CA – Chapter 48
Chapter 48
Lucy's disappearance caused Reese no trouble at all. When she heard that Monica had Tang Qiu take Lucy's place, she simply nodded, unconcerned. On the day of their departure, she boarded her carriage early and didn't even appear for the headcount of the Light Believers.
Monica was very familiar with Reese's lazy attitude. With a cold expression, she personally inspected the believers herself, then ordered their departure without even sending someone to notify Reese.
The carriage Reese rode in was her own, both luxurious and grand. Cardinals of the Holy See held a high status on the Statu Continent, but one as ostentatious as her was a rare sight indeed.
Tang Qiu boarded Monica's carriage. Compared to Reese's, theirs was small and plain. If not for the Holy See's emblem on its side, no one on the road would have known two priests were sitting inside.
“Cardinal Reese certainly knows how to enjoy life,” Tang Qiu said, tilting her head to look out the window. Reese's carriage was to their rear right, and from this angle, she could only see the vibrant roses decorating it. The flowers had been cut that very morning, and dew still clung to their petals.
Monica glanced over, her face devoid of expression. “A disgrace to the Holy See,” she said coldly.
The enmity between these sisters ran deep. Tang Qiu shook her head slightly. She drew her gaze back from the window and, seeing Monica's perpetually stern face, thought for a moment before asking, “Priest Monica, have you ever considered going to the Central Church?”
She felt that with Monica's power, she was more than qualified for the Central Church. Despite Reese's deliberate suppression, the Holy See had more than one Cardinal. If Monica were willing to put her mind to it, she would surely have a chance. Unless... she herself had no interest in the Central Church to begin with.
Monica was silent for a moment. Just as Tang Qiu thought she wouldn't answer, she finally spoke in a low voice. “I don’t want to be in the same place as her.”
“I like staying in Bill.”
She turned slightly to gaze outside. A breeze blew in through the window, sweeping her long, golden hair back and revealing the scar on her forehead. It wasn't a burn scar, so it didn't look too grotesque, but it still marred her otherwise delicate and beautiful face.
Tang Qiu’s gaze flickered over Monica’s forehead before she naturally looked away. “There aren’t many people in the Holy See who think like you anymore,” she said with a smile.
Monica glanced at her and asked, her expression unchanging, “And what about you?”
Tang Qiu answered honestly, “If I had the chance, I would still want to go to the Central Church to study light magic.”
She was well aware of her own nature; she wouldn't have believed it herself if she claimed to have no ambition. A life of ease was often built on strength and status, especially in a world where the strong preyed on the weak. Tang Qiu longed for the day she could spend a warm afternoon leisurely drinking tea with Lucille at a manor, but that was impossible with her current status as a mere priest.
Hearing Tang Qiu's answer, Monica snorted. She pursed her lips, but surprisingly, she wasn't angry. “You’re rather honest.”
Tang Qiu chuckled, her expression gentle. “Isn’t it better to be honest?”
She had already seen through Monica's character. If she had tried to hide her intentions and fob her off with platitudes, it would have only earned her Monica's disgust. Besides, her answer was consistent with the ambitions of most people in the Holy See.
Tang Qiu knew that after so many years in the Bill Church, Monica had surely seen through the true nature of others long ago.
“If you want to go to the Central Church, why did you refuse Reese?” Monica was referring to the time Reese had called Tang Qiu away privately after their return from Vandent.
Reese often used this tactic in the Bill Church, so Monica knew she had extended an olive branch to the blonde priest long ago.
Nothing that happened in the Bill Church could be hidden from Monica, so Tang Qiu wasn't at all surprised that she knew. The only question was how to answer... After a moment of deliberation, she decided to continue being “honest.” “Because I didn’t want to sleep with her, I refused.”
“Though I aspire to join the Central Church, I am first and foremost a devout believer in the Light Goddess.”
Her tone was so deadpan that it took Monica a moment to process what “sleeping with her” implied. She froze, her fair skin slowly flushing red. The heat rising in her cheeks fueled the fire in her eyes. Gritting her teeth, she hissed out the name, one syllable at a time: “Reese.”
That... that degenerate is no better than an animal.
Tang Qiu watched Monica practically explode with anger, the corners of her lips twitching into a smile she quickly suppressed. She then turned to gaze innocently out the window.
In any case, Monica’s opinion of Reese was already at rock bottom; it probably wouldn't matter if it sank a little lower.
The Holy See’s carriages departed the capital of the Bill Empire, traveling from the crack of dawn until nightfall. Monica had intended to press on through the night, not stopping to rest until they reached the next country. But unfortunately for her, they were no longer in the Bill Church, and Reese was not about to take her orders. Just as dusk settled, Mario intercepted Monica’s carriage and gave a series of commands to the lead Holy Knight.
Not daring to offend either woman, the Holy Knight dismounted and ran to ask for Monica’s opinion. Monica’s anger had yet to subside, and she had no desire to deal with Reese, so she simply waved her hand at the knight, gesturing for him to do as he was told.
Mario had already arranged for lodging in the city. The carriages pulled into a small manor where maids were waiting at the entrance. As Reese stepped down from her carriage and stretched her stiff limbs, she caught sight of Monica and Tang Qiu alighting from theirs and instinctively turned to look.
And was met with a pair of eyes burning with rage.
Monica glared at Reese, her face like ice as she strode past her.
Was she really this angry just because they were stopping for the night?
Reese paused, watching Monica’s retreating back in bewilderment. She narrowed her eyes, then shifted her gaze to the blonde priest who was just passing in front of her. When their eyes met, the priest showed no hint of panic or timidity. Her sky-blue eyes were clear and bright. She smiled, nodded, and gave an elegant curtsy, her etiquette impeccable.
And yet, as Reese looked at the faint smile on the priest’s face, she couldn't shake the feeling that it held a trace of mockery.
Tang Qiu simply offered Reese a polite greeting before following after Monica.
Reese watched them go, the corner of her lip curling into a smirk. “Interesting,” she murmured to herself.
Mario approached her side, a piece of parchment in his hand. He held it out to Reese and said in a low voice, “Archbishop Cambecus has arrived in the Bill Empire.”
Reese unfolded the parchment, gave it a cursory glance, and sneered. “Let Bishop Ralph deal with him.”
“An Archbishop with one foot in the grave still trying to stir up trouble.” Reese tore the parchment to shreds. “Keep watching,” she ordered coldly.
The manor Mario had arranged for their stay was not large, but the rooms were comfortably furnished. The priests were each given their own room, and Tang Qiu chose the one in the farthest corner.
The sky darkened quickly. By the time Tang Qiu had tidied up a little, it was completely black outside. She dismissed the maid, walked over to the balcony, and opened the window.
Lucille leaped in agilely from outside. The entire manor was occupied by clerics, priests, and even a Cardinal, making the aura of light so thick it was unpleasant for her.
She didn't mind the aura of light on Tang Qiu, but that didn't mean she liked it on anyone else.
“It smells awful,” Lucille said flatly, moving to Tang Qiu’s side.
Tang Qiu looked her up and down. Seeing that Lucille was merely bothered by the aura of light and not worried about her identity being exposed, she remarked thoughtfully, “To think that not even a Cardinal can detect you.”
With a vampire nearby, someone with a Cardinal’s power should have been able to sense it. Lucille was a true anomaly, making one wonder how she managed to conceal her dark aura.
Lucille closed the window and drew all the curtains. She frowned at Tang Qiu’s comment and gave a vague answer. “I’ve been like this ever since I was turned.”
Tang Qiu raised an eyebrow but didn't speak. She watched as Lucille walked to a cabinet, picked up a glass, and poured herself a drink. The pale golden liquid swirled in the glass as she tilted her head back, her expression impassive, and downed it in one gulp.
A spicy, slightly tart flavor spread through her mouth. The cold drink did nothing to quench Lucille’s thirst; instead, it only stirred a deeper craving.
She lifted her gaze to the blonde priest still standing by the window, her dark red eyes deep and focused. Placing the glass on the cabinet, she crooked a finger at Tang Qiu, her voice a little hoarse. “Aren’t you coming over?”
After being refused yesterday, she had assumed they had a tacit agreement to postpone feeding until today.
Lucille rarely hid her emotions when she was with Tang Qiu, so it was easy to see what she was thinking.
“You’re far too bold,” she said, walking toward Lucille with a light, teasing laugh. “Do vampires enjoy seeking thrills?”
Monica was in the room right next door, and Reese’s was also nearby. Even knowing Lucille wouldn't be discovered, Tang Qiu couldn't help but feel a little worried.
The object of her concern, however, showed no sign of being troubled in the slightest.
When Tang Qiu was still half a meter away, Lucille reached out, pulled her close, and lifted her wrist to her lips. As she bit down, sweet, addictive blood flooded her mouth, and her grip on Tang Qiu’s wrist tightened unconsciously.
Tang Qiu hissed in pain. Lucille noticed and loosened her grip slightly. The sweet blood soothed the restlessness in her heart. As she fed, she would occasionally glance up at the blonde priest’s face, only to look away again before being caught.
They were standing right next to the fireplace, and the heat brought a fine sheen of sweat to Tang Qiu’s forehead and a flush to her cheeks. Bathed in the orange glow of the fire, Lucille found that the blonde priest looked almost ethereally beautiful.
She grew distracted as she drank, finally stopping when Tang Qiu shifted slightly. Lucille licked the wound clean, then straightened up to gaze at Tang Qiu, her usually somber eyes seeming to brighten in the dim light.
She raised a hand, her thumb brushing across Tang Qiu’s forehead. Her fingertip grew damp with sweat, and she found herself lingering, reluctant to pull away from the warmth of Tang Qiu's skin.
Tang Qiu had been about to tend to her wound, but Lucille didn’t let go. She had no choice but to lower her hand and look at her quizzically. “What is it?”
“The full moon is almost here,” Lucille said, lowering her hand. “You’ll enjoy seeking thrills, too.”
With that, she turned and walked toward the large bed in the center of the room. Tang Qiu watched her go, blinking in confusion.
What did she mean by that?
Did she mean that when Tang Qiu turned into a werewolf on the full moon, she would be just as much of a thrill-seeker as a vampire? Thinking about it that way, it didn't seem wrong.
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