As a villain, he could do whatever he wanted.

Page 108

“Well… that won’t be necessary. I’m just an insignificant high priest, and I have no right to meet the Queen. Besides, it’s already quite impolite of me to have come to the palace by accident today. In that case, the best thing I can do now is to leave quietly and try not to let anyone notice.”

“There’s no need to be so formal. Her Majesty the Queen is very easygoing. Besides, what is there to worry about when you’re of humble status? My sister doesn’t even have a title, and she’s already meeting Her Majesty the Queen under my guidance. Irina, as the High Priestess, you can certainly do it too,” Lius said to Irina, tilting his head.

“Even so, things that don’t follow the rules are still unacceptable. If I were to enjoy those privileges based on my relationship with you, Lius…wouldn’t I be no different from those weaklings who rise to power through connections? Absolutely not. As the High Priest, I absolutely cannot do that.”

With a serious expression, Irina spoke to the boy in front of her, while Lius smiled helplessly and patted the gray-haired woman on the shoulder, seemingly at a loss for what to do with her tough attitude.

"Ha... Irina, you're still so persistent. Is it really necessary to be so fixated on the rules?"

“Of course it is necessary. If the rules are not followed, everything will fall into chaos. Just like Bishop Helen of our territory, she is only a few years old, not even half my age, yet she became a bishop simply because she is the daughter of a saint… How can such a thing be allowed…”

"Hey, Irina, don't always bring your personal emotions into your work. Is your strong hostility towards Helen because of her 'undeserved' status, or is it because you are jealous of her and use this as an excuse to keep attacking her?"

"I……"

Faced with Lius's question, Irina was momentarily speechless. After a few seconds of silence, she pouted, turned her head to the side, and with a blushing, soft hum, adopted a coquettish manner completely out of character for her:

“I admit that I do have some jealous thoughts about her… but that’s only a small part. Overall, I feel that her position is unfair, as it completely violates the rules of the church. That’s why I want to overthrow her and become the bishop of the territory. There’s nothing wrong with that. Don’t you think so, Lius?”

"Well... if it's fair competition, then there's naturally no problem. For me, those in high positions must be capable people. I'm just worried that you, Irina, might become too fixated on this. If you accidentally stray from your original intentions, it might be difficult to bring it back immediately!"

Lius offered this reminder, and Irina pursed her lips, hesitated for a moment, and finally nodded.

"I know about these things... Don't worry, I will abide by the church's doctrines. Even if I'm competing with Helen, I will never use those underhanded methods. If she really hasn't cooperated with those cultists, then I won't be aggressive towards her in public. That's all."

"Yes, Irina, it's good that you think that way. You're so understanding and righteous. That puts my mind at ease."

"Rather than saying he 'understands the greater good,' it's more accurate to say he was simply persuaded by you, Lius, after all..."

Looking at Lius, Irina's face flushed slightly, and she pursed her lips as she spoke:

"After all... I don't want to cause you any more trouble. As your lover, I've already been saved by you once before. If I were to be taken care of like this by you again, Lius, I would feel terrible..."

"Oh? It's because of me?" Lius blinked in surprise, then smiled happily. "As expected of my favorite lady, Irina, she really knows how to care for her husband, hehe... I feel like my heart is about to jump out of my chest."

"Don't...don't exaggerate like that, it's just what I should do, it's nothing big..."

Irina blushed as she spoke, then, seeing the meaningful smile on Lius's face, she couldn't help but bite her lip and kick him a few times in the waist, letting out shy, coquettish sounds:

"Don't give me that weird smile. What, are you happy to see me so shy? Humph... Don't laugh, don't laugh, hurry up and go, hurry up and go..."

"Oh dear, you're really shy, hehe, you're getting cuter and cuter. Do you really want to get rid of your husband like that? Then how are you going to leave here, Irina?" Despite being pushed by Irina from behind, Lius still asked with a mischievous smile.

“I… I can use magic to guide me out of here, so you don’t need to worry about that. Don’t you have other things to do? I’ll go find you at the carriage later, and then we can go back together.”

As Irina spoke, she leaned even closer to Lius's ear and added:

"Also... don't go around telling everyone about me being here. If someone finds out... I'll be in a very awkward situation, understand?"

"Don't worry, don't worry, I'm confident in handling these matters. As long as you don't expose yourself, Irina, I'll take care of everything else. Be good, Irina, rest here for a while. We can go back together tonight when we reach the carriage."

"Um……"

Irina nodded, then, as if remembering something, tugged at the blond boy's sleeve again and said to Lius:

"Oh, right, there's one more thing, about my body... it seems like some strange changes have occurred."

“Strange…changes?” Leus blinked and turned around with some confusion.

“Yes, although I can’t explain why, for me… this change has indeed occurred, Lius, you see…”

As she said this, Irina pursed her lips, finally made up her mind, gently raised her head, and showed her palm to Lius.

"Oh? This is..."

Looking at Irina's slender hands, Leus stared at them with some surprise.

On his palm, a mark shimmering with red light appeared, carrying an indescribable magical power, much like the power that had previously erupted from Leah's body. Upon touching it, it showed a gradual upward trend...

Chapter 2010 The Changes in the High Priest (Part Two)

"This power is..."

As Leus gently touched the mark on Irina's palm, he was slightly taken aback, feeling a wave of surprise.

When Irina's fingers touched her body, her body trembled slightly, as if she had felt some kind of stimulation, causing her to swallow hard and her cheeks to become even more flushed.

"This feeling... I don't know why. Ever since I left the cult, this mark has appeared on my hand and has been constantly affecting my magic, making me very... strange."

"Strange? What's strange about it?"

Turning around gently, Lius revealed a questioning look in his eyes as he asked the gray-haired young woman in front of him.

"How should I put it... I feel that you, Leus, have a deeper attraction for me. Like when you were 'punishing' me just now, I felt a very hot sensation in my palms, which was constantly stimulating the magic power within me... making me a little... uncontrollable now..."

As she spoke, Irina looked at the mark in her hand that was glowing with a faint red light, and then looked at Lius in front of her. After swallowing, as if influenced by some force, her breathing quickened, and her gaze towards Lius became more affectionate.

“Lius…”

Irina stretched out her arms and placed them on Leus's chest, nestling against the spot on his collar that had been soaked with her tears. She gripped his collar tightly with her fingers as she murmured tender words:

"In short... I don't know why this change in me occurred. It may be because of those cultists, or it may be due to the impact on my own emotions, which caused a drastic change in the magic power within me. But in any case, if this power can help you, then I will accept it. That's all I wanted to tell you."

"Is this so..."

Hearing Irina's tender words, Lius remained silent for a few seconds before taking her hand again. Their palms touched, and he felt the flesh glowing with red light. After squeezing it tightly, the red light gradually disappeared into the flesh, temporarily vanishing from the eyes of the world.

“This should allow us to remain hidden for a while, preventing others from discovering us, otherwise it might cause controversy,” Lius said.

“Yes, thank you. By the way…” Irina looked up, “Lius, you actually know about this kind of mark? You figured out its structure so quickly and even hid it inside my body. I haven’t even fully mastered it yet…”

"Ha...it's just that we've done some research before, it's not a big problem." Lius forced a smile and offered Irina this reassurance.

"Isn't it a big problem...? Then what exactly does this mark represent? Do you also know about it, Lius?" Irina asked with a hint of curiosity as she moved closer to Lius.

"This... I can say I understand it. Irina, just treat it as a special situation. It won't cause any major problems for now, so don't worry."

"Lius, is that what you think...?"

Looking at the somewhat hesitant young man in front of her, Irina seemed to have no doubts. She simply gave Lius a gentle smile and patted him on the shoulder.

"Anyway, be careful from now on. I will also give you my blessings. Go."

"Ah."

Leus nodded slightly to the gray-haired young woman and left the room. He first went to Leon's room to take the awakened Lia with him, and then went to Aurora and Loy's rooms to discuss the matters that needed to be handled.

After everything was finally arranged, it was already afternoon. Lius returned to the throne room and went inside to discuss the last person he was to meet that day.

"Your Majesty, all the tasks have been assigned. Now it's up to the soldiers to see how they carry them out."

Lius bowed slightly to the silver-haired beauty on the throne, then raised his head and reported to Flora.

"Well, Lord Lius, you did well. The rest are matters for the royal family to handle. For the next period of time, you will be handling most of the affairs personally. It must be very tiring. Please take care to rest more and don't faint before the battle even begins."

“If Your Majesty were willing to share some of the burden with me, I believe the probability of this outcome would decrease further.” Lius shook his head helplessly. “However, given your current situation, it is unlikely that you can spare any manpower. In that case, I can only do my part.”

“Ha, I do appreciate your frankness, Lord Lius. Compared to those sycophants who try to deceive me, your straightforwardness makes me feel more at ease,” Flora said with a smile.

"So, the king finds pleasure in his ministers' exhaustion?"

"Hehe, I guess you could say that."

Flora said with a smile, and Lius also sighed helplessly, smiled back, then bowed slightly to the silver-haired beauty in front of him, and gently stepped back to leave.

"Well then, I must return to my territory to work today. I hope Your Majesty will take care of yourself. Once everything is settled, I will return to celebrate with you."

"Ha... Then I'll have to look forward to seeing what kind of results you, Lord Lius, will achieve. If your achievements are outstanding, you might even be granted a higher title. Be prepared, it will definitely broaden your horizons."

Flora smiled and nodded slightly to the blond boy in front of her, watching him leave the throne room until the door slowly closed and the last trace of his figure disappeared.

"Lord Leus..."

After all the figures disappeared, Flora's smile gradually faded, replaced by a melancholy expression. Her once tender gaze now held a deep and sorrowful quality.

"The situation is getting increasingly complicated... I hope you can resolve this as soon as possible..."

--------

"Clap."

As the doors to the throne room slowly closed, Leus turned around, preparing to head to the carriage to meet with Lia and Irina, who were waiting there.

However, before leaving, he stopped by to see another person on the way...

"Huh? We're going back already? Leaving now?"

Hearing Lius's words, Noelle, who was sitting in the garden drinking tea, suddenly screamed in shock, and the teacup slipped from her hand, spilling some tea on the floor next to her.

"Yes... after all, there's still work to do. Didn't you say before, Princess, that you should share the burden with your mother? I have the same thought, so we need to return to the territory as soon as possible. Is there a problem?"

"Hmm... I thought you could stay a few more days, and I was looking forward to you doing the investigation with me. But you have to go back so soon... If I had known, I would have stayed by your side these past two days and not left for even a moment..." Noelle said, pursing her lips, looking somewhat unwilling.

"Don't be so childish. Once things are resolved, I'll have plenty of time to spend with you, Your Highness. Whether it's going on a date or staying in the palace for a few days, I'll accept it all. Just bear with it for a few more days. Don't worry, I'll be thinking of you the whole time during these days."

Patting the girl's shoulder, Lius smiled and assured the little princess. Noelle puffed out her cheeks slightly, and after Lius fed her tea and snacks mouth-to-mouth, she reluctantly agreed to his idea. Chewing on the pastries that tasted like Lius's, she blushed and nodded, saying:

"You must come again, otherwise... I will never forgive you for the rest of my life."

"Yes, Your Highness, I assure you, I will not fail to live up to your expectations," Lius replied, bowing his head.

"Remember to bring my favorite tea and snacks; I'd like to eat with you."

“Yes, I also look forward to the next meeting with Your Highness.”

And so, after making a promise with the little princess in front of him, Lius's trip to the capital came to a temporary end.

And then came the return journey to their own territory...

Chapter 211 The Pope (Part 1)

The sound of horses' hooves echoed outside the window as the road gradually approached the walls of the imperial city.

Just as they were about to reach the city gate, Lius suddenly pondered for a moment, then signaled the carriage to head in another direction.

"Wait a moment, let's go to the church one more time. I want to see what the church in the capital is like with my own eyes."

"Oh? Is my brother going to church?"

Upon hearing Lius's words, Irina and Lia, who were standing nearby, both looked at him in surprise, and then each fell into their own thoughts.

“Hmm… I’ve heard Annie’s mother talk about the church before, but as for the main church in the royal city… I don’t really know much about it. I’ve only heard that it’s a place with very strict rules and a very high social status. You absolutely cannot do anything that violates your status. Otherwise, you’ll be expelled from the church at best, and at worst, you’ll be sentenced to death.”

"Is it that serious...? Irina, do you think so too?"

Looking at the "professional" beside him, Lius asked him this question, and Irina nodded slightly. When she looked at Lius again, there was a hint of hesitation in her eyes.

"Indeed, as Miss Leah said, although I have not served here for a long time, when I became the high priest, I was appointed by the church here and lived here for a month. The environment here is basically the same as Miss Leah described. As soon as you step into the church, you will be under the close surveillance of the church to prevent any mistakes."

“What could be wrong? If we just want to visit the main church, there shouldn’t be any problem, right? Do we need to follow any particularly strict rules?” Lius asked again.

"Well... given your status, Lius, the Church should give you face. But even so, I don't know the specific measures they will take. Anyway... if you need to go to the Church later, please let me go with you. If anything unexpected happens, I can help you immediately."

Irina moved closer to Lius beside her, swallowed slightly, and mustered her courage to speak to the blond boy. Lia, standing nearby, nodded repeatedly and kept gesturing to Lius.

"Lia is coming too! I heard from Annie's mother that the Church is very hostile to outsiders. If they try to harm you, brother, Lia must be there to protect you! No matter what kind of enemies we encounter, Lia will wipe them all out..."

"Alright, alright, calm down, Leah. Don't be so impulsive. Don't worry, I'm a nobleman in the kingdom, they wouldn't dare do anything to me."

Lius gently cradled the slightly ruffled white kitten in his arms, rubbing it lightly to soothe Lia. Then he looked at Irina again and shook his head gently.

"You two stay in the car and don't wander around. You both have ties to the church, and if you follow us, they might gossip about it and leave some kind of evidence against you. Just leave it to me. I'll be back soon, so don't worry."

"But……"

"There are no 'buts'. Irina, you should have a good talk with Lia too. After all, you might be living together in the future, so you should get to know each other better."

With a knowing smile, Lius said this to the two of them. After a moment of silence, Irina and Lia nodded slightly to Lius with a hint of hesitation, temporarily agreeing to his idea.

"Well... if that's how you put it, then I can only offer you my best wishes."

"Brother, please be careful. If anything happens, Lia, go back immediately and take Annie and the others to the church to demand an explanation. Please be very careful."

"Alright, alright, with your blessings, I'm not afraid of anything anymore, don't worry."

As he said this, Lius reached out again and stroked his two lovers who had been taking such good care of him, before continuing to look out the window.

"..."

As the magnificent church came into view and gradually approached with the carriage, it finally came to a stop at the stable. Lius had already straightened his clothes and stepped out of the carriage with an air of grandeur, walking towards the church entrance.