The thing Roman feared most about Sylvia was that, even after doing plenty to displease her, she could still use enough logic to convince him.
Like the words she spoke now.
He imagined what would happen if, on his day of coronation, the current Holy Child directly betrothed him to Luo Xiya.
One thing was certain—his identity as Holy Child was already greatly resented by the Nobility.
Even if Sylvia threatened and reasoned with them publicly today, at most she could only suppress them for now.
As the first male to break through the lower rank limit and directly possess the Source Saint Mark bestowed by Fara, it was impossible not to be envied or even hated by them.
If Sylvia truly betrothed him to Luo Xiya, both of them would immediately become the focus of the entire Continent.
That was terrifying.
He might be able to pretend nothing happened under Sylvia’s protection, but Luo Xiya would absolutely not escape unscathed.
After all, she too belonged to the Noble Class.
Facing the pressure and rejection of the entire class, even if Luo Xiya was carefree and unrestrained, she would inevitably be affected.
It was like the social violence of his previous life—silent coldness could still destroy a person.
Luo Xiya would be completely ostracized by the Nobility.
Even if someone was willing to be close to her, their motives would be simple—to use Luo Xiya as a bridge to him.
After all, even if they hated him, putting aside his extraordinary talent, a boy like him would be cherished by many women.
There was only one way to break this situation.
Absolute power.
In today’s Yanglight Continent, Sanctuary meant absolute strength—a true symbol of Nobility.
Across the entire Continent, there were less than ten Domain Transcendents, and even counting non-humans and Dark Domain monsters, the number didn’t exceed fifty.
Compared to the masses of people with Noble titles, Sanctuary was the real mark of Nobility, and the way to escape worldly troubles.
Recalling the agreement between Sylvia and Luo Xiya, Roman couldn’t help but feel a bit uncertain.
Had he really misunderstood them?
“You probably also want to ask why I would betroth you to Milis as well, don’t you?”
Sylvia continued.
“The reason is simple. The Cathedral cannot have two Holy Children.”
Roman realized that when Sylvia spoke of Holy Child here, she meant the child of the Goddess.
“Normally, the next Pope is chosen from among the Cardinals, but with a Saintess present, it doesn’t have to be so complicated.”
“According to the original plan, Milis would undoubtedly become the next Pope of the Holy Light Church.”
“But your appearance made the Cathedral possess two Holy Children for the first time ever. That means you and Milis would become direct rivals.”
“The Holy Light Church would lose its former stability. Those who were unwilling to support Milis would consider turning to you, helping you seize the Papal throne in the future.”
“Child, do you want to participate in such a competition?”
Of course not…
Roman shook his head decisively.
“So I used a delaying tactic to temporarily ‘betroth’ you to Milis. This means there is no competition. Even if you reach Sanctuary soon, you would only be Milis’s ‘virtuous support.'”
Roman disliked this statement, frowning in silence.
“But, child, you must understand, this is all fake. I also know Milis. She has no interest in men, so how could she do anything to you?”
“Just endure these three turbulent years, and if you wish to pursue true love, I won’t stop you.”
“And the promise I made before still stands. Tomorrow, you can return to Lily Territory and reunite with them.”
These words were truly both reasoned and emotional, making Roman’s firm resolve begin to waver.
But soon, he felt Sylvia’s words were too optimistic.
“You said it yourself—everyone hates a man like me. If the Nobility is so, are the big figures in the Cathedral really above it all?”
Sylvia only smiled slightly.
“That’s a good question, but you should think deeper.”
“Is it really all bad if a man becomes Pope? Are there no advantages?”
She walked to Roman’s side and leaned close to his ear.
“If Milis becomes Pope, with her character she might be even more iron-fisted than me, which would be good for the Cathedral’s prestige, but life for them would be harsher.”
“But if you become Pope, their survival space would expand. They might even grow bolder…”
Detecting the stereotype in her words, Roman snorted in displeasure.
“If I really became Pope, if any of them dared defy me, I’d have them all executed one by one.”
Little did he know, his forced ferocity only made him look like a bristling, tsundere kitten to Sylvia—no real threat at all.
Sylvia couldn’t help but laugh, feeling the distance between herself and Roman shrink once more, her tone becoming more casual.
“A female Pope is obviously in their best interest, but if a man does become Pope, it brings a different kind of excitement for them.”
“Unless your personality rivals Milis, you won’t be able to control them. They won’t just seek profit from you, but will approach you with ulterior motives, using benefits as a bridge to build closer ties.”
“That’s reality. If you become Pope without the decisive nature that Milis and I have, you’ll only become fat prey for them to covet. Everyone will scramble to offer themselves to you, because while men are not rare, a beautiful child Pope like you is unprecedented.”
“Did you understand everything I said?”
Roman hesitated for a moment, but finally nodded, temporarily accepting Sylvia, his expression and manner less resistant.
“I can also tell you one good piece of news.”
Sylvia continued, wrapping her arm around Roman’s shoulder.
“Want to guess?”
Roman’s ears twitched, curious but not responding immediately.
What a wary kitten…
Sylvia thought.
“In Lily Territory, you must have other important people besides Luo Xiya, right?”
She asked casually, causing Roman to blush.
Lady Catherine, Head Maid Elise, and that adorable little cat Cake—all flashed through his mind…
“Lady Catherine will arrive in the next two days.”
Sylvia said.
Under her gaze, the darkness on Roman’s face melted away, a faint smile appearing like a thawed glacier in spring.
Sylvia pursed her lips, her expression stiffening slightly.