Chapter 37
Chapter 37: The Goddess Remains Silent
“What deal?”
Herarith narrowed those golden eyes, her long lashes casting fragmented shadows in the moonlight.
Her fingertips still held the lingering traces of holy light, drawing dangerous arcs in the air.
“Since Lady Herarith has discovered my secret, I can’t completely refuse you…”
Sein shrugged, the shoulder lines beneath his black uniform flowing elegantly. He deliberately paused, a barely perceptible smile playing at the corners of his mouth.
“How about this—I’ll provide you with mental soothing, and you become my ally?”
“Ally?”
Herarith’s voice suddenly rose, causing the cathedral’s colored glass windows to tremble.
“Tell me what I need to do.”
She suddenly leaned close to Sein, lowering her voice to ask, her nose almost touching his cheek. Her warm breath carried a faint rose fragrance, her fingertips unconsciously caressing the edge of his collar.
“What you need to do is very simple.”
Sein didn’t dodge, instead smoothly grasping her restless fingers, his thumb gently stroking the back of Herarith’s hand.
“You just need to pretend you’ve discovered that Lady Cynthia and I are hiding something, but don’t say it outright. Occasionally hint that you’ve developed an interest in me in front of her—just be a riddle-speaker.”
Herarith’s pupils suddenly contracted. She yanked her hand back, her golden hair drawing a brilliant arc in the moonlight.
“What exactly are you scheming?”
Her voice carried a dangerous tremor.
“Don’t forget you’re Cynthia’s person now.”
“My purpose is none of your concern.”
Sein chuckled lowly, the sound like feathers lightly scratching the eardrum.
He methodically straightened his wrinkled sleeves, his obsidian eyes flashing with cunning. Leaning forward slightly, he whispered in Herarith’s ear:
“As long as you agree, I’ll provide you with mental soothing irregularly, and I’ll share… the latest research results between Lady Cynthia and me.”
“Research results?”
Herarith’s breathing became noticeably rapid, the exposed white skin of her chest rising and falling with her breath. Her gaze unconsciously fell on Sein’s lips, which still bore faint teeth marks from when she had gripped him earlier.
“That’s right. If I had to describe it, it would be… exclusive insights on how to maximize the effects of mental soothing.”
Sein’s fingertip lightly touched his temple.
“This way you could gain a leading advantage and come from behind, couldn’t you?”
Moonlight streamed through the painted glass, casting mottled light and shadow between them.
Herarith bit her lower lip, her delicate collarbone barely visible with each breath.
She suddenly reached out to grab Sein’s tie, pulling him toward her.
“Deal.”
Her voice was sweet as honey, yet concealed sharp edges.
“But if you dare play tricks…”
Sein smoothly grasped her wrist, his thumb precisely pressing on her pulse point.
“How would I dare deceive Lady Radiant Saint?”
His smile was innocent and pure, yet his eyes were so deep they were alarming.
“Hmph.”
Herarith snorted lightly and released his tie.
For a noble saint to compromise with a commoner was absolutely shameful, but this seemingly harmless boy actually had the resolve for mutual destruction, leaving her momentarily unable to deal with him.
Of course, this saint also had her own plans—as long as she strengthened herself through mental soothing and evolved to the next stage, the other saints would pose no threat.
As for this powerless little guy, wouldn’t he be at her mercy then?
“Deal struck.”
Their hands clasped in the moonlight, and Herarith suddenly felt an unprecedented warm current spreading from the point of contact.
Her pupils instantly dilated, her red lips parting slightly, releasing an almost inaudible gasp.
“This is… mental soothing?”
Her voice already carried several notes of intoxication, her body unconsciously leaning forward, almost collapsing into Sein’s embrace. This feeling was even stronger than the brief contact earlier.
She was already eager to experience his mental soothing, while also curious about the research results Sein mentioned. Since he had done it so many times with Cynthia, he must be very experienced.
“Yes.”
Sein chuckled as he guided her to sit on a long bench, moonlight coating Herarith’s bare shoulders with silver radiance.
“According to our verification, there are mainly two factors affecting the intensity of mental soothing.”
His fingertip lightly touched Herarith’s palm.
“First, the greater the magic user’s mental exhaustion, the stronger the effect. The logic is simple—the special energy in my body fills the gaps in the magic user’s spirit. The bigger the gap, the fuller it gets filled.”
Herarith nodded thoughtfully, her long legs unconsciously crossing and uncrossing.
She felt like a desert traveler who had finally found an oasis, every cell thirsting for more.
“Like… sweet rain after a long drought?”
Herarith’s voice already carried a hint of hoarseness.
“A very apt metaphor, Lady Herarith.”
Sein nodded approvingly, his fingers slowly moving up to caress her slender wrist.
“The second point: the larger the contact area, the better the effect. Embracing is stronger than holding hands, skin-to-skin contact without any barriers is definitely stronger than contact through clothing. As for the relationship between the stimulating sensations produced by intimate physical contact between men and women and the intensity of mental soothing—I can’t yet draw conclusions.”
“I see.”
Hearing Sein mention zero-distance contact, Herarith’s cheeks turned red, then she showed an expression of sudden understanding. No wonder that woman Cynthia had stripped both herself and Sein naked—it was for complete zero-distance skin contact.
“However, considering this is our first mental soothing session, it’s normal for you as the embodiment of holiness to feel reserved, so we’ll start with simple embracing and caressing, no need to be too… hasty…”
Sein nodded, but his words stopped mid-sentence.
The saint before him had already efficiently untied the fastenings of her nun’s robe, the snow-white fabric falling to the ground like flower petals.
In the moonlight, her body clad only in white lace lingerie and thigh-high stockings was like a carefully sculpted work of art, every curve radiating fatal temptation.
“Is this zero-distance enough?”
Her voice carried a triumphant tremor, her fingertips already eagerly unbuttoning his collar.
Sein’s Adam’s apple visibly bobbed, a flash of surprise crossing his dark eyes.
This seemingly holy saint’s initiative was truly astonishing—no wonder she’d kept mentioning combination earlier.
“I thought… the first time should be gradual…”
Sein’s voice was rarely tight.
Herarith had already straddled his legs, her arms encircling his neck.
“I’m very greedy… since we’re making a deal, naturally I want maximum benefit.”
She leaned down to whisper in Sein’s ear.
“Cynthia’s endpoint is my starting point.”
The saint’s golden hair fell across Sein’s shoulders, carrying a faint iris fragrance.
Sein could feel her intense heartbeat transmitted through the thin lace fabric, gradually synchronizing with his own.
“As you wish, Lady Herarith.”
Sein’s palm pressed against her smooth back, feeling the body in his arms instantly tense.
Herarith released a satisfied sigh, holy light flowing in her golden eyes, more brilliant than ever before.
Indeed, what this guy said was true—the closer the physical contact, the more intense the sensation.
What if she increased the intensity even more?
Under the emotional enhancement brought by mental soothing, she made an extremely bold move, directly removing her bra in Sein’s stunned gaze and pressing his face into her embrace.
Moonlight quietly spilled over the entwined figures, the cathedral’s painted glass casting mottled light and shadow.
The goddess statue remained silent, merely watching the intimate pair.