Perkin stared quietly at Maggie's face and silently released her hand.

"That's a good boy."

Maggie nodded in satisfaction, turned and walked out of the dark alley. The sunlight shone on her, bringing a warm feeling, as she gradually walked towards the temple.

She specifically ordered Perkin to negotiate with the envoys of the Kingdom of Saint-Nar.

The premise for sending messages in the temple is that the information is not important enough, but things like exchanging the key to the ruins and rescuing Princess Eve must never be discussed openly.

She is, after all, the Holy Maiden of Light. How can accepting bribes and abusing her power not be considered a weakness?

If one wants to climb to the pinnacle of power in the temple, then of course one cannot leave even the slightest stain.

Maggie entered the cathedral in a cheerful mood. Ahead of her stood Father Barton, whom she was about to see. Under the cathedral's dome, he stood on the prayer platform, wearing a pure white hymn robe with gold trim and crosses symbolizing purification on both sides.

The shawl, reaching to the elbows, was deep red and printed with holy script in gold foil.

"Your Highness, Holy Maiden."

Father Barton, with a solemn expression, called out to Maggie as she entered the church.

"Father, what is this?"

Maggie seemed to have just noticed, quickened her pace slightly, and glanced at Eve sitting on a chair to the side before quickly looking away.

“I am aware of the archbishop’s actions.”

Father Patton ignored it and instead brought up Ford.

Maggie was stunned at first, then her eyes began to sparkle with a light that was hard to tell whether it was anticipation or longing, as she looked at the priest.

“I am saddened by Her Highness’s experience. As an archbishop, I am deeply sorry that he could not control his inflated desires and even harmed innocent people.”

When Father Barton said this, he put his hands together in front of his chest, making a gesture of asking God for forgiveness.

“If I hadn’t been away from the temple for a while, Her Highness the Holy Maiden wouldn’t have been in such a dangerous situation.”

As Maggie listened to his confession, she wasn't entirely unmoved, but she wasn't particularly touched either. She was mainly curious to hear how he planned to punish Ford.

"Father, you are too kind. This is not your fault."

Maggie lowered her head slightly, her tone filled with apology and gratitude.

"No, this is my dereliction of duty."

Father Barton shook his head before mentioning Ford.

"The archbishop must pay the price for his actions. He will no longer be in charge of temple affairs for the time being. If Your Highness needs anything, you can come directly to me."

"As believers in God, we should repent for violating God's laws."

Maggie was somewhat surprised; did this mean she had been locked up?

A confessional is not the same as a prayer room. One is for punishment, and the other is for admonition and comfort. A confessional is a small and cramped space, with only one wall to face and very little light.

Although it's better than a dark underground chamber, Ford's current status as an archbishop means this punishment is not light.

only.....

Maggie was still not satisfied. She believed that Ford should be lying in a grave, and that he should be allowed to repent before God.

Her task was to send him to meet God.

However, we can tolerate it for now.

"Thank you for your forgiveness, Father."

Gratitude gradually appeared in Maggie's eyes, and she seemed quite satisfied with Barton's punishment.

After she finished talking with Barton, Eve, who was sitting on a chair waiting, was already showing signs of anxiety, her eyes frequently glancing at Maggie, but she didn't dare to interrupt because the priest was present.

Fortunately, Maggie finally noticed Eve and tentatively asked her a question.

“This Princess Eve…”

Barton followed Maggie's gaze, his already serious face becoming even more stern.

“She approached the sacred relic without permission, violating the temple’s regulations. This matter is related to the archbishop’s dereliction of duty, and I have now punished the archbishop.”

“Some people heard her cursing His Highness. In this temple, the sin of offending the Holy Maiden is the same as touching a sacred object without permission.”

"In that case, Her Highness can decide this matter."

Barton's words were perfectly balanced, giving Maggie ample face while maintaining the dignity of the temple, which could not be offended, and asserting that the temple had the authority to deal with Eve.

However... Ford's actions had reached the point of murdering the saint, and mere repentance was certainly not enough. Since Maggie did not pursue the matter further, it was a way of giving him face and saving him trouble.

So Patton's words were essentially compensation for Maggie.

Offending the saint can be a big deal or a small deal.

Since many people heard Eve scolding and cursing Maggie, it's reasonable for Maggie to decide whether or not to forgive her.

Barton shifted the blame to Maggie, suggesting that if Maggie didn't want to forgive, she could deal with Eve, or even execute her according to the temple's rules.

Maggie was satisfied with Barton's solution, which she considered a form of respect and compensation.

This was also the first time that Maggie felt power and respect in the temple.

Maggie's gaze swept over Eve, who was now staring intently at her, her eyes filled with an inscrutable mix of fear and something else.

Eve's life was in her hands; she could do whatever she wanted with her.

Maggie smiled at her before turning to the priest.

“Father, Princess Eve only wanted to touch the sacred object; she was too devout in wanting to see God. She did not steal anything.”

Her mind raced, and she began to try to exonerate Eve.

"As for her cursing me, the God once said that people offend him only because they do not understand or know him. As a saint, I should be as generous as the God and forgive her."

Maggie's voice was firm and earnest, radiating a saintly glow, as if holy light could be seen behind her.

No one could deny that she was a truly kind and benevolent saintess.

"Therefore, I choose to forgive her."

Maggie bowed her head to the priest, her tone sincere.

"Alright, then let's do as Your Highness says."

Father Barton finally showed a hint of 'acceptable' in his eyes when looking at Maggie.

“Since Your Highness does not wish to pursue this matter, Princess Eve should return to the Kingdom of Saint Na as soon as possible. The temple does not welcome impolite royalty.”

He turned to Eve and said, his tone full of rejection and disapproval.

Eve bit her lip instantly, her eyes filled with resentment, her gaze frequently shifting between Maggie and the priest, but she dared not speak.

Maggie knew exactly what she was thinking. She didn't want to be blacklisted by the temple and still wanted to see the God of Light again, but alas...

She had already achieved her goal and completely ignored Eve's demands.

“If Princess Eve, as a member of the royal family, were to encounter danger on her return journey, it would damage the temple’s reputation. It would be better if I personally escorted her back.”

Seeing that the time was right, Maggie immediately spoke up.

"Um?"

Father Barton was somewhat surprised and looked at her with a probing gaze.

Maggie's decision to forgive was already quite magnanimous, but now she's even escorting her back; anyone would find that strange.

“Father, Princess Eve’s decision to go to the temple on her own suggests other possibilities. If we punish her within the temple’s boundaries, it would be justifiable. However, if she acts willfully and does something irreversible, it would be bad for both the temple and the Kingdom of Saint Na.”

Maggie used the art of language to forcefully transform the escort into a guarded escort, which sounded much more reasonable.