After the kiss, a faint blush spread across Cress’s face like a hazy mist enveloping her cheeks.
She lifted her head to look at Olivia, who was teasing her, and parted her lips slightly.
“What are you doing?”
“Kissing you, of course. Have you forgotten already, Cress?”
“Of course I know.”
Cress wanted to touch her lips, but realized her hands were still pinned against the wall by Olivia.
She made no effort to break free.
After all, she didn’t want any conflict with Olivia right now.
She had already decided to build a good relationship with Gabrielle and didn’t want anything to ruin it.
Yes…
Cress suddenly realized her daughter had finally acknowledged her.
Even though it was only a simple compliment, it was far better than the cold indifference from their first meeting.
It was the same with Olivia. She no longer seemed to hate her as much—at least, far better than right after the war ended.
“Cress, we don’t do this kind of thing very often, do we?”
There was a trace of greed in Olivia’s eyes, like a wild beast that had spotted its prey.
Yet Olivia still clung to a sliver of hope—even a quiet plea—that Cress would change her mind.
She wanted the girl to become less rational, to care more about emotions and family, and to become as adorable as the other Heavenly Envoys.
If the ideal, kind-hearted Cress she had longed for had already grown into a towering tree in her heart, then the current Cress was still nothing more than a tender sprout.
She had only meant to “cooperate” with Gabrielle.
Her mind went blank for a moment.
After tasting the honey-like sweetness in Cress’s mouth, she became slightly dazed.
She nearly leaned in again to kiss her face.
“Cress…”
Olivia murmured her name.
She really did like Cress too much.
She hated the way Cress had cast her aside and abandoned her, yet she loved the caring, attentive side of her.
Olivia felt she had fallen—or perhaps become too irrational.
Or maybe the power inside her body was urging her to act this way.
Still, she couldn’t infuse Cress with shadows yet. Like Gabrielle, Cress had extremely high resistance.
Moreover, Olivia herself didn’t fully understand the abyssal power within her. Acting purely on instinct, she simply kissed Cress on the lips once more.
“Mmm.”
Cress showed no sign of refusal.
Whether she was startled by Olivia’s relentless pursuit or simply didn’t mind, Olivia believed it was the latter.
Watching the blush gradually color Cress’s usually emotionless face—like sparks landing on cold iron armor in the depths of winter—she wanted to protect her with all her strength.
“Do you want to have a second child with me?” Cress asked blankly.
“I didn’t mean that,” Olivia immediately denied.
Cress was still the same as before. She hadn’t changed even after all these years.
“What exactly are we doing right now?”
Cress felt her body growing weak, strength slowly draining away.
No—her power hadn’t been taken away.
She realized this was simply her body’s natural reaction.
Her Holy Body, trained to its utmost limits, could resist any curse.
Olivia wasn’t using magic, so there was no way she could harm her.
Yet it still felt strangely unsettling.
Although the taste left in her mouth wasn’t particularly pleasant, the familiarity of it kept her from rejecting the sensation.
Olivia placed her hand on Cress’s face and pressed her body even closer.
“It’s a kiss. It’s proof of love, something couples do all the time. Does it feel good? We used to do things like this quite often. Maybe you’ve just forgotten some of it.”
“I remember.”
Cress fell into thought.
Most of the time, it had been Olivia who took the initiative.
The body would sink into a comfortable river of pleasure, deeper and deeper.
Of course, this was also one of the reasons she had been so determined to leave.
She didn’t believe such emotions could help her; on the contrary, they would only hinder her plans.
But the current situation was completely different. She needed Olivia’s trust, just as she needed Gabrielle’s trust.
Before she could think any further, Olivia captured her lips again.
This time the kiss was fiercer. Olivia’s other hand released her wrist and slid down to caress her soft, tender abdomen.
The Holy Body was still flesh at its core, every bit as elastic as normal skin.
Cress let out a soft moan.
Her voice echoed faintly in the corridor, and she hoped no one else heard it.
“Cress, there’s something I’ve always wanted to ask you.”
“What is it?”
“From the time we met and lived together, to when I became pregnant, and finally to the destruction… Have you ever liked me?”
Cress didn’t know how to answer, but she knew she had to give one.
“I don’t know. At least, I never considered falling in love with you.”
“Then why did you approach my daughter?”
“I already told you. I want her to understand me. There are so many misunderstandings between Gabrielle and me. Too many.”
Cress didn’t voice the rest of her thoughts. She wanted to turn Gabrielle into a god.
That had always been her goal.
Ten thousand years ago, the lack of mutual understanding between her and Gabrielle had shattered their relationship.
They had even fought each other, viewing one another as the most dangerous enemy.
Cress didn’t know where the problem had begun.
That was why she had started trying to change and fix things.
After hearing her answer, a flash of disappointment crossed Olivia’s face.
She stopped stroking Cress’s abdomen.
Seeing this, Cress raised her head and tilted it slightly.
“I never fell in love with you, but you can teach me. Teach me how to fall in love with you.”
“Teach you?” Olivia found the idea almost absurd. She even felt Cress was beyond saving.
“Believe in yourself. You taught me how to make onion soup. You can also teach me how to love. I believe in you.”
Olivia’s body trembled.
“That’s different.”
“To me, it might not be. I know it’s difficult. But I won’t give up, Olivia.”
Cress grabbed the hand that Olivia was trying to pull away. The cross patterns in her eyes flickered with a faint light.
Olivia was deeply moved.
An image flashed before her eyes—the Heavenly God girl who had stubbornly tried to save her, appearing by her side every day like clockwork and gently stroking her head.
Suddenly, Olivia wrapped her arms around Cress’s waist and gently pushed her against the wall once more, capturing her cherry lips.
In the corridor, only the heavy breathing of the two girls could be heard.