CA - Chapter 81

Chapter 81

Cambecus left Eden in a rage. Even after getting into his carriage, he was still extremely displeased.

The knight drove the carriage to the Holy Son's manor and stopped it at the entrance. He then cautiously said to Cambecus inside, "Archbishop Cambecus, we have arrived at the Holy Son's manor."

Cambecus pushed the door open and stepped out, his anger already suppressed. He looked at the solemn and magnificent manor before him with a complex expression. As the first in line to succeed the Pope, the Holy Son's status in the Holy See was second only to the Pope himself. Furthermore, the Pope had recently gone into seclusion, clearly intending to transfer power to the Holy Son.

The Holy Son was young but exceptionally talented. However, that wasn't the fundamental reason he had ascended to his position. It was the Pope's favor and promotion that had allowed him to bypass senior archbishops like them and take the seat they had fought over for nearly a century.

By the time Cambecus entered the Holy Son's manor, he had already composed himself. Following the priest who was guiding him, he wore a gentle and benevolent smile.

When he entered the study at the priest's signal, the Holy Son was still handling church affairs. Hearing the sound, he glanced up and called out in a cold tone, "Archbishop Cambecus."

Cambecus bowed and greeted him warmly, "Your Highness, the Holy Son."

The Holy Son set down his quill and leaned back in his chair. His short silver hair shone dazzlingly in the moonlight from the window. He looked up at Cambecus, his unique golden eyes seeming to hide all his emotions. "You went to Eden again?"

Cambecus's smile froze. Before he could speak, he heard the Holy Son click his tongue and then say with indifferent concern, "Take care of your health."

Having just been "reminded" by Reese and now being shown concern by the Holy Son, Cambecus didn't know what kind of expression to make. He gritted his teeth, forced a smile, and said, "Thank you for your concern, Your Highness."

The Holy Son seemed not to notice Cambecus's strange expression. He nodded and said, "I heard the bishop's position in the Gosse Church is still vacant?"

Cambecus's heart skipped a beat. He discreetly observed the Holy Son and answered cautiously, "I have already chosen a candidate. I'm just waiting for the bishop's letter of appointment to be issued..."

He was interrupted by the Holy Son before he could finish. "Reese said she has a suitable candidate. Give it to her."

Cambecus's heart sank. His smile was strained. "But I've already submitted my letter of appointment. I'm just waiting for Her Highness the Saintess to stamp it." The Holy Son and the Holy Daughter managed church affairs jointly. Because of the relationship between the Holy Son and Reese, Cambecus had deliberately submitted the letter to the Holy Daughter for her signature.

But now it seemed Reese had interfered again.

Just as Cambecus had expected, as soon as he finished speaking, the Holy Son continued, "I have already signed the appointment letter. As for the one you sent to the Saintess, I will have someone retrieve it."

He waited a moment, but Cambecus didn't respond. He frowned and looked at him with displeasure. "Isn't the church in the Shas Principality also vacant? Can't you just transfer your person there?"

Of course not. The Gosse Church was his sphere of influence, as was the Shas Church. With the Holy Son's meddling, he was essentially handing over his influence in Gosse to Reese.

However, he couldn't refuse the future Pope. Cambecus took a deep breath and said with a smile, "Your Highness is wise."

The Holy Son accepted the compliment as a matter of course. He picked up his quill, intending to continue with his work. Seeing that Cambecus wasn't leaving, he asked, "Is there something else?"

Cambecus nodded. He twitched the corner of his mouth and said in a somewhat mysterious tone, "Your Highness, do you know who I saw at the Bill Church this time?"

The Holy Son frowned and asked quizzically, "Who?"

Cambecus smiled slightly, lowering his eyes to hide the coldness within them. "Archbishop Reese's twin sister, Priest Monica."

"Oh?" The Holy Son recalled something and said, "I remember Reese saying her sister's face was injured by a dark dagger, leaving a very ugly scar, which is why she couldn't be transferred to the Central Church."

"Archbishop Reese might have misremembered. Priest Monica's scar is on her forehead, and you can't even see it unless you look closely."

The Holy Son raised an eyebrow, lowered his head in thought for a moment, and said, "Is that so? Then I'll go and confirm it when I have time."

After Cambecus left the Holy Son's manor and got into his own carriage, the mask on his face finally fell away. He faced the window, lowered his head slightly, and a cold sneer formed on his lips. Did Reese really think no one could see her weakness? Did she think suppressing her own sister would hide her from prying eyes?

He would make that woman pay the price for her arrogance.

---

In a poor little town on the border of the Gru Empire and the Holy See's nation, there were many empty houses prepared for outsiders to stay, due to its sparse population and simple, honest folk.

Lucille led Tang Qiu into one of them. Although the house had been uninhabited for a long time, it was kept very clean, with only a light layer of dust.

Tang Qiu fought against her groggy consciousness and raised a hand, casting a cleaning spell on the room.

"Are you okay?" Lucille poured a glass of ice water for Tang Qiu, a hint of worry in her dark red eyes.

Tang Qiu pushed away the glass Lucille offered. She walked to the bed and lay down. The heat rising within her body made her breathing ragged.

The feeling of being consumed by lust was unbearable. Tang Qiu even wondered how she had managed to endure it when she was in heat. She raised a hand to undo the top two buttons of her collar. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Lucille standing far away by the window. She frowned slightly and beckoned to Lucille with her finger. "...Come here."

Lucille's gaze lingered for a moment on the faint blush at the corners of Tang Qiu's eyes and her dry lips. Only after hearing her urge again did she slowly walk over. Her arm was suddenly grabbed, and she fell onto the bed, following the blonde priest's pull.

Tang Qiu rested her head on Lucille's body and let out a heavy breath. To distract herself, she took the initiative to speak to Lucille. "Did you find anything suspicious at Rose Manor?"

Lucille propped herself up on her elbow, looking down at Tang Qiu, whose head was pillowed on her lower abdomen. She reached out to stroke her hair, then placed the back of her hand on her forehead to check her temperature. "No, it's just like a pleasure paradise for nobles."

"Oh?" Tang Qiu looked up and met Lucille's eyes, a flash of confusion on her face. "It's not for Vampires?" She had always thought that Rose Manor, while appearing to serve nobles on the surface, was actually a "paradise" for Vampires.

"No. The Vampires sell elves or priests for the nobles' pleasure." She paused after speaking, and the hand on Tang Qiu's forehead slowly moved down, caressing the reddened corner of her eye. She asked softly, "Have you thought about how to solve this?" She was referring to Tang Qiu's current state.

She had seen the blonde priest when she was in heat before, and her condition then was even milder than it was now.

The sensation from even the slightest intimate touch was infinitely magnified by her body. Tang Qiu subconsciously wanted to pull away, but in the end, she only raised her hand to grab Lucille's wrist. After a moment of silence, she sighed and said, "No." In truth, her thoughts were a bit chaotic right now; talking to Lucille was just a way to keep herself calm.

Lucille looked at the hand gripping her wrist and said calmly, "I can help you." Seeing Tang Qiu look up at her, she thought for a moment, then bent down and kissed the back of Tang Qiu's hand, averting her gaze. "Poison is fine... other things are fine too."

Tang Qiu's fingers curled slightly. She looked at Lucille, who was waiting quietly for her response with her eyes lowered. She tentatively reached out and touched her lips. A vampire's body temperature was very low, but for Tang Qiu right now, it was perfectly agreeable. She curled her lips into a smirk and said playfully, "What if I choose the former?"

Lucille looked up and met her gaze for a moment, then opened her mouth slightly to show her sharp fangs.

Although Lucille's expression was still cold, the act of opening her mouth to show her fangs was unexpectedly somewhat soft. The corners of Tang Qiu's eyes curved up slightly, and the frustration in her heart slowly dissipated because of Lucille. She reached out and touched Lucille's fangs, her smile very gentle. "So sharp."

Lucille: "..."

"Don't move." Lucille grabbed Tang Qiu's hand. Seeing that the gloom on her brow had vanished and her eyes had regained their brightness with laughter, she couldn't help but lower her head. Hot breath sprayed across her face. She pursed her lips and, under Tang Qiu's somewhat surprised gaze, gently kissed her lips.

The blonde priest's lips were very dry. Lucille savored the feeling for a moment, then slowly pulled back and said in a low voice, "You should drink some water."

Tang Qiu: "..."

Couldn't you have used your tongue to moisten them? Tang Qiu's expression was a bit strange. She touched her lips, where Lucille's scent seemed to linger.

Although it was a kiss as chaste as could be, it had inexplicably stirred her. Perhaps it was because the other person was Lucille?

Since when had she started letting down her defenses for Lucille, one by one, allowing her to reach a point where even a kiss didn't feel repulsive?

Seeing Tang Qiu lost in thought while touching her lips, Lucille, who had been quietly waiting for her response, began to frown. Her eyes darkened slightly as she asked nonchalantly, "Do you hate me kissing you?"

Tang Qiu came back to her senses and glanced at Lucille. The room was simple, and the kerosene lamp on the table was very dim. But no matter how dim the light, she could still clearly see Lucille's delicate and perfect features. She had always found Lucille beautiful, even after seeing many beauties of different styles on the continent of Statu.

Lucille's beauty had a hint of fragility, making one want to treasure it, but also making one want to destroy it.

Fortunately, Tang Qiu belonged to the former group.

"You call what you just did a kiss?" Tang Qiu let out a low laugh. She got up and sat on Lucille's lap, gently cupping her face with both hands. She lowered her head and kissed her lips directly, intending to show Lucille through action what a real kiss should be like.

Because her body temperature was constantly rising, Tang Qiu's kiss carried a fiery heat. Lucille subconsciously wrapped her arms around her waist. The hot breath made her thoughts a little sluggish. When a soft tongue probed into her mouth, the hand on Tang Qiu's back froze for an instant.

A hint of a smile flashed in Tang Qiu's eyes. She then closed them slightly, deepening the somewhat clumsy but definitely passionate kiss.

When the kiss ended, Tang Qiu pulled back a little, resting her forehead against Lucille's to observe her reaction. Lucille was still lost in the kiss. Seeing Tang Qiu pull away, she subconsciously leaned in, wanting to continue. However, Tang Qiu moved back again.

Lucille looked up at Tang Qiu, confused.

Tang Qiu rested her head on Lucille's shoulder, her voice tinged with a hint of teasing. "Are you the one who was poisoned, or am I?"

"...You."

Tang Qiu looked down at Lucille's hand resting on the bed, reached out to grab it, and squeezed it. She said with a smile, "Let me teach you what comes next, okay?"

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