What Should I Do If I Find Out My Wife Is the Pope?

Chapter 16: Kidnapping a Minor—Death Sentence!

“Hey, hey, hey!” Official source ıs Novᴇl_Fire(.)net

Yalis never imagined she’d hear something so outrageous.

She darted a nervous glance around the room, only relaxing slightly when she confirmed they were alone in a private chamber.

“Isn’t… isn’t that a bit much to say?” she stammered.

She’d acted on her own, nearly ruining a secret operation the Holy Church had spent so long preparing. Worse, she’d accomplished nothing and ended up sprawled on the floor in utter embarrassment. No matter how she looked at it, she couldn’t convince herself she was in the right.

“How is it not right?”

Lin Wei, unfortunately, was not about to let her off the hook.

“Did anyone warn you not to go undercover in the Cult of the evil gods?”

“Well, no one really…” The Saintess hesitated, then shook her head. “Did anyone tell you beforehand about the Holy Church’s grand plan?” Lin Wei pressed, cutting her off before she could finish.

“That’s not it either…” Yalis thought it over but couldn’t deny it.

“And in the end, was the Cult of the evil gods destroyed or not?”

“Well, that’s…”

“See? That settles it!”

Lin Wei clapped his hands together, delivering his verdict without a hint of hesitation.

“No one told you the Holy Church was planning some grand operation. No one forbade you from going undercover in the Cult of the evil gods. So, as the Saintess, what’s wrong with mustering your courage and infiltrating the enemy’s lair?”

“As the Saintess, Lady Yalis, you are more than qualified to carry out an undercover mission to save the suffering masses!”

“If anyone criticizes you, that’s their problem—not yours. And if even the Pope criticizes you, then the Pope is the one at fault. If there’s any mistake in all this, it’s that Lady Yalis’s desire to save the people burns too brightly.”

He looked directly at the timid Yalis, his tone utterly sincere, each word resonating with conviction.

“The real problem is this broken world, teetering on the edge of collapse under the leadership of a useless Pope!”

“If she had even a fraction of Lady Yalis’s courage, would the expeditionary forces have failed again and again? Would the disasters of the evil gods still rage unchecked across the land?”

“If, twenty years from now, Lady Yalis became Pope, I am certain all evil would have long since been wiped out!”

“Let every sin be laid at her feet! If there’s blame to bear, let the Pope shoulder it all—not you!”

What kind of wild logic was this? It was so fresh and shocking, Yalis could hardly process it.

“W-wait, I—I’m not nearly that amazing!” she protested, her face flushing bright red as she waved her hands in panic, utterly caught in Lord Lin Wei’s trap.

Oh no, but it felt so good to be praised!

Could I really be that remarkable?

Of course, she knew deep down she couldn’t shirk all responsibility—Lin Wei was only trying to comfort her, and Yalis could tell as much. Still, under the intensity of his gaze, the very air seemed to grow warm, and she couldn’t help but feel a surge of hope and anticipation.

“I really do have high hopes for you, Lady Yalis.”

Faced with a Saintess whose metaphorical tail wagged with every word of praise, Lin Wei’s inner mischief threatened to unfurl its wings. He didn’t hesitate to press his advantage.

“I just hope that, in the future, all of the Holy Church’s high-ranking clergy will be as courageous and wise as you, Lady Yalis.”

“If that were the case, wouldn’t the glory of Goddess Alicia soon shine across the whole world?”

“Then—I’ll do my best!” Yalis said, her eyes shining.

Lin Wei really is a good person.

Yalis clenched her tiny fists, sneaking a glance at the figure beside her. His handsome face was haloed by the soft afternoon light, his gentle, earnest eyes twinkling like stars.

To be rescued from the labyrinth by him, and to receive such heartfelt encouragement—this was easily the luckiest thing that had happened to her in ages.

Her father always warned her that the world was full of dangerous people, and that she shouldn’t make friends lightly—especially with adventurers, who would surely take advantage of her at every turn.

But Lin Wei was nothing like that. If he were, he would have already stripped her of every valuable possession, or worse—done things to her body she could hardly bear to imagine.

And besides… Lin Wei was just so good-looking.

“Mm!” She squeezed her cheeks and forced herself to look away. If she kept sneaking glances, it’d be terrible if he noticed.

“Oh, right! Mr. Lin Wei, since you saved me, as thanks, why don’t we—”

Before she could finish inviting him to dinner, heavy footsteps thundered outside the door.

“Yalis, are you in there?”

The next moment, a voice brimming with authority boomed through the air, making even the atmosphere seem to freeze.

“That’s… Sister Meilin?”

Just a second ago, Yalis had been brimming with courage, ready to invite Mr. Lin Wei to dinner. Now, her face went completely pale.

Suddenly remembering something, she rushed to speak before the inevitable happened.

“I’m in here—”

But it was already far too late.

Bang!

The sturdy door was kicked open with terrifying force.

As the shattered wooden door crashed to the ground, a figure radiating holy light strode in from the corridor.

She was beautiful, but her expression was glacial. The aura of authority she exuded felt as though it could freeze the very world.

A golden holy spear crackled with lightning at her side, its thunderous energy making the air itself heavy and oppressive.

“Hm? Isn’t that the Judgement Knight I saw on the street this afternoon?” Lin Wei glanced at her in surprise, but the newly arrived Meilin paid him no heed. Instead, she swept her gaze across the room, quickly piecing together the scene before her.

A couple’s inn. A pink medicine bottle on the bedside table. Yalis, face flushed, lying under the covers.

And then—the sight of transparent cotton socks stuffed into the shoes by the bed triggered a wave of murderous intent so intense, it seemed to flood the entire world.

Even the other guests, who’d been drawn by the commotion and wanted to watch the spectacle, were so frightened by that terrifying aura that they all scurried back into their rooms.

…No one would dare watch this scene unfold now!

“Abducting a minor. Harassing the Saintess. Committing such vile acts—”

Meilin lifted her head, locking eyes with Lin Wei as he sat on the edge of the bed.

Flames danced in her gaze, and golden energy rippled in waves around her holy spear.

It looked as if, at any moment, she might run him through on the spot.

“Have you prepared yourself—for the death penalty?!”

“Wait, Sister Meilin, it’s not what you think!”

At the critical moment, Yalis leapt from the bed, arms outstretched protectively in front of Lin Wei.

Her bare toes touched the floor, gathering a bit of dust, her arches instinctively lifting to avoid the grime. Yet even in that fleeting dusk light, her delicate feet seemed as flawless as carved jade.

“Stand aside!”

No matter how many precautions she’d taken, the worst-case scenario had still come to pass.

Meilin’s brows knit together as she channeled even more energy into her holy spear.

He might be able to fool Yalis, but as the Grand Commander of the Judgement Knight, Meilin would not be so easily deceived!

“I mean… Miss Judgement Knight, aren’t you misunderstanding the situation here?” Lin Wei considered that he could probably just knock her out and drag Yalis away without much trouble.

But if he did that, his painstakingly constructed undercover life would almost certainly come to an abrupt end.

With a sigh, Lin Wei gently pressed Yalis’s shoulder, signaling her to step aside.

Facing the furious Judgement Knight, he finally opened his mouth to explain.

“I just happened to run into the Saintess in the labyrinth and brought her back here to tend to her injuries, that’s all.”

“Other than giving her an antidote, I haven’t done anything else. Don’t get the wrong idea.”