Zero seemed lost in thought. In just a few seconds, even the air felt as if it had frozen.
Lady Ayla didn’t dare to breathe.
The premise of the Holy Cutter was that the other party had to accept your reasoning.
If they didn’t, then everything you said afterward was useless.
What if she pretended to have a sudden illness now, took off her shoes, and used them like a phone to call the doctor…?
No, wait, there are no phones in this world, and others wouldn’t understand what she was doing.
Just as the pink-haired, thunderous girl grew increasingly uneasy, the slender girl with long black hair suddenly broke into a smile:
“So that’s how it is, Ayla. Are you… alright? I’m really worried about you.”
Her smile quickly shifted into a look of concern.
Ayla exhaled a long breath of relief.
“It’s okay. I’m used to it,” she said in a small, sad voice.
“I’m just afraid of being misunderstood by you all.”
“That won’t happen.”
The girl stepped forward and took her hand.
“I believe you.”
Alright, alright!
Stay calm, the actress can’t break character now.
Ayla forced the curve of her lips down with great effort, shaping her changing expression into one of genuine emotion.
“Zero, you’re so kind. I knew you were the best.”
“Thank you.”
“No, I should be the one thanking you. Actually, I’ve always loved the flowers you gave me.”
The pink-haired thunder girl’s ruby eyes were full of affection.
“Whether it was the white roses blooming in summer, the fairy wood standing proudly in the bitter cold, or the unknown yet resilient wildflowers from the fields—I liked them all~”
Hearing such a confession, the girl was deeply encouraged.
“That’s really wonderful.”
Yes, wonderful indeed. Fortunately, it’s just a silly sixth brother. With a little maneuvering, she’d fooled him.
As expected of me!
Ayla felt a bit too proud, even thinking greedily, since things were going so smoothly, why not get a little extra out of it?
So she added, “Actually, I wanted to ask Miss Leah to help purify the evil effects brought by Necromancy. You weren’t mistaken that time—we wore the wrong clothes and had to take them off for the purification to work properly… You don’t blame me, do you?”
Zero paused for a moment after hearing this.
Ayla’s heart skipped a beat.
She was about to reconsider her actions when she heard the other say, “It’s okay. I understand.”
The pink-haired thunder girl immediately relaxed.
Understanding is great.
Long live understanding.
As the saying goes, “Endure for a moment, and the wind will settle.”
Taking a step back can sometimes disarm hostility.
Seeing the matter settled like this, she couldn’t help but probe once more:
“Then, to get rid of the magic’s influence, can I still ask Miss Leah to purify me in the future?”
“Of course,” Zero smiled.
“If it’s a normal behavior, why not?”
“That’s wonderful. I mean, Zero, you’re really kind~”
After saying this, Ayla said her goodbyes in her soft voice and returned to her room, collapsing onto the bed and hugging the cotton-soft pillow.
Her mood felt like it was floating on clouds—light and carefree.
Joy brings clarity.
A few days ago, she’d indeed been trapped by the evil god. But so what? With her own intelligence, she had once again reversed the situation.
She no longer needed to worry about the siege of allies, for the assassin girl who held the most secrets had already been taken down!
“Hehe~”
Elsewhere, Zero didn’t linger in the corridor.
She quickly returned to her room, closed the door, leaned against it, closed her eyes, and took a deep breath.
I really am a bad girl, she thought.
Why?
Because when the girl had just spoken those opening words, the time Zero spent thinking was her hesitating.
Ayla’s story was too half-hearted—what did she mean by “when using Necromancy, it doesn’t feel like herself, and she’s afraid of that self”?
That was clearly herself, wielding her sword and commanding the undead to attack, visibly enjoying it.
Where was the fear?
But Ayla’s soft voice and cherry lips spoke all kinds of innocent and pitiful words, and she was really adorable.
Zero wanted to hear more, so she didn’t expose her.
Unexpectedly, Ayla’s words grew more and more enthusiastic, even wanting to continue “this and that” with other women.
At that moment, the girl suddenly had a wicked idea—if she pretended to know nothing, Ayla would let down her guard, and then…
If caught red-handed, she could properly punish her.
A very evil plan.
She really was a bad girl. But since Liraleah was bad first, being a bit worse was fine.
Regardless, Liraleah had already returned to the Chapel and wouldn’t be back for a few days.
The real matter the girls had to face next was tomorrow’s knighthood ceremony.
That afternoon, Celes had just finished practicing her new sword techniques and was about to return to rest when she received a new letter at the door, again from Mentor Luosi.
A few minutes later, she gathered all the girls in the camp and discussed the letter’s contents in the main hall on the first floor.
“The teacher said in the letter that the Royal Family has confirmed the person to preside over the knighthood ceremony. It’s not the Prince, but Princess Grell.”
Vina immediately raised her hand. “Who’s Princess Grell?”
Though she was a local who had grown up in the Royal City, she never cared enough to learn about people she wasn’t interested in.
Of course, Ayla and Zero had no idea who this person was either.
So Celes gave them a brief introduction.
Princess Grell was just thirty years old this year, a bit younger than the Prince.
She married the Minister of Internal Affairs’ son ten years ago and was second only to the Prince in influence within the Royal City, mainly involved in trade and diplomacy.
“Compared to us, she’s more likely here for the Elves,” the Sword Saint Maiden analyzed.
“Because after the last incident, even if the Royal Family puts on a good face, they won’t get too close to us.”
After all, Tai Dingjue was the Prince’s uncle—royalty through and through.
Regardless of emotional closeness, there was at least that family connection, so appearances had to be maintained.
“What about the Elves?”
Vina suddenly changed the topic.
“Has the delegation arrived?”
“They’ll arrive tomorrow. Supposedly just in time for the knighthood ceremony.”
Ayla thought to herself: so they’re really arriving, playing the timing well. What a show.
Stretching lazily, she was about to slack off again when she suddenly realized everyone was looking at her.
“Hey, what’s up?”
She asked.
“Ayla,” Celes said, “what do you think about this?”
Unconsciously, the girls had started relying on the pink-haired thunder girl’s wisdom.
Whether it was judging the situation or specific tactics, they all waited to hear her opinion.
But this wasn’t good—it made Liraleah seem like a thick-skinned, cold-hearted politician.
“It’s nothing. I think it’s all fine.”
Liraleah’s delicate face was flawless—she didn’t understand such matters.
With that, the discussion ended, and the night passed quickly.
The new day, also the day of the knighthood ceremony, had arrived.
In the letter yesterday, Mentor Luosi had asked them to get up early today and go to the Sanctuary Hall first—he had something to say to the girls.
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