174 – 178
A few days after sending a letter to the Pope.
Following the Pope’s proposal to meet, I head towards the Papal Palace.
-Creak.
As the carriage stops, I step out and gaze at the Cathedral of Iyer.
A cathedral so massive it’s hard to take in at a glance.
Looking around, the four large columns and the cathedral’s domed roof give it a majestic and awe-inspiring feel.
It’s incredibly huge.
“Your Grace, welcome sincerely to the Cathedral of Iyer.”
A man in a red hat and a robe mixed with white and red extends his hand, speaking.
Here, the red color signifies a Cardinal.
In other words… he must be a high-ranking individual.
The Cardinal reaches out his hand to me and says, “Welcome. I am Andrea, a servant of the Divine. I hold the position of Cardinal in the Papal Palace.”
I shake the Cardinal’s hand, nodding my head in response.
“Nice to meet you.”
“Please come this way. His Holiness the Pope is waiting.”
Following the guidance of Andrea, I head towards the interior of the grand cathedral.
I become lost in thought as I admire the magnificent marble sculptures and paintings adorning the walls.
The Papacy, thriving for thousands of years since the birth of the Empire.
Every church and cathedral within the Muah Continent is directly managed by the Papacy.
Could it be due to the taxes and donations collected by the bishops’ decree?
Observing the walls, ceiling, and beautiful paintings, I find the cathedral even more grand than a palace.
-Thud… Thud.
Inside the cathedral.
Holy knights guard the entrance to a large door.
Upon seeing Andrea, they respectfully raise their windows for a salute.
And as I pass by them…
Initially, there were priests and worshipers wandering around, but now only holy knights and a few bishops or dignitaries are visible.
“This place is like the Gold Area.”
It feels like only permitted individuals can enter, just like the Gold Area.
In response to my words, the dignitary joyfully replies, “hahahaha, not quite as grand as the Gold Area of the palace. Nevertheless, due to the nature of the Papacy’s internal affairs, there aren’t many permitted individuals here.”
As we proceed, he stops in front of a door and says, “His Holiness is inside.”
I speak to him, “Will Dignitary Andrea not enter?”
Apologetically, the dignitary responds, “I have prior engagements, I apologize.”
“Understood.”
Saying so, I knock on the door.
-Knock, knock!
-Please come in.
As I gently open the door, I see the Pope, whom I haven’t seen since the New Year’s service, and a woman with green hair sitting across from him.
Green hair?
I can only see the back of her head, so I can’t be certain, but could it be…
With that thought in mind, I respectfully greet the Pope.
“It’s been a while, Your Holiness.”
From Noble mtl dot com
“It has been a while, Your Grace.”
I subtly glance at the woman with green hair.
A woman who oddly resembles the illustrations I’ve seen before.
Similar to Saint Senna.
“It’s nice to meet you for the first time. My name is Senna.”
Indeed… Could it be that she hasn’t received the Saint title yet because the Demon Lord hasn’t appeared?
I carefully scrutinize Senna’s appearance as she introduces herself, merely mentioning her name.
A woman with long green hair and light green eyes that blend well.
Moreover, her chest, which seems slightly large to hide in a priest’s robe.
She must be a saint.
“Come, Your Grace, please sit here.”
Following the Pope’s words, I sit next to Sena and steal a glance at her.
In the original work, she was described as having the most mature figure.
The saintly heroine I haven’t seen in my dreams…
“hahahaha, no matter how beautiful Sena is, you must remember that you are married.”
His words make me smile involuntarily.
Was it not because of her beauty?
She is indeed beautiful, but I am not captivated by mere beauty.
Even though I have developed immunity to beauties through Theodora, I chuckle and say, “hahahaha, you’re so beautiful that I lost my mind for a moment. Excuse me.”
“T-Thank you.”
Sena turns her head slightly.
“Ahem… Your Grace, I have read the letter you sent. Is it true that the worshippers of demons… provided humanitarian aid to the villagers of a town?”
I smile at the Pope’s question.
“It is true. How could I lie to Your Holiness?”
Why didn’t you come forward and help earlier? When I presented evidence that Valoran was a demon worshipper, they simply ignored it.
Maybe they thought I fabricated the evidence.
As I curse the Pope silently.
“Recently, there have also been reports of Locusts disappearing… It’s unsettling.”
I nod my head and bring up an old story.
“Even during the previous Valoran incident, demon worshippers moved secretly in the darkness. Perhaps… they are dreaming of the resurrection of the Demon King.”
“What?!”
“W-What?”
Sena and the Pope are surprised by my words.
“T-The resurrection of the Demon King… Isn’t that a difficult task?”
I casually reply, “Didn’t I inform you that Valoran was a demon worshipper in the past? Valoran clearly intended to use the nobles to facilitate the Demon King’s resurrection. Moreover, the Empire is in disarray, so… even if countless victims arise, no one will care.”
The Pope’s expression darkens at my words.
“It’s hard to believe Valoran was a demon worshipper. The evidence you provided may indicate demon worship, but that could easily be fabricated.”
I nod my head and say, “That is possible, but do you know that demon worshippers are trying to overthrow the nation here in the capital?”
The Pope’s eyes narrow at my words.
“You jest too much. How could that be easily achieved?”
I smile in response to the Pope’s words.
“Do you know about the protests happening in Rome?” I ask.
The Pope nods in response to my question.
“How could I not know about them? They are the protests caused by your reckless actions,” he replies with a sense of certainty, crossing his arms and nodding his head.
Naturally…
“I am the one behind those protests. I do not wish to incite a violent uprising among my enraged subjects,” I explain, causing a moment of silence between us.
“Why… Why would you do such a thing?” the Pope asks, looking bewildered, while Sena’s face shows discomfort.
“To prevent the demonstrations from turning violent, the leaders of the Egalitarian Party are all operatives of the Intelligence Bureau. The reason I bring this up is that… our intelligence agents have been approached by followers of the Ma’kur,” I reveal, leading to a solemn silence.
“Do you… have evidence? Proof that they are Ma’kur followers?” the Pope inquires.
“As far as I know, high-ranking priests can sense the taint of magic, correct?” I respond, referring to the corruption of mana.
“I see… Is that so?”
“In that case, we can arrange for a distant encounter with them to confirm if they are indeed Ma’kur devotees,” I suggest, prompting the Pope to nod in contemplation.
“Very well, then I shall send Sister Sena, whom I trust. Sena, can you handle this task?” the Pope asks, to which Sena nods in agreement.
“I will do my best to meet your expectations, Your Holiness,” Sena replies.
With that, the meeting at the Vatican comes to a close.
***
-Slurp.
I sense Davian’s presence as he leaves early in the morning.
Did he take a shower?
I couldn’t sleep well last night; my body felt too hot.
“Ugh…”
It’s been like this lately…
I involuntarily frown at the discomfort of my dry underwear.
“I should hurry up and take a shower.”
So, I head to the bathroom, bathe, and come out.
I see Davian’s sofa where he falls asleep every day.
I wonder if it’s comfortable?
I think of Davian, who has been sleeping on the sofa most nights since we got married.
I should try lying down for once.
With that thought in mind, I lay down on the sofa.
-Slurp…
His scent and warmth.
– Sniff, sniff…
The sweet scent of Devian’s soap and his fragrance comfortingly intertwine within me.
“Ugh… This shouldn’t be happening…”
His scent, something that stimulates my body and mind, makes my head fuzzy and sets my chest on fire.
“Haah… Haah…”
It’s too good…
A scent that irresistibly draws me in, almost indescribable.
We never had this when we shared a bed before.
Nothing has changed from back then.
His scent is so intoxicating that I find myself taking deep breaths unknowingly.
– Sniff, sniff…
Lying on his pillow, inhaling his scent deeply, my lower abdomen heats up again.
I… I’m not a pervert…
Right now, in this moment, I feel dizzy from his intoxicating scent.
Ugh! I want to kiss him…
His scent reminds me of the moment we kissed a few days ago…
“Haah… I’m getting wet again…”
Even though I’m sure I wore soft underwear, the sensation of dampness makes me sigh deeply.
– Thump, thump…
And why is my heart pounding so intensely again?
With his scent that’s insanely alluring…
I decide that I should leave a bit later today.
She’s gone