Chapter 192: Louise's move

'How long has it been since I last saw him?'

'Two, no maybe five days?'

Hymns and songs filled the air as Elena graced the center of the grand cathedral.

"Divine Goddess of Light, radiant and resplendent in your grace, I humbly bow before your luminous presence" she recited reluctantly.

Although her mind drifted from the actual prayer, her poker face maintained the expected grace and beauty of a saintess of her stature.

To an outsider, it might seem blasphemous, but for a young girl like her, entangled in the complexities of love, the cloudiness in her thoughts was too much for her tender heart to comprehend.

Her every prayer and action were overshadowed by the anticipation of meeting Adrian once again.

'Why are you making me do all the prayers despite the cardinals and other bishops present here, Father...!' she thought with frustration, a subtle stomp on the ground escaping her.

However, her actions went unnoticed, as subtle as the flowing wind, amid the congregation immersed in prayer.

She glanced at the people in the grand cathedral, all deep in prayer, despite her growing irritation.

Despite the internal turmoil, Elena knew she had to uphold her duty as the saintess first.

Something about her situation felt odd to her.

She trusted Bishop Austin, but the way he deliberately summoned her through prayers in the cathedral and some random meetings with other priests, despite there being no particular reason, was rather suspicious.

And Elena wasn't a fool.

Slowly, the realization dawned on her that Bishop Austin was deliberately orchestrating circumstances to keep her away from Adrian. The grand cathedral served as the backdrop for this silent, strategic maneuvering.

Looking to her side, her eyes met with Bishop Austin, who casually smiled at her. His nonchalant expression only fueled her growing irritation.

If it were up to her, she would have liked to storm out by now, but the weight of responsibility prevented such impulsive actions.

She couldn't disappoint the people who had gathered since early morning to pray together with her.

'I'm glad that Aria isn't anywhere near close to Adrian, and Louise seems fine... for now. But that maid, she's dangerous!' Elena thought, her irritation escalating.

Though uncertain, she had a weird feeling that Analise posed a more significant threat.

Her womanly intuition spoke volumes, and as her love for Adrian deepened, understanding the nuances of such feelings became second nature.

She couldn't dismiss the unease that Analise might take her chance with Adrian at any given moment.

"May your radiant energy bless our days, bring clarity to our minds, and inspire us to spread kindness and compassion" Elena recited the prayer with outward grace, while inwardly, her thoughts were anything but serene.

The internal turmoil between her duties as a saintess and her personal desires created a storm within Elena, the tempest raging beneath her serene exterior.

As she continued to recite prayers in the grand cathedral, her thoughts swirled with frustration and a growing desire to break free from the constraints imposed upon her.

Her grudging gaze fixed on Bishop Austin, who could only steer away from the murderous glare that emanated from beneath Elena's white veil. The subtle tension between them added a layer of complexity to the sacred atmosphere of the grand cathedral, unseen but palpable.

After the prayers concluded, Elena found herself in Bishop Austin's office, the lingering unease still apparent in her demeanor. As she stared out the window, lost in her internal struggle, the bishop tried to diffuse the tension.

"Elena, I've brought you tea" he offered, attempting to break through the storm that clouded her emotions.

'???'

"Elena?"

Bishop Austin called out again, only to realize that she was nowhere to be found in his office. Panic settled in as he frantically searched the room, the absence of the saintess raising immediate concern.

After everything had concluded in the grand cathedral, Elena was nowhere to be seen.

His eyes fell upon a solitary piece of paper left behind on a nearby table. Picking it up with a sense of foreboding, he unfolded the note, revealing the words written in Elena's unmistakable handwriting.

"I hate you!"

The words struck like a dagger to Bishop Austin's heart.

...

The revelation challenged the sanctity and purity associated with the figure of the saintess.

Although matters might be accepted and disclosed more easily, given my title as the hero, the potential repercussions and the impact on the Holy Kingdom's perception of purity loomed large.

....

Making my way back to my room, I soon realized why Isabella had been there with us. It took me a while to connect the dots, but there was an intense flare of divinity enveloping her, and it was a divinity that felt strangely familiar.

'Love'

Was there a god or a goddess of love in this world as well? The realization dawned on me that the Pope might have planned to use Isabella's charm on me in case his initial plans had gone haywire.

Fortunately, my already ongoing relationship with Elena prevented that from happening.

I couldn't fathom how the divinity of love worked in this world, but I vividly remembered the effects of it from my previous life, and it was anything but pleasant.

A divinity of love... was Isabella one of those rumored apostles here in the Holy Nation?

I had heard that they were considered the church's best weapons, alongside the Templars.

To think they held such potent divinity within them.

However, I couldn't help but acknowledge that Isabella alone wouldn't pale in comparison to Elena.

It served as a reminder for me to be more cautious in the future.

'If Elena's divinity doesn't contain even a single fragment of the goddess's light, Isabella would probably be proclaimed as the saintess'

"Oh, you're back!" Louise greeted me excitedly as I entered the room.

Without warning, she came close, checking something on me for some reason, bouncing me all over the place while encircling me.

"Louise?"

"Mm?"

"What are you doing?"

"Just checking if they put it on you as well"

"Put what?" I asked, puzzled.

"This!" she exclaimed, revealing a needle, or was it a pin? Taking it from her, I soon realized why she was so frantic about it.

"It's bugged," I stated, and she nodded in confirmation.

'Haha.'

The realization sank in that they were resorting to such low tactics.

Not only were they using innocent people as eyes and ears, but they were also employing covert methods like bugging to gather information about me.

The desperation to uncover details about me seemed apparent, even though I was reasonably sure my information was quite open.

Crushing the bug with my mana, I decided to ignore it for the time being. After the conversation with the Pope, I was confident that he would have no need for such tactics, especially if he aimed to gain my trust.

"Where's Ana?"

"She's out right now. She said she's going to buy some groceries. Ana has been quite eager about exploring the market lately; the various ingredients you can only get here seemed to grab her interest," Louise informed me.

'I guess that's quite like her' I mused. Ana had always shown a keen interest in culinary pursuits, and the unique offerings of the local market would undoubtedly captivate her.

'Ana, huh? They've truly gotten close, considering she's calling Analise by her nickname like me'

She then nervously tugged at my sleeve, her fingers fidgeting with the fabric.

"Uhm, Adrian, can I ask you a favor?"

"Sure"

Even though I only uttered one word of acceptance, her face lit up with an inexplicable joy.

I couldn't help but wonder why she seemed so elated despite the simplicity of my response.