A fortune-telling princess Chapter 176

“I’ll take care of everything, so just focus on recovering quickly.”

“Father is right.”

“There’s no need to let those people push you around.”

Dealing with Duke Sorpel alone was already an overwhelming challenge for the temple, but now, Ludville, Ravi, and even Arison were taking turns pressuring them as well.

Because of that, the temple representatives couldn’t even properly relay their request to meet with Camilla.

And yet, they couldn’t return without completing the task assigned to them by the church.

So, they had been camping outside for days, refusing to leave.

“Hngh!”

Camilla had absentmindedly glanced toward the window when her eyes met Jaynor’s.

He was standing there casually, barely noticeable.

The moment he caught her gaze, he smiled brightly—then glanced outside and made a gesture, drawing his thumb across his neck.

Camilla quickly shook her head.

‘Don’t kill them!’

That was his way of asking if she wanted him to assassinate the annoying temple officials lingering outside.

A short sigh slipped from her lips.

“Well… I guess they deserve it.”

They certainly had no sense of boundaries.

But she could understand why they were acting this way.

“I can’t blame them.”

After all, this situation had stemmed from her own ignorance.

“Sigh.”

With another brief sigh, Camilla’s gaze shifted to another part of the room.

[The weather’s nice.]

There, crouched by the window, basking in the sunlight streaming into the room, was the priest’s ghost.

Arena Aguilas.

The last saintess.

“Right. A saintess.”

A true saint, who had saved countless lives with her immense divine power.

Even now, many still revered her.

When people spoke of the greatest holy figures, nine times out of ten, her name was mentioned.

Even Camilla—who had never been particularly interested in religion—had heard her name countless times in passing.

‘Considering it was her divine power that manifested through me…’

It was no wonder people were making such a fuss.

She had heard that an enormous number of people had sensed the divine power she unleashed that day.

Not just those who had been in the room, but everyone who had the ability to perceive sacred energy had felt it.

Some had even believed that God Himself had descended.

[I was always kind of amazing.]

I’ll admit it—annoying as you are, I can’t argue with that.

And yet, she had been the one to invite Arena into her body so carelessly.

She had unknowingly set herself up for trouble.

‘And besides, how does she still look like that when she was supposed to be in her seventies?’

That was the most shocking part.

Arena had passed away at the age of seventy-nine.

She had died just shy of her eightieth birthday.

But just look at her now—there was no way she could be in her seventies.

At best, she looked like she was in her late twenties.

[When you receive the love of God, you do not age.]

That love!

I want some of that too!

“Damn it.”

Wasn’t this divine favoritism a bit unfair?

Some people were made to suffer horribly, while others were showered with divine blessings to the point of eternal youth?

Even history books had recorded it.

The saintess Arena, blessed by the divine, retained her youth until the day she passed away.

But still—Camilla had never imagined this level of youthfulness.

Looking at her now, Camilla felt like she might actually start developing faith.

“Your Grace.”

At that moment, the door swung open, and Luve, the head butler, hurried inside.

For once, he looked slightly flustered—something highly uncharacteristic of him.

“What is it?”

“You have a visitor requesting an audience.”

“A visitor?”

Who could it be?

Duke Sorpel’s displeasure was immediately evident.

He had already made it clear that he did not wish to receive anyone until Camilla had fully recovered.

“It is the Pope.”

“…Who?”

“Pope Brisel has come to see you and Lady Camilla.”

At the mention of Pope Brisel personally visiting, Duke Sorpel’s eyes widened.

But his surprise was fleeting.

Immediately, his brow furrowed.

“Hah.”

His face, initially contorted with irritation, quickly turned cold. Then, a sharp chuckle escaped him.

He looked like a man who had just found the perfect target for his frustrations.

“This is perfect. There’s a lot I wanted to say.”

As if that were a cue, everyone in the room stood up.

Have they all been bottling up stress this whole time?

Wait—why is everyone picking up their weapons?!

Hey, guys, are you planning to go to war with the Pope or something?

“Wait!”

Camilla hurriedly stopped them.

She really didn’t want yet another mess happening because of her.

Besides, this wasn’t just some ordinary temple official—this was the Pope himself.

Avoiding the meeting indefinitely didn’t seem like the right course of action.

“I’ll meet with him.”

***

Inside the Reception Room

Ahem.

Hmm. Mm-hmm.

The temple officials, now seated in the reception room, cleared their throats awkwardly.

The High Priest, the cardinals, and the rest of the delegation couldn’t hide the nervous flickering in their eyes.

The only one maintaining a composed demeanor was Pope Brisel himself.

Even so, he had been swallowing dryly the entire time.

“Please, have some tea.”

“A-Ah, yes, Lady Camilla.”

“Thank you.”

Though Camilla politely offered them tea, no one dared to reach for their cups.

The unwavering glares locked onto them made it impossible to relax.

The hostility was tangible—Duke Sorpel, Ludville, Ravi, and Arison surrounded Camilla protectively, their presence exuding an almost tangible threat.

They didn’t even bother sitting down.

Instead, they stood close, clearly stating with their stance alone: We don’t want to be here. We don’t want to talk to you.

The Pope’s delegation felt completely suffocated.

‘Who… Who is that man?’

‘I have no idea.’

On top of everything, the enigmatic figure casually standing in the corner with a mischievous grin—Jaynor—was also adding to their unease.

His relaxed, almost amused posture only made them more wary.

‘I told you not to follow me.’

Camilla was just as exasperated.

She had said she would handle this alone—so why had everyone followed her in?

“I heard you wanted to meet me.”

Camilla’s bright smile finally broke the tense atmosphere.

The temple officials, who had been frozen in place, let out a small breath of relief.

At least she wasn’t outright hostile.

“How is your health?”

“As you can see, I’m much better.”

“That is truly fortunate.”

Cardinal Stela was the first to speak, easing into the conversation.

“We have come to escort you, Saintess.”

And with that, the dam broke.

The High Priest and other clergy members immediately chimed in, their words tumbling out as if they had been barely restraining themselves.

“All the preparations for your appointment have been completed.”

“You need only accompany us to the Papal Palace.”

“So many people eagerly await your return, Saintess.”

They spoke as though her acceptance was already decided.

The air in the room instantly turned ice-cold again.

The temple officials felt the change immediately.

The atmosphere became so heavy that their bodies instinctively tensed.

The people behind Camilla simultaneously released an unmistakable aura of killing intent.

Silence fell once again.

The sound of dry swallowing could be heard throughout the room.

No one dared to speak.

“A saintess is one chosen by God.”

Despite the suffocating tension, Pope Brisel finally broke the silence.

His voice was soft, deliberate.

His smile was warm and reassuring, the very picture of gentle wisdom.

Even the way he looked at Camilla was filled with kindness.

“It is an honorable and blessed role—for you, and for the church as well. You should take pride in it.”

“Pride, you say.”

Camilla’s lips curved into a delicate, almost artistic smile.

The Pope took that as a sign of acceptance, and his expression softened further.

“When shall you begin fulfilling your duty?”

“I won’t.”

“…Pardon?”

“I said I won’t accept the role.”

The smile slowly vanished from the Pope’s face.

‘Oh?’

I didn’t notice it when he was smiling, but with his expression hardened like that… he actually has quite a sharp look, doesn’t he?

“S-Saintess!”

“How could you refuse?!”

“That’s unthinkable—!”

The temple officials burst into an uproar.

For someone who had displayed such extraordinary divine power to reject the title of Saintess—this was unheard of.

“The title of Saintess is a role bestowed by God.”

The Pope’s voice dropped lower, his tone firmer.

His gaze on Camilla now held a slight trace of reprimand.

In his mind, she was simply too young to fully understand the weight of her situation.

“Am I truly fit for that role?”

“What are you saying, Saintess?”

“Of course you are!”

She let a moment of thoughtful silence stretch before sweeping her gaze across the temple officials.

“I have received a revelation.”

“What?!”

“A revelation, you say…?”

The moment the word revelation was spoken, the atmosphere shifted once again.

The temple officials’ eyes widened in shock.

A revelation from God was the most sacred and absolute guidance of all.

Even the Pope could not ignore it.

Even Duke Sorpel and the others—who had been silently watching—could not hide their surprise.

A revelation?

Had she had another prophetic dream?

All of them had already experienced firsthand how terrifyingly accurate her visions could be.

But something felt off.

Camilla had never once referred to her dreams as revelations before.

“Did you say… revelation?”

The Pope spoke again, this time unable to completely conceal his unease.

His face remained composed, but the weight in his voice betrayed his tension.

Truthfully, he had not wanted to come here today.

The existence of a Saintess was complicated.

‘I cannot allow the past to repeat itself.’

Years ago, there had been another Saintess who shook the world.

Arena Aguilas.

The people worshiped her.

But the more her influence grew, the more the church’s authority weakened.

Before long, the Saintess’s words carried more weight than the Pope’s.

And the people no longer viewed the Pope as the head of the church—they saw him as beneath the Saintess.

The existence of a Saintess was both a blessing and a curse for the church.

They were invaluable assets, drawing people into the faith with their divine power.

But they were also dangerous.

The best course of action was clear—keep her under control.

Monitor her every move.

Ensure she followed only his directives.

That was why he had hesitated to come in person.

A Pope requesting an audience first was a sign of submission.

But when Camilla refused to meet with any clergy members, he had no choice but to come himself.

They could not afford to leave a Saintess outside of the church’s grasp.

Too many eyes were watching.

And if he was going to bring her in, he needed to ensure that her loyalty was not to the church itself—but to him alone.

‘But this girl…’

Something was off.

From the very beginning, she had not behaved as expected.

And now, she had just introduced an even more problematic element—

‘A revelation?’

For the first time, uncertainty flickered in the Pope’s gaze.