The Villain Saint is my secondary account

Soon, Lilia used a quill to list a bunch of names. These nobles were not as famous as the four powerful ministers of the four dukes. They were usually members of those small factions, so Ella had not paid much attention to their existence before.

However, when these individuals are deliberately listed, their numbers are not as small as one might imagine. Ella roughly calculated that these people account for almost a quarter of the total votes.

They weren't explicitly courted by either side, yet they kept switching back and forth between voting for the First Princess and the Fourth Prince. And each time they changed their votes, it happened when the vote difference between the First Princess and the Fourth Prince was too large.

Ella was wondering why she hadn't needed to interfere with the vote count during this period, yet Skadi had managed to maintain her support rate from collapsing.

Although Ye Xiaoshi had seen the efforts made by the eldest princess, she was still not at this level.

It now appears that someone is deliberately balancing the votes between the two candidates.

The reason is still unclear. In addition, there is another strange point: if the Church of Life is not interested in whether the fourth prince and the eldest princess can ascend the throne, then who do they really support?

Ella opened the system's mission panel in her mind. The positions of the princes and princesses seemed to have been determined. The eldest prince was also dead, with a horizontal line drawn over his name. Who else could it be... the fifth prince...?

"Hey?"

Ella stared at the mission panel and suddenly paused.

When the eldest prince dies, a line is drawn under his name on the character panel. But the second prince, Ken Betis, is also dead, so why isn't his name drawn under his name?

What does it mean?

Having lived two lives, Ella had never encountered a bug in the World Tree system before, but the glaring name Ken Betis gave her the illusion that the system was malfunctioning for the first time.

But if... if the system is correct...

Wait, if we think about what happened even earlier...

Ella felt as if she had been struck by lightning, and her thoughts suddenly drifted back to earlier memories.

The fragments of events, like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle, gradually pieced together in her mind.

"I see."

Ella murmured.

She had completely forgotten that she had seen the Life Cult's purpose from the very beginning.

The apocalyptic scene within the Ring of Fate is precisely the ending the Church of Life seeks; everything else is merely a facade.

“Lilia, contact Duke Hevil and Duke Seychelles for me,” Ella looked up, “and tell them that we don’t need to change the vote for Skadi tomorrow. Maintain the status quo and let Prince Raymond win the royal election.”

……

With the deadline fast approaching, Princess Skadi is still working frantically to close the final 4% gap in support.

Just before dinner, when she dragged her tired body back to the Seven Stars Guild's headquarters, a message from her subordinates almost made her faint.

"Your Highness, we have just received news that the Holy Maiden of Light... has gone to visit Duke Albert."

"Huh??" Skadi's eyes widened. "Why did that wretched woman have to do this at this time...?! Oh no! Let's go, let's go quickly, to find Duke Albert!"

Originally, Skadi was confident that with the final four percent, she could make one last push that night to recruit a few more nobles who were still wavering.

But this news about Ella has put her on edge again.

At this crucial moment, she was determined not to let that wicked woman succeed.

So the group didn't even have time for dinner and drove off in a grand procession to the Duke Albert's mansion.

After storming in, Skadi didn't bother with etiquette and rushed into the living room, where she indeed saw the silver-haired girl she had been longing for.

"Ella Haviere!!! What kind of trouble are you trying to pull now!!!"

The current Princess Skadi gets angry just looking at Ella's smiling face.

“Good evening, Your Highness,” Ella stood up, lifted her skirt, and gave Skadi an elegant bow. “As you can see, Your Highness, Prince Raymond and I are having a conversation with Duke Albert. If Your Highness has important business to attend to, please follow the etiquette of first come, first served.”

“You…!” Skadi’s face flushed red, and she turned to Duke Albert. “Duke, whatever conditions Ella Hevie and you have promised, I, in the name of the Royal Family, guarantee to add to the promises we made in our previous proposal!”

“Um… Your Highness, I understand your anxiety, but political negotiations cannot be handled so carelessly.” Duke Albert smiled wryly and shook his head slightly at Skadi.

……

Almost without any suspense, even though Skadi arrived quickly, she ultimately failed to save Duke Albert.

That wicked woman, Ella, seemed to have cast some kind of bewitching spell; with just a few words, she managed to sway away Skadi's core supporters.

That very night, the vote count changed, and the gap in support suddenly widened to nine percent.

Chapter 167 Defeat in the Election

Until exactly nine o'clock the next morning.

Startled by the chimes of the Loren Sanctuary, white doves flew through the streets and alleys of the imperial city. At the summit of Mount Valond, in the grand palace where waterfalls flowed below, the numbers formed by magical fluorescence finally settled on the difference of nine percent.

Princess Skadi lost, and the royal selection that lasted for nearly half a month finally came to an end.

At the Seven Stars Society's residence, the blonde princess, who had stayed up all night, rested her hands on her lap, gazing at the bustling traffic outside the window. A trace of loneliness still flashed in her tired eyes.

“It’s a pity, Your Highness,” Li Cheng said, taking off his monocle, wiping it clean, and placing it in its elegant case. “We ultimately failed to assist you.”

“No, Mr. Li, it is my fault for being so incompetent and letting you down.” Princess Skadi sighed deeply. “To think that I could defeat my brother and his forces, who have been working on this for years, with less than a month of effort, I was ultimately overthinking it.”

"If I had been willing to put in a little effort to understand politics and keep Duke Albert in check, how could he, as the most central figure in the party, have been poached by that woman Ella Hayville with just a few words at the last moment?"

"This...this is not your fault, Your Highness."

“Compared to you, I definitely prefer Ye Xiao’s answer,” Skadi said with a wry smile. “He would definitely say, ‘It’s a great step forward to be able to figure this out, Your Highness.’”

"Brother Ye has always been good at this kind of witty talk," Li Cheng said, shrugging. "What should we do next?"

“There are still some nobles who support me. Although my fourth brother is ruthless, he has just assassinated nobles to gain votes. If he rushes to get rid of me, it will definitely lead to instability in the regime.”

Skadi analyzed, "But it's only a matter of time. He will eventually eliminate anyone who poses a threat to him. I will expedite the arrangements for the Seven Stars Society members to leave the capital to avoid further turmoil. Everyone, pack your bags as soon as possible."

“Thank you, Your Highness. I shall take my leave now,” Li Cheng bowed politely to Skadi. “Please take care.”

Skadi nodded, watched Li Cheng leave the room, and then rested her chin on her hand, lost in thought.

She had no means left to turn the tide, and even if she did, she wasn't confident she could outmaneuver Ella Hayville in terms of intrigue and scheming.

It can only be said that her cunning fourth brother Raymond and that outwardly glamorous but inwardly sinister saintess were indeed in cahoots and there was no way to stop them. As a political newcomer, she would probably have been defeated long ago without Ye Xiao's support. It is a miracle that she has survived until now.

So, where exactly did Ye Xiao go?

Now that the imperial selection has failed, will he also leave without saying goodbye?

Skadi couldn't quite articulate her feelings. Compared to failing the royal selection, Ye Xiao's continued absence was probably more painful for her.

She didn't resent the guy's infidelity, but felt a little guilty. She wondered if he would have come back if she had worked harder and been more talented and won the royal selection.

……

Skadi waited all day in the empty compound, but no miracle occurred. Only the members of the Septian Society were hurriedly packing up everything in the mansion, as if preparing to leave the city.

Raymond had only just become king, and before his power was secure, it was the best time for those who had resolutely opposed him but lacked strong backing to flee.

After all, once this period is over, no one can say for sure what their fate will be like.

Nobles with connections began to plan how to protect or gain their own interests from this outcome, and were no longer a community cooperating for the imperial election.

When the tree falls, the monkeys scatter. This saying may not be pleasant to hear, but it is indeed a true reflection of what happens after such an outcome.

However, Isaac, the commander of the royal guards, remained silently by Skadi's side, just like her few remaining palace guards. There were always some people who had gathered with hope and were unwilling to give up.

Skadi thought so, but she felt that she was ultimately unworthy to be a leader worthy of their following.

Time slowly passed until afternoon.

Nobles flocked to Duke Hevil's mansion and the palace to offer their congratulations, while Skadi returned to the academy with her attendants.

Skadi really didn't want to go to the palace, so she went to the academy instead, hoping to find somewhere to relax. But she never expected to see that doll-like face that she absolutely didn't want to see.

Those were the long, silver hairs that haunted my mind like a nightmare. Ella Hayville, that annoying woman, was walking downstairs at the Academy Square with Dean Bazel, chatting with him.

This guy, as Raymond's brother's assistant, isn't properly preparing for the coronation ceremony in the palace, what kind of trouble is he causing here?

Skadi, who had just stepped down from the carriage, glared at the woman's profile with considerable resentment. However, to her surprise, the woman seemed to have sensed her gaze. The silver-haired girl turned her head slightly, looked at Skadi, and then raised the corners of her mouth to reveal a wicked smile that was extremely mocking.

"What's wrong, Miss Ella?" Bazel noticed Ella's gaze shift and instinctively followed her gaze, then saw Skadi. "Ah, Princess Skadi..."

“Just a loser.” Ella chuckled. “Professor Bazel, let’s continue our conversation about your research.”

"You filthy woman!!!" Skadi cursed under her breath, but still managed to turn her head away, suppressing her anger.

Despite her anger, she couldn't provoke this woman at this time. The members of the Seven Luminaries Society and some former allies hadn't safely left the capital yet. If she angered the woman and those who had followed her were tripped up and kicked while they were down, she would be in trouble.

This vicious woman is just that bad. Even if there's no benefit to her or even if it backfires, she's capable of doing something just to vent her anger.

Back at the academy, Skadi wandered around for a while before finally heading to the lounge where she and Ye Xiao had once discussed political cases.

Before Ye Xiao appeared, that was her usual "private" room where she stayed by herself. Now, after thinking it over, it seems that that's the only place she can go.

Because the location was changed a few days ago, most of the political cases and files that were originally placed here were moved to the Seven Stars Society's residence. Therefore, when you open the door, all you see is an empty long table.

In the corner of the room, there were some books that were not very useful, as well as a small wooden statue with a rather strange appearance.

statue……?

Skadi walked over and picked up the statue with some curiosity.

Was this thing placed here before?

The wooden statue was carved as a horned demon that was neither male nor female. Skadi vaguely recalled that Ye Xiao had mentioned to her before that this thing came from a place called Polk Manor, but he did not go into details.

Seeing this thing again now, I have to say it's really ugly.

Skadi smiled and was about to put the statue back in its place when she suddenly heard a loud "screech" outside the window, which made her hand tremble and knock off the bull's horn.

She looked up and glared angrily at the crows that flew past the window. Then, out of the corner of her eye, she noticed a small, rolled-up piece of paper falling out of the fallen cow horn.

Chapter 168 The Runaway Princess

“Your Highness, by the time you see this note, I should not have returned to your side yet, and the imperial selection will probably already be over.”

"But regardless of whether the royal election results in a win or a loss, when you see this note, it means the situation is not optimistic."

"Two weeks ago, while I was investigating this suspicious statue, I inadvertently encountered your fifth brother, Holgard, at a place called Polk Estate."

"His playboy lifestyle was a facade, and, following his lead, I found a woman's corpse deep within the ruins of a dungeon on the outskirts of the capital."

"And I will never forget the appearance of that corpse, because the decomposing body and Ella Hayville had almost identical facial features."

“But I have never heard of Duke Heville having a second daughter, so I took advantage of the position you granted me to examine the imperial city records and discovered that a summoning ritual held by the Dark Cult had taken place in that dungeon a few months ago.”

“I realized that I may have stumbled upon a terrifying truth.”

“The real Ella Havil is long dead. The one supporting Prince Raymond now is the incarnation of the evil god known as the Mother of Life, whom we have been searching for.”

"His Highness the Fifth Prince told me that the Life Cult under the Mother of Life had been secretly plotting in the capital city for several years, seemingly trying to use the royal family to scheme something. The current chaos in the royal family is also closely related to this cult. That's why he chose to pretend to be a playboy and escape from the palace out of fear."

"I didn't dare tell you about this immediately, not because I didn't trust you, but because I didn't understand the whole story and speaking about it rashly might have a negative impact on Your Highness."

"Therefore, in these last few days I went to investigate the birthplace of the Cult of Life, Gray Gold Town, and to see if I could find a way to counter their conspiracy while the Mother of Life was far away in the capital."

"Now that you have seen this note, it means that I have probably made a wrong decision."

"The end of the royal election is not the dawn of a new dynasty, but the beginning of a nightmare that will sweep across the empire. The conspiracy that the Mother of Life has been plotting for many years through the royal family will be revealed when the new king ascends the throne. At that time, the entire imperial city will be plunged into danger."

"Therefore, Your Highness, after seeing this note, please find a way to secretly leave the capital as soon as possible. Do not trust anyone around you, and go straight to Polk Manor. Prince Holgard will provide you with protection."

"At this moment, you are the last hope of the empire. Even if the road ahead is treacherous, please become the King of the Loren Empire."

"—Voxia Piendel"

After Skadi read the note carefully, her brain almost went blank.

The amount of information here was too much for her, but fortunately, after so much experience in the Japanese imperial selection, she would no longer be helpless when faced with difficulties as she had before.

She quickly regained her composure, carefully memorized the name of Polk Manor, and then conjured a red dragon flame in her palm, burning the note to ashes.

Just then, there was a knock on the door of the lounge.

Skadi whirled around, "Who!?"

"Your Highness, a group of palace guards have arrived and say they want to take you back to the palace."

"Huh? Tell them I'll go back by myself later."

Something's not right. The palace guards who suddenly came to see her at this time just don't seem right.

"They said they need to take you back right now... Your Highness? Did you hear that, Your Highness!?"