Chapter 35: Of course I love you the most

“Erk—cough cough cough!”

Iluci coughed violently in fright, scrambling back toward the wall’s corner, her wide silver eyes brimming with terror as they fixed on the twin sisters before her.

Seeing this reaction, Delucia’s smile faltered stiffly; she nudged her sister’s shoulder lightly with her elbow.

“Hey, this one’s not faking it… Or maybe she’s so deep in the act she can’t climb out? Feels like the fear’s coming straight from her soul…”

Asteris eyed Iluci with equal puzzlement, leaning in a touch closer—only for Iluci to shrink further, burrowing right into the wall’s deepest recess.

“Y-You two are…?” Her voice quavered.

Asteris pressed her right index finger to her lips, nodding thoughtfully as if pondering.

“Hm, yeah, doesn’t seem like an act—she really does look scared of us… Are we that frightening?”

Asteris sounded almost crestfallen. “I think we’re pretty cute, though~”

Delucia blinked at Iluci, wide-eyed.

“We’re both Mom’s kids—I’m Delucia, and this is Asteris, my big sister. So from now on, we’re your big sisters too~”

She delivered the line with a beaming grin, though the warmth never quite reached her eyes.

That said, Asteris and Delucia had no real intent to hassle Iluci; they’d come in for a quick once-over, just to gauge the newbie’s vibe.

If she seemed friendly and easygoing—not brimming with hostility like Duoluosa—then they saw no need to prod or poke at her.

‘After all, we’ll all be family soon enough~ Though… Mom’s absolute favorite will always be us two.’

Asteris and Delucia voiced the thought in eerie unison.

Iluci found these two girls before her downright odd, but they didn’t seem to pose any real threat, so the pallor in her cheeks warmed a fraction, and she eased back from the corner a smidge.

“I-I’m Iluci,” she murmured her introduction. “N-Nice to meet you… P-Please, give me some time to adjust, and then… then I’ll call you sisters.”

Her timid, shrinking demeanor left Asteris and Delucia feeling a touch exasperated.

Asteris had always pegged herself as the shy type, but next to this silver-pupiled girl, her own reserve felt downright bold.

“Take your time adjusting, then…”

Finding the whole thing a bore now—and spotting no sign of Liang Lai in the room—they dropped the charade.

A few half-hearted words of comfort later, they tuned the mousy girl out entirely.

Meanwhile, Liang Lai had tracked down Duoluosa, holed up in her room clutching the human skin tight.

“Knock knock knock~”

She rapped lightly on the door, then poked her head in from the threshold.

“Little Duo, mind if I come in?”

Duoluosa’s eyes lit up for a split second—then dimmed just as fast.

“Sure, come on in.” Her voice came out muffled, like she’d been crying fresh.

Liang Lai sighed and tiptoed into the room, settling beside Duoluosa.

“What’s wrong?” she asked.

Duoluosa stayed mum, just hugging the human skin Liang Lai had brought her even tighter.

“I love you so much, Duoluosa—you… you’re the first child I ever adopted.” Liang Lai murmured softly.

Duoluosa’s grip clenched on the skin.

“But that’s not what I…”

She cut herself off sharp—knowing full well that airing her grubby little motives would be rude, might even make the saintess start dodging her.

Of course she knew Liang Lai loved her, cared for her, watched out for her—why else risk a black-market run for this skin? Or keep her around after learning who she really was?

If the church caught wind of her identity, Liang Lai would pay for the cover-up—maybe even rack up enough cross-mark penalties to get shipped off as a “penitent saintess.”

But even knowing that, Liang Lai had kept her.

Still, she knew all too well that Liang Lai’s love wasn’t the kind she harbored for her—just sister to sister, parent to child, teacher to student…

Never lover to lover.

Her boundless compassion, that grand love—it made Duoluosa adore her and resent her in equal measure.

If she weren’t so kind, Duoluosa never would’ve crossed her path, never forged this bond.

But because she was so kind, she’d dragged home child after child—and who knew how many more might follow…

Liang Lai watched Duoluosa, noting how the girl perched there all twisted up—clearly aching to scoot closer, yet tilting her head stubbornly away, like she was sulking on purpose.

So Liang Lai swung around to her other side like a stubborn plaster, then—after a beat—simply pulled Duoluosa into her arms.

Duoluosa’s eyes flew wide; her nose stung, tears swirling at the rims.

“Little Duo…”

Liang Lai’s voice stayed every bit as gentle.

“You told me once you wanted to chase my dream—that it was yours too. But my endgame isn’t about putting my kids on the papal throne. I just want to change this world. I don’t want so many people suffering… You say I can’t help everyone, but I’ll help as many as I can.”

“Little Duo, you’ll have more siblings down the line—I can’t promise I won’t bring home more strays in need…”

At that, Duoluosa’s heart plummeted.

But Liang Lai cupped her chubby cheeks next, giving a playful pinch for good measure.

“But I can promise you this: the child I love most will always be you~”

Liang Lai was fibbing.

She’d love every one of her kids equally, but she knew words like these would light Duoluosa up—so she said them anyway.

A white lie, born of kindness; she couldn’t bear seeing her child mired in sorrow and pain.

And sure enough, the instant the words landed, Duoluosa’s eyes sparked back to life; those tears quit their spin, refusing to spill.

“Really?!” She seized Liang Lai’s hand.

Liang Lai nodded and threw up her free hand in oath.

“Really~ I swear it~”

Duoluosa finally cracked a smile, flinging her arms around Liang Lai’s neck and clinging like a koala.

In her mind, she thought: Yeah, if I can’t stop Liang Lai from hauling in more kids… then I’ll just have to shine brightest, keep her eyes glued to me.

As for the rest…

Duoluosa’s gaze darkened.

She’d still need to trip them up on the sly, make Liang Lai see their flaws.

What Duoluosa didn’t know was that, from this moment on, she’d already begun to yield.