“Is there anything else you’re hiding from me?”

Belladonna opened her eyes, which she had been forcibly keeping closed, at his question in the darkness.

They were supposed to depart for Astanya early the next morning, so they had reluctantly gone to bed, but neither could easily fall asleep.

Belladonna gazed silently at his profile as he stared at the ceiling.

When she didn’t answer, Escalion turned his head.

“I asked if there’s anything else you’re hiding.”

“There isn’t.”

“If only I could believe that.”

He grumbled.

But there really isn’t anything else now… Belladonna fidgeted with the blanket, her fingers restless.

“There really isn’t. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you beforehand.”

“Then that’s a relief.”

Escalion moved his large upper body as he finished speaking.

He shifted to face Belladonna and reached out to fiddle with her nightgown.

“It must have been very painful.”

Belladonna stared into his golden eyes instead of answering.

Normally, he would have tried to sleep silently, thinking of tomorrow.

Even if he couldn’t sleep himself, he wasn’t the type to forcibly wake up his sleeping wife to talk.

The fact that he was holding her and talking like this showed how anxious he was.

Belladonna moved her arm to gently brush back Escalion’s hair and opened her mouth.

“It doesn’t hurt now.”

Escalion frowned at her response.

He blinked silently for a moment, then moved his thick hand to unbutton her nightgown one by one.

Soon, skin that glowed white in the darkness was revealed.

“It’s unsettling.”

“What is?”

“The scars on your skin.”

Escalion frowned and agonized over the scars on Belladonna’s body as if they were his own.

Soon, he opened his mouth again.

“At first glance, I pretended not to notice. I just couldn’t… couldn’t believe you had such scars.”

“You have far worse scars on your body.”

Belladonna pointed to the deep scars that seemed to have naturally become part of his body.

One large one from his neck to his collarbone, another on his chest below that, and various other cuts visible all over.

Escalion let out a bitter laugh that sounded like a sigh.

“Are you and I the same?”

“Is there any difference?”

“You’re too…”

Escalion very carefully reached out to touch Belladonna’s scars.

The calloused tips of his fingers came into contact with her body.

His touch was as soft as a feather, yet also as hard as a weapon.

As if just touching her was a great sin, Escalion moved his fingers over her body with a frown, swallowing hard.

“You’re so small and white. I feel like you’d crumble if I held you too tightly. How could such a body…”

Escalion finally tore his gaze away.

He muttered in a very small voice.

“I can’t even imagine how much it must have hurt.”

“Did it hurt a lot for you?”

Belladonna, who had been watching him, reached out her hand.

She carefully extended her fingers and slowly rubbed his scars, just as he had done.

Escalion, who had been looking down, raised his golden eyes again.

“For such deep, large scars to form, how much must it have hurt?”

“I don’t even remember when I got them.”

Belladonna raised her body from where she was lying. She moved carefully to press her lips to his scars.

Escalion grasped her with trembling hands.

“Bella…”

“Don’t worry too much.”

At her words, Escalion let out a sigh.

Belladonna moved again to press her lips to another of his scars.

Escalion gripped her arm tightly.

“You’re terribly sacred.”

He said with a pained smile.

“Unfortunately, I’ve lost my holy power, so I can’t heal you.”

“I don’t want you to use your holy power. It uses your life force.”

Escalion replied immediately.

Belladonna spoke in a nonchalant voice.

“Originally, I could have erased even these scars completely. My healing power was quite impressive, you know.”

“I said I don’t need it.”

He carefully pulled Belladonna’s arm, which was pressed against him.

“But this doesn’t feel bad.”

After speaking, he buried his lips in the long scar on Belladonna’s forearm.

The hot breath and lips touching her skin tickled, making Belladonna shrink her shoulders.

Escalion, who had planted light kisses on the red scar, lifted his head.

He soon moved his face to the bluish bruise on Belladonna’s upper chest.

His lips touched there once more.

It was ticklish, but as he said, it didn’t feel bad.

“…”

Soon, Escalion, who had kissed each scar on Belladonna’s body once, removed his lips.

In the darkness, his calm golden eyes turned towards her.

Though he didn’t say anything, she felt she could understand what he was saying.

Belladonna stretched out both arms to embrace his neck.

Escalion grasped her as if collapsing.

“Bella…”

“I hope you won’t worry too much. Don’t be afraid either.”

“I’m less so because you’re here. So…”

Escalion mumbled.

“…So please, don’t run away again.”

Belladonna nodded. She hugged him even tighter with both arms.

She wanted to take away all the anxiety that was troubling him, even if only like this.

Belladonna stroked Escalion’s soft nape and opened her mouth.

“I won’t run away. Never.”

Escalion replied with a bitter laugh.

“Right. I’m a man who can only believe in his wife’s words.”

Until dawn broke, they did not separate their bodies pressed tightly against each other.

The next dawn, as soon as the dim light illuminated Griblata, Belladonna, with Cindy’s help, put on several layers of thin clothes and stepped out of the castle with Escalion.

Leaving the castle gates and reaching an open area, the first thing that caught her eye was a small portal emitting a blue light.

Had they prepared the portal to Astanya in advance?

“Commander, Madam! Have you arrived?”

While her gaze was fixed on the portal, Hazel’s voice came from the opposite direction.

Turning her head, she saw several horses tied to trees in the back, and Graham, Hazel, and other knights standing in front of them.

Escalion waved his hand casually to the knights greeting him and walked straight towards the magician wearing thick glasses.

“You’ve worked hard.”

“This is the limit of my magic power. Have a safe trip.”

The magician said, taking a step back from the portal he had created.

He bowed towards the ground, breathing heavily.

“Huff… It’s certainly not easy to create a portal in Griblata. Even if it’s a place permitted by the empire where magic flows a bit.”

“You said it would barely be finished by noon, but you made it much faster than you were complaining about.”

“It would have been impossible without the extra payment.”

The magician quickly replied to Escalion, who spoke with an indifferent face.

Meanwhile, Belladonna stared blankly at the very small and cute portal in front of her.

This size would make it difficult even for a carriage to pass through…

“Commander, shall we depart right away then?”

Graham said, approaching with the horses.

Hazel, following behind him, came close to Belladonna and asked with a worried face.

“But are you really… okay without a carriage?”

Belladonna quickly shook her head.

For now, she had to be satisfied with this size of portal.

She couldn’t insist on a carriage that couldn’t even pass through the portal when time was of the essence.

“But…”

Belladonna passed by the still anxious Hazel and stood beside Escalion.

He naturally grasped her waist and carefully sat her on a large black horse, then nimbly mounted behind her.

“Let’s depart.”

“Alright!”

“Understood!”

Escalion, who had trapped Belladonna between his thick arms, moved the reins forcefully up and down.

At the same time, the horse carrying them leaped forward at a rapid pace.

Whoa, so fast! Belladonna, unable to withstand the sudden speed, leaned against Escalion.

Soon, a feeling of her vision flipping and churning overcame her.

Instinctively, Belladonna raised her hand to fiddle with the square key she had put in her pocket.

She had brought it just in case, and felt she shouldn’t lose it.

She closed her eyes tightly and took a deep breath to calm herself.

Half a day later, after passing through several portals and finally emerging from the portal on the Astanya side, they immediately changed direction.

Escalion naturally turned the horse and galloped towards the entrance of the papal palace.

However, as soon as they reached the entrance, several knights guarding it blocked their way with long spears.

As Escalion stopped the horse, the largest of them spoke.

“No one can enter the papal palace.”

“Do you not know who this is? This is the Holy Maiden of Astanya!”

Hazel, who had been standing behind, jumped forward and shouted.

At his words, the knights all turned to look at Belladonna, but there was no noticeable change in their expressions.

“I repeat. By order of His Holiness the Pope, no one is to be admitted to the papal palace as of this time.”

What’s going on…? Belladonna frowned as she looked down at them.

It seemed they weren’t the only ones not allowed into the papal palace, as visitors who had come to the place were seen turning back.

They all looked displeased at the sudden closure.

“What’s the reason?”

Escalion asked in a low voice.

At his intensity, the knight swallowed hard before answering.

“We, we cannot disclose the reason.”

“You can’t disclose it because you don’t know. Then tell His Holiness. Tell him that my wife and I have come from Griblata to see him.”

“Cu-currently… His Holiness is offering important prayers, so it’s not easy to inform him.”

“Ha…”

Escalion immediately let out a hollow laugh.

“What kind of behavior is this, provoking people?”

As he looked about to explode, Belladonna hurriedly raised her hand to grasp his arm.

Escalion exhaled deeply as if suppressing his anger.

“I don’t care if it’s important prayers or whatever, you go and tell His Holiness. If you don’t open the door now, I’ll bring soldiers and break it down.”

“Th-that is…!”

At that moment, the iron gate of the papal palace that the knights were guarding slowly opened with a loud noise.

Belladonna turned her head to look in that direction.