Aililan wanted to become stronger.
It wasn’t just to protect herself, but also to protect those she cared about. That power might have always been there, but Aililan had never found the key to unlock it.
Since she couldn’t figure it out, she stopped thinking about it.
Aililan was currently only concerned with the “mouse” at home. She returned to the estate as usual. She dismissed her attendants, leaving only the Head Maid, Yarandale.
“Saintess, what are your orders?”
The next moment, a beam of Holy Light for exorcism manifested in Aililan’s hand, enveloping Yarandale.
“Saintess, this is — “
Yarandale knelt on the ground in a panic, saying in terror, “Saintess, have I committed some transgression?”
This was because Aililan was using the Holy Light Exorcism from the Church’s Faith Rituals. Usually, it was used on demons. If used recklessly on someone from the Church, it would be seen as an insult and an extremely serious humiliation.
But why would the noble Saintess humiliate a mere maid for no reason?
Aililan withdrew the Holy Light technique and said in a grave tone, “A mouse has entered the house. Did you know?”
Yarandale was startled and asked in confusion, “What? A mouse?”
Being able to become the Head Maid meant she had some brains. Naturally, she didn’t think Aililan literally meant a rodent. Combined with the Faith Ritual Aililan had just used on her, it meant a… demon had entered the house.
Yarandale’s entire body turned cold. Her expression immediately became solemn.
As the Saintess’s Head Maid, she was essentially the Saintess’s personal housekeeper. This was a catastrophic failure in her work. What if the Saintess was assassinated by a demon?
At that thought, Yarandale’s face gradually turned pale. She knelt on the ground, not daring to lift her head. “This is all due to my professional failure. I beg the Saintess to punish me.”
Aililan sighed and said, “Rise first.”
“Saintess, I wouldn’t dare.”
“Do you want the Saintess you serve to give you a command a second time?”
“Saintess…”
“Fine. The priority now is how to flush that mouse out.”
“Saintess, we can use the exorcism spell you just used to check everyone one by one.”
“By the time you find them, everyone would be dead.”
Yarandale was momentarily speechless. “I…”
Aililan waved her hand and continued, “Let’s maintain the current status for now. I don’t want outsiders to know that a succubus, who defiles people’s purity, has entered the Estate of the Virtue of Chastity. Professionally or personally, this is not a glorious matter. Family scandals should not be made public. Do you understand?”
Yarandale nodded and whispered, “I understand. I will investigate this matter secretly. I will definitely protect your safety. I will never show mercy to anything that tries to harm you, Saintess.”
Aililan pondered for a moment and instructed, “Do not force things. There are endless demons in this world, but Head Maid Yarandale, in my eyes, you are the only one in this world. Please, you must be careful as well.”
Hearing the concern in Aililan’s voice, a warm current rose in Yarandale’s heart. “Please rest assured, Saintess.” A Saintess who loved her subordinates so much made Yarandale want to cut out her own heart just to show her loyalty to Aililan.
The Saintess said she was the only one in the world, but in her own eyes, was Aililan not also the only one in this world? Was Aililan not the Saintess she loved and worshiped most?
But now? A despicable demon was trying to harm the Saintess? That damned demon even intended to defile her?
After withdrawing from the Saintess’s room, Yarandale’s expression turned completely icy. She blamed herself for her professional oversight, felt remorse for letting her Saintess fall into danger, and felt even more hatred for the succubus that had infiltrated the estate.
‘Unpardonable.’ Yarandale gritted her teeth and whispered.
Desperate times called for desperate measures. Yarandale secretly selected a few maids she trusted and led them into the secret chamber.
They used harsh methods to conduct screenings, though from the expressions of those maids, the identification method was clearly not very pleasant.
Inside that secret room, Yarandale looked at the several maids and lowered her voice. “Do not blame me for my aggressive methods. Everything is for the safety of Saintess Aililan.”
The maids shook their heads. “No, no. You are doing the right thing. The Saintess’s safety is above all else.”
For the Saintess, nothing was impossible.
The few maids who had been screened and selected quickly took action. Some secretly checked everyone in the estate first, while others went to the chapel’s library to call for books on demons, since exterminating demons wasn’t their original job.
Some information appeared before them:
Succubus: Naturally possesses the ability to charm and confuse people. Their saliva is even a natural aphrodisiac.
Succubi are extremely beautiful and can even transform into the appearance that their target desires.
Succubi delight in the affairs of men and women.
Because succubi specialize in leading people to fall and feeding on human essence and blood, they usually cling to one person until the target’s essence is drained. Because they like to toy with people’s hearts and destroy family harmony, they are often considered a type of evil spirit that destroys domestic peace.
Aililan also received this information. But in her mind, there was another stereotypical impression of succubi. In another world, the origin of succubi… was said to be because some bachelors couldn’t get a wife and did things to ewes… when they were discovered, they claimed they had been seduced by a succubus.
It was also said that most medieval navigators would bring some ewes to sea. They were both tools for the sailors to vent their desires and their food.
So why ewes? Because anyone who has seen a sheep’s rear would know…
*Cough, cough*… Aililan told herself that she had only heard rumors. As a pure Saintess, she supposedly knew nothing.
Yarandale hesitated for a long time before finally saying, “Saintess, let me stand guard for you tonight.”
Aililan asked, “What is the reason for such a move that would alert the enemy?”
“Saintess, please listen to me. While catching the succubus is very important, in my view, your safety is the most essential matter.”
“I will definitely be fine.”
“Saintess!”
“Enough. You don’t need to say anything more about this.” Aililan’s tone grew a bit heavy, then she sighed again after a moment. “Yarandale, just as I trust you all, you should also trust the Saintess you worship. A Saintess who hasn’t weathered the storm cannot grow up. I have never heard of any of my predecessors growing up while being protected.”
Aililan walked up to the Head Maid, placed a hand on the maid’s shoulder, and said, “Don’t let me down.”
Yarandale replied firmly, “Yes, Saintess.”
Everything in the estate seemed normal. The maids also performed their duties as usual. Only a few maids knew that a large net was slowly tightening.
They were all tense because the Saintess was using herself as bait!
To lure the succubus out, the Saintess was personally baiting the nest.