Second Female Leads' Playbook

The tea party went by peacefully, seemed like the ex-lover of the fire priest gave up in the end. After that Rachelle, together with her group of suitors, set out to the east for the shard in the water temple. Rachelle of course successfully got her hand on that shard. However, even with the protection of her suitors, she was injured in the process. 

The priests in the wind temple were afraid that Rachelle and I would bring troubles to them, so they asked us to return home for now until the anger from the water temple died down. So here we were again back in our family's estate. It's Rachelle stealing other's treasures left and right, but it's me being evicted from the temple. That's the reality of my life.

Rachelle's quest really angered a lot of people, especially the priests from fire and water temples. As for wind temple, they had to pretend to be mad at Rachelle, but I knew deep down they were kind of proud that a pupil from wind temple was the one that was acknowledged by the treasured shards. Now even the priests from earth temple were getting worked up as their temple was the next goal of Rachelle. 

I knocked on the door to Rachelle's bedroom. Rachelle was my stepsister, if I didn't go visit her when she was injured, bad rumors would start circulating. So even though I didn't want to spend time next to her, I had to go. When I pushed open the door, what entered my eyes was the romantic scene between Rachelle and her silver haired suitor, Lucian. I wanted to stab myself in the eyes. I knocked! Knocked! And Rachelle gave me permission to enter! What were they doing? 

I stood by the door awkwardly, wishing their good bye kiss would end more quickly. At last Lucian finally walked out of the door after a glare at me. 

"Odette, did you see that?" Rachelle hid half of her face under the quilt, with only her large lavender eyes staring at me. "Ah... I am so embarrassed." She covered her head with the quilt.

All I could do was smiled elegantly and kept my mouth shout. Please don't say 'Come in' when in truth you're not ready. 

I cleared my throat and said, "Are you feeling better?" 

Rachelle nodded, with her face still red. "The wound has healed. I am just a bit bored staying in my room all the time." 

But you had like half a dozen of suitors lining up to meet you? 

"Do you want some books?" I suggested like the caring big sister I was pretending. 

"I'm actually reading this." She brought out a huge tome from under her quilt. It was a magical registry recording down all the previous priests and high priests in every temple in the last five hundred years. It was like a book of family trees, but involving priests. "After this fight with the high priest of water temple, I realized I should know more about my enemies. This registry listed out the priests and magic or spells they are known of." 

"That's exciting to know," I said calmly. 

"Yes! You know Father is in it too!"

"That's even more exciting," I said deadpan. 

"I need to be prepared. Not every temple let me get back the shard peacefully. Why do they have to fight?" she sighed dejectedly. 

Maybe because you're taking away the treasure they guarded for years? 

"But I found something interesting," Rachelle said as she flipped through the pages. 

"Really?" I knew what was so interesting. I had actually read this huge tome back in my third life before I ran away from home. 

"Look! This page about the priests in the temple of darkness! There's only one name! The high priest of darkness, Y. Arden. But that was more than five hundred years ago! The priests of darkness no longer registered themselves under the sorcerer registry." 

"They are priests of darkness. They don't follow rules." I shrugged. 

"You have a point. Then that made my research even harder." Rachelle frowned prettily. "Priests from the temple of darkness never attended any social events. No one knows how strong they are. When I thought checking out the registry could help me, it's empty! That's very devious of them!"

"They are called priests of darkness for a reason." 

"And there isn't even a description of the spells this high priest was known of! Very devious of them." Rachelle humphed angrily. 

"Do you think this high priest is still alive?" I asked nonchalantly. 

"Of course not! Even though priests are known to live longer, but definitely not that long! As I said very devious of them!" 

I chuckled. "That's why they are called priests of darkness." 

"Exactly!" 

Someone knocked on the door. Seemed like it's time I left this room, suitors were lining up, I shouldn't occupy so much time of my busy stepsister. 

"Come in. Oh, it's Henri!" Rachelle smiled happily. "Henri, why are you looking so worried? I am getting better and better each day!"

"Something came up, Rachelle," Henri said anxiously. "Those priests from earth, water, fire and wind temples teamed up and pointed fingers at the temple of darkness. They said the high priest of darkness is responsible for stealing their temples' treasure." 

"But we're not stealing! And it has nothing to do with the temple of darkness! The shards need to get back to one again, it's beckoning me." 

To those priests who spent their lives guarding that shard, you were stealing. But why would they point fingers at the high priest of darkness?

"They said they had evidence. The high priest was not in the temple on the days we ...eh... rescued the shards." 

"I don't even know the high priest of darkness!" Rachelle's lavender eyes were brimming with tears. 

He had already asked me to spy for him, but he had to sneak out all the time! Now he was caught! Those priests were all talk, he should be alright. Right? I squeezed my hands together to calm myself. Of course he's alright, he's the high priest of darkness. 

"No," Rachelle said firmly. "It's my doing. It has nothing to do with the poor high priest of darkness. We have to tell those priests. Henri, help me, let's go and tell those priests." She stuck out her hands for Henri to pull her up. 

"Rachelle... you're still injured," Henri said worriedly. "The high priests of other temples have already joined hand and plan to punish the high priest of darkness for not following rules. The high priests of darkness is bound by rules. They have already set out for the temple of darkness." 

What? I knew there were rules, but other high priests could punish him if they want? He wouldn't be injured. He was the powerful high priest of darkness. I comforted myself. 

"That's not right. Henri, we need to explain ourselves now! Henri!" 

After a deep sigh, Henri carried Rachelle out of her bed and left the room. 

I started pacing around the room. He was my boss, I should go check him out. That's right, it's common courtesy to check out your own boss. 

I left Rachelle's room and went to find Isobel.