Unfortunately, I'm an Evil Villainess

Chapter 120 - The Saint Loved By All (II)

The gentle sunshine of April almost made the filth of the poverty bearable. Nevertheless, I winced as my carriage drew near the destitute city that had recently been hit by a flash flood. Another terrible infrastructure problem I would address once I became queen. Wonderful how I was able to start thinking about these things that actually mattered in earnest now, without the pesky weight of fate!

"...the priests are ready, the reporters from all the major newspapers are on their way, and all is in order. Everyone is very excited for your first large-scale charity tour in so long, Your Holiness. It was an eventful year, and the people will be touched to see you so soon after your own recovery. They will rejoice at how God protected his saintess, and how you carry that protection to them."

Across from me, Priest Fernandez beamed. Next to him, Nathaniel gazed out the window, lost in his thoughts. Beside me, Tia helped me brush up my makeup, a gentle look that softened my features and brought out the compassion in my eyes, with modest, light jewelry that elevated my presence without it being overbearing on the impoverished state of the city. I smiled at my reflection in the handmirror she held up: the people were going to love this.

The carriage slowly drew to a stop in front of the devastated city. Poorly set up temporary shelters stood around us, trying their best to provide asylum for the displaced and dishevelled residents. A pitiful sight that would gather many donations.

I stepped out of the carriage. Immediately, I was greeted by the mayor and his entourage of attendants. The exceptionally well-fed man who did not seem to have lost much sleep over the wreckage of his turf introduced himself and shook my hand heartily.

"It's truly an honour for Your Holiness to visit us! We are immensely grateful for this privilege, and I only regret that I could not show Your Holiness the beauty of our humble home before this disaster."

What beauty? His poor management had thrown the city into crippling debt long before the flood.

"Thank you for this hospitality, Mister Mayor," I smiled graciously. "It is merely my duty to convey God's blessings to his children in your domain during such difficult times. I hope to do my utmost to relieve your burdens and get the residents back to their livelihoods."

With that, we set off, starting with a tour of the makeshift shelters so I could organize Nathaniel and my priests and soldiers in the distribution of supplies. We brought tents, clothes, blankets, food, clean water, medical supplies, and other provisions. It was a touching sight, my subordinates carrying out aid systematically on such a large scale, and the refugees being warm and fed for the first time in days.

"Do you remember me, Your Holiness?" The mayor asked eagerly with a plastered-on beam as soon as we moved out of the earshot of the reporters, who had dispersed to observe the aid. "You blessed my family and I on Salvation Day. I also met you at your grandfather, Sir Nelsley's seventieth birthday banquet a few years ago. My brother had worked with one of his shipping companies."

"Ah, is that so? Grandfather, God bless him, indeed had quite a number of companies and collaborators."

So many, in fact, that his birthday banquet had been one of the largest events in years, probably up until my eighteenth birthday that just passed. There had been many interesting people and valuable connections there, and the mayor was not one of them.

"Yes, what a brilliantly successful man! I heard that Your Holiness takes after his intelligence and charisma, and I see today that this impression was right. With the noble blood of Avington also, no wonder Your Holiness is so accomplished at such a young age!"

This man's position was low and unimportant enough that he had gotten by without taking a side among aristocracy, but with the recent political scene becoming more polarized, largely due to my faction gaining significant power with my influence over the past years, it was wise of him to try to win me over now. Unfortunately for him, no amount of flattery could make up for the incompetency that led to such horrible flood precautions in a zone known for its susceptibility.