Blasphemous Grace - Chapter 30

The contour inside his white trousers was clearly visible.

It was too, too close.

Just as her face turned crimson red.

“Come in now.”

The Pope, who had moved his chair back into place, spoke.

As he brought the chair he had pulled back even closer, that was practically thrust right before her eyes, leaving Delonas with nowhere to look.

―Click.

Just then, the sound of the door opening was heard.

Priest Patrick entered the office.

Ian didn’t particularly want to remember the priests’ names, yet this one had stuck in his memory.

Although all the normal priests had already left the main order and were in the provinces, he was one of those rotten remaining priests who tried desperately to get into Lekia’s good graces.

“What is it?”

As Ian asked, Patrick, who had entered holding documents, let his gaze drift downward.

Though not within Ian’s line of sight, Patrick was looking at the hem of a maid’s dress peeking out from under the slightly elevated desk.

And the only person in this temple wearing such a maid’s dress was that one princess.

Patrick smirked.

There had been rumors that the Pope was not keen on taking the princess, but it seemed that was false after all. He just wanted to partake of her nobly, by himself.

Having drawn his own convenient conclusion, Patrick respectfully handed him the documents.

“This is a list expressing the sincerity of the families you previously assisted.”

‘Sincerity’ was just a term; it was essentially a useless document listing how much money had been squeezed from them.

Ian gave a slight nod.

It was a document of interest to Lekia, not to him.

“Leave it and go.”

“Understood. Then…….”

Patrick shifted his foot slightly.

With the tip of his shoe, he deliberately caught the widely protruding hem of the maid’s dress under the desk and gave it a long, slow tug.

“Ah,”

A small sound came from inside.

Filled with sufficient sadistic pleasure by the startled voice, Patrick bowed his head to the Pope.

“Enjoy your time.”

He said with a lecherous smile.

―Click.

With that, the door closed, and Delonas and he were alone in the office once more.

“Hoo…….”

He looked down at the documents he hadn’t been able to properly read through since earlier.

Ever since Delonas had appeared before his eyes—no, ever since the moment she was summoned before him under the pretext of ‘practicing how to serve high-ranking individuals’—he hadn’t been able to concentrate at all.

Just that brief moment of eye contact had made his heart ache.

He didn’t know if it was because his heart hurt that he could only meet her like this, could only protect her in this way, or because of the desire to defy Lekia’s imprinting and do anything for her.

While talking with Patrick, he hadn’t heard a single word he said. He had only reacted mechanically.

Meanwhile, Delonas was squirming beneath him.

“…….”

Silently shifting her body this way and that, a small thump suggested she had finally found a relatively comfortable posture.

Patrick seemed to think he was doing something harsh to her under the desk, but Ian had no such intention.

Of course, taking her would be good.

But not like this. He wanted to share genuine love with her, not in this manner.

He let out a short breath and closed his eyes.

There was a reason he had called for her.

Of course, it was partly to protect her from the harsh treatment she would undoubtedly face among the priests, but…

There was something he needed to check.

―Hmmm…….

With his eyes closed, he could feel the flow of energy circulating around him.

First, setting aside the immense divine power flowing through his own body, there was Lekia’s imprint—the one that had bound him even before it fully matured, making him effectively one with it.

He had to check if she carried the same kind of magical flow, the same imprint that made defying Lekia impossible.

He had heard she was branded, but if it wasn’t the same type of imprint as this, perhaps he could help her escape far away.

―Huummm…….