When Maggie returned to the temple, she was greeted by Nesser, who was eager to welcome her.
Although not as cute and adorable as the juvenile form, Nesser's big, watery eyes, with glistening tears at the corners, were still irresistible to Maggie.
Maggie covered her face, intending to let him go in first, but Nesser pitifully approached her, grabbed her hand, and placed it on his face.
"Sister, you're finally back. I missed you so much."
Like a puppy, he rubbed against her palm, his soft, warm cheek pressed against Maggie's hand. With Nesser's bright eyes filled with expectation and longing, Maggie suddenly couldn't say what she was about to say.
Well, I have to spoil the kid I raised myself.
She sighed inwardly, filled with helplessness.
"...I miss you as well."
After a long pause, Maggie forced herself to squeeze out four words.
She adjusted her mindset many times when facing Nesser, and finally decided that she could no longer treat Nesser coldly.
So much so that Nesser continued to interact with her in the same way he did when she was a child, and Maggie did not refuse, feeling somewhat reluctant, but unable to resist.
Another part stemmed from her guilt over Nesser's pathological psychology; Nesser shouldn't have been a victim of her attempts to compensate for her childhood.
The stalemate has led to the situation we see today.
Only Nesser could act so unrestrainedly with Maggie, and Maggie wouldn't get angry about it.
"Really? That's wonderful!"
Nesser's eyes lit up with surprise. He released Maggie's hand and jumped up and down, cheering.
Meanwhile, Xiu, who got off the carriage last, saw this scene and his face involuntarily darkened, without even realizing it himself.
"They have no sense of shame."
He turned his head away, no longer looking at Nesser, and muttered to himself.
Maggie vaguely heard something, but didn't quite catch it. Turning her head, she saw Xiu with his face turned to the side, his expression showing displeasure.
"?"
Is he angry? What is he angry about?
Maggie was full of questions.
She was puzzled and didn't notice Harlen walking towards her from not far away. Although he was smiling, the smile didn't reach his eyes, and he couldn't hide his desire to kill her.
Perkin, hidden in the shadows, had already gripped the Black Dragon Dagger tightly, his serpentine eyes fixed on Nesser with the killing intent unique to snakes.
Nesser, the central target, seemed completely oblivious, still smiling as he spoke to Maggie.
"Sister, the little orange you brought back is much better now, do you want to go see it?"
He was trying to take credit, hoping Maggie would see his efforts.
Even though the child Maggie brought back was covered in sores, with no healthy skin and an indescribable odor, Nesser endured it all in order to win Maggie's favor.
"Hmm? Is it much better?"
Maggie was a little surprised, as she knew perfectly well how bad Little Orange's condition had been at the time.
If she hadn't left in such a hurry, she should have spent more time with Xiaojuzi and helped alleviate her symptoms.
"Yes, light magic can't heal her and will even cause harm, but her body doesn't reject wood magic. I've been learning some healing magic lately, which has been very helpful to her."
Nesser nodded vigorously like a chick pecking at rice, her eyes shining brighter than any angel's.
For some reason, Maggie seemed to see the young Nesser again, only his body had grown up, but his mind was still that of a child, and her heart had softened even more.
Little did anyone know that when Nesser said this, he cast a provocative glance at where Harlen was standing not far away. Even though Harlen had a perfect smile on his face, the hand holding his sword clenched instantly.
"Nesser has gone to a lot of trouble."
Maggie breathed a sigh of relief. If Little Orange was healthy, she would have fulfilled her promise to the children in the orphanage.
At this moment, Harlan slowly walked to Maggie's side, gracefully performed a knightly salute, straightened up, and spoke in a gentle voice.
"The lady is living very well in the temple. Recently, there have been many traitors who tried to take her away, but they have all been dealt with by the Knights. Your Highness, there is no need to worry."
He subtly brought up the person Maggie cared about most, instantly capturing Maggie's attention.
"Hmm? It seems my dear father is still not giving up."
Maggie's expression turned cold; her mood would immediately sour whenever she wanted the Duke.
However, when she saw Harlan's serious expression, her expression softened considerably, and she sincerely thanked him.
"Thank you for your help, Commander Knight."
Protecting her mother was not the responsibility of the Holy Knights; it was purely a personal matter. Harun was willing to go to such lengths, and she should naturally be grateful.
Harlan's smile finally became a bit more genuine. Where Maggie couldn't see, Nesser and Harlan's exchange had just ended in a draw.
Perkin didn't show up at all, and Maggie didn't seem to care; she probably had her own things to do.
Even if he is a bodyguard, he cannot be by her side all the time; it is normal for him to be absent sometimes.
...
After Maggie finished dealing with the necessary matters for returning to the temple, she returned to her room exhausted. However, not long after she got back, there was a sudden knock on the window.
She paused for a moment, looked at the familiar dark figure outside, stood up, walked to the window, and opened it.
What came into view was Perkin's handsome face, which, though cold and pale, carried a hint of gentleness.
"Welcome back."
He paused for a moment before continuing, his ears already turning slightly red.
Maggie paused for a moment, then shook her head with a laugh.
"Next time you want to show your concern, you can be more direct. I don't mind."
She's in a good mood right now, and she's even joking around when she speaks.
It's so obvious, Maggie would be a fool not to notice. Perkin is showing concern for her, but he's just too shy and naive, which makes him seem strangely adorable.
It seems that even though they were master and servant, they weren't completely without feelings for each other.
Otherwise, Perkin wouldn't have cared about her.
Maggie secretly admired her; she was such a good boss that even her employees would send her their blessings and care about her safety.
Hearing Maggie's almost teasing words, Perkin's ears turned even redder. According to his usual personality, he should have already turned into a shadow and fled. But perhaps because they hadn't seen each other for a long time, he stared at Maggie's face for a long time without moving, until Maggie couldn't wait to say something, and he responded in a low voice.
"...Um."
The unexpected reaction surprised Maggie and made her feel quite novel.
Maggie scrutinized Perkin closely, as if she were looking at some rare object, until Perkin became so uncomfortable that she pulled a small notebook out of her pocket.
“If you want to deal with the Duke, I’ve collected a lot of information about his underground slave auction sites over the past few days. Here you go.”
It turns out that during her absence, Perkin wasn't idle; he filled his schedule with activities, waiting for Maggie's return.
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