Chapter 60: Ha, the Clown
Accompanied by the crisp sound of hooves, Her Highness the Princess’s luxurious carriage came to a precise stop in front of Vivian.
At this moment, Vivian was overwhelmed with sadness, busy crying.
Her face was covered in tears, her eyes blurred by the water, and she was so absorbed in her crying that she didn’t notice the magnificent carriage that had stopped right in front of her.
“Ah, isn’t this Her Highness the Holy Maiden? Why are you crying like this? Have you encountered some troubling matter?”
Only when the gentle voice of Princess Alice rang out did Vivian realize something was wrong.
She hurriedly wiped her tears away with the back of her hand, but where could she stop the tears now?
No matter how much she wiped, she could not clean it up; it only made her more disheveled.
The tears had soaked her makeup, even smearing the lip gloss from the corners of her mouth down the side of her face, making it look especially like the exaggerated makeup of a clown trying to please an audience.
“What a mess, in broad daylight, as the Holy Maiden of the Church, how can you lose your composure like this?”
Alice said this while kindly offering a handkerchief, but before Vivian could reach out to take it, the handkerchief was tossed to the ground.
“Oops, I didn’t catch it; I don’t have any spare handkerchiefs, so you’ll just have to manage.”
Alice looked down at Vivian with a smile that didn’t reach her eyes.
At this moment, the exquisitely dressed Alice and the disheveled Vivian with her clown-like makeup formed a stark contrast.
Alice had long wanted to see Vivian looking so disheveled.
“I…”
Vivian looked at the handkerchief on the ground. Although it was now covered in dust, it was still given by the princess.
If she didn’t pick it up, it would be disrespectful to the princess, and taken a step further, it could be seen as looking down on a royal member, a crime worthy of death.
Vivian didn’t want to give anyone a reason to hold something against her; since becoming the Holy Maiden, she had been very cautious for the past two years.
This was also why Alice had punished everyone involved in Yifu’s hanging but never managed to punish the main culprit, Vivian.
This individual seemed to have some hidden guidance; even as a Holy Maiden, everything she did could be described as flawless.
Sometimes Alice was curious if Vivian was this astute because she had been raised by Yifu.
Vivian bent down to pick up the handkerchief, carefully cradling the dust-covered cloth in her hands, and then still had to bend at the waist to thank Alice.
“Don’t mention it; I just noticed that you, Holy Maiden, have not been well lately. The Church has also reported this to my father…”
“I wasn’t quite sure at first; I always thought you were someone who could distinguish between life and work and handle matters of the Empire and the Church meticulously.”
“But looking at you today, it seems… not to be the case.”
Alice pressed her lips together, looking down at Vivian, who was as tense as if facing a formidable foe.
Her eyelids flickered violently, as if she had foreseen some terrible danger.
“You need some time to adjust; in your current state, you cannot handle the Church’s affairs properly. I think you should rest for a few days, and tomorrow I will find someone to temporarily take over your duties as Holy Maiden.”
“You look too exhausted; it seems you really need to take a good rest.”
Before Alice could finish her sentence, Vivian’s eyes widened, holding the dust-covered handkerchief, frozen in place.
She didn’t understand what she had done wrong; she had suddenly been stripped of her status as Holy Maiden.
At this moment, her mind went blank, and the successive blows left her feeling somewhat dazed.
Even when Alice spoke, she didn’t know how to retort.
“Well, that will be all for now; I have matters to attend to. Holy Maiden, you should go back and rest well today… You must feel quite lonely on your own, right? Seeing such a bustling scene, do you not feel uncomfortable?”
“By the way, I remember you reported your adoptive mother to show your loyalty to the Church, which brought you to your current position, right?”
“Quite remarkable to have such understanding at a young age; this spirit is truly rare.”
“But… at what cost?”
After leaving this remark, Alice bypassed her and walked coldly towards the teaching building.
The surrounding hustle and bustle, yet Alice’s final words made Vivian’s entire world lose its sound and color.
Throughout it all, she had not uttered a single word, seemingly accepting Alice’s interrogation in silence.
Alice also knew that the Church’s chosen Holy Maiden couldn’t be easily replaced. But now that a crack had been opened, even if it was just to strip Vivian of her rights for a few days, it was still a decent start.
After all, Alice had even more ruthless methods to employ later on.
“Ha, the clown.”
Alice smiled coldly, that smile seemed to contain all the mockery of her emotions.
But when she saw Yifu’s figure in the hall where the ceremony was being held, her expression suddenly brightened.
“It’s Brain Mother!”
Alice couldn’t help but smile.
