Chapter 55: Has Yalise Been Too Idle Lately? Time to Find Her Something to Do!
Chapter 55: Has Yalise Been Too Idle Lately? Time to Find Her Something to Do!
The Holy Church—soon, could it really be within our grasp?
Trying to cozy up to Yalise, then have her inherit the Holy Church and bring it all under our control—is that your plan?
Veya’s usual grace and poise vanished completely at Lin Wei’s bold declaration. The sacred serenity in her eyes gave way to utter blankness, as if she’d just heard the most absurd thing imaginable.
Then, without warning, Veya burst into laughter—a sharp, incredulous sound that echoed through the room. Her smile only deepened, turning unreadable, as if she found Lin Wei’s words both ridiculous and fascinating.
“You really dare to dream, Lin Wei. Do you hate the current Pope that much?”
“Don’t laugh at me like that, it’s creepy,” Lin Wei retorted, utterly unfazed. “But yeah, I do kind of hate that useless Pope.”
He didn’t hesitate for a second before voicing his opinion.
“I mean, the guy’s both foolish and incompetent. He’s been in charge for two years and has managed to make enemies everywhere—he nearly lost the people’s support entirely! Honestly, I’d rather see my Veya as Pope, with me as the mastermind behind the scenes. If we were in charge, the Holy Church would be thriving by now… Just thinking about it gives me a headache from all the stupidity.”
“And Yalise? She’s clearly much smarter than the current Pope. Plus, she’s young—easier to guide, easier to control. By the time you two took over, the Holy Church would be leaking from every corner like a sieve.” “That’s when we’d swoop in, seize the moment, and restore the Holy Church to glory! With support from all sides, it would be ours in no time… Oww, hey! That hurts!”
Lin Wei didn’t even finish before a sharp pain shot through his cheek.
Veya, who had been laughing so hard just moments ago, suddenly reached out and pinched his face—hard.
“You’ve really got it all mapped out, don’t you?”
A flash of anger kindled in her sacred gaze as she shot him a fierce warning.
“Stop coming up with these ridiculous schemes. The current Pope only struggled because he had to take over so suddenly. He just hasn’t learned how to run the Holy Church yet.”
“He’s not some useless fool. Show a little respect to Her Holiness, would you?”
Lin Wei, the scoundrel. He actually wants to team up with the Saintess to seize control of the Holy Church.
Watching him lay out his plan with such earnest conviction, Her Holiness the Pope nearly burst out laughing from sheer exasperation.
If she didn’t know her husband’s fondness for wild, impossible plots, she might actually have believed he was serious about such a dangerous scheme—one that targeted the Holy Church itself.
Still, even knowing that, she couldn’t help but get angry at the way he described things!
“And another thing—if you so much as lead Miss Yalise astray, just wait until we get home. I’ll make you beg for mercy, and you’ll be crying before I’m done!”
“Do you have any idea who her father is? That’s Duke Perseus, the very man leading the Empire’s elite forces at the assault on the Northern Fortress.”
“If the Duke finds out a substitute teacher is getting this close to his daughter, he’ll break your legs on the spot and bury you in the Imperial City’s walls.”
Honestly, letting Lin Wei come to the Imperial Capital was a mistake. He’d barely stepped outside and already gotten so close with Yalise?
If he stayed here any longer, he’d be flirting left and right, getting into all sorts of trouble—and when that happened, nothing would be able to stop the chaos.
“Okay, okay, let go! That really hurts!” Lin Wei protested, wincing as she pinched him harder. “Yalise seems well-mannered and kind. Her father can’t be that unreasonable, can he?”
“Try it and see for yourself,” Veya shot back, not loosening her grip.
Of course, Lin Wei never really expected his wife to believe any of this.
After all, in her eyes, he was always a troublemaker—a reckless adventurer with a head full of wild ideas.
Secretly helping his wife get a promotion was one thing, but plotting to take over the Holy Church? That was just pure fantasy.
And yet… that was exactly why Lin Wei always managed to surprise her.
“All right, all right. I’ll drop the Holy Church takeover plan. For now, I’ll focus on convincing Yalise to help you get promoted.”
Lin Wei gently pried his wife’s hand off his cheek, his teasing expression finally fading into something more sincere.
Looking straight at Veya, he spoke with rare seriousness.
“My relationship with the Saintess really is pretty good. I did save her life, after all. Getting along with her makes life in the Imperial Capital much smoother for me. Besides, as a way to thank me for vouching for her, she asked me to accompany her into the labyrinth—and I agreed.”
He paused, his tone softening.
“You’re always working, never able to come home. Sometimes, I just want to see you a bit more, you know?”
“Mmm…”
The words made Veya turn her face away, unable to hide the faint blush that crept up her cheeks.
The usual chill in her eyes melted, replaced by a sudden, rapid thumping in her chest. For a moment, she felt almost guilty—ashamed to meet his gaze.
So this was Lin Wei’s true reason all along?
Back when they’d gotten married, she’d never imagined her work would get so overwhelming. Now, they were lucky to see each other once a month. Even for a contract marriage, that was pushing it.
Besides, Lin Wei didn’t seem to harbor any improper intentions toward Yalise.
It really was just about borrowing her influence to help Veya land a better position—maybe so they could have a little more time together at home.
But Yalise…
Maybe she could help keep an eye on Lin Wei for me?
Veya drummed her fingers against the mattress, a new idea forming.
Lin Wei would be living in the Imperial Capital for quite a while. With his looks and abilities, it was only a matter of time before some troublemaking women tried to get close to him.
If she didn’t have any warning, by the time she realized something was wrong and tried to fight back, it might already be too late.
“Yalise spends most of her time at the Imperial Capital’s Magic Academy when she’s not at the Holy Church. If I ask her to keep an eye on Lin Wei and report anything suspicious, then even if some vixen tries to make a move, I’ll know right away and can act before it’s too late.”
“That’s right… This might actually be a pretty good plan.”
Pope Veya’s trademark brilliance kicked in at once.
The plan was solid, and as long as she executed it carefully, nothing should go wrong.
As for the risk of Yalise betraying her trust—please, the girl wasn’t even of age yet. That kind of thing was still far off. Most likely, Yalise only got along with Lin Wei because she admired his experience as an adventurer.
Yes, as long as Lin Wei didn’t take an interest in her, everything would be fine. Veya glanced at the bedsheets, now in no shape to be used.
She bit her lip, then—unable to hold back her frustration—suddenly lashed out and gave Lin Wei a hard kick.
“You jerk!”
If it weren’t for the fear of other women making a move on you, would I have to rack my brains like this?
You only care about having your own fun, don’t you!
“Hey, what was that for?”
Lin Wei yelped, genuinely aggrieved by the out-of-nowhere kick.
I’m doing all this for your sake, and this is how you treat me?
NTR, is that it?
Maybe you really do need to taste the pain of being stolen away, just for the punishment!
“I’m heading back to the Holy Church.”
Now that her energy was fully restored, it was time to return to work at the Holy Church.
After all, she’d been away for quite some time. Her secretary was probably getting suspicious by now, and besides, there were plenty of other affairs that needed her attention.
“Slipped away to the labyrinth before your punishment was over…
And then sneaked out of the Holy Church again while you were supposed to be facing consequences?”
It seemed she’d been a little too lax with Yalise lately. The Saintess had grown far too idle for her own good.
If that’s the case, then it was time to find something to keep our future Pope busy.
“As for my promotion, I’ll handle it myself. No need to ask Yalise for help,” Veya declared, her voice crisp and decisive. “And as for your relationship with her… it’s fine to be friendly, but if you so much as think of making a move on a minor—”
She raised her hand.
“I’ll crush you. Personally.”
The look in her eyes left no room for doubt. Lin Wei’s body jolted, and he nodded so vigorously it was almost comical—like a pecking chick. In that moment, he was absolutely convinced Veya wasn’t joking.
“Hmph. Now help me tie my hair.”
Seeing her husband so obedient, Veya let out a satisfied snort before turning to pick up her clothes, holding them out for his assistance.
“Mm… tie your hair, right.”
The smooth, pale skin of her back still held the faintest flush from earlier.
No matter the angle or the touch, she was irresistible in every way.
Lin Wei moved behind her, gathering her hair in his hands. Suddenly, it struck him—after today, who knew when he’d see her again?
“Can I have another half hour with you?”
He hesitated for a moment, then decided to give her a little warning.
“Eh?”
Veya was caught off guard. Before she could react, the hand that had been gently running through her hair paused, then pressed softly against her shoulder. The next instant, those golden, sacred eyes of hers flew wide open in shock.
She clapped a hand over her mouth, her voice trembling and flustered, eyebrows shooting up in alarm.
“I—I have to get back to the Holy Church, Lin Wei!”
Next time, I’ll need to prepare two beds, won’t I?
Staring at the sheets, now in no condition for sleep, Lin Wei couldn’t help but think so.