The Villain Saint is my secondary account

"I have long admired Lady Heville's name, and it is truly an honor to meet you today." The young-looking cardinal spoke first as he approached Ella.

"Your Excellency flatters me. I am merely a believer who also follows the Holy Light." Ella extended her hand slightly.

"Humility is a noble virtue, and Lady Hayville is worthy of the name of God's chosen one." The young bishop took Ella's slender hand, which was covered by a white glove, bowed, and made a formal gesture of kissing her hand, but of course he did not actually kiss her. "Tobias William, Lady Hayville can call me Tobias or William."

“Thank you for your praise, Your Excellency Bishop William.” Ella nodded in return. “You may call me Ella or Heville, Your Excellency.”

“Haha, I wouldn’t dare to overstep my bounds.” Bishop William adjusted the monocle on his left eye, his eyes seeming to open slightly. “Not only is Lady Heville’s devotion and wisdom in her faith in my Lord remarkable, but her beauty also far surpasses what is rumored.”

Although Ella will eventually become the other party's superior, as a cardinal of the Holy City, she doesn't actually need to be so respectful. However, the fact that the other party is willing to make a big show of it can be seen as a sign of the Holy City's goodwill towards her.

After all, the "former" saintess who is still in charge of the Holy City was forcibly replaced by Ella, and the true attitude of the other party still needs to be expressed by the visiting cardinal.

At least for now, it seems that the other party is conveying a friendly attitude.

But Ella is always cautious and wouldn't draw conclusions about the other person's intentions based on such a simple exchange.

Although the other party did not express their true purpose, Ella guessed that they were there on behalf of the Holy City to examine her, this suddenly appearing Holy Maiden of Light.

After all, there are many rumors about her, and the people in the Holy City might not feel at ease without actually seeing her in person.

After exchanging some more nonsense with Bishop William, the guests from the Loren royal family followed closely behind.

However, this time, it was someone Ella didn't really want to see.

The second prince, Ken Betis, walked slowly in wearing a dark blue classic tailcoat, his gaze from his light blue pupils beneath his deep-set eyes as sharp and piercing as ever.

"Lady Havil, you've become even more beautiful since I last saw you."

“I actually prefer my faith in my Lord to be recognized rather than my superficial appearance,” Ella hummed.

"Lady Havil is not very polite to me, though." The Second Prince smiled seemingly unconcerned. "Even so, I still brought you a small gift."

As soon as he finished speaking, a servant beside the prince handed him an opened gift box.

"Thank you for your donation to the sanctuary. You can hand it over directly to the priest there who is in charge of receiving and inspecting it."

“A donation to the Holy Temple is naturally essential, and I have already presented the monetary gift on behalf of the Royal Family. However, this is merely a small personal gift that I would like to offer you, Lady Havil, and I hope you will accept it with pleasure,” Prince Ken said softly.

Ella really didn't want to accept it, but in this situation, not accepting it would be tantamount to the Holy Temple disrespecting the royal family, which was inappropriate. So she had no choice but to suppress her impatience and take the box.

Inside the box was a ring set with a deep blue diamond and engraved with intricate magic circuits, clearly a valuable enchanted item.

It looks pretty good. I'll give it to Ye Xiao later. Ella thought to herself.

Next to the diamond ring was a square crystal. Ella picked up the crystal and saw that there seemed to be an image flashing on it.

This is... a photo crystal?

Ella brought the crystal closer and was surprised to find a man with short, choppy hair and listless eyes on it.

Because Ye Xiao doesn't look in the mirror often, Ella was stunned for a moment before realizing that this was Ye Xiao's appearance.

As the images shifted, Ye Xiao was seen wrestling with a burly man wearing a thick coat, and then being scratched by the man's steel claws, leaving him covered in blood.

This was clearly a video of Ye Xiao fighting Thompson in the Colosseum, but Ella was a little confused as to why Prince Kenn had this video and why he had recorded it in the crystal for her.

Hiss... Ella suddenly remembered the time she had secretly cursed the other party for daring to get engaged to Ye Xiao.

This guy... Holy crap...

Seeing Prince Ken's smiling expression, Ella frowned slightly, a chill running down her spine.

By the God of Light, I'm just kidding. If this guy were to pester Ye Xiao to get engaged, it would be even more absurd!

Seeing that Ella's expression was off, Ken Bettis was secretly delighted—ha, I've finally found this woman's weakness!

He received news a few days ago that Ella Haviere actually had a close adventurer friend.

He wasn't entirely convinced at first. Others might not know, but he, who had been engaged to Ella, knew very well the character of this duke's daughter. The arrogance of the nobility was fully displayed in her. How could she possibly befriend a lowly adventurer who had appeared out of nowhere?

But when he saw the saintess's expression after seeing the video, he realized that this was actually true, in a bizarre way.

Whatever her reasons for liking that lowly man, the important thing is that it means he finally has the means to blackmail the saintess!

Chapter Thirty-Three: Ella's Trap

"Lady Heville, would you mind having a chat with me in private?" Prince Kenn maintained a friendly smile and gestured to the open-air balcony next to him in an inviting manner.

There are some things that are better left unsaid in front of a group of Templars.

Ella put the photo crystal back into the gift box, but nodded gently.

She also wanted to see what the prince was up to, and what his connection was with that underground arena.

It was only a few steps to the open-air balcony, and the Templar Knights and servants guarding Ella didn't need to follow so closely, so they stood silently around her.

Two young nuns stood to the side, glancing at the prince and the saintess whispering by the balcony railing, and couldn't help but feel a little worried.

"Nia, I feel really uncomfortable with that prince."

"Shh, don't say anything out of the ordinary." Mino put a finger to Nia's lips. "It'll be bad if someone hears us."

Sunlight fell on the balcony, and Ella's silver hair, tied into two ponytails, was tinged with a pale golden halo. Her eyes, hidden behind a veil, stared at the recording crystal, as if she were deep in thought.

Ken Betis's slightly upturned lips exuded confidence; clearly, he felt he had figured Ella out. "Lady Hyville seems quite worried about your friend."

"So, what does His Highness hope to express to me through this?" Ella asked bluntly.

“Lady Heville, I understand your anxiety,” Ken said slowly. “Your friend is my friend, and since this person is someone you care about, I will naturally do my best to ensure his safety.”

"Um... I don't quite understand."

Ha, woman, still pretending.

Ken stroked his chin, and he had to admit, he admired Ella for being able to calm herself down so quickly. But it didn't matter; given her duchess-like temperament, seeing someone she cared about in such a dangerous situation, even if she tried to appear calm on the surface, her heart would surely be in turmoil.

“Havie, you know, as your fiancé, I understand you.” Ken said in a low voice, his blue eyes seeming to see through the silk covering Ella’s face. He could already imagine the anxiety and unease in her crimson eyes. “So, you don’t need to hide anything from me anymore. I can help you, Havie, all you have to do is ask me for help; but if you insist on pretending, then I can’t help you with Mr. Ye’s situation.”

It wasn't until Prince Ken made his intentions clear that Ella finally realized that her older brother was trying to use Ye Xiao's safety to blackmail her.

She and Ye Xiao are the same person, and she knows the background of Ye Xiao's experiences, so when she saw this video, she just regarded it as a historical clip.

But in reality, she should consider things from the perspective of not knowing Ye Xiao's situation. That is, the prince showed her a video of her "beloved" being injured and in danger. Theoretically, her current psychological state should be worry and anxiety, and then she should be praying to the prince to protect her "beloved".

After understanding, Ella reviewed Prince Ken's words again and understood many things, but at the same time, she felt that some of them were abstract.

However, since this prince has inexplicably revealed his connection with the underground arena, we might as well play along and test him.

Ella was deeply impressed by Prince Ken's cunning. Asking him directly for information would likely result in being brushed off, so she would definitely have to find a way to use some tricks.

It's unclear which side the other party is connected to: the Demon God? The Craftsmanship Society? Or some other force that hasn't yet surfaced.

Before speaking, Ella had to use memories that didn't belong to her to recall the Ella from before.

Hmm, let's think about it. What kind of emotions should one express when the only person a villainous heiress cares about is in trouble?

"You..." Ella sighed, biting her lip slightly, "What exactly do you want?"

Being threatened should be infuriating, but when a lover's life is in danger, one should also be worried and cautious.

Seeing that Ella hadn't responded for so long, and was beginning to wonder if he had made a mistake, Prince Kenn immediately regained his confidence upon hearing these words, "Hehe, Havil, I..."

"...Um, please don't call me by my name directly, it's a bit disgusting."

"Huh?" Ken was stunned for a moment, thinking he had misheard something.

"Let him go, but don't think that will make me remarry you," Ella said, her voice tinged with anger. As a young lady from a wealthy family, she was making unreasonable, commanding demands in her anger.

“That’s not something I can decide, Havil…sir,” Ken adjusted his form of address slightly, “I can only do my best to ensure his safety. But in exchange, I hope you can grant me a small request.”

Ella interlaced her fingers and placed them in front of her lower abdomen. This gesture was mainly used to convey tension, expressing her anxiety and helplessness. "What do you want?"

“Just do as I say, Lady Havil.” Ken leaned closer slowly. “You wouldn’t want your lover to get hurt, would you…”

“You…” Ella trembled and took a step back, but as if she was worried about something, she stopped in her tracks instead of retreating further.

Prince Kenn didn't speak, but the corners of his mouth turned up.

The fact that the other party didn't dare to resist this simple test shows that he can take bolder actions.

His voice was gentle, and his smile grew wider.

If they successfully coerce Ella here, all of Loren will believe that the Holy Maiden of Light and Ken Betis are having an affair.

Once you have a first kiss, even if it's just a simple one, things will go much better from there.

The Sanctuary might be furious, but once they've captured that lowly adventurer, Ella will have no choice but to plead for him. Even if the Sanctuary is enraged, with the saintess intervening and him being a prince of Loren, what can they ultimately do to him?

Rumors of romance often spread easily, especially when the protagonists are a prince and a saint. Once the rumors become true, they can simply find a few bards to compose some tunes and sing them around, and the story of forcibly kissing the saint in the sanctuary will only turn from infamy into something beautiful.

After that, remarriage was merely a small goal that could be achieved with a little push.

With the Holy Maiden by his side and the Holy Temple's assistance, he can easily remain invincible in the struggle for the throne.

As a cunning politician, Prince Kenneth had already meticulously planned his next move.

"You... what do you want to do... this is a sanctuary..." Ella's cheeks were flushed, and the silk covering her eyes, which should have been mysterious and holy, unexpectedly gave off a sexy vibe in this situation.

"Don't be afraid, lovely Havil." For some reason, upon hearing Ella's tense and weak voice, Ken began to lose control of his breathing and moved closer.

He had only intended to play along, but Ella's gentle and refined face made it increasingly difficult for him to suppress his inner turmoil.

Chapter Thirty-Four: Going to the Meeting Alone

It's strange, she seems to be even prettier than before?

Prince Ken swallowed hard, his gaze fixed on Ella's face, unable to look away.

"Ugh..." Ella whimpered softly, raising her left hand to cover her face, a delicate feeling of wanting to push the other away but also being afraid to be touched.

This small movement accidentally stirred the silk covering the eyes, revealing half of a bright red pupil through the slightly slipped silk.

The delicate, arched eyebrows and the worried, anxious eyes were so captivating that Ken's heart trembled. The pitiful look in her eyes was like a match that ignited something within the prince's heart.

So much so that he didn't even notice that Ella's other hand, which was under her body, quietly flicked a small ball of holy light, about the size of a marble, to the side.

This was the maximum amount of holy light Ella could muster, but it was enough. The small ball flew out with a "whoosh" and hit the helmet of the Templar Knight who was facing away from them, causing the Knight to turn his head in confusion.

At the same time, Ken involuntarily reached out and tried to gently stroke Ella's fair face.

Then, Ella dodged it with a strange head shake.

Prince Kenn, who had just missed, was stunned. Thinking that he had made a mistake, he tried to put his arm around Ella's shoulder again.

"Your Highness..." Ella, nestled in the prince's arms, looked up pitifully and spoke up just before his arm touched her, "Did the Craftsmen's Society send you?"

Ken was captivated by the stunning beauty of the young woman before him, and unconsciously muttered, "Of course not, what does it have to do with the academy..."

Before he could finish speaking, Ken froze, his hand hanging in mid-air, his eyes gradually filling with shock. "You... how do you know this name..."

"You guys over there, did you hear that?" Ella said lightly, her face expressionless.

Prince Kenn seemed to realize something, stiffly turning his neck to see a row of Templar Knights standing quietly not far away, staring at them without moving.

If reality could send signals, countless big question marks would surely appear above Ken's head.

His arm was still outstretched, less than ten centimeters from Ella's arm, his upper body like a duck's neck sticking out.

Finally, Ken realized he might have to back off, but Ella grabbed his arm.

He hurriedly tried to pull his arm back, but was surprised to find that the delicate girl was as strong as a black bear; no matter how hard he tried, his arm wouldn't budge.

In the short time it took, the Templars had already surrounded the poor prince, their huge, vise-like hands gripping his thin shoulders on either side.

"You...you don't care whether that adventurer lives or dies...!?" Ken shouted incredulously.

Ella didn't respond, but tilted her head slightly, crossed one arm over her chest, and raised the index finger of the other hand high. "Colluding with the Dark Cult, molesting a priest, Ken Betis, you can choose to remain silent, but the Holy Church will judge your crimes."

Standing amidst a group of tall, imposing figures clad in iron armor, this unusually petite woman seemed less like a saint and more like an arrogant gangster's daughter.

"Templars, heed my command!" Ella's half-exposed pupil, revealed by the slipping silk, was filled with mockery. Her raised finger drooped slightly. "Beat him up!"

……

Leaving aside the little farce at the pilgrimage banquet, Ye Xiao, who was still dazed and confused, finally woke up in the underground arena of the Blissful Palace.

"Ah..." Ye Xiao touched his head, feeling sore all over as if he had been hit by a dump truck.

However, it's strange that the character panel doesn't show any damage or debuffs received.

Ye Xiao was still in a daze when he suddenly saw a pink-haired girl dressed in a maid outfit hand him a glass of water. "Sir, would you like some water?"

"Ah, thanks."