The day had passed, and the once-twisted garden had returned to its former state—a pristine and beautiful courtyard.

  “Ow, my back!”

  Misako y sprawled on the sofa, stretching her petite body. Her long legs, combined with her slim frame and arms, barely fit across the entire length of the couch.

  Thanks to Aeymm’s overzealous efforts, even Misako and Farkonia had to exert considerable effort to clean up the mess left behind.

  As for those creatures that were technically alive but in a state too unnatural to be called “living,” they had been relocated by Cortana to an unknown pce. After a thorough inspection by Farkonia, it was confirmed that no vengeful things gathering around or any such entity would form, so there was no need for concern.

  “By the way, where has Aeymm gone?” Misako suddenly asked. She had realised she hadn’t seen the one responsible for tiring them out all day.

  “Hmm… I don’t know. But it seems even Miss Jaya hasn’t seen her.”

  “Ah, this…”

  Hearing Farkonia’s answer, Misako’s mind drifted to the complex retionship between them—between Aris and Jaya.

  ‘It shouldn’t… be something like that situation, right?’

  …

  “….”

  “…..”

  Contrary to Misako’s expectations, and yet in a way still aligned with them, the atmosphere in the room was thick with awkwardness.

  Jaya and Aeymm were staring at each other in silence.

  “…You…”

  It was Jaya who broke the silence first.

  “Since that time, I’ve had this inexplicable feeling. Could it be that you’re…”

  “Not at all.”

  Without hesitation, Aeymm immediately denied Jaya’s suspicions, not even blinking as she did.

  Indeed, Aeymm wasn’t lying. She considered herself distinct from the person who had been taken from the orphanage, become a saint, and then betrayed and cast into the abyss.

  “But…”

  Jaya’s expression turned sorrowful.

  The first time she had been saved by the bck-haired girl from the knights, she felt an uncanny resembnce to the gentle girl who had once treated the other children in the orphanage and bravely fought against the scoundrels. Although the second time had felt different, it still reminded her of that girl.

  “…Even if you’re not her, can I still speak to you?”

  “…”

  Aeymm simply stared at Jaya, remaining silent.

  “I… I’m deeply grateful to her. If it weren’t for her, I probably would’ve been sold to who knows where. The orphanage would’ve remained nothing more than a money-making pit for those scoundrels, and the other children would have surely met the same fate as the older ones.”

  “But when she fell into danger, I couldn’t help her. I didn’t even know what happened to her. If I could, I’d like to thank her on behalf of everyone she protected, and do whatever I can to repay her.”

  “…”

  Once again, Aeymm remained quiet, her gaze fixed on Jaya.

  “…I’ll excuse myself. I need to take care of the children.”

  With a small bow to Aeymm, Jaya turned and left, leaving Aeymm alone in the room.

  ‘…Damn it, Aris, did you hear that!?’

  In the depths of her mind, Aeymm shouted into her consciousness, but there was no response, much like the silence that existed between her and Jaya.

  ‘Tch! Could this be part of your pn too?’

  Muttering these words to herself, Aeymm’s consciousness returned to the present.

  “…You, come out from over there.”

  “Have I been found out?”

  As Aeymm returned to the here and now, she instantly noticed someone hiding in the corner.

  “Should I address you as the former Saintess, or Miss Aeymm?”

  Stepping out from the shadows was someone wearing a white nun’s habit—Cortana, the mistress of the mansion.

  “…What are your intentions?”

  Aeymm’s guard immediately went up as Cortana directly revealed her true identity—the one that Aris had once held.

  “You don’t need to be so wary. I’m not your enemy.”

  Before Aeymm could respond, Cortana suddenly dropped to her knees, her hands csped together as if in prayer.

  “I’ve finally met you, Saintess.”

  Now, Cortana’s demeanor was starkly different from her earlier warm and gentle interactions with Jaya and the children. The piety she now dispyed could indeed be described as the posture of a true, devout nun.

  “…I’ve told you, I’m not her.”

  “I know. You’re her other personality, or some simir existence, aren’t you?”

  ‘Who is this woman?’

  Not only had Cortana discovered Aris’s identity, but she had also exposed Aeymm’s, which made Aeymm feel a slight tension.

  “I’ve come to see you because I want to take you to meet someone.”

  “Oh? And where might they be?”

  “…Please come this way.”

  Cortana stood up and led Aeymm through the back garden into the greenhouse.

  The greenhouse was unlike the open courtyard outside; it was filled with ptinum-hued flowers at every turn.

  “These were her favourite flowers. Aren’t they beautiful?”

  “…Quite nice.”

  While Aeymm didn’t quite understand the beauty of flowers, based on the memories she had of Aris, she considered them to be quite lovely.

  “…Alright, this is the pce.”

  As they walked further, Cortana suddenly stopped in front of a stone monument.

  “This is just an ordinary stone, isn’t it? So, you wanted me to meet that person…”

  Before she could finish, Aeymm noticed that there were words inscribed on the monument.

  [Saintess Ilyush, now resting here.]

  “She’s been here for almost nineteen years now… Back then, I was still naive and close to the Church. It was only ter that I realised just how foolish I had been.”

  Cortana’s voice became tinged with sadness as she gently caressed the stone, as if she could still feel the presence of the deceased.

  “She was only two years older than me, yet now I’m almost twice her age.”

  At forty, Cortana wasn’t old, but considering the world’s ability to prolong life through strength, the fact that the former Saintess had passed away in her twenties seemed incredibly young.

  “…You wanted me to meet this person?”

  “…Yes.”

  Cortana turned to face Aeymm, her eyes glistening with what seemed like unshed tears.

  “She devoted herself to helping the common folk and fighting against the corrupt Church. But fate was cruel, and in the end, she colpsed from overwork. Yet those vile creatures still sought to take her body!”

  As Cortana spoke, her face contorted with rage, and her clenched fists bled.

  “…Thankfully, I didn’t heed their wishes and brought her here instead.”

  Cortana stepped in front of Aeymm.

  “Please, inheritor of her position, fulfill her st wish…”

  The once-mature nun now appeared like a lost kitten, her eyes pleading as she gazed up at the shorter girl before her.

  “…Hmph! You think I… or that other one came here for nothing? Don’t worry, that rotting thing will be eliminated!”

  At those words, the monument before them suddenly erupted in a blinding burst of light.