As I sat there, Maria and Seraphina approached me and placed their hands on my shoulders, muttering a chant under their breath.
Feeling a bit awkward with the silence that followed, I decided to break the ice. "So, how's life inside the church?"
"Good!" they both chimed in unison.
I rolled my eyes. "You guys are good liars."
Their faces fell, and they quickly protested. "No, we're not lying! We're living to honor Eden!"
I couldn't help but shake my head at their blind devotion. It was a problem with the Church's doctrine. Sure, Eden was important, but they took it too far. I mean, even the Pope was corrupt, and he worshipped Eden more than anything. It had twisted his thoughts and made him do terrible things.
Believing in someone or something was all well and good, but over-believing could lead to a twisted opinion and fake happiness. I decided to test their loyalty. "Do you believe in your grandfather?" I asked.
Their response was immediate. "Of course! More than anyone else!"
I could understand that sentiment. He was a replacement for their parents and wasn't an enemy. But what about the Pope? "And what about the Pope? Do you believe in him too?"
They both nodded vigorously. "We believe in his excellency."
I couldn't let that stand. "No, you don't." I cut them off.
As I looked at Maria and Seraphina, their response to my question was disappointingly robotic. Had that corrupt old man already brainwashed them?
I let out a sigh and spoke up, "Don't put all your faith in the Pope."
Their shocked reaction was understandable, but I continued, "Listen to me. Remember Cardinal Sergius? You both trusted him until now, right? But look at what he turned out to be - a bastard of Ante-Eden."
The two girls lowered their heads in response, clearly understanding my point.
"If you want to survive out there, always be cautious of your surroundings and trust no one except yourself. You've both been coddled by that old man for too long."
As I scoffed, I noticed their fists clenching in frustration.
"Don't trust anyone except yourselves; people outside are human-skinned monsters. They could have ill-intentions toward girls like you." I finished staring at them.
Yeah, innocent and beautiful girls like them could attract psychos.
Seraphina and Maria were both giving me strange looks, as if trying to figure out my intentions.
Those girls…
I grimaced at their gazes.
"Don't jump to any weird conclusions," I said firmly, cutting off Seraphina's train of thought. "I have no interest in either of you. There are plenty of other charming girls out there for me to pursue."
Seraphina hugged her body, looking relieved but still a bit uneasy. "Could it be...?"
"No, it's not that," I interrupted her again. "Listen, I'm not here to be your husband or anything like that. You need to focus on your duties as saintesses and be prepared for the real world outside of the church. It's not as innocent and kind as you might think."
Both Maria and Seraphina looked at me with surprise and confusion. "What do you mean?" Maria asked.
"People aren't always what they seem," I explained. "There are those who hide their true intentions behind a kind face, like Cardinal Sergius. You need to be careful and trust in yourselves above all else."
Seraphina's expression grew more serious. "Are you saying that you're hiding your true intentions as well?"
I grinned at her. "Maybe I am. Maybe I'm not. The point is, you need to be ready for anything and not trust anyone blindly. You can't rely on the Pope or anyone else to protect you."
Maria looked at me with a mix of admiration and confusion. "You're strong and caring," she said quietly.
I smiled, feeling a bit flattered despite myself. "Thanks, but like I said, I'm not here to be your husband."
"I-I don't care about that!" Maria shouted, embarrassed. "Our husband will be someone c-caring!"
Maria started off with anger in her voice, but it quickly softened as she looked at me. "Our husband will be someone caring…" she repeated, her tone almost pleading. "S-Strong as well…" Her face turned crimson as if she understood something.
Seraphina smirked and added, "And…handsome," before scanning me from head to toe. "Y-Yes!" she huffed, averting her gaze.
I couldn't help but frown at their reaction. "Putting aside the caring side, I'm ticking the strong and handsome conditions," I said with snort.
Maria and Seraphina were taken aback by my arrogance, but they couldn't deny the truth in my words.
"N-Never!" Seraphina shook her head, trying to deny something.
[<I think you ticked the caring side too, after putting your life on the line for them.>]
I ignored Cleenah, knowing that what I did was necessary.
[To seduce them? I don't see your point.]
'Neither me! Neither me Jarvis!'
After five long minutes of intense healing, my arms were finally back to normal. But Maria and Seraphina were exhausted, leaning against the wall, their white robes now dirtied and stuck to their faces.
I couldn't help but wonder if the difficulty in healing my arms was due to the fire again.
I noticed Maria's hand still wasn't healed, despite her prioritizing my injuries over her own.
"You can't heal your hand?" I asked, concerned.
They both shook their heads, admitting they were out of mana.
I looked at Maria with concern as she winced in pain, tears streaming down her cheeks. Her flawless hand was marred by an ugly scar that didn't seem to suit her at all. Without thinking, I stood up and made my way over to her and Seraphina.
"Sit down," I commanded, gently guiding Maria to the ground. She looked at me with confusion, but didn't protest as I took her hand in mine.
I could feel her trembling as I placed my hand gently over hers and channeled my mana. "Use my mana," I instructed, my voice soft and reassuring.
Maria's eyes widened in surprise as she felt the energy flowing into her. "Ouch," she gasped, but I simply flicked her forehead and placed her other hand over mine.
"Use my mana, Maria," I repeated, watching as she lowered her flushed face and concentrated on healing her injured hand.
"Y-Yeeesss!"
"..."
I turned to Seraphina, who was standing beside us, and asked her what was going on.
"Help your cousin," I said.
"I know that," she replied, feeling a little irritated. I could feel my mana being drained even faster now that Seraphina had put her hand on my shoulder.
But despite my annoyance, I was proud of Maria and her cousin. They were handling themselves well under pressure.
I couldn't help but smile at the thought that this experience might help them mature even more.
Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Maria's hand returned to its normal state.
"Finally," I said with relief.
"H-Hey!"
But just as I stood up, I forgot about Seraphina's grip on my shoulders.
Why did she put all her weight on me?!
She had put all her weight on me, and I stumbled under the sudden pressure.
I slipped pathetically because of exhaustion and fell to the ground.
Before I knew it, I was on the ground, and Seraphina had fallen right beside me.
We both ended up in an awkward position, with her lying on top of me. I could feel her chest pressing against mine, and—something soft kissed my cheeks, right just near my lips.
"..."
"..."
How the hell did we end up like that?!
Seraphina had been kissing my cheek for what felt like an eternity.
"Are you finished?" I finally asked, feeling exhausted.
Seraphina pulled away, her cheeks flushed and her eyes glistening.
"..." She put her hands on either side of my face to raise her head.
I struggled to focus on her face. Her auburn-gold hair fell around us, brushing against my skin. Her cheeks were bright red, and her golden eyes were moistened with unshed tears.
She looked panicked and frozen in place. Slowly, she took one trembling hand off the ground and touched her quivering pinkish lips.
"Okay, enough," I said, slipping out of her grasp.
Otherwise, I would have an unpleasing-
[New Title Obtained!]
[Killing Two Birds With One Stone!]
Fuck you Jarvis!
[It's not me.]
I stood up and turned to Seraphina, who was still on her knees with her fingers on her lips, looking shocked. I wondered if the kiss had been too much for her. Perhaps they should have let her get used to being around men before introducing her to that kind of intimacy.
[<Get used to kissing men?>]
'Not that!'
"S-Sera..." Maria was blushing bright red with her hand covering her mouth.
[<I feel jealousy here…>]
'I feel nonsense!'
"Get a grip," I said in a loud tone, trying to snap the two of them out of their trance. Finally, Maria and Seraphina stood up and faced me, but they didn't seem to be fully present.
"Okay, listen now," I said, but they still didn't seem to be listening to my words. Maria was hugging her previously injured hand close to her chest, while Seraphina was biting her lip and lost in thought. I couldn't help but think that this incident might have made them grow up, but in the wrong way…