Lunchtime at the church’s dining hall was a quiet affair, save for the faint clink of chopsticks and the murmur of conversation.
“Do I really have to eat this?”
The snow-haired girl, Noi, pinched a glossy green slice of melon between her chopsticks, her face a canvas of reluctance.
She’d taken a bite earlier, and the bitter sting had numbed the root of her tongue.
While other foods left a lingering sweetness, this melon doubled down on its acrid aftertaste.
Noi, a self-proclaimed foodie who could eat almost anything—except this unrelenting bitterness.
Tina, ever the seasoned guide, waggled her chopsticks with a knowing air.
“Your magic reserves are pitifully low. These green vine melons from the Kingdom of Mosode boost your mana. Just deal with it.”
Noi pouted, her lips pursed as she glanced at the blue-haired nun hunched over her mealand said, “Sister Chenxi, do you actually like this stuff?”
“Cough… I’m done here. You two carry on.” The question hit Chenxi’s weak spot like an arrow.
Sensing Noi’s attempt to pull her into the misery, she abandoned her empty bowl and fled, leaving the untouched delicacies in the takeout spread behind.
The green vine melon’s reputation was fearsome indeed.
Noi’s small, pink tongue flicked at the melon’s core, and even its juice was bitter enough to coax tears from her eyes.
‘Ugh… so bitter. I can’t do this.’
If she’d known it would come to this, she would’ve dumped her attribute points into magic instead of being strong-armed into eating this wretched, bitter fruit.
Click.
A small ceramic bowl slid in front of her, filled with an otherworldly version of soy sauce spiked with chili and a medley of unfamiliar spices, their aroma blending into a perfect harmony.
Noi looked up, meeting the amber gaze of the black-haired boy, Lyte, his expression cool and detached.
“Dip it in the sauce. It’s good for you. Just bear with it,” he said, his tone matter-of-fact.
“Mm… thank you.” Noi’s face lit up with a pure, radiant smile.
Lyte returned to his seat, the corners of his mouth twitching upward despite himself, warmed by her gratitude.
Noi was picky, but no matter how much she loathed a dish, she’d force it down with a grimace.
One moment, Lyte fought the urge to do something for her; the next, he pictured her sobbing, overwhelmed by the melon’s bitterness, unable to speak.
The thought sent an involuntary pang through his chest.
He was sinking, he realized, drowning in an all-consuming care for her.
This wasn’t good.
His chopsticks picked at grains of rice, his thoughts drifting far from the table.
Across from him, Noi, armed with Lyte’s special sauce, devoured a heaping bowl of the green vine melon with unexpected relish.
The sauce’s complex, salty-spicy notes masked the bitterness, making it almost palatable.
She half-suspected Tina had ordered too much melon on purpose, shoving it all her way.
Thank the stars for her guardian knight’s thoughtfulness, or she’d have been too miserable to choke down dinner.
After lunch, Noi’s plan for a nap was derailed when she was dragged to a ladies’ tea gathering.
Lyte, meanwhile, waited for her in the courtyard.
In the church’s rear garden, a small stone pavilion sat amid a sea of blue flowers.
Tina sipped floral tea from the teahouse, eyeing the two girls who’d joined her.
Teacher Sharei had business to attend to that afternoon and hadn’t eaten at the church.
She’d left after delegating tasks, leaving the trio to their tea.
Only when they were all sipping the fragrant brew, soothing their stomachs, did Tina fix her gaze on Noi, who was savoring her cup.
“Noi, you’ve been pushing yourself too hard lately.”
“Hm? Have I?” Noi’s antenna-like hair swayed as she blinked wide-eyed.
Tina nodded firmly and replied:
“You’re training with Michael’s lightsword at dawn in the temple and practicing Gabriel’s lightshield in the courtyard at dusk. Learning some self-defense is great, but you need to pace yourself.”
“With your measly magic reserves, what if you overexert and collapse? That’s bad for your health!”
“Mm…” Chastised, Noi ducked her head, cheeks flushing with embarrassment.
Her relentless training was spurred by Lyte’s sudden arrival and his peculiar actions, which had ignited a sense of urgency in her.
Day and night, she’d thrown herself into mastering the techniques of the other two angels.
Chenxi set down her teacup, picking up where Tina left off.
“We’re handing this mission to you so you can slow down. Think of it as a half-day off. Time will wait.”
Would it, though?
Noi wasn’t so sure.
Lyte, the game’s main protagonist, was bound to grow far faster than a weakling like her.
By some twist of fate, she’d become the so-called saintess, but that might not change her destiny as the story’s final antagonist.
If the day came when she and Lyte clashed, and she had no means to stand her ground, she’d be thoroughly trounced.
The three girls chatted a while longer, the tea gathering winding down.
As Noi’s tired mind churned, she trudged back toward the church, only to collide forehead-first into something solid yet slightly yielding.
Her unsteady steps faltered, but a pair of strong hands caught her by the waist.
“Ow…” Rubbing her reddened forehead, Noi looked up into Lyte’s stern, chiseled face.
She’d crashed right into his chest.
“…Afternoon, my knight.”
“Vivi, want to rest before we head out?”
Noticing the sleepiness clouding her crimson eyes, Lyte instinctively reached out, tucking a stray lock of her disheveled hair behind her ear.
Realizing what he’d done, his face stiffened, and he quickly withdrew his hand, turning away to hide his expression.
Exhausted and half-asleep, Noi missed the gesture entirely.
She rubbed her eyes and nodded.
“Yeah, I’ll nap first. We can head to that rich boy’s place later.”
“Your legs…”
“What about them?”
Noi glanced down, but the high curve of her outfit blocked her view.
She stretched out one long leg, revealing her foot in a short-heeled shoe.
The knee-length skirt rode up slightly with the motion, and the sheer black thigh-high stockings she wore drew the young hero’s gaze like a magnet.
“They’re… nice,” Lyte managed, his eyes lingering on the smooth, chocolate-like sheen of her stockings.
He shook his head, snapping out of it, torn between his desire to look and the self-reproach for his base thoughts.
A mischievous glint sparked in Noi’s eyes, sensing an opportunity to tease.
“So… compared to my white stockings, which do you like better?”
Lyte hesitated, sensing a trap.
But he answered honestly.
“Both are great, but I prefer the black.”
‘Heh, noted.’ Noi flashed a coy smile, glancing at the address scribbled on a slip of paper before adjusting their route.
It was a bright, sunny afternoon as they made their way to the home of Andy, the young noble.
After marveling at the whimsical architecture of the city center, the villas here felt oddly familiar to Noi, like gaudy echoes of her past life’s extravagance.
It was a strange sensation—as if something she once thought magnificent was, in another’s eyes, utterly worthless.
She’d swapped her nun’s habit for casual clothes to avoid drawing attention.
The deeper reason, which Tina and Chenxi hadn’t shared, was that Noi’s figure in the nun’s outfit was far too provocative.
They’d agreed that if she went out like that, especially around someone like Andy, the risks would skyrocket.
So Chenxi had lent her a barely fitting outfit: black thigh-high stockings, a sky-blue knee-length skirt, and a lantern-sleeved top with a patchwork design, giving her the air of a chic, commanding older sister.
Lyte, too, had dressed down, trading his trench coat for a fitted shirt and gray jeans that accentuated his frame without being ostentatious.
The villa district’s roads were smooth and orderly, with signs at the intersections.
Quickening their pace, they soon reached Andy’s home.
“It’s like it was stamped from a mold. No different from the other villas,” Lyte remarked, stroking his chin.
The uniformity, a product of industrialized design, felt jarring to someone accustomed to the eclectic grandeur of the capital’s architecture.
“Ding-dong.”
Noi’s finger barely left the doorbell when the door flew open.
Andy’s head popped out, his eyes locking onto the snow-haired girl with a grin as bright as autumn chrysanthemums.
“Miss Noi, you look stunning in that outfit. Come in, please.”
The casually dressed girl sidestepped his overly eager advance with ease, stepping into the villa.
Lyte followed naturally, but an arm shot out to block the door.
“Sorry, guardian knight, you can wait out here. Miss Noi and I can handle this supernatural matter alone.”
At Andy’s words, Lyte’s warm, harmless amber eyes sharpened, a sword-like intensity piercing straight into the young noble’s heart.