2 I'm A Saintess?

"..ke up. Please wake up, Saintess!" An unfamiliar, loud voice resonated through her ears.

Iris woke up, confused and dazed.

"...Mmm?" A drowsy moan was the only thing that she could let out.

"Please come to your senses. Cardinal Elias is going to come over any time soon! What is he going to say if he sees you in this state.. Oh dear, I'll be the one getting punished!"

'Who the hell is Elias? Why do I have to pay so much attention to what he thinks? Where.. am I?'

So many questions were planted inside her mind.

She hated being woken up forcibly from her sleep. On top of that, her brain was overloaded with memories that didn't belong to her.

Disgruntled, she blurted out. "Shut your mouth."

"W-what?! It's Cardinal Elias, you know?? How could you act so nonchalantly?! This doesn't seem like you!" The woman, who was wearing maid clothes continued to persist.

There were even traces of disgust in her expression.

Iris knew that something was wrong right off the bat.

The last scenes of her life as 'Iris' were still fresh inside her head. The magic spell she conducted should've went through with no complications. Then.. she shouldn't be alive. Both her and Kieran.

However, instead of eternal rest greeting her, she woke up like this.

"...Alright. Just tell me what to do." Iris shrugged.

Until she could get a better position to figure out her situation, she decided to go along with this maid's words.

The maid hurried to change her outfit and doll her up.

In the process, as she sat in front of a mirror, she was finally able to look at herself. Her new body.

There wasn't a speck of similarity to Iris. This woman had silver hair that glistened in the light, radiant golden eyes, and a petite figure. Features that seemed so soft and gentle that you wouldn't think this girl could harm a flower.

Iris quickly judged and adapted to her situation.

In her memories, there were already a steady stream of information belonging to her body.

Her name was Serenia Aubellin. A Saintess in name.

Serenia was an orphan who constantly stood out from her peers. She had a bright mind and an exceptional talent in wielding holy energy, which led to her being recruited by the Holy Palace from a very young age.

She entered the temple by the age of seven, and before she knew it, she had grown up and gotten elected as the newest Saintess. Three years have passed since she settled into this position.

The title of a Saintess did seem grand, even to Iris. That name existed in her time as well. It was akin to an idol placed on a pedestal for the common people to look up to, in order to strengthen their faith and loyalty.

The reason this position was established in the first place was not as pretty.

As far as she remembered, the first Saintess Lucia received that title because she was an extraordinary figure all around. Her magic was unparalleled. No one could beat her, be it in terms of raw strength, control, or creativity.

However, the position of the First Cardinal- the highest ranking official in the Palace had always been taken by men.

Due to the toxic patriarchal views held by the board members, a new position was created right then and there. To tie the Saintess down to their institution and make sure that she would not top the authority ranking.

Saintess Lucia knew that they purposely did it and marketed it as a gracious, desirable thing. And yet, she couldn't fight against the ultimate consensus.

Tragic.

Serenia was a different case. She was a foolish girl who lived in vain, trapped in a game of puppetry by the ones around her. She didn't know she was being used and kept believing that she was a treasure. That was what everybody told her, after all. Sweet lies.

In the end, she was tricked into becoming the perfect puppet. A girl who would do anything that others told her.

Cardinal Elias, who she was about to meet was one of those bastards who actively took advantage of her.

'Well, this isn't so bad. Although a Saintess isn't the most honorable position ever, it leaves lots of chances for me to relax and prosper without doing anything.'

Iris thought about it.

The only reason Serenia suffered was because she didn't know any better. She let herself stay the naive and gullible Saintess she was until the very end, where she undoubtedly meets her terrible fate.

However.. now that Iris was in charge, wouldn't things change?

She deserved a vacation, didn't she? She worked nonstop for years. For her people, for the world. Sacrificing every single fiber of her being for the greater good.

Now, she wanted to protest. Rebel. On this second life, she doesn't want to torture herself anymore. She wanted to be spoiled. Live a life where she could wake up to a morning where a mountain of work was already laid out for her to do. A day where her schedule wasn't packed to the brim with issues.

'The easiest way to achieve this lazy, cozy life as the Saintess would be...'

Marriage!

Many would desire a marriage with the Saintess. After all, it meant a direct connection to the Holy Palace. She should have no problems getting in contact with promising, successful suitors.

Previously, she had no chances in meddling with love. She was way too busy to bother about something like that.

Serenia was a cute and lovable young woman. If Iris played her cards right, who wouldn't fall into the palm of her hands? Who wouldn't leave every single thing behind just to please her, to get an angelic smile out of the lady?

She had zero plans on rotting in this temple as a puppet Saintess. This time, it was her turn to be the puppeteer.

'All I need to do is snag a good man to take me away from this menial lifestyle, and I'm set!'

Iris- Wait, no. She was now Serenia.

Serenia's eyes burned with anticipation and ambition.

She now had a goal. If there was one thing to note about Iris, it was that whatever she desired would come true under all circumstances.

The same would happen with this case.

Serenia stared at herself in the mirror, pleased at the decision she came up with.

"Cardinal Elias is entering." A voice announced from the other side of the door.