The wheels rolled over the cobblestone road with a rumbling sound.
The fine late-night drizzle of Hela City had begun to fall at some point, pitter-pattering against the black roof of the carriage.
The interior of the carriage was spacious, lined with a thick carpet.
A magic lamp fixed in the corner emitted a steady, warm glow, yet the air felt more stagnant than the cold, rainy night outside.
Tia curled up in the inner seat, wrapped in a thin blanket Mephia had retrieved from somewhere.
She turned her head, quietly watching the flowing shadows of lights outside the window, masking a lingering trace of panic in her eyes.
She could feel Mephia’s gaze falling on her occasionally, carrying a meaning she couldn’t quite decipher.
After a long silence, Mephia was the first to break the quiet.
“Are you still cold?”
Tia seemed to be gently pricked by this sudden concern.
She looked up and quickly shook her head.
“No, I’m not cold anymore. Thank you for the blanket.”
Afterward, as if trying to change the subject, Tia spoke softly, “Since you captured the Witch Grey Cat, your situation within the Inquisition should improve quite a bit, right?”
“How do you know that?”
She was asking about her situation in the Inquisition.
Tia blinked and explained with a hint of pride:
“Even though I’ve almost never left Hela City, I’ve read many books. They say that foreign Inquisitors are always easily made things difficult for by local Inquisitors. Isn’t that the case for you?”
“It’s fine.”
Mephia’s tone was flat, as if she truly didn’t care.
“I don’t care about those things. Compared to that, what I care more about is that I still haven’t caught her.”
“Who?”
Tia asked reflexively.
“That Witch codenamed Nightingale.”
Mephia withdrew her gaze and glanced at Tia somewhat casually.
Tia’s fingers curled slightly under the blanket, but a look of confusion and curiosity appeared on her face at just the right time.
“Are there no clues at all?”
“Not exactly.”
Mephia looked out the window.
“I now know she is hiding in the North City of Hela. Also, there’s something quite strange… actually, it’s not that strange. I’m probably overthinking it.”
Her brow furrowed slightly as if she were wrestling with something.
As she spoke, her gaze drifted over Tia’s face every now and then, almost as if she were in love with the girl.
But she wasn’t a love-struck fool.
Tia’s heart tightened, but she showed just the right amount of bewilderment. “Hmm?”
Mephia didn’t explain what the strange point was.
Instead, she mentioned another seemingly more specific piece of information:
“Besides that, I have her Witch Gem in my possession. It would actually be very easy to lure her out.”
“Then why not do that?”
“Because I’m not absolutely certain I can keep her there.”
Mephia frowned and explained:
“After capturing her before, she escaped from the prison that very night. If there isn’t a mole within the Inquisition, I still can’t understand to this day how she did it.”
Under the condition of her Magic Power being restricted, how exactly did Nightingale undo the Prison Magic, bypass the prison guards, and escape?
Mephia believed that if she were locked in that prison without outside help, it would be basically impossible to escape.
After all, just unlocking the Magic Shackles would stump her.
Nightingale’s ability was truly too mysterious.
Without being absolutely certain of catching her, she didn’t want to risk the Witch Gem.
Tia’s expression appeared somewhat surprised, as if she hadn’t expected the Witch to be so cunning.
Then, she clenched her fist and encouraged her:
“Good luck! I believe you will definitely catch her!”
“Yes.”
Mephia nodded, then turned her head to look at the dark night outside again.
The carriage became quiet once more.
Only the raindrops continued to drum against the roof.
*Tap, tap, tap.*
The rhythmic pace made one feel a slight sense of peace.
Secretly, Tia breathed a sigh of relief.
Most of the plan to deal with Grey Cat had been within her calculations.
Whether it was guiding Mephia to set the target as the Old Library or using Eros Energy to crack the Trap Magic she had set up, everything had been successful without exception.
The only shortcoming was the appearance of Mephia’s Illusion, which had disrupted her rhythm and multiplied the risk of exposure.
Fortunately, after the probing just now, Mephia hadn’t obtained many clues about Nightingale, and the only lead about the hiding spot was so vague…
‘Please, even if she knows I usually hide in the North City of Hela, what of it?’
North City was so large; only a ghost would know who she really was.
Amidst the silence between the two, the carriage rolled over a puddle and jolted slightly.
Tia’s legs swayed with the momentum, and the thin blanket slipped down a little.
Almost at the same time, Mephia moved.
She didn’t say anything but naturally leaned over, reaching out to pull up the fallen blanket to cover Tia again.
This movement instantly closed the distance between them.
The fresh, cold floral scent on Mephia’s body wafted over, eerily overlapping with the cold yet burning sensation in the memories from the Illusion.
At this moment, Tia could even see her lowered eyelashes and the small stretch of fair neck beneath her dress collar.
After pulling up the blanket, Mephia did not immediately withdraw her hand.
Her fingertips inadvertently and lightly brushed against Tia’s exposed calf.
The cool fingertips and warm skin touched for just a moment before parting.
Tia, however, felt as if she had been hit by an electric current.
Her whole body jolted violently.
The experiences in the Illusion flooded her mind, making her nearly let out a short cry of surprise.
Fortunately, she jerked back, her spine pressing tightly against the carriage wall.
Although her calf trembled, she suppressed the panic emerging in her body and the bashfulness of having a sensitive area touched.
Mephia’s movements froze.
Although the girl’s reaction was a bit large, it was still within a normal range.
It was Mephia whose hand hung in mid-air, her fingertips seemingly still holding the sensation of the skin she had touched for that instant.
Fine, smooth, and soft…
It reminded her of everything she had done to that Witch in the Illusion.
The air in the carriage completely solidified.
After Tia calmed down, her face flushed red as she chose to apologize for her previous behavior.
“I’m sorry, I… no one has ever touched my calf before.”
“I’m the one who should apologize.”
To Tia’s astonishment, Mephia also apologized, but her next words made the blush on the girl’s face spread like ink.
“However, the touch was very comfortable.”
“Eh?!”
The glow of the magic lamp softly enveloped them.
Tia wrapped the blanket tightly around herself, looking down at the carriage floor, while Mephia rested her chin on one hand, looking at her with a slight smile.
The sound of raindrops drumming on the roof became exceptionally clear.
*Tap, tap, tap.* It sounded like a gradually accelerating heartbeat.
‘When did Mephia become such a stinking rogue?!’
This thought flashed through her heart as Tia complained secretly.
Mephia’s lips moved slightly as if she wanted to say something.
But in the end, she said nothing.
“We’re here,” she said softly, looking at the Earl Harris Manor, which was glowing with warm lights through the curtain of rain.
“Yes. Well, goodbye then.”
After saying her farewell, Tia set down the blanket, raised her umbrella, and stepped out of the carriage.
Even in the rain, her silhouette and posture were as flawlessly elegant as a true noble young lady.
Back in the carriage, Mephia sat up straight again after she left, returning to her upright and aloof manner.
However, her gaze did not leave Tia again.
Her stare was so calm it was unsettling.
She watched until Tia completely disappeared into the curtain of rain.