The Villain Saint is my secondary account

"As ordered."

The Santa Ararat Residence, located on the street west of the Royal Palace, served as a reception residence for the Santa Ararat royal family to welcome and accommodate distinguished guests.

Because of the existence of a holy city separated by the sea, Concordia does not have a landmark cathedral like the Cathedral of Loren or the Cathedral of the Mist in the capital city. Instead, there are some small cathedrals in each neighborhood.

Locals usually go to the small chapel for daily pilgrimages, while those who need to make a formal pilgrimage or be baptized will take a ferry from the port to Morning Star Ridge, a round trip that takes no more than a day.

Therefore, the only residence that Concordia could live in that would fit the image of a saint is the Guest House.

However, the entire mansion couldn't accommodate all the members of the Fourth Knights that she brought, so Ella sent them to various neighborhood chapels to temporarily stay and help the affected residents.

Back in the study of the mansion, Ella saw the Holy Arcane Mage spreading out a soundproofing array along the pattern of the carpet before she slowly began to speak.

“Augustus, Lionel Sant'ara, he’s hiding something from us.”

Augustus was taken aback at first, then frowned slightly. "I am ignorant, please explain in detail, Your Majesty. Is there anything suspicious about today's attack?"

"The attack itself didn't reveal much, but Lionel never questioned the fact that we had so many Templars infiltrated the city beforehand."

Ella rested her chin on her hand, studying the city map of Concordia hanging on the wall. "I thought a normal lord would be somewhat wary of so many other armies suddenly appearing in his territory, but he seems not to care at all."

"Perhaps His Majesty the King was so grateful for our assistance that he intentionally overlooked the matter?"

"Judging from his previous actions of deliberately obstructing the grain and fodder trade, I don't think he's that kind of person."

Ella shook her head slightly.

"So, it's possible that His Majesty the King staged the attack himself?"

Augustus's face darkened.

"It's too early to say for sure, but barring any unforeseen circumstances, the king should be able to find the culprit in time..."

Ella rubbed her chin.

"No, it should be guiding us to find a culprit, but in any case, we must thoroughly investigate all the clues involved in this incident. There is an old miracle mage family behind the Dark Shepherds. Pay special attention to the remaining traces of spatial magic arrays in the lower city and figure out how they transported those strange monsters that spew black mist into the center of the city."

Using spatial magic to launch large-scale plague attacks is quite troublesome. The incident in Concordia is just a microcosm. Ella is worried that one day a similar situation will occur in the capital or holy city in the Loren interior.

No matter how powerful she is, she cannot protect every city within the vast Loren Empire at all times. When she leads her army into battle, if four or five cities in the rear are in turmoil, it will be enough to overwhelm her.

Therefore, finding the root cause of the black snake disease and eradicating it should be the top priority. Even if it cannot be completely eradicated, at least a solution must be found.

"In addition, send two captains who can control familiars to secretly monitor the king's actions and urge them to continue searching for Tobias's whereabouts. You stay here to command for the time being, and keep me informed of the situation through the Divine Kingdom as before."

"As you command, Saint Lady."

Augustus placed his right hand on the shoulder and bowed.

After Augustus withdrew, Ella waved her slender hand, casually creating an invisible ripple, and stepped lightly into it.

In the blink of an eye, Ella arrived at the council hall of the White Tower in the Holy City.

With the existence of the portal, there was definitely no need for her to stay in Concordia, especially since there were still many things she needed to handle in the Holy City.

Orphondo, who was waiting in the hall, was already used to Ella's sudden appearance. He bowed and waved, respectfully gesturing for Ella to sit on the throne.

The petite girl sat down, swinging her legs a little, feeling somewhat uneasy. Then, as if suddenly realizing something, she frowned and shouted loudly to the side, "Where's my cushion?!"

"exist!"

The poor Lazirus patriarch immediately scurried out from behind the stone pillar, his round body sprawling at Ella's feet.

Tyrant! This is absolutely the worst tyrant in the history of the Holy Temple!!!

Camille Lazirus, though his heart was bleeding with grief and anger, could only force a sneer on his face and continue to serve as a human stepping stone.

Ella then comfortably adjusted her languid sitting posture, stepping on Razirus.

Seeing that Ella was seated, Orphund took out his notebook and began his daily report on important matters that needed the Saintess's review.

“Your Holiness, the entire eastern district of the Holy City has been rebuilt, and the large spatial gate you previously planned has also been completed. Once the construction plan in the western border region of Loren is completed, it will be open to traffic.”

"So fast, not bad."

Ella nodded gently.

"Then, this morning, the new head of the Boromeo family, Theresa Boromeo, has awakened from her coma."

Chapter Ten: The Stubborn Young Lady

oh?

Ella raised an eyebrow; this guy was finally awake.

She had already learned from the rescued Boromeo family patriarch, Legry, and his second daughter, Agnes, that when Ella first took power in the Holy City, the Boromeo family actually intended to surrender.

Unexpectedly, after hearing this news, Theresa seemed to have completely changed after the family meeting. She launched a coup and imprisoned the old patriarch and Agnes, which was one of the reasons for the later civil war in the Holy City.

The civil war is now over, but the sentencing of Theresa, one of the instigators, can only take place after she awakens.

Of course, according to Regri's testimony, he believed that his daughter was not that kind of person. Even if there were a mutiny, she would never be so heartless as to send her own father and sister to the fictional kingdom of the Rossiya family as human food.

There must be something going on with those guys from the Rossia family.

Ella actually thought the same thing. She had met Theresa as Ye Xiao before, and she could tell that although Theresa was resolute, she was not cold-blooded or ruthless.

"Have someone bring their whole family up here."

However, the specifics will only be known after the case is reviewed.

Before long, Theresa, dressed in a neat dress, walked up with her hands in shackles, escorted by several Templar Knights.

She walked at the front, followed by the rest of the family's direct descendants, including Legri, Agnes, the eldest son Ivano, and the second son Ferran. They were not in shackles, but they walked into the hall somewhat shakily.

Although she was still being branded as a war criminal, Ella, considering the circumstances, didn't throw Theresa directly into prison and arranged for her to be well cared for.

Therefore, Theresa's complexion was still rosy, her hair was neatly combed, and her skin was clean and white under the sunlight shining through the skylight.

She walked slowly on the soft carpet, her gaze falling on the silver-haired girl sitting high on the throne, and she unconsciously swallowed.

This was her first time meeting Ella face to face. She vividly remembered that this seemingly delicate and lovely saintess was secretly known as a tyrant.

After waking from her coma, Theresa remembered very clearly not only her previous actions within her family that led to the civil war in the Holy City, but also her actions in general.

How she launched the mutiny, imprisoned her father and sister, and commanded the war—every detail was done by her own hands.

But at the same time, her thoughts were in turmoil.

She always felt that this was not something she should have done, but whether it was a fact or a result of her thinking, she did it anyway.

Theresa Boromeo.

Ella leaned back on the throne, her hand supporting her cheek, her cool voice echoing throughout the hall.

"What excuse do you have for violating religious doctrine, raising an army without authorization, and instigating a civil war?"

"……I,"

Theresa lowered her head, her lips trembling as she opened them.

She had thought a lot about things since she woke up and went to the main hall, but the problem was that she had no evidence to prove that what she had done before was not what she wanted to do.

Behind her, Agnes also looked at Theresa with a worried expression, her lips slightly pursed, hoping that her sister could say something to defend her.

“I…I feel deeply sorry for the harm I have caused to my family, my relatives, and the Holy City.”

She spoke slowly, carefully considering her words, “But my father, and the rest of my family, are staunch supporters of surrender and are willing to welcome you as the new master of the Holy City.”

“Your Holiness, I do not ask for your forgiveness for the sins I have committed, but it was all my doing, and I am willing to bear all the punishment. I hope you will be magnanimous towards my family who have been implicated by my actions…”

"Theresa!?"

The old patriarch, Legry, widened his eyes upon hearing his daughter's words. "What are you talking about?! You clearly didn't do it..."

"quiet."

The Templar Knight beside him immediately interrupted Regri in a cold voice.

Regri dared not utter another sound. His face was pale as he watched his daughter's retreating figure, his weathered face trembling slightly at the corners of his mouth.

"So, you really believe that you orchestrated everything from the mutiny to the civil war?"

Ella narrowed her eyes slightly.

Theresa gripped her skirt tightly with both hands, her expression filled with sorrow.

She realized she had no way to explain her actions, and rather than finding a weak excuse to anger the capricious "tyrant" and implicate her family, she would rather try her best to take all the blame.

Under normal circumstances, this would be a tragic and heroic act, but in reality, it was a hardship for Ella.

She never expected this young woman to be so stubborn. She had already given such a clear hint, but if Theresa had said something like, "I feel like I'm being manipulated," Ella would have used the investigation as an excuse to temporarily postpone Theresa's trial.

But with so many priests and believers watching in the hall right now, if Theresa insists that she is the mastermind and tries to take responsibility, and Ella forcibly pardons her, even if others don't say anything openly, they will still have some thoughts in their hearts—this war criminal caused so many deaths in the Holy City, why is she the only one who is treated so leniently?

Ella previously established her authority by executing guilty priests, which earned her the support of the people. However, if she were to release this seemingly guilty girl without a good reason, her authority would be greatly diminished.

She could sense something was amiss, but that didn't mean the other priests knew. That's just human nature. Since everyone trusted Ella, as their leader, she also had to give them a proper explanation.

Sigh, if I had known this girl was so dense, I should have talked to her privately first.

Ella squinted, carefully observing Theresa, who looked tense on the steps. To an unsuspecting bystander, it looked like a kitten eyeing its prey.

“Theresa Boromeo, I’m afraid I have to remind you that you can’t bear the responsibility for colluding with the Dark Cult and instigating a rebellion all by yourself.”

“According to the laws of the Holy See, all direct descendants of the Boromeo family should be held jointly responsible.”

"Varied……"

Upon hearing this, Theresa's face turned deathly pale, and her knees buckled as she knelt on the ground.

"No... Your Majesty, Holy Maiden!! I beg you, my family has nothing to do with this. You can do whatever you want with me, but please spare my family!!!"

As Teresa spoke, tears welled up in her eyes, and her voice trembled with sobs.

Ella was also helpless; the whole situation made her feel like she really was some kind of ruthless killer.

“This is not something you can decide, especially since you are trying to use this method to protect the dark cultists, including Elaine.”

"No, Your Holiness, I...I...Irene?"

Theresa paused, her voice choked with emotion, "Who...is Elaine?"

Chapter Eleven: The Trial of the Boromeo Family

"oh--?"

Upon hearing this, Ella's lips curled into a faint smile.

"What, you don't remember the name of your own staff officer? Or do you think you can cover up her existence this way?"

"No, no, no, Your Holiness... please forgive me, I truly do not know the person you are referring to,"

Theresa looked confused; she racked her brains but couldn't find the name in her memory.

“Mr. Legry, why don’t you introduce him to Miss Theresa?”

Ella waved her hand.

“That was a messenger from the Rossia family. She was with you the whole time you launched your coup and arrested me…”

Even if Regley was slow to react, he realized the problem at this point, and his face suddenly darkened. "It's that guy! That guy must have used some means to influence your mind!"

"I……"

Theresa opened her mouth in confusion, her eyes showing bewilderment, "I don't understand..."

"It seems there's something fishy going on here."

Ella smiled gently and announced the result, "Theresa Boromeo, because you are involved in clues related to the Dark Cult, I will temporarily postpone your trial. The subsequent investigation of you will be handled by the Knights of Judgment. Do you have any objections?"

Theresa was still a little dazed, but her father behind her had already reacted and immediately reminded her in a low voice, "Silly daughter, why aren't you thanking the Holy Maiden!"

"Thank you... thank you, Holy Maiden!!"

Theresa bowed hastily.

"Alright, take her to the detention room."

Ella said lazily, "As for the remaining members of the Boromeo family, the final trial will continue to be observed based on Theresa's condition."

"As for the current situation, the second daughter Agnes and the second son Ivano, according to the current investigation, you are not involved in any serious crimes. Therefore, you will only be relieved of your original positions and incorporated into the ranks of basic priests."

“Patriarch Legry and eldest son Ferran, you are responsible for the past crimes of the Boromeo family. However, considering that you have no direct connection with the Dark Cult and that you have shown a willingness to compromise after I took over the Holy City, you are assigned to be laborers responsible for the reconstruction of the neighborhood.”