Two hours passed. Mo Wan finally succeeded in completely healing the poison and injuries on the body of the princess.
The color gradually returned to the face of the princess. Her tightly furrowed brows relaxed.
Soon, her eyelids fluttered.
Mo Wan quickly got off the bed and stood to the side.
The maid saw that the princess was about to wake up and rushed to the bedside.
"Princess!"
The blonde girl on the bed opened her eyes. Her emerald pupils gazed at her surroundings with confusion.
"This is wonderful! Princess, you are finally awake."
The princess raised her hand to steady herself on the shoulder of the maid. She struggled to sit up.
"Where am I... is this the Church? Sister Iselyn!"
The princess looked toward the Saintess Iselyn. The light in her dull eyes instantly brightened. Then, she stared at Iselyn with a pitiful gaze.
"Sister Iselyn, can you please not tell Father about this?"
"Of course, Princess. However, you are an adult now. You should be responsible for yourself."
"I will be careful next time!"
The princess agreed with her words, but the corners of her mouth curled upward. She clearly did not take the words of Iselyn to heart.
"You might not be so lucky next time. If this guest had not been here today, I am afraid even I could not have healed you."
Iselyn turned her head to look at Mo Wan. Her expression was unusually serious.
"Eh?" (What?)
Only then did the princess notice the stranger.
She looked at Mo Wan intently.
She studied the clothing of Mo Wan. If Iselyn had not pointed her out, the princess would have thought she was just a helper in the Church.
However, as she observed the face of Mo Wan, she felt a different kind of temperament. It was like a diamond with its light intentionally hidden. The more she looked, the more she felt the face of Mo Wan was mysterious and beautiful.
The maid did not want the efforts of Mo Wan to be ignored by the princess. She spoke up to support the words of Iselyn.
"Yes, Princess. This guest... she is the Hero who was named a Knight at the ceremony. She is the one who healed your injuries this time."
"I see..."
The princess nodded in understanding.
She held the arms of the maid with both hands. Although her body was still weak, she slid off the bed. Her bare feet stepped onto the clean carpet. She let go of the maid and lifted her skirt to thank Mo Wan.
"Thank you for saving me. In the name of the Princess of Vesa, I appoint you as a Royal Knight. When I have recovered, come to the palace to find..."
The words of the princess were interrupted by Iselyn before she could finish.
"Princess, the ceremony is not yet complete. She is not a true Knight yet. If you wish to promote her, please let me continue the unfinished ritual. Only after she passes the baptism of the Holy Church and receives the recognition of the Main God can you promote her."
"Ugh..." (I see...)
The princess rolled her eyes while studying Mo Wan.
Mo Wan lowered her head and said nothing.
She did not dare to speak.
After all, her true identity was a member of the Demon Race. It would be a disaster if she actually joined the Royal Knights. The Saintess must have refused the reward from the princess for this reason.
"Fine."
The princess sat back down on the bed.
"Then, Princess, please rest well. We will go back to continue the unfinished ceremony."
"Mmh."
The princess was settled.
Iselyn glanced at Mo Wan. Then, she turned and walked toward the door.
Mo Wan quickly followed the footsteps of Iselyn.
They left the lounge and returned to the main hall of the Church.
However, the hall was now empty. This included the teammates of the Azure Crystal Squad who were closest to Mo Wan.
Iselyn did not stop. She continued toward the internal entrance at the other end of the corridor.
Mo Wan did not know what to do. She stopped before stepping deeper into the hallway.
"Saintess, is the ceremony not held here?"
She turned to look at the empty hall. She looked at the spot where she had been standing two hours ago.
"Your heart is not sincere. I shall revoke your honor as a Knight."
The words were extremely cold. Mo Wan instantly felt a chill.
A second later, Iselyn turned around to face Mo Wan again. She revealed a faint smile. Her tone became soft.
"However, your heart is kind. You saved the life of a young woman in danger. You deserve a proper reward. Follow me."
"Okay."
Mo Wan was affected by the smile of Iselyn. She could not help but curl the corners of her mouth.
So.
The cold Saintess could also tell jokes.
The tone of the Saintess just now had scared her to death. She thought she was going to be taken to the dungeon of the Church and locked up.
They walked step by step into the interior of the Church. They passed through a deep corridor.
Mo Wan followed Iselyn into a room that looked like an office.
Click!
Mo Wan could not help but look back.
The door had closed automatically.
Iselyn pulled out a chair from under a long table and sat down. The window behind her suddenly turned dark.
The glass blocked the light from outside. It looked as if night had fallen.
The ceiling of the room glowed with a cold white light.
Mo Wan stood still. Her heart beat faster. She was excited for the reward Iselyn was about to give her. At the same time, she was afraid that what awaited her was not a reward, but an interrogation about her identity.
"Come here. Closer."
Mo Wan walked forward slowly. Only two steps remained between her and Iselyn.
Iselyn raised her hand. Her fist was tightly closed. Under the curious gaze of Mo Wan, she slowly opened her palm.
A shining silver ring lay quietly in the white palm of Iselyn.
"This is a Spatial Ring. There are ten gold coins inside."
`[Spatial Ring]`
`[Type: Accessory]`
`[Effect: Contains a small storage space. Currently holds 10 Gold Coins.]`
Mo Wan looked hesitant.
Was such a reward too generous?
The value of a Spatial Ring was surely worth much more than ten gold coins.
Seeing that Mo Wan hesitated and did not reach out to take it, Iselyn asked a question.
"Do you intend to refuse my reward?"
"No, Saintess." Mo Wan still did not plan to accept the reward. "I... I did not recite the oath of the Knights of Vesa. I do not plan to be loyal to Vesa. Yet, I still... held a lucky mindset and tried to deceive you to gain benefits. I saved the princess only to atone for my sins. I should not accept your reward."
"But you cleared monsters as a Hero. You protected the citizens of the Kingdom of Vesa. You are not loyal to Vesa, and you are not loyal to the Sun, but you are loyal to your conscience. What sin do you have? You are not a qualified Knight of the Kingdom, but you are undoubtedly a qualified Ranger."
"..."
Mo Wan pursed her lips.
Was the Saintess truly this generous and kind?
Rumors said the Saintess was always at odds with the Demon Race. To humans, the Saintess was an angel. To the Demon Race, the Saintess of the humans was no different from a devil.
"Furthermore, I said that I would thank you in my own name. The princess is a child I have cared for since she was young. I am deeply grateful for you saving her life. I can only show my gratitude with this small amount of money."
Mo Wan looked at Iselyn with doubt.
The princess was a child she had cared for? The princess looked like an adult. The Saintess did not look old either.
"Or, do you prefer that we face each other as enemies? Demon Princess, Morvielle."
Hearing that name which she had not heard for a long time, the brain of Mo Wan roared like thunder.
Her true identity had been exposed by her destined arch-enemy.
Now, she was like a lamb waiting for slaughter, sharing a room with the Saintess who held the butcher knife.