Just as Wendy was hesitating over whether to act, she suddenly heard Greg say from inside the alley:
“By the way, Allie, I've actually been keeping an eye on your progress all along. I didn't expect you to really expand the Dark Night Order like this. Back then, I merely offhandedly suggested trying your best to spread the faith of the night, but this has truly exceeded my expectations. You've done a great job!”
“...”
Outside the alley, the moment Wendy heard these words, her body stiffened violently!
Her eyes, which usually seemed able to conceal all emotion perfectly, widened uncontrollably in an instant, her pupils even contracting slightly.
The sheer amount of information in that sentence was simply overwhelming; she had never expected this exceptionally handsome man to actually be the mysterious Bishop!
Then, thinking it over carefully, she realized why the Vice Bishop treated him so uniquely—with respect, intimacy, and that peculiar possessiveness...
Who else could it possibly be besides the Lord Bishop whom she herself was willing to serve?!
“Which means... I was the one who ruined the Lord Bishop's good thing earlier...”
At that thought, all color drained from Wendy's exquisite face, which usually maintained an elegant and serene expression, and a few cold drops of sweat trickled uncontrollably down her temple.
For she knew just how loyal the Vice Bishop was to the Bishop, as well as how deeply the cultists below revered the mysterious Bishop.
Therefore, if this matter were ever exposed, she would undoubtedly be expelled from the order.
“No! That won't do! I must find a way to fix this!”
Wendy forcefully suppressed the raging waves in her heart, forcing herself to calm down.
Her past experience handling complex interpersonal relations and work caused her brain to operate at ultra-high speed under extreme pressure.
Countless clever excuses and solutions flashed through her mind like a revolving lantern.
Meanwhile, inside the alley, the conversation continued.
Hearing Greg's words, Allie shook her head: “No, the order's affairs are mostly handled by—”
Mid-sentence, Allie's eyes suddenly narrowed as if remembering something.
She snapped her head around to look at Greg again, the expression that had just softened rapidly freezing over with frost once more.
Staring at Greg, she asked word by word:
“By the way, Young Master Greg, you said earlier... that you treated them to a meal to conduct a rehearsal so you could bring me here in the future, right?”
Wait... hadn't they already turned the page on this topic?!
How did it loop right back around?!
Alarm bells blared in Greg's heart as an ominous feeling welled up again.
Forcing himself to nod, he stammered: “Y-Yeah... what about it?”
Slowly, Allie rested her hand back on the sword hilt, her voice terrifyingly calm:
“Since it was a rehearsal for my sake... then, Young Master Greg, please explain.”
Tilting her head slightly, a cold, scrutinizing glint flashed in her azure eyes:
“Why did you... invite three girls of this caliber all at once?”
“!!!”
At that moment, Greg's brain felt as if struck by lightning, going instantly blank.
But at that critical, split-second moment—
A slender figure quietly stepped out from the shadows at the alley entrance, walking straight between Greg and Allie and perfectly blocking their line of sight.
“I have heard that when skilled alchemists conduct crucial experiments, they often prepare multiple sets of different reagents for control purposes to ensure accuracy and universality. A single sample is prone to bias and cannot fully reflect the issue.”
“Therefore, I believe Lord Bishop invited three outstanding women of the same caliber as Lady Allie—yet with entirely different styles—all at once out of that exact same rigorous consideration!”
Wendy paused, then continued:
“Thus, this was by no means driven by any other hidden motive, but rather because Lord Bishop treasures Lady Allie far too much! That is why he wished this rehearsal to be as thorough as possible, taking every variable into account to ensure that the formal banquet prepared for the most important Lady Allie could achieve true perfection!”
Finishing her piece, she bowed deeply to Greg once more, her tone filled with admiration:
“Such meticulous thoughtfulness and deep devotion are certainly beyond the capacity of ordinary men. Lord Bishop's wisdom and how much he values Lady Allie truly leave this subordinate in awe.”
Greg: “...Right, right! That's exactly it!”
With the pressure relieved, he looked at the honey-haired beauty in front of him, whom he had glimpsed back at the restaurant, and asked:
“By the way, you are...?”
“Greetings for the first time, Lord Bishop!”
Wendy dropped to one knee before Greg and said respectfully:
“I am Night Crow, responsible for spreading the gospel in the Dark Night Order. You may address me as Wendy.”
Honestly, upon learning that a gorgeous girl like Wendy—who possessed heroine-level looks—was actually his subordinate now, Greg would be lying if he said he wasn't shocked.
But for the sake of his own life, he forced a straight face, nodding in praise: “Mm, you're very good. To think you actually guessed my true intention.”
Wendy breathed a quiet sigh of relief in her heart, though her expression remained humble as she shook her head slightly:
“Lord Bishop flatters me. It is not that I am particularly clever, but entirely thanks to Lady Allie's constant teachings and subtle influence day in and day out that a foolish person like me could catch even a fraction of the profound wisdom behind Lord Bishop's actions.”
She naturally pushed the credit onto Allie, then shifted the topic, looking at Allie—who still wore a trace of suspicion—with an even more respectful tone:
“Furthermore, I believe... with how deeply Lady Allie understands Lord Bishop, she must have known this answer long ago, seeing through it even more thoroughly than I did.”
Wendy bowed slightly toward Allie, her expression sincere:
“Lady Allie, when you specifically asked Lord Bishop that question just now, I fear it was not out of genuine confusion, but rather... to grant a foolish subordinate like me an opportunity to show my worth before Lord Bishop—to make me think for myself and discover Lord Bishop's painstaking intentions. Lady Allie, you are truly... far too thoughtful. Thank you.”
Allie: “...”
She blinked her light blue eyes, looking at Wendy—whose face practically wrote 'I completely understand your deep intent'—and then at Greg beside her, whose face practically wrote 'that's right, exactly like that'. The frost on her face melted completely, replaced by a subtle expression mixing confusion, enlightenment, and a hint of 'was that really what I was thinking?'.
She froze for a few seconds, and then, as if accepting this framing, she slowly nodded:
“Ah... mm, as long as you know.”
Afterward, seeming to completely forget her murderous intent from a moment ago, she turned around, slightly raised her chin at Greg, and introduced Wendy in a proud tone:
“Young Master, she's Wendy. The fact that the Dark Night Order could expand so quickly is mostly thanks to her! From organizing intelligence, recruiting members, and methods of spreading faith to daily operations, she handles almost everything. And she's a talent I personally discovered!”
Allie's tone carried obvious pride, as though demonstrating to Greg her talents outside of swordsmanship:
“You see now? Besides being skilled with a sword, I'm also amazing at discovering and nurturing talent!”
Seeing that Allie had finally let it go, Greg grinned and nodded hurriedly, giving her a thumbs-up:
“Yes, yes, yes! As expected of you, Allie! Discerning vision, assigning the right tasks to the right people! Truly amazing!”
While praising her aloud, he secretly clicked his tongue in amazement:
How is this just a talented person? This is clearly a figure on the level of a Chief Steward!
Rate on N.U.
