“So does the Saintess really sleep with the Secret Sister? Can I sleep with you too?”
Looking at Little Mary’s excited and curious eyes, Hailey shot a fierce glare at Idledra, who sat beside her with a guilty conscience.
It was all this girl’s fault for talking nonsense.
“Look at how she had misled such an innocent child!”
“No, Mary, we aren’t in that kind of relationship. Although we do sleep in the same bed…”
‘Oh my god, why am I explaining this? It’s only making it worse. Sharing a bed… how should I even say this?’
“It’s because when the Saintess carried me home, she saw that I was all alone with no one to accompany me, so she kindly stayed to sleep with me.”
“Then can the Saintess come sleep with me next time? I’m very good, and I won’t kick the blankets—”
The innocent child still treated this as nothing more than a habit from playing house, completely failing to notice the expression of someone who looked like they were facing a great enemy.
Hailey was too lazy to explain further.
After all, Mary was just a child.
If she let the girl keep guessing, she might get tired and give up on her own.
Suddenly, a pair of hands snaked around her neck.
Hailey turned to see Idledra’s gloomy expression as she stared back, puffing out her cheeks in annoyance.
Idledra hugged Hailey’s neck, seemingly doing it to provoke the little girl in front of them.
Though the child didn’t understand the implication yet, she knew this beautiful sister really liked to cling to the Saintess.
It was obvious she liked the Saintess very much.
“No way. Hailey… ahem, the Saintess belongs to me! I absolutely won’t give her to you!”
Idledra said vowedly.
Although the child before her wasn’t enough to trigger her killing intent, an enemy was still an enemy!
Even if it was just a tiny tot, as long as she had designs on Hailey, Idledra had to maintain 100% vigilance.
Perhaps because she was with Hailey, Idledra had recently become more and more childish.
It was as if a suppressed little girl was finally able to release her lively, playful nature.
However, aside from her girlish spoiled behavior, her possessiveness toward Hailey only continued to grow.
“You, what kind of nonsense are you telling a child… Sit properly before you fall over again.”
Hailey looked at her with a bit of helplessness.
“Why was she becoming more like a child lately?”
Though, this wasn’t necessarily a bad thing…
After all, Hailey’s strongest impression of her was still that of a little Demon who could pin her to the bed and manically drain her Mana.
Perhaps because of her blindness, Idledra actually appeared more quiet and elegant when she sat still, looking like the daughter of a noble family.
Looking at the now graceful and beautiful Idledra, Hailey somehow felt a sense of relief, like a parent seeing that “my daughter has finally grown up.”
‘As expected, my handiwork is excellent. Look at her now; she has more meat on her face and looks much healthier.’
Feeling Hailey’s internal smugness, Idledra offered a sweet smile even though she couldn’t see that triumphant grin.
But then she suddenly remembered the curious little person sitting next to her, and she felt a wave of unease.
After all, this child was the only person besides Hailey who had seen her true face.
The only other person was likely growing grass over his head by now.
Although children didn’t necessarily remember things clearly, the terrified expression Little Mary had worn back then was still vivid in her mind.
After all, anyone would be shocked to see her filled with such murderous intent, no matter how brave they were.
Except for Hailey, anyone else would probably be scared away after seeing her true self…
So, compared to her playful hostility toward Little Mary, she was actually more afraid of the gaze and attitude people reserved for an old monster.
“Sister, you’re really amazing! You actually rescued the Saintess!”
The expected fear, disgust, or rejection did not appear.
Instead, she only felt the child’s worshipping gaze and excitement.
Idledra found it hard to believe. After all, she had almost killed the girl that day.
But the thing the child actually cared about was that she had fulfilled her promise and rescued the Saintess she longed for?
“Little Mary, don’t you think I’m scary? That day…”
“Not at all! You saved me from the strange Grandpa Zai and even brought the Saintess back. Why would you be scary?”
Idledra was stunned for a moment.
She had never thought about it like that.
She had been living in constant fear that her identity might be exposed and that Mary might tell everyone.
Just then, a hand was suddenly placed on her head.
Hailey, who had been suppressed for so many days, finally found an opportunity to strike back.
“See? I told you. It was never your fault, so there’s no need to care so much.”
Hailey spoke as if comforting her while gently stroking Idledra’s head.
She knew everyone tended to keep Black Magic at a distance, but she didn’t want Idledra to become depressed because of it.
“By the way, Little Mary, how did you know we were back? We shouldn’t have told anyone.”
From the time Hydra forcibly took her from the Altar to the moment Idledra rescued her and they returned to the mansion in the Residential District, they hadn’t alerted anyone.
“How did Little Mary know they were here? And why did she come at such a coincidental time?”
“A very kind grandpa told me. He said the Saintess would be home today.”
‘A very kind grandpa…’
That didn’t sound like a long-lost relative of a protagonist; it smelled like a conspiracy.
To be able to know the exact time of their return and even convince the unsuspecting Mary… this person did not come with good intentions.
“That black-haired grandpa also said that he and the Saintess are very, very good friends. Oh, I think his name was Isar…”
When Mary uttered that name, Hailey clearly felt Idledra’s hand, which was holding hers, tremble slightly.
“Mary, the Saintess just got back and isn’t feeling well yet. Why don’t you go tell everyone at the Church that she needs to rest, okay?”
Mary nodded, waved goodbye to the two of them, and ran off toward the Church.
Hailey looked at Idledra, who now looked like she was facing a mortal enemy, and her own heart began to race with nerves.
Just who was this mysterious “grandpa” who had led Mary to them?
She had a feeling the newcomer was a foe rather than a friend.
The dungeon bosses were coming a bit too fast to handle…
Idledra murmured hesitantly, appearing to answer the doubt in Hailey’s heart.
“Isar Semius… That is the name of the Holy See’s Pope…”
At that moment, outside the door that had just been closed, a tall elder in the holy robes of a priest gently knocked on the door.
Although a gentle and humble smile remained on his face, the aura he radiated gave off a sense of divine pressure.
“Good afternoon, Idledra, my dear child… and her cute little Doll friend.”