For the sake of a meal... I'll endure it

Nolent Castle, main dining hall.

As the family banquet of the Lord of the North, tonight's standard was extremely high. A massive crystal chandelier cast a soft glow, the long mahogany dining table was draped with a snow-white tablecloth, and the silver cutlery sparkled in the candlelight.

The air was filled with the savory aroma of roast goose, the rich scent of mushroom soup, and the fragrance of aged red wine.

This was supposed to be a dinner party where both the host and guests enjoyed themselves to the fullest.

If... it weren't for the old butler in the corner, wiping his sweat frantically and feeling as if he were sitting on a powder keg.

"Sebas, what's wrong with you?"

Count Gael sat at the head of the table, looking puzzled at his old butler who usually remained unfazed even if a mountain collapsed before him. "You've been trembling this whole time. Is your rheumatism acting up again?"

"N-no, my lord."

Sebas forced out a smile uglier than crying, twisting the napkin in his hands into a knot. "This old servant is just... just too excited because of the gathering of distinguished guests tonight. Yes, too excited."

Excited?

Sebas roared in his heart: "I'm freaking terrified! Scared out of my mind, okay!"

He glanced at the blonde girl, Lokina, sitting on the right side of the table, swallowing her saliva as she stared at the roast goose.

He then glanced toward the dining hall doors, where the Lady Witch was about to make her entrance.

"On the left is the Holy Son who represents absolute light, and on the right is the Witch who represents absolute darkness."

"How can this tiny dining hall possibly accommodate these two great deities!"

"If these two start fighting... let alone this castle, the entire Broken Gold Town will probably be wiped off the map!"

"And the most fatal part is... I'm the only one who knows the truth! This is too hard on me!"

Just as the old butler's inner thoughts were running wild.

"Teacher Lynch! Sister Felsy! You're here!"

Aria's cheerful voice broke the heavy atmosphere.

The dining hall doors were pushed open by the attendants.

Lynch, arm in arm with Felsy, walked in stepping on the thick carpet.

Tonight, Lynch wore a well-fitted black suit, looking dashing and handsome. Beside him, Felsy wore a dark gold backless gown, with a white fox fur shawl draped over her shoulders (which Lynch had forced her to wear). Her silver hair was pinned up high, and her breathtakingly beautiful face exuded a noble and cold elegance under the lights that made people not dare to look directly at her.

"Sorry to keep everyone waiting."

Lynch greeted them with a smile.

"Not at all! We just arrived too!"

Count Gael stood up enthusiastically. "Come, come, let me introduce you. This is my newly hired theology teacher, Miss Lokina!"

Saying that, he pointed to the other side of the table.

There, Lokina was holding her knife and fork, ready to attack the roast goose. Hearing the introduction, she subconsciously looked up, revealing a delicate face that, although washed clean, still carried a hint of an "I'm starving" expression.

"Hello, I am Lo..."

Her voice came to an abrupt halt.

The knife and fork in her hands clattered onto the plate.

Time seemed to freeze at this moment.

The moment she saw that silver-haired woman, Lokina's originally crystal-clear golden eyes violently contracted, as if she had just seen an ancient behemoth crawling out of the abyss.

"Hiss... Although her appearance seems to have changed quite a bit, that soul fluctuation is something I would recognize even if she turned to ash..."

"The Crimson Calamity, Syl?!"

Lokina's mind instantly went blank.

The earth-shattering battle on the Far North Icefield a few months ago was still vivid in her mind. She clearly saw this woman exhaust her magic and fall into a space-time rift. How... how could she be here?!

"She didn't die?!"

"And... she's actually dressed like this? Arm in arm with a human man?!"

"Could she be here to hunt me down? Did she find out I faked my death and fled here, so she specifically chased after me to pull me up by the roots?!"

Fear.

An instinctive fear originating from the depths of her soul made this former Holy Son almost activate the Great Holy Light Teleportation Spell on the spot to run away.

But the next second, she forcefully suppressed the urge.

"No! Calm down! Lokina, you need to calm down!"

"If she was really here to hunt me down, with her temper, this castle would have been turned into ruins by now. There would be absolutely no need for this 'chance encounter' act."

"She's in disguise! She's playing the role of an ordinary person!"

Meanwhile, opposite her.

Felsy's footsteps also paused slightly.

Although on the surface she still maintained the posture of an aloof noblewoman, the moment she saw Lokina, her grip on Lynch's arm noticeably tightened a fraction.

"This nauseating stench of holy light..."

"I could smell it from eight hundred miles away."

"That hypocrite of the Eternal Radiant Moon? Chiro? Oh no, I should call her Lokina now."

A trace of shock flashed in Felsy's eyes, which quickly turned into amusement.

"This brat didn't die either? And..."

"Tsk, tsk, tsk, the dignified Holy Son has actually been reduced to being a private tutor for a human lord? Looks like she's doing even worse than I am."

Their gazes met in the air.

Although there were no sparks or lightning, the collision of spiritual energy that only the strong could sense made the air in the entire dining hall turn viscous.

Besides the two parties involved, only the butler Sebas in the entire room felt this terrifying low pressure.

"It's over, it's over! They're going to unleash their ultimates!"

Sebas closed his eyes, already contemplating whether his last words should be written to the Demon King or to Widow Wang next door.

However.

One second passed.

Two seconds passed.

The anticipated bombardment of forbidden spells did not occur.

"Miss Lokina?"

Lynch looked in confusion at the dumbstruck girl. "Are you alright? Are you feeling unwell somewhere?"

Lokina suddenly snapped back to reality.

She glanced at Lynch, then glanced at Felsy.

She saw the terrifying Lady Witch looking at her with a half-smile that carried a hint of warning, and then...

Then, very naturally, like a true little woman, she leaned closer against Lynch.

"She's acting!"

Lokina understood instantly.

"Since she's acting, it means she doesn't want to expose her identity either! As long as I don't expose her, she probably won't make a move against me right now!"

"Phew... Scared this Holy Son to death."

Having figured this out, Lokina took a deep breath, quickly adjusted her expression, and revealed a standard clerical smile (though slightly stiff):

"N-nothing's wrong! It's just that the lady is so beautiful, I was stunned for a moment."

She picked up her knife and fork, trying hard to keep her hands from shaking. "Praise the Radiant Moon, it is truly my honor to see such a perfectly matched couple."

"Hehe, Miss Lokina sure knows how to speak."

Felsy smiled as well.

She let go of Lynch's arm, walked gracefully to the dining table, pulled out a chair, and sat down.

"I also feel that Miss Lokina looks very familiar."

Felsy said meaningfully, "It's as if... we've met somewhere before."

"I-is that so?"

Lokina let out two dry laughs. "Maybe... I just have a common face. Haha, haha."

In the entire room, only Sebas understood the hidden blades clashing behind these two sentences.

"Where have they met? Of course they've met! They met when they were throwing forbidden spells at each other on the battlefield!"

"My God... Is this the legendary 'smiling on the outside, cursing on the inside'?"

"Experts! They're all experts!"

...

The dinner officially began.

Count Gael was clearly a thick-skulled fellow, completely oblivious to the bizarre atmosphere. He raised his glass, his face glowing red:

"Come! To celebrate the joining of Teacher Lynch and Teacher Lokina! Cheers!"

"Cheers!"

Everyone raised their glasses.

Next came the awkward and bizarre dining time.

Lokina was truly hungry.

As a Saintess who never partook in mortal food, she was genuinely starving after wandering for the past few days. Looking at the roast goose in front of her, her instinct was to feast.

But.

Sitting opposite her was that witch!

The witch who had once completely crushed her!

Under the gaze of such a terrifying existence, she felt like every bite of meat tasted like wax, terrified that it was poisoned.

"Miss Lokina, why aren't you eating?"

Felsy cut off a small piece of steak, her movements flawlessly elegant. She looked at the cautious Lokina across from her, a flash of mischievous pleasure in her eyes.

"Is it not to your taste? Or perhaps... you are used to eating delicacies and look down on these?"

"No, no, no! It's delicious! Extremely delicious!"

Lokina hurriedly stuffed a large mouthful of mashed potatoes into her mouth, mumbling indistinctly, "I... I'm just chewing slowly! It helps with digestion!"

"Oh? Is that so?"

The corners of Felsy's mouth curled up slightly, and she suddenly turned to Sebas:

"Butler, I see Miss Lokina seems to really like this 'Flaming Spicy Chicken.' Bring that dish over to her."

It was a dish stir-fried with ghost peppers, specially prepared by Lynch for someone with strong tastes like Count Gael.

Lokina: "..."

She had a typical sweet tooth and was terrified of spicy food!

This witch was definitely doing it on purpose! This was revenge! Naked revenge!

"Th... thank you, Madam."

Lokina tearfully accepted the plate of bright red spicy chicken.

In order not to blow her cover and to maintain her persona as an ordinary person, she had to bite the bullet, pick up a piece, and put it in her mouth.

Boom!

A fiery sensation instantly shot straight to the top of her skull.

"Cough, cough, cough, cough!"

Lokina was so spiced that tears streamed down her face, her entire face turning red.

"Oh my, what's wrong?"

Lynch caringly handed over a glass of water. "Can't Teacher Lokina eat spicy food? Wifey, really, don't just give people food randomly."

"How was I supposed to know?"

Felsy shrugged with an innocent look on her face, but her tone revealed a haughty 'so what if I bullied her' attitude. "I saw her staring at it just now, so I thought she liked it."

"I'm sorry, it was my own carelessness..."

Lokina gulped down a large mouthful of water, tears welling up in her eyes (she was really crying this time), and made a note of Felsy in her mental little black book.

"Damn witch! Just you wait!"

"Once I'm full and have recovered my magic power... I... I'll run away!"

...

On the other side of the dining table.

Lynch watched the interaction between these two women and felt that something was a bit off.

"Why is my wife targeting this new teacher a bit today?"

Lynch wondered to himself, "Is it because the other party is pretty, and she's jealous?"

He looked at Lokina.

Indeed, although this girl dressed plainly, her foundation was truly excellent. Especially that pure aura, which was the complete opposite of Felsy's aloof and glamorous vibe.

"Hmm... My wife is jealous, which means she cares about me."

Lynch finished his mental gymnastics and suddenly felt delighted.

Thus, he quietly held Felsy's hand under the table and gave it a gentle squeeze.

Felsy froze for a moment and turned to look at Lynch.

She saw Lynch blink at her, then he picked up the most tender, pre-cut piece of steak from his plate and placed it into her bowl.

"Wifey, don't just focus on entertaining the guest. Eat more yourself."

Lynch said softly, "You've been too thin lately; it even hurts my hands when I hold you."

Felsy's face instantly flushed red.

That newly established witch's majesty instantly crumbled under this man's tender offensive.

"...None of your business."

She muttered softly, but still obediently ate the piece of steak, the corners of her mouth curling up unconsciously.

Lokina, sitting opposite them: "..."

"What did I do wrong?"

"Didn't I just want to mooch a meal?"

"Why spice me up? Why also force-feed me public displays of affection?!"

"This wretched couple... is simply going too far!"

Lokina angrily cut the meat on her plate, treating it as the two people opposite her, and bit down viciously.

Meanwhile, Sebas in the corner, watching this harmonious scene, finally let out a long sigh of relief.

He wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, feeling like he had come back to life.

"Thank goodness... Thank goodness they didn't start fighting."

"It seems Lady Witch's appeasement policy worked. Not only did she suppress the Saintess, but she also struck her mentally by showing off her romance!"

"Brilliant! Truly brilliant!"

"However... this Saintess is a bit too pitiful. The dignified proxy of the Eternal Radiant Moon, actually reduced to tears by a plate of spicy chicken."

Just like that.

In an atmosphere that seemed peaceful but was actually surging with undercurrents (and accompanied by a massive amount of inner monologues).

This dinner of the century, bringing together a Demon Lord, a Saintess, a transmigrator, and a wildly overthinking butler, finally came to an end.

Even though Lokina was spiced to the limit, and Felsy had been secretly causing mischief all along.

But among these three people (plus a butler), there seemed to be a delicate balance built on the foundation of mutual concealment.

However.

Lynch had no idea that this private tutor team he had originally assembled for demon lair construction.

Had now become the most terrifying powder keg on the entire continent.

A witch on the left, a Saintess on the right.

If this were to explode one day... the scene would absolutely be too beautiful to look at.

...

The dinner dispersed, and the night deepened.

On the balcony of the Rose Manor, Felsy swirled half a glass of red wine in her hand, her gaze staring faintly at the distant guest room tower where Lokina was staying.

"My Lady, you were looking for me?"

A dark shadow darted out from the bushes in the garden. Kuma, with half a stolen flatbread from the town hanging from his mouth, landed on the railing with a satisfied look.

"Kuma, have you seen the new theology teacher?" Felsy asked indifferently.

"Not yet. I heard she's a little brat who hasn't fully grown yet, what's wrong?" Kuma licked his paws carelessly.

"That is Lokina."

"Pfft—cough, cough, cough!"

Kuma spat out a mouthful of flatbread, his eyes widening, and his two fox ears stood straight up. "Who?! The Saintess of the Eternal Radiant Moon? That hypocrite?! Didn't she die in the Far North Ice Fields?"

"I also thought she was dead. To my surprise, not only is she alive, but she is also eating under the same roof as us." Felsy sneered. "It truly is a narrow road for enemies."

The laziness in Kuma's eyes vanished in an instant, replaced by a chilling murderous intent. She made a throat-slitting gesture and lowered her voice:

"My Lady, while she is alone right now, should I go tonight and... I have nine different ways to ensure she doesn't live to see tomorrow's sun! I guarantee it will be completely untraceable!"

"Kill her?"

Felsy took a sip of her wine and fell into deep thought.

If it had been in the past, she would have blasted her into oblivion with a forbidden spell long ago. But now...

She recalled Lokina's pitiful appearance at the dining table, wolfing down her food and even tearing up from the spice just to conceal her identity, and then she thought of Lynch, who was currently downstairs taking a bath and humming a tune.

If she made a move, her identity would inevitably be exposed, and this peaceful life would be completely ruined. Besides, two max-level characters hiding their identities and pitting their acting skills against each other in a starter village seemed... much more interesting than simply killing her, didn't it?

"There is no rush."

Felsy set down her glass, watching the crimson wine swaying inside, a meaningful smile tugging at the corners of her lips.

"Let's keep her around for now. A toothless tiger might just add some unexpected entertainment to this boring castle life..."