Marriage With A Suspiciously Demure Husband - Chapter 25

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 25

“Ma’am?”
“Oh, there’s no rush. Take your time—you’ve been working hard since morning.”
I soothed the maid, whose enthusiasm had been bubbling over since dawn.
“Not at all! I’m always delighted to be of service to you!”
Her energy surged even higher at my reassurance.
All in all, it was a bright morning.
After a quick toilette, I took breakfast in the Hotel and stepped outside.
My destination was none other than the Temple.
…….
“Director? Why are we here……?”
Nizela trailed off, clearly bewildered.
Of course she would be. This was my first visit to a Temple as well.
The Temple housed those who served the divine and wielded Holy Power—a place devoted to the sacred. They don’t turn away practitioners of Black Magic like myself, though I suppose the understanding is that one makes a proper donation.
That last point being the operative one.
It seemed clear enough: money was the great equalizer.
“To pray, of course.”
Nizela’s expression shifted to something even more unfamiliar.
I can’t say I was thrilled about being here myself.
As I’d just admitted, this place was antithetical to my nature—hardly a source of comfort.
Yet somehow, trapped as I was, I’d found myself seeking it out anyway.
I thought that perhaps prayer might settle the chaos in my mind.
Whatever his true nature, missing Noah now that we were apart would be a bald-faced lie to deny.
I wanted to see him, but perhaps he was relieved not to have to perform the act anymore, even for a little while.
That was something I wished for—and also something I didn’t.
It was this very confusion that had driven me to come here.
In short, I’d wanted to pray away my lingering attachment.
My brief reply made Nizela’s expression even more nuanced.
I understood.
Not once since becoming my secretary had she visited a Temple.
I curved my lips into an elegant smile and stepped into the Grand Prayer Hall.

* * *

Passing beneath ten colossal white pillars, I felt a chill so sharp it made my body quiver.
It was unavoidable.
My form, whether I willed it or not, was saturated with Black Magic from the moment of my birth.
A passing Priest sensed the clash between his Holy Power and my aura, and his gaze found me.
I smiled sweetly and offered a bow in greeting; after a moment, he returned the gesture in kind.
I crossed the broad corridor and entered the Grand Prayer Hall—open to all—where I thrust a fistful of Gold Coins into the central alms box.
Inside, the coins already piled high enough that my offering made only a soft clink-clink instead of a clang.
I knelt in place, hands clasped, indifferent to whether my dress grew soiled.
Nizela whispered urgently from behind—”Director!”—but I had already squeezed my eyes shut, calling out to an unseen god.
‘Lord, I beg you to hear my prayer!’
Grant me a dense, oblivious secretary, help Annie safely move her assets, keep Dylan’s errand simple!
Let today’s Guild representatives’ meeting pass without incident.
My past crimes against Kailus’s subordinates, my embezzlement of shadow funds—I know I deserve punishment, yet I have made a Donation befitting the offense.
Can you not find it in yourself to pity me?
I died living a life of overwork, clawed my way back to change my fate—surely I cannot be left to walk this path alone?
Surely the Divine has compassion enough to… to understand my anguish?
Please, I implore you, grant my prayer, fulfill my earnest wish.
If you hear me, I swear to make offerings quarterly, nay, monthly.
Holy Lord, merciful Lord.
Please, I beg of you, lengthen my days.
I promise to live a virtuous life henceforth.
And, and…….
And once I manage to escape safely, Noah and Kailus will lose interest in me, their affection will wane, fade away…….
“Oh, goodness.”
Without thinking, I bit my lip.
After steadying myself again, I finished my prayer.
Let them drift away. Let me be forgotten like this.
I pressed my clasped hands tighter together.
“…Grant me this, O Divine One.”
Before I rose, I lifted my head to gaze up at the massive sculpture before me.
Whether it was the sunlight pouring in or a sign that my prayer was being heard, the stone figure’s brow seemed to gleam.
I carefully brushed dust from my dress and stood.
And while I was here at the Temple, there was another safeguard I needed to put in place before I left.
I couldn’t miss such a perfect opportunity.
“Nizela.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Would you mind waiting outside for a moment? I need to see the Priest briefly.”
Nizela hesitated, looking as though she meant to ask why, but instead simply nodded and stepped back.
“Of course. I’ll wait outside, then.”
“It won’t take long.”
After Nizela left, I approached the Priest, who was tidying things in a corner of the Grand Prayer Hall.
“Excuse me, Priest? If you don’t mind, might I ask you something?”
The Priest, who had been busily arranging chairs and objects, straightened his bent back.
He started slightly at the sight of me, but soon his face softened into a warm smile.
“Ah, hello there. What can I help you with?”
“Well…….”
I stepped a bit closer to the Priest. He tilted his body toward me, leaning in to listen.
I seized the moment and asked.
“I heard that if you become a regular patron of the Temple, there are special benefits. Is that true?”
“Ah, Regular Patronage! Yes, there are various benefits depending on the duration—your name will be engraved on a large monument in the Central Garden, you’ll have access to a private prayer chamber, and you may use the Grand Prayer Hall at any time. Most importantly, the High Priest himself bestows a Blessing upon you once each month.”
“I see, yes, I see.”
It was nothing but a litany of useless benefits.
I was forcing an awkward smile when the Priest’s face brightened, his eyes sparkling with enthusiasm.
“Are you interested in Regular Patronage? If you’d like, I can provide the necessary documents at once. It’s quite simple—just a signature—and if there are no issues, you’ll receive your Patronage Certificate within a week. There are several methods of Donation: you can visit each month and contribute directly, or the Temple can withdraw a fixed amount monthly from a bank account linked to a vault…….”
The Priest rattled off the information as though reciting insurance terms.
“Priest, I appreciate the detailed explanation, truly. But is there any other benefit? Something related to safety, perhaps, or anything of that nature……?”
At that, the Priest’s eyes widened. His gaze grew sharper.
His voice dropped to barely above a whisper.
“Are you facing some kind of threat?”
I looked around carefully, then nodded slightly.
“Not to that extent yet… but there are concerns I have.”
“I understand. There is another benefit: during your Regular Patronage, you may remain within the Temple at any time, and you will receive Divine Protection.”
The answer I wanted had come.
If my memory serves, this was the method Lily once used to shield Ginger from Kailus.
I’d heard that few among even those who held Regular Patronage knew of this benefit.
In fact, many people didn’t even know that formal Regular Patronage existed—they thought donations were purely voluntary.
The Temple was beyond the Emperor’s reach, so protection within its walls was absolute.
Of course, the Temple refused Regular Patronage to those who had committed coups or heinous crimes.
The Divine Protection came with a major drawback: while under its aegis, one had to live much as the Priests do—in prayer and simplicity.
But it still beat having my head on the chopping block!
It was wise to prepare a refuge, just in case.
After all, every escape route might eventually be sealed off.
I spoke with the Priest quietly and swiftly, then signed the Patronage Certificate and left.
“Well, shall we go?”
“Ma’am, are you finished?”
Nizela, who had been waiting for me, turned around with a bright smile.
I nodded and extended my hand to her.
Nizela extended both hands, confusion written across her face, and I placed a silver Brooch no larger than a fingernail into her palms.
The Priest had pressed it into my hands moments before as a keepsake.
“Ma’am, what is this?”
“A gift. The Priest just gave it to me. Now, let’s really go.”
And with that, I left the Temple with a heart far lighter than when I had entered.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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