"What! You're moving out of here?"
Laetitia stared at Elise in shock. She had never expected Elise to make such a decision.
Laetitia, ranked second among the Page One, had her own private room in the academy. Elise had been living with her only because of Laetitia's invitation.
But now…
"Is there some special reason?" Laetitia asked anxiously.
"Not really, just that I want to take care of the new transfer student—she's still not quite used to things."
"Orphelia?"
"Who else could it be?"
Laetitia's expression turned troubled. Internally, she wrestled with her thoughts before finally sighing deeply.
That's the Elise I know.
"Alright then. But if you're going to live with Orphelia…" Laetitia thought about Elise's strength.
Yes—very strong.
"This might be unnecessary to say, but still—be careful."
"Thanks, Laetitia."
After living together for so long, Laetitia was reluctant to see Elise leave. But she wasn't about to show her vulnerable side here. Most likely, she'd cry quietly into her blanket at night.
In just two days, the Lady Saintess had managed to become the white moonlight of two women—and break both their defenses.
What a sin.
—Morning—
"Ah, you're up early."
Elise yawned, sitting up in bed as usual. The blanket slipped off her fragrant shoulders, exposing large swaths of fair skin to the air—and her soft pink tips as well. Her silky blonde hair shone brilliantly under the sunlight.
Elise disliked the feeling of being restrained while sleeping. Even before becoming a girl, she'd been that way, and now that her body was more sensitive, she disliked wearing undergarments to bed even more.
She usually slept completely bare, only occasionally wearing a loose nightgown under special circumstances.
However…
She glanced around, looking for a certain someone—but saw no one.
She had already moved out of Laetitia's dorm. Since she wasn't participating in the rankings, she had to live in an ordinary student dorm with a roommate.
And her new roommate was none other than Orphelia, the recent transfer to Saint Galahadworth Academy.
"Strange. She was clinging to me yesterday, but today she's up so early?"
Just as Elise was wondering, the door opened and Orphelia stepped inside.
"Good morning, Lady Saintess!"
With perfect grace, Orphelia entered and gave a deep bow toward Elise on the bed.
"Breakfast is ready. Once you're dressed, we can eat together."
Smiling, Orphelia produced a neatly pressed uniform and a set of white underwear from behind her.
Yesterday, Elise hadn't had time to do laundry—but Orphelia had washed them for her, even folding the stockings flat on top so they wouldn't lose their shape.
"Orphelia, I'm not your master, and you're not my servant. There's no need for you to do this," Elise reminded her. "Besides, it feels like I'm tying you down this way."
"No! Lady Saintess!" Orphelia's voice was firm. She had been a kind girl once, but years as the Venom Strega had inevitably shaped her personality.
And she had her own convictions.
"This is my choice! I probably can't help you much in battle anymore, so I want to make your daily life as pleasant as possible."
After Elise's purification, Orphelia's strength hadn't changed much—but she could now control her toxins better. And it was precisely because of this that she had, in a sense, "weakened."
Orphelia had always been someone who didn't want to hurt others. She rarely attacked anyone proactively—most of her victories came from her poison gas going out of control.
But now that she could control it, would she still choose to harm people?
Not daring to hurt anyone meant she could no longer unleash her full power. In other words, Orphelia had "weakened."
"If I ever inconvenience you, you can judge me! No matter the punishment, I'll accept it!" Orphelia's expression was firm. Who knew why she had turned out this way?
"No, you haven't inconvenienced me," Elise shook her head. "And I have no intention of restricting anyone's preferences."
"As for judgment—you're no sinner, so there's no need for that. But…"
"If you're going to insist on doing these things, at least get my permission first, alright?" Elise pointed to the clothes in Orphelia's hands—her meaning was obvious.
"Yes, Lady Saintess!"
To Orphelia, Elise was likely an exceptionally special existence. After all, she was the saintess who had changed her fate.
Since transferring, Orphelia hadn't participated in a single duel. Even when others challenged her, she refused outright.
Barring unexpected circumstances, Orphelia likely never intended to use her poison ability again.
But that was fine.
As long as she stayed with Elise, there was little risk of anything happening. Even if she wouldn't harm anyone, her overwhelming power meant few could touch her.
"This morning I made hamburger steak. I don't know if it suits your taste…" Orphelia became shy when talking about breakfast. "When I was little, I went out for hamburgers with friends before. I wonder how mine turned out…"
Under Orphelia's nervous gaze, Elise popped the meat-like patty into her mouth.
"Mmm…" Elise chewed. "It's pretty good."
Though it didn't look impressive, the taste was unexpectedly pleasant—proof Orphelia had potential.
"Your cooking still needs work. Next time, I'll teach you."
Sylvia: ?
Laetitia: ?
Two women who had once received Elise's "cooking guidance" were now deeply suspicious.
Elise gestured for Orphelia to sit and eat with her, but Orphelia insisted she couldn't dine at the same table as the Lady Saintess.
At this point, Orphelia was already showing signs of becoming a maid. Who knew what her future would hold?
Just as Elise was enjoying a peaceful morning, her communicator beeped. An email appeared in her inbox.
"The body's memories have been erased. If you have time, come pick it up."
The sender was marked as "Unknown," but fortunately, the address and a photo of the person were attached.
Sylvia's teacher…
Ursula!