Saint City Osiris.
Standing with her sword in hand.
“The Holy Throne.”
Rosetta spoke abruptly.
Sylvia was still dressed in her pristine white robe embroidered with gold trim, while the silver-armored female knight Rosetta stood by her side.
Her voice was surprisingly at odds with her status—lacking the austere authority of a Knight Order captain, instead clear and pleasant to the ear, each word enunciated crisply, making it a delight to listen to.
“Hm, is there something you need?”
“Any news about the Holy Child? Has the Heretic Tribunal made any progress?”
Upon hearing Rosetta’s respectful tone, Sylvia couldn’t help but smile faintly.
“Fairly smooth, I’d say.”
“Understood.”
Rosetta’s voice was muffled, her tone restrained.
Sylvia, however, knew that Rosetta was actually dissatisfied deep down.
The Holy Light Church’s highest echelon was divided into three branches: the Silver Guard, the Saint Key Knight Order, and the Heretic Tribunal.
The Silver Guard was the Church’s fully armed elite force, each member equipped with the pinnacle of current Magitech Equipment.
Along with the Magitech Mechanical Corps developed in recent years, they formed the foundation and backbone of the Church’s military strength.
The Saint Key Knight Order was the Church’s cream of the crop—all born as high-tier Sacred Seal bearers, with exceptional execution capabilities.
Every time they mobilized, they were like a razor-sharp dagger plunging directly into the enemy’s heart.
Their legendary feats made each of them a storied figure—an elite vanguard of the Church.
As for the Heretic Tribunal, although also a high-tier organization, its influence paled compared to the other two.
Apart from some upper-class insiders, most people had no knowledge of their existence—many had never even heard of them.
This was because the Heretic Tribunal operated in the shadows between light and darkness, like the apostles of Goddess Fara in myth.
Their reputation could never be compared to the Valkyries, but it wasn’t due to lack of strength. Rather, their very duty demanded they suppress their influence proactively.
Regarding the search for the Holy Child, Sylvia had originally planned to entrust it to her trusted Rosetta, as usual.
But considering Roman’s unique circumstances, she ultimately assigned the task to the Heretic Tribunal.
Not because the Holy Child was considered a heretic, but because their actions wouldn’t attract outside attention, thereby indirectly protecting Roman.
The girls in the Saint Key Knight Order were fiercely proud.
Asking them to conceal their identities and keep things quiet to find Roman was enough to make Sylvia shake her head just thinking about it.
It wasn’t a matter of doubting their abilities, but rather that each specialized in different fields.
“The Holy Child has been found.”
Sylvia’s sudden words stunned Rosetta, leaving her standing dumbfounded.
“Prepare yourself for tomorrow. It’s going to be quite lively.”
After leaving those words, Sylvia’s figure vanished instantly.
***
“No!”
Roman shook his head displeased, clearly unhappy with Lady Catherine’s half-hearted teasing tone.
“No?”
Lady Catherine chuckled, gently kneading Roman’s small head, amusement evident on her face.
“Then how did you come up with such a ridiculous notion?”
Her hand traced down Roman’s cheek, unconsciously caressing his refined jawline.
“I feel like my clothes have gotten a bit tight lately.”
Roman spoke softly.
In truth, he was still bothered by what Elise said earlier that afternoon.
As for any real reason, he couldn’t quite put it into words.
Lady Catherine tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, her beautiful eyes silently scanning their surroundings.
As usual, there were no maids nearby during her meals.
What struck her as strange was that Elise had also gone to her room to rest, claiming physical discomfort.
Shaking her head, Lady Catherine lifted Roman—who looked somewhat surprised—onto her lap.
“Tight, huh?”
She reached out to touch Roman’s waist, raising an eyebrow as she found the notion amusing.
Roman sat in her arms like a delicate doll.
Lady Catherine had maintained her figure well—despite her dislike for exercise, she made a point to work on her waist daily.
She dreaded looking like the other noblewomen, who squeezed their waists with belts that only hid the extra flesh until the clothes came off.
With a bit of minor magic and years of consistent training, Lady Catherine remained voluptuous yet retained the graceful curves of her youth.
If there was a flaw, it was the inevitable slight belly—a softness her fingers could detect.
Yet even with that, holding Roman, she distinctly felt the world’s imbalance…
Her belly pressed gently against Roman’s back, and his slender waist was nothing short of exquisite in her eyes.
Of course, Roman was only sixteen—a flower on the verge of blooming, still growing. But as of now, Lady Catherine found his unnecessary worries downright amusing.
What she didn’t know was that Roman’s physique had been fixed the moment his Sacred Seal awakened.
The Mark of Life’s ability had immortalized his appearance at this age forever.
“Is it really tight?”
Roman asked quietly, unaware.
Lady Catherine silently slid her hand under Roman’s skirt, grasping the edge of the fabric before suddenly snapping her fingers and letting go.
Roman’s body stiffened as if struck by electricity; his eyes widened in disbelief.
“You…”
Turning to Lady Catherine, his face bloomed like a freshly watered flower, radiant and flushed.
“You don’t think it’s because of this that you feel fatter, do you?”
Ignoring Roman’s protesting gaze, Lady Catherine sighed in resignation.
“This was measured by Luo Xiya when she secretly held you. Of course it fits your body perfectly. Plus, it’s elastic. That’s perfectly normal.”
After speaking, she reached past Roman’s sides, cutting a piece of the steak from her plate that had been dipped in sauce, then offered it to him.
“Good, open your mouth~” she said gently.
Roman hesitated for a moment but obediently parted his cherry lips and gently took the steak from the fork.
What should have been a perfectly normal action caused Lady Catherine to become mesmerized by his profile, even subtly licking her slightly dry lips.
Lost in thought, she suddenly snapped back to reality after a while.
She couldn’t explain why, but since that afternoon, her mind had been somewhat foggy—not only in front of Roman but also secretly distracted more times than she could count.