After the little brat said that, he stopped doing anything to her body, which let Leticia quietly breathe a little easier without even realizing it.

At least she wouldn’t have to embarrass herself because of some uncontrollable factor. Not for now, anyway.

Knowing his child might get the chance to enter the church and draw closer to the glory of the Lord put John in an excellent mood. His face, already showing his age, even seemed to grow a little younger.

“Child, get some rest. It’s late.”

Now that he no longer had to work in the mines near the village after nightfall, John usually went to bed early to save his strength for the next day.

Leticia still wasn’t used to it. She’d been a night owl, usually staying up until around midnight before going to sleep. Now, she was expected to turn in a little after eight.

“I know, Uncle. You get some rest too, and don’t get sick again, okay?”

“You little rascal,”

John said with an amused scold. “Always saying the strangest things. Your uncle’s in excellent health! Now, go to sleep.”

After watching Leticia settle down, John snuffed out the little, lopsided candle and lay down in bed too.

For a while, he couldn’t fall asleep. He thought of Leticia’s parents, two ordinary, simple farmers who’d died in an epidemic brought by a Witch. It had almost taken their child too.

Still, the Lord had watched over the child. She’d survived and continued to grow strong. She might even get the chance to serve the Lord.

“Big Brother, Sister-in-law, can you see? Your child’s made something of herself...”

At the same time, Leticia was having trouble sleeping too.

“That damn brat... How does he control my body...?”

Leticia was still hung up on the completely unscientific nature of it all. She could accept that supernatural powers existed—in fact, she was a little fascinated by them—but this was absolutely not the kind of power she wanted if it could lead to hentai-level developments!

And it didn’t even seem to be her power!

“Still, he seems pretty well-behaved for now...”

Leticia silently weighed her options. “He seems like the kind of kid who’s well-educated and knows a lot about this world. Maybe I can find a chance to build a rapport with him and get some information out of him...”

Her mind was crowded with thoughts. With all those worries on her mind, she listened to the occasional sounds outside the window and gradually drifted off to sleep.

......

Elsewhere, at the same time...

Stano Bansen was in a somewhat bad mood.

After dinner, he said a few words to his family, abandoned his personal maid, and ran off.

“What’s wrong with my little brother today?”

A curvy young woman sitting at the dining table asked.

She had naturally curly blond hair and wore elegant, luxurious clothes. Beneath her skirt, tall leather boots accentuated her long, beautiful legs. They were a source of pride for her: at Balls, her graceful dancing and lovely figure always drew the eyes of many gentlemen.

She was Rose Bansen, the eldest daughter of the Benson Family. Before long, she would marry the son of a family of equal standing.

“He doesn’t seem to be in a good mood. Did someone upset him? Blake, do you know?”

Mrs. Bansen shook her head and looked toward the one person who might know the answer.

“No, Mom. I’m not sure.”

Blake Bansen was the youngest son of the Benson Family. The next generation of the family consisted of the eldest daughter, the eldest son, and the second son. His skin was much fairer than his older brother’s, and his pale blue eyes were clear. His short blond hair lay softly against his head. “My brother didn’t come to see me today, either. I wasn’t with him.”

“That’s strange...”

Mrs. Bansen thought it over. “Maybe I should go check on him in a bit? Darling, or would you rather go?”

“I don’t think that’s necessary.”

Bansen was a strongly built middle-aged man with a crew cut and a resolute expression. Wherever he was, he seemed to be on a battlefield. “Stano’s a decisive child. If he’s run into trouble he can’t handle, or something’s weighing on his mind, I think he’ll come to us himself.”

“You’re right~”

Mrs. Bansen was a beauty who took excellent care of herself. She still had a girl’s innocent, coquettish air about her. “Still, Stano hasn’t come to me for a heart-to-heart in ages. It makes me sad. He used to love clinging to me...”

“Mom, we’re not little kids anymore...”

Blake said timidly.

So, what was Stano doing while his family chatted and laughed?

He was throwing pillows around his room, bouncing wildly on the bed as he muttered, “What’s going on? Why can’t I see it anymore?”

The connection had been severed.

After dinner, Stano realized he could no longer see the scenes glimpsed by the “little girl whose name he didn’t know” that often flashed before his eyes. He couldn’t hear that faint voice anymore, either.

He’d also tried to make the little girl’s body move, but, sure enough, he’d gotten a failure response.

The inexplicable connection he’d formed with that little girl had been cut off.

“Was it that country bumpkin from the village?”

Stano suspected Leticia had cut the connection herself. “No, she seemed just as confused as I was about what happened between us. It probably wasn’t her...”

As far as Stano was concerned, this definitely wasn’t the work of some evil force. The things the scriptures said Demon Maids, Witches, and Sorceresses did to seduce humans into depravity were never this...

childish and fun.

He’d rather believe it was a prank from God—a revelation from the Lord.

But now that he couldn’t feel the connection anymore, Stano was getting a little irritable.

“Does this mean I won’t have such a fun toy anymore?”

Well, this kid might be one of the good guys, but his moral compass seems a little crooked...

If Leticia knew what he was thinking, she’d probably do whatever it took to break that connection.

“Tch... Boring!”

He jumped out the window and ran into his family’s garden, where he found a quiet little corner and lay down.

The starry sky was beautiful. Countless points of light glittered against the clear, deep blue darkness, forming the most beautiful night sky.

They said the night used to be dangerous. The Lord drove back the evil spirits and Sorceresses, allowing His people to see the still, beautiful night sky and sleep soundly beneath the stars.

“Sigh...”

Stano gave a soft sigh, closed his eyes, and fell asleep without a care.

Someone would find him soon enough and carry him back to his room anyway.