Escalion’s sword fell beneath the platform with a loud noise.
Nicholas, looking at the distant sword with an inexplicably satisfied gaze, turned around and picked up the rope lying on the floor.
“Kneel down.”
Escalion clenched both fists tightly, not taking his fierce gaze off Pope Prononce. Nicholas opened his mouth once more and spoke a little louder.
“Can’t you hear? I said kneel!”
Escalion’s angry jaw jutted out prominently. Seeing Scarlet’s gaunt and wounded face after just a few days, he could hardly contain his anger.
He wanted to punch Nicholas in the face right then and rush towards the Pope, but he couldn’t act rashly for fear of hurting Scarlet who was being held captive.
“…”
Finally, Escalion, who had been staring at Scarlet, slowly knelt down one knee at a time.
Belladonna, standing behind, watched his figure with a sense of helplessness. She couldn’t rashly provoke the Pope in this situation.
As Escalion sat down on the platform, Nicholas quickly ran over and started tying him up.
Apparently not satisfied with just one round, he wrapped the rope around several times and tied it tightly. At his signal, Pope Prononce, who was above, slowly moved while still keeping the poisoned needle close to Scarlet’s nape.
What should I do…?
Belladonna clenched her fists as she watched the situation unfold.
“Open the portal now.”
The Pope, who had already reached the first floor, spat out towards the Tower Master. The Tower Master glanced at them with raised eyes, then took his position in front of the mirror once again.
At that moment, Scarlet, who was being held captive by the Pope and swaying weakly, raised her head and shouted towards Escalion.
“Escalion, don’t worry about me and just kill him!”
“Where do you think-!”
“Ugh…”
The Pope, who had tightly grabbed Scarlet as she struggled for an opportunity, choked her neck with his forearm. Scarlet raised her head, exhaling painful breaths.
“Stop it!”
Belladonna shouted.
At the sharp voice, the Pope’s fierce gaze fell upon her.
Soon, the corners of his mouth slowly turned upwards.
“Stop? What are you asking me to stop at this point?”
“Let Scarlet go. Don’t you think you’ve gone too far? Repent and reflect on your wrongdoings even now. If you do that, considering your role in Astanya so far, His Majesty the Emperor might show leniency…”
“Don’t talk nonsense. I’m not someone who needs forgiveness from anyone.”
His eyes were suddenly filled with a glinting madness.
“I have power close to that of God. And no one can interfere with that.”
“…What on earth made you like this? You’re just a religious figure and God’s representative. You’re not God!”
“You say I’m not God? Well… Belladonna, with you as the saint by my side, people revere and worship me. Here, I’m as good as God.”
He was in a state where reason couldn’t penetrate.
Perhaps because he was cornered inside and out, he no longer hid his madness.
It seemed like the face he showed when inflicting merciless violence on Belladonna had emerged from behind the mask.
“If I could create saints with my own hands… Yes, if only I could do that, what difference would there be between God and me?”
“You know you can’t do that!”
The Pope, looking at her who was crying out pitifully, forcefully pushed Scarlet to the opposite side of his body.
Belladonna instinctively reached out towards Scarlet who was falling face-first to the floor.
But before her hand could reach her, the Pope’s hand roughly grabbed Belladonna’s wrist first.
“Ah, ugh…!”
In a moment of carelessness, her arm was suddenly pulled.
As her gaze whirled around, she felt a thick arm along with something sharp approaching her nape.
Belladonna realized her predicament had suddenly switched with Scarlet who had been thrown to the floor, and wore an expression of deep disappointment.
This cowardly Pope…
“Belladonna, I need you. Let’s go somewhere else together. I know a place. We can start over there.”
“Let… go…! I can’t use holy power anymore!”
Belladonna shouted while struggling violently. But the Pope didn’t budge at such words.
“Don’t worry about that. If we cut your vocal cords like before, it will come back soon enough.”
The words felt so sincere that it sent chills down her spine.
As she continued to struggle to break free from his arm, Belladonna’s eyes met with Escalion’s, who was kneeling in front of Nicholas.
His golden eyes, now thinned to slits, were filled with indescribable anger.
Ah… Belladonna stopped moving, stunned by the cold and cruel gaze she had never seen before.
The Pope, who was holding the sharp poisoned needle to her nape, turned towards the Tower Master and spat out irritably.
“Why is it taking so long to create one portal? This isn’t what I made a deal with you for.”
The Tower Master opened his mouth with an indifferent face.
“I’m doing it as fast as I can. The Imperial Knight Commander is very sensitive to even the smallest magic. We need to be careful not to be detected by him.”
“Tsk…”
Seeing how desperately he was trying to take her somewhere, it seemed unlikely that the Pope would stab Belladonna with the poisoned needle.
Then at least he won’t harm me here! With this small assurance, Belladonna shook her head violently, intending to bite the Pope’s arm if necessary.
“Ugh, this…”
At the sudden struggle, the Pope momentarily staggered and lost his balance.
At that moment, there was a feeling of wind from somewhere, and in the blink of an eye, Escalion, who had freed himself from the ropes, lunged forward and grabbed the Pope’s arm tightly.
With overwhelming strength, the arm choking her momentarily loosened.
Belladonna seized the opportunity and shook off the arm, fleeing forward.
As soon as she escaped from the Pope, she heard a tremendous sound of something crashing hard against the wall behind her.
“Urgh…!”
Escalion, who had charged at high speed, was now pinning the Pope’s neck against the wall forcefully.
With his legs lifted off the ground and blood rushing to his face, the Pope spat out towards the Tower Master who was concentrating on creating the portal.
“What are you doing! Ugh… This, bastard…”
“I cannot use magic to harm people.”
The Tower Master, as if completely unconcerned with him, didn’t even turn his head as he gradually increased his magical power.
At his fingertips, the portal was gradually taking shape.
“Ugh, urk… Th-this… No…”
“Shut up.”
The Pope sputtered out, gasping as if he was about to breathe his last.
Escalion, without any reply, put more strength into the hand gripping his neck. Thick blood vessels reddened on his dark-colored hand.
“Urgh… Kheuk…”
The Pope let out a painful groan as if short of breath.
His legs, suspended in the air, trembled convulsively.
Belladonna took advantage of this moment to rush towards Scarlet who was lying on the floor.
“Scarlet, are you alright?”
There was no answer from Scarlet, who was breathing heavily.
Belladonna turned her over to lie comfortably and then undid a few of the top buttons that were tightly constricting her body.
“Ugh… Kheuk, kek…”
Painful groans continued to be heard from behind.
When she turned her head, she saw the Pope with his eyes rolled back, foaming at the mouth.
All the blood vessels on his face were bulging as if about to burst.
“St… Stop…”
After muttering with his last strength, he shuddered once and then drooped his head to the side.
Soon, all movement from the Pope ceased.
“…”
Is he… finished? Belladonna looked up at him while tightly grasping Scarlet’s hand. Is it really over like this?
Dirty saliva dripped from the Pope’s slightly parted lips.
It was hard to believe that the Pope, who once sat at the highest position in Astanya, smiling benevolently and providing comfort to people, had ended up like this.
With an indescribable feeling, Belladonna continued to squeeze Scarlet’s hand.
Escalion, who had been looking down at the Pope, slammed him to the floor.
A loud thud echoed emptily through the vacant chapel as the heavy body hit the floor.
“…”
He turned his head after catching his breath, as if trying to cool down the boiling anger, while looking towards the wall.
His thick chest was moving up and down roughly.
“Eek…!”
Nicholas, who had been watching the entire scene while holding his breath, startled and stepped back.
Escalion, fixing his gaze in the direction of the sound, moved step by step towards him with an expression as terrifying as a grim reaper returned from hell.
Cornered like a trapped mouse, Nicholas frantically looked around, trying to find any way to escape.
“Is it your turn next? Shouldn’t you keep the Pope company so he won’t be lonely on his way to God?”
Escalion asked, tilting his head to one side.
There was not a shred of mercy in his gaze as he spoke.
Looking around, Nicholas spotted Escalion’s sword that he had kicked to the floor and ran towards it.
Bending down to pick up the large sword with both hands, he cried out in a pitiful voice.
“D-don’t come near…!”
“You’ve got a new weapon? But can you even swing it properly?”
“I-I-I said don’t come near!”
Nicholas raised the sword and swung it clumsily. He might have thought he was moving sharply, but he only sliced through the air at a very slow speed.
His sword was so heavy and solid that an ordinary man would find it difficult to wield with one hand.
Watching the cardinal’s actions, Escalion let out a mocking laugh.
“Hand it over while I’m asking nicely. Before you make an even bigger fool of yourself.”
At that moment, the Pope, who had been lying face down as if dead, twitched his fingertips.
He slowly raised his head and fixed his blurry gaze on Escalion’s back in front of him.
Soon, he got up and leaped forward with a scream.
“Aaaaargh!”
“Watch out!”
Belladonna, who belatedly noticed his movement, shouted.
The Pope, who looked like he could die at any moment, charged at Escalion with his eyes wide open.
Escalion quickly turned and struck him down, but it was after the thick poisoned needle the Pope was holding at full stretch had already pierced his forearm.
The Pope, pushed away by Escalion, flew backwards and collapsed after hitting the mirror with his whole body.
The thick mirror cracked with a large fissure from the impact of his body.
“Hehehe…”
Lying on the floor with unfocused eyes, the Pope let out a low laugh.
Escalion muttered a small curse as he pulled out the poisoned needle stuck in his arm.
“Escalion! Are you alright?”
Belladonna got up and ran to him.
As soon as he pulled out the needle, his forearm was gradually swelling and turning red.
“It stings like hell.”
“E… Escalion…”
She felt her mind going blank.
The drug on the Pope’s poisoned needle was a toxin that could harm a healthy person’s body and possibly lead to death.
Male lead Asks for a Divorce Every Day
It’s not often you come across a plot like this in the female-dominant genre — make sure to check it out!
This is a novel I’m planning to reread as well.
The male lead is strong, skilled in martial arts, and not the usual fragile type you often see in matriarchal novels.
Meanwhile, the female lead is a scientist—rational and logical. Even when she falls for the male lead, she doesn’t let her emotions cloud her decisions.
If you push through the first few chapters, you’ll gradually find the story really intriguing.
It has a mix of mystery, detective elements, and romance.
The author’s writing style is like crafting a puzzle—except they deliberately leave out a few pieces, making it hard to predict what happens next, yet keeping you hooked.
In the end, everything will come together and be explained.
One-sentence summary: Wife, stop playing with beakers and look at me!
In a laboratory accident, research scientist Zhu Wansheng accidentally travels to a matriarchal world. The original owner of the body is an eighteen-year-old only daughter of a wealthy rouge merchant, already married with a handsome young man.
Zhu Wansheng grins: Nice! She always said she was heaven’s favorite granddaughter. After a life of toil in her previous life, she can enjoy blessings in this one.
However, her joy lasts no more than three seconds as bad news arrives: the original owner’s family is about to go bankrupt, and her husband wants a divorce.
Even worse, she’s stuck with a research system full of restrictions.
Zhu Wansheng: ? Is this the destiny of a research dog?
——
Faced with this mess, Zhu Wansheng pours herself a bowl of wine to drown her sorrows. In her drunken haze, her husband arrives.
His figure is imposing, holding a long sword, with a dignified air that captivates Zhu Wansheng.
Gu Yingqing, however, looks at the alcohol-reeking Zhu Wansheng with undisguised disgust and coldly asks, “Divorce or not?” The intoxicated Zhu Wansheng mumbles vaguely, “I think… it’s not… it’s not… impossible!”
——
The next day, after sobering up, Zhu Wansheng is full of energy, rolling up her sleeves ready to make a big move. As for yesterday? She has no memory of it.
Zhu Wansheng is ambitious; a research dog fears nothing!
Upgrading rouge, extracting fragrances, producing perfumes, researching lipsticks… all shall bow to the power of modern technology!
The original owner’s dying rouge shop is revitalized. Her mother is pleased and with a wave of her hand, passes on the family business to her. As she takes control and her experimental results gain popularity, it’s the pinnacle of her life…
——
But there are always those who can’t stand to see her doing well. Jealousy, scheming, assassination attempts – they want nothing less than her life.
The person who has always kept his distance from her suddenly holds her tightly in his arms, eyes full of concern.
She is unharmed, but he falls into a pool of blood…
Zhu Wansheng feels guilty, “I can grant you one wish.”
Gu Yingqing tentatively circles his arms around her, carefully resting his head in the crook of her neck, pleading softly, “I regret it. Can we not divorce?”
Zhu Wansheng: ? When did I agree to a divorce?
[Small Theater]
The newly developed rouge is beautifully packaged, and Zhu Wansheng is eager to try it.
Gu Yingqing suddenly appears: “My lady, may I apply it for you?”
Cool fingertips lightly brush her lips. His Adam’s apple bobs as he leans in for a light bite.
Zhu Wansheng: ?
Gu Yingqing: It smells so good, I wanted to taste it…
On a warm spring day, Zhu Wansheng tries a new perfume: “Spring Night.” Gu Yingqing corners her against a wall.
Warm breath lingers on her neck.
“My lady, from now on, may I test the fragrances for you?”
[Humorous female scientist vs scheming live-in son-in-law male lead]
[Touch the gear icon in the bottom right corner of the screen to move to the next chapter if you want.]
