The Baby Fairy Is A Villain [EN]: Chapter 110

Murmurs rippled through the hall.

Those who had been quietly anticipating Remil’s display of divine power watched the unfolding situation with puzzled expressions.

From the moment the task was assigned, rumors had spread like wildfire.

Most participants were aware that Remil was one of the two leading contenders for the Holy Child Prayer Meeting, enjoying the strong backing of the cardinals and high-ranking priests.

They also knew of Cardinal Milliard’s close relationship with Remil.

“……”

As they observed Remil’s inability to manifest his divine power, people began to cast furtive glances at Milliard.

Cardinal Milliard’s face had already lost its color.

He appeared desperate to deny the reality of the sudden turn of events.

A suppressed giggle escaped.

Kieren buried his face in Cheshire’s hair, struggling to contain his laughter.

He whispered to Cheshire, his voice laced with amusement.

“It’s amusing, isn’t it?”

Cheshire nodded vaguely, her attention fixed on Remil.

‘How did he manage that?’ she wondered.

Kieren wouldn’t risk using black magic within the Holy Empire’s borders.

Even the smallest speck of dirt is glaringly obvious on a clean, white sheet of paper.

In the Holy Empire, saturated with divine power, traces of black magic would inevitably be exposed.

Until the Holy Child Prayer Meeting concluded, Kieren was forced to maintain a facade of good behavior.

‘That means he must have received assistance from someone else.’

Cheshire’s gaze shifted to the holy knights standing beside the Holy King.

Hailon stood among them.

Hailon wore the same uniform as the First Order Knights.

Although he was dressed identically to the others, he stood out as if he were in a world of his own.

It wasn’t solely due to his breathtakingly handsome appearance.

He was further distinguished by his indifferent expression amidst the surrounding confusion.

As if sensing her scrutiny, his icy blue eyes turned to meet Cheshire’s.

The moment their eyes locked.

“……”

Hailon subtly tilted the corner of his lips upward in a faint smile.

The meaning of the fleeting smile was unmistakable.

‘It’s Hailon.’

It was preposterous.

She had been wondering why things were progressing so smoothly, only to discover that two men were scheming behind the scenes.

“I, I’m sorry, I, uh, that’s…”

Remil desperately attempted to summon his divine power.

But ultimately, he failed to produce any visible manifestation of power.

Remil, stammering and struggling to find the right words under the weight of the gazes fixed upon him, trembled and looked towards Cardinal Milliard.

Remil was desperate to find the one person who could offer him support in this dire situation.

But the instant Remil’s eyes met his.

Cardinal Milliard abruptly averted his gaze.

Remil’s eyes reflected a shattering disappointment at the cold rejection.

But he bit his lip and silently endured the pain.

It was a familiar feeling of resignation.

He almost died because of Remil, but… Seeing him in such a state evoked a pang of sympathy.

‘And the fact that I felt the power of the fairy before.’

That child, Remil, kept bothering her.

Remil knelt before the Holy King.

“…I am not feeling well, and thus presented a lacking appearance.”

The hunched back appeared particularly small and frail.

The Holy King waved his hand, seeking to dispel the chaotic atmosphere.

“We are already aware that Prince Remil possesses exceptional divine power.”

Holy King Sianor gently reassured Remil.

“The gods will gladly accept the precious power that the prince holds.”

“T, thank you.”

Remil hastily bowed his head, offering his gratitude.

Then, he was seized by his guardian, who pulled him to his feet with a somewhat rough hand, and retreated as if being dragged away.

It was a truly pathetic exit, a stark contrast to his earlier appearance, which had garnered so much attention and anticipation.

Remil, stumbling as he followed his guardian, glanced around.

He scanned the crowd as if searching for someone, and then visibly relaxed when he spotted Cheshire.

He seemed to want to say something, but was pulled away once more by his guardian.

The Holy Child Prayer Meeting continued without further disruption.

The children each pledged to offer various gifts to God.

The items that the families attending the prayer meeting had been meticulously preparing for days were indeed precious.

The Holy King smiled contentedly, offering praise and blessings to the children.

Cheshire was the very last in line, and she stifled a yawn as she watched ninety-eight children present their offerings.

There were a few interesting moments interspersed throughout.

One such moment occurred when it was the turn of a boy who was a member of the royal family of a small kingdom.

The little boy stepped forward with an air of confidence.

“I can offer everything I possess to God.”

The boy wore a smug expression on his face.

It was as if he were saying, ‘This is the correct answer, isn’t it?’

Holy King Sianor offered a slight smile.

“You are commendable.”

That was all.

The reaction was noticeably shorter compared to the other children.

The guardian, realizing that they had miscalculated, turned pale and quickly bowed, ushering the child away.

‘He was naive,’ Cheshire thought.

He had placed too much faith in the Holy Empire’s pronouncements that they would choose the most devout child.

The task presented by the Holy Empire required a far more worldly approach.

Frankly, this task was simply a veiled request to ‘Give me something expensive.’

However, the key was to cloak it in a facade of piety and holiness, without being so blatant as to offend the sensibilities of those in positions of power.

Since he had failed to recognize that nuance, a red line of disqualification would have already been drawn against that boy.

The Holy King was particularly pleased when it was Aran’s turn.

“I would like to offer my crown. It is to return the glory I received as the princess of Skaya to God.”

Aran spoke clearly and gestured to her guardian.

The guardian removed the cloth covering the pedestal.

A dazzling radiance filled the air.

The crown, crafted by artisans personally commissioned by the King of Skaya for his beloved youngest daughter.

The crown, adorned with a massive sapphire, eight lustrous pearls, and dozens of smaller diamonds, was a creation that only the wealthy kingdom of Skaya could afford.

“Princess Aran’s devotion to God is truly beautiful!”

Holy King Sianor even burst into laughter, clearly delighted.

It was questionable whether it was appropriate to display such blatant enthusiasm for material wealth.

The Holy King engaged in an extended conversation with Aran in particular.

Aran retreated in a very cheerful and amicable atmosphere.

And after a few more children had their turn.

Finally, it was Cheshire’s turn.

Kieren walked forward with Cheshire in his arms and stood before the Holy King.

It was a somewhat disrespectful gesture.

He should have placed Cheshire on the floor and allowed her to offer her respects.

But Kieren was confident, and Cheshire shared that confidence.

Cheshire was in a particularly generous mood.

‘It’s good enough that he’s not resorting to black magic,’ she thought.

It seemed remarkably polite and courteous that he wasn’t attempting to manipulate the Holy King’s mind.

Holy King Sianor was seated on a chair positioned on a platform three steps above the floor, giving him a natural vantage point to look down at Kieren.

Kieren smiled at the Holy King.

Cheshire also stared blankly at the Holy King, following Kieren’s lead.

For some reason, the eye contact lingered for a subtly extended moment.

Next to the Holy King, the cardinal frowned.

Just as the holy priest was about to step forward to reprimand the perceived rudeness.

Kieren spoke first.

“Cheshire Vasilian of the Vasilian family of the Palen Empire, the one and only precious thing to offer to God is…”

Kieren’s voice resonated powerfully throughout the hall.

The children and guardians, who had been somewhat distracted and restless, immediately focused their attention.

The voice, as if imbued with magic, was like a serpent, smoothly coiling around the listeners.

Kieren, having captured everyone’s attention, smiled brightly and declared.

“It is the unwavering loyalty of the Vasilian family.”

He added a statement that carried a somewhat chilling undertone.

“As it has been until now, and as it will be in the future.”

It was a very ordinary, no, a less than ordinary statement.

In fact, it was a weaker offering than the boy who had declared his willingness to give everything he owned.

Even the other participants seemed taken aback by Kieren’s words.

But why?

The Holy King’s face hardened dramatically.

Kieren took another step forward.

He was unarmed, simply holding a young baby in his arms.

Even that single step caused the eyes of the holy knights to narrow sharply.

They instinctively reached for the hilts of their swords.

But Kieren remained unfazed.

Without breaking eye contact with the Holy King, he simply smiled more deeply and inquired.

“Does Your Majesty recall the old promise?”

The Holy King visibly trembled.

Kieren raised his voice, adopting the dramatic tone of a theatrical actor.

“I am referring to the promise that the Holy Empire made to Vasilian to manage the Black Forest.”

“…!”

Kieren flashed a brilliant smile at the Holy King.

“Now it is time to pay the price.”