CHAPTER 81: FLUSTERED LUST AND HER KNIGHT

Mel’s golden eyes swept over Saira, her hand moving the sheet to cover up her naked parts.

Saria wore a simple red robe, her hair splayed across her back, sweat glistening on her forehead as she panicked inwardly at the unexpected.

Flashing a faint, mischievous grin, she glanced down at herself and sighed, her voice low and hushed. "Sister Saria... how long are you going to stare?"

She was going to tease Saria, but then remembered her and Lila’s relationship wasn’t quite as disclosed as she remembered.

"You two... uh... It’s just three months..." Saria murmured, more to herself than to the Witch of Lust.

Mel’s lips twitched as she stifled a laugh, while shock washed over Saria’s face.

The Knight’s cheeks didn’t even flush; instead, an existential crisis overwhelmed her as she realized Mel and Lila might have already... done the deed.

As expected, it’s a little awkward.

Sighing a little, she shuffled herself back to the bedsheet. "Well, I’ll be sleeping with Lila again, if you don’t mind."

Though she planned to comfort Saria later, her time sleeping beside Lila was just as important.

Saria stammered in her speech, her conflicted eyes flickering over to Lila.

Shock subsided as her Knight’s training years purged all embarrassment within her, as a stoic frown desperately returned to her lips.

Though glancing at Mel’s little smirk, her brows quivered. "Are you... really alright?"

The Radiant Knight Saria rushed over to Mel’s room as soon as she sensed the fabric of reality had gone through a slight tear.

When she found Mel, Saria noticed a stack of empty armors piled in a dark corner, each etched with a glowing Magic Circle inside.

A closer look confirmed it: this Magic could pull others into an artificial Dream realm, a power only Pride’s Familiars possessed.

Then, she immediately thought of the Saintess’s Directive, which was to

"Stop spacing out like that, Saria."

A breath hitched in the Knight’s throat as she glanced at Mel’s innocent eyes that shimmered under the faint starlight of the wall.

"Right... sorry." The Knight whispered, aware of Lila’s deep slumber.

Questions about Mel and Lila’s progression can be left for later, not when compared to Mel’s safety.

A steady gaze returned to the radiant Knight, her brown eyes locking onto Mel’s.

She put on her more sincere voice. "Mel. Are you sure you want to come along on this trip?"

Mel let out an amused hum. "Why not? This sounds fun."

Under the starlight, the Knight’s conflicted expression contrasted sharply with Mel’s relaxed gaze.

The Knight squinted a little before turning around. "Put on some clothes and follow me. We need to talk."

Mel blinked as the Knight opened the door and left, her silhouette darker and lonelier than Mel remembered.

She scratched her chin, wondering how she should approach this.

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Wearing a sleeveless pink pajama and shorts, Mel opened her room’s door to find Saria leaning at a distance on the wall.

Saria stood with arms crossed and unfocused eyes, the starlight softening the emptiness around her as if she were meditating, lost in deep thought.

So serious.

Mel grinned softly, a mix of teasing and warmth in her smile.

Closing the door, Mel inquired. "Better hurry up, Sis. My cuddle time with Lila was running out."

Saria took a deep breath, mulling over her words.

"Mel." Her eyes remained closed as she muttered. "Tell me honestly, have some creepy-looking Undeads kidnapped you into a place reminiscent of this?"

Mel glanced down the corridor where she and the Lich had their first playful spar.

Nodding, her expression gleamed. "Yep! They told me to join their cult or something. I think they’re all not right in the head!"

The Knight’s eyes snapped open, scowling. "Cult?"

"Yep, Cult!"

Clenching her jaw, Saria covered her trembling lips, her mind racing to find more answers.

Cult. The Witch Cult that the Saintess requested her to investigate during the Academy Earthquake Incident.

Then this is worse. Due to its secretive nature, only a few higher-ups, including the Saintess, all Archon rankers, and now she herself, are even aware of its existence.

"How much..." Saria stammered in a slight rage. "How much did they tell you?"

Mel tilted her head, as if confused. "They only tell me that if I don’t join them, I will regret it. Or something like that."

"This is serious, Mel. No jokes."

Saria nearly let out a tired chuckle as her gaze softened, taking in Mel’s ever-cheerful face, just as it had been the day they first met.

She remembered how Mel used to beg her to take her to the village, chasing after the idea of a ’destined one’, armed with every excuse in the book.

She even threatened to tell the orphans that Saria was padded. Ha. As if. She was a natural.

Her gaze lingered on Mel’s, the pink-haired, messy kid from their first day, overlapping with the more mature yet equally cheerful Mel.

With heavy steps, she began to close the distance. "You don’t have to hide things from me, Mel."

Which was why she had to interrogate her, for she was no longer a naive child.

"Please tell me."

Mel watched as Saria’s face towered over hers, a piercing glint crossing her brown eyes as she muttered. "What did the cult do to you?"

"Eh?"

Letting out a yelp, Mel shuddered under Saria’s gaze.

She has treated her journey in the Dream realm as mostly a joke, as her partner guaranteed her safety.

Frowning, Mel confessed. "I’m fine, Sister Saria. The Cult invited me, but they wouldn’t tell secrets so easily to a villager girl."

Mel tucked a lock of hair behind her ear and glanced down, awkwardness rising beneath the weight of Saria’s serious expression.

Perhaps it was her longing for her family back in the Old World, or maybe Saria’s concern hit deeper than she expected...

She looked up at the Knight’s strained face, noticing how tightly her cheeks were clenched.

With pure sincerity, devoid of any lust, she found herself tiptoeing forward...

And pressed her lips gently onto them.