The imperial palace garden sparkled with dew that had fallen all night, glistening on the leaves.
It was a peaceful scene straight out of a romance fantasy novel—completely at odds with the man who had his head plunged into the fountain.
"Pfoo-haa!"
Darcor lifted his head, splashing water wildly.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙B-Grade Villain Elimination Complete. Reward: Performance of Madness Alleviation Passive enhanced. Passive Effect: Time suppressing murderous impulses increased by 2 hours.
"Kuh. That's exactly it."
Darcor swept back his wet hair, a satisfied smile spreading across his face.
The smuggling ring had put up more resistance than expected, giving him a hard time, but seeing the reward made all the fatigue vanish.
"Ahh. Refreshing. If the Empress hadn't shown up last night, I could've cut down more."
He smacked his lips and checked the pocket watch on his wrist.
"Let's see. What time is it now?"
The hands pointed to 5 a.m.
Darcor's eyes widened like they might pop out.
"I'm screwed."
Cold sweat trickled down his back.
He recalled Edel's chilling expression and her threat that he'd get nothing if he was late.
"Run!"
Darcor bolted toward his chambers with all the strength he had left.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
"Waaah! It's Saintess Chloe!"
"Saintess! Please bless us too!"
"Oh no, my child's sick! P-Please take a look, just once!"
As dawn broke, the streets by the capital's main gate were packed with crowds.
They had all come to see the procession of Chloe, the Saintess called the Empire's most noble being, the proxy of the gods.
"May the grace of the gods be with you."
The saintess corps in white priestly robes scattered flower petals to clear the path, while Chloe elegantly waved from her carriage.
Golden blonde hair, porcelain skin, and a benevolent smile.
She was a living angel.
Chloe reached out to a woman who rushed forward cradling a newborn, bestowing a blessing.
"Th-Thank you! Sniff..."
The woman wept in gratitude.
Cheers erupted wherever the Saintess's touch reached.
'Ugh... disgusting. How many days has that auntie gone without washing? She stinks so bad.'
But behind her perfect smile, Chloe's inner thoughts were rotting away.
She was dying to shake off the invisible grime on her hands but held back.
'If you're sick, go see a doctor. Why mooch off free healing? This is why I hate poor people.'
If not for the church's orders, she would've turned the carriage around immediately.
She had come to the capital after so long to shop at luxury boutiques, but the streets were full of filthy beggars.
'Haa... so stressful. I'll just slap on some blessings and squeeze a huge reward out of that idiot Emperor.'
Chloe crinkled the corners of her eyes, smiling even brighter.
'How much was that new season bag again?'
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
"Saintess Chloe seeks an audience with Your Majesty."
In the palace audience chamber.
Darcor slouched against the throne, stifling a yawn.
He had barely slept due to the morning fuss over the Saintess's arrival.
Chloe strode confidently to the foot of the throne and stared straight at Darcor, chin held high.
Any ordinary noble would have averted their eyes under the Emperor's presence, but she was the Saintess backed by the church's authority.
"I have come to examine Your Majesty's illness by order of the Archbishop."
"Illness? I'm perfectly fine."
Darcor waved her off lazily.
"I heard you suffer from Madness Level. Hallucinations every night, smashing things, that sort of thing."
A sly smile curled Chloe's lips.
"Worry not. My holy power will cleanse it right away. The power of the gods is absolute."
She exuded confidence.
Darcor smirked, narrowing his eyes.
'Let's see what she's worth.'
⚔ STATUS ⚔Checking character's information.⚡ Target: Chloe (Saintess)Identified as an important character.✨ Analyzing...⚠️ WARNING ⚠️
Failed to retrieve information.
Insufficient Karma.
Scan failed.
As expected from a main character—her defenses were high.
'Failed, huh? Whatever.'
He was a veteran reader of the original novel anyway.
He knew this woman inside and out, down to her hidden hobbies.
'The Empire's top materialistic Saintess.'
On the surface, a benevolent Saintess caressing her people.
But in truth, a monstrous villainess who manipulated oracles for money and never used holy power on the poor.
'Trying to peddle her wares here.'
That was Chloe's true face.
"Then let us begin."
Chloe gracefully raised her hand.
White mist rose from her fingertips.
"With the great light of the gods, drive out the inner darkness and bestow the blessing of purification..."
⟨ Purification Blessing ⟩
Soon, she chanted the holy incantation and placed her hand on the Emperor's head.
The ministers held their breath, watching the sacred ritual.
Just as the light was about to touch the Emperor's forehead.
Splat.
"...!"
A chilling aura spread through Chloe's body like a splash.
'Wh-What is this?'
This wasn't the Madness Level she had imagined.
The sticky, fishy killing intent of a butcher who had slaughtered thousands,
and overwhelming terror pierced her mind.
Flash.
The space around Chloe rippled.
The audience chamber's splendor vanished, leaving only darkness.
And in that darkness,
a massive shadow rose behind the Emperor on his throne.
A black-masked figure drenched in blood from head to toe.
The figure looked down at Chloe and grinned grotesquely.
"Found you."
The chilling voice echoed in her ears.
"H-Hiiik?!"
Chloe shrieked and stumbled back.
Her legs tangled on their own,
Thud!
The elegant Saintess fell flat on her butt, sprawling ignobly on the floor.
Her white priestly robes crumpled, and her haughty, confident face was gone.
"S-Saintess!"
"Wh-What's wrong all of a sudden?"
The startled priests rushed forward amid murmurs,
but Chloe had no time for them.
She trembled uncontrollably, staring up at the Emperor in terror.
"D-Demon... It's a demon..."
The audience chamber's atmosphere turned icy in an instant.
The Saintess calling the Emperor a demon?
Even for a Saintess, that bordered on treason.
But Darcor let out a massive yawn and casually picked at his ear.
"What's with her? Is she weak and seeing things?"
Chloe stammered, sweat pouring down her face.
"Y-Your Majesty has... s-something terrifying inside... darkness!"
"You said you'd heal me, and it's already over? I was looking forward to it this morning."
Darcor shook his head and clicked his tongue.
"No effect at all. More like, you look the one who's sick, Saintess."
"Th-That's not it!"
Darcor stood from his throne.
He slowly approached Chloe, still sitting there after her fall.
His shadow fell over her face,
and he crouched down to meet her eyes.
"All talk, no substance, huh, Saintess?"
"Wh-What do you mean!"
"Didn't expect your holy power to be this weak. Shame. Oh, are you on your period or something, Saintess?"
He whispered just loud enough for everyone in the chamber to hear.
Silence fell over the audience chamber.
'So much for the great Saintess. Just rumors.'
'Buckled under the Emperor's presence and fell?'
The ministers' gazes turned suspicious.
Chloe's face burned red with humiliation.
The terror instantly turned to shame and rage.
"I-I'll take my leave! I'm not feeling well!"
Chloe fled the chamber, supported by her priests.
Murmurs from the ministers stabbed her back like daggers.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
"H-How dare he treat this noble body like some wench?"
Back in her quarters, Chloe hurled a vase from the table.
Crash!
"Uwaaaah! Is he insane? Humiliating me like that?!"
She paced the room, biting her nails.
Her hands shook.
The terror of the vision she'd never seen before mixed with the public humiliation, churning her stomach.
'Damn it... What was that black-masked thing? No normal human gives off that aura.'
Something was definitely there.
Not the incompetent tyrant from the rumors.
Some massive unknown presence was writhing in the shadows.
'Shit... All I've built, ruined by that worthless Emperor!'
Fleeing like this would shake her position in the church.
If word spread that the Saintess was washed up, her glamorous life was over.
Chloe's eyes gleamed viciously.
'Just you wait. I'll dig up every secret about you.
I'll show you exactly who I am tonight.'
Meanwhile, Darcor left the chamber, loosening his tight shirt and humming a tune.
He looked utterly relaxed.
"Weird woman. Edel, let's grab some food. Steak for lunch today, right?"
"Lower your voice. Someone might hear."
Edel, following behind, sighed and began her nagging.
"Even so, calling the church's Saintess a weird woman? Have some dignity."
"Why? It's true. You saw her freak out and fall, right? That's no Saintess."
"Haa... You need to consider relations with the church."
"Edel, you don't know what kind of woman the Saintess is.
She's flashy on the outside, but blacker inside than me."
Darcor clicked his tongue and shook his head.
Edel replied with a blank expression.
"No one in the world is blacker than Your Majesty."
"Hey, that's too much."
Darcor looked aggrieved, but Edel ignored him and headed to the dining hall.
"The steak's getting cold. Hurry up."