“Okay, I’ll go handle some matters and be back before dinner.” Kiz slowly withdrew from Elia’s embrace and suddenly said.
Elia could see the seriousness in her eyes, so she nodded.
In the time that followed, Elia leaned on the sofa, flipping through a book about the Elves… it was written like a novel and was quite interesting.
However, just as she was getting absorbed, a maid suddenly pushed the door open, entered, bowed, and said, “Saint, there is a letter for you.”
“A letter for me?” Elia looked up, puzzled.
“Yes, delivered from the Human Empire.”
Elia took the letter and looked at it. The envelope bore no signature, only a line of text: “To Elia.”
Her brow furrowed slightly. “Who delivered it?”
“A messenger.”
Hearing this, Elia waved her hand. “Alright, you may go.”
After the maid bowed and left, Elia looked at the letter in her hand again. After a moment of hesitation, she still opened it.
“Saint, I wonder if you still remember your childhood playmate, Amy. She is now gravely ill and does not have many days left… She has been longing to see you one last time, so I beg you to return to the Human Empire to see her for a final farewell.”
Amy?
She then searched the Original Owner’s memories.
Hmm… There indeed was a person named Amy. They had met when the Original Owner was six, played together very well during childhood, and even promised to go to the Church together to become Saints when they grew up… In the end, only the Original Owner became the Saint, and the two never saw each other again.
So, should she go back to visit this girl one last time? But that’s the Human Empire, where both the Church and that Holy Grail Order are located.
If she goes back, it’s highly likely she’ll never be able to return, unless she uses the Holy Sword to destroy the entire Human Empire… but then the common people would be gone.
But if she doesn’t go, her conscience would feel a bit uneasy…
Forget it! This is the Original Owner’s friend, what does it have to do with her? She’d rather stay peacefully in the Blood Clan, teasing the Little Princess. Isn’t that much better than visiting a sick person?
Having figured this out, Elia simply turned back to her seat and continued reading.
—
That night, Kiz finished her official duties and returned to the Sleeping Palace.
By then, Elia had already bathed and was sitting on the bed. Seeing Kiz enter, she beckoned to her. “You’re back? Tired?”
“What do you think? Want to try doing it yourself?” Kiz rolled her eyes.
“Don’t talk about that yet, come here first.” Elia patted the spot beside her.
Seeing this, Kiz obediently sat there.
Elia then began massaging her shoulders and asked, “So, what trouble did you run into today?”
“Just those Lords, constantly bickering every day, it’s so annoying.”
Elia smiled. “Then what will you do when you become Queen later?”
“Don’t know, we’ll deal with it then. My mother will wake up soon anyway.”
After chatting for a while, Kiz got up to bathe, and Elia continued reading that novel… but her gaze kept drifting to the window from time to time.
When Kiz came out after her bath, she saw Elia still lost in thought, so she asked with some concern, “What are you thinking about?”
“Nothing… just a bit sleepy.” Elia rubbed her eyes.
A flicker of doubt passed through Kiz’s eyes, but she didn’t press further.
—
In the middle of the night, Kiz suddenly woke up.
She… sensed that Elia’s heartbeat wasn’t quite right.
She then gently turned to look at Elia. Under the moonlight, Elia was frowning slightly, as if having a dream.
Moreover, her lips were moving faintly.
Kiz leaned in to listen, and what she heard was: “…Amy… don’t worry… I… I’ll handle it… take… take care…”
Hearing this, Kiz’s body instantly stiffened.
Amy? Who is that? Why would Elia call that name in her dream?
And her tone was so gentle?
Kiz’s heart felt as if something had sharply twisted it.
Then, the look in her eyes as she gazed at Elia grew complex… filled with confusion, unease, and a darkness she herself hadn’t realized.
However, she did not wake Elia.
But for the rest of that night, she never fell asleep again.
—
“Kiz, why are you up so early?” Elia, who had just woken up, rubbed her eyes and looked at Kiz, who was standing by the window doing who-knows-what.
Kiz turned around and said calmly, “Couldn’t sleep.”
“Huh? Couldn’t sleep again? Are you feeling unwell or something?”
“No, I just had a dream.” Kiz sat on the edge of the bed.
“What dream?”
“A dream where you left.”
“Ah? Are you silly? How could I possibly leave you? Have you forgotten my previous vows?” Elia said, her eyes wide.
“Is that so? Then who did you dream about last night?” Kiz asked softly.
“Last night? I don’t remember.”
“You don’t remember? But I heard you call a name… Amy.”
Something seemed to be churning in Kiz’s eyes at this moment.
“So, who is Amy? Tell me honestly…”
At this point, Elia felt an inexplicable sense of pressure. She swallowed and told the truth. “She’s my childhood playmate.”
“Oh? And so?”
“And so what?”
“And so you called her name in your dream, and so gently at that.”
Kiz’s voice was still so calm.
“Kiz, listen to me…” Elia hurriedly tried to explain.
She was truly wronged! She really hadn’t thought about leaving Kiz to find Amy!
“No need to explain. I believe you. Now I need to go freshen up.”
After saying that, she walked into the bathroom and slammed the door shut with force.
Elia sat on the bed in silence for a long time afterward.
She could certainly sense that Kiz was angry… no, not just angry.
Elia recalled Kiz’s eyes. That gaze held something she had never seen before, like an abyss quietly opening.
—
Then, over the next few days, Kiz’s behavior continued as usual… handling official duties, meetings, walks, meals, sleep.
But Elia felt something was off.
For example, the way Kiz looked at her was more intense than before. Or how Kiz would appear by her side from time to time, doing who-knows-what. Or how Kiz started collecting things she had used or was using right in front of her.
At first, Elia didn’t pay it much mind, but one day she accidentally opened a drawer in Kiz’s desk, forcing her to take notice.
Inside the drawer, various small items were neatly arranged… her hair ribbons, her buttons, random notes she had scribbled, and so on.
And placed in the most prominent position was a dried Black Rose.
That was the first Black Rose she had given to Kiz.
Elia stared blankly at those things, a complex mix of emotions welling up in her heart… not just surprise, but also a little bit of… happiness.
“What are you doing?” Kiz’s voice suddenly sounded from behind.
Elia, startled, immediately turned to look at Kiz standing in the doorway.
“I… I…” Now, Elia didn’t know how to explain.
Kiz walked over, glanced at the open drawer, then looked up at Elia and said calmly, “You saw it all, right?”
“Yes.”
“Afraid?”
Elia thought for a moment and said seriously, “No.”
“Why not?”
“Because these prove I’m in your heart.”
“Oh? You don’t think I’m a pervert?”
“Pervert? I’m a pervert too, ha. We make a perfect pair of little perverts~”
Hearing this, Kiz’s calm, cold expression vanished, replaced by a sweet, light laugh… was it really sweet? Why did it look so twisted?