Dolosa’s temple throbbed at Morgana’s reckless—no, even slightly eager—
“Then could you two demonstrate again?” and her last shred of composure snapped.
“Out of my way!”
She practically roared, no longer caring if she might wake up Liangcai.
Grabbing Morgana by the scruff of her collar with all her might, she dragged and hauled the oblivious witch toward the door.
“Hey, hey, hey? What’s wrong? Didn’t you say we could all watch the demonstration? Dolosa, you liar! Let go of me!
I still don’t get it!”
Morgana struggled in vain, like a cat being grabbed by the nape.
Asterys and Delucia laughed so hard at the scene that they nearly doubled over, thoroughly enjoying the show.
“Bang!”
Dolosa yanked open the door and unceremoniously shoved Morgana out.
“Get back to your own room!”
Dolosa spat out the words viciously, then slammed the door with another resounding “bang!”—even the sound of the lock sliding into place seemed especially loud this time.
Morgana staggered a few steps before catching her balance, then pouted pitifully at the tightly closed door.
“Hmph~ Stingy!”
She rubbed her sore neck and pressed her ear to the door, but all was silent inside—clearly, there was no hope.
Dejected, she trudged off to her own room, looking back every few steps, her mind still trying to make sense of what she’d seen and heard, her face flushing red, then white.
Days at the Court of Purity remained as lively and chaotic as ever, but it seemed a new, noisy balance had settled in.
Just as Liangcai predicted, Morgana barely scraped by on her crystal assessment, passing by the skin of her teeth—but at least she was now officially a member of the Court of Purity.
Liang Lai looked at the children, sensing a faint, subtle shift in their atmosphere.
She couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off.
But every time she asked, they would either evade the question or brush her off with a, “Mom, you’re overthinking it.”
Left with no other option, she pressed her suspicions down, thinking maybe the children were simply growing up and developing their own secrets, which couldn’t be forced out of them.
On the day Morgana passed her assessment, as usual, Liang Lai decided to take the children to the Capital for some fun and relaxation.
Surprisingly, this time Dolosa didn’t show her usual possessiveness or fierce opposition.
She just shot the excited crowd a flat look, muttered, “Whatever,” and let it go.
Was she simply giving up?
Well, the house was chaotic enough already—a trip to the Capital with one more Morgana in tow didn’t really make a difference. Besides…
After that “nighttime care,” she couldn’t help feeling a little guilty.
After all…she had tasted it herself…so she no longer had the same righteous tone when imposing restrictions on Liang Lai.
The Capital bustled as always.
Liang Lai trailed at the rear, watching her children’s delight, unable to keep a smile from her own lips.
Motifiel held a candied apple in one hand and a pinwheel in the other, beaming like a fool, completely absorbed in the joy of “Mom is so good, the market is so much fun.”
She wandered over to a quieter stall selling some unusual minerals.
As she bent down to get a closer look at a glowing blue stone, suddenly, a cold hand shot out from the shadowy alley beside her and clamped over her mouth, while the other arm locked around her waist.
With overwhelming force, she was wrenched from the busy street and dragged deep into the dim, narrow alley!
“Mmmph mmmph!!!”
Motifiel was so terrified she nearly passed out.
Both her candied apple and pinwheel tumbled to the ground, fear gripping her heart.
It’s over! I’ve been found out! Is this the Tribunal here to arrest me, the infiltrating Darkspawn?! Or is it the Organization coming to clean house after I sent false intel back?! I knew good days wouldn’t last! Liang Lai, Mom, save me!
She began to struggle madly, tears and snot running together, letting out muffled, desperate cries for mercy: “Guh! Spare me! I know I was wrong, wuwuwu…I’ll never send false information again! Don’t kill me, wuwuwu! I’ll work really hard from now on! I’m a good Darkspawn, wuwuwu, wuwuwu…”
The person holding her seemed momentarily stunned and loosened their grip a little.
A woman’s low voice, tinged with disbelief and amusement, sounded in her ear:
“False information? Motifiel, what do you spend your days thinking about?”
That voice…
Motifiel’s struggles ceased in an instant.
That voice…so, so familiar…
The hand covering her mouth slowly relaxed, letting her catch her breath and turn around.
Trembling, she twisted her head bit by bit, coming face-to-face with a pale yet beautiful face, wearing a teasing smile.
Black hair, crimson eyes—her long-lost, only true friend from the Darkspawn Organization:
Villeres.
“Vi—Villeres?!”
Motifiel’s voice cracked with shock; all her fear abruptly flipped to surprise and a bit of embarrassment.
“It’s you?! You scared me to death! I thought… I thought the Tribunal was here for me!”
Villeres let her go, folded her arms, and leaned lazily against the damp wall, sizing her up.
“Looks like you’ve been living the good life—chubby and well-fed, though your courage seems to have shrunk.”
Her eyes flicked over Motifiel’s clearly high-quality new dress and her much rosier cheeks.
Only then did Motifiel realize her state. She quickly wiped her face, grumbling awkwardly, “Who, who’s chubby? I’m just healthy! Liang Lai, Mom, takes good care of me!”
Mentioning Liang Lai, her voice involuntarily filled with reliance and pride.
“Liang Lai, Mom?” Villeres caught the term, a playful glint in her red eyes.
“That’s the Third Saintess who adopted you? Seems you’ve really gone soft—completely forgotten your mission and who you are, Motifiel.”
Motifiel’s smile froze; her gaze flickered with unease.
“I—I haven’t forgotten, I—I just…need more time, that’s all…”
“Time?” Villeres chuckled, cutting her off.
“The Organization’s given you plenty. It took me a lot of work to sneak in here, and I haven’t even gotten close. But you’ve managed to blend in, and there’s still been no real progress on your end. Looks like we can’t count on you.”
She leaned in, dropping her voice, “Take me to her. That Third Saintess, Liang Lai. Tell her I’m your friend—just another poor little girl you’re asking her to adopt. Since you can’t get it done, I’ll do it. Once I’m close, I’ll find a breakthrough.”
Villeres spoke with utter confidence, as if everything was already in her grasp.
In her eyes, Motifiel was a well-meaning but useless fool.
A mission that required getting close to the core target obviously needed her own personal touch.
But the scene she expected—Motifiel’s eager relief, quickly agreeing to lead the way—did not appear.
Instead, Motifiel’s face instantly drained of color.
She took a sharp step back, as if hearing something utterly terrifying, her head shaking violently like a rattle-drum.
“No, absolutely not!”
Her voice held a determination and…was that fear?…Villeres had never heard before.
Villeres frowned.
“No? Why not? Motifiel, don’t forget who you are and what your mission is. Or…have you really been brainwashed by that Third Saintess?”
“I have not!” Motifiel blurted, but her eyes were filled with struggle and pain.
“Liang Lai, Mom—Liang Lai, Mom is a good person! She’s good to me, good to everyone! She—she doesn’t know anything. I can’t, I can’t let you hurt her!”
For the first time, she spoke so clearly and directly in Liangcai’s defense.
The old hesitation and self-deception vanished at the moment her friend threatened Liangcai.
She couldn’t do it!
She absolutely could not bring Villeres—a truly dangerous Darkspawn—before Liang Lai!
Villeres’ expression turned cold, dangerous light flickering in her crimson eyes.
“Motifiel, do you even realize what you’re saying? For the sake of a human Saintess, you’re going to betray your kind? Betray me?”
“This isn’t betrayal!”
Motifiel’s voice was thick with tears, but she stood her ground, clutching her skirt with white-knuckled fists.
“Villeres, you don’t understand, she—she’s different…She really is different…! The Court of Purity is different too. That place, that’s my home! I won’t let you destroy it! If that’s gone, I won’t have a home anymore, wuuu~”
She looked at her friend, heart torn by agony and contradiction.