Dekalorin wasn’t intimidated at all; instead, she burst out laughing with a “pfft,” lightly tapping the desk. Watching Movira like this, she found it utterly amusing—absolutely the most entertaining thing she’d encountered in recent years!
“Oh dear, you’re blushing! What’s there to be embarrassed about admitting? Having this kind of need—isn’t it perfectly normal? Especially…”
She deliberately drew out her tone, carrying a meaning both of them understood.
“Especially when you have a certain someone in your heart. This… if suppressed for too long, you might end up with problems, you know!”
Dekalorin stood up, walked around the desk, and approached Movira step by step, her face bearing a seductive smile even more terrifying than the Demon King’s. She lowered her voice.
“Seeing you in such discomfort, how about… I help you out? Just as… mutual assistance between old friends, to ease your urgent need? Hm?”
Movira jerked back a step, shielding herself with her hand, and shouted sternly, “Insolent! Don’t you dare! Stay away! I remember when you were a saintess, you weren’t like this!”
Her gaze was sharp like blades, and the meaning in her words was crystal clear—except for Seraphina, no one else would do!
“Saintess? The saintess identity was too restrictive for me. If Saint Eustacia shed that identity… who knows, she might be even more open than me!”
But Dekalorin knew the joke had gone far enough; time to quit while ahead!
She returned to her chair, shrugging. “Fine, fine, no more jokes. Since you insist on Seraphina… isn’t that simple? Just tell her straight!”
“Tell her? How?” Movira frowned tightly. “Right now, she only sees me as her ‘sister’! If I come on strong… wouldn’t it repeat past mistakes? Make her even more afraid of me?”
“You’re truly hopeless! Times are different now; her feelings toward you have advanced. Besides…”
Dekalorin wore an expression of “you’re beyond saving.” “Shake your head, get the water out of there, okay? Doesn’t she acknowledge you as ‘sisters’ now? Then use that relationship!”
“Between sisters, being intimately close and helping each other—isn’t that normal too?”
She leaned in closer, her voice carrying a bewitching power. “Just say… um, that you’re feeling unwell and need her to help channel some magic or something. Anyway, find a reason she can’t refuse, one that’s perfectly reasonable. Can’t you fabricate a little white lie like that?”
Movira fell silent; Dekalorin’s words were like a key, unlocking her chaotic thoughts.
It made sense—before, her approach to Seraphina had been so forceful, yet now she was hesitating here.
Seeing Movira wavering, Dekalorin struck while the iron was hot, tossing out the most crucial suggestion.
“If you’re really worried about repeating past mistakes and want to avoid making her feel oppressed, there’s actually a simpler, more direct way…”
The corners of her mouth couldn’t help but curl up as she said it word by word, her eyes sparkling with excited glee:
“You let her be on top, right!”
Movira’s pupils contracted again, her mouth slightly agape; this shocked her even more than the previous words.
“Let her… let her take control… that way, she won’t feel pressured. This experience will…”
“Who told you to use that method?”
“…
It’ll reduce her fear of you, and slowly let her discover the… fun in it.”
“This way, it solves your ‘sickness,’ and gets her used to it—or even accepting it… killing two birds with one stone!”
Dekalorin’s words were bold and absurd, but perhaps… it was a viable path?
“…
“…
Movira felt like she was grasping at straws in desperation, her heart still tangled, but…
“…I’ll think about it.”
“If you’re really too embarrassed, my skills are also…”
“Get lost!”
Dekalorin silently rolled her eyes at her. “Fine, if not, then not… geez.”
“But seriously, one last question: Are you and Seraphina planning to stay here forever? For the holidays… the academy doesn’t keep people around. How about coming to stay at my place then? I mean it! Hey!”
Before Dekalorin could finish, Movira had already left the office…
As if she couldn’t hold out any longer.
When she returned to the room, the sun was about to set.
Seraphina was bored, lying on the bed and staring at the ceiling.
Movira stood at the doorway, her cheeks faintly flushed, her breathing quicker than usual.
This didn’t seem like the usual Movira—sometimes domineering, sometimes clumsy, sometimes keeping distance—but more like a primal, tormented version of her.
“Sister?” Seraphina turned her head, looking at Movira’s figure. “Why are you standing there? Why not come in?”
Movira’s throat bobbed, her voice struggling out. “Seraphina, there’s something… I need your help with…”
“Help you? With what?” Seraphina looked at her puzzled, and by the twilight light, she saw the fine beads of sweat on Movira’s forehead, as if enduring something.
As the other slowly approached Seraphina, leaning down to whisper incoherent, euphemistic words expressing her need in her ear, Seraphina’s face went “whoosh” pale.
Those painful memories surged back instantly, making her recoil sharply against the cold wall, her voice trembling.
“No! Don’t even think about it! You want to… treat me like before again?! Get away!”
Seeing Seraphina’s fierce resistance, Movira didn’t imitate her past reckless self this time.
She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and when she opened them again, it was a pleading look Seraphina had never seen—almost humble.
“No… it’s not. This time is different!”
These slow words seemed to drain all her strength with each one. “It’s not me… it’s you. This time, you take the lead… I promise I’ll listen to you.”
Her body leaned forward but restrained itself, keeping a bit of distance. “I’m really suffering—help me, okay? Just… mutual help between sisters, nothing more.”
Seraphina was stunned, completely shocked by this utterly unfamiliar side of Movira before her.
The ever-domineering Demon King, who had shed her dominance not long ago, now stripped away her remaining coldness… revealing an incredibly vulnerable side.
But anger and fear still lingered, though a vengeful satisfaction quietly sprouted.
These days, Movira’s careful care, and her inner acknowledgment of their sisterly bond, silently became weights on the scale in this moment.
Seraphina fell into silence, her head lowered, looking at her intertwined, trembling hands.
Refusal was easy, instinctive, but… Seraphina suddenly looked at Movira’s pained expression.
Had she developed… concern for Movira?
Seraphina lifted her head. “Will it… be too much?” She couldn’t understand why she said that.
“Is this what… a proper sisterly relationship is?”
Movira shook her head then nodded—shaking to say it wasn’t too much, nodding to affirm the normal sisterly bond.
Seraphina watched her, watched for a long time. Finally, she nodded ever so slightly, almost imperceptibly even to herself. “Okay… but, let’s be clear! Just, just this once!”
Those words seemed to exhaust her courage, carrying a sense of going all in.
Once she agreed, the vengeful feeling instantly took over, fully transforming her anger and fear.
What should I do? I don’t understand.
And, she didn’t know when it started, but she didn’t want to see Movira looking so tormented…
“Um…”
She didn’t know how much time passed before everything returned to calm.
Seraphina slumped limply on the disheveled bed, her whole body feeling like it had fallen apart, without even the strength to lift a finger.
The sun had gone behind the mountains to rest, leaving the moon to dominate the night’s light.
It illuminated the sweat on her forehead and her exhausted, tightly closed eyes.
All the previous feelings—revenge, curiosity, tension—had vanished, leaving only boundless weariness.
“So tiring… I’m dead tired…”
Seraphina complained hoarsely, with a nasal tone,
Like grievance, or just a plain statement,
“Why is it so troublesome… not fun at all…”
She felt Movira move beside her, seeming to want to get closer, yet hesitating a bit.
Seraphina didn’t open her eyes, just mumbling vaguely, with a tone of shifting blame.
“Hey… are you better now? Don’t come again…”
She could feel Movira’s gaze still on her face, complex.
After a few seconds of silence, her voice rose, much softer than usual. “Mm… better. It’s eased a lot.”
Seeing Seraphina so utterly exhausted, like a bird with wings soaked by rain, any further action would seem too cruel.
And this temporary relief was already enough to suppress her inner turmoil.
Upon hearing that, Seraphina sighed in relief, muttering something unintelligible, turning over, and burying her face in the soft pillow.
She fell into deep sleep almost instantly—too tired.
Tired to the point of being unable to think about what this meant, tired enough to abandon all emotions.
Movira quietly watched her sleeping face, reached out to tuck her in properly, and tidied up the mess.
Then, she lay down too, keeping a bit of distance, yet close enough to feel the other’s body heat and breath.
The scenes from just now replayed in her mind over and over, like viewing some mysterious illustrated book.
Perhaps… as long as this beginning was made, the rest would fall into place naturally.
Afterward, Movira slowly closed her eyes too. She decided to take it easy for now; after not doing this for so long, it was a bit hard to process all at once.