Gloria von Caldwell's Condemnation and Revenge - Episode 43: The Saintess

“A saintess, you say…”

Abram, the heir to the Hattlestone family, known for their close ties to the church, was not as familiar with the church’s affairs as his father, but he still knew a great deal. Tilting his head back slightly to recall recent events, he frowned and shook his head.

“I will confirm with the bishop, but it’s almost certain the church does not recognize her. Do you know her name?”

“Melody von Salisbury. She entered the academy as an adopted daughter of the Baron Salisbury and is currently a third-year student, though I don’t know much about her… Kate.”

Turning to Kate, who had been quietly standing behind Gloria on the sofa, Abram spoke to her. Kate gave a quiet nod before stepping forward.

“I can explain, but for some reason, Salisbury doesn’t seem to think highly of me. I can’t get too close to her, so Kate, who shares the same lower-class status as that girl, will be able to explain more.”

Kate, introduced by Gloria, bowed deeply and began speaking about Melody.

At the entrance ceremony, Melody had caught Brian’s attention by being an “interesting woman,” and soon after, she used him as a stepping stone to get closer to the crown prince.

Edward quickly took a liking to her, and soon, most of the students at the academy had seen them together, often accompanied by Brian.

At Gloria’s request, Kate had tried to subtly distance Melody from Edward, and Kate had become a favorite of the crown prince as well, always staying by his side at the academy.

Initially, Melody had welcomed Kate, but when she saw Kate trying to distance herself from the crown prince, her attitude turned hostile almost overnight.

“So, you’re saying that girl is acting to gain the crown prince’s favor?”

Furrowing his brows and adjusting his glasses, Abram sighed.

Gloria nodded.

“Thanks to that, it seems I am disliked as his fiancée.”

Melody, with her strong desire for possession, knew the concept of impression manipulation and was able to execute it, though she did so with a certain subtlety.

She often offered advice to her juniors on trivial problems and would insinuate that she had been tasked by God to solve their issues. She implied that she had divine power, suggesting that she wasn’t simply associating with the crown prince for her own gain.

She claimed that it was more convenient for her to act alongside the crown prince when receiving divine revelations.

There had even been a time when a lower-class student’s territory was severely affected by flooding, and Melody gave precise advice, helping to save the situation alongside the crown prince.

Gloria recalled a rare moment when His Majesty had called her in to brag about his son, during which she had heard such stories.

(Sounds like one of those scenes from an otome game… She didn’t exactly give advice, but rather used the knowledge she gained from the game about how to recover from a disaster, elevating her own standing in the process…)

A-ko couldn’t help but mutter under her breath. Her assumption was likely accurate.

Gloria didn’t dislike the idea of using what one had at their disposal, but it was still an annoyance.

Especially when it was an effective move.

With her cute appearance and innocent demeanor, Melody seemed to possess some form of divine blessing, whether real or not.

Someone eventually started calling her the “Saintess.”

At first, it was likely just a nickname, though still disrespectful.

However, by the middle of the second year, some students, mostly from the lower classes, had started to believe she was truly a saintess.

“If that girl’s powers are real, and the princess consort is an ordinary young lady, she might be considered as a potential match for His Highness… but…”

“Are you saying the church would push aside the lady with the purple guide and make such an ignorant, uncouth girl His Highness’ fiancée?!”

“Calm down, Kate. Abram only said ‘if.'”

Kate, whose bl00d pressure had spiked, calmed herself by taking a deep breath before speaking.

“It would be fine if His Highness would just make it clear that he is distancing himself from Salisbury’s daughter, but it seems he has no intention of doing so. On the contrary, with the influence of Embry, I feel as though I’ll be the one pushed aside…”

Kate frowned, looking thoroughly exasperated, her freckled face flushed with frustration.

Edward seemed content with both of them around, but he showed particular favor toward Melody, the so-called “saintess.” Meanwhile, Brian, a knight in training, also treated Melody with care, following his future lord’s preferences.

To Brian, Kate was nothing more than an unwelcome third party, caught between the saintess and his master.

Although Brian disliked Kate, he seemed to acknowledge Gloria.

He found it acceptable that the crown prince’s fiancée was a woman of noble bl00d—one recognized by the church as a righteous and holy guide—and he held no ill will toward her.

This marked a clear difference from the previous life.

In the past, as soon as the crown prince accused Gloria of a crime, Brian had mercilessly twisted her arm, throwing her to the ground, and dragged her off to the dungeon without hesitation.

For a knight, it was only natural to obey the prince’s commands, but Brian’s actions had been far from the conduct of a knight.

He had simply been unable to tolerate Gloria, who was an unwelcome presence between his beloved saintess and his master, and he had not been able to conceal his emotions in public. That was just the immaturity of Brian von Enberry.