Lin Shu was about to answer when Hati pulled her aside.
“Not now. Lin Shu just met with the Bishop, and there’s still a lot to do.”
Hati quickly changed the subject. “Are you still here? I heard the Bishop is helping you find a home. How’s that going?”
“His Holiness asked me to stay. I might be here for a few days…”
“Since you two have things to do, I’ll leave you be.” Sophia’s tone was reserved.
‘She met with the Bishop?’
Lin Shu’s breath caught.
‘Why would Fiona specifically see her?’
Sophia had only taken a few steps with the nun when she turned back. “Lin Shu, if it’s convenient, feel free to come find me anytime.”
“Okay.” Lin Shu nodded, her eyes following Sophia’s retreating figure.
‘Why would the Bishop ask Sophia to stay? Did she discover something?’
A sense of unease settled in Lin Shu’s heart.
Hati, surprisingly, didn’t interject. She muttered, “Strange… when you disappeared, she was frantic. But now that she actually sees you again, her reaction seems pretty subdued.”
“Miss Lin Shu, Captain Hati.” The leading nun’s reminder brought their attention back. “Please continue to follow me.”
Lin Shu looked away and followed along with Hati.
‘I’ll need to find Sophia later and ask her.’
The nun finally led them to a bright, spacious room.
No sooner had they entered than a flood of nuns streamed in after them. They carried trays of various fruits and pastries, while others pushed a whole rack of dresses on hangers.
“What’s going on?”
Two nuns walked straight toward Lin Shu without a word, tape measures in hand.
“Miss Lin Shu, the Bishop has instructed us to tailor a set of exclusive holy robes for you, in preparation for the upcoming ceremony.”
Lin Shu instinctively stepped back. “Wait, what ceremony?…”
Before she could finish, a nun squeezed in and interrupted.
“Miss Lin Shu, would you like some fruit?”
“And here’s freshly brewed tea, just the right temperature.”
Lin Shu waved her hands. “No, thank you. Please, just set everything down. I can handle it myself.”
But the nuns surrounded Lin Shu with earnest expressions, showing no signs of backing off.
“Alright! Don’t crowd her all at once.”
“Set everything down and leave for now.”
Hati stepped in front of Lin Shu, as if sensing her discomfort.
The nuns exchanged glances and murmured in protest, “But Miss Lin Shu still needs to bathe and change. We’re required to assist her…”
“I can bathe myself,” Lin Shu quickly interjected.
“Fine, fine. Everyone out and wait outside. I’ll keep an eye on Lin Shu. Call you if we need anything.”
“But—” the nuns tried to persist.
“Huh? You don’t trust the word of the demon hunting captain?”
Under Hati’s forceful dismissal, the nuns finally filed out, and the room grew quiet.
“So this is how the Holy Church receives honored guests?” Lin Shu stared at the array of delicacies covering the table.
“This is definitely a ploy to make you join the Holy Church,” Hati said, closing the door and turning around. “Go take a bath, Lin Shu. No one will bother you now. I’ll keep watch over them.”
The bathroom attached to the room was spacious, and the pool was filled with hot water.
Lin Shu set aside her dress, tested the water with her foot, then eased herself in completely.
“Lin Shu,” Hati’s voice came through the door. “There’s something I didn’t tell you. That night after you disappeared, for a split second, I saw a figure in the distant sky.”
Lin Shu’s eyes widened in the hot water. “A figure?”
“From very far away, like it was flying. That person’s scent—it smelled dangerous.”
“I thought they were behind what happened, but they vanished after just one moment.”
“So where did you go?”
“I went back to the past,” Lin Shu answered.
“What?!” Hati’s voice shot up from outside.
“For real? Did you run into any danger?”
“No. Just… encountered a few things.”
“Hmm?”
Lin Shu thought of Furina.
She’d wanted to ask what the Spirit Tower’s chief was really like, but in the end, she gave up.
She recalled the words of disgust Furina had thrown at her as she ran off.
‘Forget it. She already hates me that much. Why bother being curious about what happened to her?’
‘For me, it was just an experience in the past. But for Furina, so many years have passed. She’s probably long since forgotten about me—someone who interfered in her life uninvited.’
Lin Shu sank half her face into the water and let out a sigh.
A string of tiny bubbles rose to the surface.
“Lin Shu, you okay?” Hati asked, having waited outside for a while without a response.
“I’m here,” she answered hastily.
“If it’s not easy to talk about, that’s fine. As long as you’re all right.” Hati’s voice softened.
“It’s a long story. I’ll tell you once I’m out.”
“Okay.”
The topic ended there. No more sounds came from the other side of the door, and the air fell into silence.
‘So quiet. I thought Hati would keep talking.’
After changing clothes, Lin Shu pushed open the bathroom door—and was stunned by the sight before her.
“…?”
Hati had changed clothes.
She was wearing a white lace dress, one she’d taken from the rack that had been brought in earlier.
And it was a strapless, off-shoulder style, exposing her firm shoulder and neck lines.
After being so used to seeing her in a sleek black bodysuit, suddenly seeing her in a white dress—the contrast in style was so stark that Lin Shu couldn’t process it for a moment.
“Lin Shu, how do I look?” Hati habitually planted her hands on her hips.
But she quickly realized the gesture didn’t match the outfit, so she dropped her hands and instead lifted the sides of the skirt.
“It should be like this…” she muttered, bending one leg slightly back and performing a curtsey.
But her movements were crisp and forceful, full of a warrior’s bearing.
Lin Shu suddenly understood why, in old tales, an emperor could instantly spot an assassin hidden among the dancers.
“Why did you suddenly change into a dress?” Lin Shu asked, suppressing a smile.
“Because I wanted to show you a different style.” Hati smiled easily. Relaxed, she casually picked up a small plate of fruit.
As Hati walked toward her, Lin Shu gave an earnest evaluation. “I feel like… you look really special in a dress.”
“Really?” Hati’s eyes lit up, and her ears perked. “So you do like this style?”
As she asked, she picked up a cherry tomato and placed it lightly between her lips.
“Not really—” Lin Shu started, but then she saw Hati holding the cherry tomato in her mouth, inching her face closer.
She quickly pressed near Lin Shu’s lips and pushed the cherry tomato into her mouth.
Before Lin Shu could react, Hati used her tongue to nudge it, and the round, plump cherry tomato rolled smoothly into Lin Shu’s mouth.
They were too close. Their lips inevitably touched.
It was just the lightest brush, like the flutter of a butterfly’s wings.
“Do you like this kind, too?” Hati tilted her head.