“JeJe, it feels like I haven’t seen your face in a while.”

It was late at night as the moon began to wane, while Princess Kesera was in the midst of passionate lovemaking with Narcissus. I was guarding the princess’s chambers, rubbing my eyes reddened with sleepiness, when suddenly a honey-sweet voice seeped into my ears.

The owner of that seductive, dreamy voice—so difficult to distinguish between dream and reality—had arrived right before me.

“High Priest, hello. What brings you here at this hour?”

It was High Priest Shahan, representative of the gods and guardian of the temple.

“I came to see Kesera, of course.”

Shahan wore a thin silk robe that fully revealed his sensual body. His long silver hair, reaching down to his waist over the transparent silk, shimmered with mysterious light like the Milky Way in the night sky. His lead-cold silver eyes perfectly reflected his cool, knife-sharp temperament.

“You cannot see the princess tonight, High Priest.”

“I heard some young boy is monopolizing Kesera’s affections, so I thought I’d drop by.”

“Would you like to go in?”

“Well…”

A chilling smirk spread across Shahan’s face, so white and dazzling one might momentarily mistake him for a woman. My knees involuntarily weakened whenever he displayed such a smile, so different from his usual expressionless, mask-like demeanor.

His perfect face, seemingly carved from white marble or ice, radiated such cold beauty that one could believe it had been touched by the breath of Artemis, goddess of the moon.

“JeJe, come here for a moment.”

Shahan commanded in a low voice. I awkwardly approached him.

Truth be told, I didn’t particularly like Shahan. While the public highly revered him for his miraculous spiritual powers, I knew his true nature. His unusual abilities were certainly real, but how many would believe that the High Priest, meant to be a model for all citizens, was just as lustful as Princess Kesera?

He was a master of leading a double life. In the mornings, he looked after the empire’s citizens with a supremely benevolent and altruistic face, helping the Emperor and Princess manage state affairs.

But at night, he would either take female priests to bed until they were exhausted or knock on Princess Kesera’s door like this.

To be precise, it was the princess who summoned him.

The princess kept many men, but Shahan was the only one she treated as an equal. Was it because of his position? Or because they shared a kinship in their lustful double lives? 

Whatever the reason, everyone in the princess’s inner circle knew one fact: the High Priest and the princess were regular bedmates. Of course, both maintained numerous other male and female partners, but those insignificant people were merely one-time amusements.

“What is it, High Priest?”

“JeJe, wouldn’t you like to work as a priest at the temple?”

“No. I’m more comfortable at the imperial palace.”

I calmly gave the same answer I had given to Shahan’s subtle suggestions for a long time.

For some reason, I didn’t want to work alongside Shahan. I’d heard he was half-celestial, half-beast, though exactly what animal remained unclear—half celestial being and half animal blood. A representative of the gods with beastkin blood flowing through him… wasn’t that somewhat suspicious?

While not entirely impossible, when people think of “god’s representative,” they typically imagine perfect royalty or pure celestial bloodlines. People either stared at Shahan’s beautiful face in a trance or became stiff with tension whenever they encountered him, and women considered it the highest honor to receive his favor.

How ridiculous it seemed to me as an observer.

Since Shahan rarely recruited people for his temple, others might point fingers at me and call me crazy for refusing. But I had clearly told the High Priest that I lacked religious devotion, so I couldn’t understand why he kept making the same offer.

“I’d like to see your face after so long. Would you remove your mask?”

At this command filled with unspoken pressure, I hurriedly removed my mask and placed it on the floor.

“My, your eyes are red and swollen from lack of sleep. I should have a word with Kesera.”

“No, it’s fine. This is my job. Please don’t worry about me.”

“How could I not?”

“Ah, oh!”

Shahan, who had been leisurely reclining against the chair’s backrest, reached out and grabbed both my arms. He skillfully sat me on his lap and made me lean my upper body against him. His delicate fingers, seemingly carved from jade, firmly gripped and pressed my chin.

“Get some rest.”

“High Priest, this position is too uncomfortable for me to sleep. And the princess might call for me.”

“I’ll take care of that. Would you prefer to move to the temple?”

My heart pounded with anxiety at the mention of the temple.

Though I had known Shahan since I first began serving Princess Kesera—quite a long time in years—I still felt an inexplicable discomfort and sometimes even chills when seeing him. Facing his cloudy corneas and vertically narrowed pupils made my mouth feel parched.

Why did people lavish such praise on Shahan, claiming his beauty was crafted by the gods over three days and nights, that he was an unparalleled pure and sacred being in the empire, or that he was a divine incarnation? Was it because of his powerful position as High Priest, equal to royalty? Or because of his astonishingly miraculous spiritual powers?

I swallowed dryly and shook my head slightly.

While he was indeed terrifyingly beautiful, the women who praised Shahan seemed almost brainwashed.

“JeJe, what’s wrong?”

“Nothing. I’m not sleepy anymore, so please…”

“JeJe.”

He exhaled a moist breath along the curve of my ear. Seeing me shrink in his arms, Shahan let out a small laugh of amusement.

“You’re still so adorably shy.”

The moment Shahan relaxed his pale hands, I quickly climbed down.

“By the way, I’d like to give you a new nickname.”

“No thank you.”

He stared at me intently after my sharp response.

“Do you like that name?”

“Yes.”

In truth, I just didn’t want Shahan to have any reason to call me at all.

“Something cuter and fresher…”

“JeJe! How cute, so very cute!”

“But.”

JeJe was what Shahan had spat out like a curse when he first saw me, his brow deeply furrowed. In ancient celestial language, “JeJe” had two meanings: “nothing” or “zero,” and Shahan used the former when addressing me.

JeJe was essentially an insult—nothing, worthless, inferior. In 21st century language, it might translate to something like “nobody” or “nothing.”

Anyway, from his perspective as a celestial being, everyone except fellow celestials, priests chosen by the gods, and royalty were creatures less worthy than insects. Humans were mere lumps of mud, beastkin ranked far below humans were not worth associating with, and half-beasts caught between humans and beastkin were treated accordingly.

For reference, half-beasts possessed significantly more developed intelligence than pure beastkin, and with their hairless, clean skin and human-like features, they were virtually indistinguishable from humans.

“JeJe, if that’s what you want, I’ll continue calling you that.”

“Yes, thank you, High Priest.”

“By the way, I’m in quite a predicament. I inhaled a lot of incense during today’s ritual, and my body is burning with heat that won’t subside.”

“Ah.”

I smiled awkwardly at Shahan, who was looking down at me with cold eyes. Then I stepped half a step back and bowed my head respectfully.

“Shall I find some female attendants who are still awake?”

Shahan regularly inhaled stimulants during day-and-night rituals—substances that functioned as both aphrodisiacs and stimulants. He had no choice but to take them to stay alert. The problem was the aftereffects when the rituals ended, as residual stimulants remained in his body.

That’s why on nights after rituals, despite his exhausted body, Shahan would frantically take women until his desires were satisfied. These activities often continued until the next morning or noon.

Sometimes he would take Kesera, or if she was unavailable, female priests or attendants from his temple. The common trait among women taken by Shahan was that they all became lost in ecstasy afterward, unable to regain their senses due to the intense pleasure.

“Awake attendants?”

A faint trace of annoyance seemed to spread across Shahan’s eyes, still as a frozen lake.

“Yes, High Priest.”

“It seems one is already before me.”

“I cannot leave my post.”

I calmly shook my head. His snake-like, cold, and slippery gaze lingered on me for a long time.

“You are Kesera’s loyal servant.”

A shallow sigh formed at the edge of Shahan’s lips. He took his eyes off me and looked at the princess’s inner chamber, filled with panting breaths.

Tap, tap.

His long, slender-jointed fingers tapped on the wooden table.

“Kesera is my dear friend.”

“…”

“Then wouldn’t you also be my loyal servant?”

“I cannot fulfill your request, High Priest.”

I wanted to retort at his dog-like logic but held back and responded politely.

“Fine. I understand.”

Shahan’s mineral-like gaze pierced my face once more. After a long moment, he neatly gave up, leisurely leaned back on the long sofa, and continued with indifference.

“Then come and massage my legs. My limbs ache all over from the overnight ritual. It might also help you stay awake since you were getting drowsy.”

“Yes.”

As Shahan yielded, I readily nodded and knelt before him.

“You agree to this kind of task easily, JeJe.”

“The level is different.”

“Ah.”

Shahan giggled and stroked my hair with his cold hand.

“JeJe, you’re so small. Your body, your hands and feet, everything. How old are you now?”

His large hand covered mine.

“I’ll be twenty soon.”

“It seems like just yesterday you were tiny as a grape, and now it’s time for your coming-of-age ceremony. I’m glad I’ll see you again soon.”

“Yes, I look forward to it, High Priest.”

The grand coming-of-age ceremony held annually in Eodiphia took place at the temple and was always overseen by the High Priest.

“Will many young people gather this time too?”

“Indeed. The ceremony is always packed with people every year, so crowded there’s no room to step. Just like ants that could easily be crushed underfoot.”

I silently massaged the High Priest’s legs. With one hand still held by him, I could only diligently massage with my other hand. Meanwhile, the High Priest’s stark white n*ked body was vividly visible through his semi-transparent robe, making it truly difficult to know where to rest my eyes.

“Your hands are skilled. You can stop if you’re tired.”

“Already?”

“Or continue if you’re not tired.”

“Yes.”

“By the way, JeJe, after the large coming-of-age ceremony at the altar ends, come to my private chamber for a moment. I have something for you.”

“May I ask what it is?”

“It wouldn’t be fun if I told you in advance.”

A mischievous smile appeared on the High Priest’s cold face.

Now his lukewarm touch had moved from my hair down to my snow-white nape and collarbone, fingering them.

“Be sure to come.”

“Yes, I will.”

I mechanically nodded my head, simply wanting to end this situation as quickly as possible.