A Delicate Bloom and a Sinister Plan

On the second floor of the tavern, the bedroom door gently swung open, and the boisterous din of the patrons surged in, echoing through the spacious, empty guest room.

Although Saranya promptly closed the door upon entering, Vireta, lying in bed, still stirred at the sound. Her eyelids fluttered, then parted slightly.

The girl was clad in a neat Silver Hand Gospel Society robe, her face drawn and devoid of color, one delicate shoulder exposed, almost blending with the pale fabric. If the Vireta of before had been a docile, sensible, and vibrant little red flower, then this delicate bloom had now wilted, its stem bent, its pistil drooping, emanating a profound sense of languor from within.

Saranya’s heart constricted painfully upon seeing Vireta in such a state. She hurried to her bedside:

“I’m sorry to disturb you…”

Hearing Saranya’s voice, Vireta’s body trembled slightly. She struggled to lift her eyelids, and a flicker of joy appeared in her grey eyes:

“It’s alright… I’m happy… that Mother has come to see me…”

“I’m sorry. When I was playing chess with Lucius earlier, I had other options. If I had left you in your original position, and sent Kaelan to attack, you wouldn’t have—”

“Don’t…”

“Huh?”

“Don’t say such things… Mother, Vireta doesn’t want to hear you say such things… You came here to visit Vireta, not to apologize to Vireta…”

Vireta’s lips curved slightly, revealing a gentle, faint smile to Saranya.

“Mother has done her very best… Without Mother… everyone in the Night Lily Knights wouldn’t be where they are today… Mother is the kindest… the most righteous person I’ve ever met… cough… cough…!”

“Alright, alright, don’t speak anymore. You’re too weak…”

The girl erupted into a violent fit of coughing, forcing her chin to lift and her torso to rise, before she abruptly fell back onto the bed. Her messy blue hair cascaded down with the movement, obscuring her beautiful grey eyes.

A sharp sting in Saranya’s nose, and a tear escaped the corner of her eye, which she hastily wiped away with her hand. She leaned over to smooth Vireta’s bangs, pulling up and straightening the loose collar of her robe.

She saw the wound hidden beneath Vireta’s clothing.

The sword wound began at the girl’s swan-like neck, slicing across her collarbone and chest, extending down to the gentle swell of her breasts. Above the gash were streaks of blood-tinged pink granulation tissue, where plasma and pus had formed a glistening scab upon her skin. The surrounding area was covered in dense stitches and burn marks; merely looking at it sent a phantom pain through Saranya.

Unable to contain her emotions, she quickly turned her back to Vireta, allowing hot tears to stream unchecked down her face.

Behind her, Vireta suddenly acted out of character, defying the rules Saranya had set long ago, and addressed her directly by her name:

“Saranya…”

“Yes, I’m here…”

“Can you… hug me…?”

Vireta’s voice was weak and breathless, yet it caused Saranya’s expression to subtly shift, a flicker of panic crossing her features.

“…”

Faced with this delicate request, Saranya first fell silent, then shook her head with an almost imperceptible movement.

“I… I’m very busy right now… so…”

“I understand…”

Vireta seemed unsurprised by her response, calmly adding, “Alright.” As she pondered, a sudden smile spread across her face.

“Hehe… Mother is nervous, I know… Aunt Kaelan is right outside, isn’t she…?”

“That kind of thing…”

Indeed, this child, Vireta, was more perceptive than Saranya had given her credit for. She was right; Saranya had come with Kaelan. Now that Vireta had brought it up, Saranya immediately grew uneasy, glancing towards the door.

The door panel was slightly ajar, and a gleaming crimson eye was perfectly positioned in the gap, fixedly observing the two of them. At that moment, it met Saranya’s gaze.

“Kaelan was also worried about you, which is why she—”

“It’s fine, Vireta understands… Aunt Kaelan loves you very much, doesn’t she…?”

“She…”

Saranya swallowed, turning back to face the sickbed, at a loss for how to answer the question.

Across from her, Vireta gently raised an arm and tugged at her clothes.

“Mother needn’t worry. Vireta is a good child; I won’t compete with Auntie. Even someone as exceptional as Sister Paresha wasn’t accepted by Mother, so how could Vireta possibly harbor such thoughts about Mother…?”

“Uh… hmm… Has Paresha discussed this with you…?”

Saranya mumbled in response, slowly sitting down on the edge of Vireta’s bed.

Vireta must have said those words to reassure her and Kaelan, to alleviate their psychological burden and make all three of them feel a little better. Such a good child, truly so good…

“In any case, your task is to recover quickly. From now on, I’ll take over the gang’s affairs, understand?”

“Mhm…”

“Vireta, thank you…”

She truly owed Vireta her thanks. When Saranya had fallen, she had left a small-to-medium-sized Redwater Gang in Vireta’s hands. When she returned to take over, it had become the leader of a gang alliance.

Although Vireta had merely emulated her style, and Nazareth of the Shadowscale Gang had provided support, the diligent management, the child’s own flexibility, and the immense effort expended during this period were undeniable.

Saranya believed that through these experiences, Vireta and the small Vero branch of the Night Lily Knights had grown rapidly, becoming capable of standing on their own.

From this perspective, she could truly feel at ease entrusting the position of Grand Commander of the Night Lily Knights to Vireta in the future.

****

“Finished?”

Kaelan stepped back, allowing Saranya to exit the guest room.

“Yes…”

Saranya closed the door, her face anxious as she turned to her mistress.

Due to the height difference, Kaelan took another step back so she could look up at Saranya without having to stand on her tiptoes.

“It wasn’t as we agreed beforehand. You still touched her, didn’t you?”

“Such physical contact was unavoidable. The child was so pitiful, her hair and clothes were all disheveled, I simply couldn’t resist helping her—”

“Why are you explaining to me? Did I say you did something wrong? On the contrary, you did quite well, Saranya. Perhaps I misunderstood you before.”

“Huh…?”

Saranya immediately relaxed a great deal.

Could it be that her mistress had witnessed her interaction with Vireta and finally understood? That her mistress would no longer monopolize her, her plaything, and could tolerate her forming relationships with others?

That would be wonderful!

“Emitting maternal tenderness, making the unloved child feel warmth… That method can indeed effectively control that blue-haired girl. After some training, her abilities aren’t bad either. Aside from not knowing magic, she doesn’t seem to have any significant flaws…”

“M-Mistress?”

“Little Saranya, let’s further mold her.”

Upon hearing Kaelan speak these words, Saranya’s head spun, and a profound sense of dread washed over her.

Perhaps it would have been better not to visit Vireta today. What was she to do now…?

“Vireta said she doesn’t feel that way about you, so we can’t apply the same seductive cultivation approach we used with Paresha to her. We, perhaps, need to artificially cultivate a new facet of her…”

“Mistress, please, not that…”

“Tsk, tsk… Doesn’t this excite you…?”

Kaelan stood on her tiptoes, biting Saranya’s earlobe with her canine teeth, a familiar expression gracing her face: a captivating, yet morbid, smile of infatuation.

“The thought of transforming that innocent, utterly loyal young maiden into a docile, utterly obedient little chattel, heeding our every command – it excites me so much I feel as though I might swoon…”