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Chapter 232: Rinella’s Destiny is Her Own (25)

It stemmed from the irritating presence of a woman who had latched onto the man she loved.

Elsie Rinella, the infamous senior student at the academy known as the \'Loli Gangster.\'

Her reputation for cruelty preceded her. The Saintess was intimately familiar with it, having tended to students whom Elsie had brutalized.

The sheer brutality of her actions was alarming for a reason.

Every student who had fell victim to Elsie\'s wrath refused to testify. They dared not seek revenge, as they were uncertain of the consequences they might face.

Elsie was cunning.

She never committed crimes that couldn\'t be hidden, even under the Rinella family\'s influence. Her targets were primarily low-ranking nobles and commoners.

This meant she preyed solely on the vulnerable, in a calculated manner.

Naturally, for the orphaned Saintess, her perception of Elsie was at its lowest.

Wasn\'t she a heartless and despicable woman?

The Saintess couldn\'t deny Elsie\'s allure. Indeed, Elsie was charming and delightful in appearance. However, her character was nothing short of sinister.

Such a woman had been defeated by a man.

Since that day, she had submitted to him. Initially ashamed, she later became a submissive pet.

Recently, her attitude towards the man had changed again.

She clung to his arm, gazing at him with a tender, entranced expression.

There was no mistaking it.

The Saintess sometimes had worn such a gaze as well.

A faint crack appeared in the benevolent smile on the Saintess\'s face. She discreetly nibbled on her lip to conceal it.

Seated beside her was a noble lady with a porcelain complexion.

Although referred to as a sister by the Saintess, she appeared youthful enough to be mistaken for a young lady. The mistress of the mansion, known as ‘Viscountess Percus,’ wore a troubled expression.

As a devout follower of the Church of the Heavenly God, she showed considerable interest in the Saintess.

Her fascination mirrored Viscount Percus\' interest in Elsie and Aaron\'s particular attention to Seria. However, Viscountess Percus\' curiosity about the Saintess was slightly different.

Elsie and Seria were both being scrutinized as potential partners for Ian.

Viscount Percus had been informed by Reynold about the Rinella family\'s stance on this matter from the outset. Yet, he couldn\'t shake off his concerns regarding Elsie, who might eventually become his daughter-in-law in one form or another.

Moreover, given the Rinella family\'s status, potentially higher than the Percus family\'s, their concern was compounded.

Meanwhile, Seria received a lot of recognition from the taciturn Aaron. True to his steadfast nature, Aaron esteemed integrity, and Seria\'s unwavering dedication seemed to resonate with him deeply.

Perhaps it was a case of two socially awkward individuals finding comfort in each other\'s presence.

On the other hand, Viscountess Percus\' interest in the Saintess revolved mainly around matters of faith.

Encountering a proper cleric in a rural domain such as theirs was a rarity. Thus, when a high-ranking cleric like the Saintess arrived, her curiosity was naturally piqued as a devout follower.

Ironically, Viscountess Percus secretly had someone else in mind as Ian\'s future spouse.

"...Saintess, can Ian truly manage well with the Rinella family?"

The Saintess winced at the question, tinged with a mix of sighs and apprehension, her form subtly trembling.

Even without this, she had been troubled by Elsie\'s attachment to Ian. Furthermore, Ian\'s recent excessive leniency towards Elsie had unsettled her.

The shift occurred after Elsie had publicly addressed Ian as \'Master\' in the presence of numerous witnesses.

The Saintess didn\'t particularly like that aspect.

In fact, he didn\'t even bother to care about the woman whose body he had once touched.

She replied with a carefully modulated tone, feeling a sense of unease creeping in.

"This, too, depends on Brother Ian. The Heavenly God bestows trials upon the righteous one. What\'s crucial is to have roots that withstand even the fiercest tempests, be it faith or a sense of justice... Immanuel."

Internally, she battled the urge to spread all sorts of slander against the Rinella family.

If Ian were to wed someone from a minor lineage, he might encounter discrimination or find himself embroiled in dangerous circumstances.

But at this moment, Viscountess Percus was seeking counsel from the cleric.

She couldn\'t taint the will of God with personal sentiments. This was the creed upheld by the Saintess as a cleric, no matter how challenging it was to suppress her own emotions.

Fortunately or unfortunately, Viscountess Percus\'s anxiety persisted, despite the Saintess\'s counsel.

"Every time I hear news about my son these days, my heart sinks. Whether it\'s the demonic humans or the Dark Order... How can my delicate Ian defeat such terrible monsters?"

Well, he had defeated them quite well.

The Saintess wanted to refute the Viscountess by saying that immediately.

It hadn\'t been long since she witnessed Ian, wielding a hatchet, defeating scores of demonic beasts. During the homecoming festival, he had shone as the most radiant star on the battlefield, cutting down every single demonic beast without mercy.

The corners of her mouth, which had nearly curved into a smile, trembled, but the Saintess regained control of her emotions. She reverted to merely listening to Viscountess Percus\'s lament.

"Actually, one doesn\'t need fame to find happiness. I worry that Ian is needlessly entangled in dangerous matters... I had hoped he would quietly graduate from the academy, marry Celine, and live happily afterward..."

As she uttered these words, Viscountess Percus cast a pitying glance at a certain girl.

It was \'Celine Haster,’ the girl who was giggling and chatting with the people of the Viscounty.

Having been acquainted with Ian\'s family for some time, she was friendly and popular at today\'s banquet. Seated beside her was Leto.

Partly because Celine was a less burdensome opponent than high-ranking nobles like Elsie and Seria, or the Saintess, who held the highest rank in the Holy Nation.

There were indeed too many rivals vying for Ian\'s affection.

Excluding Seria, who struggled to even express herself due to her timid demeanor, Celine who was backed by his family, posed as a somewhat formidable opponent.

Not to mention Elsie, who was actively pursuing a marriage between families.

The Saintess felt a surge of heat within her.

So, she absentmindedly accepted the drink Viscountess offered.

Viscountess Percus was belatedly taken aback, her eyes widening.

"Oh! I-I\'m sorry... I didn\'t mean to offer a drink to a cleric..."

Traditionally, members of the Church of the Heavenly God refrained from consuming alcohol. If, inadvertently, someone offered a drink to a clergy member, it was considered disrespectful.

Let alone to the Saintess who had come as a guest.

How rude it was.

It didn\'t take long for Viscountess’ complexion to pale. Worried that her action might jeopardize her son\'s prospects, she was at a loss.

It was only then that the Saintess snapped back to reality.

The Saintess was startled and shook her head at the Viscountess, who was on the verge of bowing her head.

"N-No! You don\'t need to apologize. Actually, clerics are not strictly prohibited from drinking... As long as it\'s just to lift the spirits!"

With that, the Saintess swallowed the drink to prove her point.

The Viscountess appeared a bit flustered until then but soon burst into laughter.

It was because the Saintess seemed truly human in her bewildered appearance.

The Saintess fought back tears due to the burning sensation down her throat.

Nevertheless, she couldn\'t bring herself to refuse the alcohol that the Viscountess was offering.

After drinking several glasses, with a gaze slightly unfocused, the Saintess opened up about her worries.

"...Do men only show interest in a woman\'s body?"

It was an unexpected question.

However, it wasn\'t unusual for conversations to veer off course when alcohol was involved. Similarly, Viscountess Percus, with a flushed face from the intoxication, glanced at the Saintess\'s figure.

Even to a woman, it was an enviable physique.

It was obvious how a man would think. Hence, the Viscountess spoke without much thought.

"That might be true. Your body is naturally, um... remarkable, you know, right? However, many women would envy you, Saintess."

"...Envy?"

"Yes, if there\'s a man you like, you can simply approach him at night and just... "

As she continued with such playful words, the Viscountess suddenly realized to whom she was speaking.

Her complexion immediately drained of color.

She coughed awkwardly, trying to change the atmosphere.

"...J-just express your feelings, maybe~?"

While trying to divert the Saintess’ attention with nonsensical banter, the Viscountess’s tone was exceedingly awkward.

Under normal circumstances, the Saintess would have picked up on it. Unfortunately, she was quite inebriated by the alcohol at the moment.

Of course, this was a condition shared by the majority at the banquet.

Thus, scarcely anyone noticed as the Saintess discreetly exited the banquet. At most, Yuren briefly shifted his gaze, sporting a knowing smile, as he could roughly guess where the Saintess\'s might be headed.

And thus, the Saintess managed to infiltrate Ian\'s /genesisforsaken