Chapter 76: The Holy Queen Has Not Lost

“Stay behind?”

Simona was somewhat unable to comprehend.

The defeat of the Saintess had already been beyond expectations, and the fact that Tina and the Saintess could continue to hold on with such combat strength was also surprising.

Now, the Saintess was actually resolute in deciding to stay?

The Saintess quickly gave her answer: “Elsa, Tina… they agreed to let me enter the residential palace and live together with Gabriella.”

Simona looked at her in astonishment.

Enter the residential palace and live together?!

She knew what this implied.

If Gabriella had already become the Demon King’s forbidden plaything, then indeed, she would receive punishment in a place like the residential palace.

Simona felt somewhat lost for a moment.

Since it was a place like the residential palace, Gabriella’s fate was already crystal clear.

She would be chained to the bed by the Demon King, her limbs bound by dark power, unable to move, forced into shameful poses.

Under the inducement of that dark power, she would abandon her dignity again and again, until finally she no longer wished to maintain her rationality and willingly offered the softest part of her body to the Demon King.

She would be treated by the Demon King as a pitiful tool for venting desire, her body’s power drained dry and used to help the evil god regain its former strength.

Gabriella—how much harm had she endured for humanity’s failure?

The Saintess lowered her head, as if deep in thought, and did not voluntarily answer her question.

“Saintess, we have not yet lost.”

Simona explained, “As long as we can leave here and gather the rest of the Four Saints, before the Evil Tree revives, we can occupy the Black Stone Mountains and achieve victory in the war.”

“They wouldn’t dare do anything to us.”

“Holy Queen Your Majesty, I want to stay and find Gabriella.”

“Gabriella…”

Simona sighed. 

She had indeed considered that the Saintess being persuaded to surrender was partly because of Gabriella.

After all, even she knew that reclaiming Gabriella—the divine maiden and the hero who had saved humanity multiple times—was the top priority.

“Saintess, what we want is the pure Gabriella, isn’t it?”

Simona tried to dissuade her.

The Saintess did not reply; she curled her legs up.

“Think about it—the current Gabriella has her mind and thoughts completely controlled by the Demon King. She no longer remembers what she herself was like before.”

“If we want Gabriella to return to our side, we must find a way to snatch her back from the Demon King.”

“I… cannot wait much longer.”

Under Simona’s persuasion, the Saintess finally began to respond.

But as she spoke, her head grew heavy, and her voice became light and drifting, as if she had just woken from sleep.

“Lady Gabriella… I saw her. She… she’s still alive…”

“Mmm.” 

Simona shook her head. 

“I originally thought she had died too.”

“I… I cannot leave her side again. I’m sorry, Holy Queen, I won’t go.”

Simona fell silent.

She looked deeply at the Saintess. 

This girl was indeed her strongest and most favored subordinate, yet she was also a young maiden.

She had once been Gabriella’s sword; the belief that had supported her until now was entirely rooted in hatred toward the demons and the determination to avenge the Silver-White Sword Empress.

How could she not have realized that Gabriella had long since been controlled and brainwashed?

She could have lied, just like the previous Holy King, and tarnished the Silver-White Sword Empress’s name.

She could have turned Gabriella’s heroic deeds into the story of a villain—after all, only the dead can be called heroes.

That way, the unrest in the army caused by the Silver-White Sword Empress’s “betrayal” would have been completely eliminated.

Neither Tina nor Elsa would ever have defected to the demons.

But she had not done so.

She had no reason to harshly reprimand Tina, Elsa, or even the now-wavering Saintess.

Because her own heart was not firm enough either.

As the king of humanity, she was perhaps too soft-hearted, too fallen.

Huu…

Orange-red flames ignited in Simona’s eyes.

“Saintess, I will help you,” she declared with unwavering resolve.

“Eh?”

“As long as the shackles on me are removed, I can leave this place at any time, so I don’t care whether something happens to me. If you can enter the residential palace, I will be here ready to support you at any moment.”

She grasped the Saintess’s hand.

“If you can purify the corruption within Gabriella’s body, then everything can still be saved.”

“But… Holy Queen Your Majesty will suffer greatly.”

The Saintess hesitated before speaking. 

Of course she wanted to see Gabriella, but for Holy Queen Simona, this was indeed a form of cruelty… She could not forget the kindness Simona had shown her.

Yet Simona said confidently:

“Rest assured. This is the sin I must bear as Holy Queen. Breaking the restraints here will not take too long.”

The Saintess nodded, but soon sank back into memories of the past.

Time passed minute by minute.

Simona closed her eyes to rest, recovering as much strength as possible, conserving energy for the battles that might come later.

Especially since she had been confined for so long in this tower that restricted power, she needed to be fully prepared.

Opening her drowsy eyes, Simona felt the muscles in her entire body relax.

There was sunlight in the tower; a few rays filtered through the small window behind her, shining on her thighs.

Looking at the Saintess sleeping deeply beside her, for some reason Simona felt a trace of relief.

After all, if this had been the demons of a few years ago, they certainly would not be able to sleep peacefully now—not to mention having a bed; they might have been completely chained and subjected to harsh torture.

Especially Demon King Isabella.

Humanity, as the de facto aggressors, bore great fault.

Yet Isabella’s treatment of humans had never been this gentle.

The reason they were not treated cruelly was proof that the demons essentially wished for peace with humanity.

Wanting peace meant she still had a chance to take back Gabriella, Tina, and the others.

—Before being controlled, Gabriella had worked hard to shield humanity from a catastrophic blow.

Could it be that even now, Gabriella was still striving for peace between humans and demons?

The more Simona thought this way, the more she hesitated.

Soon, the tower door was opened.

The visitors were none other than Elsa and Tina.

Having been brainwashed into maids, they arrived holding hands intimately, their faces filled with ambiguous affection and favor toward each other.

Simona knew what they had gone through.

When eroded by darkness, they had become each other’s spiritual support.

After being completely corrupted, although they had long lost their reason and stance as humans, they retained their trust and dependence on one another.

They had fallen together.

“Saintess, let’s go. Lady Gabriella is waiting for you.”

Elsa smiled.

The Saintess slowly stood and walked toward the two, bathed in sunlight.

Simona let out a breath of relief; she knew the battles ahead would only grow harder.

Yet unexpectedly, they did not leave immediately.

Tina walked to her side, crouched down, tilted her head, and asked the Holy Queen:

“Holy Queen Your Majesty, would you like to come along?”

“……” Simona remained silent. 

She knew that speaking with controlled humans would only stir her sympathy and anger.

However, the words of the other maid, Elsa, still made her delicate body tremble.

“Would Holy Queen Your Majesty like to join the maid corps together and serve the Evil God?”