Date a Witch: Reborn as the Witch of Lust! (GL)-Chapter 82: What Should I feel about You, Sis?

Feeling the toned softness of the Knight’s cheek, Mel blushed, her eyes squinting with a flustered smile.

Mel pulled back to admire the Knight, her grin faint but sincere, though Saria’s expression remained frozen in surprise.

An awkward blush crept up on Saria as she glanced away. "What are you doing?"

A flicker of bemusement crossed Mel’s expression, her hand tapping her lips in realisation of what she had done.

Unlike her usual forwardness, Mel’s scattered mind lacked an answer before letting out a heartfelt chuckle.

"Just a thank you, Sis."

With a mumble full of sincerity, her body relaxed before leaning onto Saria.

As her arms wrapped around Saria’s waist, the Knight was flustered by Mel’s intimacy, her arms dangling in the air with hesitation.

But Mel’s smooth skin further pressed into hers, and she sighed before returning the hug.

Mulling over the right words, she muttered. "Did they really not tell you anything?"

Mel nuzzled her head onto Saria’s shoulder. "Mm. Not anything. I was confused the entire time until Miss Samantha saved me."

"Samantha... of course. The <Void> Mage has her way." Saria whispered, as her arm raised to brush Mel’s back, soothing the girl in any way she could.

The Saintess hadn’t lied; the Cult was after Mel. But Saria knew her assignment hadn’t been random.

The Knight gritted her teeth; if she had a choice, the child would’ve never known.

Her voice grew trembling as she spoke. "Mel. Tell me any time you’re scared."

A determined glint danced in the Knight’s eyes. "I’ll fight through tooth and nail, if it means I can get you and Lila to safety."

Despite the Saintess’s half-and-a-half transparency, Saria never planned to entrust the safety of her closest ones to her orders or company.

Her instincts, honed as a <First-Year> veteran of the {Unprided Crusade}, told her this wasn’t coincidence. It had all the marks of a deliberate setup.

If not, the ’small ruckus’ in the other <Memorial Whales> would not have happened at all.

Sensing Saria’s embrace tightening in a silent concern, a heartfire warmth brewed within Mel’s chest.

With a faint blush, Mel muttered. "Of course, Sis Saria."

How strange.

Romance and familial love melted together within her mind, stirring a feeling she couldn’t quite put a name to.

The starlight was their only witness, as their embrace lasted for what seemed like eternity.

A lingering regret was strung as Saria pulled away, Mel’s palm stubbornly clinging to the Knight’s arm.

She watched the Knight’s strained expression with a smile. "Sorry for worrying you."

Saria shook her head. "Don’t be."

Mel scanned Saria’s features, wondering if her finger might trace a path across the Knight’s face, one only she would ever know.

The Knight blinked, noticing the rosy hue on Mel’s cheeks that mirrored the soft pink of her hair.

A protective impulse surged through her, flooding her heart with warmth as she gently cupped Mel’s cheeks.

She muttered, her eyes locked with Mel’s gaze. "I’ve been taking care of you for so long, Mel. It’s natural that I don’t want any danger coming to you."

A chuckle escaped Mel again as she leaned into Saria’s grasp. "Then I’m glad to have a protector like you, Sis."

"Hardly." Saria sighed in defeat. "You wouldn’t be in danger otherwise."

"But Saria."

Mel’s hands enveloped Saria’s on her cheek, an earnestness blooming in her golden eyes. "You’ll always be here for me, to protect me, right?"

Saria’s eyes trembled, a strange feeling burrowing through as she met Mel’s gaze.

A maturity glimmered within Mel’s resolved expression, one she wasn’t quite ready to face.

Despite that, her lips curled into a tender smile. "Yeah. That will never change."

Even as the child grew, the Knight vowed to remain by her side.

Under the night sky, sprinkled only by artificial starlight, the Knight made a silent promise to herself.

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Mel watched Saria’s back disappear up the staircase, a trace of regret lingering beneath her skin.

She clutched at her chest, her heartbeat a silent lull, memories still wrapped in the fullness of their embrace.

Her fingers drifted to her lips again, wondering when she might next kiss Saria.

"How strange."

It was the first time Mel had felt uncertain about her feelings, how to name them, and how to speak them aloud.

She had always been forward with Saria and with others, too. Had a new vulnerability crept in without her recognising it?

Perhaps, she merely loved Saria more than she thought.

A bubbly giggle escaped her lips, surprising even herself.

Unlike with the Witches or her maid, it wasn’t forced or calculated, just pure joy and gratitude spilling over her heart.

She wondered if the boundary between her and Saria would be crossed again, not out of desire or want for a family, but simply when it felt right.

"For now..."

Mel stretched and relaxed as she turned her heels.

"I should visit her directly this time."

She had too many questions for a mere System panel.

Or

Some things were best asked face-to-face.

----------------

The <Memorial Whale had three floors in total. The lounge is on the bottom floor, the Class 1-A dorms are in the middle, and the seniors’ dorm is on top.

She found it pitiful that Sis Saria wasn’t allowed to sleep closer to her.

Since Sis Saria didn’t have a chance to sleep near her.

She let out a regretful chuckle and went upstairs before glancing upon another starlit hallway.

As silent as downstairs. What was the ’ruckus’ that made Saria panic so much?

Full of questions, she took a few steps forward before arriving at the room right in the middle.

With a click, she opened to find a brown-haired elf sitting at the edge of the bed with her eyes closed.

"Yes. Please let the Knights in the other two summons stay very still, particularly the Royal Knights."

Watching the Saintess-in-disguise give out orders, Mel merely entered the room in silence, before sitting down at the desk to wait.

She gave out orders, some soft, others firm, a few laced with teasing charm, as if cultists weren’t lurking within their very ranks.

Then, with a smile, the brown-haired elf opened her eyes, meeting Mel’s gaze, curved and warm with anticipation.

Already expecting her arrival, Maria’s eyes glowed with the golden hues Mel had come to recognize since their very first encounter.

"Shame I didn’t prepare some toys for your arrival, Mel."

Against the Saintess’s perverted tease, Mel’s tongue merely darted out. "Be serious when you need to be."

"Of course."

The Saintess let out a warm chuckle, her ’mask’ already settled aside for her dearest lover.

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