Chapter 6: How old are you?

Like it?

If you ask whether she actually liked it, she did indeed like sweets.

But the reason she ate so much was because of how harshly you treated her; this morning, she had only drunk a bowl of plain boiled water as her “soup.”

That dry, hard black bread was as tough as stone—no matter how much she bit with her teeth, she couldn’t chew it.

The gentle breeze carried a moist scent, softly stirring Finihiya’s beautiful golden hair that seemed like a veil of gold falling at her feet.

A brief silence fell over the small pavilion.

Sensing this strange damp wind, Finihiya slightly tilted her head toward the direction it came from.

The flowers and leaves in the courtyard rustled as two maids carried watering cans, pouring water at the roots of the plants.

“Don’t you have anything you want to ask me?”

Darlian’s slightly cold yet somewhat leisurely voice brought Finihiya’s drifting thoughts back to focus.

She glanced sideways at Darlian, responding with a faint tone she had long grown accustomed to.

“No, nothing.”

But perhaps due to the depth of the resentment inside, the words that slipped from her lips carried a subtle oddness.

Noticing this oddity, Darlian skillfully raised one brow, then her thin lips curved into a small smile.

“Looks like Miss Saintess holds a bit of a grudge against me.”

“A bit?”

If she could speak frankly, Finihiya wanted to tell Darlian that it wasn’t just “a bit,” it was a very, very strong grudge.

A perfectly good Saintess had been reduced to a prisoner in chains, wearing a heavy collar that could snap her neck, and had been harshly treated for three months…

If she counted seriously, her two hands’ ten fingers wouldn’t be enough.

These complex emotions briefly flickered in her mind before Finihiya quickly put away the negative feelings.

She then forced a faint, gentle smile.

“Not at all…”

Although she had carefully controlled her chaotic emotions, the words she uttered still carried a hint of sarcasm, making her feel a bit frustrated.

What could sarcastic words change? They would only bring trouble to her imprisoned life.

Fortunately, Darlian didn’t show any displeasure at this.

“Let me guess why Miss Saintess holds a grudge against me.”

Darlian toyed with the tip of her black hair with slender fingers, her smiling lips curving more deeply. “It’s because I kidnapped you as a prisoner, right?”

Isn’t that just a typical question asked knowing the answer?

Seeing Darlian’s proud smile, a faint expression of speechlessness flashed across Finihiya’s delicate face.

“But that can’t be helped.” At these words, Darlian rested her left hand on her cheek, her dark eyes showing a trace of helplessness.

“If you want those humans to honestly abide by the signed treaty, you need a significant bargaining chip.”

Darlian’s words caused Finihiya’s graceful brows to furrow, and a hint of doubt appeared in her eyes.

“A bargaining chip? You mean me?”

“Of course. Who else could it be?”

Seeing that the important bargaining chip Darlian mentioned was indeed herself, Finihiya sighed helplessly.

“If Darlian-sama really thinks like that, then I believe you’re terribly mistaken. Those people don’t care about me.”

“Ha, ha.” Darlian laughed coldly twice, as if hearing the joke of the century. “Miss Saintess, you really underestimate yourself.”

“The Theocracy of Saint Margaret, the Pompes Kingdom, the Sidon Empire, the Straina Duchy, the Asetta City-State—these dozens of human nations together have a population of one billion. Do you know how many of those people are followers of the Holy Cross Church?”

“Seven hundred million.”

Listening to Darlian, Finihiya’s already furrowed brows knitted even deeper.

“What do you mean by that?”

“The meaning is obvious, isn’t it?” Darlian picked up a half-crushed cookie left on the plate and popped it into her mouth. “Your value is far from being that insignificant.”

“Is that so…”

Finihiya showed an indifferent attitude toward Darlian’s words.

“They will definitely behave for a while. Besides, that little Pope really does care about you.”

Pope… little Pope???

Compared to Darlian’s main point, Finihiya was more intrigued by Darlian’s casual way of referring to the Pope as “little Pope.”

The Pope was an elderly man with a long beard and white hair, somewhat resembling Albus Dumbledore, the headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Having held a high position for a long time, the Pope had also acquired a certain corrupt noble aura.

But…

None of that was important.

What mattered was that Darlian-sama, the Demon Lord Darlian, actually called an elderly man over ninety years old a “little Pope.”

This inevitably touched a small spark of curiosity deep in her heart.

Upon hearing this, Finihiya lowered her gaze and secretly studied Darlian before her.

This was the first time since knowing her that she looked at Darlian so seriously.

Darlian appeared to be a seventeen-year-old girl, with long, glossy black hair like a drenched black cat.

Her translucent, delicate skin combined with bright eyes and thin cherry-colored lips made her look like a very pretty and proper black-haired beauty.

“Hm? What’s the matter? You’ve been staring at me.”

Darlian noticed Finihiya’s gaze, so she shook her head and replied vaguely.

“Is that so.”

A brief silence followed.

Suppressing that small curiosity in her heart, Finihiya felt as if her chest was lightly tickled by feathers, making her a bit restless.

In the end, she couldn’t hold back the curiosity and timidly asked in a weak voice.

“Um…”

“Mm?”

“May I ask you something?”

“Hehe~” Darlian laughed lightly. “Miss Saintess, feel free to ask.”

“How old are you this year?”

Darlian’s cheeks clearly showed a hint of surprise, then her shapely lips curved into an amused expression.

“That’s a secret.”

Looking at Darlian’s smiling face, Finihiya pouted with mild boredom and didn’t press further.

However…

Judging from Darlian’s way of addressing the Pope, Darlian’s actual age under her appearance must be older.

Of course, it was also possible that Darlian, as a noble Demon Lord, called the Pope “little Pope” simply because of her own higher status.

Two shimmering water-colored butterflies slowly fluttered past in front of her.

Finihiya’s gaze was briefly drawn to them, then she lifted the milky-white cup of black tea and took a small sip.

The water-colored butterflies danced among the roses, mingling pale blue, bluish purple, and light red hues.