Don’T Get Caught By Your Husband! [EN]: Chapter 103

#Episode 103. I Can’t Let the Pope Take Her Again

June 1, 2024

Escalier strode across the wide garden, consumed by an overwhelming desire.

He wanted to march straight into the Pope’s office and grab the bastard by the collar.

He even considered that if he accidentally killed the Pope today, he could contact the Emperor immediately and ask him to handle the consequences.

“…….”

Just then, someone emerged from behind a pillar near the Papal Palace’s Grand Temple.

Escalier recognized her instantly and stopped in his tracks.

Belladonna walked out awkwardly from behind the large pillar, looking at him.

“……Bella?”

Escalier frowned, as if he couldn’t believe his eyes, and repeated her name.

He found it strange that she was in such an unexpected place, so suddenly appearing. But as he saw her hesitation, as if she had something to say, those thoughts vanished.

Escalier rushed toward Belladonna in a single stride.

“Are you hurt anywhere?”

Reaching her, he gripped her slender shoulders tightly and quickly turned her around, examining her from head to toe.

Fortunately, there were no major injuries or wounds visible at first glance.

A wave of relief washed over him.

To Escalier’s anxious question, Belladonna forced a smile and replied, “I’m fine.”

He looked down at her face, which seemed troubled, and asked, “Where is the Pope?”

“He’s in his office. Scarlett is still safe for now.”

“Lead me to the Pope.”

Belladonna frowned instead of answering. Sensing a strange unease from her expression, Escalier spoke again, “What did the Pope do to you?”

“The Pope didn’t do anything to me.”

“Then why that expression? Don’t tell me that bastard hit you again…….”

“It’s not that, so calm down.”

“Then why?”

Escalier narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing Belladonna, trying to see if she was hiding something.

Belladonna unconsciously avoided his gaze.

She didn’t know how to act in front of him.

*How can I tell him to give up on me…? How can I tell him… to leave me here and go back?*

Pain and despair washed over her.

“…….”

She wanted to tell him everything and then go kill the Pope.

*That she was threatened with Scarlett as a hostage, that she heard they would kill her if she didn’t break up with him. So, before he really kills Scarlett, let’s go and kill the Pope first, let’s end it with our own hands,* the words were on the tip of her tongue.

*But after that?*

Belladonna squeezed her eyes shut.

If she could get rid of the Pope, what would happen afterward?

Even if they managed to kill the Pope before he harmed Scarlett, the Papal Palace was now full of knights from the Imperial Family.

There was a high probability that Escalier would be captured by the Imperial Family the moment the Pope died and executed for treason.

*……So, let’s think calmly.*

Belladonna swallowed hard and racked her brain.

*Is there a way to save Scarlett without harming the Pope?*

“…….”

After a moment of contemplation, Belladonna lowered her head in despair.

It didn’t seem like there was a way….

The cunning Pope hadn’t told Belladonna where Scarlett was imprisoned.

They had covered her eyes and taken her around in circles both when going there and coming back, so she had no idea where Scarlett was being held captive in this vast Papal Palace.

The Papal Palace was full of hidden corridors and underground facilities that she couldn’t understand.

*From what I can see, it seems they left the remaining knights outside the Papal Palace and only let Escalier in, but the two of them alone can’t search the entire Papal Palace.*

Moreover, if they weren’t careful, she didn’t know what the Pope would do to Scarlett if he suspected anything.

Scarlett, who hadn’t yet been revealed to the world as Escalier’s sister, was just a powerless commoner, and for the Pope, eliminating such a commoner without a trace wouldn’t be difficult.

“Bella?”

When Belladonna didn’t answer, Escalier called her name again.

Belladonna swallowed hard and opened her mouth, trying to relax her expression.

“First of all, I think there was a communication problem between the two of you. The Pope expressed his opinion that he wanted to talk to you first, so Escalier also needs to be somewhat flexible. Bringing the knights here so abruptly might seem too threatening…”

Before she could finish, Escalier reached into his inner pocket and pulled out a crumpled piece of paper.

*What is that…?* Belladonna, who had stopped speaking, looked at it.

Escalier unfolded the crumpled paper in front of her.

“It’s a document that Fabion brought. He said he had finished deciphering the document you gave him.”

*The document I gave him…?*

If it was written by Fabion, he was talking about the interpretation of the ancient documents found in the chapel—the documents written by the Saintess [a holy woman with divine powers].

*Has he finally finished deciphering it?*

Belladonna asked, bewildered, “But why are you suddenly showing me that now…? What does it say?”

“It contains the terrible misdeeds that the Pope has committed against the powerless people of the Elinus Empire.”

“Misdeeds?”

The Pope had done so many things that she didn’t know which misdeeds he was talking about.

Escalier hesitated, looking at her with wide eyes, and then slowly said, “Under the pretext of drawing out the latent divine power in people, he has been secretly and cruelly conducting human experiments. Based on the fact that a part of the body is exchanged for divine power, he forcibly injected drugs or used violence, mainly on people without guardians.”

“H, human experiments?”

*What is that…?* She didn’t quite understand.

*So… he was conducting experiments on people in order to forcibly create saints…?*

Unable to believe what she was hearing, Belladonna raised a hand and covered her mouth.

“Does it really say that in there?”

“That’s what the old wizard says.”

“But… divine power doesn’t arise in that way. Of course, the exact mechanism of action or conditions haven’t been revealed, but it only depends on the will of God!”

“So you know how crazy what the Pope has done is, right? He is not God’s representative. He is just a terrible criminal who is blinded by the power of the Pope and is caught up in the crazy idea that he really is God!”

Belladonna took the paper from Escalier with trembling hands.

Reading the letters that Fabion had deciphered one by one, she saw the names of unknown drugs and the methods and results of injecting them into people with special syringes, all densely written.

Unable to bear to read to the end due to the terrible results, Belladonna raised her head.

“W, what happened to the people written here?”

“Most of them died. It seems that those who are still alive are taken out separately and managed. Of course, none of the people the Pope touched had their divine power manifested.”

*There’s no way divine power would manifest in that way…!*

She knew he was crazy, but she didn’t know he was such a cruel person.

Belladonna let out a shallow breath.

She knew he had a cruel nature from the way his eyes flashed whenever he used violence against her, but she never dreamed he would do such a thing to innocent people.

*How could the owner of Astanya [a powerful religious artifact], the Pope, do this…?*

Belladonna frowned and looked at the Saintess’s handwriting.

*Did the Saintess know that he had been secretly conducting these experiments?*

“Where is the Pope? I’ll use this as evidence to drag him down from the Pope’s seat. I’ve also contacted His Majesty the Emperor separately, so the Imperial Knights will be here soon.”

At Escalier’s words, Belladonna exclaimed, surprised. “But it wasn’t me who wrote this; it was the Saintess. Even if we take this as evidence, they can just deny it as false information. It’s not solid enough evidence to bring down the Pope.”

“It may not be enough, but at least it will allow us to start an investigation into the truth.”

Belladonna shook her head slightly.

It would be great if they could catch Pope Pronos with this evidence, but it wasn’t enough.

Besides, he had the key to the room where Scarlett was imprisoned.

If they provoked him without a thorough plan, they didn’t know what would happen to Scarlett’s life.

Besides, Escalier….

Belladonna looked up at him, who was already very angry.

He was pretending to be calm, but he was furious.

If she let him meet the Pope in this state, he might throw a punch first, like last time, or he could hurt Scarlett.

“First… give this to me. I’ll go to the Pope first and have a conversation.”

“You? No. You have to stay by my side.”

Escalier said firmly, his golden eyes fixed on her. “I can’t let the Pope take you again.”

“N, no, that’s not it…”

“Lead me to the Pope. There must be a reason why he only let me in.”

Belladonna bit her lower lip, troubled.

The reason the Pope only let Escalier into the Papal Palace wasn’t to confront him directly, but to have her finalize the divorce and collect alimony [financial support paid to a former spouse].

*What should I do?*

Belladonna lowered her head and looked down again.

The paper, crumpled and torn from passing through several hands, was densely filled with traces of Fabion deciphering the ancient language.

*Can I take this and negotiate with the Pope? I don’t know how the Saintess found out about this….*

She was also afraid that she would be strangled or threatened again.

As she was lost in thought, Escalier raised a hand and grabbed both of her cheeks.

Huh…?

He put strength into his hands, lifting her head.

Belladonna, whose lips were sticking out from being pressed by his large hands, met his eyes.

“What are you thinking about all alone with that little head of yours?”