Don’T Get Caught By Your Husband! [EN]: Chapter 78

#78. The Emperor’s Birthday Celebration (1)

May 17, 2024

The Papal State was bustling from morning onward.

Having finished dressing with Rosie’s help, Belladonna frowned slightly as she stepped outside.

Although she had healed all her wounds using divine power, she still didn’t feel completely well.

Forcing herself to look around to distract her thoughts, she saw more people than expected moving around the Papal State, entering and exiting the chapel.

As it was the biggest national event of the year, everyone’s faces were bright and cheerful, without a hint of worry.

Belladonna stared at them expressionlessly.

Rosie, who was standing beside her, spoke up.

“Saintess, are you alright?”

At Rosie’s cautious voice, Belladonna snapped out of her thoughts and turned her head.

Rosie seemed worried that Belladonna wasn’t smiling today.

Normally, she would have given a bright smile as if to say she was fine, but today she felt listless.

Belladonna forced the corners of her lips up slightly and nodded. She wasn’t sure how genuine her smile looked.

“The Pope is in the Grand Chapel. The believers who will receive the Saintess’s grace today are gathered there. Shall we go right away?”

Belladonna nodded.

As she entered the Grand Chapel with Rosie, the believers who recognized her took off their hats or bowed in greeting.

Belladonna smiled at them and walked inside.

“Ah, Saintess, you’ve arrived.”

Nicholas, who was sitting at the front and directing the priests with gestures, looked up.

“The believers who will receive holy grace today are lined up over there. After the service with the Pope, we will move there together.”

Belladonna nodded and sat next to him.

Being under the gazes of everyone from the back to the front of the large chapel made her feel drained already.

Soon, a priest came forward to announce the Pope’s arrival.

As the voices of the people died down, a small door to the side of the chapel opened and the Pope appeared.

‘Ugh…….’

From past memories, Belladonna secretly frowned.

However, the Pope, who was entering the chapel with a large smile, was nothing like he had been that day. He exuded a peaceful, benevolent, and utterly kind aura.

‘That hypocrite…….’

Belladonna barely suppressed her disgust and took a breath. She had to manage her expression before he noticed.

The Pope stood on the platform, looked around the chapel once, and then raised his voice to speak.

“It has been 143 years since the founding of the Elinus Empire.”

With those words, his speech celebrating His Majesty the Emperor’s birthday began.

* * *

“Saintess, next believer.”

“Ah, hello!”

Belladonna looked at the plainly dressed man who appeared before her.

The man limped as if his leg was uncomfortable and sat on the prepared chair with a labored movement.

Belladonna gave a gentle smile to the man who seemed nervous.

“Ah……. S, Saintess. I, It’s an honor to meet you like this. I, I mean, I…….”

“This man is said to have a congenital [present from birth] leg problem,” Nicholas quickly interjected, speaking for the stammering man.

The man licked his lips and gave an awkward smile, slightly embarrassed that his words had been completely ignored.

“Y, Yes, that’s right. I, I heard that I could fix my leg if I came here…….”

“Strictly speaking, the Saintess’s ability is healing, not a complete cure. If the condition is severe, it may only alleviate the symptoms. As you know, the Saintess’s ability belongs to all of us, so we cannot focus solely on one believer.”

Despite Nicholas’s explanation, which could be perceived as cold, the man nodded quickly.

“A, Anything is fine! Please, this damn leg…….”

Belladonna approached him and placed her hand on his knee.

Closing her eyes and concentrating, a blue light quickly sparkled from her fingertips.

“W, Wow…….”

At the same time, the sighs and exclamations of the believers surrounding them were heard once again.

Belladonna couldn’t get used to these actions and reactions, no matter how many times they were repeated.

After focusing on treating the wound for a few minutes, the man’s leg, which had been twisted at a strange angle, slowly began to straighten.

At the sight, the voices of those around them grew louder.

‘Now that the leg is straightened, all that’s left is to fix the inside…….’

“Stop. Please stop.”

At that moment, Nicholas reached out and stopped Belladonna.

‘Eh? If I do a little more, I can completely fix it……?’ Despite Belladonna and the man’s disappointed expressions, Nicholas spoke in a firm voice.

“Bring the next believer.”

“B, But…….”

“Priest Timothy, don’t make me say it twice. Bring the next believer.”

At Nicholas’s stern command, Timothy, who had been lining up the believers, flinched and approached, placing his hand on the man’s shoulder.

“Please return now.”

“But it seems almost done, just a little more…….”

“Believer, let me reiterate, the Saintess’s divine power belongs to all of us. We cannot allocate too much divine power to just one believer. You should be satisfied with this much grace.”

“Ah…….”

The man stood up from his seat with a regretful face.

Belladonna quietly looked up at Nicholas. ‘The Saintess’s divine power belongs to the Saintess, how can it belong to all of us…….’

“Saintess, next believer.”

Without a moment to rest, the next believer appeared.

Belladonna, looking at the woman who was covering her right cheek as if she had a toothache, smiled at her.

‘I’m starting to reach my limit…….’

As soon as she finished healing the man and got up from her seat, she felt dizzy, as if blood was rushing out of her head all at once.

‘I think I can only heal one or two more people…….’

Belladonna raised her troubled face and looked up at Timothy, who was standing in front of the believers.

He quickly spread out his fingers, noticing her gaze.

‘Five.’

She had to pour out her divine power on five more people. Belladonna opened her eyes wide and swallowed hard.

‘Just a little more, just a little…….’

* * *

Finally, as the last believer got up from his seat and walked out looking perfectly fine, Nicholas shouted in a loud voice that everyone could hear.

“Thank you for your hard work, Saintess. Thank you for the many blessings and graces this year as well.”

Following him, the voices of the believers filling the surroundings were also heard.

“Thank you, Saintess!”

“You are truly gracious.”

“It was an honor to see the Saintess in person.”

‘It’s finally over…….’

Belladonna smiled, exhausted and gasping for breath.

‘Everyone, I can go back and rest now…….’

“Lastly, you will participate in the gift presentation ceremony with the Pope to the capital where His Majesty the Emperor is. We have prepared a portal to transport the gifts, so please go there.”

‘Ah, it’s not over yet.’

Still, it was the last scheduled event, so there was hope that it would end soon. Belladonna mustered her strength and got up from her seat.

At that moment, her vision went dark, and her knees buckled.

Belladonna staggered and fell forward but barely managed to regain her balance before falling to the ground.

As she frowned and held her dizzy head, her vision slowly returned to normal.

“Are you alright, Saintess?”

Timothy, who had been pushing the believers away to clear the way for her and Nicholas, quickly approached and asked, supporting her.

‘Ah, I’m fine. I was just dizzy for a moment…….’

As she tried to give a reassuring smile, Nicholas’s stiff face came into view before Timothy’s worried face.

Belladonna felt the chill from when she had faced the Pope in his office a few days ago and inhaled sharply.

“…….”

Belladonna shook off Timothy’s hand and stood straight.

‘Perhaps Cardinal Nicholas might tell the Pope about what happened a moment ago. And if that happens…….’

Her hand, clenched in reflexive fear, became damp.

“Saintess, are you alright?”

At Nicholas’s question, Belladonna nodded faster than anyone else.

She put on a bright smile and took a brisk step.

As she pushed through the believers and walked to the back garden with the large protective tree, a large portal appeared.

The width and scale were so large that it seemed to be on a completely different level from what she had used to travel to Griblatana or Silenia.

‘Wow…….’

The red and blue portal was spinning with a buzzing sound, attracting people’s attention.

“Belladonna, come this way.”

As she stood blankly staring at the large portal, she heard the Pope’s voice calling her; he had arrived earlier and taken his place.

Belladonna smiled casually and approached him.

“You remember all the gifts to give to His Majesty the Emperor this year, right? You and I chose them ourselves, one by one.”

As Belladonna approached, the Pope smiled and spoke.

‘When did we?’ She was dumbfounded by the lie he uttered without batting an eye, but Belladonna looked at him, gave a beautiful smile, and nodded.

As admiration flowed from the mouths of the people surrounding them at the sight of the warm father and daughter, a satisfied light appeared in the Pope’s eyes.

‘It’s a relief that he seems to be in a good mood for now.’

She had to tell him that she was going back to Griblatana after the event, so she had to cater to his mood now.

“The delegation, depart.”

As the Pope spoke, the priests, each holding a gift box, approached the carriage placed in front of the portal all at once.

They boarded the carriage in turn and sat down properly.

“Please deliver it safely to His Majesty the Emperor.”

With the Pope’s farewell as the last, the carriage began to move.

Belladonna stood by his side, clapping her hands and watching the carriage go to the capital through the portal.

And finally, when the carriage completely disappeared, Belladonna felt relieved and turned her head.

“Bella, would you like to enjoy the festival more?”

Belladonna shook her head as politely as possible.

With a smile that seemed to imply, ‘The priests will be more comfortable if we leave,’ satisfaction appeared on the Pope’s face once again.

“Haha, yes. Let’s get out of here.”

He put his arm around Belladonna’s shoulder in a friendly manner and turned.

“You worked really hard today. It’s not easy to give grace to so many believers.”

Belladonna shook her head, also meaning that was not the case.

It was really the end of the event now.

Now, all that was left was to smile and wave to the believers she encountered on the way back to her room, and everything would be over.

‘I guess I should bring up the story of Griblatana tonight, while watching his mood…….’

As she was thinking about running away to Griblatana, the Pope looked at her with narrowed eyes and spoke.

“Continue to rest and recover your health here in the future.”

“……?”

‘Here…… in the future?’

As she stopped walking in embarrassment, the Pope tightened his grip on Belladonna’s shoulder.

In the cold madness in his eyes that had reappeared, Belladonna couldn’t say anything.