Now This Family Belongs to My Mother Chapter 149

“Move aside! It’s the saintess’s procession!”

 

“Sa-Saintess?”

 

The mention of the saintess caused a stir among the crowd. Just then, the carriage window opened, and Stella poked her head out.

 

“Don’t be so harsh on the child,” Stella said gently.

 

“T-That’s the saintess!”

 

“Wait, isn’t that Lady Stella from the Blanche family?”

 

“No way, the infamous…”

 

“How did she end up becoming the saintess?”

 

“Was there some kind of misunderstanding?”

 

Ignoring the murmurs of the people, Stella’s carriage moved forward once again. The carriage stopped in front of the Blanche ducal estate.

 

“Open the gates immediately! The saintess has arrived!” The priest shouted arrogantly.

 

Soon, the grand gates slid open, and the carriage entered the estate without hesitation.

 

“Stop right there.” Hubert, who had been waiting in the garden, stepped forward to block the carriage.

 

The priest sitting at the front of the carriage frowned. “Even if you are the grand duke, you can’t block the saintess’s path.”

 

“And even if it’s the saintess’s procession, no armed forces may enter the Blanche ducal estate without permission.” Hubert’s sharp gaze shifted to the paladins lined up behind the carriage.

 

“They are paladins! Not ordinary soldiers! Are you prepared to take responsibility if something happens to the saintess because you sent them away?”

 

“This place was my granddaughter’s home until just this morning. What could possibly happen here?” Hubert retorted with a cold sneer. “Are you suggesting that Blanche is hostile toward Stella Blanche?”

 

The priest flinched.

 

At that moment, the carriage door opened. “Grandfather was right. Have all the paladins withdraw outside. I’ll walk from here.”

 

“Saintess!”

 

The priests were startled and hurried toward Stella. She took their hands and stepped down from the carriage. The other priests hurriedly took something out from behind the carriage. It was a pure white carpet.

 

What are they doing? Hubert looked at them with a puzzled expression.

 

The priests laid the carpet all the way to the entrance of the mansion. Stella watched this as if it were the most natural thing in the world and spoke. “Grandfather, you already knew I became the saintess, didn’t you?”

 

“I heard about it because Epirosa was there at the time.”

 

“Ah, right. That’s true. Please comfort Epirosa for me.”

 

“Comfort her? What do you mean?”

 

Stella lowered her eyebrows and spoke as though she felt sorry for her. “Epirosa seemed heartbroken. Until now, she received all the attention. But now that I’ve become the saintess, she won’t be able to do that anymore, will she?”

 

“…” Hubert thought it was such a Stella-like thing to worry about.

 

“But now that I’ve become the saintess, they say I have to live at the temple from now on.”

 

“…”

 

“So I came to say goodbye to you, Grandfather.”

 

“Alright, come in.” Hubert turned around and led the way.

 

Stella followed behind him lightly, stepping on the carpet laid out by the priests. She could feel the gazes of the servants peeking out from here and there, watching her. Haha, can you see? Look at me, returning as a saintess! She entered the mansion with a triumphant air.

 

“Tell everyone that the saintess has arrived and have everyone come out to greet her!” A priest said to Hubert. His tone was commanding, but Hubert obediently relayed the message to the servants.

 

“Summon the family members.”

 

* * *

At Hubert’s call, I came down to the first floor. As expected, Stella was waiting on the first floor, accompanied by the priests.

 

There was only one thing that deviated from my expectations. She made an even flashier entrance than I thought. I had watched everything through the window. To even bring a carpet, huh. It was probably Stella’s idea. To show everyone how grand and important she had become upon her return.

 

Soon, Mom and Nicholas also appeared.

 

“Bow your head and greet the saintess at once!” The priest shouted arrogantly.

 

Even if she is the saintess, to tell Hubert to bow his head to her?

 

The temple was a symbolic institution. Sure, everyone had been waiting for the legendary saintess, but Stella was only at the stage where she had received the pope’s recognition as a saintess. She hadn’t achieved anything significant on a national level. Even a national hero would rank lower than the emperor or Grand Duke Blanche.

 

The emperor and Grand Duke Blanche might respect the saintess, but their status isn’t lower than hers. That was because they were also the masters of divine beasts. Yet, Stella stood there silently, not even trying to stop the priest.

 

“What are you doing just standing there instead of bowing your heads and showing proper respect to the saintess?” The priest raised his voice. It was obvious that he had become emboldened by the saintess descending to the world again after such a long time.

 

But Grandfather isn’t someone who would bow his head. How much does he value our family’s honor?

 

At this rate, it felt like there might be a clash between the temple and the Blanche family. Stella, however, seemed indifferent. As long as she stood out, she didn’t seem to care. But I can’t let a conflict happen.

 

I quietly stepped forward. “The head of the Blanche family, who is the master of a divine beast, can’t casually bow his head.”

 

“What? Are you insulting the saintess right now?”

 

“My mother, who is also the successor to the divine beast, can’t casually bow her head either. This is to preserve the balance between the temple and the masters of the divine beasts.” Then, I approached Stella.

 

“How dare you…!”

 

A priest tried to block my way. Stella also frowned. But I smiled politely at Stella and knelt on one knee before her.

 

“Instead, would it be alright if someone as insignificant as me paid my respects to the saintess?”

 

I lowered my head. Kneeling on one knee and bowing one’s head was a form of greeting that, even among nobles, was reserved for someone of much lower status showing respect to someone of higher status. It was not only a gesture of respect but also an elevation of the authority of the person receiving it. Having received such treatment from someone none other than me, Stella would surely be satisfied. When I raised my head, as expected, a bright smile bloomed on Stella’s face.

 

“Even though I am the saintess, I can’t accept a bow from Grandfather or Aunt. This is enough.”

 

“Saintess, you don’t need to go this far to consider others.” The priests spoke with regret. It was an utterly ridiculous farce.

 

“Grandfather, I have something to discuss with you. Let’s go to your office.” Stella spoke brightly. However, her tone was as if she were giving an order.

 

“Let’s go.”

 

Hubert headed to the office with Stella. Stella didn’t even bother to tell me to get up as she left. As soon as Stella disappeared, my mother quickly came over to help me up.

 

“Are you okay?”

 

“Of course. Is my knee going to wear out just because I knelt for a little while?”

 

Stella might have considered this a great victory. But to me, it meant absolutely nothing.

 

After answering with a faint smile, I turned my head to look around. That’s when I noticed Nicholas staring blankly in the direction of the office. He looked upset, as if he couldn’t believe his sister, now a saintess, had completely ignored him.

 

* * *

“Epirosa must want to get on my good side. She really doesn’t have to go that far, though.” Stella sat on the sofa, smiling as if she was in a good mood.

 

The priests quickly intervened to stop her. “Please sit in the seat of honor, Saintess.” They were telling her to sit in Hubert’s chair.

 

“Oh my, how could I sit in Grandfather’s seat? Right, Grandfather?” Stella deliberately left the decision to Hubert. It was a sly move.

 

How could she be so different from Epirosa, despite being his granddaughter just the same? To think she would use her family just to make herself stand out. She was being compared to Epirosa, who had knelt down without hesitation for the honor of the family.

 

“Stella, if you want to sit there, then sit there.”

 

“No, Grandfather. Just because I’ve become the saintess, are you going to treat me like this too? Please treat me as you normally do.” Stella said with a bright smile. When Hubert sat down, trying to hide his discomfort, she quickly grabbed both of his hands. “Grandfather, even though I’m going to the temple as a saintess, I’ll always be a Blanche. I’ll become a saintess who brings strength to the family.”

 

“Thank you for saying that, Stella.”

 

“Please address her as saintess, not by her name.” The priest interrupted again.

 

Unable to hold back her smile, Stella spoke. “Priest, please don’t do that. I want to interact with my grandfather like I always have.”

 

“But—”

 

“I’ve always been a beloved granddaughter to my grandfather. Please understand.”

 

The priest sighed and closed his mouth.

 

Hubert glanced at the priest and then spoke. “So, what is it you want to say?”

 

“Grandfather, there’s someone who can help me become an excellent saintess. I want to bring that person to the temple as my guardian.”

 

“That person must be from this household then.”

 

“Yes! Even the divine revelation told me to stay together with that person.”

 

“And who might that be?”

 

Stella’s eyes sparkled brightly. “It’s Uncle Kobel.”