“Even though he pretended to be fine on the outside, Escalion was only seven years old when he lost his parents. I spent quite a long time with my mother, but for Escalion, family didn’t exist until he met me. Even after meeting me, it wasn’t a normal relationship.”

Escalion, who seemed stronger than anyone else, actually had deeper wounds than anyone.

His occasionally glib and seemingly frivolous attitude was probably fabricated to hide such inner feelings.

Thinking of him like that made a corner of her heart ache.

“Please take good care of Escalion. As long as you don’t betray him first, Escalion will steadily remain as he is.”

Belladonna, who was about to nod, paused at a certain word.

Betrayal…?

The Pope’s greedy voice and his sinister, low laughter unpleasantly echoed in her ears.

Belladonna clenched her fist that was resting on her knee.

Although not at first… now she had absolutely no intention of betraying him.

Now she couldn’t even imagine leaving Escalion and returning to Astanya.

‘I have to tell him.’

Belladonna repeated in her mind.

With what purpose the Pope had sent her to him, exactly what he demanded. And what her true feelings were now, how they had changed.

She had to tell him everything.

‘But…’

If she revealed the Pope’s intentions, how would he react?

Pope Pronouns Briel was a figure who had an enormous influence on the Ellinerus Empire.

Everyone adored and loved him, and there were at least millions of believers who would willingly give their lives for him without a moment’s hesitation.

If he learned the Pope’s true nature, would Escalion remain calm?

‘And would he… believe me?’

That I had planned a political marriage to extract dowry from you and then divorce, but now I’ve truly fallen in love with you.

That I want to stay by your side.

In reality, a cunning Pope who only cared about money and his daughter who could speak but had been deceiving until now.

It looked like a typical pair of con artists to anyone.

‘Besides, I’m not even the real Saint Belladonna…’

While Escalion had shown her his true heart and acted without deception in every aspect, she was full of secrets and only showing a completely fabricated image.

Thinking about it that way, an anxious feeling suddenly arose.

“My lady, are you alright?”

Scarlet, noticing Belladonna’s suddenly worsened complexion, asked while grabbing her arm.

Belladonna emerged from her thoughts and forced a smile.

“By the way, he really seems busy now that he’s become a lord. To be called away without even having time for an intimate moment.”

Scarlet glanced at the reception room door, mentioning Escalion who hadn’t returned.

Given that he couldn’t even stay long in Sirlenia, he was clearly suffering from overwork these days. Poor Escalion…

Scarlet, who had briefly looked at her wristwatch, spoke.

“Ah, I should head back before it gets too late.”

Ah! Belladonna, who had been thinking about Escalion, belatedly turned her head towards the window. Come to think of it, it had already become completely dark outside.

Then I should call Escalion…!

As Belladonna stood up with the intention of calling Escalion, Scarlet restrained her and made her sit back down.

“Don’t call him, leave him be. I’ll be coming often from now on anyway…”

Coming often…

Saying that, Scarlet gave a shy smile.

Somehow that expression looked cute and warm, so Belladonna also returned a gentle smile.

She nodded and held Scarlet’s hand.

That’s right, please come visit often!

[This is the timeline separator]

“I’m leaving, my lady!”

Scarlet stuck her face out of the carriage and waved her hand.

Take care! Belladonna also raised one hand and waved it from side to side.

She stood in place until the carriage carrying Scarlet passed through the castle gates and disappeared from sight, then turned around.

He said it would only take a moment… How much is Wolf overworking people!

Belladonna grumbled about Wolf who had taken Escalion away as she climbed the stairs heading towards his office.

Without hesitation, she knocked on the door, and a pleasant voice flowed from inside.

“Come in.”

Belladonna felt her heart flutter and the corners of her mouth unconsciously lift as she entered the office.

Hmm…?

She had entered with a happy heart to tell him that Scarlet had left, but the atmosphere inside the office was unusual.

Belladonna, caught off guard, slowly came to a stop in place.

Escalion was staring straight at her with eyes different from usual.

W-what is it? Did something happen…?

“…”

The air in the office was heavy. For some reason, the oppressive air was making Belladonna feel suffocated, as if pressing down on her from above.

Belladonna stood still and swallowed hard.

Escalion’s gaze as he sat in his chair staring at her was very different from usual.

She forcibly moved her wavering gaze to quickly scan his desk.

‘…Ah.’

An envelope bearing the seal of the Papal Office was placed there.

Belladonna’s heart began to beat rapidly upon confirming this.

So the letter with the confidential seal that Wolf had mentioned earlier seemed to be from the Papal Office.

Wolf had been watching her reaction, worried that something might have happened to the Papal Office.

Belladonna silently looked down at the envelope.

The Pope, who had often sent her letters under the pretext of checking on her, had never sent a letter directly to Escalion before.

What could the contents be? Surely not…

She approached him, trying her best to maintain composure.

“…Scarlet has left.”

“I know. I heard the carriage leaving.”

Escalion replied without taking his eyes off Belladonna.

At the cold response that felt almost indifferent, Belladonna stopped in her tracks, not knowing what to do.

Her head felt dizzy with confusion.

She didn’t know why she was standing here, whether she should turn and leave now, or what she should do.

“You… seem to have been busy. You couldn’t even see her off personally.”

Belladonna barely squeezed out her voice after swallowing hard.

Escalion, who had been watching her continuously, flipped over the envelope on the desk and said,

“A letter came from the Pope.”

“…”

“One for you, one for me. Two in total.”

“…Is that so?”

Belladonna forced the corners of her mouth to lift.

It was still difficult to judge why the Pope had sent the letter or what contents were written.

“I had no intention of reading the letter addressed to you. I just opened the envelope with my name on it.”

Escalion picked up a paper that was unfolded nearby.

“When I read the letter sent to me, the content was strange. It seems he must have confused the letter meant for me with the one meant for you.”

He held out the letter he was holding to her.

Belladonna received the paper he was extending with trembling hands. An anxious and unsettling feeling crept down the back of her neck.

Belladonna stood still, looking down at the letter.

She had been expecting the Pope to react in some way now that their married life had entered its third month, but not like this.

‘Surely not…’

She read the letters with trembling eyes.

[My beloved daughter,

Your married life has now entered its third month. There is less than a month left until our plan. Though it must be mentally exhausting, please endure that dreadful married life you spoke of just a little longer.]

Belladonna took a small breath.

It was indeed a letter from the Pope, but in a completely different tone and style.

He didn’t usually write such direct content about marriage in his letters.

The Pope, who only used indirect and metaphorical words that others wouldn’t notice, wouldn’t write a letter like this.

She raised her eyes to meet Escalion’s gaze, who was still looking at her, then lowered her head back to the letter.

[I still feel truly sorry for sending you to Lord Diete due to financial issues. If you hadn’t directly planned to divorce him after three months, the Papal Office would have only continued to struggle day by day. The people of the Papal Office will remember your sacrifice for a long time.]

W-what is this…? Saying I directly planned to divorce him after three months?

Belladonna’s fingertips began to tremble slightly.

[I feel sorry for Lord Escalion Diete. But I think he will ultimately understand God’s deep intentions. I hope you can conclude your marriage with him without any troubles. Ah, I’m enclosing the letter you sent just before, so could you burn it all together there? This seems like it will be our last letter. Then, I’ll see you soon in Astanya.

Your loving father.]

Belladonna raised her head sharply.

The letter I sent?

“Are you looking for this?”

Escalion waved another sheet of paper he was holding.

Belladonna trembled slightly as she realized what it was.

“It’s the letter you sent to the Pope a few days ago. I guess there was no other way to handle this at the Papal Office, perhaps because there are too many eyes watching?”

He threw the letter he was holding towards Belladonna.

Belladonna looked down at the paper that fell limply at her feet.

[Father, don’t worry. Everything will go according to your and my wishes. However, before that, I’d like to know what you mentioned earlier about my husband’s faults. I think I need to know what his weaknesses are so that I can wisely conclude things on my side when I divorce him later, citing his faults as an issue.]

Belladonna’s face turned pale as she confirmed a passage from the letter she had written.

They were sentences she had written down just to figure out the Pope’s plans.

To appear as if she was still on his side preparing for divorce, to reassure the Pope and understand his intentions, and ultimately to prepare to stay by Escalion’s side.

But if someone were to read that content, it would look like the words of a wife who was only thinking about ending her marriage to Escalion, just like the Pope’s letter.