“I’m quite happy.”
Roman nodded.
“Everyone here is very friendly, and Captain Rosetta has taken care of me in every possible way.”
Seeing the unintentional trust in Roman’s words, Lady Catherine’s brows furrowed slightly, but then she smiled at Rosetta.
“Thank you for everything you’ve done for Roman.”
“How could anything related to Your Highness ever be a bother?”
Rosetta clearly disagreed with Lady Catherine’s words, shaking her head in refusal.
“That’s right.”
Lady Catherine pulled Roman into her arms, stroking his hair while nodding in agreement.
“This child… is the most worry-free I’ve ever seen. Obedient, sensible, and considerate.”
Rosetta looked at Roman, buried in Lady Catherine’s embrace, and at Lady Catherine herself, whose expression was unconcerned. She found such behavior quite improper.
“Then, should I take Roman back to the Papal Palace now?”
Lady Catherine asked.
A few seconds later, Rosetta reached out her hand.
“Please, go ahead.”
The corners of Lady Catherine’s lips curved into a faint smile as she hugged Roman and walked past Rosetta.
It wasn’t a smug satisfaction, but rather a genuine longing to see her good child again—a happiness that couldn’t help but show on her face.
As the distance between the two and herself grew, Rosetta suddenly let out a melancholy sigh.
She stretched out her palm, and a round Magic Orb reappeared in her hand.
So… was Your Highness telling her not to do this again?
Silently tossing the Magic Orb into the air, Rosetta watched it, her gaze shifting from sadness back to determination.
As the Magic Orb dissipated, the Fire Cloud broke free from its restraints and escaped, just in time to settle above the Saint Key Knight Order.
***
“Good child, what do you want to eat tonight?”
With her ample, full chest, Lady Catherine asked with concern.
Noticing Roman’s gaze that had just fallen on her chest, she couldn’t help but tease.
“Do you want some milk?”
Back in Lily Territory, Roman had indeed developed the habit of drinking a glass of milk with every meal.
But at this moment, when Lady Catherine said it, why did it sound so strange…?
“A little.”
Roman finally answered honestly.
At his words, Lady Catherine’s eyes curved with a smile.
“Then let’s hurry back.”
With that, she took Roman’s small hand, and with a flash, they returned to the interior of the Papal Palace—to her own room.
“Can your Sacred Seal perform space magic like teleportation too?”
Upon landing, Roman asked in surprise.
“Mm.”
Tapping her lips, Lady Catherine thought for a moment before replying.
“Although I can’t use space teleportation as freely as the Holy Throne, I can manage a bit of the basics.”
“As for the principle, it’s probably about using the Stellar Mark I left in the room as an anchor point, then traveling to the anchor’s location with a spatial flicker spell.”
“I see…”
Thinking about his own Sacred Seal, Roman realized that, for now, the things he could do were still quite limited…
Lady Catherine studied Roman, who seemed deep in thought, and glanced at the open wardrobe nearby, filled with all kinds of clothes.
She let out a slow, heavy breath.
Every word Rosalind had said to her still echoed in her mind.
After all, that woman understood human desire all too well.
Lady Catherine herself was no exception.
In the end, she had agreed to her proposal.
“Good child, don’t move~”
Suddenly, Lady Catherine’s hands landed on his shoulders, a fragrant breeze drifting down from above.
“Just stand there. Don’t turn around, no matter what.”
“What are you doing?”
Roman asked curiously.
Then he stopped asking.
Because he heard the sound of fabric falling to the floor behind him.
At the same time, out of sight, Lady Catherine stretched lazily, relaxing her chest and drawing in her stomach, stretching her arms to ease the fatigue from her outing.
If not for the sound of fabric dropping, the scene before her would have been perfectly normal.
But as Lady Catherine unfastened the tie at her neck and her black gauze dress slipped to the floor, the atmosphere in the room changed completely.
Mature allure…
It was as if her flesh could no longer endure the constraints of Catherine’s conservative clothing and burst forth, soft white everywhere shining brightly in the setting sun.
From top to bottom stretched winding snow-capped peaks, with the occasional crimson blossom adding vitality to the snowy landscape.
Although her chest was still modestly covered by a ru sticker, it did little now.
Originally meant to prevent itching and sensitivity, it only made her even more sensitive.
Pressed against her skin, feeling the caress of air, it made her tingle as if electrified.
Holding the lacy edge of her undergarments, Lady Catherine slowly lifted her slender, toned legs, raising each foot in turn from left to right.
Then, with a sound as soft as a feather landing, she stood in the sunset streaming through the room’s window, covering her chest with one hand and the doorway with the other.
Below the snowy peaks was a lush forest returning to nature, like a paradise from legend—a few steps deeper and it opened into a broad, brilliant vista.
Now, she looked as beautiful as a goddess from myth.
Even without a single thread to cover her, she radiated a holy beauty.
It had to be said: Lady Catherine’s body was made for art.
Every inch overflowed with maternal grace.
If someone were lucky enough to capture her likeness, surely another Virgin Mary Portrait would be added to the Holy Light Church’s collection.
Unfortunately, Roman couldn’t paint.
Since Roman couldn’t paint, such things weren’t even worth imagining.
Gracefully reaching out, she ran her fingers through her damp, smooth black hair.
Lady Catherine thought for a moment, then spoke.
“Darling~”
“This is…”
Listening to Roman’s trembling voice, Lady Catherine slowly moved behind him, gently touching his shoulder.
“My good child, are you afraid?”
“Or have you forgotten the Promise between us?”
Promise…
Roman stared blankly for a few seconds, then suddenly remembered the scene from that day—when he’d acted spoiled toward Lady Catherine out of jealousy…
And then, the Promise he’d made with her.
‘From now on, whenever you come into my room, I’ll change my clothes for you to see.’
‘You help me pick my clothes. Whatever you want me to wear, I’ll put it on for you. That way, you won’t be unhappy, right?’
Feeling the hand lingering on his shoulder, Roman glanced sideways, seeing only a slender, white hand.
It was easy to imagine that from this hand upward, all the way to Lady Catherine herself, her whole body was just as fair and delicate…