The Saintess Returned to the Emperor’s Arms Chapter 148

I Grew Up This Well

 

Riela, who had been listening from behind as Bishop Ludovico confessed, could no longer endure it and fled out of the underground prison as if escaping.

 

Herhan immediately followed after her.

 

He supported the staggering Riela and guided her to a bench nearby.

 

There, leaning against Herhan, Riela struggled to catch her breath for a while.

 

Even as she filled her lungs with cold air, her chest burned as if she had swallowed fire, making it hard to bear.

 

“I knew it. I knew the bishop must have done it. So I… I…”

 

Not even knowing what she was saying, Riela poured out her emotions like a burst dam, and Herhan simply held her quietly.

 

His embrace was warm and firm.

 

Feeling that she would always be safe within it made her relieved—yet at the same time, a wave of sorrow rose again.

 

She was safe, but her mother had not been.

 

With no one to rely on, she had fought alone, and died protecting her all by herself.

 

How scared she must have been. How painful, how unfair it must have been…

 

“What do you want me to do? Just say the word.”

 

Herhan’s broad hand gently patted Riela’s shoulder.

 

“Shall I kill the bishop right now? Burn the entire temple down?”

 

Even knowing that he wasn’t joking, Riela didn’t feel like stopping him.

 

She clenched her pale fist tightly, trembling.

Then Herhan’s hand, which had been on her shoulder, moved down and wrapped around her small fist.

 

As if to say: the anger is mine to carry, so don’t suffer too deeply.

 

Just then, Amelia, who had rushed out, met Riela’s eyes.

 

“Your Majesty the Empress…”

 

“…”

 

Amelia’s expression was just as painful as Riela’s.

 

Both of their eyes were red with the same sorrow.

 

But burdened with guilt, Amelia couldn’t step any closer and instead lowered her head weakly.

 

Riela, too, couldn’t completely let go of her resentment toward Amelia.

 

The distance of barely twenty steps felt like hundreds.

 

Even the moment from this very morning—when they had laughed together like sisters—felt far away now.

 

Amelia turned away from Riela.

 

‘How could I possibly face Her Majesty…’

 

Not knowing what Ludovico had done in the past was no excuse.

 

She herself found it unbearable and shameful—so how much more must the Empress feel?

 

“Priest Amelia.”

 

At that moment, Riela’s voice came from right behind her.

 

Amelia froze in place, unable to turn around.

 

She tightly shut her eyes, bracing herself for harsh scolding or anger—

 

“…You’ve worked hard.”

 

But instead, those gentle words made Amelia collapse before Riela.

 

She had offered her cheek, ready to be slapped—only to be struck with flowers instead.

 

And Amelia realized that this was a far crueler punishment than any beating.

 

“Y-Your Majesty… I… please, kill me. I am not worthy of your kindness.”

 

“Amelia.”

 

“I couldn’t protect Priest Yvonne. And I hid behind ignorance while walking the wrong path. Please, do not forgive me!”

 

Amelia’s devastated voice echoed out.

 

Riela waited until Amelia finished speaking, then after a long pause, delivered the punishment she had decided on.

 

“Alright. I’ll give you a punishment. Priest Amelia, I sentence you to lifelong exile.”

 

“Yes. Wherever it may be, I will go and spend my life atoning—”

 

“Return to the Central Temple.”

 

Amelia’s eyes widened in shock.

 

It wasn’t unusual to confine criminals to the temple, but sending a priest like her back there was something entirely different.

 

“Y-Your Majesty! That is too much for me. Please, let me stay here and be punished alongside Bishop Ludovico instead!”

 

“No. Why would I do something that benefits you?”

 

“…Pardon?”

 

Startled, Amelia lifted her head and finally met Riela’s gaze.

 

Riela was glaring at her, her eyes filled with tears yet firm with resolve.

 

“Why should I lock you in prison? Then what happens to the temple? There are still things that need to be set right there. The priests involved must be captured, the descendants in the camps must be cared for. And Yvonne…”

 

Struggling to keep her composure, Riela continued.

 

“What about my mother? Shouldn’t the truth of her death be made known? Shouldn’t her injustice be cleared, and what she tried to achieve be fulfilled?”

 

“Your Majesty, I…”

 

“So go back to the temple. Go back and take responsibility for everything and set it right.”

 

As Amelia lowered her head again, another voice gave a firm command.

 

“Obey the Empress’s order, Priest Amelia.”

 

It was the Emperor.

 

“Keep your promise to take responsibility for rebuilding the temple. Restore the honor of my Empress’s mother as well. And when everything is resolved, if you still wish to be punished, I will consider a harsher sentence then.”

 

Amelia could no longer protest and quietly closed her eyes.

 

Yesterday, they gave the wounded soldiers a potion of forgetfulness.

 

Today, they were giving her a chance at atonement disguised as punishment.

 

It was a grace far too great.

 

The only way to repay it was to fulfill the mission given to her until the very end.

 

“I understand. I will obey the command of both Your Majesties.”

 

* * *

 

As soon as Amelia returned, the reorganization of the temple moved forward very quickly.

 

She created a document detailing all of Bishop Ludovico’s atrocities and revealed it to the world like setting off a bomb.

 

Priests across the nation unanimously agreed to impeach Archbishop Ludovico, and decided to leave his final punishment entirely to the imperial family of the Elschweig Empire.

 

“Even execution is too lenient for Ludovico. There are plenty of empty cells—just give him a life sentence.”

 

Though it seemed like Jess was showing mercy for once, there was, of course, a different intention behind it.

 

“Sir Jess. What exactly have you been doing in the prison lately?”

 

“Would you like to hear?”

 

A faint madness flickered in Jess’s eyes as he answered Riela.

 

“How detailed would you like it? Are you okay with hearing about bodily fluids? Though the bloodshed might be a bit much—”

 

“Jess.”

 

“Well, what’s wrong with that? It’s just a story of research driven by pure academic curiosity and a tale of justice being served, Your Majesty.”

 

“Still, keep your mouth shut. Don’t dirty Riela’s ears.”

 

Herhan cut Jess off, though his own gaze remained just as cold.

 

“Of course, make sure the punishment is thorough.”

 

“Yes. I will obey. I guarantee Ludovico will think a hundred times a day that it would’ve been better to die.”

 

The priests who had followed the alliance alongside Ludovico met similar fates.

 

Those who had directly participated in the drug experiments were imprisoned in the temple’s camps.

 

They were no longer called by their noble priestly titles, but by prison numbers.

 

They were treated like beasts as their crimes were investigated.

 

After the interrogations, they were given injections that took away their ability to speak and think—

 

the very same method they themselves had used on the descendants of Enril.

 

Amelia, together with young priests and holy knights, began to discuss once more how to handle the descendants of Enril.

She followed “Yvonne’s will,” which said that the temple must not treat them unjustly.

 

“My mother’s will…”

 

Riela murmured as she held the temple reform plan Amelia had personally written and sent.

 

“From now on, no one will be forcibly confined to the temple just for being a descendant. They will no longer be treated as criminals. Those currently in the camps will regain their freedom as soon as their treatment is complete.”

 

Just as Asion explained, Amelia’s reform plan began with these words:

 

[From now on, the Central Temple will lay down all authority and serve and help the descendants from the lowest place.]

 

That single sentence— it pierced deeply into Riela’s heart.

 

This must have been what my mother so desperately wanted to achieve.

If only the world had supported this a little sooner… perhaps my mother might still be alive…

 

As her fingers traced the words on the paper, a sudden wave of sorrow rose within her.

 

“I’ll excuse myself for a moment.”

 

Trying to hide the tears welling up, Riela cleared her throat and stood up.

 

“Your Majesty…”

 

Asion’s worried gaze followed her, but Herhan simply stood with his arms crossed, his eyes fixed on the desk.

 

* * *

 

“Riela.”

 

“Ah, Your Majesty.”

 

Herhan entered the bedroom an hour later.

He had intentionally given her time alone to compose herself—but perhaps it hadn’t been enough.

 

Sitting at the tea table by the window, looking outside, Riela’s eyes were still red.

 

Seeing her subtly trying to hide her tearful nose, Herhan lightly tapped the tip of it.

It meant she didn’t need to hold back in front of him.

 

“I’m fine. Really.”

 

Herhan gently wiped the still-damp corners of her eyes with his thumb.

Even so?

 

“What’s wrong with this? Everyone cries at least this much when they talk about their mom.”

 

It wasn’t entirely wrong, but regardless,

Herhan preferred seeing Riela smile rather than cry.

 

So he sat across from her and held out a scroll he had been hiding behind his back.

 

“What’s this?”

 

Tilting her head, Riela accepted what he offered.

 

“Hm. Is it a love letter?”

 

Playfully opening the scroll, Riela’s eyes widened.

Soon, they filled with sparkling tears again.

 

How could she cry so easily in an instant?

Half flustered and half exasperated, Herhan wiped her tears.

 

“I gave that to cheer you up, and you’re crying again?”

“Then how could I not cry after seeing this? I just said it—people cry when it’s about their mom.”

 

Riela replied, her voice full of emotion despite her protest.

 

What Herhan had given her was a portrait of Priest Yvonne.

 

“Amelia sent it a few days ago.”

“Then why are you giving it to me only now?”

“To use it at a time like this—to comfort you.”

 

Herhan said it casually, but there was another reason he had waited.

 

The portrait Amelia sent had been so old and worn that it was barely recognizable.

Having been hidden away for so long, its condition couldn’t have been good.

 

“Oh dear. What should we do? Won’t Her Majesty the Empress feel even sadder seeing this? This is the only portrait left, and it’s in such condition…”

“Call Elias.”

“Yes? Elias… Ah, you mean the painter currently working on Your Majesty the Empress’s portrait.”

 

The painter was immediately brought in by Asion, and Herhan placed Yvonne’s portrait in front of him.

 

“Can you restore it?”

 

It sounded like a question, but it was really an order—and a threat.

 

“I’ll give you two days.”

“I-I’ll do it!”

 

The painter, who had already endured many of Herhan’s difficult demands while working on Riela’s portrait, managed to accomplish the task.

 

Before the final touches, he proudly presented the restored portrait to Herhan.

It looked just like the faded original, but much brighter and clearer.

 

There was only one part he hadn’t completed.

 

“The corners of the lips are completely worn away, so I’ll have to redraw them. How should I do it?”

 

Herhan stared at Yvonne in the painting before answering.

This would be the first and last time Riela would see her mother’s face.

 

So—

 

“Draw her with a bright smile.”

 

As he gave the final instruction, Herhan ordered that the added details must be completely unnoticeable.

 

The reason for all this effort was, of course—

 

“My mother… my mom…”

 

At last, Riela’s face was smiling peacefully and happily.

That was what all of this had been for.

 

“My mom is really… so beautiful. She’s even prettier than me. Right, Your Majesty?”

 

‘No. To me, you’re much prettier.’

 

Herhan didn’t truly agree, but he nodded anyway, as if he couldn’t help it, just to go along with her.

 

“I look a lot like her. No… I take after my mom.”

 

“Yeah.”

 

“And she’s smiling so brightly. She must have been really happy when this portrait was made. Right?”

 

“Yeah. I guess so.”

 

Keeping a perfectly straight face, Herhan agreed seriously, then added—

 

“Wouldn’t she still be happy even now? You’ve grown up so beautifully and fulfilled her wish.”

 

At those words, Riela pressed her lips tightly together.

 

‘Oh no… did I make her cry again?’

 

Startled, Herhan reached out to wipe her cheek, but he didn’t need to.

 

“That’s right. My mom would be happy. Because I grew up well like this and I’m loved.”

 

Riela nodded with the brightest, strongest expression she had shown yet— and smiled so beautifully.

 

* * *