Living As the Villainess Queen

Pides paused as he was about to pull Flora out of the carriage. If she had mentioned Sang-je as her protector, he would not have hesitated. “…Did you say kings?”

“The kings are outside the Holy City. They will be here soon.”

“Are you still saying that?”

“Of course… you knew?”

“I heard the news a while ago. But with no way to know what’s happening outside…” Pides had assumed the kings, unable to find a way in, would have given up by now with the activation period approaching.

Flora scrutinized him with a doubtful look. “What are you, Sir Pides? Which side are you on? You claim to be a holy knight, but are you betraying the High Priest?”n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

Pides sneered. “High Priest? There’s no such thing.”

Flora noticed a flash of anger and contempt in Pides’ eyes. “It seems we need to clear up some misunderstandings. What happened?” she asked.

“There’s no time for a leisurely chat,” Pides replied. “As I mentioned, Sang-je can track me. By now, he must have realized I’ve left the prison and sent someone after me.”

“Then let’s head to the Holy Palace immediately. And that priest—what did you do to him? Did you kill him?” Flora inquired urgently.

Pides shook his head. He couldn’t bring himself to kill the priest; he had only knocked him unconscious and hidden him in a thicket.

“At least you didn’t kill him, so we can still manage this. I’ll come up with an excuse. Let’s go to the Holy Palace, and we can discuss the details later.”

“You cannot go to the Holy Palace,” Pides insisted.

He remained wary of Flora. Once she entered the Holy Palace, he would have no way to intervene, and he couldn’t predict what would happen if she fell into Sang-je’s hands. The situation couldn’t get worse than it already was.

“Then what do you suggest?” Flora asked, frustration creeping into her voice. Pides remained silent.

“What were you thinking, bringing me here?” Flora demanded. She glared at Pides, realizing just how unprepared he was. After returning to the Holy City, she had devised countless scenarios for various situations, but she had not anticipated this one.

Wait, Flora thought. There’s no need to go to the Holy Palace.

Flora had originally planned to meet Sang-je, concoct a plausible story about her recent experiences, and find a way to secure some alone time. She had anticipated that upon arriving in the Holy City via teleportation, priests or knights would be waiting, making escape impossible. But to her surprise, she found herself free for the moment.

“Sir Pides, let’s go to my house,” she decided.

She needed to cast the spell quickly. “I know how to bring the kings into the Holy City. So let’s go, unless you have a better plan.”

Silence stretched for several moments. As Pides was closing the carriage door, Flora called out to him. When their eyes met, she asked, “Were you planning to… kill me?”

Pides looked at her without answering before closing the door. The carriage soon began to move. Flora wrapped her arms around herself, shivering. For the first time, she found Pides truly frightening.

The carriage passed through the plaza but was halted for several inspections. In the Holy City, knights and soldiers frequently stopped people to check their travel permits and verify their authorization to be out. Pides’ status as a holy knight eased most inspections. However, knights who looked down on him proved more troublesome.

If Flora hadn’t been in the carriage, getting through would have been challenging. The knights all knew her face, and as a priestess favored by Sang-je, they were careful not to offend her.

The carriage deposited them safely in front of Flora’s house. As she opened the door and stepped inside, her family, who were having lunch, froze and stared at her with wide eyes.

“Flora?” her mother called, astonished.

It had been a long time since anyone in her family had seen her after she entered the Holy Palace to become a priestess. Ignoring her mother, who stood up to approach her, Flora quickly brushed past. Pides followed her, looking embarrassed. She climbed the stairs to her room on the second floor and shouted down, “I’m going to sleep, so keep it quiet.”

That single command was enough. No one in her family followed her.

At the door to her bedroom, Flora turned to Pides and instructed, “Guard this door. Don’t let anyone in for at least an hour.”

“Understood, Anika Flora,” Pides replied. “The method you mentioned to bring the kings into the Holy City—is it the sacred art?”

“It’s witchcraft. There’s no such thing as sacred art.” She chuckled, amused by repeating the elders’ words. “There’s no time to explain. Remember, absolutely no one gets in. Stop them with all your might.”

Locking the door behind her, Flora’s unease lingered. She dragged the dresser in front, a meager defense against a forced entry, but it offered a sliver of comfort. Stripping the floor bare of carpets, she muttered under her breath, “You can do this. You remember. You’ve drawn this spell countless times.”

The murmuring ceased as voices erupted outside the door in a heated argument.

“Anika Flora is resting. By her orders, she is not to be disturbed.”

“His Holiness has commanded that Anika Flora be brought immediately!”

Sang-je could track Pides, and now he had found them. The delays from the multiple inspections had cost them precious time. Had they been any later, they would have been taken straight to the Holy Palace.

Flora shook her head to refocus her scattered thoughts. She could only hope that Pides would hold them off.

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