“Noi, you go,” Chenxi said, her tone casual but firm.
Noi pointed at herself, her quirky tuft of hair springing upright with a jolt of surprise.
“Eh? Me? I don’t have any experience…”
Tina stepped into the partition, settling beside her sister Chenxi, her eyes fixed on Noi with a knowing glint.
“What’s experience got to do with it? Those so-called ‘supernatural incidents’ are just stray cats or dogs scampering about. In a small town like ours, the worst we get are those boat-shaped anomalies stirring up trouble. You think the big shots from the Sin Domain would bother with a speck of a place like this?”
Leaning against the doorframe, Sharei’s lips curled into a sly smile, as if a private joke had flickered through her mind.
She nodded in agreement with Tina’s words.Â
“Tina’s got a point. It’s just a trivial matter, Noi. Go on, handle it.”
With all three of the church’s decision-makers nudging her toward the task, Noi had little choice but to relent.
She was, after all, a guest under their roof—doing a bit of work wouldn’t kill her.
“Fine…” Noi sighed, stepping out of the partition to meet her first client.
The moment the client laid eyes on Noi’s delicate features and graceful figure, his jaw dropped, utterly captivated.
“By the divine Afiya… can such a perfect woman truly exist? Please, let me court you!”
What in the world?
Caught off guard by her first-ever confession—and one so brazenly fervent—Noi’s mind short-circuited.
From his post outside the confessional, Lyte stole a glance inside.
When he realized the confession was aimed at Noi, his composure faltered.
He edged closer to the door, fingers brushing the hilt of his black holy sword, his amber eyes narrowing like a lion guarding its territory.
Sharei, ever the calm observer, subtly distanced herself from Lyte’s bristling aura.
With a mischievous glint in her eye, she watched the confessional, curious to see how Noi would handle this wealthy client and his impulsive declaration.
Unfortunately, for all her wit in sparring with Lyte’s theatrics, Noi was still just an eighteen-year-old.
Faced with such an unexpected outburst, she froze, unable to muster a single word in response.
Noticing the awkward stalemate, the blue-haired, ever-thoughtful big sister nudged the fiery redhead beside her, tilting her chin to urge Tina to rescue their white-haired, doe-eyed little sister.
Everyone else seemed content to munch on metaphorical popcorn and watch the drama unfold, but Tina, feeling the weight of her seniority, sighed and stepped forward.
With a wry smile, she grabbed the young noble by the ear.
“Hey, you little punk! You think flashing some coin means you can just whisk our Noi away?”
The audacious noble received the full treatment for his misstep.
Lyte strode in, helping Tina haul the lovestruck fool out of the confessional.
Once they were gone, Sharei smoothly closed the door behind them, ensuring he wouldn’t return.
In the blink of an eye, Noi’s source of distress had been swiftly “dealt with” by her companions.
Gratitude warmed her chest.
“Noi,” Chenxi’s voice called from the confessional’s wooden partition, her blue hair peeking through the lattice.
“You’d better get used to the ways of ‘city folk.’ When you make it to the imperial capital one day, you’ll meet even weirder types.”
Noi tilted her head, her curiosity piqued.
“So… Chenxi, have you ever been confessed to?”
“What? Uh… well, of course I have!” Chenxi stammered, her confident facade crumbling into a flustered “aba-aba” mumble.
‘Shouldn’t have borrowed those romance comics from Tina,’ she thought.
‘No time left to actually date anyone.’
“Ugh… am I really so old and faded that even a girl with a boyfriend is mocking me now?” Chenxi wailed dramatically.
Noi’s cheeks flushed crimson.
“W-what do you mean, boyfriend? I barely know him!”
“Oh? How’d you know who I was talking about? Could it be… you two…?” Chenxi trailed off, her lips curling into a teasing, knowing grin.
Noi sputtered, her words tripping over themselves.
“N-no! Not at all! We’re not—”
“No need to explain, no need to explain,” Chenxi interrupted, waving a hand.
“I may not have much experience, but I know all about the shy little thoughts that come with a budding romance.”
‘Never eaten pork, but I’ve seen pigs run,’ Chenxi thought smugly, her years of devouring romance comics giving her unwarranted confidence.
She patted her chest and gave Noi an encouraging nod, her face radiating “wishing you happiness.”
A sharp “knock knock knock” interrupted Noi’s attempt to clear up the misunderstanding.
Sharei opened the confessional door to reveal Tina, balancing two bags of takeout with a bright smile.
“Hey, girls! Lunchtime!”
If you’re not eager about food, you’ve got bigger problems.
The two black-robed nuns, exhausted from the morning’s antics, lit up at the prospect of a meal.
Chenxi rubbed her hands together like a fly, eagerly rummaging through the bags for her share.
Seeing the empty spot beside Noi, Sharei glided over, her green hair cascading like a coiled serpent over her gold-trimmed nun’s habit.
“First commission, huh?”
“Mm, yeah. I’ve never done anything like this before. Anything I should know?” Noi straightened, her hands resting primly on her white silk-clad thighs, though her gaze deliberately avoided Sharei’s probing eyes.
Sharei chuckled.
“No need to overthink it. Just do what you always do. These ‘commissions’ are more like handing the client a placebo. If anything goes wrong, we toss it to the Demon Suppression Bureau. It’s not like us clergy are expected to handle the heavy lifting.”
She reached into a hidden pocket sewn into her skirt and pulled out a small slip of paper.
“This is from that noble boy. It’s the details of his request. If you’re ready to contribute to the church, take it.”
Noi hesitated before accepting the note.
She scanned it carefully.
The client’s name was Andy Holmes, residing in a villa district not far from the slums.
The task?
Resolve the issue before sunset.
As the snow-haired nun accepted the commission, Sharei’s hand brushed Noi’s swan-like neck, her long nails grazing just enough to tickle.
“Be careful out there. And bring your little knight in shining armor.”
*Hm… what?*
The church bells tolled, heralding noon, and Sharei’s teasing words hung in the air like a playful melody.
Noi, like a goldfish in a bowl, opened and closed her mouth, wanting to protest but finding no words.
Her cheeks bloomed red again, as tempting as a ripe apple begging for a bite.
‘He’s just my guardian knight… perfectly normal!’ Noi thought, trying to convince herself.
But by the time she’d pieced together a coherent defense, Sharei had already sauntered off with the red-and-blue-haired sisters, chattering about lunch.
‘Ugh, my way with words is hopeless.’
Outside the confessional, Lyte adjusted his trench coat’s collar, growing impatient.
“Vivi, time for lunch,” he called, his low, resonant voice echoing through the room.
Noi met his gaze, sensing the genuine concern beneath his steady tone.
Pushing aside her tangled thoughts, she rose, instinctively grabbing his sleeve as they headed to the dining hall together.
It wasn’t as if she’d never been around men.
In her past life, though her experiences were limited, after all.
But Lyte—he had a way of stirring her heart, igniting desires she hadn’t known she possessed.
It wasn’t mere attraction; it felt like a resonance of souls, a spark beyond simple want.
Lyte, walking beside her, let his gaze linger on her delicate fingers clutching his sleeve, her snow-white hair brushing her petite ears, and the faint flush on her cheeks betraying her unease.
These past days, he’d seen her unguarded moments—her raw, unfiltered self.
For someone who’d once believed witches were beyond redemption, Lyte found his defenses crumbling, worn down like stone under a steady drip.
Noi had slipped past his walls without him even noticing.
Noi, hardened by training, would pull a tissue from her dress, damp from sweat.
Noi, wandering the grounds, would pluck a simple flower or blade of grass, savoring its scent.
Noi, with her impish streak, would swipe Lyte’s coat and hide it, puffing her cheeks innocently when questioned.
These quirks clashed with the flawless saintly image others saw, yet they made Lyte’s guard falter.
People were complex, multifaceted.
Perfection was a mask, hiding one’s true nature.
Noi’s contradictions made her real.
There was still time.
Lyte decided to give himself a chance to truly see her.