A saintess? She's just a bad woman.

Page 66

Some things can only be done by specific people, and Saint Karina is happy to be that specific person. A public relations officer who doesn't even dare to dance is definitely not a qualified public relations officer.

"Your Excellency... no, Miss Gin, I look forward to your performance tonight. I hope you won't be too ashamed to perform."

The store manager then opened another booklet on the table—the "Customer Code of Conduct"—turned to a page, and pointed to the middle section.

"Unfortunately, neither the customers nor the store manager can ask the female hostess to expose her body in public. Dancing is fine, but the clothes... can only fall down when it's just the two of us alone."

The rules were a bit disappointing, but there was no turning back now, and the shop manager didn't plan to change the requirements.

This approach suited Santa Karina's wishes perfectly; however, she needed professional advice regarding the costumes for tonight's dance.

"Excuse me, store manager."

"what's up?"

Thinking that Saint Karina was going to practice her preparations ahead of time, the shopkeeper narrowed her light green eyes and looked at Saint Karina with some doubt.

"Miss Manager, you want me to perform a really hot dance for everyone on stage. Do you have any suggestions?"

"The clothes don't need to be too much fabric, but they also can't be too little. You have to remember that you are a public relations professional, not a physical therapist."

"I know."

"Try gold tonight. The combination of white and gold creates a very strong and striking visual effect. Many believers and priests praise your white hair, saying it's like white silk and a waterfall."

With just a mask and some changes to her facial features, Santa Karina was ready to go on stage.

As for changing hair color, magical camouflage or optical camouflage often have flaws in the details, which are difficult even for magic masters to avoid. Saint Karina does not intend to add anything superfluous, as that would easily give her away and cause many people to make unfounded speculations.

"Thank you, Miss Manager. May the gods bless you."

Santa Karina left like a gust of wind, closing the office door behind her.

There's only one reason I asked the store manager—she suffers from decision-making difficulties and doesn't know how to choose and coordinate clothes. Having someone authoritative to help her think saves her the trouble of racking her brains to figure out what others like and guessing their thoughts. It's much better to just ask directly, avoiding the hassle of back-and-forth guessing.

Over the next few hours, she would need to spend an hour eating dinner and then rehearsing her dance for the evening in the dance studio.

Fortunately, this body is flexible enough to perform some seemingly dangerous moves, such as backbends, leaps, and even splits.

The skills required for a female public relations professional are not limited to being eloquent; they are even more versatile than idols and stage girls. They need to be able to sing, dance, rap, and play basketball, as well as cook and mix drinks. Dancing is just the most basic requirement.

After learning these skills, all you need is a skin thicker than an iron wall. So what if she's a saintess? There's no provision in the Lorian Empire's legal code that forbids saintesses from working as public relations officers or dancing on stage.

The club's female staff had posted a notice about the dance performance that evening on the bulletin board outside, so that passersby could see it.

When there are dance performances open to the public, the club provides free boiled water and lemon water, which sometimes attracts passersby who have no money but want to watch the excitement.

However, while some people might stop and linger, those who actually enter the store are definitely not customers looking for a free lemonade.

After midnight, the night, which should have been quiet, became even more lively. The sound of carriage wheels rolling incessantly filled the air, and the docks were crowded with boats. Dazzling neon lights illuminated this decadent district in a kaleidoscope of colors. Although the light was not as dazzling as the magnificent palace in the distance, it was still an undeniable presence.

As the start time approached, Saint Karina arrived five minutes early at the clubhouse backstage. Her pocket watch was perfectly accurate, the annoying noise had disappeared, and every part inside was working flawlessly, continuing to operate according to its predetermined path.

"I didn't expect that woman to actually have some skills."

The store manager's beautiful yet infuriating face flashed before my eyes.

Even though she had already dealt with Philomena, and not coming to the [Tavern] would only have a minor impact, Saint Karina couldn't explain why she had stepped into this neighborhood again. Something was drawing her in like a magnet. She couldn't shake it off, so she could only let things take their course.

The store manager walked into the club and sat down on the second-floor balcony with the best view.

The area in front of the stage was crowded with onlookers, all of whom were women, because the restaurant only serves female customers.

Santa Karina had never danced in public before; in a sense, this was her debut performance. The event was hosted tonight by another public relations representative named Hennessy, whose style was more lively and humorous.

"Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome tonight's protagonist, our club's most anticipated newcomer, the rising star of the [Tavern]—Miss Gin."

With a gasp, Saint Karina slowly descended from the lift platform above the clubhouse stage, and another guest in the crowd never looked away.

124. Night Raid

After the performance, Santa Karina planned to meet Philomena at her residence in the capital to chat and enjoy the moon, but this plan was interrupted.

The faint, chilling smell of blood lingered in the air, instantly calming Saint Karina's restless heart as she sensed the danger.

It seemed to be aimed at me; the unmistakable smell became stronger as soon as I turned into a relatively narrow alley.

As a public relations representative for Gin, she shouldn't have offended anyone and shouldn't have made enemies. Only Ms. Bacardi, who was hostile to her, wouldn't hire someone to kill her just because of relationship troubles.

So who is it? They followed her in from [Tavern] Road, hoping to find a secluded alley to attack her.

"Who is it? Stop following me, I've found you."

No matter who it is, Saint Karina wants to let them know that she is not someone to be trifled with.

She was determined to teach this guy who dared to follow her a lesson he would never forget.

Emerging from the shadows was a figure entirely black, its gender indiscernible. However, after it appeared, Saint Karina noticed that the stench of blood had intensified.

"How did you find me?"

"The smell of blood."

Saint Karina had no intention of hiding anything; she spoke frankly.

"It's been a month, and of all the prey I've been targeting, you're the first to discover my presence. But you shouldn't have said that; wouldn't it have been better to just run away? You could have asked someone for help, and then I wouldn't have continued following you..."

The voice of the man in black was also indistinguishable as either male or female.

"Do you think it would do any good if I reported you to the guards? I'm just an ordinary female public relations officer. Should I sell my body to female officers in the relevant departments? They might believe the whining of a weak woman like me."

If Saint Karina were just an ordinary public relations professional, her report to relevant departments that she might be being followed would certainly not be taken seriously.

The law enforcement and security situation in the Lorian Empire is far from satisfactory. Corrupt nobles have long since emptied the empire. The Minister of Finance and Taxation is not the only one; he was just the first to be targeted and eliminated by the young emperor.

"Heh... You're so interesting, I've decided not to kill you."

The man in black licked his lips and gave Saint Karina an aggressive look.

Being stared at like that isn't a pleasant feeling, like a little rabbit being stared at by a snake—it's too blatant.

"On the contrary, I suddenly felt very unhappy, so I decided to gouge out your disgusting eyes."

Saint Karina gave a cold smile, her face as cold as ice.

"I have absolutely no interest in the perverted act of following a lady in the dead of night; only you, a pervert, are enjoying it."

"Then give it a try."

The man in black stopped pretending and pulled out a black fire poker, striking a pose.

In fact, the fire stick is not a real stick, but a longsword shrouded in the dim light of the night, wrapped in black, ominous magic and light.

To Saint Karina, her stance was riddled with flaws, and even her seemingly formidable weapon was far from a match for Saint Karina's holy sword, Amber. If the two swords clashed, Saint Karina was over 90% confident that she could break her opponent's staff with Amber.

"Divine Sword Style, Flash Sword!"

The opponent's footwork was incredibly agile, almost like a teleportation, and he rushed to within two steps of Saint Karina.

The man in black used this move exceptionally well; even seasoned swordsmen who had been immersed in this art for many years would praise his skillful swordsmanship upon seeing it.

However, Saint Karina easily parried the flash sword attack. She smiled contemptuously, revealing a disdainful and mocking look, and forcefully pushed the opponent's stick back, even kicking him away.

"Miss Pervert, if that's all you've got, you can't possibly take this tough nut to crack..."

Saint Karina laughed.

From the touch on her abdomen, even through the sole of her shoe, she could tell that the person in black was actually a woman.

If it were a man, her kick would have created a bloody hole the size of a bowl, ending this pointless battle with no suspense and her as the victor.

However, if she were a girl, she would be willing to play a game of cat and mouse.

Who says the roles of hunter and prey won't be reversed?

"Goooo!"

The woman in black felt as if her intestines were being twisted, a painful sensation that threatened to crush her.

Her face turned deathly pale, her delicate features contorted in pain, and her small mouth turned pale and trembled.

It was like being directly hit by a dump truck, or being struck by the giant wooden bell-ringing post of a bronze bell in a temple. The violent impact made her smile bitterly, wondering what kind of monstrous force this was.

"Cough, cough, cough!"

The man in black had some internal organs ruptured, and blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.

She coughed up some fragments of internal organs.

"This person... cannot be confronted head-on," the man in black immediately concluded.

Suddenly, she pinched four pure silver needles with her left fingertips. These were not poisons meant to kill, but rather poisons used in surprise attacks to render the prey powerless, disarming it and exposing its vulnerability.

The poison needles were thin and long, and in the pitch-black darkness, with only a little moonlight and starlight, and mostly obscured by the stone brick walls on both sides of the alley, they were difficult to detect with the naked eye at night.

Once poisoned, in addition to losing their strength, the person targeted will also feel a burning sensation all over their body, like a small, inextinguishable flame rising from their lower abdomen, gradually igniting the entire body of the poisoned person, even burning away their reason within their sea of ​​consciousness.

Thinking of the women's moved expressions earlier, the man in black had to suppress his laughter to avoid revealing his intentions and being evaded by Saint Karina.

"Divine Sword Style, Overlord Sword!"

Like an enraged hunter who was unwilling to back down and wanted to fight head-on, the man in black deliberately showed extreme anger, his expression almost distorted, and charged forward.

This is a natural performance for her, after all, a great hunter will always be tempted by a rebellious target.

This is anger, and also a desire to conquer the target.

"Whoosh whoosh whoosh!"

The black sword, which resembled a fire poker, was broken, but the woman in black was not angry; instead, she was pleased because she had achieved her goal.

The poison needles have been successfully launched, each angle being both tricky and concealed.

It wasn't until the needle struck Saint Karina's skin and made a "whoosh" sound, not the "thud" of flesh, but a "clang" like metal clashing, that she sensed something was terribly wrong.

Things... don't seem to be developing in the direction she expected?

125. The Evil Spirit Ange

"Aren't you surprised, Miss Stalker?"

Saint Karina revealed a malicious smile, showing her true nature as a wicked woman to the man in black.

Killing her like this would be too boring.

"Let me see your face first."

As she spoke, without obtaining the man in black's consent, she directly removed his hood and tore off his disguise.

The rudimentary magic would only become an obstacle preventing Saint Karina from seeing the other person's true appearance.

Beneath the hood was a delicate, doll-like face. The person had rare black hair and black eyes, unlike the common faces in the Lorian Empire, where blonde hair and blue eyes were more prevalent. Most people in the empire had this hair and eye color.

Those eyes were cold and devoid of any emotion, filled only with destructive desire and malice towards people—pure evil eyes, in short, the eyes of a murderer.

Inside was a pitch-black vortex, seemingly intent on shredding anyone who sought her out.

"Oh my, she's quite cute, isn't she? I'm really looking forward to seeing a cute and capable girl discuss biology with me. After all, you're my defeated opponent, you even entrusted your life to me, you have no right to refuse, right?"

Whether she lives or dies is entirely up to Saint Karina.

The problem is, these eyes of a murderer must have left a murder case in the Lorian Empire.

If it's not too outrageous, Saint Karina intends to enjoy the moment and let the other person leave. However, before making a final decision, it's most important to listen to what the other person has to say.

"Hey, are you wanted in the Empire? Don't lie. The eyes are the windows to the soul, and I'm also an expert in lie detection magic. I think you're a smart man who knows how to save your life."

Saint Karina threatened.

"I……"

The man in black opened his mouth, seemingly hesitating about how to begin.

“Miss, if you’ve read the Imperial Daily, you must have seen this case: ‘A vicious series of murders occurred in the capital within a month, and the hearts of the victims were all removed. Is it a moral decline or the extinction of humanity?’ I am the wanted criminal in that case—nicknamed ‘Heart-Stealing Maniac.’”

The way things unfolded was beyond Santa Karina's expectations.

She thought the woman in black was just a perverted woman following a lone lady, but she never expected to uncover such a big fish.

Because this woman preyed not only on common women but also on noble ladies, her bounty was quite high; Saint Karina remembered it being a full 50 gold coins.

This is just the official reward. If it were the noble families of the injured ladies, they would be happy to pay the person who captures, subdues, and delivers the person to them an extra reward, far exceeding the bounty.

Fifty gold coins might not be much to a nobleman, but for an ordinary family of three, or even five, as long as they are frugal, they can live a worry-free life for more than ten years.