Chapter 113. Despite Being Rejected

“With pure light.”

I recited the spell I had learned from Mihail as if it were a habit.

Saaa…

A soft purifying light, like mist, blossomed from my palm.

Watching it, I blankly stared at Mihail’s enraptured expression, which I had seen countless times before. I remained still until he once again kissed my palm.

“Ah…”

But it was different from usual.

In the past, he would lightly brush his lips like a cat or reverently touch them softly.

But now…

“Wait a moment, Sir Andantino!”

I called out to Mihail urgently. His grip, soft yet firm, was significant, and no matter how much I tried to pull my hand away, it was useless.

Mihail slightly raised his head to meet my eyes.

What is this?

Why is he so confident?

Did he forget everything that happened yesterday? Didn’t he come to his senses after being slapped? I clearly said no! I’m not your possession!

“Ah, Miss Sera.”

“Ugh…!”

At that moment, Mihail’s lips embraced my palm again.

It was intense. The contact between his lips and my palm was quite deep.

An odd sensation tingled throughout my body, causing an involuntary sound to escape my mouth.

And at that moment.

The ominous atmosphere I hadn’t noticed due to my embarrassment suddenly and powerfully spread throughout the house.

I slowly turned my head, a chill running down my spine.

Don’t break the house, you guys…

Fortunately, it seemed that what I feared wouldn’t happen, but it didn’t look like things would pass without any incident either.

Oh no, my tableware…

The spoon in Johann’s hand was bending at a sharp angle, bowing at 90 degrees. Claude’s hand, holding fruit, was drenched in juice.

This won’t do.

I need to stop this from happening again.

“Sir Andantino, I don’t like it. Please stop.”

“You originally allowed it. Without a valid reason, I cannot accept this.”

“It wasn’t like this before. It’s too intense.”

Oh no.

Did I choose the wrong words?

I felt a murderous intent from beside me.

“I could crush you intensely.”

Claude growled.

“Originally allowed…?”

Johann spoke in a chilly voice, furrowing his brow.

I’m going crazy.

I felt like a shrimp caught between whales.

At this rate, my lifespan might be cut in half, really. Sob sob.

I missed Cyril.

When I was with my Cyril, everything was comfortable and smooth.

What might Cyril be doing right now? His body should be fully healed with holy power from yesterday, so there shouldn’t be any issues, right?

<I’ll find a new refuge.>

<Let’s get out of Ponitan for now.>

I recalled the conversation we had while hiding under a blanket in an alley yesterday.

With the three heroes barging into my house and settling in, leaving Ponitan immediately would be impossible…

I’ll just have to endure until a new refuge is ready.

Resolving myself, I looked at the three heroes in turn.

A battle of nerves was in full swing.

“By what right do you say you can crush me?”

While Mihail was dealing with Claude, I managed to subtly pull my hand away. Wiping Mihail’s saliva from my palm onto my clothes, I cautiously darted my eyes around.

Claude growled.

“Purifier Seraphina is a valuable resource. I can’t allow her to be treated carelessly.”

“I said there’s no reason to go to the Grodes Mountains anyway.”

“Nothing is decided yet. If Purifier Seraphina wants, Hilton is always open.”

“You’re harboring ridiculous hopes for someone who’s been rejected.”

“……!”

Mihail wins.

Internally marking the trivial win and loss, I glanced at Johann. His stiffened expression when the phrase ‘for someone who’s been rejected’ was mentioned bothered me.

Ha, really…

So I did kiss Johann yesterday.

Without realizing, I rubbed my lips with my hand as if wiping them. In my ear, I heard someone gritting their teeth. It was Claude.

He’s at a loss for words.

Who told him to spout strange nonsense in the morning?

I was secretly glad for Mihail’s counterattack.

The notion of Hilton being open to me was chilling, and that cheesy confession in the morning…

<You’re more than attractive enough.>

That’s enough.

Remembering more is torture even for me.

But to think Mihail heard all of that, I felt embarrassed.

“Did you think I wouldn’t hear it when you spoke so loudly?”

Then Johann interjected.

Placing the oddly bent spoon on the table, he smiled slyly at Claude.

“The Guardian of the North gifting flowers, the world might flip in surprise.”

Come to think of it, heroes have senses more developed than ordinary people. That means Johann probably heard the conversation in my room too.

And Johann heard more than I expected.

“You mentioned discussing the dispatch location earlier.”

Johann said, looking at Mihail.

It seemed to be a topic Mihail was waiting for, as his eyes sharpened with focus.

“You seem to regard Seraphina as your possession rather than a purifier.”

Johann’s blue eyes briefly glanced at me before returning to Mihail.

“Let’s make it clear. She belongs to no one.”

“……!”

“Even when the Holy Knight Order’s commander is absent for so long, there’s no issue in Sahar, so Seraphina will return to her basic station for now.”

“Are you saying you’ll take Miss Sera away from me?”

“How should I open your ears to make you understand? She was never yours to take in the first place.”

Johann’s cold voice pressed down on the air.

I felt suffocated.

The two glared at each other as if they would kill, showing no sign of concession. The tension was so high that I felt like I was the only one suffering.

What should I do…

I miss Cyril…

From the first morning we faced together, it was this tense, and I couldn’t see how I’d endure each day going forward.

“If you flap that mouth carelessly one more time, even you will have to face Marseus’s sword.”

“You speak as if you’ve given special treatment before.”

“Don’t ever put your filthy lips on Seraphina again.”

“We’ll see.”

Feigning nonchalance, Mihail looked at me.

“I’m glad you brought the compass. It means you hold Sahar in your heart.”

That’s not it.

I can’t say it’s entirely false, but it’s just for reminiscing!

Erasing my past experiences feels unfair… after all that suffering, it’s a bit unjust, isn’t it?

But if I acknowledged even a tiny bit of meaningful time, it seemed like he would rush over and drag me away, so I feigned ignorance.

“I packed in a hurry…”

“She said she brought it with no meaning.”

Then Claude interjected.

Oh, this guy.

Maybe he can represent my feelings better than I can?

I quietly closed my mouth and cheered for Claude.

“The compass is just an ornament.”

“The Guardian of the North doesn’t know its meaning.”

“If you’re going to spout nonsense, shut up.”

“Miss Sera always carried a compass to avoid getting lost in the desert. It means she’s ready to return to the desert anytime.”

That’s a bit of a stretch, isn’t it?

It is nonsense, so why don’t you shut up and stop talking nonsense?

“Isn’t that right, Miss Sera?”

“Hahaha…”

Due to Mihail’s subtle pressure, I could only let out an awkward laugh.

No, you jerk.

I never want to go back. To the Sahar Desert or anywhere like that.

“Seraphina.”

Then Johann called me.

At his serious, calm voice, I swallowed dryly and looked at him. Instinctively, I could tell Johann was about to bring up something important.

It seemed I wasn’t the only one who felt it. The intense atmosphere emanating from Mihail and Claude slightly subsided. Both of their gazes shifted towards Johann.

“About the Battle of Agulena, you…”

“……!”

It felt like my heart dropped with a thud.

I never expected him to suddenly bring up the Battle of Agulena.

Death.

The battle that should have been my grave.

I felt as if all the blood in my body was draining away. I couldn’t focus properly. My vision flickered white.

“Miss Sera?”

“Purifier Seraphina.”

At that moment, Mihail and Claude called out to me from either side.

Did I just act strange?

There was concern in their voices.

Barely managing to gather my wits, I realized they were supporting me from either side. It seemed as if I had almost lost my balance and fallen from the chair.

“Ah…”

I lifted my head, my eyes wavering in confusion. Johann was looking at me with a complicated expression from across the table.

“You…”

Johann began in a voice filled with confusion.

“You knew, didn’t you?”

“…Know what?”

I must have seemed really strange just now.

I could see Johann’s blue eyes sinking heavily, as if there was no end in sight.

Suddenly standing up, Johann came around the table to stand behind me. He effortlessly spun the chair around so I was facing him.

Johann grasped my wrist and pulled me up.

“It seems we have something to talk about.”