No.
Asking them would only mean they’d want even more—insisting that both of them join as well…
The very thought of Liang Lai being kissed by someone else sparked an inexplicable fury within Dolosa.
Then think of another way… There are always more solutions than difficulties; there must be some other medicine that can make Liang Lai sleep deeply.
With that in mind, Dolosa didn’t continue clinging to the Saintess’s hand.
Instead, she let go and lied, saying she was eager to improve herself and was going to the Library.
“Ah…”
Watching Dolosa’s retreating figure, Liang Lai felt deeply relieved.
“Little Dolosa really is such a diligent and studious child.”
Who would have known that Dolosa’s diligence was entirely focused on Liang Lai?
Once Dolosa left, Illucy finally let out a breath of relief.
She happily shook Liang Lai’s hand, thinking to herself that she could finally get closer to the Saintess.
But Asterys and Delucia were still there.
With no other choice, Illucy could only timidly watch from the side, seeing Delucia chatting happily with Liang Lai while Asterys occasionally chimed in.
She had no friends here and was shy and timid by nature, so she sat close to Liang Lai, silently pretending to read a book.
If before Asterys and Delucia were always holed up in the Practice Room, now Illucy truly witnessed just how clingy those two were.
“Mom…”
“Mother!”
Illucy was about to speak but was interrupted by Delucia beside her, who excitedly grabbed Liang Lai’s hand and took her to her own room to show off her handiwork.
Illucy’s hand hovered midair, her eyes filled with loneliness as she watched everything unfold before her.
Asterys keenly noticed this but after some thought, chose not to approach to offer comfort. Instead, she took Illucy with her to Delucia’s room.
To be honest, she didn’t mind having someone like Illucy in the Court of Purity, but she had no intention of showing goodwill because… she always felt Illucy was hiding something and wasn’t as innocent as she appeared.
“If we all ignore her, what will she do next?” Asterys thought. “Better to just watch and see if she keeps getting hurt. If she does, then that last incident definitely wasn’t a coincidence…!”
So Asterys merely glanced back at Illucy coldly before lifting her skirts and happily running into her sister’s room.
Soon enough, laughter drifted out from inside.
Illucy sat alone on the sofa, unsure of what to do.
She felt loneliness creeping in.
Asterys and Delucia had a mother with them, Dolosa seemed like a very independent little girl, but she—she wasn’t independent and longed for the Saintess’s company.
Yet the Saintess was spending time with others…
She touched the thigh she had broken in a fall some time ago.
After taking good medicine for over a week, it had healed.
The pain only came during the healing process and stopped once she took the painkillers… During those injured days, Liang Lai had guarded her like an eye, and those were truly the happiest days of her life…
“So, I really do want the Saintess’s attention…” she muttered, the light in her eyes slowly dimming. “But… but I can’t keep getting hurt. The Saintess will come out soon, right?”
She comforted herself.
But Liang Lai stayed in Asterys and Delucia’s room for a long, long time without coming out.
At Asterys’s signal, Delucia kept Liang Lai occupied just to neglect Illucy for a while.
Asterys and Delucia simply wanted to see if this pitiful-looking girl would “accidentally” get hurt again.
Outside, Illucy listened to the laughter coming from Delucia’s room, her heart aching in sharp pangs.
Just a moment ago, Liang Lai had been speaking with the twins, but at least she was sitting beside Illucy. Now, Liang Lai was no longer by her side…
“So, I really have to get hurt to catch the Saintess’s attention… Otherwise, she won’t look at me, her attention will always be pulled away by others! I, I…”
Tears streamed down her face.
“I can’t be as lively and cute as the other children, my words aren’t sweet, and I don’t know how to speak to win the Saintess’s favor… I’m so slow-witted, I, I… I don’t want much! But, but…”
Choking on her sobs, she staggered to her feet, eyes vacant as she stared at the door of Delucia’s room.
“But why won’t she give me even a little? I, I… I don’t want to monopolize the Saintess, just a little place by her side is enough… That’s right…!”
Illucy’s voice grew lower and lower, softer and softer.
She reached the door but didn’t push it open—she just stood silently outside, listening to the joyful laughter inside.
“The Saintess is so happy… So happy that she’d rather be with them than stay by my side? But even so… I still want the Saintess to stay by me!”
Her gaze hardened once more.
Illucy opened a door, but it wasn’t Delucia’s room—she opened the door to the room next to it.
Step by step, she walked to the edge of the balcony, folding her arms on the railing as she stared blankly into the distance.
They had returned very late, and the sun had already set—no trace of light remained.
“If I fell from here, what would happen to me?” Illucy muttered.
She slowly lowered her head, looking at the lawn below.
Though it was the second floor, the height was enough to break an arm or leg.
The most important thing was it wouldn’t be fatal.
If it were the third floor, a bad fall could be deadly, or at least leave someone in a vegetative state.
“I’ll just fall from here… After I fall, I can enjoy the Saintess’s love again—even if it’s only for a few days, a few days would make me happy…”
Saying this, the corners of her mouth curled up, the curve growing wider and wider until it took on a strange expression.
She watched the birds flying in front of her.
“That’s right, I just want to play with them. I just accidentally fell off the balcony, it wasn’t on purpose… Mother, you should feel sorry for me, right? You should forgive me, right? You could stay with me a little longer, even if there are others around…”
As she spoke, Illucy stood on tiptoe, leaning halfway out over the balcony.
She reached hard for the distant birds, her body swaying dangerously.
Unaware of any of this, Liang Lai was still inside the next room, listening to the twins telling her dry jokes.