“Is that all the Saintess said to you?”
Mowan was curious about what other arrangements Iserin had made for her in private.
“Well…”
Rosa thought about it carefully.
“She also asked me about your usual performance. Don’t worry, I praised you to the high heavens. I even made you sound more impressive than our leader. I told her you could reattach our limbs if they were cut off, and that you were the one who turned the tide several times when we were on the verge of total annihilation.”
“She won’t believe you if you exaggerate that much, right?”
“She probably believed it. The Saintess was smiling very happily at the time, so she must have been quite satisfied.”
Was it possible that she was smiling happily because your lie was so clumsy, and the Saintess was simply too kind-hearted to expose you?
“Next time… I mean, if there is a next time and she asks about me again, just answer truthfully.”
Mowan felt that she hadn’t done anything out of line normally.
As a Priest in the Azure Crystal Party, she had always been diligent and kept to her duties.
If Rosa talked nonsense, Iserin might think Rosa was deliberately hiding something, and it wouldn’t be good if that brought trouble to Rosa.
“Mowan, I’m doing this for your own good. People who are too honest will never climb the ladder. Besides, I truly do think you’re amazing. You just lack an opportunity to be discovered. I believe the Saintess’s sharp eyes will definitely find your shining points.”
“……”
Mowan didn’t know how to refute Rosa.
She couldn’t bear to brush off Rosa’s kindness.
Or perhaps, she truly believed Rosa had a point.
In truth, Mowan also longed for her uniqueness to be noticed.
Just like when she implemented reforms during her time with the Demon Race, she yearned for her talents to be put to use.
In the end, however, it had all ended in a mess.
If not for her status as a Demon Princess, she likely would have met an end similar to Shang Yang, being torn apart by five horses.
“Don’t you want your life to keep getting better? I don’t believe anyone is willing to hide like a coward forever.”
Mowan’s eyes shifted. Her lips moved, but she didn’t make a sound.
Her gaze swept over Rosa’s sincere face, and she saw the purity and beauty in Rosa’s eyes, truly wishing for her happiness.
She felt a slight tremor in her long-frozen heart.
A trace of reluctance surged in her chest as Mowan spoke haltingly.
“Of course… I hope so… fine. Thank you, Rosa. In the future, I will work hard under the Saintess. When I’ve… saved enough money, I’ll buy you clothes and treat you to dinner too.”
“I’ll be waiting then.”
Rosa smiled and raised her hand to pat Mowan’s shoulder.
“Go on and get to work. You have to perform well on your first day. Working in The Church isn’t as free as a mercenary’s life.”
“Mhm.”
Mowan took a step back.
Just as she was preparing to say goodbye to Rosa, a slightly awkward emotion rose in her heart.
“Will you come back to see me in the future?”
“I definitely will if I have time. After becoming an Honorary Knight, we should be returning to the Holy City frequently to report on our missions. I’ll definitely come find you then.”
“Okay.”
Mowan nodded.
“Then I’m going back to the cathedral to work.”
“Mhm, go ahead.”
Rosa waved to Mowan, and Mowan left the inn with a lingering look of reluctance.
Rosa closed the door and walked to the window to look down.
The purple-haired girl was walking down the street all alone.
The Saintess… should be good to Mowan, right?
Rosa couldn’t help but wonder.
Even though the Saintess might not treat Mowan as well as I do, working for the Saintess is still better than fighting and killing with us out there.
Rosa could actually sense that Mowan had always been deliberately hiding something, such as her true strength.
And Rosa knew that Mowan wasn’t happy hiding it.
When her contributions were ignored, Mowan would show a lonely expression, even if she never confided in anyone.
Even if Rosa went out of her way to ask, she couldn’t pry Mowan’s mouth open.
Mowan would always speak against her own heart, telling her she didn’t care about those things and that she felt this way was fine.
“Saintess, I’m leaving my Mowan to you. I hope the next time I see her, she’s wearing beautiful clothes and showing a smile from her True Heart.”
Rosa talked to herself.
She gently wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes.
As expected, she was still very reluctant to let go.
Without Mowan, she didn’t know if they would be able to successfully overcome the next danger they encountered.
Perhaps this goodbye was forever.
—
Although Iserin had specifically mentioned yesterday that the Princess would only be late and never early, and that there was no need for her to arrive ahead of time.
Mowan still waited in front of the gate of The Church an hour early.
Mowan was lucky.
Today, the Saintess was presiding over the Worship Rite.
The Church held a Worship Rite every morning for half an hour, which was essentially a morning reading session.
The nuns stood before the divine statue, reciting the scriptures of The Church.
Of course, as a legal citizen of the Holy City, Mowan could also enter The Church to pray devoutly.
She followed the other believers into the cathedral and sat on the benches on either side.
She listened to the nuns chanting, and her ears buzzed.
She didn’t think the Worship Rite was particularly holy; she just thought these people were superstitious. Wouldn’t it be better to spend this extra half hour sleeping in at home?
However, if Iserin presided over it every day, it wouldn’t be impossible for her to insist on coming every day to be a loyal listener.
Mowan looked up at the Saintess on the stage, who was dressed in a white gown.
Unfortunately, the Saintess didn’t deign to spare her a single glance.
The Saintess simply kept her head lowered, watching the nuns before her with an indifferent expression, listening to their proclamations and feeling the faith of the believers.
Unlike the believers who came to hear the morning reading, Mowan’s attention was entirely on Iserin.
Even if my heart isn’t devout, the Saintess won’t scold me.
Thinking of this, Mowan felt a bit smug.
Finally, the morning reading ended.
There was still half an hour before the scheduled meeting with the Princess.
Mowan stood up, hoping Iserin would notice her.
However, Iserin never cast a single look toward her from beginning to end.
Like a robot, she guided the nuns, educated the believers, and finally, that pure white figure disappeared at the end of the walkway.
Mowan felt another wave of disappointment.
Clearly, yesterday in private, they were… so intimate.
Uh… did that count as intimate?
It should, right?
Holding me while I was naked and playing with my tail—those actions should count as being intimate, right?
But seeing the Saintess in her usual state today, looking so holy and unattainable, Mowan felt a faint sense that the Saintess she had spent time with yesterday was nothing more than a dream.
While she was lost in these thoughts, it soon became half past ten.
Mowan had sat in the cathedral for a full hour and a half, and she hadn’t caught another glimpse of the Saintess after the morning reading ended.
“Come here, come here! Miss Priest!”
A female voice snapped Mowan out of her daze.
Mowan turned her head and found that the person calling her was the maid who had been carrying the Princess yesterday.
“Okay.”
Mowan stood up from her seat.
The golden-haired Her Highness the Princess was standing outside the cathedral doors.
She had her arms crossed and was staring straight at Mowan.
Mowan quickly followed the maid to the Princess and politely gave her a Knight’s salute.
“Her Highness the Princess, good morning.”
“It’s not early anymore. We need to hurry and get out of the city. Sister Iserin should have already explained your mission to you, right?”
So you do know it’s not early; it’s already ten-thirty.
“Yes. My mission is to protect your safety, respected Princess.”
The Princess held up an index finger and added to Mowan with a serious expression.
“And secrecy! You are not allowed to reveal our whereabouts to anyone, do you understand?”
“I understand, Her Highness the Princess.”
“Sigh… I don’t know who snitched on my location yesterday. My father was furious after he found out I ran off to the Monster Forest. Luckily, I acted like nothing was wrong when I went back. But from now on, my father won’t allow me to stay out overnight. We’re going to go and come back early today.”
The golden-haired Princess waved at Mowan, signaling for her to follow.
Today, Her Highness the Princess seemed full of energy, a completely different person from her sickly appearance yesterday.
It was also thanks to Mowan’s excellent medical skills.
But this Princess really wasn’t afraid of death.
She had just crossed the gates of hell yesterday, yet she was looking for trouble again today.