Looking into Diligence’s eyes, those overflowing emotions were all fixed on Aililan.
If nothing else, Yegeerlinai was at least sincere — her entire heart was devoted to her.
Aililan could not help but be somewhat moved.
After holding Aililan for a while longer, Yegeerlinai suddenly let out a startled cry. “Oh my, look at me now. This is far too impolite. Wait for me while I go tidy up.”
Aililan quickly grabbed her to stop her. “There’s no need. You look even better like this.”
“R—really?” Yegeerlinai asked in a small voice, her cheeks flushing slightly.
Aililan nodded solemnly, her tone firm. “You are the most adorable and beautiful girl in the world.”
Then, she gestured to the maid outside the door. Soon, several beautifully wrapped gifts were brought inside.
They were mostly precious books, along with a bottle of expensive wine.
Yegeerlinai was so happy she almost jumped. She couldn’t help but lean in and give Aililan a soft peck on the corner of her lips.
The little maid by the door nearly fainted on the spot.
‘Wait, what… what did I just see?’
‘Our Saintess actually… kissed the Saint of Chastity?’
‘Is this really something I’m allowed to see? That kind of kiss was clearly not just for etiquette…’
‘Have I discovered something incredible?’
‘… Am I going to die?’
While the maid’s mind was in a whirl of confusion and panic, Aililan had already reacted. She spoke calmly, “You are Diligence’s maid, right? I happen to be short one maid at my manor. Report to my Head Maid later.”
The maid looked dazed for a moment before she hurriedly knelt down, saying in a trembling voice, “As you command, Lady Saintess.”
The maid left in a fluster, feeling utterly lost about her future.
Aililan finally reached out and pinched Yegeerlinai’s cheek, saying helplessly, “Can’t you show some restraint when there are outsiders around?”
Yegeerlinai giggled as she hugged the pile of gifts. “Alright, I’ll listen to you.”
“Linnai, you haven’t eaten yet, have you?”
“No, I’m not hungry.”
“You can hold out that long?”
“It’s not that I wasn’t hungry… I really wasn’t before, but now — especially after seeing you, Chastity — I’m starving.”
“Do you want to eat something together?”
“How about eating you?”
“What?”
“I want to eat you, Chastity.”
“In broad daylight, this is inappropriate — mgh…!”
In terms of physical strength, Aililan was not a combat-type Saintess, making her far weaker than Diligence.
She felt as if a handful of rice had been scattered over her face, with a wicked woman pecking at her incessantly.
They spoke of eating, but as they “ate,” they somehow ended up on the bed.
The moment she lay down —
“Oh!”
Aililan cried out and pulled a book from beneath her. This girl, Yegeerlinai, really did leave her books everywhere.
Before she could react, Yegeerlinai snatched the book away and placed it under Aililan’s waist.
“The view is much broader this way.”
Diligence’s love for learning was well-known.
She continued “learning” until nearly evening, as the sunset began to fade and warm yellow candles were lit inside the room.
They could have used Magic Stones for lighting to achieve an effect similar to fluorescent lamps.
However, Yegeerlinai preferred the atmosphere of candles — warm and dim.
The expensive wine sat open on the nightstand, poured into crystal glasses.
“Cheers.”
Yegeerlinai lay on the soft bed, raising her crystal glass in a toast.
After taking a small sip, she went back to lying down, flipping through her beloved books.
Aililan sighed with emotion. “You really are studious.”
Yegeerlinai shook her head and said with a smile, “It’s not that I love learning. I just find things to do so I don’t become slothful. You see, if you come to find me, all the books in this room aren’t worth a single glimpse of your beauty, Chastity.”
Aililan returned the smile. “Heh.”
As if remembering something, Yegeerlinai pulled a stack of manuscripts from under her pillow and handed them over. “Look, this is the Teleportation Array I’ve been improving over the past few days. I believe that with a bit more research, I can bring the cost of a single-person transport down to under 200 gold coins. When that happens, I can come see you every day.”
Aililan fell silent for a moment.
A slight ripple of emotion stirred in her heart.
Yegeerlinai wasn’t doing this on a whim; she was like a diligent little bird building a nest for love, constantly working hard.
After a moment of silence, Aililan suddenly whispered, “Am I… being a bit too unfair?”
Before she could finish, Yegeerlinai gave her a gentle peck on the corner of her eye, her tone tender. “Don’t worry. Even if you really wanted to give me everything, for your own sake, I wouldn’t eat you all up right now.”
She paused, then added seriously, “Although there is no data indicating what would happen if the Saint of Chastity lost her chastity, I don’t want to take that risk.”
“But you must believe that I will work hard to earn your approval until I truly enter your heart. Please do not underestimate the efforts of the Diligence Saintess.”
Aililan couldn’t help but laugh.
The two of them chatted about their daily lives for a while longer.
Yegeerlinai would be leaving in about ten days, while Aililan would be leaving even sooner — seven or eight days at the latest, or as early as two or three days from now.
Yet, there was not much sadness over their parting.
According to Yegeerlinai, once the single-person Teleportation Array was completed, she could visit Aililan every day.
However, there was one topic they both deliberately avoided.
Aililan suddenly asked, “Linnai, tell me… what would happen if Temperance, Generosity, and the other Saintess Sisters found out about us?”
Yegeerlinai was flipping through a book, but she couldn’t help but shudder at those words, looking guilty. “That… Chastity, can we not tell them for now? Just think of it as your Sister asking a favor of you, okay?”
Aililan arched an eyebrow and gave a soft huff. “I was just wondering how I should explain it to them if we made our relationship public.”
Yegeerlinai gave a couple of dry laughs, not daring to respond.
Late into the night, as the moon climbed over the willow branches, Aililan finally left.
Yegeerlinai stayed in the room, silently cleaning the stains off her books.
When Aililan walked away, her steps were slightly unsteady.
(Several parts omitted here)