Don’T Get Caught By Your Husband! [EN]: Chapter 89

Don’t Get Caught by Your Husband! Chapter 89. Timothy’s Sister (2)

#89. Timothy’s Sister (2)

May 27, 2024

“Huh? Bella.”

When Belladonna didn’t respond, Escalier asked again.

Belladonna slowly moved her body and placed her hand on his.

Escalier held Belladonna’s hand tightly and stepped outside.

Arriving in front of the portal [a magical doorway] installed in the garden, he said,

“Hazel, tell the wizard to activate the portal.”

“Yes, I understand!”

Escorted by Escalier, Belladonna got into the carriage.

He followed and leaned back against the seat.

“You might feel dizzy, so take a nap.”

Belladonna looked out the window without much of a response.

The Papal Palace looked very peaceful.

Some priests who learned of Belladonna’s departure were seen seeing her off near the carriage.

“…….”

Her fists, placed on her knees, were damp with sweat.

What will happen to Tina?

The reason why the Pope brought Tina to the Papal Palace could be understood without much thought.

Knowing that Tina’s divine power had manifested, he would try to use Tina as the second Saintess Belladonna.

‘He found someone to replace me, who was taken away by Escalier.’

Thinking that, her vision began to darken.

Then, in the future, Tina will…….

Will she live like Saintess Belladonna? Being mentally dominated by the Pope from a young age, being exploited for her divine power, and continuing an unwanted confessional life……?

At the same time, the gentle face of Father Timothy, who was always by her side helping her, came to mind.

The thought of his younger sister, Tina, being caught in the Pope’s grasp made her feel suffocated.

‘I can’t create someone like me again…… knowing how painful it is……!’

Belladonna bit her lower lip tightly.

She couldn’t properly hear Escalier, who was sitting next to her.

“You’d better lean on me for a while during the trip……. Bella, where are you going!”

Faster than thought, her body moved first. Belladonna got up from her seat and jumped out of the carriage.

She heard Escalier calling her from behind, but she was too urgent to explain.

Holding onto her cumbersome skirt, Belladonna ran towards the Pope’s office.

“Saintess?”

Crossing the garden, entering the building, and climbing the stairs without hesitation, she saw a knight guarding the outside of the office.

Originally, there was no one guarding it, but it seemed to have appeared after Escalier came and went.

“Saintess, just a moment……!”

The knight blocked her path as she suddenly rushed forward, but Belladonna stubbornly reached for the doorknob.

The knight couldn’t bring himself to touch her and fidgeted.

Belladonna turned the doorknob and flung the door open.

“…….”

Inside the office, Pope Pronos and Timothy were sitting facing each other. Tina was sitting on Timothy’s lap.

All of them turned their heads towards Belladonna, who had suddenly appeared.

“Belladonna……?”

“Saintess?”

Huh, huh……. She had rushed over without thinking, but now that she faced the situation, she felt embarrassed.

Why did I run here like this?

She saw Tina blinking her round eyes and looking at her.

Belladonna quickly looked down at Tina’s palm.

Fortunately, it seemed she hadn’t used her divine power yet, as the cloth stained with blood was tied haphazardly.

“Saintess? What brings you here so suddenly? Do you have something urgent to say before leaving Astagne……?”

“Belladonna, what is this rude behavior…….”

The Pope’s brow furrowed immediately. But after checking behind Belladonna, he trailed off at the end of his sentence.

Without looking back, she knew that Escalier was standing behind her.

The warm heat that felt reassuring enveloped her.

“It seemed impolite not to see the Pope before leaving, so I came to greet you in person.”

Escalier said, placing his hand on Belladonna’s shoulder.

The Pope stood up from his seat, not hiding his discomfort.

“As you can see, I have a schedule now…….”

With a reluctant face, he moved away from Timothy and Tina and approached them, lowering his voice so that it wouldn’t be heard from behind.

“Wasn’t everything already settled? What do you have to say now…….”

“Apologize to my wife.”

“Wh, what did you say?”

The Pope’s face twisted instantly.

“The conversation I had with you about taking Belladonna is over, but shouldn’t you apologize to Belladonna separately from that?”

“Apologize for what? Frankly, is there any proof that I really laid a hand on Belladonna? Didn’t I say I would investigate it myself?”

“There must be many other things you need to apologize for besides that.”

Escalier tilted his head and raised the corner of his lips.

He didn’t know exactly what it was, but he knew that he was a shady character.

But seeing his face turn pale and his arms tremble at these probing words, it seemed that he really had done many things to apologize to Belladonna for, which made him feel even dirtier.

Meanwhile, Belladonna, standing between Escalier and the Pope, turned her gaze and met Tina’s eyes.

“…….”

Timothy was intentionally averting his gaze from them out of courtesy, but young Tina was just staring at Belladonna with curiosity.

Belladonna shook her head at her.

‘Don’t use it. Never use your divine power in front of the Pope.’

Tina blinked her big eyes and stared at Belladonna.

‘Please. Please don’t use your divine power in front of the Pope!’

She couldn’t say it out loud, but Belladonna kept repeating it in her mind.

She kept shaking her head, hoping that her feelings would be conveyed to Tina.

“……!”

Soon, Tina nodded.

She didn’t know if the child understood properly, but Tina fidgeted with her injured hand and nodded again.

“Sir Diete……. Do you really have to go this far?”

In the meantime, Pope Pronos’ face turned red as he asked again.

Escalier shrugged his shoulders and opened his mouth.

“It’s better to go this far. As you know, I’m a slow learner and have a loose mouth. Since someone like me might carelessly blurt things out anywhere, I’m saying all this for the Pope’s sake.”

The Pope, who was breathing heavily, turned his gaze to Belladonna.

Belladonna flinched and met his eyes.

Soon, his twisted lips slowly opened.

“Belladonna, I’m sorry.”

“…….”

“If there’s anything that hurt you, I apologize here. Will you forgive your father?”

Wh, what…….

His voice was calmly lowered, but his face didn’t seem to be able to do so.

His distorted face was flushed with humiliation, mortification, and shame, and it was trembling.

Belladonna looked at him, taking a step back without realizing it. Behind her, she felt Escalier’s solid body touching her.

Only when his body touched her did she feel a sense of relief.

Belladonna stared silently at the still panting Pope and slowly nodded.

‘It’s just empty words, but…….’

To apologize like this, she couldn’t figure out what Escalier had said.

“Then we’ll be going now. Is that alright, Bella?”

Escalier asked, placing his hand on her waist.

Belladonna looked at Tina one last time and nodded.

She was leaving Astagne, but she felt that she should continue to pay attention to Timothy and Tina.

If not her, there would be no one to protect them.

‘I need to contact Fabion too…….’

Belladonna secretly frowned.

Soon, Escalier turned his body first. Naturally, Belladonna, who had turned her body with him, reluctantly moved her steps.

Behind her, she heard the sound of the Pope’s office door closing with a thud.

“Please be careful, Saintess!”

The knight guarding the door bowed his head.

Belladonna gave him a small smile and walked down the hallway with Escalier.

After confirming that there was no one around, Escalier asked in a small voice.

“What did you do? You suddenly jumped out of the carriage like that, I thought my wife had run away again.”

Ah…….

Belladonna raised her head and looked at him. Come to think of it, she had jumped out without saying anything…….

“I’ll never forget Hazel and Graham’s expressions. Those guys probably think I got dumped.”

“I’m sorry.”

Belladonna, who had also looked around, muttered in a small voice.

Escalier found her hand, intertwined his fingers with hers, and said.

“It’s okay because I found you again.”

“…….”

“If you run away again, I’ll just find you again.”

“It’s not running away…….”

Belladonna swallowed hard and looked up at him, opening her mouth.

“The little girl I saw in the office just now, I think she can use divine power.”

At Belladonna’s words, Escalier raised one eyebrow.

“So you were worried about that and jumped out?”

“Yes……. I think the Pope knew about it and called her, but I’m worried that if I leave her alone, she’ll become like me.”

“Become like you?”

Escalier stopped walking and asked.

Belladonna hesitated and moved her lips.

She knew that the Pope had forcibly held onto his adopted daughter and used her as he pleased, according to his own will, but Escalier didn’t know exactly how that was done.

‘He can’t even imagine that the Pope himself laid a hand on my body…….’

But if she brought up that story here, Escalier’s fiery temper could endanger the Pope’s safety even before they returned to Gribalta.

‘Anyway, I can’t completely cut off contact with Astagne, even if I think about Timothy and Tina.’

Belladonna eventually decided to keep her mouth shut and pulled on his hand, which she was holding tightly.

“Just……. Living an unfree life trapped in the Papal Palace.”

“So you’re worried about that?”

“Of course I’m worried! She’s still a child…….”

At Belladonna’s words, Escalier frowned and fell into thought.

“I’ll hire someone. Someone who can regularly report on what’s happening in Astagne.”

“Can you do that for me?”

“What’s so difficult about that?”

As they stepped outside, they saw Hazel and Graham looking at them with worried faces.

“Madam……?”

“I barely managed to catch her. Let’s depart.”

“Gasp! You caught her?”

Why would you say it like that!

Belladonna looked up at Escalier, who was speaking as if he had forcibly caught her, and quickly gave Hazel a smile meaning no.

She left Hazel and Graham, who still looked uneasy, behind and got into the carriage.

After getting into the carriage and settling down, Escalier, who followed, pressed his body against her more than necessary.

‘Huh?’

As she was slowly being pinned under him, Belladonna looked up at him.

What are you doing now……?