Though Ludwig looked momentarily surprised by this sudden outburst, he quickly assessed the situation when he noticed the red stain that had seeped through the back of Florencia’s dress. He calmed the flustered girl and brought her inside, seated her somewhere warm and soft, then knelt down to meet her eyes and whispered softly:

“Congratulations, Laura. Starting your period means you’re growing well and becoming a mature lady. You’re no longer a child, so I won’t speak down to you anymore.”

Ludwig was an extraordinary person who knew everything, no matter what young Florencia asked. This time too, he perfectly reassured the trembling girl. Finding some light, soft cotton cloth from somewhere, he even made menstrual underwear for Florencia himself.

“……From now on, this will happen for a few days once a month. When it does, don’t be alarmed, just fold it like this, secure it, and use it.”

‘Father Ludwig really knows everything and is truly kind!’

Though she felt relieved thinking only that at the time, still, to seek out a young male priest for such a matter…… What must Father have thought of me! Florencia felt so embarrassed whenever she recalled this incident that she wanted to hide.

“I keep regretting that incident. The more I think about it, the more embarrassed I feel……”

“Laura, don’t think that way.”

Ludwig, who had somehow approached the bed, gently embraced her head and shoulders.

“I was truly grateful that you came to find me then.”

“……”

“I hope that when you’re having a hard time or are in trouble, when you have nowhere to turn, I’m the first person you think of. Whenever that is, as long as you come to me……”

“……”

“I will always welcome you with a smile. Saying, Laura, you’ve come, welcome.”

“……”

“I am your home.”

At his words, Florencia couldn’t say anything, feeling a heart-wrenching emotion as if something inside her was melting away.

How could she not love such a tender lover?

No matter what Father does to me, I could never hate him.

Florencia gently raised her arms and embraced his waist in return.

“Father Ludwig…… I really, really like you.”

She had come right after morning classes ended, but time with him flew by, and it was already late afternoon.

“Laura, are you really going to leave?”

“I’ll come again tomorrow morning. You’ve been very busy lately, Father.”

In truth, Ludwig had been extremely busy recently. The aging Pope’s strength was weakening day by day, and they desperately needed him at Elysium Temple. Though he had declined and postponed several requests to come to the Temple, most of the actual work was already being handled at his level. He often spent nights in his office reading and approving various documents he had been entrusted with.

But…… Not yet.

He took Florencia’s slender wrist to gauge the amount of holy power accumulated inside her. Filling a person’s body with sacred power, like a vessel for holy power, required extreme caution. Though he had filled her with quite a lot through their continuous relations, it was still not enough to safely take her to Elysium.

“Do you have something busy to attend to today, Florencia?”

“Actually…… I’ve been taking care of someone lately.”

“Taking care? You are?”

Ludwig wore a puzzled expression.

“There’s an abandoned garden behind the Academy annex where no one goes. It’s a place I sometimes visit when I want to be alone…… A few days ago, I found an abandoned kitten there.”

Though the door to the unused garden was firmly closed, there was a small hole at the bottom of the crumbling wall where it had been deeply dug out. It was a space that only someone as small as Florencia could pass through. After discovering it by chance, she often went there when she wanted to rest away from other students.

The kitten she found in the abandoned garden one day had a pattern that was half white and half black, and was so small and weak that it needed care.

Meow~

“Poor thing. Where did your mother go, leaving you here alone? Kitty, would you like to eat this?”

Since then, Florencia began bringing sausages, cheese, eggs, and the like from her evening meals to feed the kitten.

“That must be cute.”

“Now when I go to the garden and call its name, it comes running with a meow, and it’s so adorable.”

Holding back from saying “you must be cuter,” Ludwig smiled lightly.

“Have you given the cat a name?”

“Yes, Ruby…… I call it.”

For some reason, Florencia blushed shyly.

“Hmm, the cat’s eyes must be red?”

“Pardon?”

In fact, Ruby was derived from Ludwig’s name, but……

Feeling that naming a cat after Father’s name seemed somewhat irreverent, Florencia simply nodded.

* * *

The next day was a holiday. As promised to Ludwig, Florencia visited the Temple in the capital early in the morning and encountered a familiar face at the main entrance.

“It’s been a while, Miss Florencia.”

“Saintess Elisabeth? How are you here……”

It was Saintess Elisabeth, whom she had met at the conference held in Stefain.

“I came to see Ludwig. Have you been well?”

“Yes, and you, Saintess?”

Elisabeth, whom she hadn’t seen in a long time, was still beautiful as if she were glowing. She smiled brightly and lightly placed her hand on Florencia’s arm as she opened the Temple door. At a glance, it looked like she was helping push the heavy door, but Florencia felt a strange discomfort from the action.

“……Saintess?”

“It seems we both have business with the same person, so let’s go in together, Miss Florencia.”

Elisabeth’s face, as Florencia turned to look at her, still wore a faint smile.

“Wasn’t it cold outside, Laura?”

Ludwig, who had been happily greeting Florencia as she entered the door, noticeably stiffened when he saw Elisabeth following behind her. Of course, this lasted only a moment before he quickly showed a sociable smile and observed proper etiquette.

“……Ella, you must have had a difficult journey.”

“Pretending to be glad when you’re not.”

Though Florencia was beside them, Elisabeth didn’t bother hiding their informal relationship. She spoke dismissively as she passed by him and sat in a chair. Ludwig’s face showed momentary anger that he suppressed, but he soon turned to Florencia kindly.

“Laura, I have matters to discuss with Saintess Elisabeth. If you don’t mind, would you go inside first?”

“Yes, Father. Then, Saintess, I’ll see you next time.”

“It was nice to meet you today, Miss Florencia.”

As soon as Florencia’s footsteps faded after quietly closing the door, Ludwig completely erased the smile from his lips.

“What brings you here without any notice?”

His voice flowed with an icy coldness, but Elisabeth seemed accustomed to such situations and remained composed.

“You change completely as soon as the little saintess leaves. You must want to show only your good side to her?”

“……Don’t change the subject, Ella.”

“If you want to hear the main point, I came because of Elysium’s affairs. His Holiness the Pope wishes for you to enter the Temple as soon as possible. He knows there’s not much time left.”

She sighed lightly.

“You know it’s not me but you who should be at His Holiness the Pope’s side in Elysium Temple right now.”

Ludwig didn’t answer and began preparing to brew tea. Though it wasn’t particularly busy work, he seemed quite focused, moving around for a while before speaking without turning around.

“I’ll go when the time comes. I just don’t think that time is now.”

“Why, because of the little saintess?”

“Drink this.”

He spoke curtly and set down the teacup with a clatter, but when hot water droplets threatened to splash as he tilted the teapot, he raised his arm to shield her.

“Thank you, how considerate.”

Elisabeth picked up the teacup with an intrigued expression and first inhaled the subtle aroma.

“Hmm, raspberry tea. Is the little saintess menstruating?”

“I just brewed what was available.”

“How ridiculous. You’ve never enjoyed raspberry since you were young. Lavender, perhaps, but not this.”

“……”

“It’s fine, my cycle is coming soon too, and I quite like raspberry’s astringent taste.”

Ludwig sat awkwardly in the chair opposite her, not looking at her. But as if not bothered at all, Elisabeth drank her tea with an expression of truly enjoying the tea time.

“……She’s become very pretty? Your little saintess, I mean.”

“She was always pretty.”

“Don’t play dumb, Ludwig. You know what I mean.”

Elisabeth’s voice, which had maintained a faint smile throughout, finally took on a sharp edge. Though Ludwig’s expression didn’t change, she asked in a low, pressing tone:

“What exactly have you done to that girl?”

“What do you mean, ‘done’? She said she wanted to become a saintess, so I’m simply providing the appropriate education.”

He was still calmly pouring tea into his own cup. Elisabeth looked utterly incredulous.

“Ha, education? You might fool others, but don’t think you can deceive me too, Ludwig.”

“……”

“Do you think I don’t know what you’re plotting, deceiving an innocent girl who knows nothing with your talk of ‘education’?”

Ludwig finally raised his head and looked at her directly.

“If you know so well, then why are you asking?”

“……”

“You’ve always been like this. If you already know what I’m thinking, then you can also guess all the ugly things I’ve done to that sweet girl. Right, Elisabeth?”

Elisabeth’s expression changed at his self-deprecating words.

“Don’t you feel sorry for her at all?”

“……”

“Ludwig, you’re truly a terrible bastard.”

Though he knew her voice was trembling unlike her usual tone, Ludwig picked up his teacup nonchalantly.

“You don’t need to tell me that. I know it very well myself.”

“Did the little saintess…… Did Florencia consent to this?”

“……”

Her expression showed that his silence confirmed what she had expected.

“Of course not. Unless she was insane or stupid, how could she follow along if she knew?”

“……”

“Well, seeing that she still trusts you, she must be innocent to the point of foolishness. Doesn’t she have any family?”

“……Only those who barely qualify as family. She has a younger brother, but he’s about to leave for somewhere far away.”

“You’re ruining Florencia’s life. She’s different from us. She has the right to live her own life! The happiness of ordinary people who can make honest vows of love before God, be joined in blessing with someone, experience the joy of becoming a mother by giving birth to a child of her own blood, and build a new family.”