Free Web NovelThe atmosphere at the scene was tense as drawn blades, neither side willing to give an inch.
But on Vieya’s side it was a warm little play of mother and daughter feeding each other.
Vieya tapped Jasmine’s cheek and handed her the fork to let her eat by herself, her heart utterly clear. ƒreeωebnovel.ƈom
Things like this were bound to happen one day, as long as she continued to live in human lands... unless she chose to keep hiding forever, like a rat.
But she was no rat—she was once the foremost Hero, now a “person” who grasped the truth.
After all, a Hero who had once been a tiger could never willingly crawl into the sewers to be a rat for life.
Even if she fell on hard times and slept in the mud, as long as she did not die, there would always be a day she stood up again.
Maybe even Vieya herself had not realized this, but someone would help her realize it.
“Sorry, I know your Church is wealthy and deeply rooted in this land,” the young officer shifted his tone, “but I only want to maintain stability within the city. Even if she’s a good person, the proper procedures cannot be ignored.”
“Hehe, then let me also say sorry.”
Lilian, who had been quietly listening, suddenly stood up. The beautiful starry eyes regained the defiance and madness she had carried back when she was a Saint of the Church. Looking down on the young officer with disdain, she said:
“If you want procedures, then have the founder of your Recalia Academy or the god behind you come out and ask in person. Otherwise, what if we simply don’t follow the procedure?”
“Our convent acts according to the will of St. Catarina. Do you mean your Academy’s paperwork outranks our Church’s divine voice?”
My code outranks yours.
Vieya shook her head with a smile.
How amusing human confrontations were, especially those of officials—no fighting first, only comparing backers.
Whoever had the bigger backer was the stronger.
“Oh, so the Saintess’ bullying airs have only grown more polished after so many years playing nun.” The young officer’s tone turned mocking.
“Tsk. When I was studying at Recalia Academy, I already heard of the Saintess’ reputation. The moment she slipped in through the back door she made herself famous with an essay titled <My Pope Father>. Oh, what grandeur!”
They faced each other, Lilian standing tall in the golden haze of the setting sun, her flaxen hair flowing behind her like it was draped in a veil of pale gold light. The young officer, by contrast, was cloaked in the shadows cast by the building’s walls. Though they stood on the same ground, a stark line of light and shadow divided them.
“Are you a three-year-old child who only knows how to stomp toes?” Lilian’s voice was calm, unruffled. “But if you are so devoted to fairness, you can call your father to fight my father. Or you can sign a life-and-death contract with me, fight in an open arena, and whoever lives speaks.”
Now that was the right flavor.
Vieya silently applauded the professionalism. freewebnoveℓ.com
She could still remember: back then Lilian had told her the same thing—fight, and whoever won would be captain.
When she said it she was arrogant enough to think she could stand shoulder to shoulder with the sun itself. But she had not lasted three moves before collapsing on the ground unable to rise, and the very next day, before her wounds had even healed, she was already whining that it didn’t count and they had to fight again.
Vieya had ignored her, so Lilian cried that she would go running back to her father to tattle, claiming that the great Hero was in fact an abuser of children who wanted to dock her allowance.
What kind of Saintess was that? She was a living example of a lying, slandering side-villain template—if this were a novel she would not survive three pages before being hauled off and stuffed with cream puffs as punishment, an unqualified Saintess indeed.
Fortunately, this Hero raised under the red flag had a few tricks, and did not waste the Pope’s heavy investment—she forcibly pulled Lilian back from her crooked path, at least a little.
Thinking of it that way, she really had done a good deed back then...
The standoff continued.
Facing crushing pressure both in strength and in backing, the young officer still clenched his teeth, holding to his mission.
“Then how about we each take a step back? Let me take her away, run the procedures, and then I will return her. How about that?”
“No.”
Lilian refused flatly. Yet inwardly she frowned. By common sense, in a dead-end situation like this, even the most duty-bound subordinate should know it was time to leave.
Stirring things up further would only worsen hostility between both sides, and in the end he, the “messenger” who had accomplished nothing, would be belittled by his own superiors.
Wasn’t he being too stubborn?
“...I hope you won’t regret today’s decision.”
Dusk faded, °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° and night descended.
The church bells tolled, ancient and resonant.
After bidding farewell to Lilian, Vieya also breathed easier. This meant that from now on, within human lands, she was acknowledged as a monster girl with human rights.
Perhaps she was the first monster girl in the world to gain such rights by her own free will?
I really am amazing.
She gazed up at the silver moon. After the rain, the air was especially fresh.
Stepping on the silver light, Vieya returned with Jasmine to their rented home at No. 66, Nicks Avenue.
“Meow! Nearly suffocated back at that convent, not being able to talk!”
The moment they entered the house, the black cat rolled around on the floor like a fur-covered rice cake.
As she passed, Vieya lightly nudged her with her foot. “Stop rolling on the ground. From now on, all cleaning will be your job, Cat Maid.”
“Meow?”
The black cat froze, her eyes bulging like copper bells. “I’m just a cat! Can’t I be excused from cleaning? How about hiring a few servants?”
“Dame.”
Taking Jasmine upstairs, Vieya waved her hand.
“The entire first floor is yours. At night, guard the door. Don’t let thieves sneak in.”
“I’m a cat, not a dog!” the black cat roared in anger.
“Be good. Tomorrow I’ll buy you dried fish.” Vieya turned grandly, opened her right hand and spread her fingers. “Five catties! And remember, don’t run off at night. If you have to leave, tell me first.”
“They’d better be fresh!” the black cat began haggling.
“Deal.”
When Vieya and Jasmine’s figures disappeared upstairs, the black cat flicked her tail, sprawled back on the floor, and muttered resentfully,
“If not for the fact you suit my taste, do you think five catties of dried fish could buy me? I’m about to break through the ninth tier, you know. In some small independent countries I could already be a national guardian beast. Five catties, five hundred, five thousand—nothing to me, meow...”
Grumbling finished, she yawned, planning to ask Vieya tomorrow for a blanket to sleep on.
But just as she closed her eyes, she caught a familiar wisp of scent drifting from outside the house.
The black cat bristled, padding slowly toward the front door. Scarlet beast-eyes scanned the surroundings, but she found nothing unusual.
And that scent vanished as quickly as it had appeared, as if it were only her illusion.
“Really think I’m some dull-witted low-tier beast?”
Tail swaying, the black cat padded upstairs. The floor below was cold and hard; better to squeeze into their bed and mention the unknown intruder in passing.
Pa, pa.
She raised a paw and pushed the door, opening it just a crack, then crept inside—polite enough to close it behind her.
Clack!
