"And if this lady leaves, will you also disperse?"
"Yes."
"And if she orders you to leave, you will obey?"
"Yes."
The priest shuddered at such answers.
He had been relieved when the cursed painting burned—grateful to finally breathe freely again. But it seemed the object of blind devotion had simply *changed*. The only difference was that now it wasn't a piece of canvas, but a living person. Someone they could speak to. Someone they could follow.
Judging by the presence of the paladins, the lady was a guest of Sir Gabriel—and Gabriel obeyed the bishop without question.
The priest immediately went to Javaniya and reported everything. The bishop praised him for his observation.
"It seems the goddess Rael has rewarded you for your faith."
"I don't deserve such praise, Bishop."
The priest preened, pleased to have captured the bishop's attention. Javaniya thanked him for his service and, spotting an opportunity, said:
"By the way, I never properly thanked the young lady for extinguishing the fire."
"Bishop, allow me to handle the remaining matters," the efficient priest immediately offered.
Javaniya left the cleanup in his capable hands and made his way toward Evangeline.
As the priest had said, all eyes were fixed upon the young lady. Strange that he hadn't noticed before. Her presence was so luminous, so *arresting*, that it should have been impossible to overlook. Yet looking at her felt so natural, so inevitable, that he simply hadn't realized he was doing it.
The bishop smiled affably and inclined his head in a slight bow. Men of his rank rarely lowered themselves to such gestures—but Javaniya was willing to do anything to maintain his carefully cultivated image.
Behind the benevolent smile lurked a calculating mind.
_What was her name again? Rafaella mentioned it... Ah, yes. Lohanson._
"Lady Lohanson, we are sincerely grateful to you for saving one of our Temple knights. We will, of course, reimburse you for the cost of the holy water used to extinguish the fire."
"I will accept it with gratitude."
_Count Lohanson?_ He had never heard that name before—only recently, in connection with the Donau case. Wasn't he the employer of the woman Donau Blue had kidnapped? And now the name was surfacing again, linked to the artist's painting.
And *another* fire...
Concealing his suspicion beneath practiced warmth, Javaniya continued smoothly:
"The remaining parishioners appear to be in shock. We shall escort them to the resting chambers."
He spoke loudly enough for everyone to hear. Evangeline nodded with apparent indifference, as though she couldn't care less.
The moment she gave her consent, the crowd began to disperse.
Those who had utterly ignored the bishop's entreaties now submitted meekly to a single nod from the young countess.
Javaniya watched this scene with keen interest.
The only one who seemed uneasy was Rafaella.
---
## — Rafaella's Suspicion —
_What is he plotting?_
When Rafaella had reported Donau's death to the bishop, she had also mentioned Evangeline Lohanson. Fortunately, she hadn't revealed everything. Only she and the Commander knew about Evangeline's apparent role as the master of the magic circle, the cryptic note found in Donau's charred remains, and the persistent rumors of her resurrection.
Javaniya possessed only fragments of information. Yet even without the complete picture, he had clearly sensed that Evangeline was no ordinary noblewoman.
The bishop approached Rafaella and asked quietly:
"Did the painting burn completely?"
"Yes. To ashes."
"What caused the fire?"
He clearly suspected something. Two fires connected to Donau's paintings—and the same people present at both...
"I have no idea," Rafaella replied carefully. "I don't believe any of those people could have set it ablaze."
"And Lady Lohanson?"
"She was with me the entire time."
"I shall take your word for it."
_That old fox thinks we're conspiring together._
He knew she was lying—or at least suspected it—but he didn't want to reveal his hand yet. He was certain there was *something* between Evangeline and her.
"There were other parishioners present as well," Rafaella added. "You could question them."
"Indeed. I shall speak with these... *fanatics*. I wonder what they'll tell me." His smile didn't reach his eyes. "In their current state, they're unlikely to provide coherent testimony."
_Of course he's curious about what happened._
After all, these people—who moments ago had been writhing like deranged cultists—had now transformed into Evangeline's docile lambs. Even if they told the absolute truth, Javaniya wouldn't believe them. He would assume they were protecting her.
But she genuinely hadn't done anything!
"Also," Rafaella added, "Sir Michel arrived after I did."
She hinted deliberately that Michel shouldn't be interrogated. She didn't want him subjected to the bishop's probing questions—and judging by his state before he'd lost consciousness, a meeting with Javaniya wouldn't have yielded anything useful anyway. Michel had behaved exactly like the other fanatics.
"Bishop, I beg your pardon, but may we take our leave? Michel needs to rest as soon as possible. And Sir Yuriel must be exhausted."
Rafaella cut the conversation short, acutely aware of a piercing gaze boring into her back. Evangeline Lohanson was watching her with undisguised suspicion.
"Oh, of course—how thoughtless of me not to consider that." Javaniya's voice dripped with false concern. "Leave everything here; I'll handle the rest. Lady Lohanson needs to collect her holy water, so she can accompany me—"
"No." Rafaella's refusal was swift and firm. "The lady must come with us. The Commander wishes to speak with her. I'll ensure she receives the holy water later. The bishop needn't trouble himself with such trifles—simply tell us where to send someone."
_That old snake!_
He wanted to spirit Evangeline away and whisper poison into her ears!
At least Evangeline wasn't so easily fooled. How many people had fallen for his bait, seduced by that grandfatherly facade?
Fortunately, Evangeline's bodyguard agreed to accompany the bishop to collect the holy water instead.
"Then let us proceed, my lady," Rafaella said.
Yuriel gathered Michel into his arms. Looking at the unconscious knight—golden hair dripping, face slack but peaceful—Rafaella spoke quietly:
"...I apologize for not thanking you immediately. Truly—thank you for saving Michel. He may be unconscious, but thanks to the holy water, he doesn't bear a single scratch. We are deeply grateful."
"Thank you, my lady," Yuriel added, managing a small bow even with Michel's weight across his back.
Whatever else might be true, they owed her a debt.
_I wonder how many vials of holy water she used? What must that have cost?_
Evangeline looked genuinely surprised, as though she hadn't expected words of gratitude. Rafaella couldn't help but feel a small flush of satisfaction at such a reaction.
_What's wrong with me? Am I really so easily affected by a single surprised glance from Evangeline Lohanson?_
Rafaella coughed and changed the subject.
"Are you certain Jelly can manage alone?"
"Jelly will be fine."
"My lady, you did the right thing by sending your bodyguard. It's best not to get too close to the bishop. He only *appears* good-natured. In reality, his temperament is... considerably less pleasant."
Rafaella forced herself to remain composed.
They reached the knights' headquarters quickly. Yuriel was remarkably strong—he could sprint with a full-grown man on his back without slowing in the slightest.
Upon reaching the building, Yuriel paused before the stairs. The reception room was on the second floor; the infirmary was on the first.
"I'll take Sir Michel to the infirmary."
"Yuriel..." Rafaella sighed. "Please treat Michel like a *person*, not a sack of potatoes."
"Oh. Right. Understood."
Rafaella watched him disappear through the infirmary doors, running a weary hand across her forehead.
_What are we going to do with him?_
---
## — Evangeline —
Finally, they reached the reception room.
She only had to open the door to see Gabriel. Rafaella took a deep breath before entering.
_You need to activate bitch mode._
She had to behave like a calculating manipulator to shed the villain label that Daisy had apparently pinned on her.
She'd had no idea she would need to *pretend*. But perhaps she should look at it from the bright side. Not everyone could pull off being a proper bitch. That was the privilege of leading ladies! She had simply deviated from the plot slightly.
After all, this was a story about a villain.
"Commander, I've brought Lady Lohanson," Rafaella announced, knocking once before opening the door.
Inside, besides Gabriel, stood two additional knights—as well as Kanna and Hena.
"Lady Lohanson."
"My lady!"
Gabriel rose from his seat and offered a slight bow in greeting. At that same moment, Kanna launched herself forward and threw her arms around Evangeline's neck.
"Kanna, you can't do that!" Evangeline exclaimed, nearly toppling backward in surprise.
"Sorry..."
"You almost knocked me over!"
Evangeline stroked Kanna's hair soothingly. The girl immediately quieted, pressing close.
But Hena—who normally would have intervened long ago, scolding Kanna for improper behavior—remained utterly silent. She sat with her head bowed, hands clasped tightly in her lap, knuckles white.
"Hena?"
"Yes, my lady."
She answered immediately, but it was painfully obvious her thoughts were elsewhere. Her eyes were unfocused, distant.
_Did they have a fight?_
Evangeline looked at Kanna in bewilderment. The girl leaned close and whispered:
"She overheard a strange conversation."
"What conversation?"
"I didn't catch what they were discussing, but there was someone named Daisy. After that... Hena hasn't been herself."
_Daisy?_
Could it be the same Daisy she had just encountered at the Temple gates? What could she possibly have said to Hena? Something so disturbing that even the unflappable Hena had been thrown completely off balance?
Evangeline turned her gaze toward Gabriel.
He had also spoken with Daisy—but he appeared entirely composed. If Daisy had told him about the "villain" Evangeline, he was hiding it remarkably well.
_Oh, shit._
_Who would have thought an obstacle like Daisy would suddenly appear on my path to redemption!_
_Wait... An obstacle? A sudden character appearing out of nowhere?_
_So this is..._