Chapter 176

The Papal State of Ullevis was the only holy city on earth recognized as one where only the words of the Scripture held legal authority.

One-third of its residents were priests and seminarians, another third the Holy Knights, and the remaining third were laborers who supported those engaged in sacred duties.

It was a place where even the most menial worker would willingly die for their faith, regardless of who questioned them.

As the carriage entered this sacred sanctuary, Nerys summed it up in a single word.

“It’s chaotic.”

“It is.”

In fact, Ullevis was also famous for its beauty. Nobles eager to flaunt their faith and successive popes eager to flaunt their greatness had come together to build countless works of architectural art.

In any other city, such buildings would be sources of local pride, but in Ullevis, they were merely the aging structures next door.

Still, Nerys had her reasons for voicing a negative impression. From far outside the city to the base of the walls, enormous construction materials and numerous workers cluttered the area.

“Looks like they’re building something. What could it be?”

Pillars of pure white stone, each two to three spans wide by a grown man’s arms, were being hauled in rows. Whatever it was, it was bound to be something massive and expensive.

In Nerys’s previous life, she had never heard of the current pope, Omnitus III, constructing such a grand building. Had he failed? Or perhaps the materials were meant for somewhere else?

While she pondered, the carriage passed through Ullevis’s gates. A sign indicated they’d left the territory of Count Barom.

“May you be blessed in Ullevis.”

Following the wishes of past popes that the temple doors be open to all, the guards at Ullevis’s gates were ordinary officials unarmed.

The official greeted them with a wide smile and no identity check. Outside the carriage, Aidan simply nodded quietly in response.

A little further into the city, Aidan asked Cledwyn through the window,

“So much for preparing our identification tokens. How do they maintain order here?”

“It means they can recognize important people even without tokens. From what I heard, this place is divided into seventeen districts, and each morning, people from each district gather at the chapel for prayer. That way, they all recognize each other’s faces. Word about a stranger would spread quickly.”

“Every morning?”

For someone from Maindulante, where going to the temple once a week was considered devout, this was unimaginable. At Aidan’s baffled voice, Nerys smiled.

“Here, one’s status at the temple is more important than birth status. If you attend morning prayer faithfully, you might catch a priest’s eye and be promoted in rank. Sometimes they’ll even write a recommendation to get your child into a good seminary.”

“I see.”

Once a practical reason was given, Aidan understood.

Cledwyn looked at Nerys sitting across from him with admiration.

“You know a lot about the Papal State too?”

“It was in a book I read back at school.”

In her previous life, Nerys had never visited the Papal State herself. So this was technically her first visit. But she had researched it extensively while preparing for the dealings between House Elandria and Omnitus.

Still, she brushed it off casually, and Cledwyn, satisfied, took her left hand and kissed the back of it.

“My all-knowing fiancée, might you also know where we can find good lodging?”

“I wouldn’t know that. But since this place gets a lot of outsiders, I’m sure there are plenty of inns fit for nobles. Just send someone to look around.”

“I like it when you order me around like that.” (T/N: Damn. Our boy Cledwyn is bottom? lol)

This time, he showered her fingertips with kisses.

Thanks to a week of carriage travel, Nerys had become used to her fiancé’s affection and didn’t flinch.

Whether conditional or not, ever since their engagement, Cledwyn seemed constantly on the lookout for an excuse to hold her hand.

Or touch her fingertips with his lips.

Or gaze at her like she was the cutest thing he’d ever seen.

Honestly, Nerys wasn’t used to this kind of treatment. If it weren’t for the overwhelming affection she’d received from Diane over the past few years, she would’ve fled in shock.

Who knows when he’d ever find another woman more suited for the position of duchess, but… well, it was proof he was a good man. At the very least, it meant he didn’t treat his wife halfheartedly.

And she didn’t dislike his touch. Of course, because it came from someone she liked.

‘That’s the most important part.’

In truth, it wasn’t just that she didn’t dislike it—her heart throbbed every time she felt his warmth. Like sinking deeper into a soft and sweet trap, like icing on a cake.

Despite their talk of finding an inn, it was clear Cledwyn had already decided where they would stay. The carriage rolled steadily into quieter streets without a hint of hesitation.

Before long, they stopped in front of a rather clean and stately five-story building.

“It’s a hotel. Let’s get out.”

As soon as Cledwyn said so, Aidan politely opened the carriage door.

Just then, a man ran out from inside the building. Judging by his clothes, he held a fairly high position at the hotel.

“Oh dear, I’m terribly sorry, my lords! We’re not accepting guests today!”

A hotel not accepting guests? It didn’t look like it was under renovation. Nerys tilted her head, and the man bowed deeply several times.

“If it’s all right, I’ll guide you to another building! You’ll find it much more comfortable!”

“We definitely had a reservation.”

Aidan spoke calmly, but his broad build, prematurely aged face, and deep voice made every word sound intimidating.

The man visibly flinched and bowed even deeper.

“Yes, of course! I truly apologize, my lord! If you grace us with another visit in the future, I guarantee you won’t be disappointed in our service…!”

“Where exactly are you leading us?”

Nerys sensed something strange, and Cledwyn seemed to as well. He cut the man off and asked directly.

With cold sweat dripping down, the man replied,

“Right this way! Please follow me!”

❖ ❖ ❖

A short while later, they stood in front of the building they’d been guided to, and Nerys furrowed her brow gracefully.

“A temple.”

“Do temples run inns now?”

Cledwyn joked as he helped Nerys down from the carriage. The hotel man gave a helpless smile.

“Sometimes. For special guests.”

Suddenly, his voice gained composure. The awkwardness back at the hotel had been an act.

That meant he likely wasn’t a hotel employee at all. He had been waiting to intercept them and divert them here.

Having suspected as much, Nerys subtly checked their defensive formation. Talfrin and Aidan were positioned perfectly to protect her and Cledwyn in case anything happened.

“Well then, I’ll take my leave.”

The man tried to slip away as if his job was done, but one of Aidan’s knights roughly grabbed him.

“You’re not getting away until we understand what this is about.”

Talfrin smiled sweetly as he said it. Just then, a gentle, kind voice called out from the temple.

“He only ran an errand. Please let him go.”

It was the kind of clear, youthful voice that seemed to purify the heart the moment you heard it.

Nerys turned toward the sound and slightly widened her eyes.

Draped in the Cardinal’s silver mantle and clad in a snow-white priest’s robe, Ren emerged from the temple. Behind him followed Adams, the priest Nerys had occasionally seen with him at the academy.

At Ren’s words, Cledwyn gave a slight nod of the chin. The man who had guided them from the hotel gave a cheerful salute and disappeared.

Ren smiled like a spring breeze. His deep pink curls looked like a spring blossom blooming stubbornly in winter’s bitter wind.

“Come inside, honored guests. The wind is cold.”

Nerys wasn’t cold—Cledwyn had given her his cloak, and she’d wrapped herself in thick fur from their luggage. Still, the way Ren had secretly brought them here meant someone didn’t want them seen.

And it wasn’t hard to guess who.

‘Omnitus.’

With a perfectly innocent face, Nerys crossed herself.

“To welcome a stray guest like this must be divine guidance. Then I shall dare step into the sanctuary.”

“What’s so special about a sanctuary? If a cold and weary traveler is welcomed first, surely that is where God resides.”

Father Adams led the way with a look that said, ‘There he goes again.’

Following Ren’s lead, the group entered the temple.

The temple they’d been taken to wasn’t raised on a high platform or surrounded by a vast courtyard. At most, it looked like a three-story building with a small chapel inside. A central courtyard that could barely seat twenty people divided the sanctuary from the living quarters.

Nerys briefly admired the blue courtyard visible through the white colonnades. It was likely possible only in a warm region where grass remained even in winter.

Though small, the temple was well-kept. The lawn was neatly trimmed, the framed texts along the hallway—just a few verses from the Scripture—were adorned with gold leaf, and not a speck of dust was in sight. Clearly, it was well-maintained.

Father Adams and Ren led them to a small room deep inside. Based on its location, it was impossible to eavesdrop from outside.

“The room is a bit cramped. I must apologize, but the guards will have to wait outside.”

The knights looked to Aidan, who looked to Cledwyn.

Cledwyn gave a small, unreadable nod.

“Let’s go in.”

Agreement was reached. Ren personally opened the door for Nerys and Cledwyn.

The room was indeed cramped. A small parlor with white walls—it reminded Nerys of the reflection room she nearly entered back at the academy.

In short, not a place fitting for a cardinal. Most cardinals lived in luxury once they reached that rank.

“Did he fall from grace?”

Cledwyn asked as he escorted Nerys to a seat. As soon as Adams closed the door, Ren dropped the act and frowned.

“What are you saying? He’s the most famous cardinal right now.”

His speech now resembled that of his student days in Maindulante. It seemed he no longer had the energy to maintain appearances.

“Are you being threatened?”

Nerys asked this time. Ren gave her a soft smile and shrugged.

“A bit. But every cardinal’s under some threat. It’s like that everywhere, right? The higher you climb, the more people want to tear you down.”

“In your case, it’s probably not without reason.”

Cledwyn sneered. Ren growled like a wildcat.

“Show me another priest as popular as I am! There was so much clamoring to make me a cardinal that even the higher-ups couldn’t ignore it. I’m staying here just because it’s quiet. The main streets of Ullevis are never quiet these days. All because of that damn construction.”

“Now that you mention it, what are they building?”

Nerys asked seriously. Ren smirked.

“A mausoleum.”

“Why? Did they find some sacred relic?”

“No. Like I said—there was so much noise about how devout, pure, and brilliant someone was, they needed to redirect attention and claim a grand achievement of their own.”

So that’s why things had changed in this life. Nerys understood.

In her previous life, Ren had died. But in this one, he had not only survived but become a highly visible figure.

Naturally, the suspicious and jealous Omnitus must be panicking to suppress the heir of a former rival family.

Ren’s expression turned serious.

“Omnitus has been acting more and more on edge lately. I don’t know how he’ll try to spin your visit, so I brought you here for now… And it’s not just Omnitus you need to watch out for. Things are getting dangerous.”