solely on the doctrine without paying any attention.

However, Hayden didn’t find their behavior incomprehensible.

Even to him, this seemed to go beyond a simple confession.

“If the Hersher ducal family produces a crown princess, they will surely increase their donations even more.”

“The duke and young lady know well how to win people’s favor, so if she becomes empress, won’t the support for the temple increase even more?”

‘You’re dreaming futile dreams.’

They failed to notice the coldness mixed in Hayden’s smile.

Would they really try to increase donations to win people’s favor?

The bishops had misunderstood why they were making higher donations than others.

‘Once they obtain the position of crown princess, they’re the type who won’t care at all how this place operates.’

As they said, the Hersher ducal family was making more donations than other high-ranking nobles.

In addition to donations, they were also separately paying dignity fees to other bishops.

Secretly from others.

No one was unaware of the reason they did this.

It was to further embellish their image.

They wanted it to be leaked that the Hersher family had a great influence on helping people in need.

That alone made their name circulate and created a good impression of the Hersher ducal family.

Due to the bribes disguised as dignity fees, there were already those loyal to the Hersher ducal family present here.

Hayden looked at them with contempt.

“Then how about we make a bet here? On who the crown prince will choose between the penitent Clea and the Hersher young lady.”

“Ha, what’s this sudden talk of a bet?”

“That’s right, Metropolitan Bishop. We should be joining forces when it’s not enough, not dividing ourselves.”

“No. This is just a simple game, not division.”

Perhaps due to the title of Metropolitan Bishop, Hayden’s voice naturally carried weight.

The other bishops were looking at Hayden with seemingly displeased expressions.

They thought it was time to join forces and support Aria Hersher by any means.

Until now, there had been consistent talk that the Hersher ducal family would produce the crown princess.

Of course, there were those whose faith was shaken, wondering when exactly the marriage between Admund and Aria would take place, but the bishops were still confident.

They considered the scandal with Clea to be merely passing gossip.

They thought there was no way a newcomer could displace someone already established.

However, Hayden, who had closely observed the relationship between Admund and Clea, told them:

“So, where would the rest of you place your bets?”

“Shouldn’t we first determine how the winners and losers of the bet will be decided?”

Seeing Hayden refusing to back down, the other bishops turned their attention to the bet.

“If I lose, I’ll step down from the position of bishop. Conversely, if you lose, how about you step down from your positions as bishops?”

The expressions of the other bishops hardened at these words, knowing where those already in position would go.

Meanwhile, Hayden continued to smile as he waited for their response.

“Alright. Let’s do that.”

“I agree.”

Those who knew that the position of Metropolitan Bishop was the highest of the high agreed to the conditions.

However, cautious people who approached everything carefully expressed concern and declared neutrality.

They didn’t want to participate in such a bet, risking their own positions.

Also, those who declared neutrality knew something.

That Hayden was a man who never initiated a fight he couldn’t win.

Despite the unexpected emergence of neutral parties, Hayden didn’t seem particularly concerned.

The number of people declaring neutrality was minimal, and the vast majority had already chosen Aria Hersher’s side.

‘I wonder which side people will choose.’

On the other hand, Hayden was looking forward to it.

Who would people say was more suited to be the crown princess between Aria Hersher and Clea after a week?

* * *

By the time the believers who had been watching the start of the confession returned, Aria had just arrived at the mansion.

She had gone to the grand duke’s residence early in the morning, but after wandering the streets for so long, it was well into the afternoon when she returned to the Hersher mansion.

“Thank you so much for giving me a ride.”

“It’s nothing. Of course I could do this much for you.”

Aria expressed her gratitude as soon as she got out of the carriage.

Bawyn responded kindly to her in a gentle tone.

She had been cold towards Bawyn the entire journey.

She only answered about her destination and cut off all other responses with short answers.

Normally, one would be discouraged or show a change in expression with such an attitude, but Bawyn never said an unkind word.

Rather, he consistently maintained a gentle attitude from the beginning.

She looked at Bawyn for a moment and asked.

“You don’t seem surprised even though you found out I’m a young lady of noble birth.”

At least, there was a high probability that he had figured out who she was the moment he heard the destination.

Bawyn smiled at her and said,

“Even if I knew you were a young lady of noble birth, to my eyes, you were just a young lady in distress, caught in the rain on the street.”

Aria let out a hollow laugh at Bawyn’s words.

Who would dare say such a thing to her?

Just a young lady? She had never heard such words before, so she found it both absurd and amusing.

She looked at Bawyn closely.

“I’d like to meet again to repay today’s kindness. When would you be available?”

Aria extended the back of her hand to him.

His rather handsome appearance caught her eye.

She asked as if doing him a favor, pleased by his attitude of being completely kind to her.

And Bawyn kissed the back of her extended hand and said,

“I can make time anytime for the young lady. So please seek out me, Bawyn Rockin, anytime.”