She sat down beside Lyudmila's hospital bed.
Su Yuzu looked at the girl huddled under the quilt, her hands clutching the edge of the blanket, revealing only a row of neat, cute fingertips.
Even though Lyudmila was trying hard to maintain a demure appearance.
But... Su Yuzu could still detect the panic in the girl's demeanor when she saw her.
She was afraid.
To be honest... Su Yuzu had a bit of an idea in her heart about exactly what Lyudmila was afraid of.
Wasn't it just the "Blessing"?
Indeed... associating it with those eyes of Lyudmila that seemed to tremble and shake after receiving the "Blessing" yesterday, and the kind of grief, indignation, and fragility that flowed out of the pure, white Saintess as if she had been polluted.
Although that scene of a Saintess becoming corrupted was indeed alluring, it also made Su Yuzu feel... that the "Blessing" might be a bit too heavy for the flawless Saintess.
Looking at Lyudmila in front of her, who was trying hard to hide her panic and maintain a demure appearance.
Su Yuzu just peeled an apple.
Lyudmila had just been injured, so bathing wasn't very convenient for her either.
Occasionally... giving the girl a break wasn't out of the question.
Lyudmila gulped, looking at Su Yuzu nervously.
Their gazes collided.
Su Yuzu placed the peeled apple and the crepes at the head of Lyudmila's bed.
Then... beside the packaging bag of the crepes, she gently set down a black Thorned Crown.
That was the one Su Yuzu found most pleasing to the eye among the pile of Favorability Gifts brought about by Lyudmila's repeatedly flip-flopping Favorability yesterday.
Although it looked like a Thorned Crown, it was completely different from the other Thorned Crowns in terms of size and shape.
This Thorned Crown did not prick the head.
The thorns pointing toward the head had all been meticulously processed; it could probably be used purely as an ornament.
"Eat some fruit first," Su Yuzu said, smiling at Lyudmila.
"And this accessory..."
Su Yuzu toyed with the Thorned Crown.
The outward-facing thorns on the crown were still a bit prickly.
But compared to those serious Thorned Crowns, Thorned Whips, or Thorned Armbands in her data column.
This one was already considered good. At least it wouldn't scratch the girl's delicate skin until blood flowed.
Based on the experience Su Yuzu had gained from other Operator girls in the past.
Girls generally wouldn't refuse gifts given as Favorability increase rewards.
"An accessory I stumbled upon before."
"I don't know if Student Mira likes it."
To the side—
The Little Rabbit, who had been happily eating crepes, suddenly had the cheerful ahoge on her head stop moving.
Her aqua-blue eyes instantly became teary, revealing an envious expression.
"A gift!!!"
"An accessory!!!"
"Yuzu-senpai's gift!!!"
"One that I don't even have!!!"
Meanwhile, Lyudmila, lying on the bed, looked at that Thorned Crown, her golden pupils undergoing an earthquake.
In her faith, the thorns of the bramble were suffering, but also glory.
But on the Thorned Crown pushed over by Su Yuzu, the thorns had been wantonly played with, bent, and snapped, turning into a twisted shape.
Lyudmila felt as if she were seeing herself being bullied by that unknown goddess, forcibly injected with the "Blessing".
Su Yuzu's kind smile, in Lyudmila's eyes, also transformed into a demonic smile along with it.
She seemed to see it again... that young girl residing on the massive pitch-black throne, curling her lips and revealing a mocking smile at her.
"Do you like it?" Su Yuzu looked at Lyudmila.
The soft voice seemed to have turned into a form of intimidation and threat.
"L... like it..." The girl's voice sounded as if it carried a sobbing tone.
"God..."
"Please forgive me."
"I... can no longer return to the past."
The golden eyes seemed to become somewhat hollow for an instant, but then immediately became resolute again.
"But... in order to push the wheels of history in the correct direction."
"All sacrifices are worth it."
"..."
Clearly, she hadn't even used the "Blessing" on Lyudmila yet, but the girl's golden eyes were already overflowing with a fragility bordering on brokenness.
Lyudmila's toes under the blanket had already curled tight, ready to welcome the "Blessing".
And Su Yuzu... Su Yuzu looked at Lyudmila, the corner of her eye twitching wildly.
[Ding—]
[Gift: Lyudmila Favorability +1.]
[Ding—]
[Weeping Posture: Lyudmila's Favorability has decreased.]
[Forced Development: Lyudmila Favorability +1.]
[...]
Su Yuzu listened to the familiar mechanical woman's voice by her ear.
Her mood was complex.
The Saintess's thoughts were indeed hard to fathom.
Every time her Favorability increased, she would always—either in embarrassment or weeping... drop a point first.
Then swish, it would shoot up a small segment.
Yesterday, Lyudmila's Favorability had been flip-flopping back and forth like that.
Those who didn't know better would think Lyudmila was helping her farm gifts for successfully capturing her.
"As long as you like it~" Su Yuzu managed a smile.
Lyudmila also revealed a smile that said 'there is nothing left to be afraid of'.
Just at this moment, a weary-looking Unohana Chiyo walked in from outside the ward.
Seeing Su Yuzu, Unohana Chiyo's unsightly expression softened just a little bit.
Su Yuzu stood up and gently hugged Unohana Chiyo.
"Ms. Unohana..."
Unohana Chiyo's Favorability had also long since been grinded to 59 points by Su Yuzu.
"Yuzu is here." Smelling the fresh scent in the girl's hair tips, Unohana Chiyo seemed to perk up a little.
She spoke with Su Yuzu about the Aberrant attack event from last night.
Beside the two of them, Lyudmila, the protagonist of the story, took small bites of the apple, waiting on tenterhooks to welcome the "Blessing" that could descend at any moment.
To be honest... the feeling of keeping her nerves so taut all the time wasn't good.
Su Yuzu and Unohana Chiyo's conversation seemed incomparably long in Lyudmila's perception.
Looking at the twisted Thorned Crown quietly placed at the head of the bed.
Lyudmila even felt that... before that "Blessing" descended, her nerves might very well be crushed first.
For a split second... Lyudmila even felt herself kind of looking forward to that "Blessing" descending a bit sooner.
After it descended sooner, she could confess to the deity sooner.
To beg for the Goddess's forgiveness.
Instead of waiting here on tenterhooks.
Compared to the "Blessing" itself, this feeling of treading on thin ice seemed to make the Saintess feel even more tormented.
Then... she suddenly realized.
When she looked forward to that "Blessing" descending a bit sooner, she was already falling.
The girl could only clench her pink fists tight, wanting to defend her faith.
In Lyudmila's view.
That unknown deity was an out-and-out devil.
And she... was already a toy being played with at will in the devil's fingertips.
[Ding—]
[Uneasy Posture: Lyudmila's Favorability has decreased.]
[Twist: Lyudmila Favorability +1.]
[...]
Su Yuzu, who was talking with Unohana Chiyo, turned her head to look at Lyudmila, who was curled up on the hospital bed beside her.
This Saintess of the Holy Royal Court... isn't her imagination ability a bit too outstanding?
Su Yuzu really wanted to crack open Lyudmila's noggin to see, to see just what on earth this Saintess was imagining in her little head.
Lyudmila watched the girl, who had been conversing just fine, suddenly look at her just as she was preparing to firm up her faith.
"She can even read minds!"
[Ding—]
[Panic Posture: Lyudmila's Favorability has decreased.]
[Twist: Lyudmila Favorability +1.]
[...]
"Damn!"
________________________________________
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