Illucy sat restlessly in her room, unable to settle as she awaited the event she had been eagerly anticipating.
About two hours later, she heard a knock at her door.
She sprang up immediately, tossing her favorite doll to the floor without a second thought, and rushed to open the door.
“Asterys!”
At the sight of Asterys’s face, Illucy felt as if her entire being had been uplifted.
Excitedly, she followed closely behind her.
“What are we going to do next? Honestly, I still don’t quite understand. What exactly should we be doing? Could you teach me? I—I learn quickly. If you just show me once, I promise I won’t slow you down at all,” she babbled eagerly from behind.
Asterys curled the corner of her lips in resignation.
Since when did this girl suddenly get so talkative?
“Of course we can teach you, but don’t interrupt Dolosa when she’s working. If you have questions, ask me or Delucia. Don’t ask Dolosa—you know her personality and temper well enough.”
“Okay!” Illucy responded enthusiastically.
The three of them headed back to the twin sisters’ room.
This time, Asterys was smarter—she closed and locked the door firmly to ensure no one could enter.
“Saintess…”
Looking at Liang Lai quietly lying on the bed, Illucy’s expression softened.
She approached the bedside and gently rubbed the familiar features of Liang Lai’s brows.
Dolosa sat with a cold expression on the side, clearly still displeased with Illucy’s inclusion.
“Dolosa, don’t be upset,” Asterys suddenly tugged at Liang Lai’s skirt.
“How about this? We won’t touch Liang Lai. You get to be the one to ‘taste’ her instead~”
Taste?
Dolosa was stunned for a moment, then her gaze followed Asterys’s hand as it settled on the food.
Her face immediately flushed red as she jumped down from the bed.
“W-what do you mean by that?!”
“Literally what I just said~” Asterys winked at Dolosa.
“Gulp~”
Dolosa swallowed hard, looking around at everyone with some confusion.
Illucy stared eagerly at Dolosa, and if Dolosa refused, she was ready to pounce and taste it herself.
No way! Letting others taste Liang Lai was something even Dolosa wouldn’t allow!
“T-then I’m the only one who can taste it! At least, at least today, only I get to!” Dolosa swallowed again with effort.
Asterys gestured a polite “please.”
Dolosa’s heart thumped wildly inside her chest. She was about to taste that delicious delicacy—what would it be like? Would it be as bouncy as light honey jelly? As soft as honey dumplings? As sweet as color-changing candy? Or maybe… have a flavor all its own?
She didn’t know, so she could only imagine and look forward to it as she slowly lowered her head.
Beside her, Illucy watched everything without blinking, mimicking Dolosa’s repeated swallowing motions.
“Dolosa’s… eating so deliciously,” Illucy whispered.
She really wanted to taste the food too, but judging by everyone else’s reactions, she wouldn’t get any today.
And only Dolosa was allowed to eat it now.
Well, that was fine—she had just joined, so eating just a little wouldn’t be a problem.
As long as she got to taste a bit, that was enough! She would eat more and more over time anyway.
Asterys and Delucia watched eagerly from the side.
But what none of the three expected was that Dolosa only ate a few bites before stopping.
She wiped the corner of her mouth, raised her head, and her face was as red as an apple.
“Th-that’s enough.”
It wasn’t that she didn’t want to keep eating the delicious food, but with people watching her, she felt awkward.
After all, it was her first time eating such food and she was afraid of making a fool of herself.
But honestly, it was delicious—a unique flavor.
Soft and bouncy, tender, freshly baked fragrant… Among all the fish she had ever eaten, this was the most flavorful.
Actually, it didn’t really taste like fish—it was more like… no particular flavor, but with an excellent texture.
This was truly the best food she had ever eaten!
But since she had stopped, she couldn’t ask to eat more—it would be too embarrassing.
Dolosa lightly touched her lips with her fingers, still feeling the lingering sensation. She thought she would probably dream of this feeling tonight.
Seeing that Dolosa was done eating, Delucia didn’t hesitate and slipped into Asterys’s shadow.
Asterys gently patted her sister’s body and gave Illucy a look, signaling it was her turn to try.
Courtesy demanded she be given the chance first.
Though eager, Delucia controlled herself and used her black shadow tentacle to lightly tap Liang Lai’s shoulder on the bed.
Then, Asterys took Illucy’s hand and placed it directly on Liang Lai’s shoulder.
“Illucy, isn’t this what you’ve been looking forward to? Why just watch from the sidelines? Now it’s your turn to get close to Saintess. Opportunities like this don’t come often, and once this is over, it’ll probably be another half month before the next one.”
“Gulp~”
Illucy trembled slightly, her body shaking too, but she still leaned close to Liang Lai’s cheek and gently pressed a kiss onto her red lips.
It was her first kiss on Liang Lai’s lips, and the soft texture was completely different from kissing her cheek.
Liang Lai’s lips were sweet and fragrant, like sucking on jelly.
Illucy was completely immersed in the moment and regretted not discovering the secret of these three sooner.
If she had, she could have joined earlier and tasted this herself earlier.
Eyes closed, Illucy savored this hard-earned happiness.
“See, Dolosa, this kid is just like you at first—nervous, but when it comes to the kiss, it’s silky smooth,” Asterys teased from the side.
Dolosa snorted coldly, turning her head away. “Like me? Clumsy as always.”
By now, Illucy had finished the kiss, breathing heavily as she sat on the bed.
Though she heard Dolosa’s sarcastic remarks, her heart was brimming with sweetness.
She had grown used to Dolosa’s sharp tongue—it didn’t matter. Besides tattling and snark, Dolosa didn’t bully anyone.
“All right, all right, now it’s our turn~”
Asterys sat on the bed, and the black shadow of Delucia began to move.
Once again, Illucy watched the twins’ actions—the same as what she had sneakily seen outside the door before.
Although she still couldn’t quite understand where their joy came from, she respected and accepted it.
Though she couldn’t grasp it, the scene looked thrilling.
Illucy stared blankly at the display, strange thoughts flooding her mind like a tide.
She even thought of chatting with the sharp-tongued Miss Poison Tongue Dolosa.
“Dolosa, what do you think? What if they used other knowledge?”
“Huh?”
Dolosa didn’t expect Illucy to be so forward as to speak to her directly, but after glancing at Asterys and Delucia, she admitted they were indeed quite thrilling.
“Well, I don’t really get it. I don’t understand what gets them off,” Dolosa replied irritably.
Illucy didn’t continue the conversation and simply stared blankly, her mind beginning to formulate plans.
Everyone was satisfied today, and tonight they could all lie together with Liang Lai to sleep.
Even if some were not right next to each other, it was enough.
Because she was in the room scented with the Saintess’s fragrance—that alone made her happy.
The next day.
Liang Lai looked at the two additional children around her, confused and deep in thought.
Why did she sometimes wake up to find more children beside her? She clearly remembered only Asterys and Delucia were there when she fell asleep.
How did two more suddenly appear? Before, there was Dolosa added, and now Illucy too…
Though she couldn’t understand, Liang Lai concluded it must be “because the sisters get along so well, they decided to sleep in the same bed.”
So, she happily stroked the children’s hair.
“Hmm! I knew everyone would get along well!”
Such an innocent Saintess… sad.
Half a month later—
Liang Lai had been quite busy recently.
Besides her usual duties, Delucia’s assessment was about to begin, and she often went to the practice room to check Delucia’s progress.
On top of that, the church had been restless lately.
“There are Darkspawn among us.”
At the meeting, Pope Alphonse VII raised the issue, his sharp gaze sweeping over everyone present, silently accusing each equally.
“Then let all of us prove it,” Margaret raised her hand calmly, “After all, Darkspawn don’t bleed. If each of us cuts our wrist, we can tell who the Darkspawn is.”
“Is it really that simple? First Saintess, you’re thinking too simply,” Overseer Alfred glanced at Margaret.
Margaret said nothing.
Alfred was right—if they managed to infiltrate the church, they were no ordinary villains.
Pope Alphonse VII cleared his throat and continued: “Of course, the Darkspawn are not among us here, but rather… they have infiltrated the nuns and priests.”
Liang Lai cast a glance around.
No wonder. This meeting only included the Pope, the Head of Discipline, the Head of Sacrifice, the Head of Watchers, thirteen Saintesses, and the Crimson Cardinals.
Lower-ranking church members were absent.
But that was expected—if the highest ranks had been infiltrated, it would be terrifying.
When no one spoke further, Pope Alphonse VII raised his hand, his deep voice echoing beneath the dome.
“Today’s meeting is to announce two decrees—these are divine instructions.” He slowly scanned the room.
“First, after investigation by the Order of Discipline Court, Darkspawn have penetrated lower priests and nuns. Effective immediately, all Saintesses must rigorously inspect their jurisdictions. All new personnel must be re-verified. Before every evening prayer, changes to the roster must be reported to the Discipline Officers.”
The candlelight flickered above, casting deeper shadows around the Pope’s eye sockets.
“Second, concerning Claudious’s movements.”
The hall’s candles flickered in unison.
“The Mirror Observation Office detected the seventy-third abnormal fluctuation last night. This person’s reappearance must have a purpose. All matters related to mirror communications and anomaly reports must be triple-encrypted and reported to the Watchers’ Hall.”
The Pope suddenly leaned forward, the golden embroidery on his robe crackling faintly.
“Remember—” his skeletal fingers traced over his left eye, “Holy Book, Chapter 7, Section 4.”
Discipline Head Gerald immediately brought a fist to his chest.
“Everything shown in the mirror is falsehood.”
“Good.”
The Pope reclined back into his chair, the ivory armrest creaking under his grip.
“Before dismissal, each of you will receive a Silver Blessing Candle. If you encounter mirror anomalies…” He paused, “…destroy them immediately.”
Liang Lai half-closed her eyes, absorbing Pope Alphonse VII’s words.
Actually, after all this jargon, it boiled down to:
“Claudious has been laying low for a while but suddenly popped up again. It’s definitely trouble, so everyone be extra vigilant.”
And also:
“You various heads—Saintesses, Cardinals—you’ll all have more work to do!” Yes, their working hours were extended and workload increased.
Liang Lai covered her face.
No wonder. Leaders always speak so elegantly, but in the end, it just means more work for everyone.
Still, caution was good—what if Darkspawn had infiltrated and harmed the children? Although Liang Lai still had no clear impression of these so-called “Darkspawn,” since she had never encountered any.
When she first read the term “Darkspawn” in a book, she was stunned and thought she had misread it.
“If it weren’t for the fact that everything around me is normal—no Kobolds or Crocodilians, and no clucking Yellow Chick—I would’ve thought I had transmigrated to Shurima.”
After the meeting, Liang Lai dragged her exhausted body back to the Court of Purity.
“Phew~”
But she dared not rest a moment and headed straight to the practice room since Delucia’s assessment was the next day.
Liang Lai always felt that while Delucia was enthusiastic about learning, she was less motivated in other areas, which gave Liang Lai a headache.
For example, she often came home to find other children practicing in the room, while Delucia was busy cleaning or helping with chores—anything but staying in the practice room.
“Let me see your progress, little Dexilensi. I hope… you can pass the assessment tomorrow.”
Regarding Delucia, Liang Lai was truly uncertain.
This was the first time she was testing this child, not for any complex reason, but because Delucia often tried to avoid work and Liang Lai herself had been busy lately.
Delucia smiled brightly and stretched out her hand.
The next second, her fingertips glowed with pearly white light.
Suddenly, three ice-shard-like crystals shot up from the ground, forming a triangle around Liang Lai.
“Mom, let’s play a game~”
Liang Lai was momentarily stunned by what she saw.
Delucia’s ability was almost instantaneous; Liang Lai hadn’t reacted yet. But upon hearing her words, she smiled and nodded.
“Sure~”
Playing games with the children was one of her specialties.
“I’m going to ask a few questions~” Delucia said.
“Question one.”
Delucia tapped the ground with her toe. Crystalline clusters quickly spread across the practice room walls.
“Please find the anomaly among these crystals, Saintess.”
Liang Lai’s fingertip just touched the crystal surface when the entire wall suddenly turned transparent.
Countless tiny blood-colored veins flowed inside the crystals, forming a breathing network.
She quickly withdrew her hand.
Those “blood vessels” were syncing with her heartbeat.
“You encoded a Life Vital Signs Monitoring Technique into the crystallization?” Liang Lai was surprised—this child’s learning progress was quite fast, almost catching up to Illucy.
Crystal powder stuck to Liang Lai’s sleeve, instantly crystallizing into a spiderweb-like frost pattern.
Delucia smiled without answering, then snapped her fingers.
All the crystals exploded simultaneously.
The shards froze mid-air, forming a suspended Crystal Prison of thorns.
A shard grazed Liang Lai’s cheek, drawing a bead of blood.
“Wrong answer.”
The blood droplet floated into Delucia’s palm, wrapped in crystallization.
“The correct answer is…”
Liang Lai suddenly pressed her temple. Something was growing beneath the freshly grazed skin.
She lifted her bangs to look in the mirror.
A frost pattern of ice flower crystallization appeared at her temple. Delucia came up from behind, running her fingers over the pattern.
“I embedded human crystallization into every crystal shard.”
The practice room’s temperature plummeted suddenly.
Liang Lai’s breath condensed into a chain of ice crystals in the air. Delucia lightly pulled the chain.
“Now, it’s time for the practical assessment.”
The chain tightened instantly. Liang Lai felt something cold press against her carotid artery—an invisible dagger made from crystallized air wielded by Delucia.
Liang Lai froze for a moment.
Delucia suddenly laughed, and the crystallization around them vanished instantly.
“Ha ha ha~ I’m just joking with you, Mom~”
She pulled out a Restoration Potion from her pocket and applied it directly to Liang Lai’s face.
The tiny wound healed visibly and rapidly until it completely disappeared.
“Mom, did you like my surprise?”
Delucia smiled, her golden pupils shining with a different light.
“Mom, isn’t my ability especially strong? I only discovered it half a month ago… Mom, I believe I’ll surpass Dolosa soon~”
On the last sentence, Delucia dragged out her tone.
Liang Lai shivered suddenly.
She felt something strange, especially about this child’s words.
Although she didn’t mind that Delucia had hurt her during the display of her powers, she had a nagging feeling that Delucia wasn’t joking.
Premium Chapter
Login to buy access to this Chapter.