The Villainess Intends to Have It All - Chapter 89

Cony, who had gathered her thoughts, quietly brought up the subject of their movements to Erina.

“Lady Asila told us to obtain a poison from the Small Kingdom Alliance that could instantly end life.”

“Poison, you say.”

Erina had expected that Rose would find a way to act if cornered.

But when she received confirmation, her heart felt heavy.

“There was also an order to provoke the Empire for the sake of her lover.”

From Cony’s words, Erina saw through what Rose intended to do.

It was clear that Rose was planning to move to divert attention at the moment she took action, while simultaneously restoring Peiron’s honor.

For that purpose, she would not care about any sacrifice.

“Lady Asila joined the gate movement to receive the poison from the Tower.”

“From the Tower?”

“There are quite a few sages supported by the Small Kingdom Alliance.”

Sages who researched magic and artifacts also needed money to move towards their goals.

While temples had holy water created from the goddess’s spring for their operation, towers did not.

As a result, sages had to engage in economic activities on their own, unlike temple priests, by receiving sponsorships or working as professors.

Sages, with their diverse knowledge, sometimes worked as strategists under state sponsorship, or as history professors due to their deep knowledge of history since the magical era.

If not that, they worked as professors or took jobs in fields they excelled in.

“I hear one of the sages is skilled in herbology. When we go to the Tower, I will likely escort Lady Asila.”

“Be careful, Cony.”

“Please take care of yourself too, Countess.”

As Cony finished talking with Erina and hurriedly left the prayer room, Sereny entered next, pretending it was by chance, and closed the door.

Erina quickly handed Sereny another communication artifact and inquired after her well-being.

“Viscountess Borbom, are you feeling alright?”

“Thank you for your concern. Fortunately, I haven’t had morning sickness, so they haven’t noticed in Tula Kingdom.”

“It seems the child is already taking care of its mother.”

Sereny thought it was truly fortunate.

Her father, the King of Tula, would surely try to exploit even this if he learned of the pregnancy.

Sereny was disgusted by his fanatical devotion to Lady Rose Iolls, whom he called Queen.

“I thought it would take longer to learn about that person, but yesterday the King of Tula told me right away.”

Sereny recalled how her father had addressed her with even greater reverence than the Emperor of the Empire.

It was so extreme that it seemed almost cult-like.

As Sereny shook her head, Erina smiled and concluded their greetings.

“If anything happens, please contact me anytime, Viscountess.”

“Thank you, Countess Medelia.”

After Sereny left the prayer room, Erina turned back to face the statue of the goddess.

The fear she had felt when looking at the goddess statue while regaining her memories from before the regression now felt as comforting as if it had never existed.

Erina’s expression softened at the sight of the goddess statue that seemed to sparkle with a faint golden light.

She looked like a child quietly gazing at a beautiful music box they had received as a gift.

“I will not waste this chance you have given me again.”

Erina had thought she had simply possessed a character in a book she had once read, with an unfortunate previous life.

But she had returned through the help and sacrifice of many.

It was the last remaining chance, and the only chance.

Erina’s mind became complicated.

Then, realizing more time had passed than she thought, Erina was about to leave the prayer room, thinking the person she was waiting for wouldn’t come.

Just as she opened the door to leave, someone entered.

“Erina.”

The one who quietly entered was Raharta, whom Erina had been waiting for.

“Raharta!”

Raharta, with his dazzling golden hair shining, quickly closed the prayer room door and approached Erina with a truly delighted expression.

“I’m sorry we don’t have time for a long conversation, Erina.”

“It’s alright, thank you for responding to my request.”

Raharta, who had ascended to the position of Pope, had to maintain a neutral position in relations with all countries.

At this time, when the Asilium Empire and the Small Kingdom Alliance were in confrontation, he couldn’t openly contact nobles of the Asilium Empire, so he requested a secret meeting.

This was also why Isahel had personally chosen the prayer room as a place to stay.

“In my dreams, I see things from before the regression that I don’t remember.”

Raharta’s face darkened at Erina’s words.

“You’re going through the process of your memories fully returning.”

“It seems so. But not only that, I also see their movements after my death.”

“Erina.”

“I think they will move soon. I hear the Small Kingdom Alliance is preparing to cause unrest in the Empire and preparing poison for her.”

Raharta looked at her with a worried face, but Erina quietly smiled and avoided his gaze.

Understanding Erina’s desire to hold back her words, he asked.

“The temple will be watching them too. If anything happens, please contact me anytime through the artifact I gave you, Erina.”

“Thank you, Raharta.”

Knowing they couldn’t talk leisurely like before, they quickly wrapped up their greetings.

Raharta left the prayer room first, and shortly after, Erina also exited.

When she returned to where they had initially dispersed from the prayer room, Isahel nodded slightly as he saw Erina approaching.

Not long after, all the nobles returned, and as they had to move to the Tower immediately due to their schedule, the temple tour came to an end.

Everyone moved together to the temporary square in front of the gate where the nobles had gathered before departing for the temple.

People began to converse with puzzled looks as they noticed Rose staring blankly at the purple gate in a corner of the square.

“Oh my, it seems Lady Asila did not go to the temple.”

“Indeed. I thought she moved together with us.”

“She must not be particularly interested in the temple.”

“But don’t people usually show more interest in the temple than the tower?”

Erina felt that Rose’s reputation in social circles had certainly changed from before.

Before meeting Peiron, Rose actively participated in various gatherings, acting to appear as a fragile yet kind woman.

But now, Rose could not care about the gazes of those watching her, as she sought to regain the prophecy by any means.

It became increasingly difficult to see Rose at social gatherings, and the sensitive Rose with her hidden wounds could not respond gently.

Rose, once called the flower of social circles, was gradually withering away from society.

Everything was progressing as Erina wished and desired.

Rose, now aware of the returned nobles, suddenly came to her senses and straightened her clothes.

But seeing this, a viscountess who disliked her approached with a smile and spoke in a twisted tone.

“It seems Lady Asila did not like the temple!”

“My lady, what do you mean by that?”

Rose showed a fragile gesture with a pale face at the sudden attack.

“You remained here alone without going to the temple.”

The viscountess who spoke to Rose was known for her offensive manner of speech that often drew criticism.

Normally, many would have reprimanded the viscountess, but today no one reproached her.

Rose noticed this fact and, lowering her eyes full of irritation, pretended to hug her arm with one hand while pressing hard on the unhealed wound hidden beneath her glove.

With a face pale from pain, she made her eyes glisten with tears for all to see.

“You misunderstand. I simply remained here because I was unwell and didn’t want to burden everyone.”

“No, why did someone who was unwell come here in the first place?”

“I apologize, I pushed myself too hard out of eagerness to come and caused inconvenience.”

The viscountess frowned at Rose’s expression that seemed on the verge of tears.

The nobles began to restrain the viscountess, seeing Rose’s pitiful appearance.

The knight who had led them to the gate hesitated at the sudden situation, but soon called out to move to the tower as the atmosphere quickly calmed.

“We shall move now!”

As people followed the knight, they were busy glancing back at Rose, who followed with a tearful face.

Rose, walking at the very back, was burning with rage inside.

She was so angry she wanted to stab and kill Erina, who was walking proudly at the front.

The one who comforted such a Rose was Cony, who quietly observed her.

“Lady Asila.”

Rose felt a strange satisfaction at the sight of Cony, who quietly approached and walked a step behind her as if following.

Cony’s actions of exalting her as if it were natural and her ingrained attitude of submission were enough to calm Rose’s boiling emotions.

Rose controlled her anger, but she could not read the emotion contained in Cony’s pitch-black eyes.

The nobles followed the knight’s guidance and moved through the gate towards the tower, just as they had when coming to the temple.

Upon arriving at the tower, the nobles once again exclaimed in amazement, as they had when arriving at the temple.

If the nobles were amazed by the unapproachable holiness at the temple, at the tower they were astonished by the height that made them question whether it was possible for humans to build such a thing.

Unlike the temple where only the High Priest Isahel welcomed the nobles, several people waited for them in front of the gate at the tower.

As all the nobles crossed the gate and arrived at the tower, a familiar face came forward as a representative to greet them, and Erina recognized him.

“Greetings. I am Tarshan Rokan, the Great Sage of Meltias Tower.”

The nobles were all surprised at Tarshan’s greeting.