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"Young Master Lius, it is an honor to meet you. I have heard about you here before and learned about your battle with the cultists. Thank you for your help to the Lord's Kingdom and the Church. Thanks to you, we were able to successfully eliminate the cultists. The Church will surely repay this kindness in the future."
The gentle words flowed slowly into Lius's ears, sounding tender and kind, completely different from Rosalind's tone. Lius instinctively felt a sense of peace and developed a new feeling towards this female pope.
"It seems Rosalind is quite convincing in her disguise. No wonder she was able to hide from Helen and the other believers for so long. Hmm... let's continue speaking with this attitude towards the saintess."
With this thought in mind, Leus nodded slightly, his gaze fixed on the screen in front of him, and uttered the next sentence:
"Your Holiness is too kind. This is all within my duty, nothing special to boast about. As for the cultists, I did not wipe them out completely, but only temporarily delayed their attack on the kingdom. Their main force still needs further investigation. I would like to ask Your Holiness for your opinion on this matter."
"My own opinion... "
Faced with Lius's question, the saintess hesitated briefly before finally nodding slightly. Through the screen in front of her, she addressed the blond-haired boy on the other side:
"Regarding the cultists, I've heard some rumors before, especially Rosalind's. According to her, there are people within the church who cooperate with the cultists. What are your thoughts on this, Prince Lius?" I think this is quite credible. The cultists' movements are very unpredictable, but to be able to deploy such a large force within the kingdom, they must be cooperating with some high-ranking figures, with the church being the closest. Based on my deduction, if there really is cooperation, it must have been in a very early stage, at least ten years ago.
Faced with Lius's words, the saintess on the other side of the barrier seemed to show a look of surprise, whether she was surprised by the boy's sudden deduction or shocked by the accuracy of the deduction Lius spoke of.
In any case, these words caused the saintess to fall silent for a few seconds. After recovering, she continued speaking to Lius in a thoughtful tone:
"Hmm... Is this your deduction, Prince Lius? It's quite a bold idea to be able to deduce the date of cooperation between the cultists and the church. It's an extraordinary idea." Actually, deducing from the timeline is quite simple. We just need to investigate the timing of these arrangements. I discovered that most of the array points in the kingdom were set up ten years ago. Therefore, I deduced that the cooperation between the cultists and some high-ranking church officials also occurred ten years ago. Based on this timeline, perhaps we can conduct more investigations within the church and even find those high-ranking officials who betrayed us. What do you think, Your Excellency?
As Lius spoke, he then deliberately made a gesture of looking around, observing the empty surroundings and seats, before continuing to ask the saintess on the other side of the screen:
"By the way, where is Rosalind? We need to get her informed about this as well. As the Pope, she should have some information about people within the church. If we investigate those who were in high positions in the church ten years ago, we should be able to get results quickly. Where is Her Majesty the Pope now?"
Faced with Lius's question, the saintess behind the screen hesitated, her gaze fixed on Lius, seemingly deep in thought, unsure how to answer. Regarding Rosalind… she had just left the monastery for some business and is not here. As for the ideas you've provided, Young Master Lius, I will discuss them with Rosalind later, so please don't worry.
"Oh, you had to go out on business. In that case, I'll trouble you, Your Excellency, to pass on the message. Such an important matter cannot be delayed in any way. When Rosalind returns, please also inform her that I will be waiting at my residence. If any clues are found, she is welcome to come and share them with me at any time."
Looking at the saintess on the other side of the screen, Lius displayed a respectful posture and earnestly spoke to her, while the saintess also maintained a serious and solemn expression, nodding slightly to the blond boy opposite her.
“I understand. I will convey all these matters to Rosalind in detail, so please rest assured, Prince Leus. As for the other matters concerning the cultists, I will also tell you all the information I have, which may be helpful for your subsequent investigation.”
"That would be wonderful. However, before I share the information, there is something I would like to ask you, Your Holiness. I wonder if you would be willing to answer."
"There is one more thing," the saintess said, looking puzzled at Lius's words. Lius nodded slightly, looked at her with a serious expression, and slowly said:
"Regarding Bishop Helen, as her mother, how much do you know? Could you tell me in detail...?"
Chapter 365: Meeting with the "Holy Maiden" (Part 4)
"Hmm? When Helen heard Lius suddenly mention Helen, the 'Saintess' on the other side of the screen clearly showed a somewhat surprised expression. This was evident not only from her facial expression but also from her slightly surprised tone, which revealed her true thoughts. This made the Saintess show a completely different attitude from before."
"Yes, it's Bishop Helen. I've heard about her before. I think you're her mother, right? Since you're her mother, I'd like to take this opportunity to ask about her. Is that alright?"
Looking at the saintess before him, Lius asked her these questions. After a brief silence, the saintess finally nodded slightly and replied to the blond boy, "It has been a while since we last met. If you are hoping to find a way to get along with Helen from me, you may be disappointed. Although I am her mother, I have not devoted much effort to her upbringing, nor do I understand Helen's thoughts very well. Therefore, I may disappoint you, Young Master Lius."
"Please don't say that, Your Holiness. Helen adores you. As her daughter, her greatest wish is to stay by her mother's side. Although she's grown up now, she still has that little girl side. This shows how important Your Holiness is to her. So please don't refuse anymore, Your Holiness. I also want to learn more about Bishop Helen. Please."
Looking towards the saintess, Leus's lips curled into a slight smile as he spoke to the red-haired woman before him with a hint of encouragement. After hesitating for a few seconds, the saintess finally opened her lips and spoke to Leus, "About Helen. She is a rather introverted person and rarely reveals her thoughts, even to trusted subordinates or friends. Therefore, if you want to build a good relationship with her, you must try to enter her heart; only then can you possibly take your relationship to the next level."
"Oh, I see... No wonder I felt my relationship with Helen was a bit strained from the beginning, so that's why."
Faced with the saint's words, Lius nodded thoughtfully, then continued to talk about the saint, saying, "However, Helen and I have a pretty harmonious relationship now. We have exchanged some thoughts. Although Helen always puts on a strong front, she is actually very soft-hearted. When she is with me, she will show this softness and let me comfort her. She is a very lovely girl."
"Helen... did she seek comfort from you, Prince Leus?" The saintess asked, somewhat surprised, upon hearing this.
“Of course, didn’t Rosalind tell you about me and Helen before? To me, Helen is now a very important friend and family member. She will continue to accompany me in my mansion, training and living with me. Therefore, I want to get closer to her. That’s my idea.”
Looking at Lius, the saintess fell into deep thought again, her gaze shifting back and forth over him, seemingly scrutinizing the blond youth. Then, with a slight sigh and a hint of helplessness, she continued to speak to Lius:
“Young Master Lis, thank you very much for taking care of Helen. From my perspective as a mother... perhaps entrusting her to you is a very good ending. At least compared to me, an unfit mother, you can probably give Helen more love. Therefore... I would also like to express my gratitude to you.”
“I’ve already said it, Helen is my friend, and I’m taking care of her purely to make her happy. Your Excellency, you don’t need to be so grateful. Also, you don’t need to feel so inferior about yourself. In my opinion, being able to raise Bishop Helen to this level is already quite an achievement. At least in terms of education, you haven’t made any mistakes.”
As Leus spoke, he then pretended to suddenly remember something, glanced at the screen, and deliberately spoke further to the red-haired woman behind it:
"Oh, right, I heard Bishop Helen mention before that, besides you, she also received instruction from Pope Rosalind, right? She also gave Helen a lot of care and education, although she was a bit strict, Helen was very grateful to her and even treated her as her own mother."
"Really...really? Helen really thinks that way?"
Faced with Lius's statement, the saintess's voice wavered again, sounding filled with surprise and astonishment. Lius, on the other hand, nodded vigorously, giving his reply in a firm tone:
"Of course! Helen told me this herself, so how could it be false? Actually, I also think Rosalind has made a lot of sacrifices, otherwise Helen wouldn't have been able to grow up smoothly. Even if she sometimes seems too serious, I think it's necessary. In my heart, I also regard Rosalind as a very reliable elder and a very respectable person."
The continuous praise from Lius reached the ears of the "Saintess," causing her gaze to waver slightly. She seemed a little shy as she met the gaze of the blond boy in front of her. At the same time, this shyness was tinged with surprise, as if she hadn't expected Lius to give such high praise. The light in her eyes when she looked at the boy also showed a greater sense of care.
"So, this is how he treats me? It seems that my previous probing was just me overthinking things. Lius didn't doubt me at all, and even had some respect for me. In that case, perhaps I should also be friendly to him in the future, as a way of returning the favor."
With this thought in mind, the saintess nodded slightly, looked at the screen in front of her, hesitated for a moment, and then took the initiative to reach out and slowly move away the barrier between herself and Lius, so that her figure could be fully revealed to the boy's sight.
"Oh? This is..." Sensing the saintess's actions, Lius narrowed his eyes in surprise. Before him stood a red-haired woman with an alluring figure who resembled Helen, and his eyes revealed a sense of appreciation.
Chapter 366: Meeting with the "Holy Maiden" (Part 5) "Holy Maiden"
Faced with this saintess who suddenly appeared and had the same appearance as Nottica, Lius, after his initial surprise, quickly recovered, nodded slightly, and responded with a gentle smile to the red-haired woman in front of him.
"I never expected that Your Grace would suddenly reveal your true face to me. Pope Rosalind had previously said that she should keep her distance from you, but you actually took the initiative to get closer to me. I am truly honored."
"This is my honesty to you, Prince Lius. After all, as you said before, we are already allies. If we remain as indifferent as before, it might cause some resentment between us, and we won't be able to maximize the power of our cooperation. That's my thought."
The saintess spoke these words, then gently waved her hand, pushing aside the screen beside her to maintain a close distance between herself and the blond boy.
"So, Young Master Lius, we've been completely honest with each other. How does it seem? Does this appearance meet your expectations?" To be honest, I didn't have many expectations from the beginning. Rosalind had told me about the Saintess's inner workings, and I've always followed her instructions without trying to find out your specific appearance. Hmm... seeing your face for the first time now, Saintess, if I had to say, you are extremely beautiful!
Looking towards the saintess, Leus showed an appreciative gaze, smiling and nodding at her. The saintess, hearing this, also smiled gently. In this relatively peaceful atmosphere, she spoke again to the boy:
“Young Master Lius, you flatter me. Few people see me like this, and therefore few hear such praise. I am actually a little uncomfortable with such compliments. Please forgive me if I have caused you any embarrassment.”
"Please, how could I possibly be embarrassed? As long as you, Holy Maiden, are happy, that's the best outcome for me." Looking at the red-haired Holy Maiden before him, Lius said with a smile, then added:
"By the way, if I look at it more closely, Helen and you, the Holy Maiden, are really very similar. Not only in personality, but also in appearance, they are almost like they were made from the same mold. I have to say, no wonder you are a Holy Maiden. You seem to have a special affinity with me."
"Is that so... It's not bad to be able to get closer to you, Young Master Lius, in this way, haha."
After a soft chuckle, the saintess slightly extended her arm, gesturing to the blond boy in front of her. She then stood up from beside the chair, and Lius nodded in understanding. He followed her movements, walking behind the red-haired saintess into the depths of the prayer room, until they reached a tightly closed door.
"This is my study, which contains all the intelligence I have gathered recently. If you need it, Prince Lius, I will have someone make a copy and give it to you later. You can take a look at it now and see if you can find any clues."
"Well then, thank you very much, Your Majesty."
Looking in the direction of the saintess, Lius nodded slightly, gently pushed open the door in front of him, and went into the inner room to begin his search.
The inner room wasn't very large, only half the size of the prayer room, but it was filled with a rich collection of books. Rows of bookshelves were neatly arranged, giving the whole room a scholarly atmosphere that made one feel very at ease.
As for the saintess, watching Lius enter the inner room, she slowly followed behind him, her gaze fixed on a desk beside her, seemingly confirming something. She then quickly withdrew her gaze and, in a gentle tone, softly extended a finger to guide Lius.
"Young Master Leus, please look here. This contains a series of historical records about the church. Originally, it was only available to members of the church, but since it is you, we can make an exception and let you view it. Young Master Leus, what time period would you like to start looking at?"
Looking at the towering bookshelf in front of him, Lius pondered for a moment, partly considering when he should begin his investigation, and partly out of curiosity about the "strange phenomenon" that the saintess had just displayed.
"Just now, she seemed to have looked at the desk, but then immediately looked away to cover it up. Could it be that there's some secret hidden there... or is she deliberately showing this kind of behavior in front of me to make me suspicious of something?"
Lius pondered this for a moment, then decided to speak first and ask the red-haired saintess in front of him, "Saintess, what documents are on this desk? You seemed quite interested in them just now. Could it be some more important secret within the church?"
"Ah?" Faced with the boy's sudden question, the saintess glanced at him slightly, momentarily showing surprise at Lius's direct question. She quickly regained her usual composure and spoke gently to Lius:
"Here... I keep some of my personal belongings. Although it's just a desk in your room, it's like a personal storage locker for me."
"Oh, personal items... Well then, I can't just look into those. I'm sorry, Your Holiness, for suddenly asking such a strange question, haha."
After chuckling softly a few times, Leus looked up from his desk and added a few more words:
"I remember when we were camping before, Helen had her own personal belongings hidden in her pack, and I accidentally saw them. Helen was so embarrassed that she was practically steaming with embarrassment. She kept telling me to forget about it. It was so cute to think about."
"Hmm? Does Helen... also have her own personal belongings?" The saintess asked, her eyes slightly downcast in response to Lius's statement.
"Of course, every girl has her own private secrets, and Helen is no exception. I remember seeing one of her diaries before, which recorded some things about you, Saintess. She said she missed you very much and wanted to get along with you like a normal couple. Hmm, she's really quite pitiful."
Sensing Lius's words and listening to her "daughter's" delicate thoughts, Rosalind, who was pretending to be a "saint," slightly narrowed her eyes, and a resounding ripple gradually spread through her heart.
Chapter 367: Meeting with the "Holy Maiden" (Part 6)
Sensing Lius's words, the saintess slightly pursed her lips, seemingly deep in thought. She then took another step closer to the blond-haired boy before her and tentatively spoke:
"About Helen. Did she really record such feelings?" "Of course, I'm certain of that, absolutely."
Looking at the red-haired young woman before him, Leus nodded slightly and said firmly, "Then... what else was written after that, young master Leus, do you remember?"
"It's not a question of whether I remember or not, but rather that I didn't see any more of the diary entries. After all, Helen took the diary back immediately, so I could only give up for the time being and not investigate her thoughts any further."
"Is that so?" But Your Excellency, please don't be discouraged. Although Helen didn't say much, I believe she doesn't harbor any resentment towards you; she just feels a little lonely. If you truly care about her, you can write her letters from time to time. That way, even if you can't meet in person, you can still sense each other's feelings. I believe your maternal love will surely reach Helen."
"Does someone like me still have maternal love?" Faced with Lius's words, the saint appeared even more desolate, her eyes filled with a touch of emotion, causing her to slightly tighten her grip on her skirt, and her sighs became more pronounced.
"Hmm... For me, perhaps not contacting Helen is the best outcome. As a saint, I live here all the time, and even if I write a letter, I can't deliver it to Helen quickly. Moreover, if others in the church know about my actions, I will face criticism. I don't care about myself, but if Helen is affected because of me, that would be what makes me sad."
"Is it really necessary? It's perfectly normal for people to connect with each other. Does the church's rule mean we have to go against human ethics? If that's the case, I don't want to have any more contact with the church."
Deliberately feigning indignation, Lius clenched his fists, speaking as he observed the red-haired woman's reaction.
As for the saintess, sensing the boy's urgent words, she pursed her lips again, seemingly sighing once more! "This is a rule that has been established within the church for thousands of years, and no one can violate it, not even me. Therefore, please do not devote too much energy to this, Young Master Lius. This is a private matter within the church, and there is no need to trouble you with your advice."
I'm just upset about Helen and your pursuit, Saintess. If only there were a way for you to connect with Helen without anyone else finding out.
Lius spoke these words, and the saintess, upon hearing them, remained silent, seemingly deep in thought. She then turned her gaze back towards the desk, hesitated for a moment, and spoke to the blond-haired boy before her:
"Young Master Leus, would you be willing to help us? Help us make contact?" "Oh? Your Holiness, you seem to sense the Saintess's sudden question." Leus narrowed his eyes slightly, realizing that his earlier words had had an effect, causing him to feel a surge of satisfaction after a brief moment of surprise. Maintaining his original expression, he spoke again to the red-haired woman before him:
“Your Holiness, are you suggesting that I act as a bridge between you and Helen to help you deliver your respective letters? Thinking about it that way, it does seem feasible. I now have the right to enter this place, and no one will interfere with my investigation. If I were to deliver the letters, no one would be able to discover it.”
“That’s what I mean. I know this proposal is somewhat unreasonable and may interfere with your daily work, Prince Lius, but… let’s just consider it a selfish wish of a mother. I want to make amends to Helen, if possible. At least to put Helen’s mind at ease a little, I think that’s achievable. Please, Prince Lius.”
As she spoke, the saintess took a deep breath, and then, under the boy's gaze, slowly bowed deeply to him. Lius immediately stepped forward, reached out and gently helped her up, repeatedly saying:
"Of course you can, Your Holiness. There's no need for such formalities. It's just a small favor for me, nothing serious. Come on, get up, it wouldn't be good if others saw us."
"Ha... Young Master Lius, you jest. At this time, there are only the two of us here, and no one will discover what's going on. Even if I get closer to you now, it won't matter at all."
The saintess slightly raised her head, her tone slightly mischievous, and Lius, surprised by this revelation of her personality, nodded and smiled after a brief moment of surprise:
"Ha, I really didn't expect that Your Majesty would joke like that. Alright, alright, since that's the case, then I won't worry about so many formalities anymore. I'll just do as Your Majesty just said and act as a bridge between you and Helen, so that you two can get along well."
Lius gently patted the red-haired woman's shoulder, making this promise. The saintess, comforted by the young man, inexplicably felt her heart race and a burning sensation in her chest, causing her to clench her hands tightly to calm her turbulent thoughts.
"...What's going on? Why am I feeling this way about him? What is this emotion? Why do I feel so peaceful when he touches me?" The saintess, Rosalind, who was pretending to be innocent, pondered these thoughts in her heart. Then she shook her head slightly, freeing herself from the previous emotional turmoil and regaining her composure.
"Anyway, I'll think about these feelings later. Right now, thinking about Helen... I need to find a way to comfort her and prevent her from feeling any more distress. This is all for the future plan. Everything I've done is just for the plan; there's nothing else to it..." With a fluctuating thought, the saintess slowly exhaled, then turned her gaze back to the desk. After a moment's hesitation, she slightly raised her head, looked at the blond boy standing before her, and spoke to him:
"Young Master Leus, would you... like to see my personal belongings?"
Chapter 368: Meeting with the "Holy Maiden" (Part 7)
"Young Master Leus, would you... like to see my personal belongings?"
Looking at the blond boy before her, the saintess pursed her lips slightly, finally making up her mind before speaking to him. Lius, showing a hint of surprise, followed the saintess's gaze to the desk. After a moment's thought, he softly said to her:
"The Saintess's personal belongings... Is that really alright? Why would the Saintess suddenly bring up such a thing? Is there something you want me to know?"
“If that’s how you want to understand it, then so be it. I just want you to understand my feelings for Helen. At least for this child, I’m not heartless. It’s just that I can’t break free from the church, so I can only use something like a diary to record my inner thoughts.”
"So... all your so-called personal belongings are just your diary?"
Looking at the red-haired saintess in front of him, Lius nodded slightly and asked. The saintess nodded and used the key in her hand to unlock the desk. She gently pulled out a dark red book, opened it, and a series of recorded texts were revealed inside.
"March 2nd. Sunny. Today the church sent someone to communicate with me. Daily worship... prayers to God."
At the saint's prompting, Leus leaned closer, carefully examined the text, and softly read it aloud, letting the gentle words permeate the entire room.
Hmm... This is all about your daily activities, Holy Maiden. I never expected you to be able to schedule your time so full.
“Yes, the work of the church is quite extensive, especially for me, as a saint,” the saint replied.
"Most of this is about daily experiences, work with the church, and some memos. There's nothing particularly valuable to discuss. Hmm... But if you look closely, there seem to be some scratches on it. These scratches also seem to be some writing, but they're not recorded in this book. Instead, they've been hidden away by some means. Is that right?"
Looking at the red-haired young woman in front of him, Lius examined her and finally gave his conclusion. The saintess showed her appreciation and nodded slightly. Then, she used her fingers to drive her magic power and inject it into the book. "Whoosh!" Gusts of wind followed the magic power and kept echoing around the two of them, surrounding the dark red notebook in front of them.
Along with this magical power emitting bursts of blue light, the original text gradually disappeared, replaced by new traces written in red ink, revealed from the traces that Lius had previously pointed out.
"On July 12th, Helen came to the church. She is about to be promoted to bishop. Unfortunately... my status prevents me from meeting her in person. I can only admire her from afar. But even so, it is enough for me."
"On December 30th, Helen, along with bishops from other regions, came to the capital church for an exchange. According to recent intelligence, many people oppose Helen's promotion to bishop. Perhaps because of my own status, my child is also under pressure. Unfortunately... I still can't solve the problems around her. I can only take care of her as much as possible, hoping that Helen can resolve the matter on her own." January 1st... Helen returned to the regional church... May... The church festival began, and I presided over it together with Helen. At this time, I was finally able to interact with her in my own capacity. She smiled happily then, and so did I. Unfortunately, this time couldn't last long. I only hope that Helen can continue to maintain such a smile as today and grow well. As long as that happens, her mother can rest assured. The records above are not too dense, but the words on each page are filled with a mother's love. The emotions between the words are very strong. Just reading them can touch one's heart and is very touching.