The Abandoned Empress - Chapter 140

Chapter 140

“I swear in the name of our God and the divine power He has given me. I’m just the first who has discovered that Lady Monique received God’s prophecy. I have never given her any clue on it.”

“… You seem to be right, Your Eminence. I apologize for my rudeness.”

“If you got it, why don’t you make a beeline to your dotard priests?”

‘Dotard priests?’

I was stunned by the high priest’s anger because he always looked relaxed and calm.

With his face turning red, Priest Omar responded coldly, “Your Eminence, I can’t tolerate your rudeness to them, even if you are the high priest!”

“What will you do if you can’t, Priest Omar? Do you think the dotard priests can drive me out of this place when they can not hear God’s prophecy, let alone exercise any divine power? How will they treat people? Just go ahead and tell them what I just have told you. I am very anxious to know how they will react.”

His chilly voice resonated throughout the corridor. Even with the wind blowing, his long white hair suddenly began to scatter wildly. Everybody hesitantly stepped back at his ferocious look.

“What the heck is all this disturbance?”

 
Is it the power of God’s prophecy? Unlike the high priest’s plain robes without any decoration, the senior priests in white new clothes embroidered with all kinds of geometric patterns with gold thread arrived in droves.

‘Are they the highest priests?’

These priests actually made the emperor shut the temple as much as possible. In terms of rank, they were lower than the high priest, so they were not called with the title ‘Eminence.’ But unlike the high priest, who had to wander around to translate God’s prophecy into action, they were more powerful than him at the temple

The whispering noise was quickly gone with their appearance. It looks like they were careful about their words and deeds not to lose favor with any of the senior priests.

Come to think of it, I could understand. The highest priests at this temple here in Sanktus Vita in the capital were regarded as the most powerful of all the other priests of the Vita denomination.

The oldest among the highest priests, who stood firmly in the middle, stepped forward.

Although he looked very old, he bowed to the high priest politely, but his gaze at the young priest was very cold and hostile.

“What’s going on, Your Eminence?”

“I think Priest Omar knows better than me,” he responded coldly.

His fluttering white hair already settled down calmly, but he seemed very displeased.

The highest priest turned his head toward Omar and said, “I will assign you to temple cleaning along with apprentice priests for the next three months as punishment.”

“Are you giving him punishment without asking the reason?”

“Well, he has made you uncomfortable, Your Eminence. He should be duly punished for that.”

“If you think you can punish him for having offended me, you have to punish yourselves too.”

“If Your Eminence wants that, we will do so because that’s the will of Vita.”

Arrogantly looking down at him, who was talking back nonchalantly, the high priest said, “Oh, you think my will is that of Vita. That’s funny.”

“… ”

“Anyway, I have confirmed that she has received God’s prophecy, which is the same as others here. So, you can go back and enjoy interpreting whatever you have, which is your pastime.”

“Okay, Your Eminence. We’ll leave now.”

As the top priest politely bowed and turned, the other priests immediately followed.

Even the apprentice priests checked the high priest’s countenance s for a moment before going out quickly.

I was standing uncomfortably because I witnessed something I shouldn’t have seen, when the high priest came next to me and said with a faint smile, “I’m sorry to have shown you something disgusting. I am ashamed. ”

“That’s fine, Your Eminence.”

Although I said that, I was still uncomfortable. Even before returning from my previous life, I had never been to the temple before and never ran into the high priests, so I didn’t know there was such an intense enmity between them.

‘Why are they antagonizing each other?’

Of course, I was aware that given the title of the high priest, the highest priests might feel uncomfortable about those with that title, but I couldn’t figure out why they were so wary of each other. There was no reason for the high priest, who had no interest in wealth and glory, to compete with the highest priests for hegemony.

While I was lost in thought about it. I heard the high priest speaking to me gently.

 
“Well, I forgot what I had to tell you because I was surprised by you receiving God’s prophecy. Shall we move to another place? This place doesn’t look very suitable for our conversation. ”

“Ah…Yes, I have no problem.”

“Then come with me. I will guide you. ”

I walked with the high priest for some time and arrived at a place, located in the deepest part of the Sanktus Vita temple here.

There were three large rooms facing each other with a large corridor in between, and in the middle of the corridor there was an indoor garden with a small fountain. The well-kept green plants were full of the fresh energy of life.

I didn’t feel hatred for this place unlike other places of the temple that were unusually gorgeous.

This place, consisting of only green and white, gave out a feel of holiness, along with the vitality of life.

‘I’ve never seen a place like this in this great temple.’

As I opened my eyes wide while looking around, he said with a bright smile, “Do you like this place, Sanctuarium?”

“Oh, it means a holy place, doesn’t it?”

“That’s right. It is a place where only the six roots of our God Vita and those who have the permission can enter. I think we can talk privately here, so I’ve escorted you here.”

He approached the table in the indoor garden and sat down after giving me a chair.

‘Why did he take me to a place called the Sanctuarium?’

I tightened my grip on the hem of my skirt unconsciously.

He looked at me silently and said with a smile, “Are you scared of me? You don’t have to be so anxious, child of God’s prophecy!”

“… Am I still the “child of God’s prophecy”? Didn’t you hear God’s prophecy a while ago? ”

“Well, the name of the dark-haired woman who suddenly appeared this time is called Jiun. Hmm, her name is quite a contrast to your name ‘Pioneer.”

“… ”

“I have to find it out a little further, but there is little possibility that that woman who received the name Graspe received God’s prophecy directly. Pioneer, how come you could receive God’s prophecy without even having received God’s token? A prophecy that’s not about you, but about that woman?”

As I did not know, I could not answer.

Why did God give me His prophecy twice? I could understand when He gave me my middle name. But why did He let me know about Jiun?

Did Jiun receive God’s prophecy like me? Although the high priest denied the possibility, I couldn’t rule it out because she might have heard it like I did when I received my middle name.

“Lady Monique?”

“… I am not sure. My eyes suddenly got blurred and I heard some voice echoing in my head.’

“Can you figure out anything? I wonder if you had prophetic dreams as usual or heard God’s words or prophecy before?”

“…Not really.”

 
Although I received God’s prophecy in the past, I couldn’t tell him about it. Of course, since the enemy’s friend was my friend, the high priest might be my friend if what I saw a little while ago was true. But that doesn’t mean that I can trust him blindly.

As they say, men are blind in their own cause. So, the High Priest and the highest priests were in the same boat at the end of the day, even though they were hostile to each other now. Besides, I couldn’t help but doubt the high priest’s hidden motivation.

“Hmm, I think you are hiding something… ” The high priest said.

“… ”

“It’s not polite for me to find out what you’re trying to hide. Okay. I respect your intention.”

“… Thank you, Your Eminence.”

While speaking in a serious tone, he suddenly pushed his face toward me, with one hand resting on his chin. When I stepped back, stunned, he said with a mystical smile, “Did you say you were 15 this year?”

“Yes, but why are you asking?”

“I guess the crown prince is very much blessed to have a beautiful lady like you as his fiancee.”

“Pardon?”