The Villainess Intends to Have It All - Chapter 88

As the gate activated, a purple veil resembling Erina’s hair color shimmered mysteriously.

Exclamations burst from the mouths of those watching the gate.

“It’s so beautiful!”

“It’s truly mystical.”

Rose’s face darkened as she gazed at the gate from one side.

Through prophecy, Rose knew that the color of the magic stone changes according to its owner.

Originally, if Erina had not twisted her prophecy, the magic stone should have been pink like her own hair color.

If that had been the case, the gate before her eyes would have been tinged with pink instead of the hateful purple.

Rose quietly stared beyond the invisible gate to avoid glaring at Erina, who had dragged her down into the mud.

At that moment, the gazes of Connie standing next to Rose and Erina standing in front of the gate met.

Connie slowly blinked her eyes as a greeting, imperceptible to others, and Erina responded with a faint smile.

Connie’s eyes, which had been like a dark night sky with nothing visible, sparkled like stars appearing when they met Erina’s.

Erina felt reassured by that subtle difference.

As Enzo sharply surveyed the square and quietly left his seat, the nobles bowed their heads in greeting.

When the knight guarding the front of the gate could no longer see His Imperial Majesty, he shouted loudly to the people.

“We will now depart!”

The knight moved first with Erina, who was standing closest to the gate.

Then the nobles who had gathered to use the gate began to move slowly.

Members of the Imperial Knights accompanying them for protection moved together at intervals.

Since Enzo only allowed those with confirmed identities, the nobles could not bring their own guards.

To ease the anxious nobles, Enzo graciously agreed to deploy the Imperial Knights.

Enzo moved the knights to discreetly monitor while making a show of goodwill to the nobles.

Satisfied with the protection of the Imperial Knights, all the nobles moved to the temple.

People couldn’t help but exclaim in amazement again as soon as they passed through the gate.

They were surprised that the scenery had instantly changed to the temple after merely passing through what looked like a mirror frame, and were amazed once more by the mystical atmosphere of the temple.

“How can this be.”

“Oh, gods!”

“It’s so beautiful!”

Everyone marveled at the swaying grass beside the well-paved path leading to the temple and the sacred appearance of the temple.

Nobles living around the capital were not leisurely enough to devote a full month to travel time.

Therefore, most of the nobles using the gate were visiting the temple for the first time.

Amidst the people who seemed full of excitement, there was exactly one person who couldn’t quite feel the same way while looking at the temple.

Although the temple made of white marble against the backdrop of lush grass looked utterly harmless, Rose felt an instinctive aversion.

Just looking at the white, seemingly pure temple made her stomach churn.

As Rose struggled to hide her inner turmoil, someone dispatched from the temple came out to greet the people.

“I am Isahel Sumil, the second servant of Goddess Pricellona and the High Priest.”

Erina couldn’t hide her delight upon seeing Isahel and broke into a wide smile.

At that sight, Isahel waved her hand slightly towards Erina with a warm gaze, as if greeting a sister she hadn’t seen in a long time.

The nobles who came to the temple lit up at Erina and Isahel’s seemingly discreet yet not-so-discreet greeting.

It was the moment when the rumor that Erina’s name was engraved in the Goddess’s fountain and she had visited the temple was confirmed as true.

“Those who are visiting the temple, please proceed to move now.”

At that, Rose told the nearby Imperial Knights that she wasn’t feeling well and would rest, heading towards the makeshift square right next to the gate.

As she quietly left her spot when people started moving, most didn’t notice that Rose wasn’t going to the temple with them.

However, Erina, who was keenly observing Rose, Connie who was staying by Rose’s side, and Sereni who was quietly watching the situation from afar, exchanged glances with each other.

Isahel naturally led the nobles while explaining about the temple.

After explaining about the temple for a while, Isahel gave the nobles time to freely tour the temple.

“This is where the apprentice priests use, and today it has been opened for the nobles of the Asilium Empire. Please feel free to appreciate it, and we will gather again shortly to move on.”

At Isahel’s words, people moved in small groups with their acquaintances, just as they had gathered in the gate square.

Erina moved while giving a signal with her eyes to Serena and Connie.

Before coming to the temple, Erina had contacted Isahel in advance, saying she needed a quiet place to talk with others.

She had also expressed her desire to speak with Raharta at the same time.

Agreeing to this, Isahel had discreetly signaled to Erina while walking through the temple, informing her of a place to have a conversation without others knowing.

As Erina quietly moved to a prayer room that Isahel had indicated, Sereni and Connie followed behind, pretending to wander in different directions.

Erina arrived first at the quiet prayer room.

The prayer room was quiet, as if Isahel had prepared it in advance.

The statue of the goddess located at the innermost part caught Erina’s eye.

Although not as large as the enormous goddess statue beside the Goddess’s fountain, it was an intricate statue about the size of a person.

Erina approached the goddess statue as if entranced.

Strangely, the two eyes covered by a blindfold seemed to be directed at her.

As she was standing in front of the goddess statue, staring blankly, Erina turned around at the presence felt behind her.

Erina checked the tightly closed door behind Connie and then called out to her with a gentle smile.

“Countess Jabel.”

“Countess Medelia.”

Connie suddenly approached Erina, carefully grasped her hand, and lowered her head to touch her forehead.

“My lady!”

When a surprised Erina hurriedly called out to her, Connie exhaled a sigh of relief as if Erina’s hand reassured her.

“Are you unwell somewhere?”

Erina urgently asked, worried about Connie who was holding her hand and bowing her head.

At that, Connie raised her head, bursting into laughter.

“No, Countess. I’m just relieved, that’s all.”

Connie held Erina’s hand and drew hope, but she was anxious every day that it might all disappear like bubbles under the cruel reality.

Unable to show their connection to those around, she always doubted if holding Erina’s hand was indeed real.

The contact from Trumto was constant, and she also had to be mindful of Rose, whom they called Queen.

She had asked her husband, Pereman, to never show their closeness even at home.

Fearing that Trumto might use her husband too, she had asked him to maintain distance as before.

Pereman, without showing any displeasure, said he would do as she wished and instead worried about her.

As her situation hadn’t changed from before, it felt even more unreal.

She was needlessly afraid if the thread of hope faintly held in her hand truly existed.

The moment Connie saw Erina smiling at her in the prayer room without anyone’s surveillance, she couldn’t hide her overwhelming emotions.

It wasn’t a dream.

“I’m relieved that meeting you wasn’t a dream.”

Connie said, smiling brightly for the first time in the empire.

She was so flustered by her own unfamiliar upturned lips that she didn’t even realize, but her heart was pounding.

“Countess.”

“Would you call me Connie?”

Erina couldn’t refuse as her eyes sparkled like the Milky Way.

“I will, Connie.”

Erina and Connie looked at each other and smiled comfortably.

Seeing Connie like that, Erina hurriedly presented the communication artifact she had brought.

It was a thin silver bracelet with tiny magic stones adorning it like decorations.

“I’ve attached magic stones as decorations on the artifact. If you need to contact me, press the pearl-like magic stone firmly and it will be absorbed into the artifact, establishing communication.”

Connie immediately put it on her arm upon hearing Erina’s words.

“When I send a message, you’ll feel a faint vibration on your arm. When you feel the vibration, grab the bracelet and say my name, and you’ll be able to hear the sent message.”

The magic stones, painted in dark colors to avoid detection by others, looked indistinguishable from regular stones unless closely examined.

Connie felt that Erina had carefully prepared even the communication artifact, considering that she could be exposed to many eyes.

“Thank you for your consideration, Countess.”

Strangely, in Connie’s appearance as she smiled faintly and kept examining the bracelet, Erina saw a glimpse of Revil.

She resembled the child who, though awkward with receiving, couldn’t hide his joy and excitement.

Erina recalled how Connie had been too composed when being disregarded by Headton.

Born in the Kingdom of Trumto where illegitimate children are especially despised, she must have grown up without being able to speak properly even once.

Erina looked at Connie’s hand that was still carefully holding her own.

The wounds cruelly inflicted by Headton had not yet properly healed, hidden under white powder, but visible upon close inspection.

With a heartache, Erina gently and slowly caressed the wounds.

“Be careful, Connie.”

Connie’s eyes widened at Erina’s concerned words.

She was so surprised by those words that she even held her breath and stared at Erina.

“Are you… worried about me?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

Connie asked out of genuine curiosity.

Why worry about her, someone despised and avoided in her homeland, someone considered the most useless in the world.

“Because I’m concerned about you.”

“But I’m…”

“There’s no one in this world who deserves to be hurt. It’s not natural to be persecuted and assaulted.”

Connie couldn’t respond to Erina’s words.

“You are precious. So, don’t be hurt.”

Connie couldn’t raise her lowered head for a while, unfamiliar with the white hand patting her, strange with her stinging eyes.