But I never expected something like this to happen.
The visitor to the High Temple was a vassal of Count Kiris.
Since he was a nobleman with a title, I naturally assumed he'd been guided straight to my reception room.
But when I heard he was still at the temple entrance, I wondered what was going on...
"S-sniff... I-I'm s-sorry..."
A trainee priestess was kneeling on the floor, sobbing and apologizing, surrounded protectively by several Holy Knights.
In front of her stood a man dressed immaculately from head to toe.
His monocled blue eyes were filled with contempt.
Judging from the trainee's tear-streaked face, as if she'd been slapped, it seemed the maid who informed me wasn't just scared of me.
"What exactly is going on here?"
As I approached and asked, the people gathered flinched and stepped back.
The man, who had been grumbling angrily, scowled deeply when he saw me.
"So you've finally arrived, Lady Kiris."
Lady Kiris?
It was the first time I'd heard that title since possessing this body, and the corners of my lips twitched up.
"It seems the temple fails to properly educate its lower ranks, so I took the liberty of doing it myself."
"Educate?"
"She didn't recognize the greatness of Count Kiris and made me wait out here. In a temple that would've long collapsed if not for the Count's support, how dare she?"
His rude words cast a cold silence over the surroundings.
Even if this place only barely survives thanks to the Count's donations, it is still the High Temple, serving the Sun God more closely than anywhere else.
Those words had clearly crossed a line.
"Lady Kiris, what do you think the Count would say if he found out about this? You should start giving proper education from today."
The man raised his chin and declared proudly.
Irik and Seth, who had rushed over late, also had hardened expressions.
But the man didn't seem the least bit fazed by their presence.
In fact, he looked me straight in the eye, as if daring me to stop him.
"Well then, hurry up and guide me inside. Standing around like this is making my legs sore."
"That bastard..."
At his brazen behavior—treating the Saintess like a servant—Victoria, standing behind me, gripped her sword. She looked ready to cut him down with a single order.
But instead of granting that permission, I stepped forward.
"Well, aren't you full of yourself. So…"
"…"
"So... who the hell are you?"
Damn. I wanted to say something cooler, but I totally blanked on his name.
Only main characters like Irik or Seth can recognize people just by their appearance. How am I supposed to remember every little Kiris lackey?
"What was your name again?"
There was no helping it. I swallowed my pride and asked, and from somewhere came a stifled snort of laughter.
Irik was grabbing Seth's shoulder and covering his face, visibly trembling with laughter.
Seth, too, had his jaw clenched tight.
Seeing the two main characters like that, the man's face flushed with humiliation.
Yeah, even I had to admit they were being a bit harsh.
"How can you not know the name of someone who serves the Count!"
"How am I supposed to remember every single person like that?"
"'Someone like that'?!"
"How fancy can your name be that you keep yelling without even introducing yourself? Seriously, who are you?"
"I-it's Baron William Gale!"
It was the kneeling trainee priestess who supplied his name, still on the floor.
"Oh, thank you for letting me know. But still, you definitely look like you got hit. Are you okay? Someone please take the trainee priestess for treatment."
At my words, a female priestess rushed over and helped the trainee up.
Wait a second, that tearful face looks really young. This bastard—he hit a kid? Is he insane?
"You beat a kid like that in the High Temple? I'm not sure who's the one needing education here. So, you said Baron Grail?"
"It's Gale! And the issue is that she didn't recognize me, who came on the Count's orders, and dared to stop me, saying I needed permission!"
"So you hit someone for doing their job properly? Baron Goreil, what's wrong with your personality?"
"It's Gale! And how is that proper—!"
"If you're an uninvited guest barging in without being summoned, of course you should be stopped."
Gale flinched. He looked genuinely shocked, as if he couldn't believe I had said that.
It was honestly laughable.
"No matter who you are or whose orders you came under—if you want to enter here, you must get permission from me, the High Priest, or the Commander of the Holy Knights. That's your place in this temple."
"..."
"Got that, Baron Gain?"
Gale bristled again, but this time, unlike before, he didn't bother correcting me on his name.
Yeah. At this point, he should be starting to understand.
That I had absolutely no intention of properly remembering the name of someone who dared to cause a scene in the High Temple.
"I'd love to kick you out... but it seems like you've got something to say. I'll give you a chance—either turn around and leave or come in quietly. I won't stop you, so choose for yourself."
Without waiting for a reply, I turned and strode inside.
Irik and Seth didn't follow right away. They just stood there, calmly staring Gale down.
There was no trace of laughter left on their faces now.
Leaving them behind, I headed to my room with Victoria.
After all, Gale's choice was obvious.
Just as I predicted, Gale didn't leave. He stayed, swallowing his humiliation.
Victoria told me Irik and Seth were still with him.
So, what was I doing?
"Ah, I feel so refreshed after a bath! Nothing beats a good wash after sweating it out."
I'd exercised in the morning—of course I needed to clean up afterward! And thanks to the underground spring, water was one thing we didn't have to worry about spending on.
"It's a shame I couldn't give you a proper massage thanks to that uninvited guest. It really helps to loosen the muscles."
Victoria, who had been drying my wet hair, sighed.
It had been about three days now? Since Victoria had started opening up to me, she had gotten into the habit of giving me a massage after my bath. And being a knight, she was quite good at it, too—I was getting spoiled.
"I'll miss it too. But we shouldn't leave the High Priest and the Commander stuck with that baron forever. Let's go."
Dressed in my Saintess robes, I headed into the reception room connected to my bedroom.
And I couldn't help but smile.
The arrogant, puffed-up Gale from earlier was nowhere to be found.
Now he sat completely deflated, cowed by Irik and Seth's presence.
"At least you weren't lonely with the High Priest and Commander to keep you company."
Gale looked at me with a wounded expression, but I ignored it and took the main seat.
"You two may leave now."
Just as I had hinted a few days ago.
They'd pretend to resist, then step out reluctantly…
"No, we can't leave you alone with this rude man. Who knows what harm he might try to do to you."
"I agree. How can we leave the Saintess alone with someone who hits others so easily? Absolutely not."
...Okay, not gonna lie, that was a more intense reaction than expected.
Not that I minded, especially with Gale's face turning bright red from embarrassment.
The two of them kept pushing his buttons for a few more lines, then sighed like they were giving in to me and walked out.
I figured Irik might act, but even Seth—who was usually so stiff—played along so well.
"Ordel Kiris. Have you lost your mind?"
The moment we were alone, Gale dropped all pretenses and lashed out.
No more "Lady Kiris"—just a blunt, angry address.
Irik and Seth, with their powerful divine energy, scared him. But me? I was nothing.
"What do you think Count Kiris will say when he hears about your behavior?!"
"He'll be mad, probably."
"W-what?!"
"But it'll be you who has to deal with that anger when you go report back. Not me. I'm not going anywhere."
I laughed in his face.
"What, did you think just because you brought up the Count, I'd drop to my knees and beg for forgiveness? Dream on. That's never happening."
"Ordel Kiris!"
"You know, thinking about it... I've been acting like such a pushover. And there's really no reason to. I mean, I am the Saintess."
Gale slammed his fist on the table at my words.
But the sound wasn't even loud enough to be scary.
"You're just a fake Saintess who only got her position thanks to the Count's generosity! How dare you—!"
"Yeah, I'm fake. And that's a secret."
A fake Saintess.
But if that secret got out, who would suffer more—me, or Count Kiris?
"I'd be a little embarrassed, sure. But Count Kiris, who used his adopted daughter to install a fake Saintess just to chase power... would he walk away with just his pride hurt?"
I made sure Gale understood exactly where things stood.
"Baron Gale. The one whose neck is on the line over this secret isn't me—it's Count Kiris. And it's you all who should be desperate to keep it buried."