Chapter 22: The Overbearing Saintess Saved Me

Accompanied by a sharp pain, Fili opened her sore eyelids and saw the bright ceiling.

The air was filled with a faint scent of gardenias.

She turned her head, and the warm sunlight pierced through the glass window, forcing her to raise her hand to shield her eyes.

Then, she quickly noticed that her chest was wrapped in bandages, and besides that, she was completely naked.

“You’re awake?”

By the bedside stood a woman with an expressionless face… a maid?

She was surprised by this woman’s identity because this maid’s aura was completely different from the usual servants around her.

If someone told her this was a cold, noble-born young lady, she would have believed it.

“Where is this?”

“The infirmary.”

“Did you save me?”

“No, my lady saved you.”

“Your lady is?”

“The Oracle Hall Saintess.”

Oh.

After a moment’s pause, Fili was struck with a jolt of realization.

Did she hear correctly?

The Saintess of the Oracle Hall saved her?

That was an incredible figure—one who even the elders in her clan seemed inferior to.

To show respect to the Oracle Hall Saintess, she intended to sit up straight, but as soon as she moved, the wound on her chest made her gasp sharply.

“Lie still. Your injury isn’t healed enough for you to get out of bed.”

A cold voice came from outside the door. Fili turned her head to see a slender figure in a black dress step in, a presence both alluring and dangerous.

Is this the Saintess?

She was exactly the same figure that had appeared before Fili lost consciousness.

So beautiful…

This thought flashed through Fili’s mind, and she hurriedly expressed her gratitude.

“Thank you for saving me.”

“No need to thank me. Just so you know in advance, I have no interest in the struggles within the Guerrero family. Until your wound is fully healed, you will stay here for over ten days,” Isavel said.

Fili touched her lips, somewhat puzzled.

“Over ten days? It won’t take that long. My injury should heal in two or three days. Besides, I have a mission with a deadline…”

Although the wound on her chest was fatal at first, she had no idea what means the Saintess had used to save her.

But now, the wound was just an ordinary piercing injury.

With her magic, such an injury would heal in two or three days at most.

However, Isavel approached her and smiled sweetly.

“No, you can’t. If you move too soon with an injury like this, who knows if it will leave hidden complications? I said over ten days, so you will lie here quietly for over ten days.”

“But…”

“Shh.”

Fili was about to speak, but Isavel bent down, placing a finger over her lips.

At the same time, several strands of her black hair brushed against Fili’s delicate collarbone, causing her cheeks to flush quickly.

The air was filled with the Saintess’s pure fragrance, tinged with a faint haze. Fili heard her say:

“I know you have a mission, but I don’t care who ordered you or what you’re supposed to do. You must lie here for over ten days because that is my command.”

“If anyone gives you trouble after you leave here, say it was me. If they continue to bother you, tell me, and I will deal with them.”

“I hope you remember what I said.”

Having said all this, Isavel stood and left her side. As she exited the infirmary, she instructed Renia, “Arrange for someone to take care of her daily needs.”

“Yes.”

Lying in bed, Fili touched her lips where the Saintess’s finger had just rested. It was slightly cool but unexpectedly comforting.

And… was she being placed under house arrest by the Saintess?

Actually, being confined was nothing new for her in the Guerrero family.

In the past, she had hated the feeling because it made her feel powerless and out of control of her own life.

But now… she didn’t know why, she simply couldn’t hate this confinement, nor could she hate the Oracle Hall Saintess who ordered it.

“Since my lady wants you to stay here for over ten days, you’d better obey quietly. Don’t think too much about anything else,” Renia said at this moment.

But to Fili’s surprise, the usually cold maid seemed somewhat emotional, deliberately stressing the last few words.

Not only that, maybe it was just her imagination, but Fili felt the maid’s gaze on her lips held a faint mixture of envy and hostility.

……

Faced with Fili, who might replace Marquess Vanessa, Isavel had come up with a solution within minutes: simply place her under house arrest.

Brutally but effectively, she confined Fili until the last day of the Borrowing Rights for the Golden Dungeon.

By then, even if Fili replaced Marquess Vanessa, her training plan would have been completed, leaving no room for further trouble.

To prevent the Guerrero family from thinking Fili had disappeared and sending someone else to replace Vanessa, Isavel had thoughtfully sent them a letter saying Fili was staying at the Oracle Hall and living quite comfortably.

Looking back now, the plan was practically perfect.

However… while Fili’s troubles were temporarily resolved, Nola’s troubles were piling up.

No matter how she thought about it, she hadn’t expected the Honorary Duke to so quickly focus on the Imperial Capital of the Aos Empire, even planning a grand banquet tonight exclusively for the Empire’s high nobility.

This was bad.

She knew very well that if she didn’t appear at this banquet, Nola might rule out the possibility of her being noble-born, and then immediately target the Oracle Hall.

Keep in mind, there were still fifteen days left before the Borrowing Rights to the Golden Dungeon expired!

So, she had to do something at this banquet.

……

Outside William Manor in the Imperial Capital, what had been a clear street was now blocked by numerous luxurious carriages.

Nobles in formal attire, accompanied by servants, were entering the lavish estate one after another.

Inside the manor’s grand hall, the glazed chandeliers cast golden light.

A middle-aged noble approached Nola, raising his glass with a smile:

“Nola, the last time I saw you, you were just beginning your sword training. Now, in the blink of an eye, you’ve become a Legendary Sword Master. Your father must be very proud.”

“Uncle William, I heard your son was admitted to the Magic Academy and even caught the Dean’s attention, becoming his student. Once he graduates, he’s bound to be a Grand Magus known throughout the world.”

“Oh, no, no. Compared to you, he’s far behind.”

William was one of the great nobles of the Aos Empire and had a good relationship with her family.

Thanks to his support, Nola was able to host a banquet of this level.

But during the small talk, her mind was elsewhere.

After all, she was hosting this banquet just for that one girl who occupied her thoughts.

However…

There were too many guests tonight. The hall was packed, and as she glanced around, she couldn’t tell if she had missed anything.

“Miss, I’ve searched for quite a while but couldn’t find her,” Jenny whispered beside her, frowning.

Nola hummed softly in reply, her heart sinking.

It seemed that the girl was not among the nobles.

Of course, it was also possible the girl simply hadn’t come to the banquet. After all, some nobles were out of the capital and couldn’t attend.

Her goal in holding this banquet wasn’t to completely rule out the possibility of the girl being noble-born but to narrow down the search.

If she couldn’t find her at this banquet, she would go to the Oracle Hall.

If the Oracle Hall still couldn’t find her, she would return to look among the nobles who hadn’t attended.

Just as she thought this, a pure white silhouette appeared in her line of sight.

At the same moment, her heartbeat and breath skipped a beat again.