The Supposed Saint

chapter 2- edited

Chapter 2: The Emperor's Test

Just what the hell is going on? Out of nowhere, I’m dragged to the emperor's chambers for some sort of interrogation. Okay, maybe not literally dragged—but it sure feels like it. I’m pretty sure this isn’t just a friendly interview. More like he's ready to torture me for trespassing in his precious palace.

“So, you’re telling me you fell out of the sky?” The blond jerk—sorry, I mean the emperor—asks. But it’s more of a statement than a question.

That’s not exactly what happened, but there’s no way I’m telling him the truth—that I fell down a flight of stairs because I lost my balance in heels. How humiliating would that be?

“You could say that,” I reply, trying to sound as nonchalant as possible. I mean, what’s more cliché than saying I fell from the sky? But I’d rather die than admit the real story. Not that this guy looks like someone who’d laugh at anything, let alone something so ridiculous.

“How come... you’re not intimidated? How brave of you,” he says, almost as if he's testing my patience. Too bad for him—I’ve already dealt with worse than him. I’ve had a boss who was practically a lion.

“I’ll take that as a compliment,” I say, forcing a smile. Scared? Me? I’ve been surviving in a lion’s den for years!

“That’s good to hear. Then I can finally talk to someone who isn’t afraid of dying,” the emperor replies, his voice cold. Out of the corner of my eye, I see the little girl flinch at her father’s words.

Athanasia de Alger Obelia. The only daughter and princess of the Obelia Empire, as well as the protagonist of this world. She’s the reincarnated heroine who was supposed to be the unluckiest character—though things changed after she tamed everyone around her. The last thing I remember from the manhwa was the princess falling out of a boat, unable to swim back because of some sort of tentacles. The series was still ongoing when I last checked, but I did hear a few spoilers from my coworkers.

Meanwhile, Athanasia stares at me, her mouth slightly open in shock. She’s probably wondering how someone with silver hair, dressed like me, could just fall out of the sky like some kind of angel.

I wink at the little girl, but before I can do anything else, the door bursts open. A red-haired knight rushes in, out of breath from running.

“Huff—pardon my manners, Your Majesty, but there’s a commotion at the temple,” the knight says, trying to catch his breath.

“Turn them away for now. I’ll deal with it later,” the emperor responds, clearly annoyed at the interruption.

“I’m sorry, Your Majesty, but I can’t do that. It’s due to the goddess’s words,” the knight, who I now realize is named Felix, says. He visibly shudders as the emperor’s jewel-like eyes flash with anger.

“What did she say?” the emperor asks, his voice dangerously calm. I feel like I shouldn’t be listening to this, being an outsider and all, but I can’t help it. My curiosity gets the best of me.

“They say the goddess has finally sent a message after a hundred years. The message says…” Felix pauses, trying to catch his breath.

“The message says she’ll grant us a saintess who will help the empire flourish under the emperor’s rule,” Felix finally says, his words shocking not just me but also the princess.

From the look on Athanasia’s face, this wasn’t mentioned in the manhwa at all. Well, isn’t that just perfect? Someone who can help the princess in the future.

“They said the saintess fell out of the sky, and we need to find her as quickly as possible!” Felix continues, now in full-blown panic mode, while the emperor remains unnervingly calm.

“No need to look for her,” the emperor says, his face an emotionless mask. How cold. What if the saintess fell into a wild forest or, worse, into the deep sea with those weird tentacles?

Wait—fell out of the sky? Didn’t I fall out of the sky too? Is it just a coincidence that the saintess and I both fell from the sky on the same day?

As I’m lost in thought, I don’t notice the emperor and Athanasia both staring at me, their eyes narrowing with interest. It’s like they’re hunters, and I’m the prey.

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Zup!