Suddenly, a sharp voice broke everyone's attention.

"What is going on here?"

Aurelia was confused by what she saw. If it had been someone else, she wouldn't have wasted her time asking questions after seeing Loriel sitting on the ground with a disheveled appearance and bloodstains all over her clothes—especially with the mark of dried tears on her pretty face.

That alone would've been enough for her to start beating up everyone around her first and ask questions later. However, this situation wasn't so simple. There was Leon, the terrifying boy, standing close to Loriel, one even stronger than her.

She wanted to build a good relationship with him, but if she found out someone had bullied her little Loriel, she would leave today, swallowing her pride because of his strength… but she would never forget it.

Forget about building a relationship with him.

The way he stood so close to her, and the way Loriel was also looking at him with a visibly mad expression, made Aurelia uneasy.

They needed someone powerful like him in the human civilization to stabilize the turmoil in their Domain, and she had planned to be as diplomatic as possible—much was at stake.

But there were limits to what she could tolerate.

No one answered the question she had asked aloud. Loriel outright ignored her and looked the other way with a huff.

That alone made Aurelia sigh in relief. It was enough for her to know that it wasn't anything serious—otherwise, Loriel would have definitely asked for help.

Though there were signs of injury on her body, it seemed she was more upset than hurt. That surprised Aurelia, knowing how the crybaby usually complained about even the most minor pain. And yet now, she said nothing.

Now I'm even more curious… what made little Loriel stop complaining about the pain like usual, and instead be upset over something else?

Aurelia found this refreshing. She had tried many times to help the little Saintess overcome her weakness toward pain. She was too soft. If she genuinely wanted to be a Saintess—and more than that, survive in this world—she had to be tougher.

There were people around this soft-hearted girl to take care of her for now, but without that, Aurelia couldn't imagine her surviving this long.

Even her potential was being wasted because of that softness. She remembered the time she'd been tasked with training the girl—sent by her friend, the former Saintess of Life, who had admitted she couldn't do it herself.

At first, Aurelia hadn't understood why. But on the very first day of training, she understood everything.

Loriel's wails had echoed off the training ground walls, high and piercing, drowning out even the clash of blades.

Still, she ignored the crying and complaints, thinking it would improve with time—but how wrong she was.

Aurelia's brow twitched as Loriel huffed at her. Still the same crybaby. The memory of those training days came back sharp—Loriel sobbing more than swinging her sword, her tiny hands clutching wounds while Aurelia forced potions down her throat. She had lasted a week before realizing she was spending more time silencing tears than teaching.

To her, the best and fastest way to improve was simply through fighting. That's how she herself had grown stronger. So that's what she did with Loriel at first—throwing her into hoards of monsters.

She remembered the smell of iron-rich blood and the way Loriel's small hands trembled as they clutched at a torn sleeve, eyes wide with terror.

Getting hurt was part of the process. It wasn't as if she left her untreated—she always used potions to heal her afterward.

Not to mention, the girl herself had an affinity for the life element.

Even then, Loriel gagged every time the bitter liquid burned down her throat, tears streaking her dirt-smeared cheeks.

But Aurelia had to stop using her best training method for a straightforward reason—it was ineffective. Watching Loriel cry every day made her feel guilty, and more importantly, the training didn't even yield results. The girl just sulked and cried over and over again.

In the end, she developed a soft spot for the crybaby, even knowing she shouldn't. If she really wanted Loriel to improve, she needed to push harder—but she just couldn't. Aurelia couldn't bring herself to do it.

At least there was one thing good about her soft-hearted disciple—when in a life-threatening situation, she pulled through despite the pain. Otherwise, Aurelia would have never gone easy on her training.

Sometimes, even she couldn't believe how lenient she'd become with Loriel. It didn't suit her. Yet she had fallen for innocence.

Even now, she could picture those hazel eyes brimming with tears, wide and pleading in a way that made even her hardened heart falter.

She often wondered if someone had cast a spell on her. But deep down, she knew—it was just her own way of coping with disbelief at her own softness.

——

Loriel continued ignoring her, making Aurelia's brow twitch. Leon, the attractive boy, simply shrugged his shoulders. His woman said nothing either.

The husband of the woman who had just fought alongside them stood frozen, mouth agape, lost in his own world.

Only the girl named Liora met her eyes. She seemed like the only normal one among them, and Aurelia felt she could ask her what had happened.

She could've asked the boy, Leon, or his woman, Seraphine. But she chose not to. The situation didn't seem too serious, but she didn't want to create awkwardness between them.

Even Aurelia felt a bit strange. It wasn't like her to act this cautiously in front of anyone. Usually, she would assert dominance wherever she went—she was the Saintess of Light and was used to giving orders.

But now her voice was calm and collected, carrying not even a hint of dominance, as she looked directly into Liora's eyes and asked,

"Liora, do you know how Loriel got hurt?"

More than being a potential successor, Liora was also the daughter of a woman as strong as Aurelia herself. She couldn't afford to be careless.

Aurelia felt oddly humbled right now. That this was all happening in the lower Domain was hard to believe—yet it was her reality.

Liora heard the strong, shiny blonde-haired woman speak. She would have answered the first time Aurelia asked, but she had felt uncomfortable being the one to talk in front of such influential figures so close to her.

But now that the senior had specifically asked her, she responded instantly without hesitation and explained everything from start to finish.

"The thing is, senior, before Leon was about to attack the…"

Liora explained every single detail without omitting anything.

Aurelia listened closely. The more she heard, the sharper her gaze became as she looked down at Loriel, who still sat on the ground.

This girl… she can't go anywhere without creating problems…

Aurelia felt relieved that Loriel hadn't gotten seriously hurt. But more than that, she was annoyed. Even now, Loriel was giving attitude to everyone, despite being the reason for the situation in the first place.

There were also some things she needed to talk to her about in private—especially regarding her behavior.

She could easily tell Loriel was acting differently toward Leon. The fact that she was still upset even after being healed by him—when usually she would be full of thanks—made it clear she cared too much about the boy and was upset he'd ignored her earlier.

Aurelia felt embarrassed by her disciple's behavior. Loriel was dragging their reputation down before she even had a chance to speak correctly with Leon—but she didn't show it on her face.

Loriel, meanwhile, felt a chill run down the back of her neck for some reason.

Without warning, Aurelia moved with swift precision. Her hand shot out and grabbed Loriel by the back of her collar, lifting the green-haired girl clean off the ground like she was picking up a misbehaving kitten.

"Eep!" Loriel squeaked in surprise, her arms and legs dangling helplessly as she was hoisted into the air. Her carefully maintained pout instantly crumbled into shock and embarrassment.

What is she doing?! This is so humiliating!

Aurelia's grip was firm but not painful as she held Loriel at arm's length, studying her with those sharp golden eyes. The Saintess of Light's expression remained perfectly composed, though there was a hint of exasperation in her gaze.

"We're leaving," Aurelia announced calmly to the group, still holding the squirming Loriel by her collar. "It seems my disciple needs a proper discussion about appropriate behavior."

Loriel's face turned an even deeper shade of red as she realized everyone was watching her dangle like a scolded child. She tried to maintain some dignity, but it was difficult when her feet weren't even touching the ground.

"S-Senior Aurelia! Put me down! This is embarrassing!" she protested weakly, though her voice lacked any absolute authority.

Why does this always happen to me?

Leon watched the scene with barely contained amusement, while Seraphine covered her mouth to hide a smile. Even Liora looked like she was trying not to giggle at the sight.

But before she could leave, Aurelia reached into her robes with her free hand and pulled out a small piece of paper. She held it out toward Leon, her expression becoming more serious.

"We should meet to discuss certain matters," she said simply, her voice taking on a more formal tone.

Leon stepped forward and took the paper slip from her outstretched hand. Looking down at it, he could see elegant handwriting that listed specific coordinates and a time - tomorrow evening at sunset.

"Meet me at this location at the specified time," Aurelia continued, still holding the squirming Loriel by her collar.

Her golden eyes met his directly, though she offered no explanation for what the meeting would entail. It was clear she had her reasons for wanting privacy, but she wasn't going to elaborate now.

This whole situation with Loriel has been... less than ideal, Aurelia thought as she watched Leon pocket the paper. It would be better to have a proper conversation when we can start fresh, without all this drama clouding things.

The way her disciple had acted - the crying, the pouting, the obvious infatuation - it wasn't exactly the kind of first impression she'd wanted to make on someone so powerful. A clean slate tomorrow would serve them both better.

"I'll be there," Leon replied simply, understanding that whatever she wanted to discuss required a more appropriate setting.

Aurelia nodded once, satisfied with his response. "Good."

With that, she turned and began walking away, still carrying the dangling Loriel, leaving Leon to wonder precisely what kind of conversation awaited him the next day.

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