Villainess X Villain: They are obsessed with each other!-Chapter 63 -: 62 Uriel’s Identity.[2]

Elizabeth finally got her breathing under control.

On the outside, she looked calm and elegant again, the perfect Matriarch.

She walked back to her seat with steady steps, sat down gracefully, and folded her hands in her lap like nothing had happened. 𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

Lucian gave her a quick sideways look. His eyes were full of pity.

’A mother’s life is truly difficult,’ he thought.

Elizabeth forced a small, polite smile at the people around her.

Then she turned her gaze back to the saint candidate, Uriel, standing calmly on the small sacred platform.

’What do you want, Julius?’ she thought, staring hard at his back.

’Why would you use an avatar for the church of all places? What crazy plan are you cooking up this time?’

Her stomach twisted with nerves. The boy in front of her looked nothing like her son.

Gentle smile, kind eyes, soft face, completely different from Julius’s usual sharp, mischievous grin.

And she knew exactly why no one else, not Lucian, not Dean Orin, not even the Pope, had a clue this was an avatar.

’Soul Avatar spell...’

The name alone made her heart skip. A nervous little frown appeared on her face.

This spell was ancient, created by the 10th patriarch of the Hayes clan almost a million years ago.

Super powerful, super secret... and super dangerous.

And the worst part?

’She’ had taught it to Julius.

When he was only ten years old, she had been terrified.

What if someone kidnapped her precious baby boy?

What if he escaped but they chased him down?

She wanted him to have a way to trick them, to send out a fake version of himself while the real one ran away.

So she taught him the Soul Avatar spell.

Who knew her smart, sneaky little genius would one day use it to become the saint candidate of the church?

"Haa..." Elizabeth let out a quiet sigh.

’At least the spell’s biggest weakness had worked in Julius’s favor this time.’

She stared at Uriel’s back, eyes narrowing.

The spell was terrifying because it could change almost everything, face shape, body height, voice, even the way someone moved.

But there was one thing it could ’never’ change.

Eye color.

Hair color.

You could dye the hair, sure, but it always looked fake, too flat, too perfect, not natural. And the eyes?

Impossible to fake. They stayed exactly the same as the real body’s.

Julius’s natural eyes were bright blue, just like his father’s.

But right after he was born, they turned golden overnight.

Only Elizabeth and Nathaniel knew the truth. To the whole world, Julius had golden eyes.

Here, as Uriel, the eyes were blue again.

And the hair? Long, shining blonde, exactly like hers.

If Elizabeth hadn’t spotted that tiny golden dot in his right pupil (a little secret birth mark only she and Nathaniel would recognize), she never would have known.

Julius had changed the facial bones, shifted the structure completely, nose, jaw, cheekbones, everything.

The face looked soft and angelic now. Totally different.

But those eyes... that one golden speck hiding in the blue...

’Got you, you little troublemaker.’

Elizabeth’s lips twitched. Half smile, half grimace.

She leaned back in her seat, trying to look relaxed while her mind screamed.

’My old self taught him this spell to save him from kidnappers... and now he’s using it to prank the entire Holy Empire.’

She rubbed her temple.

’When I get my hands on you, Julius... we’re going to have a very long talk.’

Meanwhile, Uriel stood on the small sacred platform, looking out at the massive crowd with a gentle smile.

His blue eyes sparkled kindly under the bright sun, and the golden patterns on his white robe caught the light like tiny stars.

"Sit," the Pope said softly from the edge of the platform.

She didn’t step onto the holy circle, only the candidate was allowed there.

Uriel lowered himself gracefully, folding his knees and sitting straight. He stared ahead calmly, waiting.

Before you begin the trial," the Pope continued, "I must warn you. You have to do everything yourself. No matter what happens... you are not allowed to make a single sound. Understood?"

"Yes," Uriel answered with strong conviction. He nodded once, eyes steady.

"And one more thing," the Pope added, her voice turning very serious.

"If you want to withdraw at any moment—"

"No," Uriel cut in firmly before she could finish. He turned his head to look straight at her.

"No matter what happens, I will complete this trial. I will serve the children of the Goddess... even if I die."

"Cough! Cough! Cough! Cough!"

Elizabeth suddenly started coughing hard.

She had just taken a sip of water from a crystal glass when those words hit her ears.

Water went down the wrong way, and she choked.

Everyone on the platform turned to her instantly.

"Are you okay, Lady Elizabeth?"

"You should drink more slowly."

"My apologies," she managed between coughs, waving her hand weakly. "I didn’t mean to... ahem."

She straightened her back, wiped her mouth with a silk handkerchief, and forced her face back into calm composure.

Inside, though? Her mind was screaming.

’He can really act!’

Uriel, who had been interrupted, turned his gaze toward her.

Their eyes met for a split second.

He gave her the gentlest, most innocent smile, like a sweet child who had no idea what he’d just done.

’This brat!!’ Elizabeth gritted her teeth so hard her jaw hurt.

’I swear when I get my hands on your real body... you’re going to regret every second of this performance!’

Uriel looked back at the Pope without missing a beat.

"So, as I was saying... no matter what it takes, I will become the Saint."

The Pope stared at him.

Her eyes softened more than anyone had ever seen. A single tear rolled down her cheek.

She smiled, the warmest, proudest smile imaginable.

The entire crowd went quiet for a moment... then soft sniffles started. People wiped their eyes.

Even Dean Orin and Professor Lucian, men who had zero connection to the church, looked touched.

They blinked quickly, pretending dust had gotten in their eyes.

"How brave..." someone whispered.

Elizabeth looked around in disbelief.

’They’re really buying this? How?!’

Everyone was moved. Bishops nodded solemnly.

The Emperor gave a small, approving nod. Even Jaya Balan dabbed at her eyes with a sleeve.

’This brat really knows how to act,’ Elizabeth thought bitterly.

But deep down... a tiny part of her felt proud.

After all, this was her son.

Even if it was only an avatar, a piece of his soul split off and shaped into this perfect, gentle boy, it still carried Julius’s real personality.

His memories. His charm. His sneaky talent for winning people over.

’Okay! Now that you’re ready,’ the Pope said, voice thick with emotion.

She held out a small, shining dagger.

The blade looked ancient, carved with holy symbols that glowed faintly.

"Begin the trial."

The moment the Pope handed the dagger to Uriel...

Elizabeth gulped so hard it hurt her throat.

She stared at the boy on the platform, at her son’s avatar holding a weapon that would bring real pain to the original body.

’Real body of my Julius... be ready,’ she prayed silently, hands clenched in her lap.

’Because you’re about to feel every single bit of pain your little stunt double is about to take!’