Chapter 88: You Don’t Need Me to Make Excuses for You, Do You, Miss Saintess?

“Cough, cough…”

Thick smoke filled the cell. Milly squinted, looking at the blasted remains of the cell door. The explosion had been more powerful than she expected. If her powers hadn’t been sealed, and she had used magic to draw it, the entire dungeon would have been blown to bits.

She looked at the book-shaped sigil on the back of her hand. Stacy might be gone, but the things she left behind were still a little useful.

From the moment she had woken up and found herself in a cell again, strange memory fragments had been flashing in her mind.

They appeared without warning and disappeared just as quickly, like someone else’s memories forced into her brain. Milly gritted her teeth, trying to push them away. But they kept coming, a relentless tide.

“Damn it, what the hell is going on?”

The memories were in a strange, first-person perspective. Milly was sure it wasn’t her. She couldn’t even tell if they were from the same person.

Most of them were mundane, everyday scenes. Occasionally, a battle would flash by, but compared to what Milly had been through, they were like child’s play.

They were useless to her. She didn’t want to see someone else’s happy life. Those sunny, everyday scenes, once what she had craved most, were now the cruelest form of mental torture.

Was this another way to torment her?

She dug her nails into her wrist, hoping the pain would drive the images away.

It didn’t. But something on the back of her hand caught her attention.

In the dim light of the dungeon, a book-shaped sigil had appeared on her right hand. Milly knew her own body. This was either from the old fool Pope before she was imprisoned, or from Stacy.

Milly pressed on the book symbol. The flashing images stopped. She looked at her hand. The symbol was gone.

This sigil was just like the thorn one on her collarbone, but much more obedient.

So, this was Stacy’s doing. Even in death, she was still haunting her.

She tried to summon the book sigil like she did the thorn one. Unlike Stacy’s rebellious mark, this one was obedient. It appeared on the first try.

The strange, everyday memories flooded her mind again.

So it was the sigil. Had Stacy given her this new mark to torment her with these happy memories?

Tch… her usual twisted sense of humor.

It was useless. Though, for a prisoner, it was a way to pass the time. But compared to her own situation, those beautiful memories only pushed her deeper into despair.

Her finger pressed on the book sigil again. Milly suddenly froze.

In the memory, the first-person perspective was watching a young mage draw a magic circle. When she was done and about to infuse it with magic, it exploded.

The memory ended.

A magic circle that exploded without the need for magic infusion.

The structure was a bit complicated, but Milly had memorized every stroke.

This was exactly what she needed.

She traced the pattern in the air, making sure she could replicate it. She drew it a few more times to solidify the memory.

But she had nothing to draw with. And even with her back to the bars, she could feel Tifna’s burning gaze on her. With Tifna guarding her, she couldn’t escape.

So, she had to create a false impression. Make the Church believe she had lost the will to live. Once Tifna left, her replacement, hearing that she hadn’t eaten or drunk anything, would surely let their guard down.

That would be the perfect time to escape.

She should have eaten all of Stacy’s carefully prepared dinner.

Compared to freedom, a little hunger was nothing. She just had to endure it.

But, judging by the number of times Tifna had brought her food, it had been three days.

And for three days, Tifna had not left her side.

Hadn’t she already made it clear? She had accidentally taken over her brother’s body. The real brother was gone. And Stacy, who had killed him, was also gone. So why was Tifna still watching her so closely?

If Tifna didn’t leave soon, she would really starve to death.

But finally, it seemed Tifna couldn’t take it anymore and left. She didn’t know what was happening outside, but at this time of night, Tifna was probably going to get a replacement.

Since it was night, now was the time to run. This time, without Tifna to deal with the guards, she would have to rely on herself.

She bit her finger. Since she had no drawing tools, she would use her blood.

It hurt…

With her powers sealed, her healing ability was also affected, much slower now.

But that was actually a good thing. She didn’t have to worry about the wound healing before she was done.

When her finger ran out of blood, she bit another and continued.

Drawing it for real was much harder than just tracing it in the air. But after three days of watching those mundane memories, she had no other choice.

With only one stroke left, she heard footsteps.

She stopped. If it was Tifna, she would have to endure a little longer. She used her body to hide the circle.

But it was Lillian’s voice she heard. Milly’s mind raced. She would test her attitude. If she was on Stacy’s side, she would act immediately.

“I never thought a human Saintess would side with the Fell God.”

Milly’s voice came from the smoke. Lillian felt something brush past her. The demon girl had escaped.

“I’m leaving now. I’m sure you won’t stop me, Miss Saintess, who sides with the Fell God~”

“You don’t need me to make excuses for you, do you, Miss Saintess~”

Lillian didn’t respond, nor did she try to stop her. She seemed to be in a state of conflict.

This was for the best. She had to run before Lillian made a decision.

Just then, she heard voices from the entrance.

“There’s a noise! Quick!”

“Protect the Saintess!”

She unfurled her wings and, before the guards arrived, she clung to the ceiling, hidden in the dim light of the dungeon.