Don’T Get Caught By Your Husband! [EN]: Chapter 69

#69. Helper (1)

2024.05.08.

Belladona hid her weary face and tried her best to smile as she watched Timothy approach.

He stopped some distance away from her, as if contemplating how much closer he could get.

Belladona straightened up from leaning against the wall.

“Would I dare to support the Saintess…? Would that be alright?”

Timothy reached out awkwardly as he approached.

Belladona quickly shook her head, asking for his understanding.

Even so, she was married, so she couldn’t lean on just anyone.

“Then, please hold onto my robe.”

Timothy suddenly offered the hem of his white priestly robe.

Caught off guard by his unexpected kindness, Belladona found herself grasping the end of it.

Whether it was readily carrying Cindy’s heavy luggage or now, he seemed to have a habit of unexpectedly offering favors.

Belladona held tightly to his robe and walked down the empty hallway of the Papal Palace.

In the quiet, sunlit hallway, only the rhythmic sound of their footsteps on the marble floor filled the space.

“I’m glad you’ve returned.”

Timothy blurted out as he walked ahead.

Belladona, who had been looking at the sunlight streaming through the rectangular windows regularly spaced along the hallway, turned her head.

Her view was only of Timothy’s broad back, so she couldn’t see what expression he wore as he spoke.

“The Papal Palace felt empty without the Saintess. The number of believers has also decreased since before.”

Ah, the nobles must have decreased.

Belladona snorted and recalled the nobles who had visited the confessional.

Once the rumor spread that she had returned, they would flock to the Papal Palace again.

Since she had only temporarily returned for the Emperor’s birthday celebration, they would gather even more.

Remembering Nicholas, who was determined to reopen the confessional from tomorrow, she felt overwhelmed with fatigue.

“Ah, our priests have been taking turns cleaning the space where the Saintess stayed. It’s not as good as before, but we’ve been steadily maintaining it, so it should be livable for the time being.”

“…….”

“When your heart feels empty, there’s no better place than that…….”

Timothy continued to mutter to himself.

Belladona’s heart was warmed as she followed him.

Although she could firmly say no to the Pope or Cardinal Nicholas, there were many kind priests in the Papal Palace who truly loved God.

“Still, I hope you won’t overdo it as much as you used to, Saintess. Now, you are not only the Saintess of Astanya but also the Lady of Griblatta.”

The Lady of Griblatta…….

Belladona quietly repeated the words.

Her plan was to spend time here, finish the Emperor’s birthday celebration, and immediately return to Griblatta by carriage, but she didn’t know if she could succeed.

‘I already miss Escalion…….’

Huh? Wait a minute…….

At that moment, Belladona, who had been absentmindedly looking out the window, suddenly stopped walking.

She had spotted a very familiar figure outside the window.

“Saintess……?”

As she stopped in her tracks, the robe Belladona was tightly holding drooped heavily, and Timothy turned around.

Belladona didn’t answer him, but stared outside, her eyes widening.

Soon, her heart beat rapidly.

“……!”

A worn navy robe, a long white beard and a small frame beneath it.

Wizard Fabion was at the Papal Palace.

‘Uh……. How?’

Confirming his appearance, Belladona swallowed hard.

Fabion was originally one of the wizards who frequented the Papal Palace, so it wasn’t strange for him to be here now.

But the fact that the wizard who knew her secret was right here made her feel uncomfortable and awkward.

As she frowned and looked at Fabion, who was looking elsewhere, he turned his head.

Their eyes met before she could avoid it.

‘Ah!’

She belatedly turned her head away, but it was definitely after her eyes had met his gray eyes.

Belladona stepped away from the window with a troubled expression.

“Saintess?”

“Let’s go, Timothy!”

Belladona gestured to Timothy, pointing to the end of the hallway. “We have to get out of here!”

“It’s been a while, Saintess.”

However, regardless of Belladona’s urgent feelings, Fabion, who had already entered the Papal Palace building, approached them and greeted them.

‘No, did that wizard use space 이동 [teleportation] magic or something? How did he get here so quickly……!’

Fabion, who had come closer to Belladona, narrowed his eyes beneath his deep wrinkles.

“Ah, Wizard! It’s been a while.”

Timothy, who seemed to know Fabion, bowed his head in greeting.

Belladona gave him an awkward smile.

“With the Emperor’s birthday celebration just around the corner, I thought you would return to Astanya, Saintess. Fortunately, my guess was correct.”

‘So, that means……. He came all the way here to see me?’

‘Why on earth! She didn’t like the way he kept trying to talk to her since last time. Please, just leave me alone!’

“Hmm…….”

Fabion, who had been examining Belladona, made an incomprehensible sound.

After carefully observing her for a moment, he opened his mouth.

“Something seems to have changed in the Saintess.”

“A change?”

Timothy asked, in place of the silent Belladona.

“Yes, a change that you would be very frustrated and curious about.”

‘A change? Could it be that I…….’

‘Is he talking about how I lost my voice and gained divine power? How much does this wizard know?’

She could see Timothy, who was standing next to her, looking back at her with a puzzled expression.

‘He’s not going to say something strange here, is he?’

“Saintess, I hope you can make time in the near future. There’s something I really want to tell you.”

Perhaps noticing her uncomfortable expression, Fabion stepped back slightly and spoke.

“For now, it’s best to rest since you haven’t been back for long, right?”

“That’s right. If that’s the case, I’ll tell the priest who assists the Saintess separately. I’ll ask them to arrange time for you two.”

“Thank you very much, Priest.”

Belladona nodded, thinking that she would cancel the appointment with the priest as soon as she returned.

For now, she just wanted to reassure him and get out of this place.

“Then, I’ll be on my way.”

Belladona forced a smile and looked at Fabion.

The old wizard’s face held only an inscrutable smile.

* * *

“Commander, you’re here?”

As Escalion entered the training grounds of Griblatta Castle, Hazel shouted loudly and bowed his head.

Following his loud voice, the knights standing here and there inside the training grounds bowed their heads in greeting.

“Good morning!”

“Have you had breakfast, Commander?”

“Yeah, yeah.”

Escalion brushed back his hair, barely acknowledging the knights’ greetings, and entered the training ground.

He walked to one corner of the circular training ground, took out his armor, and began to stretch lightly, tilting his head to the right and left.

“Hey, Vice-Commander! Don’t you think the Commander has been a little strange lately?”

At that moment, Hazel, who had been quietly watching Escalion, lowered his voice and asked Graham, who was sitting next to him.

Graham, who had officially joined the Griblatta Knights and risen to the position of Vice-Commander solely through his skills, raised his face from polishing his sword.

“What?”

“Well, how should I put it……? It’s like he’s completely lost his energy since the Lady went to Astanya, or that he’s spacing out in a strange way.”

“That guy? I don’t know.”

Graham said, watching Escalion, who was now rotating his thick arms to loosen his stiff muscles.

“……That’s why your wife scolds you every time because you have such poor perception.”

“What? Why are we talking about that again?”

“Look closely! Isn’t the Commander’s expression darker and duller than usual!”

“Well, that guy has never had a bright and cheerful face in his entire life.”

“That’s not what I mean…….”

At Hazel’s words, Graham narrowed his brow and stared intently at Escalion’s back before asking in a loud voice.

“Hey, Commander! Are you starting right away?”

“…….”

“Ignoring me.”

Seeing that his attitude didn’t seem much different from usual, Graham threw the dagger he was holding at Escalion’s broad back.

Thwack!

The dagger Graham threw flew without any obstruction and hit Escalion directly in the back of the head.

The dagger collided with a rather dull sound and fell to the floor.

“Gasp!”

Quiet gasps and surprised intakes of breath echoed through the silent training ground.

“V, Vice-Commander, what are you doing……?”

Hazel asked, slowly turning his head. Graham, more surprised than the one who had been hit, widened his eyes and blurted out an excuse.

“N, no, I thought he would turn around and grab his sword any second…….”

“Even so, how could you hit the Commander in the back of the head!”

“Normally, he would have noticed that much and deflected or caught it with one hand! Th, that guy really seems strange!”

“What is going on here?”

As the two were bickering, Escalion slowly turned his head, muttering in a low voice.

Startled, Graham jumped up and shouted even louder.

“Commander, y, you seemed to be not concentrating properly, so I, I tried testing you! Now that you seem to have come to your senses, let’s start training!”

With those words, Graham moved one hand to quickly find his sword.

Usually, in this kind of situation, Escalion would scoff as if he were dumbfounded and rush at him.

‘Where’s my, my sword? I need to get ready to defend……!’

But Escalion stood still, still staring at him with an expressionless face.