If Iserin weren’t so perfect, Mowan probably wouldn’t have thought of such a possibility.
Even Mowan felt her own thoughts were too whimsical.
For Iserin to go through such trouble and meticulously craft this lie before her — was she really worth it?
“Mowan, you’re tired. Let me prepare dinner for you.”
Iserin stood up and walked over to Mowan.
She took Mowan by the arm and led her toward the room.
“Sister Selin.”
Mowan sat on the bed, looking up at Iserin with a blank expression.
“Hmm?”
“Is there… something else you’re hiding from me?”
“What else could I hide from you?”
Iserin leaned down, gently stroking Mowan’s hair.
“I’ve given you everything you wanted. What reason would I have to keep anything from you?”
“Sister Selin, I hope you can leave a way out for Rosa. She’s my only friend. There’s nothing but friendship between us, and she… she supports our relationship.”
“Is that how you see me? Do you think I would slaughter everyone who might get close to you just because of jealousy?”
“You wouldn’t…”
Iserin wasn’t like that; Iserin wasn’t jealous.
Iserin simply saw the risk of Rosa taking her away.
‘A dignified Saintess would be jealous because of her?’
Mowan didn’t even dare to think it; she was afraid people would laugh if she said it out loud.
“Alright, don’t think too much. Dinner will be ready soon.”
Iserin kissed Mowan’s forehead and placed the flowers on her dressing table.
The mirror reflected ten bottles of flowers in various colors.
If Iserin insisted on giving her flowers every day, her dressing table would soon run out of space.
Iserin prepared dinner for Mowan in the dining room.
However, her face was obscured by a terrifying shadow cast by her silver-white hair.
Clearly, she had won.
She had successfully kept Mowan by her side.
Clearly, Mowan had done as she wished and told Rosa about their relationship, and Rosa had reacted with the intense opposition she had anticipated.
But why had Mowan become like this after coming back?
Why, after nearly breaking off with Rosa, would she still consider Rosa’s safety and send her out of the city?
Iserin was angry.
She hadn’t been this angry in over ten years.
What kind of look did Mowan give her when she returned?
Why did Mowan still suspect her?
Had she not designed everything to be seamless?
Why did Mowan still not truly trust her?
Why was Mowan still so easily swayed by others, becoming anxious about their relationship?
After a moment of impulse, Iserin suppressed the negative emotions in her heart.
She looked up, tucked her hair behind her ear, and put on a clear, bright expression.
Trust is mutual.
Mowan had given her full trust, yet she had been deceiving Mowan from start to finish.
Love is mutual.
Mowan loved her, but her heart remained as cold as ice.
Mowan knew she didn’t love her.
Actually, Mowan had always known.
It was just that Mowan was still patiently waiting for her heartbeat, waiting for the ice in her heart to melt.
‘So, only by truly falling in love with Mowan will she gain a true sense of security?’
Iserin had always been smart.
No matter what unexpected events occurred outside of her plans, she could always quickly think of the reason and find a solution.
She had given Mowan everything.
She gave her hope, wealth, and companionship.
She was even willing to give her body to Mowan — though Mowan didn’t take it, thinking it wasn’t romantic enough.
Her love was the only thing she hadn’t given Mowan.
Iserin didn’t know how to go about loving someone.
While thinking, she finished preparing dinner for Mowan.
After calling Mowan out to eat, Iserin went back to Mowan’s room.
She turned over the quilt on the bed.
Finally, she found the story outline Mowan had written under the mattress.
Although she already knew the gist of the story when the bookstore owner reported Mowan, she still wanted to see with her own eyes how Mowan had written it.
She looked at the girl’s rounded handwriting.
It wasn’t particularly beautiful, but it was poured full of the girl’s deep hope that this unique love could be recognized by the world.
Iserin read it carefully, word by word.
She slowly smoothed out the wrinkled paper and placed it flat back under the mattress.
She had indeed originally planned to give Rosa an ultimatum after Mowan broke off their friendship, but Mowan sending Rosa away forced her to cancel her original preparations.
She looked around Mowan’s room, seeing the bottles of flowers that had accumulated.
She couldn’t help but ask herself in her heart.
‘Is playing with a young girl’s feelings something to be happy about?’
She had already done it very successfully.
She had firmly locked away a young girl’s first love.
She should have worn a victorious smile.
She should have proudly praised her own perfection in her heart.
But the image of Mowan’s cautious gaze when they were together — that gaze longing for recognition, longing for her love to be reciprocated — flickered through her mind.
Mowan’s innocence illuminated the ugliness in her heart, leaving it nowhere to hide.
Only she knew how despicable her actions were.
Even if she was doing it for the future of humanity, she couldn’t deny that she was a hateful person who toyed with people’s hearts.
“Sister Selin, I’m full.”
Mowan stood at the door, her gaze sweeping over the place where she hid the story outline.
Iserin looked back, her expression shifting back to normal.
“Let’s take a bath together.”
“Okay.”
In the bathroom, Iserin tried to flirt with Mowan as usual.
Mowan was still shy and still had a physical reaction.
However, Mowan no longer tried to demand anything from her.
Iserin knew Mowan didn’t trust her anymore.
She knew Mowan had realized that it was impossible for a Saintess to fall in love with a member of the Demon Race.
Iserin felt helpless.
She couldn’t get all of Mowan.
A gap had appeared in her perfect plan.
When they slept together that night, Mowan still gently held her arm, her body habitually leaning against her.
She was as well-behaved as a kitten, but she was only like a kitten.
What Iserin wanted to see was happiness, joy, and a carefree attitude — a little girlfriend Mowan who felt like she was in heaven just by being near her, not a pet.
She had to admit that letting Mowan meet Rosa was a terrible move.
Rosa had awakened Mowan’s reason.
Although Rosa had been driven away by Mowan and would never return.
But Rosa’s loyal words were forever engraved in Mowan’s heart.
Mowan hadn’t viewed Rosa as an enemy of their love as she had imagined.
Although their ideas differed and although Rosa didn’t support her, and although Mowan found Rosa’s words harsh, Mowan still regarded Rosa as a friend.
For one week after Rosa’s departure, Mowan remained very well-behaved.
On this day, Iserin returned to Mowan’s house as usual.
She believed that time would slowly fade everything.
Mowan was a bit mysterious today.
After Iserin returned home, she gave her a letter.
“Sister Selin, you… open it and see. I’ll wait for you in the room. You should read it out here; it might take a while, but I’ll be waiting for you.”
Like a girl sending a love letter to a secret crush, there was expectation in Mowan’s eyes, mixed with the panic of fearing rejection.
The white envelope felt warm in the palm of her hand.
Before Iserin could agree, Mowan turned and ran back into her room, locking the door.
Iserin closed the front door.
She sat at the dining table and, after hesitating for a moment, opened the envelope.
However, at the very first glance at the letter, she froze.
What was written on the stationery was not a girl’s pink-tinted love, but one question after another regarding the black crimes she had committed.