Chapter 34: You think you’ll be fine, right?

“Do you think you’ll be fine?”

Words cannot be taken back.

Meanwhile, even though she made the contract before meeting me, she talks as if she made it with me in mind.

Well, it’s over now.

It’s time to stop dragging this out.

“Well then.”

I flicked my finger lightly.

The church’s paladins rushed in.

Even though the Imperial Church is rotten, the paladins are selected from among the elite.

They will probably show some respect towards Lily.

“Saint, you called for us.”

I like how polite they are.

The position of a Saint is quite nice indeed.

“Alright then, Paladins. Take Lily Rapha Ashtar away. She has committed the crime of making a contract with a succubus in the capital, tarnishing the reputation of the Empire by ruining Atlerina, the Empire’s elite educational institution. Nora will be taken by Claire.”

“Yes, Saint.”

Lily was dragged away by the paladins, and Nora was taken away by Claire.

However, unlike Nora, who quietly followed while holding Claire’s hand, Lily struggled to the very end.

“This is too much! It’s unfair! We’re both daughters! Why is my sister loved while I am ignored and have to live like this? Why did Father leave me behind there!”

“That’s your misunderstanding. Father probably didn’t even know your mother was pregnant.”

“If you were so upset, you should have been born to our mother.”

“I hate you, sister!”

“Sorry, but the one you hate has already been dead for a long time.”

‘Should I just tell Lily?’

I quietly approached Lily and whispered in her ear.

“If your goal was to get rid of Olivia Rapha Ashtar, then you’ve succeeded.”

“What do you mean?”

‘What do I mean, you ask?’

“Do I still look like Olivia to you?”

I looked straight into her eyes.

“W-what are you talking about?”

“Thanks to you painting Olivia as a villain, obsessed with the crown prince and tormenting her sister, Olivia committed suicide.”

She probably didn’t know.

It’s satisfying to see her face contort like that.

Her instincts must tell her that the woman in front of her is not the one she wanted to deal with.

“Goodbye then.”

“Everyone! That’s not my sister! She’s a demon! The thing inside that body is a demon! Your Highness! Please, save me! Your Highness!”

Lily pointed at me and screamed.

“A demon, huh. Well, if you trace my origins, it’s not entirely wrong. There’s a rumor that those who came from the land of destruction are descendants of god-slayers.”

“Lily, if you’re innocent, you will be freed.”

“Your Highness! You must not trust that woman!”

‘I don’t expect this man to trust me.’

“Poor Lily. You’re still lying even now. I hope one day you will be rehabilitated.”

“Your Highness!”

And with that, Lily was dragged away by the paladins.

‘Poor Lily. That’s why people should know when to stop.’

***

Professor Adran left with the paladins, and the remaining room was utterly silent.

Judging by the fact that no one stopped Lily’s punishment, it’s certain that the spell has been broken.

Some people were looking at me cautiously.

Since it was so quiet, I decided to break the mood.

“Has everyone come to their senses?”

“…Were you also affected?”

The first to respond to my words was Aslan.

“Olivia was probably affected as well. It’s hard to imagine that Lily didn’t target her.”

“Yes, I became the villainess who obsessed over His Highness and tormented my sister. Perhaps that’s why Lily couldn’t manipulate the commoners.”

I could roughly calculate the situation.

Lily, who had borrowed her powers for several years, had already become an expert in that field.

“I have no face to show you.”

Everyone except Yuria was hanging their heads.

“This is not just a place to judge Lily.”

“What do you mean?”

“What do I mean? It’s the place to judge all of you.”

“If you think this is simply a place to judge Lily, you’re mistaken. As students of Atlerina, nobles who have received personal instruction from childhood, how could you not even realize you were being manipulated by a succubus?”

“That’s…”

This incident has exposed the Empire’s weaknesses. The nobles have proven their incompetence, while the commoners who weren’t manipulated will have an opportunity to rise.

“If I hadn’t become a Saint, what do you think would have happened to Atlerina? Think about it. The Empire has long been supported by the nobles who graduate from Atlerina. Now, imagine if the people here, who were manipulated, later entered the military or political world. Or worse, became the Empress. This country would have been at the mercy of Lily, and many nobles who favor her would have rebelled against the Empire.”

“I’ve seen many countries fall due to women ruining them. Even before the Empire was founded, nations fell because of them.”

“Olivia, that’s too much of a leap!”

Ah, it’s Ryla.

I smirked at Ryla’s words.

“Can you be so sure? You, who have been deceived by Lily this whole time? You, who even tried to take me down with other students in the swordsmanship department?”

“That’s…”

“You see, even he can’t be sure. Which means I’m right.”

“The Empire would have collapsed in an instant.”

“Reflect on yourselves. In times of peace, this might be forgivable, but we’re currently facing increasing threats from the Four Heavenly Kings after the Demon King’s death. And yet, you were manipulated by Lily, using only half of a succubus’s abilities, in the Imperial capital, no less. You are unqualified to inherit your family’s titles or to succeed after graduation.”

“To be clear, if these people are responsible for the Empire’s future, oh boy. The horrors that await.”

“I’m sorry.”

“You don’t need to apologize to me. You owe an apology and sincere reflection to the commoners who have been paying taxes for you all this time. What do you think the people of the Empire or the surrounding nations will think of us if people like you are the future of the Empire?”

“The countries around the Empire are small in comparison. They would surely laugh at us.”

“Your words are too harsh.”

The bespectacled model student… I’ve seen that face before.

“Oh? You’re the heir of the Prasion family, aren’t you? Do you really think you’re in a position to get angry at me? The commoner students have all heard the rumors. The heir of the Prasion family brings flowers to Lily every day.”

Lohas Prasion.

He is the son of the current Minister of Administration, Lois Prasion.

Known for his exceptional accounting skills, he helped manage his father’s estate from a young age.

Such a person had fallen for Lily’s manipulation.

“That’s…”

“Well? Are you going to say it didn’t happen? Are you going to make excuses?”

He couldn’t say anything.

‘So the rumors weren’t entirely false.’

Even if he had given her flowers out of goodwill, how would it look to others?

“Let’s just admit it. We were wrong. The student council should hold an event to apologize to the commoner students.”

Ah, I got heated again.

My mind keeps following Olivia’s body.

I said I would become Olivia, but I don’t want to be a girl filled with lingering regrets.’

I need to calm down.

I settled my heart quietly.

“Since His Highness has spoken, I won’t push the matter further.”

“You’re stepping back surprisingly quickly.”

‘There’s no reason for me to stay longer.’

Being with them makes me feel like I’m mocking the nobles, who are just as much victims of this revenge.

“Of course. I am now a Saint. Now that you are reflecting on your mistakes, I believe you will take care of the rest on your own without needing me to say more.”

The commoner students witnessed the judgment.

I don’t need to interfere any further.

I’m curious to see how you will all react.

***

To calm my mind, I left the church and walked around its vicinity for a bit.

I needed to control my emotions because my mind kept following Olivia’s path.

The paladins guarding the church greeted me.

They weren’t seeing Noah, the great mage, nor the dead Olivia.

They were looking at the Empire’s first Saint, Olivia, who successfully exposed the Lily incident.

“You should have seen this, Olivia.”

I still don’t quite understand.

Honestly, how could a person like Noah enter a dead body?

It’s a living body, so did the soul of the dead Noah enter it?

If that’s the case, am I moving this body in Olivia’s stead, wherever she might be?

Or maybe she’s still inside this body.

“Olivia.”

When I turned my head, there was the Crown Prince.

His eyes looked sharper than before, as if he had been following me for some time.

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“I’m truly sorry for everything.”

He lowered his head, sincerely asking for forgiveness.

When you roll around with a group of warriors, you can’t help but develop a discerning eye for people.

The Crown Prince’s eyes were filled with genuine reflection.

It was an apology from the heart.

But here’s the thing…

That apology is not meant for me.

“Hmm, it doesn’t matter anymore.”

I wasn’t affected at all.

‘I’m not the one who should receive this apology.’

The person who deserves it no longer exists.

“I see. I suppose it’s still hard to forgive.”

“It’s not about that; it just doesn’t mean anything anymore.”

Olivia is already dead, and all that remains is someone wearing Olivia’s shell.

The original owner of this body is gone.

But the body isn’t dead, so I can’t even go to a grave and pray for her.

“What will happen to Lily?”

“Are you still hung up on Lily?”

‘If so, you’re truly something.’

‘Is this what they call love born from brainwashing?’

“That’s not it. You and Lily are both Ashtars, after all. And both of you were once my fiancées, so I’m simply curious.”

“Fair enough. As your former fiancée, I suppose you’re curious.”

“Even though she’s an Ashtar, the best she can hope for is being sent to a monastery. In the worst case, she will be executed. My father is very clear about separating public and private matters. But considering the public’s gaze, she will likely end up in a monastery.”

That’s how aristocratic society works.

‘I don’t really want to kill Lily either.’

Living and being scorned for the rest of her life sounds far more satisfying than simply killing her.

“Why kill her when I can mock her forever?”

“I see.”

“Do you have anything else to say?”

“Why are you still here?”

“I plan to renounce my position as Crown Prince.”

“…What?”

“Renounce the position of Crown Prince? Is this lunatic really saying that after all the work I put in dealing with the nobles?”

“I didn’t do this for the Crown Prince, but isn’t this a chance you should take advantage of? Apologize to the commoners, kneel before them, and lead Atlerina again!”

“You said it yourself before—it’s a small empire. Yet, while I claimed to govern for the people, I only associated with nobles and cared about their opinions. I thought that by aligning myself with them, I could carry out the politics I wanted, given that many of the nobles in Atlerina will later join the parliament or support it.”

“Since the imperial power isn’t strong, that method would have been the easiest.”

To maintain the vast empire, the imperial family abandoned centralization.

Thanks to that, the Empire has continued under a feudal system to this day.

Of course, with this incident, the nobles who were meant to support the feudal system are faltering, but still.

Had the Crown Prince kept those nobles under control, his method wouldn’t have been so bad.

If he could have manipulated those foolish nobles, politics for the people wouldn’t have been so difficult.

The problem was that the Crown Prince lacked that capability.

In a way, it’s partly my fault.

To uproot Lily, this outcome was inevitable.

It’s better for the nobles to shrink than for the Empire to be destroyed.