The once-quiet crowd erupted into whispers again after Luo Xiya’s disruption.
It seemed they had gradually come to accept Roman’s identity as Holy Child under Sylvia’s mixture of kindness and authority, but Luo Xiya’s actions were like a stone thrown into a calm lake, stirring up new waves.
So… even the Saint Son can be taken advantage of so easily?
Anyone who entertained such a thought instantly felt a chill and dared not think further.
Sylvia frowned in silence, her dislike for Luo Xiya deepening.
Even though she knew Luo Xiya had long ‘defiled’ Roman completely, witnessing it with her own eyes still made her feel an unpleasant sense of her possession being touched by someone else.
At the same time, a trace of annoyance toward Roman also rose in her heart.
A disobedient child shouldn’t only be given sweet rewards; there should also be opportunities for a little discipline.
As for Rosetta, who knew the least about the situation, she was even more bewildered.
She quickly regained her senses and instinctively felt that Luo Xiya was too brazen, daring to act so inappropriately toward the Saint Son.
True to her straightforward nature, she stepped forward and separated the two, placing herself between them with a blank expression and gently pulling Roman behind her.
“Please show some respect.”
Luo Xiya stared back at Rosetta, suspicion flickering in her eyes before she understood and let out a faint, mocking smile.
That expression seemed to say she was laughing at Rosetta for not understanding anything.
But she quickly realized, awkwardly, that Rosetta hadn’t noticed any hidden meaning—she simply stared at her directly, oblivious.
Grand Duke Veronica watched her daughter’s defiant behavior and, suppressing her complicated feelings, stepped forward to help smooth things over.
Thinking back to the things she’d said to Luo Xiya about Roman that night, she couldn’t help but feel a wave of embarrassment.
Roman, meanwhile, blushed and wiped the corner of his mouth with his hand.
His gaze darted around, unable to meet Luo Xiya’s eyes, afraid she might do something outrageous again in front of so many people.
Luo Xiya, naturally, let Roman go.
Her desire had finally been satisfied just moments ago.
It wasn’t only physical longing, but more of a spiritual yearning.
Days of longing and the emptiness from losing her arm had made her once-tough heart unusually fragile.
When she saw Roman appear behind the Holy Throne, it was like being struck by lightning, leaving her dazed.
In truth, for people who care about each other, longing is mutual.
While Roman was lost in his thoughts, he didn’t realize Luo Xiya was also staring blankly at a strand of hair she’d secretly taken from him.
Now, through the shortcut of physical connection, Luo Xiya finally felt her energy replenished.
With Luo Xiya on his back, Roman walked toward Milis, nearly stumbling over a stone that had fallen during the earlier chaos.
They say the body is the quickest path to the heart.
Looking back now, it certainly felt true.
Though both he and Luo Xiya had felt a certain way from the start, there had always been some reservations.
But after that night, the invisible barrier between them broke as easily as a thin membrane.
So, Luo Xiya’s bold actions directly ‘helped’ him recall all those memories.
Reaching Milis’s side, he listened to her faint breathing as she lay on the ground, her face pale as if she might die at any moment.
This time, he acted much more reservedly, placing both hands on Milis’s head and focusing on repairing her body.
He wouldn’t have known if he hadn’t looked, but as he examined Milis’s condition, his eyes widened.
On the surface, Milis’s injuries seemed less severe than Luo Xiya’s—after all, one had lost an arm while the other only looked pale and unconscious.
However, in reality, every Magic Circuit within Milis’s body had been severed—none remained intact.
If it weren’t for his presence, it was hard to say which of the two had it worse.
Luo Xiya, as a swordsman, lost her right hand but could still reach the Saint Domain.
But with Milis’s condition, even as the Owner of the Origin Sacred Mark, it was uncertain if she could ever regain her original talents.
Magic Power flowed through Milis’s body, nourishing her as the broken circuits gradually reconnected and healed.
No one knew how much time passed before Milis opened her eyes.
Without her bangs to cover her left eye, she stared blankly at Roman with both eyes.
Why…
She couldn’t understand why Roman was standing before her now.
But she didn’t linger on the question, as a wave of pain in her head made her moan softly.
“Did I lose?”
She asked quietly.
There was no answer, but it seemed obvious.
The feeling of broken wings was agonizing; as she lost consciousness, she remembered the sensation of her Magic Circuits snapping one after another.
After so many setbacks, Milis now looked like a broken doll—her beautiful face frozen in a stiff expression, her eyes vacant.
“Um…”
Roman’s hesitant voice came from nearby.
“Could you sit up for a moment?”
Frowning in silence, Milis hated being ordered around. She turned away from Roman, ignoring him.
Faced with this stubborn patient, Roman had no choice but to support her back and force her to sit up.
Milis swayed like a lazy fish unwilling to flip over.
It wasn’t until she clearly felt her circuits within being gently restored that she abruptly opened her eyes.
“Why are you here?”
Milis stared at Roman in shock.
Had she entered another parallel universe?
Looking at the familiar yet humiliating clothing on Roman, Milis’s usual cold and rebellious nature faded in her current weakness, and she blushed as she stared at his chest.
If she remembered right, that was the very Divine Robe she’d fought so hard to avoid wearing—now Roman was wearing it?
“Alright.”
Roman released her shoulders with a weary tone.
Milis instinctively checked her body and found all her injuries had been healed, and each broken Magic Circuit had been painstakingly reconnected.
The Magic Power within her fused naturally with the traces Roman had left, making her chest feel oddly strange as she touched it.
Seeing that Milis was mostly recovered, Roman returned to Luo Xiya’s side.
“Roman.”
“Yeah.”
Roman blinked at Luo Xiya.
After several days apart, he realized he missed her as well.
“I just thought of a possibility.”
“What do you mean?”
“Come with me for a moment.”
“I greet the Holy Throne.”
An annoying voice sounded nearby.
Milis looked over to see Luo Xiya facing Sylvia, speaking clearly.
Her mother seemed somewhat displeased with the other, glancing aside without comment.
“Are you now considered Roman’s Guardian?”
“You could say that.”
“Mm.”
In front of everyone, Luo Xiya forced herself to suppress her nerves and asked again.
“I heard that the victor this time can receive anything they desire from you, even an Artifact. Is that true?”
Sylvia frowned at this and shot Luo Xiya a glance, then nodded.
“That’s right.”
“I see…”
Luo Xiya walked to Roman’s side and suddenly took his small hand.
Under Roman’s surprised gaze, Luo Xiya revealed a confident smile.
“I don’t want any Artifact. I just want a promise from you.”
She suddenly realized this was the last—and best—chance she’d have.
Here’s a bit of trivia: Goddess Fara never demanded the clergy of the Holy Light Church remain eternally pure.
In fact, she encouraged them to love and hate boldly—even Saint Sons and Saintesses were no exception.
“You want Roman?”
Sylvia exposed her intentions bluntly.
“Yes.”
She replied, her tone steady.