The Villain's Redemption

"As expected, people from the church are inside the Larsen Family's lands. They are checking travelers and on the watch for two males traveling in the lands." Mo Li gave his 'pregnant' wife fresh milk that he just got from the owner of the lodging house. "Anyway, we can easily bypass the security and sneak into the castle. If you want to."

"Tell me about the stories outside of the castle. What are they saying about the Sybill?"

"The church is still saying that you got sick." Mo Li sat across her. "In the head. That the Sybill is ill. They didn't say anything about the Sybill running away though."

Rhea nodded. Right now, the church didn't know how to handle her. After all, she already showed them that she was different from the previous Sybills. However, in the coming days, they would say that she attacked the bishop and run away.

They would then say that she was actually a spy sent by the Empire of Humans. This would only make the atmosphere between the three empires became more volatile. One mistake and war could happen.

"You are a knight, yes?" she asked, and he nodded in response. "Then your family. If they knew that— "

"They won't be able to attack my family." He assured her.

"Why is that?"

He only smirked in response. "I will tell you after we reached your family's estate."

She squinted in response but decided not to inquire anymore. "Then, maybe you can help me with something?"

"What is it?" He stood and look out of the only window inside the room.

"Can you spread more rumors about Sybill? The more extravagant the better."

"You wanted everyone to keep treating Sybill as a goddess?

She nodded. "Yes." Once everyone will think she is a goddess, the church would find it hard to fabricate a sin against her. How could they treat a goddess like a criminal?

"Tell them that the Goddess will visit her family."

"You will— " Mo Li stared at her, his gaze full of questions.

"Make it as high profile as possible," she smirked. "How could the church do something to me in front of the people who worshiped me?"

"That is indeed true. Then I will take care of that." Mo Li said. "But you know this would be dangerous, right? If the church realized that they no longer have control over you, they will kill you."

"Of course they will. That's not really the question, you know. The real question is if they can kill me."

"My…" Mo Li snorted. "So unbecoming of a goddess to speak like that. "

Her lips thinned. She didn't want to continue talking. For some reason, the fact that she knew Mo Li was not human made her reveal a little bit of her real self. This man could actually make her act like her real self.

How dangerous.

And yet, a part of her still wished to know what he really was.

How could he make her lower all the guards that she had? She watched as Mo Li left the room before she finished her milk and decide to sleep again. Traveling while pretending to be pregnant was not really as simple as it looked, ah. After all, she needed to pretend to be pregnant even while she sleeps.

When she woke up, it was already afternoon.

She smiled when she saw Mo Li was already inside the room. "How is it?" she asked.

"I did it. I also prepared our things. We will go to the city. Today."

"Today?"

"There is a festival. We can take advantage of that."

This made Rhea ecstatic. A festival meant there will be a lot of people coming in out to celebrate!

Isn't this brilliant?

It didn't take the two thirty minutes to leave the lodging house and went inside the walls of the Empire.

The first thing that they did was to register their names, then find another place to stay. To Rhea's surprise, Mo Li only took a few minutes to sort out everything.

"A villa?" Rhea stared at the bungalow in front of her as she straightened her back. The moment they arrive in this part of the city, Mo Li asked her to remove the clothes from her stomach. She immediately heaved a sigh of relief at the absence of the uncomfortable costume.

She tilted her head towards Mo Li, wondering what he was thinking when he chose this place. It was surrounded by bamboos. Something that she seldom saw since she arrived in this world. She immediately noticed the wooden floors and paper walls that made the place looked a bit old. But a part of her actually liked it.

"You don't like it?"

"No… I was expecting a little more… humble."

"Humble?" Mo Li scoffed before he held her hand and pulled her inside the villa. "How could the goddess say something like that?"

Rhea didn't say anything. Instead, she stared at the group of maids bowing towards them. What is going on?

Surely, they aren't bowing towards her, right? Right? She lifted her gaze and looked at Mo Li who was smiling at her.

"Welcome, your highness, I immediately prepared this villa just as you instructed."

"Thank you, Corvus." Mo Li nodded at the man.

It was as if an enormous boulder hit Rhea in the head. Her eyes widened at Mo Li. Your Highness? He was a… Royalty? Rhea didn't even look at the man who welcomed them. Her mind was too chaotic to notice that the man was wearing a knight's uniform.

"You—"

"Let's go to our room?" Mo Li smiled at her, he was still holding her hand so he easily leads her to one of the rooms in the villa. "Before you say anything else, please listen to my explanation." Mo Li said as he let her sit in one of the velvet chairs in the room.

Or maybe this isn't a room. The place was big, complete with its own dining table and a living room. She couldn't help but wonder if this was really a separate villa?

"Speak," Rhea said. What she hated the most was being used by other people. However, she actually used this man first. So, she thought it was fair. However, she knew that whatever was coming from his mouth could actually change her plans.

"I didn't exactly lie to you. I just concealed my real identity." Mo Li said. "First, let me introduce myself. I am the Second Prince of the Empire, Prince Li from the Mo Family."

...

I was finally able to write again for this novel!