The Male Lead isn't Following the Script!-Chapter 312: Deal

"I need your help," Adeline said, her voice low and serious, her expression the kind she probably practised in front of the mirror.

Isabelle blinked. "Uh huh. What is it?"

Adeline leaned in a little and whispered, "I need your help to take down the Holy Temple."

"What—" Isabelle froze, one hand mid-air as she was about to pour tea. "I’m sorry. What did you just say?"

But Adeline wasn’t joking. No sheepish laugh. No "just kidding." No dramatic pause followed by "gotcha." Nope. Instead, Adeline gave her a full grin. Not just any grin—a smug, dangerous one, the kind that made Isabelle wonder if she’d lost her mind or finally found it.

Isabelle opened and closed her mouth. "That—That’s—Are you insane?!" she whisper-screamed, throwing nervous glances at the door. "That’s blasphemy! I don’t even know-" She did not even know what to say to that!

"What?" Adeline simply waved a hand. "It’s not like you believe in their cause."

"I mean, no! Of course not!" Isabelle hissed. "They’re full of liars and greedy leeches. The High Priest gives me hives just looking at him. But still! It’s The Holy Temple!" She emphasised each word with a dramatic point in the air.

Adeline tilted her head. "You’re literally proving my point."

"But you can’t just... Destroy it!"

"We’re not destroying the temple," Adeline said with the most nonchalant shrug. "I like the building. It’s got nice architecture. We’re just... getting rid of the people inside."

Isabelle’s mouth was wide open. Little sisters were supposed to be cute. She was not being cute. She was being the opposite of cute! She was being! A GREMLIN!

"Oh, well then," she said, putting a hand over her heart like she was about to faint. "You should’ve just said you wanted to commit political treason and maybe get smited by the Goddess! My bad."

Adeline stood up, stretching her arms like she had just announced plans to clean the attic, not commit organised rebellion. "Look, the Goddess isn’t going to smite anyone. She’s probably been rolling her eyes at the Temple for years."

Isabelle paused. "...You think so?"

"Absolutely," Adeline said confidently. "If I were a goddess and saw what they were doing in my name, I’d smite them."

That... Was fair.

Still, Isabelle frowned. "Okay, but do you even have a plan? Or are we just marching in with a sword and a prayer?"

"Oh, I’ve got a plan," Adeline said, grinning wider now. "Step one: gossip." 𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂

"Gossip?"

"Deadly gossip," Adeline clarified. "The kind that spreads like wildfire and makes priests cry."

Isabelle stared at her for a long moment. Then she let out a long sigh.

Adeline leaned in, eyes gleaming with mischief and something fiercer—conviction. "Alright. So here’s the plan," she whispered. "We’re going to start a little... Rumour."

Isabelle raised an eyebrow. "A rumour?"

"Mmhm." Adeline grinned. "We’re going to tell people there’s a blessed amulet. A miracle charm that cures every illness, repels evil, brings peace, maybe even gets you a decent night’s sleep."

Isabelle blinked. "...You mean like the one you gave us." The well-known secret, which isn’t even a secret at this point, was that Adeline has holy powers.

That made Isabelle pause.

"You’re going to make them?" she asked slowly.

Adeline nodded.

Isabelle stared at her, then frowned deeply. "Adeline..."

"No, I know that tone. Don’t ’Adeline’ me yet," she said quickly, holding up a finger.

But Isabelle’s arms were already crossed, brows pinched together. "This means you’re going to be pouring your holy power into dozens—no, hundreds—of trinkets. You’ll be drained, like last time. I remember you passing out because of it, you gave them to all our soldiers."

"I won’t faint this time," Adeline said, far too confidently.

"That is not the reassuring part of this conversation!"

Adeline sighed and looked at her seriously, any playfulness gone now. "Look. This is what I’m going to do, Isabelle. The temple has been selling false hope for years. Overpriced. Priests charging gold just to pray. People are scared and sick, and desperate. So we’ll beat them at their own game. But with actual miracles."

"Adeline—"

"I’m doing this." Her voice was firm now, no room for argument. "I want to do this. And I want to do it with you. But if you can’t help me, I’ll do it alone."

The silence that followed was sharp, heavy.

Isabelle bit the inside of her cheek. That sentence—Adeline’s version of "with or without you"—hurt more than she expected. Because she knew it wasn’t a bluff. Adeline would absolutely drag her half-conscious self through every town and bless a hundred amulets if she had to.

Isabelle let out a long, dramatic sigh.

"I can’t believe I’m going to be a co-conspirator in a holy marketing scheme."

Adeline smiled. "You’ll be amazing."

"So, what is my cut?" Isabelle smiled. She was VERY, very good with people. She deserved a cut now, didn’t she? Not that she needed the money, it was just to get back at the gremlin who was making her do this.

"So," Isabelle said sweetly, leaning back with a smug little smile, "what’s my cut?"

Adeline blinked. "Cut?"

"My share. My commission. My holy amulet hustle fee."

"You want money?" Adeline squinted suspiciously. "You’re the Marchioness! What do you even need money for?"

Isabelle placed a hand over her heart dramatically. "It’s not about the money. It’s about principle. Fair trade. Blood, sweat, tears—and possibly mild heatstroke from walking in the sun—deserve compensation."

Adeline gave her a flat look. "You will be talking this up at your tea parties after I launch the product, after it reaches the commoners."

"I’m selling divine miracles," Isabelle corrected, flipping her hair over her shoulder. "Do you know how emotionally taxing it is to those vain noble women who simply want to suck up to me?"

Adeline snorted. "Isabelle."

"Don’t ’Isabelle’ me. If you’re going to exploit my naturally charming nature and dangerously persuasive face, I deserve a cut."

"5%" Adeline smirked.

"10%" Isabelle countered.

"7%" Adeline would not back down.

"Deal."