The early morning sun pierced through the clouds, spilling onto the streets of the Carter Royal Capital.
The party from the Holy Church of Light prepared to set out and leave the capital.
The nuns held their scriptures, their steps light and graceful.
The knights of the Holy Church rode on tall horses, their armor gleaming brilliantly in the sunlight.
At the center of the procession was the Saintess’s magnificent and sacred palanquin.
Pure white gauze curtains hung down, concealing the interior.
The people of the Royal Capital had already swarmed the streets, crowding both sides of the road.
“Long live Her Highness the Saintess!”
“Thank you for the gospel brought by the Saintess!”
“It’s wonderful that the Royal Capital survived!”
People cheered, their faces overflowing with the joy and gratitude of having survived a catastrophe.
“I heard Her Highness the Saintess predicted the Royal Capital will be completely renewed?”
“Tender sprouts will grow from the ruins, a new kingdom... I have a bad feeling about that for some reason.”
“Yeah, it sounds a bit strange, but according to the nobles of the First Ring, the Saintess really did see the fact that the Royal Capital will continue to exist.”
“It’s a pity we can’t see the Saintess’s true face...”
“Yeah, she must be very beautiful...”
The murmurs of the crowd were mixed with a bit of confusion regarding the content of the prophecy.
Most of it, however, was curiosity and regret over not being able to see the Saintess’s appearance.
...
Refugee district, the post office attic.
Lin Gui was organizing his luggage, sorting his supplies into various categories to pack into his bags.
Saintess Eve was helping beside him.
Her movements were somewhat unpracticed, but she was very earnest.
She carefully arranged the food and water bladders.
A faint, genuine smile remained on the corners of her mouth.
She seemed to be in a very good mood.
“Mr. Lin Gui, where are we going next?”
“Shield City.”
“Is it very far?”
“Mm.”
“Will we encounter many demons on the way?”
“We will.”
“Will we see the sea?”
“We definitely will. From the Royal Capital to Shield City, we need to pass through a bay.”
The Saintess asked one question after another, like a curious sparrow.
They ranged from the journey they were about to embark on to the supplies Lin Gui had purchased yesterday.
Lin Gui didn't even look up, giving only brief answers.
This continued until the Saintess pulled several of Theia’s novels out from a pile of miscellaneous items.
She picked up the one on top.
The title seemed normal enough: 《The Knight and the Dragon》.
She flipped it open casually.
The illustrations and text inside, however, were entirely different from what the title suggested.
Two handsome male knights were posed intimately, their eyes locked in a smitten gaze.
Lin Gui caught a glimpse out of the corner of his eye and nearly choked on his own saliva.
He suddenly reached out and snatched the novel away.
After flipping through a few pages quickly, the corners of his mouth couldn't stop twitching.
The text in the book explicitly described the... extremely “intimate” interactions between the two knights, going far beyond camaraderie.
The details were vivid, and the emotions were intense.
What on earth is this...?
As he lowered his head and inwardly grumbled about Theia’s outrageous hobbies, he didn't see the playful, sly curve that briefly appeared on the Saintess’s lips.
By the time he looked up, Eve had already returned to her pure and innocent expression.
It was as if nothing had happened.
In another corner of the attic.
Elvia leaned weakly against a chair, her face still somewhat pale.
However, her eyes sparkled with an irrepressible joy.
This was especially true after she heard Lin Gui confirm that they would be leaving the Royal Capital today.
She almost wanted to laugh out loud.
Lin Gui leaving early meant...
The resolution of the “Demon's Poisonous Kiss” he had promised would also happen early!
Her life was finally going to be back in her own hands!
Elvia was overjoyed in her heart.
She even felt that Lin Gui—the man who had drained a significant amount of her blood—looked a bit more pleasant to the eye.
She even began to silently calculate in her mind.
Once the poison was cured, should she settle scores with Duke Joseph first, or should she go and fan the flames elsewhere?
No matter what, she, Elvia, was finally free!
Unable to contain her excitement, Elvia sauntered over to Lin Gui’s side.
“Hey, Lin Gui,” she said, tugging on his sleeve. “When do you plan on giving me the antidote?”
She looked at him expectantly, waiting for him to pull out that life-saving cure.
Lin Gui stopped what he was doing and looked at her with a mysterious smile.
“The Demon's Poisonous Kiss requires periodic doses of an antidote.”
“It’s been over a month, Elvia. Haven't you noticed...?”
“I haven't given you the antidote even once.”
The anticipation on Elvia’s face froze instantly, turning into astonishment.
She thought back carefully, and indeed... not once.
Furthermore, by all logic, the poison should have flared up long ago, leaving her in unbearable pain.
But aside from that very first time, she hadn't felt any pain at all.
She was stunned on the spot, and a thought emerged:
Don't tell me... that damn poison was a fake???
Lin Gui watched her changing expressions and smiled again.
He raised his hand and patted her shoulder, as if comforting a small animal.
“No!” Elvia suddenly brushed his hand away and argued loudly.
“That feeling! That was definitely the Demon's Poisonous Kiss!”
“The pain was exactly like what’s described in books! It couldn't have been fake!”
Lin Gui stopped looking at her and bent down to close the last wooden box.
He swatted away the Saintess’s small hand as she tried to sneak another look at the other novels.
He began to secure the wooden boxes to a raft using ropes.
As he pulled the knots tight, he spoke to Elvia.
“It was indeed the Demon's Poisonous Kiss.”
“But it isn't lethal.”
He tied the final knot, ensuring all the boxes were securely fastened.
Then, he moved the wooden box containing nearly seven thousand reply letters to a prominent position at the front.
“The one I gave you was diluted.”
“It only allows a person to experience the taste of being poisoned; it won't kill anyone.”
Elvia was puzzled. “Why would you do that?”
Lin Gui’s hand momentarily paused as he tied the ropes.
He stared blankly at the wooden box, his gaze seemingly piercing through the wood.
He saw those flames of despair and those high-hanging heads.
He turned around and replied to Elvia indifferently:
“98,746,578 gold coins...”
“That was money collected from three city-states, earned in sweatshops...”
“God knows how many days and nights they stayed up to save that money.”
“That money carried their hopes.”
“If it were used only to control a single high noble...”
He paused, his voice turning a bit low.
“It would be too much of a disservice to their efforts.”
“So, someone proposed...”
“Taking the Demon's Poisonous Kiss bought from the auction and diluting it into thirty doses.”
“Although it no longer has the lethal effect, as long as the person who was hit believes they’ve been poisoned... it serves the purpose of control just as well.”
Lin Gui looked at Elvia and forced a smile that carried no warmth.
“So, I don't need to give you an antidote.”
“It was meant to be used to scare people from the start.”
Hearing these words and seeing the sad smile on Lin Gui’s face, Elvia felt a sense of shame wash over her once again.
She coughed several times, trying to dispel the unpleasantness in her heart.
Finally, she patted her chest and gave Lin Gui a guarantee:
“Oh, don't worry! Once I become the King of Carter...”
“I will definitely... make sure everyone has enough to eat!”
She had intended to follow it up with a beautiful promise.
For instance, letting all the refugees live in clean houses and work with dignity.
However, she opened her mouth but couldn't bring herself to say it.
She knew perfectly well in her heart that even if she actually became the King of Carter...
She would absolutely be unable to do it.
In fact... given the current political climate,
it was very likely that she would have to tacitly allow their exploitation just to secure the support of the nobles.
Elvia’s mouth felt dry, and her throat felt tight.
She could talk big in front of others.
But only when facing Lin Gui did she find herself unable to easily make promises that she might not be able to keep.
Facing Elvia’s embarrassment, Lin Gui didn't say anything more.
He simply reached out silently.
The oak staff leaning against the wall flew lightly into his palm.
His gaze shifted past Elvia and toward the balcony of the attic.
His eyes instantly became sharp and wary.
Rate on N.U.
