Chapter 472 472 – Snapped Sana
When the morning prayer ended, I stood up and walked to the edge of the railing. My sitting position was perfectly lined up with the Goddess' statue so Ertha could see me. She smiled at me and nodded.
The other people also noticed me and bowed.
"Sir Arthur, are you going to…"
"Yeah."
I nodded at Sana, who called out to me. It was the perfect time to announce it formally.
A grand ceremony would mean nothing if there were no guests. I knew that Tris would love to invite only our friends, but I couldn't do that. I was a Paladin. And whether I liked it or not, any formal ceremony or event related to me would be big.
Eli looked at me curiously from the ground floor. She sat near the front area, probably thanks to the nuns coming with her.
As for Tris, she glared at me as if daring me to say what I wanted to say from the corner. Rania giggled beside her, and Sophia looked rather clueless.
The other three from my knight squad, including the newly recruited member, weren't with them. It seemed like they were placed anywhere else.
Anyway, she looked rather scary and embarrassed at the same time. I grinned at her and walked closer to the edge, spreading my arms.
"By the Goddess Teri's blessing, I thank you for attending today's morning prayer."
Everyone's attention turned to me at once without any exception. Being subjected to many people's gazes had become rather natural for me. It didn't even make me flinch.
"There is a little announcement that I'd like to make, so please give me your time for a little bit."
Whispers could be heard from some areas. They were curious about what announcement I would make.
In the past month, many things have happened in quick succession. The King's madness, charity event, terrorist attack, and even the new Queen's coronation.
And now, the Paladin wanted to make an announcement. That was why everyone became curious and wary at the same time.
"Don't worry, nothing happened. And I promise you that it doesn't involve anything dangerous. This is a happy announcement."
When they heard that, some sighed in relief while some beamed in a smile.
Eli also sighed, holding her head. Vivian patted her shoulders, seemingly to calm her down. I could hear her say that I must be really happy getting engaged to her and wanted to tell everyone about it.
She wasn't wrong. As expected of Vivian, the most understanding mom ever.
As for Tris… It was safe. Rania and Sophia held her back and calmed her down.
"Tomorrow, I will have an engagement ceremony with two beautiful ladies. I hope I will have the citizens' blessing and have you witness the moment. I invite all of you to attend the party. I shall pay for every food and drink for the whole day. So, vendors and citizens. Please enjoy it to the fullest."
Silence filled the cathedral for a few seconds before cheers erupted.
"Long live, sir Paladin!"
"We bless you!"
"May the Goddess blessing be with you!"
Ertha clapped her hands after putting the holy book between her armpits. She genuinely looked happy as her blue eyes twinkled in anticipation.
Both my fiancees looked at each other and could only sigh in defeat. They were no match for me!
I ended the announcement with a simple thank you and retreated back with Sana. We walked down the hallway and went to her office to discuss tomorrow's ceremony details.
Sitting on a couch, the first thing I saw was Sana's troubled face. She sighed tiredly and held her head, seemingly in pain.
"Are you okay, Sana?" I asked worriedly. Of course, I knew well that she held her head because of me. But that didn't stop me from asking.
"Sir Arthur… I am one of the few individuals in the church who know our monetary situation well. In fact, Her Eminence has trusted me with the position of a treasurer on top of an Archbishop."
"That's new. I didn't know you were the treasurer."
"Yes, I am. The discussion with King Cassius back then also happened because I was the treasurer. We did recover from your donation, and the government started to support us again. Our situation has turned normal, but…"
Sana suddenly raised her voice at the end of her sentence and jerked her head up.
"I need to say this clearly, Sir Arthur. I don't mind if you think I am rude or a woman with no etiquette."
"That's not what I think of you…" I muttered in defense, but she didn't hear it.
"However… You have been spending irresponsibly! The charity event took a lot from us."
"That's to heal the people."
"Not to mention, we also need to help the destroyed castle because you created such a huge hole. The administration between the government and the church is different, you know? It's different!"
'Ah, it's no use. She has snapped.' I thought as Sana kept scolding me.
"The money we spent was more than we gained from donations. Indeed, the income has also increased, but due to many operations and investigations, all of those troubles that happened in the past… We are in the red, Sir Arthur. In the red! Are you listening to me?! I am angry right now!
"And yet… Again… You make such an irresponsible claim to the citizens. We can do it, that's obvious. However, money isn't something that we should spend like that! We have prepared a grand ceremony. Any more than that is…"
"Sana, calm down." I raised my voice and patted her head. She immediately stopped and looked at me in disbelief.
"S-Sir Arthur, we're not done–"
"I understand all of that, and I apologize for that. However, because I understand it, I also have planned to add more donations soon. I do not love to see my ally fall due to my carelessness, you know? Though I had to admit I should do this soon. So…"
Saying so, I took out a million Golds from my inventory and dumped them on the floor. The clanging sound from the glittering coins soon filled the room, much to Sana's surprise and my amusement.
I grinned at her and said, "For now, these are a million Golds. Show me the warehouse, and I will add another 99 million. Will that suffice to make up for the loss that the church spent on my personal investigation and the ceremony?"
"That's…" Sana stopped, realizing that she was shouting. Taking a deep breath, she looked at me again, "That's more than enough, Sir Arthur. I… I truly apologize for shouting at you!"
"No, don't apologize. I knew that you were angry because I was also irresponsible. Let's see. How about we say that it's both our fault? Sounds good?"
Sana blinked twice before smiling. She looked better with that expression than a scowl.
"You're such an irresponsible man, Sir Arthur. But…" She stood up and suddenly kissed me. A sly smirk appeared on her face as she pulled away, "That's what I like about you."
At that moment, I realized. I've been had.
"A sly Archbishop. To think you would even scam me."
"Fufufu, whose fault was that, by the way?" She giggled playfully, tracing her finger across my chest. "Thank you for your hundred millions donation, Sir Arthur. We will use it responsibly."
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