After carrying Lin Ling back to her room, Ivelia gazed at her peaceful sleeping face.
Just moments ago at the experimental grounds, terrifying magic power had erupted from her.
Yet now, lying on the bed, Lin Ling was completely quiet, looking almost too soft and delicate.
Standing by the bedside, Ivelia quietly watched her sleep.
She thought back to how Lin Ling had flown into a rage, nearly blasting a giant dragon into a corpse, simply because Furni had said a few things about the demon race.
Ivelia fell silent for a moment.
Then, she reached out and gently touched Lin Ling's cheek.
Feeling the familiar warmth, the sleeping Lin Ling subconsciously snuggled against her palm.
Ivelia's gaze softened slightly.
She leaned down and whispered to the sleeping girl:
“Thank you for everything you have done for the demon race.”
The words were incredibly soft.
But after saying them, Ivelia's expression turned complicated.
This girl had just insisted that she valued her life above all else.
Yet simply because Furni said a few things that might threaten the demons, she had thrown herself into battle with absolute disregard for her own safety.
She hadn't given a single thought to the fact that she only had one Health Point.
“Is this what you call valuing your life?”
Ivelia looked at the sleeping Lin Ling.
Feeling the gentle touch, a faint, contented smile appeared on Lin Ling's face.
Seeing this smile, Ivelia couldn't help but feel that the girl was far too reckless with her own life.
“Is it because of the life-saving item given by that Deceiver?”
Her voice dropped lower.
“But who knows if that item itself is just the ultimate deception.”
Ivelia clearly harbored deep suspicion toward Kavia.
After all, who would willingly entrust the life of their precious treasure to an item left behind by a Deceiver?
Especially an item with “deception” practically written in its name.
Ivelia stood up, walked to the window, and drew the heavy curtains.
The thick curtains completely blocked out the light from outside.
The entire room fell into darkness, save for Ivelia's eyes, which glowed with a soft purple light.
She sat by the bedside, watching the sleeping Lin Ling.
It was as if she were guarding a precious treasure—one that was already by her side, yet still kept her from feeling completely at ease.
Meanwhile, in the pure white space—
Kavia had heard everything Ivelia just said.
“Objection! I object!”
Kavia sprang up from the floor.
“That is the culmination of Kavia's lifelong research!”
Just moments ago, she had been enjoying the heartwarming scene between Ivelia and Lin Ling.
The smile on her mask had even grown wider.
But the moment she heard Ivelia doubting her life's work, the smiling face on her mask instantly contorted into a weeping face.
“This is too much!”
“How dare she doubt my masterpiece!”
She threw herself at the invisible screen and began pounding on it furiously, even though she couldn't actually touch it.
“I made that with absolute sincerity!”
“It contains my love, my wisdom, and just a tiny, adorable touch of my mischievous spirit!”
“How can she call it the ultimate deception!”
“Ka... vi... a...”
Right then, Marigal's voice echoed from behind her.
It was incredibly calm.
But beneath that calm lay a very dangerous undertone.
Kavia's pounding hands froze in midair.
Then, with absolute decisiveness, she spun around and threw herself at Marigal.
“Mari-chan!”
“She said my item is no good!”
Kavia clung to Marigal's leg, the crying face on her mask becoming even more exaggerated.
“I worked so hard on it!”
“I only did it for the little cutie's own good!”
“I've been deeply insulted! My feelings are truly hurt!”
Marigal looked down at Kavia clinging to her leg.
Her eyes narrowed into thin slits.
“Kavia, instead of running away, you actually chose to come closer?”
Kavia: “...”
Those words sounded incredibly ominous.
In the next second, the muscles in Marigal's arms suddenly tensed.
The crying face on Kavia's mask instantly turned into one of pure terror.
“Wait, Mari-chan! I think we can talk this out—”
Before she could finish her sentence,
Kavia was sent flying once again.
She drew a magnificent arc across the pure white space.
“I'll be back!”
The Goddess ignored the bickering duo.
On her screen, Leticia was being projected working in the experimental field.
In the projection—
Furni stood at a distance, watching Leticia work.
The perpetual exhaustion on her face finally eased a bit.
“It seems this country isn't entirely beyond saving.”
She stood at the edge of the field, watching Dashi teach Leticia while occasionally playing around with her.
Leticia's face no longer wore that dignified, distant smile.
Though her handling of the tools was still clumsy,
and the crops she planted were crooked, her clothes smudged with mud and her face flecked with dirt,
she looked much more like a real person standing on the earth.
Furni watched this scene unfold until the sun had completely set.
The faint Holy Light Stasis domain cast a soft glow in the dark night.
The group in the field finally stopped their labor.
Mrs. Nashi set her tools aside, looking at the dirt on Leticia with a warm, gentle smile.
“Thank you for your help today, Miss Sia.”
“I hope you had a wonderful day.”
Mrs. Nashi nodded in gratitude to Leticia.
Looking at Mrs. Nashi thanking her, Leticia felt momentarily flustered.
She was very used to receiving gratitude.
In the White Tower, countless people had bowed before her.
But those expressions of thanks had always been delivered from across a vast, elevated distance.
This time, it was different.
Mrs. Nashi stood right before her.
Both of their shoes were caked in mud.
For once, Leticia had no idea how to respond.
“No, it is I who should thank you.”
Leticia quickly lowered her head and bowed deeply to Mrs. Nashi.
“Thank you for being willing to teach me how to farm.”
Seeing her overly serious demeanor, Mrs. Nashi let out a soft chuckle.
“There is no need to be so formal, Miss Sia.”
“It's just farming.”
“No, this is the first time I have ever learned how to do this,”
Leticia said softly.
She looked down at the small patch of crops she had just planted.
Although they weren't planted very well,
they were indeed things she had planted with her own two hands.
This feeling was entirely foreign to her.
Yet, it was also wonderful.
But when she glanced toward the edge of the field, she realized both Phelan and Lin Ling were gone.
The rabbit-eared Saintess, who usually made a fuss by the roadside, was nowhere to be seen.
Standing there, Leticia suddenly felt at a loss.
Just moments ago, she had been thinking about sharing her farming experience with Lin Ling once they finished.
But now, Lin Ling was gone.
Leticia stood there, looking somewhat bewildered.
Mrs. Nashi watched her and quickly picked up on her awkward situation.
“If you don't mind, would you like to come over to our house for a bit?”
Leticia was slightly taken aback.
“Huh?”
“Oh, no, I couldn't possibly trouble you...”
She instinctively tried to decline.
No one had ever invited her like this before.
Meetings in the White Tower were always pre-arranged.
Noble tea parties were also pre-arranged.
Where she went, who she met, what she said, where she sat, and even when she left were all decided for her in advance.
Yet now, Mrs. Nashi was inviting her to her home just to sit and chat.
Such a simple, ordinary invitation left Leticia completely unsure of how to react.
“Aw, what's the big deal?”
Dashi poked his head out from the side.
“Sister Sia, come try my mom's cooking tonight!”
He gave Leticia a bright, innocent child's smile.
“My mom's food is super delicious!”
Mrs. Nashi gave Dashi a look.
“Dashi, don't trouble Miss Sia.”
“But Sister Sia helped us farm today!”
Dashi argued righteously:
“And she worked so hard just now. She must be hungry!”
Hearing this, Leticia instinctively looked down at her hands.
She was indeed quite tired.
The feeling of physical exhaustion from hard work was entirely new to her.
Leticia looked at Dashi's warm smile.
She didn't want to reject this family's kind invitation.
So, she gave a gentle nod.
“Then... thank you for having me.”
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