How Could the Villainous Young Master Be a Saintess?-Chapter 428 - 148 : I want to treat her equally

"Give me one night. If I can't save her, you may discuss with the academy administration to take her back to the Elven Forest and let the Elf Queen treat her," Winnie said.

This was currently the most reasonable approach.

"How could you possibly succeed where even the Church of Radiance has failed?" Milian still couldn't believe it.

"Just because the Church of Radiance can't do it doesn't mean I can't. Don't question my methods, I'll do everything in my power. I won't harm Dell," Winnie said, locking eyes with Milian.

After a long moment of staring, Milian silently averted her gaze.

Elves were naturally perceptive when it came to emotions, and she could clearly sense that the sincerity in Winnie's eyes was genuine, not feigned.

"But still, you're not Varelis. What method could you possibly have?" Milian pondered for a moment, then remembered Winnie's identity. Her eyes brightened slightly, considering whether Winnie might truly have a way. But then she recalled the various rumors circulating about him, the suspicions that his bloodline might be fake, or even if real, long since dead, and her hopes dimmed once more.

"I said I have a way. You don't need to know what it is. Just know that I would never harm Dell. That should be enough."

"..." Milian remained silent for a moment, then finally lifted her head to face Winnie. "I don't like humans."

"I know."

"But I must admit, Dell's trust in you, and your feelings for her, are undeniably real." Milian took a deep breath. "You're going out of your way to tell me all this... you want me to cover for you, don't you?"

"Milian, you're not stupid at all."

"Who wouldn't be able to guess that?!" Milian crossed her arms over her ample chest and shot Winnie an irritated glance, feeling like he was insulting her intelligence.~

"Tell me, what's your plan?" Milian asked.

"Then let's make arrangements. Tonight, I'll carry Dell out for treatment. You'll cover for me, make sure the patrolling nuns and priests believe she's still in her room. Can you do that?"

"You want to take her outside?" Milian frowned.

"What else? Didn't I already say I need to use my own method? If I could do this within the convent, why would I be telling you all this? Why ask for your cooperation?" Winnie shot Milian a glance.

"..... How long will it take?" Milian hesitated. "Even if I agree to help, they'll do room checks tomorrow morning."

"Just one night. I only need one night. By early tomorrow morning, Dell will be just as usual." Winnie assured firmly. "Just one night, that's already the absolute limit."

"Fine. I understand." After a pause, Milian agreed to Winnie's terms. "If anything goes wrong, I'll try my best to buy you time."

"When exactly will you take her?"

"Tonight, after they finish their room checks." Winnie replied clearly. "Since you've agreed, I need to make some preparations now."

"You stay here with Dell. If anything unexpected happens, inform the front desk nun."

"Alright, I understand." When it came to Shikondell, Milian had no choice but to cooperate with Winnie.

"However, even if I fail, I don't want Dell to remain here any longer."

"This is the Church of Radiance at Carillian Academy. Shouldn't this be the most suitable place for you humans?" Milian asked, confused.

"Then I can only say, you elves haven't understood humans, or the Church of Radiance, in a very long time." Winnie gave Milian a sidelong glance. "Staying here isn't safe, although most of the nuns and priests at the lower levels are fundamentally good-hearted."

"Enough. I won't explain further, it's difficult to make you understand. Just cooperate with me when the time comes." With that, Winnie took one last look at the pale-faced Shikondell lying on the bed, her lips slightly parted and her expression pained, then stood and left.

Only after hearing the door closed did Milian turn her gaze back to the moon elf girl on the sickbed, murmuring something under her breath.

After leaving the church, Winnie headed straight for the maid cafe.

Upon arrival, Winnie saw a sign hanging on the closed door, a lazy black cat cradling a card that read, 'Closed today, meow.'

Unfazed, Winnie stepped forward and knocked.

"Coming, coming! Sorry, esteemed guest, due to recent events at the academy, we're temporarily closed, meow." A cute cat tail poked out first, then Mioka opened the door, addressing Winnie.

"Mioka, I need to see your manager. It's urgent," Winnie said.

"Eh? You want to see our manager?" Mioka looked Winnie up and down. "Esteemed guest, are you an acquaintance of ours?"

"Yes. Acquaintance. A long-time one."

"But Mioka doesn't recall seeing you around before." Mioka tilted her head.

"Mioka, this is urgent. Is your manager available? Just tell her Winnie needs to see her," Winnie said.

"Win... nie?" Mioka instinctively felt the name sounded familiar, then remembered. "Y-you're that Winnie from the Varelis family?"

"Exactly."

"Oh, okay! Mioka will go inform the manager right away, meow!" Mioka nodded obediently, then closed the door.

A short while later, Mioka returned and opened the door for Winnie.

"Esteemed guest, our apologies for the delay, meow! Miss Luna requests your presence upstairs, meow!" Mioka stood straight and bowed to Winnie.

"Thank you. Sorry to trouble you." Winnie followed Mioka to the second floor of the maid cafe.

Besides VIP suites, the second floor also houses employee lounges.

Under Mioka's guidance, Winnie arrived at a delicately decorated staff lounge. The walls were pink, painted with white paw prints.

"Miss Luna, Mr. Winnie has arrived, meow." Mioka opened the door and ushered Winnie in.

"Thank you, Mioka." Winnie saw Luna sitting inside, holding a teacup.

"Should Mioka stay, meow?" Mioka revised at Luna.

"That depends on Mr. Winnie's preference, doesn't it?" Luna gave Winnie a meaningful look.

"Meow??" Mioka froze, instantly understanding the priority, and her gaze toward Winnie shifted slightly.

"Winnie, would you like Mioka to stay?" Luna asked.

"The guest follows the host. What do you think, Miss Luna?" Winnie countered.

"Oh my, that's entirely up to you. But to prevent misunderstandings, let me clarify, Mioka isn't an outsider. She's my confidante, completely trusted." Luna said.

"Then, since Miss Luna says so, Mioka can stay." Winnie nodded.

"Meow." Hearing this, Mioka looked at Luna. Upon receiving her approval, she glanced at Winnie and obediently stood to the side, silently watching the two.

"Seems you've adjusted quite well these past few days," Luna observed Winnie with a smile.

Beside her, Mioka opened her mouth but said nothing, realizing from Luna's formal address that this guest was someone special.

Winnie knew Luna was someone who understood boundaries. Since she openly declared Mioka her confidante, it meant there were no issues.

"Yes, I'm doing okay. Miss Luna, you seem perfectly fine yourself."

"Of course. As your current 'Chief Minister,' everyone else might falter, but not me~" Luna joked lightly.

This wasn't a public setting, so their conversation didn't need restraint.

"By the way, has that roommate you were worried about returned?"

"That's exactly why I came to see you, Miss Luna," Winnie replied.

"Oh?"

"Miss Luna, my moon elf roommate has returned, but he's having some issues. He's currently receiving treatment at the church, but it's barely effective. They're not skilled in healing the mind," Winnie explained.

"So you have your own plan?"

"Yes. They say he needs gradual recuperation, but in reality, they lack effective mental healing methods and understanding. Right now, only I can save him."

"I see." At this point, Luna naturally understood what Winnie intended. "What do you need me to do?"

"Miss Luna, do you have a treatment room?" Winnie asked. "I need a dedicated enchanted healing table, and someone to continuously channel energy into it."

The enchanted healing table was a church medical device designed to prevent a patient's condition from worsening, invented by the Church of Radiance's saintess, Agnes Varelis.

If Winnie remembers correctly, Saintess Agnes was the grandmother of his great-grandmother, Sophia.

Even to this day, the device's exorbitant cost remains unresolved.

While Carillian Academy's church had several units, Winnie certainly couldn't use them there.

"An enchanted healing table? Well, we do have one," Luna nodded.

"You do? Where is it? Can I use it?" Winnie hadn't expected Luna to actually possess such a device. These were extremely difficult to obtain, aside from licensing issues, the cost of a single unit was an astronomical sum.

"Yes, it's an advanced enchanted healing table, located in our shop's basement. When do you plan to begin?" Luna continued.

"Tonight," Winnie frowned. "Tonight, I must heal him."

"Very well. Later, I'll call Amisa and Fanya over. With me, that makes three, we can continuously provide healing energy to the table," Luna said.

"Thank you, Miss Luna. See you tonight then." Winnie stood, expressing his gratitude for Luna's timely assistance.

"You're so formal, even though our relationship is already so clear~" Hearing this, Luna gave Winnie a flirtatious glance.

Winnie Stunned, momentarily wondering if Luna had deliberately made her words so ambiguous. Even Mioka, who seemed completely oblivious to such nuances, appeared slightly confused.

"Um, well, please inform Fanya and Amisa later. I'll take my leave now." Finishing his tea, Winnie departed.

He still needed to drink tea, tonight might be an all-nighter.

After leaving the maid cafe, Winnie didn't head straight back to the church. He needed another person's help, so he went to the dormitory area and arrived at a villa. Hesitating briefly, he knocked on the door.

"Who is it?" A lazy voice came from inside.

"Me."

"Oh my~ Winnie, long time no see?" Hearing it was Winnie, the door opened shortly after, with Aesphyra leaning against the doorway, a gentle smile on her lips.

"We saw each other yesterday, didn't we?" Winnie pouted. "Anyway, can you lend me a potion?"

"Hmm? What kind of potion?"

"A high-grade invisibility potion." Winnie hesitated, such potions were top-tier in both cost and difficulty to produce. Even highly skilled alchemists couldn't guarantee success, and the brewing time was unpredictable.

"Oh my? Haven't seen you for a day, and Winnie's already making such a bold request." Aesphyra teased.

"Sorry to bother you." Winnie turned to leave.

He already owed Aesphyra a lot. Unless absolutely necessary, he didn't want to keep troubling her.

Otherwise, the more he relies on her, the harder it will be to maintain an equal relationship.

"Wait, Winnie. If you can't get it from me, where else would you go?" Aesphyra called out.

"I'll ask Mirexia," Winnie replied. "Though I'm not sure if she has it."

With that, Winnie stepped forward, but a hand gently pressed on his shoulder from behind.

At the same time, his Virtue value changed.

'Virtue + 80.'

Current Virtue: 8484.

"I said, wait," Aesphyra smiled, enunciating each word slowly.

"Uh?" Winnie wasn't sure if it was his imagination, but he felt Aesphyra's expression had acquired a slightly forced smile after he mentioned 'going to see Mirexia.'

It was distinctly different from her usual cheerful expression, perhaps she hadn't tried to hide it.

Then, Aesphyra elegantly swept a strand of hair from her ear and stepped back into her home. Soon, steps approached from within, and when she returned to the courtyard gate, she held a steaming-hot potion in her hand.

"Here, take it." Aesphyra handed the potion to Winnie.

"Thanks, but why is it hot?"

"Just finished brewing it." Aesphyra exclaimed. "Winnie, you really have perfect timing."

"..... Thank you. I owe you again, but this matter is truly urgent." Winnie, although unaware of the Virtue change, still expressed his gratitude.

"Winnie." Aesphyra stepped closer.

"What? Is something wrong?" Winnie, confused, could only catch the faint scent of cold rose perfume nearby.

Then, he felt his nose lightly tapped.

"Winnie, you're unusually 'polite' today." As Winnie was momentarily dazed by the fragrance of roses, Aesphyra had already returned to the courtyard and closed the door.

"So polite, it almost makes me uncomfortable."