The Possessed Evil Woman Wreaks Havoc - Chapter 135

“I’ll miss you.”

“…What’s wrong with you?” Gabby flinched and asked.

It seemed my words, which sounded like a final farewell, had struck a nerve. Well, it wasn’t wrong to call it a farewell. I was beginning to prepare for my final moments in this body, after all.

“Gabby. I have one last request.”

“What’s with you today? It’s like we’re never going to see each other again.”

We might not.

That’s what I thought, but I didn’t show it outwardly.

“It’s your little sister’s final request. You won’t grant it?”

“…Is something really going on?”

“Change your name. Gabriel doesn’t suit you. How about officially changing it to Gabby?”

“Oh, come on! You scared me for a second.”

Gabby let out a breath he had been holding and gave a half-laugh.

It was a joke I made to lighten the mood. Maybe it worked, because Gabby seemed more relaxed now as he asked, “So that’s really your request? A name change? Seriously. What kind of weird request is that?”

“Mm, actually, I have a real request. Gabby, don’t attend the prayer gathering.”

I got to the point.

“Huh? What kind of nonsense is that?”

Gabby tilted his head, clearly not understanding.

I knew myself quite well.

What were the odds that a face-to-face meeting with someone wouldn’t end in a fight?

Almost zero.

Especially if that someone was my enemy.

So I didn’t want Gabby there.

Even if he was a Swordmaster, he was still human. If he got caught in a fight between me and Gabriel…

Unlike us, humans suffer greatly from even a lost limb. It would be better for him not to be there.

The duke… well, I wished he wouldn’t come either, but I had a plan in mind.

To carry it out, he had to be there.

So first, I needed to give Gabby a reason he could understand. Something that would keep him from following the duke.

“Because it’s embarrassing.”

At my words, Gabby looked puzzled and asked, “What are you talking about?”

“Picture it, Gabby. It’s the grand prayer gathering. All the notable nobles of the empire will be there. There will be a lot of people, right?”

“Yeah, usually the cathedral is packed. I’m sure this year will be no different.”

“In front of all those people, I have to be the image of a pious and modest Saintess and pray devoutly to the Celestial God. Just imagine it.”

“Oh. That really doesn’t suit you.”

“Exactly. I’d be too embarrassed to let you see me like that.”

“Huh?”

Gabby seemed to finally understand what I meant. He nodded a few times and then spoke again.

“Well, yeah. I guess you’d be embarrassed to act all prim and proper in front of me. I know what you’re really like.”

Wait a minute? Did he just say I’m not normal?

I was about to lash out at him in irritation, but Gabby spoke first.

“In that case, I definitely have to go. I can’t miss out on seeing our little troublemaker like that.”

“Gabby. Listen to me.”

“No. Why should I listen to you, troublemaker?”

Gabby looked at me with playful eyes and continued, “And besides, it doesn’t make sense. If I don’t go, how’s that going to look for your reputation?”

“Why do you care about my reputation?”

“You said it yourself! That it bothers you when people don’t treat you like a saintess. If I’m standing firmly behind you, who’s going to dare say otherwise? If they don’t want to die, they’ll acknowledge it.”

I flinched for a moment.

You’ll protect me?

To think Gabby would say something like that. A human, weaker than me. Of course, I should laugh at him, but… it made my chest tingle more than I expected.

Ahem.

I cleared my throat before I got sentimental.

“Still, don’t attend.”

“You’re just nervous, aren’t you? I mean, it’s natural to be nervous about praying in front of so many people.”

As I kept insisting he skip the gathering, Gabby began spinning his own wild ideas.

His misunderstanding was so absurd I scoffed.

“I’ve never once been nervous in my life.”

But Gabby didn’t believe me.

“Don’t worry. If you mess up the prayer…”

“If I mess up?”

“I’ll memorize the faces of everyone who laughs at you and take care of them later. Okay? So forget the gathering or whatever. Just do what you want. I’ll take care of the rest.”

If you really want, you can grab the High Priest by the hair and shake him. Oh, wait. Does that old man even have hair left?

Gabby added with a sarcastic tone.

This felt… kind of like something a family would say, didn’t it?

As someone born a demon who’s never had a family, I couldn’t help but feel a little overwhelmed.

Gabby, and the duke too.

What on earth had they eaten today to be acting so strangely?

***

“Do not attend.”

“No. Why should I listen to you?”

“You are incredibly stubborn. I don’t like it.”

“As if you’re not just as stubborn.”

In the end, I failed to convince Gabby that day.

And a few days later.

At last, the morning of the grand prayer gathering arrived.

I had stayed at the temple the previous night and, unable to sleep a wink, kept yawning from exhaustion.

Normally, I would have heard Jessie chattering beside me…

I looked around.

All around me, emotionless priests were tending to me.

They had come to my room early in the morning to assist in preparing me.

The divine power stirring in every direction was already irritating enough, but what angered me even more was—

I tilted my chin at one of the priests and asked, “Hey. Are you planning to starve me?”

“…Today is a very important day. We ask that you maintain your modesty, Saintess.”

“What does modesty have to do with food?”

They hadn’t prepared a meal for me.

If it were Jessie, she would have had breakfast ready the moment I opened my eyes.

I glared at the priest who refused my request and said, “If I faint in the middle of the gathering from hunger, it’ll be your fault. Actually, just tell me your name. It wouldn’t be so bad to call it out as I collapse.”

“…There’s no helping it, then.”

In the end, the priests gave in to my thinly veiled threat and brought me a simple meal.

Of course, there was no meat—just plain bread with butter—but starved as I was, I picked it up with my hands and ate without complaint.

After that, the priests continued assisting with my adornment for some time.

I stared at Isabella’s reflection in the mirror.

Thanks to the white dress reminiscent of priestly robes, she looked as pure and delicate as a single bloom.

I deliberately scowled into the mirror. But no matter how I twisted Isabella’s face, it didn’t look threatening at all.

This body really doesn’t suit me.

I have to return it to its owner soon.

Resolving this inwardly, I followed the priest’s guidance and was about to step outside the room—

But I stopped right before crossing the threshold.

“Wait a moment. The hem of the skirt is too long. If I try walking like this, I’ll trip for sure,” I said to the priest beside me.

Of course, that was a lie. I’m a demon, after all, so tripping over a dress hem would be disgraceful.

I could walk just fine regardless of such a dress.

However.

“Then I shall summon a Holy Knight to escort you.”

Perhaps thinking my words made sense, the priest offered to call an escort before I even had to ask.

Perfect.

I added one more thing.

“If possible, I’d like the prince to escort me. I am representing the temple today, am I not? So my escort should be someone fitting of that role.”

After a moment of hesitation, the priest agreed to my request.

Shortly after.

Kayden appeared before me in full uniform. As always, his expression was blank, but the moment he saw me, he frowned slightly.

How dare he?

At his reaction, I ground my teeth without realizing it.

I extended my hand confidently to Kayden and said, “Hand.”

“……”

“You came to escort me, didn’t you? Give me your hand.”

Only after I repeated myself did Kayden reluctantly take the hand I held out.