Feeling the toned softness of the Knight’s cheek, l blushed, her eyes squinting with a flustered smile.
l pulled back to admire the Knight, her grin faint but sincere, though Saria’s expression remained frozen in surprise.
An awkward blush crept up on Saria as she glanced away. "What are you doing?"
A flicker of bemusent crossed l’s expression, her hand tapping her lips in realisation of what she had done.
Unlike her usual forwardness, l’s scattered mind lacked an answer before letting out a heartfelt chuckle.
"Just a thank you, Sis."
With a mumble full of sincerity, her body relaxed before leaning onto Saria.
As her arms wrapped around Saria’s waist, the Knight was flustered by l’s intimacy, her arms dangling in the air with hesitation.
But l’s smooth skin further pressed into hers, and she sighed before returning the hug.
Mulling over the right words, she muttered. "Did they really not tell you anything?"
l nuzzled her head onto Saria’s shoulder. "Mm. Not anything. I was confused the entire ti until Miss Samantha saved ."
"Samantha... of course. The Mage has her way." Saria whispered, as her arm raised to brush l’s back, soothing the girl in any way she could.
The Saintess hadn’t lied; the Cult was after l. But Saria knew her assignnt hadn’t been random.
The Knight gritted her teeth; if she had a choice, the child would’ve never known.
Her voice grew trembling as she spoke. "l. Tell any ti you’re scared."
A determined glint danced in the Knight’s eyes. "I’ll fight through tooth and nail, if it ans I can get you and Lila to safety."
Despite the Saintess’s half-and-a-half transparency, Saria never planned to entrust the safety of her closest ones to her orders or company.
Her instincts, honed as a veteran of the {Unprided Crusade}, told her this wasn’t coincidence. It had all the marks of a deliberate setup.
If not, the ’small ruckus’ in the other would not have happened at all.
Sensing Saria’s embrace tightening in a silent concern, a heartfire warmth brewed within l’s chest.
With a faint blush, l muttered. "Of course, Sis Saria."
How strange.
Romance and familial love lted together within her mind, stirring a feeling she couldn’t quite put a na to.
The starlight was their only witness, as their embrace lasted for what seed like eternity.
A lingering regret was strung as Saria pulled away, l’s palm stubbornly clinging to the Knight’s arm.
She watched the Knight’s strained expression with a smile. "Sorry for worrying you."
Saria shook her head. "Don’t be."
l scanned Saria’s features, wondering if her finger might trace a path across the Knight’s face, one only she would ever know.
The Knight blinked, noticing the rosy hue on l’s cheeks that mirrored the soft pink of her hair.
A protective impulse surged through her, flooding her heart with warmth as she gently cupped l’s cheeks.
She muttered, her eyes locked with l’s gaze. "I’ve been taking care of you for so long, l. It’s natural that I don’t want any danger coming to you."
A chuckle escaped l again as she leaned into Saria’s grasp. "Then I’m glad to have a protector like you, Sis."
"Hardly." Saria sighed in defeat. "You wouldn’t be in danger otherwise."
"But Saria."
l’s hands enveloped Saria’s on her cheek, an earnestness blooming in her golden eyes. "You’ll always be here for , to protect , right?"
Saria’s eyes trembled, a strange feeling burrowing through as she t l’s gaze.
A maturity glimred within l’s resolved expression, one she wasn’t quite ready to face.
Despite that, her lips curled into a tender smile. "Yeah. That will never change."
Even as the child grew, the Knight vowed to remain by her side.
Under the night sky, sprinkled only by artificial starlight, the Knight made a silent promise to herself.
----------------
l watched Saria’s back disappear up the staircase, a trace of regret lingering beneath her skin.
She clutched at her chest, her heartbeat a silent lull, mories still wrapped in the fullness of their embrace.
Her fingers drifted to her lips again, wondering when she might next kiss Saria.
"How strange."
It was the first ti l had felt uncertain about her feelings, how to na them, and how to speak them aloud.
She had always been forward with Saria and with others, too. Had a new vulnerability crept in without her recognising it?
Perhaps, she rely loved Saria more than she thought.
A bubbly giggle escaped her lips, surprising even herself.
Unlike with the Witches or her maid, it wasn’t forced or calculated, just pure joy and gratitude spilling over her heart.
She wondered if the boundary between her and Saria would be crossed again, not out of desire or want for a family, but simply when it felt right.
"For now..."
l stretched and relaxed as she turned her heels.
"I should visit her directly this ti."
She had too many questions for a re System panel.
Or
So things were best asked face-to-face.
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The
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