Chapter 3 : The First Supporter

“Your Holiness, it is time for breakfast.”

In the early morning, the maid Serra knocked on Veronica’s door.

After receiving the Saintess’s permission, Serra entered, carrying a tray.

Serra’s attire was rather revealing; she wasn’t wearing a traditional long-skirted maid uniform.

The daring design of her top barely covered the lower halves of her breasts, and her long legs, wrapped in black garter stockings, were exposed beneath a short skirt that ended at the tops of her thighs.

‘Tsk, that old bastard Fletcher really knows how to live.’

Veronica grumbled inwardly, then averted her gaze.

Lifting the cover from the tray, the aroma of wheat and butter wafted towards her.

The bread, which resembled a croissant from Earth, was still warm to the touch, clearly fresh from the oven.

Veronica sliced the bread horizontally with a dining knife, picked up a piece of cold, pan-fried meat from the side, placed it inside the bread, and took a bite.

The meat of a demonic beast from the border forest blended perfectly with the crispy bread, bursting with a unique flavor in Veronica’s mouth.

It was a delicacy Su Luo had never tasted on Earth, yet as Veronica, he could now enjoy it every day.

But the thought that a single healing session for a noble earned enough to pay for a hundred such meals instantly soured Veronica’s mood.

‘That old bastard Fletcher really deserves to die.’

After cursing Fletcher under her breath, Veronica picked up the fruit juice and began to drink, all the while carefully observing the maid Serra’s every move.

Although the fleeting glimpses of Serra’s figure as she cleaned the room were enticing, that was not Veronica’s objective.

She was watching Serra’s every action to determine just how much the maid knew about the Saintess’s secrets.

At that moment, Serra was inspecting the Saintess’s room under the guise of cleaning.

When she opened the drawer of the vanity table and fumbled around inside, she closed it again as if nothing were amiss.

The hidden compartment where the Saintess had kept her diary was not hard to find.

Even someone like Su Luo, a newcomer, had discovered it.

There was no reason Serra, a maid under Bishop Fletcher, wouldn’t have found it.

It seemed this Serra was not as loyal to Fletcher as she appeared.

Her actions were like a deliberate attempt to protect the Saintess.

But it wouldn’t have mattered even if Serra had found the hidden compartment, because Veronica had already replaced the diary with a common necklace from the room.

Clang… clang… clang…

The church bells chimed the hour, and Veronica finished her breakfast.

The maid Serra completed her cleaning, tidied the table, and left with the tray.

As she was leaving, Serra’s eyes lingered on the ribbon tied around Veronica’s neck.

“That’s a beautiful ribbon, Your Holiness,” she praised.

“Is it? Thank you for the compliment.”

‘Terrifyingly perceptive.’ That was Veronica’s assessment of the maid Serra.

It seemed Serra not only knew all of the Saintess’s secrets, but even a small detail like the ribbon hadn’t escaped her notice.

Fortunately, Serra’s loyalty to Bishop Fletcher appeared to be low.

Though she knew everything, she hadn’t revealed a single thing to her master.

Until he understood Serra’s intentions, it was best to avoid too much contact with her.

If she realized the person in this body was not the real Saintess, it would surely have a negative impact on the current situation.

After breakfast, Saintess Veronica’s official schedule for the day began.

As the Saintess of the Church of Radiant Light, Veronica had many duties.

Today, Bishop Fletcher had arranged for her to give the opening speech at the largest church school in the Verald Diocese.

To have a figure as important as the Saintess speak at a diocesan church school was a great honor for the bishop in charge.

By controlling Veronica, Bishop Fletcher had gradually gained considerable influence within the Church.

If this speech was a success, Bishop Fletcher’s prestige would soar, and he would then be in a position to contend for the title of Archbishop.

Long before the Saintess’s carriage arrived, the entrance to the church school was already packed with onlookers.

Thanks to Bishop Fletcher’s vigorous promotion, the nearby residents all knew the Saintess was coming to speak today.

Everyone wanted to catch a glimpse of the Saintess’s true face, and some devout followers had even traveled from distant lands to be here.

When the Saintess’s carriage appeared, the crowd erupted in a thunderous cheer.

Saintess Veronica, holding the sacred staff Palavir, one of the seven holy relics of the Church of Radiant Light, descended from the carriage.

Veronica was dressed as she always was today, in a simple white long dress.

But under the glow of the holy relic, she appeared even more sacred and beautiful than usual.

A habitual, fake smile from his past life of socializing was plastered on Veronica’s face as she walked through the adoring crowd to the specially constructed podium.

The podium faced the viewing platform for important guests, where Bishop Fletcher was currently seated in the main position, exchanging pleasantries with the nobles who had come to watch the speech.

Veronica’s sharp eyes quickly spotted Father Rhoades sitting in a corner of the viewing platform.

He sat in an inconspicuous spot with a grim expression, two of Bishop Fletcher’s Church knights standing behind him as guards.

Father Rhoades’s presence was a small warning from Bishop Fletcher to Veronica—a reminder to abandon any unrealistic fantasies and not to say anything inappropriate during the speech.

At that moment, Veronica’s gaze met Bishop Fletcher’s as he turned around.

The look of complete control in the man’s eyes infuriated her.

But that was the reality.

No matter how annoyed Veronica felt, she had to proceed with the speech as planned.

A robotic recitation of a script, a speech devoid of emotion.

Yet, the words coming from the Saintess’s mouth still earned a round of applause.

The onlookers and devout followers shouted the Saintess’s name, while the dignitaries on the viewing platform raised their wine glasses to toast the event’s organizer, Bishop Fletcher.

After the speech came the awards ceremony.

According to the schedule, the Saintess would bestow blessings upon the top students from each grade.

When the top student from the junior grade walked onto the podium, Veronica was momentarily stunned.

The boy standing before her was Al, the same boy she had helped in the slums a year ago.

The boy from a year ago now possessed eight Saint Scars, making him the youngest Paladin candidate in the Verald Diocese.

Veronica leaned close to Al’s head and whispered in his ear.

Al’s back was to the viewing platform.

Veronica watched as his expression shifted from surprise to anger, and finally back to calm.

When Al looked up again, Veronica saw in his eyes an unwavering trust in her.

This Paladin candidate with eight Saint Scars now stood on her side.

Saintess Veronica had gained her first supporter.