Seraphina was finally carried all the way to the study in Movira’s arms.
On the way, she was still extremely tense, afraid some passing maid would catch her in this state.
There was also Ailinuo. That girl might as well have been able to appear and vanish at will, and Seraphina truly had no idea when, or from where, she might suddenly pop out.
Only after the study door shut behind them, and she confirmed the room was indeed empty, did Seraphina let out a small breath of relief.
Movira set her down on the wide chair, then sat on it herself, serving as the backrest.
To keep this awkward stretch of time alone from dragging on forever, Seraphina hurriedly had someone summon Lina.
Before long, Lina pushed the door open and came in.
It had been some time since Seraphina had seen her in any formal setting.
Lina’s gaze did not so much as glance at Movira. It fell straight on Seraphina.
“Seraphina? You wanted me?” Lina went on ignoring Movira’s existence entirely, as she always did.
“Saint Eustacia… she went to see you this morning?” Seraphina had her sit, and cut straight to the point.
Lina nodded. There was no particular expression on her face. “Yes. I told her through the door not to come again.”
“Then you… what are you thinking now?” Seraphina watched her expression, and asked carefully.
Lina thought for a moment, then answered in the same distant, cold tone. “I haven’t thought much of anything. I only hope that she, and the Church behind her, will stop disturbing me from now on. From the moment they stood by and did nothing back then, she and I stopped being people on the same path.”
Just then, an urgent voice came suddenly from outside the study door, cutting the conversation short.
“I am no longer of the Church!”
Before the words had even fallen, the study door was flung open with a bang, and Saint Eustacia’s figure appeared in the doorway.
She looked as if she had run the whole way. Her breathing was still unsteady, but her gaze locked at once onto Lina, seated in the room.
Those words made all three people in the study start.
Lina, the one Saint Eustacia had meant, only stiffened for a moment. Then she did not look at Saint Eustacia again. She stood, and made to leave.
“Lina, wait!” Seeing her about to go, Saint Eustacia strode forward in a rush and caught Lina by the arm.
Saint Eustacia’s impulsive movement nearly startled Seraphina’s heart right out of her chest.
Fortunately, Lina reacted quickly. In the instant before Saint Eustacia’s hand could quite reach her, she flung her arm and tore free of the grip.
The force of the motion was amplified by hostility. It carried a resolute disgust, and even her glance was grudging. She only forced a low line from her throat. “Don’t touch me!”
With that, she walked out of the room at a quick pace without looking back, and her figure vanished down the corridor.
Saint Eustacia still wanted to chase after her, but Erasia, who had only just arrived, was already leaning against the doorframe, head tilted, watching her coldly. It was obvious that getting out was no longer possible.
“Saintess, please stay where you are. Also, your stealth has been cut in half, and yet it remains outstanding.”
There was no telling whether the words were praise or a warning.
Anxiety was written all over Saint Eustacia’s face, but she looked at Erasia and had no other choice.
Seraphina saw that the situation had not spun out of control because of Saint Eustacia’s rashness. That, at least, was a good thing.
Saint Eustacia still could not go after Lina, though.
Seraphina could finally breathe out. The scene of Lina drawing her blade that day rose in her mind.
Saint Eustacia kept her mouth shut, and sat down in the chair with great reluctance.
“Saint Eustacia, come here.”
“Didn’t I tell you clearly not to go looking for Lina for the time being?”
Seraphina suddenly felt that Dekalorin had “dumped her here” for some other reason as well…
Saint Eustacia looked at Seraphina. “Yes, you did. But it was exactly your reminder yesterday that made me think of the key to solving this! So I went to find Lina at once today. I wanted to tell her what I was thinking!”
That still utterly naive look left Seraphina endlessly troubled.
“All right, all right. Even if you think you’ve figured it out, look at Lina’s reaction right now! Her feelings haven’t settled, and the wound hasn’t healed! Going to her now is the same as pouring oil on a fire!”
“And what did you mean by what you just said?”
In truth, the moment Seraphina heard those words, she had already vaguely guessed Saint Eustacia’s “solution.” She still needed the other woman to admit it aloud, though, and she needed to wake her to how extremely reckless the idea was.
Saint Eustacia seemed to have finally found an outlet. Her speech quickened, and she was even a little excited at having thought of a way.
“That is the way I thought of. What Lina hates is the Church, not me as a person! I am the Saintess, but I cannot know every wretched thing at the bottom in full detail, and I have no way to restrain all of it either… So as long as I cut myself off from the Church in this matter, then she and I—”
“Stop, stop, stop!” Seraphina could not help cutting her off. Her face showed a look that was caught between tears and laughter, and a little anger besides. “Saint Eustacia, you still don’t understand. You may think so, but what about Lina? Will she think so? The mistake you’re making is no different from before!”
After hearing Seraphina out, she looked a little dispirited again.
Saint Eustacia lowered her head, and for a moment thought that was the end of it.
Those eyes recovered quickly from the brief disappointment, though, and lit with fighting spirit again, as if the setback just now had been no more than a grain of sand along the way.
She stood up sharply, and said to Seraphina, “Thank you for the reminder! I was too hasty. I’ll go back and think it over again!”
With that, she turned cleanly and left in long strides.
Watching her go, Seraphina quickly called, “Erasia.”
“Your Highness.”
“Go keep an eye on her. Don’t let her do anything impulsive again, especially going to find Lina.” Seraphina pinched the spot between her brows, weary.
“Yes.”
Only the two of them were left in the study again.
Movira had been leaning against the back of the chair the whole time, at ease, as if watching a play that had nothing to do with her.
“See that? Saint Eustacia in this state is just like Dekalorin back then. Stubborn, and convinced she’s right! Only Saint Eustacia is a little more severe.”
Movira lifted her head toward the ceiling, shook it, and said, recalling, “But Dekalorin has been washed by so many years. She learned restraint long ago, and she understands checks and balances. She knows some things cannot be pursued to the end… As for Dekalorin in the old days, she really was… a little too dazzling.”
She looked in the direction Saint Eustacia had left. “It’s still early!”
When appraising her “mortal enemy,” Movira did not let out so much as a thread of distaste. There was only the mutual recognition of an old friend.
Feelings like that, though, were absolutely not to be shown to the world.