Chapter 143
It was the day to announce the winner of the Little Saints’ Prayer Assembly.
Everyone had gathered in the vast square for the ceremony.
However, those assembled weren’t particularly curious about the winner.
Their attention was entirely focused on the Basilian family.
Feeling the fervent gazes, Cheshire looked around.
Flags of the Holy Empire fluttered throughout the square.
The weather was mild, but the glaring sunlight made standing there for long a bit bothersome.
It was even more so because the marble floor reflected the light.
“Why do it outside when there are perfectly good buildings? It’s going to damage the skin…”
Ishuel, wearing a wide-brimmed hat, grumbled in complaint.
To prevent Cheshire’s face from burning, Ishuel adjusted the parasol several times, meticulously checking.
Thanks to that, Cheshire could settle perfectly in the shade.
While Ishuel fussed over Cheshire, Karha was off in the distance, engaged in some conversation with Theo.
Lately, the two seemed to be sticking together quite a bit.
‘Were they that close?’
That couldn’t be right.
Cheshire glanced and turned her head the other way.
On that side, Kierne and Belzeon were talking with serious expressions.
Sensing her gaze, Belzeon looked over.
He sent a faint, subtle smile, and Cheshire returned it with a bright grin.
As it was an important day, most people affiliated with the Holy Empire were present in the square.
The holy priests’ expressions weren’t great.
As they had hoped, Prince Remi of Hebaton had claimed the victory.
Thanks to Princess Aran Skaya of Skaya requesting her supporters to back Remi, he had safely secured the win.
They had pushed out Cheshire Basilian, who was supported by the Holy Knights’ faction, but the holy priests couldn’t simply rejoice and raise a toast.
It was only a half-victory.
Their central figure, Cardinal Milliord, had been miserably ousted.
Not only branded a heretic, but also accused of bringing demons into the Holy Empire.
Moreover, the Holy King had condoned the entire affair.
The holy priests must have been driven to madness.
‘But where’s Hailon again?’
Neither Hailon nor the Holy King was in sight.
Not long ago, it was said that 99 saints had gathered to select the winner of the Little Saints’ Prayer Assembly…
Glancing around, the Holy Knights also had stiff, hardened faces.
‘Since he revealed himself as the Inquisitor to the whole world, maybe he’s receiving some punishment.’
She worried if he might be undergoing “education” again.
It seemed she should go look for Hailon as soon as the ceremony ended.
With the most important figures absent.
The ceremony to announce the winner of the Little Saints’ Prayer Assembly began.
Since neither Holy King Sianor nor Cardinal Milliord was present, another cardinal took on the role of congratulating the winner.
“In the name of God, we have selected the most pious young saint.”
The elderly-looking cardinal seemed burdened by the role, his tension evident.
He cleared his throat several times before finally calling the winner’s name.
“The Little Saint of this prayer assembly is… Remi Lu Hebaton of the Kingdom of Hebaton.”
Clap, clap, clap.
Lackluster applause poured out.
Amid the half-hearted clapping from the crowd, Remi slowly walked up to the platform.
Remi, chosen as the winner, didn’t look happy at all.
He merely stood with a face as pale as wax, lips tightly pressed together.
The cardinal opened the glass case.
The white chains surrounding the floral crown slowly dissolved away.
The cardinal carefully took out the crown and placed it on Remi’s head.
As Remi stood awkwardly facing forward, the people clapped half-heartedly once more.
“……”
Cheshire watched the scene quietly.
The crown was placed far away from her.
So far that her hand couldn’t reach it.
Watching someone else wear the crown made her feel distinctly uncomfortable.
‘But it’ll be in my hands soon enough.’
To suppress the wriggling feeling inside, she searched for Aran in the crowd.
When their eyes met, Aran winked one eye.
Cheshire used her fairy powers to bloom flowers, creating a fake crown in a similar shape.
Aran was supposed to switch this with the real crown.
Of course, the flowers Cheshire made weren’t like the Fairy Queen’s crown, which never wilted eternally.
But they would hold up until they reached the Kingdom of Hebaton.
If the floral crown wilted after arriving in the kingdom.
‘Well, they’ll probably just think it’s because it left the Holy Empire or something.’
Since it was a fairy artifact, humans wouldn’t know the cause even if it wilted.
‘With so many eyes watching, the Basilians can’t step in directly.’
She had to make active use of Aran.
To that end, she had even demanded that Aran build some rapport with Remi.
‘Moreover, Kierne plans to offer the Fairy Queen’s crown as a sacrifice to black magic.’
If Cheshire won and took the crown, only to use it as a sacrifice and destroy it, the Holy Empire’s suspicions would hit them head-on.
Swapping it secretly and bringing it back would be far safer for protecting the Basilians.
While rolling such calculations in her mind, she clapped with her small palms.
As the applause died down and the square grew quiet.
Remi opened his lips.
Expecting him to share his thoughts as the winner of the Little Saints’ Prayer Assembly.
But the words that flowed from the boy were something entirely different.
“I do not deserve to have this crown.”
At Remi’s statement, those who had been bored moments ago began to sparkle with interest.
Remi, who always hunched his shoulders, now stood straight.
Suddenly, she thought he was quite tall.
Holding the crown after removing it, Remi spoke his opinion clearly and steadily, without trembling or stumbling.
“As everyone knows, the one who stopped the demons was Lady Cheshire of the Basilian family. She showed a more pious and sacrificial demeanor than anyone else attending the Little Saints’ Prayer Assembly.”
‘Well, that’s true.’
Cheshire nearly nodded without thinking but held back.
“God surely wouldn’t want me to monopolize all this glory alone…”
Remi looked straight at Cheshire.
The moment their determined eyes met, Cheshire felt a sudden unease.
Don’t do it.
I’m telling you not to.
Cheshire quickly signaled with her eyes.
But Remi went ahead and said it anyway.
“I wish to share the sacred glory with Lady Cheshire.”
Silence fell all around.
Ishuel, holding Cheshire, muttered a small curse.
“That little brat…”
Then, realizing belatedly that Cheshire was listening, he bit his lip.
The holy priests seemed greatly flustered by Remi’s unexpected action, but they couldn’t oppose his words.
There was no pretext to do so.
How the crown was disposed of was the winner’s prerogative, after all.
‘I told him to do as he pleased, and he pulls this.’
He seemed to think he was looking out for Cheshire, but she wasn’t grateful at all.
Cheshire tapped Ishuel’s forearm lightly.
Since the situation was unavoidable, it seemed she had to step forward.
Under the people’s gazes, Ishuel walked slowly and set Cheshire down on the platform.
“Lady Cheshire.”
Remi, holding the crown in his hands, called her in a whisper-like voice.
But Cheshire examined only the crown, ignoring Remi.
The crown was docile.
It didn’t sing or cause any strange phenomena.
It merely sparkled with a soft light, as if advertising that it was harmless.
As if it wouldn’t do anything even if Cheshire wore it.
Its extremely genteel demeanor made Cheshire feel a bit relieved.
‘…Maybe it’ll be okay?’
She stealthily extended her hand.
Even when she touched the crown lightly, very lightly, just with her fingertip, it remained docile with no change.
With a sigh of relief, Cheshire looked up at Remi.
And nodded her head.
‘Put it on!’
Remi carefully placed the crown on Cheshire’s head.
The moment the floral crown settled perfectly on her small head.
“…!”
Cheshire felt something piercing through her.
She gasped at the sensation shooting from the crown of her head.
Flowers bloomed from beneath her feet.
Like an explosion of gunpowder, uncontrollably and wildly blooming flowers entangled with thorny bushes and spread in all directions.
The white marble floor was instantly covered in flowers, and screams erupted here and there.
People tripped over the flower bushes and flailed to get up, but it wasn’t easy with their feet firmly caught.
Cheshire, the culprit behind the chaos, tried to throw off the crown in surprise.
But it wouldn’t budge, as if stuck to her head.
“Kyaang!”
The back of her hand burned as if on fire.
In the midst of the confusion, she checked the back of her hand and saw the pattern the fairy had engraved long ago emitting light.
Along with a cackling laugh, the crown’s joyful song rang in her ears.
In that moment, Cheshire realized.
‘This crazy crown!’
The crown was now trying to send Cheshire to the fairy kingdom.
Just as her vision was about to be covered in flowers.
With a grinding sound, a pitch-black magic sword pierced into the flower bushes.
Kierne shouted desperately.
“Cheshire!!”
