Chapter 98 : Look Me in the Eye and Answer Me

The night was black.

In the dim dungeon, the damp air was thick with the faint smell of blood.

The initial moments in the holy water pool had been painless, as someone else had borne the brunt of it.

But when control of the body returned to Lillian, the sigil that connected their souls flickered and faded.

In an instant, a tidal wave of pain washed over Milly, swallowing her consciousness.

Compared to yesterday, the holy water seemed to have been enhanced. It hurt more.

She was left to soak until evening. When she could no longer bear it and fainted, floating on the surface, the nuns finally pulled her out.

Lillian, it seemed, would rather endure the dizziness than speak. Oswell had no choice but to have the nuns throw her back into the dungeon.

Her soaking wet body was not cleaned. The remaining holy water continued to corrode her skin.

Watching the whole process, Tifna bit her lip to keep from crying out. She was afraid she would rush to Milly. As she turned to leave, Oswell stopped her.

“The Saintess has been gone for a long time.”

Her feet froze.

After pouring the holy water, the Saintess had left with the empty pitcher and had not returned.

She remembered that as Lillian passed her, her body, hidden under her robes, was trembling slightly, as if she, not Milly, was the one in pain.

Had Oswell noticed it too?

“I am worried that the Fell God’s followers who have infiltrated the Church might harm her. Your first duty is to protect her.”

His gaze shifted to Milly, who was being taken away. “As for that demon, someone else will guard her. You don’t need to go there for now.”

Hearing his words, Lillian just asked softly, “Did Tifna find Lillian in the Confession Chamber?”

Compared to the strange Lillian she had seen today, she was back to her usual self.

The Saintess was frowning, a look of distress on her face.

“I’ve been getting more and more distracted lately. It’s strange.”

Was she just tired? But she hadn’t done much recently. It was less like she was tired and more like there was another consciousness in her body, fighting for control.

During the times the other consciousness was in control, she had no memory. And the memories before and after would also disappear, which was why she hadn’t noticed the problem.

Based on the amount of time she was losing, the other consciousness was taking control for longer and longer.

Perhaps one day, her body would be completely taken over.

She had a guess as to what that extra consciousness was.

As Lillian was about to leave the Confession Chamber, she noticed Tifna standing outside the door.

“Lady Tifna, is there something?”

“I…” Seeing that Lillian was different from before, Tifna hesitated. After a moment of silence, she decided to observe a little longer, to confirm if her suspicions were true.

“I heard that Your Holiness has not been well lately. I’ve prepared some calming herbal tea.”

“You don’t have to call me that. Just Lillian is fine. Thank you.”

Seeing that Tifna had nothing else to say, Lillian left and quickly returned to her room. She had to confirm something.

She closed the door and rushed to the mirror. Her reflection stared back at her.

She slowly raised her hand, her fingers touching the cold glass. “Stacy, I know you’re still alive.”

The reflection remained calm, unchanged. The silence was a mockery.

Even if she didn’t come out, what could Lillian do?

Lillian’s eyes grew sharp. Her nails unconsciously scraped the mirror, a faint scratching sound.

“Stop hiding.”

Her voice was low, filled with an unshakeable conviction.

“My body has been acting strangely lately. I’ve been losing a lot of time. Stacy, was it you who took over?”

The room was silent, only the crackling of the candles.

The reflection was still unchanged, as if her questioning was a one-woman show.

Her fingers dug into the mirror, leaving a scratch that split her reflection in two.

“Stacy!” Lillian’s voice trembled. “After you died, I could feel it. The lost time, it was all you.”

The reflection began to waver. Lillian stared at the mirror, as if trying to see through it.

“Look me in the eye and answer me. What do you really want!”

Her voice rose, echoing in the empty room.

Just then, a knock on the door.

“Your Holiness, I’ve brought the tea.”

Lillian snapped back to reality. She took a deep breath to calm herself.

When she looked at the mirror again, her expression was back to normal.

She had lost her composure.

If she had said all that, Stacy should have come out. She couldn’t have been that patient.

Maybe she was just too tired. After all, if Stacy really wanted to take over her body, she couldn’t stop her.

She just wanted an answer. The answer Stacy had always hidden from her. She could see things, including Lillian’s truest…

What had she seen that had changed her so much?

“Come in.”

Her voice was back to its usual gentleness. Tifna entered with a bowl of tea.

“This is my family’s secret recipe. It’s very good for calming the nerves.”

She thought of the white-haired girl who always had nightmares. After she had prepared the moonvine-infused hot milk for her, she had slept soundly for the next few days.

“Thank you. I’m going to rest now. You should go too.”

Her gaze unintentionally fell on the vanity. There was a new scratch on the mirror.

It had just been made.

Lillian wasn’t the type to lose her composure. Something must have happened. Was it related to her strange behavior today?

Tifna didn’t ask. She nodded and left.

She would stand guard near the Saintess’s room tonight. She couldn’t go to Milly for now.

Seeing Tifna leave, Lillian drank the tea in one gulp.

“Stacy, I’m waiting. Waiting for you to come out on your own.”

She went to bed and quickly fell asleep.

Until the middle of the night, the Saintess on the bed opened her eyes. A flash of crimson in her violet eyes.

She got out of bed and went to the mirror. “Lillian” looked at her reflection, a complex emotion in her eyes. But it quickly faded, replaced by a slight smile.

“Just a little longer. But dear Saintess~ when I really do come out, don’t be unhappy~”

Lillian left the room. Before going to the dungeon, she had to prepare something for her little one who had been starving for so long. Just some white porridge. She could eat it even while she was asleep.

On her way to the kitchen, she stopped.

She had been so focused on the little one, she had almost forgotten. A little tail had appeared behind her.