At the moment, the Saintess of Judgment sat with a stack of parchment spread across her lap, each filled with detailed reports, stamped documents, and royal seals. Her fingers moved quickly, flipping through the papers, her sharp eyes scanning every line.
Across from her, sitting comfortably with hands folded in her lap, Maria watched her daughter intently and couldn't help but be curious.
It wasn't unusual to see Joy working. In fact, it was the most ordinary thing in the world.
Ever since she'd been anointed as Saintess, her life had become an endless stream of missions, verdicts, and investigations. Every night, Maria had seen her sitting by candlelight, reading through files about corrupt nobles, priests, and thieves until dawn.
But this time...this time was different.
Maria could see it in her daughter's eyes, that flicker of something she hadn't seen in years.
