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"I was just trying to explore some possibilities. Speaking of which, I didn't expect that Your Excellency wouldn't even know the meaning of a diamond ring, actually regarding it as a family symbol... I really don't understand what you know in the church." Faced with Lius's somewhat helpless remark, the Saintess hesitated slightly, her lips trembling slightly, showing considerable apprehension about the young man's question.
Chapter 372: Meeting with the "Holy Maiden" (Part 11)
Faced with Lius's question, which was half sarcastic and half questioning, the saint pursed her lips slightly, hesitated for a moment, and finally slowly said, "I... don't know much about matters between men and women or about love. The church I work in doesn't have the function of holding weddings, so I haven't had much contact with this kind of thing. As for things like diamond rings and jewelry, I know even less."
“But this is basically common sense. Even if you’ve been in the church all your time, you should know something about it, right?” Lius tilted his head slightly and asked again.
“Even if it’s common sense… I rarely come into contact with similar things in the church on a regular basis. It’s normal if I don’t know them. Not only me, but most of the nuns are the same. There’s nothing strange about it.”
"This... I really didn't expect this."
Listening to the words of the red-haired young woman in front of him, Lius felt increasingly troubled by the affairs within the church. He had originally realized that the church was very conservative, but he did not expect it to be this conservative, to the point that even matters of love were so unclear. He really did not know what to say.
"In short... let's put aside your past, Your Excellency, and continue considering the ring. Based on my understanding of diamond rings, once it's set, it's very difficult to take it off until the wedding. So, perhaps the only way to remove this ring is to proceed with our wedding."
"What! Such a thing!" Faced with Lius's words, the saintess showed a look of shock and hesitation.
"Don't panic, Your Majesty. The marriage I'm referring to is a private ceremony. As long as we are of the same mind, we can be like a real couple. Even if we don't become husband and wife in the formal sense, it's enough for us to take off our rings. There's no need to make the ceremony public; it can be done in private. Don't worry."
"In response to Lius's words, the saintess lowered her eyes slightly, seemingly puzzled. Then, blushing slightly, she took a step closer to Lius and softly spoke to him:"
"So...Young Master Leus, do you believe that as long as we are of one mind, it is possible to remove the ring?"
"Based on my speculation, that is indeed the case. But to be honest, it is not an easy thing to achieve mutual understanding. For example, Your Excellency, this is the first time we have met, and we do not know each other very well. Under such circumstances, if we want to reach the level of husband and wife... it will take a certain amount of time and effort to achieve this goal."
"How should we do it? And how long will it take? Do you have an estimate, Prince Lius?" Looking at Lius, the saintess continued to ask with a frown. "Judging from the timeframe, it could be a few days or a few months, depending on the compatibility between you and me, Your Excellency. As for how to do it… well, it's about doing things lovers do to bring themselves closer, like going on dates, chatting and exchanging feelings—these are easy actions to strengthen our bond, until our hearts are sufficiently intertwined for the ritual to begin."
"A date and a chat. This is not what you, Young Master Lius, are thinking." Upon hearing Lius's words, the saintess glanced at him, momentarily showing an embarrassed expression, seemingly somewhat uncomfortable with the young man's words.
Meanwhile, facing the hesitant red-haired woman before him, Leus suddenly had an idea, which gradually revealed a meaningful, wicked smile. He then quickly regained his usual calm expression, took a step forward, and earnestly addressed the saintess:
"Your Holiness, I have a suggestion. Regarding your matter and mine, I can try to conceal it. If anyone does inquire about this ring, I can use the excuse that it is a contract between me and Helen to cover it up. Is that possible?"
“In that case… it might be possible in the short term, but if it drags on for too long, rumors might spread throughout the kingdom and even reach Helen's ears… If she investigates this matter, she will definitely find something amiss and turn her attention to us.” After some thought, the saintess said hesitantly.
"Let Helen know? Ha, I wanted Helen to know from the beginning. If I kept this from her, it would only increase her suspicion and distrust. When the truth comes out, it will inevitably create a rift between us. Therefore, I never intended to hide it from her in the first place."
"You want to tell Helen about this directly, but isn't this too..." too absurd? Don't forget, this is trouble you, Holy Maiden, caused. I can only do my best to make amends for you now, even if it's truly absurd and embarrassing. You have no choice but to do as I say, right? Otherwise, can you think of any more effective ideas?"
When I addressed the young man, the saintess was speechless for a moment. After all, the matter had indeed started because of her, and there was nothing she could say in rebuttal. She could only silently endure Lius's thoughts.
Meanwhile, Leus, sensing the saintess's hesitant and speechless expression, realized his plan had gone very smoothly. He quickly changed his expression, adopting a relieved posture, and continued speaking to the red-haired woman before him:
"Hmm... Never mind, never mind. It's my fault for not stopping you in time, Your Holiness, which led to this situation. I bear some responsibility for it. Since that's the case, I should take responsibility for you too. When I come to Helen, I will only say that it was my own mistake that led to this situation. Your Holiness, you don't need to worry about yourself. Just put all the blame on me."
Faced with the young man's "magnanimous" words, the saintess, after her initial surprise, immediately showed a slightly amused expression, and her gaze toward Lius became more complex.
"Is Prince Leus truly thinking this way? Does he want to take all the blame for my mistakes and prevent my reputation from being damaged...? So, deep down, he harbors such a selfless attitude."
The saintess was lost in thought when Leus stepped forward and uttered his final words:
"Therefore, in order to achieve this goal, perhaps Your Excellency will need to come with me to explain." "Explain together" means that you and I will return to the mansion together to explain the previous events to Helen. I wonder if you are willing to accept this.
Chapter 373: Meeting with the "Holy Maiden" (Part 12)
"What? You want me to confess to Helen?" Faced with Lius's statement, the saintess glanced at him, then hesitated again, her expression slightly embarrassed, as if she was very hesitant about the suggestion.
Meanwhile, Leus, looking at the red-haired woman in front of him, maintained a serious expression and continued to explain:
"This is something that must be done. If I go alone to explain, it will be difficult for Helen to accept all of this. But if you, Saintess, are involved, everything can be explained as an accident, making things sound more acceptable. You should understand this, Saintess, right?"
"This..." The saintess pursed her lips slightly, hesitated for a moment, and continued, "While that is indeed the case, wouldn't it be a little... too shameful to explain it to Helen in person?"
"It's alright, it's just a minor issue within the family. Even if Helen hears you, Holy Maiden, say these things yourself, she will be surprised but will not feel any resentment. I can guarantee that. Does the Holy Maiden not even understand her own daughter's personality? Or is it that you don't really trust Helen and that's why you're afraid to face her?"
"No...that's not what I thought. I just feel...this all happened too abruptly...It was originally just to show some respect to you, Young Master Lius, but it has developed into this situation." Recalling the mistake she had made earlier, the saintess clenched her fists slightly, cursing herself several times in her heart. Lius gently leaned closer, patted the red-haired woman's shoulder, and softly comforted her:
"Actually, Your Excellency, you don't need to blame yourself so much. It's just a few small things, nothing serious. Besides, I'm here. As long as I'm here, I will definitely not let this mistake develop any further. Come on, let's get ready now. After we go to our residence, Your Excellency, we may need to stay for a while. There are many plans to discuss then, so you'd better be mentally prepared."
As Lius spoke, he gently helped the red-haired woman to her feet and led her to a chair nearby to rest at the desk. The saintess, after nodding slightly, gradually regained her composure, exhaled softly, and looked at Lius with a thoughtful gaze, slowly speaking:
"Speaking of which, Prince Leus, do you have any thoughts on how I should leave the church afterward? Do you have any plans regarding this?"
"How can we get you, Holy Maiden, to leave the church? It's actually quite simple. Just tell the nuns that you need to visit my territory and stay at my residence for a while. Wouldn't that be enough? Just like Helen, you have the same reason. I believe no one will object." Lius said, looking at the red-haired woman beside him.
“But… as a saintess, I shouldn’t be able to leave this place on a regular basis. Not only are there some things I need to handle, but my own status also doesn’t allow me to have too much contact with worldly affairs. For a saintess like me to live in a nobleman’s mansion… is unheard of in the church.”
"Everything has to have a beginning... How about I live here with Helen and you? If you don't want to go to my mansion, this is the only way. Are you willing to accept this, Your Holiness?"
"This... let's forget about it. Let's proceed with the plan you suggested, Young Master Leus." After visualizing the scenario in her mind, the saintess shook her head, rejecting the idea. She then looked at Leus again, her eyes flickering slightly, and continued speaking to him:
"By the way, why don't we have Rosalind explain things to Helen instead of me? Rosalind and Helen have a very good relationship, and for Helen herself... Rosalind is like another mother to her. If she goes to tell Helen these things in my place, I believe Helen will be able to accept it."
Hmm... Shall we have Pope Rosalind take her place?
Faced with the saintess's self-recommendation, Lius rolled his eyes at her helplessly, feeling exasperated by her role-playing. He then pondered her thoughts, wondering why she had suddenly made such a decision.
“Your Holiness. Or rather, Rosalind doesn’t want to face Helen in her current identity because she’s worried that Helen will see through her true identity? No, even if she could, with Helen’s current strength and cunning, she would definitely not be able to see through her current disguise. In other words, Rosalind has no worries in this regard. What really makes her hesitate is something else.”
As he pondered this, Leus stared at the red-haired woman in front of him again, and after a slight blink, he seemed to realize something and nodded silently to himself.
"Hmm... If it weren't for the fear of her identity being exposed, the hesitation she's showing now would only have one reason—she doesn't dare to spend too much time with Helen under this identity, worried that she might actually develop feelings called maternal love for Helen, and worried that these feelings would delay the church's plans. That's why she keeps running away, numbing her heart and pretending that she won't be affected by emotions."
With this in mind, after examining the red-haired woman before him once more, Leus became even more certain of his idea. After a moment's thought, he spoke to the slightly pursed lips of the saintess:
"Let Rosalind take your place... that is indeed a good idea. If Helen really sees her as another mother, then she can certainly replace you in this job."
"Yes, I will discuss this with Rosalind later, so that she can assist me in resolving this matter completely..." The saintess pursed her lips, her expression unreadable, and said this in response to Lius's words. Lius, looking at the saintess, paused for a moment before abruptly changing the subject, continuing to speak to the red-haired woman before him, "But... saintess, can you accept this in your heart? Or rather, do you truly have no regrets?"
Regrettably, upon hearing Lius's statement, the saintess narrowed her eyes, a look of bewilderment appearing in her gaze...
Chapter 374: Meeting with the "Holy Maiden" (Part 13)
"If I really do this, Your Excellency, are you truly willing to accept it in your heart? Or rather, will you really have no regrets in your heart?"
With a serious tone, Lius spoke to the red-haired woman before him, and the saintess blinked slightly at his earnest words, seemingly not quite grasping the meaning behind his words.
"I...feel regret? About this? Why would I say that? Let Rosalind explain to Helen in my place...why would I feel regret?" Looking in Lius's direction, the saint hesitated for a moment before finally asking this question.
“Because I believe that deep down, Your Excellency, you don’t actually want your right to speak with your daughter to be taken away by anyone else, not even Rosalind, who is closest to you. If you come with me to the manor today and stay there, you can have a long period of time with your daughter whom you haven’t seen in a long time. This is something you really desire, isn’t it?”
"Faced with Leus's words, the saintess's lips parted slightly, as if she wanted to say something, but before she could speak, Leus interrupted her and continued with his own thoughts:"
"It is precisely because you desire this right that you regret the plan you just proposed. If you do so, you will abandon this rare opportunity, and it will be very difficult to find a suitable reason to meet your daughter again. I believe you, Your Excellency, understand this."
"I...I am a saint. Even if I miss Helen, it doesn't mean I'll never be able to see her again. Even if there are certain rules, I can find opportunities, such as celebrations or church anniversaries, where I can meet with Helen." The saint argued, frowning.
"That meeting wasn't really a meeting between lovers, but rather a meeting between a saint and a bishop. I urge you, Your Excellency, to ask yourself honestly: at that time, were you truly able to immerse yourself in the love between you and Helen? Or were you mostly dealing with official business, unable to fully express your emotions?"
The saintess glanced slightly, seemingly disagreeing with the boy's statement. Her lips parted slightly, as if she wanted to refute something, but in the end, she didn't know how to express herself. In the end, she could only close her slightly trembling lips again in her solitary astonishment, facing the light emanating from Lius's temple with a silent demeanor.
Meanwhile, Leus, sensing the saintess's silence, realized his words had had some effect. He let out a slight sigh and continued speaking to the red-haired woman before him:
“I understand that Your Excellency still prioritizes the Church in your heart, which is why you don’t want to have too much room to express your emotions, worrying that these emotions might affect your work and actions. But I believe that as an ordinary human being, these emotions are proof of being alive, and even if they do have some impact on us, I believe they are necessary.”
Even if these emotions lead us in the wrong direction... should we continue to persist?
The saintess pursed her lips slightly, not looking at Lius, but muttering something under her breath while keeping her head bowed.
Faced with these soft murmurs, Lius nodded seriously and continued in a solemn tone, "The future is unpredictable, and who can know whether this emotion leads to the right or the wrong? We are not gods, but just ordinary humans, so why should we arrange ourselves according to the standards of gods?"
"There's no need to judge yourself by the standards of the gods."
Repeating Lius's words, the saintess narrowed her eyes slightly, as if these words had touched a part of her heart, making her expression deeply moved. Lius, seizing the opportunity, gently placed his hand on the red-haired woman's shoulder, speaking softly, "So... now, Your Excellency, you don't need to run away from these emotions. Just act according to your heart and make your choice. I hope you can consider it carefully. Whatever decision you make, I will follow it. Therefore, please consider it carefully and don't leave yourself any regrets."
As he spoke, Lius placed a badge from his pocket on the desk in front of the young woman. It was engraved with a lily pattern, symbolizing the Lius family, just like the ring the saintess had previously worn on Lius's finger, and thus possessed corresponding family power. "I will leave this badge here for now. From now on, whether it is you or Rosalind, as long as you wear it on your chest and come to the gate of our manor, I will be able to sense your arrival. At that time, no matter what time it is, I will come out of the manor to greet you, treating the guests as family."
"So...Young Master Lius, do you want us to come again in the future?" The saintess raised her head slightly, a hint of indescribable emotion appearing in her eyes, and spoke to the blond boy in front of her.
"Yes, but there's no need to rush. After all, whether it's Your Excellency the Holy Maiden or Pope Rosalind, you both have a lot of work to do, right? Before coming to our residence, you both needed some time to handle your own affairs, which I understand. Therefore, I will give you ample time to make the most correct choice in your heart."
"The right choice?" Stroking the shimmering badge on the table, then glancing at the silver ring on the boy's hand, the saintess slowly exhaled, and then spoke again to Lius in a weak tone:
"If it were you, Prince Leus... which choice do you think is correct?"
"I cannot give any definite answer to this, because it is a question that belongs solely to Your Excellency the Saint. But if I were to give the answer that I truly desire, I can only say that..." Looking towards the Saint, Lius gently leaned closer, and amidst her slightly trembling body, whispered his answer in her ear...
Chapter 375: Meeting with the "Holy Maiden" (Part 14)
Some time later, outside the Convent of Saintess.
“Then, I shall also set off, Your Holiness.”
"Well, I hope you have a safe journey ahead, Prince Leus."
Standing outside the gate, Lius waved gently, then placed a stack of books into the carriage before entering himself. After settling into his seat, he leaned out the window and looked at a red-haired woman in a white robe outside the door.
"Thank you for your help, Your Excellency. So many books should be enough for me to study for a while. I believe I will be able to obtain a lot of useful information from them. Once I have a grasp of them, I will contact the Church immediately."
"Hmm... As long as it can help you, Young Master Lius, it would be the best thing for me. I just didn't expect that you would be curious about the history of the church and the past of the gods. I really didn't expect that."
"To govern a territory, a wide range of knowledge is essential, and I believe Pope Rosalind is aware of this. By the way, she hasn't come over? I haven't seen her since I introduced you, Your Holiness. Is she still dealing with matters related to the Church?" Looking in the direction of the Holy Maiden, Lius asked her, feigning ignorance.
"Um... well. Haha, that's true. There are always busy things in the church, especially for the Pope. It's part of her daily routine. Young Master Lius, you don't need to worry. Just leave everything to our church. Once everything is arranged, I will tell Rosalind about you so that she can get to know you better."
"That would be wonderful. Thank you so much, Your Holiness."
Looking towards this "Saintess," Lius smiled slightly, then his expression turned serious again, adding another comment regarding the direction of the red-haired woman:
"By the way, regarding the plans I previously proposed to you, Your Excellency, please consider them carefully. I will be waiting for you or Rosalind at the mansion at any time."
"Well... please rest assured, Young Master Lius, I promise to give you the most sincere answer from the bottom of my heart. I will accept the final result, whether it is good or bad, and act according to my own heart."
Looking at Lius, the saintess nodded solemnly. Bathed in sunlight, she exuded a holy aura, and with this holy aura, she gave the blond boy in front of her the gentlest smile.
"Take care on your journey, Prince Leus."
Sensing this smile, Lius nodded slightly, feeling quite pleased with the young woman's condition. After saying a few words of farewell, he pulled back into the carriage, called out to the coachman ahead, and then headed back towards the mansion.
From this point on, for the rest of the day, Lius will be on the move, so we will not go into too much detail.
Now let's shift our focus back to the monastery and follow the saint back into her room.
With an air of silence, the saintess slowly made her way into the room, eventually returning to her bedroom. In front of a large mirror, she waved her wand, releasing some of her magic to remove the disguise that had been covering her.
She slowly exhaled, and her reflection in the mirror changed continuously, transforming from a red-haired young woman to a taller, more slender woman with slight changes in her figure. The only thing that remained unchanged was her captivating beauty, transforming from a red-haired nun into an alluring young woman with silver-white hair. Her appearance had changed, but she still looked charming and beautiful.
"Finally... back to her original state," Rosalind said with a tone of relief. The saintess, or rather, Rosalind, who had shed her saintess disguise, gradually slumped down and lay down on the bed next to her.
At this moment, her expression showed fatigue, and her body seemed unusually supple, like a broken puppet, making her completely detached from her original composed and serious demeanor, becoming relaxed and casual.
Two long, beautiful legs were also placed on the bedside table in front of her, with her ankles resting on the edge, allowing her two delicate feet to swing freely, as if releasing the fatigue and pressure in her heart in this way.
"Finally, I can rest a bit... Phew, spending so much time with Prince Lius, I felt like I was almost completely immersed in the identity of 'Saintess.' Thankfully, I managed to get him away in the end, otherwise, I definitely wouldn't have been able to hold on and would have fainted."
Muttering to herself, Rosalind gradually sat up from the bed and looked at herself in the mirror again. Feeling the delicate and beautiful face in the mirror, a strange, sticky emotion welled up in her heart.
"Fortunately... no matter how tired I was before, at least my identity was not exposed. As long as Prince Lius did not find out, there will be no problem. Speaking of which, I did not expect Prince Lius to care about me so much, constantly asking me where I went. It seems that I do occupy an important place in his heart."
As she pondered this, Rosalind's lips curled up slightly for some reason, as if she appreciated the boy's concern. Then she shook her head slightly, clearing her mind, which had become somewhat dull due to fatigue, and began to think again about her previous interactions with Lius and the plans he had proposed.
"Don't I need to arrange myself according to the standards of God... Ha, how easy is that? If I were a saintess, I could certainly do that, but I am the Pope, bearing the honor and future of the entire church. For me... the church is everything, and God is the entirety of my faith. How can I be as carefree as he says?"
With this thought in mind, a hint of disappointment, which she herself was unaware of, appeared in Rosalind's eyes. Then she shook her head slightly, forcing herself to break free from this increasingly gloomy mood and start thinking about what to do next.
"Regarding the future, what identity to use to visit Prince Lius's residence... This matter needs careful consideration, both for me and for the so-called Saintess," it is of paramount importance and absolutely cannot be neglected... Thinking of this, for some reason, a strange impulse arose in the Pope's heart. The change and difference between the two identities made her long-dormant heart gradually become excited.
Chapter 376: The Lover's Preparations (Part 1)
In the afternoon, near dusk, at Lius's mansion.
"Phew... We're finally back. It's a pity that my elder brother didn't come back with us, otherwise we could have had a proper celebration for him tonight."
Looking towards the approaching mansion, the white-haired girl leaned against the car window, talking to herself with some regret, while at the same time, a sense of anticipation arose in her heart, causing her to constantly fantasize in her mind.
"...I really want to have dinner with Chief K, and it would be best if Lia could feed him. That way, my brother can relax a bit. In the evening, Lia can also use her body to help my brother release all the pressure in his heart. Hehe, just thinking about it makes me happy."
Thinking this through her mind, Lia couldn't help but stick out her little tongue and lick her tender, red lips, looking quite excited. This sight left the inner demon in her mind speechless, and she couldn't help but complain, "Hey... Brother is already so tired, are you still going to bother him like this? Won't this make him even more tired?" It's precisely because her brother is tired that Lia should serve him even better, in order to deal with the cultists: