After leaving Ackerman’s office, Sherry needed to find out where the basement was.

Ackerman would probably cause a commotion in about a day. Before then, she had to learn everything she could about the guards around the basement and how they were deployed. To be safe, she’d already decided to turn into a Witch before entering the basement.

The Church’s interior was a maze. Anyone new to the place could easily get lost without someone to guide them. But Sherry had lived here for over a decade. She was sure she could find her way with her eyes closed.

The Church’s corridors and many of its rooms were lined with monstrous statues about five meters tall. Sherry wasn’t sure who they depicted, but Pope Morse had told her they were ancient gods recorded in the Codex of Curses.

Sometimes, she imagined the Church would build a statue of her one day, with these words carved into its base: The Kindest Saintess in the World, Liya.

The Church’s faithful would come to admire the statue and drop to their knees in droves. The Saintesses of future generations would have to follow her example, too.

“Hehe~”

Whenever she had these fantasies, she couldn’t help humming a tune.

Life was hard enough. You had to find a little something to enjoy, or you’d end up stifling yourself.

She crossed the brightly lit corridor. The room on her left was a shortcut to the outside of the church. The door, which she remembered being shut tight, was inexplicably wide open. Light from the corridor chased the darkness from the room, and the deep-red carpet and medium-gray walls gave it a solemn air.

One of the priests had probably forgotten to close the door.

Without giving it much thought, Sherry walked inside, humming.

But danger erupted in an instant!

A black figure she hadn’t noticed dropped hard from the ceiling, landing right on top of her and knocking her flat onto the floor.

A powerful grip seized her right wrist. Sherry’s heart clenched. A purple spell flashed in her left palm, then blasted toward the shadow straddling her.

But her opponent was faster!

Before she could make out what the shadow had done, it had seized her left wrist too, and her spell fizzled out. The shadow pinned both her wrists together with one hand.

With his free hand, he covered the girl’s mouth.

Sherry struggled wildly, but under the pressure of his hands, she was utterly helpless. The difference in their strength let him subdue her with ease.

“Don’t move. I won’t hurt you.”

A somewhat familiar voice sounded in her ear. Only then did the panicked Sherry stop struggling and get a good look at the shadow.

That only made her panic more.

It was Carlisle!

She struggled even harder, trying to wriggle out from under Carlisle. But the boy looked so light that he could’ve floated away, and yet with him sitting on top of her, he felt like a mountain. She couldn’t move at all.

It was over. How had this guy found her so fast? He’d even figured out she was the Saintess!

She hadn’t even had time to pawn his ring for cash yet!

When she realized she couldn’t break free, she gave up struggling and decided to confess right away.

This was the first time she’d ever been caught red-handed.

If she acted contrite and gave him back the ring, then even if he decided to pursue the matter of the necklace that had disappeared, her punishment would be much lighter than it otherwise could’ve been!

It all sounded wonderful in theory, but when she opened her mouth…

“Mmph! Mmmph!”

Carlisle’s hand clamped tightly over her mouth, stopping her from making a sound.

Riiip—

Maybe the fabric had been stretched too tight to begin with. After holding up for so long, Carlisle’s pants suddenly split open, leaving a huge hole.

The way they were positioned made it look as though a strangely dressed delinquent was assaulting a beautiful girl. He’d restrained her, ripped open his pants, and was getting ready for the next step.

“Mmmph! Mmmph!!” Sherry started struggling again.

But then, as if she’d thought of something, she quickly went still. A hint of mockery crept into her gaze as she looked at Carlisle.

Carlisle assumed that mocking look had been his imagination. He leaned closer to the girl’s forehead, signaling for her to quiet down.

“Shh! Don’t make a sound. I just want to ask you a few questions. Then I’ll let you go!”

His words startled Sherry. The information they revealed sent her mind racing.

So he hadn’t figured out who she really was after all! Otherwise, he’d never be so quick to let her go!

A sudden flash of inspiration gave her an idea.

“Have you seen a pink-haired girl who’s really annoying? She’s… about your height.” As the girl beneath him blinked back tears, Carlisle’s expression visibly softened.

Anyone would feel guilty about bullying an innocent, helpless girl.

Really annoying? Who’re you calling annoying, jerk!

If Sherry could move, she’d use the Witch’s curse she’d only recently learned behind his back. She’d curse him so that whatever he wore would rip—and so that people would always catch him in the act!

But while her thoughts were full of vicious curses, in reality she only shook her head pitifully, showing that she’d never seen a pink-haired girl.

“Huh, you haven’t?” Carlisle frowned and summoned a spirit butterfly, its wings fluttering. He murmured, “It lost its sense of direction as soon as we entered the church. Could it be…”

“Are there any pink-haired girls in your Church?” he asked again.

Maybe the faint fragrance lingering throughout the church had thrown the spirit butterfly off. And since the Witch could move freely around the church, she was probably part of the Church. That was why he’d asked the nun in front of him.

Sherry didn’t know all the nuns in the Church, and she had no idea whether there was a pink-haired girl among them. Just as she was about to shake her head and answer Carlisle, clear footsteps sounded in the corridor outside.

Someone was coming this way!

“Mmmph! Mmmph!” Her eyes lit up. She quickly tried to call out again, hoping the person outside would hear her cries for help.

Carlisle heard the footsteps too. He hurriedly glanced at the table nearby, grabbed the girl’s hands, and rolled under it with her.

A ring of purple, flame-shaped runes curled around Sherry’s neck, cutting off her cries.

There was hardly any room beneath the table, and Carlisle was almost pressed against Sherry’s slender body. To avoid facing her, he turned his head, letting it rest near her shoulder.

In the scramble, the hand that had been covering her mouth seemed to have landed on the girl’s stomach. His palm felt the smoothness of thin gauze and an unusual softness beneath it. Without thinking, he gave a little squeeze. The girl beneath him shuddered all over, her slightly bent, slender legs pressing between his.

He felt nothing. His body simply wouldn’t respond to instinct.

“Huh? Is someone in here?” The nun outside seemed to have heard Sherry’s cries for help. She stepped into the room and looked around.

“That’s strange. Was it my imagination?”