Chapter 83

My heart is pounding fiercely.

Something seems stuck in my throat, blocking my breath and words.

The usual fake words I casually threw at the young ladies were now blocked by this damn barrier.

“Are you alright, Lady Blanchard?”

Pink eyes filled with concern stare at me.

Lillian is a good person.

This is an absolute rule in the game that never changes, no matter the situation.

But now, I can’t tell if she’s genuinely worried about me or if there’s something else hidden beneath.

“It’s a phenomenon that occurs when you try to lie. If you speak the truth, you’ll feel better.”

Lillian’s words make my insides burn even more.

The truth about how much I like the young ladies.

Am I supposed to say that here?

“Tina…?”

Bersha looks at me with worried eyes. Not just her, but the other young ladies are also staring at me with puzzled looks.

“I… the young ladies…”

Suppressing the burning pain, I force a smile.

After a moment, I open my mouth again and speak.

“I truly cherish them. They are so precious to me that I couldn’t live without them. Of course, I like them.”

As soon as my words end, the transparent walls around us emit a bright light.

A phenomenon that only occurs when you speak the truth.

Bersha and the other young ladies smile brightly like flowers as they look at the glowing walls.

On the other hand, Lillian stares at me with an unreadable expression for a long time.

‘Thank goodness…’

Cold sweat runs down my back in the tense situation.

If the question had been even slightly more specific, my years of social circle life would have ended in an instant.

For example, if they had asked how much I like the young ladies as people, I wouldn’t have been able to answer like this.

Of course, it’s true that I cherish the young ladies.

It’s also not a lie that I like them.

Isn’t it obvious? They are the precious lifeline that supports my noble livelihood.

How could I not like them when they generously gift me expensive items every day?

Of course, there’s no affection as people, but as long as the young ladies look satisfied, there shouldn’t be any problem.

“…I see, Lady Blanchard is truly obedient.”

After watching me for a while, Lillian smiles slightly.

“Y-yes, of course.”

Afraid that Lillian might ask another question, I quickly answer and escape from the barrier.

But perhaps due to the aftereffects of the barrier, my legs feel weak, and I stagger for a moment.

“You don’t look well, Lady Blanchard. Let me help you.”

“N-no, I’m fine. I can walk on my own—”

“Don’t refuse. It’s my role as a saintess to help people.”

Ignoring my words, Lillian approaches me with a worried look.

I try to step back, but Lillian’s steps are much faster than mine.

But just before her hand touches me, someone pulls me back forcefully.

“Eek?”

An oppressive yet gentle touch. Suddenly pulled, I find myself nestled in a warm chest.

“My pet doesn’t look well. What’s wrong?”

A sharp voice filled with icy sharpness. Turning around, I see flowing golden hair.

A beautiful face that once dominated the social circle.

Though her eyes are fierce, her beauty is undeniable.

“L-Lady Mardian!”

“Hoho, you’re so welcoming, it makes me quite happy.”

Seeing Mardian’s blood-red eyes shining eerily, a strange sense of relief washes over me.

I never thought I’d be this happy to see Mardian.

Without realizing it, I cling tightly to her waist and bury myself in her embrace.

Mardian seems momentarily startled, trembling slightly, but soon smiles and gently strokes my head.

“You’re especially lovely today, Tina.”

“I missed you, Lady Mardian…”

At my words, her red eyes widen in surprise.

For some reason, Mardian chews her lip as I turn my gaze back to Lillian.

“…”

She looks at me and Mardian with a paler expression than before. Just her gaze makes my body tremble.

I don’t know why, but every time I face Lillian, my emotions become uncontrollable.

Perhaps sensing my trembling, Mardian steps in front of me protectively and smiles at Lillian.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Mardian Everledein, the eldest daughter of House Everledein.”

“…The pleasure is mine. I’m Lillian Eldoria.”

Lillian returns the greeting with a dignified posture, matching Mardian’s.

Mardian nods lightly and shifts her gaze to the group where Bersha and the other young ladies are.

“May I take Tina now? I think I’ve been patient enough.”

“Unfortunately… yes. Tina isn’t just ours.”

“Thank you, Lady Bersha.”

With Bersha’s permission, Mardian gently wraps her arm around my waist. She brings her lips close to my ear and whispers in a low voice.

“You’re being especially clingy today? Is this a signal that it’s okay for me to reach out to you?”

“Eek… N-no?”

My body shudders at the breath brushing my ear. Mardian leads me away with a bewitching smile.

“Lady Everledein.”

Just as Mardian and I are about to leave, Lillian’s slightly lowered voice stops us.

“What is it, Saintess?”

“You and Lady Blanchard seem… very close?”

At Lillian’s question, Mardian raises an eyebrow.

She narrows her eyes, looking between me and Lillian, then smiles coldly at Lillian.

“Of course. We are… closer than anyone else.”

*Thud—!*

Mardian’s hand slips from my waist and firmly grabs my unexpected butt.

“Eek?!”

My body trembles in surprise, and I cover my mouth with both hands, but a high-pitched sound escapes.

“L-Lady Mardian…!”

“Then, if you’ll excuse us. I need to spend some alone time with my pet.”

“…”

Mardian wraps her arm around my waist and gently leads me away.

She leaves without a second glance, pulling me out of the banquet hall.

Left behind in our place is Lillian, silently watching us.

※

“…”

The spot where Tina and Mardian left.

The young ladies glance around, gauging the saintess’s mood.

Though a beautiful smile still graces the saintess’s face, everyone can sense that she’s not in a good mood.

Given her current status, rivaling even the royal family, the young ladies can’t help but worry about her impression of them.

“…May I ask a question?”

Finally, Lillian’s lips part, and her bright voice fills the air.

The young ladies breathe a sigh of relief and smile faintly.

“Of course!”

“I heard there was some unpleasantness between Lady Blanchard and Lady Everledein… yet they seem quite close?”

At Lillian’s words, the young ladies momentarily panic.

No one wanted to bring up this topic, especially not in front of Mardian, but since the saintess mentioned it, they had no choice but to respond.

“Hoho…! Our Tina is naturally kind and gentle, so perhaps that’s why it happened.”

“Even so, forgiving such a thing wouldn’t be easy, would it?”

Lillian’s gaze is calm yet sharp. Her eyes carry a silent warning demanding the truth.

Under her pressure, the young ladies exchange glances, and Bersha calmly speaks after taking a sip of tea.

“To be honest, we don’t know the exact nature of their relationship, Saintess. But our guess is that after the incident, they might have formed an even deeper bond.”

“A bond? Can a relationship grow stronger after such an incident?”

What Mardian did was rape. It’s hard to believe that a relationship could become more affectionate after such an event.

“Who knows? Perhaps our lovely Tina has a unique taste.”

“……”

“Originally, same-sex relationships aren’t allowed, but Lady Tina and Lady Mardian are so beautiful that I can’t help but want to support them.”

At Bersha’s words, the other young ladies blush slightly and nod.

“That’s right! Their personalities are complete opposites, but that contrast makes them even more compatible.”

“Truly, it’s like the love between a lamb and a wolf. Ah, how romantic!”

“Come to think of it, how deep has their relationship become?”

“Perhaps they’ve already shared everything. Lady Mardian is quite bold, after all.”

“Oh, my… Just imagining it is enchanting…”

As the topic shifts to romance, the young ladies eagerly discuss Tina and Mardian’s relationship like a newly sprung fountain.

Amid their whispers, Lillian clenches her fist, her eyes empty.

‘You’re quite fortunate, Lady Blanchard.’

Someone had to endure countless criticisms and scoldings because of you.

Dozens of dresses stained with wine, and cheeks bruised red every day.

Even the friend I trusted the most betrayed me, leaving me to cry in agony in the corner of the temple’s prayer room.

Eventually, I lost the courage to even step into the social circle, fading away and being forgotten.

And here you are, mingling with that rapist.

I can’t deceive my intuition, Tina Blanchard.

There’s no evidence that you did it, and you still hide behind that radiant smile, but…

It was all your doing.

You were the one who tormented me.

But if you were going to do this…

If you were going to discard me so easily and run off to that rapist, then why did you torment me so much?

If you were going to break me like this, shouldn’t you have tormented me to the end?

Only then could I have—

“…”

Lillian looks at the ground for a moment, then clenches her fist tightly.

She learned in the harsh years of the battlefield that being swept up in emotions does no good.

Now is the time to suppress her emotions.

‘…This is no time to relax.’

Lillian suppresses the rising resentment within her and smiles at the young ladies.

“Everyone, do you know about the existence of demons?”

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