"Miss Cantarella... you did that on purpose, didn't you?"
Ray ended the call with Carlotta, his heart still racing with fear, then looked helplessly at Cantarella seated opposite him.
The noble head of the family was holding a silk handkerchief, gently dabbing at her chest where tea had accidentally spilled moments before.
"I didn't do it on purpose." Cantarella's voice was soft. The corner of her mouth lifted slightly, revealing a light smile. "I was just startled by that sudden voice and momentarily lost my composure."
Ray didn't understand what she meant. "Sudden voice?"
"It's nothing." Cantarella set the handkerchief aside. "It's just a whisper that every Fisalia head of the family hears daily, tempting your self, your will, until you're willing to sacrifice everything to it."
Ray looked confused. Her way of speaking reminded him of Phrolova, ethereal and vague. Though he understood every word individually, together they made no sense.
"Little guest, don't be puzzled. You'll soon know the answer."
Cantarella gently closed her eyes. Her pink tongue lightly, almost imperceptibly, traced her lips, as if savoring something.
The purple teardrop-shaped ornament beneath her left eye seemed even more bewitching in the dim light.
"Before we formally discuss business, may I ask after absorbing the Dark Tide, has your body truly experienced no discomfort?"
Ray nodded. "No."
Though it was Anby who had devoured the Dark Tide, since they were symbiotic, he could naturally sense its state at least for now, the Dark Tide hadn't affected him.
"Does such a person truly exist in this world?"
A smile curled at the corner of Cantarella's lips. Her violet eyes shimmered with a dangerous and enchanting gleam.
"The Dark Tide is the blade of the Leviathan. Any living thing touched by it would immediately be corrupted by that chaotic tide."
"Yet you... can devour it?"
She elegantly crossed her legs, leaned forward slightly, propped her chin on her hand, and regarded him with keen interest.
"I'm curious... just what kind of person are you, really?"
Ray spread his hands. "As you can see, an ordinary person, the genuine article."
"Ordinary people can't devour the Dark Tide." Cantarella rose slowly. "Then let's go somewhere else to discuss the next part of our business."
...
...
The vast Porto-Veno was incredibly quiet.
You couldn't even hear a single sound.
It was so quiet, almost unsettling.
Cantarella led him through the corridors to a secluded garden.
Here, strangely shaped and vividly colored plants abounded, varieties Ray had never seen before.
He bent down slightly to examine a bright red plant in front of him. Its shape resembled an apple, but its dangerous color and texture silently warned: this thing is inedible.
"Be careful." Cantarella's voice was soft but carried a warning. "Every plant in this garden contains potent poison. They are all the most toxic creations, meticulously cultivated by generations of Fisalia heads of the family."
Ray's outstretched hand froze mid-air.
He stared at the fruit, vibrant as blood, silent for a long moment before finally withdrawing his hand.
"However, with the right dosage, even the deadliest poisons can also be used to heal."
Ray looked at her. "So, Miss Cantarella, can you tell me now? What do you need my help with?"
"Don't rush." She walked gracefully toward a pavilion in the garden and sat down elegantly. "Let's sit here and talk slowly."
Ray didn't refuse and sat down opposite her.
In the center of the stone table was a plate of plump, glistening cherries.
Cantarella lifted a slender finger, picked up a cherry, slightly extended her pink tongue, and slowly brought the fruit to her mouth, savoring it carefully.
'Her tongue is so dexterous...
If only the Second Young Miss were that flexible.
Tch, what am I even thinking?
Is this really the time for that?'
Whether Cantarella was deliberately teasing, or had noticed his wandering thoughts, she deliberately traced her tongue across her lips, leaving behind a trail of highly seductive moisture.
"Little guest, have you ever heard... the story of the Saintess?"
The Saintess?
Was she talking about Cartethyia?
"Of course." Ray nodded.
"Good, that saves me having to repeat it all." Cantarella smiled faintly. "But what if I told you that the Order of the Deep's 'Saintess' isn't actually the real 'Saintess'?"
Ray was taken aback. "What do you mean?"
Was this something you could just say?
Wasn't she afraid of the Order of the Deep?
"The Fisalia family has been the most ancient follower of the Sentinel, Imperator, since the founding of Rinascita."
"Not just Ragunna, the whole of Rinascita was meant to walk toward a future of light and hope under the Sentinel's guidance."
"However, this entire great undertaking was stolen by Leviathan through intrigue and deceit."
"It wields the power of assimilation and fusion. It is a spiritual plague spread through twisted beliefs and traditions, an entity that eventually devours civilization."
"It usurped everything from the Sentinel, usurping to become the 'Sentinel' itself. Today, it is no longer a tacet discord, and the Sentinel is no longer the true Sentinel."
"For centuries, the people of Ragunna have lived under false beliefs, unknowingly offering their power to fuel its resurrection."
Cantarella's tone was calm, but her clenched knuckles betrayed her profound hatred for Leviathan.
Ray listened, utterly bewildered.
Though he had long harbored many doubts about the Order of the Deep and the so-called Sentinel.
But the question was...
Was this truth really something he was supposed to hear?
"You mean the real Sentinel is dead? And what Ragunna worships now isn't the Sentinel, but the Tacet discord?"
"Yes and no." Cantarella shook her head slightly. "Now, Leviathan has fused with the Sentinel. Although people still believe they worship Imperator, their faith is actually anchoring Leviathan's descent into reality."
Ray thought for a moment, then suddenly understood. "Are you saying that the Order of the Deep's Saintess wasn't chosen by the Sentinel, but that the tacet discord selected its own Resonator? Then where is the real Saintess?"
"The real Saintess?" Cantarella tilted her head slightly, hair falling over her shoulder. "The real Saintess is right in front of you. But the 'real Saintess' died long ago."
"I don't understand. Can you... not be so cryptic?"
Cantarella covered her mouth with a light laugh.
She rose and walked to the edge of a pool. "In that case, little guest, how about... accompanying me inside for a look?"
Ray came to the pool's edge, gazing at the deep, dark water. "Inside? Inside where?"
Cantarella slowly circled around to his side, her slender fingers lightly tracing his shoulder.
"The tides of the deep sea are quite turbulent, you know."
She chuckled softly, moving closer to him.
The scent of a mature woman, mixed with a faint perfume, lingered around Ray. The silk fabric of her dress rustled softly against him.
Cantarella extended her tongue, slowly licking her lower lip. The movement was highly suggestive.
"At this point, even if you wanted to back out now, I wouldn't allow it." She leaned close to his ear, her warm breath brushing against it. "Relax. Once we enter the deep sea, I'll hold onto you tightly. Let me see just how many secrets are hidden within this body of yours."
"I'll savor your 'flavor' on Carlotta's behalf...."
As her words faded, the calm surface of the water suddenly erupted into towering waves, completely swallowing them both.