In the Name of Empress

Chapter 746 413: A Woman's Vengeful Heart

With a heart filled with tensely anxious emotions, Roland walked into the Prayer Room.

The Prayer Room was Christine's private chamber, and only Roland held the key besides her.

As soon as the key turned in the lock, you knew that Roland had arrived.

Usually, the Holy Father would stand up to greet him; even if he didn't feel like standing, he would at least turn and smile.

But today, Christine was different. She knelt dazedly on the floor, her eyes vacant, devoid of any vitality.

Walking into the Prayer Room, Roland was startled by the sight.

He didn't know what had devastated Christine, but it was surely no minor issue.

He did not hysterically grab Christine's shoulders and shake her vigorously, nor frantically ask her what was wrong.

Christine needed comfort now.

Unable to think of a better approach, he simply held her hand.

It was as cold as snow, with no warmth at all—it seemed her heart was truly hurt.

Thinking about Christine's perusal of texts regarding the purity of Saintess, Roland felt an ominous sense of unease.

He knew Christine; she held no man in her heart, only the Holy Light.

Her demeanor with men, apart from Roland, was always indifferent and aloof.

Many Saintesses were more flirtatious than pure, but Christine was genuinely a Saintess, not just a seductive fraud using this guise to inflate her worth.

For so many years, she had remained consistent.

Feeling Roland's concerned gaze, Christine finally came alive, but her spirit was still somewhat downcast.

"The Light has abandoned me."

Her voice was hoarse and full of dejection, as if the sky had fallen.

All right, maybe the metaphor was unnecessary; for someone as devout as her, being forsaken by faith surpassed any disaster.

"What happened?" Roland guessed roughly but still asked softly.

"Just yesterday, while praying, I heard the Divine Oracle, but..."

Her voice choked up.

The voice of the Great Goddess echoed deep in her conscience, querying why she allowed Roland to dismantle the Divine Punishment Legion and why she accepted Roland, whose faith was impure, as a Knight of Light.

Absolute loyalty is the absence of any disloyalty.

The Goddess was utterly disappointed in her and eventually revoked all the Divine Power she had received.

Roland found it strange, "All the Divine Power? What about your own Power of Light?"

"It's been stripped away as well."

Christine smiled faintly and said wistfully, "It's very easy for the divine to strip a follower's power. I can no longer use the Power of Light. Before long, they'll discover, and I'll be sent to the stake, just like the first Saintess."

"I'd like to see who dares!"

Roland angrily interrupted Christine's passive resignation.

"Even if you cannot use the Power of Light, you just won't serve as Pope; come, let's go together. I'd like to see who dares to harm you in my territory."

Christine hesitated for a moment but stopped.

"I'm already a ruined person; you need not do this for me."

Her voice grew softer, nearly a whisper, "Besides, how should I identify myself there?"

"Marry me."

Roland said calmly.

"Actually, I've liked you for a long time. Before when you insisted on being a Saintess, I had no reason to break your faith. Now that you cannot be a Saintess, you should marry. I wouldn't want you to marry someone else."

Perhaps having gone through trials in the Land of Death, Roland's mindset had changed significantly.

If it were the past, he would probably coax Christine home, comfort her slowly, and find an opportunity to confess.

But there was no time for that.

He wasn't lying; although Christine had gone through disfigurement, under the purifying faith's blessing, she slowly recovered, and the scars on her face turned into Holy Marks, which manifested a peculiar beauty.

For all these years, he and she were the best of friends, the best partners.

Their relationship had long surpassed ordinary friendship.

Roland couldn't possibly accept her marrying someone else.

Just contemplating it pained his heart.

If Christine needed a reason to recover, he would provide it.

He believed Sif and the others would accept it.

Though Sif initially didn't much like Christine and even felt she was prone to extremes, she wouldn't oppose Christine becoming Roland's wife.

Having fanatics as enemies was painful, but having them on your side was different.

Christine stared blankly at Roland, slowly pulling away from Roland's firm grip after some time.

"What's this? Charity or pity? I don't need such a marriage."

"Neither. This is my genuine affection."

Roland candidly said, "You know me; I'm quite lustful, having long desired you, though there was never an opportunity."

"Is it only because of a pretty face?" Christine felt slightly disappointed, though her cheeks gained a hint of hue.

"Certainly not. Beautiful shells are everywhere; intriguing souls are one in a thousand."

Roland's fingertips brushed over her cheek, softly saying, "These aren't scars or Holy Marks; they're sighs imprinted in my heart. We've been through so much together, so why not share our lives? Give me a chance to care for you, okay?"

Share our lives?

What delightful words.

Yet Christine felt a tinge of regret, "I've never savored the sweetness of love, only to fall into its grave?"

"Books say marriage is the grave of love; I'm really not reconciled."

Christine was right; Roland acknowledged it was quite rushed since he never pursued her, and the proposal was unprepared, simply an attempt to restore Christine's faith in life.

There was love between them, but not much, certainly not enough for marriage.