A Fractured Ideal and a Jealous Mistress

Saranya’s expression was grim as her fingers slowly traced the edge of the bed, leaving a faint reddish streak on the sheets, while right beside her hand, Westir trembled faintly.

“!”

Paresha bit her lip, her eyes pleading as she looked towards Kaelan.

“Haia was right,” Kaelan stated, “if you grant us this convenience, you’ll gain a healthy brother and our assistance. Surely, that’s not a bad trade, is it?”

Kaelan turned her head, a sweet dimple gracing the corner of her lips. She raised her arm, touching Westir’s festering neck, and the air beside her suddenly rippled. Concurrently, pink polyps rapidly emerged from beneath Westir’s charred skin.

“Witch!”

“Shh—”

Saranya leaned in close to Paresha, making a gesture as if to cover her mouth.

“Only just realized? Little fool, not all witches are bad, you know… That witch sister will heal your brother and even secure you the position of a priestess~”

‘Hmm, my tone when speaking to victims seems to be growing more and more like my master’s…’

On the other side, Kaelan ceased her actions. Seeing this, Westir on the bed whimpered incessantly, eagerly moving closer to Kaelan, desperate for continued treatment.

Witnessing this scene, Paresha’s pupils constricted violently. After a visible struggle, her expression softened, and her voice grew faint:

“Don’t hurt innocent people, and don’t deceive me…”

“This is a pact between friends, little Paresha~” Saranya cooed. “Both you and Westir are incredibly important to us.”

Paresha stared at Saranya’s face, swallowing hard before finally abandoning her struggle. A look of desperate relief settled upon her features, and one hand clutched Saranya’s hem tightly:

“I only have you two left,” she whispered. “I… I promise you, I’ll do my very best…”

“As for Lucius, you must strive to keep him deceived,” Saranya instructed. “Should he eventually bare his fangs, intending harm to you and your brother, the mistress and I will intervene. Until then, ensure he doesn’t grow suspicious and avoid any open conflict. His continued presence within the church is highly advantageous; when you appropriate church authority to pave our path, you can utilize him to absorb significant internal and external pressure.”

“Alright, I understand…”

With the “deal” settled, Saranya and Kaelan rose and moved towards the door. Just as they prepared to leave, Paresha’s voice, filled with a sense of loss, rang out once more:

“Haia… no, perhaps I should call you Commander Saranya.”

Kaelan had already exited the room, leaving Saranya standing alone, her back to Paresha, her pupils constricting ever so slightly.

‘This girl, she truly saw through my identity long ago. But we’d never met before; how did she recognize me?’

“So it is…” Paresha continued. “I just had this feeling. Your age, your abilities, and your aura… it might sound strange to say, but your appearance perfectly matches the image I’ve held in my heart.”

“When I was little, I loved listening to my brother tell stories of the Northern Duchy. The history of the Night Lily Knights (TL Note: A renowned military order in the Northern Duchy.) was the only book I ever finished. Every time I used to sneak out of the city, I’d imagine encountering you and your legion. I honed my swordsmanship, hoping you would come to Vero City to garrison and rest. Then I could join you, hunt down enemies and monsters, and save those poor souls during the demonic calamity…”

“Saranya… I admire you.”

Paresha choked back a sob, her voice laced with shyness and a faint, fragile brokenness.

“You’re living under an assumed name, colluding with witches, betraying the Empire and the Church. Please… tell me you’re doing all of this for a righteous cause.”

“……”

‘So that’s it,’ Saranya mused. ‘It’s my incompetence as an idol that has disappointed a former supporter.’

“I’m sorry,” Saranya replied, “I cannot make that guarantee. I’m not sure what ‘justice’ means to you.”

Saranya wanted to remain honest, unwilling to deceive Paresha with flowery words. Yet, she had overlooked her profound influence on the young girl, who, since childhood, had regarded her as the most righteous hero, a crucial pillar in her life.

Now, for Saranya to utter such words was tantamount to directly pronouncing a death sentence on Paresha’s ideals.

With her ideals shattered, Paresha’s eyes dimmed, her gaze gradually losing its luster:

“I understand. Don’t worry, I’ll be obedient…”

“……”

Saranya exited the room, closing the door behind her, only to suddenly find Kaelan watching her with narrowed eyes from nearby. A chill instantly ran down her spine.

“Mistress?”

“Did that girl just confess to you?”

‘Oh no.’

“Ah, I wouldn’t say that…”

Kaelan scraped her fingernail against the wall tiles, her expression clearly indicating her displeasure with the response:

“Paresha is only eighteen or nineteen… A raw little apple like her (TL Note: A metaphor for someone young and inexperienced, not yet ripe for romance or serious matters.), she doesn’t even qualify to be picked, would you agree?”

Cold sweat trickled down Saranya’s nape. She was all too familiar with Kaelan’s tone, knowing that if she didn’t answer well, she certainly wouldn’t escape unscathed.

“Well… Mistress, as you yourself said, she’s young, so she’s naturally immature. One doesn’t have to take a child’s words seriously!”

“She’s a child? Would a child stare at your lips and swallow?”

Kaelan raised her head, her hair brushing past Saranya’s jawline. She slipped her icy fingertips into Saranya’s collar, tracing a circle along the shallow hollow of her collarbone, before abruptly pressing Saranya against the white wall.

“And you, you actually allowed that little wildcat to touch you, to tug at your hem…”

‘Huh? No, she’s jealous of *this* too?’

‘So intense, so twisted, I can’t take it anymore…’

A faint, twisting pain emanated from her abdomen, a burning sensation ascending from her lower belly to her shoulders, causing Saranya to let out a soft whimper.

“Hey, my body…”

Violet magical runes extended from above her navel, snaking their way, winding and twisting, up to Saranya’s shoulders. She exhaled a puff of damp white vapor, watching Kaelan pull her collar aside, then glanced at the glowing magic patterns on her own skin, her eyes drifting slightly in a daze.

‘Right now, the two of them were intimately entangled against the wall, and the scene was becoming increasingly suggestive…’

To prevent the situation from spiraling out of control, Saranya decided to take the initiative:

“Mistress, I promise…”

Beneath the fabric of her clothes, Saranya deliberately took Kaelan’s hand and pressed it against her own heart:

“Please check… this heart of mine holds absolutely no one but you.”

Kaelan clearly hadn’t anticipated such a display from Saranya. She froze, her palm unmoving, seemingly intent on feeling Saranya’s heartbeat.

The magic patterns on Saranya’s body receded back beneath her skin, while simultaneously, a faint blush crept onto the tips of Kaelan’s ears.

“Saranya, you performed well today.”

It wasn’t until both of them were seated inside the carriage compartment that Saranya finally let out a long sigh of relief.

Regardless, the purpose of this trip had been achieved. Paresha was now firmly on their side. If things progressed smoothly, Kaelan and she would soon acquire the Redwater Tavern. Following that, with the church’s assistance, they would conduct a “member cleansing” of the Redwater Gang, which relied entirely on the tavern’s business. They would eliminate the original leaders and high-ranking members, then utilize their substantial financial resources to ensure the remaining underlings served their own ends.

As for how the church would seize that property and subsequently hand it over to her and her mistress, that was Paresha’s burden to bear. They, on the other hand, merely needed to sit back and enjoy the fruits of her labor.

After all, Paresha was a clever young girl, and given her profound admiration for Saranya, she would undoubtedly be obedient and handle everything perfectly~