They are all characters I control.

Marquis Rost also noticed Lia at this moment, and was desperately casting gesturing glances in her direction, clearly hoping that Lia would save him.

However, at this moment, Lia is not Lia herself, but Claire.

Claire didn't even glance at the Marquis of Rost, as she hadn't taken him seriously before, and she still hadn't now.

Earl Orlando greeted Marquis Rost very politely, and Marquis Rost immediately felt as if he had grasped a lifeline.

But then Earl Orlando casually looked away from the Marquis Rost’s pleading eyes.

This is mocking the Marquis Rost, who has a grudge against the Earl of Orlando, and the two families also have a grudge against each other.

Earl Orlando's previous polite approach to Marquis Rost was solely for Lydia's sake.

"Lord Rost," His Majesty Daryan began, "what are your thoughts on Miss Leah's engagement?"

Marquis Rost's body trembled violently.

He looked up, his gaze sweeping across the hall. His pupils contracted when he saw Bishop Simon, who was standing next to Lydia.

Needless to say, Bishop Simon definitely supported Lydia, and this same bishop was the one who confiscated the Rost family's property and imprisoned himself.

So, does that mean that Bishop Simon disciplined himself and caused trouble for the Rost family in order to avenge Lydia?

Does that mean that Bishop Simon does not support Lia's marriage to the royal family?

When he saw Earl Orlando again, his expression darkened even more; the earl was also sitting with Lydia.

Regardless of whether he truly loves Lia, his current attitude clearly indicates a willingness to oppose His Majesty Darion and thus oppose Lia's engagement to the royal family.

The count had just made a fool of himself by ignoring his plea for help.

This surprised the Marquis of Rost, since the Earl's current position was all thanks to His Majesty Daryan, yet now the Earl disagreed with His Majesty Daryan.

Perhaps this is true love? The Marquis of Rost did not know.

When his gaze fell on Claire (Lia), his lips trembled slightly. This daughter was clearly no longer the one he used to discipline at will.

She was no longer the aggrieved young lady who used to be tied up in the backyard and punished by her stepmother and stepsister with spiked iron shoes.

Ask yourself how your father treated her? The Marquis of Rost knew the answer in his heart.

In the past, he would have simply ignored it, but later he personally claimed that the 'new tax' originally proposed by Lia was Elena's idea, and had his second daughter, Elena, attend the banquet in place of his eldest daughter, Lia.

He was the one who personally pushed Leah to Count Orlando, hoping to please him, but Count Orlando turned out to be so deeply in love with Leah.

When questioned by the acting saintess Isabelle, he failed to take responsibility as a father and pushed Lia aside, after which Marquis Rost was ridiculed quite a bit.

Now, this eldest daughter has truly grown strong enough to sit before His Majesty Daryan.

He even received support from Bishop Simon and Earl Orlando, leaving Marquis Rost with mixed feelings.

"I'm asking you a question." His Majesty Daryan's voice turned cold.

Marquis Rost looked around for a long time without answering, which greatly displeased His Majesty Darian, who had already been rebuffed by Leah and Bishop Simon.

Now even the Marquis of Rost is ignoring him? This made His Majesty Darian's face even more gloomy.

The marquis, snapping out of his daze, immediately looked away, his mind racing.

“I…I…” Marquis Rost’s voice trailed off. “I obey His Majesty’s orders…”

Although Leah was their daughter, both Bishop Simon and Earl Orlando sided with Leah.

However, it was clear that Lia no longer cared about her father.

Bishop Simon imprisoned him, intending to label him a heretic and eliminate the Rost family.

Although the Earl of Orlando seems to be salvageable, he is backed by His Majesty Darion, so it would be better to choose to stand on His Majesty Darion's side directly.

For the Marquis of Rost, this was also an instinctive choice.

He had been trying his best to please His Majesty Darian, and if he could use Lia to save the current Rost family, that would be the best outcome.

His Majesty Darian nodded in satisfaction and turned to Claire. "Miss Leah, did you hear that? Your father has agreed to the marriage."

This answer was also heard by Lia herself.

Leah, who had previously pleaded with Claire, fell silent.

Ignoring Lydia's current sense of defeat, Claire looked at Marquis Rost and then at His Majesty Darian.

"Your Majesty, what does my father's 'consent' have to do with me?"

His Majesty Darian's smile remained unchanged: "Under any circumstances, he is the Marquis of Rost, and his words are the decision of the Rost family."

“What if I say I don’t belong to the Rost family?” Claire’s voice wasn’t loud, but every word was clear.

His Majesty Darion narrowed his eyes. "Miss Lia, do you wish to leave the Rost family?"

“What else?” Claire leaned back in her chair. “I didn’t get anything from the Rost family, so I’m leaving.”

The hall fell silent for a moment.

Chapter 49 I Have People in Church

Hearing Claire say that she wanted to leave the Rost family in order to escape the royal engagement.

Marquis Rost looked up at Claire (Lia).

A complex light flashed in those unfocused eyes, containing anger, shame, and resentment, but in the end, only exhaustion remained.

“Lia…” he began, his voice somber.

The only one who can save him and the Rost family now is Leah.

Lydia herself was able to plead with Bishop Simon to withdraw his interrogation of her and the Rost family.

It is also possible to obtain forgiveness from the royal family by marrying Leah into the royal family, thereby allowing His Majesty Darion to exonerate himself and the Rost family from the church's punishment.

No matter which option you choose, Lia is the key.

When Lia said she wanted to leave the Rost family, it was tantamount to saying she wanted to sever ties with him.

However, Claire didn't look at him at that moment.

Even Lydia herself, who was watching this scene from Claire's perspective, did not say a word.

This is yet another attempt by the Marquis of Rost to betray her for the sake of the so-called bigger picture.

At this moment, Bishop Simon stepped forward.

He was relieved to see Claire (Lia) so decisively say that she wanted to withdraw from the Rost family and was so unwilling to marry into the royal family.

Clearly, his decision to cause trouble for the Rost family was not wrong.

Just as he had suspected, Miss Lia's relationship with the Rost family and Marquis Rost had deteriorated to the point where they could sever their blood ties.

At that point, he was naturally happy to step forward and express his opinion.

He walked up to the Marquis of Rost and looked down at him.

"Marquis Rost, you are suspected of having dealings with heretics. Until you are cleared of suspicion, the Church has the right to question all your decisions."

After speaking, Bishop Simon glanced at His Majesty Darian, who stood to the side with a gloomy face.

This is also a slap in the face to the royal family.

The emperor, who was clearly supported by the Goddess Church, now actually wants to break away from the Goddess Church and go against me.

Caught in the middle, Marquis Rost, a cannon fodder neither the church nor the royal family cared about, found himself in an even more troublesome situation than before. "I...I didn't..."

“Whether or not it is, it’s not up to you to decide.” Bishop Simon turned to His Majesty Darian: “Your Majesty, Marquis Rost is now under investigation by the Church, and I’m taking him away.”

His Majesty Darian stared at Bishop Simon, his gaze sharp as a knife.

"Bishop Simon, are you going to defy me to the very end?"

They were to take away the nobles he supported right in front of him.

Isn't this a slap in the face?

Even though Bishop Simon held great power in the past, he would never have been so ruthless in humiliating others.

“It’s not about stubbornly resisting.” Bishop Simon raised his head slightly, looking down arrogantly at the emperor before him. “It’s about fulfilling our duty.”

This is what Lia wants to do, and it will surely please the acting saintess Isabelle.

Furthermore, this emperor of the empire even wanted to rebel against me, thinking that just because I couldn't become the archbishop, I was someone who could be bullied at will?

Bishop Simon could find no reason not to embarrass His Majesty Darian.

Without waiting for His Majesty Darian's response, the church knights behind Bishop Simon grabbed Marquis Rost and dragged him away.

The Marquis of Rost had the same blank and hopeless expression he had when he arrived.

He tried to call for help from 'Lia' but was completely ignored and was simply dragged out like this.

His Majesty Daryan remained silent for a long time.

The sound of fingers tapping on the armrests of the throne was like a pendulum, one tap at a time.

The atmosphere in the banquet hall became even more somber.

The nobles looked at each other, unsure which side to take.

The standoff between His Majesty Darian and Bishop Simon has reached a fever pitch.

Just then, His Majesty Daryan smiled. The smile was cold and faint, like a frozen lake in winter.

"Bishop Simon, do you know why I insist on discussing the marriage today?"

Bishop Simon frowned slightly. "Oh? Please enlighten me, Your Majesty."

"Because the new archbishop has been chosen." His Majesty Darian's voice was calm, but every word pierced Bishop Simon's ears like a knife.

“Bishop Augustine of the Eastern Union Diocese, nominated by Archbishop Grove at the Holy Council.”

"I heard that the saintesses' representatives did not object either."

Claire's pupils contracted slightly.

Augustine? Bishop of the Eastern Union Diocese?

Bishop Simon's face changed drastically. "This...this is impossible..."

You have to understand that Archbishop Grove has been giving him benefits all along, so how could that archbishop choose someone else as a candidate?

After realizing he had missed his chance to become archbishop, why did he push someone else out so quickly?

This undoubtedly indicates that he has been abandoned, as Bishop Simon's network of connections had already collapsed.

“Archbishop Grove has given up on you.” His Majesty Darian stood up, walked up to Bishop Simon, and patted him on the shoulder.

"Your Excellency, your backer is gone. Now, what do you have to fight against the royal family with?"

Bishop Simon's lips were trembling.

He knew, of course, that his relationship with Isabelle, the acting saintess, was not as loyal as he had just boasted, and that Archbishop Grove was his true source of confidence.

Now that a new candidate for archbishop has emerged, if he becomes archbishop, he will certainly be stationed in the imperial diocese.

When the new archbishop meets his abandoned predecessor, one can only imagine what will happen to him.

It's no wonder that the Church of Simon was so flustered.

Claire watched this scene without feeling any sympathy.

Bishop Simon had tried to take credit for Lydia's new tax, only to be publicly humiliated by Isabelle, and now he's been abandoned by the archbishop.

When a wall falls, everyone pushes it down; that's just how it is.

The target is not Bishop Simon now, but His Majesty Darian.

"Oh? Isabelle...the Acting Saintess didn't object? Your Majesty, how do you know? Do you know the Acting Saintess?"

During the conversation between Bishop Simon and His Majesty Darian, a young lady from a minor noble family interrupted.

But she was referring to the substitute saint.

His Majesty Darian looked over with a hint of caution. "I don't know the Acting Saintess, but..."

"So that means what you said isn't true? You didn't ask the acting saintess, yet you say she didn't object? Could it be that His Majesty Darian also knew the secrets of the acting saintess in advance?"

Claire's (Lia's) flattering words immediately made His Majesty Darion lose face.

Although he was embarrassed, he was indeed unsure of himself when facing 'Lia,' who was indeed very close to the acting saintess Isabelle.