Ch.233Spoiler(5)

Despite the unexpected spoilers, the pranks from those around me haven’t changed my daily life.

On weekdays, I diligently perform my duties as Elena Heavensinger’s slave… I mean assistant, while writing, and on weekends, I improve my physical strength by exercising with Adelia Cross.

Especially after getting hit by Nicole last time, I’ve been spending more time with Adelia, who seems both happy and somewhat burdened by it.

She asks if it wouldn’t be better for me to hang out with Marie Housen Reckyless or Cecilly Drat Isillia Vin instead, saying she’s content just exercising together on weekends. She still seems to place herself below others.

Of course, I ignored all that. Since Marie and Cecilly said they could give up weekends, I could devote my attention to Adelia during that time.

Thanks to this, Adelia’s face has grown brighter as time passes, and her characteristic confident smile has returned. Every time I see it, I think that Adelia’s smile warms the heart of anyone who sees it.

Although Nicole’s not-so-subtle pressure brought Adelia and me together, it’s still a stretch to say we’re completely connected.

I still have secrets I haven’t told her, and those around us advised caution about that particular matter.

Still, Adelia seems happy just being by my side, with a smile never leaving her face. Perhaps all women in love become childlike, as despite being older than me, she keeps showing adorable behaviors.

“Come on! Just once! Just one more time! You can do it!”

“Urrrgh…!”

Not during training, though. Right now, I’m doing squats in Adelia’s dormitory while receiving her enthusiastic encouragement.

A visibly heavy barbell rests on my shoulders, boasting such a massive weight that I need to reinforce my body with mana.

Even though I can easily lift a 100kg rice bag, the fact that I’m struggling gives you an idea of how heavy it is.

Although I regularly train my lower body through squats, for some reason, Adelia is pushing me much harder than before.

Maybe she thinks she’ll have to sleep with me someday, or perhaps it’s because there are more women around me now, but it’s killing me.

Still, it’s better than dying during actual bedroom activities. Moreover, with the holy power I received from Luminus, the improvement is tremendous, so I can’t refuse.

“That’s enough now!”

“Whew!”

*Thud!*

As soon as Adelia said to stop, I threw the barbell down like a bundle. It was so heavy that I felt as if the ground trembled slightly.

As I collapsed onto the floor, Adelia approached me, took out a white handkerchief from her pocket, and began wiping my sweat.

It’s a very meaningful handkerchief to Adelia, the one I gave her when she was in despair during the exhibition.

She looked at me with sky-blue eyes filled with both admiration and warmth, encouraging me.

“Well done. Take a ten-minute break, then we’ll move on to the next exercise.”

“…Can’t I rest longer?”

“No. Your body is in the middle of growth right now. Endure until then.”

While Adelia blushes and becomes flustered with just a little temptation from me, she’s strict when it comes to exercise.

Though she was forced into knighthood due to her family circumstances, her heart was sincere about it. She’s so dedicated that even when I beg, she firmly refuses while showing just a hint of sympathy.

Thanks to this, my stamina has increased dramatically every week. While Luminus’s holy power helps, Adelia deserves most of the credit.

Exercise is always more effective with someone’s help. According to my father, Adelia is particularly full of determination and focuses on efficiency.

‘That’s why her body is…’

I looked at Adelia’s body while she was wiping my sweat. She was wearing custom-made clothes for exercise, all provided by her family.

Like what Nicole wore, her pants were training pants, but her top was a tank top that revealed her abdomen and arms.

I’ve seen it once before by chance, but still. Her body exudes healthiness no matter when I see it.

Among her features, her abs, trained beyond the “11” level to the extreme, make me want to touch them.

“…What are you looking at?”

“Ah.”

Perhaps I was staring too obviously, as Adelia asked me in a disgruntled voice. Only then did I shift my gaze from her abs to her face.

She blushed slightly and shyly covered her stomach. She must have noticed where I was looking.

In the past, I would have turned away in embarrassment and said nothing, but not anymore. Having accepted her, what’s there to be embarrassed about? Soon we’ll be seeing everything of each other anyway.

Moreover, I was genuinely impressed, without any impure thoughts. Truly.

Women naturally have much less muscle than men, so developing abs like hers symbolizes her countless hours of effort.

So I spoke my mind without any ulterior motives.

“I was just thinking how amazing it is. Even my sister wasn’t at that level.”

“…Really?”

Sensing my sincerity, Adelia gradually revealed her stomach that she had been covering with her arms.

Then, glancing at me, she suggested in a slightly trembling voice:

“W-would you like to touch it?”

“…What?”

Did I hear that wrong? As I looked at Adelia with a dumbfounded expression, her face had turned bright red.

But soon after, she covered her face with both hands, lowered her head, and collapsed on the floor.

“Ugh… this isn’t right… what am I…”

“…”

What is she doing? She made the offer herself, but now she’s dying of embarrassment. I couldn’t help but smile.

Still, she must have gathered her courage to say that. I placed my hand on her head as she lay on the floor and gently stroked it.

Adelia flinched when I stroked her head. But soon after, she relaxed and began to enjoy my touch.

“I’ll pretend I didn’t hear that.”

“…Thank you.”

After she thanked me, I smiled and slowly lowered my face. Since getting together with Adelia, I’ve developed a new hobby.

Eventually, I brought my face close to her ear and whispered softly:

“I’ll be able to touch it all I want soon enough, anyway, right?”

“…Eek!”

That hobby is teasing Adelia. She seemed to understand the implication of my words and let out a shrill scream in surprise.

Every time I play such pranks, she shows such fresh reactions that I can’t stop.

I laughed at her reddened ears and slowly raised my head. Adelia still wasn’t even thinking about lifting her face.

‘She’s really cute.’

By giving her affection little by little like this, she might choose me even when I reveal that I am Xenon. In truth, she has no reason to become royalty of the Kingdom of Teres.

Becoming my woman would place her in a much higher position than becoming royalty of the Kingdom of Teres.

‘But why does Hyria Ducard von Curtures keep clinging to me these days?’

While stroking Adelia’s head, who still hadn’t regained her composure, I thought of Hyria.

For some reason, Hyria has been constantly approaching me since her defeat in the duel with Adelia.

That’s why we’re exercising in Adelia’s dormitory today. When we exercise at the training ground, Hyria appears out of nowhere and wedges herself between us.

She’s not just an ordinary noble but a princess of another country, so I can’t openly show my dislike. Moreover, I already have an official fiancée, yet she shows excessive interest.

‘Surely she’s not trying some futile seduction.’

She’s probably just jealous of Adelia and me being close. Anyway, now that we’ve started exercising in the dormitory, I’ll rarely meet her.

Right now…

“Noona? When are we starting our exercise?”

“You… you’re doing this on purpose, aren’t you?”

“It’s because you’re so cute, noona.”

“Ugh…”

Let’s enjoy this peaceful weekend. Spoilers or not, I don’t care as long as my real life is happy.

‘I wonder if Kate Louise Angelica will come back?’

******

The Papal Kingdom of Sabre is currently in a state of turmoil. It would be fair to say that not just turmoil, but its very foundations are being shaken.

It was revealed that a Cardinal, not just an ordinary cleric, had colluded with demon worshippers, and furthermore, the demon worshippers were having a greater negative influence on the world than expected.

The people of Sabre have begun to doubt the Papal Kingdom itself due to the existence of a corrupt Cardinal, and they’re even suspicious of ordinary clerics.

If even a Cardinal joined hands with demon worshippers, how much worse must ordinary clerics be? Are you truly clerics who follow the teachings of Luminus?

Because of this, a new culture called “Mass” was born, where clerics and ordinary citizens pray together.

While personal worship could be done anytime, Mass was closer to an “obligation” and was conducted regardless of rank.

Thanks to this, the urgent fire was extinguished, but during Mass, clerics were frequently struck by divine punishment directly from Luminus.

As a sign that the corruption of the clergy was progressing more severely than initially expected, Sabre declared a “Holy War.”

So what is Cardinal and Grand Inquisitor Kate Louise Angelica, the origin of all this, doing now? She is confined to solitary confinement for committing violence within the sacred papal palace.

However, given her merits, her release is a natural course of action.

*Creeak-*

In a dark solitary cell where only a single point of light enters through a small hole, someone appeared as the thick iron door opened.

An old man with thick caterpillar-like eyebrows that almost covered his eyes, and equally abundant beard – Deimos.

He is a Cardinal of the same rank as Cardinal Bark, and one of the few who witnessed with his own eyes the divine punishment directly administered by Luminus.

Deimos looked around the interior of the solitary cell, where only a single beam of light shone, and then shifted his gaze toward the center.

He saw Kate Louise Angelica kneeling in a devout posture, praying, relying on that small beam of light.

“…Therefore, bestow light upon us. Grant hope to the righteous, and the power to bring down the hammer upon the corrupt.”

She continues reciting her prayer, regardless of Deimos opening the cell door. It is one of the ancient doctrines passed down to heresy inquisitors.

It’s a prayer that fits the current situation particularly well.

When Kate finally completed her prayer, Deimos called out to her in an aged voice.

“…Cardinal Kate.”

“Yes, Cardinal Deimos.”

At his call, Kate slowly rose from her place and turned around. Having eaten her meals regularly despite being in solitary confinement, she displayed the same beautiful appearance as before.

No, Deimos could tell. The holy power emanating from her had become several times stronger than before.

Whether she had gained some enlightenment after experiencing the series of events, the scent of lilac permeating the cell had become even stronger. Strong enough to make one’s nose tingle.

According to the guard, she had been reciting prayers all day except during meal and sleep times, indicating how much stronger her faith had become.

“What brings you here?”

“His Holiness has instructed that you may now come out.”

“I see. Thank you.”

Kate bowed her head with a gentle smile, genuinely grateful. Deimos involuntarily flinched when he felt an inexplicable piety from her smile and actions.

Although she was originally strong in holy power, having received Luminus’s grace, it was unusual for even a Cardinal like himself to feel such piety. This was no ordinary matter.

Kate already possessed holy power far exceeding that of a Cardinal. The lilac scent filling the cell and everything else seemed unusual.

Deimos cleared his throat a few times and then spoke in a quiet voice.

“What do you plan to do now? Will you embark on a pilgrimage to find Xenon again, as before?”

“Yes. I must.”

Kate plans to search for Xenon again. Since she had interrupted her pilgrimage, this was a natural plan.

However, Deimos assumes that she has already found Xenon. The words she had spoken during the Cardinal Bark incident lingered in his mind.

‘How dare you doubt him…’

One cannot say such things without having met him directly. Of course, she could have been referring to Luminus, but Deimos, with his deep experience, could detect a subtle difference.

However, he won’t ask directly. He needs to quell the turmoil in Sabre immediately, and he is too old for such complicated matters. He should put aside such complexities and focus on reality.

Still, he couldn’t suppress his curiosity. What does Kate intend to do after meeting Xenon?

So he stroked his abundant beard and carefully posed a question.

“May I ask you a question?”

“I will always welcome questions from Cardinal Deimos.”

“If you meet Xenon, what do you plan to do?”

At that question, Kate slowly blinked her green eyes and then gave a gentle smile. She even clasped her hands neatly.

Was it an illusion that the single beam of light from behind grew stronger? Deimos stared as if entranced by her incredibly sacred demeanor.

*Whoosh-*

The single beam of light that had been shining in the dark cell gradually intensified, eventually illuminating the entire cell brightly.

Like driving away all the surrounding darkness, it was a sacred and beautiful sight.

While Deimos was speechless at this indescribable scene, Kate opened her mouth with a gentle smile.

“My original goal was to receive his seed and please Luminus. But that was my arrogance, my misconception. He is not a ‘light’ that someone like me can embrace. He is a light so beautiful, brilliant, and sacred that it blinds the eyes.”

“…”

“So I want to find him and tell him.”

Finally, she unclasped her hands and slowly moved them downward. Past her voluptuous chest, through her solar plexus and navel, and finally to her lower abdomen where that child is growing.

Kate looked at her lower abdomen with sparkling green eyes, gently caressing it as she continued.

“Just as plants grow when seeds are planted in the ground.”

A purity without a trace of filth, and therefore a more terrifying “madness.”

“I want to ask him to spread the seeds of light widely.”

Not knowing what has gone wrong.

“Including through me.”

It was the appearance of a true fanatic.