They are all characters I control.

Claire did not answer, and that was the obvious answer.

If the Nolan family has always been planning to return to the Empire, then Claire is doing the same.

If he were to return to the Empire, he would naturally not want the Empire to have any archbishops.

Yes, for Claire, Bishop Simon was just the right person.

Give him a little power and a little face, and he will obediently listen to you.

After losing the opportunity to become archbishop, Bishop Simon became the best pawn, and everyone was eager for him to stay in the empire.

However, any new archbishop candidate emerging from the Church of Goddess would be extremely bad for Claire.

The Archbishop's power and the 'Holy Council's' voting rights could undoubtedly exert significant restraint on Claire through the Church of the Goddess, and Claire absolutely did not want such a thing to happen again.

Rosemary picked up her teacup, blew on it gently, took a sip, and then put it down.

"And what about Bishop Augustine? Wasn't she obedient enough?"

The child was pretending to be stupid, Claire thought, looking at the young generation that the Nolan family had been cultivating.

Although she was of a higher generation than Lia, being Lia's elder and referred to as her aunt.

Whether it's intelligence, experience, or insight, Rosemary is far superior to Lydia.

“She’s too smart.” Claire’s answer was unremarkable, but it was a valid reason. “Smart people are hard to control.”

"Do you think my uncle, Bishop Augustine, is a wise man?"

"To be nominated as a candidate for archbishop at this age, what else could you be but a smart person?"

Rosemary nodded, as if seriously considering the assessment. "So, what do you think Bishop Simon can do for you?"

Claire paused for a moment. “Help me stall His Majesty Darian.”

"Stalle them?"

“Yes. His Majesty Darian wanted to connect with the Acting Saint through Leah, but with Bishop Simon standing in the way, he didn’t dare to be too presumptuous.”

“What about Bishop Augustine? He can also help you stall His Majesty Darian.”

“It’s different.” Claire shook her head: “Bishop Simon is part of the old guard. As long as he’s in power, His Majesty Darian will have to deal with him every day.”

“Bishop Augustine is a newcomer. His Majesty Darian will try to curry favor with her, win her over, and even use her to oppose Bishop Simon. In the end, it’s not certain who will hold whom back.”

Rosemary remained silent for a long time. She lowered her head and looked at her blurry reflection in the teacup.

“You’re right,” she finally spoke, her voice soft. “My uncle said something similar. He said that the situation in the capital can’t be solved by simply changing one person. Out with the old, in with the new, but even when the new comes, the old won’t leave on its own.”

She looked up at Claire.

"So you chose to support Bishop Simon not because he was useful, but because he posed no threat."

Claire did not deny it.

"And you also want to use Bishop Simon to stall your uncle, right?"

Rosemary stood up and walked to the window.

The moonlight shone on her light golden hair, casting a long shadow over her.

This is a showdown; there are no unnecessary tricks.

“Yes, we are not on the same side. Although we are facing the same enemy, the royal family, our interests are different,” Claire said nonchalantly.

Upon hearing this, Earl Orlando rolled his eyes at Claire with a hint of resentment.

Claire's words were too decisive. You have to understand that before, Leah had always listened to him obediently, and she had been completely honest with him without holding back.

And now this guy is saying these things.

"If there's nothing else, I'll be going now."

Before Rosemary and Earl Orlando could say anything more, Claire dropped a bombshell.

When he opened his eyes again, his gaze became innocent and pure.

Leah, who had regained control of her body, looked at Rosemary and Earl Orlando, each with their own thoughts.

Chapter 56 How to Win Over the Evil God Emperor

Rosemary was seeing for the first time how Claire and Leah got along.

In the blink of an eye? Claire was gone.

Leah regained control of her body. She blinked, looked at Rosemary and Earl Orlando in front of her, and then at the teacup she was still holding.

“Auntie…” her voice was very soft. “I’m back.”

She had naturally overheard Rosemary's conversation with Earl Orlando and Claire.

However, even after hearing that Claire was some kind of evil god emperor, she didn't know what to say.

So he had been listening in silence, and now that Claire had gone back, it was hard to believe that Claire was the Emperor of Evil Gods—a being that could only be seen in books.

Earl Orlando leaned back on the sofa, looked at her, and sighed. "Your 'Guiding God' really knows how to come and go as he pleases."

Lia lowered her head and placed the teacup on the table.

The Evil God Emperor, the Emperor of the Empire, the enemy of the Nolan family, a madman who has been sealed away for over a hundred years.

However, Claire is her own guiding god.

“Lia,” Rosemary spoke. Her voice was still soft, but there was a hint of seriousness in her tone, “Do you know who he is?”

Lia looked up at her. "I don't know."

"Now you know, right?"

"Since the God of Guidance has not admitted it, perhaps he is not the Evil God Emperor."

"Then how about you temporarily consider him an evil god emperor? Aren't you afraid?"

Lia was silent for a moment. "I'm not afraid."

Rosemary's brow furrowed slightly. "He's taken control of your body, used your identity to connect with the Acting Saintess, used your new tax to stir up trouble in the capital, and now he's using Bishop Simon as a pawn. Aren't you afraid at all?"

Lia shook her head. "He is my guiding god."

“The God of Guidance?” Rosemary’s voice was tinged with disbelief, unable to comprehend Lya’s feelings. “He is the Emperor of Evil Gods.”

It's important to know that the Evil Emperor was the one who destroyed the Nolan family.

If such a person were to take control of Rosemary's body, she would consider doing everything in her power to resolve the situation.

If the problem remains unresolved, I'm prepared to commit suicide or isolate myself.

“I know,” Leah said calmly. “But so what? He helped me learn magic, helped me find my aunt, and helped me establish myself in the Rost family. He has never harmed me.”

Rosemary stared at her for a long time, a complex light flashing in her grey-blue eyes. "You're too naive. Can you guarantee you won't be harmed later? Is your help now just for a better opportunity later?"

“Maybe.” Lia did not refute: “But without him, I would still be being bullied by my stepmother and stepsister in the Rost family, unable to even learn magic, let alone have my current status.”

Rosemary remained silent.

Count Orlando sat to one side, holding a teacup, watching the two men face off without saying a word.

Earl Orlando knew that anything he said now would be inappropriate. On one side was his niece, and on the other was his cousin; he didn't want to offend either of them.

Besides, she had long suspected that the one controlling Lia's body was the evil god emperor.

After all, there aren't many people who could possibly possess such peculiar magic, and they also harbor such hatred for the Rost family, coupled with their disdain and arrogance towards the royal family.

Therefore, Earl Orlando was not surprised when Rosemary tested Claire earlier.

However, compared to Rosemary, who was a wholehearted representative of the Nolan family, Earl Orlando was not so devoted to the Nolan family.

After all, she and her sister had already separated, and her sister had been sent by the Nolan family to marry into the Rost family.

He harbored resentment because his sister died in the Rost family, and his only blood relative had died as a result.

Because of his resentment towards the Nolan family, Count Orlando was not so averse to or overly sensitive to the fact that the evil 'Lia' was the Evil God Emperor.

However, Lia and Rosemary had completely opposite attitudes; they stared at each other, neither willing to back down.

The living room remained quiet for a long time.

“Forget it,” Rosemary finally spoke, putting down her teacup. “There’s no point in arguing about this now. He’s gone; he can’t hear anything we say.”

“He can hear me,” Lia said.

Rosemary paused for a moment.

“He can hear me,” Leah repeated. “He can see what’s happening around me and he can hear what we’re saying.”

Rosemary's face froze for a moment.

She glanced around instinctively, as if searching for some hidden eye. Count Orlando picked up his teacup, a slight smile playing on his lips.

“No need to look anymore.” Earl Orlando took a sip of tea. “He’s not with you; he’s in the Holy City.”

Rosemary looked at Earl Orlando. "Are you sure?"

“Not sure,” Earl Orlando shrugged. “But he said he’s not usually here; he only comes when needed.”

Rosemary was silent for a moment. "You seem to trust him quite a bit."

“It’s not about trust,” Earl Orlando said, setting down his teacup. “It’s about using. He’s using us, and we’re using him.”

Rosemary remained silent; Earl Orlando was indeed right.

The Nolan family came here with the intention of becoming emperors of the empire, but who would have thought that the evil god emperor would suddenly appear.

It's impossible to say there's no conflict of interest; there will inevitably be a fierce contest between the two sides.

“What if he gets in the way of the Nolan family?” Rosemary asked.

Earl Orlando was silent for a moment. "Then make him one of our own."

Rosemary's pupils contracted slightly. "What do you mean?"

“Marriage alliance,” Earl Orlando uttered two words. “The Nolan family’s specialty.”

There was a moment of silence in the living room. Lia's face flushed crimson.

"Auntie!" Her voice was tinged with panic. "What are you saying?"

Earl Orlando looked at her and smiled. "Haven't you always protected him? I told you to marry him, but you still wouldn't?"

"I'm not...he's not...I am..." Leah stammered, her words incoherent. "He's the God of Guidance! The Emperor of Evil Gods! How...how could I possibly be..."

“Why not?” Earl Orlando tilted his head. “Didn’t you just say you weren’t afraid of him?”

“Not being afraid and getting married are two different things!” Lia’s face turned as red as a boiled shrimp.

Looking at Lia, Rosemary objected, "She's too naive. If she marries the evil emperor, he'll just devour her whole."

"Then I'll have you come?" Earl Orlando turned to Rosemary.

“Clergy cannot marry,” Rosemary said calmly. “Unless they give up everything. I don’t want to give up.”

Earl Orlando looked at her and sighed. "Then what do you suggest we do?"

"How about..." Lia hesitated for a moment, "How about letting Auntie come?"

“Me?” Earl Orlando’s eyes widened. “I’m dressed as a man! I’ve worked so hard in the capital for so many years to finally achieve my current status, and you want me to go back to dressing as a woman to get married? No way!”

"What should we do then?" Lia lowered her head.

Rosemary leaned back on the sofa and fell silent.

Lia shook her head and said, "I think... you shouldn't treat him as an enemy."

Rosemary looked at her and sighed helplessly.

Earl Orlando drank his wine nonchalantly.

Chapter 57 The Women of the Nolan Family

The Holy City, Ophelia's room.

Claire lay in bed, squinting at the conversation between Leah, Earl Orlando, and Rosemary on the system screen.

Three women, three different thoughts.