“Is that so.”
Having obtained the answer, Darlian gave a slight nod to the maid before turning and walking toward the outside of the Conservatory.
The afternoon sunlight filtered through the thin clouds, casting a damp, shimmering glow over the lush green lawn and flowerbeds in the courtyard.
The Library…
Using flight magic, she reached the Library in a short while.
The main Library wasn’t too far from the Conservatory—only about three or four hundred meters in a straight line.
Landing on the stone steps in front of the Library, Darlian saw the large door wrapped in leather and studded with brass rivets pushed open just a crack.
“Miss Saintess.”
The gap was a bit narrow for her, so she pushed the door wider as she called softly into the quiet interior of the Library.
No response came from within.
Just as she was wondering if the Miss Saintess was not inside, her drifting gaze inadvertently caught sight of a small figure.
Bright light fell from the vaulted ceiling, illuminating the girl sitting in the worn wooden chair like a golden fairy sparkling.
Finihiya lowered her head, a thick book heavy enough to be likened to a torture device resting on her knees.
“Miss Saintess.”
Darlian called again softly, but the girl sitting there still didn’t respond, clearly absorbed deeply in the vast knowledge within the book.
Closing the open door behind her, the already tranquil environment grew even quieter.
Carrying a small wooden basket, Darlian slowly walked toward where the girl sat.
She placed the basket down beside her and crouched beside the wooden chair, eyes carefully studying the doll-like beautiful face before her.
Her plump cheeks bore the delicate texture unique to children, her skin snow-white and translucent from growing up in the Cloud Nation.
Gazing at the round, adorable face, a faint smile appeared on Darlian’s lips before she raised her right index finger to poke Finihiya’s cheek.
“Heh~”
The sensation transmitted from her fingertip was like touching a boiled egg with its shell peeled—no, even softer than that.
This amused her, prompting a light laugh.
Perhaps sensing the strange feeling on her cheek, Finihiya’s water-blue eyes slowly lifted and looked toward her, mixed with a dazed confusion.
“Darlian…sama?”
“Good afternoon, Miss Saintess.”
“…Good afternoon.” After a brief daze, Finihiya asked in a soft voice, “Why…is Darlian-sama here?”
“Of course, I came to see you.”
Whether it was because the heavy official paperwork had finally eased, or because she saw the small, adorable girl before her, a gentle sense of comfort spread through Darlian’s mood.
“Come to see me? Does Darlian-sama have something important to tell me?”
“Not really something important.” She answered as she picked up the wooden basket on the ground beside her. “Cheese tarts. Would you like one?”
“…Thank you, Darlian-sama. I appreciate your kindness, but I just ate lunch, so I’m not very hungry right now.”
Finihiya’s profile flickered with a troubled expression as she averted her gaze elsewhere.
Darlian noticed this unusual reaction and a faint doubt surfaced in her heart.
She didn’t press immediately, instead looking at the thick, ancient-looking book resting on Finihiya’s lap.
“You’re very focused when reading.”
“Heh heh…” Finihiya gave a dry laugh. “They often say that about me.”
“They?”
She hesitated briefly before realizing “they” referred to the people from the Theocracy.
“What book are you reading?”
Finihiya hugged the book on her knees and revealed its light brown cover.
“It tells the story of a person who pursues gourmet food and embarks on a journey to taste dishes from various races. All the text records the foods he has tried and knows about.”
“Is that so? I didn’t expect you to be interested in this kind of book.”
“I just happened to pick this one from the shelf, but it is quite interesting.”
“The text is ours, from the Demon Race. I didn’t expect you to understand it.”
“I have a lot of free time.” She flipped the page with her fingertip. “So I have plenty of time to learn.”
“That’s impressive.”
At this, Darlian briefly shifted her gaze from Finihiya’s profile and looked up at the bright light falling from the Sky Window.
A quiet intelligence silently enveloped this small space.
Then she deftly changed the subject, murmuring almost to herself.
“It’s so quiet here.”
“Pa…” Finihiya’s voice softly echoed her words.
Darlian withdrew her gaze and looked at Finihiya again, a sly smile creeping onto her fair cheeks.
“No one really comes here. Speaking of which, if you did something here, no one would even notice.”
Though this sounded almost like a joke, she saw Finihiya’s expression turn deeply uneasy.
The small right hand tightly gripped and rubbed the lace cuff on her left sleeve.
Just as Darlian furrowed her brows and prepared to quietly ask, uneasy words slipped first from Finihiya’s cherry-red lips.
“I really don’t like girls.”
“…Huh?”
Taken aback, she momentarily froze and then blankly uttered the sound.
She was deeply puzzled by Finihiya’s strange and unexpected words.
Don’t like girls?
As she tried to make sense of Finihiya’s thoughts, her mind suddenly recalled Laili-sama’s situation, and the confusion that had clouded her mind quickly cleared.
A subtle look appeared in Darlian’s eyes.
Looking at the anxious fairy-like girl before her, who seemed like a child caught in wrongdoing, she spoke with a tone full of helpless amusement.
“Could it be that you believed those rumors, thinking I like women, right?”
Finihiya remained silent, only turning her gaze away, clearly tacitly agreeing.
“That’s a misunderstanding.” Darlian sighed resignedly again.
“You know about the succubus who came out of my room looking disheveled, flushed, and acting strangely—I only heard the rumors afterward myself.”
Apparently hearing this explanation, Finihiya turned her head toward her. Those bright, clear blue eyes carefully examined her.
“…Really?”
“Really.”
“Really, really?”
“Really, really.”
“Really, really, really?”
“Really, really, really.”
After the repeated triple confirmation, Darlian rolled her eyes and shot Finihiya a look. “Don’t make me confirm it so many times.”