As a villain, he could do whatever he wanted.

Page 157

As Lius drew closer, the girl's heart fluttered again. She swallowed hard and instinctively nodded at the boy's words. She took a step forward and pressed herself against Lius's chest, responding with this intimate and ambiguous gesture.

"Thank you, Young Master Lius." After a moment's hesitation, Helen, caught up in her emotions, finally gave this gentle reply. She then gently raised her head and looked at Lius with a knowing gaze. Lius, in turn, silently stroked Helen's long, fiery red hair, and the two engaged in a harmonious and intimate interaction.

This posture continued for a while until footsteps were heard again inside the tent, interrupting their actions.

"Young Master Lius and Bishop Helen, the internal matters have been discussed and the general treaty has been finalized. Now all that remains is for them to return to their respective churches for further discussion. If I'm not mistaken, the cooperation between the churches will be implemented soon."

With a gentle tone, Nottica slowly emerged from the tent, still possessing her usual gentle yet mature demeanor, and softly spoke to the two people outside the tent flap.

“It’s Bishop Notica. Since the discussion is over, this meeting has had a good outcome. Very good.” Looking at Notica, Lius was quite satisfied with the current situation. He smiled and nodded, then looked at the red-haired girl beside him and gently touched her body with his arm, as if to give her a signal. He then said to Notica, “By the way, Bishop Notica, Helen just told me that she has something she wants to tell you and would like me to be her witness. I wonder if you would be willing, Bishop Notica.”

"Oh??? You have something to tell me?" The red-haired woman was somewhat surprised by Lius's words, while Helen took a deep breath, gripped Lius's hand tightly, and seemed to have made up her mind. She slowly took a step towards Nottica, gritted her teeth, and stammered as she spoke:

“Bishop Nottica… I wanted to say something…” Hmm? What’s wrong, Bishop Helen? Is there a problem?

Seeing the girl's hesitant and nervous demeanor, Nottica tilted her head slightly, a look of confusion appearing on her face beneath her veil. Helen, meanwhile, clenched her fists and, in a loud and forceful manner, voiced her innermost thoughts:

“Bishop Nottica, I…I want to thank you! Thank you for everything you’ve done for me.”

Chapter 343: The Relationship Between Bishops (Part 1)

"Hmm? Thank me?"

Faced with the girl's sudden gratitude, Nottica's face showed a hint of surprise. She glanced at the red-haired girl in front of her, who was blushing and trying to adjust her composure, and then at Lius standing beside the girl with a warm smile. She seemed to realize something, and after a moment of contemplation, she nodded slightly to Helen and responded, "If you want to thank me for what happened during our previous battle, then I understand. Actually, there's no need to be so polite, Bishop Helen. Judging from this trend, we will be cooperating many times in the future. In that case, there's no need to thank me for such trivial matters. As long as you, Bishop Helen, can cooperate well with me and offer the highest blessings to the divine, that will be the most gratifying thing for me."

"Is that so?" Helen glanced at the smiling red-haired woman in front of her, then suppressed her words of gratitude and turned to look at the blond boy beside her. Her eyes seemed to hold a hint of inquiry, giving her a thoughtful expression.

"Helen, do whatever you want, as long as you're happy. Don't worry, I'm here for you."

Noticing the girl's hesitant gaze, Lius shifted his eyes slightly, then seemed to understand something. He nodded slightly to Helen, then took her soft little hand and led her a step closer to Nottica, gesturing with his eyes to the red-haired woman in front of him.

Under Lius's gaze, Nottica seemed to understand as well, and took the initiative to look at Helen's face. Seeing her tense expression, a reassuring smile appeared on her lips once again.

“Bishop Helen, there’s no need to be so tense. Since we’re going to be partners, I don’t want you to always be so tense. So, could you please show me a smile?”

"Smile?" Helen muttered softly, while Lius beside her nodded slightly and added:

“Yes, Helen, this is also a way to express sincerity. Bishop Nottica was smiling so happily just now, you should respond with a smile as well. This is how Cheng'en treats its guests. What do you think? Do you want to give it a try?”

"After a brief moment of thought, the girl nodded slightly in response to Lius's suggestion. She let out a slight breath and then turned her gaze to the face of the veiled red-haired woman in front of her, her lips curving upwards in a gentle smile."

"How is it now... is it alright?"

To Helen's surprise, she found this appearance quite pleasant and even felt a sense of ease after laughing. This caused her already slightly upturned lips to curve even wider, and her entire expression radiated a bright enthusiasm.

Lius seemed quite pleased with this, especially after feeling the girl's sincere gaze. He couldn't help but smile broadly, gently patted Helen's shoulder, and continued, "Ha... not bad, Helen. I thought you still had some reservations, but I didn't expect you to laugh so happily. How was it? After trying it, it was pretty good, wasn't it?"

"Hmm...it's really quite nice. I didn't expect that a smile could be so relaxing...especially in front of someone I previously thought was an enemy. It's truly amazing." Helen slightly pursed her lips and turned her smile towards Lius, revealing a relaxed smile to him once again. At the same time, she slowly leaned against Lius's shoulder, pressing her two small hands together against the blond boy's chest, conveying the burning feeling in her heart to her companion's mind.

"Thank you, Prince Leus. You've shown me that this is something I can do... that doing things I've never done before can bring me so much joy. It's truly amazing..." No need to thank me. These are all Helen's true feelings, things she's always suppressed. What I did was simply break down that barrier within her. The most important thing is Helen herself; it's because she has this desire that she did these things. It's that simple.

"Hehe... No matter what, it's all thanks to your help, Young Master Lius. When we get back, I'll repay you properly. For example, after each training session with you, I'll give you a massage. How about that?"

"Haha, I'm really looking forward to it!"

Feeling the sincere and earnest look in the red-haired girl's eyes, Lius smiled and patted her head, nodding slightly. He then looked at Nottica, who was silently smiling beside him, and pressed on, saying:

“Bishop Notica, wouldn’t you like to do the same? Now that you’ve reached an agreement with Bishop Helen, do you have any gifts you could give her?”

"A gift? Yes, I promised Bishop Helen that I would spar with her to improve our strength together. During the previous battle, I also noticed that Helen was curious about your abilities, so I thought... perhaps you could teach Helen something about magic?"

“Ah, is that so?” Hearing Lius’s words, Nottica glanced at him, then immediately understood the meaning behind his words, and nodded with a smile:

"Sure, if Bishop Helen needs it, I can certainly teach her properly. Our sect also has some unique spells that, when combined with other spells, can greatly enhance the power of the original spells. This is especially useful for someone like Bishop Helen, who is half mage and half warrior. When I have some free time, I will come and give Bishop Helen some guidance. Of course, if you, Young Master Lius, also want to learn, I can teach you as well."

“That would be wonderful, Helen. So, would you like to learn? Accompany Bishop Nottica and me.”

Faced with Nottica's words, Lius smiled slightly, turned his head gently to the red-haired girl beside him, and asked, "Helen, also surprised by their decision, swallowed hard, and asked with a trembling voice, her heart filled with anticipation:

"R-really? I was so hostile towards Bishop Notica before, but now... Bishop Notica is still so friendly to me and willing to teach me new magic. Is this really okay?" "Of course it is! Come on, Helen, don't be shy anymore. The past is the past. Let's look to the future. Bishop Notica, you too, join me in training with Helen!"

After Lius's enthusiastic and energetic greeting, Helen kept swallowing, her eyes gleaming with even greater excitement and anticipation. Her body trembled slightly at his words, and finally, with a look of utter excitement, she nodded vigorously to the two people before her.

"I...I understand! Thank you, Prince Lius, and thank you, Bishop Nottica. I will accept your guidance and strive to become stronger!"

With such a firm tone, Helen gradually extended her small hands, one hand holding Lius's, and the other hand clasping tightly with Nottica's, like a daughter being held by her parents' hands. In this inexplicably familiar feeling, she made her promise to the two of them, making the surrounding atmosphere more harmonious.

"Bang!" Just then, a sound of fabric rustling came from the direction of the tent flap, drawing everyone's attention to Rosalind, who was wearing a white robe and slowly emerging from the tent flap by lifting the fabric.

“Go toward the three of them who are stuck together,” Rosalind said, her eyes narrowing slightly, a complex look in them…

Chapter 344: The Relationship Between Bishops (Part Two)

"Ok?"

As Rosalind slowly emerged from the tent, her gaze first fell upon Nottica through the gaps in the tent fabric, her eyes filled with an almost obsessive curiosity. Then she noticed Helen standing in front of her, shaking hands with her. Seeing the two of them getting along so harmoniously, a look of astonishment appeared in her eyes.

"What are you all doing here? Oh, it's Her Majesty the High Priestess."

Upon seeing Rosalind emerge from the tent, Leus's eyes flickered slightly, as if he had suddenly come up with an idea. He then smiled and beckoned to the white-robed pope, continuing his explanation:

"Helen and I just discussed the cooperation, and then reached some agreements with Bishop Nottica to deepen our future cooperation. As for now... it's already yielded good results!"

As he spoke, Leus glanced at the young woman and girl staring at Rosalind, a wicked smile creeping across his face. He then stretched out his arms, pulling Nottica and Helen into his embrace on either side. In front of Rosalind, he subdued the two somewhat dazed young women and girls, making them appear to be getting along harmoniously. He deliberately put on a show for Rosalind. As for Nottica and Helen, feeling the blond boy's sudden, ambiguous actions, they were somewhat surprised, their faces flushing red. They lay down in the boy's arms, silently enjoying Leus's caresses without any struggle, continuing to go along with the harmonious atmosphere, being both clever and obedient.

"you.

Watching the three of them pressed so closely together, Rosalind frowned, seemingly bewildered and embarrassed by the scene before her, and also feeling a strange sense of betrayal, which made her body tremble slightly.

Especially when she looked at Helen, who was lying in Lius's arms with a slight smile, and saw her getting along so harmoniously with the heretical bishop beside her, her inner unease intensified, and in a sense, her gaze toward Nodica also carried a strange sense of hatred.

"Hmm?" Rosalind's expression...

Just as Rosalind was frowning and biting her lip slightly, Lius noticed her distorted emotions, which surprised him. He didn't expect that the usually noble and aloof Pope would show such an obvious reaction to Helen and Nottica's interaction at this moment.

"Rosalind's reaction... could it be directed at Helen? Is she dissatisfied with the friendly relationship between Helen and Nordaica? Why? Earlier in the tent, she also had a scrutinizing attitude towards my plan to live with Helen. Could it be that in Rosalind's heart... Helen is not just a tool to achieve her own goals, and there is really a kind of familial affection between her and Helen? With this thought in mind, Lius stared at Rosalind again, watching her distorted expression for a few seconds."

At this moment, Rosalind's eyes still held that same complex emotion as before, as if her most important thing had been taken away.

At the same time, as Lius looked at her, their eyes met, and the white-robed pope glanced at her slightly before immediately looking away, as if deliberately avoiding or hiding something, revealing a very awkward state.

All of the above reactions were taken into consideration by Leus, ultimately turning his doubts into confirmation.

"It seems...it really is like that, and judging from Rosalind's expression, besides dissatisfaction, she even seems a little jealous? Could it be that...she never shows any particular closeness to Helen, her 'daughter,' but deep down she harbors feelings similar to familial affection? If that's the case, then that's interesting..."

As Lius pondered this in his heart, he gained a new impression of the white-robed female pope before him. While embracing the two beauties in front of him, he also began to plan a new scheme for Rosalind, and his gaze towards Rosalind became more meaningful.

"Huh? You. Why are you glaring at me like that, Prince Leus? What are you thinking?"

Feeling the gaze that Lius was casting on her, Rosalind trembled slightly, and her eyes met his again.

For some reason, at this moment, Rosalind felt a strange panic in her heart, like prey caught in a hunter's trap. This caused the usually proud pope to frown again, and she squeezed out a series of embarrassed words as she questioned Lius.

As for Lius, facing Rosalind's questioning, he immediately reacted, not revealing his true thoughts, but instead keeping his gaze fixed on Rosalind's face, and slowly saying with a smile:

"Ah, hug me! The sunlight just shone on Your Highness's face, illuminating your beauty completely. I was so captivated that I lingered for too long. Please forgive me if I offended Your Highness."

"Hmph... Enough with the sweet talk. Things here are almost settled. Since that's the case, we should hurry to the capital. If you have anything else to attend to, please do so as soon as possible. We need to get going."

Rosalind merely snorted at Lius's words, then turned and left, seemingly unwilling to observe the scene any further. Lius, meanwhile, gave a strange smile at her retreating figure.

"Ha. This Pope's emotions are truly complex." Hmm? What did you say, Prince Leus? Is there something you need, Your Highness? Helen glanced at him slightly, asking with some curiosity. "Ah, nothing, just a slight sigh. Alright, let's rest a little longer, then we should set off back to the capital to meet with the others."

With a soothing tone, Leus gently caressed the two beauties in his arms, enjoying this leisurely moment in the warm and intimate atmosphere.

Chapter 345: Another Encounter with the Pope (Part 1)

Some time later, the walls of the capital city.

Accompanied by the sound of horses' hooves, after half a day's journey, the group finally returned to the capital and met the knights who had been waiting for them for a long time outside the city walls.

"Lord Lius!"

Upon seeing Lius, they all crowded around, clad in combat armor, their expressions solemn as they followed the approaching officers.

Upon seeing Lius in the carriage, the female knights bowed and spoke to him:

"Lord Lius, as you instructed, we have already searched the surrounding area and eliminated all the possible monsters. The capital city is now in a safe state, so there is no need to worry."

"Hmm, how are the wounded?"

"The arrangements for the injured have been finalized. Thanks to God's blessing, none of us suffered any losses in this conflict, except for a few people who were closer to the monsters and were seriously injured. However, with the support of the Church, they will recover quickly. Therefore, Lord Lius, you do not need to worry at all. It can only be described as a miracle."

"There were no dead... That's good. You've all worked hard these past few days. I'll handle the rest. You can all go back and rest for now."

Looking at the solemn-faced female knights, Lius pondered for a moment, then smiled slightly, nodded to them, and instructed the crowd.

At this moment, besides the carriage he was riding in, the rest of the cult members were also arriving in other carriages. A dozen or so carriages were neatly arranged on the kingdom's road. Lius himself sat at the very front, with Rosalind, who had remained silent, beside him. The two sat together, presenting a very solemn appearance.

As for Nautica and Helen, they were resting again in the carriage following behind on the return journey. Looking through the window, one could see their sleeping figures and hear their gentle breathing.

"With these faint breathing sounds, the Knights, under Lius's earlier orders, left the city gate in an orderly manner, some to rest as Lius commanded, and others to continue their guard duties. In short, they were all in a very orderly state."

I never expected that in such a short time, Prince Leus would be able to so skillfully command the Knights. It seems the female lead has "granted" you, Prince Leus, a great deal of power as commander.

Upon seeing this, Rosalind, who was standing next to Lius, stepped closer and broke the silence, speaking to the blond boy beside her in a thoughtful tone.

As for Lius, he didn't respond much to these words, but continued to look at the female knights coming and going outside the carriage with a leisurely glint in his eyes.

"Ha... It's nothing special. I just helped the Queen and Princess resolve some troublesome matters. If I were to rule here all day, I would be driven crazy by the trouble. Once I return to the palace, I will definitely ask Her Majesty to revoke my commander status and let me go back to my territory to rest as soon as possible."

"To reclaim power? That's quite rare. Many people in the world crave power, and once they have it, they continue to crave even greater and deeper power. It's truly rare to see someone like you, Prince Lius, who is willing to voluntarily give up power."

Looking at Leus, and hearing the boy's words, Rosalind's gaze towards him became more curious and scrutinizing, while Leus maintained his lazy demeanor, his lips slightly parted as he said:

"Everyone has their own ambitions. It is indeed good to have a high status, but the pressure is also great. The affairs of the capital city are handled by the people of the royal capital. As a noble young master, I should just stay in my own territory. If this matter were not so serious that I had to take action in person, I would not want to disturb Her Highness the princess and the others."

As Lius spoke, he stretched and then turned his gaze back to Rosalind, observing her scrutinizing expression. He then added, "Speaking of which, Your Holiness, why did you become the High Priestess? Was it a family tradition, or was it your own will?"

"...Why are you suddenly asking me questions, Prince Lius? Do you have some suspicions about me?" Rosalind looked at Lius and asked with a slight frown.

"Don't be so nervous. We're allies now, so it's normal for me to care about my allies, right? Besides, just think of it as wanting to know about you, a senior member of the Church, and give me, a junior, some encouragement. Isn't that nice? I'm a little curious about your family background, Your Holiness. Since you were able to become the Pope, your background must be extraordinary, right?"

Looking at Rosalind, Leus smiled and spoke to her. Rosalind, upon hearing this, gave him a slight glare, then seemed to give up arguing. With a soft sigh, she said to Leus:

"My family background... is not particularly distinguished. Although we are noble, it had already declined by my mother's generation. Apart from our noble bloodline, our family business was barely enough to make ends meet. There was nothing special about it."

"How come there's such a thing? I've never heard of it before?" Lius tilted his head slightly and asked, listening to Rosalind's words.

"After all, there's nothing worth knowing too much about such things. In the end, it's just our own family matter. There's no disaster or gloom involved. It's just that we've declined over time. There's no need to worry about it. This is what my mother often tells me."

After saying this, Rosalind slowly exhaled, as if she had thought of something, which made her expression become more and more serious. Her initial perfunctory attitude towards Lius gradually turned into a simple reflection on the first half of her life.

"However, at that time, I could not accept the current state of my life at all. In particular, seeing the luxurious lives of other noble families made me feel inferior about my own situation. Therefore, my dream at that time was to find a way to make my family bloodline shine again and revitalize my family."

"That sounds pretty good. Is this your motivation for becoming the Pope? Most nobles, after their families fall from grace, basically rely on their noble status to live a life of ease and comfort. I really admire your positive attitude."

Looking at Rosalind, Leus seemed somewhat surprised by her words, then smiled and exclaimed, "Such praise... is this how you, Young Master Leus, try to build rapport?"

Sensing Lius's words, Rosalind looked at him thoughtfully, a hint of wariness flashing in her eyes, as if trying to discern the true thoughts of the blond boy. Lius, however, continued to shake his head, saying:

"I do want to get closer to Your Highness, but that's not the only purpose. I want to understand your past, and... your true feelings."

"What's the point of feelings if they're real or fake? Aside from occasionally disguising my expression when dealing with enemies, I don't deliberately hide my true feelings from those around me. Or do you, Prince Lius, think that the respect and friendliness I showed you in the camp earlier were all fake?" Rosalind looked at Lius and asked with a slight frown. "Of course not. I'm certain that Your Holiness didn't intentionally deceive anyone when it came to feelings. I think you simply hid a part of your emotions without realizing it."

"Hidden feelings?"

"That's right. Although I haven't spent much time with Your Holiness, I can clearly sense this state of mind you're in. You've always intentionally or unintentionally hidden your true thoughts, only revealing a portion of your emotions, whether it's about your past experiences or those around you."

Looking at the somewhat surprised white-robed pope before him, Lius nodded slightly. His gaze then casually drifted to Helen, who was fast asleep in the carriage behind him, before returning his attention to Rosalind. With a serious expression, he continued his explanation to her:

"Your Holiness, you rarely show any expression other than 'serious' on ordinary days, right? Since I met you, I don't think I've ever seen you smile. You always have a poker face. I even wondered if you've never had any emotions since you were a child, which is why you've become like this."

“As the Pope, maintaining a dignified demeanor is essential. Is there a problem?” Rosalind continued to ask, frowning.

"If this state can truly be maintained, there really won't be any problem. Perhaps Your Highness is truly like a puppet, unaffected by any external influences, focusing solely on carrying out your duties. I've seen people like that before, so it's not too surprising. But..."

Looking at Rosalind, Lius changed the subject, his words becoming increasingly serious:

"However... Your Holiness, you don't always seem to maintain this demeanor. At least from my perspective, you've inadvertently revealed those hidden emotions on several occasions."

"It revealed...hidden emotions?"

Upon hearing Lius's words, Rosalind's eyes once again revealed a look of surprise, as if she were recalling everything she had just experienced and seriously considering the words of the blond boy in front of her.

Lius, however, did not give her much time to think. While she was still somewhat confused, he further explained, "Your Holiness, since we set off for the capital, you have not said a word along the way, but have been observing me with your eyes. Is it because you are wary of me? That is why you have been observing my behavior along the way, wondering if I am someone Helen can entrust with."