Cress’s brain spun at full speed. Gabrielle’s reaction had far exceeded her expectations.
Olivia had told her that the dishes she made would never satisfy Gabrielle.
At the time, she had even believed that neither Olivia nor Gabrielle would acknowledge her so easily.
Yet the situation now was completely the opposite—Gabrielle said it was delicious.
Olivia had lied to her.
Olivia clearly knew that Gabrielle was a girl who could be easily pleased, yet she had still insisted that Cress do better, either to waste her time or to hold her back.
“Gabrielle, is it true?”
Cress took a few steps forward. She still needed to confirm whether Gabrielle was genuinely satisfied.
If it was merely polite words, then she shouldn’t consider herself successful yet.
Gabrielle looked confused, clearly unsure what she was asking about.
“I practiced for a very long time. If Gabrielle is satisfied, I can make it for you every day.”
Cress made no attempt to hide her feelings, looking like a child craving praise.
Her adorable face made it easy to forget that she was a Heavenly God.
“So it was made by Miss Cress. Olivia told me you couldn’t cook. Looks like you were hiding your skills~?”
Gabrielle seemed quite interested.
“I’ve always been very good.”
As Cress spoke, her heartbeat began to accelerate—a feeling she had never experienced before.
She had never really been acknowledged by her daughter.
From the very beginning until now, she was finally experiencing what Olivia felt.
She used to think all emotions were essentially meaningless, like wild fruit growing by the roadside.
But now that she was truly experiencing it, she discovered the sweet richness hidden within the sourness, leaving a lingering aftertaste.
Perhaps this was exactly why she desperately wanted Gabrielle to understand her. Now was the time to take the first step.
Cress reached out and gently stroked the top of Gabrielle’s head.
The feeling reminded her of Olivia.
Olivia’s body was quite frail, and Cress had used this “method” before to cheer her up.
The obedient appearance of the girl allowed her to recall her own identity.
The Gabrielle before her was a product who had inherited her genes and bloodline, yet at the same time, she was a girl Cress could not fully understand.
“Miss Cress~?”
“It’s nothing. I just wanted to touch you.”
She noticed that Gabrielle didn’t seem to mind her touch much, only showing a slightly surprised expression.
Under Gabrielle’s gaze, Cress withdrew her hand. She was satisfied.
It seemed that, so far, everything was going very successfully.
“If there’s nothing else, I’ll take my leave for now, Gabrielle.”
“Eh?”
“I have something important to discuss with Saintess Olivia. I’ll be back soon.”
Cress thought for a moment, gave a small nod, and bid Gabrielle farewell.
She wanted to share this good news with Olivia right away.
It wasn’t just about sharing. She wanted to ask her directly.
At the very least, she wanted to know how she had managed to achieve this level under Olivia’s guidance.
She closed the door gently and headed toward the staircase, feeling strangely light on her feet the entire way.
At that moment, Olivia was cleaning the stairwell on the second floor.
She was supervising Felina and Murphy as the two Heavenly Envoys worked together.
They were both outstanding Heavenly Envoys—not only guardians, but also adorable and beautiful maids.
“Even with Olivia’s powerful magic, it’s still really hard for us to use it properly.”
Murphy looked somewhat frustrated as she gripped her “Prayers” tightly. In front of her, countless cleaning tools floated as if controlled by invisible tentacles, carefully dusting every corner.
“This is a good way to train your magic power. It’s also an excellent opportunity for improvement.”
“I understand, Lady Olivia.”
Felina, on the other hand, looked exceptionally confident.
She controlled streams of water that moved like countless little loaches or playful spirits, sweeping up dust from the walls and floor.
A few droplets splashed onto her white apron, leaving dark wet marks.
She deliberately demonstrated the technique to Murphy, who began trying to imitate her.
“Amazing. This method is actually pretty good.”
“Efficiency above all, right~?”
“Mhm.”
After a while, the three of them noticed Cress’s arrival and immediately stopped what they were doing, turning to look at her.
“Vice Captain Cress, shouldn’t you be with Gabrielle right now?”
Olivia smiled as if she already knew what had happened.
Cress ignored Felina and Murphy, walking straight up to Olivia until her chest was almost pressing against the Saintess’s full bosom.
“Mmm.”
“Olivia, you lied to me.”
“Hm?”
With only the Heavenly God and the Saintess left in the quiet corridor, Murphy and Felina quietly slipped away.
Cress’s voice carried a hint of urgency as she tried to prove her success to Olivia.
Her beautiful face was bathed in the warm color of sunlight.
“Congratulations, Cress.”
Olivia took both of Cress’s small hands. The latter did not resist.
“Gabrielle thought you made it. That means our finished products were about the same.”
“Mhm~ We’re not noble young ladies, nor are we gourmet chefs. We’re just Heavenly Envoys. Fighting is our duty.”
Cress knew these words were mocking her. Olivia was merely pretending to be nonchalant.
“Putting in effort? Gabrielle liked it, maybe because you actually put your heart into it.”
Cress still didn’t quite understand. She didn’t feel there was any fundamental difference.
But the facts were right in front of her—Gabrielle had acknowledged her.
It wasn’t forced praise; it was sincere.
“I did lie to you. Our daughter is, of course, a Heavenly Envoy just like me. So, why did you come looking for me? What do you want to do?”
Olivia’s eyes were playful.
She gently pushed Cress’s upper body, backing her up until the girl’s back pressed firmly against the corridor wall.
“[Reward] you? Cress, do you want to [punish] me, or do you want me to [reward] you?”
“I…”
Cress hesitated. She herself didn’t know exactly what she wanted.
Thanks to Olivia, she had succeeded.
Even if Olivia had deliberately deceived her, it wasn’t something worth punishing her for.
In the end, she remained undecided.
Perhaps she simply wanted to share everything about her daughter with Olivia.
Or perhaps she just wanted to prove herself. Maybe it was both.
Before she could give an answer, Olivia moved first.
She pinned Cress’s hands against the wall.
Before the nearly inexperienced girl could react, Olivia seized the moment and placed a light, fleeting kiss on her lips.
“No matter what you choose, it’ll be this.”
Olivia’s voice lingered softly by her ear.
Cress let out a soft hum, savoring the faint sweet fragrance left on her lips.
She was actually blushing.
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