Chapter 19: Processing

“Where is Laili now? Go find her and have her come to me.”

“Lady Laili is currently under house arrest.”

“Is that so.” Upon hearing Ailus’s reply, Dalinan suddenly remembered that Laili had been punished by her not long ago over a trivial matter.

“Even if she’s under house arrest, have her come over. We’ll settle this first, then continue the house arrest.”

“Understood.”

After Ailus left, Dalinan sat up and rested one hand on the desk.

The dim, hazy candlelight continued to illuminate the surroundings.

Regarding the humiliation the Saintess suffered, what troubled her even more was that those below had dared to behave so disgracefully right under her watch.

If she hadn’t returned with Miss Saintess to the Demon King City of Yabadawi, she couldn’t even imagine what kind of torment the Saintess might have endured.

Thinking of this, a sense of helplessness welled up in Dalinan’s heart.

It seemed that the internal management had become too lax due to her long absence and lack of attention.

Now was perhaps the time to carry out a thorough purge and reorganization of these pests.

She had no use for disobedient pests like these.

As she thought this, Dalinan’s blurred gaze inadvertently fell on a plain wooden box beside her desk.

“De…”

Suddenly, she remembered the reason she wanted to find the Saintess earlier.

Splash—

Water overflowed from the edge of the large wooden tub.

In the small, mist-filled bathhouse, Finihiya sat naked inside the tub.

As she submerged half her head beneath the water, the already brimming water immediately spilled over.

Compared to the Theocracy, the Demon Lord Army’s lands were rather barren.

There were no exquisite stone bathtubs here; instead, there was this primitive-looking large wooden tub.

Bathing was considered quite a luxury here, especially hot baths.

Yet…

Even knowing this, she still stubbornly bathed once every day, lest she feel especially filthy.

After soaking in the tub for a while, Finihiya slowly stood up, carefully supporting herself on the tub’s edge as she stepped onto the floor.

Changing into a pure white cotton nightgown steamed beforehand until soft, with five layers of lace on the cuffs and hem, she picked up a dry towel placed on a small wooden stool and carefully dried her wet long hair.

The summer night swayed gently.

Finihiya stood by the small balcony, quietly enjoying the comforting night breeze.

In the distance, the old clock tower stood bathed in moonlight, exuding a sense of history’s weight.

Only when the clock tower’s chimes struck ten o’clock late at night did Finihiya, still bleary-eyed, head back into her room toward the bed.

Once on the bed, she did not immediately lie down but sat upright in the center, hands clasped before her chest.

“Lord, I entrust my soul to you.

Because I trust you, I leave tomorrow’s troubles to your care.

May you personally hold each soul that needs your protection, and may demons remain hidden in the dark.

I am weary; bring me your peace as I silently sleep.”

After finishing her usual bedtime prayer, Finihiya slowly lay down.

The oil lamp on the bedside table burned quietly.

She turned to one side, resting her cheek on the soft pillow, eyes blurred as she gazed at the small flame flickering inside the oil lamp.

Remembering how Dalinan had dealt with Luna and Atena not long ago, a faint unusual feeling surfaced in her heart.

At first, she had thought such matters had Dalinan’s tacit approval.

After all, without the mistress’s consent, how could the maid have acted so brazenly?

But when preparing to leave the Theocracy border town of Aarani, she had sat and talked with Dalinan for a while, and the somewhat peaceful atmosphere between them had made her feel a strange, indescribable sensation.

It was at that time that she began to doubt her earlier assumptions.

When Dalinan punished Luna and Atena, she was then certain Dalinan had been unaware.

But…

She was now just a lamb to be disposed of at will.

Would Dalinan go to such lengths just to protect her?

Putting aside Luna for now, Atena’s status was quite high—she held the position of Lesser Captain among the Church Knights in the Demon Lord Army.

Hmm…

If Dalinan truly had no ulterior motives…

At this thought, Finihiya’s lips curled into a faint, bitter smile on one side.

If Dalinan really sought nothing else, then she must be a truly wise ruler.

Lost in such thoughts, drowsiness gradually flooded Finihiya’s mind, and soon she closed her eyes and drifted into golden dreams.

***

The afternoon sky was veiled in a thin layer of gray clouds.

Pushing open the heavy door, the cool air inside the library gently brushed against Finihiya’s cheek.

The library’s interior was enveloped in an air of dust, intellect, and silence—an atmosphere almost impossible to disturb.

Because of the incident involving Luna and Atena, she had stayed two extra days in this small town.

In the end, several others had been implicated besides Luna and Atena.

Most were dismissed; some, in addition to dismissal, were placed under house arrest or confined in the dungeon for one month as punishment.

Old civilization’s entertainment was extremely scarce, and besides, she was still a prisoner.

After silently praying in that small room for two days to pass the time, she could no longer bear the oppressive atmosphere and left.

Upon learning that the town had a small library, she sought permission from the relevant people and was allowed to enter.

To be honest, she was quite interested in demon race books.

Back in the Theocracy, she had few opportunities to access such materials.

The library was not very large, architecturally Gothic, with a common open central space beneath a skylight.

Sunlight poured through the skylight, illuminating the floating white dust in the air, making it sparkle.

Walking slowly along the orderly arranged bookshelves, Finihiya’s eyes scanned the ancient volumes that recorded cultural heritage.

Memoirs of the Alchemist, Encyclopedia of Monster Species, Majestic Castle…

Most of the books in the library dealt with experiences and knowledge.

As for entertainment books, they were exceedingly rare in this age of the old civilization.

Her middle finger traced slowly along the spines one by one.

Finally, Finihiya pulled out a thick, heavy book from the shelf.

Knock, knock, knock…

Dalinan stood before the door to Finihiya’s room, gently knocking on the wooden door.

After standing there for a moment with no response, she began to wonder if Finihiya was not inside.

Just then, a voice suddenly came from behind her.

“Dalinan-sama.”

Tilting her head to look back, she saw a demon maid standing respectfully.

Seeing this, she immediately asked, “Where is the Saintess?”

“Lady Finihiya went to the library.”