They are all characters I control.

But if Lia were to marry into the royal family, things would be much easier.

If Lia can establish contact with the royal family, and if the Nolan family overthrows the royal family in the future, they can put Lia out as the new queen.

After all, Lia is a figure who is married into the royal family, and at the very least, Lia's child can inherit the throne.

This way, the Nolan family wouldn't have to choose a new emperor themselves, which would have created much more obstacles and made them more likely to attract attention and become targets of attack.

Even though the current royal family is not actually of the bloodline of the hero king who founded this empire, the Nolan family, which once married into the royal family, is the one who has the bloodline of the hero king.

Even if this bloodline is very thin and has been diluted a lot.

And the one who possessed that bloodline was none other than herself, Rosemary.

To be honest, the evil god emperor Claire could be considered a distant relative of Rosemary, someone she had never met—like the uncle of her grandfather's brother's son.

But she was, after all, of the bloodline of the Hero King, and Rosemary was more qualified to ascend the throne than any member of the royal family. However, the current royal family was recognized by the Church, and anyone who doubted the legitimacy of the royal bloodline would soon disappear.

Therefore, Rosemary has no intention of assuming the throne of the Empire, but she will absolutely not relinquish it to anyone else.

Whether Lydia likes it or not, this is something that Rosemary must do, and Bishop Augustine is pushing it forward according to her wishes.

"The marriage agreement between the Empire and the Rost family has been delayed for far too long." Augustine's voice remained gentle, sounding like that of an elder concerned for his juniors.

"I think we should set a wedding date and hold a formal engagement ceremony as soon as possible."

“I disagree,” Lia blurted out.

This time, she refused without hesitation.

When asked earlier if her father should be released, Lia still harbored some fatherly affection for him, but now that her engagement is being discussed...

Lia had absolutely no interest in Prince Alvin; in fact, he had previously conspired with Elena to bully her.

Want to marry Prince Alvin? Absolutely not.

A moment of silence fell over the hall. Everyone stared at her, the eldest daughter of a fallen marquis family, who, in front of the emperor, two bishops, and a host of nobles, uttered the words, "I disagree."

Although this wasn't the first time, His Majesty Darion had asked before, but Lia still refused, making the situation a bit awkward.

However, at this moment, it was not His Majesty Daryan who spoke, but Bishop Augustine.

Bishop Augustine wasn't angry; instead, he smiled. "Miss Lia, may I ask your reasoning?"

Lia took a deep breath. "I have not developed feelings for His Highness. Marriage is not a transaction, and I do not want to sacrifice my life for the benefit of my family or the church."

These were her true feelings; she didn't want to marry someone she didn't like.

The reason her mother agreed to the marriage was simply because she wanted to bind the Rost family's heirloom, 'The Keeper's Spying,' to Lia, hoping that Lia could have a better life in the Rost family.

But it turned out to be of no use; at least the Marquis of Rost did not recall the 'guardian's spying'.

However, because of this 'marriage ring - the voyeur of the secret,' her mother died, and at this time, Leah's attitude of resisting the marriage with Prince Alvin is very firm.

“Well said.” Bishop Augustine nodded, seemingly appreciative of Lia’s attitude.

But that's not a good answer. If Leah thinks that way, doesn't that mean she's not only unwilling to sacrifice for the Rost family, but she also can't let the Nolan family do anything for her?

To Bishop Augustine, this looked like a spoiled princess throwing a tantrum.

It seems that the current discussion is about having Leah sacrifice herself for the Rost family, but in reality, it's about persuading her to dedicate herself to the Nolan family.

So, after praising Liya, Bishop Augustine changed the subject. "However, Miss Liya, a marriage is not a trivial matter. It concerns the honor of both families, as well as the stability of the Empire and the Church. If you refuse, you must have a reason that everyone can accept."

Lia opened her mouth, but couldn't say a word.

What she just said doesn't seem like a reason that everyone can accept.

But what reason could she have? She couldn't very well say, "There's a guiding god living inside me," could she? And that she actually preferred a reliable person like that 'guiding god'?

"How about this?" Bishop Augustine pondered for a moment.

"Your Highness will first serve as a 'follower' to Miss Liya, get to know each other, and cultivate feelings. If Miss Liya is still unwilling after a year, the engagement will be annulled."

Leah was stunned. A prince as her attendant? This was the most outrageous thing she could imagine.

She was genuinely panicked this time.

Subconsciously, Lia called upon her 'Guiding God' again, but this time she received a response.

Claire: What's there to be afraid of? That foolish prince has plenty of ways to deal with him.

[Lia: Oh, I see! That's good.]

Claire: Right now, it's not you who's more panicked, it's everyone else.

“I disagree.” His Majesty Daryan’s smile finally vanished.

It wasn't that he didn't want Lia to marry into the royal family, but he was well aware of his son's not-so-flexible mind. If he were to face the 'Lia' who even he himself couldn't handle before...

His Majesty Daryan was worried that Prince Alvin would be used by the other side, and that it would be troublesome if Prince Alvin caused any trouble.

Moreover, at this moment, Prince Alvin was clearly closer to Lia's sister, Elena, and visited her almost every day while he was imprisoned.

She also begged him, her father, every day to release Elena.

It's a pity that such a good-for-nothing prince is his son. Even if he's good-for-nothing, His Majesty Darion doesn't want this stupid son to be killed by Leah under some pretext.

“Your Majesty, this is the best compromise.” Bishop Augustine looked at him. “You have preserved the face of the royal family, and Miss Lia has also gained the opportunity to observe the prince. It’s a win-win situation.”

His Majesty Darian was about to retort when he met the gaze of Bishop Augustine.

After exchanging glances, His Majesty Daryan understood the bishop's attitude; clearly, the new bishop was not going to waver or change his mind.

If, after falling out with Bishop Simon, he were to clash with the newly arrived Bishop Augustine, things would become troublesome.

After thinking about it, Bishop Augustine probably wouldn't allow Lia to actually do anything dangerous to Prince Alvin, right? Even if she did, he could find an excuse to use.

As long as Prince Alvin doesn't die, there seems to be nothing to worry about.

"I understand... Let's do as Bishop Augustine says."

Chapter 79 The Church Purge Begins

His Majesty Darion's decision to allow Prince Alvin to serve as Lydia's bodyguard was not originally good news for Bishop Simon.

But even His Majesty Daryan is unwilling? Then Bishop Simon thinks that perhaps this is not such a bad thing.

Think about it and you'll understand. Lia has the support of the Prayer Acting Saintess Isabelle, who has also stated that she doesn't want Lia to be forced to do anything she doesn't want to do.

This is also the reason why His Majesty Darion has not turned against her and forced Lydia to marry Prince Alvin.

It's clear that Bishop Augustine wants to control Lya, which is why he's trying to match her with Prince Alvin. This could very well be a deal between Bishop Augustine and His Majesty Darion.

Bishop Simon believed that it was highly likely that the two were trying to exclude him together.

Bishop Augustine wanted to overturn any previous decisions he had made and choose a new one.

However, Bishop Augustine clearly didn't know Lia very well; Miss Lia could sometimes unleash tremendous courage and a strong side.

Prince Alvin, a good-for-nothing, might not be able to control her. This is probably what His Majesty Darion is worried about, wondering how his son will be treated by Lia.

If Lia were to suddenly become enraged and lay a hand on Prince Alvin, it would undoubtedly worsen the relationship between the royal family and the Church of Goddess. At the very least, the Acting Saintess Isabelle would be very disgusted with her royal family.

His Majesty Darian clearly did not want to do something so risky, but Bishop Augustine insisted so much that even His Majesty Darian could not resist too much.

On the surface, Bishop Augustine was helping the royal family.

Looking at His Majesty Darian's somewhat conflicted expression, Bishop Simon thought that it might not be such a bad thing for Prince Alvin to become Miss Leah's shadow in the future.

I should trust Miss Lia. Miss Lia will surely have a way to make good use of Prince Alvin, instead of the kind of thing that Bishop Augustine hoped for, like feelings developing over time.

“Now I would like to announce the third thing.” Bishop Augustine’s words drew the attention of the room back to him, his voice still gentle.

However, this time Bishop Augustine's gaze fell on an unexpected person.

That was the church knight standing beside Bishop Simon, who seemed to have no interest in being at the center of power.

"What I want to say is about Knight Commander Karl. Knight Commander Karl has always worked diligently for the Goddess Church. Once again, as the bishop, I thank Knight Commander Karl for your contributions."

Karl's body tensed slightly. He stood behind Bishop Simon, his hand on the hilt of his sword, his silver armor gleaming coldly in the morning light.

His face was expressionless, but there was a hint of surprise deep in his eyes.

Even though he wasn't interested in politics, he could tell that everything at today's meeting was a test and a setup.

Bishop Augustine's mention of the Marquis of Rost was a test of His Majesty Daryan's bottom line and attitude, as well as how much power he could wield.

His Majesty Daryan's current approval undoubtedly represents the royal family's support for him.

A direct attitude is more credible than the so-called courtesan effort to curry favor at the dinner party, especially since this is an attempt to suppress Bishop Simon.

As for Lia's engagement, it was a test of Lia's bottom line. If Lady Isabelle had spoken up when Lia's engagement to the royal family was mentioned earlier, it would have meant that such a thing was absolutely impossible.

Since Lady Isabelle didn't jump out to obstruct the matter despite Lia's explicit opposition, it means there's still room for maneuver and negotiation.

This is also a way of undermining Bishop Simon's position, pushing him further out of the empire's power center.

Now he's mentioning himself? Bishop Augustine is trying to completely seize power, stripping Bishop Simon of all his identity, status, and rights.

“Knight Commander Karl is one of the finest knights in the Imperial diocese.” Bishop Augustine looked at him with sincere eyes. “I hope that you will begin to be in charge of investigating the problem of heretics within the Empire. Although the Marquis of Rost has not been confirmed to be a heretic.”

"However, there must be heretics in this new empire who still believe in the evil god emperor Claire."

"In order to eliminate these heretical threats, I will personally command the Church Knights and you, Knight Commander Karl, to conduct a large-scale investigation of the Imperial Capital."

"All of this is for the Church of the Goddess, to protect the liberated land that the Church of the Goddess has finally managed to reclaim from the evil god emperor Claire."

These words were like a bombshell.

Not only was Knight Commander Karl surprised, but His Majesty Darion and the surrounding nobles were also shocked.

Of course, the one who reacted most strongly at this moment was Bishop Simon. He had no idea about such a big thing and hadn't heard a word about it.

Bishop Simon slammed his scepter on the ground. "No."

Bishop Augustine looked at him, his gaze still gentle. "Bishop Simon, why not?"

“Because Karl is my Knight Commander,” Bishop Simon replied firmly, his voice laced with suppressed anger. “He has served me for many years and is the man I trust most. You want to transfer him away from me? Impossible.”

It was impossible for Simon, as a bishop, to openly oppose any large-scale purge; he could not say that, nor could he oppose the decision of the Church of Goddess.

But having Bishop Augustine preside over such an event would probably be an excuse to throw Bishop Simon in as well.

Bishop Simon chose to directly take Knight Commander Karl away.

Without Knight Commander Karl, the efficiency of the Church Knights will not be very fast. If they find nothing and gain nothing, Bishop Augustine's abilities will be re-evaluated by the Holy Council.

In that case, even the chance to become an archbishop would disappear.

Bishop Simon adopted a very tough stance, leaving no room for negotiation. Knight Commander Karl was the representative of the Goddess Church's fighting power in the Empire, and he could not allow Augustine to obtain it under any circumstances.

“I didn’t transfer him.” Bishop Augustine shook his head, having anticipated Bishop Simon’s reaction. “He remains in the Imperial Diocese and continues to oversee the affairs of the Knights.”

"The only difference is that his authority will be expanded. He can mobilize all the church knights in the imperial diocese without needing the approval of any bishop."

“I don’t want to compete with you, Bishop Simon. I simply want to do my duty to investigate the problem of heretics, which is very beneficial to our Goddess Church.”

"Moreover, this matter has already been approved by the 'Holy Council,' and I think Bishop Simon has no right to interfere."

Bishop Simon's face flushed red.

It looks like this is just giving Knight Commander Karl more power, but in reality it's weakening his authority.

Worse still, this was the decision of the 'Holy Council'. No matter how much Bishop Simon resisted, he dared not defy the 'Holy Council'.

Chapter 80 Three-Way Battle

If Bishop Augustine wanted to launch a major purge of heretics, Bishop Simon would do anything to stop him.

But the question is, was this a decision made by the 'Holy Council'?

There was nothing that could be done then, and Bishop Simon shut his mouth. But even so, Rosemary did not let him off the hook.

“Bishop Simon.” Rosemary’s voice came from behind Augustine, clear and unhurried. “Knight Commander Karl is the Church’s Knight Commander, not your personal Knight Commander.”

"His duty is to protect the church and fight against heretics, not to become a tool for a bishop to fight for power."

Bishop Simon glared at her, his eyes practically spitting fire.

But every word Rosemary said was nailed to the law of the church, and he could not refute it.

However, he couldn't help but look at Karl. Having spent so many years with Knight Commander Karl, Bishop Simon was now somewhat uneasy about whether this knight commander would continue to support him and obey his orders.

The answer seems obvious.