On the way back to the abandoned temple, Lilian let herself be carried by Dion again. It wasn't like she couldn't run on her own. If she wanted to, she could've used her aura to boost her physical strength and sprint all the way home. But she couldn't risk revealing that she was the next Saintess.
When she first introduced herself to Rin, she claimed to be a normal priest who only knew light magic. And honestly, now that she felt so comfortable in Dion's arms, she was fine staying right where she was.
She looked up at him tenderly the whole way, thinking about how much this man had brought to her life in such a short time. He made her feel alive again.
When they arrived at the temple, Dion gently set Lia down on her feet.
"Thank you,"
she said softly, taking off the cloak she'd been wearing and handing it back to him.
"I guess I'll head to my room now."
"Okay, take care. I'll be heading my way too,"
Dion replied with a smile.
"I'll see you next week, same day and time. There's still a lot of things I'd like to give you."
Lilian nodded quietly.
Dion turned around and started walking away.
Lia watched him, feeling a little disappointed. She didn't want Rin to leave yet. She had enjoyed every second of tonight and didn't want it to end just like that.
When his figure was about to disappeared into the forest, she finally called out.
"W-wait!"
Lia shouted.
Dion paused and glanced back, surprised by the sudden call.
"What is it? Did you forget something?"
"I… no, nothing,"
she fumbled.
"I just… wanted to thank you again. Really."
Dion gave her a warm smile.
"Don't keep thanking me. I was just repaying you."
For a moment, they just looked at each other, the cool night wind gently brushing through their hair.
Lia raised a hand and waved.
"Farewell, Rin… and be careful, okay?"
With one last glance, Dion turned and disappeared into the forest. Lia stood there for a while, staring into the shadows where he'd gone.
Minutes passed, and no trace of his presence remained. The forest was silent. Lia still lingered, feeling a quiet loneliness creep in. It was such a strange contrast to how happy she'd felt just an hour ago.
She sighed to herself, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. It was already 4 AM, and soon people in the temple would start waking up. She figured she should get back to her room before anyone noticed she was gone.
She opened a portal and stepped inside, arriving back in her quarters. After washing her hands and feet, she climbed into bed.
Lying there, she let her mind drift back over everything that had happened. It felt like some perfect dream. The warmth of his hand, the sound of his laughter, the glow of the city lights, and his smile… oh, his smile.
Just the memory of it made her face burn and her lips curl into a giggle.
"I'll never forget tonight,"
she whispered to herself, hugging her pillow close.
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Morning came far too quickly.
Two deaconesses entered her room. One pulled open the heavy curtains, flooding the room with sunlight, while the other called out gently.
"Your Holiness, it's time to get up."
Lia stirred, feeling heavy and groggy. The effects of staying up all night had finally caught up to her. She forced herself up and, with the deaconesses' help, washed up and dressed in her formal high priestess robes. Even then, her eyelids felt like they weighed a ton.
She made her way to breakfast, barely awake, then headed to the cathedral for morning mass.
When she reached her seat at the front, she clasped her hands together and closed her eyes. To everyone else, it looked like she was deep in holy prayer, lost in her devotion. In truth, she was fast asleep, still exhausted from her secret midnight adventure.
As the mass came to an end and people began to quietly leave their seats, Lia remained perfectly still, her head slightly bowed. A few of the churchgoers noticed.
"Oh my, look at her,"
one whispered.
"So devoted."
"What a beautiful priestess,"
another murmured.
"Such integrity ..."
Compliments and admiration were quietly passed around the room, all while Lia was sound asleep.
Eventually, the soft voices and shuffling footsteps roused her. Blinking herself awake, she realized the mass was over and most of the congregation had already left. She quickly straightened herself, gracefully rising to her feet like nothing had happened. With a calm, composed smile, she exited the cathedral.
Today was supposed to be her rest day. She was meant to spend it quietly in her room, reading books and studying scripture. But as soon as she got back to her quarters, she collapsed onto her bed and slept the entire day through.
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Back at the Cathars' base, Dion returned from his trip.
"Oh, Master, you're back!"
Khazan greeted him.
"So, how was it? Did she show up?"
"She did"
"So Did you ask her about it?"
"Not yet…"
Dion muttered.
It was clear that, while Dion had gone out to repay Lia, but it looks like there was another reason he kept meeting her.
"Why not?"
Khazan asked.
"I just… need a little more time,"
Dion replied, sounding almost guilty.
"I can't ask her something like that right after meeting again. It'd be too sudden, too suspicious."
The truth was, he simply couldn't bring himself to shatter those precious, carefree moments with his own selfish request.