My heart pounds heavily.
It feels like something is caught in my throat, choking my words along with my breath.
The insincere words I often spilled carelessly in front of young ladies are now blocked by this damned barrier and won’t come out.
“Are you alright, Lady Blanc?”
The pink-eyed gaze filled with concern fixes on me.
Lilian is a good person.
That alone is an unwavering rule in this game that never changes, no matter the circumstances.
But at this moment, I couldn’t tell if she was genuinely worried about me or if there was something else hidden behind that concern.
“This is a phenomenon that occurs when you try to lie. If you speak the truth, you’ll feel more at ease.”
Her words burn in my chest even more intensely.
The truth about how much I like the young ladies.
Are they asking me to say that here?
“Tina…?”
Versha looks at me with worry in her eyes. Not just her, but the other young ladies are also gazing at me with puzzled expressions.
“I… I care about you young ladies…”
Suppressing the scorching pain, I forced a smile.
After a brief pause, I spoke once more.
“I truly value you. Without you young ladies, I couldn’t live; you are all incredibly precious to me. Of course, I like you.”
The moment my words ended, the transparent walls around us burst into bright light.
This is a phenomenon that only appears when one speaks from the heart.
As they gazed at the softly glowing wall, bright smiles bloomed on Versha and the other young ladies’ faces.
In contrast, Lilian looked at me for a moment with an unreadable expression in her eyes.
‘Thank goodness…’
Cold sweat dripped down my back in this tense situation.
If the question had been even slightly more specific, my years of socializing would have come crashing down in an instant.
For instance, if they had asked how much I liked them as people, I wouldn’t have been able to respond as I did now.
Of course, my words about cherishing them are sincere.
And it wasn’t a lie to say that I liked them.
How could it not be so? They are the precious source of funds that supports my noble life.
There’s no reason not to like them when they generously gift expensive items every day.
Although I have no affection for them as people, as long as the young ladies are wearing satisfied expressions, there should be no problem.
“…I see. Indeed, Lady Blanc, you are truly obedient.”
After watching me for a while, Lilian smiled brightly.
“Well, of course.”
I quickly answered and fled the barrier, fearing she might ask another question.
However, perhaps because of the barrier’s effect, my legs went weak, causing me to sway.
“You seem unwell, Lady Blanc. Allow me to assist you.”
“N-no, I’m fine. I can walk on my—”
“Please don’t refuse. As a Saint, it’s my role to help others.”
Ignoring my words, Lilian approached me with a worried gaze.
I tried to step back from her, but Lilian’s steps were much faster than mine.
Just before her hand could reach me, someone suddenly tugged me hard from behind.
“Yikes?”
A restrained yet gentle grip. Suddenly pulled, I found myself nestled in a warm chest.
“My pet doesn’t seem to be in good spirits. What’s the matter?”
Her sharp voice carried a piercing edge. When I turned around, flowing golden hair brushed past my face.
A beautiful face that once dominated high society.
Though her eyes were fierce, her beauty was undeniable.
“M-Mardian!”
“Hehe, it feels quite nice to be welcomed like that.”
Seeing the ominous shine of Mardian’s blood-red eyes bizarrely eased my tension.
I never thought I’d feel this happy to see Mardian.
Before I knew it, I had tightly wrapped my arms around her waist.
Mardian seemed momentarily startled but soon smiled and gently ruffled my hair.
“You look quite lovely today, Tina.”
“I missed you, Mardian…”
At my words, her red eyes widened in surprise.
For some reason, I shifted my gaze from Mardian to Lilian.
“…”
Lilian looked at Mardian and me with an eerily pale expression. Just locking eyes with her made my body tremble slightly.
I couldn’t understand why every time I faced Lilian, I couldn’t control my emotions.
Feeling my shaking body, Mardian stood protectively in front of me, flashing a gentle smile at Lilian.
“It’s our first time meeting like this. I’m Mardian Abreldine, the eldest daughter of the Abreldine family.”
“It’s an honor to meet you. I’m Lilian Eldoria.”
Lilian greeted Mardian with a demeanor as dignified as her own.
Mardian lightly nodded and shifted her attention to the group of Versha and the other young ladies.
“May I take Tina now? I believe I’ve given enough leeway.”
“As much as I’m sad… yes. Tina isn’t solely ours to keep.”
“Thank you, Lady Versha.”
With Versha’s consent, Mardian wrapped her arms around my waist gently. She leaned in so close that her lips were almost touching my ear and whispered in a low voice.
“Are you trying to tease me today? Is this a signal that I can reach out to you?”
“Eek… um, no?”
The warm breath that brushed my ear made my body jump slightly. Mardian, sporting an alluring smile, pulled me closer.
“Lady Abreldine.”
Just as Mardian and I were about to leave, Lilian’s lowered voice caught us.
“Is something the matter, Saint?”
“You seem to be quite close with Lady Blanc?”
At Lilian’s question, Mardian furrowed one eyebrow.
She narrowed her eyes, glancing between me and Lilian, then fixed her gaze on Lilian with a cold smile.
“Of course. We share… a bond closer than anyone else.”
Crack—!
Mardian’s hand slipped from my waist, unexpectedly grabbing my backside firmly.
“Wha…?!”
I trembled in shock and covered my mouth with both hands, but a high-pitched sound escaped anyway.
“M-Mardian!”
“Then I’ll take my leave. I need to spend some time with my pet.”
“…”
Mardian gently guided me, wrapping her arms around my waist.
Without a trace of reluctance, she led me out of the banquet hall.
In the spot we left behind, only Lilian remained silently watching us.
—
The space Tina and Mardian vacated.
The young ladies exchanged glances, glancing at the Saint’s mood.
Although the beautiful smile remained on the Saint’s face, everyone could feel that she wasn’t in the best spirits.
Now that she held a status comparable to royalty, the young ladies, fearing that the Saint might harbor negative feelings towards them, were even more cautious about her emotions.
“…May I ask you a question?”
Finally, Lilian’s lips parted, her bright voice filling the air.
The young ladies let out a sigh of relief and smiled faintly.
“Of course!”
“I’ve heard that something unpleasant happened between Lady Blanc and Lady Abreldine… yet you both seem quite close despite that?”
At Lilian’s words, the young ladies couldn’t hide their momentary embarrassment.
None wished to leave a negative impression on Mardian, so no one wanted to bring it up, but with the Saint directly mentioning it, they had no choice but to respond.
“Uh, um… I suppose it’s because our Tina is so generous and warm-hearted that such an incident occurred.”
“No matter how generous one is, I doubt it’s easy to forgive such an event?”
Lilian’s gaze was calm yet sharp. Her eyes carried a silent warning demanding the truth.
Under her pressure, while the young ladies exchanged cautious glances, Versha took a brief sip of her tea and spoke calmly.
“In fact, we don’t have a clear understanding of your relationship, Saint. However, we suspect that after the incident, you’ve formed an even deeper bond.”
“A bond? Can a relationship grow stronger after such an event?”
What Mardian did was rape. The idea that their relationship could deepen after such an incident was hard to accept.
“Who knows? Perhaps our lovely Tina possesses a somewhat unique taste.”
“…”
“Naturally, relationships between the same sex aren’t allowed, but because both Lady Blanc and Lady Abreldine are so beautiful, I find myself wanting to cheer for them without realizing it.”
At Versha’s words, the other young ladies nodded gently with faint blushes.
“Exactly! It seems like the stark contrast in your personalities makes you better suited for one another.”
“Really, isn’t it like the love between a sheep and a wolf? Ah, how romantic!”
“Speaking of which, how deep has your relationship grown?”
“Perhaps you’ve shared everything already. Mardian’s so forthright, after all.”
“Oh, oh my… just imagining it is heavenly…”
As romance became the topic of conversation, the young ladies engaged in enthusiastic discussions about Tina and Mardian’s relationship, like a spring suddenly bursting forth.
Amid their whispers, Lilian silently clenched her fists, her eyes hollow.
‘You’re quite lucky, Lady Blanc.’
Someone had to bear countless criticisms and scorn because of you.
There were dozens of dresses stained with wine, and I had to cling to my bruised cheeks that turned red day in and day out.
Even my once most trusted friend betrayed me, leaving me to cry in a corner of the cathedral’s prayer room all day long.
In the end, I lost the courage to even step into high society, fading away and being forgotten.
And here you are, mingling with that rapist and abandoning me.
I cannot deceive my instincts, Tina Blanc.
There’s no evidence that you did anything, and you still want to hide behind that bright smile…
But this is all your doing.
You tormented me.
But if you’re going to do this…
If you’re going to so easily throw me aside like this.
If you’re going to lose interest in me so quickly and run off to that rapist, why did you have to torment me so much in the first place?
If you’ve already broken me, shouldn’t you keep tormenting me to the end?
That way I can blame you without guilt—
“…”
Lilian stared at the ground for a moment before tightly clenching her fist.
She had learned through the harsh years of war that being swept up in emotions brought no good.
Now was the time to suppress those feelings.
‘…It wasn’t a time for arrogance.’
Lilian stifled the resentment rising within her, smiling as she looked at the young ladies.
“Ladies, do you know about the existence of demons?”
