Click.
With a crisp sound, Lucia personally fastened that "little gift" onto Roseliel.
"Are you satisfied now, huh?!" Roseliel turned her head and raised her chin, speaking angrily to Lucia.
She looked like a kitten that had just been bullied, puffing out its fur in a desperate attempt to act tough.
Today, Roseliel wore a translucent black sheer top paired with a black slip dress embroidered with roses.
The over-the-knee boots on her feet covered her slender calves, creating a provocative absolute territory between the tops of her boots and her hemline.
The black collar matched her outfit with an odd harmony, making it look almost like a unique design choice.
The rims of her eyes and the tip of her nose were flushed red, perhaps from having cried earlier.
"Ahem... Let's go." Lucia felt a bit uncomfortable under the glare of those tear-glistening, grayish-blue eyes. She coughed twice and turned away.
Yet that image was deeply burned into her mind, impossible to forget for a long time.
"What's the rush! Mona isn't here yet."
Roseliel tugged at the corner of her clothes from behind and added crossly.
Just as she finished speaking, a carriage emblazoned with the Gray family crest drove up from not far away and slowly came to a stop near them.
Without waiting for the coachman's help, Mona pushed the door open directly, and the black-haired loli leaped out of the carriage.
"Sorry, Master, something came up and delayed me! Sorry to keep you waiting..."
She cut herself off mid-sentence.
Roseliel could clearly feel her gaze pinned firmly onto her neck.
Her face flushed red, and she turned her head away in embarrassment, stammering, "M-Morning. I just arrived too, it's fine. The weather sure is nice today, haha..."
Beside them, the culprit, Lucia, said nothing, merely nodding to Mona in greeting.
"Master, that..."
"Don't ask," Roseliel put out a hand, making a "stop" gesture toward Mona. "I'm begging you, please don't ask."
"...Yes." Mona agreed verbally, but her eyes flickered back and forth between Lucia and Roseliel, her expression extremely complex.
Their meeting point was in front of a monastery near the royal capital of Aetherland, where the corpses of the Snake Cultists who had launched the attack a few days ago were kept.
In a world where gods truly existed, monasteries were no longer merely places for the clergy to live and rest; they also served as bases for the Holy See's military forces.
Military facilities such as barracks, blacksmith shops, and stables were fully equipped inside, complete with low ramparts—resembling a mini castle.
Coming here had been Roseliel's suggestion; she believed the investigation should start with the attackers.
"The Snake Cultists launched a suicide attack. All the attackers were either killed on the spot or committed suicide after being subdued. Not a single person survived," Lucia said. "Their bodies have already been thoroughly analyzed by professionals, and nothing unusual was found."
"Then your professionals weren't professional enough." Roseliel patted the head of Mona beside her with pride, turning her already messy black hair into even more of a bird's nest.
"You people only know how to deal with the living, but she knows how to make the dead speak."
"I'll do my best!"
Encouraged, Mona's eyes almost shone with light. She pumped her fists, pumping herself up.
Lucia looked at Mona, offering a rare, friendly smile. "I was actually planning to request someone from Necessary Evil today anyway. Since Miss Mona is here, I must trouble you."
"Tch."
Mona clicked her tongue audibly and turned her face away, giving her no face at all.
For some reason, Lucia felt a strong sense of hostility from her, mingled with an indescribable, scrutinizing gaze. Her eyes seemed to constantly drift around Lucia's wrists, as if confirming something.
She didn't think too much of it, assuming Mona was simply still obeying Roseliel's orders.
"Such a good child, completely led astray by Roseliel. Sigh." She sighed in her heart.
She naturally wouldn't distance herself from Mona due to her background like others did. Quite the contrary, she was full of admiration and respect for this child.
Risking herself for the safety of the majority while bearing the suspicion and prejudice of the world—there was nothing greater than that.
However, due to their unique constitutions, Lucia getting close to Mona would only cause Mona pain, so she had to keep her distance from her.
She was also doing her best to urge the friends around her to cast aside their prejudices and treat Mona kindly, though unfortunately, her sphere of influence was still too small.
The three soon arrived at the monastery's dungeon. Accompanied by Lucia, they smoothly entered the special cell containing the bodies of the Snake Cultists.
As the heavy iron door slowly swung open, a cold, damp draft blew over them.
"Mona, how are you feeling?" Roseliel looked down at Mona behind her, asking with concern.
The Holy See's dungeon was filled with runes and magic arrays designed to suppress and dispel various negative energies, which must be extremely painful for Mona.
And indeed it was. Having only just entered, fine beads of sweat already covered Mona's forehead. Her naturally pale little face lost even more color, and her breathing grew rapid enough to be heard even from a few steps away.
Mona shook her head. "It's fine. I can hold on."
"If you can't hold on, you must tell me!" Roseliel pulled out a handkerchief and carefully wiped the sweat from her forehead. "I... This lady doesn't want to lose such a useful pawn!"
"Mhm!" Mona nodded vigorously, seemingly recovering a bit.
"I must warn you two: what's coming next might be a bit hard to take. Put on your masks and prepare yourselves mentally."
Ahead of them, Lucia held the corner of a shroud covering a Snake Cultist, speaking to them sternly.
Seeing her serious expression, Roseliel grew nervous as well.
She and Mona hurriedly put on half-masks made of holy-water-soaked cotton issued by the Holy See.
As Lucia pulled back the shroud, a deeply shocking sight met Roseliel's eyes.
Most of the cultist's face had been corroded away. Macabre flesh was exposed as if scorched by fire, revealing the stark white skull beneath. Several milky-white maggots wriggled out from the eye socket, slowly crawling along the edge of the cheekbone.
Beyond the sight, an unbearable stench burst forth—a smell countless times worse than sewer gas from her previous life. Even after being filtered by the holy-water-soaked cloth, it was sickening enough to cause a burning sensation in Roseliel's throat, making her desperately want to retch.
With the face disfigured to this extent, it was no wonder the Holy See couldn't determine the cultist's identity.
"Blegh—" Roseliel could no longer hold it in. She bent over and began dry-heaving, her physical instinct overwhelming her efforts to maintain her young lady image.
Behind her, Mona's reaction was much calmer, as if she were long accustomed to such sights. She quickly supported the doubled-over, dry-heaving Roseliel.
Her anxious voice carried through the mask. "Master, if you can't stand it, please step outside! I'm enough here by myself!"
"You—blegh—just do your work. Don't... don't worry about me." Roseliel's voice came in broken gasps.
Tears streamed from her eyes, irritated by the noxious fumes.
"Purify!"
Just then, a soft light shone upon Roseliel. A thin wisp of dark mist rose from the surface of her body and dissipated into the air, instantly easing most of her discomfort.
This was naturally Lucia's doing.
"Than—"
Roseliel started to thank her out of habit, but suddenly remembering something, she forced herself to swallow the second half of the word. Pouting, she turned her head away.
Only then did Roseliel notice that Lucia hadn't taken any protective measures at all, yet looked completely unaffected.
Damn protagonist halo!
"Miss Mona, after you." Seeing Roseliel gradually recover, Lucia stepped aside to let Mona inspect the corpse.
Mona approached the corpse, pulled a small silver knife from her bag, and gently sliced off a sliver of flesh from the body.
And then...
Under Roseliel's wide eyes and Lucia's suddenly narrowing gaze, she lifted her mask and ate the sliver of flesh in one bite.
Rate on N.U.
