As it turns out, Dolosa really was overthinking things, because at this very moment, Liang Lai was sprawled out on the bed in a big “大” shape, sound asleep, practically nodding off the instant her head hit the pillow.
Liang Lai slept enough for both herself and Dolosa.
The next morning, Liang Lai held Dolosa’s hand and took her to get “registered.”
All along the way, Dolosa clung tightly to Liang Lai’s hand, nerves stretched taut.
At a time like this, she didn’t mind Liang Lai at all; if anything, she wished the other would just scoop her up so she could bury her face in that soft chest.
“This child is just too shy. She must have suffered a lot.”
Liang Lai still held onto this thought, completely oblivious to anything unusual.
When the morning dew still clung to the rose windows, Liang Lai was already standing with Dolosa in front of the stained-glass doors of the [Holy Registry].
The round building, known as the Dew Archive, was covered in glowing vines, each leaf rustling in the morning breeze, recording the names of the clergy.
“Third Saintess.”
The registrar, dressed in a mint-green robe, looked up from a pile of parchment, a single crystal monocle perched on his nose.
“The adoption procedure requires first—”
“Yes, yes, I know, we have to test for crystal resonance!”
Liang Lai jumped in to answer, unconsciously twirling a lock of hair around her finger.
Last night, she’d secretly flipped through the Adoption Ordinance for Holy Clergy and learned that the adoptee’s blood needed to produce a halo reaction on the Saint Crystal.
Suddenly, Dolosa gripped her Holy Robe’s belt tightly and buried her little face in the crook of her arm.
The testing table was carved from a single slab of Moonstone, with a small silver plate shaped like an angel placed on top.
Liang Lai thought the design looked familiar, and then realized the angel’s open mouth revealed a few sharp fangs, just like the creepy decorations sold at the hardware store by her apartment.
“Please have the child—”
The registrar glanced at Dolosa’s tattered clothes.
“Drip your blood onto the center of the Angel Plate.”
Dolosa’s body trembled violently.
Liang Lai felt a sharp pain at her waist, and looking down, saw the little girl’s eyebrows furrowed, her back arched like a startled cat.
Just as she was at a loss, the crystal wind chime at the door suddenly jingled.
The air filled with the scent of cedar and myrrh as thirteen priests in crimson robes filed in.
The crosses on their foreheads glinted piercingly, and the hems of their robes were embroidered with blood-red thorns.
It was the Crimson Cardinals.
“Today we are conducting a spot-check of adoptee qualifications.” The leading Bishop’s voice grated like rusty gears.
“Please cooperate.”
Liang Lai hadn’t even had time to react before Dolosa was suddenly hoisted into the air by some invisible force.
The Bishop aimed the Black Crystal Cross in his hand at the little girl’s forehead, and at the center of the cross, an Eye of Blood snapped open.
Its gaze swiveled, then suddenly locked onto Liang Lai.
“Third Saintess, you—”
“I found her behind the Confession Hall!” Liang Lai blurted out, “In that storage room with the brooms!”
The moment she finished, she wanted to smack herself.
What a terrible lie—she wasn’t even as good as the delivery guy who tricks the security guard at her building.
The Bishops let out mechanical, low chuckles.
The air froze.
The judges’ masks all turned toward the main door at once.
Liang Lai followed their gaze and nearly bit her tongue.
Pope Alphonse VII was standing in the shadow of the doorway, his crystalline fingers resting on the doorframe, refracting rainbow flecks of light.
Today, he wasn’t riding the Holy Sedan; the hem of his white robe was damp with morning dew, as if he’d just strolled by.
Dolosa suddenly began to tremble.
Liang Lai noticed the highlights in the little girl’s blue eyes were spreading rapidly.
Stranger still, when the Pope’s gaze swept past Dolosa’s collarbone, the crystal on his right pinky finger suddenly cracked with a sharp “ka.”
“Continue.”
The Pope’s voice sounded as if muffled behind frosted glass.
As he turned, his white robe billowed, and Liang Lai caught a glimpse of the Crescent Birthmark flashing on the back of his neck.
The edge of the Pope’s birthmark was beginning to crystallize.
That birthmark… she felt like she’d seen it somewhere before.
The Bishops all bowed in unison, the eye in the Black Crystal Cross snapping tightly shut.
Once the sound of the Pope’s footsteps had completely faded, the registrar shakily grabbed the seal.
“Well, since His Holiness has spoken, here is your Adoption Certificate.”
Liang Lai dazedly accepted the gold-embossed parchment and found a line of tiny script on the back: [Adopter: Third Saintess, must perform the Blood Feeding Ritual for the adoptee daily, lasting thirty lunar nights].
She snuck a glance at Dolosa.
The little girl was still staring after the Pope’s departing figure, blue eyes swirling with emotions Liang Lai couldn’t decipher.
“Let’s go, little ancestor.”
Liang Lai ruffled Dolosa’s hair, imitating the tone she’d seen in short videos.
“Mommy’s taking you out for ice cream… uh, I guess here it’s called Light Honey Freeze?”
For some reason, Dolosa’s lips curled up uncontrollably.
“Weird little thing…”
Her tone was surprisingly cheerful, though she herself hadn’t realized it.
At the corner of the corridor, the Pope stood in a patch of colored light cast by the stained glass, catching a wisp of silver drifting from Dolosa’s Birthmark with his crystalline fingers.
The crack in his pinky quietly healed.
He gazed deeply at the two figures in the distance, then left for good.
Liang Lai bought two Light Honey Freezes, handed one to Dolosa, and kept one for herself, eating with great relish.
Ah~
She wasn’t the poor priest she used to be anymore.
Now she was a wealthy Saintess, able to eat whatever she wanted.
This feeling was just wonderful~
It seemed to be Dolosa’s first time eating such a thing.
After just one bite, she shivered in surprise.
“This is… so cold.”
Hearing her tone, Liang Lai thought for a moment and assumed Dolosa was having her period.
She felt quite pleased with her own cleverness—having just turned into a woman, she could already think of such things.
Truly impressive.
“Oh, do you have a stomachache? If your tummy hurts, then let me have that—”
Liang Lai reached out, ready to snatch the Light Honey Freeze, but Dolosa dodged her grasp with a slick, seamless move.
Both of them froze at the same time.
Only then did Liang Lai realize she’d misunderstood.
Awkward, she withdrew her hand and scratched her head.
“Ah, I thought you didn’t feel well and didn’t want to eat. If you like it, I’ll buy you another one, but you can’t have too much. Kids get sick easily if they eat too many cold things…”
Dolosa felt her face burning.
She found it strange—this was her first time feeling this odd, inexplicable irritation.
“N-no, I don’t really want another… I mean, it’s tasty, but there’s no need for a second one.”
Ah… Liang Lai stared blankly at the little girl before her, pursed her lips, and gave her hair a good ruffle.
What a stubborn little thing.
“Alright~ Then I’ll take you out for something else tasty later~”
The silver-haired girl’s smile crashed straight into Dolosa’s eyes.
Suddenly, Dolosa felt as if the person before her was dazzlingly bright, almost burning, and she quickly turned her head away.
At that moment, she suddenly remembered something a teammate once told her—little kids all have a big-sister complex, especially for gentle, beautiful older sisters.
Premium Chapter
Login to buy access to this Chapter.