Chapter 61
Myaria Temple, Grand Conference Room.
Today was the day of the regular meeting attended by the Pope himself.
For the first time in a long while, Christian, who had been in seclusion, appeared at the meeting, looking impeccably groomed. The other cardinals and high priests welcomed him warmly after his long absence.
It was both strange and concerning to see someone who had always prioritized the church neglect its affairs.
Although there was a saintess, the true foundation of the church was still the Pope. The instability of the next Pope was enough to cause anxiety among the high-ranking clergy.
Fortunately, Christian led the meeting with the same sharp and decisive judgment as before.
As they neared the end of handling various agendas, Christian, who had spent the entire meeting making decisions, finally raised his hand to speak.
“Cardinal Verzel, you may proceed.”
“A new member has joined the imperial family. Shouldn’t we hold a ‘Blessing Ceremony’? Why has there been no mention of it, Your Holiness?”
The Blessing Ceremony was a tradition where the Pope and cardinals visited the imperial palace to offer a blessing prayer whenever a new family member was born or married into the imperial family, followed by a grand banquet.
“Ah, that… Hmm…’”
The Pope stroked his beard with an uncomfortable expression.
“I have determined that it would be best not to hold a Blessing Ceremony this time.”
The aging Pope avoided Christian’s gaze as he responded.
Last week, Duke Crothos had personally visited and requested that the ceremony be canceled.
Initially, the Pope refused. Conducting a Blessing Ceremony for an imperial family member was customary.
Moreover, he himself had presided over the couple’s wedding. Not holding the ceremony now would undoubtedly raise suspicions and appear improper.
However, Duke Crothos had not given up. He presented the Pope with ownership documents for a gemstone mine—not a large one, but a highly profitable one, according to rumors.
Of course, the Pope already had more wealth than he could ever need. But greed was limitless. He accepted the documents and tucked them away in his desk drawer.
There was no way he could reverse his decision now.
“What do you mean, Your Holiness?”
At Christian’s icy tone, the atmosphere in the conference room instantly felt as if they had been transported to the frozen north. Some even shuddered involuntarily.
Even the Pope flinched at Christian’s demeanor. Of all people, he had never expected him to object to this matter—especially given his usual contempt for the imperial family.
Suppressing his unease, the Pope maintained a composed facade and said,
“Well, you see, the newly joined imperial consort is a mere commoner, is she not? I see no reason for our esteemed cardinals to go out of their way for a lowly commoner. Moreover, the imperial family needs to realize the foolishness of their decision. I believe this will serve as a valuable lesson. So, let us not proceed with the ceremony.”
“Was the Blessing Ceremony something so easily discarded?”
Christian’s voice was devoid of emotion, but his gaze was as cold as ice. Unconsciously, the Pope shrank back and avoided his stare.
In truth, the Blessing Ceremony was not merely an imperial tradition—it was a national event.
After the blessing prayer, when the grand banquet began at the palace, every citizen of the empire received food. It was nothing extravagant, just a piece of rye bread embedded with dried fruit, said to be a favorite of the Goddess.
Before distributing the bread to the people, it was tradition to hold the blessing prayer for the newest member of the imperial family.
The last Blessing Ceremony had been for Aiden’s birth. Since then, Emperor Aust had never taken another empress, meaning no such celebration had been held.
The people had eagerly anticipated the first Blessing Ceremony in a long time, viewing it as a joyful event.
Through such ceremonies, the imperial family, the church, and the people reaffirmed their shared unity.
“Of course, the Blessing Ceremony is an important tradition. However, I made this decision to uphold the dignity of the church. I ask for your understanding.”
“The majority of those who support the church are commoners. Would it be wise for the church to display discrimination against commoners, even if the nobility or the imperial family were to do so?”
A clash between the current and future power of the church.
The officials in the conference room quickly assessed the situation. After careful calculation, they all reached the same conclusion—the truly formidable force was not the current power but the future power.
A cardinal standing beside Christian spoke up.
“The Blessing Ceremony is a long-standing tradition of the empire. If we refuse to hold it simply because a commoner has entered the imperial family, the backlash will be severe.”
“I agree. The ceremony must proceed as scheduled.”
The Pope, now cornered, pressed his lips together tightly. Even he could not ignore Christian’s influence.
—
Bang!
A loud thud echoed through the room as a hand slammed onto the table.
“The Blessing Ceremony will proceed? Father!”
Duke Crothos’s displeasure was just as intense as Sierra’s.
Yesterday, he had hurried to the temple after receiving a summons from the Pope.
The Pope had returned the gemstone mine documents to him.
“The Blessing Ceremony will proceed as planned, Duke.”
“What do you mean, Your Holiness?”
“The church does not act based on personal favors.”
“But you accepted the mine documents back then! What has changed?”
“I have not changed my mind. I was merely considering your dignity and returning them out of courtesy.”
Duke Crothos was momentarily speechless at the Pope’s shameless response.
Later, through another high priest, he learned that Cardinal Christian Verzel had opposed the decision, and many others had sided with him.
‘Had I known this would happen, I would have approached Cardinal Verzel from the start.’
It was now evident that the balance of power within the church had shifted.
He had tried to handle things easily by bribing the Pope, but his plan had failed.
While lost in complicated thoughts, Sierra’s sharp voice cut through the silence.
“That insolent woman… Once the Blessing Ceremony is held, she’ll become even more arrogant. I already have a headache just thinking about it.”
As was her habit, Empress Sierra pressed her fingers against her right temple. The duke could not understand why his daughter was so fixated on the commoner consort.
—
Imperial Library
The Imperial Library lived up to its reputation as the finest in the empire—an entire palace filled with books.
As I entered, the maids and attendants working there greeted me with a mix of surprise and joy.
Once a prestigious post, the library had become a place for those with no power or those who had fallen out of favor, ever since the church’s influence had grown.
‘The people working here are unlikely to be under the Empress’s control.’
The servants and maids lined up neatly and bowed.
“It is an honor to meet you, Your Highness.”
“Thank you for the warm welcome. I will be visiting often.”
“We are honored.”
“I wish to read books on ‘Myariaism’. Where should I go?”
“I will guide you.”
Following the maid, I entered a vast chamber.
“This entire room is dedicated to Myaria theology.”
I felt a momentary tightness in my chest as I looked at the countless books filling the enormous room.
Given its long history, Myariaism had an overwhelming number of related texts.
‘How am I ever going to read all this?’
My vision darkened for a moment.
“This is an index with the book titles and their storage locations. If you tell us what you need, we will retrieve them for you.”
“No need. I prefer reading quietly on my own. Please leave me be—I wish to concentrate.”
“Understood. We will be waiting outside. If you need anything, please ring the bell.”
The maid placed a small bell on the table and quietly exited the room.
I skimmed through the index, then walked over to the bookshelves. The library was well-maintained, and even the ancient tomes were in excellent condition.
After selecting a few books worth reading, I settled at a table by the window. Just then, warm sunlight streamed in, illuminating the pages.
I focused intently, hoping to uncover even the smallest clue.
Tap, tap.
The sound of fingers lightly drumming on the table made me look up—Ilias was standing before me.
Startled, I inadvertently raised my voice.
“Your Highness! When did you get here?”
Realizing I had spoken too loudly, I quickly covered my mouth with my hand. Ilias’s lips curved into a soft smile.
“I dismissed everyone.”
“But still… One shouldn’t speak loudly in a library.”
Even though there was no one else around, the setting made me instinctively lower my voice.
Ilias seemed to agree, responding in a whisper as well.
“What book has you so focused that you didn’t even notice my presence?”
I closed the book and showed him the cover.
“In Search of the Origins of Divine Power.”
Ilias glanced at the theological texts stacked beside me and spoke.
“Are you interested in theology?”
I shook my head and whispered very softly,
“I have a small amount of divine power, so I’m studying it.”
Perhaps because my voice was too quiet, Ilias leaned in—so close that our breaths mingled.
“If you move even a little, your lips will brush against my cheek…,” I thought, unable to take a deep breath.
Even though we had shared more intimate gestures in public, the private setting made even small actions feel heightened.
Ilias brought his lips right to my ear. His warm breath brushed against my skin, sending shivers down my spine.
“That doesn’t seem like ‘a small amount.’ Not just anyone can perform that level of healing. Last time, I was too preoccupied to mention it, but you dispelled black magic, didn’t you?”
Black magic healing.
I had deliberately avoided this topic until now.
But more than the conversation, his actions were throwing me off.
As he spoke, his lips lightly grazed my ear.
Each time his lips touched my skin, it felt like fire scorching me, making me instinctively pull away.
But every time I backed away, Ilias moved even closer.
It was an endless cycle—whether it was a vicious or pleasant one, I couldn’t quite tell.
Clearly, Ilias understood that this conversation needed to stay secret.
‘So that’s why he’s speaking so closely.’
Afraid that my voice might tremble, I simply nodded in response.
Seemingly oblivious to my flustered state, Ilias continued speaking.
“In that case, the knowledge I possess may be of help to you.”
When I turned my gaze toward him, my eyes landed on his lips first.
‘Why do his lips seem even redder than usual today? …It must just be my imagination.’
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