The moonlight was like ink, and the storm still raged.
The same moon, yet it illuminated a completely different path.
On the road leading to Kantaier Academy, a lavish carriage procession advanced silently.
Even in the dead of night, the mithril ornaments inlaid around the carriage still shimmered with a silvery white light under the moon.
On the curtains of the platinum carriage, the Holy Cross Emblem, representing the supreme divine authority of the Holy Light Church, was embroidered and fluttered in the night breeze.
Beside the carriage was a tall, upright female knight.
Although her visor was not lowered, revealing a strikingly heroic face, the armor that still shone in the night, along with the sword at her waist that faintly emitted a chill, was enough to deter any ill-intentioned bandits.
Yet even such a formidable warrior capable of holding her own on the battlefield now only respectfully rode her horse beside the platinum carriage.
The wheels rolled over the damp fallen leaves, making a rustling sound.
The storm finally stopped.
“Angelina, the rain has stopped.”
A voice pierced through the curtains. It was not loud, but clear and ethereal, instantly washing away the post-rain gloom.
“Yes.”
The female knight named Angelina immediately reined in her horse and slightly bowed on horseback.
“By His Highness’s order, the whole team will rest here!”
At the command, the well-trained paladins instantly dispersed and quickly set up a temporary position in the open space by the road.
After a moment, the carriage door slowly opened. A slender foot wrapped in pure white stocking emerged, and a silver high heel gently stepped onto the damp grass.
Her light golden hair flowed behind her like a river of stars, swaying gently in the night breeze.
The girl lifted her eyes; they were cornflower blue, so clear they seemed to reflect the entire world.
Her pure white robe faintly glowed under the moonlight, making her appear like a deity who had strayed into the mortal world, holy and incomparably beautiful.
“Your Highness Eulalia.”
Angelina immediately stepped forward with her hand on her sword, her gaze vigilantly scanning the dark woods around them.
“This is still the edge of the forest, and we just had a thunderstorm. It’s not safe. If you wish to rest, it would be best to…”
“But Angelina, I’m tired.”
Eulalia tilted her head slightly, a smile curling at the corners of her mouth.
“Besides… as a girl, there are always some private ‘physiological needs’ I’d like to take care of in a quiet place, right?”
“Huh?”
Angelina was stunned, then her cheeks flushed.
“Then… then I’ll accompany you. There might be monsters in the forest…”
“Do you want to come and stare at me?” Eulalia blinked. “Even though we’re both girls, I’d still be shy, you know?”
“Ugh… fine.”
The innocent female knight instantly surrendered. She sighed.
“Then please don’t go far. I’ll wait here.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll be right nearby.”
Having shaken off Angelina, Eulalia lifted her long skirt and quickly walked into the nearby woods.
Only after confirming that the knights’ line of sight was completely blocked by the dense bushes did this dignified and holy “Mortal Angel” let out a long sigh.
She looked around, confirming no one was there, and without hesitation kicked off those high heels.
The next second, she nimbly scrambled up a huge oak tree.
Such a skillful move, if seen by those stubborn old priests of the Theocratic Nation, would probably make them faint on the spot.
“Phew… I’m exhausted. Acting is really hard work; my face is about to cramp from smiling.”
Eulalia sat astride the thick branch without any dignity, her back against the trunk, her fair legs dangling in the air.
She looked up through the dappled gaps in the leaves at the full moon hanging in the center of the night sky.
Eulalia took out a piece of yellowed hemp paper with slightly wrinkled edges from her pocket.
By the moonlight, the black-haired boy sketched on the paper with rough charcoal was clearly visible.
Looking at those dark blue-violet eyes as deep as the night sky, Eulalia’s originally lively eyes gradually softened, and deep within them, there was even a trace of imperceptible loneliness.
“Sevi…”
“It’s been five years…”
The girl whispered softly, her fingertips tracing the outline of the person in the painting, a glimmer of expectation shining in her eyes.
Before the words had faded, her brow furrowed slightly, as if an uninvited guest had disturbed her mood.
“How rude. Unlike you, an ancient monster who’s lived who knows how many years, I’m still a young girl in the prime of my youth.”
Unlike her earlier murmurs to herself, she seemed to be refuting someone’s slander, yet there was only her alone in these woods.
“If there’s nothing important, please don’t disturb a young lady’s rest time, okay?”
After a brief silence, she let out a light laugh, her fingers casually twining around her light golden hair.
“In novels, the protagonist always manages to turn the tables, so naturally he can too. Though they’re just fictional stories to pass the time, reality is often more interesting than fiction, isn’t it?”
“What do you mean, ‘Stop spreading these novels to harm others’? I clearly haven’t told those stories to many people. Why are you so angry?”
Eulalia’s smile paused slightly as she muttered somewhat innocently.
The girl sighed, growing a bit impatient.
“So you pretend to be dead all the time, but suddenly show up today. What business do you have?”
As if hearing an unexpected answer, Eulalia’s originally languid eyes instantly sharpened.
“A monster… has been born in that forest?”
Though it didn’t sound like good news, the corner of her mouth curled into an intrigued arc.
“My, my, there actually exists something in this world that you would call a ‘monster’?”
Sitting on the high branch, following some kind of guidance, her gaze turned toward the depths of the dark forest to the southeast.
Eulalia fell silent.
At some point, her fingers had dug deeply into the bark beneath her. The night wind blew, and the leaves rustled like the whispers of countless evil spirits.
After a long moment, she loosened her grip.
“Don’t waste your breath. I won’t easily believe a demon’s temptations.”
Eulalia shook her head with a light laugh, put back on those delicate but restrictive high heels, and jumped down from the tree.
“Though I don’t know what this ‘surprise’ you speak of really is, but…”
“I’m not stupid enough to do what protagonists in novels do and believe a demon’s slander. Besides, I’m not some protagonist.”
“Alright, no time to listen to your nonsense. If I don’t go back soon, Angelina will start nagging again.”
She straightened her slightly disheveled skirt, put back on that perfect, holy smile, and turned to walk toward the brightly lit carriage procession.
But just as she turned, her gaze uncontrollably darted a glance toward the dark southeast.
The girl’s silhouette disappeared into the dappled tree shadows, leaving only a barely audible sigh that dissipated in the cold, post-rain moonlight.