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Chapter 531.1: Premonition (1)

Before the gates of the Ascarts’ manor, Roel and Alicia chatted in formal wear. Their impeccable appearances deemed them worthy of being titled the perfect couple.

Anna and the other maids quietly watched their interactions from a distance away.

Complimenting a lady on her dress-up was a compulsory module in the noble etiquette class. The iconic scene of Roel lavishing compliments on Alicia every New Year’s Eve had become the maids’ not-to-be-missed annual dose of idol drama.

It was no exception this year.

The maids keenly noticed Roel saying something that made Alicia blush, which made their curiosity blaze with fervor. Despite that, they upheld their professionalism and refrained from eavesdropping on their masters’ conversation.

They found it lamentable that they couldn’t get the juicy details, but they were happy for their young miss.

By the doorway, Alicia was facing a flood of emotions far greater than what Anna and the others could imagine. Roel’s earlier words told her that he was thinking about a future between the two of them.

For the longest of time, Alicia had tried everything she could to win over Roel, from inducing his lust via an injection of life force to having a heart-to-heart talk, but she had never been able to get him to affirm their relationship before. He had always escaped from the conversation using the excuse that she was still a child.

She was definitely glad to have Carter’s support for this wave of attack, but she wasn’t optimistic about the outcome.

It couldn’t be helped. Roel had viewed her as a younger sister who needed protecting for so many years that the notion was imprinted into his mind. Despite Alicia’s best attempts to change that impression, the results had been disappointing thus far.

That was why she backtracked to help Roel after clearly expressing her stance.

Much to her surprise, Carter’s words seemed to have gotten to Roel. The latter finally revealed his innermost thoughts, opening room for the advancement of their relationship.

“Alicia, I don\'t think that we should rush things before our feelings have matured. I believe that a relationship should be built on mutual acceptance instead of circumstantial coercion. I earnestly wish for your happiness, and that’s far more important to me than the continuation of the Ascart House,” Roel earnestly expressed his feelings.

He saw Alicia as someone whom he cherished, not a tool for reproduction. That was why he was strongly opposed to Carter’s suggestion of having them get together and bear offspring.

Alicia’s mood lifted upon realizing his intention.

The truth was that she wasn’t averse to Carter’s suggestion, but knowing that Roel treasured her more than the offspring he needed to have filled her with bliss. Just as what Roel had said, she would much rather have a relationship built on mutual feelings rather than pragmatism.

Her worried heart finally eased up, and her face reddened in embarrassment.

“L-lord Brother, I’ll support you if that’s what you think. Let’s put on an act before Lord Father for the time being.”

“I’m glad to hear that. May I have your hand now, Miss Alicia?”

Roel presented his hand to Alicia with a gentlemanly smile. The latter shyly nodded before resting her hand on his palm. Their heartwarming interaction induced heavy breathing from the watching maids as they silently offered their blessings to the couple.

Roel heaved a small sigh of relief.

I’ve managed to dissuade Alicia from having a child for the time being, but what should I do from now on?

He glanced at the ravishing silver-haired lady he was escorting.

There was not a fault that he could pick with her appearance, but he found it hard to imagine that she would be able to endure his onslaught with her petite frame, let alone bear a child.

Of course, Alicia was definitely much more resilient than how she appeared. She was a high transcendent possessing the Silverash Child Bloodline, after all.

Even so, he thought that it was too early for her to bear a child. She might have reached adulthood, but she was still in her development phase. Most important of all, he couldn’t bear to see her in pain.

Alicia noticed his conflicted expression and quizzically tilted her head.

“Lord Brother?”

“It’s nothing.”

Roel quickly cleared away those thoughts and continued chatting with her.

Carter soon came down the stairs to join them. The three of them got onto the carriages, with Roel and Alicia sharing one together.

Traditional social etiquette forbade adults of opposite genders from sharing a carriage, but Roel and Alicia weren’t mindful of it since they had grown used to it from a young age.

The maids and servants were aware of the breach in etiquette, but they were rooting for their relationship. None of them was so tactless as to remind them of it.

Carter also noticed his two children getting onto the same carriage as if it was the most natural thing in the world, and he shook his head with a helpless sigh. He found it baffling how they needed to be pressured for progress when they were already this close to each other.

Once the convoy was ready, the coaches cracked their whips, and the carriages began making their way to the church.

…

Ascart City had become famous in recent years due to its swift development, having overtaken its rivals to become the Theocracy’s second largest city.

The main cities of the Theocracy’s Five Eminent Noble Houses had always been large cities, second only to Holy Capital Loren, but Ascart City was previously seen as the group’s laggard due to its poor economic performance.

However, the policies that Roel had implemented during his stint as the proxy fief lord had significantly boosted the Ascart Fiefdom’s economic activities, ushering in an age of prosperity.

A greater volume of trade translated to an increased demand for labor, which exerted an upward pressure on wages. This should have attracted people to settle down in Ascart City, but much to Roel’s surprise, the growth in its population had been humble thus far.

A quick investigation into the matter uncovered that it was rare for the common populace of the Sia Continent to travel too far away from their hometown, let alone migrate elsewhere. After all, the environment here was very different from the globalized world of Roel’s previous life.

However, there was a sudden change in the situation a year ago, after the conclusion of the Theocracy’s internal war. The Elric Fiefdom had fallen from grace, and its territories were split amongst the remaining Four Eminent Noble Houses.

While the transition of power was taking place, there was a steep decline in the Elric Fiefdom’s internal security, leaving bandits free to act as they pleased. Many civilians feared for their lives and decided to migrate elsewhere. Naturally, the booming Ascart City, with its high level of security and multitude of economic opportunities, became their first choice.

The influx of people was welcomed by the Ascart House, for it complemented their greatest weakness—labor shortage. Ascart City enjoyed a rapid growth spurt, and it soon claimed its place as the Theocracy’s second biggest city.

A common problem that arose from an abrupt population growth was a strain on existing infrastructure, but the Ascart House was able to easily resolve the issue by tapping into Rosa’s connections.

An army of builders was swiftly dispatched to construct new houses and facilities required to support the new migrants, thus alleviating the issue.

However, there was one particular facility that the Ascart House had to pay extra heed to—the local church.

The Theocracy was a country built around the Genesis Goddess Church, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise that the churches in major cities had to be consistently reviewed to ensure that it always met the needs of the people.

In view of the huge population growth, Roel commissioned the construction of a cathedral to ensure that it could hold hundreds of worshipers at once. It became Ascart City’s first major landmark, greatly elevating its standing and influence.

On New Year’s Eve, devout worshipers would crowd the cathedral to pray for fortune and safety in the upcoming year. At the very forefront of the crowd was Roel Ascart, who sincerely prayed with his eyes closed.

Goddess Sia was the creator of all beings, as well as the origin behind one of his strongest abilities. Driven by his gratefulness and respect for Her, he didn’t slack off in his prayers at all.

The bishop standing at the very forefront of the cathedral relaxed his tense shoulders and heaved a huge sigh in relief when he saw Roel’s earnest attitude. Truth be told, he had been nervous as to how Roel would behave in the prayers.

It was not uncommon for Theocracy’s nobles to behave less than ideal in their prayers, such as scratching their heads or looking around. It went without saying that these were deemed as acts of disrespect toward Goddess Sia. To make things worse, the nobles were positioned at the forefront of the crowd, which made their actions awfully conspicuous.

As one of the bishops stationed in the Theocracy’s few major cities, the Ascart City’s bishop was a highly illustrious clergyman in the Genesis Goddess Church. Theoretically speaking, he could be considered an equal to the fief lord, Marquess Carter. As a matter of fact, he wielded the power to evict any nobles who acted indecorously inside the church.

But his authority seemed almost non-existent when the other party was Roel Ascart.

It was almost ludicrous how Roel possessed such a huge say within the church despite not being a clergyman himself, but it was not without reason. The rumors between him and Her Highness Nora were one thing, but more recently, he had achieved the spectacular feat of defeating one of the mythological Six Calamities.

There were whispers within the upper echelons of the church that Holy Eminence John was planning to confer him a saint. Sainthood was a huge deal in the Genesis Goddess Church, representing unparalleled honor and authority.

If a hierarchy of the church had to be created, the authority of a saint would be second only to the pope himself. It was a title that was conferred only to the deceased, and even so, there had only been a few conferments over the last thousand years.