"Thank you, Lady Shendu! Thank you for giving me a new life."
Hearing Shendu's words, Geuse dropped to one knee, his eyes filled with gratitude. The emotions surging through him were far beyond what words could describe.
"It's nothing. From now on, continue protecting Emilia with me. Until she becomes queen—and until Fortuna is revived."
Shendu narrowed her eyes and spoke unhurriedly.
"Yes, Lady Shendu!"
Geuse rose to his feet and declared firmly once more, "From this day forward, I am no longer a member of the Witch Cult. I will serve as Lady Emilia's guardian."
Shendu could sense the conviction in his heart and was quite satisfied with his resolve. After repairing half of the spirit's origin, she casually tossed the refined core of the minor spirit.
The earthen-yellow sphere of light sank directly into Geuse's chest. The moment it fused with him, waves of painful memories flooded his mind.
They were the memories he had never been able to face—even in death.
Fighting Pandora alongside Fortuna... mistakenly killing Fortuna... then being brainwashed by that witch and wandering across the continent, wreaking destruction.
Each memory felt like a blade twisting in his heart.
"Ahhh! I'm such a fool!"
After fully regaining his sanity, tears streamed down Geuse's face, dripping onto the ground and soaking the earth beneath him.
He began slapping himself across the face again and again. More than a dozen strikes landed in succession, his cheeks swelling until he looked almost grotesque.
Yet he did not stop, as though punishing himself.
His heart was still in agony, but he was no longer on the verge of collapse. Now that there was hope of reviving Fortuna, he would not fall into despair again.
"That's enough, Geuse. Stop blaming yourself. It's all in the past now. From here on, you have to face life with even greater determination."
Seeing him harm himself like that, Emilia hurried forward and grabbed his hand, trying to stop him.
In her heart, Geuse was like a father to her, and Fortuna like a mother. Only with both of them together did her family feel whole.
"I understand, Emilia. Thank you."
After some time, Geuse finally stopped. Though sadness still lingered faintly in his eyes, his emotions had largely stabilized.
He stood upright once more, his expression solemn. Suddenly, he raised his right hand and invoked a vow.
"I swear that from this day forward, I will protect Lady Emilia, ensure she grows up safely, and see Fortuna revived. If I fail, may my soul be extinguished!"
As soon as the oath was spoken, the will of the world responded. Two rays of light descended upon Emilia and Geuse, affirming his resolve.
"Geuse... you didn't have to go that far. You've already done enough."
Feeling the weight of his oath, Emilia let out a soft sigh. Sometimes, he truly gave too much of himself.
"No. I am merely atoning for my mistakes, Lady Emilia. Please forgive my recklessness."
Geuse's voice was unwavering.
"Honestly... there's no arguing with you. If this puts your heart at ease, then so be it."
Emilia said with a helpless smile. At least now, her adoptive father seemed truly at peace.
After finishing their conversation, Emilia quickly walked over and wrapped Shendu in a tight embrace. Her face flushed bright red.
Shendu had helped her again and again. The gratitude in Emilia's heart had deepened into something warmer, something harder to define. That was why, once everything had settled, she threw her arms around the silver-haired girl.
"Thank you, Sister Shendu. If you hadn't been willing to help me... I might not have accomplished anything at all."
Looking at Shendu, Emilia knew clearly that without this girl, she would have fallen into unimaginable despair.
"Of course I'm willing to help you. Do you know why?"
Shendu looked at Emilia with a faint, teasing smile.
"Then... what is the reason, Sister Shendu?"
Emilia asked softly, her cheeks still tinged red.
The moment the question left her lips, her heartbeat quickened uncontrollably. Ram and Rem, along with Geuse, all pricked up their ears, curious about what Shendu would say.
"Because I like—"
Shendu leaned close to Emilia's ear and finished the sentence in a whisper.
The instant she heard it, Emilia could no longer contain herself. Like a dragonfly skimming the water, she pressed a fleeting kiss against Shendu's cheek—then immediately ran off, clearly overwhelmed with shyness.
After spending so much time together, Shendu knew this was already Emilia's limit, even if she might have welcomed a kiss on the lips. Still, the feeling was unexpectedly pleasant.
Savoring the lingering warmth of Emilia's presence, Shendu curved her lips into a satisfied smile.
Suddenly, she recalled something.
Emilia had a brother.
If she was going to save people anyway, bringing him back as well would not be a bad idea.
"By the way, Emilia, if I remember correctly, you have a brother named Archie, don't you?"
Shendu's crimson eyes gleamed as she looked at her.
"Ah? Archie?"
Hearing the name, Geuse recognized it immediately—it was Fortuna's younger brother. He had not expected Shendu to be capable of saving him as well.
"Really, Sister Shendu? You can bring Archie back too?"
Emilia's heart trembled. She had not anticipated that Shendu possessed such ability. Her voice filled with hope.
"Yes. With my power, it can be done. It will simply take a little more time."
Shendu answered after a moment's thought, utterly untroubled.
Seeing her confidence, Emilia first looked stunned—then quickly relaxed. She trusted Shendu completely.
...
Meanwhile, after the deaths of the White Whale and the Archbishop of Sloth, Petelgeuse Romanée-Conti, the Witch Cult had already received the news.
Beside Regulus, the Archbishop of Greed, a silver-haired, blue-eyed girl spoke softly as she looked at him.
"The Archbishop of Sloth is dead. The White Whale has disappeared. The Gospel can no longer reveal the future. It seems everything is connected to that woman. I wonder if she will interfere with our plans."
Pandora murmured thoughtfully.
"Hahaha. To think that even you, a witch, would worry about failing a mission. But it doesn't matter. With me, Regulus, here, a few insignificant pests are nothing but a minor inconvenience."
Regulus said disdainfully.
As the strongest Sin Archbishop, his Authority—Lion's Heart—was an extraordinarily special power.
Whether other Archbishops could defeat him was another matter entirely. Just standing still was enough for him to withstand endless attacks without suffering injury. That was the embodiment of absolute strength.
"Very well. I have a task for you. Take the Archbishop of Gluttony and find the candidate Crusch. Erase her memories. After that, eliminate any unstable factors."
After some thought, Pandora arrived at what she considered the optimal solution.
"You certainly know how to order people around. But I suppose I have nothing better to do. I'll go have a little talk with them."
The Archbishop of Greed said coldly, rolling his wrist.
Regulus had lived for nearly four hundred years. Relying on the unique nature of his Authority, he had long since begun referring to himself as a god.
The last time he was ambushed by the Shadowkhan, he had only secured victory by activating his Authority in time.
In truth, Regulus relied far too heavily on his Authority. As a fighter, he was practically an amateur, lacking any notable strength of his own.
He did not even possess magic.
If one day someone were to decipher his Authority, this so-called strongest Archbishop would become nothing more than a joke.
...
Night fell over Roswaal's mansion.
With Petelgeuse dealt with, everything had finally settled. The threat of the Witch Cult had been completely eliminated.
They had also brought back the redeemed Sin Archbishop, Geuse. Not only did he possess the power of Authority, he was also a dependable man.
Compared to the frenzied Sin Archbishop he once was, this version of Geuse satisfied Shendu in every regard. Having him as an ally posed no issue at all.
After returning to the mansion, Emilia and Shendu first took a walk through Arlam Village.
After looking around for a while, Emilia finally let out a sigh of relief. Holding Shendu's hand, she wore a bright, delighted smile.
Following their brief inspection, Emilia realized that all the villagers had already left. Perhaps it had been Roswaal's temporary arrangement. In any case, not a single villager remained.
Strolling through the empty village, Emilia appeared unusually happy. As she looked at the silver-haired, red-eyed beauty beside her, her violet eyes were filled with quiet attachment.
"Sister Shendu, the villagers are gone. They must already be on their way to the Sanctuary. I didn't expect Roswaal to have this much compassion."
As the border count, Emilia had once assumed Roswaal was indifferent to emotion and unconcerned with the people of his domain.
Occasionally, only the twin maids would appear in the village on his behalf. Yet what Roswaal had done this time left Emilia with a slightly improved impression of him.
Perhaps not everything he did was malicious.
"No. You can't judge matters by appearances. I believe Roswaal's sudden trip to the Sanctuary definitely hides a deeper motive."
Shendu's tone was firm. That clown most likely acted according to changes in the Gospel. Moving the villagers might simply be bait—to draw her into the Sanctuary and force her to complete the trial to liberate it.
In Shendu's eyes, that man was truly despicable.
"Still... at least on the surface, things seem acceptable for now."
Emilia understood Roswaal was far from simple. But with Shendu by her side, she no longer feared anything.
"You fool. You're just too kind. Let's head back."
Shendu gently pinched Emilia's cheek and spoke warmly.
Ever since arriving in this world, she had remained by this girl's side. Emilia was someone she treasured deeply.
With the Witch Cult gone, their return journey was smooth. Along the path, they picked wildflowers and placed them in their hair. Emilia even wove a flower crown for Shendu and carefully set it atop her head.
They were best friends—yet their bond surpassed ordinary friendship. It was intimate, almost inseparable.
Upon returning to the mansion, Shendu found Rem still cleaning diligently, while Geuse sat upright in a chair reading a newspaper.
Having been disconnected from the world for decades, Geuse naturally lacked understanding of current affairs. Now that he had regained himself, he needed to relearn the state of the kingdom.
A cup of coffee sat before him, along with a small plate of pastries—clearly left by the twin maids.
"Yo, Geuse. Long time no see. You seem to be in good spirits."
Shendu greeted him cheerfully.
"Lady Emilia, Lady Shendu. The two of you seem very close."
Geuse stood up, his long dark green hair falling behind him as he bowed respectfully.
"I'm doing well. After falling into madness, I lost touch with this world. I need to understand the kingdom's situation again."
Emilia and Shendu understood. He was trying to reconnect himself with reality.
"Do your best, Geuse. When Mother Fortuna is revived, she'll definitely be proud of you."
Emilia clenched her fists encouragingly.
"With those words from you, Lady Emilia, I am completely at ease. I will do everything in my power."
Geuse spoke earnestly. Being granted a second chance at life still felt unreal to him.
Yet the sins of the past—committed by his brainwashed persona—were real.
He would not forget them. A mistake was a mistake. He would face the future head-on.
"I'll be watching you. So far, you've done well."
Shendu nodded in satisfaction.
"Lady Shendu, you're back. Would you and Lady Emilia like some tea?"
Rem approached with a teapot in hand.
As Shendu's contracted maid, Rem was undeniably fortunate. One day, she would follow her mistress and witness entirely different worlds.
Rem was someone who loved boldly and hated fiercely. She possessed tremendous courage and was not to be underestimated.
Having heard Shendu's voice earlier, Rem had quickly finished her work and brewed tea at once.
"Of course. I would love to taste the tea brewed by my exclusive little maid."
Shendu smiled lightly, her gaze lingering on Rem.
"Yes."
Rem obediently poured tea for both Shendu and Emilia. After serving them, she stood quietly beside Shendu, her blue eyes fixed on the silver-haired girl.
Emilia was surprisingly perceptive when it came to matters of the heart. She sensed that the relationship between Shendu and Rem seemed to be growing closer.
Could it be... Sister Shendu likes maid outfits?
Emilia muttered softly to herself, curiosity and anticipation mingling within her. She happened to own a maid outfit that fit her perfectly.
"Um... Sister Shendu, will you keep me company again tonight? Let's rest together."
After pondering for a moment, Emilia turned toward Shendu and voiced her request.
"Sure. I don't mind."
Shendu agreed calmly.
Flap, flap.
While they were talking, a carrier pigeon flew in and landed on Rem's hand.
"A letter has arrived."
Rem opened the envelope and read it. Shendu and Emilia exchanged curious glances, wondering which faction had sent the message.
After reading, Rem folded the letter neatly, her expression composed.
"Lady Shendu, Lady Emilia. It's a letter from Lady Crusch. She will visit Roswaal's territory tomorrow and hopes to discuss an alliance."
Upon hearing this, Emilia and Geuse both wore expressions of expected understanding.
"As expected of Lady Shendu. To think another royal candidate would take the initiative to seek an alliance."
Geuse remarked with admiration. Such influence was far from ordinary.
"Understood. Reply that we will welcome her tomorrow."
Shendu responded indifferently. An alliance with Crusch was of only moderate interest to her.
After finishing their discussion, night had fully fallen. Shendu bathed, changed into her sleepwear, and lay on the bed staring at the ceiling.
Creak. "Welcome home, Master."
Just then, Emilia entered the room wearing a maid outfit.
Dressed in the outfit, Emilia looked even more adorable and obedient. Her natural aristocratic aura blended with the maid attire, giving her a completely different charm.
"Oh? Emilia, why are you dressed like that?"
Shendu asked curiously.
"You've taken care of me so much, Master. So tonight, I want to serve you properly."
As she spoke, Emilia's maid outfit slowly slipped from her shoulders, revealing her exquisite figure. The lamp was gently extinguished.
In that moment, lilies of their homeland bloomed, and the faint fragrance of citrus filled the room. Beneath the cover of night, everything felt especially romantic.