Loriel had prepared herself for mockery, not mercy. Yet as Seraphine's kind words reached her, Loriel felt the weight of them crush her pride more than any blade could.

She might have been slightly stronger than her right now, but there was a certain presence about her that told Loriel she could never outwit her.

Yet at this moment, her kindness only made her cry harder. The healing was already painful enough, and Leon hadn't even come to check on her. She felt utterly defeated.

Sob… Sob…

Being gently caressed by the very woman she was supposed to rival, Loriel was confused, hurt, lost, and crying all at once.

Seraphine, seeing her cry even more intensely, didn't feel good about it. This Saintess was relatively young compared to her, and she felt like she had bullied a child, even though she hadn't gone that far. Considering her as a sparring partner for the future no longer seemed like a good idea.

What if she starts crying every time she gets hit? I can't deal with such a crybaby.

But Seraphine knew precisely what would make her stop crying.

She looked at Leon, who stood there smiling like an idiot while watching them. He was the one who had hurt this crybaby—even if it was her own fault.

Still, did he really not understand that she was crying even harder because she didn't get his attention?

Seraphine hated what she was about to do, but she couldn't help it. She didn't believe in supporting a girl who had been acting smug just moments earlier.

Also, her healing was painfully slow compared to Leon's, which meant she had to endure the pain for much longer. Seraphine was only doing this because she wanted her to stop crying in front of her.

"Leon! Come here and heal her quickly," Seraphine called out.

Right as she said those words, she noticed the Saintess had stopped crying for a moment.

Seraphine was experienced enough to know the difference between real and fake tears. And this girl was truly crying—yet the moment she heard the command that might get her what she wanted, she paused instantly. Seraphine found her behavior childish.

She knew the fights ahead would be tough for her. She always grew soft in front of innocence.

Leon came closer the moment he heard Seraphine's words. He could see the redness in the Saintess's hazel eyes as she looked up at him with quiet expectation. The trail of tears was still wet on her cheeks.

He had to admit—she looked pretty cute right now. Innocent and vulnerable. It stirred a strange desire in him to protect her.

Suddenly, he felt a sharp prickling on his skin—it was Seraphine glaring at him.

He quickly looked away, and the mana inside his body surged in response. With a swift motion, he overwhelmed Loriel with life energy.

Yes—overwhelmed her.

Leon had noticed that she didn't tolerate pain well. The more she healed herself, the more she grunted and cried from even those light injuries.

So he decided to heal her so quickly that she wouldn't even have time to register the pain. He used his life energy to stitch her wounds back together instantly.

Much more mana would be consumed this way, but Leon didn't care. His mana regenerated at an astonishing rate due to his extraordinary all-elemental affinity.

But while healing her, his mind remained focused on Seraphine's behavior. He knew she had a soft spot for cute and innocent things—and Loriel fit that description perfectly.

She could be cruel, yet also kind. Leon liked that about her—he liked that contrast a lot.

He still remembered how bratty he'd acted when they first met. He felt lucky it was Seraphine. Anyone else might have imprisoned him for being such a nuisance.

He was genuinely grateful for his luck.

An intense green hue enveloped Loriel's body. She braced herself for the pain, just like before—expecting the same agony she'd felt when healing herself. Even though she had stopped crying by now, she still felt upset that it had taken him so long to give her any attention, especially when it was his attack that had hurt her.

She knew it was her fault for provoking it, yet she still wished he had shown a little more care.

Loriel was more upset with the Holy Son's indifference than with the woman she had been resenting earlier. She couldn't even be mad at Seraphine anymore after witnessing how kind and thoughtful she had been—despite mocking her earlier.

Her perception of both of them had changed completely.

She was ready for the pain.

Urgh… Here it comes…

But the pain she was expecting never came.

In an instant—like a snap of fingers—she was completely healed. It happened so fast that her mind couldn't even register the transition from wounded to whole.

What caught her off guard wasn't just the speed, but the sensation that followed.

Leon's life energy was unlike anything she had ever felt before. Where her own life magic felt familiar and warm, his was something entirely different—purer, more refined, more potent. As it flowed through her body, it didn't just heal her wounds; it seemed to rejuvenate every cell, every fiber of her being.

A wave of euphoria washed over her, starting from where his energy had entered and spreading throughout her entire body. Her eyes widened in shock as the sensation continued to pulse through her, leaving her feeling more alive than she had ever felt before.

It was intoxicating. The purity of his life energy made her own seem crude and unrefined by comparison. She found herself wanting more of that incredible feeling, craving it in a way that surprised and confused her.

Loriel's breath caught in her throat as she stared up at Leon, her hazel eyes wide with wonder and something that bordered on need. The tears on her cheeks had dried, but now for an entirely different reason.

What... what was that? She thought, her body still tingling from the lingering effects of his healing touch.

But then, as the euphoric sensation began to fade, Loriel suddenly remembered why she had been upset in the first place.

Wait... I'm supposed to be mad at him!

The realization hit her like a splash of cold water. Here she was, practically swooning over his healing touch, when just moments ago she had been crying because he hadn't bothered to check on her after his attack had sent her flying.

Her cheeks flushed a deeper shade of pink as embarrassment mixed with her returning irritation. She quickly turned her face away from Leon, puffing out her cheeks like a balloon in an adorably petulant expression.

"Hmph!"

The sound escaped her lips before she could stop it, and she crossed her arms over her chest while keeping her face firmly turned to the side. Her bottom lip jutted out slightly in what could only be described as the most childish pout imaginable.

Even though his healing had felt incredible—more incredible than anything she'd ever experienced—she wasn't about to let him off the hook that easily. He had ignored her when she was hurt, and that deserved at least a proper sulk.

The cute, balloon-like expression on her face made her look more like a spoiled child than the dignified Saintess she claimed to be, but Loriel was too caught up in her indignation to care about maintaining her image.

Leon stared at Loriel's pouty expression, completely baffled by her reaction. He had just healed her perfectly, faster and more efficiently than anyone else could have managed, and yet she was... sulking?

What did I do wrong now?

The confusion on his face was evident, but as he continued to look at her balloon-like cheeks and that adorable little pout, something else entirely took over his thoughts.

She's... actually really cute like this.

The way her bottom lip jutted out, how her cheeks puffed up in indignation, the stubborn tilt of her chin as she refused to look at him—it was almost too much to handle.

"You're extremely cute," Leon blurted out without thinking.

The words escaped his mouth before his brain could catch up and stop them. He hadn't meant to say it out loud, but seeing her like this had short-circuited his usual composure.

Loriel's eyes widened in shock, her carefully maintained pout nearly crumbling as a deep blush spread across her cheeks like wildfire. Her heart skipped a beat at his unexpected compliment.

He... he called me cute! The Holy Son thinks I'm cute!

For a moment, she almost forgot why she was supposed to be upset, her anger melting away under the warmth of his words. But she caught herself just in time, forcing her expression back into that stubborn pout even as her face burned with embarrassment.

No! I'm still mad at him! I can't let him win me over that easily!

She turned her face even further away, though the bright red of her cheeks was still visible. "Hmph! D-Don't think you can just... just say things like that and expect me to forgive you!"

Seraphine's head snapped toward him, her eyes narrowing into a dangerous glare. The intensity of her stare could have melted steel, but she didn't say a word.

Did he really just...?

Despite her glare, Seraphine found herself agreeing with his assessment. The green-haired girl did look incredibly cute while pouting like that, especially with that fierce blush. It was the kind of innocent, childish expression that made you want to protect her—or maybe pinch her cheeks.

Damn it, she really is adorable when she's sulking.

But that didn't mean she was going to let Leon get away with saying it out loud where everyone could hear.

The Saintess's pout might have been adorable, but Seraphine's glare promised something far less sweet. Leon had no idea—yet—that his little slip would cost him dearly.

She was going to punish him thoroughly for this when they were alone.

Suddenly, a sharp voice broke everyone's attention.

"What is going on here?"

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