At this moment, Finihiya was already dressed in a white nightgown.
Perhaps due to the haste, the five-layered ruffles at the hem of the cotton nightdress appeared irregular in shape.
Her damp, luscious golden hair hung down toward the floor, shimmering faintly with a dreamy silver hue in the deep night.
“Not washing any longer?”
“No…” Like a startled fawn, Finihiya took a small step back, her delicate, porcelain-like hands clutching one side of the lace cuff. She lowered her head timidly and answered, “I’m already done.”
“I see.”
“Then please enjoy yourself, Darlian-sama.” Finihiya inclined her body slightly forward in a bow. “…I’ll be going back now.”
Seeing Finihiya’s figure as she tried to leave, Darlian’s words slipped out with a slight tinge of regret.
“Leaving so soon?”
“Sorry… but it really is getting late. Darlian-sama, please get some rest early as well.”
Watching Finihiya’s hurried retreating back, Darlian removed her clothes while tilting her head in puzzlement. That strange, peculiar feeling from just now was indeed not wrong.
Compared to this morning, Finihiya definitely seemed a little odd now.
After thinking seriously for a while and finding no clues, Darlian shook her drowsy head and pushed the matter temporarily to the back of her mind.
Harboring a bit of melancholy, Finihiya returned to the tent in the camp as the distant horizon showed the first light of dawn.
The heavy black night was like a dull fabric slowly unraveling and brightening.
Finihiya lay quietly on a pile of dry grass, her eyes fixed on the low tent ceiling.
Summer mornings brightened quickly.
Although there was still some time left for a little more sleep, the bittersweet emotions made it hard for her to rest soundly on the straw mattress.
Recalling the encounter with Darlian in the lake deep within the forest, she couldn’t help but become suspicious that their meeting might not have been a mere “coincidence.”
What stuck with her most were the words spoken by those two Demon Race soldiers.
Perhaps it sounded arrogant to say so, but she had a deep awareness of her own appearance.
If Demon Lord Darlian truly liked women, then the possibility of Darlian liking her was quite high.
Thinking this, Finihiya sighed helplessly.
She did not want to be liked by Darlian.
Just imagining such a thing was enough to fill her with trouble.
After pondering for a long time, Finihiya’s already foggy head from lack of sleep and long-term motion sickness became even more painful.
Her plain fingers pinched the bridge of her nose.
“I have to fall asleep quickly.”
When the head starts aching faintly, if one doesn’t rest, it will eventually turn into a persistent, intense headache.
Though she desperately wanted to just lie down and fall soundly asleep, at this delicate time, she would soon be rudely woken by those Demon Race people.
Considering this, Finihiya could only pack her things early and rest inside the carriage.
Compared to the temporary tent and the straw mattress, the cushions inside the carriage were undoubtedly more comfortable.
But even so, due to the limited space inside, she couldn’t lie down, so the comfort for sleeping was still inferior to the straw mattress in the tent.
“Sniff”
While packing her luggage in the tent, Finihiya suddenly sneezed. She twitched her petite nose, then rubbed her palms together.
“Caught a cold?”
Perhaps from washing with cold water, she now felt a bit chilly, and her nasal breathing was somewhat obstructed.
Night still lingered in the sky.
The faint morning light mingled with the fading moonlight, scattering over the camp.
Finihiya carried her suitcase toward the place where the carriage was parked.
Sitting inside the carriage, Finihiya leaned her head against the compartment. The deep sleepiness within her heart quickly spread.
Before long, Finihiya fell into a sweet, golden dream.
“Morning already…”
Lingering in the comfort and relaxation of the bath, when Darlian regained consciousness, the sky had turned a clear blue.
Gazing at the golden sun rising from the distant horizon, Darlian’s thoughts suddenly returned to that delicate face.
Finihiya’s long hair was as dazzling and beautiful as the sun before her.
At that moment, Darlian suddenly remembered the strange expression Finihiya wore when she left.
She pondered deeply but could not figure out the source of that strangeness.
Perhaps she would have to ask the person directly.
Thinking this, Darlian shifted her gaze downward to the tents that looked like tiny black dots.
For safety reasons, Finihiya’s accommodation had been personally arranged by Darlian.
After all, being human, she was a fatal temptation to many races within the Demon Race.
Moreover, the Saintess was extremely cute and beautiful, which undoubtedly added a potent (arousing) ingredient to that temptation.
Darlian didn’t think the Demon Race soldiers would dare to disobey her orders.
However…
The number of soldiers stationed here was still considerable, and this was a fierce army full of aggression. There would inevitably be one or two soldiers whose desires overcame their fear of death.
Therefore, considering this, the places where Finihiya rested were always arranged to be relatively close to Darlian.
Her shifting gaze soon found the tent where Finihiya was resting among the many tents.
The area around this tent had been automatically cleared, making it easy to find among the densely packed tents.
Darlian quietly descended to the ground, then stood outside the tent and softly called inside with her usual slightly cold voice, “Miss Saintess.”
“…Miss Saintess?”
Had she fallen asleep?
***
After calling twice without any response from inside, Darlian couldn’t help but wonder.
She then gently lifted the hanging curtain.
Seeing the tent was empty, with not even luggage inside, the corners of Darlian’s finely shaped brows furrowed slightly.
“No one?”
She murmured quietly before using magic to sense Finihiya’s magical aura nearby.
Thanks to the Magic Collar around Finihiya’s neck, tracking her magic was extremely easy.
Treading on the gravel-covered ground, she moved forward.
Not long after, Darlian’s sight caught a white carriage.
The cross on the side, framed in gold, glistened dazzlingly in the sunlight.
Standing before the carriage door, just as she was about to softly call out, her eyes inadvertently caught sight of Finihiya inside, leaning back in the seat, sound asleep.
Lifeless, Finihiya looked even more like an exquisite, perfect doll, as if no one could imagine this “puppet” coming to life in such a miraculous way.