Chapter 4
‘How can there be no one?’
Rene was now in a state of great shock.
With the pretext of proving her innocence, she interviewed all the employees of the mansion one by one and confirmed their favorability.
Most didn’t even respond properly to her call.
Rene had to visit them in person to finally see their face.
‘Really… How did you get it to this point?’
As a result of that,
‘How come every single one of them is negative?’
There was nothing but despair.
Shouldn’t you at least have zero affinity?
You are the main character of the novel.
How can you be so unpopular?
‘Damn it.’
She checked their favorability because she needed an assistant to help her.
‘Unlike in my previous life, I haven’t read the original work of the world in this life, so I have no information.’
The basic strategy for getting information was to get reliable sources.
There must be at least one of them who liked this body.
Let’s start by getting information from them. She had thought so.
But there wasn’t. Not a single person. She had a rough start.
‘Tsk. For someone so unpopular, your room is too big.’
It was a fancy room. Wasn’t she a daughter who grew up receiving treatment in her own way?
But for that reason, the employees looked down on her a lot.
‘Don’t call me by this useless thing, miss.’
‘Do your job!’
‘Tsk…’
To be honest, she was going to scold them, but she left it alone because it felt like she was bothering civilians.
She opened the closet and checked the clothes.
Even with no knowledge of the world, it looked very expensive to her. The jewel box was overflowing with jewels.
Are you just having a lot of money?
“Well, at least I think I can clear it more comfortably than in my previous life.”
Actually, making pawns was easy.
She could use Grandfather <Lord of Vile Blood>’s magic skill or Grandfather
<Emperor of Enticement>’s.
‘It just bothers me that the status window is still being adjusted. If the skill is released in the middle of it, it will be troublesome to deal with.’
Killing them all was not the best thing.
Rene realized directly with her body how dangerous it was to just go out believing in her ability too much in the long run. She had to move carefully.
For now, there were two easiest ways to prove her innocence.
First of all, she wanted to check if the saint was really dead.
Rene called the Constellations after a moment of contemplation.
“Can you find the Saint? Isn’t this Sister Wave’s specialty?”
[The <Monarch of Waves and Healing> is embarrassed, saying she lacks information.]
“What information do you need?”
[The <Monarch of Waves and Healing> says she needs something with the scent of the person she wants to find.]
“Ah. I need her belongings. I’ll figure that out.”
[The <Lord of Vile Blood> asks if it’s okay to just blame anyone for the crime.]
[The <Emperor of Enticement> rejoices when his specialty comes out.]
“You can’t do that. I don’t know what kind of ability there will be out there. Looking at the title of the Saint, it seems that there are people who deal with divinity here too, so Grandfather Enticement will be found out immediately.”
[<The Prince of Temptation> gapes at the shocking nickname.]
She eventually got up and stood in front of the mirror.
She saw a beautiful woman with silver hair and blue eyes.
She didn’t know this before, but this body was a tremendous beauty.
Kim Young, an S-class hunter in her previous life, was not particularly beautiful.
Just cool and handsome.
However, this life was on a different level. She was such a beautiful woman that her eyes glistened.
‘With this face, why are you hanging on to a guy who doesn’t even like you?’
If it were her, she would change the genre to reverse harem.
“I think I should go outside. If there’s no one in the mansion who likes me, I’ll go outside and make one.”
[The <Monarch of Waves and Healing> is worried that it might be dangerous.]
“To who, me?”
[The <Lord of Vile Blood> scoffs that everyone you meet will be in danger.]
[The <Emperor of Enticement> bursts into laughter at the <Lord of Vile Blood>’s joke.]
“Ah, really. I just wish I have at least one.”
[The <Lord of Vile Blood> recommends that you go to the scene of disappearance first.]
“That’s a good idea.”
If she went there, surely she would find something.
***
Eventually, Rene asked Ante to obtain a report that summarized the case.
She wanted to proudly refuse the cheeky little boy’s help, but she had to know how to bend at the right time.
Ante insisted that she should take an escort. Of course, she refused.
‘I’m sorry, but they will only become a burden.’
‘…Eh?’
‘I can go and come back by myself. If you’re really worried, just stick one person. You’re gonna need someone to watch me, too.’
That’s how she brought only one older knight.
At least she got to ride a carriage so it wasn’t a bad result.
“So, this is where she was last seen.”
According to the report, Lian Karis disappeared 10 days ago while serving medical treatment on the outskirts of the Duke of Marchius.
With no evidence or witnesses, it was more difficult to solve the case.
So she came to the service site.
“Well.”
On the surface, it looked like a normal slum. In one corner of the slum, she saw a tent where the priests lived.
Rene headed over there.
“Is anyone here?”
The reason why she started talking without using the skills was to gather information.
‘There are so many things unclear about this world…’
Soon after, a priest dressed in a simple robe appeared.
“Who are you?”
“My name is Rene Marchius.”
“…The Duke’s Young Lady?”
At Rene’s name, another priest came out with a frown.
After that, the young priests followed. All of them were openly showing hostility.
“
What are you up to here?
I heard you were locked up in a dungeon.”
“You must have heard a false rumor.”
Rene denied it naturally. However, the priest blocked her once again with a look of disbelief.
“This is not a place for special people. Young Lady.”
“Special?”
Rene nodded, feeling that the conversation was getting more and more interesting.
“I see. I guess you guys are convinced that I’m the culprit, too”
This isn’t going to be easy.
Rene sighed at the priests whose faces were wrinkled as soon as they heard her words.
“Isn’t that obvious? If it wasn’t the Young Lady, who else would have killed the Saint!?”
“Why? Did you witness it in person?”
“…We are ordinary priests. We’ve never been trained to feel the signs of an assassin.”
What’s this. In the end-
“Your words are slicks, but in the end, you’re saying you didn’t witness it, right?”
“Are you here to fool us? The atmosphere here is already terrible because we lost our Saint. Go back.”
“No, I’m here to find out the real culprit.
I come here to clear my name
.”
The priests whispered to each other. The word ‘real culprit’ seemed to have caused quite a stir.
“Before I came here, I looked up the Empire’s national law and found that no matter how powerful the status is, the murder of a noble has to be dealt with severely. Nevertheless, isn’t there a reason why the Imperial family doesn’t impose any sanctions on me?”
“That’s because the Duke of Marchius has a strong reputation. Not because Young Lady is innocent.”
“Really? My family’s reputation is so strong that you can openly neglect me like this?”
“….”
The priests were speechless. It wasn’t a bad sign.
“It’s a case where there’s no evidence,
it’s not right to conclude that a person is a culprit like that
. I’m sure it’s in your doctrine. Don’t suspect people recklessly.”
Of course, she didn’t know their doctrine, but if it was a proper religion, there should be a similar saying.
“Then you might miss the real culprit, right?”
“Then are you claiming that there is a real culprit?”
“No. I want to claim I’m not the culprit.”
There was a moment of silence as if it were an unexpected word. But soon there were scoffs everywhere.
She supposed they had really no trust in this body.
Rene sighed gloomily.
“Do you think there are people on this continent who will believe that, Young Lady?”
“I don’t think so.”
“Then please go back. This place is sacred-“
“My father knows how to care about appearances.”
Rene smiled.
“If he has enough power to cover up the murder of the Saint, it wouldn’t be a big deal to just kick some priests out of the territory.”
“Are you threatening us now?”
“Tell me the truth, how about that?”
As the faces of the priests grew darker, Rene took the initiative. It didn’t seem like it was going to get any worse, but she was on business right now.
“It’s nothing much. I want to investigate this case properly. So I want you to answer my question honestly and sincerely, and cooperate in investigating this area.”
At Rene’s words, the priest who appeared to be the head swallowed the silence.
The priests, who looked younger than him, were split in half and fighting each other.
Those who claimed it was justifiable to give Rene a chance and those who protested how they could trust the devilish woman.
Renee waited silently for the leader’s decision.
“I can’t do that.”
“It’s not that you can’t, it’s that you can’t accept it empty-handed. What do you want? Tell me.”
“How can you say such rude things to God’s servants…!”
“Yes, you are servants of God, not God. So, who cares if I am being rude?”
“….”
“Just tell me what you want.”
“If you say so, I can think of something.”
“What is it?”
The priest coughed with an awkward face.
“Well.”
Look at this, he has a way with words. Renee tilted her head slightly.
“Because the Saint is absent, there is a shortage of manpower. And I don’t have enough support-“
“Show some sincerity with money, right?”
“!”
The priest blushed as if she had hit the nail on the head.
It was obvious. It was always the case with adults.
“Is this all right?”
She knew this would happen, so she brought some. Rene took a jewel out and handed it to him.
It was one of the jewels rolling in the inventory. One of the jewels she got from killing monsters in her past life. It was a regular gem for her but…
Rene glanced at the priest.
He looked down at the brooch with a startled face. Yeah, it didn’t seem like a very expensive thing.
But the appraisal was done by the best Constellation in the world, so it was certain.
[The <Emperor of Enticement> is rushing to ask for a reward!]
This Grandfather is mad… Rene turned off the chat window and looked at the priest.
“Now, is that enough?”
“Hmm. I think that’s enough.”
The priest then answered in a slightly softened voice.
“The first thing I want to ask is Lian Karis’ belongings. The longer you have it, the better.”
“It’s not difficult. You can take this scripture with you. Because it belonged to the Saint.”
Oh, that scripture he’d been holding for a while…
It belonged to that angelic heroine.
That’s why divine power spewed out of it.
“Yes, then I’ll gratefully take it.”
“But why do you need it?”
“To find someone.”
“What?”
“It’s nothing. More importantly, I want to look around the tent where Young Lady Karis stayed.”
“It’s where the knights have already visited. I don’t think there’s anything else to see.”
“I don’t care.”
“Then… that’s the tent. The innermost one.”
“All right, I’ll tell you if I need anything else.”
Rene nodded to the knight who followed her to go over there. Her daily escort, Sir Martin, followed her with a slightly startled look.
Rene stepped around everyone and entered Lian’s tent with Martin. The tent looked very neat and frugal.
‘You were advertising yourself as a saint.’
It’s not easy. The more impeccable a human being is, the more meticulous they hide their weaknesses.
“Miss.”
“What?”
“Just now… That permission…”
“Is there a problem?”
“No, that’s not it.”
Sir Martin hesitated and finally opened his mouth.
“I thought you hated them.”
“Them?”
“The priests. I thought that’s why you purposefully avoided Mass… You also did something like that to the Archbishop. The Duke will be pleased.”
What is this about? Rene squinted and asked Martin.
“Something like that?”
“I’m sorry.
It must have been something you don’t want to think about again…”
“No. I want to hear it. It’s different to hear it from someone else’s mouth.”
“When the Archbishop proclaimed Young Lady Karis as a saint, the Lady… poured champagne on the Archbishop’s face….”
“Never mind. Don’t say more.”
It was obvious even if she didn’t listen to it. This body, you’ve lived a very intense life. That’s how you live your life like that.
“At that time, you said that. It’s unfair. You poured champagne for another reason.”
“Another reason?”
“Yes, the Archbishop…”
Martin stuttered as if he couldn’t bear to speak.
“You said he molested you.”
“Molested me?”
So that’s what happened.
In that case, it’s natural for you to have a fallout with them.
Rene suddenly felt down. If that were really the case, it was weird that she just ended it with a public announcement.
I have to flip it all over. Make sure he doesn’t do that again.
“Now the misunderstanding has been resolved, right?”
“Well, that’s up to you.”
“What?”
“Everyone must have been like that anyway.
Think as they please, and cover things up as they like.
“
It’s obvious even if you don’t see it.
Rene had already experienced a few times that no one would listen to a disreputable person.
In the past life.
Taking care of the bad rumors from people who didn’t believe that she had become the number one in a woman’s body was something that happened during every regression.
So she didn’t believe anyone else. Again, she didn’t care about other people’s eyes.
‘Anyway, as long as I’m in this body, this body is me.’
And there’s no one else to trust me but me.
She vowed never to doubt ‘Rene Marchius’ from now on.
No matter how suspicious or falsely accused she was, she would trust Rene.
If Rene said she had been molested, it was the truth.
When she found out who the archbishop was, she would pour poison instead of champagne next time.
‘What would I do if she was really a bad kid?’
Then I just have to live a bad life. I’m good at things like that.
If the world already saw her as a bad person, all she had to do was to be a real bad person.
[Quest cleared!] <Sub Quest – Explanation> Clear! Clear condition: Creating a belief in Rene Marchius’ innocence Those who believe in her innocence: Rene Marchius Clear reward: Fame +30