Volume 3, Chapter 3-1 – Where Is the Real Pale Daughter?

Stella was somewhat astonished.

She did not even need to raise her hand.

With just a thought, a single impulse flashing through her mind, the shadow beneath her feet instantly stretched and spread, forming a barrier in front of her.

That previous strike should theoretically have been enough to dent plate armor, yet it had been completely stopped the moment it touched that thin curtain of darkness.

She had no idea what principle lay behind it.

It was probably the new talent Mia’s essence had given her.

But as the name Lord of Blood suggested, wasn’t her ability supposed to be blood manipulation?

Stella had never heard of Mia moonlighting as a shadow magician before.

‘Could this be an effect produced after it fused with the Holy Light inside me?’

She wondered what kind of effect it would produce if used together with bloodflame.

“Hah… hah…”

The girl’s panting interrupted Stella’s thoughts.

Lainia gripped the greatsword with both hands, its tip dragging a deep groove across the ground.

Sweat dripped from her chin.

From Lainia’s perspective, the silver-haired girl standing beneath shadows filled with countless eyeballs and sharp teeth was, without a doubt, Stella’s true form, the Lord’s great enemy.

Closer to darkness than even the legendary Queen of Eternal Night, more despair-inducing than the Abyss itself.

Lainia’s fighting spirit gradually withered before Stella.

But…

“It’s not over yet!”

“Haaah—!”

Lainia roared and swung her sword again.

Clang.

When the greatsword collided with the shadow, it actually produced the crisp ring of metal striking metal.

Another slash.

Clang.

Every one of Lainia’s attacks was precisely blocked. The eyes growing from the shadows even seemed to carry a hint of mockery as they turned along with the trajectory of her blade.

Meanwhile, Lainia was panting heavily.

Clearly, her stamina was nearly exhausted. Even with the blessing of the Heart of Holy Light, she could not sustain such intense exertion for long.

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Stella watched her sway unsteadily and sighed.

From what she had observed, the shadow possessed extremely high physical resistance and could even rebound force.

But Stella’s intuition told her that the shadow’s power did not exist merely to serve as a shield. It seemed to possess some truly unusual ability as well.

In any case, she should make Lainia calm down first.

At a thought from Stella, the black shadow beneath her feet instantly broke apart, transforming into more than a dozen thick tentacles that rapidly slithered across the ground.

Lainia swung her sword and severed two of them. No blood flowed from the cut ends. The black shadows simply scattered before immediately gathering back together.

More tentacles slipped through the gaps in her sword net and slowly wrapped around her ankles.

Then her vision spun.

Lainia was hoisted upside down into the air, her entire body swung around like a rag doll.

Bang!

The ground trembled.

Bang!

Bang!

Once to the left, once to the right.

The already crumbling stone floor of the training ground was now completely ruined beyond repair.

After slamming her down three times, Stella finally released her.

Lainia lay spread-eagled among the shattered stones. She kept her eyes closed and breathed softly.

“I lost…” Lainia murmured.

Losing really did feel awful…

But no matter how hard she tried, being unable to return to her homeland was what hurt the most…

She knew perfectly well that what she had been doing was madness, yet she simply could not suppress that self-destructive frenzy.

Because she was a defeated slave. Whether in practical terms or in spirit, she was an utter and complete failure.

Even more pathetic was the fact that she had always pretended she could accept this kind of defeat and endless torment.

She buried her troubles deep within her heart, desperately concealed her melancholy and sensitivity, and disguised herself behind a facade of mindless, foolish fanaticism, molding herself into some eccentric who knew nothing but so-called trials.

But…

If she had no faith, then what else could sustain her while living among a group of demons?

Lainia understood everything. The so-called trials were really nothing more than an act of self-deception, but she had always been uneasy. That unease turned her into an idiot, made her humiliate herself, and drove her to do one foolish thing after another.

Because all around her were succubi eyeing her like prey.

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For more than a month, during the days Stella had been away, those indifferent, contemptuous, fearful, lecherous, and cruel gazes had repeatedly faded away, only to surge back the instant something provoked them, leaving her no room for wishful thinking.

The way every demon looked at a slave was like a sword severing every connection she had with her homeland, her traditions, her clan, and her circle of friends. Her dignity was there for anyone to trample on. She could only rely on her own quick wits to dodge it, yet she could never evade it forever.

Lainia desperately missed her homeland.

She remembered the strength of the kapok trees and coconut palms of her homeland, their roots sunk firmly into the earth. She remembered the dark blue-black ridge of the church piercing the vault of the sky. She remembered the wall clock, the dining table, the Book of Holy Words and the mirror, the bookshelves and oil paintings…

She wanted to set out on the journey home, yet she could not rise to her feet and could not begin that journey. Nor could she simply dig herself a grave among the fallen leaves.

She did not know what to do.

All she could do was cry.

Binge eating and setting up the challenge arena had merely been attempts to borrow the hands of demons to bring all the pain and torment she had endured thus far to an early end.

She had asked the Lord why she was so utterly alone, yet she had never received an answer. Even the Saintess who alone had sustained her and existed within her dreams seemed to have vanished without a trace.

The more Lainia thought about it, the more she wanted to cry.

And that was exactly what she did.

“Hic… Hic…”

She sat on the ground, immersed in her own world, and burst into loud sobs as though she meant to vent all the grievances, hurt, and unwillingness she had accumulated until now through her tears.

“…Why did she suddenly start crying when everything was fine?”

Stella blinked in confusion.

She watched tears slide down Lainia’s cheeks, spreading like drops of ink falling onto damp drawing paper.

‘I couldn’t have beaten her into tears, could I?’

‘Is this some kind of scam?’

Lainia had clearly swung a door-sized greatsword at her without saying a word.

She had only acted in self-defense.

Crying just because she lost. The psychological resilience of this generation of nuns was seriously lacking.

Stella sighed.

Even if Lainia had brought it upon herself, seeing her dirty face streaked with tears made it only proper to offer a little comfort.

Stella had never been able to withstand someone crying like a child. Her heart gradually softened.

After all, on the surface, Lainia was still her property.

Stella lifted the hem of her skirt and crouched down in front of Lainia.

“Stop crying.”

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“Where does it hurt? Did you break a bone? Rupture an organ?”

“Alright…” Stella gently rubbed Lainia’s dust-covered hair. “You only lost once. What’s the big deal? Just try harder next time.”

“Uu…”

Then, all of a sudden, Lainia wrapped her arms tightly around Stella and refused to let go.

She buried her tear-streaked face in the hollow of Stella’s neck, her slightly trembling strands of hair spilling over Stella’s shoulder as her tears poured like rain.

“AaaaaaAaahh…!!”

She cried even harder.

It was as though she wanted to pour out every grievance, every fear, and every bit of loneliness she had endured over the past month.

“…”

Stella held both hands up, utterly bewildered.

‘No, why are you crying even harder now?’

She tried to push her away, but Lainia was clinging to her with all her strength.

There was nothing she could do.

Stella helplessly lowered her hands and gently patted the girl’s trembling back.

No matter what had happened, she should be more accepting of her subordinates, Stella thought.

She should understand how Lainia felt and hold her tightly.

Even if it was only for a brief moment, giving her a little sense of security would be enough.

“There, there. Good girl.”

Stella patted her back intermittently, just as she would when comforting Dorothy.

Although she was a silly little troublemaker, when she cried…

She was still an adorable child.

Lainia’s crying gradually softened into quiet sobs.

She could no longer remember the last time someone had embraced her.

Even if it was her “Master” Stella, Lainia could imagine just how reassuring it would feel to have those hands resting on her shoulders, how cherished it would make her feel.

All she needed was a hug. Even a sincere handshake would have been enough. Whenever she thought about it, her heart would tremble.

“Have you cried enough?” Stella noticed that Lainia had stopped trembling and released her, meeting her eyes. “Now you’ll come back with me, right?”

Lainia opened her tear-blurred eyes and met Stella’s gaze.

She found Stella’s eyes even more alluring than before, revealing the kindest concern and the sweetest pity.

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All along, the eyes of Stella, the Lord’s great enemy, had possessed different depths. Sometimes, they truly were very shallow.

Like now.

Lainia could gaze straight into the deepest part of Stella’s heart.

There was grace and concern.

Grace and concern that came from…

Her “Master.”

Why couldn’t she prostrate herself at Stella’s feet?

Why couldn’t she press hundreds and thousands of kisses upon Stella’s neck in exchange for protection?

Because Stella was the heir of Valentine, a future Elector.

As long as Stella did not allow her to die, there was nothing in the Abyss that could hurt her.

And she herself could be weak. She could cry. No demon could hurt her.

As long as…

As long as she sincerely became Stella’s maid.

Stella would offer her a collar and grant her a bone.

A pet had no autonomy. Its happiness depended entirely on the gifts of its master.

Only by finding a way to earn its master’s favor could its survival and happiness be guaranteed.

‘Lord, please forgive me…’

Lainia took Stella’s hand and placed it against her chest.

“As you wish… Master.”

Such a warm hand.

‘Exactly the same as the Saintess’…’

Translator Note

I swear I should put a drama genre for this novel…! Hwaaaaaa!

Lainia feels so lonely!! Hwaaaa!