Chapter 18: Direct

Madame Pualis... Lu Mian was startled, having the illusion that someone had come to his house to silence him.

Thinking that his sister was upstairs and possessed supernatural abilities, he calmed down quite a bit.

Exhaling slowly, Lu Mian walked over and pulled open the door.

Standing outside the door were two women. The one in front was wearing a pure black and exquisite corset long dress, with a shawl of the same color draped over her shoulders, thin gauze gloves on her hands, and a small lady's round hat that looked slightly playful because it was tilted.

She was dressed all in black, with only a diamond necklace inlaid with gold hanging on her chest.

This lady's eyebrows were slightly sparse, her bright brown eyes contained a smile, and her long brown hair was coiled into a high bun. Her features weren't outstanding when looked at separately, but combined, they had a clean and bewitching beauty. Plus, her temperament was elegant and her standing posture graceful, making the patch of night at Lu Mian's door, dyed with a hint of crimson, seem fresher because of her, and vaguely emitting a faint fragrance.

This was Madame Pualis, the wife of Beost, the administrator and territorial judge of Cordu Village.

Of course, in Lu Mian's heart, he also had to add modifiers like "the parish priest's mistress," "suspected witch," "help letter suspect," "that white, fleshy body in the church," etc., but none of these were suitable to be said out loud, otherwise, it would inevitably make Madame Pualis change her face on the spot.

By then, making people angry would be successful, but disaster might also follow.

"Madame Pualis, is there something?" Lu Mian deliberately looked at the sky outside, hinting that visiting at this time didn't seem very good.

Madame Pualis's red lips were moist, and she outlined lightly:

"I came to find your sister Aurora to discuss some things."

Judging only by her appearance, she didn't look like a lady over thirty with two children at all, at most twenty-seven or twenty-eight.

Lu Mian weighed it for a moment and gave way.

He said to Madame Pualis, who walked into the door:

"Aurora is upstairs, writing a manuscript for a certain newspaper's column."

Pualis nodded and said to the maid beside her:

"Cassie, wait for me downstairs."

"Yes, Madame." Cassie, wearing a black and white maid outfit, moved a few steps toward the warm stove.

Lu Mian led Madame Pualis, passed through the kitchen, and entered the stairs.

Just as they reached the corner, Madame Pualis stopped.

"What's wrong?" Lu Mian turned his body, pretending to be bewildered.

Madame Pualis asked with a smile:

"Did you deliberately take those three outsiders to the church?"

Coming to question me... Lu Mian not only didn't panic but calmed down even more.

The experience of making people angry many times before told him that in such situations, one must never answer the other party's question directly, nor should one defend oneself. The best choice is to accuse—accuse the other party of making a mistake!

Of course, this still depends on the situation, and turning and running is a backup plan.

Lu Mian quickly showed an angry expression, looked at Madame Pualis, and said:

"You actually had an affair in God's church!"

He then spread his arms and made the "Praise the Sun" gesture:

"My God, my Father, please forgive the blasphemy of this sinful couple."

Madame Pualis finished watching quietly, her lips curving into an exceptionally beautiful arc:

"I think God will forgive us.

"I once read a book that said: a lady sharing a bed with her true lover can wash away all sins, because love makes pleasure pure, just like coming from the purest heart.

"Being with Guillaume Béné makes me very happy and joyful, so the 'Eternal Blazing Sun' shouldn't be angry about this either. This is not a sin."

What kind of books are you reading, Madame... Lu Mian couldn't help but mutter in his heart.

Madame Pualis then added:

"However, this is indeed disrespectful to Saint Siss."

Every region in Intis has one or several patron saints or saints. They either come from the classics of the "Eternal Blazing Sun" Church or the "God of Steam and Machinery" Church, or they belong to those who have made special contributions in Intis history, are widely known, and recognized by the two major churches.

And in the Dalie region, the patron saint of the "Eternal Blazing Sun" Church is Saint Siss. In other words, every "Eternal Blazing Sun" church here can actually be called Saint Siss Church. However, for the sake of distinction, only the largest and most core one is called that, while others use other names as a certain substitute.

Therefore, Madame Pualis and the parish priest having an affair in the church was equivalent to Saint Siss's housekeeper secretly bringing people back, occupying the master's bedroom, and doing immoral things, which was a great disrespect to this patron saint.

"Yes." Lu Mian nodded heavily, "Isn't the parish priest ashamed?"

Madame Pualis burst into laughter.

After laughing, she said to Lu Mian:

"At the time, I also advised him. I said: 'Oh my, how can we do this kind of thing in Saint Siss's church?'

"Guess what the parish priest said?

"He said: 'Oh, Saint Siss will just have to be wronged for a bit'."

Lu Mian, who had no experience in similar aspects, didn't know how to respond to these words for a moment.

"He is blaspheming the saint!" Finally, he squeezed out this sentence.

Madame Pualis showed a reminiscent expression:

"He is just that kind of person—bold, direct, as if he were a robber, crashing through the door of your heart while cursing, completely different from those gentlemen in Dalie.

"Perhaps it was exactly because of this that I went to bed with him."

"That's just the normal performance of some men when they are in heat. Don't say Saint Siss; even if God were there, he would let Him wait for a while." Lu Mian, although having no experience, had read Aurora's novels, and not just one, "This belongs to the brain being controlled by the lower body—no, at that time, his brain was already empty, filled with other liquids."

Madame Pualis smiled very lightly:

"I know that's the reason, but in that situation, he did appear very charming.

"Heh, you really are an inexperienced teenager, not knowing that the same words can make people feel differently in different environments and atmospheres.

"I remember the first time I had a relationship with the parish priest, he stood there, looked into my eyes, and said directly to me, 'Pualis, I want to understand your body and soul further.' If it were any other time, I would only think this is a rude, vulgar lecher and would have to hurry to call someone to stop him, but at that time, my body softened. This was because the atmosphere was just right."

As she spoke, Madame Pualis's smile became bewitching:

"It's like, if I took a fancy to a man, I would say to him: 'Come to my house tonight, okay?'

"If he really came, I would take him directly into the bedroom and then tell him: 'I want to sleep with you, I love you.'

"Lu Mian, in such a situation, as a man, how would you answer?"

Lu Mian usually told dirty jokes with the men in the village. Although he was a bit uncomfortable, he could still hold on. He tried hard to recall the stories his sister wrote and novels written by other contemporary authors, weighed it, and said:

"I would say, 'Madame, you are my sun'."

"Very talented..." Madame Pualis praised.

While speaking, she leaned forward, her eyes becoming moist.

A warm breath immediately rushed to Lu Mian's ear, and a soft, female voice with a hint of magnetism sounded low:

"I want to sleep with you..."

At this moment, Lu Mian couldn't help but tremble in his heart, his body feeling numb, just like touching a broken electric lamp.

He stepped up the stairs violently and said to Madame Pualis:

"Aurora should be waiting for you."

"Mm." Madame Pualis straightened her body again, a faint smile on her face, her gaze receding like calm water.

It was as if nothing had happened just now.

This woman... Lu Mian suddenly felt a bit of fear.

He hurriedly turned his body and reached the second floor in a few steps, with Madame Pualis following closely behind, maintaining a normal gait.

Aurora, who heard the doorbell, was already waiting outside the bedroom.

"So slow?" She looked toward Lu Mian.

Lu Mian explained implicitly:

"Chatted about the church."

Aurora understood as soon as she heard it and gave her brother a look of "pray for good luck to the 'Eternal Blazing Sun'."

She turned to Madame Pualis, who had just arrived on the second floor, and asked with a smile:

"Is there something?"

"Chat about some preparations for Lent. A certain celebration might need your help." Madame Pualis said with a smile.

"I'm very busy during this time..." Aurora looked for an excuse to decline.

Madame Pualis pointed to the door of the study:

"How about listening first?"

"Alright." Aurora still had this bit of politeness.

Watching his sister and Madame Pualis enter the study and close the wooden door, Lu Mian nodded imperceptibly:

"Performance is still normal, no guilty conscience of returning to the 'crime scene'..."

At this time, a thought flashed through his mind:

"Madame Pualis has a not-so-small probability of being a female witch. Can I obtain supernatural power from her?

"This is much more convenient and safer than pursuing the wizard truth, facing that owl, and exploring that dangerous dream ruin...

"Moreover, that dream ruin must be explored, striving to solve the secret as soon as possible and eliminate hidden dangers. It's less risky to go after possessing supernatural power."

Thinking of this, Lu Mian suddenly felt vigilant and shook his head.

He then did a self-reflection in his heart:

"How could I think like this?

"Whether Madame Pualis is a friend or an enemy is not yet clear. How can I recklessly seek supernatural power through her?

"Hmm, she didn't look like a good person just now, even making me feel dangerous...

"What's wrong with me during this time? I've been too eager and reckless in pursuing supernatural power, as if I would die if I didn't get it soon..."

Lu Mian had discovered that his sister was a witch for nearly two years. Although he had been trying to obtain supernatural power before, he had never made so many efforts like the past few days. Regardless of whether the opportunity was good or bad, or whether there was danger, as long as there was hope, he couldn't wait to contact it, just like being hungry for a long time and not picky at all.

"Phew... Fortunately, I noticed the problem in time; otherwise, the road ahead might go more and more crooked and dangerous." Lu Mian exhaled a long breath, rejoicing that he had regained his normal state of mind.

Of course, the pursuit of supernatural power couldn't stop, but it had to be selective. After all, that dangerous dream had already truly revealed its face, and the undercurrents in the village were becoming more and more turbulent.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 19 =====