I’m Really Not Trying to Be Chased by the Heroine as the Villainous Playboy! – Chapter 665

Chapter 46: Taga, a Wordy Road

Roy was full of confidence, saying, “Don’t worry, I have everything arranged for the pre-selection.”

“I won’t say I can win against other Saint candidates, but at least, keeping Alice’s candidacy secure won’t be a problem.”

This statement left several high-ranking church members nearby baffled.

One of the priests started sweating, “Mr. Roy! Do you even know how many votes are needed to secure a place in the Trial?! It’s not as simple as you think…”

Teresa raised her hand to stop the priest’s rambling, calmly asking, “How many factions do you think will rally votes for you?”

If Roy had said this before, Teresa would have thought he was too arrogant.

But after witnessing numerous nobles supporting him at the banquet, Teresa began to find some truth in Roy’s words.

It wasn’t a real alliance yet, but bringing various factions together in a time of peace without an external enemy was still quite impressive.

Roy thought for a moment, “Nearly half, I guess. It might actually be lower.”

He wasn’t delusional enough to think the Western continent would follow his every command.

How much effort each faction was willing to put into promoting him depended on their own attitudes.

And how effective that promotion would be was also up for question.

For starters, the Southern Sea Kingdom had not cooperated with him, at most just going through the motions. The hospitable Douglas might promote the Kingdom of Golden Sands, but since it’s remote and the faith in Holy Light is thin, even official endorsements might not encourage many to vote.

The Winter Empire would only have support from its border regions, while the Emerald Council and the Kingdom of Golden Sands were similarly indifferent; the elven descendants had no interest in Holy Light.

In the end, the only factions truly able to dominate the voting scene were the Lionheart Kingdom and the Magic Kingdom.

The former was the hometown of both him and Alice, with a solid foundation, while the latter had a rich culture, and its people were highly involved in political activities, backed by the Sage in the shadows.

Teresa seemed a bit puzzled, “Since you have such self-awareness, why do you still believe you can secure the qualification as a Saint candidate?”

The concerns of the Saintess weren’t without reason.

Compared to the Eastern continent’s church district, where almost everyone was a believer in Holy Light, the votes from the two countries might not even match the number of people from an average church district.

After all, most people on the Western continent just claim to believe in Holy Light; many have never set foot in a church and might not even know what the Saint’s Trial is.

In response, Roy smiled without a care in the world, “Don’t worry, besides the various factions promoting me, I have other tricks up my sleeve.”

After all, the pre-selection doesn’t require coming in first; as long as he passes the threshold, not getting eliminated is enough.

Teresa seemed like she wanted to ask more, but just then, someone knocked on the door, and a nun brought unexpected news.

“Lady Teresa, the Archbishop wishes to see the Saint candidate, saying he wants to have a chat with the one who is likely to become a Saint.”

Historically, all Archbishops were once Saints.

It made sense for the older generation to chat with the younger, but for Roy, meeting the Archangel was much tougher than participating in the Saint’s pre-selection.

After all, the Archbishop was the representative of the church’s stance.

A few minutes later, Roy and Alice met Archbishop Simon in the church’s reception room.

Alice still wore her simple and cute maid outfit.

Despite being aware of Alice’s background, seeing the Saint candidate dutifully serve beside him still struck Simon as absurd.

Even the Pope wouldn’t be idle enough to dress a Saint up as a maid, right…?

Thinking this, Simon apologetically smiled, “I’m sorry to disturb you both at this late hour.”

“First, I must apologize for the rudeness of the young people; Miss Alice’s appearance broke the tradition of the church, causing some tension and unnecessary misunderstandings.”

“It’s fine. The defeated are often anticipatory of their failure, so it’s understandable for them to whine,” Roy retorted, slightly prickly.

Simon’s gentle demeanor remained unshaken, as if he hadn’t heard that remark at all.

He noticed that Roy spoke first instead of Alice, who seemed to wait for Roy to express himself before following suit.

It was like she was just a mere maid.

Recalling the image presented by His Holiness, the sight of the golden-haired maid sitting silently in the snow, tearfully heart-wrenching, Simon couldn’t help but smile inwardly.

If Alice were truly treated like just a maid, things would get so much simpler.

Simon shifted his posture, leaning back slightly, his long figure exuding a subtle sense of pressure.

“I understand your confidence.”

“But the Saint’s Trial is anything but easy. Let alone the formal trials, just securing votes for the pre-selection is quite a hurdle.”

“Miss Alice has no support and has offended those young people; during the pre-selection, she will likely face significant disadvantages. Even if by some luck she passes the pre-selection, in the actual trial, she would still be targeted by others; after all, the Saint’s Trial will inevitably draw blood, and in the worst-case scenario, we might see dangers none of us wish to witness.”

Roy raised an eyebrow, “I take it you’re about to say ‘but’.”

Simon remained unfazed, his tone turning gentle, “But, Miss Alice has no need to take that risk.”

“If Miss Alice is willing to join the Holy Light Church, I will pacify those immature young people, help you all set aside misunderstandings, and vigorously support Miss Alice in becoming a Saint. Even if she doesn’t become a Saint, she can still secure a position in the church on par with Levi and Sang, enjoying the honors she deserves.”

The Archbishop spread out one hand casually, “No need to risk a fierce competition; you can achieve success and a life of abundance with ease. This should be an easy choice.”

Roy didn’t respond, turning to look at Alice.

The golden-haired maid remained silent, maintaining an impeccable, elegant sitting posture, like an unblemished sculpture.

Simon also turned to her, kindly asking, “What does Miss Alice think?”

Historically, there have been Saint candidates and Extraordinary Beings from impoverished backgrounds. For instance, the current “Flower Prince,” Jay, was previously just a worker at a brothel before rising to fame.

How much loyalty can a servant truly have toward their master? It’s ultimately out of necessity.

Those at the bottom, with even a little kindness shown to them, will return loyalty.

And if abundant generosity is provided, it’s enough to drive them mad.

The maid getting a swift rise in status, how could she possibly refuse such temptation?

Alice thought for a moment, weighing her options—she probably dared not give a direct answer in front of her master.

With a complex expression, Alice finally raised her head and calmly replied, “However, I refuse!”