Loki naturally refused Sailulu’s suggestion.
Of all things, why go for a stroll in that wretched place?
The local branch of the Tribunal was a gathering ground for the most fanatical zealots of the church. Unlike Part, those freaks wouldn’t hesitate in front of Loki—they’d sooner strap on explosives and rush him all at once, eager to take him down with them.
“Mm… What a shame. It was such a wonderful date spot, full of our precious memories.”
In the restaurant’s corner seat, Sailulu wiggled her bare feet in the gap between Loki’s legs, enjoying her dessert after the meal.
She seemed intent on showing off her dexterous toes, occasionally tugging at Loki’s pants, forcing the flustered young man to sit up straight, pressing his back against the chair to avoid accidental contact, making just enough space for those dainty, porcelain-like feet.
Even then, it was only thanks to her petite size that she couldn’t push her invasion any further.
If a young person happened to pass by and notice this scene, they’d probably blush, lower their head, and hurry away, muttering to themselves, “How can there be such shameless couples?”
In truth, though her actions were bold, Sailulu never intended to take it that far.
Even if she did, it wouldn’t be in public—such things were best enjoyed privately, in her own small circle.
Loki had actually wanted to refuse at first, but Sailulu had said, “Then why not just move them away with your hand?” leaving him at a loss.
Once the deadliest enforcer of the Hand of Truth, whose very touch brought disaster wherever it reached, the man now lacked the courage to grab those small, white-silk-clad feet.
Sailulu felt disappointed, but she could understand Loki’s thoughts.
Because he was a good person, he felt guilty toward her.
And that guilt was one of the reasons he refused her.
Sailulu didn’t mind Loki’s suspicions.
After all, suspicion would fade naturally with time spent together.
But guilt—that was the thing that truly took root in the heart and was hard to dispel.
Sailulu’s plan was to keep whittling away at that guilt.
Of course, the best outcome would be if one day she could snap the string of reason in Loki’s mind.
From the very beginning—from the moment Loki took her out of that place she could hardly call “home”—this seed had already taken root in Sailulu’s heart.
“Who knows, maybe the cell you locked me in hasn’t even been destroyed yet.”
Though the Saintess wore a look of bliss, every word she spoke was basically listing Loki’s crimes.
This made Loki twitch his lips, finding the tea in his cup suddenly bitter.
That was a prison cell meant to lock you up, not some long-lost bedroom from home. There was nothing worth reminiscing about in there, only the tragedy of being an “experiment.”
Unlike Sailulu, Loki had no desire to remember his days in the Hand of Truth.
To him, that time was as disgusting as having someone force his head into a filthy, yellowed toilet.
As for whether Sailulu truly missed her life in the cage as she claimed… What a joke. Wasn’t it obvious she was saying these things just to mess with him?
“I’m busy. I don’t have time to wander around that hellhole. I still have important work to do later.”
“Are you worried the Tribunal people might harm you? Don’t worry. If any one of those Inquisitors dares lay a finger on you, I’ll tie them all up and hang them at the gates of the Caezania Holy Church. And don’t worry about whether it’s proper or not. You should know, as the Steel Saintess, my authority is limitless.”
“I think you’re being a bit extreme…”
“But for me, as long as I’m by your side, it doesn’t matter where we go.”
Or rather, wherever you’re going next, I’ll be by your side.
Forever.
Sailulu giggled and stuffed the spoonful of dessert into Loki’s hand.
“Here, feed me.”
She opened her mouth, showing off her white teeth and pink tongue, like a hedgehog flipped onto its back.
“Ah~”
“……”
She really was impossible to understand.
Loki sighed and fed the dessert into the girl’s mouth.
Sailulu cupped her cheeks, looking utterly satisfied.
“Mmm—delicious! It really does taste sweeter when you feed me. One more bite, Loki.”
Loki gave up on thinking, mechanically scooping up another piece of dessert.
“By the way, are you just going to leave Part alone?”
“…You really don’t know how to read the mood. Here we are, in a perfect scene of a beauty being fed, and you just had to bring up that wrinkly old man… Hmph, not telling you.”
Sailulu puffed her cheeks, but this time she didn’t finish the dessert on the spoon in one bite—she just pinched away half with her lips.
“As punishment, you have to eat the rest.”
“Huh?”
“Eat.”
“I don’t think that’s appropriate, Saint… Sailulu.”
Almost slipping, Loki quickly corrected himself when he saw the girl’s narrowed eyes.
“After all, you’ve already eaten it…”
“Hehe, what’s wrong? Could it be that the infamous, most-wanted Loki is actually a bashful boy who blushes over an indirect kiss, just like some awkward adolescent?”
Sailulu hummed, shaking her head.
“Don’t tell me you’re disgusted by something I’ve bitten… You know, what’s on this spoon is the ‘Holy Water’ countless people dream of tasting, and the only one with exclusive rights is you.”
“No, I really—”
“Stop being such a prude.”
Sailulu snatched the spoon, and while Loki was still talking, shoved it into his mouth.
All Loki could do was widen his eyes as the girl brazenly stirred the dessert in his mouth.
“How does it taste?”
“Average.”
“Hmph, to think a dessert with the addition of a beauty’s ‘Holy Water’ only gets such a bland review from you? Loki, you—”
By rounding up, it was basically her body and Loki’s merging as one.
With that thought, Sailulu’s ears turned red, and she couldn’t help but wiggle her slender waist and perky hips.
“Maybe it just wasn’t enough for you, right?”
But Loki just felt afraid.
Thinking of her previous offer to cook for him… he was terrified she might add some unspeakable “seasoning.”
To prevent such ideas from taking root in her little head, Loki decisively stood up.
“All right, time to work. Time waits for no one.”
“Oh! Okay~ So, what is it? The usual bait job? Or are you going to storm somewhere and kill people?”
“If only it were that simple.”
Loki wasn’t bothered by the extreme words coming from the cute, petite Sailulu.
He was already used to it.
Humans were all like this—beasts dressed in the clothes of civilization, with blood vessels that naturally craved victory.
Besides, as the Saintess of the church, Sailulu’s job was never to kneel on cushions and pray to the gods.
Their way of upholding faith was through battle.
Fighting heresy. Fighting blasphemers. Fighting corruption. Fighting monsters. Fighting traitors.
Nothing special about it.
After all, in this world, even war was just another ordinary part of daily life.