The one who appeared was Cardinal Nicholas.
He appeared with a stark expression, seemingly angry at the noisy commotion outside the Vatican.
“What is this……”
Nicholas, who was about to open his mouth to argue, trailed off, overwhelmed by the momentum of Escalion mounted on a large horse.
Looking up at him sitting high, he swallowed dryly and opened his mouth again.
“Ahem, what is this commotion about?”
“I’ve come to see the Pope.”
“The Pope is busy.”
“I’ll wait until his business is finished.”
“No. It would be better for you to come back another time.”
Nicholas replied smugly.
Escalion could be seen gripping the reins tightly.
The reddened veins on the back of his hand seemed to indicate how much he was holding back his anger.
“I stopped by because I have something to ask. It will only take a moment.”
“Well… Then come back at the same time tomorrow. I’ll try to put in a good word for you.”
Tomorrow…
Belladonna furrowed her brow.
She couldn’t understand what the Pope’s intentions were.
He must already know that his assassination attempt had been discovered, so dragging things out like this wasn’t good for either side.
“There’s a long and urgent meeting today.”
“…I understand.”
Escalion replied with a low sigh.
Even for him, there was little he could do until tomorrow.
As he was reluctantly turning his horse’s head to return to the opposite side of the Vatican, Nicholas spoke up again.
“The newcomer doesn’t seem to listen at all. Quite stubborn too, it seems.”
At his words, Escalion abruptly stopped.
Belladonna also frowned and turned her head.
Surely he’s not… talking about Scarlet?
“We just wanted to bring her in quietly for a chat, but she was so resistant. Unlike her appearance.”
“What are you doing now?”
Escalion, unable to hold back any longer, immediately shot back.
Nicholas, who had been watching with interest as he showed emotion, shrugged his shoulders.
“What do you mean?”
“Tell me who you’re talking about. The person you tried to bring in quietly.”
“Is there any reason I should tell you? Ah… Could it be that you have someone in mind?”
“……”
Escalion’s jaw jutted out as he exhaled slowly.
He looked at Cardinal Nicholas with coldly sunken eyes.
“Tell me what you want.”
After a moment of silence, Escalion spat out each syllable as if chewing on them.
Nicholas curled up the corners of his mouth as if pleased.
“You should know, shouldn’t you?”
Belladonna bit her lower lip as she noticed his gaze turning directly towards her.
Really… Are you really saying you kidnapped Scarlet to bring me in?
But Nicholas didn’t say it outright.
It was his specialty to engage in this kind of tense tug-of-war, only to let go suddenly and act as if nothing had happened.
“I’ll give you until tomorrow to think about it. Of course, if you need more time, just say so. You’ll need to think very carefully and seriously about this.”
“……”
“But the people of the Vatican are not as patient as you might think. God always tends to give immediate answers, you see.”
Nicholas, who had spoken as if singing a cheerful song, immediately turned around.
He passed through the door opened by the knights and soon disappeared.
The air outside froze for those who remained.
Belladonna let out a low sigh as she watched Escalion clench his fist on the reins.
[This is the timeline separator]“We should storm in right now! Let’s go rescue Scarlet!”
“Talk sense! It’s a place with authority that even His Imperial Majesty can’t easily handle. We can’t lead troops in there without permission!”
Hazel barely managed to stop Graham, who looked ready to draw his sword and charge towards the Vatican gates.
Graham, his arm restrained by Hazel, snorted and spat out.
“So we’re supposed to just wait until tomorrow? After that bastard came out hinting that they’ve kidnapped Miss Scarlet from the Vatican?”
“That’s not it, but……”
“What the hell do they want, doing this?”
Graham raised his voice and turned to Escalion.
“Captain, you seemed to understand. What exactly is it? I still can’t understand any of this. Why did the Vatican try to take your life, and why did they kidnap Scarlet?”
“……”
“Ah, what is it! Tell me!”
When there was no particular answer from Escalion, Graham tilted his head back as if frustrated and thumped his own chest.
Hazel looked at him and then turned his head.
“Captain, could it be… Is what I’m thinking correct? I mean, from last time… Is it related to Madam’s injury……”
Hazel couldn’t finish his words. He was concerned about Belladonna sitting some distance away, staring blankly into space.
Escalion also glanced at her, then slowly opened his mouth.
“Yes. Pope Pronunce shows an unusually strong obsession with Bella. From the beginning, he had planned to have her marry me and then divorce immediately after a three-month grace period.”
“Divorce…?”
“Then last time at the birthday celebration, when she unusually couldn’t return to Griblata, was it all because the Pope prevented it?”
Graham asked.
Escalion nodded.
“I’ll explain the details later… For now, what they want is indeed Bella. More specifically, Bella who has divorced me and returned to Astanya as a saint.”
“Are they crazy? First they tried to force a divorce, then tried to keep her in Astanya under the pretext of an event, and now that even that didn’t work, they’re trying to kill her husband and kidnap his sister for an exchange?”
“To think the Pope was such a person… It’s unbelievable.”
Hazel, who had been mumbling blankly, opened his mouth again.
“Then what does Madam think about this?”
“Of course she’d want to run away! Who would want to stay here with such a crazy Pope?”
“But that’s……”
The words “We don’t know that” rose to the tip of his tongue, but Hazel didn’t want to believe that either.
But Madam must have her own wishes too……
Just as his thoughts were reaching that point, Belladonna, who had been sitting quietly, suddenly stood up and strode towards the three men.
Hazel and Graham awkwardly averted their gazes and turned their heads, as if caught discussing a secret.
“Bella.”
Escalion addressed her.
Belladonna abruptly handed him a piece of paper, which she had written on at some unknown time.
[I have a place I want to go. Please provide me with a knight.]“Where? I’ll go with you.”
[You’re too conspicuous.]Escalion’s face immediately crumpled as he read the words.
Having come all the way to Astanya, he didn’t want to be apart from her even for a moment.
“…We could disguise ourselves.”
Are you serious?
Belladonna looked up at him with an incredulous expression. His build and appearance were not something that could be concealed by mere disguise.
“Let me go with you, Madam!”
At that moment, Hazel, who had roughly grasped the situation from Escalion’s voice, raised his hand and spoke.
“Where do you want to go? I’ll escort you safely. That should be reassuring enough, right, Captain?”
“Ha……”
“Right, we’ll leave Madam to Hazel, and you need to discuss this incident with me a bit more. For now, let’s go to a tavern around here, check out the surroundings of the Vatican, confirm the topography, and there seems to be a lot to do.”
As Graham chimed in, Escalion opened his mouth with an irritated expression.
“There’s no way a tavern would be open this early in the morning. Bella, go with Hazel. Where are you trying to go?”
[I’m going to find the person I mentioned before.]Escalion nodded, immediately understanding who Belladonna was looking for from the brief explanation.
Belladonna thought it was useful that she had told him everything last time.
“It won’t be dangerous, right?”
“What are you worrying about when I’m here?”
“Hazel, take care of her.”
“Of course! This way, Madam!”
Hazel grinned as he approached Belladonna.
Escalion grabbed his throbbing head as he turned away.
Belladonna grasped his hand once before leading Hazel towards the inn where Fabion was staying.
[This is the timeline separator]Arriving in front of the Gaia Hotel, Belladonna walked towards the reception, trying to suppress her anxious feelings.
She wasn’t sure if Fabion was still staying here.
‘Last time, I sent a hasty letter when leaving Astanya, but I don’t even know if he received it properly…’
Belladonna, wearing a deeply pulled-down robe hood like last time, handed a pre-written note to the man guarding the reception.
[I’m looking for an elderly magician among the guests.]“Huh? This sentence…”
The man looked up at the familiar phrase.
“Ah, it’s been a while! Could it be you’re looking for that magician you met last time?”
Nod nod!
“That person checked out and left just a few tens of minutes ago. He said he had to go somewhere urgently… Where was it again…?”
Fabion has left this place?
Belladonna’s eyes widened at the news that she had just barely missed him.
Where on earth did he go? Surely our paths didn’t cross?
“It’s not too late, so try heading towards the city center. The magician is elderly, so he might be walking slowly.”
As soon as he finished speaking, Belladonna turned and grabbed Hazel, who was leaning against a pillar a little distance away from her.
She frantically waved the note that read ‘I’m looking for an elderly magician among the guests’ in front of his eyes.
“An elderly… magician? Is this the person you’re looking for, Madam?”
Hazel, who had inadvertently confirmed the contents of the note, turned his eyes to her and asked.
Nod nod! Belladonna nodded her head vigorously.
Go, Hazel! Find Fabion!
“I, I understand for now.”
Hazel scratched the back of his head and peeled himself off the pillar.
Belladonna pushed his back hard with both hands, urging him. We need to hurry!
“Just how old does he have to be… Is this about right?”
Hazel, who had stepped outside the Gaia Hotel, pointed at a passing middle-aged woman and asked.
Shake shake! He needs to be older! Belladonna shook her head immediately.
“Then how about this?”
This time it was an older grandmother.
But he needs to be even older! Shake shake!
“…It seems unlikely for someone that old to be walking around so energetically?”
Hazel mumbled with a troubled expression.
But soon, his eyes lit up like a puppy anticipating a fun game, and he threw himself into the crowd.
“Hold onto me tightly, Madam! I’ll start searching quickly!”
Male lead is a Destined Young Husband (Female-dominant)
One-sentence summary: Wife-master, listen to my explanation!
Li Ruantang, a young lady from a prestigious family, stumbled and fell. When she woke up, she saw a noble and beautiful young man sitting by her bedside, wiping away tears.
The young master had slightly reddened eyes, and his every move exuded charm.
The sight made Li Ruantang’s eyes hot and her heart flutter. After all, she had made a bet with the young master Meng from the neighboring family. If she couldn’t marry a husband before the end of the year, she would have to admit defeat and give up the jade she had worked so hard to obtain.
Outside the window, the flowers were in full bloom.
Rather than losing the bet, the jade, and her face, Li Ruantang calculated that it would be better to seek marriage with the young master in front of her, killing three birds with one stone.
…
Meng Jun never thought that an accident during a spring outing would lead to them rolling down a cliff and into a river, yet still survive.
Now they were trapped in an unknown village, and Meng Jun had overheard that the family who had rescued them had their own intentions.
After all, it was Li Ruantang who had lost her mind and sought marriage first. He was only trying to protect himself!
Glancing at Li Ruantang, who was listing her own merits, the young husband’s voice softened, and he blushed as he lied, “W-wife-master, Wife-master, don’t you remember me?”
The young husband’s voice was clear and handsome, coaxing Li Ruantang’s heart to be soft and sweet, and she spared no effort to protect him.
It wasn’t until they returned to the capital that Li Ruantang suddenly remembered.
When they had fallen off the cliff, in order not to implicate Wei Yunruo, whom he secretly admired, the young husband had instead pulled her, who was slightly farther away, down the cliff with him…
Short summary by Yuushi L: Initially, the male lead (ML) liked another girl, while the female lead (FL) liked the ML. Both fell off a cliff. The FL temporarily lost her memory, and the ML, fearing others might take advantage of him, claimed FL was his wife while they were staying in a village. Later, when they returned home, the FL regained her memories and remembered that the ML liked someone else, so she kept her distance from him. However, during their time living together in the countryside, the ML’s view of the FL had completely changed. From this point, his pursuit of the FL begins.
Link to read
