There's No Love In the Deathzone (BL)
Chapter 257 - 250. Primrose Path

Chapter 257: Chapter 250. Primrose Path

The Saint and Saintess of the five Temples, as the peak of the guide’s existence, had unmatched beauty that naturally came from the trait of their ability; purification.

The Saintess of Mago Temple was not an exception. Born from the family of guides, she had been living in the Temple ever since her awakening at the age of twelve. It was said that the moment she got measured, blinding light was coming out of the measuring plaque, and some even mentioned how flowers bloomed in the garden simultaneously.

Without any doubt or opposition, she was put under the wings of the previous Saint as his successor. From the youngest of many siblings in her family, she became the most special person overnight.

She was the princess of the Temple, and people showered him with reverence and adoration. When she finally sat on her throne, those feelings turned into worship. Of her guiding, of her beauty.

Such was the Goddess’s chosen one.

People felt honored to meet her, fawning over her, they did anything for her. Rankers, conglomerates, celebrities, even politicians--high-profile people longes to meet the Saintess.

But not Bassena Vaski.

It was interesting at first, how he almost looked disappointed. Did he try to act indifferently so she would pay more attention? Well, it certainly working.

Time passed, and the trace of dissatisfaction could still be seen in the esper’s eyes. But he almost never used any other guides but the Saintess, except for emergencies. Wouldn’t that mean he actually liked her guiding? It’s almost frustrating how the man kept acting like he wasn’t satisfied with her guiding when he kept coming back every time.

Let’s see how long the Serpent Lord could keep that act.

But the Saintess had no way to see it, for the esper kept decreasing his visits. But she also heard he only went to high-rank dungeons now, and there wasn’t much of that. So he probably just didn’t need to be guided.

And then, after a year, he stopped coming at all. For almost three months, while the other five stars from his guild still coming to the Temple, Bassena Vaski stayed away. And after that, even the other five-star espers stopped coming.

It didn’t need any genius to guess what happened though. Trinity stopped using the Temple service at the same time as the appearance of a new A-class guide. A mysterious guide who only got measures when he was twenty-seven, with no prior record of education in any Temple or Academy.

The Temple didn’t really care; even without those five espers from Trinity, they did not lack clients. It just meant they could finally shove in those on perpetual waiting lists. Soon, people forgot about this.

But not the Saintess.

She did not care about the other four, they weren’t her clients after all. But Bassena Vaski--Bassena Vaski was supposed to be hers.

And as if it wasn’t enough that Bassena stopped going to the Temple, rumors even said that he was infatuated with the mysterious guide; that the Serpent Lord became all soft and full of smiles around this guide.

She scoffed at the rumors at first, but she couldn’t do that anymore when images of those two circulated around. The soft gaze and wide smiles on the handsome face were palpable even through the most blurry images. It stirred something in her; she wanted that smile and gaze to be hers.

For now, those amber eyes still looked at her with the usual courtesy, and the smile, while very charming and a feast for her eyes, wasn’t quite the one she witnessed in those images.

But well, it’s a start.

"I told you to call me Vallaria," she smiled amiably, letting her beauty shine among the blossoming flowers.

She wore her beautiful lilac day dress, taking advantage of the fact that it wasn’t a formal meeting or cleansing to forgo her Saintess outfit. Her lustrous brown hair cascades softly to her ample, yet elegant figure, catching the soft beams of the garden lights. With sparkling hazel eyes and full, coral lips, she was the most beautiful flower in the garden.

The Serpent Lord, however, rejected with a charming smile. "That would be impudent on my part."

"What a difficult man," the Saintess chuckled, looking at the esper with a twinkle in her eyes. The man was younger than her, but his prowess and position were more than enough to compensate for that. But probably because of that young age, he insisted on being formal, even after three years.

Fine, if he wanted to dance, then so be it.

"You do realize that you don’t have an appointment with me?" she flicked her gaze, saying the words with a slightly stern tone. Just enough to let the esper know the concession she made to accommodate her.

Of course, her previous appointment had finished before lunch, not long after Bassena came to ask for an audience.

But he didn’t need to know about that.

"Yes," Bassena answered briefly.

"You do know that you can’t just expect me to spare my time just because you are a Ranker, don’t you?" gracefully, she lifted the teapot and poured the content into the cups in front of her.

"Of course," the esper nodded, and then bowed his head politely. "I appreciate your generosity."

"Do you really?" she tilted her head slightly, and slid one of the cups across.

Bassena touched the cup and glided his finger around the rim, the amber eyes watching the billowing steam. "I understand it’s rude of me to come without an appointment," he looked at the Saintess, and upon the keen gaze from the pair of hazel, he lifted the cup to take a sip. He paused for a bit, staring at the tea, before shifting his gaze back at her and continued with a smile. "But I really want to talk to you today."

It was not the same smile Bassena gave to that guide, but she still found her cheeks warmed. "Talk to me," she glanced at those piercing amber eyes, brilliant in the dimming light. "What would a busy man like you want to talk to me?"

"Ah, I dare not claim I’m busier than you, Saintess," the esper chuckled, and her brows furrowed slightly. She couldn’t help feeling displeased about how Bassena still refused to call her by name. Ignoring her change in expression, the esper continued. "Do you perhaps...know about the rumor surrounding my guide?"

The corner of her eyes twitched. "Your guide?"

"Ah, pardon me--our guild’s guide," Bassena corrected immediately.

The Saintess, however, was already feeling upset for the personal, intimate way the esper called that mysterious guide. Still, she tried to keep her graceful appearance.

"I’m not sure," she took her cup and brought it close to her lips. "I’m not too attuned to the outside world."

"...I see,"

Bassena didn’t say much anymore, and just stroked the rim of his cup while the Saintess took a careful sip of her tea. His lack of reaction, in turn, made her restless. After all, there was still no clear reason as to why the esper came here.

"Might the guide be in some trouble?" she asked in a nonchalant tone.

"Yes, you could say so," the esper nodded, the corner of his mouth slightly downturned.

"And?" seeing the esper who felt upset about another guide’s condition made the Saintess feel annoyed. Her voice turned slightly colder and dryer. "What are you trying to say now, Sir Vaski?"

Instead of answering, Bassena gazed deeply into the Saintess’s eyes, as if he was trying to see something there. It made her feel a lot of things at once; fluster, nervousness, irritation--everything that made her heartbeat increase.

"Do you need some help?" she took a deep breath to calm herself and tilted her head. "My help?"

"I would appreciate it if you would," the esper smiled, sweet and just a tad bit sad, looking momentarily vulnerable.

The Saintess felt her mood was lifted by that display, and she responded with a smile. "Of course, I’ll be glad to help you," the hazel eyes curled slightly, lips blooming into a sweet smile as he called the esper’s name, "Bassena,"

The handsome visage froze for a bit, looking stunned. Oh, she liked that reaction. And when the esper frowned slightly after that, the Saintess chalked it up to him getting surprised at how much being called by name affected him--just like any other espers she’d been playing with.

"But I’m not sure what kind of help I can offer you," the Saintess leaned forward, placing her hands prettily on the table and looking at the esper with warm eyes. "I’m not sure about accommodating the other espers, but if it’s just you, I can clear up my schedule a little--"

"Excuse me, Saintess," Bassena cut her words, dropping his voice deep. The frown was still on his brows. "I appreciate your offer, but I’m not here to seek for guiding. Fortunately, my guide is still well and able."

This time, it was the Saintess who frowned. "You’re still going to use that guide?"

"I’m still going to ask for my guide’s assistance, yes," Bassena replied dryly.

That intimate possession again. The Saintess could no longer hide her displeasure. The beautiful face turned cold and indignant as his heart boiled her fury.

"How disappointing," she leaned back and sighed.

"Pardon?"

"How could someone as great as you get blinded by someone so filthy," she lamented and shook her head.

The pair of amber glint sharply. "Excuse me?"

"As the youngest Saint-class esper, shouldn’t you enjoy the best of the best in your life?

Staying in the best guild, receiving the best pay..." she held herself from clicking her tongue--because that wasn’t very graceful--and looked at the esper with pitiful eyes before continuing. "And cleansed by the best guide."

Bassena was no longer frowning at this point. The handsome face looked calm, but the blazing amber had reached a low temperature, cold and filled with quiet rage.

Not that it hindered the Saintess to keep going.

"Why do you keep making concessions with your surroundings?"

Calmly, Bassena replied. "Fortunately, I have already received all of that; the best guild, and..." he tilted his head, one corner of his lips curled up. "The best guide."

"Oh, please," the Saintess scoffed at such ridiculous claim. "Are you saying someone who came from such a dirty place has better guiding than me?"

But the esper replied without hesitation.

"Yes," the low and husky voice shifted, getting warmer than before. "He is, in fact, better than you," the amber eyes stared down at the Saintess, as if making an assessment. "In all aspects too, I must say."

"Bassena Vaski!"

The Saintess could no longer play with being calm, throwing her graceful appearance with the slam of her palm. "You said you came here to seek my help, but now you’re blatantly slandering me?!"

"Slander..." Bassena smiled deeply. "Don’t misunderstand, Saintess--I’m not slandering anyone, I’m merely stating a fact."

"What fact! How could--"

"How could you know, where the guide I’m talking about came from?" Bassena raised his brow, cutting her words short. "You said you don’t know anything about it--ah, pardon me; you said you’re not too attuned to the outside world."

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