The Angel

The glow of the Sacred Spring illuminated a silhouette so faint it was nearly invisible, possessing a tall, slender frame and three pairs of holy wings.

As if sensing that surging intent to kill, it slowly averted its gaze from the youth, tilting its head slightly to look at the woman clad in the red robe.

The moment Julia saw the angel's hideous face, she recognized its identity.

“Seraph!”

It was that noble Seraphim who served by the side of the Lord!

“Young Cardinal,” Seraph spoke, its rumbling voice echoing like distant thunder.

Hearing the voice, Lu Li subconsciously looked up and was startled by the incredibly hideous angel hovering above him.

“Julia...” he stammered, his voice trembling.

Even though he knew it was an angel and would never hurt him, a wave of dread still washed over his heart.

For no other reason than the sheer ugliness of the angel. Although its body structure seemed no different from an ordinary woman's, its face looked as though it had been charred by roaring flames. Its features were completely indistinguishable, leaving only twisted lumps of flesh.

“Don't be nervous,” Julia said soothingly, casting a glance at the panicked youth before looking back up at the Seraph in the sky. “Seraph, you seem to have come to the wrong place.”

“Hehehe... I merely sensed the Sacred Spring boiling and grew curious enough to take a look.” Seraph lowered its head as it spoke, its indifferent gaze fixing onto the breathtakingly beautiful youth.

Under its malice-filled gaze, the hairs all over Lu Li's body stood on end, and a terrible premonition suddenly welled up from the depths of his heart.

Although there were indeed legends about the hideous appearance of angels, the angels of this world were not only ugly, but also radiated an ominous aura from head to toe.

Could it be that the extraordinary power of this world... was of that type?

Cannot be looked upon, cannot be described, cannot be heard...

If so, that would be truly disastrous.

At that moment, the hideous angel spoke again, saying to the boy whose eyes were filled with wariness, “Child, are you willing to return with me to Heaven, to return to the Lord's embrace?”

Return to Heaven? Return to the Lord's embrace?

Lu Li froze, feeling as though the blood in his entire body had turned to ice. Return to Heaven? Return to the Lord's embrace? It sounded pleasant enough, but wasn't that just a fancy way of telling him to die?!

Perhaps the former Lucrezio held a devout devotion toward that mysterious Lord, but Lu Li did not; he was not religious at all.

“Forgive me, but I must decline,” Lu Li answered with extreme caution. “I believe... compared to the merciful Lord, the Holy Court, having just lost its Pope, needs me more.”

Hearing this, Seraph seemed somewhat regretful. It shook its head, saying with a touch of pity, “What a pity. The Lord would surely have liked you.”

With that, its figure gradually dissolved into the moonlight until it vanished completely.

Did it leave?

Looking up at the night sky, Lu Li let out a long sigh of relief. It was terrifying; that unvarnished malice had nearly suffocated him. Fortunately, it had been nothing more than a scare.

“If Your Highness the Holy Son is finished bathing, please come out.”

Julia's distinctive voice rang out from nearby. Lu Li looked toward the sound, noticing a profound meaning in her gaze as she watched him.

Did she notice something?

Lu Li said nothing, only returning a gentle smile.

Then, he slowly walked toward the bank, step by step, gradually rising from the water.

The crystal-clear spring water slid slowly down his body, from his chest to his waist, then from his waist to his thighs. With every inch it receded, a thin, glistening layer of moisture was left behind on his skin.

With his long hair draped over his shoulders, the wet strands clung to the nape of his neck and contoured the curve of his shoulder blades. Complemented by his calm expression, he did not look disheveled in the slightest; instead, he radiated a divine splendor.

In the end, the youth stood completely naked before the Cardinal.

Julia picked up a dry towel that had been prepared nearby and took a step forward. After a brief hesitation, her fingertips gently parted the youth's hair, beginning to dry it for him.

“You've changed,” she said softly, her expression complex.

Lu Li smiled, offering the excuse he had already prepared in his mind: “Everyone has to grow up eventually.”

Grow up?

Yes, everyone had to grow up eventually.

For a fleeting second, Julia seemed to see the scene of her first meeting with the young Lucrezio.

Lucrezio back then was still a tiny little thing. Julia had anticipated her first meeting with the young Holy Son for a very long time; she had long heard that the Holy Son was a sweet child who would greet everyone with a warm, sugary voice.

Yet, when it was finally her turn, the pint-sized Holy Son shrank back and hid behind a pillar, only daring to peek out and look at her warily.

She believed she had put on the gentlest expression of her life, but she had still frightened the child.

Lord! Please forgive her sins.

Gradually, clarity returned to Julia's eyes. She tried to coordinate her stiff facial muscles into a smile and whispered, “Yes! Little Lucrezio has grown up.”

Her smile was hideous, her facial expression as rigid as a long-dead corpse. Lu Li's lips twitched, and he quickly lowered his head. He couldn't look at it; it was truly unbearable to watch.

She's a pretty girl, but why does she smile like a funeral portrait?

Still unaware of Lu Li's inner thoughts, Julia continued to meticulously dry the moisture from his body.

But when the towel brushed against that area, her hand paused slightly, and the tips of her ears began to burn. Despite her flushing face, she still performed the ritual meticulously.

Only after she had draped the holy white robe over the youth's shoulders did Julia finally breathe a sigh of relief.

“May the Lord bless you.”

After offering a quiet prayer, Julia summoned the female attendant who had been waiting silently outside and handed the youth over to her.

“Take His Highness to rest,” Julia instructed the attendant before turning her gaze back to Lu Li. “Rest well. Once I return, I will personally crown you. The ceremony will be very long, and if you don't wish to make a fool of yourself in front of the citizens, you had better get some proper sleep.”

So the citizens of the Holy City would all come to watch?

Lu Li was silent for a moment, then nodded obediently. “I understand. I won't disappoint you.”

Seeing his obedient and sensible demeanor, Julia could not help but feel a touch of gratification, but she quickly suppressed this emotion. She knew very well that this might be the last gentle conversation they would ever have. After tonight, everything would be irreversible.

But she had no regrets.

Watching the youth's back as he walked away with the attendant, she turned around decisively. The tenderness in her eyes vanished, replaced by a cold, resolute gaze.

Julia returned to the temple, where the knights stood at attention, swords in hand.

“Cardinal, everything is prepared.”

“I will ask one last time: I will not stop anyone who wishes to back out.”

Her gaze swept across the neatly lined-up queue of knights. These were her trusted aides who had followed her from the very beginning, and this time, she would personally send this squad of knights to hell.

“We will gladly die for you, Cardinal!” the knights answered in unison, not a single face showing fear.

“Very well. Then I declare the commencement of Operation Angel Purge!”