The current Sun God is so cornered, he has to ask a soul on its way to heaven for help.
But would a temple with so few followers actually have any money?
Of course not. It’s dirt poor—barely surviving on donations from Kyris.
And yet, the reason Ordell’s bedroom is so lavish is because she spent all those donations like water.
“This scene was in the novel too. I completely forgot about it.”
I was stunned the first time I saw the dressing room.
It wasn’t just that there were all kinds of dresses sorted by type—they were all extravagant.
Let’s forget about finding a secret stash of money.
She blew everything on luxury, so there’s no way she had any hidden funds.
That leaves just one option.
“Sell it.”
Let’s sell off everything in the room—decorations, dresses, jewels—anything worth money.
After all, I’m leaving the temple soon, so I won’t need any of it.
And I should probably give at least part of the money back to the temple… right?
“It’s not even my money, so I won’t feel bad.”
I wiped away a tear that had slipped down my cheek.
Now I needed someone to handle all this for me—someone who knew the value of these things better than I did.
But who?
There’s no one Ordell was close to in the temple. She was all about tantrums and luxury.
I couldn’t ask Eirik either—it would be hard to sneak away any extra cash if I did.
No choice. I’ll have to start by listing everything I can sell.
If I don’t want to get ripped off in this world, I need at least a rough idea of how much each item is worth.
It had been hours of writing lists without stepping outside.
The knock on the door snapped me back to reality.
The paper in my hand was now filled edge to edge.
“Saintess, I’ve brought your dinner.”
“Come in.”
“……”
“…?”
Why weren’t they coming in?
Just as I wondered if I had to open the door myself, someone finally stepped inside.
A handsome man with curly red hair and beautiful, watery blue eyes.
Definitely not an extra.
There was only one person in the Sun God’s temple with looks like that.
Dietrich Warren—a high-ranking priest, fiercely loyal to Eirik, and absolutely essential to the temple.
“Do you require anything else?”
Ah. I must’ve been staring. Dietrich hated Ordell.
Well, not that anyone here liked her.
“No, nothing.”
I set aside my inventory list and sat at the table.
The dinner looked almost identical to what Eirik had brought me for lunch.
But why wasn’t Dietrich leaving? He stood by my side, staring so intently it made me uncomfortable.
“Is there something you wish to say…?”
“I’m waiting to clear your dishes after your meal, so please don’t mind me.”
That’s easier said than done with eyes that intense.
I tried to ignore him and bit into a piece of bread.
“But, Saintess… may I ask why you’re suddenly being polite?”
I almost bit my tongue instead of the bread!
Right—vicious Ordell used to talk down to everyone.
Even to High Priest Eirik.
Eirik didn’t question it, but Dietrich just asked point-blank.
‘…Actually, maybe this is a good chance?’
Dietrich absolutely hated Ordell—it’s no exaggeration.
She constantly belittled the high priest he was devoted to.
Even knowing she was the Saintess, he made no effort to hide his disdain.
If I said I planned to leave the temple, wouldn’t he be happy?
Maybe he’d even help persuade Eirik.
“I’ve recently had a change of heart.”
“…A change?”
“Yes. I realize now how immature I’ve been. I was rude to you. I’m truly sorry.”
I stood, folded my hands respectfully, and bowed my head to him.
“Just now… wh-what did you say?”
Oh, he’s flustered. Totally flustered.
Even Eirik had been surprised—of course Dietrich would be too.
“I don’t think I’m suited to be the Saintess. So I plan to step down soon and leave.”
Dietrich’s face went stiff with shock.
“The role of the Saintess isn’t something you can just sit in and leave at will!”
“Then is it okay if I keep living here like this?”
“Well…!”
Looks like he can’t bring himself to say “please stay.”
Wow, he really hates Ordell.
“Of course, I’m not saying I’ll leave immediately. I intend to repay the damages I’ve caused to the temple first.”
“…Repay, you say?”
“I want to apologize to everyone I’ve hurt—anyone I’ve scarred emotionally.”
His face twisted even further in confusion.
But I was dead serious. No lies—pure sincerity.
“And one more thing.”
I handed him the list I’d spent the afternoon compiling.
“This is a list of everything I own. I’d like you to sell all of it and convert it to cash.”
His eyes nearly popped out of his head at the length of the list.
He looked completely dazed, like someone who’d just been smacked upside the head.
“I think I’ve used too much of the temple’s funds for personal purposes, so I want to return it.”
“Uh… but… this…”
“Oh! Except for this item.”
I pointed to the dress at the top of the list.
It looked like it would fetch a high price.
“I bought this one with my allowance saved from my family, so I’d like the proceeds from that one returned to me.”
Of course, that was a lie. I had no idea where Ordell got the money.
But if Dietrich gave all the money to Eirik, I’d be left penniless.
It weighed on my conscience, but I had to lie to recover at least some personal funds.
Please let him not know where the dress came from.
“And I’d like a full report on how much each item sold for. It’d be helpful to compare the amount to the temple’s budget, too. I want to reflect on how recklessly I spent money.”
Okay, yes—it’s more for understanding market prices, but still.
“I’m counting on you.”
I gently smiled and pressed the list firmly into his trembling hands.
If this worked out, I could leave the temple with a clean conscience and a secret stash of cash!
But at the time, I had no idea—
That all my plans would fall apart completely before even a day had passed…
Dietrich left Ordell’s room with a dazed look.
But he didn’t walk away. He stood there frozen for a long time.
What on earth had just happened?
Did he really have that conversation with Ordell?
“So this is why the High Priest suddenly asked me to keep an eye on her…”
The High Priest had sensed it too—that something was off with the Saintess.
No, it was more than just “off.”
When she handed him that list, Dietrich had even wondered if her mind had snapped from illness.
After staring at the list with troubled eyes, he headed to Eirik’s room to report.
“She said she wants to sell everything listed here…”
Eirik stared at the list, his expression complicated.
He’d just spent hours in the prayer room in repentance, unable to bear the guilt of appointing a fake Saintess.
And now Dietrich brings this?
‘She even said she wants to return the money to the temple.’
Most of Ordell’s belongings had been bought using the temple’s operating funds.
She’d claimed it was only right since it came from her family’s donations.
They’d chosen to appoint a fake Saintess despite the loss, because having one—real or not—made a huge difference for the temple.
But now she was repenting and offering to return it all.
What on earth was she thinking?
“She did say she wouldn’t return this one item. Said it was bought with her allowance, and she’d like that money back.”
Dietrich pointed to the first item on the list.
Eirik’s eyes went wide when he saw it.
