“It’s fine, it’s fine, we shouldn’t get found out…”
Dolosa touched the mirror, mumbling to herself, “I trust Liang Lai, even if I’m not so sure about those two twins… but, but it should be fine.”
Though she said that, Dolosa was already prepared.
If they were discovered, she’d take all the blame herself, clearing Liang Lai of any responsibility, and bear it alone—ready to be thrown back to the Underground Sanctuary if need be.
“Xiao Xi, Xiao Ya, you two be good at home~ I’ll take Xiao Duo and Xiao Te to the Examination and come back soon. I’ll bring something tasty for you then~”
Before leaving, Liang Lai rubbed the heads of Delucia and Illucy, who were staying home.
As for why she didn’t call Asterys “Xiao Si”… well, those two syllables just sounded weird, didn’t they? Almost like cursing someone.
Holding one hand in each of hers, Liang Lai left the Court of Purity with Dolosa and Asterys.
Delucia and Illucy leaned against the windowsill, watching as Liang Lai and the other two children gradually disappeared into the distance.
Illucy was the first to turn away, looking at her own hands, as if remembering the softness of Liang Lai’s grasp.
“I… have my Examination in two months, too. By then, Saintess will send me off as well.” She muttered in a barely audible voice.
But Delucia heard her nonetheless. She turned to look at this quiet, not-very-talkative child.
“Then you’d better do your best~” Suddenly wanting to tease her, Delucia leaned in close to Illucy’s ear.
“Mama doesn’t like kids without any ability. If you don’t have any ability, Mama will hate you~”
It was just a mean little joke, nothing serious. But as Delucia smugly took two steps back, she saw Illucy’s face turn deathly pale. This girl really believed her.
“Huh?”
Delucia raised an eyebrow.
“Hey, you didn’t really—”
Before she could finish, Illucy dashed off, running toward the Practice Room, leaving Delucia alone, her hand outstretched in a classic “Erkang hand” pose.
“No way…?”
Delucia scratched her head, “She really believed it? No guile at all? That’s not like her…”
What a strange girl.
That was her thought, but Illucy thought the same as she ran to the Practice Room, hurriedly closing the door behind her. She’d run too fast, too hard, and now leaned against the wall, panting for breath.
“What a strange girl… But, but what she said should… be true, right?”
Though she couldn’t be sure, Illucy resolved to practice her Crystalization Ability diligently.
“I mustn’t let Saintess down! I—I have to make Saintess think I’m the best child…”
All four children had thoughts like these—each one determined.
Meanwhile, Liang Lai brought Asterys and Dolosa to the Holy Palace of the Crystal Dome.
This place could be considered a giant training ground, the designated spot for all kinds of Examinations.
Besides Liang Lai, Dolosa, and Asterys, there were two other Saintesses who had brought their adopted children here for the Examination as well. In total, there were seven children and three Saintesses.
Because of the Third Saintess’s recent strange behavior, neither Fifth Saintess Aipuli nor Eleventh Saintess Jennyph wanted to get too close.
After all, not only was Liang Lai’s behavior odd, but she’d also offended First Saintess Margaret and Second Saintess Yolanda just two months ago.
Liang Lai, for her part, greeted the other two Saintesses as if nothing had happened.
“You’re here for the Examination too?” she asked casually.
Aipuli and Jennyph paused for a second, then just nodded slightly, not responding further.
They really weren’t used to Liang Lai’s enthusiastic greetings—after all, coldness had long become their habit.
Liang Lai didn’t mind at all.
People in the Church were always like this, each minding their own business, everyone immersed in their own little world.
Only when someone broke the Church’s Law did they show any expression beyond indifference… and at such times, their faces seemed closer to excitement and anticipation.
The reason for this was a mystery…
Liang Lai guessed it was probably because these people had been repressing their emotions for so long that they’d become mentally warped, so they loved seeing others punished—it satisfied their twisted psychology.
The proctor for today’s Examination was Blue-robed Inquisitor Sidric.
The assistant proctors were Grey-robed Priest Elic and Tang En.
Sidric stood in the center of the testing ground with his hands behind his back, eyes narrowed as he surveyed the children not far away.
Liang Lai was a little nervous, mainly worried that Pope Alphonse VII would show up and see Dolosa.
Even though Dolosa was wearing a Human Skin Mask, she still didn’t want Alphonse VII to lay eyes on her.
After all, this man was the Pope—he’d be sharp.
But now that the Examination had begun and Alphonse VII still hadn’t arrived, Liang Lai finally relaxed.
Logically, Alphonse VII would come to observe, but there was no telling when, or for how long. Liang Lai only hoped he’d come late and leave quickly after a glance.
This Examination was actually quite fair.
They didn’t let the Third Saintess’s adopted heir to the Pope be tested first just because of her ranking. Instead, they drew lots for the order.
With seven children present, Dolosa drew number five and Asterys drew number three.
Liang Lai sat with Dolosa and Asterys off to the side, watching as Aipuli’s adopted child went first.
Truth be told, she was still nervous. Before, she never understood why parents always hoped their children would get good grades, but now she kind of got it.
But even so, Liang Lai didn’t care much about grades. Her thinking was: “It’s great if they do well; if not, that’s fine. If they do well, I’ll be happy, maybe feel a little proud. If not… then we’ll just find another path. No need to tie oneself to a single tree.”
Liang Lai’s mind was a mess, but after seeing how the children on the field performed, she let out a long sigh of relief.
They couldn’t compare to Dolosa or Asterys at all.
Liang Lai sat up straight in an instant, giving a “good luck” gesture to Dolosa and Asterys at her side.
The two girls relaxed a lot after that, no longer as tense.
Asterys’s confidence swelled, and when it was her turn to take the stage, her steps were firmer than when she’d arrived. Her performance was flawless.
Very soon, it was Dolosa’s turn.
But just as Dolosa stood up, a white-clad figure appeared near the testing ground—it was Pope Alphonse VII.
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