Daylight seeped through the gap in the curtains, carrying a lazy, dusky gold.

Ariel let out a soft hum and opened her eyes. Instinctively, she began moving her sore, limp limbs, then lifted her head and discovered that, without her even realizing it, it was already another late afternoon with the sun slanting west.

These past two days, time had felt as though some terrifying existence had forcibly cut most of it away. Because she had spent the entire night immersed in those wondrous clouds, to the point her brain felt nearly broken, every time she closed her eyes and opened them again, another day had already passed.

Never before had she felt that a single day made up of twenty-four hours could be so short.

"It’s this late again?"

Ariel muttered to herself and struggled up from the dining table. At some point, spilled red wine had drenched her lovely body, and as she rose, the clear liquid rolled mischievously down her smooth, white-jade skin.

In truth, not all of that wine had been spilled by accident. Much of it had been deliberately poured over her, treating her like some seasoning to enhance the taste. Unfortunately, at the time, Ariel had been at her most delicate, like flower petals battered by rain. Her consciousness had long since flown who knew where, and in the middle of that madness, she had never realized there had even been such a depraved little interlude.

Ariel casually grabbed a napkin and began wiping herself down. But when she reached one spot, she instantly sucked in a sharp breath of pain.

"Hiss—my butt."

Ariel trembled as she pulled her hand away and turned to look. Sure enough, after an entire night, the flushed marks left there last night had not faded in the slightest. The moment she touched them, they burned hot with pain.

Given her physical constitution, the fact that an external injury like this still had not naturally healed was extremely strange. Which meant that aside from the stretch of time when Muen had deliberately "bullied" her, someone else had also taken advantage of the moments when she could no longer tell pain from pleasure and secretly smacked her little backside.

"Damn it, it had to be that filthy little maid full of bad intentions!"

Ariel ground her teeth bitterly.

That damned blond bastard was one thing, but even you had snuck in to ambush me. This grudge... this grudge, I’m definitely going to repay!

Only... the moment the thought of revenge surfaced in Ariel’s mind, the pain in her backside became even clearer, as if reminding her of the promises she had made last night in her most pitiful and most humiliating moments, the kind that surrendered away land and sovereignty alike.

"Ugh... damn you, Muen—and you too. I’m going to get revenge on you as well!"

Far from being crushed by this temporary humiliation, Ariel’s fighting spirit blazed even brighter.

She was Ariel Bugaard, a true powerhouse who was never defeated by setbacks. Even in something like this... she absolutely would not admit defeat!

But when she looked around, she found that both Muen and An were already gone. They seemed to have woken earlier than she had and left ahead of her.

She was the last one awake again...

It wasn’t because she was the weakest. It was just because she’d been bullied the hardest by the two of them last night!

Ariel reaffirmed this in her heart.

"Go ahead and enjoy yourselves for now. Sooner or later, I’m taking back everything I lost!"

The room was a complete mess. After much effort, Ariel finally found her underwear, only to discover it had been stuffed into a wineglass and was completely unwearable now. And apart from the spilled wine and clothes flung everywhere, there were also strange liquids scattered all over the place. Even after a full night, they still gave off a lewd scent.

Ariel’s little face flushed red. That sight and that smell inevitably brought back the madness of last night.

And the sentence Muen had whispered in her ear at the very end.

"Continue tonight? Wh-who wants to continue..."

Ariel kicked away those "pieces of evidence" that still carried indecent traces on them in irritation.

"I’m not continuing with you two!"

...

...

"To His Holiness the Pope.

"The weather is clear today, the sunlight bright and beautiful. The tail end of summer has quietly slipped away, and warm autumn, with the most pleasant temperature of all, has arrived with light little steps.

"The first chrysanthemum has not yet bloomed, but I have already seen yellow leaves drifting by the roadside.

"I wonder what the Holy City is like at this moment. It must still be full of blossoms, eternal spring all year round. After all, that is the sacred land protected by the Goddess, a holy domain on earth untouched by all calamity and fierce winds in this world.

"I am well. Your Holiness should likewise ◆ Nоvеlіgһt ◆ (Only on Nоvеlіgһt) be in good health.

"After five long months of travel, I have completed my first continental tour as a Saintess, spreading the Goddess’s blessings among the people, and am now on the journey back to the Holy City.

"Along the way, I have seen much, and I have deeply felt the fervor of the countless faithful in this world.

"Everywhere I went, there were always innumerable devout believers waiting there in advance. To feel the warmth and purity of Holy Light, to behold the guide and teacher of their faith, they spared themselves neither wind-tossed meals nor long, difficult roads, all for the sake of this brief moment of happiness and peace.

"Liya is ashamed that she cannot distribute this most holy light equally among all living beings.

"But if equality is impossible, then should those believers who struggle in pain and confusion not perhaps be given a little more of the Goddess’s mercy?

"That is what I think at this moment. And here, in this ordinary city called Belrand, I happen to see countless lost lambs waiting for my guidance.

"The war launched by the kingdom has affected them, doubling the price of their food, leaving supplies scarce, emotions uneasy, and the fear of war truly hanging over them. This unjust war provoked by the kingdom has left every pitiful commoner in Belrand deeply unsettled."

At this point, Liya paused her pen.

A burst of noise came from outside the window. A group of drunken townspeople had gathered together, shouting curses at the top of their lungs.

"Fuck you! That lousy kingdom actually dares challenge us first? Remember how many times you lost before? This time Her Majesty will crush you with heavenly troops too!"

"Exactly! Those kingdom bastards can just wait to die!"

"Hahaha, come on, I’ve still got a little private stash left. I’m donating it to the soldiers at the front for military funds! Let them kill those bastards a little faster!"

"Let’s go!"

With their arms around one another’s shoulders, they sang bold songs in praise of the Empire as they gradually drifted away.

Once the noise had faded, Liya took up her pen again and continued writing:

"The pitiful people of Belrand pray every day for the war to end. To that end, they spare even the last of their money, and huddle together in the cold wind, singing to keep each other warm. As a Saintess, while I cannot personally intervene in the disputes of the mortal world, I still feel I ought to do something for these poor people.

"So I ask Your Holiness to forgive this temporary decision of mine. I will pause my scheduled return journey and remain in Belrand for a few extra days, bestowing the Goddess’s sincerest blessing upon the lost lambs here.

"Though I am still immature and cannot yet perfectly fulfill the duties of a Saintess, please believe that even this slight assistance of mine will, to a great extent, help Belrand’s poor people endure the coming cold winter.

"All is the Goddess’s mercy. I humbly ask for Your Holiness’s permission.

"Written by the Pure Saintess, Liya Angel."

After finishing, Liya held the letter in both hands and gently blew on the ink until it dried. Only then did she carefully fold the paper and slip it into an envelope.

At her side sat the Church’s dedicated communication voice stone. Through that stone, Liya could directly contact Belrand’s cathedral, from where the message could be passed upward through the proper channels. In less than an hour, her message could reach the Pope.

That was the slowest option. If the emergency procedure were used and the cathedral rang the holy bell, the Pope’s will could descend upon Belrand’s cathedral within three minutes.

But whether it was the steady option or the emergency option, Liya had no intention of using either.

After all, how could something as serious as seeking instruction from His Holiness be handled so casually? Of course she had to submit a proper written request. Only that would reflect the seriousness and caution with which she, as a Saintess, conducted herself.

Liya waved a hand, calling over the nun attending her.

"Send this to His Holiness in the Holy City through Church channels."

"Yes."

The nun said, "The Saintess’s letter will certainly be sent by the fast—"

"What do you mean, fast!"

Liya cut her off with utmost seriousness. "It has to be done in the most reliable way, the most reliable, understand? Haste makes waste. Sending a letter is the same. Understood?"

"Y-yes..."

There was a trace of confusion in the nun’s eyes. If reliability was the goal, then why insist on this roundabout method of sending a letter?

But since this was the Saintess’s order...

"I’ll go right away."

The nun asked no further questions and hurried off.

A flicker of delight appeared in Liya’s eyes. Counting on her fingers, she began doing the math.

"From here to the Holy City, the fastest it could arrive is three days, the slowest is seven. His Holiness’s reply will take one day, and then the return letter will take just as long to get back... which means, no matter whether His Holiness approves my request or not, I’ll have at least seven days to half a month of free time!"

And if he approved, even better. She could stay at least another month!

"Heh-heh, I’m so smart!"

After adorably swaying her head from side to side and praising herself once more, Liya immediately began packing her things. Before the nun returned, she left a note, pushed open the door, and slipped out.

After entering Belrand, she had not gone to stay in the local cathedral. Instead, she had concealed her true appearance and taken lodging in an ordinary inn.

Because if she entered the cathedral, a whole crowd of people would surround her, and then she would have no freedom of movement at all!

Not to mention... what she intended to do next.

"Ah, this is the trouble that comes with being the Saintess, I suppose."

Too many eyes were on her. Even meeting her lover required this many twists and turns.

If not for that, how could she possibly have endured for two whole days after learning about that?

Liya let out a soft sigh, draped herself in a black hooded robe, and soon vanished into the night.

...

A few minutes later, Liya appeared before an estate.

The high walls had no obvious guards, but the lavish decorations there, together with the exquisitely carved family crest outside the gates, all proclaimed the exalted status of the estate’s owner.

There were not even any other nobles living nearby, because from this point all the way to the edge of sight, every inch of land belonged to a single name.

Campbell.

There was only one Campbell in the Empire.

And so the estate standing before Liya now was naturally the one and only ducal residence of House Campbell.

"So quiet... though the proper security is still here. Three... no, at least seven experts above fifth tier hiding in the shadows to protect this place?"

A faint veil of Holy Light cloaked Liya’s body, hiding her presence. Now, she possessed the highest authority over the Goddess’s Holy Light aside from His Holiness himself. Even outside the Holy City, the strength she could bring out was enough to briefly contend with a Crowned One, so deceiving a few experts guarding the ducal estate was hardly difficult.

Liya knew perfectly well that the beloved Muen she yearned for was inside at this very moment, and yet she neither alarmed anyone nor foolishly barged in.

Even though she had already guessed that the little cheating cat whose traces she had barely caught two days ago was also inside.

"That’s because I’m the dignified Saintess, of course."

Liya puffed out her cheeks in troubled annoyance.

Even if she was going to drag out that hateful little cheating cat, she couldn’t make too much noise about it. With her status, that would only make things harder to clean up afterward.

And so, knowing your enemy and knowing yourself meant victory in every battle. Before making her move, she had better find out exactly who that little cheating cat was!

Rustle.

The sound of robes stirring in the wind rang out, and a figure appeared at Liya’s side.

"Your Highness."

"Lin, did you bring it?"

"After two days, I’ve gathered all the intelligence that needed gathering. There shouldn’t be any major omissions." Liya’s personal attendant nun, Lin, pulled out a thick stack of reports, not showing the slightest dissatisfaction at having been assigned this sort of task.

If anything, she seemed to be enjoying herself. After all, in the dreary Holy City, you couldn’t find entertainment like this.

"Good."

Liya took the thick stack of reports. The bright reflection of the vast, silent ducal estate shone in her clear eyes as she let out a cold laugh.

"Let’s see exactly what kind of little slut is playing the part of this cheating cat."

With that, she began reading rapidly.

Though the report looked thick, the core of it was very simple: the information on every woman Muen had come into contact with during the few days since returning to Belrand.

Most of the rest was detailed description of those women’s backgrounds, from the place and date of their birth to their preferences and habits. But most of that was not especially important, just supplementary detail.

Liya quickly finished reading the entire report, yet apparently did not find the answer she wanted in it. Her brows drew together slightly.

"That’s all?"

"Yes, that’s all."

Lin replied,

"According to the Church’s intelligence network, after that amusement park date, Muen Campbell left only once, and that was to visit his grandfather. Other than that, for the past two days he’s stayed inside the ducal estate the entire time without any other activity. So within these past few days, excluding the earlier time when he was running around building that amusement park, these are the only women he has come into contact with."

The many maids of the ducal estate.

The amusement park staff.

And... Ariel.

"How could Ariel have had any contact with him?"

Liya blinked, thinking she had read it wrong.

Didn’t Ariel hate Muen more than anyone?

And after everything that had happened before, if she met Muen again, shouldn’t her first reaction have been to draw her sword and slash at him?

"I’m told they happened to run into each other in the Abyss, but the specific details aren’t available yet. The intelligence Miss Feier sent back is clearly incomplete. Apparently some important figure intends to explain everything that happened in the Abyss to His Holiness personally."

"I see..."

Liya did not know what had happened in the Abyss. At the time, she had only managed a hurried glimpse through the Church’s channel.

But someone as stubborn as Ariel was unlikely to change her attitude toward Muen in such a short time. Most likely, she had simply happened to run into him while traveling through the Abyss.

"The staff are unlikely, so that leaves the maids?"

Liya’s gaze fell on the very first page in the stack containing the maids’ information.

An.

Head maid of the ducal estate.

Proper and dignified in appearance, capable in her conduct, elegant in bearing.

Big breasts, long legs, likes wearing black stockings.

Very much the type Muen would like.

She was also the woman Muen had rescued in the Abyss before, so her chances were the highest.

But Liya was still not entirely certain. She had never interacted with An before, and as an outsider, she had no way of learning much about the ducal estate.

"Did you find out who the one that dated Muen was?"

"Not exactly. That Pink Bear has been brushing me off the whole time under the excuse of some confidential assignment. At the moment, all I know is that it was a black-haired, flat-chested woman."

"Black-haired and flat-chested?"

A flash sparked through Liya’s eyes like lightning, and her gaze instantly fell on...

the information sheet for the little maid named Noa.

Her characteristics matched perfectly.

"Could it be her?"

Liya tapped her finger lightly as she began to think.

A maid in his own household, good looks, matching the profile, plenty of motive... at first glance, it was airtight.

And yet for some reason, Liya felt that something was off.

As if guided by some unseen hand, her gaze fell once more upon the page concerning her childhood friend.

"Lin, do you think it’s possible..."

"I don’t think it’s possible at all."

Lin, who had once seen Ariel crawl out from under the bed with her own eyes, rejected the idea outright.

An outsider saw things more clearly. Liya might have always regarded Ariel as her dearest friend, but Lin had long ago noticed that the girl named Ariel clearly harbored feelings for Liya that went beyond friendship.

And the person she secretly liked had already been snatched away by that yellow-haired pig Muen Campbell, so was she really supposed to throw herself into the arms of her romantic rival too?

Because I can’t beat my romantic rival, I’ll just get together with them too?

What kind of bizarre novel plot was that?

Setting aside whether the logic even made sense, there was also the basic matter of preference, which clearly didn’t fit.

"Is that so..."

Liya also felt that kind of situation was impossible.

After all, having grown up with Ariel since childhood, she, Ariel’s childhood friend, knew better than anyone just how much Ariel disliked men.

Especially the man she hated most of all—Muen Campbell. Back during their time at the Academy, Ariel had hated him so much that merely hearing his name was enough to make her sick.

But...

Then what was this strange sense of wrongness?

"How about I call Ariel on the voice stone?" Liya suddenly said.

"Hm?"

"Why are you so surprised, Lin? As Ariel’s best friend, now that I know she’s in Belrand, isn’t it perfectly normal for me to call and check on her?" Liya said as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

If anything, because she had been so preoccupied with that little cheating cat these past two days, she had completely forgotten about Ariel... that was what really felt a little awkward.

No sooner said than done.

After spending so long with Ariel, Liya had naturally picked up some of her decisiveness in action. She immediately picked up the voice stone and dialed the frequency.

"Beep...

Beep...

Beep...

Beep..."

After a long half minute, Liya’s brows drew together again.

"What’s taking so long?"

Fortunately, she did not have to wait much longer. On the tenth beep, the voice stone finally connected.

"H-hello... Li... Liya?"

Ariel’s voice came through the stone. It was the same familiar voice Liya knew well, but for some reason... Liya felt there was a faint tremor hidden in the way she was speaking.

"Ariel, it’s me."

Liya blinked and asked curiously,

"Are you in Belrand right now?"

"Ah... mm... yes... I’m in Belrand."

"Where in Belrand? I’ll come find you when I have time."

"I’m at... an inn, inn... yes, I’m at an inn."

Ariel’s tone was obviously unstable, and now and then there seemed to be some strange sound mixed into her speech. But it was too faint, and after being filtered through the voice stone, it was hard to tell what it actually was.

"You don’t need to... to come find me for now. This inn I’m at is very remote. If you come to Belrand... I’ll come find you... mm... yes... I’ll come find you."

"Is that so?"

Liya tilted her little head and asked again, "Then what are you doing right now? I feel like your tone is a little strange."

"Ah, I... I’m... get off me, stop bothering me!"

Ariel’s furious shout suddenly came from the other side of the voice stone, along with a crisp slapping sound against something. But the background noise did not disappear. Instead, Ariel hurriedly picked up the thread of what she had been saying.

"Sorry, there was a dog just now... a dog suddenly rushed over. I chased it away. As for what I’m doing... I’m... I’m training, yes, training..."

"Training?"

Liya thought about it.

For a cultivation maniac like Ariel, training sounded like a perfectly ordinary answer.

But why did this strange sense of familiarity remain?

"What are you training?"

"I’m... doing horse stance... yes, horse stance..."

Ariel said from the other end of the voice stone, breathing hard,

"Doing horse stance without relying on cultivation, just... just physical strength, to train my core... so that later... later I can get revenge!"

"Get revenge? Revenge for what?"

"N-no... mmph!"

"W-what happened?"

Hearing that suddenly higher, strange cry, Liya instantly grew tense with worry.

"Ariel, what happened? Are you all right?"

"It’s... it’s nothing!"

Ariel forcibly swallowed down some sound that might have been either pleasure or pain and gritted her teeth.

"It’s just because that dog was causing trouble just now, and I lost my balance... and fell, that’s all."

"Fell while doing horse stance?"

Liya said reproachfully,

"I didn’t know even you would make that kind of mistake, Ariel."

"I... I couldn’t help it. Anyone can make mistakes..."

Ariel also gave a strained little laugh and changed the subject.

"So then, Liya, what did you... what did you want from me?"

"Can’t I call you when I don’t need anything?"

Liya puffed out her cheeks. "Don’t tell me you’re still mad at me."

"...! No! I’m not! I’ve never been mad at you, Liya!"

For some reason, Ariel’s voice suddenly turned panicked.

"Then, Liya... since you don’t need anything... I’ll hang up for now. Something suddenly came up... I need to go deal with it..."

"You’re as busy as ever. Busier than I am, and I’m the Saintess."

Liya let out a soft huff and teased her as she always did.

"All right then. Good night."

"Mm... g-good night."

"Beep... beep..."

"Lin, what do you think?"

Once the voice stone was disconnected, Liya turned to Lin with utmost seriousness.

"What was Ariel doing over there?"

"Without a doubt."

Lin—who had spent thirty years in Church life and had absolutely no experience whatsoever—also thought about it very seriously before answering,

"Based on my analysis, Miss Ariel really was training her body. And judging by the rhythm of her breathing, the degree of that training was not light. Most likely she was thoroughly working every muscle in her body."

"I knew it..."

Liya let out a long breath and said,

"That’s what I thought. No matter who that little cheating cat is, it couldn’t possibly be Ariel."

Leaving aside the likelihood of someone as stubborn as Ariel—a girl stubborn as a rock—being won over by the person she hated most, that little cheating cat she was about to catch was obviously some shameless little slut. After all, the underwear Liya had noticed that time had been so indecently shameless.

How could something that shameless possibly belong to Ariel?

She only wore white ones with little cat prints on them!