Sofia gazed at Floria’s delicate yet captivating cheek, inwardly sighing with emotion.
In her memories, that sister of hers had been the very embodiment of an insufferable, arrogant pride, always expertly manipulating others’ weaknesses with unshakable confidence, as if she were invincible.
And yet now, she had become so fragile, so tender and endearing.
Just standing beside her current self, admiring the cute pout of her sulking profile, Sofia felt a genuine, sweet joy mingled with a strange sense of adorable contrast.
She truly hadn’t expected this—no wonder, no wonder… it turned out that her sister’s appearance had once been altered through magical disguise.
That explained why, despite their suspicions that Floria hadn’t truly died, even the Holy Saintess’s Great Prophecy couldn’t locate her any trace.
Even until just now, if it weren’t for Sofia’s keen perception of the Holy Sword’s aura, leading her to undeniable, ironclad evidence, she wouldn’t have dared to fully believe that the woman before her was truly the former Supreme Leader of the Saintess Knights.
After all, from their very first meeting, her sister’s eyes had constantly revealed panic and fear, completely unlike the proud and haughty Grand Paladin she once was.
Originally, Sofia had only intended to come here to cautiously probe.
But now, truly seeing Floria in front of her, she couldn’t help but start touching and teasing her.
The reason was simple: a sister like this—so irresistibly alluring—made it impossible to hold back.
On the surface, she still possessed the same unparalleled exquisite beauty as before.
Her manners and expressions were even more mature and dignified, her gentle appearance resembling a graceful and virtuous lady.
Yet for some reason, seated in that wheelchair, she appeared one size smaller in strength and build, genuinely looking like a delicate, fragile girl who begged to be fussed over.
The icy queen’s aura of supreme dominance and haughty arrogance, the confidence of someone who controlled everything, had vanished without a trace.
Just moments ago, before Sofia found the Holy Sword—the definitive proof—Floria had even softly apologized, “Sorry for the sudden intrusion,” with a tender voice.
And when Sofia firmly held her shoulders and teased her, Floria would complain of pain, yet politely “request” that she let her go—
Where was the image of the decisive, formidable queen she once was?
She was clearly just a soft, shy girl, cute and easy to bully.
Even when Floria tried to put on an air of her former majesty and presence afterward, in this diminished body with powerless magic, Sofia could not summon any true respect.
If anything, these feeble protests only invited her to get more hands-on, mercilessly teasing the witch in the wheelchair.
The “master” who had once always held the upper hand, calling the shots and trampling on Sofia’s pride, now whined and begged before her, trembling and utterly powerless.
Even when pinned against the wall, the struggling arms felt limp and weak, as if coquettishly giving in.
No longer a distant, untouchable flower or an imperious queen, she was now a caged canary—adorable, tender, fragile, and full of pity.
“What’s with that perverted look… so disgusting.”
Floria finally couldn’t bear Sofia’s strange gaze any longer and complained with obvious disgust.
“Sister, your words are just as ruthless as ever,” Sofia replied, snapping back from her wandering thoughts with a faint smile.
Her proud personality was as harsh as before, but her physical strength was weak to the point that only her sharp tongue remained intact.
Such a full-of-contrast sister was simply amazing—!
Floria noticed that after she scolded, Sofia visibly became even more excited.
This reaction made her heart tremble, an indescribable unease washing over her.
Everything felt like a replay of the past.
Back then, when she was the oppressor, Sofia occasionally lost her temper and cursed at her.
Yet the more Sofia called her “disgusting” and “perverted,” the more Floria’s interest was piqued, a smile even spreading across her face.
Because she knew then, Sofia was firmly in her grasp, only daring to complain on the surface.
And those complaints only meant harsher punishments from Floria later.
The current situation was exactly the same, but their roles had completely reversed.
One could only say the tides had turned—
“Hmph hmph hmph… Sister, you always seem so cautious now. Are you afraid of my revenge?”
Sofia’s smile remained, but the teasing tone faded as she shifted to a serious proposal:
“Actually, sister, the main reason I came this time is to ask you to come back to the Kingdom’s capital with me, rather than stay here suffering in this remote place.”
“…What? What did you say?”
Floria found such earnest words hard to believe and repeated them quietly.
“I want you to come back to the Saintess Knights with me, to live within my sight all day long, obediently staying in the villa I’ve arranged for you.”
Sofia’s expression was firm as she repeated herself, her appearance surprisingly reliable.
…To Floria, putting aside the fact that Sofia had come to torment her, the latter’s usually serious expression was quite serene and elegant, endearing even.
Her long black hair fell to her waist, framing her pale, delicate face and refined features like a classical Eastern beauty stepping right out of a scroll painting.
It reminded Floria vaguely of the kind of traditional beauty one might see in the modern world before she was transmigrated.
…But after all, she was someone with an entirely unknown agenda toward her, which made Floria nervous and unsettled.
“…Hah, what a pipe dream! You don’t really think I’d obediently—”
“Sister, I believe you’ll come with me.”
Sofia cut her off directly.
“After all, you wouldn’t want to be separated from your adorable little apprentice, right?”
“…What?!”
Floria’s pupils shrank.
“Oh, so sister didn’t know?”
Sofia feigned surprise.
“The little apprentice you recently took on is very eager to go to the Kingdom’s capital and join the Preparatory Training Class of the Saintess Knights.
“So I’ve already arranged with her that if you agree to this visit, I’ll personally take her to the Imperial Capital and enroll her, guaranteeing she becomes a member of the Royal Saintess Knights’ prep team—a bright future awaits~”
“You… you’re abusing your power! If the higher-ups find out about this—”
Floria clenched her fists, stammering fiercely.
“…Heh, sister sure knows how to joke.”
Sofia remained calm, expression indifferent.
“Not to mention, I’m the current Grand Paladin—besides, didn’t you kill all the Royal Nobility in the capital yourself? There’s no one left to complain to.”
“……”
Floria’s expression stiffened, speechless.
“Sister, you wouldn’t want me to tell little Sylvie every sordid detail from back then, would you?”
“…You… you better not push your luck… I’m only injured, not helpless!”
“Oh? Is that so?”
Sofia scoffed and leaned in, tilting Floria’s chin up.
“Now that I’m teasing you, sister, what can you do about it?”
“You…!”
Floria tried to gather her magic, preparing to cast a Flame Orb or Holy Light Sphere—
But the moment she started to gather energy, it suddenly leaked away like a punctured balloon, dissipating completely from the point where Sofia touched her.
This sudden anomaly sent a wave of panic through Floria’s heart.
“Sister, you’re still so disobedient~ Looks like you need a good lesson first, to understand the current situation—”
Staring at the knight girl before her, eyes gleaming with mischief, Floria experienced for the first time since transmigrating into a witch… the helpless panic of a delicate girl.