"I will deploy priests who wield divine power as guards for His Highness Matthias. Their divine power is quite strong, so ordinary knights or assassins won't even be able to approach His Highness."
Gabriel's confident words left Matthias wide-eyed in surprise.
"Really? I've never heard of priests with such strong divine power before!"
"Of course. It's a secret."
This time, Beatrice stepped forward and affectionately brushed Matthias's back.
"It seems that many priests hide their divine power because they don't want to be associated with the Papacy. Who would enjoy being at the beck and call of an old pope anyway?"
Her explanation was easy to understand, but Matthias's face remained unyielding.
"But will Father allow priests to guard me?"
"Of course. It's closer to the right answer to say he won't even care."
Beatrice chuckled knowingly.
She, too, had been on edge lately. There was no room for complacency when she had almost grasped the imperial power.
Yet once again, Gabriel pointed her in the right direction. She felt like an angel sent by Libato to help her.
"Even His Majesty will not be able to refuse on the pretext. Everyone will expect that bastard Carlyle to want to kill you, and who can spit on the heart of this mother who wants to protect you in danger?"
While Carlyle was fighting enemies in the south, Gabriel had returned from his pilgrimage and discussed with Beatrice how to reverse this situation.
It was a simple matter if the Emperor died, but even that required perfect timing.
"Until the most appropriate moment is chosen to act, you will be under their protection. I'll take care of everything, so all you have to do is ascend as the new Emperor at the most opportune moment."
"Thank you, Mother! Thank you all!"
Only then did Matthias express his heartfelt gratitude, feeling relieved.
In Gabriel's eyes, he was merely amusing.
'To think that such a person would become the Emperor of the Holy Empire… it seems quite inappropriate.'
An Emperor who didn't fit the imperial standards didn't seem right.
'Well, as long as he serves his purpose until he's no longer needed. Let's just wait and see if he'll display the qualities of a perfect Emperor.'
It was doubtful whether an Emperor fitting his standards would emerge, but for now, he had decided to overlook it. Foolish puppets were necessary to manipulate the situation as he pleased.
***
The knights guarding Matthias are mostly reassigned elsewhere, and strange-looking priests begin to guard him.
Some nobles, who saw the temple interfering in politics again with the priests surrounding the prince, only looked at him with a 'there they go again' look, knowing Beatrice's usual devotion.
"Hah! Idiots. They don't even know how strong they are…"
Matthias, who had been trembling with anxiety since returning to Zyro, looked a little strange to his younger sisters, the 1st Princess Josephine and the 2nd Princess Charlotte, as he walked around with his chin raised.
"Oppa's been acting strange lately."
TL/N: "oppa" is a korean word which is said to refer/call a guy who's older and it's used by females to call either their really older brothers or just guy friends who are older or even bfs
"He's always been strange. But he's been even stranger since he became crown prince."
"That's true, but since he came back from the South, he's been acting all high and mighty. It seems to be because of those people guarding him…"
"Judging by the fact that even the knights have been replaced, they must be stronger than the knights, right?"
Josephine and Charlotte were excluded from everything, from Carlyle's abdication and departure to Pervaz, their brother's 'crown prince treatment', all sorts of rumors in the social circles, and the war.
But now that Carlyle was about to be reinstated, they couldn't help but feel anxious.
"What the hell is going on? Mother doesn't even talk to us…"
"What will happen to us if Carlyle is reinstated, sister? We don't really matter, so will they just leave us alone?"
Charlotte asked half in hope, but Josephine, who knew a little more about what was going on, shook her head helplessly.
"Don't you know Carlyle's personality? Even if Carlyle doesn't do anything on purpose, you don't know how Giles Raphelt will try to use us."
"S-sister, no… sob…"
Trembling with anxiety, they hesitated and then visited their mother and brother.
Even though they asked for a meeting, Beatrice focused on talking to Matthias.
Josephine waited for the right moment and then asked carefully.
"Mother, who are those people guarding Matthias's side? They don't look like ordinary priests."
Then, as if she had just realized Josephine's presence, Beatrice turned her head and smiled proudly.
"They are priests with divine powers. They are very strong. They will keep your brother safe."
Josephine and Charlotte, who learned that they were indeed powerful priests, clung to Beatrice.
"M-mother, can't you give us one of those priests too?"
"What are you talking about, Josephine?"
"Carlyle might hurt us too. I'm scared, mother."
Beatrice snorted at her pitiful daughters.
"What value do you have that he would bother with you? You're worrying about stupid things."
"That's right! You just have to stay quiet and marry into a good family. When I become emperor, there will be a line of families wanting to marry you."
Josephine tilted her head at Matthias's sudden interjection.
"If you become emperor…? I heard that Carlyle will be reinstated to the throne?"
Matthias snorted with an exaggerated air.
"You don't need to know the details! Just know that God is watching over me."
"What do you mean, brother?"
"I'm going to found the Great Holy Empire! I will change all the laws to the laws of Elahe…!"
"Matti!"
Beatrice hurriedly stopped Matthias, who was about to blurt out everything he knew again.
"Oh, why! The children should know, Mother. You should also be careful about your conduct so that you don't get caught by the temple."
Matthias, who had been acting extremely erratic lately, suddenly clapped his hands as if he had a good idea, even though his mother had just told him to shut up.
"Ah! How about we make the children priestesse8? I think High Priest Gabriel would approve. It's a fitting path for the princesses of the Holy Empire!"
"What, what are you saying? Priestesses?"
Josephine and Charlotte gasped.
Priests had to serve in the temple and live a life of celibacy. Although it was not unheard of for nobles to become priests, it was rare.
However, Beatrice was more concerned with keeping Matthias in line than with comforting their surprised hearts.
"Let's talk about it later. There's no need to spread too much information around right now."
At those words, Josephine and Charlotte felt a great sense of sadness.
Even though they were all children of the same mother, Beatrice treated her daughters like they were outsiders.
'All Mother cares about is Brother Matti. She doesn't care what happens to us.'
It was a discrimination that they had felt throughout their lives, but it was now so blatant that it was difficult to even wrap it up in the excuse that 'things will get better for us once brother becomes emperor.'
What's more, she had talked about making them priestesses without even asking their opinion.
To Josephine and Charlotte, their mother and brother now seemed more untrustworthy than Carlyle.
"Charlotte. I think we need to find our own way in life."
Josephine, who was coming out of the empress's palace, whispered as she wrapped her arm around her heartbroken sister.
"But how? What power do we have…?"
The princesses may live surrounded by the finest things of the empire, but they were ultimately destined to be sold off somewhere to strengthen the imperial power.
It was not something they didn't know, but if things continued like this, it seemed like something big was going to happen.
"Charlotte. I think Mother and Brother are caught up in a delusion."
"A delusion?"
"Yes, it has been decided that Carlyle will be reinstated to the throne, but my brother still believes that he will be the emperor. Mother too."
"I don't know what they believe, but whatever it is, it doesn't seem like it will be able to move Father, who has already decided on Carlyle's reinstatement."
"Anyway, Mother and Brother have no intention of protecting us. Then shouldn't we first save our own lives?"
Josephine, filled with venom, bit her lip, her eyes shining fiercely.
"Sister. What are you going to do?"
"I mean…"
Josephine whispered her plan in Charlotte's ear. Charlotte's eyes widened.
"Oh, sister! If we get caught by Mother…!"
"Caught? Mother doesn't care how we live. Otherwise, she would have come to see us at least once when you or I were sick."
Charlotte, who had been suffering from severe abdominal pain a week ago, stopped at those words.
It wasn't just that day a week ago.
Her mother always looked at her daughters, who could not be crown princesses, with a 'useless' gaze. No matter how hard she tried to please her mother, it was the same.
Eventually, Charlotte nodded.
"Huu.... It's scary, but... I'll follow you, sister."
"This is the only way we can survive. Let's move quickly."
"Yes. I understand."
They returned with calm faces and secretly called in a messenger.
The messenger headed for Carlyle with the two princesses' letters in his arms.