The girl’s murmur slowly drifted away.
The night wind brushed across the silent clearing, gradually carrying off the warm flush on her cheeks, painting this corner of the night with a sweet, rosy hue.
Yet that atmosphere didn’t last long.
Rustle, rustle— Before the blond girl could recover from the lingering afterglow, the shrubbery behind her rustled with the sound of leaves brushing against one another.
Then the figure who had been making those snide comments stepped out from the bushes, still holding the blade of the vanished shortsword between her teeth.
“Pfft.”
After spitting out the metal piece, Angelina brushed the grass clippings off her clothes and gave a slight bow.
“Your Highness.”
Once she was sure the heat had faded from her face, Eulalia lowered her hands, then turned slightly and shook her finger with a sly grin.
“Wrong, you know. Did Angelina forget our agreement?”
“…”
The female knight was silent for two seconds before taking a deep breath.
“That was my mistake.”
“Then let’s start over.”
Angelina’s face went ashen as she adjusted her outfit stiffly.
Then, she awkwardly lifted the black-and-white lace hem of her skirt, placed her right heel against her left ankle, bent her knees slightly, and lowered her head—the one adorned with a silver hairband.
“M… mistress.”
“Hmm~ Not bad, not bad.” Eulalia nodded in satisfaction.
Seeing that her mistress had finally shown mercy and let her off, Angelina straightened up and moved her body, which had grown stiff from the unfamiliar outfit, with a look of utter resignation.
Heaven only knew where Her Highness had gotten this set of clothes!
A silver hairband, a silver-white metal breastplate, paired with a black-and-white double-layered lace maid dress, and the edges even had delicate piping!
The only original accessory left on her entire body was the pair of knight boots on her feet.
Angelina sighed softly.
After the assessment results were announced, Her Highness had used a few homemade dishes to pry the black-haired girl’s enrollment information out of a sloppy female dorm supervisor.
Then she immediately pulled out this outfit and forced Angelina to put it on.
There was no doubt Her Highness had been planning this all along.
Angelina even suspected that this dress had already been lying in her Space Pouch back when they were still in the Theocratic Nation!
But since she had lost a bet and was now wearing this “Maid Knight” getup, Angelina would uphold the professional ethics required.
What’s a little change in address? For the sake of the knight’s code, she could endure it.
It was only for one week anyway. The moment the deadline was up, she would tear off this troublesome rag and burn it!
Angelina thought bitterly in her heart. She took a deep breath of the cool night air and was about to ask when they could head back to rest.
But Eulalia, standing ahead, didn’t turn around.
She quietly lifted her head, gazing at the bright moon in the night sky.
The surrounding noise and teasing seemed to settle down in that moment, leaving only the faint rustle of leaves in the wind.
“You know…” The blond girl’s voice suddenly became very soft, tinged with nostalgia, breaking the brief silence.
“Seeing Sevi turn into such a cute girl… I’m really happy inside. Can Angelina guess why?”
Angelina lowered her eyes, hands folded over her stomach.
’As long as it’s not because Your Highness has gone astray and developed some strange fetish.’
She naturally couldn’t voice such blasphemous thoughts, so she shook her head conservatively.
“Because once Sevi became small, I could hold her in my arms without any excuse.”
’So it really is a strange fetish!’ Angelina’s pupils trembled. Fortunately, Eulalia’s next words pulled her runaway thoughts back.
“Since she was little, Sevi has been plagued by illness. But she always fought against fate with such strength. Even though her body was worn down fragile, those lilac-blue eyes of hers still shone as bright as the night sky…”
The smile faded from Eulalia’s lips. Her gaze grew deep and tender.
She unconsciously wrapped her arms around herself as if savoring something, and murmured softly:
“Only now… can I finally hold that stubborn, frail body—now so small and soft—truly in my arms.”
Hearing this, Angelina couldn’t help sighing.
“If that’s the case, what use is telling me? Wouldn’t it be better to say it directly to the person involved?”
“No, I can’t.” Eulalia shook her head with a bitter smile, her golden hair swaying lightly in the night wind.
“If I said that directly to Sevi, she’d definitely get mad at me again. When she’s truly angry, she’s terrifying.”
“Her expression back then… I remember it clearly. It still flashes before my eyes sometimes, both in reality and in my dreams.”
Eulalia lowered her long lashes slightly. On that face always marked by a smile, a rare vulnerability and loneliness shone through, impossible to hide.
Angelina had only seen this expression on the Saint Candidate’s face twice. Once was now, and the other time…
“…Just like that day five years ago.”
In the blink of an eye, the vulnerability in Eulalia’s eyes was completely concealed.
She put on the same effortless smile again, as if her whisper had been just an illusion.
“So, you must keep this a secret for me, okay?”
“As you wish, Your Highness.” Angelina replied with lowered eyes.
“As expected of my Maid Knight, so understanding—”
“As the price for keeping this secret, why don’t you wear this embarrassing outfit and be my maid for a week as well, Your Highness? What do you think?”
Angelina’s face was expressionless, her tone so serious it didn’t seem like a joke at all.
“Eh?”
Eulalia clearly hadn’t expected her own knight to make such a blasphemous request.
She turned her face away, fingers twisting nervously.
“Well… that wouldn’t be too good, would it? Can you ask for something else…”
“I was just kidding.” With that, Angelina turned and walked away, leaving her mistress standing there.
In a corner unseen by Eulalia, the corner of her mouth lifted into a smile.
“…”
It took a moment for Eulalia to realize she had been fooled by her own honest Maid Knight.
“My upright guard has gone bad. Confess—who taught you?” Eulalia pouted and followed behind.
“What do you think?”
The cool night wind threaded through the layered treetops, sprinkling dappled silver moonlight gently onto the dark forest path.
The two girls’ figures, one after the other, gradually merged into the deep night.
The breeze brushed over the large rock that still held their residual warmth, swept up a few fallen leaves, and carried the faint, sweet scent of osmanthus deeper into this little corner of the world.
Only the chirping of unknown insects accompanied the wind, weaving a quiet lullaby through the forest.
This peaceful night was sure to let one sleep well.
Miss “Saintess”, if you explained why you did what you did years ago, Sev would let you hold her.