A Lecherous Scoundrel and a Pure Love Warrior

Saranya and Kaelan stood within the pristine marble corridor.

Before them, Westir’s bedroom door remained tightly shut.

Beside them stood a young woman, her hair a shimmering gold, adorned with an emerald circlet, and styled into a long, braided plait.

Noticing the woman’s delicate features, her cheeks lightly dusted with sparse freckles, Saranya instinctively assumed the blonde would be quiet, amiable, and easy to get along with.

However, the moment she spoke, Saranya’s pleasant impression was shattered.

“Lord Lucius is currently occupied inside; I must ask you to leave.”

“We are here with Paresha’s express permission,” Saranya retorted.

“You have no authority to dismiss us.”

Stepping in front of Kaelan, Saranya deliberately revealed the hilt of the sword at her hip, her expression darkening.

She harbored a strong dislike for anyone daring to dictate terms to Kaelan.

Upon hearing Paresha’s name, the blonde woman’s face fell.

Just as she was about to speak, the bedroom door behind her suddenly burst open with a resounding bang.

“Paresha, you’ve misunderstood—”

“Get out!!!”

Amidst Paresha’s furious roar, Lucius stumbled out of the room, barely managing to regain his footing.

A chair then flew out the door, narrowly missing his head.

Clutching his skull, he picked up his fallen hat, his face alternating between shades of green and white.

‘That insolent wretch…’

The blonde woman clenched her fists, poised to stride into the room, but Lucius interceded, blocking her path.

“Aivy, don’t.”

Lucius cast one final, malevolent glance into the room, then, a sinister glint in his eyes, he led Aivy away.

Inside the room, Paresha knelt on the floor, her chest heaving violently.

Only upon hearing the commotion at the door did she lift her tear-streaked face.

“Paresha…”

“Haia, Lady Hillburg!”

Paresha rushed towards Saranya and Kaelan, embracing them both as she began to sob uncontrollably, like a wounded creature.

Saranya, half-astonished and half-sympathetic, settled by the table, listening as Paresha recounted the entire ordeal.

“Lucius is nothing but a lecherous scoundrel,” Paresha lamented.

“I refuse to be with a man like him…”

“Is there no way to persuade Doron to change his mind?” Saranya asked.

“It’s impossible; Father’s stance is unyielding…” Paresha replied, her voice trailing off.

“And yet, Lucius claimed he could potentially heal my brother.

‘What if he’s telling the truth…?'”

Saranya’s brow furrowed.

‘How dangerous! Paresha is just one step away from becoming the protagonist of one of *those* novels…’

‘And she, Saranya, the 24-karat, supremely luxurious, invincible bull-slaying champion of pure love, would absolutely not allow such a thing to come to pass!’

“Don’t you worry,” Saranya declared.

“My master… my lady and I will help you get rid of Lucius!”

“But what about my brother…?” Paresha questioned, her hope flickering.

Saranya had no immediate answer to this, so both women turned their gaze towards Kaelan.

Kaelan, having thoroughly examined Westir by his bedside, propped her chin in thought.

“Unlike Lucius, I cannot promise you that your brother will ‘recover completely’…”

Hearing Kaelan’s words, Paresha bit her lower lip, her eyes instantly dimming considerably.

“What I mean is, these are burns, aren’t they?” Kaelan clarified.

“Even after treatment, there will likely be some scarring.

As for his voice, restoring his ability to speak shouldn’t be a difficult task.”

“Eh…?”

Paresha’s eyes lit up, her sorrow transforming into joy as the most radiant smile bloomed across her face.

“Thank you, Lady Hillburg! You’re the best!!!”

“Mmm…”

Kaelan watched Paresha rush towards her, burying her head against Kaelan’s chest.

After a slight hesitation, Kaelan raised an arm and patted the other woman’s back.

Saranya’s fingernails dug deeply into her palms.

For some inexplicable reason, as she watched Paresha’s arm draped around Kaelan’s waist, it felt like a parasitic vine growing on a diseased tree, stirring an irresistible urge within Saranya to draw her sword and sever it.

Time seemed to stretch, and with a hint of hysteria, yet also as if seeking some form of reassurance, Saranya’s gaze fixated on Kaelan’s right ear.

She frantically searched for the bite mark, the one she herself had left there just last night.

She found it, and her mood consequently worsened, for Paresha’s lips were perilously close to that very spot.

Finally, the two women separated.

“Haia, thank you too,” Paresha said.

“You protected my brother and me… Eh, what’s wrong? You look so pale!”

‘Yes, what *was* wrong with her? Where were these abnormal thoughts even coming from…? She should be congratulating Paresha.’

“Oh, if Westir can recover, then that’s… quite good.” Saranya managed.

“Eh, your… your mouth…”

Saranya suddenly tasted a metallic sweetness and realized she had inadvertently bitten the inside of her cheek.

She quickly wiped away the trickle of blood from the corner of her mouth, inwardly cursing herself for being utterly absurd.

“It’s nothing, nothing at all,” she mumbled.

“Just accidentally bit myself.

Look at me, so clumsy…”

Dismissing the minor incident as insignificant, Saranya composed herself and revealed the true purpose of their visit.

“By the way, Paresha,” Saranya began, “we actually came here to claim our reward from the Church.”

“Oh, yes, the commission is complete, as it should be!” Paresha exclaimed.

“I’ll go tell Father to get the money—”

“No need to rush,” Saranya interrupted gently.

“We aren’t actually short on money; we simply need a favor from you.”

Saranya glanced at Kaelan, and only after receiving a subtle nod of assent did she continue her explanation to Paresha.

“My lady has long wished to establish herself in Vero City,” Saranya explained, “but she has struggled to find a foothold.”

“You want a place to settle down?” Paresha beamed.

“No problem at all! I’ll immediately arrange for rooms for you here!”

“No, Paresha,” Saranya corrected, “we… want the Redwater Tavern.”

As her words hung in the air, Saranya watched Paresha’s eyes widen in astonishment.

“But… you know the situation in the city,” Paresha stammered.

“That place is currently controlled by the Redwater Gang.

And for you to simply demand a private property, that’s a bit too…”

“The Church and the Redwater Gang must have a decent relationship, wouldn’t you agree?” Saranya pressed.

“Otherwise, you wouldn’t be posting bounties there.”

Hearing the implication of “the Church has a good relationship with the local gang,” Paresha’s face flushed with embarrassment.

After a moment of hesitation, she nodded in reluctant acknowledgment.

“It’s… not bad…”

Noticing Paresha beginning to eye her with suspicion, Saranya promptly softened her tone and took a step back.

“Look, we’ve helped the Church, so we’re clearly not villains, right?” Saranya reasoned.

“How about this: you just need to provide us with an opportunity—”

“I’m sorry, I cannot agree,” Paresha interrupted, her voice firm.

“The Church has an obligation to maintain the city’s stability and cannot lead the charge in seizing private property.

I apologize, but please, ask for something else…”

Saranya’s lips twisted into a wry smirk.

‘Maintain the city’s stability? Hmph, if the Church had exerted even an ounce of influence, Vero wouldn’t be in its current state.

Only a naive, conservative, stubborn girl like her would utter such words.’

Paresha, it seemed, was impervious to gentle persuasion.

In that case, Saranya had no choice but to lay down her trump card.

“We’re friends, aren’t we, Paresha?” Saranya’s voice dropped, laced with a subtle threat.

“Friends help each other.

Only if you help us can we help you… and your brother.”

“You!” Paresha gasped.

Saranya merely shrugged.

She had been reluctant to coerce Paresha from the very beginning, but for her lady’s plan, she truly had no other option.

Besides, her verbal pressure was merely an attempt to facilitate an equal exchange of benefits.

Considering the entirety of this squalid Vero City, her actions were undoubtedly far more sincere than those of hypocrites like Lucius, weren’t they?