A saintess? She's just a bad woman.

Page 208

Vera looked puzzled.

"It's just a bad relationship, an argument, has it really escalated to this level? My relationship with that cat has always been like this, and we've never made any major mistakes, have we?"

"Straight? Heh, it's only been half a month, can that be considered straight? My little Violet?"

Saint Karina chuckled, seemingly mocking Vera's naiveté, but perhaps not; she simply found Vera's words amusing and laughed.

"Can you guarantee that this kind of straightforwardness can continue? You two are constantly arguing, even when you should be working together as a team, you're always competing and trying to be the one to come out on top. Are you teammates? And now... your relationship doesn't seem like that of teammates at all, it's more like that of rivals, isn't it?"

Santa Karina spoke frankly, pointing out the problems in their relationship.

“I know that cat might not get along with you. Let’s not talk about the previous issues. When she was fighting the tree spirit this time, she really wanted to help you take the damage. The dynamic vision, agility and basic physical fitness of the cat race are indeed much better than humans. This is their racial advantage.”

“Originally, the moment Phoebe charged forward, she accelerated to protect you from the attack on the core area. If you trusted her as much as you trusted me, you wouldn’t have retreated and watched Phoebe get captured, hung from a tree, and rendered immobile, only caring about your own safety. Instead, you would have seized the opportunity to rush in and shred the monster’s core.”

She analyzed the situation meticulously, like peeling back layers of an onion, re-analyzing the battle and providing Vera with a convincing analysis.

Saint Karina doesn't show favoritism to anyone; at least on this issue, she's fair.

Hearing Saint Karina's words, and guided by her, Vera calmed down and began to recall every detail of the previous battle.

Saint Karina's words were convincing, unlike Phoebe's. From the beginning, Violet had thought the same way, which is why she found it hard to believe Phoebe's actions, leading to many flaws and mistakes in their cooperation.

The fact that nothing serious happened was probably because they hadn't encountered any formidable enemies yet, enemies that weren't at the point of imminent danger or life-threatening situations.

"I... but if it were someone else... someone I trust..."

“Stop, Violet.”

Just as Violet was about to try to defend herself, Saint Karina reached out from behind and pinched Violet's thin lips with her fingers.

"The person you want to be isn't an adventurer, not someone in a small, team-based game where everyone trusts, understands, and has unwavering faith in each other's abilities. What you want to be is a hero. Do you know what it means to be a hero?"

“Let me tell you, Violet. This means you have to fight against many people, some of whom you may have never even met before. Among them are people you trust, people you have your eye on, and people who are at odds with you and will oppose you.”

"To deal with different demon races and to make the battle more stable, it's impossible for the hero to decide all the personnel himself. Besides the few people close to you, those in the same fighting circle, you'll need to interact with more people, namely the army."

"Can you guarantee that every army handed over to you is one that you personally promoted and trained? If you think about it for a moment, you'll know that's almost impossible."

"As a hero of the Central Kingdom and a contemporary hero of the human race, you must have your own judgment to know who can be trusted and which armies can be relied upon. Phoebe's abilities are there for all to see. But because she deceived you in the past, she left a strong impression on you, a psychological shadow, making it difficult for you to trust her at crucial moments."

“Phoebe has changed. You should focus on the present, not the past.”

After Saint Karina finished speaking, rambling on and on, she removed her fingers from Vera's lips.

She didn't force Vera to accept it; instead, she explained everything clearly before telling Vera her thoughts.

"The one who chose to let Phoebe take her time to change was not me, but you, Violet."

When Phoebe was caught, the kitten wasn't Santa Karina's toy yet; she was someone who could be discarded, someone who was dispensable.

To Saint Karina, the weak little cat girl was of no use whatsoever. If Violet wanted to do something, she was willing to sacrifice the cat girl to please Violet.

The future hero, or the one designated by the Demon Dragon. He can uncover crucial clues about Ernest VII; Saint Karina doesn't mind showering him with affection, even at the cost of sacrificing someone useless.

It doesn't matter whether that person is human or of another race, their age, or whether they are innocent. This is how a bad woman operates.

For Saint Karina, she was no longer the upright and incorruptible saintess who defended the country.

"I've figured it out, Lina."

After a period of reflection, Vera understood what Saint Karina wanted to tell her.

He truly deserves to be called a hero; his heart is so broad.

The hero and the king must put aside their personal prejudices and think about what each person, each companion, and each ally can bring to her, what they can help her with, and whether they can stand firmly on the side of humanity. These are all things she needs to consider.

A hero is not merely someone of great personal strength, nor is it just a solo performance. She needs to act as a leader, coordinating and uniting various forces.

This is another reason why Vera's mother didn't want Lina to become a hero. It's too tiring.

"On Phoebe's side, it was all my personal prejudice that was wrong. I will change."

She and Santa Karina said this.

However, because of the girl's pride, she probably won't apologize to Phoebe in person.

That's how young people are; whether they're male or female, they care a lot about their image.

However, Santa Karina didn't insist on an apology. The kitten was hers now, and she would talk to it herself later.

"Speaking of which, Lina, now that everything's been explained, can you let go of my hand now...?"

Violet was implying something; she was scolding Saint Karina for the mischievous hand that had been moving around while she was speaking.

They swam around on Vera's body, quite restlessly.

"Hmm? What happened to my hand? I think you've been training too hard lately, your muscles are tense and stiff, so I just wanted to help you relax..."

Saint Karina pretended to be stupid, asking a question she already knew the answer to.

"My massage technique is excellent; all the girls who have used it rave about it. Don't worry, you'll be very happy. I guarantee that massage can help relieve muscle fatigue and emotional stress."

"How are you? You must be feeling quite comfortable."

Saint Karina, taking advantage of her feminine strength, deliberately brushed against Vera's back, causing her heart to flutter and her mind to wander.

"I... um, that..."

Violet was a rather shy child. If she was bullied even slightly, or if Saint Karina's actions were too obvious, she would be so ashamed that she couldn't speak.

Even expressing one's feelings honestly is difficult.

"So... you're not feeling well? Huh? I thought Vera would be comfortable. Then I won't do it..."

Saint Karina clearly noticed that Violet was comfortable, but she still deliberately teased her.

As she spoke, she adopted a dejected tone and expression, her body language conveying frustration, as if she wanted to pull her hand away and stop doing anything.

"No... I'm not feeling unwell."

Just as Saint Karina was about to pull her hand away, Violet pressed her hand down onto Saint Karina's, forcing it back in.

"You... Lina, do whatever you want... Continue, just continue..."

Violet spoke haltingly, she was quite anxious, as if afraid that Saint Karina would pull away the mischievous hand.

She was actually... actually quite comfortable.

It's just that Violet is too shy to admit it.

She has never been the kind of person who is particularly good at talking, especially when she is shy, when faced with the beautiful face of someone she likes, and when she wants to be intimate with her.

Vera found Lina's slightly flushed skin, which had been exposed to the hot springs, quite adorable. Her azure eyes were as beautiful as jewels, and her cascading white hair, like silk, tickled Vera as it flowed underwater.

Steam surrounded the two of them, obscuring their vision with a hazy atmosphere.

Yes, Violet was about to collapse. Comfort was one thing, but the trembling made her weak all over.

Vera also felt that her body seemed to be getting hotter and hotter.

Because of the distance between them, Saint Karina's breath almost entirely landed on Vera's neck and back. Vera felt that the breath tickled and tingled, like an electric current running through her.

"Vell, don't be nervous, just relax and enjoy it. I won't go that far. This is just a massage to make you feel better; you can think of it as a kind of healing technique."

Even when she spoke, Violet felt that Saint Karina's voice was gentler and more alluring than usual.

"See, after helping you relax today, your relationship with Phoebe will improve tomorrow. Isn't that a healing spell?"

“You two have been having some disagreements lately... well, I’m going to do something to help you put aside your differences and make peace before your relationship deteriorates beyond repair. I think you can see my help in this way.”

Saint Karina was a skilled communicator, and her words quickly convinced Vera to accept them.

"If I just lecture or scold you, you might find it hard to listen and it could even make you rebellious, leading to worse results."

I believe that taking small steps is necessary to get someone to listen. The power of language is limited; if you don't create an opportunity for dialogue, the words will simply go in one ear and out the other, failing to register in their mind—it's all for nothing.

As Saint Karina spoke, her hands were still busy.

However, she wouldn't go all the way to the end and release the line; she was really just relaxing and massaging Vera, making Vera feel at ease while also feeling a little regretful.

She didn't know what she was regretting; perhaps that was Violet's contradiction. She hoped that Saint Karina would break free from her constraints, stop being so bound by promises, and do more of something else, while at the same time she was glad that Saint Karina hadn't done more, as she wasn't mentally prepared.

As she said, the other party did indeed use massage instead of words, thus eliminating the communication barrier.

“Um… Lina, even if your method… uh, the healing magic is very good, I don’t want you to use this method, with these hands, to touch anyone other than me. I know it’s selfish, but I feel that if you touch other people in front of me, I will be a little sad.”

Violet subtly expressed her possessiveness toward Saint Karina.

"I understand. Right now, I will only touch you."

She agreed to Violet's request, but not entirely.

He just won't touch other women right now. Saint Karina isn't the Silver Demon; she won't be aroused all the time. Enduring this for a little while won't be a problem at all.

Moreover, she hadn't originally planned to talk to the sulking kitten while at the hot spring.

Their relationship is a bit more special; any conflicts can be resolved late at night.

"Sorry……"

"Why are you apologizing, Violet?"

"Yes, I feel like I'm being too selfish, only thinking about myself... But I don't want to see you getting close to other people, it makes me feel sad, and that feeling is really unpleasant."

Violet is organizing her thoughts.

"This is all new to me... I've never done this with anyone else before..."

"What do you mean by 'like this'?"

"It's that thing, when I see you, Lina, my heart races, my heart pounds, especially when you're really close to me..."

"Oh~ isn't it like now?"

"Um……"

Vera nodded shyly. If this were a girl from an anime, she would definitely notice the white steam effect above her head.

As Violet poured out her heart, she nestled against Saint Karina, almost clinging to her. Their eyes softened, and their lips nearly touched.

"May I?"

"Um……"

Then, the two kissed.

This kiss was deeper than the previous ones. The two little snakes were locked in a fierce battle, neither willing to give way.

This also signifies a further advancement in their relationship. However, given Violet's personality, taking the final step is still a matter of time and gradual development.

327. Ideological work with Phoebe

That night...

The moon was very round, and there were many stars in the night. The weather was fine during the day, and it will be fine at night as well.

However, unlike the weather, Phoebe was in a gloomy mood.

"Ugh... this is so annoying..."

Phoebe was in her room, sitting on the bed, resting her chin on her hands and looking out the window.

Now there's no need for the three of them to squeeze together. In fact, the day after we caught Phoebe, we stayed in a private room.

Phoebe has a single room, while Santa Karina and Vera continue to stay in their previous double room.

Phoebe's bed was close to the window; drawing back the curtains revealed a view of the brightly lit streets. However, Phoebe's expression was subtle, her eyes unfocused, just looking around aimlessly.

"Everything is so unpleasant. It's so hard to get along with people, sigh..."

It's quite rare to see a catgirl sighing and groaning.

Her breath condensed into a white mist on the window, obscuring the view, but it would soon disappear.

Anyway, Phoebe wasn't trying to see anything clearly.

She didn't really care. The night view was beautiful, and the sky was beautiful, but Phoebe probably wasn't in the mood to appreciate it.

She was absorbed in her own thoughts, her brow furrowed in worry. Even with her contractual relationship with Saint Karina, she couldn't bring herself to show happiness when she was unhappy.

The catgirl's journey was not pleasant because she didn't get along well with Violet, especially since she was also suspected and misunderstood. Only those who are targeted can understand this feeling.

"I lied to too many people in the past, but it wasn't all my fault... Okay, although I admit I was partly to blame..."

She seemed quite depressed. Given that her lifestyle had always been the same, the sudden change, the subsequent suspicion, and the prolonged period of uncertainty, it's not surprising that Phoebe would be so frustrated and annoyed.