Don’t expect Morse to show any mercy. In his madness, he may have cast aside every last feeling and become a heartless demon.

It was getting late. After giving Sherry a few instructions, Ackerman put on his coat and left the church offices with her.

Not long after they parted, Sherry ran into the guards she’d earlier tricked into going after Carlisle.

They walked along, grumbling and cursing, their resentment plain to see. There were no prisoners in chains with them, so the arrest attempt must have ended in failure.

Sherry knew that a handful of guards would have a hard time catching Carlisle, so she wasn’t especially disappointed.

Or rather, her expectations had been low from the start. Her real goal was simply to let people know that Carlisle was a bastard who’d taken the Saintess hostage.

It didn’t matter if they failed to catch him. Once word spread that he’d taken the Saintess hostage, it was bound to ignite the people of Ayideen’s fury. No matter how strong he was, he wouldn’t escape the Church’s judgment!

For now, she’d just confirm the details with the guards.

Sherry straightened her wind-tousled robes, then casually drifted toward the guards.

“Lady Liya!” When they saw her, the guards looked up, a flicker of joy in their eyes.

“You’ve worked hard.” She gave them a warm, springlike smile. Her voice seemed to cast some strange spell, banishing their weariness in an instant.

The captain stepped forward and let out a breath. “It was no trouble, Lady Liya. We’re just glad you’re safe.”

“Hm? Is something wrong?” Sherry tilted her head, pretending not to understand what he meant.

The captain explained, “We heard earlier that a wanted criminal had taken you hostage. We were worried, so we rushed over to your residence, but…”

He hesitated, as if what came next were embarrassing. After scratching his head, he fell silent.

“But what?” Sherry pressed him. This was exactly what she wanted to hear.

The captain chose to stay quiet, but the guards behind him didn’t.

“There was nothing there. Not only did that little girl trick us, but we also got chewed out by a priest for barging into your private residence, and they docked several days’ pay. If someone hadn’t really reported that you’d been taken hostage, we’d probably be chained up in the Inquisition right now.” One of the guards explained, earning a glare from the captain.

“You were tricked?”

“That’s right. The girl said a wanted criminal had taken you hostage and was hiding in your residence. But when we got there, we couldn’t find him—and then we learned you were in the archbishop’s office…” The captain paused again. A sharp glint entered his eyes. “Making a false report is a crime. That little girl is a wanted criminal now, too. I’m sure her time under the Inquisition’s care will become the most unforgettable memory of her life.”

“…Oh, I see.” For some reason, Sherry didn’t feel like saying anything.

Carlisle had probably spotted the guards coming and left her residence before they arrived, slipping past their search.

She’d underestimated a Knight of the Round Table. Next time, she’d have to be more careful.

Still, how could these useless guards make her a wanted criminal just because they hadn’t seen Carlisle themselves?!

“I’ll ask the priest to cancel your punishment. Those who put themselves at risk to protect me shouldn’t be treated like this.” No matter how annoyed she was inside, she still had to be gentle and considerate on the surface, to maintain Saintess Liya’s persona.

“What? Thank you, Lady Liya!”

“Oh, my pay! My pay! Praise the Saintess!”

“Lady Liya… you’re so kind.”

Leaving the guards behind as they continued praising the Saintess, Sherry returned home.

Creeeak—

The center of the front door was dented, as if it had taken a heavy blow. It swung open with a push; there was no need for a key.

“…” Now she understood how Carlisle had escaped. The foolish guards had forced their way in!

With a racket like that, of course Carlisle had bolted!

She peered inside. Apart from the front door, the rest of the house seemed undamaged.

A full bottle of green potion still sat on the table in front of the sofa. Carlisle hadn’t drunk it before leaving. Dirty footprints from the guards’ search trailed all the way to the second floor. Sherry’s face fell, and her arms began to ache for some reason.

Even with magic to help, cleaning was a real pain.

To make it easier to keep her identity as a Witch hidden, she’d dismissed all the maids and guards while serving as the Church’s Saintess. In a house this big, she’d always done all the cleaning herself.

Damn you, Carlisle!

She added this grudge to the list of things she held against him.

The guards’ footprints faded away before they reached her bedroom. They must have known it was a private space and chosen not to search it.

Truthfully, she wouldn’t have minded if they’d searched her bedroom. Apart from a few items of women’s clothing, there was nothing especially private in there.

After being a girl for so long, she’d developed a little modesty about things like underwear—but only a little.

There was a bathroom at the end of the second floor. Sherry pushed open the door and went inside. She wanted a bath right now. Even though half a day had passed, the places where the tentacle monster had wrapped around her still felt sticky.

It was disgusting.

The battle had also left her face looking a little dusty up close, like a pearl covered in grime.

In the bathroom, she took off her white church robes and underclothes, turned on the shower, and stepped beneath it.

As the water droplets fell upon her delicate skin, Sherry felt the fatigue in her body follow the trail of the flowing water from the top of her head all the way down, passing over two crimson peaks and a deep valley, sliding along her sensitive inner thighs to the floor, and finally vanishing.

Once she’d washed, she took a bath towel from the bathroom and wrapped it around herself.

Her not-quite-dry silver hair cascaded down her swan-like neck, shedding crystalline droplets that lingered for a moment on the girl's delicate collarbone before suddenly slipping into the dark valley of her cleavage, drawing a soft, breathy sigh.

A full-length mirror stood quietly in the corner of her bedroom. At the end of every day, she always went over to it to admire her appearance.

There was no other reason. She was simply beautiful.

Her reflection in the mirror, with just a faint smile, was enough to make any lecherous man fall at her feet. The white towel traced out a seductive curve around her proud bosom and round hips, blending sanctity with a hint of sensuality. She was like a succubus adept at arousing men's primal desires, exuding endless allure in every gesture.

She took off the towel, her fair, supple skin fully exposed to the air, and she couldn't help but give herself a few pinches.

“Huh, I think I look a little different… But I feel great.”

“Hehe~”

Putting aside all of the day’s troubles for a while, she hummed as she walked over to the wardrobe.

Even the Church’s Saintess got days off. On those days, she didn’t have to wear her white robes.

So she had plenty of cute dresses.

But it was nighttime now. All she needed was a nightdress.

Whoosh—

When she opened the wardrobe, she didn’t find a colorful collection of dresses. Instead, a young man was curled up in the corner.

The sight was so unbelievable that the two stared at each other in silence for a moment.

Then a bright red drop of blood slipped from the young man’s nose. His lips trembled as he spoke:

“That’s… quite something.”