“Olive... Olive... Olive, where are you...”

Within the gauzy curtains, that weak, aged voice kept calling for his beloved. Every word was filled with attachment and dependence...

Yet inside this enormous royal bedchamber, no one answered for a long while.

“Olive... my Olive...”

“So damn annoying.”

In the corner of the bedchamber, the man currently gnawing on a court maid’s arm lifted his head, spat out a pale finger bone with a ptoo, and instinctively looked toward the woman beside the bed.

“I say, beautiful and gentle Miss Donna, can’t you think of a way to make this old thing shut up? I’m trying to eat here, and his nonstop yapping is driving me insane.”

Within the pool of blood beneath the man’s feet, the pitiful maid with missing limbs twitched weakly. Her one remaining intact hand finally touched the dagger nearby...

Then the man’s foot came down.

With a dull crunch, the maid finally stopped moving completely.

“Don’t you know I hate people making noise while I’m eating the most? I need silence!” the man complained irritably.

“Then get out!”

Beside the royal bed where Saint Peron V lay, the woman named Donna was neither kind nor gentle. Covering her nose with a handkerchief in disgust, she glanced sidelong at the man without giving him the slightest face.

“Do you know the smell of blood from that filthy thing is already making me want to vomit? Damn it, I truly don’t understand how you can stomach eating something so disgusting!”

“Eh~ What’s the fun in eating outside? Ingredients are freshest when you eat them on the spot, aren’t they?”

As he spoke, the man ripped off the court maid’s other arm and grinned, the corners of his crimson mouth smeared with blood.

“As for stomach it... want some? It’s delicious. Apparently these court maids are mostly daughters of nobles. Their flesh is so tender. Those village girls I used to snack on don’t even compare. No wonder everyone says the best things are all inside the royal palace.”

“Get away from me!”

Donna looked even more disgusted. If not for the demands of her assignment, she would have left this room filled with the stench of old men and the blood of women long ago.

Much less stayed together with this filthy creature that fed on filthy things!

Every extra second spent here was torture to her.

“I believe I’ve already told you this before. I’m a clean freak. These filthy sinners are what I hate most in the world. So whether dead or alive, don’t let these disgusting things come within five meters of me! Otherwise I’ll kill you right now!” Donna said coldly.

“Tch, what’s with the attitude? I was just trying to share out of kindness...”

The man muttered under his breath and sat back down to continue enjoying his “meal.”

Of course, he hated her too.

But what could he do? She was someone under the Holy Lord’s direct command, the Salvation Society’s First Seat.

Compared to someone like him under the Second Seat, even without a difference in rank, there was still a real difference in status.

For example, the overall coordination of guarding the Kingdom’s king this time had been entrusted to Miss Donna, while he...

At best counted as a glorified errand runner.

“Fine, fine. Miss Donna’s the boss right now. I won’t argue with you.”

Under Donna’s icy stare, the man raised both hands in surrender and scooted farther into the corner.

“Brother, move over a little.”

In the corner, a little boy playing with some strange toy rolled his eyes and silently burrowed deeper into the shadows.

“Don’t shove,” another mutter came from the darkness. “I’m already getting crushed to death over here.”

“...”

...

“Hmph.”

Seeing that the human she hated had no intention of approaching further, Donna finally relaxed slightly.

But before she could even take a breath of fresh air, the voice behind the curtains sounded again.

“Olive... Olive, where are you...”

“I... I’m so hot...”

Hm? Hot?

Donna, who originally had no intention of paying attention, suddenly frowned.

Hot?

Why would he be saying he was hot? That old thing hardly looked overflowing with vitality.

Could it be...

Had the medicine they used earlier to stop this old thing from dying ahead of schedule been overdosed?

As expected, those fools calling themselves gardeners were all useless trash!

Thinking this, Donna sighed and pressed a hand to her forehead before exhaling several wisps of pale violet smoke.

The smoke swirled around her.

And just like that, she transformed into the Witch of Repentance.

Only then did she extend her delicate hand and pull aside the curtains.

“Your Majesty, I’m here.”

“Ah... Olive... you came... you finally came...”

The old man on the bed opened his eyes, delight filling his face.

“I’ve always been here, Your Majesty.”

Donna endured the nausea in her heart and leaned closer to Saint Peron V.

Just as she had expected, the old thing’s body was burning hot. Clearly, the medicinal effect he had ingested earlier had already exceeded the limits his rotten body could endure.

Some of the medicine’s effects had to be vented somehow.

Otherwise, if this old thing died early, even being sliced into a thousand pieces would not be enough to atone for the blame she would bear.

And the only harmless way to draw the medicinal effects out of this old thing’s body...

“Urgh...”

Donna could not help dry-heaving. Even the hand gripping the bedside turned pale.

That method...

Was something she could not accept.

Even thinking about it made her sick.

But...

“For the new world...”

“For the new world...”

“For the... new world!”

Donna repeated the words several times in her heart. After finally confirming that her resolve and conviction would not waver, she crooked a finger, and the clothes on her body fell away like scattered snowflakes.

Under the glow of the magic stones, her pale skin seemed coated in a holy radiance...

As though embodying Donna’s powerful will to dedicate herself for her ideals.

She twisted her body and sat atop Saint Peron V.

“Olive... you...”

Saint Peron V’s eyes widened.

Seeing the woman he loved sitting naked upon him, alluring in posture and beautiful in appearance, he felt as though he had returned to the finest days of his youth.

No.

Even during those days, he had never truly gone this far with his beloved Olive.

And now, at last, he finally could...

“Your Majesty, let me help you...”

To avoid revealing flaws, Donna imitated the Witch of Repentance. Even while sitting naked atop a man and seductively lowering herself toward him, she still maintained a noble and dignified smile.

Saint Peron V’s body grew even hotter.

“Olive...”

“Don’t move, Your Majesty. I’ll do it...”

Within the curtains, Donna rolled her waist.

Accompanied by one muffled groan and one soft moan, the two finally joined together.

Donna moved proactively, yet every gesture carried several traces of the Witch of Repentance’s eerie allure.

The disgust continued gathering inside her heart, then gradually transformed into another kind of sensation without her realizing it.

Donna licked her red lips, her movements growing increasingly wild.

This old thing could not die.

Nor could he become too lucid.

Then let him drown...

Within this false dream of greatness.

And so, even though she felt nothing toward that filthy object, Donna still let out sweet panting that would make any man’s blood race.

“Your Majesty... you’re amazing...”

Saint Peron V’s eyes bulged wide, his shriveled body suddenly arching upward.

At this moment, he truly seemed to become the Kingdom’s great sovereign.

His beloved at his side, countless people worshiping him, and at last, upon the battlefield where endless achievements were forged...

He galloped freely!

...

“Holy shit, this direct?”

Watching what was happening within the curtains, even the man who prided himself on his adaptability was left dumbfounded. The half-eaten hand slipped right out of his mouth.

Now he finally understood why Donna had become the coordinator for this entire operation...

That level of sacrifice truly was extraordinary.

“Though... germaphobe?”

Listening to the moans that had originally been nothing but an act, but now carried several traces of genuine pleasure, the man could not help sneering.

What germaphobe?

Normally she acted so lofty, and now at a moment like this, wasn’t an old man still making her...

“Ghoul.”

“W-what?”

Hearing Donna suddenly call his title, the man jerked violently.

Shit, she couldn’t have heard that too, right...

“Rear... garden.”

Donna let out a soft grunt. “Go to the... rear garden.”

“Huh? Rear garden?”

The man froze.

Rear garden?

What rear garden?

For her to suddenly say rear garden at a moment like this...

Watching the swaying curtains, the man subconsciously swallowed.

No way.

Surely this woman wasn’t satisfied with just the front and wanted to play both routes at once?

Usually she was so cold, so professional, so untouchable, and yet now she was this thirsty?

Not even minding someone she hated? And playing this intensely too?

“I like it.”

The man gave a wicked grin.

He had never been the indecisive type anyway. Since she had taken the initiative to ask, how could he possibly refuse to satisfy her?

He immediately yanked down his pants and lifted the curtain!

“Wh-what are you doing?!”

On the bed, seeing the filthy thing suddenly appear, Donna’s waist instantly tensed, while Saint Peron V beneath her visibly started rolling his eyes back.

“What am I doing...? Didn’t you ask me to come...”

The man’s gaze swept over Donna.

Honestly, with the Third Seat’s face, this posture really did stir desire...

“What do you mean I asked you to come?! Get out!”

“Huh? Then when you said—”

“I told you to go check the rear garden of Saint Haze Palace!”

Donna roared furiously.

“The grand barrier is issuing warnings. There’s an intruder!”

“...”

The man’s expression stiffened. His movements turned rigid as he slowly lowered his head.

Only then did he notice that Saint Peron V really was clutching the core of the grand barrier in his hand. It was glowing faintly, and a point of light was rapidly moving across it toward the innermost area.

“Haha... is that what you meant?”

The man scratched his head awkwardly.

“Then how about we just go with the misunderstanding and do it anyway? Otherwise this feels super awkward.”

“Get out!”

Donna roared while panting heavily.

“If anything goes wrong with guarding this old thing, I’ll rip your head off and shove it into your ass!”

“...Alright.”

Seeing that his attempt to smooth over the awkwardness had failed, the man could only spread his hands helplessly and admit defeat, pulling his pants back up.

Laughter came from the shadows, but the man directly ignored it.

He would bet anything that if Donna had not called his title earlier, half the people hiding in the shadows would have done exactly the same thing he did.

As for the other half...

Heh. They probably did not even have that capability anymore.

“What rotten luck.”

Thinking this, the man spat instinctively.

Honestly, if this woman had not invited him, he would never have had such thoughts in the first place.

After all, who would get aroused by something on their own menu?

As he thought this...

The man’s gaze gradually drifted back toward the corpse of the court maid nearby.

She still looked...

Warm.

“Hurry up and go already!”

Donna slammed herself downward hard. Saint Peron V immediately fainted, only to be jolted awake again with a tap of her finger.

“Alright, alright... I’m going.”

The man smacked his lips regretfully.

By the time he returned, it would probably already be cold.

And what he hated most...

Was leftovers.

Which meant...

Maybe it was time to look for fresh prey.

Or perhaps...

“I hope this prey tastes good,” the man muttered to himself expectantly.