My Past Life is Riddled With Many Sins - Chapter 33

Caught off guard, Regina glared at the theology professor. Of course, Yekarna had not been faultless. Yet, being scolded by someone she had never met, 200 years later, was far from pleasant.

“Student Heather, why do you look at me with such an expression?”

The theology professor who had given an impassioned speech asked, somewhat taken aback. She quickly softened her expression. She feared a demerit point for her less-than-attentive attitude in class.

“The Great Empress’… atrocious acts made me involuntarily furrow my brow.”

To survive, Regina swallowed her pride. The professor’s previously furrowed brow relaxed immediately.

“That’s right! I understand, Student Heather. I too was so outraged when I first learned of these facts that I couldn’t sleep.”

That much?

She roughly nodded along, attempting to move past the conversation, when the professor gave her a probing look.

‘Uh….?’

What’s with that expectant gaze?….was what she wanted to say. But she instinctively knew the answer. That was the look of someone wanting verse 2.

Unable to withstand the silent pressure, Regina forced herself to speak.

“Ye, Yes. The shock was such that I lost all appetite.”

The professor, now fully engrossed, crossed his arms and closed his eyes as if to say, ‘Go on.’ To an outsider, it might seem as if he was savoring music. Deciding to just go with it, Regina stood up from her desk and slammed her hand down.

“The Great Empress’ greed not only caused misery for Grand Duke Eidenberg but also robbed us of an opportunity for theology to advance! Such history must never be repeated!”

A loud clap echoed through the silent classroom. The professor was applauding.

“It’s not easy to criticize the Great Empress so directly. You’re unusually brave and possess a devout faith. Well done. I’ll remember you, Miss Regina Heather.”

Facing the professor’s intense gaze, Regina struggled to maintain her composure.

Devout faith, indeed. Given Yekarna’s bold actions toward Friedrich, who was destined for the temple, one might guess she lacked any real piety. Regina felt the same.

Despite the professor’s look as if he had found something favorable in her was ominous, Regina felt relief. It was better to be seen favorably than to receive demerits for displeasing the professor instead.

“I understand your efforts to address the wrongdoings of Emperor Yekarna, but we must not forget the respect and courtesy due to the imperial family. In that sense, as a professor, I have no choice but to give you a demerit for Miss Heather’s conduct.”

Regina froze on the spot. Despite her best efforts to appease the professor by condemning Yekarna’s actions. What is with this demerit point?

Visions of Skyler gesturing for her to come to the dean’s office flashed before her eyes. With seven demerit points leading to a mandatory meeting, she was now five steps closer to that dreaded encounter.

The professor, seemingly pleased with himself for having settled the matter, changed the subject with an air of satisfaction.

“As you all know, His Holiness Valenti is the youngest Pope ever elected, having become a priest at the age of seven…”

As Regina absentmindedly listened to the ensuing praise of the current Pope, she gradually came to reality. Though infuriated by the professor’s attitude, she recognized it was useless to protest.

Giving any bad attitude could earn her another demerit point, pushing her even closer to an unwanted meeting with Skyler. She decided to stay calm and focus on the lecture.

The current Pope was regarded as a beacon of light by the temple. Almost as if he was sent by God to counterbalance the imperial family.

Given that three of the seven Electors who possess the power to appoint the Emperor are Ecclesiastical princes, the Empire is as much governed by divine authority as by imperial authority.

The founding Emperor’s being crowned by the pope set a precedent, marking the Empire’s history as a continuous struggle between the crown and the temple.

During periods when the crown held powers, Emperors would replace, imprison, or even publicly humiliate Popes. Conversely, when the temple was dominant, Popes would depose Emperors, lead them around like dogs, or force them to plead naked for days. This exchange of ‘cordial’ relations of kneeling and begging for the revocation of their excommunication

It was not a lie to say that Yekarna’s interference with Friedrich’s path to the temple and prevent him from serving in the temple, was not without intentions to keep the temple in check

The unique bond between the Emperor and the pope was eventually settled by agreeing that ‘three of the seven electors who influence the selection of the emperor would be Ecclesiastical princes, and the selection of the pope would require the Emperor’s consent.’

This agreement essentially meant that each held leverage over the other. However, the reality was they were constantly eager to trample the other and gain the upper hand whenever an opportunity arose.

During Yekarna’s reign, fortunately, there was a lack of exceptional talent in the temple, allowing for a relatively smooth rule as the Empress. But the current generation’s Emperor was not so lucky.

Of all people, he faced a rival in the Pope who not only possessed the strongest divine power among all predecessors but was also young. The mere thought was exhausting.

‘If only he was older, he might die sooner.’

When facing an invincible foe, one could only hope for their natural death, but this pope was far from reaching that point.

‘I don’t think he was much older than me Twenty-three? Twenty-four?’

Given the Emperor was approaching his fifties, it was clear the Emperor would depart this world first and leave it to his heir, the Crown Prince. Thus, posing a long struggle for two generations of father-and-son.

Although it was irrelevant to her now, as she was not part of the imperial family or even a citizen of the Empire any longer, she was still bothered by the temple’s influence and felt a twinge of concern as their ancestors.

Realistically, she didn’t have the means to offer any help.

“I don’t know if there’s anyone here who dares to criticize His Holiness Valenti, but when I first saw him, I thought I had died and gone to heaven. Such was the sanctity and beauty of his appearance. His black hair looked as soft as velvet…”

Lost in thought for a moment, Regina realized the professor had moved on to praising the Pope’s appearance. She quietly tuned him out, internally arguing that the Enfield imperial family had its share of notable figures too.

The thought of enduring more lectures reluctantly brought a wave of mental exhaustion.