17 - A chance meeting - Part 2

"Goddess Auriel, please come with me. I am afraid that it is no longer safe for you to be outside. Please, follow me, and I will take you somewhere these hooligans won't be able to reach you," the speaker of these words was none other than Priestess Lilith.

The smile on her face looked scary, and had Auriel been alone, she would have never dared to speak up against her.

But Duchess Amara had no such problem. She even ignored the frightening atmosphere while flashing her smile everywhere.

"Aww, come on, Lilith! You don't have to be so much on guard with me around. You know that I will not do anything to cause trouble. As for Goddess Auriel? She is big enough to make her own decisions, right?"

The duchess asked with a smile as she turned toward Auriel.

Her intention was to cause a conflict between Auriel and the priestess. But unfortunately for her, Auriel was on Priestess Lilith's side this time.

"Priestess Lilith, I also feel like we should head inside now. I can feel a headache incoming, and I would like it cured before it gets any worse."

Auriel spoke with enough dramatic effect to make everyone else back down. Even Evelyn Greengrass, who looked ready to cause an uproar, paused before deciding to back down this time.

The only one who had a shameless look on her face was Duchess Amara. She kept smiling in her all-knowing way, and it creeped Auriel out.

"I see. If you are feeling sick, then I guess there is nothing we can do about it, Goddess Auriel. I hope you feel better soon. I will make sure to invite you to tea once you have recovered."

The Duchess promised, and Priestess Lilith acted quickly to get Auriel out of there.

Auriel breathed a sigh of relief once she was able to leave the Duchess behind, but Priestess Lilith's knowing look was something that Auriel felt she needed to address as well.

"Don't give me that look! I might be a goddess, but even I can feel tired and overwhelmed. If you feel disappointed because of it, then you should speak up."

Auriel waited for Priestess Lilith to speak up, but the priestess was too good at controlling her features and appearing innocent.

"I do not think like that, Goddess Auriel. I have full faith in you and your abilities. Please, do not let my expressions fool you into thinking otherwise."

______

In her mansion, Shelly Munero bit her thumb as she tried to control her emotions. She knew that she was at a massive disadvantage, but she had never expected to be backed into a corner like this.

"Miss Munero, would you like me to announce that you will be going into seclusion? I am afraid that now is not the best time for you to be showing yourself in the public eye… Crash," a vase crashed into the wall behind the butler's head as he barely dodged it in time.

The butler was lucky that he had incredible instincts to be able to dodge the attack in time, but the same could not be said for Shelly's mood, which had worsened after what happened during the morning.

"Tsk, that bitch Evelyn Greengrass! How dare she ruin my chances to be an imperial candidate? First, she humiliates me because of her high status, and now this… I need to do something to correct the situation."

Shelly Munero was angry at the world, at fate, and even at Goddess Auriel, who caused her position to fall like this. But since she could not take her anger out on those, she had no choice but to designate a target.

And that was how Princess Evelyn had become the source of her displeasure.

The butler, who knew of his young miss's inferiority complex when it came to the princess or the other imperial candidates, could only sigh as he watched his master slowly self-destruct in front of his eyes.

Still, because he was a butler and he cared about the child he had all but raised, he felt that it was his duty to guide her.

"Miss Shelly, how about we give up on this ridiculous notion and back out now? People will likely forget about this rumor, and your reputation will return to normal. Won't it be better—"

The female aristocrat showed a reluctant look on her face as soon as she heard those words.

"Tsk, no way! If I back down now, then people would look down on me. I need to do something about this situation while I still have people on my side."

Shelly Munero had a determined expression on her face, and she turned toward her butler to give him an order.

"Hey, hurry up and call all the people who support me and are looking to make a connection with the Munero family. It is time I act myself to bring down that bitchy and proud princess from her pedestal."

The butler knew that this was a bad move, but he also knew that his miss wouldn't listen to a word he said. In the end, he could only sigh as he followed her words.

Shelly had decided what to do next - she was going to head to the temple and file an official complaint to convince the goddess that she was being tricked. 

But to do that, Shelly needed more support from people.

Most of the people who would come to her would come just to see her fall. But Selly would make sure to not let their expectations become reality.

But as much as people wanted to see her fail, many more wanted to see the princess fail as well.

As her supporters gathered, Shelly stood at the head of a long mahogany table. Her sharp, intelligent eyes scanned the faces of those present, gauging their reactions as she spoke.

"The situation has taken an unexpected turn," Shelly began, her voice calm but laced with authority. "The attempt to neutralize Evelyn Greengrass failed, and the goddess herself intervened."

Gasps and murmurs rippled through the room. Shelly let the gravity of her words hang in the air before continuing.

"This failure, however, is not the end. It is a beginning. We must act swiftly to ensure that this does not derail our plans. Evelyn will undoubtedly attempt to leverage this incident to gain favor, but we must not allow her to seize the narrative."

One of the nobles, a stout man with a graying beard, raised a hand. "Lady Munero, what should we do about the goddess? If she suspects your involvement…"

Shelly cut him off with a raised hand. "Auriel must not suspect me. That is paramount. I will address her personally to clarify my intentions and demonstrate my loyalty. Meanwhile, we must shift the focus away from this incident."

Because of this one move, the wind around the city begin to change and people also changed their perspective.

Shelly's first directive was to flood the city with carefully crafted rumors. Trusted aides and informants were dispatched to taverns, marketplaces, and noble gatherings. 

The narrative they spread was simple but effective: the attack on Evelyn Greengrass was a calculated stunt designed to garner sympathy and weaken Shelly's position.

"She orchestrated it herself," one informant whispered to a group of merchants over a round of ale. "Can you imagine? Using mercenaries to stage an attack and then playing the victim. It's shameless, really."

At the same time, Shelly's supporters sang her praises, portraying her as a stabilizing force in a chaotic political landscape. Her generosity and vision for the empire were highlighted, casting her as the ideal candidate for the throne.

Shelly knew she couldn't simply wait for Auriel's judgment. She needed to act proactively, presenting herself as an ally to the goddess. To that end, she crafted a letter addressed directly to Auriel, its tone deferential yet confident.

The letter read:

"To the Divine Goddess Auriel,

I write to you with the utmost humility and devotion. It has come to my attention that recent events have caused unnecessary discord. I wish to assure you of my unwavering loyalty and to offer my support in these challenging times.

If it pleases you, I humbly request a private audience to discuss how I might assist in your divine endeavors. Your guidance and wisdom are a beacon to us all, and I hope to ease your burdens in any way I can.

Yours in faith and service,

Shelly Munero"

Shelly's aim was twofold: to distance herself from the attack and to position herself as a trusted confidante to Auriel.

______

Auriel walked through the halls of the temple and she could feel the unrest around her. The other priests looked tense as they walked past her and toward their destination.

She soon realized why the priests were in such an uproar - Shelly Munero had arrived at the temple and she had people's support behind her. The situation was turning weird by the second.