Without a doubt, Miss Nun spared no effort in her firmness when educating misbehaving children—and in 'correcting' the fundamental mistake Mr. Jiang had made, Aponia exerted her full strength with relentless determination.
Though inexperienced, perhaps it was the advantage granted by her physique that allowed Aponia, despite having never undergone such an experience before, to adapt after only a very brief period. Quickly mastering the rhythm, she rapidly seized control of this 'corrective education'.
...A strange, novel sensation. Is this what Eden and Mobius are addicted to? While it is indeed a peculiar experience... Aponia frowned slightly, but her expression quickly smoothed out. Aside from the appropriate flush of color on her pretty face, she rapidly regained her composure and stability.
This level alone cannot possibly shake my heart, which has been silent for years and tempered through countless trials!
This mistake is nothing remarkable.
"I've already recognized my mistake... Aponia... so..."
Although Jiang Qiao wasn't afraid, and his experience in this area was extensive enough to be called battle-hardened, seeing the darkening sky, having first accompanied Elysia all over Glamoth, and then being treated as a side dish and beverage by Firefly... Mr. Jiang, who somewhat wanted a peaceful end to the day, still hoped to handle this final trial—the sudden entry of Miss Nun into the fray—as swiftly as possible.
"Really?"
"Really, really."
Mr. Jiang looked utterly sincere.
He had made enough mistakes today; his stock of errors was completely depleted! Alright... facing a pack of 'predators' who saw him as either a recreational item or food, he seemed to have been running on empty recently. Those 'mistakes' he produced were actually synthesized using Honkai energy via the Authority of Life and Death... But regardless of the source of those errors, he was definitely in a state of 'empty pockets' right now.
He thought that Aponia, having achieved her goal and being generally easy to talk to, would stop here.
—She actually thought so too.
...After all, she was only doing this to help Qiao correct his mistake, not out of the same 'despicable' motives as Mobius and the others.
If Qiao had already rectified this error, she clearly had no reason to continue this education, right?
However...
As Aponia tried to withdraw, she found... an emotion of 'reluctance' had sprouted in her heart, seemingly out of nowhere.
This wasn't strange. After all, who would willingly stop eating halfway through a meal and spit out delicious food?
What's more, she hadn't even reached the halfway point.
Furthermore—factually speaking, Miss Nun was indeed currently in a state of having eaten very little today.
Although she had received warm hospitality at the Glamoth Cathedral, because of last night's events, she hadn't had much of an appetite. After meeting Firefly and learning the truth, her desire for food was suppressed again. It wasn't until evening, when everyone returned to the nest, that Aponia realized she had barely eaten anything all day and was famished.
Although her time in Twilight Street meant she was no stranger to hunger, and as a disciplined member of the clergy, Aponia excelled at endurance.
However, wasn't there a saying?
If I had never seen the light...
Applied to the present moment, it probably became—If I had never felt this fullness.
Her stomach rumbled pitifully, as if protesting something.
"Aponia... you..."
"I've been dieting recently," Aponia stated, her expression unchanging.
"...Elysia and I brought back quite a few desserts. Maybe there's something you'd like."
"Thank you, but... [please] don't try to distract me."
'I must correct your mistake.'
"...I admit my mistake!"
"...."
Aponia fell silent for a moment.
Suddenly, as if sensing something, she looked thoughtful, then... a faint smile appeared. She grasped the hand of Jiang Qiao, who was currently playing the role of the oppressed, and said softly:
"It has recognized the error... but you have not."
"?"
"[Please] do not deceive me, Qiao..."
"That is an even greater mistake."
"...I'm not deceiving you."
"It has already told me everything."
Miss Nun looked incredibly profound—all things have their voices. How to listen to their voices is the key to mastering them.
Undoubtedly, Aponia had just made her judgment through such means.
Looking at the smooth-talking Aponia, Mr. Jiang remained silent for a long while.
...You just don't want to let go of the meat that's already in your mouth.
Sensing his speechless gaze, Aponia seemed to have been seen through, her eyes darting away slightly, but given her current position, this was obviously difficult.
Thus, after a moment, as if becoming angry from embarrassment... she spoke softly, her low voice thick with pressure:
"Qiao, please face your mistake."
"Until you truly face this mistake, I must make you recognize it."
"[Please], entrust all your mistakes to me."
It wasn't a Discipline, yet it seemed to possess a kind of vital magic. Under the urging of the famished Miss Nun, Master Jiang Qiao could only resignedly start an emergency night shift.
---||---
A long while later, the moon had shifted its position.
"...Haah... Aponia... You're still not asleep so late?"
A sweet, somewhat lazy voice sounded in the air nearby, making Aponia's heart tighten. Looking up, she saw Elysia, wearing pink piggy pajamas and rubbing her sleepy eyes, walking towards them.
Aponia slowly rose, methodically tidying her somewhat messy clothes. Under the moonlight, numerous damp marks could be seen on her, most obvious lower down. Fortunately, masked by the darkness and perhaps because Elysia had just woken up, she didn't pay too much attention.
"Eh... Bad Jiang Qiao? You're back..." What caught her attention more was the other person present.
"Yeah, finished things up on Firefly's side."
"Oh... Speaking of which, what are you two doing out here in the middle of the night instead of sleeping?"
"...."
Before Jiang Qiao could say anything, Aponia spoke first.
She smiled softly and said:
"I couldn't sleep, so I came to the garden to clear my head. Just happened to run into Qiao coming back."
"Is that so..."
"Hmm... Aponia, are your clothes a bit messy?" Rubbing her drowsy eyes, Elysia looked uncertainly at Miss Nun, who appeared somewhat dishevelled, as if she had just endured a fierce battle.
Slightly nervous, yet steady as a mountain due to her Twilight Street experiences, Aponia carefully replied:
"Indeed... Because Qiao made quite a significant mistake, I just helped him correct it, and as a result..."
"...Mistake?... What bad thing did you do behind my back this time, Bad Jiang Qiao!" Hearing that word, Miss Pink Fatty instantly became much more awake, glaring fiercely at Jiang Qiao.
You wicked Jiang Qiao, making mistakes behind my back! If Aponia hadn't mentioned it, were you planning to keep Ely completely in the dark?!
"I..."
"It's alright, Elysia... I've already helped him correct the mistake. I believe Qiao should have recognized his error by now."
"Hmm... I see... Sorry to trouble you, Aponia. Sigh, let me tell you, Aponia, this Jiang Qiao fellow is just bad... I've wanted to deal with him properly for a long time... I didn't expect to trouble you..."
"It wasn't really much trouble..."
"Don't say that, Aponia, your clothes and hair are all messed up... Honestly, Bad Jiang Qiao, messing up a girl's important clothes and hair like this is really too much!"
"Aponia was clearly doing it out of kindness!"
"...." Jiang Qiao remained silent.
"It really wasn't much trouble, Elysia. In fact, I also learned a lot from Qiao," Aponia smoothly deflected.
"You're still speaking up for him... Really, Aponia, I think you're just too nice. To deal with bad guys like him, you should use 'rougher' methods. That way, he'll learn his lesson," Elysia complained.
Aponia's gaze flickered uncertainly.
"Lesson learned..."
"However, I have indeed received Qiao's mistake." She subtly caressed the place where the mistake had been corrected, now warm and fully harvested. Combined with her sorrowfully beautiful, abstinent face, it created a particularly unique scene under the moonlight.
"Though not all of it, I believe that as long as he sincerely repents, this mistake can definitely be completely corrected in the future."
"Mistake... Aponia, you always say things I don't understand... Forget it, it's probably nothing important anyway. I don't expect this bad guy to ever be reformed into Good Jiang Qiao..."
"But if you think it's necessary... hmm, that might be good too?" Elysia glanced at Aponia, thought for a moment, then her eyes lit up with a smile.
How should she put it? Although it felt a bit odd, if Bad Jiang Qiao could learn something from Aponia, be imbued with some of Aponia's 'pure white' quality... mainly that 'abstinent' attribute, Elysia thought that when it was her turn to harvest the fruit, it might add a different kind of flavor?
Moreover... She secretly glanced at the obedient Jiang Qiao.
Aponia can actually make this bad guy so docile... That seems really worth learning!
Elysia instantly had the idea of getting some tips from Miss Nun, who had managed to subdue Jiang Qiao so thoroughly.
"Aponia, why don't we sleep together tonight?"
"Uh..."
"Pleeease~ We can share lots of secrets~"
"...Aren't you going to be with Qiao?"
At this, Elysia paused—taking Bad Jiang Qiao back to her room was something she wanted to do. Although she was sleepy and groggy now, completely lacking the motivation for anything strange, even just using this bad guy as a hug pillow would be quite comfortable.
However, thinking about Bad Jiang Qiao's excessive behavior just now, and being very interested in Miss Nun's Jiang Qiao-taming techniques, Elysia huffed lightly and shot Jiang Qiao a glance:
"Hmph, who wants to be with this bad guy."
"...."
"Can you bear to see me disappointed, Aponia~?"
"...Alright."
Though filled with guilt, looking at Elysia, Aponia still nodded.
She silently recited the scriptures of the Glamoth faith in her heart—Long live Her Majesty the Empress... even though just minutes ago, she seemed to be committing unforgivable acts against Her Majesty the Empress... But... this isn't disrespect!
That's right, Aponia, you are merely correcting the great Empress's mistakes.
Her Majesty the Empress should not have mistakes, so... before correcting Her Majesty's mistakes, storing all of Her Majesty's errors within yourself, a devout believer—isn't that the most correct course of action?
Aponia had always seen herself as a bearer of sin. Therefore, using her sinful self as a vessel to contain the mistakes of the 'Great Her Majesty Empress Glamoth' was undoubtedly correct.
And Elysia...
She should understand me too. After all... I'm only doing this to make Qiao better.
If the mistakes aren't corrected, things like yesterday will happen again, and that's what Elysia wants to see the least, right?
Since that's the case, then as Elysia's good sister, I must smother this kind of error within myself.
A thousand wrongs, ten thousand wrongs, the sin is mine!
Just like that, under Jiang Qiao's helpless gaze, Elysia shot him a provocative glance, then took Aponia's hand and walked away.
However, Elysia didn't seem to notice.
The milky droplets, like stalactite fluid, dripped intermittently onto the bluestone path with Aponia's steps, shimmering under the bright moonlight.
It looked just like a container full of rich milk had sprung a leak.
—The moonlight stretched the figures of the two good sisters long across the ground.