Direct

Madame Pualis... Lumian jumped in fright, seized by the momentary illusion that someone had tracked him down to his home to silence him. Remembering that his sister was upstairs and possessed Beyonder powers, he calmed down considerably. Slowly exhaling, Lumian walked over and pulled open the door. Standing outside were two women. The one in front wore an exquisite, pitch-black corseted dress with a shawl of matching color draped over her shoulders, long gossamer gloves covering her hands, and a small lady's hat tilted at a slightly playful angle on her head. She was dressed entirely in black, save for a diamond necklace inlaid with gold resting against her chest. Her eyebrows were somewhat faint, and her bright brown eyes held a smile. Her brown hair was gathered into a high chignon. Taken individually, her facial features could hardly be called striking, yet together they possessed a clean, bewitching beauty. Paired with her elegant bearing and graceful posture, even the night air outside Lumian's door—tinged with a hint of crimson—seemed to freshen in her presence, carrying a faint, subtle fragrance. This was none other than Madame Pualis, the wife of Cordu Village's administrator and territorial judge, Beost. Of course, in Lumian's mind, a few more descriptors had to be added: "the padre's mistress," "suspected sorceress," "plea letter suspect," and "that pale, stark-naked body in the church." None of these, however, were fit to say aloud, as doing so would certainly make Madame Pualis's expression darken on the spot. When that time came, he might succeed in infuriating her, but disaster would likely follow right behind. "Madame Pualis, is something the matter?" Lumian pointedly glanced at the darkening sky outside, hinting that dropping by at this hour was hardly appropriate. Madame Pualis's red lips glistened with a hint of moisture as a gentle smile curved them. "I've come to discuss a few things with your sister, Aurore." Judging solely by her appearance, she looked nowhere near a woman over thirty with two children; at most, she seemed twenty-seven or twenty-eight. After a brief deliberation, Lumian stepped aside. As Madame Pualis walked inside, he told her, "Aurore is upstairs, writing a piece for a newspaper column." Madame Pualis nodded and turned to the maid beside her. "Cassie, wait for me downstairs." "Yes, Madame." Cassie, dressed in black-and-white maid attire, moved a few steps closer to the warm stove. Lumian led Madame Pualis through the kitchen and onto the staircase. Just as they reached the landing, Madame Pualis stopped. "What's wrong?" Lumian turned around, feigning confusion. Smiling, Madame Pualis asked, "Did you deliberately lead those three outlanders to the church?" She's here to interrogate me... Far from panicking, Lumian felt considerably calmer. His ample experience infuriating people with pranks told him that in moments like this, one must never answer directly or offer justifications. The best move was to accuse them—to blame them for some wrongdoing! Of course, that depended on the circumstances. Turning tail and bolting remained his backup plan. Lumian quickly put on an indignant expression and stared at Madame Pualis. "You two actually had an affair inside God's church!" He immediately spread his arms in an "embracing the sun" posture: "My God, my Father, please forgive the blasphemy of this sinful man and woman." Madame Pualis watched him quietly, her lips curving into an exceptionally lovely arc. "I believe God will forgive us. "I once read a book that said: when a lady shares a bed with her true lover, all sin is washed away, for love purifies pleasure as if it sprang from the purest of souls. "Being with Guillaume Bénet brings me great joy and happiness, so the Eternal Blazing Sun shouldn't be angry about it either. It is no sin at all." What kind of books have you been reading, Madame...? Lumian couldn't help but scoff inwardly. Madame Pualis continued, "However, it is indeed disrespectful to Saint Sixte." Every region of Intis had one or more patron angels or saints, drawn either from the scriptures of the Church of the Eternal Blazing Sun and the Church of the God of Steam and Machinery, or from figures in Intis history who had made exceptional contributions, gained renown, and received recognition from both orthodox Churches. In the Dariège region, the Church of the Eternal Blazing Sun's patron saint was Saint Sixte. That meant every Eternal Blazing Sun church here could technically be called Saint Sixte Church; however, to tell them apart, only the largest and central one bore the name, while the others used alternatives. Therefore, Madame Pualis and the padre having an affair inside the church was akin to Saint Sixte's steward sneaking someone in, taking over the master's bedroom, and committing an immoral deed—a grave disrespect toward the patron saint. "Indeed," Lumian nodded gravely. "Doesn't the padre feel any shame?" Madame Pualis burst out laughing. Once she finished laughing, she said to Lumian, "I tried to talk him out of it back then too. I said, 'Oh dear, how could we do such a thing in Saint Sixte's church?' "And do you know what the padre said? "He said, 'Oh, Saint Sixte will just have to put up with it.'" Having no experience in such matters, Lumian was momentarily at a loss for words. "He's blaspheming the saint!" he finally forced out. Madame Pualis took on a reminiscing expression. "That's just the kind of man he is—bold, direct, like a bandit who kicks down the door to your heart while swearing like a sailor. Completely unlike those gentlemen in Dariège. "Perhaps that is precisely why I went to bed with him." "That's merely how some men behave when they're in heat. Forget Saint Sixte—even if the deity Himself were standing right there, he'd tell Him to wait," Lumian remarked. Though he lacked personal experience, he had read Aurore's novels, and more than just one. "His head was ruled by his lower half. No, at that moment, his head was entirely empty, filled only with other fluids." Madame Pualis gave a faint smile. "I know that was the reason, but in that setting, he truly appeared charming. "Heh, you really are an inexperienced boy. You don't realize that the very same words evoke entirely different feelings in different surroundings and atmospheres. "I remember the first time I was intimate with the padre. He stood there, looked into my eyes, and said straight to me: 'Pualis, I want to come to know your body and your soul more deeply.' At any other time, I would have dismissed him as a crude, vulgar lecher and called for help to stop him. But at that moment, my body went limp—all because the atmosphere was just right." As she spoke, Madame Pualis's smile turned seductive. "It's just like—if I fancy a man, I'll tell him, 'Come to my home tonight, won't you?' "If he actually comes, I'll lead him straight into the bedroom and tell him, 'I want to sleep with you. I love you.' "Lumian, at a time like that, as a man, how would you respond?" Lumian was used to cracking dirty jokes with the men in the village, so while he felt somewhat uncomfortable, he held his ground. Racking his brain for stories Aurore had written and novels by other contemporary authors, he considered his words and said, "I would say, 'Madame, you are my sun.'" "Very talented..." Madame Pualis praised. As she spoke, she leaned in closer, her eyes turning liquid and soft. A breath of warm air brushed against Lumian's ear as a soft, slightly husky feminine voice whispered: "I want to sleep with you..." At that moment, Lumian's heart involuntarily shuddered. A numb, tingling sensation surged through his body, exactly like touching a broken electric desk lamp. He abruptly took a step up the stairs and said to Madame Pualis, "Aurore should be waiting for you." "Mhm." Madame Pualis straightened up, a faint smile returning to her face, the liquid longing in her eyes receding. It was as though nothing had happened at all. This woman... Lumian suddenly felt a shiver of fear. Hurriedly turning around, he climbed the remaining steps to the second floor in a few strides, Madame Pualis following unhurriedly at her usual pace. Having heard the doorbell, Aurore was already waiting outside her bedroom. "What took so long?" She looked toward Lumian. Lumian offered a cryptic explanation: "We chatted about what happened at the church." Aurore caught on immediately, giving her brother a look that said, "Pray to the Eternal Blazing Sun for good luck yourself." She turned to Madame Pualis, who had just stepped onto the landing, and asked with a smile, "Is there something you need?" "To discuss some preparations for the Lent Festival. One of the celebrations might need your help," Madame Pualis said with a genial smile. "I'm quite busy these days..." Aurore began making excuses to decline. Madame Pualis pointed toward the study door. "How about hearing me out first?" "Alright." Aurore had at least that much courtesy. Watching his sister and Madame Pualis enter the study and close the wooden door, Lumian gave an almost imperceptible nod. "Her behavior is fairly normal. None of the guilt or unease of returning to the 'scene of the crime'..." Right then, a thought flashed across his mind: "There is a good chance Madame Pualis is a sorceress. Could I obtain Beyonder power from her? "That would be far more convenient and safer than pursuing the truth behind sorcerers, facing that owl, and exploring those dangerous dream ruins... "Besides, exploring the dream ruins is a necessity—I must uncover its secrets as early as possible and eliminate the hidden danger. Going there after gaining Beyonder power would carry much less risk." At this thought, Lumian suddenly jolted into vigilance and shook his head. He immediately began reproaching himself inwardly: "How could I think like that? "It isn't even clear yet whether Madame Pualis is friend or foe. How could I rashly seek Beyonder power through her? "Yes, she didn't seem like a good person just now either—she even made me sense danger... "What has been wrong with me lately? Haven't I been far too eager and reckless when it comes to pursuing Beyonder power? It's as if I'll die if I don't obtain it right away..." Lumian had known his sister was a sorcerer for nearly two years. Though he had tried to acquire Beyonder powers before, he had never made such desperate efforts as in recent days—regardless of whether an opportunity was good or bad, perilous or safe, so long as there seemed to be hope, he threw himself at it, just like someone who had starved for so long that they weren't picky in the slightest. "Phew... Thankfully, I caught the problem in time. Otherwise, the path ahead might have strayed further and grown more dangerous." Lumian let out a long breath, relieved that he had regained his composure. Naturally, his pursuit of Beyonder power could not stop; he simply needed to be selective. After all, that perilous dream had already revealed its true face, and the undercurrents in the village were growing increasingly turbulent.