Just as Aphrodite was lost in thought,
a glaring, crude blotch of bright red—like it had been splashed with the rawest red oil paint—rudely barged into the edges of her blurry vision.
The red came so abruptly and arrogantly, carrying an unrestrained, rough aura, striding straight toward her.
With just a glance—even without clearly seeing the exact form—Aphrodite felt every hair on her body almost stand on end!
It wasn’t because the other party was overwhelmingly powerful, but rather the imposing aura she radiated.
It was like a humanoid beast of prey; just sensing her presence made one instinctively want to back away.
What the heck is this thing?!
Just looking at her was a huge headache—exactly the kind of person you absolutely want to avoid getting involved with!
At the same time, a clear yet utterly domineering female voice slammed into her ears:
“Hey! You over there! Blonde hair, blue eyes! You’re Aphrodite, right?”
The speaker accurately called out this body’s features and name.
Aphrodite’s heart suddenly sank.
Only a handful of people knew this body existed.
Who was this redhead?
An enemy?
Or…
But more than that, Aphrodite caught a key detail in that rough tone—it was more like a confirmation based on intelligence rather than absolute certainty.
There’s a chance!
She quickly reined in all visible emotion, even deliberately making her expression more dazed and harmless.
She slightly turned her head and, with those unfocused blue eyes “looking” toward the voice, asked in a gently measured tone:
“Aphrodite? Excuse me… are you calling me? Sorry, I think you might have mistaken me for someone else.”
The blazing red blotch seemed to pause for a moment, then came a more impatient voice: “Huh? Mistaken? What a joke! The features all match! Blonde hair, blue eyes, living in such a remote place—if it’s not you, then who else?”
“Miss…” Aphrodite carefully chose her words. “You see, there must be quite a few people with blonde hair and blue eyes in this world. Besides, this isn’t my home; I’m merely a guest residing here temporarily. Perhaps you’ve been misled by some inaccurate information?”
“Misled?” The red-haired girl’s tone lost a bit of its absolute certainty. “Tch, what a pain! Then what’s your name? You have to have one, right?”
“You can call me Tia.” Aphrodite answered smoothly without changing her face, then cleverly countered, “And you—so eager to find this ‘Aphrodite’—how should I address you? Perhaps… I can help keep an eye out for her?”
“Alice!” The girl blurted out with natural arrogance. “Alice von Klein! Remember it! If you see that person, tell me immediately!”
Von Klein—a family Aphrodite had heard of, a great noble house on the human side.
But Aphrodite rarely had direct conflicts with the nobility, mostly tangling only with the Santa Church.
In theory, they should have no connection.
Still, that surname… somehow it made her uneasy.
“So it’s Miss von Klein, my apologies.” She gave a slight nod and continued her act. “Please rest assured, if I come across the person you’re looking for, I will find a way to inform you. But… may I ask why you’re so eager to find her? Maybe I can be of some help?”
Alice seemed momentarily caught off guard, huffing with a slightly annoyed tone: “You don’t need to know the details! My aunt wants to find her! It’s something really important! My aunt’s waiting in the carriage outside!”
Aunt?
Waiting in the carriage?
This wasn’t as simple as inviting someone for tea and a chat.
Just as Aphrodite was rapidly thinking of a strategy to keep up the pretense and continue playing along, a crisp, anxious female voice came from a nearby corridor, instantly shattering the delicate balance in the courtyard—
“Lady Aphrodite! Are you alright? I think I heard a stranger’s voice…”
It was Bella!
Aphrodite’s heart skipped a beat.
Internally, she cursed, “Damn it! Just in time! I barely managed to fool that troublemaker into half-believing my story, and now she’s here to ruin everything!”
Almost instinctively, Aphrodite immediately turned toward the source of the voice, opening her mouth to call for help and at least alert Bella to be cautious: “Bella! I’m here…”
But before she could finish, her words were abruptly cut off.
At the moment Alice heard the title “Lady Aphrodite,” her expression instantly shifted.
“So you really are Aphrodite! How dare you lie to me?! Making up stories and trapping me in my own words?!”
The shame and fury from being deceived by that innocent, helpless act just moments ago smashed her rationality.
She didn’t give Aphrodite a single chance to explain or call for help and reacted with terrifying speed.
Just as Aphrodite called out Bella’s name, Alice took a sharp step forward and slammed her palm over Aphrodite’s mouth, silencing all further cries!
“Mmm?! Mmm-mmm!” Aphrodite struggled in vain, but weak as she was, she simply couldn’t match the strength of the clearly trained Alice.
The next moment, the world spun! Alice roughly hoisted her waist, flinging her onto her shoulder like a sack of goods, completely ignoring her struggles.
“Save your energy! Your whining’s so annoying! Come with me to see Aunt!” Alice snarled, striding toward the low wall on the other side of the courtyard, carrying Aphrodite.
Just as Alice prepared to climb over the low wall and stuff her into the waiting carriage outside, Bella, sensing something was wrong, immediately gave chase!
Her fingertips shimmered with brilliant magical light, a chilling killing intent aimed directly at Alice’s back!
But just as she was about to strike, her gaze was suddenly drawn to the black carriage parked by the roadside outside the low wall—its door bearing a faint, elusive emblem.
She had no choice but to stop.
“Santa Church… what are they doing here? Could it be…?”
The space inside the carriage was much roomier than it looked from outside, clearly enhanced by a spatial expansion spell.
The interior was simple yet solemn, with soft deep-colored velvet seats.
A faint, calming fragrance hung in the air, completely at odds with the rough impression Alice had brought.
But Aphrodite was in no mood to appreciate any of it.
From the moment she was forcibly dragged into the carriage and the door shut, a familiar pressure weighed heavily on her heart—the “aunt” sitting opposite her.
Ellia von Klein, high-ranking executor of the Dawn Blade under the Santa Church.
It was over.
All over.
Aphrodite had never directly provoked the von Klein family before, but this woman sitting across was someone she had fought.
One of her mortal enemies, even—and not long ago, she had blown up the Church’s chief.
Could it be they had tracked her down and come for revenge?
No wonder she felt uneasy hearing that surname.
“Aunt! I’ve brought her!” Alice called out proudly, completely oblivious to the suddenly tense atmosphere in the carriage.
She dumped Aphrodite onto the seat opposite her, then plopped down carelessly beside Ellia.
“Alice!” Ellia’s voice rang out with clear displeasure and reprimand. “I asked you to ‘invite’ Lady Aphrodite here—this is how you ‘invite’ her?”
Alice looked a bit defiant but still pouted and grudgingly reached out to messily straighten Aphrodite’s clothes before turning her head with a huff to glare out the window.
Ellia took a deep breath, clearly exasperated by her niece’s manner.
She turned to Aphrodite, slowing her tone and speaking with sincere apology:
“Lady Aphrodite, this is our first meeting, and I’m sorry you had such an unpleasant experience. I am Ellia von Klein, and this is my niece Alice… she tends to be… rather direct and impulsive.”
Choosing her words carefully, Ellia finally sighed in resignation. “Ahem… my intention was for her to invite you here to discuss an important matter. I did not expect her to be so reckless and hasty. I apologize on behalf of the von Klein family for the fright caused.”
“It’s fine.”
Fine? How could it be fine! Sitting opposite her was one of her former mortal enemies, and now in this vulnerable state, caught by them was a disaster!
“Surely you already know the purpose of our visit?” Ellia continued, returning to a formal, businesslike tone.
Purpose? What purpose? To drag her back and cook her in a stew?
“The beast tide erupting in the Wolfgang Great Forest has reached a critical point. The three frontier towns on the edge have consecutively sent distress signals and suffered heavy losses. The situation is extremely dire. According to the Church’s emergency records, the last time a similar large-scale abnormal monster uprising occurred in this area, it was you who went deep in and successfully quelled it.”
…What?!
Aphrodite was completely stunned.
She didn’t remember ever doing such a thing.
“Lady Aphrodite, you should understand the rules and iron laws of the Santa Church better than anyone. A Candidate Saintess is no empty title. While enjoying corresponding resources and status, she must also bear the associated duties and obligations. If this beast tide cannot be resolved promptly, the consequences will be unimaginable. Not only will your position as Candidate Saintess be at risk, but according to the laws regarding negligence and dereliction of duty, it is likely that… your life will also…”