Don’T Get Caught By Your Husband! [EN]: Chapter 97

Don’t Get Caught by Your Husband! 97. The Door That Wouldn’t Open

#97. The Door That Wouldn’t Open

2024.05.30.

The one who appeared was Cardinal Nicholas.

He seemed angered by the loud commotion outside the Vatican, his face contorted in a blatant frown as he emerged.

“What is this…….”

Nicholas, who was about to open his mouth to protest, trailed off, overwhelmed by Escalión’s imposing figure atop the large horse.

He swallowed hard, looking up at the man sitting high above him, and spoke again.

“Ahem, what is all this commotion?”

“I’ve come to see the Pope.”

“His Holiness is busy.”

“I will wait until he is finished.”

“No. It would be better to come back another time.”

Nicholas replied evasively.

Escalión’s grip on the reins tightened visibly.

The reddened veins on the back of his hand seemed to speak volumes about how much he was holding back his anger.

“I have something to ask. It will only take a moment.”

“Well……. Then come back at the same time tomorrow. I will see what I can do.”

Tomorrow, he said…….

Belladona frowned.

She couldn’t fathom what the Pope was up to.

He must already know that she had sent assassins, so stalling like this was not good for either him or his opponent.

“Today is a long and urgent meeting.”

“……Understood.”

Escalión replied with a low sigh.

For him, there was no other choice but to wait until tomorrow.

Just as he was turning his horse to return to the opposite side of the Vatican, Nicholas spoke again.

“The newcomer doesn’t listen at all. Seems quite stubborn too.”

At his words, Escalión abruptly stopped.

Belladona also frowned and turned her head.

Could he be talking about…… Scarlet?

“We were just trying to bring her in for a conversation, but she resisted so much. Not what we expected from her appearance.”

“What are you doing now?”

Escalión immediately snapped, unable to hold back any longer.

Nicholas, watching him reveal his emotions with an intrigued look, shrugged his shoulders.

“What do you mean?”

“Tell me who you are talking about. The person you were trying to bring in.”

“Do I have a reason to tell you? Ah……. Could it be, you have someone in mind?”

“…….”

Escalión’s jaw jutted out as he took a slow breath.

He stared at Cardinal Nicholas with cold, sunken eyes.

“Tell me what you want.”

After a moment of silence, Escalión spat out each syllable as if chewing on them.

Nicholas’s lips curled up in a pleased smile.

“You know, don’t you?”

Belladona bit her lower lip, noticing his gaze immediately turn to her.

‘Really……. Is he really saying that they kidnapped Scarlet to bring me here?’

But Nicholas didn’t say it explicitly.

It was his specialty to play this kind of tense tug-of-war, then suddenly let go and act as if nothing had happened.

“I’ll give you until tomorrow to think about it. Ah, of course, if you need more time, just say so. You’ll need to think very carefully and deliberately.”

“…….”

“But the people of the Vatican are not as patient as you might think. God always prefers immediate answers.”

Nicholas, who spoke as if singing a cheerful song, turned around immediately.

He passed through the doors opened by the knights and soon disappeared.

The air outside froze coldly.

Belladona let out a soft sigh as she watched Escalión clench his fist on the reins.

* * *

“We should charge in right now! Let’s go rescue Scarlet!”

“Speak sense! It’s a space with authority that even His Imperial Majesty cannot easily touch. We cannot lead troops into such a place without permission!”

Hazel barely managed to stop Graham, who was about to draw his sword and rush towards the Vatican gates.

Graham, whose arm was grabbed by him, spat out, panting.

“So, you’re saying we should just wait until tomorrow? That bastard spewed out a bunch of words implying that the Vatican kidnapped Scarlet!”

“That’s not it, but…….”

“What the hell do they want?”

Graham raised his voice and turned to Escalión.

“Commander, you seemed to understand, but what is it? I still can’t understand anything. Why did the Vatican try to kill you, and why did they kidnap Scarlet?”

“…….”

“Ah, what is it! Tell me!”

When there was no particular answer from Escalión, he raised his head as if frustrated and thumped his chest.

Hazel looked at him and turned his head.

“Commander, could it be……. Am I thinking correctly? So, last time……. It’s related to the Lady’s injury…….”

Hazel couldn’t bring himself to continue.

He was worried about Belladona, who was sitting some distance away from them, staring blankly into the air.

Escalión also glanced at her and slowly opened his mouth.

“Yes. Pope Pronos shows an unusually strong obsession with Bella. In the first place, the reason he married me was to divorce me immediately after a three-month grace period.”

“Divorce……?”

“Then, the reason you couldn’t return to Gribalta during the last birthday event was because the Pope blocked you?”

Graham asked.

Escalión nodded.

“I’ll explain the details later……. For now, what they want is Bella. More specifically, Bella who has divorced me and returned to Astanya as a saint.”

“Aren’t they crazy? They tried to get you divorced, then tried to keep you in Astanya under the pretext of the event, and now they’re trying to kill your husband and kidnap his sister to exchange you?”

“I can’t believe the Pope was such a person…….”

Hazel, who was muttering blankly, opened his mouth again.

“Then, what are the Lady’s thoughts?”

“Of course, she wants to run away! Would she want to be here with such a crazy Pope?”

“But that’s…….”

The words ‘You don’t know’ came up to his throat, but Hazel didn’t want to believe it either.

But the Lady must have her own wishes…….

As he continued to think, Belladona, who had been sitting still, jumped up from her seat and strode towards the three men.

Hazel and Graham awkwardly averted their eyes and turned their heads, as if they had been caught talking secrets.

“Bella.”

Escalión spoke to her.

Belladona suddenly handed him a piece of paper that she had written sometime.

[There is a place I want to go. Please assign a knight.]

“Where? I’ll go with you.”

[You are too noticeable.]

Escalión’s face immediately crumpled as he checked the letters.

He didn’t want to be separated from her even for a moment after coming all the way to Astanya.

“……You can disguise yourself.”

Are you serious?

Belladona looked up at him with a dumbfounded face. He didn’t have the physique and appearance that could be covered up with a disguise.

“I’ll go with you, Lady!”

At that time, Hazel, who roughly grasped the situation with Escalión’s voice, raised his hand and opened his mouth.

“Where do you want to go? I will safely take you there. I’m reliable enough, right, Commander?”

“Ha…….”

“Okay, leave the Lady to Hazel, and you and I need to talk a little more about this incident. Let’s go to a bar around here, look around the Vatican, check the terrain, and there seems to be a lot to do.”

As Graham added, Escalión opened his mouth with a frustrated face.

“The bar couldn’t have opened this morning. Bella, you go with Hazel. Where are you going?”

[I’m going to find the person I told you about last time.]

Escalión nodded, realizing who Belladona was looking for with just a brief explanation.

Belladona thought it was useful that she had told him everything last time.

“It won’t be dangerous, will it?”

“What are you worried about when I’m here?”

“Hazel, take care of her.”

“Of course! Let’s go this way, Lady!”

Hazel smiled and approached Belladona.

Escalión grabbed his throbbing head and turned around.

Belladona grabbed his hand once, then led Hazel and set off for the accommodation where Fabion was staying.

* * *

Belladona, who arrived in front of the Gaia Hotel, tried to suppress her uneasy heart and walked to the reception.

She wasn’t sure if Fabion would still be staying here.

‘Last time, I sent a letter in a hurry when leaving Astanya, but I don’t even know if he received it properly…….’

Belladona, who was wearing a robe hat as deeply as last time, handed a pre-written paper to the man guarding the reception.

[I am looking for an elderly wizard among the guests.]

“Huh? This sentence is…….”

The man raised his head at the familiar sentence.

“Ah, long time no see! Could it be that you are looking for the wizard you met last time?”

Nod, nod!

“That person checked out and moved out just a few tens of minutes ago. He said he had to go somewhere urgently……. Where did he say……?”

Fabion left this place?

Belladona’s eyes widened at the news that she had narrowly missed him.

Where did he go? Could it be that our paths crossed?

“It’s not too late, so go out towards the city. The wizard is old, so he may be walking slowly.”

Belladona turned around as soon as he finished speaking and grabbed Hazel, who was leaning against a pillar a little away from her.

She waved the note that said, ‘I am looking for an elderly wizard among the guests,’ and brought it to his eyes.

“An old……. Wizard? Is this the person you are looking for, Lady?”

Hazel turned his eyes to her and asked, checking the contents of the note in a daze.

Nod, nod! Belladona nodded vigorously.

Go, Hazel! Find Fabion!

“O, okay, I understand for now.”

Hazel scratched the back of his head and took himself off the pillar.

Belladona pushed his back hard with both hands, urging him. She had to hurry!

“How old do you have to be……. Could it be about this much?”

Hazel, who went out of the Gaia Hotel, pointed to an old woman passing by and asked.

No, no! It has to be more! Belladona shook her head at once.

“Then, how about that much?”

This time it was an older grandmother.

But it has to be more! No, no!

“……It doesn’t seem easy for someone that old to walk around so vigorously?”

Hazel muttered with a troubled face.

But soon, he threw himself into the crowd, shining his eyes like a puppy about to have a fun play.

“Hold on tight to me, Lady! Let’s start searching quickly!”