<Chapter 45>

To be precise, it was because of the chest and abs revealed through the loosely tied robe!

‘Well… of course! I knew there’d be a thick chest and amazing abs hidden under those clothes!’

Now, all that’s left is to confirm the firm yet slender waistline.

I cleared my throat lightly and sat gracefully across from my husband.

“I’m a bit late, aren’t I? Did you wait long?”

“Not really.”

It was a curt response. I couldn’t tell if he was being considerate or if he truly didn’t wait long.

At the same time, I belatedly realized he wasn’t wearing his mask.

‘As expected… he’s handsome.’

I was already in awe during the wedding, but seeing him again now left me speechless. His earlier annoying words and actions seemed to fade away.

Even if he had a few scales here and there, it was still far better than when half of his face was hidden behind a mask.

‘Why on earth would people feel fear when faced with such a handsome man?’

With the rush to marry within a month, I had cursed the Emperor a few times. But now that everything is over, I feel relieved we married early.

If I hadn’t married him and lifted the curse first, who knows what might have happened? Surely dozens of rivals would have popped up, all lusting after this incredibly handsome man!

‘And it’s not just his face that’s handsome…’

Was I already tipsy after just two sips of wine? My gaze, as uncooperative as my twitching lips, drifted toward the gap in Temenos’ slightly open robe.

Droplets of water clung to his abdomen, perhaps because he hadn’t dried himself properly after bathing.

The muscles, perfectly proportioned as if sculpted by a master artisan, had deep grooves that created shadows.

A bead of water slowly slid down the wet contours of his muscles, tracing a delicate line. Before I knew it, I gulped unconsciously.

“My wife.”

“Ah! Yes? I’m sorry! I looked a little!”

Startled by Temenos’ call, I quickly averted my gaze and adjusted my posture in the chair.

Had he just realized where my eyes had wandered? He hurriedly closed the gap in his robe.

“Isn’t it common courtesy to claim you didn’t see anything?”

“Well, even if I tried to deny it, you wouldn’t believe me… Besides, you’re not some random stranger; you’re my husband. Looking at my husband’s body isn’t exactly a crime, is it? Honestly, wasn’t leaving your robe open like that an invitation for me to look…?”

“It wasn’t.”

His voice was resolute as he interrupted me.

Worried that he might be upset, I glanced at his face. His ears were bright red, betraying his embarrassment.

‘For someone who looks like that, he sure gets flustered easily.’

“Besides, I’ll be seeing everything later anyway…”

Though it was half a mutter, I said it just loud enough for him to hear, causing Temenos to flinch.

He then scooted his chair slightly backward, as if wary that I might pounce on him.

“I know you’ve been looking forward to today, but let’s at least have a conversation first.”

Looking forward to today?

‘Wait, is he seriously afraid I might jump on him?’

Is this the fallout from my passionate performance in the confessional? Why is he being unnecessarily cautious instead of feeling guilty or burdened?

“Fine. Come to think of it, we probably do need to talk.”

“Thank you for understanding.”

Was he genuinely relieved that I wasn’t about to leap at him? Temenos let out a sigh of relief.

Watching him, I had to suppress the urge to shove him onto the bed right then and there.

‘Monica and Alice would’ve loved to see this scene.’

Guys, if anyone’s running out of the bedroom, it’ll be Temenos, not me…

“So, what do you want to talk about? I’m in a hurry, so keep it short and get to the point.”

“Calm down. First… we should discuss how we’ll live from now on. After all, this wasn’t exactly a typical marriage.”

“That’s true… Oh, by the way, I suddenly have a question. Since this marriage was ordered by the Emperor, does that mean we’d have to divorce if he commands it?”

Temenos shook his head.

“His Majesty didn’t command the marriage; he merely arranged it. Even if it had been a direct order, he couldn’t rescind it without a significant reason.”

“Oh! That’s a relief. Now that the wedding’s over, the Emperor won’t try to kill me again, right?”

Though his dignity might’ve taken a hit from failing twice to arrange a match, I’d ultimately become the duchess he wanted me to be.

“Unlikely. But there is something concerning.”

“What is it?”

“I received reports that a few nobles who weren’t invited from the North were present at today’s wedding. They were likely the Emperor’s spies, sent to ensure we were properly conducting the wedding.”  

“So?”

“Don’t you see? By now, His Majesty must’ve learned you’re a Saintess. Naturally, the Pope will be aware of it too.”

“Ah…”

Now that he mentioned it, that was indeed an issue.

‘How will the Pope react to my existence?’

He’d been so sure I’d never become a Saintess that he sent me to the North. Suddenly finding out I’d awakened as one must’ve thrown him into utter confusion.

“What if the Pope declares, ‘Inosensia is not the Saintess! If she were, we’d never have sent her to the North!’ and refuses to acknowledge me?”

Temenos stared at me wordlessly. Confused by his gaze, I suddenly realized—

‘Wait. This is the man who doubted I was the Saintess and had me recorded in a crystal orb to prove it!’

What was I thinking, blurting out something like that in front of him? I’d practically confessed, ‘I’m not the Saintess!’

“What exactly are you worried about?”

“Uh, well… I mean, the Great Temple sent me to the North, saying I’d never awaken as the Saintess. If they refuse to acknowledge me now, wouldn’t it hurt their pride?”

“You haven’t publicly claimed to be the Saintess, so it wouldn’t cause any issues if the Great Temple denies it. The opposite is the real problem.”

“The opposite? What do you mean?”

“If the Pope acknowledges you as the Saintess, it would mean you’d have to oversee the divine barrier of the Great Temple.”

Wait, what? That wasn’t in the novel.

“The Saintess manages the divine barrier? Who’s managing it now?”

“When there’s no Saintess, His Holiness the Pope oversees the barrier. That’s why the Pope can’t leave the Great Temple when there’s no Saintess.”

“Uh… So, flipping that logic, if I take over the barrier, I wouldn’t be able to leave the Great Temple either?”

Temenos nodded immediately.

“I’ve never heard of a Saintess who managed the barrier stepping foot outside the temple.”

This is insane—practically imprisonment!

‘It’s just like one of those endings where the Saintess becomes a human battery, endlessly drained of her divine power!’

“Why are you only telling me this now?!”

“I didn’t think it was necessary to inform someone who was no longer a Saintess candidate.”

Temenos gave me a curious look before briefly apologizing. He then provided more detailed information for my sake.

According to him:

When a Saintess dies, four candidates are born across the empire, excluding the North.

Typically, these candidates are brought to the Great Temple as infants for verification, and all four are usually gathered within a year.

But there have been cases where parents, unwilling to part with their child, or those without parents at all, delayed the process for years.

“This time, I heard it took ten years to gather all four candidates.”

“Was that because of me?”

“I’m not sure. But I recall hearing rumors about a noble lady from the capital being dragged to the temple after it was revealed she was a Saintess candidate.”

Saintess candidates, whether of noble or common origin, are brought to the temple to undergo rigorous training and perform healing services and confessions. Eventually, one of them awakens as the Saintess.

Those who don’t awaken are ordained as archbishops and remain in the Great Temple as the Saintess’ aides. They act as her eyes, ears, hands, and feet, assisting her since she cannot leave the temple.

“There has never been a case where a Saintess candidate left the temple before someone awakened. If a candidate were to awaken after leaving and then disappear, it would cause serious issues.”

“Yet the Pope sent me away?”

What on earth made him so confident in sending me to the North? Did he truly believe I wouldn’t awaken as the Saintess?

‘Wait. Isn’t the Great Temple overrun with heretics right now?’

I suddenly recalled something Bishop Roam said earlier that had bothered me:

“Behold! Witness the divine power granted to me by the Holy Father himself!”

Divine power was meant to be granted by God in exchange for faith.

So logically, it should have been phrased as power granted by God. But Roam had stated it as though it was a power authorized by the Pope himself.

‘This world’s lore does mention that one needs a pendant from the Pope to become an official priest or holy knight.’

If Roam’s claim were the literal truth…

‘Could it be the Pope who decides who becomes the Saintess?’

If that were the case, then it made sense why the Pope was so confident that “Inosensia” could never awaken as the Saintess.

After all, he had discarded her. If the Pope had given up on her, there was no way she could ever become the Saintess, right?

But how could he have known? How could anyone have known that God would meddle by placing my soul in Inosensia’s body, making her the true Saintess?

‘Wait a second.’

If my theory is correct…

‘The Pope is the mastermind! He’s the main villain!’

Seriously, why is it that religious institutions in novels are never good? Not once have I encountered a functional one!

‘The Pope is definitely going to send inquisitors to the North soon. If I run into them, they’ll either declare me a heretic and drag me off, or worse…’

And even if the Pope officially recognizes me as the Saintess, that would be a problem too.

“If they do acknowledge me as the Saintess… they’ll just drag me straight back to the Great Temple, won’t they?”

Whether as a heretic or as the Saintess, any way I looked at it, returning to the Great Temple would end badly for me.

At best, I’d become a divine power battery, drained constantly. At worst… well, let’s just say my chances of survival were slim in a place where I had no allies.

No matter how much divine power I held as the real Saintess, I wouldn’t stand a chance there.

“Inosensia.”

Huh?

Startled by the unexpected interruption, I lifted my head to see Temenos carefully reaching out to clasp my trembling hands in his.

Only then did I realize I’d been gripping my own hands so tightly that my knuckles had gone white.

“Whether or not you’re the Saintess, you are now the Duchess.”

“……”

“And if the Emperor or the Pope tries to lay a hand on you, they’ll have to deal with me first.”

I stared at Temenos, stunned.

‘He usually says things like that with a self-deprecating smirk…’

But not this time.

His tone was calm, matter-of-fact. He wasn’t boasting or being melodramatic; he was simply stating the truth.

‘…He’s trying to reassure me.’

I didn’t know what prompted him to comfort me like this, but for now, I decided to hold on to the warmth of his touch instead of overthinking it.

As my gaze dropped to the scales scattered across the back of his left hand, Temenos flinched, as if to pull away.

But before he could, I tightened my grip on his hand.

“We’ve been talking for quite a while, haven’t we?”

“What?”

“It’s time to move on to the main event.”

My eyes darted to the neatly tied sash of his robe, a teasing grin playing on my lips.

“I’m ready.”

Aren’t you? Say that you are.

I silently willed him to answer as I fixed him with an expectant gaze.

The instant our eyes met, understanding seemed to dawn on him, and the tips of his ears flushed a bright crimson.
 

<To be continued>

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