Honestly, she had hoped for a little more. Though she wouldn’t be able to enjoy it for long, she wanted to feel the festival atmosphere for once and return after seeing various sights, but she couldn’t find anything remotely similar here. 

JeJe entered the first shop that caught her eye, feeling dejected.

It took quite a while just to select the necessary items according to her pre-written list and pay for them. This was because she had to write the ledger to send to the temple in celestial language.

“You must be affiliated with the temple.”

The shop owner, who had been watching her work with curious eyes, asked in a voice filled with awe.

“Why would someone of high standing come all the way to this remote mountain valley instead of going to the capital’s seven-day or ten-day markets? The resources available here are far more limited compared to the capital, and the prices are higher too. Unless you’re looking for specialties that can only be found in this region…”

Then, suddenly realizing something, the owner gasped and shut his mouth. He had finally recognized that JeJe was the attendant of former High Priest Shahan.

The owner’s expression immediately turned hostile. He openly displayed his displeasure at having the servant of a fallen High Priest as a customer.

“Hurry up and pay, then get out. What terrible luck from the morning.”

Intimidated by his fierce attitude, JeJe hastily paid and rushed out of the shop. She wasn’t welcomed at the other shops she visited either. 

While some owners maintained minimal courtesy since they were serving someone from the temple, most kept their distance with wariness. She even got salt thrown at her when she stopped by a shop to buy fluffy cotton blankets, essential for winter.

In the end, she couldn’t obtain even half of what was on her list. JeJe was completely exhausted and forgot her dignity as she collapsed at a street corner.

“May I help you?”

Then suddenly, a voice rang out from above her head, making her look up. The sweet, clear voice that seemed like it could belong to an immature boy stirred a strange sense of déjà vu.

“You’ve been turned away repeatedly since earlier. How can you possibly get all the things you need in one day like this?”

A boy wrapped in a robe white like snow from head to toe smiled brightly and offered to get the items for her instead. This time, JeJe looked at the boy with eyes full of suspicion, seeing only his pale face floating in the darkness.

“Who are you?”

His hair was also hidden by the robe, making the boy look like his entire body was made of white plaster. Only his sapphire-like blue eyes provided the sole color he possessed. 

The fact that he had his nose and mouth area tightly covered with a hood only increased her suspicion, but the boy, unaware of JeJe’s feelings, smiled innocently and urged her.

“I’ll help you, so let’s go quickly. It’s winter, so the days are short and it’ll get dark soon.”

His cloak fluttered behind him like a jellyfish in his excitement. Is he the village idiot? She suddenly thought. But seeing no trace of malice in the eyes visible outside his robe, JeJe unconsciously nodded and followed behind the boy.

“…Are you from Ditrian village?”

“I came from far away looking for someone I’ve longed for.”

The boy, who looked at most around her age, replied solemnly with an air of importance.

“I see. I’m an apprentice priest from the High Temple, Je… Arcana.”

In a place where no one knew her, JeJe was driven by an inexplicable impulse to introduce herself that way. Even after saying it, the name felt unfamiliar.

“Arcana…”

The boy walking beside her paused and quietly repeated the name she had spoken aloud. The two went around shops together, loading the cart full of items she hadn’t been able to buy earlier. 

In truth, the boy who had suddenly appeared and offered help wasn’t as useful as expected. He knew almost nothing about worldly matters, let alone how to flexibly negotiate prices. But thanks to his unique weapon—his face—she received noticeably better treatment than when she was alone. 

Especially the female shop owners who would give JeJe leftover goods or secretly reduce prices when she appeared with the beautiful boy. Thanks to this, the cart quickly became full.

“La… Arcana, are you returning to the temple now?”

“I need to go to the Moon Temple. My master is there. But what about you—haven’t you wasted precious time because of me? You said you were looking for someone…”

“I’ve already confirmed they’re doing well, so it’s fine. Where is the Moon Temple? Since it’s getting dark, the night road will be dangerous, so I’ll escort you back to where you came from.”

JeJe looked up at the boy with bewildered eyes. At first she thought he was a boy from Ditrian village, but that wasn’t it either, and he had selflessly helped her and now offered to go through the trouble of escorting her home.

‘I heard there are demon beasts that win humans’ favor to make them lower their guard before devouring them.’

Could this boy’s true identity be a demon beast from Ditrian Forest?

JeJe, suddenly alert, shook her head frantically. Then the boy in front of her drooped his shoulders weakly with a pitiful, dejected expression.

“I’m not a bad person. It’s just that it would be dangerous for a young girl like La… Arcana to walk the night road alone, so I thought it would be good if I stayed by your side.”

The innocent-looking boy, who seemed similar in age to her if not younger, gently placed his hand on his chest like asking her to trust him. She couldn’t understand why he was going this far. 

JeJe looked back and forth between the heavy cart piled high with daily necessities, the single donkey, and the boy, then reluctantly gave permission. As he said, there was a high risk of encountering trouble if she went alone in the middle of the night pulling a cart full of goods.

“But why aren’t you returning to the temple and instead going to Moon Temple? And who is this master you must serve?”

The boy, having received permission to accompany her, asked with a voice full of curiosity.

Ah, this child really knows nothing about the rumors going around. He must be from some remote area like an island or mountain region where trade isn’t active. That explained the boy’s foolish attitude of trying to pay whatever price the village asked. JeJe concluded this.

“I live at the Moon Temple serving Lord Shahan, who was the former High Priest.”

“…High Priest, you mean. No, more importantly, just the two of you?”

“Yes, since Lord Shahan was sentenced to three years of house arrest, I must assist him during the designated period.”

“…”

For a very brief moment, all expression disappeared from the boy’s face.

“Do you mean it’s simply a master-servant relationship?”

Only after seeing JeJe nod vigorously in affirmation did the boy regain his original innocent smile.

“I’m glad I decided to escort you to the temple.”

“Why?”

“Just… something came up that I need to confirm.”

The young boy was overall slender in limbs with graceful body lines. Though covered entirely by his cloak, even from the form visible between the folds, he didn’t seem particularly strong. 

But defying such expectations, the boy pulled the heavy cart far too easily without effort. He lifted JeJe up and placed her on the now-unburdened donkey.

“Um, there’s no need to go this far…”

JeJe waved her hands with pure bewilderment, her face reddening. No matter how much he wanted to help, she couldn’t impose this much after already receiving more than enough help from someone she’d just met. 

Though it was a bit scary to wander alone through the forest as a woman carrying expensive goods as the sun set, she could properly pay and hire a guard. This boy, who looked younger than her, must also have a home to return to and family who worried about him. 

JeJe sighed with mixed feelings as she watched the boy silently pull the cart without budging.

“Thank you so much for today. I’d like to offer something in gratitude…”

Eventually they safely arrived at the Moon Temple. The sky was black like ink had been poured over it, with a pale moon hanging above grayish-white clouds. JeJe thanked the boy who had come the long way with her until this late hour and removed the cloth covering the cart.

“No, it’s fine, so don’t worry about me and just go inside.”

The blue eyes that had sparkled like a lake under bright sunlight now glowed eerily and chillingly under the moonlight. 

Feeling that he would never leave first unless she turned away first, JeJe bowed her head properly and headed toward the temple entrance. She had a strange premonition that even after this moment passed, the boy would continue standing in the same spot.

While the guard protecting the temple thoroughly inspected the goods purchased during the day, JeJe glanced back. But contrary to her expectations, the ghost-like beautiful boy wrapped from head to toe in a white cloak had already disappeared.

Yet it was mysterious how, though there was no physical presence, his aura seemed to linger still.

“JeJe, you’re late. You didn’t come even though it was long past time, so I was burning with worry.”

Shahan, who had finished his own arduous daily routine, appeared with his hair still dripping from having just finished showering, swept back over his forehead.

“As you know, I can’t leave the temple. So please don’t make me worry over trivial matters. Well, did you get everything you wanted?”

“Yes, Lord Shahan. I thought jerky and seasoned dried meats might be okay so I bought some, but unfortunately they were all confiscated by the guards.”

“Oh my, that’s truly unfortunate. You must want to eat meat too, but you can’t even have that because of me.”

Since she was naturally herbivorous, she didn’t particularly crave meat. Instead, she wanted to eat sweet desserts like carrot pie or cake to her heart’s content, but even that wasn’t allowed, which was disappointing. JeJe smacked her lips and held out a small glass bottle wrapped in cloth.

“I also bought perfumed oil.”

“For me?”

“Mm, I thought it might improve the quality of daily life even a little, so I just bought it once.”

“Thank you.”

In truth, the reason JeJe had bought him perfumed oil was because of his musky scent. Due to the temperature that wouldn’t be surprising if she froze to death, she had to sleep pressed close to his side every day, but Shahan’s distinctive body odor was too much of an ordeal for JeJe. 

While it wouldn’t be a problem at all for others to smell, JeJe found that scent unbearably difficult to endure. Every time she smelled it, nightmares of Shahan transformed into a snake violating her body would surface, making her nauseous and break out in cold sweats.

JeJe curled up in a ball and forced her eyes shut. A cool, cold forearm wrapped around her waist area and low breathing flowed into her ear. She had no idea why this man’s embrace was as cold as standing n*ked in the middle of winter.

She hunched her shoulders as much as possible and unconsciously pushed away Shahan’s arm. But even while drunk with sleep, he instinctively reached out like trying not to lose the warmth of the person beside him. 

It had already been four days of losing sleep like this. Was this some new t*rture method? 

JeJe looked at the large window on one wall, thinking she wouldn’t be able to sleep tonight either, and quietly lifted the blanket. Whether she struggled to sleep in Shahan’s embrace or lay on the ground with only the feeble warmth of the brazier fire, the situation seemed similar. 

The cold had completely driven away her drowsiness.