It has already been three months since Tesilid and I safely returned.

There was something important in the Lingyung Church that could no longer be delayed. That was...

"May His Holiness, the Pope, be blessed by the grace of the gods!"

"Please lead us on the path of the Holy Truth, Your Holiness!"

"Lord Lingyung, may you bless the land of His Holiness!"

It was, of course, my papal inauguration.

Dressed in more beautiful, elegant, and extravagant ceremonial robes than usual, I stood on the balcony and waved my hand.

The St. Agnes Church, which had been expanded over the summer, now radiated the grandeur worthy of being called the Lingyung Church Palace.

Thanks to this, the height of the balcony I stood on was sufficient, allowing me to take in the sight of the congregation gathered in the church’s courtyard.

And it was the same for the believers. Even the smallest child could catch a glimpse of me from afar. ["The 'World-Building Lingyung' is deeply moved by your 'Lingyung Pope's Ultimate Costume Version' attire."]

["The 'Soul-Judging Libra' wonders why your ceremonial robes are more magnificent than any wedding dresses."]

["The 'Balanced Scold' clucks his tongue, asking if your outfit is not overpowered as well."]

["The 'World-Building Lingyung' ignores this."]

["The 'World-Building Lingyung' is extremely pleased with this event, as it allows you to spread your beauty and brilliance to the world."]

Meanwhile, the cheers of the congregation continued to pour out.

This honor I was receiving should be given entirely to Lingyung. To do that, I needed to prove the majesty of the gods. I immediately opened my 9th tier divine power.

A halo spread behind me, and brilliant divine light poured down to the ground.

"Wow!"

"It’s the blessing of the gods!"

In truth, it was only a visual effect. The effect was inversely proportional to the area it covered, so it was only enough to relieve small pains and improve immunity. ["The 'World-Building Lingyung' praises your wisdom, saying that nothing is more important than immunity as the seasons grow colder."]

["The 'Soul-Judging Libra' mocks, asking if you’re just getting pampered for being beautiful."]

["The 'World-Building Lingyung' sends a pitiful gaze toward 'Soul-Judging Libra,' saying that you, who don't understand the beauty of divine love, are truly unfortunate."]

["The 'Soul-Judging Libra' shudders."]

"May your days be filled with the care of Lingyung!"

After faithfully fulfilling the purpose of the religious ceremony, I turned away from the balcony.

People who had been waiting in the hallway gave me looks of congratulations. I met each of their gazes: Bianca, Hilda, Ash, Iphail, Hestio, and...

"Well done, Your Holiness."

A voice with a deep and resonant tone extended a hand toward me.

Tesilid was wearing a cape symbolizing his role as a cardinal over his knightly robes. Thanks to his splendid attire, his handsome appearance shone even more brightly.

Currently, he held many titles: the owner of the holy sword, aura master, cardinal of the Lingyung Church, and a member of the royal family of Binchester.

As a result, he was regarded as the most noble and sacred man, perfectly suited to escort me in official ceremonies. ["The 'World-Building Lingyung' nods in agreement."]

Since even Lingyung had recognized him, there was no reason to refuse the escort.

I gently placed my hand on his and met his gaze. I could feel his deep ocean-colored eyes, which were rich in emotion, staring at me.

It was time for me to reciprocate those feelings with my own gaze, conveying thousands of words through my eyes.

<Don’t let the mood get all romantic randomly.>

"Ahem."

"Hm."

Those who couldn’t hear Agnes’ voice were puzzled by the light coughs from Tesilid and me. Before it became too suspicious, I changed the subject.

"Thanks to all of you, the ceremony was successfully completed. It looks like Lingyung is pleased too, so I’m feeling proud."

I wasn’t the only one who had been through a tough schedule for the papal inauguration.

The Silver Fortress Knights' primary duty was to escort me. They must have been tired, having been with me since the early morning.

The members also spoke up.

"It’s moving to see you as the Pope, Your Holiness."

Hilda, her hands clasped together, beamed brightly.

"Wow, now it’s the Pope’s direct knights. That’s cool."

"When I received the invitation to join the order, I’m glad I didn’t hesitate despite already being in a relationship."

Iphail and Hestio looked proud of their neat line.

"The powerful are our main clients. If you need any rivals removed, just say the word, sister. We’ll clean up thoroughly for you."

"Don’t want to wash your hands off that kind of work?"

"Lord Lingyung will surely allow me to become a righteous assassin."

"What are you even saying?"

As usual, Ash acted in a mischievous manner.

And finally, Bianca...

"Although you’re the Pope now, there won’t be much work other than attending occasional events on feast days. You saved the world, so you shouldn’t be given more work. Now, you can live comfortably on your hero’s pension, kid."

Bianca had been so thoughtful, looking out for my convenience. It was moving to see her retire early and plan for her old age at this point in her life.

"Ah! Thanks, Bia. You’re the best...!"

At my heartfelt words, Bianca glanced down diagonally. There, my hand was still holding onto Tesilid’s.

"Just me? Really?"

"..."

The atmosphere grew awkward. ["The 'Soul-Judging Libra' laughs, saying your words and actions are contradictory."]

["The 'Eye Watching Over Chaos' looks sorrowful."]

This was embarrassing.

Fortunately, kind-hearted Bianca only smiled and didn’t push further.

We all moved to the knight’s exclusive resting area.

While we all relaxed, Bianca asked me.

"So, kid, your plans haven’t changed, right?"

"Yep. I’ll be resting in a quiet place for a while. With Terry."

After everything we had been through, I thought we both deserved a proper rest. This was something for both me and Tesilid.

Especially for Tesilid, it was necessary to show him what a stable, ordinary life could be like.

It would be nice to experience the four seasons at a little cabin. Plant a cherry tree in the yard, and perhaps dig a pond nearby for fishing. Just being together for a while, peacefully...

"Just the two of you?"

Bianca hit the nail on the head.

As I hesitated, another voice chimed in from a different direction.

"Are you two newlyweds?"

"Yeah, they’re newlyweds."

"...Shut up, Hestio, Iphail."

"Sis, even if you're happy, you should visit Kongwangseong often, okay?"

"Hilda, you too...?"

Even Hilda, whom I trusted, joined in teasing me. Then Ash also couldn’t hold back.

"Look, Tesilid isn’t denying it."

"..."

It was true. Tesilid awkwardly looked away and didn’t speak.

But why?

Honestly, I didn’t mind his silence.

"Ahem. Hm."

Ash and Hilda, not finding it strange at all, exchanged comments while looking at Tesilid.

"Well, it’s been a while since Tesilid has been called the son-in-law of Kongwangseong."

"Yeah, I even call him ‘brother-in-law’ now..."

Iphail and Hestio exchanged glances, as if they didn’t feel the need to deny it.

"I knew you two were like that before you even joined the order."

"You even wear matching rings. Didn’t you get a proposal and engagement a long time ago?"

Although I didn’t know about other things, I wanted to argue with the last part that Hestio said.

‘I haven’t done it yet! Don’t just skip my proposal without permission.’ ["The 'Soul-Judging Libra' protests, saying you did receive a proposal on Wivril Island."]

["The 'Eye Watching Over Chaos' claims that proposals without gifts or words are invalid."]

["The 'Expert of the Tower of Trials' comments that it was just a spontaneous confession and wasn’t enough to be called a proposal."]

Above all, the ring Tesilid and I were wearing was a rosary ring, not a proposal ring. I immediately raised the issue.

"Just because we wear matching artifact rings doesn’t mean you can go that far. Honestly, you’re so conservative, being raised in a church."

"Hey, Ayleth."

"What?"

"Out of all of us, isn’t Tesilid the most conservative?"

"...."

Now that I heard it, that was true. Looks like it’s my turn to keep quiet.

But unexpectedly, the silence was broken from another direction.

"Conservative? Well... I wouldn't say that..."

Is it just me, or does it feel strange that he’s denying being conservative right now?

["The 'Soul-Judging Libra' laughs mischievously, wondering which way he’s leaning now."]

Looks like I wasn’t just imagining it.

Sure enough, when the surroundings quieted down, Tesilid cleared his throat awkwardly and adjusted his posture.

Ash didn’t miss the chance to tease him.

"I’ve heard that Lingyung’s teachings are looser than the Order of Order’s teachings. I’ll support you, Tesilid."

"...Alright."

Seeing Tesilid respond casually, I realized it was time to wrap ★ 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ★ this up.

"Alright, that’s enough! I’m hungry. Let’s go to lunch."✠

We all moved to Kongwangseong, Raimian House. It wasn’t just a simple lunch; there was a formal banquet scheduled.

Since I had been inaugurated as the Pope, there was no way my grandfather, King Hispenril, could let the day pass quietly. As a result, a luncheon banquet with invited dignitaries from various countries was being held.

To make it less formal and more fun, seating was determined by a lottery. When entering the banquet hall, we went to a four-person table with the same number we had drawn.

Unfortunately, the power of love couldn’t help Tesilid and me with the lottery.

"Ah, we ended up getting separated."

"What a shame."

"It’s okay. We’ll have dinner together later."

"Yeah."

"See you later, kid."

After pulling out my chair for me, Tesilid moved to his seat.

No one was at my table yet. I rested my chin on my hand and watched Tesilid’s back.

"Hmm, I hope nothing happens when I’m not around."

<You don’t need to worry about that.>

"Ah, right."

At the table Tesilid was heading to, two people were already sitting, welcoming him enthusiastically.

"Come, sit down, son-in-law! We’ve been waiting for you!"

"Haha, our grandson-in-law is looking dashing today, with his jawline and masseters looking perfect!"

"Thank you."

With my father and grandfather there, Tesilid was at ease.

At that moment, one of the people at my table appeared.

"Oooh! You’re at this table too?"