Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Translator: Yonnee

Veronicas expression hardened once more.

Your Holiness the Pope.

You may speak, Veronica.

If the drought does not end even after that saintess has conceived and has given birth to a child What will happen then?

She knew that her question was out of line, but she did not shy away from the popes gaze.

At one point or another, Veronica had become disillusioned.

Disillusionment due to God, or disillusionment due to this dreadful drought?

She did not know.

Still, Pope Andreas laughed like a benevolent father.

As if he was looking at his daughter, his gaze upon Veronica was tender.

I remember the first time we met, Saintess Veronica. You were sixteen years old when you first came here, were you not?

I was seventeen, Your Holiness.

Is that so? Our one and only God will be very pleased to see that youve grown up well with His Grace, Saintess Veronica. The girl from a prostitution house who once begged for moldy bread is now being praised like this, yes?

A human being cannot dare to determine Gods will. So, for you to ask me what plan there could be against Gods will is frankly wrong. We have no choice but to trust and follow Him.

Veronica was silent.

Because she knew well enough that there was nothing she could say back.

After telling her that she must prepare well for tomorrows ceremony, Andreas left the chapel.

The chapel that the pope left was still.

Veronica knelt before the likeness of God.

Before the statue, Veronica clasped her hands together, rubbing her rosary between her fingers as she concentrated on praying.

Then, she murmured to herself.

Dear Benevolent God, if mercy is something that truly exists, I beg of thee, please stop this tragedy.

* * *

The day of the ceremony had dawned.

Though it was supposed to be a sacred ceremony, people began filling the entire area from the break of dawn.

In case of a possible riot, the paladinswho wore pure white armorstood in front of the grand cathedral with stern looks upon their faces.

It was none other than Raon, who appeared under their escort.

As he weaved through the crowd, he remained expressionless, but carried himself with noble austerity.

With neat eyebrows and beautiful features, Raon naturally attracted the attention of everyone who saw him. Men and women of all ages were completely entranced by him.

Standing at the very front of the cathedral, he sat and reverently did the sign of the cross.

Until the ceremony began, Raon kept his hands clasped together and concentrated only on his prayer.

The paladins, priests and devotees pretended not to, but they found themselves constantly glancing towards his direction.

It was no wonder. After all, it was through todays ceremony that Raons fate would also be completely and irrevocably changed.

He was a very religious man, so he valued purity and abstinence, and he especially avoided women. Even so, he was now the very person who would have to impregnate the obscene saintess as soon as possible.

Everyone who gathered here thought, if this was his fate, then that would just been too cruel.

Finally, the long-awaited pope stood in front of the altar.

The moment they saw Pope Andreass face, everyone cried in unison.

Amid the tragedy they were all facing, they considered the pope to be their only savior.

As soon as the pope finished the prayers, the ceremony proceeded quickly.

Several paladins who had huge physiques dragged out one slender woman.

The womans thin wrists were handcuffed, but there was a cloth embroidered with a cross covering those cuffs.

Dear God!

Its the same silver hair as our one and only God!

Saintess! A real saintess has appeared!

Soon, when one of the paladins took off the womans hood, her platinum silver hair was revealed to all.

Compared to the intricate painting on the cathedrals ceiling, the womans silver hair looked even more like a work of art as it shimmered beneath the chandeliers glow.

But rather than awe, this sight elicited the peoples anger.

That brilliant silver hair must be a sign that she was loved by Dernaus, their God.

How dare this woman betray God after receiving such a blessing!

Obscene saintess! You will be punished by the heavens!

Execute immediately! Execute!

Its not enough to rip all your limbs apart before killing you!

Words that should not be said poured out all at once towards Agnes.

As the atmosphere reached a boiling point, the pope calmed the crowd by shouting prayers.

On the other hand, Agnes continued to kneel at the platform at the front of the cathedral, staring in horror at the crowd as she trembled with fear.

Strangers who she had not met before were all glaring at her viciously, so much so that they looked to be completely enraged.

She thought that, at this rate, she might truly die.

If this were to continue, rather than returning to her familys embrace, she would be tied to a cross and be burned until all thats left of her were ashes.

!

Her gray eyes, quivering in terror, came across one familiar man.

The only one amongst the wrathful crowd who showed not a single emotion.

It was Raon, the man who personally visited Agnes at the dungeon last night.

Their gazes met for a while in the air, but soon, a paladin clad in all white blocked her view.

Agnes Larche.

As her name was called, Agnes raised her head. She recognized the voice immediately.

It was the pope, now standing in front of her.

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