Gabriella didn’t know what was wrong with her.
The moment Simona mentioned sealing the Evil God, a strong sense of rejection surged within her.
In her mind, this situation simply shouldn’t happen. It shouldn’t exist.
It shouldn’t even appear.
For some reason, Gabriella could vividly imagine the Evil God being sealed—looking at her with an inexplicable, despairing gaze.
Things weren’t supposed to be like this.
No one was allowed to hurt Lady Isabella.
Absolutely not.
She looked at Simona with a playful expression, her eyes unknowingly clouding over with a dim shadow.
“What method does Simona plan to use?”
“That [Heavenly Herald] told me what to do. She’s been maintaining a telepathic magic link with me. If we can temporarily restrain Isabella, she can support us at any time to seal the Evil God and put her back to sleep.”
“Is there a weapon that can restrain her?”
“Yes…”
Simona pulled a silver bracelet from her pocket.
Gabriella took it and examined it closely.
It looked like a bracelet, but it resembled more a metal collar meant for the neck.
Entirely silver, with crimson holy runes flowing across it—like a high-tech band pulsing with immense power.
“This is an artifact sent through a magic array by the [Heavenly Herald] Philina.”
She said with some guilt,
“I wanted Elsa and Tina to join us, but… I still don’t trust them. No, it’s not that I don’t trust them—it’s that I’m afraid they’ve already accepted their demon identities. This time, only we can seal the Demon King.”
“I understand.”
Gabriella smiled and nodded.
“So, once this bracelet is put on, the [Heavenly Herald] will descend to complete the next steps?”
“That’s correct. That’s also what I wanted to ask of you, Lady Gabriella.” Simona nodded.
On the surface, Gabriella seemed fully supportive of Simona’s plan, but inside, she was seething with anger.
A Heavenly Herald?
One of the Divine Maiden’s old companions—the kind who wanted to threaten Lady Isabella’s very existence?
Now it meant that Simona could not only communicate with this Heavenly Herald who posed a danger to the Demon King, but also receive an extremely dangerous weapon from afar—this bracelet.
They were completely disregarding her. Was the residential palace a place anyone could just waltz into?
Suddenly, a perfect idea came to her.
“Miss Simona, when do we start the operation?”
Simona’s eyes gleamed.
“Anytime, as long as you’re ready, Lady Gabriella.”
“Though the plan is simple, executing it will still be somewhat difficult.”
Gabriella’s lips curved upward.
In the shadows, Simona didn’t notice the cross-shaped pattern that appeared in her left eye.
“Lady Gabriella—no… perhaps I should call you Divine Maiden now? If there’s any difficulty, just leave it to me.”
“No need to call me by that title.”
Gabriella shook her head.
“Actually, the biggest obstacle is still Liya. She’s the strongest guardian by the Demon King’s side. If we want to do anything to the Demon King, we have to get past her first.”
“Liya… so it really is her…”
Simona’s brows furrowed slightly.
She knew Liya’s power at her peak was no less than her own—she could even draw more strength from the Evil Tree.
It was no surprise that she now served as the Evil God’s protector.
She lifted her head confidently.
“Don’t worry, Lady Gabriella. I can distract her.”
“Really?”
Simona said with assurance, “I’m the Holy Queen. Liya can’t do anything to me.”
“Then good luck.”
Gabriella smiled brightly and walked toward the distant stairwell.
Simona watched her retreating figure, feeling a twinge of guilt.
Her resolve was actually wavering.
Because whether it was the Four Saints or the Saintess, they were all beings born from the legacy Gabriella had left behind.
Their glory, the holy light they radiated—at its root, it was all because of Gabriella.
Simona somewhat understood Elsa.
Falling into darkness didn’t mean actively embracing evil.
They knew justice, even before losing their reason and becoming demons.
Tina wielded the power of ice, yet she sought to recreate the Silver-White Sword Empress’s swordsmanship and magic fusion.
When fusing with the [Adjudicator], her trust in the Silver-White Sword Empress became the firm will that drove away her fear and pain.
They had chosen to follow Gabriella.
Though Simona was reluctant to admit it, she had to face reality.
Perhaps—just a possibility.
Gabriella had chosen the Demon King.
If so, did she still have the right to make decisions for Gabriella and “save” her?
“Miss Philina, is what I’m doing really correct?”
Holy Queen Simona sent a telepathic message to that exalted figure, asking the question.
At that very moment, the Heavenly Herald Philina’s voice followed immediately.
She had long since deciphered the telepathic magic and could communicate without even forming an array.
For someone like the Holy Queen, whose body contained immense magical power, exchanging information was even simpler.
The Heavenly Herald Philina sensed Simona’s hesitation.
“Miss Simona, are you truly the Holy Queen of humanity?”
“You’re utterly useless. Once a female knight who betrayed Gabriella, and now you’re still hesitating? You should have been executed by me.”
“I’m sorry, Lady Heavenly Herald.”
“You need not apologize, foolish Miss Simona.”
“Yes…”
“In due time, I will personally seal the Evil God, bestow upon her fragments of her past power, and complete the [Holy Body].”
“What is the Holy Body?”
“If we can restore Lady Gabriella to her [Holy Body], then she won’t be influenced by filthy existences anymore—provided she hasn’t fallen completely into demonhood.”
“At that time, as Holy Queen, you should also apologize to Gabriella and to all humanity. This is the result of your mistakes, your ignorance… Why are human leaders always so blind?”
Philina’s tone was filled with dissatisfaction and accusation.
Before her, Holy Queen Simona couldn’t even lift her head.
Simona lowered her gaze.
She stopped the transmission, but the Heavenly Herald Philina’s voice lingered in her mind.
Suddenly, the word “humanity” felt somewhat foreign to her.
She believed in the justice Philina spoke of and the determination to save Gabriella as the Divine Maiden.
Yet when everything about her was denied, her heart felt blocked—as if a massive stone pressed down on her chest.
“I understand, Miss Heavenly Herald. I will…”
Before she could finish, Philina’s response came immediately.
“If there’s nothing else, don’t bother me, you ignorant and incompetent person.”
“Please complete the task at once.”