"This is already the second time tonight that a woman has forcibly kissed me."
Looking at Luvia, Shade touched the corner of his mouth, then smiled. Clearly, Tri-Color Moonlight had entered his eyes, yet all it reflected was silver moonlight.
"The other one was that Duchess?"
The Girl with Purple Eyes asked softly, though she did not seem to care at all.
"Yes, it was Miss Galina."
"It's all right. You don't need to tell me these things."
"But I like you."
For some reason, beneath the moon, as he looked at Luvia Fiocchi Annette standing with her back to the moonlight, the words slipped out of Shade's mouth.
Luvia's expression seemed to change for an instant, yet it also seemed not to have changed at all. Her violet eyes watched Shade's, as though they could see through to his soul.
What she wore now was not the outfit Shade had seen when he met her in the Darkness Domain. It was a white women's blouse with gold buttons and ruffled cuffs, paired with a simple black skirt—plain, yet still dignified. Her short brown hair fell loosely to her shoulders, with only a few mischievous strands crossing over her ears:
"Yes, I know."
Her voice was very soft.
"I don't want to lie. I like you, and them too."
"As long as it helps with finding the Thirteen Chosen Ones, I won't mind."
She continued speaking like that. Although she still wore a smile, Shade sensed an immense sorrow from her. He could not imagine what Luvia had experienced, what she bore, or what she knew, to be able to say such things.
"I—"
"I'm very happy that I can still see you tonight. I had thought you would climb into the bed of a Witch or her maid."
Her