“Hailey, Hailey? Hailey…”
A pair of delicate, pale hands brushed gently over the young girl’s face. Slender fingers playfully poked Hailey’s cheek.
After the morning prayer ceremony concluded, and thanks to the Third Prince’s meddling, they were given a half-day break.
Hailey was sleeping especially soundly because of Idledra’s previous soothing.
She remained nestled in the other girl’s arms, snoring quietly. No matter how she was teased, she wouldn’t wake.
Perhaps due to the loss of Mana, Hailey, being a Magic Doll, felt somewhat light.
Idledra could lift her with a gentle embrace, holding her carefully in her arms.
After confirming several times that Hailey showed no signs of waking — in fact, she seemed to be sleeping even more soundly — Idledra hummed a tune and carried her to the garden behind the Church.
Hailey had mentioned that she needed to get more sun.
“Saintess… according to your requests, the original bushes have been replanted with new flower beds.”
Since the old Gatekeeper, Zai, had hurriedly rushed out of the Imperial Capital, there had been no word from him.
Rumors said the Pope saw he was old and alone and kept him by his side to spend his remaining years in peace.
“Who knew?”
In any case, the Church’s Gatekeeper had been replaced by a gardener who was a complete stranger.
He had no background and lacked the so-called devout faith of the Holy See.
He only had the plants he leisurely tended every day and his flower shop on the street.
The new Gatekeeper — or rather, he could simply be called Mr. Yvon the gardener — was someone Idledra had carefully selected after bargaining with the Pope to replace the old Gatekeeper.
A Gatekeeper with no background and no ties to the Holy See, responsible only for the Church’s plants and keeping the grounds clean, was exactly what Idledra needed — a choice free from the Pope’s control.
‘I will allow you to spy on my every move with those eyes hidden in the darkness, but you must personally root out any threat that might harm Hailey.’
This was the first time Idledra had confronted the Pope after the Hydra Incident.
She could accept the appearance of people with ill intentions, but she would never allow them to hurt Hailey because of her.
“Thinking back now, that girl was surprisingly firm in her request for the first time — oh no, it should be called a deal.
She wasn’t so easy to talk to before.
Has she changed a bit?”
In the Pope’s Divine Temple, Pope Issar, who had blended back into the shadows, murmured to himself in front of the throne.
He seemed to be judging something, but rather than a judgment, it felt more like he was inspecting a pet he had raised…
“But speaking of which, to make the Third Prince believe that intelligence so much that he’d even risk the Imperial Family’s reputation to provoke the Holy See… you didn’t drug him, did you? We are the protagonists here.”
Eyes gleaming with a strange light scrutinized a shadow in a certain direction.
An indistinguishable voice emerged. Though it was a sacred hall, it felt chilling.
“Of course I wouldn’t do that. I simply gave him a taste of sweetness and then accidentally leaked the information to him. Who would have thought he’d be so eager for success, His Holiness?”
“Sometimes, things that cannot see the light are better kept hidden. I look forward to your performance, Enchantress.”
With the rare cry of a crow, the coldness in the hall quickly dissipated, leaving only the shadow on the throne standing tall in its isolation.
“Over here are lilies of the valley, over there are lilies, and then there’s lavender, violets, and tulips…”
When it came to flowers, the newly appointed Gatekeeper, Yvon, was very enthusiastic.
Idledra simply nodded, careful not to wake Hailey in her arms.
Compared to the Grand Cathedral, which usually felt cold and lifeless, the replanting finally brought some vitality.
At least she didn’t have to see a grumpy old man driving people away at the entrance.
“Then, please enjoy a moment of leisure, I shall take my leave…”
Mr. Yvon’s flower shop was right on the small street next to the Church, which was why he had gladly accepted this paid part-time job.
Carrying Hailey across the soft green lawn, the warm sunlight fell perfectly upon Hailey’s forehead.
Idledra sat down, quietly admiring her sleeping face.
Why was it that Hailey could always fall asleep at such critical moments? Even though she and Hailey had been only a step away from being exposed, was it because she was by her side?
‘Yes, as long as I am here, Hailey doesn’t need to worry about anything. Hailey must think so, which is why she sleeps so peacefully.’
Idledra had a secret hidden in her heart.
When she was publicly accused by the Third Prince, she had been prepared to perish along with him, but Hailey was her only variable.
‘I could have released my Mana and escaped directly, but then I would have been branded a criminal and forced away from Hailey. I cannot lose her.’
Under the influence of Black Magic, she even had the delusion of kidnapping Hailey.
She was afraid of never seeing Hailey again and would rather drag Hailey into a dark fate identical to her own.
‘If I had run away then, perhaps the Holy See would have propped Hailey up as the new Saintess to maintain their reputation. Then Hailey wouldn’t have to worry about being harmed by them every day.’
But she was just that selfish, that greedy. She could never accept Hailey leaving her side, by any means or method.
Hailey was a “private possession” who could only stay by her.
“Hailey, why are your eyes so crystalline? Because only my reflection can remain in them… Why are your palms so soft? Because they can only touch my skin.”
Whether it was the desires in her heart at work or the atmosphere influencing her, Idledra hummed an indescribable song while looking at Hailey’s sleeping face.
It was selfish and greedy…
As the contractor and the primary body of the Doll, a complementary flow of Mana existed between Idledra and Hailey.
Although Idledra dominated most of it, a suitable amount would flow back to Hailey.
Combined with the warm sunshine heating their bodies, the missing Mana gradually recovered.
Hailey drifted out of her dreamscape as easily — and reluctantly — as if she were waking up for the day.
‘Whoa, I’ve slept this late… Is it dawn? No, it seems it was already day.’
However, she kept her eyes closed, listening anxiously to the ethereal song Idledra was humming, which did not sound like anything from a fairy tale.
‘Who am I? Where am I? Why is she still holding me? Why is she still singing?’
She carefully opened her eyes, wanting to steal a glance at the other’s reaction.
She saw only a pair of pink eyes looking at her teasingly.
“Naughty little Hailey, I’ve caught you.”