The clock tower—
“This is... the clock tower?”
Despite the heavy rain, Lin Ling looked at her somewhat familiar surroundings and recognized this place—Cecil's favorite clock tower.
【Could it be that My Lady Demon King is going to hang Miss Saintess from this clock tower just to stop her from running around in the rain?!】
【I don't want that to happen!】
Watching the bell draw closer and closer, Lin Ling closed her eyes.
However, the next thing she felt was her feet touching the ground.
“Eh?”
Feeling herself being set down, Lin Ling opened her eyes and found herself standing inside a pavilion in the middle of the rain.
“I didn't know there was such a wonderful place atop the clock tower!”
Rainwater cascaded continuously from the pavilion's upturned eaves, forming a hazy curtain of water all around them.
A cool breeze, carrying the scent of damp earth after the rain, drifted into the pavilion. It gently lifted the hem of Lin Ling's pale white gown, sending a few strands of her platinum blonde hair fluttering in the wind.
Raindrops fell upon the flowers blooming outside the pavilion. Translucent water droplets slid slowly down the petals, sparkling under the soft glow of the magic crystal lamps.
“I knew it! The Demon King's Castle really is a shifting labyrinth! Otherwise, there's no way Miss Saintess wouldn't have discovered this place.”
As she spoke, Lin Ling nodded in satisfaction with her own deduction.
“This place only appears on rainy days. It's where the generations of the Four Heavenly Kings gather.”
Seeing that Lin Ling had already begun fantasizing about the Demon King's Castle being a labyrinth, Ivelia spoke up to explain.
“So that's how it is~ No wonder there are four seats here.”
Even though this was a gathering place for the Four Heavenly Kings of past generations, Lin Ling could easily picture Phelan and the other three fooling around here.
At the thought of this, a smile graced Lin Ling's face.
“Is this also the reason why My Lady Demon King likes to hang them from the clock tower?”
Lin Ling stood by the table, clasping her hands behind her back as she turned to look at Ivelia. Her face wore a curious expression, though there was a hint of schadenfreude mixed in.
“No.”
This time, Ivelia avoided direct eye contact with Lin Ling, choosing to turn her head aside instead.
“Really?”
“My Lady Demon King doesn't even dare to look at me.”
Seeing Ivelia turn her head away, Lin Ling immediately shifted her position to follow the direction of Ivelia's gaze.
“My Lady Demon King is blushing a little.”
“Did Miss Saintess hit the nail on the head?”
“No.”
Ivelia turned her head again, even turning her entire body away this time.
“You are, you are! My Lady Demon King, you don't even dare to look Miss Saintess in the eye right now.”
Seeing Lin Ling persistently trying to lock eyes with her, Ivelia simply closed her eyes.
“My Lady Demon King doesn't even dare to open her eyes now.”
Hearing the voice so close by, Ivelia opened her eyes, only to find that Lin Ling was less than half a foot away from her.
All she needed to do was take one small step forward, and she would be able to kiss this playfully grinning Miss Saintess.
“Look, My Lady Demon King is actually blushing! A grand success for Miss Saintess!”
Lin Ling had absolutely no realization as to why Ivelia was actually blushing.
“It seems Miss Saintess has indeed discovered some of my little secrets.”
Before Lin Ling could even celebrate getting Ivelia to admit her reasons for hanging the Four Heavenly Kings here...
“Look...”
In the next moment, amidst the distinct chill of the rain, Lin Ling felt a sudden warmth.
“Whoa!”
Ivelia pulled the Miss Saintess, who kept pushing the boundaries of her restraint, straight into her arms.
“Look at what?”
“Right now, I only see a Saintess who keeps provoking the Demon King.”
Feeling Lin Ling squirming and trying to push her away, the corners of Ivelia's lips curled upward.
Realizing she couldn't break free from the Demon King's embrace at all, Lin Ling had no choice but to give up.
【If only Miss Saintess had chosen Strength back then, things would definitely be different now!】
Seeing that Lin Ling had stopped struggling, Ivelia chose to release her. If she pushed her too far, Miss Saintess might just teleport away from her in the next second.
“Phew~ Saved at last.”
Seeing Ivelia let her go, Lin Ling hastily took a few steps back.
But for every step she retreated, Ivelia took a step forward, causing the two of them to circle around each other inside the pavilion.
With every step Lin Ling took back, her heels made a soft tap against the stone floor.
Ivelia maintained an unhurried pace throughout, as if chasing her, yet also deliberately matching Lin Ling's rhythm.
The hems of their gowns fluttered gently as they spun, occasionally brushing against each other whenever they drew too close.
Combined with the rain outside, from a distance, they looked like two noble young ladies in formal banquet gowns dancing together in a pavilion.
However, after only a few turns, Miss Saintess's lack of stamina began to show.
“W-Wait a minute.”
Lin Ling panted, holding up a hand to stop Ivelia from coming any closer.
“Does Miss Saintess not plan to continue our dance?”
Ivelia looked at the panting Lin Ling, the amusement in her eyes never fading.
Lin Ling hurriedly waved her hands at Ivelia.
“I can't go on. Miss Saintess's stamina doesn't support such vigorous exercise! Miss Saintess's legs are officially on strike.”
Watching Lin Ling wave her hands in front of her...
“Then, is Miss Saintess, who is now reaching out to the Demon King, seeking assistance?”
“Wait? What do you mean?”
In the next instant, Ivelia showed Lin Ling exactly what she meant through her actions.
In a flash, Ivelia appeared behind Lin Ling and scooped up the exhausted Miss Saintess once more.
“Waving your hands like that... wasn't it to tell me that Miss Saintess currently needs a mode of transportation that doesn't consume her own stamina?”
【How can My Lady Demon King say such things with a completely straight face?!】
【Did Miss Saintess's hand-waving look like some kind of seduction?!】
But Ivelia was already moving.
“My Lady Demon King, what are we going to do now?”
There shouldn't be much they could do inside a pavilion in the middle of the rain, right?
Lin Ling was somewhat puzzled.
“Nowhere, and nothing.”
Ivelia answered Lin Ling's question while setting her down along the edge of the pavilion.
“Look down there.”
At Ivelia's prompting, Lin Ling looked down from the pavilion.
The entire Demon King's Castle in the rain was laid out before her eyes.
Water accumulating on the roofs cascaded down the eaves, sending ripples across the streets below.
Magic crystal lamps flickered through the curtain of rain.
The crops in the fields were being washed by the rain, growing vigorously.
The Holy Light Stasis emitted a faint glow across the land, making everything look incredibly beautiful.
This scenery was reflected in Lin Ling's eyes, accompanied by the steady, gentle rain falling around the pavilion.
It even put a damper on Lin Ling's usual rambunctiousness.
She simply gazed at the scenery of the Demon King's Castle below, as raindrops pattered against the pavilion's roof in a soft, rhythmic cadence.
Lin Ling rested her hands gently on the railing.
Allowing the cool breeze of the rain to brush softly against her cheeks.
“Do you like this view?”
Ivelia gazed at the now quiet Miss Saintess before her.
The quiet Lin Ling, coupled with her pale white gown, exuded an aura that was incredibly cool and elegant, almost carrying a hint of fragility.
Looking at Lin Ling like this, Ivelia felt as though a binding spell had been cast upon her, rendering her completely unable to move.
“Of course I do! I think everyone would love the Demon King's Castle when it looks like this.”
Lin Ling smiled. The Demon King's Castle in the rain indeed possessed a unique charm.
Yet when she smiled, Ivelia's mind went completely blank, no longer hearing her response.
【My heart is beating so fast...】
As she thought this, Lin Ling suddenly felt a source of warmth wrap around her from behind.
“Just let me hold you like this for a while, Lin Ling.”
Ivelia's voice came from behind. Unlike her usual rational, cool tone, it carried an unprecedented tenderness, and one could even detect a faint note of pleading in the Demon King's words.
Feeling the warmth of the Demon King behind her, Lin Ling reached her hand out into the rain outside the pavilion, letting the cold drops splash against her palm.
“It's very warm, Ivelia.”
Her eyes still reflected the scenery of the Demon King's Castle, but a look of fondness for this somewhat willful Demon King now softened her gaze.
Hearing Lin Ling's words, Ivelia tightened her embrace, as if wishing she could reduce the distance between them to less than zero.
“Leya-chan, that's a bit too tight.”
“Don't worry~ Miss Saintess is right here. I'll always be here...”
Lin Ling tilted her head slightly, leaning gently against Ivelia.
Neither of them spoke another word, quietly gazing out at the Demon King's Castle in the rain...
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