Goddess's Yuri harem: Chosing the Empress is hard-Chapter 94: Darkness in the imperial Castle- Part 1

It took a whole day for the temple to prepare the goddess before sending her to the imperial palace. The biggest reason behind this delay was the fact that no one wanted the goddess to be in danger.

Because of this, a hundred things needed to be checked, and the imperial palace needed to be inspected.

This was an official visit, so the temple had the excuse that they wanted to purify the palace before their goddess visited that place... but that was just an excuse on the surface.

In reality, this was an underground investigation being carried out by Auriel, Priestess Lilith, and Carol to check for dark magic in the imperial palace.

As such, Auriel’s face had been covered, and her identity had been hidden behind various spells that made it impossible to tell who she was.

The trio arrived at the imperial castle before the sun could rise, and the guard let them inside.

"Welcome, delegates of the temple. The imperial caretaker has prepared a guide for you. Please follow me, and I will also answer any questions you have regarding this place."

Countess Lola, the princess’s primary caretaker, had walked out to greet the temple delegates herself. It was a significant moment that could not be overlooked, and everyone involved let out a gasp as they pointed toward her.

No one had expected such a high-ranking figure to walk out and greet mere delegates of the temple, especially since it was well known that the imperial palace and the temple did not see eye to eye in most cases.

"It is our pleasure to make your acquaintance, Countess Lola. I have heard a lot about you, so it was only a matter of time before we met. Please guide us around so that we can make sure this place is safe for our goddess to visit."

Priestess Lilith bowed in front of the noblewoman, but she kept her head at a high enough angle to avoid appearing overly polite.

She was letting the countess know that she was not easy prey to hunt.

The countess realized that as well and let out an amused chuckle before she showed her back to the temple delegates. It signified both her trust in them and her respect.

"Very well. I shall show you around. Please follow me."

The older countess passed through the main gates, and the three delegates followed after her without another word. Priestess Lilith kept an eye on the countess, while Auriel looked around the imperial castle.

She had not gotten very far, but the dense aura of dark magic threatened to suffocate her. She was being watched by someone, and it sent shivers down Auriel’s back.

’This place is heavily contaminated by dark magic. I will need to look for the source today, or I fear I might be too late. It’s a miracle that nothing has happened here so far.’

Luck was certainly a factor in all of this, but with a goddess here, it was the end for the dark magic.

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The tour did not last as long as anyone hoped it would last. Countess Lola did not cover most of the castle, just the places she felt that were safe to show.

And finally, the tour ended at the dining room after walking around for two hours and not seeing anything significant. It was disappointing and Carol could not help but open her mouth and question the Countess about it.

Carol frowned as she glanced around the grand dining hall, then back at Countess Lola.

"That’s it? We haven’t even seen half the palace. This was supposed to be a full tour." freewebnσvel.cøm

Countess Lola smiled politely but firmly.

"I understand your curiosity, Lady Carol, but there are places within the palace that are restricted. Only those of the imperial family and select officials may enter. I am afraid that you don’t have the clearance to be allowed in most places."

Carol’s frown deepened.

"That’s suspicious. If there’s nothing to hide, why can’t we at least look?"

The countess’s expression didn’t change, but her tone carried an unmistakable edge.

"Because this is the imperial palace, not a public space. The temple does not have the authority to demand access beyond what has been granted."

Priestess Lilith observed the exchange with narrowed eyes, then stepped forward with a placid smile.

"Of course, we understand. We wouldn’t wish to overstep."

Auriel, who had been silent throughout, finally spoke.

"This is enough for today."

Carol turned to her, clearly dissatisfied.

"But—"

Auriel gave her a pointed look, and Carol fell silent, though her frustration remained clear.

Before anyone could say anything else, the doors to the dining hall opened, and Princess Evelyn entered. She immediately noticed the tense atmosphere.

"What’s going on here?"

Countess Lola turned toward her with a warm smile.

"Nothing of concern, Your Highness. The temple delegates have completed their tour, and we were just concluding matters."

Evelyn looked between them, sensing something was off.

"Is that true?"

She directed her question toward Auriel and Lilith.

Lilith kept her response measured. "There were some questions about restricted areas, but we respect the authority of the imperial family."

Carol, unable to let things go, muttered under her breath.

"Even if it’s shady."

Evelyn heard her but chose to ignore it for now. Instead, she turned back to Auriel.

"I assume you will still be attending the ball?"

Auriel nodded.

"Yes."

Evelyn seemed satisfied with that answer, though her gaze lingered on Countess Lola for a moment longer.

"Good. Then I look forward to seeing you all there. Please, give my regards to the Goddess."

With that, the tension dissipated slightly, and Countess Lola excused herself, leaving the temple delegates to exchange glances.

As they made their way back to their quarters, Carol finally burst out.

"That woman is hiding something."

Lilith nodded.

"Most certainly."

Auriel remained deep in thought. She had sensed something—something sinister—but without proof, she couldn’t act just yet.

For now, she would have to wait. But she would not let her guard down.

This 𝓬ontent is taken from f(r)eeweb(n)ovel.𝒄𝒐𝙢