"Can you... assure me you won't spill this?" Lauri's brow was furrowed, her troubled expression provoking pity.
This made the knight and the three nuns present feel an irresistible urge to hug this little one, to alleviate her sadness.
The status of the Saintess within the Saint Church was lofty, and Hilda, as a holy templar knight, should have been her subordinate. How could she be causing such worry to the Saintess over her own whims?
"Your Highness, please don't worry about this matter, it was my imposition."
Other than the Angel of the Moon, Sariel, the most noble person in the entire Moon State was the Saintess, how could she allow her to reveal such an expression? This was entirely the fault of her, the knight!
Seeing the worry on the Saintess' face, Hilda was anxious, a feeling of regret was welling up inside, at this moment, she would agree to any demand just to see the Saintess no longer troubled.
Even... even if the Saintess was feeling lonely late at night, and wanted... her to accompany her to bed, Hilda would agree without any hesitation!
That was simply so fortunate... No! Hilda was absolutely not doing this for her own selfish desires, but for the Saintess and for the Saint Church, her own purity... didn't matter at all!
Indeed, it could be the honor of her life!
Fortunately, Lauri didn't know what the holy templar knight in front of her was thinking.
Being one of the eight guardian knights of the Moon State, known as Hilda the Moonshine, could have such thoughts.
Otherwise, she would certainly be shocked, and then impulsively... flee from this brilliant city!
"Your Highness, Your Highness, I promise I won't tell anyone, just tell me~"
At this time, a golden-haired girl sitting next to Lauri, with expectation and curiosity in her bright green eyes, was staring intently at the Saintess, her hands continually twisting together in front of her chest. If it were not for the rules of the temple that no one should touch the Saintess, she would have pounced on her already to ask her questions.
Lauri turned her eyes, the blonde with the green eyes in front of her was one of the three she had selected from among many nuns.
The three nuns she chose all came from pure families that could be traced back at least five generations in the brilliant city.
To select these three, Lauri had put in a lot of effort.
Nala's green eyes were like a river in spring, flowing lightly, as if they could speak. Lauri even thought that not saying anything might make her cry.
"Nala, how can you talk to the Saintess like that? Don’t you remember you’re a nun?"
Interrupting Nala was Lora, who used to be in charge of recording religious texts and copying Bibles, and was equally selected by Lauri.
With her orange, long straight hair and an air of unquestionable authority, she was always stern-faced, methodical, meticulous, cautious in her speech and respectful in her conduct; an ideal right hand in Lauri's eyes.
“When Her Highness wishes to speak, she will do so. Let's... not pressure her.”
The last to speak was Ella, sitting in the most inside of the carriage.
Blue-green, long curly hair, brows always filled with a hint of sadness but surprisingly talkative. She was very timid and had no opportunity to interact with the Saintess in her daily life. Her most common task was to tend to the gardens in the backyard of the temple.
Perhaps they were aware, perhaps not.
From the moment they were chosen, their destiny... had already changed.
Lauri spent an afternoon considering factors including character, behavior, family background, knowledge, among others, and eventually chose these three.
Nala was lively and curious, with a cute appearance, especially those 'bouncy~ bouncy~' perks, quite pleasant to the eyes.This is a competent lady-in-waiting, with a curious nature and a wide circle of friends, enjoying quite a bit of fame within the temple. Lora, who she carefully selected as a helpful companion, is appreciated for her meticulous and prudent personality. Such a person may not be suitable as a leader, but definitely serves well as a capable administrator. Then there's Ella, a timid girl yet with keen sensitivity, who often spots things others fail to see. The last and unspoken reason is...all these girls are young and beautiful. Although Nala insists that she would keep the secrets, she knows it would be impossible. However, that's exactly what she desired. When these words are spoken by them instead of herself, the Saintess, they sound more authentic. It's just human nature, the more clandestine it is, the more widely it spreads, especially when it contains mystery. As the spread multiplies, the stories about her would be perfected by word of mouth. It's like a relay-novel, she started it off, and the rest is to be written by those who spread it. After feigning worry for a while, she relaxed and began her tale, "The truth is… I heard a voice." "A voice?!" Nala, the lively and adorable girl, covered her mouth in astonishment, while flashes of excitement bloomed in her green eyes. Lora quietly kept her head down, unresponsive. Ella folded her hands in a prayer, devoutly with her eyes closed. The pony-tailed knight, however, had a fiery gaze that seemed capable of burning a hole through someone. Most people would probably dismiss such talk, yet the three nuns and the knight were all die-hard 'angel' fans, even an incredible lie appeared truer than pure gold in their eyes, their gazes blazing in fanaticism. They seemed ready to hurl themselves at her at any moment. Lauri did not interrupt their imaginations but continued to flip through her book, "Hero's Legend". She knew her words would be constantly magnified, appearing ever realer to the public. This was nothing but beneficial for her future plans. "Mission accomplished!" Lauri lifted the carriage curtain, they were out of the city. However, the road outside the city was bumpy. It made a certain part of her body ache. As a Saintess, her body had been bathed with holy water, her skin soft and tender as a baby's. The pain was unbearable for Lauri. Each thought of being forced to leave the elegant, comfortable temple infuriated her. “Just you wait!” she muttered.
