Seraphine was waiting for a harsh rebuttal after her outburst, but contrary to her expectations, none came.
"Oh, deary, it seems that you are having some very harsh prejudices here. We would never force you to do something so vile—God forbids it, after all." The Bishopess smiled helplessly.
Seraphine realized that she had indeed jumped the gun. No one had asked her to do anything of that sort yet. She ducked her head low and apologized. "I'm… sorry. I've been too presumptuous."
The Bishopess shook her head gently. "It's fine. I know how nerve-racking it can be to be in a completely new and unfamiliar place. And I don't dislike such an outspoken attitude, either way."
Seraphine heaved a relieved sigh, though a question came to mind now that her most pressing matter had been laid to rest. "Bishopess," she began softly, "if all of us here are women… how do the sisters embody their pathway without any men around?"
She tilted her head slightly, her tone curious and guileless. "Do they perhaps seek them elsewhere?"
The Bishopess gave her a lingering look, her tone dipping a shade lower. "You'll learn about it properly at tomorrow's initiation for the new sisters… but I can tell you in advance, if you're curious?"
Nod. Nod.
Seraphine blinked, then nodded twice.
A faint smile curved the Bishopess's lips. "Well, since there are no men within our walls, we find other ways to share comfort and affection."
Seraphine's expression froze. "..."
'W-wait… what did she just say?' Her brain replayed the line several times, each repetition only deepening the blush creeping up her neck.
"You… you mean—as in… a woman and another woman...?"
The Bishopess's smirk widened just enough to confirm it. "Precisely that, my dear."
"Of course, you are always free to choose your partner, but just know that no men are allowed here, little Sera."
"Yes, thank you for everything, Bishopess." Seraphine thanked her with a little curtsy.
"No problem at all, dear. You are always welcome here, and may God bless you and your path." The Bishopess smiled in a benevolent manner, her aura radiating a pure, almost holy radiance, contrasting wildly with the scandalous attire.
Seraphine felt that the contrast made the image beautiful instead of strange, but she soon shook the thoughts away and left for her quarters, her mind filled with the new discoveries.
⛧
Seraphine lay on the soft mattress and palmed her face, remembering what she'd said about Ashen to the Bishopess, and suddenly felt embarrassed.
She was glad that the embarrassment hit her now when she was alone, and not then; otherwise, she was sure that she wouldn't have been able to truly convey what he meant to her.
After a bit of squirming and shuffling, her thoughts drifted to the other topic that had almost blown her mind away.
'The women here are all lesbian. I'm suddenly feeling a lot less safe in that outfit, even without men to leer at me.' She mentally groaned.
But one thing she didn't understand was why women would take that path, even if there were no men in their vicinity. It made no sense to her. 'There's something else at play here, I'm sure.'
She didn't dwell much on that. Sooner or later, she would uncover what it was, as she reckoned that she would be spending much of the foreseeable future here.
One thing she knew was that she would never have a relationship with anyone else aside from him, even if it was a woman.
Aside from her being as straight as they came, Seraphine didn't know Ashen's views on girl-on-girl action, and she hadn't gotten his permission, so in her mind, that was a no-no.
Even if he asked her himself, she still wasn't willing to do it with a stranger woman.
With that rant out of the way, Seraphine was pretty satisfied with joining this new faction from the initial impressions.
Everyone was agreeable, the Bishopess herself—a figure of authority—never used her power to oppress her, even when she stepped out of line, and not to mention the considerable amount of freedom of choice.
So all things considered, Seraphine would call it a win, aside from the raunchy outfit, of course.
She just hoped Ashen and Braun were just as lucky.
Knock. Knock.
A knock interrupted her thoughts. Seraphine had to go and check the door, wondering who would visit her so late at night, as she barely knew anyone here.
"It's you…" When she opened the doorway and saw who it was, her eyes widened. "Nancy… What are you doing here?"
The woman on the other side of the door looked like a downgraded version of Seraphine, with the same blue eyes but paler, the same blonde hair but duller.
She didn't win even in body proportions. She was shorter, less filled in the places that should have been filled, not curved enough where she should curve…
She was just a very downgraded version of the surprised woman who stood in front of her, and she knew it.
Yet she'd hidden it well enough over the years—prettying herself up, angling herself just right in photos, positioning herself in social circles where the comparison wasn't quite so stark.
That was how she'd maintained their friendship for so long. That was how the betrayal had blindsided Seraphine so completely.
She still smiled brightly, nonetheless. "Seraphine! What do you mean, 'what am I doing here'? I'm still your recruiter, you know, and I have a responsibility to guide you!"
Seraphine, however, remained unimpressed, looking at this former friend of hers. "Uh-huh. You sure know how to run your mouth, you backstabber. Would I even be here if not for you?"
Nancy wagged her index finger. "C'mon, I even shared some info with you yesterday about Sin Lords, doesn't that show some sincerity, at least?"
Seraphine shook her head. "No matter how much sincerity you show, as long as it's coming from you, it won't mean much after your betrayal."
Even as she said so, Seraphine actually took a step back, allowing her to enter. "You should also know this, so spare me the theatrics and tell me what made you so desperate to crawl back here with that fake smile."
Nancy completely ignored the sharp words and stepped in, steps bouncy. "Aya… I know that your heart is soft, despite that sharp mouth. Is this what they call a tsundere?"
Clap.
Seraphine didn't deign to acknowledge the provoking words. Closing the door with a slam, she turned around and crossed her arms under her bosom.
"Cut to the chase or get out. I'm not wasting my time on you."
In fact, if Nancy wasn't the indirect reason why she came to know Ashen, she wouldn't have even let her pass through the door.
"Alright, alright, I'll say it. Stop being so stiff, geez…" Nancy raised her hand in mock surrender.
But then, she abruptly stopped the sloppy display and got all serious. "I want you to keep the fact that I tricked you into Seravelle with a contract secret."
Seraphine looked at her as if she were an idiot. "And why would I do that?"
"Because, if you do that, then I will become your person!"
"I don't need a traitor as my person. Get out." Seraphine had had enough of her nonsense.
"Wait, I'm not done! I'm willing to sign a binding contract this time! I won't even be able to cross you even if I wanted…"
Seraphine had to stop at that. "Why are you so desperate anyway? You weren't the only recruiter who tricked Esperians here, so what's the difference between you and them to make you freak out this much?"
Nancy snapped, "Well, the difference is in who we scammed, of course!"
Huff. "Lowlifes and parasites are free game, and you were neither!"
She smiled bitterly. "I've always been envious of you. You were better at everything, from looks to personality to intelligence… everything. And being your friend made everyone compare us. So one day I snapped, did what I did, hoping you would just die in the tutorial phase."
Seraphine wasn't shocked hearing this, nor did she feel any sympathy. Only indifference colored her face and thoughts as she looked down on the desperate woman.
"You didn't die, and now I have to pay the price of breaking the rules if you even as much as hint at it. And it's much worse if these zealots who keep preaching about justice and uprightness hear about it… Ugh, I fucking hate them."
Seraphine had to scrunch her little nose at that attitude. "Aren't you also from the Church? How can you be this disrespectful?"
"What? Not even two days in and you've caught their uprightness? Loosen up, it's only us here. Hehe," Nancy smirked.
"No, thank you." Seraphine shook her head, not bothering to conceal her disgust. "I have worn their silk, eaten their food, and accepted their shelter. Even if I were a mere guest, I'd still show respect for them and their religion… Not to mention that I'm not a guest but a nun now."
"A slut nun," Nancy mumbled, but Seraphine ignored the insult, her mind spinning to find a way to take advantage of the situation.
Now that there was no Ashen or Braun to keep her safe and carefree, her businesswoman edge started showing itself again, bit by bit.
"I'll consider sparing you, and even taking you under me, but you need to prove yourself first." She spoke just as the silence stretched a tad too long. "I do not need someone incompetent, after all."
Nancy was familiar with this side of Seraphine from their old friendship when she saw her close deals with this very same attitude, so she wasn't shocked.
"Alright, what do I need to do to gain your favor, my queen~" She didn't waste any opportunity to throw a jab, however.
"You will look into a woman. She is called Lucia Evernight, with pink hair, lapis lazuli eyes, stunning looks, and an usually stoic expression." Seraphine spoke concisely. "She's also a recruiter like you. I want to know everything about her, her recent recruits, who she contracts, where she operates, her personality… everything."
"...With all that info, it would be easy enough, just time-consuming." Nancy nodded. "Alright, I'll do it."
"Good."
"I don't know what this chick did to piss you off, but she's gonna have it bad~" Nancy remarked, suddenly feeling relaxed.
"Get out. Now." But Seraphine's frigid tone stopped her from getting more comfortable, and she had no choice but to head for the door.
"Fine, fine, sweet dreams, boss~"
Tok.
With that, she finally left, and Seraphine let a heavy sigh leave her lips.