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

Chapter 33: As Long As a Love Polygon Appears, Everything Will Turn Out Fine!

"Haah~ Another day gone by."

Lin Wei stretched lazily as he awoke, sprawled alone in the center of an oversized, empty bed.

Sunlight poured through the window, dazzling and bright. He sighed, shuffled to the bathroom to wash up, and began mentally mapping out his day.

The goblin disaster was finally behind them—at least, everything from the labyrinth to their departure had been settled.

Of course, he'd conveniently dumped all the tedious post-mission paperwork onto the city girl. He had no patience for that kind of social hassle.

Still, this had been more than a simple goblin outbreak. The whole affair had escalated with the appearance of that Evil God statue—and, most alarming of all, the terrifying resurrection of an actual Evil God.

Like it or not, he’d have to drop by the Lotai Adventurers’ Guild for a quick debrief and to collect his reward.

Naturally, Iresha, the true MVP of the operation, would be the one facing most of the questioning. He was just tagging along as a minor player.

"I wonder what kind of reward the Holy Church and the Adventurers’ Guild will cough up after all that." "If they offer a transfer straight to the Imperial Capital... Eh, that shouldn’t be a problem."

Plenty of adventurers had fled the Fallen Lands and used connections to get themselves registered in the Empire. Sure, it wouldn’t hold up under serious scrutiny, but as long as you kept your head down and didn’t draw attention, the Holy Church and the Guild’s staff were happy to look the other way.

After all, who could say for sure who handled which piece of paperwork? If you dug too deep, you might find skeletons nobody wanted unearthed.

A "country bumpkin adventurer who singlehandedly solved a goblin disaster and revived a Evil God" would definitely draw attention from the higher-ups. But a "local mage who assisted the hero’s party in resolving a goblin outbreak"? That was perfectly reasonable.

Even if the Holy Church or the Guild ran a background check, it would just be for show.

This time, Lord Lin Wei—master of contingency plans—had already prepared for every scenario.

Come on, as if something this trivial could possibly catch the eye of those at the top!

You can’t seriously expect me to believe that the Goddess Alicia’s cheat powers would randomly trigger again, drawing the Pope’s attention just to mess with me, right?

"Guess I’ll just take a carriage over."

Flight magic might be faster, but at a time like this, safety came first.

With that decision made, Lin Wei wolfed down a quick breakfast and headed for the door.

But just as he opened it, a familiar figure appeared before him.

A slender silhouette in an exquisitely ornate mage’s robe. A beautiful face, pale with a faint blush, softly illuminated by the morning sun.

Her red hair shimmered in the light, and as she stood there—hand on her hip, staff in hand—she looked both haughty and a little flustered, a combination that was unexpectedly endearing.

Clearly, she hadn’t anticipated him opening the door at that exact moment.

Iresha, who’d been about to knock, froze for a moment before hastily stepping back.

She cleared her throat, slipping into her usual proud tone.

"Ahem... Good morning, Lin Wei."

"City girl? What are you doing here all of a sudden?"

Lin Wei was just as surprised. He hadn’t expected Iresha to show up at his door so early in the morning.

Even after fighting side by side yesterday, he instinctively regarded her with caution as she stood there, looking more than a little nervous.

"And how did you even know where I live?"

"Obviously, I just asked around. You’re kind of famous in town, you know... And for the record, my name is Iresha. What’s with that ‘city girl’ nickname, anyway?!"

She muttered something under her breath about how rude he was, considering she’d come all this way to see him—but she had to admit, his place was actually pretty nice.

Through the open door, Iresha could see the elegant and tastefully arranged decor. Everything was neat and orderly, clearly well cared for. So this guy actually kept his place tidy. Who would’ve thought?

It was just that the way he was staring at her felt... less than friendly.

"And what’s with that look? Why are you so on guard around me?"

"I’m not here to cause trouble, you know. I just thought, since we’re both headed to Lotai, we might as well go together. No sense in picking up the reward alone."

Lin Wei didn’t really see why "heading to Lotai" and "going together" had to be linked, but her explanation put him at ease.

"Fine, I don’t mind. But why not just go with your own party?"

If someone offered to team up, it was definitely more interesting than spacing out alone on the way.

He shrugged, locked the door behind him, and waved for her to follow as they headed outside, continuing the conversation.

"I mean, it’s not far anyway. Might as well treat it like a trip with your teammates—do a little shopping, have some fun."

"Wait, hold on... Yesterday at the Adventurers’ Guild, you looked pretty upset. Are you and the Hero still not getting along? Still stuck in the fighting stage?"

He hadn’t forgotten how she’d been grumbling nonstop at the Guild yesterday.

She’d been full of complaints about the Hero, Oshu—clearly, there was some friction there. For a bystander like Lin Wei, it was pure entertainment.

"Ugh..."

Apparently, she hadn’t expected him to bring up Oshu so suddenly.

Iresha froze, her previously proud expression clouding over with frustration.

She walked silently beside Lin Wei, as if recalling something unpleasant. There was even a trace of agitation in her eyes.

After a moment, she finally muttered a sullen reply, her voice low and unhappy.

"Fighting... I guess you can’t really call it that. They don’t even know I was the one who solved the goblin disaster."

"Oshu has Eileen now—why would he ever pay attention to a childhood friend like me?"

Childhood friend... Eileen?

Wait a second, is this... the infamous love polygon I’ve heard rumors about!?

A torrent of information surged through Lin Wei’s mind, his brain instantly connecting the dots.

He’d just been here for the gossip, but he never expected to stumble upon something this explosive.

Especially after Iresha’s confession—the sheer aura of defeat radiating from her was almost palpable.

In that instant, Lin Wei’s lingering morning grogginess vanished. His eyes lit up with excitement, and he couldn’t help but lean in, hungry for more juicy details.

"A childhood friend, huh... So that’s your relationship with Oshu."

"And this Eileen—she’s that archer in your party, right? The one with the amazing figure, probably an elf?"

"I remember she barely said a word at the Adventurers’ Guild last time. So that’s why you and Oshu have been fighting—because of her?"

Lin Wei all but transformed into a living gossip magnet, inching closer with eager anticipation.

Scandals within the hero’s party? Now that was far more entertaining than the usual adventurer drama!

Especially with one of the main characters right beside him—this was enough fun to last for days.

"W-who said I was fighting with Oshu because of Eileen?!"

Flustered by Lin Wei’s sudden enthusiasm, Iresha’s face flushed red as she waved her hands in denial, refusing to admit anything of the sort.

Jaw clenched and fists balled, she took a half-step back, cheeks burning with a sudden rush of anger at the thought of Oshu and the others.

"Oshu was the one who promised me—he said once we got to Lotai, he’d go explore the Pascal Labyrinth with me!"

"And after all this time, every single day he’s just been helping Eileen practice her archery—he’s completely forgotten about his promise to me! That’s why I’m so mad."

As if Eileen’s worth getting angry over? She’s just a busty cowgirl fluttering around Oshu all day.

"We’ve only known her for a few months, and already Oshu acts like I don’t even matter."

"I see how it is..."

So it wasn’t just that she was an elven archer—this was a classic showdown between the childhood friend and the fated newcomer.

Watching Iresha sulk beside him, cheeks puffed out in frustration, Lin Wei sat in the carriage, brimming with curiosity. His eyes sparkled with the thrill of speculation. ɴᴇᴡ ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀʀᴇ ᴘᴜʙʟɪsʜᴇᴅ ᴏɴ NoveI-Fire.ɴet

Come to think of it... conflict within the hero’s party could only work to his advantage.

Sure, after fighting side by side with Iresha, he’d managed to earn some goodwill from the hero’s team.

But that friendship was hardly set in stone—especially with the unpredictable Goddess Alicia possibly pulling strings behind the scenes.

So, with his relationship already established and his exposure risk kept low, the best way to ensure his own safety... was to keep the hero’s attention elsewhere.

In other words—stir the pot as much as possible!

Even a hero only has so much energy; he’s not some multi-threaded superhuman.

And what could possibly drain more energy and focus than dealing with girl trouble?

A fierce rivalry between the childhood friend and the fated newcomer, pushing their simmering conflict to a full-blown, irreconcilable mess.

In the end, Oshu would be so mired in his party’s love polygon that he’d have no time or attention to spare.

Perfect!

This plan was nothing short of genius.

With this scheme in mind, Lin Wei was already planning out his future life.

So what if the hero eventually managed to resolve the love polygon and gather his harem, just like in those tired old stories?

By then, Lin Wei would be comfortably settled in the Imperial Capital, far removed from their tangled mess. Their paths would never cross again.

Which meant... until it was time for his journey to the capital to begin, he’d just have to rely on Iresha to keep the hero thoroughly occupied.

"Sure, it’s easy to blame everything on Oshu, the hero," he said casually.

"But honestly... I think the real problem is that archer, Eileen."

With that, Lin Wei wasted no time stirring the pot.

He turned to Iresha, who was sitting beside him, looking puzzled, and launched straight into his analysis without a hint of hesitation.

"Now, I’m not exactly close with anyone in your party," he began, tossing out a quick disclaimer to avoid suspicion, "so I’m just giving you my take as an outsider."

"You and Oshu, the hero, have known each other since you were kids. In other words, you’re basically childhood friends—closer than ordinary friends, but not quite lovers."

"If, someday, things moved a step further and you two became a couple, it wouldn’t surprise anyone... Not that I’m saying it’ll definitely happen! I’m just analyzing the situation, so don’t get worked up—let me finish."

Iresha’s face lit up, about to protest, but Lin Wei cut her off, rolling right into his next point.

"Of course, I’m not saying you’re fated to end up together. But from the perspective of most bystanders, your relationship with Oshu is close enough that people would naturally assume that’s where things are headed."

"Even if there are others in the party with their own ideas, they’d probably think, ‘That’s Iresha’s hero.’ After all, you’re not just his childhood friend—you’ve also fought side by side as teammates."

"If someone knows all that, and still deliberately gets close to the hero—clings to him, even to the point of undermining the childhood friend’s relationship—then isn’t that just a blatant provocation? She’s obviously challenging you, right to your face!"

Lin Wei couldn’t help but marvel at his own talent for fanning the flames—he was reaching new heights.

Sure enough, as his words landed, Iresha’s expression visibly heated up, her cheeks reddening in real time. Sensing the opportunity, Lin Wei pressed the attack.

"To act like that as a teammate—it’s basically a slap in the face, city girl."

"With that kind of aggression, it’s not surprising the hero’s getting drawn in. Besides, I’m guessing that apart from your childhood friend bond, you don’t usually try to... you know, flirt with Oshu, right?"

"Why would I flirt with Oshu? We’re childhood friends!" Iresha frowned, utterly baffled by the suggestion.

"And that," Lin Wei declared, hands pressed together in mock solemnity as if he’d finally pinpointed her fatal flaw, "is exactly the root of your current predicament."

He didn’t give her a chance to protest, launching into the final stage of his mischief.

"Even childhood friends need to nurture their relationship. That status just means your initial favorability is higher, but once someone else starts interfering, that advantage fades."

"Oshu is human too—he’s going to respond to what’s around him. While you’ve been resting on your childhood friend laurels, Eileen’s been steadily making her move, getting closer and closer. I’d wager her favorability meter is nearly maxed out by now."

"If you just let her keep going without doing anything, even with your childhood friend title... Iresha, you’ll end up a loser in love."

You’ll end up a loser in love!

...A loser?

The carriage rattled along a stretch of country road.

Not far off, two black-and-white puppies played merrily by the edge of a field. Beside them stood a lone yellow dog, quietly watching, unable to join in.

"That damned cowgirl!"

Iresha spat the words through gritted teeth.

She still thought Lin Wei’s logic was a little strange—she didn’t even know what this "loser in love" thing meant—but just imagining Eileen daring to challenge her, daring to trample on her childhood friend status, was enough to make her blood boil!

"A childhood friend is a childhood friend for life! No matter what she does, Eileen can never have that."

Her reason for being angry might have sounded odd to anyone else, but Lin Wei didn’t dwell on it. His goal of stirring the pot was already achieved.

Watching Iresha fume, he could practically picture Oshu in the near future, desperately scratching his head in confusion as the party drama exploded.

Heh... hehehe... hahahaha... ahahahaha!!!

This was the terrifying cunning of Lin Wei, Demon Lord!

"I’ve got it," Iresha muttered, determination flashing in her eyes.

If Eileen really dares to look down on me and try to take my place as the childhood friend, I’ll deal with her when I get back.

But before that—remembering the real reason she’d come to find Lin Wei today—Iresha took a deep breath, rubbed her face, and turned to him. For once, her tone grew unexpectedly serious.

"By the way, Lin Wei."

"Hmm?"

Still basking in his own villainous triumph, Lin Wei looked over in confusion.

Then he saw the always-proud Iresha sitting beside him, legs demurely pressed together, her posture suddenly stiff and formal.

That beautiful, delicate face now seemed a little nervous, and Iresha spoke in a timid, almost whispering voice.

"About how I acted the first time we met... I was really rude. I don’t know what came over me—when I saw you, I just instinctively wanted to pick a fight. And then Oshu said those things, so I misunderstood and thought you were some kind of bad guy."

"So I treated you horribly and mocked you and... well, I’m sorry!"

To think she could actually apologize so seriously.

Lin Wei looked at her—head bowed, eyes glued to the floor, fists clenched in uncertainty. The memory of being saved in the labyrinth must have weighed on her, stirring up guilt over how she’d acted back then.

Heh heh!

"Don’t worry. I stopped caring about all that ages ago."

Since her apology was so sincere, Lin Wei waved it off with a magnanimous gesture, deciding to forgive her out of the kindness of his heart.

After all, he still needed her to keep the hero tangled up in party drama, to create the ultimate love polygon chaos.

If anything, he ought to be thanking her in advance for the entertainment!

"That... that’s a relief, then."

A gentle breeze swept across the fields, making her striking red hair sway softly.

Stealing a glance at Lin Wei beside her, Iresha finally let out a quiet sigh of relief, then quickly turned her gaze to the passing scenery outside the carriage.

Her fingers played with a lock of hair, and the corners of her mouth curled into a subtle, unreadable smile—lost in thoughts of her own.