Hate me, Miss Witch!

Dawn Saintess Su Lun's gaze lingered on Shiayar's retreating figure until it vanished at the end of the grand hall's corridor.

She didn't follow him immediately but let her eyes fall on the girl sitting opposite her, the blonde young lady.

Despite having dressed up for the occasion, Enola remained silent after entering the lounge, sipping her drink through a straw and covertly watching the interaction between Shiayar and Su Lun without uttering a word.

"It's been a long time since I've seen you, Ennie."

Speaking gently, Su Lun said, "I remember you used to dislike dressing up. What's with you today, being so sullen?"

"Moreover, you never replied to the letters I sent from the Sacred Court to Camelot."

She picked up her glass and took a small sip. "Didn't we agree to compete fairly from the start?"

"Now that you have such a lead, you must allow me to put in some extra effort."

The relationship between Su Lun and Enola was very complex.

They were both close friends and love rivals.

Six or seven years ago, when the three lived together in Lokiya, Su Lun and Enola were intimately close companions, sharing every secret.

Even the overt competition between them for Shiayar did not affect their friendship.

But upon seeing each other again, Su Lun sensed a barely concealed estrangement emanating from Enola.

"Oh, what a bother for the lofty Dawn Saintess, to still remember the promises made back then."

The blonde girl bit her straw, speaking in a cold, detached voice.

"In fact, with the status you now hold at the Sacred Court, you really don't need to stoop so low due to past kindnesses, forcing yourself to associate with Shiayar and me."

"Shiayar only sponsored the then-impoverished Miss Su Lun in her initial studies, allowing you to become a mechanic."

"This minor initial investment, with the wealth of the Sacred Court, can surely be repaid easily, right?"

"Then our debts will be settled, and you won't have to demean yourself any longer, Miss Saintess."

Observing Enola's distant expression and even her sarcastic tone, Su Lun began to understand.

What Enola minded wasn't Su Lun making a play for Shiayar now; after all, their competition had been ongoing for a long time and hadn't just started.

What she truly cared about was the parting that took place six years ago.

At the time, unlike Enola, Su Lun did not choose to follow Shiayar to the Imperial Capital, Camelot.

Instead, she accepted an invitation from the Sacred Court and became a candidate for the Dawn Church. Eventually, standing out amidst the fierce competition, she became the revered Dawn Saintess.

In Enola's eyes, this was Su Lun's blatant betrayal of Shiayar.

Between the then-unremarkable Shiayar, whose talent had not yet been revealed, and the Sacred Court, Su Lun chose the latter, with its broader prospects for her future.

And the reason Su Lun still maintained contact with Shiayar, in Enola's view, was merely out of guilt, an attempt to make amends.

"Ennie—"

Looking at the proud, swan-like figure before her, adorned in elegant attire that revealed her pale shoulders, Su Lun sighed softly and began speaking slowly.

Enola had fine features, a true beauty, but her usual makeup-free appearance lent her a sharp, spirited air.

Yet today, Enola had applied light makeup, shedding her imposing aura for a touch of femininity, befitting her status as "Winter Flower," the young mistress of the Ingritt family, attending the event in full dress.

All this was because she wanted to support Shiayar in his meeting with his ex-girlfriend.

As Shiayar's current partner, she intended to show Su Lun—that 'bad woman' who had abandoned Shiayar for her own future—that he was doing very well now, even better than when Su Lun had been with him.

"But Ennie, you can't really think I'm that shallow, can you…"

Su Lun spoke softly, "After becoming the Dawn Saintess, I met many people and witnessed many things. I attained power and status beyond my wildest dreams and received much admiration and reverence."

"But…"

Her voice was very soft. "To me, the time I treasure most has always been those initial days in Lokiya, squeezed into a cheap dormitory with you two, struggling together to make a living."

"Every time he returned from the Black Tower, Shiayar would take me to the Steam Camp's bookstore to buy some second-hand introductory books on magictech machinery."

"I can never forget how, because we had no money to hire a mechanic instructor, he spent countless nights by the light of a kerosene lamp, piecing together unwanted scraps of mechanical parts, explaining the fundamentals of mechanics to me."

"Speaking of which, his main field of study in the Black Tower was supposed to be classical Arcane Arts; I don't know when Shiayar secretly learned so much about mechanics."

As she spoke, Su Lun's beautiful eyes glittered with reminiscence.

"Those days were simple, humble, frugal, and hard, yet fulfilling and satisfying."

"To this day, these memories remain the most precious treasure in my heart, growing more cherished over time, never fading."

A faint smile touched her lips.

"From the very beginning, I've been abundantly clear about one thing."

"That is, the entirety of Su Lun—my body, my soul, my accomplishments and wealth, my past and my future—it all belongs to him alone."

A tenderness flickered in Su Lun's chestnut-brown eyes. "I can do without the title of Dawn Saintess. I can also abandon the strength and reputation I have today, everything I possess... but I simply cannot be without him."

Listening to the dark-haired girl's words, a trace of suspicion surfaced in Enola's eyes.

However, the Intuition between them, a bond unique to best friends, told her—

Su Lun's words at this moment were not false, but a true outpouring of genuine feeling.

Thinking this, the estrangement in Enola's gaze lessened slightly. "Then why did you choose to leave Shiayar in the first place?"

"Because, I am very greedy…"

Su Lun's voice was very faint as she picked up the glass beside her, carefully lifting her mask to take a light sip.

Then, she gazed at her reflection in the glass.

"What I want is not just to be by his side for five or ten years… but to be with him for a lifetime, until the very end of our days."

"So, I had to part from him."

"Separation, for a more beautiful reunion in the future."

As she spoke, Su Lun looked deeply at Enola before her.

"Ennie, do you know? Sometimes, I am truly envious of you."

"You are different from me. You were Shiayar's first companion, his most reliable sword and shield. He regards you as his most trusted confidante, a cherished source of comfort and warmth..."

"So often, you don't need to consider so many things. You just need to stay by Shiayar's side, unconditionally carry out his orders, and clear the path for him."

"But I am different. I haven't experienced those things in Ceylon... I'm also not in the same position as you, and I need to consider more. The things you already have, I need to fight much harder to obtain."

"However, one thing is certain, no matter what."

Su Lun stared calmly into Enola's azure eyes, unyielding.

"The feelings I have for him, even compared to yours, are not in the slightest bit inferior."

"Even if I can't be by his side like you…"

"Even if this feeling demands a price several times, even tens of times greater."

The air seemed to come to a standstill.

By the window, a lazy, noble white cat looked at the two young women gazing at each other, swishing its tail in displeasure and let out a MEOW. The sound carried a hint of exasperation.

Not another one.

***

PS: There will be two updates today. The second one will be posted around 11 PM. Also, asking for monthly votes!