“If this is true……”

Graham uttered in a troubled voice.

He looked down at the papers Fabion had pulled out with disbelieving eyes.

“Even for a blockhead like me, this seems like the Pope deliberately……Then all this time, the Pope……”

“Watch your words, Graham.”

Escalion, who had restrained him, raised one hand to brush back the hair that had fallen over his forehead.

Though he said that, he was just as confused.

“You obtained this from the papal office?”

“Yes. These are documents written by Lady Belladonna herself.”

“Can you prove that she wrote this?”

At Escalion’s question, a troubled look appeared on Fabion’s face. He hesitated before answering.

“It may not be easy right away…… Perhaps a handwriting analysis could be possible.”

“I’m not sure if that’s possible since it’s written in an ancient language.”

Escalion muttered with furrowed brows. Fabion across from him also let out a frustrated sigh.

In the strangely subdued atmosphere, Graham asked in a bewildered voice.

“Captain, what’s the problem? Lady Belladonna wrote it and brought it out herself. Can’t we just ask her directly? Is there really a need to prove this?”

“……”

While normally his words would be right, the problem was that Belladonna had a different soul from the saint who wrote these documents.

Belladonna did not know how the saint had obtained this information.

If the authenticity of these documents were questioned, there was little she could do.

Knowing this, Fabion looked up cautiously at Escalion in front of him.

To others, he might appear to be maintaining his composure, but inside he must be in turmoil.

Soon, Escalion tilted his head with a small sigh.

“Well, it’s not perfect, but we have no choice but to use this for now. We may need to bring more knights from Griblata at an appropriate time.”

“You’re going to enter the papal office with this? Is that really the best option, Captain?”

Graham immediately asked back.

“Aren’t there Imperial Knights in there?”

“That could actually work in our favor. There’s no way His Majesty the Emperor would leave a pope who dares to do such a thing alone, right? In any case, we have evidence, so we can start an investigation.”

“Why don’t we take this to His Majesty the Emperor instead? Then they’ll handle it on their side, and we won’t have to get our hands dirty directly. This… This is too big! It’s an incident that could turn half of the Elineros Empire upside down!!”

“We don’t have time for that. Send a messenger bird and a swift knight to the Imperial Palace, and we’ll meet with the Pope first from here.”

Escalion answered, clenching his jaw. Thinking of Belladonna and Scarlet who would be inside, he felt like drawing his sword and charging in right now.

He gathered up the documents Fabion had deciphered and said,

“Prepare the knights. We’re going in immediately.”

She was hungry.

It was absurd and ridiculous that her body was still functioning normally even in this situation.

Belladonna let out a weak breath as she leaned against the wall.

She couldn’t tell how much time had passed since being confined in this dark and stuffy place without a single window.

‘I wonder what happened to Scarlet……’

It pained her heart to think that she had been trapped in a place like this longer than herself.

Would Carlos Nikolai have provided at least minimal food and water? If she was still tied up…….

‘It’s all because of me……’

Belladonna bit her lower lip and bowed her head deeply.

Pope Provence, who had made such a proposal, seemed to want to pressure Belladonna a little more, as he disappeared saying he would give her a little more time to think it over.

Belladonna exerted strength in her legs to stand up.

She never had a choice to begin with.

There was no way Scarlet could properly endure in a place like this.

If I can save Scarlet by returning to Astanya, isn’t that obvious?

Belladonna approached the tightly closed door and knocked hard with both hands.

You trash Pope, if you’re listening, come back in! There’s no time to waste even a little!

“……”

But there was no sound from outside.

Belladonna frowned with an increasingly anxious heart.

Why isn’t he coming back when he said he’d return soon? Meanwhile, Scarlet must be suffering……

Belladonna sighed as she wandered around the dark room.

‘I wonder what happened to Escalion?’

The best case would be him entering the papal office and rescuing them all, but according to Timothy, it seemed difficult with the Imperial Knights holding out inside.

They had come with minimal personnel from Griblata in the first place, so there was a big difference in scale, and bringing more knights would look too much like a rebellion.

Thinking of him fretting outside, she felt she couldn’t waste any more time.

‘I’ll say I’ll stay in Astanya for now to rescue Scarlet, then start over. I’ll follow the Pope’s words for a few months to reassure him, then look for another opportunity……’

At that moment, the door opened abruptly without any warning.

Belladonna turned her head in surprise.

In the bright light coming from outside, Pope Provence was looking at her with a smile.

“Are you ready now?”

When Belladonna nodded, he reached out his hand towards her.

“I can tell what choice you’ve made just by looking at your face. Will you come this way?”

Belladonna ignored the hand the Pope held out and took a step forward. Standing in the bright light caused a slight dizziness, but she forcibly straightened her back.

From behind, she heard the Pope laughing.

Coming outside revealed another small space. Belladonna slowly turned her gaze to examine her surroundings.

It was an unfamiliar place with just an old desk, chair, and a safe with a lock, without a single window.

Where is this……?

Turning her head back to where she had come from, she saw a door of similar size right next to the room she had emerged from.

Is that where Scarlet is locked up? Belladonna quickly looked at the Pope and nodded towards the closed door.

Open it quickly!

At her gesture, Pope Provence nodded as if he understood and put his hand in his pocket.

He took out a square key and brought it straight to the doorknob.

‘Scarlet……!’

Belladonna watched with bated breath. She was greatly worried if she was injured anywhere, if she was still conscious.

“Ah.”

But before the key could touch the doorknob, Pope Provence let out a short exclamation and stopped his action.

Belladonna looked at him irritably.

“You didn’t think I would just open the door like this, did you? You’re not as naive as before, are you?”

“……”

“Your promise to stay in Astanya alone isn’t enough. If you turn around and run away again after this, it would all be for nothing, wouldn’t it? I can’t keep the Imperial Knights tied up here forever, trying to stop you from running away and the lord of Griblata from looking for a chance to invade at any time.”

Belladonna bit her lower lip with an indignant face.

“Divorce the lord of Griblata for certain. And make sure he never sets his eyes on this place again.”

Pope Provence approached her closely.

“Anyway, you have no way to escape from here without his help. So make sure to take care of that side. I can’t open this door until then.”

Belladonna’s breathing became increasingly rough.

She couldn’t understand why the Pope was trying so hard to keep the saint by his side.

He had now firmly established himself as Pope, and no longer needed an assistant with holy power to compete for power with other cardinals.

Why are you going this far? The saint only guards the confessional or shows holy power at special events anyway……!

As her thoughts continued that far, she became curious about the Pope’s face when he found out she had lost her holy power.

What would happen if he learned that the saint he was so desperate to keep by his side actually had no holy power and could speak?

Would that arrogant face of his crack? Maybe he would let me go, thinking he no longer needed me since I can’t use holy power anymore?

“……”

But still….. it wasn’t easy to readily reveal such a big secret that could lead to blasphemy.

Belladonna frowned in frustration.

“You need to think quickly, Belladonna. Even as we speak, your husband’s younger sister is dying.”

Just then, the Pope spoke with a sneer.

Seeing the nonchalant expression on his face, anger welled up uncontrollably and her body began to tremble.

Knowing that Scarlet was suffering in there……!

Belladonna clenched her trembling fists tightly. To save Scarlet who was trapped, she had to negotiate with him somehow.

To do that, I’ll have to reveal that I can speak after all…..

After deep contemplation, Belladonna swallowed dryly and slowly opened her mouth.

“What do you want me to do?”

“……! You, just now……”

As expected, Pope Provence flinched in surprise and opened his eyes wide.

He looked Belladonna up and down with an incredulous face.

“Are you…… speaking right now?”

“Yes. So what exactly do you want from me? Do you still want me to stay here?”

“……”

She thought he would flip his eyes and shout about what happened to the holy power, but he was unexpectedly calm.

Belladonna was rather taken aback by his reaction.

Is this all the reaction there is……?

After standing there for a moment rolling his eyes, he opened his mouth again.

“Since when have you been able to speak?”

“Not long ago.”

“And the holy power?”

“I lost it completely when I gained my voice.”

At her words, Pope Provence furrowed his brows as if thinking about something.

“This has never happened in history. There has never been a case where someone who gained holy power in exchange for part of their body regained their bodily function and lost the holy power.”

Well, of course not. This was the ability of that very Saint Belladonna.

He, who had been lost in thought, suddenly raised his head and stared intently at Belladonna.

“This is…… interesting.”

What……?

At the unexpected response, Belladonna furrowed her brows.

Interesting that I have no holy power? Then he…… Didn’t he simply need someone with holy power?

As Belladonna stood there confused, the Pope continued to stare at her and took a step closer as he spoke.

“Then if you lose your voice in this state, would the holy power return?”

“……Kuk!”

Before he finished speaking, he reached out and tightly gripped Belladonna’s neck.

Belladonna let out a groan at the sudden loss of breath.

She tried to raise her hands to remove the Pope’s grip on her neck, but it wasn’t easy.

What is happening right now……?

When she barely managed to open her eyes and look at him, she saw a gaze of incomprehensible madness directed at her.