In the Courtyard of the Papal Palace, Sylvia and Milis were walking side by side.
“Have all those diplomatic missions left?” Milis asked politely.
“Mhm.”
Sylvia nodded, then asked with a hint of meaning, “Did you come back this time because of that little girl?”
Naturally, the “little girl” she referred to was Luo Xiya.
Milis simply raised her eyebrows, then remained silent, neither confirming nor denying.
Perhaps only Milis on the entire continent would dare treat Sylvia like this.
Sylvia shook her head, thinking Milis was still as childish as ever.
“Catherine is her relative, after all. Her choice back then was reasonable, so why keep fixating on that girl?”
“I just purely dislike her, that’s all.”
Sylvia couldn’t help but let out a helpless laugh, not pressing the topic further, and instead brought up the task Milis had taken on when she left.
“You volunteered to help lighten my burdens. So, have you found any clues yet?”
“Not yet,” Milis answered without hesitation.
“There are so many people on the continent. Unless he exposes some clues himself, how could we possibly find him for no reason at all?”
“So, back then you just wanted to find an excuse to go out and relax, didn’t you?”
Sylvia pressed her fingers to her forehead and sighed.
“That’s not true…~”
Milis affectionately linked arms with Sylvia, her lips curving as she acted spoiled.
Sylvia naturally caught the glimmer of mischief in Milis’s eyes, but didn’t expose her, simply reaching out to tap her on the forehead.
The attendant priestess following beside them was already drenched in cold sweat from what she had overheard.
Every time Milis spoke, her heart would tremble.
The other was so casual, joking and teasing— even the Cardinals of the Church wouldn’t dare speak to the Holy Throne this way, would they?
“Speaking of which, you only told us to search for someone, but didn’t give us any clues. How did you even know the Holy Child was born?”
“That was Goddess Fara who revealed it to me through a Revelation.”
Sylvia’s iron-handed reputation always made Milis forget that she was actually a priest, not a general or marshal.
Hearing such mystical words for a moment left her dazed.
“Then did Goddess Fara not tell you where to find the Holy Child?”
Milis asked.
“A Revelation is simply Goddess Fara’s guidance to her followers. It helps us while also setting boundaries for ourselves. Otherwise, if the gods could interfere in the world’s affairs at will, why would the Lady have divided the lands and handed power over to us mortals in the first place?”
Sylvia spoke slowly.
Milis listened carefully this time and nodded in agreement.
“If a High-tier Sacred Seal awakens, it won’t be able to remain hidden. The Apostles of the Heretic Tribunal will handle it.”
Thinking of Roman, Milis curled her lips.
If she hadn’t stumbled upon some clues by accident, that bunch of useless fools might really have been fooled by Catherine Mama.
“Now the Capital is full of diplomatic banquets, art salons, and theater performances. Since the days are so lively, if you’re feeling stifled, why not go out and relax a bit?”
Sylvia gently stroked Milis’s slightly curled hair, her voice warm.
Milis rolled her uncovered right eye around a few times before narrowing it, resting her head on Sylvia’s shoulder, showing her affection and gratitude.
***
Meanwhile, at the Diplomatic Venue of the Aingloran Empire., Luo Xiya was just as out of place as ever, standing alone with a wine glass on the empty balcony on the second floor, seeking a moment’s peace.
It was quite a headache for Luo Xiya.
Whenever she was in the main hall on the first floor, there was always a constant stream of people coming to chat her up.
Either it was some naive young lady with a bashful face, or a “worldly-wise” noblewoman with a deep, meaningful gaze.
Feeling her scalp tingle, Luo Xiya found a chance to spill wine on her dress, used it as an excuse, and ran away.
“Sigh…”
Drinking her wine in boredom, Luo Xiya began to regret not bringing Roman with her.
Time always seemed to pass unusually quickly when she was with Roman, and a whole day would slip by without her noticing.
If there hadn’t been security concerns this time, she wouldn’t be suffering so much now.
But it was just a thought.
Thinking of all those honeybee-like ladies downstairs, Luo Xiya curled her lips, finished her wine, and set the glass aside.
“…”
Sensing the silent footsteps behind her, Luo Xiya raised an eyebrow and turned her head slightly.
Milis, dressed in holy robes, was standing behind her, silently watching, her ice-blue eyes calm and emotionless.
“Even though I still really dislike you, I have to admit you’re at least someone who keeps your word.”
“Of course. My greatest strength is doing what I say I’ll do.”
Luo Xiya showed not the slightest trace of surprise, just smiled as she spoke.
“For example, this time, I said I’d let you taste defeat in front of the whole continent, and I will definitely do it.”
Milis snorted, her disdainful expression shifting to one of playful amusement.
“Roman didn’t come?”
She looked left and right, her gaze flickering with anticipation.
Luo Xiya’s smile faded a little, and she stared at Milis expressionlessly before speaking: “Are you very close with him?”
Seeing Luo Xiya take the bait, Milis couldn’t help but lean in, whispering, “Soon enough, he and I will be very close. That’s why I came to check.”
This time, Luo Xiya didn’t even bother to raise an eyebrow. Her eyes grew deep and cold as she stared at Milis, but the other’s next words made her instantly lose her composure.
“You didn’t let him come, probably to protect him, right?”
Seeing Luo Xiya’s silent expression, Milis, who had caught her by the braid, pressed her advantage: “Do you know a saying? The more you fear something happening, even if it’s unlikely, it will definitely happen.”
“What you fear most— is already happening right now.”
Luo Xiya’s hand began to turn outward, her body instinctively taking on an aggressive posture, locking onto Milis before her.
“You don’t want Roman’s situation to be known by Her Holiness, do you?”
Milis’s final whisper shattered the offensive stance Luo Xiya had been building.
“You haven’t told the Pope yet?”
She didn’t even ask how Milis knew, just looked at her in disbelief, surprised.
“That’s right. I think just letting you become a loser wouldn’t be interesting enough,” Milis said slowly.
“So, how about we play a game?”
“In that match, if you can beat me, I’ll pretend nothing ever happened with Roman.”
“And if I lose?” Luo Xiya asked.
A dangerous smile curled at Milis’s lips.
“Then, I’ll add another stone to your burden, and make you a complete and utter loser— the laughingstock of the whole continent.”