Don’T Get Caught By Your Husband! [EN]: Chapter 108

Don’t Get Caught by Your Husband! 108. Rescue (3)

#108. Rescue (3)

2024.06.02.

Belladonna hurried out of the small room and rushed toward the vault.

Kneeling in front of it, she took out a square key from her inner pocket, her hands trembling.

There wasn’t much time. Inside the room, the Pope and Scarlet were still arguing.

‘Please, this time…!’

She lowered her head again and focused intently on matching the key to the keyhole.

As she applied pressure, the square key slid smoothly into the lock, as if drawn in.

‘…Got it!’

Belladonna turned the key sharply to the right.

With a click, the vault finally unlocked.

Opening the door quickly, she saw several documents neatly stacked inside.

*There must be something I need among these…*

Belladonna swallowed hard and pulled out a large stack of documents at once.

Dumping the thick documents onto the floor, she rummaged through them haphazardly, scanning the words written on them.

‘This is an accounting ledger, and this is a list of high-value donors who have contributed to the Vatican every year… and the next page is their tax evasion records.’

Even if she didn’t need them immediately, they were valuable materials.

Belladonna breathed a sigh of relief and set aside the documents that seemed useful, even for later.

*What else could there be?* As she continued to flip through the papers, she paused, her hand stopping on one in particular.

‘What is this?’

It was a piece of paper with an unfamiliar address written on it.

‘Lavlcena,’ *I’ve never heard of that place before…*

It wasn’t a place where he occasionally went to pray in an external chapel, nor a welfare facility closely associated with the Vatican.

*Could it be a place where he hid a personal vault or jewelry?*

Belladonna, momentarily distracted by a strange feeling, hurriedly refocused. *This is not the time!*

As she concentrated on flipping through the documents to find clues, Scarlet’s scream echoed from inside, followed by the Pope’s angry footsteps approaching.

“What are you doing now?”

*Huh…*

Belladonna turned to look at him, a troubled expression on her face.

His face turned cold as he looked down at Belladonna rummaging through the documents.

“You ungrateful wretch…”

He strode toward Belladonna, snatched the paper she was holding, threw it away carelessly, and demanded with fierce intensity, “How dare you open my vault without permission? Where did you get the key to this room’s vault? Did Cardinal Nicholas give it to you, by any chance?”

“…….”

*The more suspicion between them, the better.*

“You goddamn…,” he continued to repeat profanities, unable to contain his anger.

The benevolent Pope’s facade had completely vanished.

He lowered his gaze to Belladonna again and spat out, “What were you trying to do with these materials? Don’t tell me you were thinking of stabbing me in the back again?”

“…….”

“It seems I’ve raised a con artist instead of a holy and docile saint.”

Belladonna looked up at him nervously, unable to say anything.

She was unsure when his mood would shift and he would resort to violence.

The silence from inside the room continued to unsettle her.

The Pope, who had been glaring down at her, gave a crazed smile.

“But Belladonna, these are just pieces of paper. They’re just scraps of paper that disappear without a trace if they get wet or burned. What can you possibly do, sitting there silently, listening to other people’s inner stories, and just smiling brightly?”

Finishing his tirade, he reached out to the desk and grabbed the divorce papers and the restraining order.

He held them out to Belladonna and spat out in a threatening voice, “Sign it now.”

“…….”

“Do it now!! Otherwise, that goddamn… will lose her life too.”

The Pope widened his eyes and raised his hand toward Belladonna.

Belladonna shrugged her shoulders and nodded desperately.

Looking around for a moment, she picked up the pen that had fallen and rolled on the floor.

* * *

Before long, the sun was setting.

Escalion looked out the window, which was dyed red by the sunset.

Although he didn’t show it, he was growing increasingly impatient.

If the negotiations with the Pope were progressing smoothly, there would be no reason for them to take this long.

Once the sun had completely set, he was determined to enter the Vatican alone and find Belladonna and Scarlet.

“Hazel, would the Cardinal know a lot of interesting stories?”

“Vice Commander, please.”

“Why? I heard that many people, regardless of who they are, come and go to the Vatican confessional. I was wondering if you had heard any interesting stories while wandering around there. It’s boring just to wait.”

“As an adult, please find a more mature way to spend your time.”

While Graham and Hazel were engaged in their usual banter, the door of the building opened, and one of the knights he had brought from Griblata entered.

Hurrying in, he went straight to Escalion and bowed his head.

“Commander, a large portal has opened in the designated portal zone in front of the Vatican.”

“Who is it?”

“It appears to be the Imperial Knights. The First Imperial Knight Commander is here and is asking for you, Commander.”

Graham got up as soon as he heard the knight’s words.

“Good timing, I was getting bored. Okay, let’s go quickly!”

Cardinal Nicholas, who had been dozing off across from them, raised his head at the mention of the Imperial Family.

“Who came from the Imperial Family?”

“Cardinal, please come with us. We need someone to act as a witness.”

Hazel, who also got up, addressed Nicholas.

Nicholas stood up from his seat, unsure of what was happening.

Hurrying to mount their horses and ride to the front of the Vatican, they found a huge and powerful portal with an unusual blue flame, just as the knight had described.

Knights were gathered in front of the Vatican, having seemingly just emerged from the portal.

Graham, confirming the appearance of the Knights wearing high flags emblazoned with the Imperial Family crests and cloaks bearing the same crests, remarked, “You moved quickly for once.”

“It seems the matter is quite serious, prompting them to dispatch people urgently,” Hazel replied.

One of the knights, noticing their approach on horseback, turned to Escalion.

Escalion dismounted and approached him.

Recognizing his face from the battlefield, he bowed and paid his respects.

“Escalion Diete, I greet the Imperial Family’s representative.”

“Nice to meet you, Lord Diete. I am Felix Adriana, the First Imperial Knight Commander, dispatched as the Imperial Family’s representative and Vatican investigator under the order of His Majesty the Emperor,” Felix replied, bowing his head.

Felix continued, “Time is short, so I will get straight to the point. A large-scale investigation is needed regarding the documents you sent to us. This matter could cause significant upheaval if it leaks to the outside. What progress has been made so far?”

“As you can see, the Imperial Knights are currently restricting access to the Vatican, making it difficult to enter.”

Felix’s face flushed with embarrassment as Escalion spoke, glancing at his subordinates who were tightly surrounding the Vatican.

He gave an absurd expression that his subordinates were tightly surrounding the Vatican.

“Withdraw immediately!”

At Felix’s command, the knights guarding the entrance to the Vatican retreated swiftly.

Graham, who was watching the scene, shook his head.

Felix turned back to Escalion and asked, “I heard that the Pope of Astagna is suspected of conducting human experiments on civilians. Is there any evidence to support this claim?”

In response, Escalion handed over the handwritten documents of Saint Belladonna, which he had received from Fabion.

“This is……”

“That is the original document written in an ancient language; the translation is inside the Vatican.”

Felix, examining the documents Escalion had provided, spoke in a troubled voice. “But as you know, these papers alone are insufficient. It’s unclear who even wrote them, and it’s difficult to launch an investigation based solely on this content… Do you have any more concrete evidence beyond these indirect claims or suspicions? I mean, solid proof that the Pope has committed human experiments.”

At his words, Escalion thought of Belladonna.

He didn’t know if she had managed to find any solid evidence during her private meeting with the Pope, along with the translation.

Felix, sensing Escalion’s hesitation, added, “As you know, it’s not an easy decision for the Imperial Knights to search the Vatican of Astagna. If the investigation is forced and all of this turns out to be false, someone must take responsibility.”

“I will take it,” Escalion answered immediately.

*Anyway, Belladonna and Scarlet are inside. There’s no reason to delay going in.*

Felix, who had been watching him quietly, asked, “Are you sure you won’t regret this? If you’re not careful, your actions… may be seen as blasphemy and an insult to the god that the Empire serves. If you fail to find any evidence, you may be severely punished by imperial law.”

Escalion gestured toward the Vatican as if he didn’t care. “Let’s go in. We don’t have much time.”

“Lord Diete.”

Felix grabbed him as he was about to enter without hesitation.

Escalion glared at him with annoyed golden eyes.

Felix, unfazed by his intensity, said, “I wouldn’t do this for just anyone. But I don’t believe that Lord Diete, whom I have observed countless times on the battlefield, would act so recklessly without a valid reason.”

At his words, Escalion raised an eyebrow.

*Does this guy know me well?*

At the unexpected reaction, Felix turned away as if he hadn’t expected much.

“I hope that both you and I will remain safe while fulfilling our duties,” he said.

“We will enter the Vatican immediately. Are there any precautions to take?”

“My wife and sister are being held inside. Please be careful not to harm them.”

Felix seemed slightly taken aback, perhaps surprised by the news that people were being held.

But he quickly regained his composure and moved on nonchalantly.

“Search the Vatican in groups! Find any suspicious traces, evidence, or people being held!”

Felix shouted as he crossed the entrance to the Vatican.

At the Knight Commander’s command, the Imperial Knights formed groups and ran toward their respective destinations.

Escalion also turned around, placed his hand on his sword, and began his search for Belladonna.