"How did this come to be?"

In the book, it was clear that the Empire did not send anything to the saint. Instead, they sent offerings for the attendees of the prayer ceremony, surpassing any other nation in both quantity and quality. Consequently, people praised the Empire, or more precisely, the current ruler, Prince Leon, who effectively governed the Empire.

"Of course, Evelina was furious,"

Therefore, I remember that after the prayer ceremony, they did not meet the Empire's envoy. The Empire's delegation relayed the facts they had witnessed to Prince Leon, which only intensified his disgust toward Evelina.

Even without that incident, the relationship between the Empire and the Temple was incredibly delicate.

The Appelius Empire had rapidly grown in power several decades ago, shortly after the current emperor ascended the throne. Back then, it wasn't even known as an empire. The name was acquired through the emperor's victorious conquests in the preceding war.

The expanding Empire had gradually absorbed numerous neighboring countries surrounding the Temple within a span of a dozen years or so. As a result, the once bordering nations around the Temple had all become part of the Empire's territory.

To the Empire, the Temple was a thorn in its side. If it were up to them, they would have marched their army straight into the Temple and wiped it out. However, the Temple, being revered and worshipped by not only all the nations on the continent but also by the people, couldn't be invaded like any other country.

Meanwhile, the current emperor weakened, and his son, Prince Leon, assumed practical control over the Empire. The emperor had repeatedly told Leon,

"No matter what happens, you must bring the Temple to its knees beneath the Empire's feet."

The prince, who held his father in high esteem, vowed to fulfill his wish with utmost dedication. Therefore, he developed a deep interest in the Temple's affairs.

"Then, rumors about Iris spread, and he approached her with the intention of using her to bring Evelina down, only to fall in love.".

In the book, when the prince suffered an ambush and got injured, it was through Iris' care that they first met. Unaware of his royal status, Iris treated him kindly, taking care of him until he recovered. Even after he healed, the prince never left Iris' side. It was truly a textbook romance.

Regardless, it was around that time when Prince Leon began to take real action.

"It will take a year for me to leave the Empire and take action," he revealed.

He is not someone you can meet as easily as Latvan just because you want to.

"It seems difficult to even become acquainted,"

Rather than becoming acquainted, it would be fortunate if they could meet without drawing their swords in the current confrontational situation between the Temple and the Empire.

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"But..."

I shifted my gaze back to the offerings. Not a single item sent by the Empire was unimpressive. Moreover, their variety was remarkable. There were items exclusively for the saint, as well as sculptures and paintings that could be placed in the Temple.

"This wasn't part of the novel's plot," I wondered.

Surely, the Empire didn't send anything to Evelina. That's how it should have been.

As I surveyed the accumulated offerings, a heavy feeling weighed upon my chest. The prayer ceremony, as well as these offerings...

"Why is it different from the book?"

If that's the case, the entire narrative would veer off course. Although the circumstances may differ, ultimately the novel would follow its original flow.

Frowning at the Empire's offerings, the attendant spoke up.

"The Empire's envoy is already causing a commotion, stating they must meet the saint once the prayer ceremony ends. Although in the past, you had refused any audience with the Empire's delegation, it seems this time they must be received..."

"Understood," I replied.

"Pardon?"

"As the first person to meet the Empire's envoy, please make the necessary preparations," she instructed.

After saying that, I lowered my hand.

"And until I summon them, no one should enter this place."

"Yes."

After the officials had departed, they carefully inspected the offerings. All were splendid jewels and adornments intended solely for the holy maiden's personal delight. One might surmise that Evelina was consumed by greed, demanding such luxurious goods from every nation. However, I know better. In truth, Evelina had little interest in such trinkets.

Her drawer was filled with countless jewels, treated as though they were trivial refuse. She never bothered to adorn herself with them, occasionally bestowing them upon the men she entertained at night, clutching them like toys as they were caught in her grasp.

"They were never meant for such purposes, I dare say."

If anything, gold coins would have been more practical. But why Evelina desired these items remained an enigma, a memory veiled from my sight.

"Whatever her intentions may have been, they must be returned."

Accepting these gifts from all the kingdoms would only amplify the animosity towards Evelina, a consequence not to be taken lightly. No, they were probably already showering her with harsh words.

As I spent a considerable time sorting the items to be returned, I grew weary and took a seat.

"There are also many letters."

Glancing at the desk, I noticed an array of missives sent by various diplomatic envoys. After the prayer session, I would have to reply to each one in the audience hall.

"The position of the holy maiden entails more tasks than I had imagined."

When I first possessed this body, I thought merely offering prayers would suffice. Now, it feels as if I'm incessantly burdened with work day and night.

As I read through the letters one by one, I stumbled upon something peculiar at the very bottom.

"What is this?"

Among the ornately decorated letters on the desk, there was a thin, white envelope with nothing written on it.

"Perhaps it was mistakenly included?"

No nation would be so careless as to send a letter to the holy maiden with such a lack of attention to detail. Perhaps it belonged to some covert underground transaction rather than the temple. Intrigued, I decided to inspect its contents. Though it seemed thin at first glance, there was only one sheet of paper inside. Curiously, the outside of the envelope bore no indication of the sender or recipient.