Bam!
The rooftop shuddered, its cracked foundation groaning as dust trickled through the air. Yet Leon didn’t so much as flinch. His attention never wavered from Seraphine, their voices carrying a quiet intimacy that ignored the trembling world beneath them.
They were still busy flirting, speaking openly of how they couldn’t wait to be alone together. The only reason Leon hadn’t left yet was simple—he had questions, and the answers were standing right here. Either Loriel or the mature, radiant blonde could give them, and both won were clearly from the middle domain. What better chance to learn than this?
Leon was sure it was Loriel who had just arrived on the rooftop. He was giving her ti to heal herself, so for now, he kept his focus on Seraphine.
Then he noticed sothing, unexpected.
Huh... what is she even doing?
He had to pause the conversation and turned to look directly at the green-haired girl with the disheveled appearance lying on the roof. Her body bore minor cuts and scratches all over, and her once-pristine, white robe with elegant embroidery was now in tatters. She kept making soft, pained noises and calling for help.
"Argh..."
"P-Please, soone help !"
Leon didn’t even have to voice his thoughts—Seraphine said precisely what he was about to think.
"Who is this girl trying to fool...? She climbed up such a tall house only to act like a fish out of water after reaching here with just a few small injuries." Her tone sharpened as she continued. "Her act is so pathetic... and to think she was calling herself the Saintess of Life, boasting just minutes ago."
Seraphine crossed her arms and stared down at Loriel’s figure on the ground. A faint smile ford on her lips, laced with clear satisfaction.
She had known this ridiculous act wouldn’t work from the start, but she made sure Leon heard it straight from her mouth—knowing full well it would only make Loriel look worse.
Liora was the one checking on Loriel. She had heard the commander’s harsh words and, though they made her realize the Saintess might be acting, it didn’t stop her from showing concern.
"Saintess, can you stand up?" Liora’s voice was gentle and sincere. "The Church of Life is nearby. Just hold on until then—I’ll take you there."
Loriel was grateful that she had fallen face down. Her expression was twisted in a mix of frustration and embarrassnt as she grit her teeth silently.
She could’ve healed herself on the ground and returned later, but she had hoped the Holy Son would show concern when he saw her like this—injured because of his attack. She knew she was partly to bla for not listening to him earlier.
Even so, she had hoped for a much warr reaction from him. Instead, she had been roasted by the purple-haired woman, and now even the sweet-natured girl was offering to carry her to the Church of Life—as if she weren’t the Saintess of Life herself.
She had never felt so humiliated.
Urgh... I want to disappear, Loriel thought bitterly.
She hated pain more than anything, yet she had endured it all to catch the Holy Son’s attention—and she had failed miserably. She felt pathetic.
Ashad and defeated, she slowly sat up on the cold rooftop floor, avoiding everyone’s gaze.
"Can you walk? If you can’t, I can carry you to the church," Liora offered again, voice soft and kind.
Hearing her caring words only deepened Loriel’s sha. She couldn’t even bring herself to look up. Her reply ca in a trembling voice, her face still lowered in embarrassnt.
"I-I’ll be f-fine... d-don’t w-worry about ..." she whispered—words ant only for Liora.
But Loriel had forgotten that whispering in front of powerful awakeners was the sa as speaking outright. Both Seraphine and Leon heard her clearly.
Leon said nothing, but Seraphine’s satisfaction shot up another notch. Watching the so-called Saintess’s ears turn red from humiliation filled her with malicious delight.
Liora moved closer to Loriel, kneeling down beside her on the damaged rooftop. Her gentle nature wouldn’t allow her to stand by and watch soone suffer, regardless of whether they were acting or not.
"Please, let help you," Liora said softly, extending her hand toward the green-haired girl.
But before Liora could do anything, a soft green glow began emanating from Loriel’s body. The life elent flowed through her, slowly nding the cuts and scratches across her skin. The healing process was gradual, almost hesitant, as if she was trying to make it look natural rather than the powerful restoration a true Saintess should be capable of.
Each small wound sent sharp stings through her body as the healing magic worked. Loriel bit down hard on her lower lip, trying to suppress the whimpers that threatened to escape. Her body shuddered with each wave of discomfort, her hands trembling against the stone as she fought against every instinct to cry out. Even these minor injuries felt unbearable to her.
Loriel kept her face pressed down toward the cold rooftop, her long green hair cascading around her like a curtain. The embarrassnt was overwhelming. She had never felt so small, so pathetic in her entire life.
The Holy Son hadn’t even spared her a second glance after his casual dismissal. The purple-haired woman had torn apart her act with brutal honesty. And now this sweet, innocent girl was offering to help her—a supposed Saintess—as if she were so helpless victim.
As the healing light continued to work on her injuries, hot tears began to fall from Loriel’s eyes, dropping silently onto the stone beneath her. Her shoulders trembled from both the lingering pain that made her want to scream and the crushing weight of her humiliation.
She tried to keep her crying quiet, but small, barely audible sobs escaped her lips as she lay there, wishing she could disappear entirely.
Seraphine’s sharp eyes caught the subtle trembling of Loriel’s shoulders and the soft, muffled sounds escaping from beneath her curtain of green hair. Her satisfied smirk faltered slightly as she realized the girl was actually crying.
Leon noticed it too. His spatial awareness picked up the small droplets hitting the stone, and his enhanced hearing caught every quiet sob despite Loriel’s attempts to muffle them.
A pang of guilt struck him unexpectedly. He should have shown so concern when he saw her injured. Even if she was acting, those tears seed genuine enough.
He watched the way she bit her lip to keep from crying out, how her entire body seed to recoil from even the slightest discomfort. There was sothing almost childlike about her reaction to pain, sothing innocent and unguarded.
’She’s... too emotional. Too pure, maybe?’
The thought surprised him. A true Saintess of Life, especially the 37th one, should be composed, dignified, and experienced in handling both pain and political situations. But this girl, lying on the rooftop and crying over minor scratches, seed more like a sheltered noble’s daughter than an influential religious figure.
Leon’s expression softened slightly as he continued to observe her. Her reactions were too genuine, too unfiltered to be wholly fabricated.
’Maybe I was too harsh in my judgnt,’ he thought, feeling a small knot of guilt forming in his chest as he watched her shoulders shake with each suppressed sob.
Seraphine stood frozen for a mont, shock replacing her earlier satisfaction. She had expected anger, maybe embarrassnt, but not this—not genuine tears over such minor injuries.
’She’s actually crying? Over those small scratches?’
The sight was utterly unexpected. Seraphine had been treating her as a rival, soone worthy of her wariness and sharp tongue. But seeing the so-called Saintess break down like this—it was almost endearing in its innocence.
Before she even realized what she was doing, Seraphine found herself moving closer. Her competitive instincts lted away as maternal concern took over.
Kneeling down beside Loriel, Seraphine gently placed her hand on the girl’s back and began rubbing in slow, comforting circles.
"Hey... It’s alright," she said softly, her voice losing all its earlier sharpness.
Leon felt a pang of irony. Only Seraphine could insult soone into tears and then be the first to wipe them away. And sohow... both sides of her were real.
He watched as she continued stroking Loriel’s back with surprising gentleness, the sa hands that had delivered such cutting words now offering comfort.
Leon shook his head slightly, a small smile playing at his lips. Seraphine’s emotional whiplash could give soone motion sickness, but it always felt genuine.
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