The hunt for Heretics drew to a close with the High Priest’s escape.

This operation saw the Divine Court dismantle countless Heretic strongholds—a resounding success. Even the exacting Gregory could find no fault in Silphiel’s performance.

How could the old man complain when she’d captured so many Heretics with such ruthless efficiency?

As for the “wayward” Rodrika, Gregory—ever the magnanimous voice of the divine—chose forgiveness.

*Ah, His Holiness Pope Gregory values loyalty. How could he blame the child of a trusted aide? Especially after her crucial role in the Heretic purge—*

*—wasn’t this the perfect moment to showcase papal grace?*

*Besides, who’d see a woman with six months to live as a threat?*

Rodrika took her leave immediately after the Papal Hall meeting. Silphiel never learned where she went.

Silphiel received the Pope’s lavish praise, hailed as “the Divine Church’s answer, the pinnacle of holy servitude.” The words made even the Holy Maiden blush.

Naturally, Gregory was slightly displeased they hadn’t caught Shirley. But compared to crushing the Heretics in the Holy Capital, it hardly mattered.

Rewarded handsomely, the world’s beloved Holy Maiden simply smiled.

“Give it to those who need it.”

Her kindness inspired awe. An orphanage—funded and named by Silphiel—soon rose in the Holy Capital.

While the world praised her mercy, no one questioned why so many orphans existed…

As Silphiel polished her public image, time slipped by. Every thought of Gao Ying dragged her back to that “nightmare”—the underground cell, their skin-to-skin contact.

*Ugh. Total creep.*

But courting the Hero was Church doctrine. Silphiel had no choice. If nobles swayed him first, the old man would never forgive her.

*He must have trauma from his past life,* she reasoned. *That’s the key. Once he’s head-over-heels for me, I’ll squeeze him dry—*

*—of his usefulness!*

*Falling for him? Impossible. Who’d like such a boring, ordinary guy?*

So, while awaiting two “new companions,” Silphiel launched her next move. For days, she’d “teach” Gao Ying Divine Arts, visiting his quarters morning till night.

Constant proximity forced Gao Ying to wait until midnight—after she left—to make his own moves.

Lessons were worse. Silphiel engineered “accidental” touches, filling the air with pink, fantasy-filled bubbles.

They seemed closer, yet a faint distance lingered. Silphiel, a master of hearts, saw it clearly: Gao Ying subconsciously pushed her away.

*Me? Unlovable?* The thought stung. *No man resists this.*

She devised a plan—*the* plan no man refused.

That morning, Gao Ying returned from training. He opened his door to Silphiel’s voice:

“Welcome back, Master. Breakfast first? A bath? Or perhaps—”

Sunlight framed her. She wore a maid outfit—daringly short, not vulgar but teasingly innocent. That strip of bare thigh sparked endless imagination.

Lace-trimmed stockings hugged her legs, topped with a dainty bow. Her golden hair, usually flowing, was tied in playful, wavy twin tails that shimmered in the dawn.

This was no Holy Maiden.

Gao Ying froze, stunned. Silphiel smirked inwardly.

*Roleplay. Pure-yet-sexy maid. Can you handle it, man?*

Just as predicted, his face flushed crimson.

*Adorable.*

“…Excuse me. I need the restroom.”

He bowed sharply, bolting past her toward his room.

Rodrika, wiping sweat, frowned. “But Hero-sama just used the toilet before coming back?”

Silphiel sighed. *Boys will be boys.*

*No man resists a maid uniform. My holy robes were too… chaste.* She’d found his weakness. *Soon, you’ll be my loyal puppy.*

Then—a flash of that “nightmare.” The sheer size of him. The visceral memory.

*Slap!*

She slapped her own cheek. Rodrika choked on her water, coughing tears.

“Silphiel?! What’s wrong?”

“A mosquito,” Silphiel muttered, cheeks burning. She squeezed her thighs together, flustered.

“Mosquito?” Rodrika tilted her head. “It’s deep autumn. Where?”

Rodrika taught swordplay that morning—but only knew Holy Knighthood techniques. Soon, Gao Ying corrected *her* form. Teacher and student swapped roles.

Rodrika learned thrilling new moves! *Ahem—* techniques.

“No wonder he’s the Hero! A true sword genius!” she gushed. His unorthodox strikes amazed her. *Why never thought of that?*

Silphiel’s “lessons” were pure theater. Still in her maid outfit, she “taught” while radiating temptation. Gao Ying struggled to endure it.

Blushing, she whispered: “This… this special outfit? Only for you, Gao Ying. A one-time privilege…”

Last life, such tricks broke him. This time, he gritted his teeth, chanting inwardly:

*She’s a scheming woman! She’s a scheming woman!* Like a mantra shielding his heart.

The day passed in cheerful chaos—staged rom-com “accidents”:

Slipping on soap while cleaning, tumbling into each other’s arms before flustered separation.

“Accidental” naked encounters during baths.

Rodrika, ever the unwitting accomplice, “helped” her “destined lovers” at every turn.

Even Silphiel grew puzzled. Some moments exceeded her planned intimacy. *So many coincidences?*

*Does this guy have shonen manga protagonist luck?*

Night fell. Silphiel and Gao Ying sat on the balcony, sipping tea. She steered the conversation toward his past life, then—casually—to his “ideal woman.”

Gao Ying saw no reason to hide it. “I did like someone. Never met her face-to-face. But I know she’s kind, gentle… and beautiful.”

Silphiel’s chest tightened. “Her name?”

“Online alias: ‘Eastern Snow Lotus’—”

*Huh?!*