Chapter 63: A Respite and a Secret Visit

Upon arriving in the Royal City, Lovelenica and Lucia first went to the church to report their mission status to the Bishop.

Although Lucia was somewhat dissatisfied with the casualties incurred during the mission, feeling she hadn’t performed well enough, the Bishop was quite pleased with the outcome. To him, some sacrifice was acceptable as long as Fantasy Creatures were eliminated.

To reward their efforts, the Bishop granted them a certain amount of Seals of Purification and gold coins. He also decided to give them three days off to rest properly.

This meant they wouldn’t even need to train at the church during these days.

Lucia, however, wasn’t particularly excited by this news. Training had become such an integral part of her daily life that she felt somewhat lost when completely relaxing.

Lovelenica, on the other hand, was quite pleased with the sudden holiday. Not having to guide Lucia at the church meant she had more freedom during the day, allowing her to both relax and strategize her next moves.

With the report concluded, Lovelenica immediately returned to the Crimson Family’s mansion.

Though she dreaded returning, she knew that given the Crimson Family’s influence, news of her arrival in the Royal City would have already reached them. If she didn’t show up, the Crimson Family members would undoubtedly start nagging and might even report her to Liliana.

Thus, Lovelenica decided to return for now, planning to find a way to sneak out later.

“Lady Lovelenica, you’ve returned.”

Only maids were cleaning the mansion at that moment. Lovelenica merely nodded in response to their greetings. The staircase, which Elena had previously damaged, was now repaired.

She ascended to the second floor and went straight to her room.

Now that the maids had seen her return to the mansion, the family members would surely be reassured upon hearing the news.

However, Lovelenica had no intention of sneaking out today.

She had felt somewhat carsick throughout the journey and hadn’t been able to rest properly. It would be more comfortable to recuperate first after returning.

Moreover, she had been keeping track of the days; today was her feeding day. Even if Theresa continued to punish her by forbidding her from eating, Elena might still secretly bring her food.

The taste of blood cake and black tea was far more delicious than a simple blood bag. Besides, the blood bags she had stolen from the orphanage had been in her Spatial Ring for so long that their taste had begun to spoil.

Lovelenica rested until evening, and at mealtime, she heard a knock at her door.

‘In the past, the family would indeed bring me food at this time,’ she thought. ‘But hasn’t Theresa planned to punish me? Why would someone be looking for me now?’

Puzzled, Lovelenica opened the door. Standing outside was Elena, just as she had been that other day, holding a small cream cake.

“Miss Lovelenica.”

Upon seeing Lovelenica, Elena offered a charming smile.

“May I come in and sit for a while?”

“O-of course.”

Lovelenica glanced down the corridor. There were still many maids working outside; Elena would surely be discovered if she entered now.

She looked at Elena with a hint of worry.

“Why are you here at this hour? Are you not worried about being seen? What if they tell Theresa?”

“It’s fine.”

Elena shook her head, explaining.

“Actually, Mother didn’t cancel your feeding today, so it won’t matter if the maids see me.”

“Huh? Why is that old woman showing such mercy today? Oh, wait, I didn’t mean it like that…”

Hearing Elena’s explanation, Lovelenica remained somewhat perplexed, unable to grasp Theresa’s intentions. She had even blurted out “old woman” when referring to Theresa, but as the words left her lips, Lovelenica remembered that Theresa was Elena’s mother.

Since Elena was kindly bringing her cake, calling her mother that was clearly inappropriate. She quickly apologized for her slip of the tongue.

Elena, however, didn’t seem to mind much. She simply chuckled, brushing off Lovelenica’s misstep with a smile.

“Haha, it’s fine. That’s what makes Miss Lovelenica so amusing.”

With that, Elena stepped into Lovelenica’s room and closed the door behind her.

Just like that other day, Lovelenica invited Elena to sit, taking a seat opposite her before beginning to savor the blood cake Elena had made.

With a small silver spoon, she scooped a piece of cake and brought it to her mouth, her eyes narrowing in appreciation.

“Mm… this tastes so much better than the blood in a blood bag,” she murmured. “And it has the sweetness of cream. Elena, your skill is truly remarkable.”

Watching Lovelenica’s satisfied expression, Elena offered a faint smile, though a peculiar glint flickered in the depths of her eyes.

‘Lovelenica only needs this,’ Elena thought. ‘She only needs to savor the cake I make, and show such a satisfied expression only to me.’