JeJe became an official apprentice priest by receiving the temple’s flame according to Shahan’s wishes. While her slightly changed position didn’t transform how people around her treated her overnight, she could still enjoy small benefits. 

The quality of clothing and meals provided improved significantly, and she could take celestial language classes and access sacred stones relatively freely.

“Learning celestial language means that if you understand the principles, you can handle divine power too. Like magic, divine power is also an acquired skill.”

Her daily life also became structured instead of aimlessly wandering around and only doing assigned tasks punctually. 

She learned how to maintain ritual tools, prepared ceremonies honoring the twelve gods, and even took slaves to nearby forests to gather firewood in preparation for the approaching winter. And at night, she learned celestial language from Shahan.

“The divine power you can use varies according to the properties of the vital energy flowing through your body. But… while examining your body during your Amantalium treatment, I felt that your body seems filled with different energy. It’s quite strange.”

Shahan narrowed his eyes with a thoughtful expression. Then he explained again.

“Among transformation, annihilation, and maintenance, my divine power covers transformation and annihilation—these two types. But ordinary people can usually only use one form. You know well that Elpida can use the power of maintenance, namely healing-type divine power, right?”

She momentarily thought of Narcissus but didn’t show it and nodded obediently. Shahan no longer made her massage him under the pretext of relieving fatigue, nor did he give her strange drugs. 

The rumors that he no longer held women seemed somewhat true. He even showed signs of avoidance. But this was only from a third party’s perspective—to JeJe’s eyes, Shahan didn’t seem to have lost his l*st for women. 

He simply didn’t turn his attention to others, but rather was paying more attention to JeJe than necessary, to the point where she almost preferred how things were before.

“JeJe, what about dinner? If you don’t have other plans, won’t you dine with me?”

Since becoming an apprentice priest, JeJe had been leading busy days. With new colleagues, her social circle, which had consisted entirely of Elpida and Shahan, had expanded a bit, keeping her occupied. Shahan seemed displeased with this change for some reason.

“JeJe, let’s go to town together before it gets colder. I heard the Christmas Rose Festival is in full swing—we can sightsee and buy necessary items.”

“It would be troublesome if your room is too stark, so how about buying some decorations? It would be good to decorate with warm colors. I’m not bad at aesthetics, but since these are items to decorate your room, it would be better if you chose them yourself.”

“JeJe, you haven’t been eating much lately. Have you lost your appetite? If there’s something you want to eat, I’ll buy it for you, so just say the word. I heard girls your age like sweet and slightly bitter things like rich pecan pie, baked cake, or citron cookies.”

“Or are you feeling unwell? Or do you dislike sitting at the dinner table with me and are deliberately avoiding it? I’ve told you countless times not to worry me…”

“JeJe…”

“JeJe.”

She was on the verge of a nervous breakdown. She couldn’t understand his attitude that had changed from some point onward, nor did she particularly want to understand it. 

Expressing refusal once or twice was one thing, but even when she continued to say she didn’t want it or disliked it, Shahan was persistent. So JeJe ended up reluctantly accepting what Shahan gave her.

The variety was extensive—hair accessories studded with thumbnail-sized gems, fragrant oils, clothing with embroidery so elaborate it seemed excessive for a priest to wear. 

Not only that, but when she refused meals, he would somehow hear about it and buy all kinds of desserts from the regular macaron shop that Rictusa used to frequent, sending them to JeJe’s room. 

Wasn’t this like courtship? 

Looking at Shahan reminded her of Lucifer’s eccentric behavior. It felt like he was desperately copying behaviors, not knowing what actions might win the other person’s favor. 

On one hand, it also seemed like he was earnestly trying to convey that he was the only one who could fill the loneliness and emptiness she might feel.

Of course, JeJe couldn’t easily accept his goodwill, having endured a period of suffering under Shahan.

She could never develop feelings for this man. But she didn’t think about escaping his schemes. Because having someone pour unconditional attention and something resembling affection on her wasn’t entirely unpleasant.

[You use them as much as they want you too. What’s the big deal about relationships between men and women? Anyway, in this rotten palace and temple, there’s no one who would accept a sincere confession. Just enjoy yourself moderately and when the other person gets bored, throw them away without mercy. That way you won’t risk getting hurt, and you can fill the need for warmth whenever necessary, so you won’t be lonely. You won’t have to worry constantly about being abandoned. How about it, sounds good?]

She disliked physical relationships, but thought it wouldn’t be bad if she could maintain exactly the current situation. Shahan still couldn’t stand it when JeJe showed signs of trying to push him away and often got angry. 

But sometimes he made awkward efforts to appease her and frequently apologized first after hesitating for a long time.

“JeJe, I said that celestial beings can conceive life when they want to. Do you remember?”

That day too, she was learning celestial language from Shahan without fail. He suddenly asked JeJe, who was organizing the day’s lessons in crooked handwriting on parchment.

“Yes. Until now, countless women have been intimate with you, but none have borne your bloodline.”

“It’s the power of celestial beings.”

“Living in the world must be quite convenient. You can just enjoy yourself freely without needing to take responsibility.”

“Aren’t you curious about the method? How someone like me selects a woman to bear my heir.”

She didn’t particularly want to hear the answer, but since he seemed to want to talk about himself, JeJe responded.

“What method do you use?”

“I use the dirty snake’s blood flowing through my body.”

Dirty snake’s blood. Shahan let out a self-deprecating laugh.

“What do you mean?”

“Exactly what I said. Drawing out a substance that cannot be shown to anyone.”

It was still a cryptic statement. When JeJe made a strange expression showing her displeasure, he closed the book spread out with a thud. It was the celestial language textbook she had been diligently copying.

“Let’s stop here for today. My trial is tomorrow, so I should sleep early tonight. It will be a very long and tedious day.”

Shahan left only meaningful words and abruptly got up. He looked disapprovingly at JeJe, who was trying to wrap the textbook in cloth and carry it diagonally across her back, then unwrapped it and infused it with divine power. The heavy textbook then floated in the air and began following behind JeJe.

“It’s not even that heavy.”

“It’s not like divine power is wasted on such a trivial matter, and shouldn’t your body at least be comfortable?”

JeJe left the High Temple and returned to her lodgings with Shahan’s escort. After finishing lessons with Shahan all evening and returning, she would spread out books under a small lamp and study alone until bedtime.

“Oh, you’re still not sleeping.”

Elpida, who had been sharing the same room for the past few days, watched what she was doing with an interested expression and casually added:

“By the way, did you hear the rumor? Actually, Shahan’s punishment was decided long ago, but the final trial was delayed because they were trying to reach an agreement since opinions were divided about whether the sentence was too harsh.”

“It was already decided?”

“Yeah, from what I hear, they’re stripping him of his High Priest position and giving him a three-year confinement order.”

It was an incomparably lighter punishment compared to Rictusa, who had all his property and official positions confiscated and received seven years of exile on Romnar Island. 

Of course, Shahan, who had reigned over others his entire life, might not be able to bear having his position stripped away and being confined to his house for three years, but she had expected roughly similar sentences. But only three years.

“Not even a musty underground dungeon. In the end, it just means he’ll be comfortably lounging around doing nothing at home.”

“No, you know the huge forest surrounding the temple’s rear? It’s called the Moon Forest, and there’s a small temple sealed with special divine power there. He has to spend three years there. Because of the divine power, people can enter from outside, but no matter what method is used, you can’t leave from inside, so it’s often used when punishing high-ranking clergy as a place for repentance.”

“A small temple?”

“A place with only two tower gates, a chapel with a statue and altar of Ascalto, the god of sin and punishment among the twelve gods, and a small bedroom.”

She had vaguely heard that a forbidden temple existed in the Moon Forest. She had heard it was a place where religious trials were conducted in the past, but apparently it was now used for this purpose.

“Anyway, Shahan requested to take one apprentice priest to assist him. But listen, JeJe, from what I hear, that’s you.”

A moment of silence passed. JeJe tilted her head like she didn’t understand what she had just heard.

“Are you saying I have to live confined in the temple with Shahan for three years?”

“You can’t call it confinement… You received the condition of being able to freely enter and leave the temple once a week, but in exchange, Shahan increased his own punishment. Normally, apprentice priests or servants assisting their master during the repentance period would also be locked up in the temple together to endure the long time, but he earnestly requested permission for your comings and goings. His punishment was increased as a condition for that.”

“Why?”

“Only he would know the reason.”

Elpida shrugged her shoulders, then began taking off her flowing priest robes and changing into comfortable indoor clothes.

“The servants who go into the Moon Temple together usually look like they’re dying, saying their freedom was also taken away because of their master, but you’re not in that situation, so that’s fortunate.”

JeJe nodded reluctantly. She thought of Shahan, who had been giving her gifts these past few days, telling her to say if there was anything she wanted. 

‘In the end, did he lay the groundwork in advance knowing things would turn out this way? Because he was afraid I would extremely hate being forced to enter the temple with him? Or because he felt sorry for me?’

She thought both were ridiculous. He wasn’t the type to act considerately of others’ feelings.

“JeJe, please be careful. That Shahan seems to be acting incomprehensibly lately, but don’t forget that even if he looks fine on the outside, he’s a cunning snake inside.”

* * *

Unlike Rictusa’s case, Shahan’s punishment proceeded quietly to prevent it from leaking to the outside. 

The fact that a High Priest, who should be a model for citizens, had committed crimes against young girls for years (of course, the inside story was a ‘consensual relationship,’ but publicly he received punishment equivalent to r*pe charges) would diminish the prestige of the entire temple serving the twelve gods. 

The justification was that it could cause confusion among the entire empire’s people.

And the rumor Elpida had whispered also turned out to be true.

“Do you resent me for forcibly bringing you along?”