Chapter 24: Strange Sounds

The night gradually seeped into the streets of Yabadawi.

Finihiya was arranged to rest in a guest room.

Through the French-style glass window of the room, she gazed at the pale moon hanging in the distant sky.

Knock, knock, knock…

Hearing a knock from behind, she tilted her head to look that way.

“Please come in.”

“Lady Finihiya.”

A young Demon Race maid pushed open the door, politely bowed in her direction, then quietly placed the tray she was carrying onto the white wooden table in the room.

“Thank you~”

“It’s my duty to do so.”

Watching the maid’s figure disappear behind the door, Finihiya slowly sat down at the wooden table, then picked up a small spoon and took a warm sip of the borscht.

The new maid arranged by Darlian didn’t make things difficult for her.

However, perhaps because of her human identity, the new maid’s attitude toward her was somewhat subtle.

She showed the most basic courtesy, but nothing more.

Even if Finihiya tried to start small talk, the maid would only respond with a bland expression, brushing it off.

To be honest, Finihiya actually felt a little relieved by this, able to quietly think about her own matters.

Tonight’s dinner consisted of warm borscht, a vegetable salad, and a pan-fried meat patty.

It wasn’t bad, but the flavors were somewhat ordinary.

A cool evening breeze swept into the room, stirring Finihiya’s lace-trimmed dress and golden hair, while faint symphony music from a distant ball drifted in.

It seemed the Demons had decided to hold a three-night banquet to honor Darlian’s cleansing ceremony and celebrate the victory of the war.

As she slowly cut the meat patty with her knife and fork, the door to the room was knocked again.

Opening the door, she was somewhat surprised to see the banquet’s main guest, Darlian, standing there.

At this moment, Darlian was dressed in a black evening gown.

The gown traced the contours of her body, outlining her graceful curves, with a fur collar decorating her fair neck.

“Good evening, Miss Saintess.”

“Good evening.”

Finihiya lightly returned the greeting with a bow.

“Is there anything inconvenient you have encountered? If so, please feel free to tell me.”

“No, thank you, Lady Darlian, for your concern.” She shook her head gently, then asked with slight puzzlement, “Lady Darlian, is there something you wanted to see me about?”

“If it’s nothing, am I not allowed to come see Miss Saintess?”

“Miss Saintess, aren’t you going to attend this rare grand banquet?”

Uh?

Darlian’s strange words instantly made her cheeks stiffen slightly.

This must be some kind of malicious teasing.

She was the Saintess of the defeated country, captured and brought here.

To attend the victory banquet of the victorious nation?

If there were any spies from the Theocracy here, the news that she had become a traitor might soon reach the Theocracy.

Thinking this, she sighed softly with a trace of helplessness, then lifted a faint smile to respond to Darlian.

“Thank you for the invitation, Lady Darlian, but I have not yet recovered from my physical discomfort. Please forgive my selfishness.”

“I see, then Miss Saintess should take a good rest these days.”

“Thank you~” Finihiya bowed once again. “I hope Lady Darlian enjoys herself.”

After Darlian left, Finihiya sat again at the small wooden table.

She quietly stared at the plate, where the meat patty and broth still remained in large portions. After a long moment, she lowered her eyes and gently stroked her swollen belly with her small hand.

Although much food remained on the plate, she truly felt she could not eat any more.

Though she wanted to give up and push the tray aside, the leftover food painfully pricked her conscience deep inside.

Wasting food is truly a bad habit…

After hesitating between herself and the food, she finally clasped her hands in a prayer pose.

“Lord! Please forgive my sins.”

After this simple self-reflection, she no longer dwelled on this troubling matter and hurriedly called the maid to clear the plate.

The night grew even darker.

Finihiya stood by the small balcony of the room.

The breeze blowing against her seemed to carry the moist scent of the sea tide, bearing the same summer fragrance as the distant Saint Capital Fafniya.

After staying there for a while, she returned to the room, where the floor-standing clock in the corner quietly pointed to 11 p.m., approaching midnight.

Remembering she had yet to wash up, she took out her change of sleepwear from the light brown suitcase.

This medieval castle guest room was even equipped with a bathtub, probably carefully designed for visiting guests.

After undressing, Finihiya stood in the small bathroom and stared anxiously at the cold water in the tub.

But she had not never taken a cold bath before.

In this medieval civilization where bathing was often difficult, one could not be so lucky as to have hot water every time.

Sitting on a low wooden stool, she scooped a ladle of cold water from the bathtub and poured it over her head.

The chill of the cold water immediately wrapped around her body, causing Finihiya to bite her lips and take a deep breath.

“Ugh…”

“This water is too cold.”

Muttering her complaint, she continued scooping cold water to wash her body.

(My… brethren…)

“Hmm?”

With her eyes closed while washing her hair, a broken, electric-like voice suddenly echoed in her mind.

Startled, she hurriedly wiped the water from around her eyes, then opened them carefully to sense it.

After waiting silently for a moment, the voice did not appear again, and she suspected she might have imagined it.

Just as Finihiya finished washing her hair and carefully cleaned the dirt hidden all over her body, the voice she had heard earlier sounded again.

This time it was clearer than before.

The voice sounded like an old man, weathered and full of worldly hardships.

“Who’s there?”

Speaking out loud in the bathroom where she was alone, Finihiya’s beautifully shaped eyebrows furrowed slightly.

(My brethren…)

The hoarse voice grew even clearer.

To be honest,

if it weren’t for the inexplicable warmth she felt deep within her heart from this voice, she might have been scared enough to hide or escape from here.

After quickly finishing her wash and changing into the soft sleepwear, Finihiya opened the door to her room.

Two Demon Soldiers stood in the red-carpeted hallway, guarding and watching at the entrance to her room.

The Demon Soldiers only glanced at her, saying nothing.

Seeing that the two soldiers did not stop her from leaving, Finihiya gave a slight nod to both, then stepped lightly toward the corridor outside.